Supernatural 1. Chapter 1

A/N

-My first Supernatural fanfiction. It's a long term story, but I own nothing but my OC and the AU Plot. Stick with me and I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this as much as I did writing this.

Chapter 1

"I'm going out. What do you want to eat?" Dean called from the doorway. Sam was lying on the floor looking under the bed, reaching his hand underneath, but pulled back empty handed.

"Sam?" Dean arched a brow and stepped around the bed asking, "Checking for monsters under the bed?"

Sam stood up, rolling his eyes, "Wow, that never gets old...I'm just looking for my tennis shoes."

Dean wrinkled his nose, "You're not going jogging again, are you?"

Sam chuckled as he reasoned with his brother, even though Sam knew Dean wasn't going to listen, "It's good for you. Just get me a Caesar salad or something."

Dean turned around, muttering under his breath about how they couldn't possibly be related as he left the motel room.

Finally, Sam looked in the last place and opened the closet. His brown eyes lit up as Sam bent down and grabbed what he was looking for, asking himself, "Why did I put them in here?"

He started to stand but his action slowed down as he listened to the silence. Sam could have sworn he heard something. It was very faint, but it had been there for a second.

Numbness. That had been all that Freddi felt in her leg for the last four days as the mousetrap bar kept her confined in the cursed closet that was destined to be her death room. She was overcome by her fear of dying as tears of despair fell down her cheeks; she seemed to be giving up because there no way Freddi could get out of this on her own, trapped in the dark with bruising all over her skin.

She could hear muffled conversation in the rundown motel room outside; both voices were young and male. The vibrations of a door slam filled Freddi's senses before out of the blue, one of the guys who resided there, randomly opened the closet, almost giving her a heart attack and filling the room with a dim light. Freddi debated speaking up, but no matter how much she desired her freedom, her voice couldn't seem to reach her throat at all.

He didn't even look in the direction Freddi was at, and she couldn't know if she'd be any safer if he did discover her. Very weak and fighting to stay awake, she watched him reach for what he wanted and stand up. Whether she was relieved or not, it still didn't change the tears continuing to fall at the fact that there was a huge probability that Freddi was going to be dead eventually.

At first, Sam thought for a moment that he was only fooling himself, but then he heard it again. He didn't have a clue what it was, but it sounded very close. He first thought it sounded like a tiny machine, but no; Sam shut that assumption down. It sounded human, almost like crying. Sam peered into the closet and scanned the floor. At first glance, he saw nothing; the floor was mostly covered with dust bunnies and carpet stains from past occupants, but second time looking, he could see a mousetrap in the far corner. Something was caught in it and it wasn't an ordinary mouse.

Her green doe eyes widened as he looked over at her corner. Freddi was found and there was nothing she could do. She was injured and somehow she could just tell that he was intending to kill her like an animal she was treated like most of the time. He reached over and snatched up her trap. Freddi sucked in the air through her teeth as she swung upside down, placing a lot of painful pressure on her leg. She let out a strained noise as the pain lingered when she couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

Sam immediately ditched the sneakers outside the closet to allow him to work with both hands. He went back into a squatting position, leaning back in to pick up the trap. He was careful to grab it by the wooden part away from the spring, as a safety precaution, in case the mysterious animal tried to bite.

"Don't worry, little guy, I'll put you out of your misery," Sam said, hearing a painful hiss coming from the creature. He rocked back on his heels, but froze when the trap was taken into the light. Sam stared, slack-jawed at what seemed to be a tiny...woman hanging off the trap.

"Wh-wha...I don't..." Sam sputtered incoherent syllables together. He was in shock, staring back at her for what seemed to be a short amount of time before remembering she needed help.

"H-hang on. I've gotcha..." Sam transferred hands so she didn't have to keep swinging like that while he loosened the spring and pried open the bar. The moment her leg was free, he separated her to his other hand and tossed the useless mousetrap back into the closet.

Sam had so many questions whirring throughout his mind, but he couldn't ask any of them at the moment. The sight of her pale bruised skin, and her leg, which still bared the imprint of the bar, pulled at his heartstrings and won over his complete sympathy.

"Are-Are you okay?" He gently asked, bringing her close to his face and scrutinized her, being careful not traumatize her. Sam could feel her slightly shake in his hand, her shining green eyes avoiding his gaze in fear as she kept grasping a microscopic trinket around her neck. She must have been trapped there for a long time. She was covered in grime and filth. Sam didn't know if her hair was brown or if there was just so much dirt in her short locks.

Everything was moving way too fast for Freddi to completely process until she was out of the trap and bombarded with a colossal pair of hazel eyes. She didn't have any desire to look right in them, so she tried to focus on something else. The blood was starting to circulate back into her leg, causing a painful tingling sensation through her whole limb; Freddi started digging her nails into her own arm to keep a whine from escaping her lips.

After that fiasco was over with her leg, there was no longer anything to distract Freddi of her situation. She was at the mercy of another stranger and there was nothing more for her to do, but to cower in a ball in the middle of his palm.

"No, no, it's okay...I'm not going to hurt you," Sam realized immediately that he must have looked pretty damn scary to her. He was used to being the tallest guy in the room, but it was never at this level before. Unable to leave her in such a pitiful state, Sam took a look back at his suitcase, knowing he packed a travel sized first aid kit. Cupping his other hand around the terrified girl, he stood up and went over to the bed.

Freddi kept shifting in this giant's hand every single step he took, causing so much pain to her already aching muscles and her leg. The striking in her leg was a huge hint that that demented mousetrap might have broken her leg; even if it was barely moved, the pain left Freddi almost moaning in pain. Even if she had an opportunity to escape, Freddi knew she wouldn't get far with that limb.

After going through something that felt a little like hell, he stopped. He removed one hand and used it to move her to a less warm, but a softer surface. Freddi's adrenaline level started siphoning from her system as she turned away from him, feeling weaker and weaker as seconds passed.

Finally her voice reappeared as she softly chocked out the question, "If you wanted to kill me, then what the hell is stopping you?"

Freddi couldn't udder any words after that, because she faded into a state of unconsciousness way sooner than she wanted.

"I thought you were an animal!" He quickly tried to defend himself. She left his gaze for a few moments to retrieve the necessary items from the first aid kit and turned back to her. She was still on the bed but she wasn't moving. Sam slightly began to panic, ' Is she dead?'

"Hello?" Sam leaned over her closely. When she didn't respond, he gently nudged her onto her back, minding her bruising. If he watched closely, he could see her chest was rising and falling with shallow breaths. He sighed in relief, and then got to work. It took a lot of precision, but Sam managed to carefully splint her leg. He used the rest of the alcohol wipe over her visible skin, removing the gathered filth and revealing the extent of her bruising.

When Sam was finished, he was silent at the sight of her injuries, his heart dropping a foot or two. She was cold to the touch as she slept so he slid his calloused fingers underneath her fragile form and gathered her close to him. His mind raced with questions and theories as he looked at her face. She was as small as those little plastic figurines they gave out in kid's meals, but the detailing was so perfect, and enticing. Sam had never seen anything like her, and that was saying something.

Freddi didn't know how long she was out, but when she came to, she was once again face to face with him, or specifically her face to his chest. She couldn't seem to argue with warmth he was radiating. Freddi was chilled to the bone from her time in the closet and left her practically starving for the hot sensation. One of his thumbs was digging into a major bruise on her side, so Freddi started shuffling into a more comfortable position for her, alerting the stranger currently manhandling her.

Sam curled his fingers instinctively around her, cupping her in his hand to keep her from scrambling off.

"Hey," He started off gently. Sam spent the better part of an hour preparing about what he was going to say when he had the chance, and spoke with a kind smooth confidence. "I need you to calm down. I know you're scared and I know this is a lot to take in, but you're safe with me."

His hazel eyes were insistently fixated on her, his curious nature itching, "Do you have a name?"

Freddi couldn't find any strength in her body to look up at him yet, but she was surrounded by his warm breath as he spoke. She could smell a subtle mint to it. He seemed like a nice guy, but she couldn't assume anything just yet. Trying to stop her trembling and slow her racing heart, Freddi angled her head away from him and took a few deep breaths.

After a short time, Freddi remembered that he asked her a question, and she didn't know if he was patient enough for the answer. Her timid nature to strangers left her voice soft and shaking as she stuttered, "S-Sorry. I'm n-not good with strangers. My na-name is W-Winnifred."

Freddi didn't really like her actual first name, but it was better than giving him her nickname as she fumbled around with the crystal heart necklace she wore.

"It's fine... I'd be freaking out in your situation, too. I'm Sam," he smiled very warmly, teeth flashing. He was excited to see Winnifred was capable to have a civilized conversation. Sam scanned her miniscule figure up and down again. There was a living, breathing person planted on the palm of his hand. Holy crap.

Freddi was still too nervous to look at him yet, but she could feel Sam gaze drilling a hole into her head. His voice was laced with sincerity, but there was a chance he could have been deceiving her, like some people had done in her past. Freddi could have been stubborn with that mind set if she hadn't taken notice to her leg; her fracture was taken care of and she seemed to be slightly less dirty than before. Freddi kept wondering what Sam's game was as she examined what he did while she was unconscious.

Freddi managed to crack a small smile at the first aid work. It had a lot of detailing to it and it must have taken him a lot of concentration to do all that. Was he for real? No one had cared enough about her to do something like that in years. She dry swallowed some of her fear as she quietly asked him, trying to keep her voice steady, "You patched up my leg. Why did you do that? Why are you treating me better than other have?"

Sam was almost confused and surprised in her questioning; when was the last time somebody treated her well? He could only imagine how some would give quite a lot to have a pocket-sized woman in their possession. Sam softly responded, "You must have met some real jerks... How did you end up in the closet, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

Freddi chuckled slightly at his jerk quip, but she wasn't going to give Sam an answer while she was still in his hands. She covered it up by telling Sam, finally looking up, "No, I-I don't mind the asking, but would you mind setting me down? I don't like explaining things when I'm high off the ground."

Sam stifled a soft laugh at this remark, considering she was only a couple feet away from the surface of the bed, but he supposed it was a lot higher in her eyes, He got the brainiac itch to doing the math and converting the distances and heights from varying perspectives, but realized he still needed to answer her.

"Yeah, of course," he lowered her onto one of the pillows. His hands felt sweaty all of a sudden, relieved from her light weight. He wiped both hands against his jeans as sat on the bed. He looked over at her and tried not to appear too eager to hear what she had to say.

Freddi wasn't going to say anything about what was said a few seconds before; even she saw the irony in her words, even if it was only an excuse to get out of his grasp. Freddi wasn't going to lie when she looked up at him again. Sam's height was beyond intimidating, even when she was at waist level with him.

After a few seconds, Freddi finally grew a pair as she quietly explained, "I'm formally uneducated but I'm not an idiot. I spent the better part of five years living in a library, learning, researching, and finding new adventures every day in the things I read in books in the reference and the nonfiction sections. It's wasn't paradise, but it was the closest thing to home.

"A week ago I was taken from there by two guys who thought they could make few bucks off me. They roomed here for a couple days. They weren't the worse people I've met in my life, but it didn't change that they were bruising to the touch. I swear, if they weren't such messy eaters, then I could have gone hungry, but I didn't stay for long."

She started to lightly smile proudly, a hint of laughter in her voice, "One night I busted out of the cage they kept me in, and hid in the closet. They were so mad in the morning and griping and complaining on and on as they looked around for me. God, they were such idiots. Neither of the thugs looked even once in the closet."

Freddi heart started to plummet just slightly and her smile followed closely behind as she sighed, looking downward, "It was so dark; I didn't see the trap until it snapped on my leg. I had been stuck there for about four days until I was found. The rest is history."

Sam was silent, looking at her with this sympathy that could not be fully expressed with words. She was so small. So, so small... How anyone could hurt her was beyond comprehension. Some people were just as monstrous as the things he usually dealt with.

"I'm sorry you went through that," Sam finally exhaled slowly, feeling already his words were empty comfort. He reached out tentatively to touch his fingertips along Winnifred's side. "Listen, my brother's coming back soon with some food... You're safe with us, I promise."

She tensed at his touch, but there was a small part of her that was comforted by his motions. She could feel a light blush creep along her cheeks as she looked up at him very shyly, a faint smile showing up on her face. She asked him, her voice barely reaching a loud whisper, "Why are you being casual about this?"

Sam chuckled sheepishly, like he'd been caught in the act, "Let's just say I've seen a lot weirder than you."

He cupped his hand around her, scooting her more in front of him as he laid on his side. They were more level like that, and his heart slightly paced with the excitement of watching such a tiny person move and talk, and asked, "What are you anyway?"

Whatever smile Freddi once had faded at the mention of his question. It wasn't what she was that that made Freddi's mood get shot every time. It was what happened to her. Freddi didn't want to tell him yet, so she said the same thing to every other person who was concerned enough to ask her and answered, "That's a different story to tell, but when it comes down to genetics, I'm just as human as you are. I know my size isn't normal to you, but it's normal to me, and it's all I've ever known."

Sam knew there was way more than what Winnifred was telling him, and while he wanted to press in for more details, he remembered she had been stuck in the closet without food or water for days; Sam felt pretty damn lucky she had said as much as she already had. He was going to say more, but he keys in the lock preceding the door opening and closing; Dean was back.

"They didn't have Caesar salad, so I hope you enjoy your girly garden salad," Dean said loudly, marching between the beds, pocketing the keys and handing the food box to Sam.

Then Dean froze, as he stared right at Winnifred, "Sam, was the hell is in your bed?"

A/N

Uh Oh. What's going to happen next? I hope you enjoy this and I will upload another chapter very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Told ya I'd submit soon. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Freddi cursed many profanities inside her head as she flinched to the sound of the second man's voice. It was so loud and rough compared to Sam's gentle tones. Freddi was so close to getting used to Sam and now she had to deal with another stranger. Her luck was so shot, Freddi questioned what else could go wrong.

Dean seemed possessed with a disgust of the tiny creature, "Don't just sit there and talk to the thing!"

"Dean-wait!" Sam tried but his older brother didn't listen. He had already dropped the bag and lunged for the girl. Winnifred was nearly encased in Dean's fist and she didn't look comfortable one bit.

"A tiny person," Dean scoffed, laughing in disbelief and holding Winnifred not two inches away from his face. "I have seen some crazy shit, but this... This is just ridiculous."

Dean was holding Freddi pretty tight; pressure from his palm and fingers were initiating immense amount of pain all over her body, and her leg was the major source. Tears fell down Freddi's cheeks as she plead and cried out in pain, fighting like hell not to dig her nails into Dean's skin, so she dug into her own, "Ow! Please! Stop! My leg!"

Dean slowly released his hold, leaving the shaking girl to catch her breath in a sprawled heap in his palm. There was a rabid look in Dean's eyes, but something changed in his expression as he watched her focusing on her leg. He glanced to Sam, who immediately leapt to his feet, giving this look that visibly shouted at Dean that he would never hear the end if he hurt that girl.

"She's hurt. I found her snagged in the closet by a mousetrap," Sam was completely tense as he watched his brother's every move. He didn't quite trust Dean with something quite so delicate.

Freddi's heart was racing, her already sore muscles and bruises ached so badly, and her hands were shaking as she worked on settling the electric pain coursing from her leg. Freddi took a moment to look at Sam. Her expression was almost screaming for his help. Freddi shuddered at what the situation could have been if it was Dean who found her instead of Sam.

Sam went to take Winnifred back but Dean stopped him immediately, "Hold up! Do you even know what she is? She could be a shape-shifter for all we know."

He searched throughout his person until he came across his silver pen-knife. Seeing it, Sam quickly piped up, "Shape-shifters can't change their size as far as we know. That's pretty far-fetched, even for us. She may be different, but she will die if we don't help her."

Dean sneering at the girl in his hand, debating in his head for a good minute before growled, "Fine. Fix her up."

Dean tilted his hand and Winnifred dropped into Sam's once more. He mentally sighed of relief, being in control of her again, before hearing a short strained yell coming from her lips from the drop.

Freddi figured everything out in her head as 'shape-shifters' entered the conversation; she was so deep in thought that Freddi didn't even process the knife the older brother drew. She knew exactly what they were as she was suddenly dropped from one hand to another. Freddi landed harshly on her leg and her exclamation flew out of her mouth before she could order herself not to.

Sam shot his brother a scathing look as he cupped the girl gingerly and slowly moved back over to the bed, setting her down to repair the miniature splint he had made. Dean looked on very silently, slowly sitting on the bus opposite.

"Her name is Winnifred," Sam said quietly, as he eventually sat back down nearby her.

Freddi hated being shy; it was probably the only thing she hated more than her full first name. She was however comfortable enough with Sam to look back up at him. His warm hands brushed her leg over and over several times as he managed to ease a lot of her pain. Freddi couldn't help but to smile as their sights locked. There a certain gentleness in his eyes that seemed to hide some form of agony.

"How does that feel?" Sam asked Winnifred as he finished, his fingertips still lingering along her leg. The piercing gaze from such a tiny girl was startling. Her green eyes was filled with a mix different emotions, the biggest ones he could tell was hidden innocence yet filled with great pain at the same time. Sam willed his hands to remain still.

Freddi was snapped out of her thoughts, "Y-Yeah. It's alright."

The warmth from the contact of his fingers spread throughout her body. She looked away blushing before whispering, "Would you just relax? If anybody should be freaking, it's me"

He gave a soft laugh and drew his hands away. Dean saw his brother physically relax at her request. He was partially struggling against his hunter instincts at the concept of not killing the supernatural creature, but her facial features were so human. Dean had to calm himself down with this girl for his brother's sake.

"So, Winnifred, what's your deal, then? You like one of those... What are they called? Borrowers, right?"

Taking a deep breath to hide her mental groan, Freddi explained, "Borrowers are creatures of fiction and fantasy. I have almost lost count of how many times I have been confused for one. I am human, just as you are."

Dean scoffed, obviously not in the mood, "I think there's a major difference between us, shorty."

Freddi didn't know if she was brave or just plain stupid, but she didn't care; Freddi snapped, tears threatening to shed, "That is the only difference! And I wouldn't be like this, if my village wasn't destroyed!"

Freddi hid her face from both of the boys, clinging to her crystal heart, once it dawned on her that she just went all Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on an already hot tempered giant. She felt like she just signed off on her own execution. Part of Freddi's heart tore as she realized that if they chose not to kill her, then she would have to explain the worst night of her life. She revealed way too much information in her explosion.

Both brothers were shocked by her outburst, and Dean was trying to hide his faint fury, but there was way more to her story than at first glance.

After a few seconds of calming down, he said very roughly, "Start explaining."

'Damn it,' Freddi thought to herself, then finally looking up them she gravely sighed, "It's a long story."

Dean responded coldly, "And we've got all night. Talk."

Freddi regretfully nodded in agreement as she rested her chin on the crossed arms resting on her bent knees. She swallowed to moisten her dry throat and started with, "I already told you I'm human, but my past is just a long tragic story. I have always been this size; I was born this size and it's all I've ever known, but I wasn't alone in the beginning. There were once more of us. A whole village of us. Each family had one unique ability that no other family could have. My family had the ability to change our size, but you had to be taught to unlock the access in your body before you could learn to control it. My dad had it; my older brothers had it, and my uncle had it. I have it inside me too, but I never got the opportunity to learn."

Freddi's anger started to kick in again as she looked up at Sam and Dean and stated, "I know you're hunters. I knew the moment you guys started talking about shape-shifters, but I don't care about that. I was born from one; my dad. It was a family trade for generations. He worked with a few of the best until about fifteen years ago."

Through the shock of Winnifred figuring them out about being hunters and hearing of her own hunting heritage, Sam realized, "Dad could have worked alongside them without even knowing."

"But you... you're stuck like this?" Dean asked, trying to process this. He was slightly skeptical, that was obvious, but Dean was humoring her.

"Unfortunately," Freddi said, bowing her head away from them at the scenes her eidetic memory made her relive, her voice beginning to break. "I was never taught. When I was five my village was massacred by a demon that recognized my father."

Freddi took in a few shaky breaths, wiping away her tears, "In the end, I was the only survivor and took only one thing with me, my father's hunting book. I read it only once, memorized its content, before putting it somewhere no one would ever look."

Her composure was failing as Freddi continued, "I'll always be able to remember that demon. I'd recognize those yellow eyes anywhere."

Sam and Dean both stiffened exchanging wide-eyed looks before leaning closer. Sam asked, with a new intensity in his voice, "What was he after?"

Freddi didn't dare look at them to see her reactions. With tears continuing to stream down her face, she choked out, her eyes glued to the floral pattern of the bedspread underneath her, "There wasn't anything he wanted. He had no objective. It was a game of old fashioned revenge, and I lost everything because of it."

Both men opened their mouths to ask some more question, but they immediately botched that option. The poor thing was sobbing and already scared out of her mind. Sam hesitantly brought Freddi closer to his chest, trying to soothe her grief. His heart went out to her as Sam started running his finger against her back.

Freddi could feel her hands slightly shaking as she was gently pressed into his chest. Despite Sam's good intentions, his actions began putting pressure on her fracture. It was comforting, but at the same time uncomfortable when his finger run up and down along her back. Freddi shuddered from the contact, and breathed out softly, "I'm sorry, but can you put me back down? I don't think this is good for my leg"

"Sorry!" He whispered, immediately moving her away. He couldn't hold her for long with his hands being a little shaky, so placed her down on one of the pillows.

Dean was on edge as he tried to process her story. He stood up and started pacing the length between the two beds, running hand over his face for a few moments before he asked her grimly, "Do you think yellow-eyes would want you, if he knew you were alive?"

Freddi shot back an equally emotional look, but it was hard to do with her face slightly puffy, "I think if he wanted me, he would have found me by now. The massacre wasn't for me; it was for my dad. Yellow-eyes personally made sure my father was the last to die. I was only lucky because I lied down underneath the corpses and played a pretty convincing dead girl."

"But you said he was out for revenge against your father. Wouldn't killing you be the cherry on top?"

Freddi was angry now because he wouldn't let the subject go, causing only more and more heartbreak. She let out an aggravated sigh in desperation, "I was pretending to be dead. I would like to think he was satisfied with the illusion."

Sam turned away from Winnifred, "Dean... You can't seriously be talking about using her as bait."

Overhearing that, Freddi started rambling, trying to make sense of it all, "Bait? Where does my traumatic event justify the option of bait...?"

Then she realized something. Pleading for the truth, Freddi looked up at Sam, asking, "You guys have your own story with that monster, don't you?"

Sam turned back to Winnifred and nodded, meeting her eyes only once. He stared at the bedspread as he was hesitant to explain, "I...yeah, we've been hunting the yellow-eyed demon our entire lives. He killed our mother."

The words echoed throughout Freddi's head as she looked away for a second. She was more connected with these boys than she thought. Then Freddi looked up at Sam and Dean with such empathy, laying her hand on top of Sam's hand nearby, "God, I am so sorry."

Sam's hazel eyes returned to Winnifred and stayed there. Sam's lips twisted at the corners, in bittersweet sort of smile. He had heard a plethora of "I'm sorry" a lot when he told people the truth, but there was a genuine tone laced around Winnifred's voice. She knew what loss felt like. Sam didn't pull his hand away right away, until Dean crouched down by the bed.

Freddi's eyes panned from Sam's to Dean's as the older brother escalated more towards her level. His facial expressions were still stony, but it wasn't chilling her to the bone to look at them anymore.

'You can't stay,' Freddi reminded herself. They were hunters, so they will always be on the move. Freddi didn't want to intrude in their lives just for her survival; she felt like she couldn't do that, not with a clear conscious.

After a few moments of silence, she eventually took a deep breath and slowly began to stand up. Freddi managed to take a few steps, hiding the intense sting, before beginning to fall.

"Whoa, take it easy!" Dean shot out a hand to steady her. He noticed how Winnifred cringed and completely tensed when he raised his voice, so Dean lowered his own, "Why don't you just lie down, alright?"

Dean gently nudged her back to the pillow, giving her a small reassuring smile, "We'll figure out what to do next."

She mentally groaned to herself; Freddi felt as idiotic as she was planted back down. There was no way she was going to have a chance to make a getaway, not with her gimpy leg. Plus, there was always at least one pair of eyes always on her. It wasn't that Freddi minded it, because as slow as it was, she was warming up to both of them.

"You know, besides whole freaky doll-size thing, she's pretty cute," Dean said to his brother, staring at her for a little longer. He finally turned away, shrugging off his jacket and picking up his food bag off of the floor. Dean was satisfied to find his meatball sub still perfectly intact.

Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes at his brother; how the man was still able to eat, after everything, never ceased to amazing him. Sam glanced at the salad on the bed side table, and leaned slightly back, returning and keeping his gaze on Winnifred. He could not take his eyes off of her no matter how hard he tried.

Freddi rolled her eyes at Dean's remark, and watched the brothers in silence. She really didn't know what else to say, but she accidentally scanned over to the sandwich and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled. Suddenly this deep shade of red started taking over Freddi's face as she dropped her gaze and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

Sam seriously resisted the urge to face-palm.

"Hey, can I have a bit of your sandwich?"

Dean arched his eyebrow at his little brother, causing Sam to sigh, "It's for Winnifred."

Dean's green eyes dashed over to Winnifred, and nodded. He ripped a small piece and offered it to the tiny girl. Both of them could only imagine how hungry she must have been after days off no food.

"Th-Thank you," Freddi quietly thanked them as she grabbed the piece she was given, her face still tomato red as she gave them a shy smile. Freddi could not believe that had just happened. She knew Sam could hear that, but she couldn't tell if Dean did; if he had heard, then she was positive that Dean would have laughed. The portion Freddi was given had the potential to feed three of her, but she had to down as must she could.

Sam looked away from Winnifred, but Dean was always turning his gaze to her every few seconds. Watching her eat was pretty mesmerizing. She was adorable, Dean decided, but there was something else too.

"So... I take it you'll be sticking around then?" Dean grunted as he finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth.

Freddi watched as the brothers started bickering back and forth, eating what she could until she was done.

"Well, we can't just leave her on her own!"

"Naturally, but we can't puppy-sit forever, Sammy."

"What are we supposed to do then, abandon her? We can't exactly drop her off at the police station!"

Dean ran an aggravated hand through his hair before taking on last look at the tiny girl, making up his mind, "Fine. She stays."

Finally, they both hear a quiet third voice in the mix. They turned their attention onto the young woman, "Shouldn't I get a say in this conversation?"

"Mm... Not really," Dean responded nonchalantly, arching a skeptical brow at Winnifred as he discarded the remainder of the sandwich into his paper bag and stood up to go toss out his trash.

'Oh wow,' Freddi thought, switching her view to Sam, her eyelids feeling slightly heavier, and asked, feeling a little brave, "Has he always been an ass?"

Dean stopped in his tracks, turning around to give her a surprised look; he did not see that coming from her mouth. Sam started grinning like an idiot, pouncing on the bait she laid out.

"Pretty much," Sam laughed, leaning in towards her a little. "I guess I should have asked if you'd be comfortable living with us for a while, Winnifred."

"Maybe," She responded, smiling very softly. "But, since I obviously can't walk, it wouldn't be wise to even try to be out on my own, is it?"

"Not if you want that to heal right." Sam extended a finger at her leg. He wasn't truly aware of his lips mirroring her smile. He liked her smile... It really lit up her face. "We move around a lot, but it wouldn't be any trouble bringing you along."

Freddi gave him this look, like this wasn't the first time knowing that, "My dad and brothers were only around once every two months. I understand that a hunter is always on the move. I was supposed to learn the trade when I was seven."

"Uh... Yeah. We go from case-to-case, mostly," it was easier admitting this to someone who was familiar with the lifestyle and didn't see him as some freak. Sam considered Winnifred longer, waiting to see if she would go on further. Still, Sam sympathized with having an absent father. "Well, maybe you're better off not knowing the details that comes with the job."

Freddi nodded her head in understanding, but didn't truly respond. She was feeling more and more weary. A full stomach and an actual conversation, with people who understood all the grumbledegook that ran through her head, did not work well together. Freddi's eyelids were extremely heavy as she accidentally let out a reasonably loud yawn.

Sam thought Winnifred's exhaustion looked cute. She already looked comfortable so he switched the lamp off for her, "Here, feel free to sleep. I'll give you some space."

Sam stood up and crossed over to his brother, who was currently researching everything he could find on tiny people and size changers. So far the results were bleak. Most of what he found was the fictional borrowers. Dean then took a moment away from researching about it to listen to him about what happened to Winnifred and how she ended up in the closet.

Freddi hesitantly lowered into a lying position and the moment her head hit the pillow, she started fading fast, but she almost didn't want that. She knew that if she fell into a deep enough sleep, then Freddi would slip into the same nightmare that haunted her every single time she went to sleep; they'd see how broken Freddi really was.

A/N

Here it is. I left it on mellow cliffhanger. Hope you like it and I hope to get reviews and favorites and all that jazz. Bye! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

As promised, a new part. Now, keep in mind that I already have most of it written and separated into chapters. All that's left is to publish them…(that's a good thing to know. Lol). So, you finally get to see why Freddi thinks she's "broken." Enjoy! R&R!

Chapter 3

"No! Please! NO!"

"Wake her up!" Dean growled from the opposite side of the room. Sam groggily rolled to his side and leaned over the tiny girl. There was blend of tears and sweat streaking across Winnifred's pale face. Pinching her sides delicately to stop her from thrashing too badly, Sam spoke out to her, clearing stray hairs away with one of his thumbs, "Winnifred!"

That girl would not wake up no matter how many times Sam repeated her name. He eventually started gently shaking her shoulder, "Come on. Wake up."

"No!" Freddi let out for last scream before waking up in a panic, placing a hand on her racing heart and tried to catch her shallow breath. Freddi did her best to calm down; however, she was aware enough of her surroundings to look up at him and whisper almost in a catatonic state, "I'm sorry for waking you."

Sam acted like he ignored her apology. He gave Freddi this look of concern, their faces inches away from each other in the dim lighting, "Are you alright?"

Freddi tried lying to him, telling Sam she was fine, but he gave her this look. He didn't believe a word she had just said. Freddi tried to stand her ground but his piercing expression slowly attacked at the base of her determination and weakened it. Eventually Freddi turned away from him, as she said in a grave tone, "You're lucky, Sam. You're lucky you don't have my curse. I have an eidetic memory so my memories don't fade away with time. They run through my head like it had just happened recently. I can't forget anything about it and I have relive everything for the rest of my life."

Sam moistened his already dry lips as he said in a quiet voice, "I was only a baby when my mom died. I don't even remember what my mom looked like. If it wasn't for pictures, then I would have never known." He took a glance at Dean as his brother shot him a look; Sam knew Dean was revisiting the memories of their grim tale, stiffing his movements. Sam managed to look back at Winnifred, giving her the best advice he could, "You just have to push through it."

Freddi kept looking into his Sam's eyes; even in the dark, his eyes seemed to sparkle, and she knew she had to tread lightly or else Freddi would start feeling things for Sam. She spoke out in a shy tone, almost afraid of the reaction as she shifted her gaze to the window, "This is your first time seeing me like this, but if I stay, then I know it won't be the last. Tell me now, not later, if you think you can live with all this, if you can handle it. Please, I need to know, because no one should have to deal with the burden of my curse."

She heard Dean let out a short bittersweet laugh as he repeated, making his way to his bed and settled down to go to sleep, "Can we handle you? Please."

Sam touched Freddi's shoulder very lightly, "You're not alone this time, but... if it's all the same. Do you mind if I catch a few more hours of sleep?"

Freddi drank in the subtle contact as she glanced up at him; it had been years since someone had treated her with such kindness. The gentleness in Sam's eyes never wavered but neither did his hidden agony. Freddi was so confused about everything involving these brothers; Dean did not seem to hold the same agony in his gaze like Sam did. If Freddi did end up staying, then she hoped that one day they'd trust her enough to fill in the blanks. Seeing that it was polite to answer him, she said, smiling shyly, "Don't let me stop you. You need your rest too."

Freddi observed Sam as he stripped away his jacket and layer upon layer of shirts until he reached an undershirt. She blushed at the muscle that visibly showed through the thin fabric. As Sam lied down on the opposite side of the bed, Freddi blush worsened when she realized her thoughts throughout that whole striptease was, 'Good Lord! How many shirts does he wear?' and, 'Damn, being a hunter good for him."

Freddi knew it was going to be a long night as she delayed falling back asleep for as long as possible. She swam through her thought and that was almost dangerous because Freddi had time to process these recent events. Her twenty year old hormones were not making anything better involving these boys. They both were definitely attractive; God, they were attractive. She won't deny that observation, but she doubted either one of them saw her as anything other than a tiny talking trinket.

She looked over at the slumbering younger brother and smiled at him and mentally stated, 'Of all the people that could have found me, I'm grateful it was you, Sam.'

Sam woke up to the sound of Dean getting ready. When he turned his head and focused, Sam saw his brother constantly glancing over at him with a weird expression... No, not at him- at the four inch girl sleeping on his pillow; reality was so crazy for him. Sam's eyes widened when he realized how close he had rolled to Winnifred in his sleep.

Sam sat up, and looked back at her; Winnifred's sleeping form was slightly shifted of the absence of his weight. Taking care not to jostle her, Sam slowly got out of bed and did his best not to wake her as he got ready.

Freddi didn't truly knew had fallen back to sleep until her eyes slowly fluttered open from the blinding sun. The last thing she remembered before she faded, was looking out the window and smiled at the sun that was just peering its head over the horizon. Freddi sat up on the pillow to an empty bed, but the fresh indent of where Sam used to be was a huge clue that she must have just missed him.

Her mind was still groggy, but it was a fading sensation. She tried to see if she could try to keep her balance for more than twenty seconds. Freddi managed to stand in one place for thirty seconds before she tried walking along the bed, which was a bitch to do through the pain; she was not letting her restlessness get the best of her.

Dean caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and immediately tensed. He was only standing a few feet away as he watched Winnifred's progress, trying to determine whether or not he needed to catch her.

"You don't give yourself a break, do you?" Dean commented, seeing her frustrating task of remaining steady on a broken leg.

Sam pulled a fresh shirt over his head and ran his fingers through his damp hair, not bothering to comb it. After packing up his toiletries into a gallon zip-lock bag, he switched off the light and exited the bathroom.

Realizing she had an audience, Freddi immediately fell back on the bed, just as Sam came out of his hiding spot; his shocked expression was almost priceless. She smiled shyly seeing she was caught in the act.

Sam could hardly register what was happening before she was already down, "Wha... You okay?" He wanted to laugh, but tried not to, in case Winnifred was actually in pain, as he came over to his side of the bed. Behind him, his brother scoffed as Dean was zipping his bag closed, "Keep pulling crap like that and your leg will heal crooked."

A moment of bravery, Freddi shot a look at Dean, her green doe eyes almost daring him for a comeback, "Can you blame me? I have always been up on my feet and on the move all of my life and now I'm basically crippled from dumb luck."

"You call this luck?" He responded quite darkly as started to walk over to the bed. Dean stopped right in front over her and slightly leaned over, adding some intimidation to the mix, seeing as she only about at the level to his knees.

It took a lot of Freddi's emotional might to make sure her gaze didn't waver as Dean's drilling gaze bore into her's.

"I didn't say it was good luck, did I?" Freddi wasn't mad, but she knew she wasn't afraid of him too badly anymore. Her shyness hid away for just one specific moment, but the last thing she wanted was things to go south too fast.

Thankfully, his stony gaze relented into something warmer. Dean gave an amused sound and nodded as he crouched by the bed with a smile, a closed fist extending towards her, "Come here."

Freddi mirrored a shy smile as she gave him a fist bump, even though she was sighing of relief on the inside. She almost revealed a larger smile when she caught a glace of Sam's dumbfound expression, and somehow Freddi thought there was a chance that things could go by pretty smoothly, if only she could only get her nightmares under control; it seemed to be her only worry with them.

Dean had been expecting trepidation, terror even, but she stood her ground. He smiled at her thinking, 'Right on, sister!'

He gave her a fist bump just because it freaking cute to see her do the same.

Sam chuckled as he started walking towards the door, bag in hand, as Dean stood up and wrapped his hand after Winnifred and followed behind him, "Let's go."

The only other memory Freddi had with Dean's hands were not very pretty, but she didn't have any objections. He wasn't hurting her, or causing distress in anyway. She thought it felt nice; she was surrounded by warmth and Freddi could feel Dean's heartbeat vibrating through his leathery skin.

She only had one more question, before shutting up about the topic, "You guys really don't mind me around, even though I could have more nightmares in the future?"

Both men looked down at Freddi simultaneously with a similar look on their faces. Dean started chuckling, "I'm starting to get the feeling that she doesn't like us, Sammy. She keeps trying to find a loophole."

Sam sighed, shaking his head at her, "Winnifred. You're fine."

"Just double checking," Freddi shrugged before smirking at Dean. "And you shouldn't be putting non-existent words in my mouth. I may be uneducated, but I not an idiot."

"Alright, Sweetheart," Dean replied, still struggling to see her as equal. They picked up some muffins from the motel lobby and get into their car. Dean smiled when he saw how impressed she was with his car; there were many things about this woman that surprised him each moment as he ripped off a piece of his muffin for her.

Looking at his brother, Dean said, placing the tiny girl on the dashboard, "Let's head north. I'm in a mood."

Sam analyzed Winnifred reaction, trying to see if she wanted to be held, but she didn't seem to want to. He wrestled a smile off his face; Winnifred looked like one of those little hula girls, minus the Hawaiian dress code. It was adorable, but there was a different emotion Sam felt when their eyes practically locked, but he didn't know what it was.

Freddi was satisfied with how things were going as Dean set her down. She immediately scooted herself to the edge, to where she could hang her legs off of it. Her eyesight shifted to Sam and her heart skipped for a moment before she stopped herself.

'Now, stop it,' She mentally scolded herself. 'You can't like him. He simply saved your life. You can't think of him like that. You don't even know how old he is. There is a huge difference between infatuation and admiration. Separate them, now!"

Freddi snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that she was basically staring at him.

Never had Sam felt more aware of his actions. Winnifred was looking at him without a word; was she just spacing out or something? He tried to ignore it, but after nearly a minute, she seemed to take herself out of it, "...Winnifred?"

Winnifred shook her head slightly before looking up at him, "Y-Yeah?"

Sam sighed quietly, nervous to take his eyes off her while she was on the edge; he didn't want her to fall, "Just... If you need something, then you can ask me. Don't feel bad, alright?"

Winnifred flashed a small smile as she responded, "Thanks, I might take you up on that sometime soon. I don't really need anything yet. I was just out of it for a moment. I'm okay."

