A/N: Hello my Idgjits! Sorry this is late yet again. Wattpad wasn't allowing me to update for some reason on Wednesday, and then I've been travelling back to college. I know most of you are very understanding, and caring about everything with me and my erratic updating that has been happening lately. I still feel like I'm letting you all down though. I promise to update and I don't do it. So I think I'm going to start updating every two weeks. I don't want to burn myself out, and force myself to write when I can't. I won't produce chapters that I'm not proud of. That isn't fair to you guys. So I hope you all will continue to stick this journey out with me. As always, I love you guys and enjoy the chapter!
__________________________________________________________________________
"Y/N, wake up."
You groaned and stretched your limbs. Dean was no longer at your side, but in the doorway with a plate of something that you couldn't make out. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and sat up.
"What time is it?" you asked through a yawn.
"A little after one." He looked at the plate of food, and then looked hard at you. "You still aren't looking too good. It's not carsickness."
"Dean, drop it. What's the food?"
"Grilled cheese and tomato soup." He handed you the food and sat down beside you. "You were just dead, you know I'm not just going to just drop it that easily."
Getting frustrated by his persistence, you pushed yourself off the bed with your free hand and stood up. You could feel yourself paling, and hoped Dean wouldn't notice. You're stomach throbbed with pain, but you forced a smile onto your face. "See. I'm fine."
Dean glared at you, clearly not believing a word out of your mouth. You squinted your eyes and tensed up in anticipation for his scolding, but it never came. "Now that you're up, I suppose we should get the full run down from Jody," was all he said.
He walked close to your side as you walked into the living room. He was acting so much different toward you that you smiled a real smile. You could tell that Dean actually cared about you. He was being caring and gentle with you.
"Hey, Jody," Dean called. The lady with the short hair, who you assumed to be Jody, looked over at the two of you. "I have someone for you to officially meet."
Before you had a chance to open your mouth, Jody set her plate on the coffee table and rushed to give you a hug. It took you by surprise. For a hunter, she was very willing to welcome you as a stranger. It was bizarre, knowing that most all hunters were closed off people.
"Hey, it's good to meet you," she said sincerely, rubbing your back quickly before pulling back.
"It's good to meet you too. The boys talk highly of you."
Dean nudged you playfully and you tried not to sway too much as nausea washed over you. "Watch it, she might get a big head."
Jody smacked the back of his head with a laugh. Dean rubbed the spot and walked you to couch. Sam asked Jody the details about what was going on as you snacked on the soup and sandwich.
"Both of the girls were out together yesterday, and I haven't been able to get ahold of them since. I know it sounds overdramatic, but this isn't like them, especially Alex. And there's been disappearances going on for about a month now."
"Do you think it's a monster?" you asked.
"A monster, a person, I-I don't know. I just know they're gone and I need help."
"Jody, we will find them," you assured her.
She gave you a tight-lipped smile and said, "I sure hope so."
"We will," Sam said, backing your words.
A silence filled the room that made you uncomfortable. There were no other words of comfort you could think to give Jody. Her kids were missing, and in a world of monsters it was terrifying to think about. Were they being ripped apart by some supernatural being, or were they being tortured by some sadistic criminal.
"Where have you looked?" Dean asked.
"Um, pretty much everywhere. I've talked to everyone I can think of."
You sat there silently eating, and watching the three of them work the case. They bounced theories off of each other, and shot each one down almost immediately. It was incredible to watch them. They all knew so much about the monsters you had been hunting your whole life. You were good, but not that good.
"Jody," Sam said. "Why don't you and Y/N hang out while Dean and I go see what we can dig up?"
The last thing you wanted was to sit out another hunt because the boys didn't think you were capable. Granted, this time would have been a smart time not to hunt with your injury, but you didn't want to. You were about to speak up, but Jody beat you to it.
"Sam, I'm not sitting back while my girls are somewhere out there. It's not happening."
The brothers started to argue with her, and an idea popped into your head. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.
"Hey," you said softly, getting their attention. "You said disappearances have been happening for a while, right?"
Jody walked over to you and stuffed her hands in her pockets, wondering what you were on to. "Yeah," she said slowly.
"Is there a victim type?"
She sighed. "Younger females."
You nodded your head, feeling a little guilty for the excitement you were getting. You thought you found a way to be a part of the hunt. "I can be bait."
"No," Sam and Dean said in unison.
Dean angled his body towards yours. "Y/N, you are not going to be bait. We'll find another way."
You sighed and sat your empty plate and bowl down. "I'm not some weak little thing that you can keep protecting. I'm a hunter, that's who I am."
"It's not even that. There's always a better option than using someone as bait," Sam interjected.
"Plus," Dean added, "there's something wrong with you that you won't tell us."
"I'm fine," you insisted. "And we don't know what has been taking people. Maybe if I go out around town and walk around alone, I'll get taken. Track my location."
You tossed your phone to Dean, knowing he would know how to turn on your tracking, and knowing that whether he agreed with the plan or not he would do it. It gave him an excuse to be able to track you, and you were oddly okay with that.
He handed it back to you and you thanked him. "You guys need to trust me. I can handle my own."
"Jody, back us up a little here, would ya?" Dean said.
"I-I want to, but I'm going to be selfish here. I need to find Claire and Alex, and this is the only actual plan we have. Y/N's a hunter. I'm sure she can handle whatever it is."
You were hoping Jody would be selfish in the matter. IT just made sense. Without any leads it was going to be hard to find them.
"I hate it, but Jody's right. This is the only plan we have," Sam said.
Dean stood up and faced his brother. "Do you even hear yourself? You want to use her as bat for something we don't know is supernatural or not. That's just stupid."
"This is why she ran away before because you smothered her freedom. Have a little faith in her," Sam said with a rising voice.
"Kitchen. Now." Dean responded, leaving you alone with Jody.
Your heart rate picked up having to be alone with someone you didn't know. You weren't sure your people skills were good enough to carry on a conversation with her. Besides, what would you even say to someone who couldn't find her daughters.
Jody sat down beside you. "Those boys really care about you, huh?"
"I think. Sometimes I don't know. They can be moody."
She laughed. "Don't let that bother you. They're good guys with big hearts, and that is what makes them like that."
You nodded your head in response, not knowing exactly what to say.
"Dean, he acts like that because he's afraid to lose you again."
You were a little upset that Jody knew about that. Dying wasn't your proudest moment that you wanted others to know about. "They told you about that?" you asked with your face all scrunched in embarrassment.
She nodded her head. "Dean said you've been acting off since you came back. I know you don't know me well, and would have no reason to trust me, but if you need a girl to talk to I'm here."
"I really appreciate it, but right now I'm good."
"They probably won't ever tell you about this, but Sam and Dean have lost a lot. I think having another person around is good for them. I think you could be good for Dean."
You felt your face flush. The subject of Dean and you was being pushed a lot. You wanted it a lot, but would never try anything unless you were positive he wanted the same thing.
"I doubt it. I don't think he would think of me that way," you said for what seemed like the hundredth time since you've been staying with the brothers.
"I wouldn't count on that." She winked as the boys came back in, Dean looking defeated.
"You'll go out, and we're following close behind. The second something goes even remotely south, we'll be on it," Dean said.
"Are you actually serious?"
He nodded his head, and you ran over to hug him. It seemed childish, but it was a turning point for you. He was trusting you to hunt, and to do something big.