The ghost turned out to be a pretty simple case. The original owner of the building had been murdered in one of the units ten years before, and his spirit was hanging around causing trouble. She found out where he was buried and planned on going there once it was dark. She was hoping that the guys would be back by then to help with the digging.
Those hopes were dashed when she got a call from Dean.
"We're not gonna make it back tonight. This town has one road to the highway. It has a bridge, and the bridge is out."
"Nice."
"Cop said it should be open in the morning, but we really wanted out of here tonight."
"Why? What's up?"
"This guy Chuck, who wrote the books, we still don't know how he's doing it. He has some kind of dreams or visions or something. Today, he got one of Lilith coming for Sam."
Lily heard a voice in the background. She could tell it was Sam, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.
"Because it's suicide, that's why!" Dean yelled.
"Dean," Lily said, "calm down."
"No, Rambo wants to stay and face Lilith!"
"Well, it looks like you'll be doing that anyway if you can't leave town."
"I don't wanna discuss it. We're gonna figure this out. How's the ghost thing goin'?"
"Planning on a salt and burn tonight. I was hoping to have you guys to help, but..."
"Sorry. Can you handle it on your own?"
"Dean, I've done this alone before. It just would have gone faster with two extra pairs of hands. You two getting a room tonight?"
"We'll have to. We're gonna grab some food first."
"Of course. You two be careful."
"I will. Can't say the same for my idiot brother."
She heard Sam mumble again. Dean's response was, "Yeah, whatever."
"See you tomorrow?" Lily asked.
"See you tomorrow."
Lily had some time to kill, so she went through the books again. She picked up one of them.
"Part two?" She asked herself quietly. She rummaged through the pile to find the other one. "All Hell Breaks Loose." Dean had told her about this, but she decided to read it. She skimmed through to the end and found Sam fighting Jake, one of the other kids with sudden abilities. As soon as she finished it she picked up Part Two, holding back the tears. She read through until a woman named Ellen arrived at Bobby's. Sam and Dean had never mentioned her, but Lily thought she would like Ellen. She wondered if Ellen was still alive.
Lily read the back covers on more of the books. The back of one called "The Kids are Alright" had a name on it that she thought she recognized: Lisa Braeden.
"Why does that name sound familiar?" she asked herself aloud. She thought about it for a minute, then it hit her, and her heart sank. This was the woman Sam told her about. The woman that she told Dean he should talk to before he went to Hell. She stared at the book as she turned it over in her hands. She hesitated as she opened it and began skimming through the pages.
She felt a slight tinge of jealousy as she read Dean telling Sam about Lisa. She always knew he hooked up with other women, but to read it this way... that was different.
Lily smiled at Lisa's neighbor. "The Dean. 'Best-night-of-my-life' Dean."
"Well," Lily said, "that's accurate."
She skimmed through the entire book, focusing on the parts with Lisa and Ben. Now she understood what Sam meant when he told her that Lisa got Dean thinking about a normal life.
Lily glanced at the clock. It was almost 10:30. She had planned on getting some sleep before going digging, but that was no longer an option. She had to get this done. She packed and was headed to the door when she realized she didn't have a car.
"Great."
It wasn't as if she could call a cab to bring her there. That would be traceable if anyone looked into the grave desecration. She could ride the bus there, but she would be filthy when she was done. She would be noticeable taking the bus back.
"Looks like I'm hot-wiring a car."
It was one of the many things Dean taught her. This little talent he showed off soon after they first met. She always assumed that he thought it would impress her in some way. It did, a little, but she always felt bad for the owner of the car. She only did it herself once, in an emergency.
She found a car that looked like it didn't have an alarm system and popped the lock. No sirens. The car was soon running and she headed for the cemetery. It took her several hours to dig the hole by herself, but she finally reached the coffin. She busted the lid open, poured on the salt and gasoline, and climbed out of the grave. She lit a book of matches and tossed them in, watching the body go up in flames. She packed up her stuff and headed back toward the car. Through the trees, in the distance, she saw flashing lights. As she got closer she saw that it was the cops, and they were hovering around the car she had stolen.
