Lily was outside putting her things in the trunk of her car when Dean walked up behind her and rested on his crutches.

"We need to talk," he said.

"No, we need to get on the road."

"Fine." He pulled his bag from his shoulder and flung it into her trunk, then made his way around the car and got in.

Lily rolled her eyes and slammed the trunk shut. She turned the radio on as soon as she was in the car. Dean waited until they had been driving a while before he said anything. He turned the radio down.

"We can't work together with this tension between us. It's gonna get us killed."

"I don't think this is a discussion we should be having in the car."

"Okay, then, we'll talk when we get to the cabin. I just have to know one thing..."

"And that is?"

"Are you trying to use Sam to get back at me some kind of way?"

"What?"

"You and him in the bed this morning..."

"How would that be a way for me to get back at you?"

"Oh, I don't know, the idea of my brother sleeping with someone I've slept with is pretty creepy."

"Dean, that was an accident. We just ended up that way in our sleep. It's one of the hazards of sharing a bed. I would never use him that way. I think of Sam as a brother."

"Do you really?"

"Yes."

"How do you think of me?"

Lily took a breath. "I try not to."

Dean nodded, "Well, I just spent the past year trying not to think of you. So, I guess that makes us even."

"What do you mean?"

He hesitated before turning the music back up. "We'll talk at the cabin."

They spent the rest of the trip in silence, but Lily's mind was going in circles trying to figure out what Dean meant about trying not to think of her. When they finally got to the cabin they all scoped the place out. It needed some cleaning, and they would need supplies, but overall it wasn't bad. There were two small bedrooms in the place. Lily claimed hers and began to clean it up. That left the men to decide the fate of the other room.

"Well, I'm not sharing a bed with you," Dean said to Sam. "I don't wanna wake up being spooned by Sasquatch."

"Dean, man, nothing happened."

"Uh huh."

Bobby rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag from the couch. "You two chuckle heads can keep arguin'. I'ma take the room."

When Bobby was gone, Sam continued. "And so what if it did? It's not like you and Lily are together." Dean glared at him, but didn't say anything. Sam knew the idea of him and Lily would push Dean to open back up to her, so he kept going. "You know, Lily is a nice girl. She's smart, skilled... she's hot."

"Sam..."

"It felt kind of nice waking up with her in my arms. Maybe I should go for it."

"I will punch you in the face." It wasn't a threat. It was fact. Dean's voice was flat and calm.

"Well, maybe you two should sit down and talk."

"I'm trying, okay. We will. Things just need to calm down a little."

Nothing else was said that night. Dean decided to sleep on the couch since his leg was in a cast, and Sam took the floor.

Lily was the first to wake the next morning. She found Dean asleep on the couch with his good leg hanging off. Familiar feelings tugged in the pit of her stomach, and her lips formed a smile against her will. He could still make her melt. She quietly poked around in the kitchen, which was completely open to the rest of the living area, looking for any food they could eat. It was pretty bare.

She went back to her room to dig through her bag. She grabbed her keys and a small wallet. As she was headed out the door, Dean called to her.

"Where you goin'?"

"Grocery run."

Dean sat up and ran a hand through his matted hair. "Hang on a sec. I'll come with you."

"You're on crutches, Dean. You'll only slow me down. Besides, the Leviathans don't know who I am yet. They know you very well. It's safer for you if you stay here." She gave Dean a big smile as she walked out of the door. "I'll be back soon." She left feeling a little satisfied that she had given Dean a taste of what he had put her through by leaving her behind, even if it was over something as trivial as going to buy groceries.

Lily returned almost two hours later. She brought in a couple of bags and saw that Sam was up, and she was relieved.

"I'm so glad you're awake. Can you help me bring these bags in?"

"Sure," Sam said.

He guided Lily through door with his hand at the small of her back. Dean didn't miss that gesture.

When all the bags were in the house, Dean helped put things away, using just one crutch to help him get around. Lily had gotten everything they could possibly need while they were laid up with Dean's leg. One of the bags Dean opened made his face light up.

