Two chapters without smut? We'll have to fix that, now won't we? *wink* As I promised, this chapter is up much faster than the last one. Also, it's another long one. Only the best for my fans. Okay, enough talking. Hope y'all enjoy!

Fun fact: It is physically impossible for me to watch any episode of Supernatural now without my brain subconsciously trying to figure out where to put Ashley with what's going on. The more you know.

I let out an exhausted sigh as I curled against Dean in the bed. While meeting and talking to Bobby was absolutely amazing, it was also extremely tiring. "You okay?" his familiar, warm hand rubbed my back as he kissed the top of my head. "Yeah, just tired," I lifted my head to look up at him and smiled, "Although, being alone is a plus." He smiled back, "Yeah?"

I nodded, sitting up to straddle his hips. His eyes darkened as I slid my hands down his chest. "Whatcha think, babe?" My lips grazed his ear as I whispered, "Should we take advantage of being alone?" His hands tightened on my waist, his voice dripping with lust, "Mmm, sounds good to me. Sure you can keep quiet, Angel?" I smirked, "Dean, I can do anything if it means getting naked with you." I heard his low chuckle as he sat up with me in his lap, his nose brushing mine as he kept his lips just out of reach, "Good to know."

"Well, Winchester," I half teased, half panted at the thought of his lips on mine, "You gonna kiss me or what?" He moved his lips to my neck, kissing down my jaw, "Impatient, are we?"

"Dean," I whined softly. He pulled his old shirt he gave me to wear off over my head, "I thought you wanted to get naked, sweetheart?"

"Then what are you waiting for?" He laughed quietly, eyes full of mischief, "I dunno, maybe I just wanna tease you." He turned and rolled over so I was underneath him. My breathing increased as he trailed hot, wet kisses down my stomach. He looked up and flashed a crooked grin at my moan as he slowly pulled my panties down my legs. I gasped and pulled at his hair sharply as he flicked his tongue teasingly, his rough stubble rubbing against my inner thigh. "Easy, baby," he murmured softly as he moved back up over me. "Dean," I purred as he wrapped my leg around his denim clad thigh and rocked his hips slightly, "You have too many clothes on."

"Mmm," his hot breathe danced across my neck as his lips grazed over my skin, "Last time I checked, m'only wearing a pair of jeans."

"Yeah, well, that's–" I cut off with a gasp and bit down on my lip sharply to keep from moaning. He lowered his head and swirled his tongue hotly around my nipple as he slid his hand up and down my thigh. "That's what?" I heard the cocky smile in his voice. I arched my back, my fingers tangling in his short hair as he moved to the other breast, giving it equal attention as I moaned quietly. "You're an ass, y'know that?" He chuckled as he kissed his way up my neck, "Naw, you love me."

"I love you even more without any clothes on," I rolled my hips against his, smirking at his groan. He rolled onto his back, his hands resting on my hips as he pulled me on top of him. I immediately grabbed his face and crushed my lips against his, shuddering at the skin on skin contact. He opened his eyes slowly as I broke away, both of us breathing heavily. He just watched me, something I couldn't recognize shining in his eyes.

"Dean?" He sat up carefully and cradled the side of my face as he kissed me softly. "God," he murmured, his forehead resting against mine, "I love you, Angel." I felt a warmth spread through my chest as I smiled, "I love you, Dean." He leaned back to look at me and my heart skipped a beat. He was smiling slightly, his dark emerald eyes lit up with pure happiness and love. I looked up at him playfully, "But, you're still wearing too many clothes." He grinned, trailing his fingers down across my collarbone, "You plan on fixing that for me, babe?" I pushed his chest lightly, urging him to lie back down as I fumbled with his belt.

"Ashley," he sighed softly, voice full of pleasure as I took his hard length in my hand. His head was tilted slightly back as he bit his lip and reached for my free hand to tangle his fingers with mine. I pressed kisses against his hip as he closed his eyes and his face flooded with bliss. "Angel," he panted after a few minutes, "Babe, slow down." I moved up over him, kissing him roughly as he slid his tongue over mine. He held me tightly against his chest as he turned and moved me under him, whispering a hush in my ear as he slowly slid into me. Our faces we're buried in each other's necks at an attempt to keep quiet.