"Awesome."
She quickly, but quietly, backtracked through the trees, heading for the highway. She would have to walk back. It would take her at least twenty minutes.
"I should have brought my own car."
When she finally made it back to the motel, she wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she was so dirty that she knew she couldn't wait until she woke up for a shower. Even feeling so exhausted, the shower was great. It gave her just enough energy to put on her pajamas and climb into bed.
Lily heard Dean's voice calling her name. It slowly pulled her out of her sleep. Her eyelids felt extremely heavy as she tried to open them.
"There she is," Dean said.
As her vision focused, she saw Dean sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.
"We wanna get out of here, so I need you to wake up and pack. You can sleep in the car."
She reluctantly got up and they all packed, which didn't take long. As they climbed into the car, Dean asked if she handled the ghost. She nodded and lay down across the backseat.
When she woke up again they were driving through the town that led to her cabin.
"What are we doing back here?"
"We need a place to lie low for a day or two. Your cabin is the closest."
"That's cool. I wanna get my car, anyway. I had to hot-wire one last night to get to the cemetery. Then the cops found it, so I had to walk back to the motel."
Dean smiled at her in the rear view mirror. Sam turned around in his seat with a surprised look on his face.
"You hot-wired a car?"
"Yeah. Dean taught me."
"Of course he did."
They made a quick stop in town so Lily could pick up a few things, and were soon at the cabin. She fixed a quick lunch for them and Dean filled her in on everything that happened.
"Castiel says the author, Chuck, is a prophet."
"So he sees everything before it happens... not after?"
"Right."
"How soon before?"
"Not long. We only had a few hours heads-up on Lilith."
"Still," Lily said, "it's kind of helpful." You should have him on speed dial."
"The guy's not exactly stable."
"And you are?"
"More than he is."
Sam played around on his laptop, and Lily and Dean watched television. They had each had a shower and were just trying relax. After dinner, another meal provided by Lily, Sam offered to clean up. Lily and Dean went out onto the back patio. Lily stood with her arms folded, looking out over the landscape. Dean walked next to her and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"When we leave," Dean said, "I want you to stay here."
Her head quickly turned in his direction. "Why?"
"It's the apocalypse. Lilith is out for our heads. Sam's been acting weird, buddying up to that bitch, Ruby... I don't want you involved."
"I'm already involved, Dean. That angel already dragged me into his little alternate reality lesson."
"Exactly. The angels already know who you are. I don't think the demons do... yet. If you keep hanging around with us, they will, and they'll find a way to use you. Or they'll just kill you."
Her face fell as the realization hit her. "That's why we're really here isn't it? You didn't come here to lay low. You came to bring me home."
Dean just stared at her, and it was all the confirmation she needed.
"You do realize that I'm a hunter, right? I'm not some damsel in distress! I can take care of myself!"
"I know you can, but this is way bigger than anything you've ever dealt with. We're talkin' Lucifer, Lily!"
"Isn't that a good reason to have more help?"
"It's a good reason to keep away from distractions."
All the fight went out of her at those words. Her eyes dimmed, the spark gone.
"So, I'm just a distraction? A way to kill time? Sort of like a hobby that you're too busy for right now?"
"What?" Dean was genuinely confused. "I mean that keeping you safe would be a distraction. What the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing. I'm goin' to bed."
"It's still early."
"I really just don't want to be around you right now."
She started to walk back inside. Dean stared after her, his mouth slightly agape. He still didn't understand what was upsetting her so much.
"Well, maybe we should just leave now."
"Maybe you should," she said over her shoulder.
Lily went to her bedroom and closed the door. She climbed in bed and listened to the sound of the guys picking up. She heard the front door close, then the Impala drive off. She spent most of the night replaying the scene in her head. How could it have gone differently? Would it have made a difference if she admitted how she felt? Probably not. That would have made him push her away more, even if only for her own protection. The fact that Dean went away with her angry at him made it worse. The tears began to build, and eventually she cried herself to sleep.