Chapter Six

Some parts of Red Sky are used in this chapter just so you know I wanted Bela to meet Cassie.

Two months later,

-Freeport, Maine-

Cassie watched Dean as he slept. She was glad she had been able to talk them into renting hotel rooms since she joined them. She wasn’t happy that she had become the research assistant instead of actually hunting. She did understand her research was important, now they didn't have to always call Bobby most often she did when she was stuck. He was a wealth of knowledge and had apologized for not remembering her when Sam brought her name up before. She didn't hold it against him it had been a few years ago that they had spoken.

Another thing Cassie worked on with Bobby was a way to get Dean out of his deal. She was desperate to keep her husband alive. Bobby warned her constantly she might not be able to do what she wanted most. She considered those things as she eyed the freckles across Dean’s nose. She sighed, she should wake him but she didn’t want him to put up his wall that clearly said oh it will be fine. She didn’t want or need him to pretend to be okay. She wished he would relax with her and not play the hero. If she couldn’t help save him she had promised herself she would get him to be true to himself enough to let her all the way in. From time to time she could see the fear in Dean’s face when he was unaware she watched him. If he only would be that real Dean with her. Then again maybe the way he behaved was all the real there was to see.

Dean moved in his sleep and Cassie sighed before looking down at her ring. She had told him it wasn't necessary. He insisted it was what he wanted in his last days with her was to be her husband. They were sleeping together every night and he thought it was the right thing to do. Cassie moved from his embrace leave the room for the kitchenette. She was deep in thought as she remembered how it all happened.

{Flashback - two days before}

They had been driving through New York when Dean asked her for the fifth time to marry him. Sam had advised him to just be persistent. Sam thought Cassie wasn't the type to marry fast because she was used to her independence. Though it was a moot point in their situation. He thought she didn't want Dean to believe all of her efforts had been to that end.

"Cass, I know it’s not the best timing but can you do this for my dying wish?"

Cassie rolled her eyes though Dean hadn't asked for much. That is if you didn't include all the little bedroom things he had talked her into and the scenic side trips to places he had not seen. Maybe she was being unfair. It wasn't as though she didn't love and if he ever stopped asking she would be heartbroken so she has given in.

"Yeah I will marry you, Dean," she said before the tears flowed down her cheeks.

Suddenly emotional to herself she shook her head to try to rid herself of such show of emotion. She was afraid it would scare Dean off.

Sam happened to look up in the front seat where Cassie sometimes sat these days.

"Oh no, don't cry," Dean said as she tried to focus on the road, "Sam do something."

Sam rolled his eyes, "She will be fine Dean."

Cassie smiled as she dabbed at her eyes, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Saying yes was harder than I thought it would be you know since you will be dying and all."

She knew that part of the problem was the wall she erected with him since he confirmed he would be dying. She wanted to only get so close, but he had her soul, from the day they met. She was sunk without him and had only him dying to dread. She would be what he needed as long as she was with him. Those were her vows two days later at the court house in Maine.

It was a short and to the point ceremony. Sam and Cash were their witnesses though Cash left for a hunt after they finished a short meal at a local restaurant. She promised to come back before they left the area.

Cassie hugged her and reminded her to be careful. When Dean's bill came due Cash had agreed she would hunt with Sam and Cassie as long as they wanted.

Dean had been calm on the outside but his head was a mush of guilt and uncertainty. As much as he wanted to do the right thing with Cassie he also was afraid it was the wrong thing. He had paced in the men's room till Sam came to get him.

"Hey we need you to do this Dean, what is going on?" Sam asked as she walked in the room to get his brother.

"This is a bad idea right?" he asked as he played with his tie.

"No it’s a good idea. She knows everything; she loves you I don't see anything bad except you holding things up. Do you want her to panic after she finally said yes?"

Dean looked at his brother, "No," he said as he headed to the door, "Come on Sammy let's go do this."