"Dean," I moaned his name as my hands gripped his muscled back. "Angel," he husked in reply, "You feel… so good." I slid my hands down around to his chest, feeling his hard muscles as I smirked, "You don't feel too bad, either, big guy." He let out a breathless chuckle as he looked down at me and smiled. "I love you," he mumbled suddenly as he kissed me softly. He dropped forehead against mine as he continued to rock his hips evenly, his eyes locking with mine. The intensity of his gaze sent a bolt of heat and desire straight down my spine, making me shudder.

Heat began to pool in my lower stomach– a sensation I was becoming increasingly familiar with, thanks to the man above me. "Dean," I gasped as I clung to him, close to falling into oblivion. "That's it, baby," he panted as his breathing became erratic, "Forever." I wrapped my arms tightly around him and buried my face into his neck, muffling my cries as I tensed around him and fell flat off the edge of the world.

O.o

"Dean?" I asked softly in case he was sleeping. He nuzzled the top of my head, "Hmm?"

"Nothing, I just... can't sleep."

He sighed, "Yeah, me too."

I curled tighter against him, breathing deeply. I'd always wondered what Dean smelled like, but now I realized that he just smelt like Dean. Maybe, if there were different circumstances, he would smell of worn down leather and mechanical grease. But not like this. Not when he let himself be so vulnerable and naked– literally and figuratively. He didn't smell like anything in particular when he was like this, if you tried to identify it, it was just simply him.

"What're you thinking about?"

"You," I replied, unable to control the faint blush that crept up my neck. "Yeah?" he turned on his side so he was facing me, "What about me?" I looked up at him, my eyes soft, "About how lucky I am to have you." A smile tugged at the edge of his lips, "Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual."

O.o

"Can I ask you something?" I asked after a while. He nodded, which was immediately contradicted by the worry in his eyes. "Earlier, when you said… What did you mean by forever?" He immediately flicked his eyes down as heat colored his cheeks. "I-I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, I just– I mean…. Shit, nevermind," I trailed off as I stumbled over my own words and began to blush furiously.

"Angel, it's okay," his fingers lingered on my cheek as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "It's just– I meant what I said, but it kind of just slipped out." I nodded and looked up into his eyes, waiting for him to explain. I almost smiled at how flustered he was as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I love you. I love you, Angel, and I always will. To the moon and back– forever. Nothing will ever, ever change that." I stared at him, too stunned to produce a coherent thought. He swallowed loudly, "That's what I meant by forever."

Before I even knew what was happening, tears were rolling down my cheeks. "Hey," he wrapped his arms around me without hesitation as I moved to hug him, "What's wrong?" I struggled to talk, overwhelmed by the hormones surging through me. He rubbed my back patiently, "Hey, what's wrong, baby?"

"I l-love you, too," I choked out. He kissed my temple, whispering reassurances in my ear as I calmed down. I forced myself to breathe so I could talk. "Sorry," I mumbled, "I don't know where that came from."

"S'okay, babe. We're both tired."

I tried to stifle a yawn, failing miserably. "Get some sleep, Angel," he murmured as he kissed my forehead. "Wait for me to… wake up. I wanna….. I wanna help make breakfast tomorrow," I slurred as I started to fall asleep. I thought I heard Dean laugh, but I was already too far gone.

O.o

I groaned as I pressed my cheek against the cool, white porcelain in the bathroom. I had stumbled out of bed about half an hour ago, miraculously managing to not wake up Dean– or anyone else– as I threw up everything I had in my stomach. And, as far as I could tell, it was still pretty early in the morning.

"Ashley?" I heard Dean's frantic voice from out in the hall. "In here," I croaked, making my throat burn even more than it already was. Dean jumped in the doorway out of nowhere. His eyes were wild as he stood there in nothing but his boxers, his hair sticking up everywhere. He took a deep breath when he saw me, and stood up straight from his defensive-like position. "Jesus, Angel," he crouched down in front of me, "I thought you were….. Are you okay?"

"Just perfect." I saw his worried expression and sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't think about that. I was sick." He sat down next to me, stroking his surprisingly cold thumb across my flushed cheek, "So I noticed. Do you want anything?" I shifted to rest my head against his shoulder and shook my head. He rubbed my back soothingly, "How do you feel?"

"Like shit." He leaned down to press his lips to the top of my head, "Sorry, babe."

"Not your fault," I mumbled in reply. I heard him sigh, but he didn't say anything else.

