How to Save a Soul - ABANDONED

"Pppffftttt, Sam we haven't been here in AGES, but do you remember it?" Dean asked as he pulled up to the docks of the lake he'd led them all to. It'd been a week since the whole trolls incident with nothing coming up on the paranormal radar, so after secretly taking Sam to a nearby Walmart last night to get some new swim trunks and two bottles of sunscreen as well as some aloe, he was glad the day was in the 80s.

Kerica parked as well and she immediately hopped out, "Lia! Look at this view! It's so gorgeous!"

Dean smirked as he saw Kerica in the rear-view mirror, "Looks like I made points with your lady friend."

Sam gazed out at the horizon from the window of Dean's Impala, a nostalgic smile creasing his lips. "I remember. God, it /has/ been ages." He laughed, then noticed Kerica's smiling face from the rear-view mirror as well while rolling his eyes playfully at his brother. "Looks that way. I bet you're itching to see Amalia in a bikini right now." He teased, smirking at him.

Amalia hopped out of the mustang as well, her hair tied up in two braided pigtails that hung over her shoulders, her eyes widening in awe. "Wow... It /is/ gorgeous!" She grinned, a towel wrapped around her torso so it covered her body. She had immediately changed into a black bikini with small white hearts decorated on it back at the hotel, but she kept herself covered in order to surprise Dean.

"Hell yeah I am. I'm also excited to slather that sunscreen all over that lovely body," Dean smirked, "The two of them have been hiding their swimsuit since we told them we were going swimming. I wonder what their big surprise is."

Kerica was wearing a simple black dress with red/pink hibiscus flowers stamped all over. It went to her ankles and flowed around her body like a gypsy outfit, the bust of the dress a scrunchy elastic so she could take off her swimsuit and still be able to wear the dress without a bra. The bell sleeves were slightly off her shoulders, revealing only the red sting halter style that tied at the back of her neck. Reaching into her car she popped the trunk so she could grab the bag full of water bottles, alcohol, her towel, emergency weapons, and sunscreen.

Sam merely shook his head at his brother's statement about Amalia, snickering to himself as his shoulders shook from held back laughter. "We'll just have to wait and see." He smirked, soon getting out of the car to glance at the two girls who were walking over. He gave Kerica a soft smile before seeing Amalia with her towel huddled close to her frame. "It's 80 degrees out here. There's no way you're cold." He teased, making the red head stick her tongue out playfully.

"No, I'm not actually." She said, turning to Dean once he got out of the Impala. She gave the older Winchester a sly smirk before she began to remove the towel from her body, revealing the top of her bikini first before letting the towel slowly and carefully slide down her waist, showing off her smooth porcelain skin. She was enjoying this all too much, she knew, watching Dean's reaction before she draped the towel over her arm. She bit her lip and looked up at him with a teasing grin. "What? Never seen a girl wear a bikini before?"

"I've seen plenty of girls in bikinis, but never one so cute," Dean's sly grin matched hers fairly easily and he ignored Sam's snort. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the car, then closed the driver's side door. "We're going to go down the beachy area to set up." He told her as he used his keys to unlock his trunk and pull out the cooler full of beer for him and Sam to drink and he also grabbed the bag full of beach supplies, then closed it.

"Bitching at Lia for wearing a towel when you're in a t-shirt?" Kerica came over after making sure her car was locked, her bag over her shoulder, and she handed Amalia the leash for Rogue, "Take your pup, he's going to drag me all over the sand."

A bright grin formed on Amalia's face when Dean called her cute, only for her face to turn bright pink once she saw him shirtless. She absorbed his muscular features with slightly wide eyes, then looked to the side nervously. Damn, he was fit! She knew that he had some muscle but... Amalia never expected this! Sam snickered at her reaction, causing her to glare playfully and point a finger at him. "Not a word from you." She said, causing him to laugh aloud.

Taking Rogue's leash from Kerica, the red head stroked her companion's head and started walking towards the beach area, while Sam turned to face Kerica as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well..." He trailed off, a small chuckle leaving him. He wasn't going to admit that he felt self-conscious about his body. He would never hear the end of it from her.

"Stop being a pervert, ya old man!" Kerica called to Dean as he followed after Amalia, and he just turned to flip her off. Rolling her eyes she just shrugged and reached out to Sam, grabbing his hand and tugging the giant of a man with her. If Dean saw them, he'd probably call it comical.

They all settled their towels on the beach area and Dean smirked at Amalia, "So, would you like me to /slather/ your back for you?" he couldn't help the slight growl to his voice as he leaned in close to the woman, holding up his bottle with a wink, "Sam has his own bottle, and I imagine Kerica only has hers, so I don't mind sharing. As long as you get my back, too."