She started staring out the window, which wasn't entirely convincing to him, but Sam shrugged it off. He sat back in his seat, taking his iPod out of his pocket. He groaned at the sight of headphones getting tangled again and began the tedious process of getting them untangled. Every now and then Sam would glance up; he liked watching the way Winnifred's little legs dangled back and forth, even though there was a makeshift cast on one of them.

Freddi had always been a free spirit and she knew it. In her village, when all the other kids would play, she'd be inside and daydream about the most random things. Now was no different; Freddi spent the better part of twenty years dreaming of maybe one day learning the secret of size changing and training to hunt and continue the family legacy in her family's name, causing a smile to spread along her face.

Freddi stopped daydreaming for a few moments to ask her new roommates one more question, "So, do you guys have a last name?"

"Huh?" Sam took his other headphone out, already having the right one out in case Winnifred needed to get his attention.

Dean immediately had his guard up for some reason, "Why does it matter?"

She stuttered, obviously nervous, as she softly replied, "I-It help to know a person. W-Would it help if I gave you mine?" She ended her statement with a sheepish smile.

"No," Dean answered in a short scruffy tone. "But feel free."

Sam rolled his eyes as his brother and gave a look that basically said to go ahead with what she wanted to say. She was hesitant with her response, but he could hear her quiet voice ring out, "Everheart, my last name is Everheart. I also have a nickname that my father and brothers used to call me; Freddi."

'Cute nick name,' Dean thought, under his bitterness.

"We're the Winchesters," Sam said, taking the reins, since he could feel the sour attitude his brother was immeting. "We're wanted in fifteen states and counting, so we're hesitant to introduce ourselves formally, you know?"

Freddi smiled at both of them as she put more pieces of the puzzle together. Looking Sam in the eyes, she responded warmly, "Do you really think I care about how many states you're wanted in? I can read people pretty well and do you think I would be so cooperative if I truly thought you two were dangerous?"

She raised an eyebrow at both of them, challenging them. Freddi just wished she could stop clamming up around them, but she knew it would have to take time to get out of her shell.

Sam chuckled in disbelief as stared in marvel at Freddi; she always seemed to surprise him with the things she said and how she acts around them. How could none of that matter? How could she be so willingly place her life in their hands?

"Well, you either have a really good judge of character, or a really bad one," He said quietly.

Dean rounded a ramp very sharply, and Sam's eyes went wide when Freddi started to slide right off the dashboard. He lunged forward to catch her, but missed. Sam felt her land on his lap a few seconds later and his terror dissolved with his racing heart slowing down. He looked down at Freddi with a slight smile, "You... Hurt?"

Freddi didn't know if landing on his lap was awkward or not, but it didn't change the medium blush creeping over her cheeks. She looked up at Sam and replied, smiling very sheepishly, "I'm alright. I've fallen from higher before. There was one time I fell from the top shelf on one the library bookcases and walked away with only an ankle sprain and a dislocated shoulder."

Sam lowered a hand, and offered his finger to help get Freddi up, her small hands not even going around his smallest finger, "It's a miracle you've survived this long."

Putting pressure on her good leg, Freddi slowly stood up, with Sam's support as he rested his other hand along her side to keep her steady, "It's not a miracle if you know how to land safely."

"You'll have to teach me that trick sometime," Sam rubbed her hand gently before releasing it; he marveled how tiny and delicate her hands were. "Could I pick you up? I feel like I should ask. I...I don't want to treat you like a doll."

Freddi gave him this micro-expression of shock as he asked; when was the last time someone asked her for permission. She shook away she surprise and responded with a smile, "N-No, You can pick me up. Thank you for asking me."

Sam took his time in gently scooping her up into his palm and held Freddi up just below his face level, "Is it annoying, me talking down to you all the time? I mean, I can't even imagine..."

Freddi shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I've always been shorter than everyone, even in my village. I got used to it at an early age."

Sam gave her a light chuckle, "I can sympathize. I used to be pretty scrawny as kid, then I got chubby for a while."

Freddi smiled at him and continued gazing out the window again, until she caught the sight of a familiar building. She gasped as she kept looking at her library until the car passed it. Freddi hadn't even really thought of that place since Sam and Dean found her.

Dean's gaze followed her's; they had just entered a new town and the sign on the library sign indicated that it was Berkeley Indiana. He saw Freddi's amazement, "Did you little guys live in tepees or something, never seen a building before?"

Sam thought there was a difference for her change of mood as Freddi looked right at Dean, scoffing, "That happened to be the place I lived before I was stolen away to a motel room."

Then she switched her gaze to Sam as she said, "I told you about it about yesterday, remember?"

"What was your village like?" Sam asked after he nodded his answer to her, deciding wisely to put a sensitivity into his voice. Freddi's village was gone, after all. The scenery outside passed in a blur when they were in the impala, until they were stuck at a red light. He could hear Dean sighing in irritation as his brother looked at the fuel meter.

Freddi chuckled very softly at Sam's curiosity. She slowly looked down as she remembered all of the good memories she experienced, "Quiet, but peaceful. It was a tight-knit community. Spring was my favorite time of year. It was the time of the tulips and there used to be a large bundle of them near my house, and I used to go there all the time to think about different things. It was in that area that my father was able to teach me so much on those few days he was there."

Freddi could almost smell her tulips as she remembered her life before she was left alone. She missed her home, her family, her life, but Freddi accepted that she couldn't get any of those back a long time ago.

Dean stared at her in disbelief, nearly missing the green light. How much exactly did Freddi's father teach her? The concept of an actual tiny village was still a bitter pill for him to swallow.

Still, Dean began chuckling, grinning at his own joke, and tried to get Sam to laugh, "It sounds like Smurfville."

His brother looked at him, chuckling, "You really think you're funny, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up. It was a little funny."

Both brothers could hear Freddi's quiet laughter as she responded, obviously still deep in thought, "I used to think that too, except, I don't think I look like Smurfette."

"Not at all!" Sam said, smiling broadly. The air seemed less tense between the three of them as Dean agreed afterwards, "Yeah, blue skin wouldn't work well on you."

Freddi giggled at the mental image of herself in blue skin, and then switched to a different topic, "Still, everything I know that didn't come from my village, or the Everheart family journal, I learned in that library. The only time I can call my memory a gift is when I'm researching the very creatures that my father fought to protect people from. My only dream is to be able to follow in my family's footsteps someday."

A/N

Well, Dean and Freddi seem to down to that random, casual conversations at the beginning of most friendships. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be sure to continue this soon. ^_^ See what happens next, R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

Short chapter! I hope you like it!

Chapter 4

Sam remembered that he was talking to someone who had grown up in the hunting lifestyle, as much as he had. Would Freddi staying with them be a permanent thing? Sam wondered aloud, beginning to realize she may not have a home, "Is there anywhere we can take you? Do you have any family...left?"

The thought of family slowly pinged at Freddi's heart as the smile she once had faded; she looked away, shaking her head, a single tear went down her cheek, "If I did then I wouldn't know. In my village, there was only me, my parents, my brothers and my uncle, but all of them died that night."

Even Dean was rendered silent.

"I'm so sorry," Sam whispered, knowing his words seemed like a hollow comfort. He curled a second hand around her, surrounding her on nearly every side. Freddi was so small, so endearing...The hunter felt a protective instinct sharpen for her, "It's alright. You stay with us until you figure out something better."

Sam thought she would be happy but he heard her whisper softly, "That's what I was afraid of."

This girl left him really confused as he leaned back in his seat, lowering Freddi to chest level, "Well, what do you want?"

Freddi's jaw dropped when it had dawned on her that she had said it out loud instead of thinking it. The red returned in her cheeks as fast as it would take someone to snap their fingers. Freddi hid her gaze away from both brothers, with the assistance of her ratty hair. She swallowed back her nerves the best Freddi could as she sighed, fumbling around with her crystal heart, "I know what I don't want. I don't want to intrude in your life. I'm just not sure I can be of any help and I can't think of any way to contribute."

Then Freddi looked at Dean for a few seconds, "I know you don't trust me yet, but I'm willing to do whatever I can to earn it while I'm still in your care, somehow."

Dean spent a moment away from the road to meet her's. His green eyes softened almost immediately, "Look, you seem like a sweet girl, but I'm just not ready to spill my life story."

Sam, on the other hand, frowned and shook his head at her, "Freddi...Why would we be better off knowing we left you alone and completely defenseless?"

"Besides... It's nice to have a girl around. It makes things quite interesting," Dean finished off, winking at her.

Freddi shyly replied to one statement at a time, starting with Dean, "Out of what I had just said, did you not hear, 'I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust'?"

Then to Sam, "I see your point, Sam. I do, but it's always been an insecurity of mine. It can take time to change a person's thought process."

Finally, she took it home with Dean, keeping her voice light and humorous as Freddi slightly teased, "And, I may make things interesting, but down, boy."

Dean raised his eyebrows as she caught his attention. Once again, he looked away from the road to look at the tiny girl's smart-ass expression a little better. He liked her sense of humor.

"I want a turn with her."

She must have assumed something sexual because Freddi's reply was the complete opposite of what he expected. "Dean, I haven't even had my first kiss yet, and I doubt I ever will unless I figure out what my father taught my brothers about size-changing. Your request is denied."

"Whoa, slow down! You're jumping the gun a bit there. I never said anything about..." Dean trailed away from his original thought. "Wait, seriously?"

He was absolutely flabbergasted that someone could go their entire life without even a single peck on the lips. It just wasn't normal. Was it the size thing, or a different factor?

Freddi shrugged her shoulders, smiling at his dumbfound expression, as she told them the truth, "Yeah. I'm twenty years old and I've never been kissed and I've never fallen in love. It's really hard to find romance when the only candidates are fourteen to fifteen times larger than you. Wouldn't you think that?"

Dean gave her a look of concession, pursing his lips as he answered. "I guess so, yeah."

"Kind of puts kissing off the menu," Sam mused in agreement. He kept his tone lighthearted, but his heart completely ached for her. Was Freddi the only one left her size? Sam's sturdy fingers curled inward towards her slightly.

Except, she wasn't done talking. Freddi looked up him, "I'm still human, despite my size, and just like any other normal human being, I can fall in love someday. I have the same fantasy in my head as anyone else."

There a kind of hope in her words, like she believed and lived by those phrases, until she continued, "For now, though, I can live without romance. I would much rather hear, 'I trust you,' over 'I love you,' because you can't always trust the people you love, but you can always love the people you trust."

There was a moment where the only thing heard was the tires whirring on the asphalt. Sam was able to respond one last time, before looking out the window, "That's smart. You can't protect the people you care about in this line of work anyway. Caring about them just makes them collateral damage."

Freddi's heart dropped halfway when she heard those words come out of his mouth. How could Sam say something like that? He seemed like the kind of guy that would care. She looked up at Sam's deadpanned expression and then quickly looked away; whatever level of happiness she felt drained away at an instant. Freddi didn't have any desire to say anything afterwards, she continued to mess her crystal heart. She bowed her head away to hide the killer mood that was shot down any possible thing she could have said.

No one was saying anything for the next half hour; Dean watched his brother put back in his ear buds and doze off, leaning against the window. His hand was limp, half-atop of Freddi in his lap.

Rolling the car to a stop for gas and turning the engine off, he turned in his seat to address Freddi, "Hey, you awake, Sweetheart?"

Sam's hand wasn't heavy enough to hurt Freddi, but she was definitely pinned down by the weight. She was stuck and there wasn't much to do for her, but to think. She almost completely missed out that Dean had said anything. Freddi snapped out of her thoughts and answered, "Huh? Wha... Yeah, I'm still awake."

Dean leaned over his brother enough to see the tiny girl turn her head to him. He slightly chuckled at her situation; she didn't look happy to be stuck like that.

"Here," He offered Freddi his help, squeezing under her arms between a finger and thumb and hoisted her into Dean's hand. Getting out of the car, he explained, "I thought you might want some fresh air."

'And away from Sam,' Dean thought; he could somehow tell that Sam killed some of her mood with his words, but it didn't change Freddi looking up and thanking him, in a quiet voice. She had this look in her eyes like she seemed distracted.

They were in a rural country, with hardly a soul in sight. The gas station seemed to be the last remaining sign of civilization for miles. Dean flashed Freddi a smile as he rested her on the roof of the impala while he filled up the tank. Dean tried to think of something to say, but his mind drew a blank. They had nearly nothing in common.

Freddi took a deep breath as she absorbed the country atmosphere. It was quiet for her. She managed to catch a small whiff of something fishy, but a light blush developed on her cheeks when she realized it was her own body odor. Biting her bottom lip, Freddi asked Dean, "Do you mind if I could use the sink in the restroom? I think I need to wash up a little."

Dean raised him gaze to her, "Sure. I think Sammy can hold his own for a few minutes."

After driving around to the side of the gas station and parking, he carried Freddi into the store. To conceal her from sight, Dean pressed her into his lower abdomen. He almost didn't need to hide her as much, though; the cashier was absorbed in the tiny television that was playing a Spanish soap opera. The men's' bathroom was closely the size of a closet. There was mold and dirt everywhere.

"Man, I feel like I'm catching the herpes just walking in here," Dean groused, remembering that Freddi was cleaning herself in here. Hovering his hand over the sink, he rinsed out some remaining dirt at the bottom.

"Thank you, Dean," Freddi said, looking up at him smiling brightly as he set her down on the counter. "Any chance a girl can get some privacy?

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, not feeling comfortable at all leaving Freddi alone in a shady gas station bathroom. Eventually, he sighed, before shutting the door behind him and standing guard. "You've got eight minutes."

Freddi sighed, seeing herself alone for the first time since being found. She immediately stripped away her clothing and slid into the sink, clothes in hand to wash. The warm water was easy to work with as she watched some of the dirt and grime instantly float away from her skin. Freddi completely soaked herself as scrubbed at least a full layer of skin and scrubbed the loose skin on her scalp.

Still wet, Freddi felt refreshed and a lot cleaner than she used to be. She washed her clothes for the first time in a long time. After everything was done, Freddi managed to climb out of the sink and redress into her rung out clothes. She finished just in the nick of time as she heard the door knock.

"Hey, I'm coming in," Dean cracked open the door. Since he didn't hear any protests, he entered, shutting the door behind him. He found Freddi sitting on the counter, still completely dripping wet through her clothes. Dean was impressed she was able to get in and out of the sink with her fracture.

"Looks like you made it work, huh?" Dean said peering down at Freddi, gripping the counter either side of her. She looked different when she was cleaner. Freddi's pale skin was slightly more illuminant and he was able to see her features more precisely; her wet hair really was a light chestnut brown. Dean's blood slightly boiled when he caught a clear look at her bruises, still looking black and blue.

Freddi nodded in response, giving him the biggest smile he'd seen on her.

"Come on, let's get out of here before we catch the hillbilly," He said, cracking a small smile at his own joke, like the hick running the store had a contagious disease.

Dean picked the very damp Freddi with one hand and gently lowered her into his outer jacket pocket as he left the bathroom. He gathered up assortment of supplies and handed them to the man at the counter.

"Long day?" He casually asked as the employee rang up the items. The man just gave him this look. Awkwardly, Dean said, paying with a false credit card and hightailed it out of there as soon as he could, "...Okay..."

"Ugh. I am never moving to the country." He shook himself off for a little bit once he was back at the car. Dean lifted an eyebrow at the short faint giggling coming from his pocket, causing a smile to peek on his face; she really was cute...

A/N

Well, how's that for tension the first wave of unintentional tension? Shouldn't take too long to smooth out that ruffle. At least Freddi got a bath out it and Dean seems to be warming up to her very soon. R&R if you liked what you read/have any questions or comments. All is welcome! Tune in next chapter to continue the possible trial and error awkwardness and drama between the brothers and the four inch wonder!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Here it is! You'll see a little more dynamic between everyone. I hope you guys like it. Fingers crossed.

Chapter 5

Freddi lightly chuckled from Dean's comments and the vibrations from his shudder. His pocket was way more comfortable than she thought it would be as she listened to the muffled heartbeat that filled here sense of hearing. Freddi hoped she wasn't getting Dean's jacket too wet from her still soaked clothes, but he didn't seem to notice. If he did notice, then he didn't show it.

Sam had just woke up when Dean came back into the car. Wiping sweat off his mouth with his hoodie sleeve, he looked around blearily. His dream left him feeling like it was high temperature as he blinked in the hot sunlight.

"Did you get any water?" He croaked.

Dean brought out a bottle of water and tossed it to him. Sam cracked it open and guzzled at least half.

"Dude, you're sweating. I wasn't gone that long." Dean gave his younger brother a look of mild concern.

Sam replied, sounding exhausted despite the rest, "Weird dream."

You wanna...talk about it," Dean offered hesitantly.

Sam simply shrugged, "It was all just really vivid..."

He closed his eyes and swallowed, taking deep breaths. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open; he scanned his lap. Then crack in between the door and the seat. He even checked behind him in the seat, "Dean, do you know where-?"

Dean revealed Freddi from his pocket, both of them entertained by Sam's worry.

Freddi made no hesitation to her laughter as she swung her legs off the edge of Dean's flat palm. God, Sam seemed so easy to fool; it almost felt like payback for Sam's unexpected words. Freddi couldn't remember the last time she had laughed that loud, but even after she died down, she still couldn't keep a straight face about it. Still giggling, Freddi looked up at Dean, "Okay, Dean, you've had your fun. Now, can you set me back on the dashboard so we can keep moving?"

"Mm, cause that worked out so well the last time," Dean snorted, but released her on top of the dash regardless. He started giving her this impish grin, "You look like one of those weird plastic hula girls. Think you could do a little dance?"

Freddi wanted to face-palm his question as she sighed, partially timid in her answer, "Do I look like I'm able to dance with this gimpy leg?"

"Besides, there's no music," She snickered, but it didn't seem as hearty as she wanted it. Freddi had this feeling in the back on her mind that she left something behind and couldn't seem to shake that feeling.

Dean's mouth gaped open, but had no witty repartee this time. Crap, he had almost forgotten about that. He really had to be careful, or he could ruin the cast again. Freddi looked as breakable as a china doll with that thing on, even though her strong body type could have been a challenge if they were the same size.

"Ah!" Dean instantly lit up, jabbing a button on the control panel. The Metallica cassette tape picked up when it left off last.

Sam groaned to himself, "Unnnngh."

"These are the classics, man."

"Nothing would classic if people played them as often as you do."

Dean didn't dare let Sam's lack of enthusiasm ruin his good mood. He started humming along, drumming on the steering wheel. Dean didn't even pay attention to the tiny girl, bobbing her head to the beat, on the dashboard. He wasn't aware until Sam started laughing, his mood visibly lightening by the sight of Freddi grooving along with Dean to the music.

"Don't tell me you're a Metallica fan too?" Sam's eyes warmed at her.

"Ha-ha! She's got great taste," Dean boasted, but at the same time thinking, 'Okay, we have something's in common.'

Freddi started blushing and biting her bottom lip out of habit. She really had to be careful when the subject was music. If she wanted to, Freddi could probably have a one-sided conversation for hours just about music, but she was always too nervous to actually do that with someone else. "Y-Yeah, but not just Metallica. I like music in most forms except rap. 80's rock has to be in my top genres thought."

She watched as Dean swiveled his head to give his brother a smug smile, "Dude, we're keeping her."

Sam rolled his eyes but remained noticeably more cheerful for the rest of the ride. He looked back to her, "I like a little bit of everything as well. Most rap is horrible though. I'll give you that."

Freddi flashed a pretty big smile as she shied away her gaze as she responded, "I'm glad I meet your approval."

She still had this irritating feeling like she was missing something, but Freddi tried shaking it out of her system as she remembered something else. Freddi looked up to both brother in gratitude, "I never truly thanked you guys for saving my life."

"It's fine. You don't need to thank us," Sam quickly piped up. He wasn't used to receiving gratitude for what they did. There was an innocence to Freddi gaze as she spoke, and Sam liked it. He liked watching her talk; nothing else of interest in the impala might have something to do with it, but Freddi was just so...fascinating.

Freddi was just as quick to respond, before flashing a small smile, "Please, just take the thanks. You don't have to sport the 'unsung heroes' attitude all the time."

She twisted her sitting position on the dashboard to stretching out on her stomach, resting her head on her arms. She closed her eyes to the music and let herself get lost in the lyrics. Freddi sighed in content and felt at peace, until she felt along her neck; her necklace was gone! That's what she left behind, causing her heart to drop. Freddi tried not to keep her cool and not to panic as she focused more on the music.

Eventually, Freddi was able to calm every part of her body, giving the illusion of slumber to anyone looking at her. Freddi needed some time for herself, but she also wanted to listen in to what that her two new friends said, when they thought she wasn't aware.

Sam wondered what he'd be doing right now if he had never dropped out of school. Going out to a few drinking parties with Jess? Maybe Ross would be there too, if he didn't get drunk before they even got there? Remembering his friend seemed to bring a bittersweet smile along his cheeks. It felt like a different life to Sam, like a half-remembered dream.

The Metallica cassette stopped. Sam considered sitting in silence, but he did not want Dean to break out his Bon Jovi collection, so he begun to reach for the tape, turn it over and restart it.

"Don't." Dean said, surprising the younger brother.

"You don't want to listen?"

Dean had his gaze glued to something other than the road. Sam realized Dean didn't want the music on because Freddi was sound asleep on the dash.

"Aww, she fell asleep already," Sam cooed as he bridged his hand to the dash and gently scooted Freddi into his palm with two fingers.

"Hey, Metallica is better than a lullaby for me," Dean reasoned with a smart-ass smile. Sam brought her closer into himself, taking the opportunity to openly ogle her.

"Man, she's just so...little," He breathed. "I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to this."

"It's trippy, alright."

It took a lot of concentration for Freddi to keep her body relaxed and her face unemotional. She let parts of her mind wander about something's. She was still upset with the fact that she had lost her crystal heart. It was a gift from her mom before she died; it was once in a blue moon when she'd take it off, and she lost it when she made that mistake.

On the other hand, Freddi was still listening in the conversation and she couldn't help but feel curious from hearing the next thing Dean said.

"The name...Everheart. It sounds really familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but I'm going to go through Dad's journal." Sam hummed in reply, but he was more focused on Freddi. The sun was just beginning to set in the sky, casting this warm light on her skin. Freddi looked really pretty in that lightening as it emphasized her soft features. She looked so peaceful like this, as if there wasn't a single thought rummaging into her head.

Since Freddi wasn't awake, Sam felt bold enough to touch her beyond simple transport. With his index finger, he touched the smooth skin of her cheek, and the shoulder. Her skin was softer than he thought it would be as moved down her arm; Sam could feel her arm slightly twitch from his touch. His finger lingered on her hand, until Freddi changed positions with a sigh of content.

'Don't move. Don't move. Don't move,' the mantra filled Freddi's head as the gentle contact cascaded along her cheek. Her stomach performed back flips as Sam moved over to her shoulder, then to her arm, before proceeding to the other. The way he grazed her skin was so relaxing, forgetting for a moment that she was very ticklish.

Freddi's thoughts shifted to Sam again. She had only known him for two days; she didn't even know how old he was, or his back story. The only things she really knew about him was:

A) He was a hunter.

B) He had a brother.

C) He likes different branches of music, like herself

And lastly, D) He saved her life.

She couldn't start crushing on him based on that list alone. Freddi refused to even think of the option.

That was the last thing on her mind as the jumbled mess in her head finally cleared. Her plan to listen in backfired as Freddi actually fell asleep. Her world slowly faded away from her and she lost all sense of awareness.

The very last thought Freddi had was, 'I pray to God I don't another nightmare tonight,' but she did. Again.

Dean looked over at Sam with a weary expression. He was exhausted, but there wasn't a motel for another forty miles. Besides, he wasn't going to wake up his kid brother just to get a few extra winks; plus, Dean also risked waking the adorable beauty sleeping on his brother's lap. Dean would manage, like he always had. Sam and Freddi both seemed to need the rest way more than he did.

Unfortunately, Sam didn't get the chance to have a nightmare this time, because something kept stirring under his hand. It began to tickle and it only got worse when he pressed on it. Impossibly tiny hands clawed at his fingers, pinching the skin. Sam slowly opened his, consciousness inching its way back into his mind when heard a faint whimper in fear.

"Freddi?" He grunted, peering down at her from under his hand. Even in the dark, he could see something was wrong. He immediately unbuckled his seat beat and scooped her up. Freddi started crying and fussing on his palm as he rolled her onto her back; Freddi was terrified of what went through her mind and Sam's heart dropped from her distress. He shook her shoulder, just as he did the night before, as he gently snapped, "Freddi, wake up!"

Within seconds, Freddi was jolted awake in a cold sweat and she was desperately out of breath. Tear were running down her face as she thought, 'Again, it happened again.'

She didn't even bother to look up at Sam; she couldn't handle that look of concern in his eyes for the second night in a row. Out of habit Freddi reached along her neck for a necklace that wasn't there anymore. Her heart plummeted even deeper in disbelief that she had almost forgotten, causing more tear silent tears to fall.

Freddi wrapped her arms around herself, muttering out loud, more to herself than to anyone else, "One night. That is all I want. One night out of fifteen years; to not be afraid of falling asleep for just one night."

Sam had seen some really sad scenes in his life, but a young woman crying from post-terror in the palm of his hand? It tore the scales apart by a long shot.

He knew what the matter was, without uttering another word. He could reason with Freddi, tell her that everything was alright and that it was just a dream, but chose not to. Instead, Sam brought her swiftly to his chest, nearly smothering her into the fabric as he cradled her delicate form. Freddi was no bigger than his ring finger, and yet he had this desire to make her feel safe.

"Shh, it's just me," Sam cooed softly. "You're okay..."

His words flowed through Freddi body from the vibrations, weakening her emotional shell, as Sam held her close, allowing her to listen to a heart about as tall as her beating strong and constant; it was everything Freddi didn't feel like when the sun went down. She could feel herself trembling in his hands from all the pain and pressure that built up inside. She couldn't hold it in any longer as Freddi let go of everything. Her heart kept breaking and the tears never seemed to stop falling.

She started clawing Sam's shirt in between her sobs. Freddi felt as vulnerable as she thought about every possible thing that she was having trouble with; everything involving Freddi's village, the accumulation of her reclusive lifestyle, always feeling like freak, losing her crystal heart, and feeling like she's pulling hair for even a chance of a future.

Freddi must have cried through all of his layers by the time she was done, but she didn't care. She just shuffled in closer to Sam's shirt, basking in his warmth and slightly gripped on the fabric a little tighter; her broken leg can be damned. Freddi remained silent as she had trouble figuring out what to say.

Sam adjusted his fingers beneath her so Freddi's legs bore none of her weight. Such tiny hands were plucking at his shirt as she cried like this the first time truly letting herself grieve, clinging on the fabric as if it could disappear at any second. Sam underestimated the ghosts that seemed to haunt her mind and he wanted to help her.

Sam's empathetic heart compelled him to give her a restrained squeeze, rubbing Freddi's back every now and then. He hoped he was doing alright comforting by her book; it was hard enough to be there for a normal crying female, but it felt much more difficult with Freddi since he couldn't even wrap his arms around her. He did his best and held Freddi patiently, with every care, as long as she needed Sam to.

Releasing her grip from the thick fabric, Freddi eventually spoke out in a whispered voice, that was almost mono-toned, refusing to look up at him, "Nobody seems to understand what it's like. I hate being reminded of the same scene in my head over and over again, every time I fall asleep."

A/N

I left it in a sad scene. Don't hold that against me. I should post another chapter very soon, so you won't be left in this scene for too much longer. I hope you liked it!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Hey! Told you it would be soon. Just trying to continue the whole trials and errors of living with hunters, and a very emotional pipsqueak. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Sam replied carefully, informing her, "It may be hard to believe, but I know how you feel. Every time I close my eyes, I...I watch my girlfriend die every single time."

Sam was hesitant to mention it, but he felt like she needed an empathetic connection with someone. He took a glance over at Dean, who was silently listening the entire time, as he waited for her response; she remained quiet for a few moments before a whisper, so faint he almost didn't hear it, filled the air, "What happened?"

Eye contact was established as she asked, her eyes still teary and bloodshot. Her gaze could have been heartbreaking if his memories didn't do it first, causing his Adam's apple to dip slightly. Despite the pain, he kept looking in her eyes as he croaked softly, "The yellow-eyed demon got to her while I was out of town."

Freddi regretted asking that question as she watched the agony in his eyes unfold and spread throughout his entire face. Freddi was at a loss at what to do; she didn't know what it felt like to fall in love, and she definitely didn't know what it felt like to lose that love. She hid her gaze from him all the same, resting her hand on one of his thumbs, since it seemed to be the only thing she could do.

After an additional moment of silence, she exhaled, almost too softly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Sam looked down at Freddi's hand on his thumb, marveling in the back of his mind at the amazing sight, but the intent behind it was not lost. It was a small comfort to him. Her body language was showing him her discouragement, though.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Sam said, shaking his head. "It had just happened a few months ago. It's still fresh on my mind whether you had asked or not.

"I guess I'm just trying say... You're not alone in this."

Freddi listened closely to his words, trying to let herself feel the sincerity in what Sam said, but this boy still confused her; why would he be as nice as he was with her if he claimed he didn't care? Freddi looked at him and almost lost her thoughts; what was it about the dark that made Sam's eyes so alluring? Freddi's eyes softened when she saw his expression. She just wished she could be as big of help to him as he was being to her.

Freddi liked being close to Sam, but the light circles under his eyes was telling her to let him get a little more rest. Freddi took a glance, and asked, "Do you mind setting me back on the dash? The sun isn't up yet and you still look like you need more sleep."

Sam looked hesitant and she didn't blame him. The plastic dashboard looked harder than it really was.

"Uh, is it really that comfortable?" He asked, biting his lip. Without warning, started moving reasonably fast. Freddi had to hold on to Sam's thumb as he twisted his upper body to lean over into the back. He bunched up one of his spare hoodies onto the backseat and lowered her amongst the sea of folded fabric.

God, why did she settle for the dashboard? Her back popped in a few places, causing such a relief, as Freddi shifted into a comfortable position. A sigh was spilled out of her mouth as she looked up at Sam with a thumbs up; as long as Sam was able to get his needed rest, then Freddi was okay. He look exhausted as he turned back in his seat with a smile.

Freddi couldn't fall back asleep, not after going through that roller-coaster of emotions. She didn't like feeling so exposed and rubbed raw of everything but her dignity. Freddi turned her back to the boys because she couldn't face them while she felt so emotionally unstable.

Dean was silent throughout the little scene that unfolded before him; he left the gut-gripping emotions to Sam. After everything started to settle down, he took his eyes off the road to scrutinize his brother's face. Sam gave him these innocence eyes, like a puppy caught in the headlights. It made him wonder how much his nightmares were still bothering him.

'Issue for another time,' Dean scoffed in his mind and shook his head clear, blinking his eyes a few times to get them to stop burning as much. A few more miles and they would be pulling off exit 96B, 'Finally...'

"There's a lady here, says she's got a little something that goes bump in the night," Dean started off in the morning, handing Sam a cola identical to his own glass bottle. Dean poured a little over the bottle cap for the tiny girl perched on his shoulder; they found it was easier to carry on a full conversation that included Freddi when she was closer to eye-level. It took a lot of convincing to her that everything was okay after that nightmare, but they managed to snap her out of it.

"I guess we'll be investigating?" Sam asked, taking an unenthusiastic swig of his drink.

"You got better plans?" Dean retorted.

"I wish."

Freddi rested her back against Dean's neck as she took a large sip of her drink for her plate-sized container. She liked how the fizzy concoction danced along her taste buds. She fought back a tiny chuckle as she felt the nerves on Dean's neck flex as he smiled when Freddi's back made contact with it. Ever since he found out about her taste in music, instantly it was like she was meeting a whole different person, no longer holding any tension against her.

Listening in, Freddi had so many questions zooming through her head that she didn't realize she finished her drink within a few sips.

Sam stated a blind observation, "Probably a standard poltergeist."

"Yeah, I think so, too."

Sam couldn't help but to smile at the thought of his old friends that would have been slack-jawed at the casual conversation he was having with his older brother and their guest. The same smile vanished when Sam remembered they weren't his friends any longer.

"Whoa, remind me not to play shots with you," He was shaken out of his morbid train of thought by Dean's humor filled voice. He was refilling the emptied bottle cap and handed it back to Freddi. Dean was grinning ear-to-ear at the thought of her downing a whole shot.

Freddi started blushing from his comment as she grabbed the refill and took another swig, "I wasn't that fast, was I?"

"You're good. Don't worry," Dean chuckled. Freddi was so high-strung sometime. It was cute. His gulp was louder than hers, his Adam's apple bobbed at the side of her perch. Dean glanced to the side when he felt Freddi adjust herself in minute amounts, "I hope you're comfy. We've got a half an hour drive into town."

"The lights flickered, then my entire refrigerator caught on fire."

The boys looked over Sandra Persson's shoulders to see a spotless fridge. It fit the profile for paranormal work, for sure. Sam inquired further, "...and these things only happen when you're alone?"

She nodded solemnly, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

"Should I... go out for groceries, or s-something?" Sandra jumped to her feet; the brothers appreciated her unusual level of cooperation.

Dean responded, "That would be best."

Freddi was almost anxious to get out of Dean's damn pocket, but she waited until Sandra was out of the house to make a move. Using her upper body strength, she pulled herself up and latched onto the pocket mouth with crossed arms, so she was basically visible from the arms up. Freddi looked up at them to say something, even if Dean didn't specifically said she could, "Can I come out now?"

"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot you were there," A large hand ascended to pull her out, from under her arms, and rested her on his shoulder, as they started canvasing the house. Dean seem to get a kick out of it.

"Well, that hurts," Freddi snickered. "Maybe I shouldn't be as quiet next time."

She could hear Sam waltzing closely behind them as Dean waved around the EMF meter; she was impressed that it was homemade.

As suspected, the EMF readings spiked by the fridge, "Weird place to haunt. Maybe the ghost is possessive of grub," Dean snorted. His strong hand wrapped once more around Freddi and set her down on the counter while he and Sam each grabbed one side of the fridge.

"One, two, three-!" With their combined efforts, and a strength Freddi could only dream of having, they heaved it three feet out of the way.

"Or, it could be that," Sam said, catching his breath, moving over near Freddi. Behind the fridge was the original wallpaper and a plastered-over hole in the wall near the floor. Dean started pounding it in with the butt of his shotgun. Dean had pried away a lot of the plaster, revealing a lock box, a dusty diary, and shriveled cloth doll in the dark hole.

"Smells like ass down there," Dean grunted, passing the items off to him. Sam unlatched the rusty lock on the box and started scanning through its contents, his mood visibly darkening.

"There was a young woman that lived here in the 50's, named Suzanne Franks. She was abused by her own mother."

Sam placed the lock box on the counter with Freddi; it would have been an inch or two taller than her, if she had been standing. He started removing files and pictures and papers and laid them to the side. Freddi moved herself over to a ripped out diary page and gravely finished off Sam's statement, "During 1957, the police got a call from the mother, and confessed to murdering Suzanne. When they got to the scene of the crime, she was found in the...icebox."

She finished her statement with a dry swallow as she stared in the direction of the fridge.

"That is one sick bitch..." Dean growled, disgusted by what people were capable of. Monsters, he had come to understand; they were monsters, but people... sometimes they were worse.

Both brothers stiffened when the freezer door swung open, despite the magnetic deal holding it in place. It slammed shut again, echoing loudly throughout the empty house. Dean readied his gun, assuming a defensive position. Sam started skimming through the rest of the diary as fridge door began to open and close along with the freezer, faster and faster.

"Got it!" Sam exclaimed, pulling out a lock of hair. His fingers slipped on the lighter, but ghosts have ears; it was hardly a surprise when it took defensive measure. The antique fridge became perfectly still, then it shook, rattling on its old hinges as flames ignited, from bottom to top.

"SAM!" Dean barked, making Sam glance up just in time to see the fridge flying toward him. When his eyes saw Freddi in the line of fire, he snatched her up off the counter in a last-second dive out of the way and onto the floor. Sam kept her protectively sandwiched in between his hand and his chest, keeping most of his weight off of her as he raised his head. The lighter was out of reach, but that was okay. The hair was burning up.

He was breathing heavily, feeling the heat behind him die down, but his gaze was firmly planted on the tiny girl directly beneath him. She could have been killed, burned so quickly to nothing but charcoal.

Things were going down so fast for Freddi. The last thing she could clearly see was the fridge coming her way before it faded into a rapid blur. She could have whiplash from her neck jerking in different directions, but Freddi still tightened her grip on the fabric for all it was worth. She was out of breath and shaken up, as she was released from Sam's chest and onto the tile floor. Sam had saved her again; she hoped it wouldn't be a common thing between the two of them. Freddi finally looked up at him and their eyes locked together for at least a full minute.

"Nice work, Butterfingers," Dean yelled to his brother as he came to stand over them. Sam was finally snapped out of his daze; he stood up, sweeping Freddi up along with him, and held her in between the two brothers.

Dean gave Freddi a sharply inquisitive look, as if he warning her that she would regret lying to him, as he asked, "You okay?"

She looked at Dean and gave an honest answer, "I'm shaken up, but I knew what I was signing up for."

Dean scrutinized her once more; Freddi could clearly see he was no longer okay with the arrangement. The next thing he said practically broke her heart.

"I can't believe I brought you along," He turned on his heel, completely fuming. He exchanged a few words to the owner, who had just returned. She could hear Sam sigh as he followed closely behind.

Words could not describe how awful Freddi felt at that moment. The tone in Dean's voice completely sucked out all the progress she had made with him. Just like that, he was a stranger again. Freddi had no more words, other than a quiet request to be placed in the back seat once more. Anything she could have said in the awkward ride back to the motel was snuffed out instantly by her own doubts. Right then, Freddi was more afraid of Dean than that flaming fridge during the screaming silence the three of them played.

A/N

Well, here's another case of drama. Stick with me and I guarantee this story will get a little better. I'll update soon and I hope to get some reviews from some readers soon.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

Well, now you know how her first hunt went…Not. Good. How will they overcome this? Read and find out.

Chapter 7

Dean glanced in the rear view mirror, but he couldn't see low enough on the back-seat to glimpse Freddi. He gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.

"You don't have to overkill this, Dean," Sam murmured as they pulled into the motel lot.

"Overkill?" Dean repeated, raising his voice to compensate for Sam getting out of the car. He glared at the younger man that was getting into the back to gather the miniature woman into his hands. Dean entered the motel room, leaving the door open for his brother, "I just... There is no such thing as a safe case, especially not when she's involved!"