O.o

We sat in silence for a while after that. My mind wandering as Dean rubbed circles on my lower back with his thumb. He had changed so much since we met. We had changed so much. I knew Dean had made sacrifices for the people he loved in the past, and he would in the future, but it all just felt so different.

I highly doubt the old Dean would have stayed up at four in the morning just to make sure some girl was alright because she had been sick. He wouldn't have slept with her curled against his chest to make sure she was safe. He was too selfless to put another person he cared about in his dangerous life. But, for some reason, he did. I don't know why he chose me, but he did. He did something for himself and let someone in for once. And because of it, he seemed so much happier.

I glanced up at him and a slow smile spread across my face. His eyes were closed and, as his head started to fall to the side, he would jolt himself awake only to do it again. "Dean," I whispered softly as I slid my hand over his back, "Go back to bed." He rubbed his eyes open and yawned, "Naw, I'm good. I'm fine. I'm really…. I'm really–" His head hit against the wall with a thud as he fell back asleep. I nudged his shoulder, "Dean."

"Not tired," he mumbled as he sat up. He shook his head and blinked a few times as he leaned against me and kissed my temple softly. I grinned, "Sure you aren't." He rolled his eyes and I pressed a kiss against his shoulder, "You're tired, babe. Go back to bed."

"Not unless you're coming with me," he insisted as he looked down and caught my eye, "I don't like sleeping without you, Angel. It feels…. Wrong. It's like a part of me is missing when you're not there." I slid my hand into his and laughed lightly, "Are you telling me I'm your puzzle piece?"

"Something like that," he mumbled hurtfully as he kissed the back of my hand.

"Dean–"

"It's fine. It was a stupid thing to get worked up about, anyways."

"Hey," I slid into his lap as he turned away, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you, I just…. I was trying to do something else instead of think about what you said."

"What's wrong with what I said?" he asked defensively.

"No, no, no, there wasn't anything wrong with– I-I just… I mean– fuck," I cursed sharply as I cut off and buried my face in my hands. Nothing was coming out the way I wanted and I was starting to stumble over my own words. I felt a lump rise in my throat and tears start to prick behind my eyes as I tried to pull myself together.

Dean wrapped his arms around me as he pulled me against his chest and mumbled in my ear, "M'sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Tears spilled out of the corners of my eyes as he spoke– he shouldn't be the one apologizing when I screwed everything up.

"Can we go back to bed now?" I kept my voice as steady as I could. I knew I was about to fall apart and the last thing I wanted was to start sobbing in the middle of Bobby's bathroom and wake everyone else up.

"Angel?" Pain and worry crossed his face as he saw the tears staining my cheeks, "What's wrong, baby?"

"Can we p-please just go back to bed, Dean?" I cried as I buried my face against his bare neck. "Hey," he soothed as he rubbed my back, "It's okay, Angel. Of course we can go back to bed." Before I had time to move, he stood up with me still wrapped around his torso. My legs were locked around his waist and his arms wrapped around my back to hold me in place as he carried me into the bedroom.

I didn't even realize he was sitting on the edge of the bed until his warm hand slid over my back as I clung to him tightly. "I'm s-sorry, Dean," I whimpered quietly against his chest. "Angel, baby, what's wrong? Did…" he paused, his voice miserable when he spoke again, "Did I say something?"

"N-No, n-never, I.. I-I–" I cut off as I choked on my sobs.

Anger mixed with my sorrow as Dean's worry and pain flowed through me. This man, this righteous man who fought his way out of Hell, didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve me and my shit. He shouldn't sacrifice so much for me, that it puts himself in pain. He put himself and his brother at risk by dropping everything for me and taking me to Bobby's. Hell, I was putting everyone at risk by staying here. All the demons after me? I would bet my soul they wouldn't pass up the opportunity to nab the Winchester brothers, too. I wasn't just someone they were trying to keep safe anymore, I was a burden. And nobody here deserved that.

"Ashley!"

I snapped back to reality as Dean shook my shoulders forcefully, but not enough to hurt. I stared at him for a moment with eyes wide with surprise and then, taken off guard, I clung to him once again and sobbed into his neck, "D-Dean, I'm sorry. It's all m-my fault." He let out a heartbreaking sigh as he stroked my hair softly.