Kerica meanwhile leaned down and gripped the edge of her dress, pulling it over her head and stuffed it in her bag in place of her towel. The swimsuit she wore almost looked knitted, the fabric that covered her breasts was solid and bikini-style like Amalia's. Only...between it and the solid strip over private area was a mesh pattern. It crisscrossed and had thicker and thinner bits to make a pretty design. It was a one-piece, but only across the front. The mesh covered her hips and ass, and there was a hook across the middle of her back. Besides that, her whole back and her sides were bare.

Grabbing her sunscreen she held it out to Sam, trying not to blush as red as her swimwear at his expression, "I like the sound of Dean's idea. You get my back I get yours?" she asked.

A shiver rolled down Amalia's spine at the tone of Dean's husky voice, turning her face to look at him despite the redness covering her cheeks. God, why did he have to be so freaking sexy?! Biting her lip nervously, she nodded at his suggestion. "Sure... Sounds good to me." She smiled, trying not to sound /too/ eager. Her mind was racing with naughty thoughts, and she shook her head to be rid of them before turning her back to her boyfriend. Her body was tensed up, her heart racing rapidly against her chest as she pictured how the scene would occur in her head. She imagined his hands roaming up and down her back, nice and slow so that she'd be able to relax. He would massage her shoulders, then move his hands down her arms as she would feel his breath on the crook of her neck. She'd feel her entire body grow hot, and her hands would form into fists once she pictured him biting her ear lightly. She could see him planting gentle kisses from her ear and down her neck to her shoulder, making her entire body quiver and a small whimper of pleasure would leave her lips. Amalia would feel his finger tips run up and down her arms, causing goosebumps to form and then he'd bring her face close to his, their lips almost touching.

If these thoughts escalated even further, the red head would have a very hard time resisting the urge to jump him right then and there. She wanted his hands all over her body, starting with massaging her breasts and then down to tease her womanhood. Amalia forced herself back to herself and noticed how hot her body felt, and she felt incredibly moist. She shut her eyes tightly and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves before Dean would notice.

Sam blinked a few times as she took off her dress, his eyes widening ever so slightly at her swimwear. Oh, god... His throat suddenly felt dry and he couldn't avert his gaze away from her. He suddenly pictured himself bringing her into his arms, his eyes hungry for her as he would brush his lips against Kerica's merely to tease. He would then pin her down onto the towel, his fingers lacing with her own as his lips would press gentle kisses down her neck and to her chest. His one hand would leave hers to massage one of her mounds of flesh, his hot breath hovering against her skin before his hips would press against hers roughly, making her feel how hard he was against her pelvis. His free hand would keep hers pinned above her head, before he would slowly grind against her hips to tease and get a rise out of her. His tongue would sneak out of his mouth to taste the flesh of her neck, finding her sweet spot and then kissing her hard. The hand that would be squeezing her breast would take one of her legs and hike it up to wrap it around his waist, continuing the slow and torturous pace of his movements.

If these thoughts kept up, he would lose all sense of control and take her right here and now. The sound of her voice snapped him back into reality and out of his dirty mind. He let out a shaky breath and reached up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "You look beautiful..." He complimented, then looked up at her with a nod. "Sounds good."

'Shit, fuck, crap...she's such a fucking tease oh my fucking God,' Dean cursed up a storm in his head as his eyes nearly rolled back in his head from her scent of arousal spiking high and filling his nose. He had to close his eyes to hide the black shift and he almost crushed the bottle of sunscreen. Holding his breath, he popped open the lid and smeared a generous amount on his hands, only breathing when he was sure the scent of the cream would mask hers and he opened his eyes again now they were normal. He gently coaxed her to lay completely on the towel instead, moving her adorable braids and he smeared the white stuff all over her skin before he started working his fingers into it, massaging her while making sure it soaked in.

He knew it wasn't her fault. She was a tease with or without meaning to and while they were boyfriend/girlfriend...he had to remind himself it was just...for simplicity reasons. He couldn't...there was no way he could take advantage of her. He was a fucking demon, for Christ's sake.

That...didn't stop him from wanting. How long could he keep these as just thoughts, though? He stroked his hands up and down her sides, imagining unhooking the back of her bikini top and sliding his hands under her to grip at her breasts. He'd hear her gasp and moan, and while tweaking her nipples he'd move so instead of sitting beside her, he would slide over her and grind into her from behind, doggy-style. She'd push back against him, whimpering and saying his name, maybe asking what he was doing, maybe not...and he'd just stroke over her stomach and then hoist her hips up, sliding one hand over her clothed womanhood, teasing her through the fabric...

Ugh! Shaking his head violently he rubbed her shoulders and the back of her neck before he got a little more sunscreen, deciding if he was going to torture himself he'd just go the rest of the way. Moving down to her feet, he rubbed the sunscreen into her leg and up to her thigh, and repeated the action on the other side. He smacked her ass before pulling away, scrambling to his own towel with a laugh, "Don't slap me! You just have such a smackable booty, I couldn't help myself!"