{End Flashback}

She didn't see Sam up at the computer until he said good morning.

"Morning Cass."

"Hey Sam, you are up early. Ready to get started on the hunt?" she asked as she pulled juice from the frig.

"Yeah we should be leaving soon actually could you go wake Dean or should I just throw a wet towel on him because you waking him might take more time," he teased her.

"Don't be a hater now, brother in law," she said with as smile before she pulled the bagels out of the fridge.

She opened them and put them in the microwave for a few moments so they wouldn't be cold so they could eat them.

"Oh you are spoiling us with this semblance of good food."

Sam smiled at her as she raised an eyebrow in his direction before Dean came out of the room with his hair standing on end. He looked tired and irritated.

"Why are you two up making noise?"

Sam laughed. "Dude it’s almost ten in the morning go get dressed."

Cassie laughed at Dean before he came near her to give her a kiss.

"Uh, morning breath Hun," she grinned before she gave in to him when he smiled with a pout.

"Come on you, we aren't going to get anything done before we meet Cash for lunch," Sam said with a frown.

"Okay playa, I'm going to dress, gee," Dean said before he left the room.

Cassie grinned as Sam watched her in the kitchen. "So Sam how are you Cash getting along."

Sam could only laugh. He and Cash met up now and again on hunts. Cassie had become more of a secretary with them besides she still did writing as well as had begun a book on the supernatural. He didn’t' think she would stand for not hunting much longer though.

---

Thirty minutes later

Dean and Sam went to Gertrude Case's home investigating the fact that several people including Gert's granddaughter drowned on dry land. Sam smiled at Gert as she looked him over like he was a chocolate cake. Dean smirked in the background. Gertrude had been told by the police the case was settled but someone else named Alex told her she was working on the case. According to Gert the Alex person thought the death could have been supernatural. Sam and Dean are relieved that Gert doesn't seem to mind the possibility.

"Well, you let me know if there's anything else I can do for you," Gert said to Sam with a wide smile.

Sam nodded, and Gert put her hand up and stroked Sam’s index finger of his left hand, that he has folded in front of him. Dean noticed and looked at Sam with surprise. Sam moved his hands, then looked down at her, nervously as he rose to leave.

"Anything at all," Gert added.

Sam looked uncomfortable; Dean hid his mouth as he hid his amusement behind his hand and cleared his throat. Gert leaned back in the chair and continued to stare at Sam, and Dean looked down at her with a knowing nod.

Outside Dean teased Sam for a few minutes about being a cougar hound since Gert was so into him. Things changed face when Dean noticed his car was missing.

"Sam where is my car?" he asked before Bela walked up.

"That 67' Impala?" Bela said with a smile, "I........".

Cassie walked over from the parking lot, "Dean why did you move the car to the tow zone?" she asked with a frown on her face.

Cassie turned to Bela to ask her who she was. She had never seen the lady before she didn't think she was someone Dean really wanted to talk to according to the way he was looking at her.

"Who are you?" Cassie asked as she got in the woman's face.

Bela straightened up her back and glared at Cassie.

"The name's Bela Talbot," Bela said with her accent a bit thicker than usual.

"Do you know something about the car, because I really don't think Dean would put his baby car in danger of a tow."

“And who are you to Dean?” Bela asked.

“His wife,” Cassie said matter of fact like.

“Oh?”

“But back to the car,” Cassie said with slight tilt of the head which sometimes meant danger for those in her way.

Sam held out his hand in front of Dean who was about to get in the fray.

"Wait for it," Sam said in a low voice to his brother.

"I well, uh," Bela started.

"You what?" Cassie asked with a finger in Bela's face.

"It......was just a joke, Sam and Dean are friends of mine."

"I don't think they need your kind of friend," Cassie stated.

Bela shrugged just before Cassie grabbed her arm, twisted it and pushed it behind her back.

"Cass.......not in public, I think Bela has gotten the idea," Dean said with a smirk at his wife.

