Tragedy ° DEAN WINCHESTER

iv. | hey we're rangers now i guess

In defeat, Emery sank back against the leather of the backseat. Emery tried to tune out the rest of the conversation, humming softly to the rock song playing in the background.

They showed up in the town by Black Water Ridge, showing up at the ranger station. There was no one in there, so the three entered and examined the decor around it.

Emery's eyebrows rose when she noticed the tacky wooden fish hanging over the front desk. Of course, all ranger's stations had to have one of those hideous things.

"So, Black Water Ridge is pretty remote," Sam informed the other two hunters. Emery placed her hands in her back pockets, before turning around and looking at the Winchester brothers. Dean was looking at some kind of photo, while Sam was leaning over a diagram of Lost Creek National Park. "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forests, abandoned silver and gold mines everywhere."

"Dude, check out the size of this freaking bear," Dean said, and Emery's eyebrows laced with confusion before she made her way over to Dean. Emery's eyes widened at the sight of the picture.

That was a huge bear.

"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area," Sam informed, walking over to the two gawking at the picture, arms crossed over his chest. "It's no nature hike, that's for sure."

"You three aren't planning on going out to Black Water Ridge by chance?" The voice of a ranger made the three turn around.

As if on reflex, Emery shook her head.

"Oh, no, Sir. We are Environmental Study majors from U.C. Boulder, just working on a paper," Sam came up with a quick lie, which Emery was grateful for.

She just didn't really want to be whatever that was. It sounded too smart for her.

"Recycle, man," Dean fist pumped, and Emery rolled her eyes. Seriously? That was the most cliche thing to say.

"Bull," the ranger said.

Emery's eyes widened and she gulped. They had never been caught in a lie before. What were they going to do. Would they find out about how many guns they had in the trunk? Or how many creatures they killed? Or that she was actually in love with Dean?

Who, by the way, was looking adorable at the moment.

"You're friends with that Haley girl, right?"

Emery might have been overreacting just a bit.

"Yes," the lie came smoothly out of Dean's mouth. "Yes, we are, Ranger," Dean paused, looking at the name tag, "Wilkinson."

Who the holy hell was Haley?

"Well, I'll tell you exactly what I told her," Ranger Wilkinson got grouchy all of a sudden. "Her brother filled out a back country permit saying he wouldn't be back from Black Water till the 24th. So, it's not exactly a missing persons, is it?"

Dean shook his head, and was pouting a little, which gave Emery the urge to kiss him. She fought against it, however. But still felt stupid for falling in love with Dean over her teen years.

"Tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine," Wilkinson said.

"We will," Emery said, smiling at the older man, who didn't see because he was walking away.

"That Haley girl's quite the pistol, huh," Dean commented. Emery turned and shot Dean a death glare. Pistol? Really?

"That is putting it mildly," Ranger Wilkinson stated, nodded his head.