Kerica bit her lip, "Thank you. I'm glad you like my swimsuit." She got down onto her knees and then laid on her stomach. Moving her hair off of her back, she laid her head in her arms, looking up at him, her gunmetal green eyes half-lidded and smoldering, "Whenever you're ready there, big boy." That of course...made her wonder if he really was a /big boy/. It was kind of a worry of hers. Though...not all large creatures had huge dicks to match. She hoped he was average, since she was a tiny woman. Six inches...seven max. Though girth...he could be thick and she wouldn't mind. As long as she could fit her mouth around him.

Musky...that was how she imagined he'd smell as she buried her nose in his pubic hair, trying to suck him off. His eyes would be rolled back, his hands buried in her hair. He'd worry about hurting her, pulling too hard or something, and she'd just put her hand over his to keep him in place. Then she'd go back to holding his hips, because she wouldn't be to good at blow jobs right away, of course. Her determination was the key, though...and she'd take as long a she needed to in order to get him to cum, her back getting a lovely tan as he laid on the towel.

Amalia laid down on the towel flat on her stomach, biting her lip as he began to rub the sunscreen onto her back. Her eyes closed as she laid her head onto her arms, relaxing against his touch. 'This is nice,' she thought, her breathing slow and steady as she allowed him to continue. Maybe not what she imagined, but it was nice all the same. She suddenly let out a squeak as she felt him smack her ass, lifting herself up and turned to him with wide eyes and a beet red face. Her mouth was slightly open in shock before she cracked a smile and stuck her tongue out at him. "Tease!" She laughed, soon grabbing the bottle of sunscreen and placed a decent amount onto the palm of her hand, rubbing both hands together and rubbed the substance onto her arms and the front of her legs, then her stomach and chest before adding a little bit more sunscreen and repeating the process. She knew that their relationship was only for simplicity reasons, but she wanted it to be more than that... She wanted to feel a connection, an /emotional/ and /physical/ connection with Dean, but she knew that would probably never happen. A small sigh left her lips as she started to feel slightly depressed, shaking her head before she finished rubbing the sunscreen on her face and nose.

Sam felt his ears grow unbearably hot at her words, taking the sunscreen bottle and poured some onto his hand, rubbing them together before starting to rub and massage her back. Her skin felt so soft and smooth, he noticed, biting his lip and clenching his jaw to calm his nerves and to stop himself from taking advantage of her. They weren't even dating, and already he was craving for her. 'Damn it all,' he thought, caressing her sides before applying more sunscreen onto her body. He rubbed her legs and thighs, massaging her shoulders with a gentle yet firm touch.

"Likewise," Dean smirked at her. Once she tossed the sunscreen at him he slathered up his front, face, and legs before he handed it back, shifting to get on his stomach. He chuckled as Rogue came and started licking his face now that he was at his level, "Pfft, you're getting sand in my face!"

Kerica moaned deeply as his large, strong hands and long fingers dug into the muscles of her shoulders, "Oooh, Sam, that feels fantastic," she breathed.

Amalia rolled her eyes playfully and smirked back at him, before laughing as her canine companion ran over to Dean. She soon poured a decent amount of the substance onto her hands and began to rub the older man's back, gently yet firmly kneading his muscles and then his shoulders. He was so tense, she noticed, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "Relax, Dean." She giggled lightly, sitting up now to caress his sides and then his lower back.

Sam paused for a brief moment, surprised as he heard her moan before he continued his actions, soon noticing a tattoo of the anti-possession symbol. 'When did she get this?' He thought, then noticed several more on her body. Why hadn't he noticed these before? In all honesty, he didn't picture Kerica to be the kind of girl who had tattoos. But then again, now that he looked at them, he believed that she looked pretty damn sexy with them on her.

Dean wiggled at the light touch, but then forced his body to still. The /last/ thing he needed was Amalia discovering he was ticklish! Her fingers roamed, and he hummed lightly at how gentle and smooth her hands were, "That's nice..." he commented lightly, "Feels good."

Kerica had a total of six tattoos. The anti-possession one was on the very back of her neck, hidden by her hair for the most part, and curving around it was the latin saying 'non timbo mala' which meant "I will fear no evil". Below that between her shoulder-blades were six crescent moons, three waxing, three waning and in the middle was the Chinese zodiac symbol for the monkey, which was her birth-year. One was of a red tribal dragon with black wings and holding a yellow rose on her left bicep.

The next one was on her lower back, not quite on her side but not in the middle of her back either. It was a tribal Red Riding Hood tribute with a red girl curling and cuddling into a large black wolf, a black heart in her cloak and a red heart in his fur. The fifth one was a vine tattoo that looked very similar to a bracelet, and it was fairly simple. Sixth and last was a custom triskele on the inner side of her left calf, the three curves turning into yin-yang symbols and they were all different colors, one red, the other blue, and last green, for the elements.

Kerica looked over her shoulder at Sam, "What's up? You done?"