"We can't just cage her up! She's a person!" Sam shot back, closing the motel door behind him.

"If we really want to protect her, we'll keep her away from us!" Dean barked. "Or away from our work, at the very least!"

It didn't matter how close or how far Freddi was, being around two yelling arguing giant was terrifying to her, and she didn't say a word. She knew she'd just make things worse. Sam and Dean seemed so busy arguing, they couldn't seem to tell that Freddi's heart was slowly venturing deeper and deeper into her stomach, a silent tear falling down her cheek. This argument was proof that her just being there would be intruding in the brothers' lifestyle.

Sam set Freddi down on pillow and they left the motel room to continue their argument, not knowing she wouldn't be where they left her. Freddi couldn't stay; once the door slammed shut, she dragged herself off the pillow and over to the edge, looking for a way down. She made her way to a phone cord and used her hands to slide down to the floor. Freddi quickly crawled under the bed by the time the door opened.

"Look, let's just go back in and talk to her about staying behind during the hunts."

Dean shrugged, still exhaling guilt, "I guess."

They re-entered the room. Sam's steps quickened when he realized he was walking towards an empty bed, "Freddi?"

He tossed the pillow aside, then the other one. Freddi wasn't under the sheets, either. He repeated her name again. Had she run? Kidnapped, somehow? Both brothers froze in place, ears tuned for any sound. They looked down at their feet, afraid to move far.

Hearing her name cut like a knife as Freddi watched the feet outside of the bed. She had no desire to reveal herself, but she knew she wasn't safe yet; she could still be in sight if someone sat on the opposite bed. She continued to drag herself more towards the middle of the bed. Tears begun shedding as Freddi moved, as quietly as she could, eventually letting out a short, soft whimper.

"Think we scared her off?" Dean asked quickly, scanning the ground carefully and walked into the open, peering under the dresser. Sam shifted his weight, straining to hear a thing beyond the ringing in his ears.

"Maybe," Sam admitted glumly, then he stiffened.

"What?"

"Shhh!" Sam dropped to his knees. He heard another faint squeak when his weight hit the floor. Of course! It was where any child or desperate person would think to hide first. Dean walked closer as Sam flattened down to the floor, looking under the bed. He immediately saw a pair of terrified eyes watching him.

"Why are you hiding?" Sam finally asked, as gently as possible.

'Damn it,' Freddi really did not like Sam's jack rabbit hearing sometimes. She thought she was far enough out of reach from him, so she at least answered him. Freddi's voice was purged of most emotions and it was hard to cover up that she was crying; her throat betrayed her with sniffles and sobs, "It seemed like the best way to disappear."

Sam could hear the choked emotion lacing her voice, and the guilt threatened to eat away at his insides.

"You want to disappear?" He repeated, blinking, hazel eyes half-bathed in darkness, starting to slide a hand towards her.

Immediately, he watched Freddi scoot away, trembling slightly, and "P-Please. N-N-Not right now, Sam. Not l-like this."

"Alright," Sam conceded softly, drawing his hand back a bit, but not all the way. A quiet moment passed while he formulated what to say next. "Can you at least come out? You don't have to hide under the bed."

Freddi ventured slightly forward but not for long; her movements stopped and the silhouette of her tiny head shook in a no before muttering, "No, Sam. I can't do it. I just...can't."

Sam's eyes softened as he could clearly see the pain Freddi was coated with. She was scared to be any closer to him; that stung him deeper than he anticipated. He kept his hand low by his body, resisting the urge to just pick her up.

Sam whispered softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Freddi looked down from his piercing gaze, fighting back her emotions as she hid her face away in her tightened posture, "I know, Sam. I'm sorry too. The argument was my fault. I'm such an idiot for thinking I could do this. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me."

Dean crouched down behind Sam, unable to see her or hear her well, despite his best efforts. He made a face at his brother's reply, "What? No, are you kidding? It's not your fault. We argue almost every day."

Sam slowly inched his hand towards her, the rough carpet fibers grazing against his skin. He gently touched Freddi's shaking shoulder, his fingertips curving around her side as he heard a fearful whimper leave her lips. Sam repeated once more in forceful whisper, "It is NOT your fault."

Freddi found it more difficult than she thought to take the first step back into her comfort zone. She was shocked how long Sam and Dean remained lying down by either side of the bed as they just continued talking to her in gentle, hushed tones. Freddi still felt like she was right back at square one with them as she resumed to respond to them. Eventually, they left her alone for a while. She could hear Sam and Dean talking amongst themselves, but she couldn't hear exactly what was said. After about ten minutes, Freddi slowly inched her way out from under the bed. She looked up at Sam, who was aware of her out in the open first; he walked over to her, and sat down a good distance away. She felt Sam's hand brush along Freddi's back, like he was going to pick her up, but he stopped as soon as she flinched in fear.

It pained Sam to see her so scared, but he frowned as he realized this was not about them raising their voices; it was because Freddi was scared of being a burden, of being rejected. He was determined to prove her wrong.

"Freddi," Sam gently stated, almost whispering to her. "Dean had a point though; you almost got killed today. If I had been a second later..."

He didn't want to finish his statement as both he and Freddi heard Dean making his way over to them. Sam kept his movements slow as he wrapped his hand around her completely and placed her on the bedspread, putting her nearly at equal eye-level as he sat up.

Freddi lightly nodded her head, almost avoiding either brothers' gazes, "I understand. Until I learn to change my size, I stay in the motel room."

She managed to look over at Dean, biting her bottom lip as she said, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I should have. I hope I get a chance to redeem myself for it."

Freddi didn't expect Dean to answer immediately, but at least she spoke up about it. She lowered her gaze as Freddi took a long gaze at her arms and legs. They were coated with black and brown from the dust and grime under the bed. Avoiding further conversation, Freddi quietly asked, wanting to remove the dirtiness she felt on the inside and out, "May I go wash up?"

"Sure," Sam answered, angling a flat palm near Freddi, so she could climb on. Her almost nothing weight pressing into his palm still made the hair on the back of his neck stand up sometimes. Sam carried her into the small bathroom and cleared a space for her on the counter top. The sink was the most obvious option. He turned on the hot water and dipped his hand under the stream. Still cold.

"Don't you get tired of being picked up all the time?" Sam wondered innocently as he stood back again, waiting for the water to heat up.

Freddi looked up at him, obviously still on edge, but answered anyway, "I don't get picked up by friendly hands often. It's been years since I could trust somebody's hands. Besides, the best part about my life is all the climbing I've done."

Freddi smiled softly at his attempt to distract her before turning her head towards the mirror. She gasped at the initial shock of her reflection and then chuckled. Her silhouette and her green eyes were the only thing she could really recognize; her once pale skin looked like a rat's next. Freddi looked absolutely horrible and it entertained the hell out of her!

Sam watched Freddi scrutinize herself and saw her beginning to laughing. She really was just like any girl he'd met. She was just...smaller, but seeing as Freddi wasn't too horrified seemed to shatter the illusion that she actually cared how she looked.

He leaned forward and ran his hand under the water; it was warm enough so he pulled the stopper and let it fill up.

"Here's a washcloth, and I put a little shampoo in the cap on the edge of the sink. So, I'll, uh... come back in a little while, I guess," Sam explained, leaving before his cheeks could turn pink.

He took the words right out of Freddi's mouth. Once she was alone, she started dragging a corner of the washcloth over to the sink and laid part of it against the wall of the dome; she could get in and out easier that way. A grime line showed were Freddi's clothes once were when she took them off, and made her way into the sink. The warm water felt amazing; she could feel a percentage of her problems start to shrivel away.

Using the shampoo, Freddi scrubbed throughout her hair and lathered her skin. She just felt so dirty and Freddi didn't know if the feeling was all in her head or not. She took some of her time to wash the only clothes she had, remembering to let the brothers know she might need some fabric to make some more clothes. Freddi let her mind wander as she climbed out of the sink to dry off before wringing out her damp clothes. She still couldn't shake this feeling like that day was her fault; she just couldn't stop blaming herself no matter how many times Sam's reassuring words rang through her thoughts. She continued to daydreaming as she got dressed and somehow thinking shifted to humming, which then shifted to singing.

"You've been staring at that wall like it's going to sprout legs for a half-hour, Sammy," Dean chuckled, lounging out on one of the beds. He was borrowing Sam's laptop for "research," but Sam could spot several tabs open. The most of them were subsidiaries of busty Asian beauties.

Sam blinked his attention back to his brother, "Just spaced out I guess."

It was nearly time to check up on Freddi anyway. He hoisted himself off of his bed and padded over to the door. Sam raised his hand to know, but remained still, with his ear pressed to the door instead. She was singing; it wasn't perfect, but it was soft and pretty, like a songbird on a quiet early morning. He was so engrossed in Freddi's performance that he didn't realize he was gradually leaning against the door.

"Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on

Streetlight people"

Freddi's eyes were closed. It took three songs and a door creaking to realize she wasn't alone anymore. She yanked herself out of la la land to find the door open and a very enchanted Sam standing there. Freddi's cheeks were so red from the shock. No one had ever heard her sing before; she was mortified and speechless as she felt her blush get deeper and deeper as the seconds passed.

Seeing he had been caught, Sam walked out in the open. He gave Freddi a small smile, coming in front of her. He was a bit taken aback by how prettier she looked once all the dirt and dust was out of the picture. She looked extra cute with all that pink on her cheeks.

"Sorry for eavesdropping on your concert," Sam said with an air of humor. "It's a nice change from Dean's singing in the shower."

That caused a soft laugh to release from her mouth. Freddi seemed way too embarrassed to truly respond, but Sam felt like she didn't need to be; he thought there wasn't anything she should be embarrassed about. Sam pulled the plug from the sink, letting the lukewarm water drain out. He edged his hand closer to her, readying to pick her up. He said, politely in order to keep up conversation, "You look better."

"Thank you," He heard a timid response from her as he scooped Freddi off the counter. She looked distracted as she muttered something. He couldn't really hear exactly what she said, but it was easy for Sam to guess from her sad tone; Freddi was still blaming herself for so much.

"What?" He frowned, opening his hand slowly before his face.

Freddi bit her bottom lip as she shyly thanked him, just before he wrapped him hand around her. Her stomach dropped as he raised her off the ground, her mind rambling a mile a minute as she tried to think of ways to fix all that she caused and she desperately wanted to make things right. Freddi was open to suggestion, so she found herself asking before she realized what was muttering, "I really messed up, didn't I?"

Her soft voice did not go unnoticed. It caught Sam's attention and she almost grew afraid of saying anything, but Freddi explained anyway. She looked away from him, with a sigh, "I'm sorry Sam. It wasn't my intention to let things get this bad. I know you told me what happened wasn't my fault, but it still feels like it.

Finally, Freddi looked at him, despite her instincts screaming at her not to, "When it all gets down to the point, you guys don't need me. You guys can survive without me, but because of my fracture, I'm having to rely on you and Dean way more than I'm used to. This is all unfamiliar territory form to me, but there's a part of me that doesn't mind, because I've come to care about the two of you way quicker than I thought I would."

Sam swallowed. Freddi really knew how to take a shot at his sensitivities. Well, of course they could survive without her...but it seemed like she was trying to saying she really wanted to stay with them; she looked willing to do just about anything.

"Wow, uh...Freddi," Sam started out roughly, using the pad of his index finger to wipe away a tear, she probably didn't even know she shed. "You need to understand something, because I'm not going to say it again: we're not leaving you. We've got a sucky life and constantly on the road, but you are welcome to stay. I...want you to."

Sam cupped a second hand around Freddi's damp body, surrounding her. His voice of conviction and kindness resonated around her, in gentle wisps of warm air, as he murmured, running a finger down her brown wet locks, "None of this is your fault."

Freddi got the picture; enough with the self-doubt. She smiled at the kindness he never seemed to run out of. She was hesitant to ask, but she asked anyway, resting her chin on crossed arms, "Do you have any ideas on how I can patch things up with Dean?"

Sam shrugged, starting for the door, "He's you typical over-protective brother. I think he's just scared of hurting you. You want me to leave you with him?"

Freddi mirrored his shrug as Sam moved, "As long as it gets me and him talking, then I don't care."

They started heading out, only to find the person of interest listening by the door. Freddi bit her tongue in surprise, thinking to herself, 'Oh shit. I really should have seen that coming.'

A/N

Dean is naughty for eavesdropping, but it doesn't seem too bad. I hope you like what you read. Tune in for next time. Enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

Wanna see the interaction between Freddi and Dean? Here you go! Enjoy…!

Chapter 8

Dean raised his eyebrows at her. "Looking for some quality time, Sweetheart?"

He felt some surprise when this girl smiled at his quip and gave this timid response with some attitude, "Looking to make amends, Hotshot."

Dean held out his hand, fingers curling impatiently, as he tilted his attention to Sam, "Thin walls, man."

"Try not to sexually harass her..." He heard his little brother mutter as Freddi left Sam's hand for his own. The instant she was in Dean's grasp, he grinned and cupped her closer to his chest. "Would I do that?"

Sam did not answer, for Freddi's sake. He gave her a small smile before stealing back his laptop, to retreat behind. Sam was periodically watching from his bed as Dean carried their tiny roommate and reclined on his own lumpy mattress again.

Freddi was set back down on another pillow. She bit her lip before asking the older brother, truly wanting to know, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know you have some serious issues buried in there," he replied breezily, lightly tapping her midsection, one of Freddi's most sensitive tickle spots. She was able to fight off giggles that wanted to release from her lips. Freddi pushed his finger away, more like she pushed and Dean reeled away, as she admitted with a shrug, "Yeah, I do have issues, and I know I have to deal with them."

Then Freddi got serious, her voice lacing with minor regret, "But that shouldn't be an excuse for my choices. You were hesitant to bring me along and I didn't listen. I was wrong and I'm sorry."

Dean lay down on his side, his head resting a few inches away from her. He slowly dragged his finger across her abdomen over and over again. "Water under the bridge."

Freddi shuddered at the contact, trying not to let herself laugh. She smiled very warmly at Dean, despite how hard she bit her tongue to keep herself from giggling.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked with a somewhat knowing smile as he increased the pressure. Freddi tried to move away from Dean, but his other hand blocked her path with no trouble. He was clearly having fun with this. She tried to tell him it was nothing, but he wasn't believing any of her words. Dean dragged her closer to him, his head hovering over her, and took action. He didn't hold back as he pinned her down and started running his fingers along Freddi's sides.

"Oh, you jerk!" Dean grinned at the tiny girl's yelling, chuckling as he watched her squirm in laughter under the mirth of his fingers. "S-Stop!"

"Sammy, you've got to try this!"

Sam glanced up to see his older brother practically smothering Freddi into a pillow, but she was laughing. Sam had rarely seen her smile so big since he'd met her. Shaking his head, Sam tried to bury the ping of jealousy that came out of nowhere.

"E-Exposing someone's w-weaknesses is n-not f-funny!" Freddi laughed, trying to stop him but the damn boy was too strong. Freddi's cheeks were beyond red, but it was safe to say that she wasn't as afraid of either brother anymore.

"S-Seriously, stop!" she gasped, almost out of breathe. "Please."

"Sweetheart, there is definitely an exception in your case," Dean said before finally relenting, watching as Freddi turned onto her stomach gasping. He didn't want the girl to hyperventilate, but Dean liked touching her; it was a novel sensation that his senses craved. Dean rested his fingertips along the curve of her back. He was able to feel the infinitesimal bumps of Freddi's spinal cord, marveling how incredible it was.

Dean rested his head back down, keeping Freddi close and watching her catch her breath with a fond smile of his own. This was probably the first time in a long time that a girl has had his full attention for as long as Dean has given Freddi. His gaze remained heavily upon her as he scrutinized her tiny form entirely.

Dean deliberately started to rub circles in her back. After a few moments, Freddi's fast pace of breath wasn't relenting by much, "You're still breathing pretty fast. Am I making you nervous?"

Freddi closed her eyes, giving in to Dean massaging over her tank top as she sighed, "Y-Yes, but at the same time, no. My shy nature doesn't completely diminish. I'm not used to being able to trust someone's' hands again; it's been a long time for me, so in that way, yes, I am nervous."

Dean took extreme notice to the bruises along some visible parts of her shoulders and arms. He remembered something that was shared early on, "Those two screwballs hurt you."

Dean's eyes darkened. It wasn't really a question; he could read people pretty well, and Dean knew it was true when he could feel Freddi's muscles tense up. Dean stopped rubbing her back and rested his hand on top of her lower half, inching his thumb under one of Freddi's hands. Her grip immediately tightened as she turned her head away from Dean's gaze. He could just barely hear a faint whisper from the girl, "Yes."

Dean quietly looked at her, a fierceness tucked deep within him. Dean was never the good one with words, but he simply said, "...You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Freddi's hand was so small compared to his; it just made her seem much more breakable. Dean protectively cupped his hand tighter against her back, half-shielding Freddi from the world.

Freddi knew the words coming out of Dean's mouth wasn't much, but it didn't change the reassurance in his tone. Despite what had just happened over an hour before, she felt safe once more as Freddi basked in the warmth of Dean's hand. She was still facing away from Dean as Freddi opened her eyes and caught the gaze of Sam's from across the room. His expression seemed to agree one hundred percent with his older brother.

"Not anymore. Thanks accepting me and my screwed up quirks," she said, then turning her head to look up at Dean. "Both of you."

Freddi's heart leapt as she mirrored the smiled he was flashing. She liked Dean; he reminded Freddi so much of her eldest brother when he was alive. They were both brave and loyal and a little bit of a smart-ass.

Dean gave Freddi a rare smile. This girl seemed to be like the little sister that he never really wanted... really little, which only fueled Dean's extreme protectiveness.

"It's no problem. You're a lot cuter than you think," he gathered her to his chest quite suddenly and rolled onto his back. "Now, shut up for a bit. I'm going to catch some Z's."

He thought he heard her say something, but she was quiet for the most part. Was Freddi seriously okay with this? He had expected some type of polite protest at the very least. Not caring enough to put more thought into how comfortable she was or not, Dean took deep breaths and ran his fingers over her. He could feel along every curve on her body and almost like a child with a beloved stuffed animal, it seemed to lull him into a contented sleep in mere minutes.

"Really? Do I have to be on your chest for you to sleep?" Freddi softly asked, when Dean was done draping her against his chest. She felt herself rising and falling with his breathing and it made her stomach slightly churn. She wished she could walk away from this, but she seem to be confined by two things: her limp leg and Dean's fingers in constant contact with her. His fingers ran starting at her cheek and making their way down to her thighs and back up again. She shuddered when he grazed her breasts or ass more than once. Freddi was not comfortable with that at all.

Dean finally stopped after what felt like eternity, but was really only a few minutes, and she begun to hear and feel snoring as the once moving hand annoyingly pinned her down. Freddi groaned slightly to herself as she tried to struggle. She eventually stopped when Freddi realized that she wasn't going anywhere.

Freddi took a look over at Sam, who was completely buried in his laptop. She chuckled, wanting to call him a geek, but she was one as well so it was better to let that one go. She watched him work for after what felt like hours until he finally closed his laptop and headed to bed.

"Sam?" She asked quietly when she thought Sam was in ear shot, not even sure he could really hear her, "Could I have a little help here?"

Sam was absorbed in his research. He was pretty sure he had found them another case just a few hundred miles away. He liked staying busy since they had no leads on yellow-eyes. It made him feel productive. Soon, Sam shut his laptop and rubbed his eyes; he had been staring at that screen for way too long...

He got off the bed to put it away in his messenger bag. As Sam bent down in between the beds, he spared his sleeping brother a glance. He did a double take and found Freddi lying there with this expression of annoyance. He could just barely see her under Dean's hand. He came to the bedside, smiling in disbelief.

"God, Dean..." Sam shook his head in disapproval. Now to get Freddi out... That would be tricky; Dean was a notoriously light sleeper and violent person overall.

As gently as he possibly could, Sam wedged a finger and a thumb under his brother's hand and pinched her arm and shoulder, pulling Freddi out ever so slowly to guarantee that he wouldn't hurt her. Dean started to stir, and Sam paused for a second before continuing to work until she was free.

"Gotcha," Sam whispered softly the moment she was in his hand. As he started taking a couple steps back, Dean snapped awake, bolting upright, and elbowing Sam all in the same five second time frame, caused Freddi to free fall through the air.

It all happened so fast. First, Freddi was free and then the next things she knows, her platform of stability launched her upwards before falling back down. If she hadn't landed on the bed, inches away from Dean's thunderous thigh, then the drop to the floor could have injured her worse than she already was. Freddi was safe, but her stomach was still partially ricocheting throughout her abdomen. Just as she felt her stomach going back to normal, Dean's grumpy snapping made Freddi flinch and cover her ears from the sheer volume of his voice.

"What the hell were you doing? A man can't get some beauty sleep around here?"

Sam responded, looking straight at her, "You were mmph- crushing her against your sternum!"

Dean's gaze followed where Sam was looking on the bed. He found Freddi sitting in the slope of his thigh, with her eyes slammed shut and her hands clamped over her ears. Dean's hard gaze, which was aimed for his brother, softened as he slowly slid his hand underneath Freddi and placed her on his unused pillow, "Sorry."

There was something seriously screwed up with this girl; she had experienced a crap ton of pain in her life, but there was always this kid-like innocence to her eye as Freddi looked up at him with a smile, "I'm okay. You didn't hurt me, did you?"

"I guess not," Dean laid back down after scanning over her for any injuries that he may have conflicted. He didn't seem to be able to sleep again, though, so he flipped through his phone. In his peripheral vision, he saw Sam collapse on the bed, still clutching his stomach.

Freddi lied down on her back and stared at the ceiling as she contemplated this rough day. In one day, she managed to get pretty damn close with the boys, go out on a hunt for the first time, and almost get killed by a haunted flaming fridge. For a good hour, Freddi was temporarily terrified of the same boys she got close with, almost lost her breath from laughing so hard, and got used as a teddy bear for a few hours. She was tempted to ask the most jinxed phrase in the world, "What else could possibly go wrong?"

Freddi just lied awake during the night, trapped in her own thoughts. She couldn't sleep; she was determined not to. She was not going to have another nightmare for the third night in a row. Freddi was not desperate for sleep yet and if she could give the boys at least one night of peace, then she'd be happy.

Freddi lightly giggled as she saw Sam drifting into a quiet slumber, with the same clothes on; bad habit.

Suddenly, Dean started talking to her, rolling on his side to face her, causing tremors to thunder through her; his movement weren't as subtle as he probably thought, "Hey, can't sleep?"

Her gaze moved from Sam to Dean's large jades and nonchalantly responded, "It's not that I can't sleep; it's that I don't really want to right now."

Freddi's mind was still racing with the possibility of another nightmare occurring if she fell asleep now. It was the last thing she wanted; those boys didn't need babysit her both day and night.

"Mm," Dean hummed in reply, glancing down at himself for a moment. "You're a lot cooler about all this than I thought you'd be. I mean, I'd be pissed if Sammy had his hands all over me hours on end."

He saw a slight mischievous gleam in Freddi eyes as she quipped, "Really? Because I don't remember Sam touching me in places you did when I was used as a stuffed animal."

Dean kind of deserved that, but her expression changed as Freddi sighed, "Anyway, I don't freak out as much because I've had years to get used to all this, but of course you would be pissed if one day, you woke up small and got manhandled by your baby brother."

"I still get suspicious of peoples' motives," She clarified, as if trying to let him know some of her thought process. "It's a rare moment when I can trust the hands I come into contact with. Most times, though...most times, I can't."

His eyes darkened as Dean contemplated her potential past. The thought of someone treating her roughly, hurting her, made him nauseous.

Then, Sam said with a hint of teasing in his tone, "Still, you certainly seem to be warming up to Sammy fast. No trust issues there."

Freddi shrugged her shoulders and explained, "When Sam found me, I thought he was going to kill me. There's still a part of me that thinks he should have, but he showed me this compassion that not many people out there share, especially for a hunter. For instance, hypothetically, what if it had been you that found me instead of Sam? Would you really ignore that hunter's instinct that screams at you to kill me?"

She gave Dean a little time to process things as she watched him frown, give this look like he was deep in thought. Then, his eyes narrowed, the green depth in his irises sparkling, "Ah...So, this is one of those knight in shining armor complexes. You're sweet on him cause he saved your life, that it?"

Now, she saw where he was going with this. Freddi arched an eyebrow as she sighed in annoyance, "Dean, I know what you're doing and it's not working."

Caught, Dean chuckled as he gave her a daring grin, "Can't hide forever, sweetheart."

His eyes trailed to her cast; it was slightly shaking, like she was impatient, "How's your leg feeling?"

"Still gimpy," Freddi pulled a small joke, before commenting with humor lacing her voice. "This fracture and restless leg syndrome do not work well together."

"I can see that, with your leg twitching like that," Dean said, watching her casted leg quiver; he slowly reached over and stilled her leg with his index finger. "You've got some wonky luck there."

Freddi quietly sighed, a warm smile just barely curling onto her lips, "I wouldn't say that completely. I've had my share of good luck too. I love to read and I ended up living in a library for five years. I got to research everything that was in my father's book and so much more. When I read the info, it felt like my dad was still with me; it felt like he was proud of me for not giving up on the Everheart family business."

"Oh, yeah...reading. That sounds...awesome," Dean failed to sound enthusiastic about the notion of years locked away in a library. It sounded utterly awful to him.

'Though, it'd be heaven for Sam...Great, just what we need: another nerd.'

"Hey! Don't yuck my yum here, mister!" Freddi snapped back in a playful tone. "No one says you have like reading. My dad is the one that me into it; I wouldn't be as interested in hunting as I am now if it was for the things I read."

Dean snorted almost grimly, "No one gets into hunting without a reason. It's not like we do this for kicks, you know?"

He trailed off once he realized Freddi did have a reason; she fought to keep the memory of her family alive, "I'm sure he'd be proud of you. Y'know... keeping up the family name and everything."

Or at least she was trying. Not much she could really do at four inches high.

She smiled at Dean's second statement; she wished she did know if she was making him proud or not. She propped herself on her side in Dean's direction and told him, "You already know my story, Dean? What about you? What are the reasons behind you and your brother pulling a tag team?"

Freddi really wanted Dean to give a small amount of trust, but she would understand if he didn't yet. She still hoped that she could someday get to know what was underneath the surface he hid behind.

"It's not a bedtime story, that's for sure," But she lied there, facing him, with this patient expression on her face. After a few moments, Dean actually caved. "It's kind of a family business thing, y'know? Out dad went nuts after our mom was killed...and who wouldn't? I mean, the way she went..."

He trailed off for a few seconds before talking about Sammy, "Look, it's my job to look after the kid. It's tough to let him out of my sight."

Freddi flashed him a warm smile, relieved to hear an answer from him that wasn't sugar coated. She softly responded, "I feel empathy with the going crazy bit. Hell, I'm probably a little crazy."

Dean waved it off, like he couldn't care less, and gave out a low laugh as he stared at the ceiling. She could see he was tired, but the boy was almost too stubborn to say anything to her. Freddi wasn't exactly afraid to call him out on it, though, "Dean, get some sleep. You look like you could crash at any moment."

Dean remained silent as he looked back over to her with this sharp look, like he was daring Freddi to boss him around again. He still settled himself under the cover regardless. What was subtle shifting to him was almost earthquake tremors to her until he eventually remained still. With a soft sigh, Freddi turned back on her back to think.

She thought about anything and everything during the night. Sooner or later, Freddi's train of thought changed tracks to the topic of Sam. She was starting to think Dean was right; she was being softer with Sam. Why? Freddi didn't like him like that. She couldn't like him like that. Looking over at the younger brother; he was still was still asleep, his facial expression showing obvious distress and covered in sweat. Is this how she looked when she had nightmares?

Freddi turned away from Sam and did her best to ignore the man's heavy breathing. She couldn't do anything to help, so she was forced to listen to his night terror continuing the whole night until morning. When Sam eventually woke up, she turned back in his direction.

Sam bolted upright in the early morning hours, gasping for air like he had been drowning. He put the back of his hand on his forehead, wiping the collected sweat. Another vision, just like Jessica; another person in going to be in danger, and it made him feel worse knowing where it was.

"Rough night?" A faint, but clear voice rang throughout the air. He swiveled his gaze towards Freddi, almost alarmed she was up this early. It took him a second or two to spot the tiny girl.

"Yeah..." His breath slowly evened out. "Nightmare..."

Sam got out of bed and shook his slumbering brother awake, "Dean, wake up! Now!"

"Hmm...What?" Dean grumbled, slowly coming to.

"Get up. I know where our next case is. Come on, we're going to Lawrence. We gotta go right now."

A/N

Haha. More Dean centric chapter…halfway between funny and touching. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. R&R and I will update soon (Not necessarily like I won't update if you won't R&R… haha!). Enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N

If you haven't noticed already…it's starting to sound like an episode of Season 1. That's because it's involving the episode where Sam and Dean have to go home. Keep reading and stick with me to find out how it's twisted into involving Freddi. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Overhearing that, it didn't seem like a normal nightmare to Freddi anymore. The brothers left the room for the moment to talk and it seemed like they didn't want Freddi to hear; what was so secretive that they couldn't say to her? She knew there was way more to the short story she received the night before.

When Sam and Dean came back into the room, there was a tension in the air, just from seeing their expressions; Sam's body language shifted around like he was uncomfortable and Dean had a melting pot of pain and hesitancy draped over his face. Freddi didn't know how to address them so she kept quiet until they were all strapped in the impala again.

She was sitting on the dashboard with her arms crossed, "Alright, what's going on? You've got some 'splainin' to do. I was fine with being patient, but nothing truly makes sense about this morning, so it's time to grab the truth by the pair."

Sam only seemed half-aware of his surroundings as he answered, "My nightmares... Sometimes I get these visions of people, seeing how they're going to die. I saw my girlfriend die days before it happened. I saw every single detail. Dean was just informed of my visions a few moments ago too."

Dean snapped, slightly causing her to jump at the sharp volume of his tone, "They're not visions!"

"Then, what are they, Dean?"

Dean glared at the road, unable to find an answer for a few moments. Finally, he grumbled, "There's a contact in dad's journal, a psychic. Maybe she has some answers."

Freddi was confused, but she had one more question before shutting her mouth; she didn't want to push this too far, "And, what's in Lawrence?"

There was a lot of things in Lawrence to Sam and Dean; it used to be home. Sam's eyes were glued to the window and gripped the door handle with white knuckles as he lied, "I... I'm not sure, but I just want to be sure of something. It was just too vivid..."

Sam could hear a growl from Dean as his brother kept driving, well over the speed limit.

On that note, Freddi limited her voice to practically nothing. She knew they wouldn't react this way unless there was a different reason, but she also knew when it wasn't something that was needed to be discussed; Sam looked like he could snap at any moment and Dean was driving faster and faster down the highway every time someone opened their mouth. The last thing Freddi wanted was to get into the middle of that or cause an accident.

'This is going to be a long ride,' Freddi thought as she lied down on her stomach, resting her head against crossed arms and began humming to the song on the radio.

After three hours estimate of long suffocating silence, she was curious about some things; plus, it was a good distraction. She started asking about the hunts they've taken on their travels so far. Man, she was thankful she did. Now only did it break the silence, but Sam and Dean were able to dish out these amazing stories: A weeping woman in California, a windigo in a Colorado national park, a spirit or two, the Hook Man legend, and a shape-shifter that murdered wearing Dean's face in St. Louis.

The last case Sam and Dean had taken, before Freddi was found, involved a Native American curse that controlled insects; no wonder Dean was so freaked about her at the beginning. Once they started talking about a demon on a plane, she was officially entertained by something Sam mentioned.

"Wait, wait, wait," Freddi asked, directed at Dean, just barely holding back her chuckling. "You run around a windigo's den, yelling, 'It's chow time, you freaky bastard! I taste good! Come and get some white meat, bitch,' and yet flying give you the heebes and the geebes?"

Dean shot daggers at Sam and Freddi, who were both so entertained about it. Sam took one last jab at him, a grin plastered all over his face, "You're going to have to get over that someday."

"Not while my baby is still in one piece," Dean stated firmly, lightly brushing his hand on the steering wheel. There was no other option as far as he was concerned.

It was just after midnight when the car stopped.

"Sam," Dean pushed his already sleeping brother awake. "Come on."

Dean carefully slid Freddi's half-limp form into an open palm and grabbed his bag out of the back seat. The motel lead to nothing special, but it honestly started to feel like they were all starting to run together.

Freddi was completely exhausted, but she was still nervous about falling asleep with others around. She didn't think either brother truly understood, not even Sam, how much she dreaded the stuff going through her head when she went to sleep. Her nerves were seriously messing with her while the boys were getting dressed for bed.

She was resting comfortably on a pillow on Sam's bed. Was she and Sam sharing a bed going to be a regular thing? She didn't know, but she honestly didn't mind. She wasn't going to make any scene about it; she didn't like drama. Freddi's thoughts were racing a mile a minute as Sam instantly fell asleep, right next to her.

"Hey," Dean managed to catch her attention with a higher volume in his voice as if he said it more than once, standing over her. "Do me a favor and get some sleep tonight. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

It was a stern consideration. With one last look, he slid into his own bed and turned his back to her. She started thinking, 'Dean might be right.'

Somewhere down the line, Sam rolled to his side in his sleep, extremely close to Freddi. He stopped inches away from her, taking away her breath at the close proximity; if he hadn't stopped, then he could have flatten her against his cheek. His dormant face was so relaxed, like his troubles temporarily didn't exist. She was able to truly take notice of how attractive he really was, even if acknowledging that was dangerous territory. She didn't even know how old he was, but she was positive he wasn't that much older than her.

She felt safe though and eventually fell asleep, not caring about the heat of another person radiating against her back. Despite the unfamiliar sensation of support she received, the same scenes filled her slumbering mind. This time, though, she didn't wake up.

She would have started fussing again, but somewhere along the line, she felt a hand covering her physical body. Something in her thoughts knew it was Sam, causing a tiny smile on her face for only a second, despite the horrible sights and smells and sounds going through her brain. There were still mute tears shedding down her unconscious cheeks, but the hand on her abdomen was successful in silencing her fussing. He kept her safe, even in both of their dreams.

Sam realized first thing in the morning that he was holding Freddi. His nightmare hadn't come that night, but that imminent dread from his vision didn't go away. After a couple seconds, the feeling of a tiny warm body beneath his palm successfully distracted him. Sam peeked underneath his hand at her, and then brought her a little closer. He used his index finger to swipe Freddi's messy hair out of her face so he could see her better.

Sam noticed that Freddi's cheeks were red and puffy. Had she been crying again? Why didn't she wake him if she was having trouble? Was it another nightmare? Why did she feel the need to go through it alone? So many questions about it ran through his mind, that he was almost startled when her eyelashes slowly fluttered open.

As Freddi's mind stirred, she grew aware of Sam's minor morning breath blowing against her hair. Her thoughts were bittersweet mixed with surprise and relief; she still watched her village get destroyed again, but the hand that encased her immobile body was reminding Freddi that she wasn't fighting a solo battle anymore. For the first time in fifteen years, she had finally slept completely through the night.

A very faint moan vibrated from her vocal cords as her green eyes eventually opened. Freddi was face to face with a large pair of deep hazel eyes.

"Morning," she muttered, trying to shake away the remaining of her grogginess.

"Morning. Didn't mean to wake you..." Sam immediately mumbled back. He carefully lifted his hand off of her, but he didn't move from his spot. He stayed frozen where he was, looking at her right in the eyes as he asked quietly, "Did you have that dream again?"

There was a glimmer of pain in her eyes as she nodded, looking away for just a second before returning her gaze to his, her expression almost nervous, "I-I did. I'm not sure when they'll stop, and I don't know if I should be relieved or surprised. It was the first night in over a decade that I didn't wake up halfway through the night screaming."

"That's good news," He raised his eyebrows, scanning her up and down. He gave her a small smile, afraid to move much, lest he hurt her leg or just creep her out. He added, "Sorry for staring. I can see you much better like this..."

"Trust me, I've gotten used to staring. I'll always be a freak," Freddi answered, chuckling at his obvious nervousness.

"Oh..." Sam mumbled, wondering what stories could prompt such a reply from her. He mentioned reluctantly, "S-Still, I should...get up."

Freddi rolled her eyes at him, "Sam, you don't have to run everything by me. I'm twenty years old."

Her heart seemed to flutter for a moment as she watched him leave for the restroom. He really was cute, and respectful. She tried really hard to fight back a blush, but that didn't stop an extremely light shade of pink creep along her skin. What was it about Sam that made her heart skip beats?

After a couple moments in thought, she figured it out, causing her stomach to plummet. She breathed out a soft groan and hide her face into her knees as she realized she was going down the rabbit hole of crushing on Sam. She was still stubborn to deny that there could be any positive outcome from these emotions, knowing that there wasn't. Any chances she possibly could have for a future was easily killed away by her past.

'This can't be happening. I don't want it to.'

Freddi was twenty, though Sam was sure she'd told him already. It felt crazy to believe she was so close to his age. He wasn't blind; he could see that Freddi was a kind, intelligent girl. He did treat her like an equal, but he couldn't deny that the size difference did affect things under the surface.

Dean slowly woke up and turned on the radio on an impulse.

"Ugh, freakin' commercials," he grunted, shutting off the radio when no suitable tunes could be found. His eyes looked over at Freddi, noticing the tightness in her position. He frowned at her as he asked, "What's up with you?"

Freddi was nervous about what to say. She didn't want to tell him what was really on her mind, so she covered it up with a half-truth, avoiding Dean's gaze, "I didn't wake up. I had to go through the memories of my village most of the way through."

Hearing that, his lips became a thin line, compassionate for her pain.

"Do you... Do you want to talk about it?" Dean asked hesitantly. He was not the person to be playing psychologist. He had enough issues to sink an ocean liner.

"I-I can't," Freddi quickly shook her head, continuing her facade. "The details are still too graphic."

Plus, he didn't seem the feel-good chick-flick person. She eventually looked up at him, smiling slightly, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Dean gave her this look that he said he knew full well she was not okay, but he let it go.

"Hey, get dressed," Sam called over to him when he left the bathroom in jeans, his hair wet and push away from his face for once. His little brother was shirtless and Dean didn't miss the tiny girl's blush as he watched her avoiding looking at Sam. There was something there.

"We gotta go see that psychic friend of Dad's about my visions," Sam explained, putting on a blue plaid shirt. Dean was already putting on his jacket and getting his stuff together.