Cash walked over with a smile from behind Bela.

"Hey gang, we ready to eat," she said as though she might have seen the entire situation going down as she came in their direction.

Cassie let go of Bela before the four of them walked over the Impala. “See ya,” Sam said as he grabbed Cash’s hand.

"That's my girl, " Dean said as he put his arm around Cassie.

TBC

Chapter SEven

Two weeks went by with Cassie continuing her secretarial role as well as praying that Dean and Sam came back to the hotel safely after their hunts. She was fed up and decided to confront Dean the next morning.

That night he came in hurt and she could only watch as Sam sewed up a cut in his shoulder. Sometimes she had done the repairs for them but if the injuries were deep they men worked on themselves. Cassie left them in the restroom to finish up as she returned to the computer. She closed down before she got her things out for bed.

Dean came out with a smirk. She knew he had to be in pain. She had already pulled back the sheets for him in the bed room. He sat down on the end and motioned for her to come over.

“I’ll be fine,” he said as he looked in her eyes.

“Hey um I’ll be back in a second,” Sam yelled out as he went out to the car to get something.

He actually left to give them a moment. They had their own room but he had a habit of leaving them alone after they returned. He considered going to stay the night with Cash but he had spent the night before and he liked to pace himself. Their relationship was growing but he refused to let it all be about sex.

--

Cassie nodded because she could see he was going to be okay. He mostly had bruises nothing more serious then they cut that had been sewn up.

“Dean, I want to hunt. I can help I even have experience but so far you have done everything to keep me from doing that,” she said with a frown.

“Here we go again, you will hunt we just want to make sure your skills are up to the things we hunt,” he explained with a sigh.

“So you get to decide I can’t? This isn’t the middle ages where the woman stays home and the guy goes off to fight,” she said exasperated.

“Come on Cass, I promise you will go with us,” he said before she walked out of the room.

“Cass?”

A second later he heard the door slam. Sam came in the room a minute later.

“Dean, where is Cassie going?”

Dean sighed. “Probably to tell Cash what an awful ogre I am,” he said to his brother as Sam looked in the room.

“So she asked again?” Sam said as he leaned against the door.

“Good guess Bro, she will be back, probably a bit more relaxed after some beers at the bar,” Dean said as he took off his pants and lay down on the bed.

----

Cassie went by Cash’s room to tell her what happened and they decided a few drinks wouldn’t hurt the matter. They jumped in Cassie’s car and drove down the road to the pub.

They weren’t dressed exactly for going out with their jeans and tee shirts but considering the situation they looked fine. Cassie had on a tight black shirt with Writer at Large on it while Cash’s was blue with Blues Brothers written on the front.

“Two vodkas straight up,” Cash said as they sat down.

“I can’t believe he still won’t let me go Cash. I feel like his damn secretary. He doesn’t get that I was hunting not just to get his approval, it means something to me too.”

Cash nodded. She thought Cassie should relax the woman had all she had wanted yet she liked to complain. On the other hand, Cassie was used to being independent the same way she was. Her protesting wasn’t all for attention she knew that too.

“You know Dean loves you, Cass, when the time is right I am sure he will come around.”

“You can say that you hunt with them, Sam doesn’t treat you like you aren’t equal.”

Cash shrugged, “Sam isn’t my husband, just my lover,” she said with a smile.

---

The man sitting next to them heard their conversation. He was very interested in the dissatisfied one. He was tall about Dean’s height with dark hair and eyes. He leaned over and touched Cassie on the arm. She turned to him with a frown.

“Sorry, I overheard what you were saying, I don’t know your situation but you seem capable of taking care of yourself,” he said with a grin that seemed to light up his face.

Cassie was mesmerized. The guy was gorgeous to her, suddenly. She didn’t notice when Cash got up to go to the jute box to look over the tunes. She didn’t notice when Cash started a game of pool with a tall blonde in the back. She talked for several long moments to the stranger before she asked his name which happened to be Steve.