"Nothing's your fault, Angel. Let's go back to bed, okay? We'll figure this out tomorrow. Or I guess," he glanced over at the window as the first rays of sunlight lit up the horizon, "Later this morning." I nodded and he pulled me down on top of him as he lay back on the bed. Not expecting the sudden movement, I gripped his shoulders for balance, my right hand covering the red handprint left there. I flushed and quickly slid my hand back down against his chest. It wasn't like I hadn't seen it before, but I knew Hell and what happened there wasn't exactly something Dean wanted a discussion on.

"Sorry," I mumbled, part of me hoping he didn't hear. He swallowed loudly and I felt his hand cover mine as he moved it back over the mark. "It's okay," he whispered softly, "I don't mind." I looked at the swollen mark, my hand not quite big enough to cover the whole thing, "Does it hurt?"

"It did, when I first got out. Burned like a bitch."

"Do you remember it?" I asked quietly, unsure of whether or not to expect an answer out of him. He was being pretty open, but I was still cautious. I wasn't expecting anything more than he was willing to give.

"It all happened so fast," I felt him tense as he talked, "I remember it being really chaotic– like there were demons everywhere. And then, out of nowhere, there was this-this huge flash of white…. I don't really remember anything after that. Just waking up in the ground." I glanced up to see him staring at the ceiling as he talked, like he was rewatching everything.

"And we just started hunting again like everything was normal. But it's not, Angel," he closed his eyes as he clenched his jaw, "I was only gone for four months and now Sam's... I promised Dad that I would… I tried so damn hard to protect him, Ashley, I really did."

I sat up on my knees and pulled on Dean's arm to have him sit up with me. Being taller than him for once by sitting like this, I brushed my fingers through his hair gently as he looked up at me. "I know you did, babe. You did everything you could, trust me. Sam just…." I sighed deeply, "Look, I don't regret telling you about the demon blood, you needed to know. And we need to stop it. But it wasn't my place to tell you.

"We can beat the angels, Dean. We can stop the seals and we can stop Lucifer from getting out of his cage. We can blow the whole plan to kick start the apocalypse to hell, and do things our own way."

"If we do that, everything that's supposed to happen won't happen and we won't have any clue what we're doing, Angel."

"I've already screwed everything up by being here," I replied sadly, "So we might as well make the best of it."

Dean sighed heavily and dropped his head against my chest. We hadn't even gone that far but I knew he was already worrying about me. About all the things that could go wrong if we were out fighting.

"Look," I mumbled softly as I pressed my lips to the top of his head, "I'm not saying that it's gonna be perfect. But it's the best chance we've got, especially with what I know… I don't like it any more than you do, Dean."

"I know. So what do we do now?"

"I think today we should sit down and I should say everything I know. We're gonna need everything we've got if we want to beat this thing."

He nodded, "Okay, Angel."

"Dean….. I need you to promise me that no matter what I say, you won't run off and do something stupid. I won't blame you if you have to get out and walk around or whatever," I looked into his eyes, "But don't go off and get yourself into trouble, okay?"

His eyes were filled with worry, "Angel, what could you possibly say to make me do that?"

"Promise me, Dean," my voice wavered as I talked. God, how was I even going to tell them everything in a few hours? To have to tell the brothers what they're supposed to be and to have them find out I knew all along? They were both going to hate me for sure.

"Hey, I promise. I promise I won't run off, okay?"

I nodded, relaxing a bit. I knew he would be pissed at me later, but it made me feel better knowing that at least he wasn't going to run off and get himself killed.

O.o

"You okay, babe?" Dean pressed up against my back, his arms sliding around my waist as I dug through the duffel. I didn't even realize how badly my hands were shaking until he grabbed them and tangled his fingers with mine. I closed my eyes and sighed as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against my ear, whispering softly, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"What other choice do we have, Dean?" I snapped angrily as turned around, breaking out of his grasp. I had to go tell the brothers that they were destined to be possessed by angels and fight to the death in a matter of minutes. I had to tell Dean that he broke the first seal in Hell. I had to tell Sam that he would break the last one and what would happen if he did. So, yeah, I was a little on edge.

I looked back up to see Dean watching me hesitantly. He suddenly stepped forward and pulled me against his chest gently. I happily returned the gesture and wrapped my arms around his waist as I hugged him back tightly. "Hey," he mumbled softly, "I love you."

I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back tears. He was being so forgiving and he didn't even have any idea how badly I was about to hurt him and his brother.

How the hell was I gonna do this?