A/N

Well? There you have it. Nightmares, unaware cuddles, and shirtless blushes…now, that's how you spend a good supernatural morning. Lol… I hope you loved Freddi calling out Dean on his fear of flying as much as I do. Tune in for more. I should upload soon, but it would still be great to see reviews and comments and followers and the whole shabang! Bye! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Coming to you soon…Missouri Mosely!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N

Part two of the Lawrence episode…Missouri Mosely introduction. I was sad that she wasn't in more episodes, but I'll live. I hope you like this chapter. Now…read below to continue this adventurous tale.

Chapter 10

Freddi was NOT alright for staying behind for this. It took a lot of convincing Dean but it was worth it when he finally backed down. She ended up nesting into Sam's jacket pocket for the ride. At the thought of the two of them being as close again, her racing heartbeat seemed to mirror his.

Sam looked down his front as they approached their destination. It was impossible to tell she was hitching a ride on him, but he could still feel her. His blood raced each time she shifted against his chest, or leaned more of her weight against him.

"...Are you sure you can breathe in there, Freddi?"

He could see Freddi smile up at him as she responded, nuzzled deep in the pocket, "I'm positive. Being in your pocket isn't any different from when I was in Dean's. I'm alright in here. I trust you."

He let out a loud exhale, "Just... Give me a push or something if you need anything, I guess."

"That's it? Looks more like a bed and breakfast than a mystic eye," Sam commented as they got out of the car. Dean chuckled, "Beats crystal balls everywhere."

Sam's face was slightly heated; with every step he took, Freddi was gently swung into his chest. This was not okay. How on earth can she be so calm about this? Dean rang the doorbell once before a shuffling of steps preceded a plump, motherly, black woman opened the door.

Missouri knew who those boys were before she even opened the door. She happily stated, "Hello, boys. It's been a long time." She stood to the side to let them in, but they just stood there for a moment. Impatiently, she ordered, "Well, get in here, Sam and Dean. I don't have all day."

They exchanged surprised looks before heading in. Dean frowned, racking his brain. He was certain he'd never seen her before, "We've met?"

"We have. Sam was only a baby, and you had something funky going on with your hair back then," Missouri answered with a chuckle, giving the brothers another look. Soon, she began to sense another presence among the boys. "Although, I don't think I've met your friend."

Sam's heart skipped a beat as he watch his brother raise his eyebrows at her. Dean laughed, shaking his head and shrugged, "Who?"

Missouri gave Dean this look that basically said, 'Are you trying to fool me?' before shifting her gaze to Sam, "You might as well bring her out since I already know about her."

His jaw clenched. It was only the slight nod from his brother than convinced him to unzip his jacket and slip his hand into the pocket. He waited for Freddi to half crawl into his coiled fingers before he secured her in a careful fist and brought her out in the open. He could feel how nervous she was.

Freddi was speechless as she was removed from the pocket and gently placed on Sam's shoulder. She really didn't know what to say to the stranger; her nerves got in the way. She was wondering how the woman was able to tell that Freddi was there.

"Your thoughts are very loud for a girl your size," well, there was her answer. Freddi watched as the warm smile she once had fell slightly.

Dean frowned. She was a mind reader? Seemed legit.

Sam took agitated breaths, feeling both awkward and defensive at the same time. Sam tried to get the attention off of her, feeling exposed enough, "We didn't come here to talk about Freddi, which you probably know."

Sam sat down on the leather couch next to Dean. He turned his head towards Freddi, to make sure she wasn't jostled too much. He blushed, coming nearly nose to nose with her before quickly averting his train of thought back to the topic at hand.

"So... You know our dad?"

"He came to me a few days after the fire that killed your mother. Me and him were able to talk about what was really out there," Missouri started explaining before she read something from Sam. "Oh, Honey. I'm sorry about your girlfriend. That must have been hard."

Freddi was observing the conversation as they went on and on about this father she had heard bits about pieces about, but there was still so much that she didn't know. Things flew over her head more times than she could count as the three went on talking; it almost aggravated her of how much she was kept in the dark about everything. Despite her frustration, Freddi leaned up against Sam's neck, to relieve some of the tension in her back.

Missouri could read what was going through Freddi's head as the girl sat there quietly, but her thoughts her screaming opinions off the hook. This girl was not happy with the secrets. Giving the brothers a small push in the right direction, she said with a smile, "Your father loved you boys very much. I'm sure he wouldn't have disappeared if there wasn't a good reason."

She watched Freddi turn her gaze to Sam in surprise; she didn't know any of that. She felt like talking about that, but it was better to do that privately. Missouri told Freddi, causing the small girl's lips to curl into a small smile, "Don't worry too much, Sugar. They should be singing like canaries after this."

Dean shut his gaping pie-hole, having just considered having a little pow-wow with the tiny chick about what was going on. Sam tilted his head slightly in Freddi's direction, obviously careful not to disturb her.

Both brother's faces fell again when she suggested their father was staying away out of love.

"He must be getting close," Dean tried to rationalize his father's actions. Sam, on the other hand, scoffed under his breath. "I'm sorry, but he could at least the decency to pick up the phone."

Freddi raised her eyebrows at the remarks as she felt his jaw clench through her back. Did something happen between Sam and their father? There definitely something hostile in Sam's body language that made her almost skittish to be on his shoulder.

Sam could sense Freddi's uneasiness and tried to relax for her. He softly muttered to her, "Sorry."

Dean scrutinized his brother for a moment, clearly finding his anger towards their father disturbing and uncalled for, but Missouri was still watching them. He didn't want to broadcast his issues to her.

"Do you know where his is?"

Missouri shook her head, "I don't know, Dean. I can only read thoughts and sense energy signatures."

Sam asked her, frowning, "How did you two meet?"

"He found me from an ad in the phone book. He was determined to think that something had caused the fire and I was able to open his eyes. I guess you can say it was a stepping stone for him becoming one of the best of his trade," directing her next phrase to Freddi, she said. "He even got to work with your father every now and then."

"Who..." Dean trailed off, leaning forward to try to glimpse Freddi on Sam's other shoulder. She was still mostly obscured from his vision. It occurred to him that her story more real than he thought. There was some proof to her tale if there was more connecting them than just the demon.

To Freddi, there was a chilling effect from Missouri's words, "I was able to feel the aura of the aftermath. I didn't know what it was, but it was evil."

Freddi did her best to listen in, but she was so surprised; their fathers knew each other and her eyes watered and her breath quickened at the thought. For a moment, she was so shocked, she could have fallen off of Sam's shoulder. She eventually choked out the question, tears just started to stream down her cheeks, "Di-Did you know my father too?"

Missouri looked at her and answered with a sympathetic look in her eye, but it didn't make her feel any better, "No, Honey, I didn't, but John would call every now and then. He would talk about the cases the two of them took. He saved many people in the aftermath."

The disappointment that they had no leads were stifling, but Sam heard the choked tone near his ear, and turned a little to see her in his peripherals. She was starting to cry again, but it sounded suppressed. He tried to do what would do for anyone else: comfort her. He raised his left hand slowly and curved his fingers so they gently grazed her back, his thumb finding her hair and side of her face.

Missouri was able to see some chemistry between the two quite easily as she looked at Sam and Freddi together, but didn't seem like the right moments to say anything like that yet. Freddi was dead set on keeping her interest a secret. She was able to say, "I'm sorry if my answers weren't what you were looking for, but I can't just pull facts out of mid-air."

"I understand, but..." Sam looked towards the psychic, still keeping Freddi close to him. "Would you happen to know if there were any sign of anything left in our house? I think...I think something's back."

Missouri shrugged in response, "I've been watching the house every once in a while and activity has been quiet. I haven't actually been inside since that day, all those years ago, so it would be hard to tell at first glance."

Freddi seriously felt like an idiot at the moment as it clicked in her head; this was their hometown. No wonder they've been on edge.

She slightly leaned forward to see Dean straighten in his seat, "Would you come on a ride with us then? For old time's sake?"

Missouri responded after a moment, "I don't see a problem with that."

The brothers stood to leave, waiting for Missouri to grab her coat. Dean took one last sweeping glance at the place. He was mentally preparing himself to return home, the one place he swore he never returned to.

Freddi was silent during the drive. There was so much going through her thoughts as she was planted in between the two brothers on the bench-like seat. Their fathers freaking knew each other! That couldn't have been coincidence! Thankfully, the drive wasn't far and she was given more time to think as she remained in the car. She kept having this feeling like she'd be in danger if she had come along with them.

After convincing the occupants they were there for good, sentimental reasons, Sam and Dean followed Missouri upstairs. They stood back as she ran her hand over the walls and other objects, clicking her tongue every once in a while.

"Is it the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?" Sam asked.

She replied turning back to him, "I don't know if you should be mad or relieved, but it's not the same creature."

"Well...What is it? Poltergeist?" Dean asked, making an educated guess based on what the new owner had described.

"There's more than just one spirit in this house," Missouri started. "One is the poltergeist, I haven't exactly figure out the second one. This room seemed to be the heart of it though."

Dean could recognize what used to be Sam's nursery through the redecoration the new family had arranged, "No one's getting hurt in this house ever again. So how can we stop this?"

"We'll need to work fast," Missouri whispered quite fast as she and the boys were assembling the purification bags. "Once the spirits realize what we're doing, then they will do everything in their power to stop us.

"I'll take the kitchen," Dean staked his claim in that room. He boasted an iron-headed sledgehammer in one hand and the bag in the other. Dean heard his brother yelling and turned to help, only to be face-to-face with the razor sharp tip of a knife. He leaned away, too close for comfort with the hovering knife. He eyed more floating steak knives. A freakin' ghost arsenal.

Sam went into the living room with a hammer of his own, and began to methodically tapping on the walls. Solid, solid, solid, solid, solid- CLUNCK! Hearing that, he stopped. Bingo. He swung his axe harder, but no sooner had the plaster crumbled, an electrical cord wound itself painfully around his leg and jerked him backwards, onto the floor. He struggled against it, but the cord was too tight. It started to snake up and wrap around his neck, cutting off circulation and after his oxygen. He let out a choking scream before he couldn't make any more noise.

Missouri, on the other hand, took the basement and she wasn't having any better luck than the boys. The moment she found her spot, those spirit made sure that they were leaving kicking and screaming. The charred dresser that once resided upstairs, during the Winchester era, came thundering towards her. She was trapped, but she was still within arm's length from the hole she made. The moment she put the purification pouch in the hole, the pressure from the dresser decreased dramatically.

Sam was sputtering and fighting to gain access of breathing again. His hand was pinned to his side, but he could nearly grab the edge of the pouch in his pocket. His head spun, from lack of oxygen, but he managed to grab the corner. The cord loosened enough at the touch for him to wrestle it off him with a, 'gah!' He greedily sucked in air and chucked the pouch onto the hole.

Knives were sticking out of the cabinets, but the poltergeist had evolved to throwing other painful metal objects at Dean, such as a working blender, a hot toaster oven, and a metal spatula. Bruised and cut on the side of his face, Dean punched a hole in the wall, minus the sledgehammer, and shoved in the battered pouch into the hole. Kitchen utensils immediately clattered to the floor. He panted heavily, he kicked one of the whisks aside as he warily made his way to the exit.

Everything was quiet and Dean watched Missouri make it out of the basement and announce, "Alright, everything is okay now."

"Good Riddance," Sam grunted as he barreled back downstairs, hauling his hammer with him. He felt bad, glancing back at the mess they made in their childhood home, even if he didn't recall anything about it. He offered, "I'll go and explain it to the lady. File a police report. Wouldn't be surprised if she tucked tail and moved out anyway."

As Sam left, Dean approached Missouri, "Are you hurt?"

She smiled at Dean's concern, "I'm fine, Honey. I'm stronger than I look. How about you tell me why your thoughts are in a different place."

"What?" He was immediately defensive, but it was pointless when she could read his mind. He shrugged, "Lotta memories... I hate this place."

Missouri responded before looking a little bit behind Dean, "But you're facing those negative feelings right now. That's got to be something worth celebrating. Besides, I think there's someone that wants to say goodbye."

Dean snorted bitterly and went to leave the house. Celebrating? Please. A pale glow in the room and Sam's shocked expression, as his little brother entered the room, made him stop in his tracks. When he turned around, he saw a vision of white, a beautiful woman with golden hair and fair skin. He recognized her at an instant. His voice nearly cracked as he dared to step closer, his eyes watering, "...Mom?"

Mary smiled warmly as she saw her sons for the first time since her death. They grew up so much and she wished she could have been there to see it, "Sam, Dean..."

She reached out her hand. She was slightly nervous, but she wanted Sam and Dean to know how much she loved them.

Sam just stared slack jawed at the mother he never really knew. Dean stepped even closer, reaching out with a tender caution. Dean's emotions were going haywire as he remained face-to-face with his dead mother. As Mary reached up and touched his face, Dean closed his eyes, savoring her touch.

There was a bright flash of light and a warmth that flooded his very soul. When he opened his eyes, she was gone. He didn't even register the tears that slid down his face as he stared straight ahead. Finally, he sniffed, wiped his face, and closed his eyes. He eventually made his retreat as he quietly sighed, "Come on."

Missouri slowly followed the boys as they exited the house and went back to the car. She could see Freddi fast asleep through the windows. She could sense that she must have just fallen asleep; she could feel how heavy the sensitive girl's heart still was. Freddi didn't stir as they all slid into the car and drove off in silence, Freddi's sleeping form lying in the space in between the two boys.

They stopped at Missouri's house to drop her off, but before they could hightail it out of there, she talked to them through the open window.

"Now, don't be strangers. I want you to call every once in a while. My number should still be in your father's journal."

Then, directing her words to Sam, she said, "And, you take care of her. She's in need of your care way more than she thinks."

Sam blinked as he took in her words, looking down at the tiny girl laying in between them in the car before giving Missouri a meaningful look; Dean echoed his expression and Sam exhaled, "...Will do. Thank you, for... everything."

They watched Missouri trudge up the steps, making sure she got safely inside before rolling up the windows and got going. With Missouri's words still fresh in his mind, Sam gently used both hands to scoot her limp form into his hands.

"She's not going to fall off the seat," Dean said.

"I don't mind," San ran a finger down her hair.

A/N

I made a better end for Mary. She didn't deserve to be destroyed like in the show so…Fixed it! I wanted Missouri to already know about Freddi and I hope I'm not making Freddi too weepy. She will have moments to prove her bad-assness. Enjoy! R&R! I'll update very soon!


	11. Chapter 10 Filler

A/N

I consider this a half chapter because it's just a slight filler scene. Dean will be an ass, like normal…read below to find out what he did this time. Enjoy

Chapter 10.5

Freddi woke up in a gasp again as she forced herself to wake up before she could have another nightmare. It must have been hours since she fell asleep; she didn't know when Sam and Dean entered the car, or when she was transferred to Sam's lap. She looked up to find Sam also asleep. The man looked absolutely exhausted and she didn't blame him.

Recent event left all three parties shaken up for different reasons. Freddi already knew her reasons, new information about her father, but for once, she didn't have an itch to find out their reasons; she didn't want to know. It wasn't her business and she was getting tired of digging into where she knew she wasn't wanted.

As much as Freddi liked being near Sam, she didn't want to be in close proximity to him for the moment. She slowly slid down Sam's thigh to the seat, landing on her good leg, before sitting back down.

Sam continued to sleep, his hand sliding down his shirt relaxed. Dean was still alert though and glanced over, doing a double take when he saw Freddi awake.

"Hey, kid. You hungry?"

Freddi looked up at him and smiled, "Yeah, I can eat."

"Sam usually keeps one of those health-protein bar in his inner pocket. Not sure left or right...but if you can snag it, I'll open it for you."

'Well,' Freddi thought, smirking to herself, and flashed a smile of determination. 'Challenge accepted.'

The best part about her life was the climbing and she wasn't going to let a broken leg stop her. She crawled her way to the edge of Sam's jacket. Before she started climbing, she looked back at the driver, "You should never give me a challenge, Dean. My stubbornness could drive you crazy."

Suppressing a protesting moan of pain, Freddi slowly began to climb. She didn't care if Dean was kidding or not, but she didn't stop until she reached Sam's pocket, colliding with the protein bar as she fell into the pocket.

'Damn it.'

Dean chuckled, continuing to speed down the highway, "Fun to watch, though."

He glanced over. Freddi wasn't visible, every now and then a tiny bump would budge from the thick fabric on Sam's jacket on her trek. It was quiet for a while, until he heard a crinkling of plastic, "You got it?"

"Working on it," Freddi recomposed herself with a light groan, knowing she was stuck in that damn pocket. "Give me a few moments while I figure out a way to get out without waking this sleeping beastly."

"Take you time. He'll be out until four, at least," Dean informed her. Suddenly Sam sighed in his sleep, crossing his arms loosely across his chest and turning towards the window.

"Oh, Sam!" Freddi squealed in reaction to feeling compressed and squished deeper into the pocket, the wall of Sam's chest against her front and the protein bar pressing very uncomfortably against her back. She was stuck in one place.

"You just had to say something, didn't you, Big Mouth?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Dean tried to wrestle the smile out of his voice. He took his eyes off the road for a moment, laughing quietly as he reached over and shook Sam's arm. He didn't budge, but Dean did hear a slight sound of struggle coming from Freddi; Sam must have had her in a bad position.

There was a muffled groan coming from the tiny twenty-year-old, obviously not liking her predicament, "I'm stuck here until Sam uncrosses his arms, aren't I?"

"Are you?" Dean raised his eyebrows, smirking. "Well... I guess I could wake him, but then again, poor Sammy needs his rest..."

"We can't wake Sam," Freddi muffled a response. "It would be kind of hard to explain this to him."

Dean chuckled, realizing she was serious. She was willing to be locked in there for hours... "You're not kidding? Fine... I hope you can open the bar on your own then."

"Ass," Freddi snarked, regarding to his statement and the distress he caused her from trying to move Sam's arms. God, he was such an ass, but at least she could get along with him. "You should feel very lucky I like our banter."

Dean openly laughed at her reply, watching the road again, "You're lucky I don't tell Sam about your little crush."

She didn't hesitate to lie in a groaning tone, wanting to believe it was true, "It's not going to work, Dean. I don't like him like that. I just met him and I don't really know much about him. I don't even know how old he is."

"Yeah whatever. Just saying... You're a little too happy to be stuck in there." Dean sounded very sure of himself, despite her protests and excuses. The car hit a pothole a few moments later, causing Sam to rouse at long last.

"Time is it?" Sam mumbled, stretching his legs out from their cramped position.

'Shit, how is Dean and I going to explain this?' Freddi thought, partially relieved that she had the potential to move, but stayed exactly where she was, 'Please, Sam. Go back to sleep. Keep your arms uncrossed and go back to sleep.'

Dean expected Sam to burst out with an exclamation of surprise at any moment, but he seemed completely unaware of Freddi. Sam straighten in his seat and sighed tiredly.

"About two in the morning. Bad dream?"

"No, nothing this time."

Freddi was frozen in both fear of being discovered and concentration from listening in, her silent breath holding at different times. Could Sam even feel her? She was so small compared to him so probably not. That thought kamakazied to a whole web of realizations; four inches, that was all Freddi was to Sam. It's all she was to everybody. Even if she did admit to herself of her crush, the truth bit her in the ass and tore at her heart.

She just wished Sam would just fall back asleep, so she could get out of the pocket. She could feel herself mentally begging, "Please, Sam, go to sleep. I can't be here any longer, please."

Sam rested his head against the seat belt again and closed his eyes. He asked, facing the window, "Do you think mom is happy?"

Dean noticeably tensed, letting his poker face returning. He found it hard to believe she was happy after the way she died, but he didn't want to crush his little brother's spirits, "I don't know. She looked pretty at peace to me."

"Yeah..." Dean had offered the possible bait and Sam bit in to it with ease. With that encouraging thought, he became still once more, letting the vibrating song of the speeding car become a lullaby.

Freddi waited. After fifteen minutes, she knew he was officially asleep again, causing her to sigh of relief. She made no hesitation to leave the protein bar behind as she climbed out of the pocket and make her journey down the jacket. She landed safely on the seat before sitting down in a tired heap. She wasn't exhausted one bit, but her bruising was very tender; she just wished they could heal soon.

Catching her rapid breath, she managed to let out, "Okay, I am NOT doing that again, not with my legs like this."

"You didn't even get the bar?" Dean laughed, but it was a fond laugh, not a malicious one. Keeping his eyes on the road, he reached over and plucked up in one hand. If he was being honest with himself, feeling a tiny body in his hand like that never got old.

"Hang on, I might have something," he said, setting her down on his lap and then searched his jacket pockets, eventually producing a Ziploc baggie of beef jerky. "Here, this should tide you over until we get to a good stop. Haven't decided where yet."

Sitting along the curve of his giant thigh, she gave him her 'What the Hell?' face as she watched him yank out beef jerky from his pocket. She had to go through all that trouble with Sam and his pocket all because someone didn't want to share?! She liked being near Dean, but sometimes, he drove her up with wall.

"Really? Dick move, Dean," She felt the need to let her inner smart-ass take control, "I could have avoided all that trouble if you had done this twenty minutes ago. Didn't anyone tell you sharing is caring?"

She rolled her eyes at what excuse he could make before getting into her strip of jerky beef jerky on her lap.

"Hey, I wasn't going to share until it was the last option. No one just gets my jerky without working for it," Dean replied as if he was stating his case. As they drove onward to their new destination, he began to drive one-handed; the other hand busied itself by stroking Freddi's hair with the pad of his index finger. She was so small. He would probably never get over that.

He took a break from petting her for a second to pop in a classic rock cassette tape to set the soundtrack for the next 200 miles.

A/N

Ta Da! Here it is. Dean can see right through her. More things to come. Hope to get some reviews. I will update soon.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N

Continuing the plot…Time jump. No more cast! Read below to continue this adventure.

Chapter 11

Seven weeks. It had been seven weeks since Freddi started traveling with the Winchesters and things were running reasonably smoother than how things started out. She kept the boys company while they worked during the time her leg was still broken. By the time Freddi's leg fully healed, she didn't waste any time with climbing again, despite Sam's protests.

The cases they took were just as she expected with a little bit of twists. She didn't expect to hear about Sam getting possessed by a ghost in an insane asylum, or that Sam would cause a fight with Dean and cut off from Dean and Freddi for a couple days. She didn't think Dean would become ill and get neck deep in some reaper business, even though she was grateful he survived through all that. Freddi most certainly was shocked to hear about Dean's first love and how she knew what Dean spent his life doing, though their time together was short-lived.

Sam and Dean seemed to trust her enough to let her know all about their quest, all about what happened in the house they used to live in, and how Sam's girlfriend died. She managed to talk to Sam about his two year break from his family, and also the issues he seemed to have with his dad. Sometimes Freddi's conversations with Sam seemed endless, and the more they talked, the more things they found in common. She found herself liking him more and more, even with her mental protests.

Dean was just so relentless sometimes; anytime the two of them were alone, he'd pop the subject about his theory of her liking Sam. He'd mention it every single time and Freddi would be just as quick to deny it every time. It was happening so often that she wanted to pull her slightly longer hair, even though she didn't do it.

The pressure and the predictability of his immature pestering eventually lead her to snap, "Dean, you have been playing this game for weeks. Let. It. Go!"

Dean used this opportunity to use his advantage to take the upper hand by pinching Freddi's sides delicately and dangling her in front of his face, "I'll let it go when you stop being so damn obvious! Honestly, what are you, twelve?"

Damn his voice was so loud sometimes, but she had to fight her facial muscles to not cringe like she wanted to. She just wished Dean would understand and she was getting so tired of him doing this. Green met green as she looked up to him, finished with hearing all this from him, "You know what, fine! I like him! You happy? You think I try to be obvious? You think I don't fight like hell not to feel this way? I don't want to like him, Dean! I don't have any future with him while I'm this size, so why bother?"

She scoffed and turned her gaze away from him. Her efforts to make him listen just seemed pointless.

Dean's eyes widened. This was more than just some cute crush, wasn't it? She...really liked him, which was weird, given the size difference thing. He placed her in the palm of his other hand, "You know what? It's none of my business."

He honestly felt bad for the poor girl. It would never work out how she could want it to be.

The last time Freddi heard silence being this loud was the flaming fridge incident. She liked Dean, but there were stories in her life that she couldn't just tell anyone. The thought of one day telling either brother made her sick to her stomach. Her issue wasn't that they couldn't handle hearing it; it was that she couldn't handle telling it.

Still, with the topic on hand, she mumbled, not even looking at him, "You have every right to push this. This is your brother we're talking about. Plus, I doubt anything would happen, not in my reality."

Dean gave her arm a quick rub. He agreed with Freddi, but didn't have the heart to tell her; Sam was a nice guy, but Dean knew he had standards when it came to his girls being, well... human, human-sized, at least, "You never know. I'm sure there's a handsome, fun-sized guy out there just waiting for you to find him."

"It's a nice thought, Dean, but I've been all over the country and, even at rare times, Canada. My village was the last of my scale," Freddi looked up at him with a small shrug, "I made my peace with that a long time ago."

"I'm really trying to focus on being friends with Sam," she told him what's been on her mind for a couple of weeks. "I already know it's hard for people to see past my size. I'm only four inches. That's all I am to Sam; that's all I am to you. It's all I've ever seemed to be."

A rare silence was stunned into Dean Winchester. He frowned down at Freddi, a wavering pity in his green eyes. Suddenly, he became acutely aware of her size all over again; how she was just sitting there, in the palm of his hand, with plenty of elbow room. Dean's lips parted, unsure what to say at first, since his mere size may be discouraging to her at the moment.

"Freddi, you're more than a measurement," ever so slowly, Dean lifted Freddi to closer to his face, making her look him in the eye. "So Sam and I got a few feet on ya, big deal. You're a person... A pretty damn good person. You hear me?"

There was a sincerity he bore in his eyes that was reasonably reassuring to Freddi. Dean drove her up the wall sometimes, but he was good friend in the long-haul. She responded, a fraction of a smile pulling along her face, "Crystal. Can you promise something though?"

After a second she said, "I don't want Sam to find out about this yet. Promise me you'll consider not telling him about my crush on him? If Sam does find out, then I want him to either figure it out on his own, or I actually grow a pair of stones and tell him myself."

Dean softened a little, a smile tugging the corner of his lips, "Look, I'm not going to rat you out. You don't want to tell him, that's your deal."

He set her down on the bed and nudged her shoulder with his index finger before leaving for just a second, "Come on, you need a little booze in your system.

He soon returned with a beer, the cap brimming for her.

Her smile grew bigger as she took a large swig of her beer. Yep, definitely needed. She looked up at him one last time, "Thanks, Dean. You're a pretty good friend, even when you drive me crazy sometimes."

Then, she started on a random topic, "One thing I do love about being small is the under 21 law can kiss my ass for a couple more weeks."

Freddi was seriously hoping Dean didn't catch the little slip up she made about her birthday. It wasn't that important since it was a little over a month after her fifth birthday that her world went up in smoke.

"Look at you, breaking the law," Dean applauded her as if initiating her into some secret society. He playfully nudged her in the side. "We've got to get you some of the good stuff for your 21st, huh?"

She bowed her head with a groan; he caught it, dammit, "I was really hoping you hadn't caught that."

Dean made a deep noise of surprise into the bottle as he downed a gulp. He tried to get the girl genuinely excited about it, "Why not? Party on, get wasted... Best night of your life, right?"

She looked at him with a chuckle; his goofiness always seemed to make her laugh. She responded, "Maybe, but you're also talking to a girl that hasn't properly celebrated a birthday with other people in fifteen years."

"Seriously, living in a library sounds worse that living under a rock," Dean set his beer aside and peered down at her with a determined look. "We'll see what we can do with that."

Then, the door opened and Sam entered, soaking wet, "It's pouring buckets out there."

"I can see that. You get the stuff?" Dean asked, following the line of wet droplets on the carpet as Sam stripped off his jacket and outer shirt, laying them out to dry. Sam held up a plastic bag and a paper testimony.

"This town already has a good hunter taking the case. Guy swears we don't need to be here. We should head out in the morning."

Dean nodded in approval, but his eyes were on the bag, "You actually remembered."

"I always remember."

"Pfft. Yeah, right."

Freddi was entertained as she finished her beer. She was already a little tipsy, one of the disadvantages of rarely having alcohol until she met Sam and Dean. She did find out she was a little giggly when she was buzzed. Freddi chuckled, just to see their responses, "God, of all people I could have had as roommates, fate brought me to complete dorks like you two."

She thought her statement was a good thing, but apparently Dean didn't take it that way.

Once Freddi set the empty beer cap down, Dean promptly tapped her in the stomach, knowing she was almost buzzed. It wasn't rough at all, but it was just enough to make her topple backwards on her back, her head slightly hanging off the edge of the bed. Her shoulder-length hair was pulling a bride of Frankenstein look as it hung against the bed.

"Hey, Freddi, do you like peach?" Sam turned around to offer her a bit of peach pie on a napkin, only to see Freddi looking at him upside down. She looked kind of funny like that. He chuckled, not sounding too worried, "Are you okay?"

Freddi let out a playful growl and looked up at Dean with her signature expression of annoyance, "You really enjoy doing that, don't you?"

She let her head hang for a moment, watching as Sam noticed her like that; if Dean was trying to make someone laugh, then mission accomplished. She gave a thumbs-up to his question before sitting up and turning to face the younger brother. Freddi chuckled, "I'm fine. It takes more than that to bring me down."

Freddi was rewarded with a genuine smile for her efforts, and a slight chuckle out of the shaggy-haired man.

"Just don't push her off the bed," Sam told his brother, leaving the napkin beside her.

"Please. I'm a professional," Dean shot back, winking at Freddi deviously. Sam watched as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously and then arched a brow at him; Sam could almost hear the little voice in her head saying, 'You really think I believe that?'

Although Dean minded himself for the rest of the evening, he eventually grew restless. The rain lulled both Sam and Freddi into an earlier sleep than usual; they really were alike sometimes. Dean turned to his side in the quiet of the motel room, thinking of pranks to pull on his little brother and their little friend. He could always put shaving cream on Sam's hand, but he's done that so many times before, and he wanted to go for something more creative. Dean scanned the room for inspiration before landing on Freddi, curled up in one of the shirts on the night stand. A sly grin lit up on his face.

'Perfect.'

Careful not to wake Freddi, he collected her limp form into the palm of his hand ever so slowly. She looked so damn peaceful as she slept that he took just a second to look at her with a fond smile. Dean was pretty thankful that the nightmares had died down for a little bit, so they couldn't ruin his plan.

He carefully shifted Sam's hand down a bit so he could gently slide Freddi onto his chest. Sam continued to sleep like she didn't weigh a thing and Freddi simply turned over in her sleep with a faint groan through her nose and kept sleeping. Feeling victorious in a small degree Dean returned to his own bed, finding sleep much easier with the knowledge of their surprise awaiting both of them in the morning.

A/N

And that's how Dean extorted something he knew all along out of Freddi. Plus, it's never below him to decide to prank her and Sammy! I will update very soon and I hope you guys liked this semi-small chapter. Enjoy!


	13. Chapter 12

A/N

I have no message to give this time. Just…read and enjoy.

Chapter 12

The boys took a rare occasion to sleep in. Unaware of the tiny girl on his chest, Sam turned his head into his pillow and took a deep breath. The sleeping girl on him seemed completely oblivious of the world and turned over on her other side.

Eventually, the sound of outdated rock music cut through the quiet sunny afternoon. With soft moans of disapproval, both brothers stirred. Dean reach out a hand to whack the snooze button while Sam was rubbing his eyes; it seemed like no matter how much sleep he got, he was still tired. How was that even possible...? Sam sat up half-way but stopped, feeling something small roll down his front. Sam caught it in his hand before sitting up; he put the pieces together in his mind.

"Freddi? Were you...?" He blinked, shocked and alarmed that he could have hurt her. He glanced at the side table where her makeshift bed was abandoned. He looked back down at her, a curious brow arched.

The sudden abnormal rolling sensation was plenty of good reason to wake up. Freddi was so confused and the seeing a pair of giant hazel eyes as the first thing to open her eyes to was slightly startling, "What the...? How did I...?"

She was completely in the dark about the situation, but it only took seconds for it all to click in her head. Dean. She let out a sigh of irritation to herself, a small growl lacing her tone, "...Dean."

"Hmm?" Dean raised his head, stifling a yawn. Sam looked a little skeptical, seeing his brother had clearly just woken up.

"Did you have a bad dream again?" Sam tried, his voice coming out of its gritty state bit by bit.

Freddi merely shook her head before answering, "No, I don't really even know how I got on your bed. I fell asleep on the night stand."

Then, she turned her head to glare at the eldest one in the room, "But I have a strong feeling someone thought it would be funny to move me in my sleep like that."

Sam eventually followed what she was meaning and directed his next phrase to Dean, "You have the maturity of a twelve-year-old."

"Don't whine about it," his brother retorted, going into the bathroom to take a shower, eyeing Freddi for just a moment.

Sam sighed and shook his head, giving her a small smile and setting her aside on the mattress, "Sorry about that... I didn't even know you were there!"

Freddi simply chuckled in response, "I'm okay. I think he was just pranking us. He found out something that made the little kid inside him come out."

Sam raised his eyes, pausing for a split second. What did she mean by that? She couldn't mean... No, that was too vain a presumption. There were countless reasons why she should be repelled by him, but the fact was, she just wasn't.

"Oh, uh... yeah, sounds like him alright," He said turning away to get up and get dressed.

"Does he always prank people a few weeks before her birthday though, or is it just me?" She asked, finding no harm in revealing her birthday, since she had a hunch Dean was going to spill anyway.

"Um... I think it's just you. He's already done every trick in the book on me," Sam said, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Really? Just me? Great..." There was a hint of sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"So, uh... you're turning 21?" Sam ran a hand through his hair, glancing longingly towards the bathroom, but Dean was still shaving. Sam sat back on the edge of the bed in jeans and a red plaid, leaning over her a bit as he smirked, "Somehow, I think the underage drinking law could be overlooked in your case."

"Bitch, Please. Just like I told your brother last night, the underage drinking law can go to hell," Freddi joked around with the twenty-two year old. "I only have to dismiss the law for a few more weeks."

"Try not to get too wasted," Sam chuckled, his eyes warming up on her. The bathroom door open, and he gave her one last look before changing places with his brother to freshen up.

Dean gave the small girl an appraising look as he stuffed some of his clothes into his bag. It wasn't until the bathroom door closed that he heard Freddi begin to move.

Freddi smirked at Dean, seeing she was alone with him. She immediately stood up and made her way to the edge of the bed before sitting down and crossing her arms at him, "That wasn't cool, Dean."

"Hey, I got a kick out of it," Dean smiled to himself, shrugging at her. He sat down next to her and she toppled in his direction from the mattress shaking. He reached down to keep her from colliding with his thigh and helped her sit back up.

Freddi glared at Dean in a stubborn fashion as he helped her, "Have you ever actually acted your age and not your shoe size?"

"Watch it, Tiny," his fingers encircled her, but his tone wasn't serious, so she didn't truly react.

As they loaded back into the car, Sam was usually quiet. He'd been having these moments since the killer scarecrow in Indiana.

"Hey," Dean elbowed him. "What are you thinking about?"

Sam scooted over to the window and shrugged, "Uh...Nothing. Just stuff."

Freddi was resting in between the two brothers, leaning up against Dean, with this look on her face. She could definitely tell that Sam was lying. She slowly stood up and made her way to the younger brother, and started climbing up the outside of his jacket and didn't stop until she reached Sam's shoulder.

"You do realize you can't bullshit us, right? Dean's a high ranking liar and I can read people, so how about we try that again?"

Sam stiffened, realizing halfway that she was crawling up his arm. He started to react, but held himself back, lest he throws her off by accident. Still, it was difficult to sit still. He turned his head to glimpse her best he could.

"Honestly..." Sam laughed and raised a hand behind her, in case she lost her balance, "I just kinda spaced out."

"Good," She responded, leaning into the wall on his hand. "You haven't really been the same since that call from your dad. Can't blame us worrying."

He closed his hand around her carefully and scooted her closer to his neck. He just felt safer with her away from the edge.

"I just don't understand why he's just...leaving us like this."

"There's a good reason. He wouldn't put us through this for nothing," Dean said firmly.

Freddi was empathetic to him as she explained, "You miss your dad. I kind of understand what you think. I was only a kid, but I still remember how much I remembered missing my dad and brothers when they were off hunting. I was always wondering where they were and whether they were being safe or not."

She laid one of her hands on his neck and kindly continued with a smile, "Sometimes we're not meant to understand certain things yet. Sometimes we just need to have the hope that everything will become clearer in the end."

Sam smiled appreciatively, trying to quiet the flutters he felt from her tiny hand. "Thanks...I really hope that's the case...Do you...Do you think about them a lot? Your family?"

Freddi felt bittersweet about his question. With a small sad smile, she answered with a sigh as her gaze shifted to the window, "Of course I do. There isn't a day that goes by without thinking about them. I can't help to ask what my life would be like if they were alive."

She started listing a few, "Would my dad actually teach me to change my size or be a hunter? Would my personality change? Would I've liked the change? Would I meet you guys? Would we even get along? I can't help but to think about what could have been."

"I think I know how you feel," Sam replied gently. "I never knew my mom or..."

He trailed off, not wanting to get in another argument with Dean. Then, he tried cheering her up, but treading lightly, knowing it was a touchy subject deep down, "Look, if it's any consolation...you're kind of cute at this size."

Freddi rolled her eyes at the one word she's constantly heard all her life, "As sweet as the attempt is, Sam, I'm tired of being called cute. When you're this size, it's all you hear; cute, adorable, precious, or...dainty. I'm almost twenty-one. It gets old."

"I didn't mean it like that," Sam sighed forcefully. He paused, taking into account how it must have made her feel, being small enough as it is, and then on top of it being coddled like that. Lord knows how many time he reacts practically the same way when he's called "Sammy."

"Cute is just... a certain kind of pretty," Dean stepped in, obviously trying to help.

Sam sighed reassuringly "Look, it's not that bad. It's a reasonable request. It's just...I mean, we didn't think about it before."

They somehow seemed to tell Freddi the things she needed to hear, making a soft blush and smile crawl along her cheeks, "Alrighty then."

She turned away and made her way to the edge of Sam's shoulder, giving him a good warning, "I'm going to slide down your arm now, okay. Keep your arm relaxed."

"Whoa-Freddi. There is no way that is safe," Sam responded, doing the exact opposite, much to her dismay. He raised his arm in an effort to discourage her from trying that stunt.