He went on about how he liked independent women. His mother had raised him on her own. He thought the whole I don’t need a man thing was sexy. Cassie smiled. After two drinks the second he had bought, she needed to go to the ladies room. She excused herself and went to find it.

It had been close to two hours when Dean began to worry about Cassie. Generally if she and Cash wandered off she would call him to let him know they were fine. He leaned up and jumped at the pain in his shoulder. He reached for his cell to call her.

“This is Cassie Winchester, you know the drill, so do it,” the message said.

Dean looked the phone after he hung up. He didn’t leave a message he figured he better go get her and apologize.

Out in the other room Dean found Sam stretched out on the sofa. They had to get two rooms next time this time they had assumed Sam would stay with Cash. Dean thought Sam had more self control then he could ever manage as he shook his head on the way out the door.

---

At the bar, Cassie had come back from the ladies room to find Cash talking to Steve. She sat down by her friend who after a minute went off to play more pool. Cassie shook her head with a smile as Steve moved to the empty seat.

“So I was thinking maybe we could go get some pancakes, I love breakfast at any time how about you?”

Cassie smiled but declined his offer. Steve nodded as he thanked her for conversing with him and left the bar. Cassie watched him go and saw Dean as he walked in. She turned her head.

Dean tapped her on the shoulder when he walked up.

“Hey Sexy,” he said as he walked in front of her.

“Hey,” she said with a tilt of the head.

“Who is your friend?” he asked before he sat down.

“Steve,” she said simply.

She loved Dean he just didn’t seem to get her sometimes. She didn’t like that he thought she actually might have been chatting up a guy but she stayed silent.

Dean frowned, “One Bud,” he said to the bar tender.

“We were just chatting Dean.”

“Okay.”

She decided to go for it, “He understood about me being independent.”

Dean turned to her, “You talk to a stranger about ……our problems?”

She sighed. “It was what was on my mind, Dean, I didn’t plan on spilling things to a stranger.”

“Unbelievable, next thing you’ll tell me that you talk to Cash about our sex life.”

“Is this your way of making up?” Cash asked as she walked up.

Dean glared at her. Cash didn’t back down. She stood in front of Dean and gave Cassie her back.

“Look you two belong together, consider using your resources, Dean, I’m going back to the hotel,” she said before she left.

Dean looked stricken. Cash was right. It wasn’t possible to really protect anyone by keeping them so close that they in the end strained to get away. Cassie watched him. She thought he might be considering Cash’s words.

“We should go,” she said as she stood up.

“Cass…….”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry you’re right. I just wanted you to be safe. It wasn’t that ………I doubted your abilities it’s just I don’t want to lose you.”

“Like I’m losing you?”

Dean nodded before he kissed her, “Let’s get out of here.”

--That night Cassie tossed and turned in her sleep.

Her eyes were closed but her lips were busily being kissed. She let her tongue go into the mouth and it was sucked with relish before she moved it across even teeth. She moaned aloud and moved her body against the hard planes of the man toned physique. Her hands found their way into his dark hair, she pulled him in closer to her as he leaned down to kiss her neck and smell of her skin. Her hands moved lower to his chest and she could fill his hand on her nipples as they tingled with expectation. “Oh,” she said. Her skin was on fire as she longed for her body to be satisfied. His hands moved between them and she could fell when he touched her nub. She moaned again. She touched his firm behind and finally opened her eyes. She let out a blood curdling scream and began to shake with fear when she saw the face.

Dean shook her to wake her up. Cassie looked guiltily at Dean as she moved away from his touch.

“Must have been some dream you were moaning like crazy,” he said.

Cassie tried to blow it off, “Yeah it was ……..strange.”

“It sounded very sexual missy,” Dean teased her.

Cassie bit her lip, she felt sick like she might throw up. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She also felt feverish. Dean noticed she was sweating so he moved back the covers.

“Hey you okay?”

TBC