Amalia beamed a bright smile at his words, then noticed how his entire body trembled against her touch. Was he ticklish? She smirked at the thought, then soon finished applying the sunscreen onto his back and legs. With a devilish grin, she began to tickle his sides briefly then smacked his ass, laughing aloud before she ran off. "Payback!" She shouted, sticking her tongue out at him again before she whistled to her canine companion, causing Rogue to trot over to her as she knelt down to his level, kissing his wet black nose and earned a friendly lick on hers in return. "Good boy..." She praised, scratching him behind the ears.

Sam looked down at her and laughed nervously, "Sorry, not yet. I was just, uh..." He paused, looking down at her tattoos and his face grew hot, "I was just admiring your tattoos. I didn't know you had them."

"Dang it!" Dean laughed as he sat up, rubbing his sides after she'd tickled him. He deserved that. Grinning, he jumped to his feet and headed down to the water, "Let's swim!" he called over to her and started wading into the shallows.

"Hmm..." Kerica smiled and waited for him to finish before she sat up and her face almost collided with his face. Her heart jumped to her throat at the proximity and she cleared it before reaching for the sunscreen. She watched him expectantly but he didn't move to do...anything. "Are you still not gunna take off your shirt?"

Amalia's face turned pale ever so slightly before she laughed nervously. "Ahaha... About that..." She started, standing on her feet before she rubbed her arm awkwardly, her face heating up with embarrassment. "I uh... I-I can't swim." She stuttered, a heavy breath leaving her lips. God, how humiliating, she thought. Biting her lip, she saw that he was trying hard not to laugh, puffing out her cheeks in a pouting manner. "Don't you dare laugh at me, Dean." She said, trying to keep a serious face herself.

Sam blinked in surprise as their lips nearly touched, his ears burning now before he heard her question. He scoffed a little with a nervous grin on his face. "Of course I'm going to take it off." He said, stalling for a moment before his smile dropped into a small pout as she crossed her arms over her chest. A sigh left him and he hesitantly grabbed the hem of his shirt. "Fine..." He muttered, pulling the white t-shirt over his head to expose his muscular torso.

"Well, what did you think we were going to do out here? Just sunbathe? Come on," Dean laughed, "The water's fairly clear. My legs are completely submerged and I can still see my toes." He held both hands out and motioned her forward, "It'd not going to swallow you up, I promise." Now if she was hydrophobic that'd be a different matter, but simply being uncomfortable around water since she couldn't swim could be fixed.

Kerica's breath hitched and her eyes widened at his large expanse of flesh. He was doing that tick of his where he bounced his leg a little and it moved his whole body just slightly, and his mouth was in a thin line as he looked away. Her eyes started dancing and she remembered suddenly he had his own bottle. Grabbing it she set hers down and popped the lid. Getting plenty of cream on her palms, she reached out before he could move and turn around. Fingers slowly dragging over his torso, she watched him tense, "You called me beautiful...so now I get to call you handsome," she murmured with a smile. He had plenty of scars, which came with the job. She had her fair share, but thankfully they were pale and wouldn't really pop until she tanned. She gave him a wink, "Doing this makes me want to give you an actual massage, not just a rub-down," she admitted, her fingers splaying over his abs. Fuck, he was just so /hot/. Was he really that subconscious of his body?

Amalia took a deep breath and released it slowly before walking over to him, her bare feet touching the slightly chilly lake water which caused goosebumps to form all over her body. She let out a small gasp as she waded in the shallow parts of the lake, reaching Dean before her teeth began to chatter. "S-So cold...!" She shivered, looking up at him with nervous eyes. She wasn't afraid of being in the water, if she was being honest. What terrified her the most was drowning. She absolutely hated having her head submerged, due to a childhood experience. "I have a confession to make..." She stated, her arms wrapping around herself before looking up at him. "When I was little, I almost drowned due to some idiot dunking my head into the pool once... He thought it would be funny to see if I could hold my breath while holding me down, but..." She trailed off, shuddering at the memory. She didn't like sharing that particular event; it made her feel small and weak. Her eyes soon caught sight of what looked like a burn on Dean's right arm, tilting her head to the side. Biting her lip, she hesitated before asking him. "What happened to your arm..?"

Sam clenched his jaw tightly at her gentle touch, a shaky sigh eventually leaving his lips as she traced his abdomen. The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile at her compliment, before he let his body relax. Her hands were so soft, he mused, waiting until she was done slathering his front with sunscreen before turning his back to her.

"People can be assholes, even more than demons sometimes," Dean agreed, and his stomach dropped when she noticed the Mark of Cain. She didn't recognize what it was, thank goodness... "The water will get warmer the longer you're in it, it's a hot day," he assured and reached out, taking her arms and placing them around his neck, "I won't let you drown, or dunk you." He promised and they slowly went into deeper water, "Just trust me. You'll be fine. That mark is just a burn I got recently from doing something stupid, that's why it looks like shit still." Well it wasn't a lie.