"I've done it before many times, and ended without a scratch," Freddi tried convincing him, almost giving a pout, but his bull-headed, stubborn gaze didn't waver an inch. He wasn't going to give in, so she was forced to accept it with a sigh, "Fine, you win. Can you at least put me on the dash board so I can still talk to you boys?"

Sam reached up until his finger and thumb brushed along her waist. The sensation of flesh under clothes at her scale still sent a spark through his bloodstream. He slowly leaned forward and set Freddi on the dash. He shook his head at her, trying to be stern and not smile, "It's a miracle you're still alive with the risks you take."

Freddi rolled her eyes at them. She may have thought their protectiveness was cute at times, but she knew it was unnecessary.

"I've told you once and I'll tell you again. I don't believe in miracles like that. How I'm alive isn't a miracle. It's knowing how to land safely."

"I...guess so," Sam conceded, seeing she was just being stubborn. He started scrolling through something on his phone. A minute later, he frowned, asking Dean. "Hey, you and Dad ever hunt something that rips still-beating hearts of out of its victims?"

Dean, who was trying to get a look at the phone screen, responded, "That doesn't sound like anything we've ever encountered."

He already decided they were taking the case, "Where?"

His brother responded, "Phoenix, Arizona."

Freddi, who was already figuring out theories in her head, decided to voice her thoughts, "Well, there's been lore about events like that. Most of the tales relate to the human sacrifices of the Aztec era. Removing the heart, while it was still beating, was the first step of the rituals."

Sam met her eyes, looking at her seriously...like an equal, not like she was going to fall apart due to her tiny size. "I've read about that. Wasn't it to a specific god?"

Thinking back on when she came across that textbook she read about the ancient nation, "Never specific on which god, but I think the closest comparison would be the god of war, Huitzilopochtli, would be my best bet. There was a textbook at the library about the Aztecs and there was a full chapter about the sacrifices."

Then, something clicked in her head. She made a request to Sam, "See if you can look up any strange deaths that fit the pattern from about fifty-two years ago. If my theory is right, and I hope I'm wrong, then there might be two more deaths before the week is out."

Sam began typing furiously on his phone. He made a few frustrated sounds as he waited for pages to load with spotty connection. Finally he went quiet with a small snort of disbelief. She didn't know if that was a good sign or bad.

"You're right. There is a pattern."

"So it's some type of ritual?" Dean gathered.

'Alright, maybe I'm not so useless with these guys after all,' she thought to herself.

Freddi shrugged her shoulders and sighed softly, letting out a small yawn, "We'll find out more when we get there."

She was getting tired, so she rested her head on folded arms and relaxed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep to the sound of Led Zepplin blasting throughout her senses.

A/N

Well, there you have it. Dean's prank and Freddi called Sam out on his lying and then she's starting to prove herself useful. This case is purely fake and bound to get some lore facts wrong, so don't hold it against me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I should be back very soon. Bye!


	14. Chapter 13

A/N

Well, this chapter was a little longer than I'd thought it would be, but very important to the plot. Expect anything…Enjoy!

Chapter 13

Freddi started to slide with vibrations of the car as she slept and Dean took it upon himself to prod her side and push her back into place every time she got too close to the edge. Pushing the case to the edge of his mind for now, Dean just spaced out, focusing on driving and tapping the wheel in time with his 80's rock mix. They had a long drive and he rather liked driving, to be honest, even though people would think he'd be sick of it. It was a place in between active thinking and a contemplative, distant place of his mind he rarely visited.

Freddi didn't seem to dream during her nap. She felt relaxed as she remained in a bubble of comfortable darkness. Freddi preferred the dark over having a nightmare any day. Hours later, she slowly started coming to. Her hair was a little crazy as she stirred and muttered very softly after opening her eyes, "How long have I been out?"

It took them a minute to realize she was up and talking.

"Um, about six hours," Dean grunted. He looked less lively than he was earlier, and the bags under his eyes were hinted. Sam also looked a little tired, though his hair suggested he had napped at some point.

"We're halfway there," Dean said, watching outside for road signs, then he saw something. "Hey, there's a lodging at this next exit."

The motel was about the same quality as the other hole-in-the-road places they'd stayed at in the past. Dean scooped up Freddi off the dash with a learned carefulness and carried her into the motel room.

"Well, this is...uh, nice," Sam failed at his optimism attempt. As the men set their things down and unpacked a little, Dean set Freddi down on Sam's bed. As often as it occurs, a problem arises when there is a lack of communication. Without looking where he was putting it, Sam tossed a fresh shirt onto his bed for after his shower.

Without any warning, Freddi was encased in darkness under a thick, heavy fabric. It grew hot and stuffy real quick as she struggled to get it off of her, with no such luck. She broke into a light sweat as the heat was making it a little harder to breath, making it almost impossible to make herself known.

She tried to yell, but her efforts were faint in between coughs, not knowing if she was heard or not, "S-Sam! De-ean!"

The mere zipper on Dean's duffel seemed to drown her out and Dean was too focused on something else to hear her. He was flipping through their dad's journal for any inkling of Aztec rituals he'd encountered to pass the time, but he didn't have to wait long for his kid brother to get out of the bathroom.

Sam poked his head out of the bathroom, making sure Freddi wasn't looking. He didn't see her anywhere, so figured the coast was clear, probably fell back asleep.

"Finally!" Dean closed the book and strode over to switch spots with him. Sam wasn't even done zipping up his pants and half-hopped out of the way after receiving a light shove from his older brother.

"Come on! That was barely five minutes! You take like half an hour in the shower!" Sam protested, good-naturedly though it was. Dean flashed him a wide smile.

"Hey, they say steam is good for you," He finished the thought behind closed doors. "Invigorating for the soul!"

The water turned on again and Sam rolled him eyes. His older brother could be such a dork sometimes. He went over to the bed and picked up the shirt, not seeing the tiny moving lump underneath.

Freddi still had her hands grasping the fabric, trying to get it off of her, as her prison was lifted in the air, but unfortunately, she was lifted up with the shirt. She swallowed her surprise as she tightened her grip on the fabric, so the probability of falling would lessen. She held on as tight as she could, being jerked in a couple different directions before Sam fully put on his shirt. She was positioned on his torso and slammed her eyes closed, almost afraid of losing her grip.

"Sam!" She tried to catch his attention, her voice in a soft squeak.

Sam had just noticed the weird lump bumping into his stomach. Upon hearing and then seeing Freddi just hanging there, looking scared as she clung to his fabric, all the blood rushed to his face. He was so stunned and embarrassed that for a moment, he didn't reach for her right away.

"God, F-Freddi!" He fumbled with the buttons. She swung out and forward with the open flap, and long fingers gingerly pinched her sides. "I'm so sorry! You were under... I-I didn't..."

He trailed off, not wanting to hurt her feelings by saying he hadn't even noticed her.

"I-I'm okay. Just a little shaken," Freddi cut him off with a semi-reassuring look in her eye. "Don't-Don't worry about it."

Sam blinked, briskly bringing her closer, so he could see her intricate facial expression better, "How are you as calm as you are? About everything..? You should be pissed at me."

Freddi rolled her eyes at him, "If I got angry, then you'd feel more guilty and see me as if I was made of glass; however, I'm not mad, so why would I look for a reason?"

Sam sank down onto the bed, never taking his eyes off of her. The spot where she had been pressed against him tingled with his blush, "Well, I'm glad you're okay, I guess...Just...Don't tell Dean about this. Please."

She tried not to let her racing heart get to her. Freddi thought Sam's blushing was really cute. Freddi was at the point where she could live with her interest in him.

She smirked, trying to joke with him, "Tell Dean what?"

Sam rolled his eyes but found himself explaining what he just did far more awkward than he anticipated. His gaze shifted around the room, anywhere but her, "You know...that I, uh, put you on...with my shirt by accident, right?"

"Yes, I know," Freddi said softly. "But what have I been telling you for weeks?"

She laid down on her stomach in the middle of his palm before answering her own rhetorical question, "You are not careless with me, and you haven't hurt me yet. I trust you and haven't done anything to betray that trust."

Freddi looked down with a smile and begun tracing her fingers along the creases in his hand. She needed to do something with her hands.

"Huh?" Was all he could say. He was quite stupefied by her essence. Sam breath caught his thought when she moved to lie down, and he could feel her soft skin press against his palm, impossibly tiny fingers moving across his skin. He breathed out shakily, "...Oh."

She looked back at him and asked, "Look, can we just move past this, please? Neither of us got hurt, so we shouldn't let it linger in the air anymore."

Sam snapped his mouth shut when she looked up at him, realizing it had fallen ajar at some point. He answered evenly, not arguing, "Alright."

A moment later, the bathroom door opened, and Dean stuck his head out, still dripping wet, "Hey, pass me my black bag?"

Sam lowered his hand and tilted it so its tiny occupant slid onto the bedspread. He tossed the black bag of toiletries at his brother, who disappeared again for what was undoubtedly a mildly luxurious shower, judging by the humid air sneaking under the bathroom door.

Freddi smiled faintly, hugging her knees tight as her gaze veered away for a moment. She wanted to thank Sam and Dean for making her feel welcome for the time she had been with them, but something stopped her. She stopped blinking as her eidetic memory relapsed back to when she was five, back when she found her father's hunting book. Her eyes ran through the Everheart journal, just like she did the very same day. At first, it seemed like any other memory she had of that night...until she caught something.

It seemed like there were two pages stuck together. She could have missed a page! How could she not realize that? There were several times where she tried to listen in on her brothers' size changing lessons, and she caught her father looking through that journal.

"Hey," Sam returned to the bed, less flustered. Extremely aware of the doll-sized person, seated in the center of the bed, he slowly laid down beside her. She had this look on her face that he couldn't really describe. "...Freddi?"

Freddi was partially snapped back into reality, out of breath and her skin paler than usual. She ran her hand along the back of her neck, her joints slightly tense. It took a few seconds to remind herself that Sam was looking at her with his sympathetic look.

"You okay?" A faint frown creased Sam's face and before he knew what he was doing, he was reaching down to push her hair out of her face.

Freddi's voice was lightly shaky, but still there, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

She didn't want to lie to him, but she knew that if her memory was right and the key to her size-changing is in that book, then she had to go back home. Her time with Sam and Dean would be over. She wanted to delay that scene for as long as possible.

Sam wasn't convinced as his thumb returned to rest atop her upper arm and shoulder. He didn't say anything, just silently gave Freddi a look of the utmost empathy, as if he was trying to tap into her very soul through mere eye contact.

With her mind completely back on Earth, Freddi placed her hand against his thumb, locking eyes for a couple moments. That expression Sam wore almost compelled her be honest and spill, but she knew what his reaction would be if she told him. It was her fear that broke eye contact with him.

There was a part of him couldn't help but be disappointed. Of course she had every right to her own privacy, but he wanted to help her. He wanted her to let him help.

"Seems you're really onto something with this case," He tried to change subjects. Sam let his gaze stray to her hand atop his'. Geez her hands were so miniscule...but perfect in the same way.

Freddi smiled softly as she chuckled, but it was all a brave face, "I'm more than just a 'cute' face here. Sometimes living in a library has its perks."

Sam didn't miss the flicker of bitter sweetness when she mentioned "cute" again. He was quickly learning that was a word to avoid with her.

"I can imagine. I felt like I was living in a library when I was studying for my finals at Stanford."

He watched her softly sigh and rest her head on crossed arms, "Did you ever actually enjoy learning new things though?"

"Yeah, I did," Sam lifted his hand away from her, using it to prop his head up instead. It felt good to talk about it; he generally avoided the subject of higher education to avoid a lecture from Dean.

"It seems like a rare interest among people," Freddi stated an observation. "I watched people that came to my library, and they seemed more interested in playing on computers and other forms of technology instead of actually reading or studying. It was kind of sad."

"Price of living in the technological revolution, I'm afraid. Not enough old-fashioned folks left to keep bookstores from running out of business," it was nostalgic for Sam, recalling the countless times he'd ventured to the library as a kid. Sometimes, it was for research for his dad. Other times, it was just as an escape.

Freddi sighed, "It's a shame. I connect well with the old-souled people."

Then, she chuckled, "Dean has been in there for a while. How long does he need to be in the steam?"

Sam checked his phone, "It's actually only been about fifteen minutes. He usually takes about at least twenty."

Sam's factual tone faded away when the opportunity to gently tease her provided itself. He snatched it when he had the chance. A playful smile curled on his lips.

"And here I thought you liked me..."

'You have no idea,' she thought, but she quipped back out loud, equally teasing. "That is very debatable. How do you know if I don't?"

"What?" Sam chuckled. His eyebrows went up, amused and confused by the question.

"You shouldn't assume I don't like you," she clarified, honesty lacing her playful tone. "If I didn't like either you or Dean, would I be your friend or even stick around if I didn't like you?"

"Right," Sam smile fading at the edges, seeing his joke hadn't taken root as well as he'd hoped.

"You girls gossiping again?" Dean exited the bathroom in jeans and a white undershirt, and promptly collapsed on his own bed with an audible protest from the rusty springs.

"Talking about you," Sam tried to get a reaction, but Dean was stubbornly smug.

"Good."

"Sam," Freddi lectured halfheartedly. "Do not feed his already-huge ego! He might not fit in the car!"

"Kid, that big mouth of yours is gonna get you into trouble one day," Dean barely concealed his smirk with a stoic face, but she knew him well enough now to tell he wasn't really threatening her.

Freddi shrugged her shoulders with a smirk, almost like she was challenging him, "Right now, the only people I can get in trouble with is you two, and I haven't yet. If my 'big mouth' was such a big deal, then you would have told me to shut the hell up."

"'Yet' being the key word, Sweetheart," Dean said with a mirroring smirk.

"Whatever, Hotshot" Freddi sighed before changing the subject with a smile, "My turn to wash up."

"Yeah, of course," Sam placed his hand near her, so she could climb on, and stood up immediately-perhaps a bit too quickly for his tiny passenger. He brought her into the bathroom and set her up, just like they had done in the past weeks. "Holler if you need anything."

Freddi gave him a thumbs up and waited until she was completely alone to make a move. Needing to wash up was mostly a side note; she just wanted to think clearly, without the boys reading her like a book. Her facade was getting exhausting for her to uphold when there wasn't anybody watching, so she dissolved it temporarily, and allowed the faint tears to fall. The roar of the faucet was easily able to hide her whimpers as she went through her routine.

She didn't want to leave. Freddi felt at home with Sam and Dean. She felt important and useful to these guys. She felt herself healing just by being with them. They became the closest thing to family to her and it devastated her that she had to leave so soon, especially when she was going back to the source of her nightmares.

When she was completely done, she put her brave face back on and yelled out to Sam.

Hearing his tiny friend's call, Sam came into the room, smiling lazily as he reached to scoop her up. The remnants of a laugh shadowed his voice, "Freddi, would you please tell Dean than licorice does not count as candy?"

"You're out of your mind! That stuff is classic sweet stuff."

"It's like a punishment!" Sam jested.

She raised her hands in defense, "Do not involve me in this debate."

Freddi smiled at their dorkiness, not letting them know that she couldn't get involved since she hadn't even tried the stuff before. It wasn't something that needed to be revealed.

Eventually, only two of the tired trio actually went to sleep. Freddi had so much rambling through her mind that just couldn't fall asleep, despite her exhausted physique. She stared up at the ceiling as she kept thinking about her future. They were still in Colorado, on their way to Arizona. When they were done with this case, she needed to leave for Massachusetts. That was a long way for a girl her size and that was discouraging for her, because she never thought she'd have to return home.

Around three A.M., Dean blinked his eyes open. Just great; he had to wake up on one of the few night he got some chance for some real beauty sleep. He tossed and turned, trying in vain to fall back asleep. A small noise caught his attention and he immediately snapped his head to the side, pulling out the handgun he kept on his person at all times.

Dean saw the tiny girl, who recoiled in surprise to see an armed gun in her direction, he relaxed and put his gun away, "Dammit, Freddi."

Freddi snapped out of her thoughts to the sound of Dean's bed creaked, and the moment she looked over towards him and saw that gun aimed right for her, she physically jumped. She put a hand over her startled heart as she answered softly, "Trying to get over the heart attack I just experienced. What the hell are you doing up?"

"Sorry about that," Dean chuckled humorlessly, dragging a hand over his face. "Paranoid sleeper, I guess."

He marveled that he had come so far to have such a casual conversation with such a small person, "You can have my bed if you want. I doubt I'll be using it much more tonight."

Freddi's curious nature had the best of her as she got out of her makeshift bed and walked over to his, "What's keeping you up, other than your paranoia?"

Dean face remained unfazed, unwilling to reveal his inner workings to someone so comparatively innocent.

"Nothing, probably you," he joked gently, scooping her up halfway and holding her up to eye level. He didn't mean any harm by it, but it was a habit of his when he got particularly bored.

Freddi pointed out with a very playful tone, looking at him square in the eye, "Oh, I can tell you right now, I am not the reason for the sudden awakening."

She had too much on her mind to call him out of whoever is on his mind; those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Freddi simply sighed, "Fine, I'm not pressing any issues you got. If it's consolation, I can't seem to sleep either."

"We could sleep together," Dean loved teasing her, even if he didn't mean a word of the implications within. Just to see that adorable blush on her cheeks was enough to reward.

Through her blush, Freddi was just as quick to tease back, "Thanks for the offer, Hotshot, but I'm afraid I have to pass."

She looked down for just a moment before looking back up at him, "Besides, I doubt I'm getting any sleep anytime soon."

"You've been kinda edgy lately...and not just your little 'Sammy butterflies' or whatever. You look like you're being haunted or something," Dean let his playboy demeanor drift off his shoulders, replaced by a more confrontational tone under his concerned intentions.

"It's nothing," Freddi responded. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Dean considered her for a moment, then lowered her to the spot on the bed next to him, "Look, you don't have to talk to me, just...don't do anything stupid, okay? No reckless business either. There's a fine line between them."

A sigh escaped from her lips, "And I don't plan on crossing it. I know the difference and I don't plan on being stupid any time soon."

Freddi's words started to cause suspicion. Something was up and he had a hunch about what. Dean fenced Freddi in with one hand, followed by another.

Trapped between the two hands, Freddi was lifted up in darkness until a sliver of light appeared above her with a large green eye studying her, "Please, tell me you're not thinking about running off on your own. That's suicide."

"I don't know what you're-" She started to spewing bull before Dean cut her off.

"You really think I buy that? Like you said in the car, you can't bullshit a bullshitter."

Freddi's stomach dropped, but she kept her gaze firmly planted away from his; she knew that if she looked up at him, then the hard shell that fought to protect her gooey center would begin to crack. She refused to talk for a good thirty seconds, despite Dean's efforts to be intimidating.

Eventually, she realized she wasn't getting anywhere with lying and she couldn't keep giving half-truths with Dean. Trying to keep her composure, she sighed, trying not give too much away, "You don't understand, Dean. I don't have a..."

"Don't, don't give me that 'there's not choice' crap. You can always choose," Dean scolded her like a younger sibling caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Let us help you."

In the cocoon of Dean's warm flesh, Freddi slowly looked up at him. She felt her strength slightly cracking when she saw that look in his eye, "No, Dean. You're wrong. I DON'T have a choice. I have to fix something because of my own screw up. I would have been done with this 'four-inch tall' bit years ago if I hadn't missed seeing something as a kid."

She looked away once more, hiding her face in her bent knees, letting eyes water a little as her voice begun to break, "You can't help me, Dean. You can't. This is my cross to carry, my past I have to face."

Dean eyes softened, feeling overwhelmingly protectively of the tiny girl. Sometimes it was easy to forget how deeply rooted her problems were. He was at a loss of how to comfort her, but he knew he needed to talk her how of it.

"What? What are you talking about? This is about your...size?" His deep voice was quiet, but filled her cupped space fully. Freddi could feel her hands clench a little as she slowly nodded her head.

Through a shaky tone, she quietly responded, "Believe me, I don't want to leave. I'd rather be drawn and quartered than to face my past, but I can't drag you and Sam down with me, not like this."

With a tears threatening to fall, she looked up at him. She needed to reach out to him somehow. She asked him empathetically, "How did you feel when you realized you had to back home? How did it feel to go somewhere that makes you sick to your stomach at the thought of possibly returning?"

That stopped him. Dean closed his mouth, remembering that heart-wrenching feeling of stepping foot in his old house after all those years.

"This...is different." he opened his hand a little more, so she was mostly exposed, and caught this look of utter disbelief of Freddi's face.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?" Her voice was breaking as a single tear fell down her face. "How is that different? I expected you of all people to understand."

"Look, no offense, but you're not exactly top of the food chain, y'know? How can you expect me to stay out of this with a clear conscious?"

Freddi wasn't going to change her mind so easily. She wasn't as weak as he made her out to be, "I'm high enough. Do you expect me to drag you and Sam from Arizona to Massachusetts with a clear conscious either?"

Dean raised his eyebrows at her, deliberating. She didn't seriously think she had a fighting chance against him, did she? The decision was crystal clear in his eyes.

"No," his hands quickly clamped shut around Freddi. Dean looked around for somewhere more secure to put her. He had to keep her from running...keep her from leaving.

Freddi was angry, absolutely livid, as she was tightly enclosed in a heated darkness. She fought and tried to claw at Dean's thick skin surrounding her, "Dean! Stop it! This isn't right! You can't do this! We all knew my being here wasn't going to last! We both have our own missions so let me complete mine! This isn't right and you know it!"

Dean glanced over at Sam, but Freddi's struggles were successfully muffled enough that the sleeping man didn't even bat an eye.

"I'm sorry, Freddi," he was stern, but he meant every word. "I'm not going to have your blood on my hands."

His grip shifted suddenly, and the tiny girl was struggling as she dangled between a finger and his thumb. He held open the breast pocket of his long-sleeve shirt and gave her a tight-lipped look before dropping her in and buttoning it up behind her.

Once again in darkness, Freddi scoffed at Dean, tears of anger shedding like nobody's business. In a flash of frustration, she kicked and banged against Dean's chest a couple times before stewing quietly in her own anger. Freddi's breathing was heavy and emotional. Freddi hid her face on her crossed arms as she sat in a tightened position.

Freddi sat there, angry, upset, hurt; hot tears and suppressed sobs vibrating from her body. Why couldn't Dean understand? She wasn't going to bring them along for her goal, when they have goals of their own. She hated that both brothers looked at Freddi like she was made of glass, but she was so much stronger than they thought, and treating her like she was so damn breakable just made her feel so much smaller.

In her shaky, broken-up voice, she softly said one last thing out loud before keeping quiet for the rest of the night, "Keeping me hostage won't prove any point for you, not like you want."

The kicks were hardly anything to Dean, but Freddi's words and the tears she was suppressing were difficult to swallow. He could feel her shaking, fighting her emotions, and he knew that she saw him as the bad guy right now, and he couldn't blame her. He just hoped she wouldn't hold a grudge against him.

Dean frowned, resigning himself to stony silence and folded his arms across his chest, partially to stop Freddi from shaking so much. Sleep did not come to him for hours.

A/N

Well, there you have it. Freddi hits a dilemma and tries to keep it secret, but typical Dean…he sees right through it. You guys don't think he's being a bad guy, do you? No, it'll be resolved next chapter. Hope you're still sticking with me through this and I hope you liked it!


	15. Chapter 13 Filler

A/N

Another Filler…Enjoy! I think you'll like this one and if you cry…-hands you virtual tissues-

Chapter 13.5

Deep down, Freddi could figure Dean's intentions were good, but it was hard to see when she was squished in the same position for hours. She was sore from her muscles being locked. She wasn't angry anymore, but the hurt and unsettlement still lingered.

Sam rose early after an unsettling dream, deciding to go get some coffee. The noise of the keys and the door opening and closing made a still-asleep Dean uncross his arms and turn away from the light.

The sudden movements made Freddi harshly tumble from one side of the pocket to the other. She groaned with every move she made, her joints protesting after being frozen for hours like she was. When her soreness eventually settled down, she was left to concentrate on her thoughts again. In the end, she didn't know what she felt more hurt about; the fact that Dean wouldn't let her go or that she didn't want to involve Sam and Dean in her problems, when she's trusted them and let them care about her for weeks.

She was still way passed reaching her threshold on being in this pocket. She started beating against him again, hoping she'd attempt to wake him up soon.

When Dean did wake up, it took him several minutes to remember what was bumping against his chest. There was a smirk on his lips as the bumping was still squirming with groans and irritated squeals.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up when Sam re-entered with coffee, watching his step carefully. Sam said to his brother, his eyes scanning the floor, "Morning."

"What are you doing? Freddi's with me."

"Oh...I thought," Sam frowned.

The moment Freddi stopped moving from Dean sitting up and other actions, she banged against his pocket again. She didn't like being taken advantage of because of her size and he knew it, yet, he still trapped her in his damn pocket like an animal. She yelled, hoping Dean would get the wax out of his ears and actually listen to her, "Dean! Dean, let me out!"

"Not while you still got crazy running through your brain," Dean replied loudly. Sam handed him a coffee with a troubled expression.

"She wants to go on a cross-country road trip solo."

His little brother frowned, clearly not agreeing with her ideas or his notion, "Well, you can't just lock her up, Dean."

"Can and will."

"I don't WANT to go, Dean! I HAVE to!" Freddi exploded in response, almost begging as she ranted without interruption. "I had a huge breakthrough that could bring me a large step closer to changing my size. I've got to at least check it out. I have to know."

Freddi stopped squirming and banging, sitting down and bending her knees, resting her chin on crossed arms. Her eyes were watering, but she was trying not to cry as she continued, her breaking voice getting a little quieter, and a little sadder, "Please, you've got to let me do this. I don't want to be four inches tall for the rest of my life. I don't want to be looked at like a glass doll, like one wrong look will break me. I don't want to think remaining this size could possibly be my fate. I can't...I can't think that or I'll go insane."

Tears finally started falling, despite her desires not to, "Being this size isn't a real life. I want to fall in love and maybe start a family. I want to believe I can have a real future...I need to believe it."

She was struck pretty badly as she was rendered silent, her only sounds were sounds of more suppressed sobs. She had nothing else to say. If they continued to hold her hostage, then she didn't care anymore, but she couldn't say she didn't try.

Sam and Dean's hearts seemed to shatter as they listened to her rant degrade into muffled tears. Sam gave a look that clearly said if he continued to hold Freddi captive, then he was a monster. Dean clenched his jaw as he silently reached down and undid the buttons. Soon after, his hand filled the pocket, finding Freddi's dainty body and withdrawing her into the light. They both frowned at her, concern written all over their faces.

God, Freddi felt exhausted, all that crying and little to no sleep. She avoided looking up at them, knowing the expression they probably had; if she looked up at them, then it would break her heart. She just felt partially guilty about everything, and she knew she was being stubborn, but she was genuinely nervous of what was going to be said and done.

Her voice remaining quiet as she finally spoke, "I'm sorry, Dean, for last night. I know your intentions were to protect me. I know you're scared of me getting hurt, but I...I just can't. I can't ask you or Sam to accompany me, knowing that it would distract from your mission. I care about both of you too much to get dragged into my mission too. You have to find your father."

The boys exchanged helpless looks. They had just made a girl cry, a girl they had come to care about almost like family. Dean shook his head silently; he was the one who had taken advantage of her size after all.

"Freddi," Sam finally cooed her name, bending down a bit towards her. "We want that same things for you...but running off on your own isn't going to prove anything to anyone, and you can't learn this...size-changing stuff if you don't make it there in one piece. Please, let us at least get you there."

"For all we know, Dad is camping out in Boston," Dean added. It was...mostly true.

She wanted to protest, mention something about the years of experience she already had, but the tone in her voices and the tears she shed siphoned her emotional strength. She just couldn't say no to them for as long as she hoped. With a deep breath, she choked out in a slow sigh, "Fine, I will stay with you. Just don't expect me not to be scared. Going home scares me beyond belief."

With a sense of dry humor lacing her voice, she eventually looked up at them with a faint smile, her face still red and puffy, "God, what have you done with my stubbornness?"

"We're pretty good at getting what we want," Dean replied, his smirk noticeably more gentle than usual in light of the emotional moment.

Sam smiled, minor tension disappearing from his shoulders as minor relief took over. He held meaningful contact with Freddi, trying to let her know that he understood how difficult it was to let them into this part of her life, "Thank you."

"You don't have much to thank me for," She responded as their eyes remained locked for a moment.

Dean sucked in a breath, "This...This isn't a life or death situation for you?"

"I've had fifteen years of travel time on my own protecting and defending myself," Freddi started to explain. "I've rarely ever needed actual help until my broken leg and the funny thing is I'm glad I got hurt because I probably wouldn't have met you guys and I wouldn't have trusted anybody as I do. I didn't want to leave the closest things to best friends I have-."

Dean put a finger firmly to Freddi's mouth, cutting her off.

"Just shut up for a second," he said gently. When he released his hold on her lips, he was already going for his duffel bag within arm's length. "We'll come back to this case. You just tell us where to go."

Freddi crossed her arms at him and gave him a look of annoyance before pushing his finger away; well, she pushed and he just reeled back his hand in reaction. Her expression was still quite peeved as she answered, "The ruins of my village reside in the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts."

Were they actually giving up a hunt for her? It didn't seem to make sense, so she tried to convince them not to. Part of her reasoning was definitely wanting to delay going back home for as long as she could, "Are you sure about this? It'll take at least a week to get there and back to Phoenix and by that time, whatever creature that is killing these people will disappear for another half century. I think we should go to Arizona first."

Dean nodded, looking relieved. He raised Freddi to eye level, trying to make her feel like an equal, "We'll get this S.O.B., then get you to Salem first thing. Capiche?"

"Trust me, I'm in no hurry," she responded softly, meeting his eyes with a subtle hint of dread in her expression.

Sam and Dean exchanged concerned and mildly confused looks. Dean told her, "Alright, just don't give me a scare like that again."

Dean set her down on the bed without further ado and went to go drown his emotions in alcohol. Sam, left alone with Freddi, sat on the edge of the bed near her, "So, you really think this...size changing thing is out there?"

"I have to, Sam," Freddi answered his question as she lied down on her stomach. A full night without sleep didn't do well on her already exhausted body. "If there isn't, then I've wasted most of my life. What the hell have I been doing for the last fifteen years?"

"You could have a normal life," Sam stated to obvious, adding because he knew about Freddi's stubborn streak. "Please, tell me you're not going to keep hunting."

"I can't have a normal life at this size," Freddi answered, feeling slightly conflicted at the same time. "I'm still considering other factors, but I want to have hunting as an option. Hunting has been a family business for generations, so I don't want to give it up at the drop of a hat. I want to at least try it out, test the waters."

She looked up at Sam, wondering what was going through that smart head of his. Then, Freddi asked, truly wanting to know how he would answer, "How about you? Do you intend to keep helping or eventually settle down? Do you see yourself falling back in love after the way you lost Jessica or are you going to keep people at arm's length?"

Freddi's question was a little harder for Sam to answer than he expected. He started out defensive, but found it harder when she was looking up at him so innocently like that. Finally, he sighed, "I...I don't know. I just don't. I'd like to...have a normal, bread and butter life someday, but that just seem unrealistic sometimes."

Sam gave her both a small smile and a funny look as he quickly changed the subject at seeing her almost falling asleep, "You, uh, know it's eight in the morning, right? I guess you didn't get much shut-eye in Dean's pocket, huh?"

"I think I had other things on my mind," Freddi yawned, trying to keep her watery eyes open. "I didn't any sleep period, so don't be surprised if I end up passing out soon."

"Well, I think we're packing up to leave soon," Sam said; sure enough, Dean shoving clothes into his bag and walking to the bathroom to fetch his toiletries.

"You can sleep in the car. We've still got about eight hours of driving before Phoenix," Sam laid out a polite palm next to her, hoping he didn't make her feel smaller by the notion.

Freddi slowly made her way into his hand, before lying down against the indent of his palm. She let out another yawn as she felt eyelids get heavier by the moment. She looked up Sam, their eye locking for a moment; he must be having a field day, seeing her so exhausted, probably another "cute" factor in his book. She still gave him a weak smile before slowly fading into a much-needed sleep within a few minutes.

"Aw, that's cute," Dean commented, giving his little bro a hard time about being a gentleman to the tiny girl.

Sam laughed as he got in the car, "She's adorable! Come on, dude. Look at that face and tell me you don't want to go save a kitten or something."

Dean nearly snorted. Starting up the engine, he gave Freddi a sidelong glance, "Don't you think we have enough on our hands? I don't need a freakin' kitten."

But Sam could see the smile hidden just under the surface.

A/N

Who else is sighing in relief that Freddi's stubbornness didn't stand a chance against Sam and Dean? I know I am. Lol. I should have more soon, but I hope you liked this chapter.


	16. Chapter 14

A/N

Well, now we're back to the case and here's where Freddi badassness and usefulness start to shine. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Freddi remained in a peaceful sleep for a pretty long time. By the time she had woken up, she was in a different motel room, resting very comfortably on one of the beds. There wasn't a clock nearby, so she had no clue what time it was or long she had been asleep. She seemed alone in the room and there was no way Sam and Dean would be in the bathroom together, so where were they? How long had they been gone?

The rumble of the Impala was audible even through the thin walls. Soon followed two familiar voices, engaged in heavy discussion as Sam and Dean entered the motel room.

"But that doesn't make sense," Sam said, slightly puzzled. "If Gregory's dead, then why is the god still demanding dues be paid?"

Dean shut the door shut the door and immediately stripped off his cheap sports coat, "I don't know. I say we find a summoning spell and ask the big kahuna himself."

"Yeah..." Sam muttered as he took off his own jacket and laid it out on the bed. He smiled at Freddi, a little stressed, and lowered a hand out for her, "Hey. You look better. Hungry?"

"I feel a lot better," Freddi responded, cracking her neck to relieve some tension in her neck. "I don't feel very hungry, but I probably should eat something. What time is it?"

She looked up at Sam as she crawled onto his hand, eventually cracking right to business with them, "So, what have you found regarding the case?"

"Six pm," Sam's exasperation seemed to melt away with the contact of her slight body weight in the palm of his hand. She was so light...it was still such a marvel to him sometimes. Sam set her down on the edge of the table and sat down to unwrap the sandwiches. The table tremored as Dean leaned back in his chair and put his feet up. He was flipping through an old textbook they had picked up on their way to the motel.

"Well, we know the vic, Greg Saunders, had sold his soul to the Aztec god of rain and plenty. He died of supposedly natural causes, but the ritual required of him was passed onto other people for some reason."

Freddi had always been intrigued when they talked about their cases, but she somehow felt helpful this time. There was one thing she wanted to clarify, thankful she still remembered names, "So it wasn't Huizilopochtli responsible? It's Tlaloc? Wow, I think I need to do some more research on the Aztecs."

She meant for her last statement as a slight joke, but then she got serious, "If you guys are actually going to summon him, then please be careful. Tlaloc was praised for the benefits he gave, but he was also feared for his wrath involving his control of the weather."

"...and had a thing for having his high priest rip the still-beating heart out of the sacrificial victim," Dean informed them from behind the book. Leaning forward, he put the book down in front of Freddi and tapped a gruesome illustration.

Freddi's nose slightly crinkled in reaction of the picture as Dean continued to inform her about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright messed up about this case. This Greg was knee deep in some serious trouble and this can of worms wasn't going to be easy to stop.

"There has to be a way to stop this demented deity. It reminds me of that freaky scarecrow we encountered a few weeks ago."

Suddenly, she had an idea. Freddi asked them, with that look in her eye she had another theory, "Hey! What if it's the same concept? What if there's a source to his power? You said it yourself, Greg is dead and Tlaloc is still out for blood. What if Tlaloc latched onto something to anchor himself to this reality, just so he could finish the sacrificial ritual?"

"Sounds plausible..." Dean gave a small start, doing a double take. He sounded impressed as he asked, "I'm sorry, since when did you become an Aztec monster expert?"

Freddi raised an eyebrow at him and stifled a small laugh, "Dean, I have eidetic memory and I lived in a library with nothing else to do but read. I'm kind of like a walking-talking encyclopedia with a lot of random information."

"Alright...Let's test that," Dean took his legs off the table, folded his arms on the edge, and leaned in with a smart-ass grin plastered on his face. "Is Paris Hilton a natural blonde?"

Freddi inwardly winced at knowing the answer to that pointless answer, but she was just as quick to respond with a smirk, "Try brunette, smart-ass. Her eyes are also brown. She just wears blue contact lenses."

"Eh, the more you know," seemingly satisfied, Dean's smile widened and he raised his head. He wiggled his eyebrows at his brother, who laughed at the ridiculousness and rolled his eyes, not giving a rat's ass about most celebrities.

"...Anyway," Sam reminded them about the case on hand. "I think we should start talking to Gregory's family tomorrow. And, um, Freddi, you can come for that if you don't mind hiding in plain sight."

Dean was such a dork and it didn't fail to make Freddi laugh, but it wasn't for too long. Sam's request lightly distracted her; remembering the flaming fridge incident, Freddi wasn't too keen on having a repeat if things went wrong, so it made her a little hesitant.

"I don't think the hiding is such an issue with me. Are you sure, though? The last time I tagged along, it wasn't pretty, during and afterwards."

There was a round of conflicted looks all around. Suddenly, Dean piped up, "I've got an idea."

He dug out his cell phone and put it on the table. He looked at the tiny girl with hard scrutiny. The phone was a little bigger than she was. Would she even be able to push the button and call them? "Can you use this?"

Freddi nodded her head as she looked at the flipped open phone. The buttons weren't that hard for her to push, "Yeah, I can use it, as long as it's open like this. I don't have the strength to open it when it's closed."

Then, she had another idea, "I can also use the computer too, if have a pen to type on the keyboard. It's easier than you think."

"Perfect," Sam broke into a disbelieving laugh as he booted up his laptop and set it down on the table towards the back.

"So, you can hang back and be our Alfred in the Bat Cave," Dean seemed exceedingly pleased by the comparison.

Freddi got a kick out of hearing that from Dean. She was impressed with his comic book reference, but she still couldn't help herself with some attitude. "Good comparison. You know, I didn't peg you to be a comic geek."

"Come on! Who doesn't like frickin' Batman? He's the biggest bad-ass on the century!" Dean insisted, shirking "geek" immediately, much to Sam's amusement.

Freddi shrugged her shoulders as she laughed, "I see. He is quite bad-ass...of DC comics, but who's the bad-ass of Marvel? I say Iron Man."

"Hands down-" Dean was caught mid-sentence by a pointed look from Sam, who seemed to be getting a huge kick out of this. He bit his lip and pretended to search something avidly on the web.