"Pie!" He went to Lily and kissed her cheek. "You're awesome."

"You're welcome," she said, flatly. She had felt the crack in her resolve at the feel of his lips on her skin. He was slowly pulling her back in without even trying, and she hated it.

Bobby had gone into town to check out the local area and the news. He got back a few hours later and told them he was heading back to South Dakota to check things out. He had to see what survived the fire before the authorities got there and started looking through things. Dean tried to talk him out of leaving so soon, but when Bobby promised to bring Dean's car back with him, Dean relented.

Sam eventually busied himself on his laptop while Lily and Dean watched television. Dean sat with his casted leg stretched out across the couch, and Lily sat at the other end in what little room was left. He glanced at her a few times, but her eyes remained fixed on the tv. Dean eventually turned the tv off.

"Hey," Lily said. "I was watching that."

"Can we talk now?"

Lily looked over at Sam who was sitting at a small table in the kitchen area. "Let's go out back," she said.

Dean got up onto his crutches and they went outside. There were two chairs at a small round table where they both sat. Lily didn't leave room for idle chat.

"Okay. I answered your question about Sam in the car on the way up here, but you never answered mine. What did you mean that you spent the last year trying not to think of me?"

"Wow... no foreplay, huh?"

Dean chuckled, but Lily's face remained serious, and his smile quickly faded.

"Okay," he said, "I don't know how much you know already from Bobby, but Sam made me make a promise."

"I know about that."

"Good. Before we get to that, though, back at the hospital... I might have been flying high on pain killers, but I meant what I said. I never meant to hurt you."

"How could you pushing me away not hurt me? You were the closest thing I had to a best friend, and you wouldn't let me help you when you needed it most. You treated me like a child. How do you know things wouldn't have turned out different if I were helping? Sam may have never had to jump in the pit."

"How do you know you wouldn't have died?"

"I don't. That's the point. We don't know what's gonna happen. But I'm a hunter, Dean. Have been for years... probably almost as long as you have. I know the risks. I don't need a babysitter, I need a friend."

"I thought that's what I was being, trying to keep you safe."

"Look... I appreciate the fact that you care enough about me to care about my safety. But if you ever try to push me away again, I will kill you myself."

Dean smiled, but Lily shook her head as if to say "I'm not kidding," and the smile on Dean's face turned to a worried look. As she watched the change in his expression, Lily couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay," Lily said, "not thinking about me?"

"Right." Dean took a deep breath and hesitated a little, trying to think of how to best explain it. "Sam wanted me to stop hunting after he was gone. He didn't want me looking for a way to get him out, or anything. He wanted me to have a normal life, so he told me to go find Lisa." Lily nodded, and Dean paused. He stared at her for a moment before continuing. "Part of me wanted to go to you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I knew you were pissed at me... and you were still hunting. That's not what Sam wanted."

"So you went to have a normal life with Lisa."

"I did. And I cared about Lisa and Ben a lot... I still do, but... part of me was always back here."

"With hunting."

"Well, yeah, with hunting, but... with you too. Me and Lisa, we'd had one night together years ago. But me and you... we have a history. And it's more than just sex. It's like you said. You're the closest thing I have to a best friend, and I missed you. I thought about you, but I was with Lisa. So, I tried not to think about you. And I know it was my fault for pushing you away, and maybe Sam wouldn't have asked me to go to Lisa if you had been around... But I can't take any of it back. I can only say I'm sorry for hurting you." He stood without his crutches, supporting his weight on his good leg, and took Lily's hand. She stood as well, and he placed his hands on her arms. "I don't wanna lose you, Lily."

"I don't wanna lose you, either."

Dean wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Her hands went around his waist and returned the tight embrace. After a moment, Dean pulled back and lifted Lily's chin, softly bringing Lily's lips to his. They barely kissed before Lily pulled away.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Okay... we'll take it slower. I just need to know that you forgive me."

"Almost."

"Well, I guess that's better than a no."