Kerica grinned and started working her fingers into his shoulders, slowly moving her hands down his back, rubbing and rolling and working at the knots she felt, "How's this feel? I usually put my dad to sleep with my massages." She worked his lower back after getting a little bit more sunscreen because he had way more to cover. When she was done, she felt a bit disappointed she couldn't go into depth. Sighing, she simply slid her hands around his front and she rested her cheek in between his shoulder-blades, just...enjoying being close to him.

She didn't make it last, though, pulling away and grabbed her sunscreen after wiping her hands off on her towel. Smirking to herself, she slathered her arms and then when he turned to look at her, she was rubbing the cream all over her chest, and up her throat, exposing it to him. Then she moved her hands under the stomach mesh, teasing him on purpose.

Amalia softened her gaze at his words, glancing at the mark on his arm before she leaned her head down and planted a tender kiss on it, believing that it was only a burn that would heal soon. Pulling away, she smiled up at him. "I hope it feels better soon..."

Dean felt his heart pounding in his chest and he wanted to scream at her 'don't touch it!' and tell her it was evil, that he was evil, that he would sooner kill her when he went into a blind rage than do anything else. Yet...as long as she believed it was a burn and nothing more, there was no harm done, right? /Right/? "I...hope so too," he managed to murmur and he pulled her closer, his hands supporting her as they continued to float into deeper water.

Amalia's face flushed a deep red as he guided her deeper into the lake, taking slow yet deep breaths as she stared into his eyes. She felt herself instantly relax as he continued to guide her, his words sinking into her mind before a smile creased her lips. "I trust you..." She said sweetly, the fact that the water was now below her chest never crossing her mind.

Sam closed his eyes as her hands dug into his flesh, a pleasant groan leaving his lips "Feels amazing..." He managed to let out as he relaxed even more, then felt her arms wrap around his chest. This caught him by surprise but he gently placed his hand over hers in response, feeling her warmth leave his back before he turned to face her. His eyes widened as we watched her tease him, clenching his jaw again before a low growl left his throat. "You really shouldn't tease me like this, you know." He warned.

"Good. I'm glad," Dean murmured. He just let them float around a little bit, and when he finished his circle in the water he glanced up and spotted Sam and Kerica, "She's /still/ putting on sunscreen, and it doesn't look like he's finished, either. Shocked he took of his shirt, honestly," he rolled his eyes, "They must be teasing the crap out of each other."

Kerica's eyes flashed at his growl, and her breath hitched. Fuck, that tipped the side of her brain that enjoyed that sort of thing, and she felt her body flush with heat, "Why shouldn't I?" Fuck...his eyes were sharp, the green boring into hers, the brown a vivid gold in the sunlight with how he tilted his head.

Amalia turned her gaze away from his briefly to see Sam and Kerica staring each other down, giggling softly at Dean's words. "Looks that way." She said, shaking her head before looking up at him again. He was right; his eyes were much more vivid while exposed to sunlight, and she couldn't help but gaze into them.

Sam's body tensed slightly at her question, caught off guard. So she /was/ doing it on purpose... His eyes stared into hers with such intensity that it almost seemed like he would pin her down any moment and make her his. "It makes me want to do things to you." He admitted, his voice husky and low.

"Like what you see?" he couldn't help but ask, staring into hers. They were that type of hazel that were mostly green, but they had flecks of gold in them, "I know I do."

"Is that so? What makes you think I don't want it?" Kerica purred as if she was a cat, starting to slather up her legs, her hands sliding close to her pelvic area, her upper arms pressing her breasts together. She normally had a wide valley, but doing this made her boobs more prominent.

The redhead felt her face heat up at his words, wanting to protest but she felt heart get caught in her throat once he said that he liked what he saw. Biting her lip nervously, a shy laugh left her lips before she glanced down at her feet, her grip around his neck tightening only a little.

He clenched his jaw again, tapping his foot and glancing to the side briefly. God damn it! Why did she have to tease him like this?! Sam tried to keep his cool, glancing at her with a sigh. "You wouldn't want someone like me."

"How would you feel about dropping under the water if I did it at the same time?" Dean asked, "A count of three sort of thing? You won't have to open your eyes, it'd just be long enough to get your whole body wet."

"Oh really?" Kerica felt a little put out, and she finished slathering up before she put the bottle back in her bag, "What, /too dangerous/ or some shit like that? You're evil? This whole job's dangerous and honestly I'm more worried about Amalia, but Dean seems to have it under control. Second of all, I can't believe you have a single evil bone in you're body. You're just hardened to the world. Newsflash, you kinda have to be or you'll go insane."

Amalia looked up at him in surprise, only for her face to relax and she gave him a firm nod. "Okay." She smiled hesitantly, slowly letting her arms fall to the side. With a deep breath, she released it slowly and nodded once, letting him know she was ready. "On three..." She said, swallowing hard.

"You don't get it," Sam started, facing her completely once again. "Everyone that Dean and I have gone close to dies. Everyone, Kerica. There is no way in hell I'm going through that again."