"You got the wi-fi password?" He abruptly changed the subject, to avoid his image being shattered any more than it already had been.

"Nice cover," Freddi snickered sarcastically with a bit of snark in her voice. Then, she mentioned, "You're doing more work tomorrow, then why are we getting things set up for me already?

She was reminding them to rest a little before immediately going into work-mode all night. They needed just a small break every once in a while; their heads were clearer and they worked so much better that way.

"Just making a plan," Dean stood up abruptly-from her perspective at least-, and started to take off his shirt for bed. He flipped on a random channel on TV, which happened to be a cooking network, and laid down. His eyes closed with a weariness beyond his years.

Sam finished up what he was doing after he started hearing his brothers snoring. The TV station that was still playing allowed him to share a few unexpected chuckles with Freddi over the unrealistically stocked kitchen in the cooking show.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?" He asked out of the blue, standing up.

"I like sleeping in that makeshift bed we've recently been setting up for me. I don't care how much sleep I've had today. I am not staying up another night," Freddi wasn't going to spend another day sleeping away. Even if she had to force herself, she was going to sleep that night.

"You got it," Sam picked her up without asking and set her on the nightstand in between beds. After rearranging the alarm clock and the cheap lamp, he folded up one of his clean flannel plaid shirts. Sam quietly announced when he was finished. Then, he went on to change in the bathroom and brush his teeth. Every once in a while, Freddi would subtly enter his mind, but he almost pushed that down just as quick He left the bathroom and collapsed in bed as he turned out the light. A small smile curved his lips but turned to look at Freddi before falling asleep.

There was a faint smell to Sam's shirt and it seemed to calm her down. She turned her back to the sleeping man, her heart slightly fluttering. Before she fell asleep, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Sam could feel the same way she did some day. She didn't think it was possible, but there was always part of her that wished it was true.

Two days later, Dean was leaning over Freddi as he finished setting her up for her morning alone again. His tie kept bumping against her, falling into her face, "Alright. You got Google, the archive of Aztec cultural history...my cell phone."

Then, Dean went through the drill that he always went through with her, "Now...run it by me again."

"If anybody enters the room, stay out of sight and hide under the bed. Don't make a sound and don't come out under you return and give me an all clear," Freddi recited the same drill they've established for weeks, biting back a small growl of annoyance. Every time she tried to push the tie away, it just kept coming back at her with a vengeance. "Dean, I swear to God, your tie is annoying the living tar out of me. Stand up straight so I don't have to deal with it anymore."

"Good girl," Dean took her order with a glance downward, frankly amused by the revelation. Sam came up to them, fully dressed in his inexpensive suit, equipped with handgun and fake ID.

"Dude, comb your hair," Dean wrinkled his nose. "You look like John Lennon trying to be a CEO."

"My hair's fine, Dean!" Sam said, annoyed.

Dean looked unconvinced but didn't bother pushing it.

"You've got my number, so call if you got anything," Sam reminded her kindly. Keys jingled and Dean had to almost force him out the door.

Once the door was closed, Freddi let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, she liked these guys; they were the closest thing she had to family right now, but when they were both in the room, she always had at least one pair of eyes on her. It felt nice to have some time to herself and she hoped she could still have that when she successfully changed her size.

Freddi was still in her pajamas, so she walked over to the zip-lock beg, that held the small amount of clothes she had, and got dressed into something better; she was thankful she knew how to make her own clothes because if not, she would have been screwed. The thought of wearing doll clothes disgusted her; Freddi didn't hesitate to refuse when the boys even suggested it.

Once she was in a workout styled outfit, shorts and a cropped shirt, she started looking up things online about the Aztec culture and their gods. She was yanked out of her research as the phone rang hours later. It was so loud! She answered it as quick as she could, just so her headache would stop, "You boys miss me already? It's only been a few hours. What do you need?"

"I need you to confirm an alibi for us," Sam started into the phone. Dean kept the cops busy while Sam quickly explained how to hack into a security camera. "...Good. Now, click on 'history.' Last night, by the docks. The woman we interviewed said her sister started running near the docks, but we're getting the vibe she did something else to cause her death."

"You got it," Freddi put him on speakerphone as she worked, following his directions to the letter. "Okay, I'm watching the feed and I see two women, but one of them starts running, like the sister claimed, but there's some kind of faint haze following her. I can't really describe it."

"Okay, we'll definitely keep an eye out, head down to the docks and see if we can get an EMF read on it," Sam glanced over at Dean, who was mouthing for him to hurry up. He added, in a tone of concern, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing just fine, Sam," Freddi chuckled. "This isn't the first time you've left me alone, but it was nice of you to ask."

Thank God, Sam couldn't see the slight blush on her cheeks. She continued though, like she wasn't even bothered to be flattered with his concern, "I've been reading up online about the Aztec culture. Man, these people are seriously twisted!"

"You're telling me. Hopefully this will be over soon and we can...move on," Sam knew what came next would be far more unpleasant for her. "I'll call you if we find something worth telling about. If not, we'll bring back some lunch around three."

He hung up, and looked down at the phone in his hand. While talking to her over the phone, it was easily forgotten that she was the size of his hand.

Freddi's gaze fell when he mentioned their next destination, but she didn't let him know the extent of it bothering her, as she gave her goodbye. She shook away her emotions as she resumed her research. She still couldn't believe there was a time when civilization would slaughter up their own peers the sake of some deities. Greek, Norse and Roman mythology had the religious story of gods, but the people didn't hold religious human sacrifices for them, other than food and animal offerings.

She eventually stopped reading up on the culture and took a break. If Freddi kept going at it then she could have been pushing herself too hard. She trekked over to the pillows and lied down. She didn't fall asleep; she was only relieving some stress off her back.

Dean had been humming Asia the entire way back from the docks, even as they were ordering from the Thai place!

"Dean! For the love of God!" Sam raised his voice when they were finally alone in the motel room. Well, almost alone. They shed their jackets and loosened their ties, glad to be free of them. Then, he scooped up Freddi in both hands.

"Miss me?" Sam was reminded of how happy he was for the added company. He had worried for her being alone in the motel… and actually missed her.

Freddi pretended to ponder in thought before responding jokingly, a smart-aleck smirk draping across her face, "…Not really."

Changing the subject to what was more important, she asked, "What did you guys find out?"

"You were onto something about latching onto things," Dean pulled out a chair to the table and sat down to unwrap the boxes of steaming, spicy, Thai food. "Except it's the people themselves."

Sam sat down, but kept Freddi at eye level, talking to her as an equal. He paused for a moment, noticing her exposing outfit and his eyes graced her small form up and down twice in a subtle way, "It's uh…it's the people. The spirit of the god is possessing them moments before the kill, then it's gone."

Dean stabbed a dumpling and nodded in agreement as Sam put Freddi onto the table, "Which would explain why it sounded like a demonic possession with the lack of control."

Freddi understood everything that was said. Now, there was only one more thing to discuss, "Now, we just have to figure how to kill this son of a bitch. I've been researching about the gods and the culture, and frankly, I am having trouble. The only things I seemed to find about them were the stuff I already knew about him: Tlaloc controlled the weather; he had the power to control disease; he's always illustrated with four jars and a snake staff in his hands; he had an older brother, a wife and a son."

It was the best things she could tell the guys. Hours of research and it was the only stuff that made sense.

Then she started to think of other ends that didn't meet up, "But, why did he choose to latch onto these people? He killed an older man and that woman. I don't get why they were chosen when he was in favor for child sacrifices. We have one more target before he disappears for decades and I for one want to kill this guy."

She loved unveiling puzzles; it was one of her favorite part about working with these boys, but this case was hard to crack. She was stumped but something in her mind was telling her 'Challenge accepted.'

Suddenly, Sam nearly choked on his stir fry. Freddi and Dean were staring at him wide-eyed. Sam placed his hands on the table, "He's completing the picture. He's going to kill a kid next."

Freddi's jaw dropped at the connection, "Sam, that's brilliant! He has to kill a child, symbolizing his son. Aztec rituals usually occur at midnight, so we still have time to find out who the target is and save him, but we have to spend the time that I do have to find out a way to stop this guy."

Then, she suggested, beginning to feel a little restless, "I don't think I can do all this research on my own and still make that deadline. I'll need help from one of you while the other keeps an eye on the second victim's family. Odds are the next target is associated with her.

"Dibs on the family," Dean immediately announced. "Besides, research is Sammy's first life."

He winked at Sam, who didn't look as bummed as he should have. Sam simply looked at Freddi and gave her a shrug.

Freddi returned Sam's shrug as she smirked at Dean's predictability. She knew he would immediately volunteer for stake-out duty, but she didn't mind. Sam was definitely going to be easier to being with in an academic environment.

"Let's get to work then," Sam cut up a manageable portion for Freddi before pulling up his laptop to the side and setting to work. His tie was off, so that wasn't an issue, thankfully, but the table was kind of crowded; there was limited space for her.

Freddi managed to catch his attention, "Is there any chance we can shift our work station somewhere else? I don't have much room here."

"Oh, right. Sorry," taking note of her situation, Sam moved his laptop and plastic bin of Thai first, then came back for her. Dean continued eating with a thoughtful frown on his face. He muttered as he began to type. "So…Does the woman have a son; that's my question."

Freddi started to pace again, remembering reading the woman's file, "Not biologically. Her file said she fostered and then adopted a little boy three years before she got married. Now, her husband has taken custody of the boy and raises him with his son, her stepson. He could go after either boy."

She was thankful she took that break when she did or she would have burned herself out way too early. Freddi was on a mental exploration of the things she already read, to see if she missed something, groaning when she came up with nothing, "The answer is just staring at me in the face and I just can't see it!"

"We need to get to those boys," Sam said.

"I got 'em," Dean responded, pulling his coat on and shoving the last few dumplings into his mouth. Sam was already typing furiously and scanning the web pages as Dean barked, heading in the direction of the door, "Figure out how to kill this son of a bitch."

There barely any acknowledgement from Freddi's end as Dean left. She was too trapped in her thoughts. There was something there in all of her research that was irking her, but she couldn't seem to unlock it. Her memory chose now to glitch.

'Come on, Freddi, think! Think! It's right there in front of you! Remember it!'

Freddi continued pacing in her thoughts as she went through every little thing she learned about Tlaloc. It wasn't until she looked at one of the pictures, on the laptop screen of him holding his serpent staff, that she had an epiphany.

'Wait a minute. His staff!'

She yelled to Sam, her eyes looking less cloudy than before, "Sam, look up information about that staff!"

"That's it!" Sam breathed after he was done typing with motivation, leaning so far over her, she was completely engulfed with his shadow. Excitement read in his voice as he looked at her. "We can summon him and knock his staff away…it's how he makes his bonds. Break the staff, and the bonds are broken."

Pressure from Freddi's skull started to decrease as she cracked her neck, and let out a sigh of relief. She managed to stop pacing and calm down enough as she looked up at Sam, angled right over her. If she hadn't been used to his large form around her, then she would have slightly jumped. Then, she looked at the time; they still had two hours until midnight. If they were going to stop him, they needed to do this soon, "Call Dean immediately and let him know what we found. We don't have much time left."

Sam already had Dean's number pulled up and was dialing just as Freddi suggested the call.

"What've you got?" Dean answered by the third ring.

"The staff. Tlaloc has a staff; it's the source of his powers. We're going to summon him, try to draw the staff away and break it."

"Wait- no you're not. I'm coming-"

"Someone's got to warn those kids!" Sam reminded him.

"Sammy…don't-"

But, Sam had already hung up the phone.

"Sam, are you insane? You can't do this alone," Freddi told him, not only worried for his safety, but also trying to challenge him. "How the hell are you going to distract him and draw the staff away from him at the same time?"

"I know," Sam answered, closing his laptop and scooped her up to eyelevel. "That's why I need your help."

Freddi's eyes widened and she didn't know whether her stomach dropped from his request or the quick speed of elevation.

"What-? How the hell am I-?" She started off, thinking he going a crazy, before meeting his eyes; he had this look on his face that he knew she couldn't say no to. Ultimately, she sighed in defeat, "Just tell me what you want me to do."

A/N

Ooh…wanna know what Sam needs her for? Tune in next time to find out. I hope you like this chapter. Can't wait to know what you think of it.


	17. Chapter 15

A/N

The end of the case and the inner struggles of returning home. I hope you like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. And here is the answer to how Freddi is able to help.

Chapter 15

A man coffee-colored skin appeared suddenly in the middle of what looked like an unmarked room. His eyes were perpetually bloodshot, and he wore simple robes with green war paint smeared all over his face.

Foolish mortals should know better than to summon him on the eve of his final harvest. He tried to step forward, but found himself unable to pursue further, due to a paralyzing symbol drawn in a large circle at his feet. Strangely enough, there was no one in sight.

"Why do you hide, spineless warrior?" He spoke in a dead guttural language.

"I'm not hiding, you unobservant deity? Freddi responded in the same language; another perk for her memory was being able to learn different languages.

She stood a good distance away, but still out in the open. She mentally prayed under her tough façade, 'Please, Sam. I hope you know what you're doing.'

"Fascinating," Tlaloc uttered, his eyes dropping to the tiny woman. He moved his staff from one hand to the other and narrowed his eyes at her. "Let me guess…You made a poor deal, and now you want me to return you to your former beauty?"

"Wrong," Freddi responded, keeping her feet firmly planted in one place.

'Beauty?' She thought to herself, 'What Aztec crack is he smoking?'

"Then you are a small demon," he decided. "Regardless, you will find no compassion from me. However, if you are willing to make a fair trade…I will consider restoring you to a larger height."

Sam frowned in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment. He was watching Freddi's face and reactions; was she considering it? Would she take the deal, just to feel normal?

As tempting as the offer was, Freddi responded with a determined answer, "I don't believe you. I was born this size, Tlaloc, so there's nothing to restore. I don't want or need your compassion and I wouldn't consider it, even if it meant losing my life."

She wasn't going to twist her integrity for the sake of her size, but there was a small part of her that would wonder what would have happened if she was born normal sized. She knew though, if she was born normal, then she wouldn't have met Sam and Dean; she wouldn't trade the time she had with them for the world.

"Release me!" Tlaloc pounded his staff at the ground, and the Earth began to quake. A crack appeared in the concrete and Sam knew it was time to move. He jumped Tlaloc from behind.

The god was prepared. He was thrown to the floor, but kept a firm hand on his staff. Tlaloc's eyes become a terrifying opaque red, and the staff glowed a similar color. His only sights were only on Sam and didn't focus on the tiny girl, who was putting distance between her and the action.

Sam could feel his insides begin to boil as he wrestled for control. Finally, as his vision clouded over, he pulled out his machete and brought it down swiftly on Tlaloc's wrist. The hand came off, staff and all. With a mighty cry, the god clawed at his bloody stump, hissing foreign obscenities at him. Tlaloc lunged for his staff, but Sam raised it over head and smashed it on the floor.

"No!"

Sam hastened to Freddi, crouching down beside her and collected her in his hands, protectively cupped her to his chest. Tlaloc disintegrated in a gruesome display of veins covering his entire body until he was a single, glowing body, then he was gone.

Other than a small cut on her arm, Freddi really didn't get hurt, but her heart was completely livid from the adrenaline. Her head would probably be killing her later, but for now, her mind was too exhausted to care, as she caught her rapid breaths. Being small and seeing that was a little scary, but it wasn't anything she didn't expect.

'So, this is what it feels like to be a hunter,' the thought entered her mind.

Once Freddi breathing calmed down, her adrenaline levels did the same, "You did it, Sam."

She leaned in against him, feeling herself getting more and more tired by the second. She didn't really feel like fighting it; she hadn't had a good adrenaline crash since the first day Sam had found her in that mousetrap. With one last smile, Freddi quietly muttered before falling asleep, "You did it."

"WE did it," Sam corrected her, looking down at her. Sam kept her cupped to him with care, completely encasing her with his hand. With his free hand, he dialed up his brother.

"Dean," he spoke through the phone. "We did it. Tlaloc's staff is smashed, and so is he."

"Good. These people think I'm trying to kill them. Why do they always think I'm trying to kill them?"

Sam raised his eyebrows, thankful his brother couldn't see the look on his face.

"I don't know," he lied. "Get over to the empty warehouse on Sycamore lane, survey the damage."

"Alright. Hey, I went back to the motel to pack. Where's Freddi?"

"With me."

There was a long pause and he could hear the angst through the phone before Dean responded with a, "You've got to be kidding me…"

Freddi came back to reality, about an hour later with a ping in her head. She could have slept more, but she could practically smell the annoyance in the atmosphere from the two brothers. She opened her eyes to see her in the car again. She was closer to Sam, so he was the first to acknowledge her awakened state, but before he could say anything, she beat him to the punch and asked him, "What happened?"

They leaned of her, lying in the middle of the front seat of the car. They appeared to be stopped just off a highway in the middle of nowhere. The subtle smell of Dean's favorite beer lingered in the air. "We had to haul ass because Dean scared them into dialing 911."

"I did no- look, they didn't listen!" Dean scowled, then directed his full attention on Freddi. "How ya feeling?"

She flashed a tired smile, "I feel good. I was able to help. Tlaloc was stopped, and I haven't have a good adrenaline crash in months."

Her happiness was overshadowed by her usual poker face when she realized that since the case was over, there was nothing to distract her from their next destination…the ruins of her village.

"I told Dean how incredible you were," Sam gave her a gentle nudge.

"Yeah, and almost got her killed," Dean added darkly.

"She was fine! I didn't let her get hurt."

"You're missing the point, Sammy."

They continued to argue overhead.

Freddi could only handle about a minute of their bickering before she interrupted them, "Enough! What have I told you about arguing about me like I'm not right here?"

She addressed Dean, "Dean, I knew what I was doing, and I didn't really get hurt. It's only a scratch and it's already happened, so why make a deal about it?"

They were both taken aback. At first Dean went to scold her, but he shut his mouth again. Freddi had been through enough. He picked her up by the back of her shirt and placed her on his shoulder, in between his jacket and shirt collar.

"Just…Rest up, both of you. I need clear heads with me tomorrow."

The vibration from Dean's voice went through her as he spoke, causing a light shutter to run through her back. She was relieved she was able to shut both Sam and Dean up with her outburst. It gave her some peace and quiet as she started to relax in the crook of his neck. She slowly let out a yawn, a small squeak escaping her lips in the aftermath.

Dean made a fond noise, subtly acknowledging her. Though he'd never admit it, he treasured these quiet moments like this, just the three of them in the car-with Sam snoring quietly against the window and Freddi curled up into his neck. It was peaceful and something about it felt like home.

Four days, two packs of beer, and 4.5 tanks of gas later, the impala rolled past a sign. Dean went to point it out to the tiny girl, but it was unnecessary; she had already seen it.

"Salem, Massachusetts."

Freddi was resting on the dashboard when she saw the road sign. There officially wasn't any turning back. She gave Dean directions to this field on the southern border of town. Sam carried her on his shoulder as they got out of the car. A lump developed in her throat as they got closer and closer to where she gave them instructions to.

"Stop," she said darkly in an almost mechanical monotone. "Put me down, Sam."

Sam stopped abruptly, but was slow to pick her up. Her let Freddi climb into his hands, and Dean stood a stony guardian as he watched Sam deposit her amongst the tall grass. She was scarcely visible. Both brothers watched as Freddi bent back a few blades of grass to show them what she saw. Her hands were obviously shaking as parts of a house in ruins stood.

"My God…" Sam whispered. It was so surreal to think there was a tiny city in the middle of a field. He marveled at how the whole thing hadn't been trampled at some point.

Dean dropped down on one knee and leaned in to get a good look at it. He had a few comments referencing to the smurf's village in mind, but for once, he kept them to himself. Both he and his brother were straining to keep their eyes on the tiny girl. For once, they felt like the giants; they were the ones out of place in what was left of this town.

Freddi took a deep breath before walking deeper into the grass, almost forgetting about the boys. Once she was completely out of sight, she bolted into a run, almost forgetting about the giants she left behind. The grass grew very tall over the years, but she could still see the town through the blades, memories bursting throughout her mind and the only place she could think of going at the moment to calm herself down was her tulips, if they still existed.

Her heart completely dropped with she reached the area of her tulips. Most of them were completely gone, the earth in craters like they were ripped out of the ground. Some flowers still remained…but most of them were bent and snapped at the stems. She found herself having a panic attack for the first time in years at the sight.

Freddi felt her throat completely close up, making it difficult for it to breath. Why the hell did she think she was strong enough to come here? Even with Sam and Dean's help, she wasn't strong enough. Still struggling to breathe, she crashed down to her knees, her hand clutching her heart.

She tried to calm herself down, and tried to let herself breathe again. It took a good two minutes of panic before Freddi's airways seemed to open. She was snapped out of her thoughts, 'Did I just leave Sam and Dean without warning? God, they must be worried as hell.'

She started to make her way back to the village entrance, her hands still trembling at the memory flashes of the flames and the corpses. Freddi's eyes were still watery, but she didn't want to cry. When she passed by what used to be her house, and her next destination, she started to think of good memories she had with her family, causing a fraction of a smile to appear on her face.

She finally reached the boys, but they seem engrossed in their own conversation. She debated speaking up, but she ultimately kept her mouth shut as she listened in on what they were saying. She stayed right where she was, a couple feet from Sam's colossal thigh.

"Can you see her at all?"

"No, I'm afraid I'll step on a building if I go look for her though."

Dean chuckled, clearly grappling with the sight of a tiny town, "I feel like friggin' Godzilla."

"Ha-ha…well, maybe it's better this way, y'know? This is obviously painful for her…She probably wants a little space."

Unaware of her proximity to their conversation, Dean seated himself next to Sam in the grass after patting it down for any small structures, "I hope she finds what she's looking for. It'd be a miracle if the pages haven't been ruined by now."

Freddi slowly backed away, without making much noise, and reentered her village. It didn't really change the pit in her stomach, but something about the boys in close proximity seemed to help. She knew where she needed to go next, her old home; the basic frame structure was still standing, but the walls were non-existent.

She made her way to the left side of the ruin as she pulled up a memory from when she was five and used it like a map, dropping to her knees when she was at the location. She didn't have anything to dig with, so she just used her hands. The dirt and rocks were rough on her hands but that didn't stop her. It took about five minutes to finally reach the reason she was there, a lockbox that held the only things she needed. Freddi slowly pulled the lockbox from all those years ago and rested it on her homemade jeans.

Remembering Dean's words, she almost didn't want to open it. What if he was right? What if the pages were ruined? A few minutes of speculation drove her to keep it closed but to take it with her. She wanted to be with Sam and Dean when she opened it.

Sam and Dean fixed their gazes towards the ground at the sound of rustling grass. Soon enough, a tiny girl poked her head out from between two blades of dying grass to peer up at them. When she emerged, they leaned in unconsciously to look at her better.

"You found it!" Sam noticed the box.

Remembering what she said about size-changing, Dean was unusually intent. Would they be looking at a normal sized woman soon?

"I haven't opened it yet. This box…This box hasn't been touched in fifteen years; how am I to know if…if it's legible. I wanted you guys to be here for this," she responded, looking down at the family history she had clutched to her chest. The pain under her expression, from having to go back to her personal purgatory, was clearly obvious.

"Open it," Sam simply urged her gently.

She knelt back down to unlatch the opening, the box creaking at the hinges as it opened. Among the all the dusty, old memorabilia laid the dusty, black leather journal that she went there for. Freddi's hands were shaky as she lifted the journal and started flipping through the pages. The writing was faded and old and filled with drawings and black and white pictures, but it wasn't what she needed…until she split apart two pages. Words were only 25% readable, but it was there. It just needed some work.

Shock covered her face as she sighed in relief, uttering in quiet, short breaths, "I was right."

Freddi looked up at them in relief and slight joy, "He wrote down the directions. It's barely legible, but it can be translated."

Their eyes widened and something unfamiliar lurched in Sam's stomach.

"It's a spell?" He guessed. He didn't have a chance of reading that tiny print, so they waited on beaded breath for her to continue.

Freddi looked up at them like they were crazy. She made it very clear to Sam and Dean, "What? No, they're instructions. I'm not going to repeat the whole 'every family line had a genetic ability,' again. I've already told you about it. Every Everheart had this ability. It's in our blood. From what I can read right now, it talks about family and remembering who runs through your veins. This is NOT witchcraft. It never has been and it never will be."

There was a clear relief that she wasn't using dark magic to achieve her end.

"What are you waiting for? Give this baby a test drive!" Dean encouraged her, giving her a toothy smile and nudging her side with one finger.

Freddi did warn them, "Until I know exactly what is written, I'm not sure what'll really happen. If I mess up, then it could probably still work, but only temporary. I have no way to know for sure."

This seemed fine with both brothers, as long as she didn't get hurt.

"As long as you're not going to grow a tail or something, go for it," Sam smiled patiently. An excited buzz filled the air between all of them.

She looked closely at the handwritten font in front of her. It wasn't sharp and words were smudged together. It would take a while to fully translate the wordings. She was able to read the first line clearly:

"This is a procedure of emotions. Keep your mind clear and your family in your heart."

As she read what she could, she was able to follow about clearing her head, but family? What was she to do about family when she didn't really have one anymore? It took only a few seconds to fill her heart with the memories of the family she lost…and the brothers that accepted her into theirs. She did her best reading the lines after, even though she knew they were wrong; she felt the error in her gut, but she kept going, until the very last word.

She started feeling dizzy, so she closed her eyes to keep her concentration and push through her headache. It felt like she was being stretched and twisted in different directions. It wasn't something she was familiar with. She kept her eyes closed until the feeling died down and vanished and when she opened her eyes, everything was different; she wasn't four inches tall anymore.

A/N

Oooh! Things are getting a little better for Freddi. Getting a chance to be normal side for even a small amount of time is such a great thing to consider. Tune next time to see what happens next. I hope you liked this chapter and I will update soon. Bye!


	18. Chapter 16

A/N

Well, here's day one of a normal sized Freddi. It will be awkward, but it gets sweet though near the end.

Chapter 16

Sam and Dean tried to listen to what Freddi was saying, but her barely there whisper was extremely quiet…As she continued to read, a glow began to surround her, like she was multiple places at once or vibrating at an incredible rate. Instinct made them want to reach for Freddi, but they held back. She was growing right before her eyes. Out of all of the impossible things they'd seen, this topped the list.

The two men could barely believe their eyes when a few moments later, a full-grown woman sat in the grass, eyes squeezed shut in concentration. Sam watched as Freddi opened her eyes, seeing her face in full detail for the first time. She was beautiful.

"You- wow…" Sam stuttered, speechless. She looked a little woozy so he reached out and grasped her shoulder, so she wouldn't fall over.

Freddi's jaw dropped in surprise at her current perspective as her wide eyes shifted from Sam to Dean and back to Sam again. She almost didn't recognize them or Sam's voice; his voice wasn't as loud but the gentleness lacing it was still the same. He must have seen her dizziness because he reached out at her, her body tense for a second at the contact from his hand against her shoulder.

It was in those moments where he shy nature returned, her green eyes locked on Sam's for a moment before looking at Dean, "W-Well? What do you think?"

There was a shocking silence that hung it in the air and Freddi was already nervous enough. Biting her bottom lip out of habit, she semi-plead, "Come on. Say something."

Sam smiled, nearly laughing in disbelief, but it was Dean who acted first, nearly tackling her in a bone-crushing hug. He quickly corrected himself, being more delicate, like she might still break under his touch, "Not bad, kiddo."

Freddi let out a soft gasp and her hands trembled, but she hugged him as tight as she could. Her eyes were closed again in the emotions she felt; it was either close her eyes or have tears threaten to spill, and she choose to slam her eyes shut. This was this first time getting a real hug since Freddi was five and it was something she missed dearly. Something still felt slightly off in her gut.

"It's still only temporary though," she whispered sheepishly.

Dean let go, smiling fondly at this young woman. There was something about the way she clung to him that brought on a smile to his face.

"It's a start," Sam said breathlessly. He took her, guiding her to a stand at human height for the first time.

"Freddi…" He trailed off into a disbelieving laugh as he looked down at her, not sure what to say, "This is…"

Freddi's blush didn't waver as her legs gave out; if it wasn't for Sam catching her and providing support, then she would have sank back to the grass. Both brothers were still taller than her, but the differences were no longer as extreme. She felt a little embarrassed for leaning on Sam like that.

"S-Sorry," she murmured softly, wishing that she wasn't as nervous as she clearly was. Freddi didn't even look at them, her cheeks rosy as hell and her hands still trembling.

"Am I missing something?" Dean interrupted, trying to catch the girl's eye. "Come on, you did it! How about a little smile, Irish jig, something..?"

"Dean…" Sam shook his head. Why was he pushing this? People dealt in different ways. Sam closed his hands over Freddi's to keep them still. They were both acutely aware that she had and would eventually fit in the palm of those very hands at some point in the future.

Freddi chuckled at Dean's quirkiness, finally looking in the older brother's eyes, "Do I look like I'm able to dance right now? How about you ask me when I can stand on my own two feet?"

Her eyes left Dean and moved to Sam's. She had a look of gratitude on her face as she released Sam's hands and pulled him into a hug, her forehead resting near his shoulder. She knew her time like this, but at least she was a huge step closer.

"Thank you…for staying with me all this time, not giving up on me."

Sam was a bit taken aback by the sudden hug, but wrapped his arms about her securely and just held her. There was something about her vulnerability that made him want to protect her every bit as much now as when she was four inches tall. He mumbled to the top of her head, "No smothering anymore."

Dean also stood up, watching the pair with smugness and uncertainty. He never thought romance was practical between those two before but the new size was a game-changer. Only time would tell.

Everything about this size was unfamiliar territory for Freddi, but she knew if this ever became permanent, then she would adapt just like she always did. She eventually released her hug and tried to stand on her own, but failed. Thankfully, both brothers were there to catch her before she could fall. She looked up at both of them and blushed, thanking them. After a few moments, Freddi asked, reaching her threshold of being near her village, "Can we go find a motel now?"

Dean glanced backward at the tiny structures hidden amongst the grass. It must be so weird to see her home like this. He cracked a small smile, nearly laughing that a dingy motel was on her to-do list.

"Sure, kid," He opened the back door for her, letting her ride in the back seat while they took the front.

Freddi fell asleep on the car ride there, clutching the normal sized journal to her heart; she guessed the journal changing too was something her father did. Even in death her dad was always surprising her.

They tried to get a two-bedroom, but the biggest they had was the standard two-bed due to lower business rates. Sam carried Freddi inside the room while Dean paid for it with their latest false credit card- "Mark Vontrumble."

It did look at little odd, carrying the unconscious woman inside. Hopefully, no one would get nervous and call the cops. Sam laid her onto one of the made bed and sat down beside her. He brushed her bangs out of her face so he could see her better. She looked so at peace, so beautiful.

Freddi didn't know how long she had been asleep, but by the time she was awakened, the remainder of her headache was gone. She lightly stretched before slowly sitting up and swinging her legs off the edge of the bed. Then, Freddi noticed how dirty she was.

"Can I go wash up?" She asked the tall man sitting next to him, blushing shyly. "And can I…borrow something to sleep in tonight?"

"Of course," Sam ducked down to rummage through his bag. He handed her a blue, plaid, long-sleeved shirt. He figured it would be big enough on her to be comfortable. "Here."

Freddi grabbed the shirt from him and tried to walk on her own. Sam moved right beside her, ready for when she fell again, which she did. She was led into the bathroom; it probably seemed so different to her now. He watched her eyes move around the room in her current scale and chuckle, "Well, we can botch the sink as an option for now."

He laughed, surprised she was able to joke so easily about the situation. He sighed, eyeing her occasionally wobbling knees as he turned on the water for her, "You still might want to take a bath… No need to get a concussion trying to get out of the shower."

"So…um. Towels are in there, I think. I'll be out there," Sam said, trying his hardest to push sudden mental images of her slipping naked into warm suds…slipping in behind her and feeling her wet skin on his. He quickly got out of there and shut the door, but his heart-rate was still elevated.

Freddi went through her normal process; there was almost no change, other than her size. She could feel her musical thumb kicking in, causing a soft chuckle to escape her lips. She really could go long in the shower without humming or singing.

Dean shook off his jacket and stopped short, looking at the bathroom door to Sam.

"She's been at it for ten minutes," Sam said, smiling at the computer screen. He was supposed to be researching the Everheart bloodline, but he kept getting distracted by the sounds of slashing and shifting of water, Freddi's voice bouncing off the bathroom walls.

Dean shook his head. If he were in Sam's position, he would have tried to get some shower sex at least.

When Freddi was dressed and ready, she opened the bathroom door and leaned in against the door frame for support. Her shoulder length hair was still dripping her and there, but she felt better. She made another attempt to walk, but she only managed to reach Dean, accidentally falling into him. The faint red returned in her cheeks.

"Sorry, Dean!"

Dean's eyebrows shot up, taking a step back to support them both.

"You're like a limp deer," he grunted fondly, gripping her arms and guiding her to the bed and into a sitting position.

"Is the…y'know…THIS messing with your head?" He asked, gesturing to her new body size.

"Maybe, it's possible," Freddi answered him. "I think messing with my balance is the only side effect I have. My headache stopped and my strength hasn't changed. It's the only logical guess."

Dean nodded, keeping a considering look on her, "Well just… Take it easy. No need to push yourself now that you're more than fun sized."

He sat down next to Freddi. She barely had to look up at all. He could look right and left into her eyes.

"Pretty cool, huh? You're not saying much. Aren't you glad to rid of all the grabbing and going?" He said, referring how they often would pick her up quickly in one hand before they left.

Freddi laughed, playing along, knowing they both were guilty of it, "Or petting my hair while I'm asleep."

Just like that, Dean opened his mouth, fumbling for a cover up. He denied, "I don't do that."

Sam just pretended not to hear, though his cheeks were pink.

"Relax," Freddi chuckled, subtly getting a kick out of both of them getting flustered, "It's not like I'm going to tell anyone."

She slowly wobbled over to the other bed, near Sam, and lied on her stomach near him, "And what are you doing?"

Sam tensed noticeably, almost flinched really.

He did a brief once over and told her, "I think that shirt looks better on you than me."

He clicked out of one tab, but one look on her face told him she had undoubtedly seen her family name on the screen. He didn't know why his first instinct had been to hide it from her.

Sam answered her question carefully, "I'm…Looking into your family history, actually."

"You'll probably see some of the times the Everhearts were arrested in different aliases. Did you start off with my father?"

She didn't forget his compliment. Freddi just didn't want to read too much into it. Temporary size change doesn't guarantee a future with Sam. It probably just made interacting with her easier than before.

"I did." Sam tilted the computer to show her. It took some digging, but he found some old obscure articles about the sudden disappearance of a next to nobody William Everheart. He looked to her, inquiring. "You're never mentioned…"

"Neither is my mom," Freddi cut him off after reading the article. "She never possessed the gene that allowed my father, my brothers, and me to change our size. She came from a different family so she had the power of mechanical telepathy, the control and communication of technology. It wasn't a dominant ability, so I never possessed my mother's ability, but Jamie, my oldest brother, had developed both abilities. That's rare though in families."

They both gave her a quiet look. Sam marveled silently for the hundredth time that he held her in the palm of his hand just that morning, "I did find something involving a Jeremy Everheart that was interesting… Apparently, he used to fund a home for 'gifted' children. I'm just wondering if gifted had two meanings, given your case."

"That was my grandfather. I never met him; he died before I was born. I think he wrote something regarding that in the journal though. Let me check," Freddi said, reaching over for her journal on the bedside table.

Dean looked at the old, black leather, obviously unable to not notice the similarity to his own father's journal. Sam glanced out of the corner of his eye, the way her bare legs shifted…No, research.

Freddi opened her journal and started reading. The wording was still faded, so she was thankful the memories from her five-year-old self were still intact. She eventually found the page.

"The home that you were talking about was founded thirty years ago and shut down seven years later. Apparently, the home was for children who had abilities, almost like my village, except the children weren't…They were normal sized. It was almost like a school so the children could learn to control these abilities: levitation, pyrokinesis, invisibility, regeneration. There was even a case of power mimicking, being able to copy the powers around them for only a short time. They kept it secret by telling the city it was a school for the prodigies."

She chuckled, "I'm glad not all hunter shun the supernatural or other things they don't understand. My grandfather didn't with those children and you guys didn't with me."

Dean arched a brow at her last comment. Almost all he did WAS shun the supernatural. He sank down on the other bed and drug a hand over his face. Dean was definitely letting his little brother take the research right now, "So, I'm guessing Professor X had a grisly death?"

Sam scrolled and a few minutes later, confirmed, "By one of his own students, seems like."

Freddi never truly knew how her grandfather; all she knew was the innocent version, that he died three years before she was born and he died on the job like most hunters did. She asked, "How'd he die? All I knew was what people told me, which wasn't much."

"Shrouded in mystery. No camera phones back then, but his body was burnt to a crisp. It took a handful of people just to ID the body."

Freddi inwardly winced at this new information. He died from someone that he once taught, someone that was obviously skilled with pyrokinesis. She understood now when there was only the burial of an empty coffin. Why his death was never went into detail. Her grandfather died from the very cause he believed in.

"I-I have a picture of him if you guys want to see…"

Freddi returned to her journal and flipped to the front pages. When she found the right picture, she removed it from the journal and passed it to Sam. It was black and white, but it was still clear. There was a picture of a mid-aged man that Freddi had a resemblance to; that man was clearly her grandfather.

"So, that's grandpa Everheart, huh?" Dean was leaning over Freddi. It was crowded by the laptop now, so he backed up slightly.

"Yeah, I don't know if any of this means anything to you, but it's…interesting to know," Sam glanced down at Freddi, his eyes lingering on her face longer than necessary.

Freddi shrugged her shoulders as she looked down at the journal, instead of Sam, "It's interesting to me too. I never knew my grandfather; he died before I was born. If it wasn't for this picture and this journal, then I would have never known what he looked like."

She wanted to keep this conversation going, but she was stopped mid-thought with a yawn, before chuckling, "I didn't expect to feel tired so soon."

Then, something clicked in her mind; 2 beds, 3 people. How the heck was the sleeping arrangements supposed to be now that Freddi was temporarily changed? She chuckled at the realization, "How, what are we going to do with the beds, because I am not letting either one of you guys sleep on the floor."

Dean stood up and immediately took his bag off of the bed. He joked playfully, even though there was a reality to it too, "Take the bed. Enjoy fitting while you can."

Freddi raised an eyebrow at him, and responded with a little snark, "Oh? And where are you sleeping. I don't think Sam wants to share with you."

Sam made a noise that seemed to confirm this. Dean plopped down on the stained chair by the window and propped his feet up on the little table, "I'm a happy camper."

She rolled her eyes at both of them, but sighed to Dean, raising her hands in an 'I give up' motion, "Alright, but if you wake up with a messed up back in the morning, don't blame anyone but yourself, Mr. Happy Camper."

She was able to get over to the other bed without any help and slowly slipped under the covers, announcing a good night to her roommates. Freddi didn't need the lights messed with to fall into an easy sleep; she was exhausted from the emotional turmoil she went through that day. Unfortunately, her good sleep was interrupted with the frustration of another nightmare. Freddi started fussing in her sleep for the first time in two weeks

Dean was barely asleep as it was. The chair, he hated to admit, was rough on his back. He could feel a knot forming between his shoulder blades already. The sound of feminine crying made his eyelids open. It took him a second to realize that it was Freddi, not some strange woman in the bed. With a creak that Dean hoped was from his chair and not his spine, the spikey-haired hunter rose to his feet and approached her bed, "Freddi."

It took someone almost shaking Freddi's shoulders to get her out of her night terror. She woke up with a choked up gasp as she shot up into a sit up position. There was pressure on her heart as Freddi tried to regain her breath.

"S-Sorry, Dean," she responded softly, dry swallowing.

"Stop apologizing," Dean replied tersely as he lowered himself to the edge of the bed, with pants and an undershirt. He looked tired, but his eyes were alert and locked on her, his hands still holding her shoulders, "Nightmare again?"

Freddi looked away from him, stating, "First time in two weeks. There was a part of me that thought I was done with them."

Feeling her just barely starting to tremble in his grasp, Dean pulled her towards him with a gentle strength. He mumbled, wrapping his arms around her and holding her securely, hoping to instill a reminder of the safety he provided her, "You and Sam with these dreams, man."

Resting her forehead against his chest, Freddi closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. She felt her body start to calm down, but her mind was still on edge. There were many things about that night in her village that she couldn't tell anybody, but she wished she had the strength to. She trusted these guys, so why couldn't she prove it?"

"Sam doesn't seem to have them anymore," she mumbled against his shirt. "And I think I'm starting to understand why I still do."

"Why's that?" Dean asked, quiet but intent.

"Because there are details from that night that I still can't talk about," she sighed, her voice wanting to break. "Trust me, I do want to tell you. I just don't know why I can't seem to."

"No pressure, kid," Dean assured her softly, rocking her ever so slightly to sooth her shaking. He could not deal with full-on tears. No sir. Prevention was the best method.

Finally, he pulled away altogether and stood up. Dean could fell her eyes following her as he walked around and climbed into the other side of the bed. He got under the covers, then pulled back the sheet on her side.

Freddi couldn't complain, since he seemed to read her mind; she didn't want to be alone. She lied back in bed and tried to relax, lying on her back until she was pulled over into Dean's embrace. There was a shy smirk in her words as she softly chuckled, "Do I look like I'm teddy bear material?"

It wasn't often anymore he held a girl in his arms like this, and fewer that he actually cared about. He tilted his chin to his chest back at her, brushing some of her hair out of her face with his hand, "Always."

He pulled the covers over her and slid his toned arm back over her, keeping her close until she was in a warm cocoon of blankets and his body.

Freddi smiled back at him, "Thank you, for letting me feel like I have a family again."

She gave him a soft peck on the cheek before nuzzling back into a comfortable way. She quickly fell asleep with one question left on her mind, 'I consider Dean the closest thing I have as a brother, but would I have had feelings for Dean, if I wasn't so head over heels for Sam?'

The warmth from his cheek spread throughout his entire body. He almost answered that she was family, but something held him back. Instead he shifted against her in a comfortable position, his chin brushing the top of her head. Be it the mattress supporting his back or the girl in his arms, letting him do what he did best, Dean fell right asleep.

A/N

Well, there you have it. I think Sam is feeling a little confused about his thoughts and how fluffy was that last little bit. Freddi and Dean seem to care about each other in way that she really needs. I really had fun with this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. I will update soon. Bye!


	19. Chapter 17

A/N

This is the longest chapter I've written so far. It's day two and three together of normal-sized Freddi and it will get intense at the end. Plus, day three is Sam's birthday! That's all I can say. Read it and see why it's intense.

Chapter 17

Sam woke up in a rare, pleasant mood. He sat up and over towards Freddi, finding a great idea to ask her to get some coffee with him this morning. They could walk and talk like regular people…but his face fell when he saw the young woman buried in his older brother's arms. He blinked, face heating up for reasons he didn't quite understand. Part of it was anger, and Sam didn't know why he felt so betrayed. In a huff, he threw on his jacket and got ready to leave.

For once, Freddi actually woke up before Dean this time. It was a rare moment when she got to see his face visibly relax. With a smile, she tried to sit up but his grip only got tighter. She smirked slightly at the light sleeper; either he was awake and just messing with her, or his reflexes were killer ever in sleep.

Then, she heard Sam moving out of his bed and her drive to get out of bed only increased. She decided to use some of that strength she knew he underestimated about her. She slowly turned around in Dean's arms and physically unhooked his hands before pushing herself out. Letting out a sigh of relief, Freddi got out of bed and stumbled over to the youngest brother, flopping to the other bed before she could fall. It was at that moment when she saw the anger in his expression, and it seemed like it was toward her.

"Sam, are you okay?" She asked with a hesitancy.

Sam watched Freddi moved toward him; Freddi was still wearing his shirt, her long legs shifting weight and the fabric underneath.

"Just getting some coffee," he grunted, finding it difficult to really look at her. He should have known Dean would do something like that. He always did. Most of the time, he didn't care how Dean behaved with women; they did their own thing, but this was different.

Thinking of the devil, the shorter hunter sat up and rubbed his eyes. He announced groggily, "Mornin'."

Sam just glared at him before storming out of the room.

There was something in Sam's tone that rubbed Freddi the wrong way as she watched him leave. He had been angry before, but this was really the first time it had seemed to be directed at her, and she didn't even know what she did.

"Gee, what's got his panties in a twist?" Dean took off the covers and got out of bed. He went to go brush his teeth, but stopped when he saw Freddi just sitting on Sam's bed with this confused expression, "What happened?"

Freddi simply looked back at him and gave a shrug and it made Dean frown, intending on asking Sam about it later, "You, uh, sleep okay?"

She nodded her head in a yes. She still could believe she had slept in a normal bed for the first time in fifteen years.

"How about you? It couldn't have been comfortable in the chair for the first half of the night."

Dean nodded, "Tell me if those nightmares keep bothering you."

He clapped a hand on her back and then switched on the TV and went to take the first shower.

Sam took longer than necessary to come back with three coffees. By the time he opened the door, Freddi and Dean were both showered and in fresh clothes, even though Freddi was in another one of Sam's shirts instead of her actual clothes.

'Probably showered together,' Sam thought bitterly as he practically shoved Dean's coffee at him. Then, he gave a similar cup to Freddi, "Here, didn't know what you like, so I just got you a regular."

Freddi accepted the coffee with a soft smile, even though she didn't like Sam being angry…especially with her. She kept her brave face on again until the silence was too much for her, "Thanks, I need to go the restroom."

She stumbled into the small room and closed the door; she really just needed some time to think clearly.

"Who shoved a stick up your ass today?"

Sam gripped his coffee cup tighter, "Just…don't, Dean."

Then, he caved a few moments later. Sam hissed, keeping his voice low as he glanced at the bathroom door, "You…you slept with her!"

"What?" Dean instantly understood, and almost laughed if not for that usually upset look on his little brother's face, "No, she just had a nightmare. What was I supposed to do? Let her cry?"

Sam fumed quietly, realizing he was angrier with himself.

"Why don't you grow some balls and tell her you like her?" Dean suggested, taking the top off of his coffee to let out the pent up steam.

"Drink your coffee," Sam replied shortly, but much of his anger had subsided. He just looked uncomfortable now.

Freddi leaned against the sink, trying to understand. What happened between last night and that morning to get Sam so angry like that? She couldn't think of any form of reason, so she left the bathroom, hoping this morning was just her imagination, but Sam still seemed to look at her the same.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, tugging on the hem of the shirt she was still borrowing from Sam, hoping it meant something.

"Don't worry about it. Its fine," Sam replied, making a conscious effort to calm down.

"Your coffee's getting cold," he pointed out passively. As she wobbled past him, he lightened up a little as he teased quietly, "Are you going to keep my shirt?"

"Maybe," Freddi slightly teased back, sitting down on a chair before her knees could give out. "You said it yourself; it looks better on me."

She took a small sip of her coffee. It was bitter against her tongue, but it was something she could get used to. She couldn't see much anger in his face anymore, but she really didn't know what to think with this guy.

Sam raised his eyebrows and watched as she started on her drink.

"…So," Dean said like he was trying to lighten the mood. "How do you like seeing eye-to-eye now, huh? Doesn't feel temporary yet."

"I like it. It's a weird feeling, but a good weird. I feel like I can see more and I don't even know how tall I am yet," Freddi answered, laughter lacing her voice.

"Well, I don't have a measuring tape…" Dean's hand clamped her wrist and hoisted her to her feet beside him. Sensing Sam's lingering tension, he instead practically threw Freddi at his brother. Sam's eyes widened when he caught her, his cheeks heating up.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Come on. Turn back to back…"

Freddi didn't expect Dean to yank her to Sam; as if her balance wasn't already an issue. She could only imagine how red her face was as Sam caught her, her hands against his chest for support.

"Dean," she groaned, trying to distract her racing heart as she felt Sam's arms and hands graze along her own arms and her back.

"Don't complain. Just do it," Dean ordered lazily, seeming amused by both their reaction. "Use enormo here as a yardstick."

Sam looked down at Freddi and gave something like a shrug. They slowly turned around and moved so their backs were touching, the top of her head just meeting his shoulder blades.

"He's not that tall," Freddi defended nonchalantly. "One of the guys that stole me away from my library a couple months ago was six-foot-eight at the most. Trust me on this."

"And keep in mind, Hotshot," Freddi added, chuckling. "You shouldn't throw an unbalanced person so suddenly. They just might kick your ass."

Sam chuckled. Not that he minded being the tallest guy in the room, but it was nice not feel the odd one out, if only in her view of things. He could feel Freddi start to sway, so he grabbed her and held her up

Dean squinted at them, mentally estimating her height. He stopped and laughed at her words, "Now, I know you're not talk about you."

Freddi flashed this smart-ass expression, trying to ignore Sam's hands along reaching behind him to keep her steady at the waist, "Don't assume things; it can get you in trouble that way."

"I think I'll get by okay," Dean gave her a skeptical look, tapping Sam on his shoulder. "And you're about five-foot-five, thereabouts."

"Five-foot-five is still average," Freddi shrugged her shoulders, then she added, "and quit underestimating me. I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"You keep talking, but I'm not hearing anything," Dean laughed and looked over his shoulder at her, done with the conversation.

"You are such an ass," Freddi rolled her eyes, successfully able to pull off a perfect imitation of a Dean smirk. She easily slipped out of Sam's grip and stumbled towards him, "You don't believe in my strength."

Sam covered his mouth with his hand, laughing. That was pretty good.

Dean didn't answer her statement but picked up on the challenge in her voice as he watched her sit on one of the beds, "You trying to prove something?"

She placed her hands on her hips and answered, "Maybe. Did you expect anything less?"

Even though she was sitting down, Freddi felt like she was at a western standoff. He was still taller by at least half a foot, but she wasn't afraid of him. If he didn't scare her at four inches, then five-foot-five was a piece of cake.

The girl spoke with this confidence in her words, causing Dean to turn his attention on her.

"That so?" he arched an eyebrow and stepped even closer, so she had to look up more at him. He wore a bemused smile, daring her to try something, which she did; of course.

Her smile didn't waver an ounce as she responded just as quick, "You should know by now that I don't back down when I feel a challenge."

They looked over at Sam when he laughed at their expense.

"You guys need to settle you little ego fight the old-fashioned way."

Dean look at him with this blank expression.

Sam continued with a hundred watt smile, "Arm wrestling."

Freddi's smile went from smart-aleck-like to enjoyment. She stood up, slightly swaying where her feet were planted. She smirked to Dean and shrugged her shoulder, chuckling, "I see no problem with that."

Then, she looked over to Sam, "I hope you enjoy this, Sam, because I want a round with you too."

Sam grinned, "Bring it on."

"Hey, me first," Dean rolled up his sleeve and sat down at the small table. He set his arm down and waited for her to do the same. He watched the eagerness in her step as Freddi made a bee-line for the opposite side of the table, rolling up her own sleeve. She grabbed his hand and flash a genuine smile under her snark, "Good luck, Dean."

Dean held her gaze as his hold tightened on her hand. Sam came closer to observe the contest, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Ready…go."

At first, it was an even struggle. He had to admit, she was stronger than he would have expected, but he was still stronger. He held back though, so she would feel better about herself…up until the end at least.

Their eyes remained locked as Freddi admitted defeat; as stubborn as she was, she was not a sore loser. She did her best and she knew she only could get better.

"Alright, you beat me. I know when I lose, but I also know when you slack on strength. Next time don't hold back on me."

She looked over at Sam with a warm smile, "Don't think you're out of this, just because I lost. It's your turn."

"Oh really?" Sam drawled, taking Dean's place across from her. He took his time in adjusting his fingers around hers, fitting their hands together.

She challenged with a smirk, not even thinking about their hands seeming to fit together almost perfectly, "Really."

And then, they were off! She was lasting longer with Sam then she did with Dean, but something felt off.

"Sam?" She asked, giving him this look he couldn't really lie to her with, "Are you hold back on me too?"

"What…makes you say that?" Sam responded, feigned strain as he kept her arm at bay.

"Because I know it would too easy to do…this," Freddi slammed his hand down in victory. She crossed her hands at him. "Now, how about we try that again?"

"Okay…" Sam gave Freddi a look that questioned whether she knew what she was getting into. The moment the word was given to go, he had her arm pinned to the side within a minute. He didn't hide his victorious smile very well, "Sorry. You were right though. You're definitely stronger than you look."

Freddi flashed a smile, "And I'm not as easy to fool."

Their hands were still intertwined together, "And don't apologize. Lying maybe in a hunters' job description, but it's different with you two. I'd rather have an honest lose than a false win."

"I like that," Sam said with smile. He grew aware of their hands, but was slow to untangle them.

Dean silently rolled his eyes. No wonder the kid barely saw any action. With lines like that? Puppy eyes and height can only take him so far. He decided to tune them out and look for a new case. The date on the newspaper took him slightly by surprise. It was Sam's birthday tomorrow.

Moving on, Freddi stood up with a sigh, leaning on the table for support, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I kind of want to go outside for a few moments. I want to see what's out there…outside of a pocket of some form."

"We don't have a case at the moment," Sam pointed out to Dean; winning him over would be the hardest part. "She could use a break."

Dean pursed his lips. And then shrugged, "You guys go ahead. I'm going to take a nap."

Freddi's already million watt smile seemed to brighten, if it was even possible as she looked over at Sam, "Yay! Well, come on then. I can't drive yet, but I'm sure there's something close by we can do."

"Hold on-" Sam grabbed her by the arm and side and pulled her back towards the bathroom, where her dry clothes were hanging. "I think you need some pants first."

Freddi completely forgot she was wearing Sam's shirt like it was a very short nightgown and immediately went red, "Yeah…good idea."

As soon as she closed the bathroom door, she sat down on the edge of the tub and covered her face with her hands. She wanted to bust out into laughter, but she was just too embarrassed. She simply got dressed as quickly as she could and tried to calm down. She got out of Sam's shirt, as much as she didn't want to, and slipped into her own purple, single-sleeved shirt and black pants.

When she left the room, she leaned against the bathroom door frame. Freddi was less red in the face and more than ready to see the world outside of pocket-view. She returned the shirt to Sam, "Thanks for letting me borrow this."

The shirt was tossed on the bed, and Sam guided her to the door. Dean didn't include the impala in the deal, so they were stuck walking wherever was around the area. Fallen leaves crunched under their shoes in clusters as they strolled across the motel complex. Sam laughed, looking at his feet, "I'm not used to being able to actually talk to you like this. It feels nice."

"I'm not used to talking to anyone like this," Freddi laughed back. "The feeling is completely mutual."

She still struggled with her balance, so it wasn't a surprise to her when she would stumble often. Thankfully, Sam was able to catch her every time.

"God, you were never such a klutz when you were in my pocket," Sam teased gently, draping his arm casually around her shoulder. "Guess this is what happens when you get carried around all the time."

Freddi was just as quick to tease back, "Well, somebody always protested when I tried climbing."

Then, she quipped at his body language with sticking her tongue out at the end, "Besides, you love being able to catch me as I fall. Don't lie about it."

Sam flushed; was he that transparent?

"If you're faking these falls, you're going to end up on the sidewalk," He threatened, yet his arm remained and ever-constant weight around her shoulder.

They passed the coffee shop he had gotten the coffee from this morning. Salem was full of witch propaganda and tourist knick-knacks. It made him uneasy, knowing that there was more than likely a legit case here, but for now, he didn't worry about that. Right now, he looked at Freddi's wide-eyed expressions.

Freddi was in awe of everything in her current perspective, like she was a kid at the carnival for the first time. She always imagined what being almost normal in a town and now she was finally getting a chance to do exactly that. She valued what she saw since she didn't know how long she had left like this.

"You know…this is the first time I've ever felt closest to normal," she blurted quietly. "I'm not sure how I will feel when this wears off."

Sam looked down at her, brow knitting as he pondered the possible science behind her growing and shrinking. He pointed out sagely, "The only thing that's changed is your point of view."

Freddi flashed a bittersweet smile, shying away from his gaze and hiding her true expressions. There was a part of her that wanted to say something to push him away, anything make him stop acting like she was special to him, when she knew he couldn't see past her original size. She didn't want to let herself feel any deeper for him; she believed it would only hurt herself. If she didn't stop, then she feared she could fall in love with him and that wasn't a possibility for her like this.

She didn't say them though. Freddi didn't have the heart to be negative while he was being so kind to her, showing her around like that. The reality of her situation could wait for when they find a quiet place to sit and rest and to talk.

Sam honestly didn't know where to go from there without delving into serious debate, but that could come later. They both had enough stress in their life to deserve a day off. It was just getting out of a chillier time, so it was pleasantly brisk. Their one-layer outfits were perfect in about a month from now.

They passed a lemonade stand, "Dell's Lemonade" according to the sign, "My dad used to by us lemonade when we were in Salem ages ago."

"That's nice," Freddi sighed, looking down and blushing before admitting. "Don't laugh at me, but I've never tried lemonade."

"What?!" Sam pulled away from her, looked down upon her incredulously. "Well that settles it."

He guided her to a chair nearby and told her not to go anywhere. He had a little bit of cash over from a pool game he, regrettably, had help Dean hustle. He purchased two frozen lemonades and handed one to Freddi.

"If this kills me, I will haunt your ass," Freddi told him before taking a small sip of lemonade, like it was going to jump out of the cup and attack her. She made a face at the sweet yet subtle sour taste along her tongue. It was good; she liked it, but she still playfully shoved Sam, "You should have told me it was sour, you jerk."

"'Jerk?'" Sam laughed, bumping into her deliberately as they walked onward under a canopy of gnarled branches, although he continued to keep Freddi close. He teased, "How about 'Thanks, Sam. You're amazing!'?"

She arched a brow at him, "What have I told you about putting words in my mouth?"

Sam rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Drink up or it'll melt."

He steered them over to a park to sit. He didn't realize it until after they were full into people watching, but this was perfect for her, to see people in the open, what life could be like outside a pocket or a library.

Freddi sat with him in silence as she watched the community in the park. There were children playing in jungle gyms and slides, the parents watching nearby. There was a teenager celebrating his birthday over by a gazebo, and under a tree there was a young couple having a picnic date. She was happy to see all of this though. It made her think she was looking at something close to her future.

Suddenly, she remembered she had been to this park before, a very long time ago, back when she had just lost her parents and started traveling on her own. She remembered being a very traumatized five-year-old. Her voice was laced with emotions as she whispered softly, looking down at her empty cup, "S-Sam, I've been here before…after my family…"

Sam stopped slurping the bottom of his drink when he heard the seriousness in her voice. She seemed shaking and he listened quietly, looking out at the park with her. He said tentatively, moving his gaze to her, "Must be nice to see it from a different perspective."

She slowly nodded, meeting his eyes; her smile was genuine, regardless of how shy it was, "It-It is. I have a more clear state of mind than when I last came here. I was scared and alone back then; I spent at least two years not talking at all, but now look at me; I'm not alone anymore."

Ignoring her heart racing, she reached over and touched his hand, locking her green eyes to his hazel ones, "I can't tell you how much your patience means to me. There are things about that night that I haven't told you yet, but the fact you and Dean aren't pressuring me…it means a lot."

Sam set both empty cups down and pulled his hand away to take hers as well.

"We've both been through hell. We know what it's like to want to hide away from your past. Just ignore it until it bites you in the ass," he met Freddi's eyes for a brief moment, smiling and giving her knee a quick pat. Sam quickly brought his hands back to himself, feeling nervous around her all of a sudden. He couldn't just drop her into his pocket or lower her to where she couldn't see him; she was right there, a breath away.

There was a sense of tranquility in the air as Freddi closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a sigh, her mind elsewhere. She needed the fresh air and she was happy that she was somewhere that she was doing this at a park.

With Freddi's eyes shut, Sam took the advantage and looked at her again. The wind blew her hair around her face, making her look completely serene. His eyes darted to her lips. Before, he had found it difficult to think of her as a woman, but…she wasn't that much younger than him after all.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Freddi's eyes flew open and both of them leapt to their feet, searching for the source of the panic. They saw a commotion at the corner, blocking the true disturbance from view. Sam snatched Freddi's hand and pulled her along with him, careful of her bad balance at the same time.

They ran together as they headed in the direction of the commotion. Since Freddi was small than Sam, she was able to squeeze and slide through the people with half-difficulty; her face looked so concentrated on keeping her balance as she guided him through the crowds. When they finally reached the front, there was a young woman, not much younger than Freddi, lying dead on the sidewalk.

Freddi let go of Sam's hand and kneeling before the corpse, being sure not to touch her. There was blood seeping from several stab wounds, but her clothes…her clothes were completely intact; there were no holes to initiate physical puncture. What cause the wounds but no damage to the shirt?

She looked up at Sam, "Call Dean. We have a case here."

A sleek black car pulled up on the next block over less than ten minutes later. Dean easily spotted Sam and Freddi and strove over to join them. He arrived just in time to see the body get shipped away, "What happened?"

Sam turned to face him, both able to continue a conversation directly over Freddi's head, who was sitting down, "Lacerations on the body. Clothes intact."

Dean nodded. There was still a crows but it was thinning quickly as the ambulance pulled away, "Well, this is Salem. My guts saying we start looking for hex bags."

They split up and began searching the area. When they came back empty handed, they considered the possibility that the bag was concealed somewhere on the vic's body.

Freddi had no fake ids to play pretend with Sam and Dean, so she just stayed in the car. The windows were cracked and she couldn't help but feel like a dog. Her mind was buzzing with theories, but none of them seemed to match all descriptions of their case.

When Sam and Dean came back, she immediately asked, "Well? Anything?"

"No," Dean scowled, starting up the car with a satisfying rumble from the engine. He smoothed his hand over the steering wheel, although it provided little clarity.

"No hex bag of any kind, not on the body at least," Sam said, turning around in his seat to look at Freddi, noting her flustered appearance in her cheeks. She could probably use some water when they got back.

"We went through the protocol, but…Aside from the lacerations, there was nothing off about any of this. The police are writing it off as suicide."

Freddi stifled a laugh, "Well, from when I've seen of your works, I don't think we can go by the police's assumptions. If there's something, then I'm pretty sure we can find it."

"We will," Dean replied, without a shred of doubt. "Just a matter of time…"

They took shifts doing research. Normally, Sam did all the work, but Dean was unusually considerate in taking his fair share of the work load. He even let Sammy hit the hay early, saying the kid needed his beauty sleep, but he was clear as day to Sam; he was just being nice cause it was his birthday tomorrow. They were a bit old to celebrate with a party, but Dean tried to do something special for him. It was sweet, really, and he wondered how Freddi there would throw a wrench in their usual occasion, especially since they had a case on their hands.

If Freddi's balance was better then she'd be pacing like she always did in her thinking mode, but she couldn't risk falling again while there was work to be done. She kept going through her memories to see if she missed something in her search in the park, but every time, it always ended the same: no leads.

"How could a witch work without hex bags? It doesn't make sense!" Freddi started, her leg slightly shaking from being so restless. "There has to be a missing puzzle piece somewhere."

"There's some really old dark magic…but it's a trade-off; the witch in question loses their humanity, gets the toady face and everything. They'd have made the front page by now with a face like that," Dean rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Especially in this town; the only thing Salem is truly known for is the Salem Witch Trials," Freddi agreed, then noticing Dean, she chuckled. "Dean, you're going to exhaust yourself if you keep going at it like this. Please, take a break."

They had both been working away at the research and while Freddi was used to this amount of research and studying, Dean wasn't used to the amount spent.

He shot her a warning look, not liking being bossed around, but she meant well and he could see that, "I'm just going to take a breather on the bed. Kick me off when you're ready. I'll be awake."

But the moment he hit the pillow, he was asleep in minutes.

Freddi smiled when she started hearing light snoring from Dean. She liked how dedicated he was to his hunts sometimes, but the last things she wanted was for him to go into "study stroke," if it even existed. It was best for him to leave some of the research to her as he rested. She continued to look up some more stuff about witches and Salem and anything remotely close to the lore of voodoo. After about five or six more hours, Freddi wobbled over to Dean's bed and nudged him awake, "Hey, you rested enough to take over?"

"Yeah," Dean grunted groggily. It took him a moment, but he rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. Did she really let him sleep for so long? Did she research this whole time?

"Get some rest, Freddi," he said in passing.

She rolled her eyes when he used his big-brother tone, but she was stubborn, "Come on, I'm okay. I can research for…"

Dean cut her off, "You've done enough. Go to sleep already."

He did all be force her into bed and she let out a small pout before sighing in defeat, "Fine, you win. Just don't push yourself if you start to get tired again."

"I know," he waved her off, almost grumpily.

A small smile that stretched along her lips was hidden under the covers as she let herself relax. She really did like working with Sam and Dean, even when it was hard. She felt important when she was able to help. Her smile didn't fade as she slowly fell asleep for the rest of the night.

Sam was mildly surprised he got to sleep in till nearly ten in the morning…until, "Wake up, Kiddo. Cake for breakfast."

Dean was hovering a plate of store-bought yellow cake in front of his face. Smiling, Sam sat up and accepted the generous piece of cake, "We're not taking the case?"

"We are, but that doesn't mean you can't start your day with a nutritious breakfast."

Freddi moved from one bed to Sam's, slightly beaming on a small sugar rush. Dean was not getting cake without getting a piece for her. Plus, if Dean hadn't told her that day was Sam's birthday, then she would have felt screwed.

She gave him a quick hug, "Happy Birthday, Sam."

Sam looked over at her, hearing those words from someone else's mouth for the first time other than Jess.

"Thanks," he responded thickly, returning the hug. He felt warm inside as her weight settled closely to his before they released each other.

Freddi let go of him just as fast as she gave one. This was seriously all new territory for her, being able to celebrate with others. Hopefully, the boys didn't hold her weird quirks against her.

"Alright, here's the plan. Slow start, but we'll need to get a look at the body. Probably by three, then I was thinking we could hit up a bar."

Sam grinned at Freddi, "We'll have to get you a ginger ale."

"Killjoy," Freddi playfully muttered, but thinking it was probably best while she was this size. She was a lightweight and a very giggly drunk. She walked over to the laptop and looked over and asked, "Am I staying in the car again, or am I research patrol?"

"Why don't you hang back? We'll pick you up when we're done?" Dean suggested, but it was a bit forceful. Sam polished off his cake and got up to tidy his appearance.

"That probably would be best. I'm still not used to this size yet. I'm feeling like a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Still?" Dean glanced at her over his shoulder, "You've been like this for a day in a half now."

"And I can't get used to this anytime soon, know I don't know how much time I have left like this," she reminded both of them. Freddi knew this was a delicate situation, but it was something they all needed to discuss. "I like feeling like I'm less of a freak. I like that you guys look at me like I'm less breakable, but I can't get comfortable when it could wear off at any time, whether it's a day, an hour, or a minute.

"I don't know all the rules yet, but this temporary change and while you're gone, I can keep working on the wording. I just…I can't live off temporary fixes forever, like it's a drug. I'm determined not to be like that, but I don't want to try more times than necessary…I'm okay going with going back to four inches for a little while. Are you?"

She really wanted to know; would they still want her around after seeing her this way? It was an insecurity that she had been thinking of recently. She knew she wanted to be this size, but she craved to control this ability, not just keep having temporary fixes.

Both brothers exchanged shocked, confused looks while Dean struggled to form an answer, "Well, yeah but…why would you want that?"

He asked, drawing nearer to her in his professional attire, "I thought this-" he gestured to her up and down, "was what you've been waiting for your whole life."

All that being held in hands, pockets, constantly hiding…not to mention how hideously intimidating they must look to her like that. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

Freddi sighed softly, "It is, and I don't want you to think that it's not. I just don't want to mess it up. This is the closest I have ever felt to not being a completely freak and trust me when I say I'm and always will fight like hell. I guess I'm just scared."

Freddi hated that this was happening on Sam's birthday. This was his day and she didn't want to ruin it with her worthless tears.

"You're a beautiful young woman with a good future ahead of you," Dean said, figuring that was the type of hallmark card she needed to hear at the moment.

Sam frowned, studying her expressions, "What are you afraid of?"

Freddi was taken aback by Dean's compliment; she honestly couldn't think of the last time someone called her beautiful. She could have dwelled on it if Sam's question hadn't caught it off attention. She managed to look up at the boys and she saw the same look of concern on their faces, before looking away just as quick. They knew she couldn't lie to them when they wore those expressions.

"I-I can't. I can't explain it. I'm most afraid of getting it wrong too many times. Who knows what other side effects I'll get when I mess up?"

"Side effects?" Dean quirked a brow skeptically.

At the same time, it made sense to Sam. "The dizziness…it's not getting better, is it? Look at you though. You've been standing for the last ten minutes without swaying."

"No, it's getting better," Freddi whispered, explaining a theory she had been think about in the back of her head. "But that could easily mean that at any point during the day…I could go back to four inches."

They frowned, processing this.

"Well, then we'll just keep at it till you get it right," Sam glanced at his brother, but there was no objection to this one. Sam stepped closer to her, his proximity demanding eye contact as he wiped away a stray tear. "Even if you were ONE inch high…when are you going to get it through your head that we're not going to leave you?"

Freddi looking like she wanted to speak, but he cut her off with the hand on her cheek moving over her mouth, "Freddi…Just do what you need to do. Everything's going to be okay."

He gave her a tentative smile, removing his hand and rubbed her upper arm. Dean shrugged on his sports jacket and cleared his throat. Sam glanced away, grabbing his own jacket before following suit towards the door. Sam honestly felt guilty for leaving her in her current state, but they would be back.

Being alone gave Freddi a chance to calm down and think clearly. She knew she was emotionally damaged, but she might as well held up a neon sign about it. She was healing though, and it had a lot to do with the brothers. She had to hand it to Sam and Dean; they had more patience with her than she ever expected them to.

"I already told the sheriff. I don't understand what one case did to get the FBI in a tizzy," the morgue assistant led the two agents down the main room, going through keys to unlock the body bag storage.

"Well, this isn't an ordinary case, is it, Miss Martin?" Dean smiled. She conceded, and unzipped the bag, revealing the grotesquely sliced body. She had to admit; they weren't the usual type the FBI sent

"Looks like an animal attack, only weird thing is the clothes not being ripped," Sam frowned, not looking up as he asked his next question. "Did you find anything unusual in the autopsy?"

The woman shook her head, then stopped.

"What is it?"

"Dr. Sullivan did ask me to take a closer look at the blood sample."

"Why?"

"She wanted me to check for poisonous or impurities in the system. When she did a preliminary run, we found traces of sulfur."

The men exchanged dark, knowing looks.

"I think we've got all we need. Thank you."

When they got back to the motel, Freddi seemed to look a little better, more relaxed than when they left. She looked up at them and asked, "How did it go? What did you find out?"

"Looks like a demon has been using the witch cover for over a decade," Sam announced a bit wearily.

"Now, we just need a motive. A bit complex for a crossroads demon," Dean discarded his jacket, glad to be free of it for a little while.

"What about possession?" Freddi offered. "There doesn't have to be a motive for that; plus, if the demon is connected to a real witch, then it would explain the uncut clothes."

Hopefully, the boys wouldn't mention what went down a few hours ago. She just wanted to move on from it.

"It was a demon. There could be over a dozen reasons why it'd want to kill someone," Dean shot back. They didn't sit down; they weren't staying for long.

Sam nodded her towards the door, "Come on, we're going to out and drink."

Freddi was relieved to get out of the motel room as she sighed, "Alrighty, but I want at least a few sips of your beer, if I can't get one of my own."

"We'll see what happens," Dean responded, even though his smile promised otherwise.

The bar was noisy for the sparse occupants it contained. The lighting was warm and varied, a hodgepodge of different of light figures, like the decorator couldn't pick one theme in the place. Sam steered Freddi over to a table near a wall of framed photographs. Celebrities that had signed a spatula, stuff like that. Dean took up the bar, ordering three beers and chatting up the hot bartender.

Freddi took some time to look around and people-watch, like she used to at the library. She saw different men shamelessly hitting on women at different areas of the bar, but one couple seemed to already be in make-out mode in the corner booth. It was just like how she read in books; even the old jukebox along the wall played the classics, just like she imagined it would be.

When Dean came back and handed her own beer to her, she chuckled, not an ounce of seriousness in her voice, "I recall asking for sips. I still have two more weeks, remember?"

"You gonna tell on me?" Dean gave her a skeptical look that communicated her legal age wasn't a huge concern to him at the moment. "It's a holiday. You can have a break. One beer's not going to kill you."

Sam was relieved to have something to do with his mouth. He a deeper swig of beer than usual. It wasn't a super special birthday, but they weren't actively killing something tonight, so that was nice. He was happy.

They were all talking and having fun as their time in the bar continued. Sam and Dean were fast drinkers; they were almost done with their second beers before she was even done with her first and only one. She could feel the alcohol dulling her senses just barely and started to put her in a giggly mood, but there was still this pit in her stomach. Freddi had this feeling like something was off and the sensation was practically kicking her in the gut.

In an act of desperation, she announced quicker than she intended to, "I have to go to the restroom."

Freddi bolted to the unisex bathroom before they tried to give a response. She could feel her hands trembling while her head was feeling much foggier than she should. What was happening? Her heart dropped at the answer as she saw her world rapidly expanding around her; her time was up and she was reverted to her original size in thirty seconds.

'No, no, no!' Freddi panicked in her thoughts, 'Not today! Oh, why couldn't this have happened tomorrow?!'

The bathroom door in front of her was a pull out door and was way too heavy for her to budge; she was trapped. She felt like an idiot for not locking it and was hoping the boys would find her soon, before the chance of someone else finding her increased.

She's been in there for a while," Dean commented, glancing over his shoulder towards the dim hallway.

"Give her some privacy. Maybe it's a girl thing…you know?"

Dean stared flatly at his little brother, "Girl thing'? Oi vey…"

He tilted his beer back, only to find he had already finished it. He set it aside with its twin bottle. Then, Dean decided, "You should go check on her."

"Why me?" Sam objected.

"Because you're the one with a thing for her."

"You're seeing things," Sam blushed.

"Whatever makes you feel better."

Sam cut the conversation short by getting out of his seat to check on her.

He stopped several feet away from the bathroom door, feeling about a thirteen on a one-to-five scale of uncomfortable: a couple was nearly third base by the looks of it, the girl and the guy barely distinguishable as two separate people. She groped for the bathroom handle, then opened the door. She parted from her lover long enough to give him a wanting smile and pull him in after her.

Sam's eyebrows were in the ceiling, "Well, that rules out the bathroom."

Freddi ran to the corner of the wide ranged bathroom. The giant couple came in just as she sat down, watching as one of the large feet stepped exactly when she once stood. She dry swallowed at the thought of being a red mark on the floor if she hadn't moved. Freddi was scared, and completely tipsy, but that didn't make her an idiot. She made sure to keep her breathing patterns quiet and even. If she didn't make a noise, than there was a small chance she wouldn't be found.

She kept praying silently that they would do what they intended to and move on, completely hiding her gaze from the amplified live action porno she was hearing. It was disgusting and she only unshielded her eyes when there were clothes on again. Freddi watched the girl leave, obviously satisfied, but the guy stayed behind and then shifted his sights to her direction; he did see her!

"Shit," Freddi whispered to herself, unheard by this stranger locked onto her location.

A/N

For those who've stuck with me this entire chapter…YAY! I hope you liked this chapter and I believe I mentioned at least once that I was going to leave you in suspense…Well, what's more suspenseful than Freddi getting kidnapped? I'll update soon. Don't worry too much on me…there's a large chance the boys might find her. Bye!


	20. Chapter 18

A/N

This chapter will be full of suspense, but it's an open and shut chapter. Keep reading to find out what I mean. Enjoy.

Chapter 18

Cole was a man of average build, with dark hair and even darker eyes. Most people wouldn't thought much of a tiny spot on the ground, just pass her off as a child's doll. Somehow, though, he knew immediately she was very much alive.

"Remarkable…" He breathed in astonishment, swiftly consuming her view as he dropped to his knees before her. She was cornered and he liked the look on her face as she realized that. A sudden knock made both of them jump.

"You almost done in there, buddy?" Sam's voice carried through the door. The man wasted no time in snatching the girl up in a fist, drowning out her protests, and shoving her into his jean pocket; he had plans for her. He barreled out the door, bumping into the man on the other side on his way out.

This stranger was anything but gentle as Freddi was manhandled in a tight fist. She was painfully stuffed in the pocket faster than she had the time to scream. Her sides were killing her, knowing he was going to leave bruising. Freddi could hear Sam reacting to being bumped by him and she tried screaming, not knowing if she was able to be heard through the thick denim, as her captor recover after colliding with Sam.

"Sam! Help! SAM!"

Freddi's stomach was hit with nausea as she swayed with the movements of his leg, moving farther and farther away from her friends, her replacement family. She didn't know if Sam and Dean could put the clues together and find her but she had to believe even a glimpse of hope.

The already tight room in the pocket got even worse when a hand was pushed in to keep her company. She seriously felt sick as a few of the fingers rubbed against her. It was anything but comforting; if anything, it just made her even more scared.

Sam turned, watching the strange man leave. He frowned, noting the man's heated posture, and the way he shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned the corner. Probably on drugs. He ducked into the bathroom, but it was vacant. Where would she go? He was sure she went into the room ten minutes ago.

He passed through the main part of the bar, passed an inquisitive Dean. She wasn't outside, not in the car either…by the time he got back inside, Dean knew something was wrong.

"I can't find her anywhere. She's…she's gone!" Sam said breathlessly, agitated breaths seizing him.

"Do you think she ran? She's been a little off lately?"

Sam shook his head, "I-I don't know."

Freddi tried to calm herself, 'Sam and Dean are smart guys. They'll figure it out. They have to; it's them. They have to figure this out.'

She felt her heart threaten to break from her chest as she felt her captor remove his hand as he left the bar and sit down somewhere. It added pressure to the already tight from pocket. She couldn't move at all and hearing a car door slam and an engine run only made things feel worse; he was leaving and any chances she had of a rescue was feeling less and less likely.

Despite her greatest efforts, Freddi's fear overcame her. She lost consciousness; she was completely at his mercy and that was scarier than anything she'd felt in a long time.

"She was worried…" Sam muttered, pacing back and forth. "Worried about shrinking again."

"So…What, she shrank in the joint?"

Both Dean and his brother turned to watch another woman exit the bathroom. Their hearts fell as they scrutinized their fellows at the bar.

"Any number of creeps could have scooped her up in here," Dean growled. "Let's scan the place-"

He started to leave when a hand clapped his shoulder.

"Not anyone…" Sam frowned, remembering the shady young man that went into the bathroom shortly after Freddi did. He brought another girl with him, but he didn't leave until several minutes after she had already left. Cold, consuming horror filled his heart at the notion that the kidnapper may have waltzed right past him.

"There was a guy… kinda shorter…dark hair, sweater. I didn't think any of it then, but he looked kind of shifty."

"I'll take your word for it. Lemme see if I can pull a few strings with the bartender about accessing the security camera.

Freddi didn't know how long she was out, but when she woke up, there was a chill along her skin and a minor headache from the beer that was one in her system. She opened her eyes to find her was scantily clad in only her bra and underwear. She tried to move, but she was fearfully immobile, her arms and legs latched down by simple scotch tape.

'What the..?' The thought entered Freddi's mind with such ease.

Horror filled his mind as she unsuccessfully started to struggle against her bindings, growing well aware that she wasn't alone. Freddi looked over at her captor with a gasp and a cold expression.

"What. The. Hell!?" She yelled at him, quiet livid, "Let me go, you creep!"

"Aw, but then I couldn't watch you squirm," Cole responded calmly. He was leaning casually against a wall. His complexion was flawless, youthful, like a magazine model, but his eyes were inhumanly cold.

"You're really something special," he purred, stepping up to the edge to admire her.

Freddi's normally shy nature could go to hell; her anger was taking control now. Dean told her once that her big mouth would get her in trouble one day, but she didn't think about it as she snapped, her voice dripping with venom, "And you're screwed when my partners come find me."

"Those thugs you showed up at the bar with? You don't even know where you are, honey?"

The way he called her honey rubbed Freddi the wrong way as she scowled back, "It doesn't matter. You don't know anything about my friends; I do. They WILL find me."

Freddi had to keep hope that Sam and Dean were going to come for her. She knew she had little chance of escape, and that still didn't stop her from trying figure out a plan or a way of surviving until the last possible moment.

"Ooh, I'm shivering," Cole smiled wider at her vicious threat and her snap. He had a legitimate reason to be self-assured.

"I bet you saw yourself as freak, didn't you?" He softened, folding his arms and leaning over her closely. "But you're not alone. I've saved you from those Neanderthals. I can show you the light."

He snapped his fingers and a lick of flame grew from the appendage, though Cole was unharmed by it.

Freddi didn't like this man, not one thing about him; he was too cocky and she didn't trust him. She just kept struggling…until his surprising ability compelled her to lower her voice in shock. It didn't silence her completely though. The only thing Freddi truly heard was him underestimating her boys' intelligence, "Quit insulting them, Pyro. You didn't save me. You stole me away from my best friends."

She kept her voice confident and steady as she asked, "You went to the school for the gifted children thirty years ago, didn't you?"

This finally took Cole off guard, that this girl would know of his past. The flame extinguished and his eyes darkened, "What's your name?"

"Winnifred Everheart," Freddi answered with a sense of pride in her name, since it was all she had left of her past. Her façade was hiding the unsettlement she felt from the emotion in his eyes, but then something shifted in his eyes after she spoke. Recognition. He lowered his eyes again and began to trace a pattern atop her restraints.

Her stomach churned in disgust as the giant finger brushed over her wrist over and over again. She heard the slithering words out of his mouth, "I think we're going to be surprising friends, you and I."

Freddi's expression was cold, but she grew curious, as she tried to ignore the uneasiness of the continuing fingers, "I prefer to not make friends with my kidnappers, but humor me. Why do you assume we're going to be friends, Pyro?"

"You're lucky I found you. No one with ever understand how remarkable you are," Cole let his finger rest on the side of her tiny face. "But I do. You're strong and is no stranger to suffering. Your size is not a curse, it's a gift, a blessing. We're superior beings you and I."

Winnifred was unsuccessfully struggling against the contact, but it slowed down within thirty seconds.

Freddi's efforts were useless. She didn't consider herself lucky one bit. All she kept thinking about was Sam and Dean. She missed her boys. She missed Sam, but she found her determination waning. She had to focus on her survival, even if it means pretending to give up temporarily, "You don't know anything about me. I am cursed; there's no gift or blessing with this. I was born this way and I'm the only one left. Why do you think I could be important?"

She swallowed to moisten her throat on instinct and asked another question, "And another thing; why was taking off my clothes so important?"

A devilish spark ignited in Cole's dark brown eyes, and it spread to his lips, "I'm going to get to know you, what you can do. To do the experiments properly, I need to have…access…to all of you."

There was a note of eagerness in his voice. He looked at her like a little kid impatient to unwrap a present on Christmas, although what she was wearing left little to his imagination. Not surprisingly, the tape was soon ripped off and she was in his hand. Cole adjusted his fingers and slant of his palm more than necessary as he walked so she kept falling side to side, let him feel her without fondling her outright.

'Get to know me better? Experiments? Access to me? Dude, I am still a virgin here!' Freddi really wanted to go off on him, but kept her mouth shut. The constant contact made her fight a shudder from erupting from her body. Despite how sleazy he was, Freddi continued her façade, keeping an undetectable mask on her face.

This stranger began pumping her for information, asking extremely specific questions like exactly how big she was when she was first born, how long she managed to stay human sized, the procedure itself….he seemed to absorb whatever she gave like a sponge. Unlike Sam and Dean, this man deliberately switched hands holding her from time to time, make her feel exactly how small she was.

While she remained truthful about her size information, there was no way in hell she was giving out what she knew about the procedure; she was close to a half inch as a baby; and she was human-sized for about a day and a half, about five-foot-five at his scale. On the other note, she lied her four inches off when it came to steps to take, knowing exactly how to lie to people like him.

The way he kept shifting her from one hand to the other gave Freddi made her feel nauseous. He was so sleazy, how he looked at her with this predatory hunger. There were so many things she wanted to say if she had free range, but kept words tight-lipped.

Cole nodded as she spoke, not seeming to make notes, like he was memorizing her. His mind was whirling a million miles an hour. Then, his phone rang in the other room, causing a frown. He debated for a moment before setting her down on the seat of a chair, "I'll be right back."

Oh, he shouldn't have done that. The moment he had left the room, Freddi brainstormed on figuring out how to get down to the floor. Then, she felt along the leg of the chair and a sense of hope bubbled slightly in her chest; there were grooves in the wood, big enough to climb down with.

It didn't take long for Freddi to reach the ground and making a run for a place to hide. It wasn't very original, but she found shelter underneath a dresser on the opposite side of the wide room. The height of the dresser was short; she had to army crawl to get underneath it, making it way too short for him to reach for her if Pyro did manage to find her.

Freddi sat in the middle of the dark area and hoped for the best. Her breath hitched when she started to hear his footsteps come back.

Cole was gone for a little more than five minutes. His heavy footfalls caused the ground to tremble as he approached, before noticing his little prisoner missing. A curse was muttered, then he grew still. She was still in the room; he could feel it. Something hit Cole in the corner of his eye and he looked over. Moving shadows under the dresser gave her away. Soon, darkness filled the crack as his body lowered to the ground, establishing eye contact with her.

"Come here," he tried gently, attempting to fit his hand under and failing; he couldn't even get his knuckles through.

Freddi scoffed, completely cold, "Not on your life. I don't trust you. You don't want to be friends. I can see right through it. You don't consider me equal, compared to you, like you claim otherwise."

She moved farther away from him and against the wall, but she continued her interrogation while she had the upper-hand, "Now, you apparently need me for something and you're going to tell me. What do you want with me? What are you planning and why am I so important?"

Cole gaze hardened, realizing he's been tricked. Instead of answering her questions, he suddenly stood up. With a mighty rumbling around his prisoner, he pulled the dresser away from the wall as quick as he could, creating a space large enough to shoot his arm in through the space and yank her out. Winnifred was in trouble for trying to deceive him and he wasn't going to take it lightly.

Pyro grabbed Freddi faster than she could get underneath the dresser again. Her neck hurt from the sudden speed as he lifted her in the air. There was a degree of fear in her systems, but she refused to show it; her stubbornness was clearly visible in her body language. He held her really tightly in his grasp, almost like Dean did when she first met him, but it felt worse to her. Dean had a sense of humanity in him, giving her mercy; this man had an inhuman coldness in his glare.

She continued to struggle in his hand, whatever profanities coming out of her mouth only causing his grip tightening. The pressure coated her chest and ribs, letting out a pain-filled hiss slipping out of her mouth. She wouldn't give up though. She couldn't; she knew Sam and Dean wouldn't want her to.

"Shut up!" He shook her once. Cole had to establish boundaries, after all. He snapped his other hand and a larger tongue of flame appeared and he drug her a little closer to the flame. "If you want to live, you'll do EXACTLY what I say."

Freddi plead in a yell before quieting down, feeling the heat from the fire, "What the hell do you want from me?!"

He roughly handled her in his fist, her sides were tender and she knew her skin was going to bruise later. The look in his eye told her that he wasn't afraid to fulfill his threat. Freddi was stubborn, but she was not stupid; she valued her life enough to listen, if it meant she survived long enough to believe Sam and Dean would eventually find her.

"I want what you have," his reply was cryptic and far too close for comfort. He seemed to have plans for her and those plans were starting effective immediately.

Every day, Pyro would experiment on her, trying to draw out the ability she didn't really know how to work herself. The more his attempts failed, the angrier he got, and the angrier he got, the rougher he got with her. She couldn't talk to him; he wouldn't listen to anything she could say or even acknowledge her presence unless it's to try to get what he wanted.

At the end of the day, he untapped her from the table and locked her in one of the desk drawers nearby and left her for the night. Every night, he left her to her thoughts as she moved her weakening, growing useless, body to the corner. She spent a small chunk of the night trying to nurse the severely bruising areas on her arms, where he was drawing blood from her for his experiments.

Over time, to say Freddi was in pain was a major understatement. It was hard for her to breathe or move; he probably bruised or broke her ribs in how rough Pyro handled her. Her muscles were completely stiff and weak and there was bruising along her exposed skin; she was painted with blacks and blues and purples and reds all over her body, especially the shiner she had on one of her eyes. Eventually, she got too weak to even keep her head steady.

"Sam…" Freddi gasped faintly, after five painful nights, with short agonizing breaths, "Dean, where the hell are you? I can't…I can't last much longer like this."

The bartender allowed Sam and Dean to the back room once the ID's were flashed, "The security camera isn't the best quality, but-"

"We'll take from here. Thank you," Sam basically asked her to leave. They needed to know where Freddi was taken to.

They rewound the footage to the proper time, about an hour before. Seeing themselves on screen was surreal.

"There she is…" Dean muttered, watching the replay of Freddi getting up and rushing to the bathroom, but never coming out.

"Wait, freeze it!" Sam blurted. On the screen was a man with his hands shoved in his pockets…Sam took over and magnified the image so it was just him on the screen. "That's him."

Dean's lips became a thin line, watching as the printer finished its copy of the screenshot.

Once in the Impala, Dean let fly a string of colorful curses that a sailor would arch an eyebrow at. He looked to his little brother, "Work your magic, Sammy. We need to find this bastard."

Sam and Dean didn't stop looking for their mystery kidnapper for days. He appeared to have no alias or registered property. It was all starting to get to him. Sam's brow knit fervently in his sleep. A cold sweat coated his body as he had another dream of his. He first only heard Freddi screaming in pure agony before starting to watch the graphic scene unfold.

Whoever the kidnapper taped her down on a hard surface. He made her immobile before large hostile fingers were squeezing against her so hard, several bones snap and threaten to puncture her thin, bruised skin. Sam could feel Freddi's heart build from the pressure. Tears were heavily streaming down her cheek, her screams choked out as her eyes eventually closed. She didn't even have time to say anything related to last words, but it started out like 'Sa-' before her eyes jerk wide open one last time for a second. The light faded from her eyes and they closed and Sam knew she was dead.

The hand open up, revealing a bloody, mangled up body. Several bones snapped through her skin and her ribs shattered, some of them puncturing both of her lungs and her heart. It was nauseating to see her this way. If he wasn't used to seeing gore, then he would have thrown up after what he saw.

Then, Sam saw a street number, before Dean's voice jolted him awake with a start. Finally, they had leads and Sam had never been more thankful for his dreams as he was at that moment.

"I know where she is!" He gasped in a panting manner, laying his hand over his breaking heart for what would happen if they didn't get there in time. "I know…He's…He's hurting her. Dean. We have to go now!"

A growl of frustration penetrated Freddi's drawer, "It's not working!"

Glass smashed on the floor and the smell of something incinerating permeated the air. Stomping thud of footsteps approached; Pyro was getting mad and he seemed to be reaching his last nerve. The key was jammed into the lock, then she was flung forward at a fast speed as the drawer was pulled out. A tight grip grabbed her extremely tight and lifted her out in a rapid manner.

Cole held Winnifred uncomfortably close to his face. His glare was homicidal, "You know the incantation! I know you do! Your grandfather had a remarkable memory! Don't lie to me!"

Suddenly, he froze and lowered her to his side. There were pounding steps in his own house; unexpected company. A small lick of flame ignited in his hand in defense and in preparation to attack.

The door, though locked as precaution, heaved on its hinges at a loud echoing bang from the other side, causing him to flinch. Three more times and then the door was hanging on one hinge as it opened, and two tall men stood in the doorway. They immediately assumed offensive positions as they stepped over the threshold, guns pointed at his heart.

Both brothers were startled when they saw Freddi in his hand. It made their stomachs churn to seeing her tiny head limp like that, giving a pained expression on her face.

"Drop her."

Pyro did drop her…back into the drawer. It was a good enough fall to where Freddi got banged up really well when she reached the wooden surface, her shoulder popping out of place. She released a cry in agony as the pain ran through her right shoulder. The drawer was slammed shut, ricocheting her to the back of the drawer, her weak body hitting the wooden wall. She was left in the darkness as she dragged her sore, banged up body back to the corner of the drawer. Freddi curled into a ball and faced away from the ruckus she heard outside, praying that Sam and Dean would be safe.

When the drawer was slowly opening again, she didn't dare look. Freddi just cowered more, curling in tighter against her body before falling unconscious with a struggling whimper. She didn't get to know who opened the drawer again; she just hoped it wasn't Pyro.

Dean gritted his teeth at him dropping her, hating how roughly he was treating her. It made him want to pull the trigger then and there. Hearing her screams and cries for a second didn't help either, but the man was raising his hands in surrender after closing the drawer.

"She's not yours," the kidnapper sneered at them like they were pieces of meat.

"And you're treating her any better? She's a person, you bastard, and you're killing her!" Sam spat, scarily angry. He looked more trigger happy than Dean in this instant.

Sam went to the drawer and quickly picked the lock while Dean kept his gun trained on him. However, no sooner had he opened the drawer than he heard Dean shout in pain. Sam felt heat and he whirled around to see the kidnapper wielding white flames from both hands. His eyes went wide, instantly realizing they were dealing with someone from Freddi's journal.

Dean dove out of the way. He tried to aim a shot, but had to focus on not burning to a crisp, but his sleeve caught on fire, "Crap!"

Sam had a clear shot, and took it, but that only seemed to piss the guy off, but the kidnapper wouldn't attack him, not while Freddi was still in drawer. He still needed to get to her and it was a liability. He aimed for Sam's head after some time, causing him to dive out of the way. Sam looked around, but he could see his brother. The heat was intense and almost inescapable; the rug caught on fire though, filling the room with a sickly smell.

Sam went to grab Freddi and run, but the pyro looked to have the same idea. He grabbed the younger Winchester's wrist and ignited his own hand with a blue lick of flame. Sam shouted in agony and collapsed to his knees. The man seized the tiny, unconscious girl in a tight fist and made a dash for the door.

Even with his pain, Sam bolted after him and stood in his way. Where was Dean? He couldn't answer his own question, knowing he was alone at the moment. Sam face a perilous end, but he wasn't leaving without a fight. He couldn't let this monster get away, not with her.

"Sammy!"

Sam looked in time to see Dean to his left. He tossed a large silver extinguisher and Sam caught it. He fumbled with the pin for the second before an explosion of extinguishing mastering covered the pyro, rendering him unconscious.

Panting, covered with dirt and sweat and ashes, the boys stood over him. Dean crouched down and wiped the material off the fist to pry Freddi out of the man's grip. Sam and Dean were breathing heavily in the aftermath as he gently wiped the foam away to reveal her face. She looked awful, bruised nearly everywhere, multiple shades of black and blue and green scattering her skin.

"Is…Is she..?" Sam dared to ask.

Dean raised her up right to eye level, placing a single fingertip on her chest. He could feel it weakly rise and fall beneath.

"She's alive, barely, but still alive," he replied. He felt angry about how badly she was hurt, looking down coldly at the unconscious man; he emptied his gun into the man's head, then he turned on his heel and left.

Freddi slowly woke up in a pocket…but whose pocket? Her weak stomach lurched at the possibility of Pyro still having her in his possession. In a state of reasonable panic, she started to tremble as she struggled against her prison. She had to escape; she had to see if her friends were okay. Her shallow breathing was laced with pain and her lungs kept expanding against her bruised ribcage. Her shoulder was killing her and she could barely move a muscle; that didn't stop her from fighting like hell to find Sam and Dean.

"Oh," a deep, familiar voice inhaled sharply at her movements. "She's awake."

There was considering shifting behind her, then a huge hand reached in, searching for her. Freddi started panicking again and tried to avoid the large fingers, unknowing if they were friend or foe.

Sam peered inside the pocket and found Freddi huddled in a corner, in a tiny little ball. He could hear whimpers of pain and fear in her voice.

"Freddi, it's just me…" Sam announced to convince her to relax a little as he gently curled his fingers around her, bringing her into the light, "You're with us now. You're safe."

Freddi visibly relaxed hearing Sam's voice again when she almost believed she was never going to hear it again. She seriously wanted to cry, her eyes already watering. She was pretty sure she was shaking, but was expected. She had been running on pure adrenaline for a little over two days straight.

"You have no idea how relieved I am to see you guys," Freddi weakly gasped. She couldn't move anywhere on Sam's flat palm without feeling the stinging sensation following it.

Sam carefully laid her across his palm, really trying to be careful. Then, he lifted her close to his face, not giving a damn about the proximity as he made a list of her injuries. Sam's lip trembled just looking at her. There was a clear radius from where she'd been stabbed on her arms multiple times with a needle. Finger-sized bruises covered her head to toe. His eyes brimmed with tears as he heard the shallow wheezing in each inhale she took.

"I'm so sorry…" Sam whispered, feeling awful for letting this happen in the first place.

Compassion grew in her eyes as she weakly shook her head, "Oh, Sam. It wasn't your fault. Neither one of us could have known this would happen."

He watched as Freddi's hand moved to her shoulder and she winced in pain, "Ah! My shoulder! I think it's dislocated!"

"This one?" her gasp of pain at the touch informed him yes.

Dean struggled to keep his temper down as he sped down the road. He wanted to go back, desecrate the body, and burn the bones at this point.

"Hold your breath," Sam advised her, gripping her upper arm ever so carefully. "On three. One…"

He never got to two or three; he quickly pushed inward. The shoulder was shifted back into place with a tiny click. His stomach twisted as she writhed in his hand, crying out on angry sobs. As if he hadn't caused her enough pain already…

"God, that hurts like a bitch!" Freddi lashed out in pain as she squirmed on his hand. It wasn't the first time she's dislocated her shoulder, but hot damn it still burned regardless. She didn't care if yelling only caused strain on her rib cage or her movements as she moved. Then, her pain soon dulled down to a reasonable sting, letting her catch her breath and relax a little.

When a soft groan, she moved onto her back. Between two breathe, she choked out a faint whisper, "Thank you. I…I needed that."

She let her adrenaline syphon again and her weakness take control. Freddi slowly loosened up and fell back asleep without having to panic anymore. She knew exactly where she was and who was with her. She was safe again and that was practically the best feeling of the world.

A/N

There, semi-happy ending! I told you this chapter was intense, but it was open and shut. ^_^ I hope you liked it.


	21. Chapter 19

A/N

Freddi's back! Whoo! The boys got to her just in time. Keep reading to find out about her recovery.

Chapter 19

"She's been sleeping for over a day straight," Sam bit his lip in worry.

"Let her rest," Dean stopped him. "Look at her. She's been through hell. Freddi is a damn fighter; she'll wake up."

It still pained Sam, as he sat beside her in the evening, to trace his fingers and eyes over her countless bruises. How could someone hurt something so fragile? So beautiful?

Eventually, Freddi's green eyes slowly fluttered, ever so slowly. The first things she saw was Sam nearby, resting his head in his hands in worry. How long had he been there? How long had she been asleep? Where was Dean? The next thing she noticed was her limp arm hanging on a sling. They must have done that to her while she slept.

She still felt weak in the aftermath, and she had to watch how deep a breath she took, but at least she'd live. She was so out of it, she didn't even feel embarrassed that both Sam and Dean have now seen her underwear.

Freddi let out a faint groan as she started to clear her head, trying to catch the twenty-three-year-old's attention with a faint almost whisper, "S-Sam."

It should have been impossible for Sam to hear her soft voice, but with his eyes closed and his heart heavy, Freddi's voice somehow carried to him.

"Freddi," Sam croaked, dropping his hands to shift his gaze to her. He wanted to be closer, but the slightest movement caused the bed to shake for her.

"How…how are you feeling?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion.

Freddi's lips curled into a small smile as she responded the best she could, "Which answer do you want? Real or Bullshit?"

She watched Sam sigh, sending her wisps of hair flying as he very slowly laid of his stomach facing her, "The truth."

'Saw that coming,' she thought before telling him in a sigh. "You asked for it. Just, please don't freak out. I already feel bad for your birthday getting ruined."

"I'm in a lot of pain," Freddi started with a subtle hesitance. "I'm pretty sure Pyro either bruised or broken my ribs. My muscles are sore to the point where I can barely move. I'm dehydrated from rarely getting fed or given water. You already know about my shoulder; thank you, by the way, for popping it back into place. I'm tired, but that's expected. It just…it hurts, Sam. It hurts really badly."

"Don't blame yourself, Freddi. Like you said to me in the car, if it's not my fault, then it sure as hell wasn't yours," Tears began to glisten in his eyes, and he didn't try to blink them away. He seriously wished he could take the pain for her. A shadow fell across them when Dean come out of the bathroom and made a bee-line in to the bed, kneeling beside it.

"You're going to pull through this," Dean said, like she didn't have an option, before adding grimly. "Kidnapper's dead."

"What…What happened?" Freddi asked, trying to put the pieces together of what she missed, "I must have passed out."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, debating on how much to reveal.

"He tried to barbecue us," Dean said. "Then he tried to make a run with you, but we didn't let him get that far."

His Adam's apple bobbed, "Honestly, I'm surprised you're alive. You're tougher than you look."

"I think I've told you that before, haven't I?" Freddi chuckled, wincing in reaction on the slight strain on her ribcage, still chuckling. "Ah, don't make me laugh."

They were in a different motel that she didn't recognize; where were they? Did they abandon the case for her? Then, she saw the burns that got bandaged up. They risked their lives for her and she was visibly touched that they would do something like that. They saved her life and she loved them for that.

"You…Both of you saved me and I couldn't be more thankful."

Sam shook his head sadly. He wanted to comfort her, but he was certain his hands weren't delicate enough for the job. Even now, just breathing was blowing her hair gently. He whispered, "I'm…I'm afraid to touch you."

"I don't think you need to be afraid," Freddi sighed, shaking her head slightly. "It won't be long before the recovery is noticeable. Just you wait. I'll gain my strength back before you know it."

He smiled, but the sadness did not fade. The image of her like that would haunt him for years to come. He nodded and finally his back was sore from leaning over like that, "Do you…Do you want me to lie down with you?"

Freddi's blush was barely noticeable as she answered sheepishly, "I'm not against the idea. It actually sounds really nice."

That was Dean's cue to suddenly become busy, so he did what he did best; he went to the bar to drown in alcohol and meet chicks. He doubted either Sam or Freddi would notice him being gone.

Sam was more focused on the challenging task of laying down next to the tiny girl, without causing her to bounce around everywhere. Finally, he turned one last time to face her, resting his arm a few inches away from her. "This okay?"

"It's okay, but it could be better," She responded before warning him. "Do-Don't move."

Freddi didn't even wait for him to respond as she slowly drug herself closer to him. She used her less injured arm and ignored all of her stinging muscles that ached at the slightest movements until she reached next to his chest.

Freddi slowly tilted her gaze back up to his and she saw an unknown expression under his protesting concern.

"What?" She asked, before looking away with a blush, "Don't judge. You should know by now, hearing someone's heartbeat helps me relax, if I trust them."

"You're going to get worse…" Sam mumbled in half-protest, but the request was so sweet and innocent…and she had strained herself just to be near him. How could he deny her of that? Sam's expression softened into something unreadable as he curled his arm inward, large fingertips brushing her back and gently pressing her a little closer.

"Close your eyes," he suggested.

Freddi happily did just that as she felt herself getting closer to him, her head resting against his shirt. Her heart felt like it was going to burst as she grabbed a small clump of the warm fabric. God, she missed this gentleness Sam possessed as she listened to the deep, constant rhythm of his heart; despite the severe bruising she was sporting, Sam's touch didn't cause much irritation or pain as his fingertips met her exposed back.

Her eyes remained closed as she smiled, "Hey…scaredy cat, guess what…you're touching me."

Sam chuckled softly.

"Habit," he muttered, continuing to run his index finger up her spine, over the bump of her bra strap and back down again. His heartbeat must have been overwhelming to her. It was steady, but quickened at the sensation of cool, soft skin.

The vibration of his laughter went right through Freddi as she just lied there next to him, completely comfortable. Her muscles were relaxed and were giving in to Sam's massage. Her eyes remained closed as she sighed, "You know, this feels so nice."

"If you feel tired, don't fight it," Sam calmly advised. "You need to recover…and besides…"

He moved her hair aside to touch the sensitive skin on the back of her neck with the pad of a single fingertip, "I be right here when you wake up.

A subtle shudder erupted from her nerves when he moved Freddi's hair. She explained, slightly opening her eyes as she playfully whined, "But I don't want to go to sleep just yet."

Freddi asked, "I can recover being awake too. Can't you just talk to me, keep me up?"

Sam looked down, pausing with his hand on her back, "Okay."

He paused again to marvel at her size once more. She seemed bigger before she grew…Had she always been this tiny?

"This is going to take some getting used to all over again," He said, feeling her pull away a bit, her tiny grip beginning to loosen. Sam didn't let her shy away though; he kept a hand heavily behind her, preventing her to get away as he quickly added. "But I kinda like this size for you. You seem more…comfortable like this."

Freddi softly sighed, "I'm comfortable here and now, with you and Dean…where I belong. Sure, I'll miss being in my larger size and I can't wait until I'm able to shift without side effects, but this is all I want right now."

"…But there has been something on my mind since just now," she inquired curiously, looking up at him with fully opened eyes as she asked. "How did you find me?"

Those tiny eyes staring up at Sam nearly made his insides flutter with an unfamiliar feeling, "Oh...uh, we got access to the security cameras, got a face of the perp…but he didn't have property rented. It took us days to find something, anything…"

Then, Sam lied, neglecting the dream, "But we searched databases for credit card activity and found that he was renovating the school your grandfather started. We don't know how his name wasn't on the property, but it was a miracle that we found you."

Sam remembered the stomach-twisting worry he felt for her while she was gone, fearing of the worst. The graphic dream he had of what could have happened haunted him at the thought of not making it on time. He nearly hated himself for not grabbing that man when he had the chance back at the bar.

"I'm glad you did. I don't think I would have made it if it wasn't for you and Dean. I kept a small glimmer of hope that I would be found and then knowing you risked your life to save mine; you have no idea how much that meant to me."

` She shied away from his gaze and hid her face in his shirt, poorly fighting back sobs. It took her a good ten minutes before she told him, "Sam, it was so awful. I was scared. He was so angry…and cold. H-He looked at me like I wasn't even human."

Sam let her clutch onto him as Freddi cried. He could barely hear her, with her already little voice muffled against his shirt. His heart lurched at her admission when she did start speaking, prompting him to shadow her under a cupped hand, his thumb gingerly pressing on the back of her head.

"He had more than a few issues, in case you didn't notice. The guy was barely even human himself," he reminded her.

"What he did…it's hard from me to move on from. He experimented on me every day. He was so desperate for what he wanted…that he thought hurting me would get it," Freddi said, hesitant to continue, but the hand that was resting against her back was giving her the support she needed. "Sam, he was…he was trying to steal my ability. He wanted something I can't fully control and he expected me to know the answers when I didn't. He just…made me feel small and worthless and…and insignificant."

Sam's brow furrowed deeply. That explained the needle bruises. He was taking blood from her. How much had he taken? Did he even know medical procedure? How that ratio would translate for someone her size? Sam was betting he didn't, and that made him want to strangle him…literally.

"That…wow," he breathed in disbelief. "I wonder if that's how he stayed young all those years, stealing peoples' abilities."

Sam paused, letting that train of thought drop. He lifted his hand off of her so he could see her face, "Freddi…you don't still small, do you? I mean-not in the same way?"

His eyes implored her for an answer.

Freddi thought about it for a moment before weakly shaking her head in a no, "No, the difference is you don't look right through me. You acknowledge my presence and my words. He didn't. I don't feel small with you and Dean because you won't let me just disappear, like my instincts would want me to. The things you guys say…i-it's sometimes what I need to quiet this voice in my head that just echoes my deepest insecurities."

Sam felt happy that he wasn't make her feel small, but when he heard her say something regarding her deepest insecurities, he probed further with a slight hesitation, "What is it? Your insecurities? What does the voice talk about?"

Freddi bit back a small groan, knowing he was going to ask him that. She looked back up at him as she sighed, "Fine, but I don't want to hear you 'you're not leaving me speech.' I can't help what I feel."

It didn't help that he had this look on his face that he knew she couldn't lie to him with. She quickly explained her fear of never being enough, somehow getting the thoughts they wouldn't want her as much in her original size after seeing her more normal.

When she was done, she hid her red face again in Sam's shirt, "There I said it! Get the response over with."

Sam was still for a moment, saying nothing. Then strong fingers acted with a shocking delicacy to gather her into his hand. With her curled on her side like that, she fit perfectly into the curve of his fingers, where they met his palm.

"Freddi, I…I know I can't ask you not to feel insecure or pretend that this isn't what it really is, but you've got to understand that you mean something to us," Sam struggled to find the words. He was so bad at counseling girls, even though they tended to come to him at college too.

"Look, there's a lot of things out there that are small that are valuable too. Uhm…gold for one. Rubies and diamonds and other precious stones. They're priceless," he held her before his face as he spoke, looking at her eye to eye.

Freddi blush was beyond red at his kind words, but it was barely noticeable mixed in with her bruising. She looked at him warmly as she responded, "I know these issues are in my head, but I'm glad you're telling me this stuff. It was what I needed to hear, so thank you. You and Dean mean a lot to me too."

Sam could tell Freddi was flustered. Probably because she had his giant face in her way. Slightly embarrassed by his own size, he made gentle haste to embed her back over his heart.

Freddi let out a soft groan from the tenderness of her skin as she was placed back down, then she settled down like before. God, she loved the warmth he emitted against her chilled, exposed skin. It was heaven for her.

She still had question, so she asked Sam, "Could you tell me some things."

"Sure"

"How long was I asleep for? What time is it? Where are we..? Are we still in Salam? Did you give up the case for-?"

She definitely had questions, not really giving Sam enough time to answer. Sam had to cut her off to get her to shut up.

"Whoa, slow down there, Gonzalas," Sam chuckled. Where did all these questions come from? "It's one AM. You slept for nearly 36 hours…and yeah. The demon got away."

He admitted but quickly rationalized, "But there's always going to be ones that got away. We can't stop everything, just what we can manage. Plus, we had more important things on our minds, like finding you and bringing you back to where you're safe."

Then, he teased, "Satisfied, Winnifred?"

Freddi arched her eyebrows at his usage of her first name. Well, two could play at that game, "I don't talk that fast, Samuel."

"Excuse me?" Sam said with a mock sternness. The playful tension easily melted away when Sam and Freddi started laughing. He didn't even realize that Dean was long gone.

Freddi chuckled the best her chest would allow her to, even though she winced at the stinging sensation. She could feel the vibration of Sam's laughter before both of them settled down.

Silence settled over them. After a while, Sam's mind went to more contemplative places once more, "I'm not hurting you, am I? I saw your wince."

Freddi shook her head, genuine honesty lacing every word she said, "Not really. My skin is just tender and as long as I don't move, then my muscles are only at a numb throb; that's not the same as hurting. I do feel pain, but it's in my shoulder and ribs and that's natural with my injuries. YOU are not hurting me. If anything, you're distracting me from the pain."

Sam immediately lifted his hand away from the mentioned areas and resigned to staring down at her.

"I can't even begin to imagine how you feel…" He sighed, not just talking about her current start.

"You've been hunting for years," Freddi reasoned. "I'm pretty sure you've been hurt before."

Then, she added a little side note, "Besides, right now, the only thing I feel is the warmth you give off. I'm happy right now and I couldn't ask for anything better."

"Plus, I try not to lie to you or Dean very often, so you don't have to imagine. All you have to do is ask," she told him one last thing.

"I'd rather you didn't lie at all," Sam chided her gently. He could feel her tiny breast nudging his pectoral, and promptly blushed. Still, he carried on. "You're sweet though."

"It's not like I aim to lie, Sam," Freddi said in defense. "I'm mostly honest with you, but I'm still human. You, me, Dean; we all lie sometimes."

"I guess so," Sam shrugged, looking across the room and realizing Dean wasn't there. Where had he gone…and without telling him?

Freddi's weariness started to catch up with her as she rested her forehead against Sam's chest with her eyes fighting to stay open until she just couldn't anymore. She gave out a soft warning, a yawn erupting from her lips, "Sam…I don't…I don't think I can stay up for much longer."

Sam silently mouthed to himself 'oh my gosh,' closing his eyes and willing himself not comment aloud on how friggin adorable she was.

"Yeah…Okay. No problem."

"You should get some rest for yourself. I doubt you got any while I was unconscious," she murmured as she shifted into a comfortable position, basking in the warmth that surrounded her. Her current outfit did nothing to keep her warm, so Sam was like radiator to her. It didn't seem to take very long before she was completely gone.

"Too much on my mind," Sam said, lowering his voice to a decibel, even though it still vibrated through every in of her."

"Just sleep," he stroked from the top of her head to the ends of her mussed hair on the sheets. He felt a strange new warmth, watching this tiny girl curl into him and easily fall asleep his embrace.

Dean didn't come back until morning, but when he did, he walked in on both Sam and Freddi passed out. Sam was laying on his side while Freddi was cuddled near his heart, Sam's hand protectively over her. It was an adorable sight…but it was also blackmail worthy for the future if needed.

With a swift click of the camera, Dean was satisfied and ready to crash for whatever time he could. That architect he met at the bar was more than she would have guessed at first glance. Before he fell asleep, Dean looked back at the sleeping pair and fondly smirked. Maybe Freddi's love life will turn up after all.

The days after the rescue were the toughest on Freddi; to replenish how much blood she had lost, she slept for a good portion of it, but that was expected since her body had to work harder to recover.

Being almost immobile left Freddi vulnerable; she needed Sam and Dean's help with some of the most basic things. She needed help getting dressed, fed, and even the most embarrassing portion…bathing –it was probably more embarrassing than accidentally getting trapped in Dean's shoe two months ago-.

It begun to get normal for Freddi to be near Sam or Dean, whether it was napping in a pocket during travels, or staying with her as she slept at night. It was mostly Sam though who stayed with her during the night. While she was improving day by day, she was still having nightmares. She'd wake up in a panic in the middle of the night, thinking that the rescue hadn't happened and being with Sam and Dean again was just a dream, but the pain she felt was a reminder of her reality.

Her recovery was coming along nicely a week and a half later, the time her birthday rolled around. Her mobility was improving slightly and she finally was able to do some things independently, with limitations. She still had her bruising, but had died down in some areas.

Freddi woke up before Sam, for once; it was becoming a regular thing, him being the first thing she saw when she woke up when they slept like they did the night after the kidnapping. She looked up at the Big Friendly Giant and almost felt embarrassed with her attraction for him, especially seeing him in slumber mode. Sam just looked so visibly relaxed when he slept and as she heard and felt his deep breathing patterns.

She turned her back away from his chest with a faint groan as she whispered to herself, "Happy birthday to me."

Nearly twenty minutes later, the windstorm of breathing behind her became irregular. Soon after followed the increasing vibrations along the taut sheets as Sam begun to stir. She could have been terrified, if she was any other tiny person waking next to a giant, but instead, it was a comfort in many ways. The scale of simple movements would never wear off though.

Sam had long since learned not to roll over in the morning Freddi slept so close to him. Looking down at her was the first thing he did when he opened his eyes. