Wayward Heart: Book 1

Part 17

Dean finally let his face relax and he smiled at Emma, he dropped the crossbow and pulled her into and enveloping hug.

"Happy birthday Emmy," Dean smiled as he let go of Emma.

"Emmy?" Damon scoffed behind them.

Emma looked at Damon and rolled her eyes before turning back to Dean, "How did you know I was here?"

"I called him," Alaric said as he closed the passenger door to the Impala and headed into the Salvatore house, Damon followed behind him.

Emma smiled up at Dean and started to head inside, "Come on, Damon has the best bourbon."

"Nice," Dean smirked as he followed.

Everyone grabbed a seat in the main room and each one of them had their own tumbler of bourbon, Damon raised his glass.

"To the birthday girl," he smiled at Emma who sat next to him, everyone took a sip of their drink.

"So where is Sam?" Emma asked Dean.

"Back at our Bat cave, we found a Men of Letters bunker."

Emma sat up excited, "Oh man! I have to come visit, Sam is probably going nuts with all the knowledge that place holds."

"Come on down whenever you want," Dean shrugged, "when are you jumping back in on the trail?"

"I don't know, Katie wanted me to finish high school, so I sorta feel like I have to at least do that first," Emma set her glass down on the table in front of her.

"Can't your bloodsucker boyfriend compel you a degree?" Dean said sarcastically.

"I'm right here," Damon said frustrated.

Emma patted his knee and gave him a reassuring smile, "Dean don't be an ass."

Dean shook his head, "Just sayin', I don't like it Emmy. You dating a damn vamp? Really?"

"And he is dating a hunter," Emma defended, "it's my birthday, so stop it."

"Fine," Dean relented, but he suddenly had a sad look on his face, "I'm sorry about Katie."

Emma looked at Dean with a small, sad smile, "Me too."

Dean sat back in his seat, "So what kinda trouble have you been getting into that you have a vamp for a boyfriend?"

"Just the usual," Emma smiled, but then her eyes widened, "Dean I was gonna call you today!"

Dean raised his eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

Damon saw Alaric start looking at Emma with panic as he sat up, Alaric turned to look at Damon, trying to find a way to warn him about what was about to happen.

"I can't get a hold of Lexi, like at all, hell, you know her, she makes big deals about everyone's birthday. She should be here," Emma told the fellow hunter.

"Uh, Emma-," Dean racked his brain with how to tell her what he knew.

"You knew Lexi?" Everyone turned to see Stefan standing by the front door looking at Emma softly for the first time since he had known her.

It was the first of any emotion that Damon had seen his brother show beyond frustration in months. He was fascinated by it until he realized what was about to happen, his brain jumped into damage control mode.

"Yea, I was trying to-," Emma stopped talking and stood up as she realized the way Stefan was looking at her and the way he had spoken about her friend in the past tense, "what do you mean 'knew'?"