Dean nodded and started bounding on his toes so he'd have good momentum in order to go as far down in the water as he could, "One...two..." and as they chanted 'three' together he took the liberty of bouncing up hard and falling backwards, sinking low and bouncing off the bottom on his butt which propelled him back to the surface..

"So you don't want to lose me but you're trying to push me away by telling me you're bad news? So fucking what? I don't care. I've had people die around me, too, Sam," Kerica stood up, putting her hands on her hips. She shouldn't have pursued flirting with him. "I keep moving on and I keep trying to make the most of it, but there are days where I keep thinking 'what's the point'? People aren't grateful most of the time, and the other percentage aren't even aware, and the last smidgen do know and are grateful. I don't have a revenge quota like some hunters do, but I am hunting a few people. I have been thinking 'oh, maybe I can trust these guys and they might be able to help', but," she glared at him and then started walking towards the water, "If you don't want to /deal/ with the /possibility/ I could die or get seriously hurt, then I won't waste my time."

Amalia plugged her nose as she took a deep breath and dove under with him, eyes shut tight as she touched the bottom with her butt before coming back to the surface with a gasp. She coughed a little and brushed water away from her eyes, laughing a little as she looked up at Dean with a smile.

Sam was left utterly speechless at her outburst, his words caught in his throat as he watched her with wide eyes. He felt guilty for making her angry, but he thought that distancing himself would be for the best. Right...? As he watched her storm off, he wanted to reach out and stop her, but he stopped his hand from doing so. A sigh of frustration left his lips and his hands ran through his hair, then stood up.

Dean grinned back and reached out, putting his hands around her waist and he lifted her up, tossed her just a bit and when she came back down she was balancing on his arms, forced to put her legs around his torso, "Aha! I got've ya now!" His grin faded as he heard a splash and he looked over to see his brother pacing and no Kerica. The water was rippling a few feet away, and he saw her red swimsuit.

The redhead let out a small yelp as he lifted her up, laughing with a bright smile on her face. Before things could go further, she saw Kerica dive into the water and a worried look crossed her face.

"Ah, Sam...damn it..." he set Amalia back in the water, making sure her feet touched, before he let her completely go, "I'll be right back. Try and see if you can calm Kerica down. I swear, she should be the one who's a redhead," he joked and placed his hand on Amalia's head briefly, watching her nod in understanding and once she went around him to go to the brunette, he wading back to shore.

As soon as he reached Sam, he put his hands on his hips, "Mind telling me what just happened?"

The younger Winchester turned to his older brother, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as a hand ran through his hair, "I opened my big mouth, that's what happened."

"Yo're going to have to elaborate, Sam," Dean told him firmly.

Kerica sniffed as she wiped her face of the water when she came back up, and she saw Amalia, "Hey," she gave her a weak smile, "I saw you and Dean. You're really cute together."

Sam exhaled deeply and hung his head, hands resting on his hips with his foot tapping slightly. "I told her I wasn't good for her..." He stated.

Amalia's gaze turned soft at Kerica's sad smile. She figured that both her and Sam had gotten into a fight, and her heart ached. Without a second thought, she pulled Kerica into a friendly embrace, her chin resting on the brunette's shoulder. "You look a lot better when you're happy, you know."

Dean groaned, "Goddamn it, Sam! You just had to go and make things awkward, didn't you?!" he ran his hand over his face, "Did you forget this was /your/ idea? What happened to your philosophy "we'll protect them. No matter what" huh? That's the whole reason I asked Amalia to be my girlfriend, not just so I can tell dudes at bars to back off!" He threw his hands into the and turned away from him, trying to calm down, "You're such an idiot. Make up your damn mind what you want to do. If Kerica ditches us I'm not having Amalia stick around, either," he turned back around and glared at him, "Way to fucking go. This is one of the many reasons I didn't want them to come along in the first place. We have plenty of drama on our own, we didn't need some chicks on top of it."

Kerica sniffed again, "I'm sure I do. I just...if anyone would be bitching they're dangerous and about how people die around them, I would've thought Dean would talk about it until his face was blue. You've gotten kidnapped twice! Yeah by the same demon, but Kami," she shed a few tears of frustration, gritting her teeth, "I'm an actual Hunter!"

Sam's face dropped and looked at Dean with an apologetic look in his eyes, his hands falling to his sides and he breathed out a long sigh. He screwed up, he realized. Big time. He nodded a few times and looked back at his older brother. "I'm sorry, Dean... I'll try and work things out with her." He said, feeling like a puppy that had just been kicked.

Amalia slowly unwrapped her arms around Kerica and wiped away her tears. "Sam's an idiot. He's an even bigger idiot for making you cry." She said, giving her friend a smile before she looked down with a tiny frown. "You're right about one thing though... You're a hunter, and I'm just..." She scoffed a little, rubbing her arm lightly. "I feel like a burden to you guys. You do all the fighting, and I'm just standing there doing nothing." She was pouring out her feelings to Kerica, feelings that she had kept locked away since she was first kidnapped by the demon that killed her father. "I have a favor to ask you..." She started, looking up at her with soft eyes. "I want to learn how to defend myself... And I want you to teach me."

"I hope you do," Dean grumbled and he shrugged, "Come on and come swimming. We're not here to just stand around. Who knows when we'll have to head out again."

Kerica tilted her head at Amalia, "You want me to teach you martial arts? I could also teach you Chakra, too. That'll help with sensing and being aware of your surroundings. Both we can do when we're alone in our hotel rooms. It's going to take time, and lots of practice and determination on your end. I'm not a lenient teacher. I can be mean and I don't like half-ass attempts. I was like that when I helped out other kids in my martial arts classes. I always got /so/ mad at kids who would do pitiful attempts at kicking or punching, and I felt like when they went up a belt it was mostly pity."

Sam nodded again and followed after him to the lake, completely silent. He was mentally beating himself up for hurting Kerica, and he knew he had to make things right with her.

Amalia listened carefully and intently to every word the brunette said, biting her lip lightly before nodding once firmly. "I understand. Like I told you before, I'm done playing the victim. I'm ready." She smiled, a small glint in her eye showing that she was serious.

"Good. We'll worry about that later, though. Let's just swim and enjoy ourselves. I need a good tan for the summer," Kerica grinned and she plugged her nose, took a breath, and dove under, kicking her feet to splash her friend.

~*~

Sometime later, at around five when they all got tired of swimming and were hungry, they got out and started drying off. Kerica had only kind of ignored Sam, blowing him off when he tried to apologize. Neither Dean nor Kerica wanted a wet car so they took turns changing in the surrounding forest, and Amalia dried off Rogue. Dean was /very/ reluctant to let the dog hop in the back of the Impala, but Kerica downright refused.

Kerica threw her bag into the trunk just as she heard her phone start ringing in the cup holder. Had it been going off the whole time? She hoped not. Grabbing it, she answered, "Hello, who is calling?"

"Um...hello...is this Kerica Knight's cell?" a teenage voice that belonged to a male asked.

"Who's asking?" Kerica frowned.

"Er...my name's Jake...I need some help with a vengeful spirit?"

Amalia had finished drying off her canine companion and turned to Kerica with a tilt of her head. Kissing Rogue's nose gently, the red head stood straight on her feet and walked over to her friend, grabbing her own towel to dry herself off. "What's going on?" She asked her, catching Sam and Dean's attention.

Kerica put her finger to her lips to signal quiet, "What makes you think this Kerica would be able to help with a vengeful spirit?"

"Well...my dad once got help because of a local vampire nest from her dad and stuff. I just thought since I couldn't get a hold of him, I would contact his daughter," Jake answered.

"Good answer...I think I vaguely remember that. I was still in school," Kerica sighed, "Alright, kid...where do I need to go?"

"Marshal, Minnesota. I hope it's not that far away...the ranch hands I think did it are dying quickly."

"Whoa,,,wait, you think your farmhands murdered this person and that's why there's a vengeful spirit?" Kerica clarified.

"Yeah...please hurry. I'm not sure what to do," Jake whimpered a little.

"I'll drive non-stop and see you bright and early in the morning," Kerica promised and hung up, "Looks like we're going to Marshal, Minnesota, guys."

~*~

After receiving the call from Jake, the group immediately went off to Marshal, Minnesota. The drive there was at least six and a half hours, so they had to stop at a local hotel once it got too dark to go any further. Amalia had convinced Kerica to help practice a few basic punches while in their hotel room, while Rogue laid on his owner's bed with watchful eyes. The red head breathed in and out slowly before nodding to her friend. "Okay..." She said, clenching her hands into fists. "I'm ready."

"You're fisting your hands all wrong," Kerica made a face and she reached up, positioning her fingers differently, "I know it feels weird, but start training yourself to keep your hands like this, especially your thumb to the side instead of in front of your knuckles. You don't want to break your fingers." She then observed her, noticing what else didn't sit right, "Your position is way off balance." She pushed on her shoulder and Amalia stumbled, "See?"

Kerica got into a stance right next to her, "Try and copy the way I'm standing."

Amalia nodded as she listened, watching how she balled her hands into fists carefully. She did the same, with her thumb on the side of her fingers and copied the stance Kerica made. "Like this?" She asked, trying to make sure she was doing it correctly.

"Make a right angle with your feet..." Kerica moved and knelt down, shifting Amalia's back foot to be parallel with the wall behind her, and then her front foot to be parallel to the wall to their side, "Bend your knees a little...just a little. You want to be able to move and flow around your opponent. I'm sorry this is such a crash course. We don't have the luxury of training for three-plus years like I did," she took a deep breath.

Amalia smiled at her in understanding, shaking her head at her apology. "No, it's okay, really. I'm just hoping that I can learn all this fairly quickly." She giggled, bending her knees slightly just as how Kerica instructed, trying not to be so stiff and relaxed her muscles.

"Now I want you to take a step and punch, and exhale while you do. You can do 'ha' or something, but don't shout. Inhale, take another stepping punch. Keep doing this all the way to the other side of the room, spin on the pall of your foot, and repeat the process on the way back to me," Kerica explained and she took a seat on her bed to watch her intently.

This went on until neither woman had the energy or will to keep going, too tired from driving all day with barely any food, and Kerica made a mental note to get some damn ice cream for her troubles at the DQ she saw on their drive into the city.

~*~

The next day, Amalia, Sam and Dean were wandering around town while Kerica left to do her own thing. The red head figured that the brunette wanted to avoid Sam for the time being, not that she blamed her for it. With Rogue trotting by her side with his leash in her hand, Amalia looked around cautiously, only for her gaze to hit Dean's profile. No matter how many times she looked at him, her heart would always skip a beat. She parted her lips to speak, but she couldn't find the words to say anything, so she looked forward, the sound of her companion's panting filling her ears.

Sam's mind was wandering to Kerica, worry crossing his features before he broke the silence. "I don't get it." He started, catching Amalia's attention. "Kerica said she'd handle this case herself, but I can't help but worry. I mean, she barely mentioned this boy she talked to. How do we know she's ok?"

Dean made a snort, "First you tell her it'd be better if you distanced yourself, then you regret it immediately after. Since you can't get her to listen to you, you're all panicked and worried and now you want to protect her. Shit, Sam, you're all over the place," he rolled his eyes. Sam was fidgeting for another reason entirely, but he'll be damned if he knew why since he felt the same way when Amalia was out of his sight. "Hopefully she'll get all her anger out during this case and you'll be able to catch her. She's a Hunter, Sam, remember that. She'll be fine."

Sam scowled his famous bitch face expression, looking to the side at Dean's comment. He was right, though. The younger Winchester had pushed her away and immediately hated himself for it. His face turned soft and a sigh left his lips, causing Amalia to look at him with a reassuring smile. "Dean's right. Kerica is definitely more than capable of handling herself. Have some faith in her."

~*~

“So how has your father been, Kerica?” Jake asked as they sat at the table in the teenager’s house, Kerica drinking a chilled glass of whiskey the boy’s father gave him permission to open for a thank you.

“He’s been good. Focused on helping people as a doctor where he feels his efforts are more appreciated,” Kerica hummed as she took another swig, feeling the burn and welcoming it.

“Do you feel like that sometimes? That you’re not appreciated?” Jake asked, tilting his head and filled her glass again.

Kerica nodded, thinking about Sam and the stupid comment he’d made. She was well aware he wanted to apologize, but that had really felt like a stab to the heart. She brought her drink up and sipped it, then coughed a bit as she felt her like her nosehairs were going to burn off and she wiped her stinging eyes, but still enjoyed the drink. Whiskey always got her hammered pretty quickly, so she tried to keep her mind active, “That’s not why I’m here, though, to talk about my personal life. You said there's been some deaths you think are caused by this vengeful spirit? Do you know who it might be?" she asked.

“A manager no one really liked. He had been scheduled to leave. That’s why no one’s looking for him yet,” the farm boy answered with a sigh, “He got things done, but my dad didn’t like the tension between him and the other farmhands so he laid him off.”

“Which farmhand do you think did it?” Kerica leaned back in her chair, folding her arms.

“Five of them,” he answered bluntly.

Kerica’s eyebrows shot up, “Five of them? That’s quite a lot of people.”

“Two of them are dead,” he added, “It’s difficult because my dad thinks so, too, but there’s no proof. They cleaned up really well, probably used bleach and other cleaning supplies.”

“Have you seen the spirit of the manager at all?” she furrowed her brows and finished her drink in one hit before standing up.

“I think so…but it’s always around the barn, and late at night,” Jake sighed, “C’mon, I’ll show you.”

They went there and Kerica looked around, but the only thing she felt was suspicious was the haystack in the back. “Is it just me or does that thing have a rank smell around it?” she looked at Jake with a tilt of her head.

“There’s old hey in there,” Jake shrugged, “I don’t really smell anything.”

“Well, is it okay if we went back to the house and you showed me some files on your local farm boys and the manager,” she shook her head, and hoped it wasn’t what she thought it was. She’d much rather wait until nightfall, anyway, when the Spirit was said to be active.

Going back inside, Kerica was given what she need and she forwent the glass this time as she grabbed the whiskey bottle, “Can I have this?”

“Yeah, I think my dad meant to give it to you anyway for taking care of this problem,” Jake nodded, “I’m gunna go take care of chores while you read. Just give me a holler.”

When Jake left, Kerica popped the lid. At least this way, she wouldn’t accidentally inhale through her nose, and she could drink it much more smoothly instead if grimacing. Well. This was going to take a while…

~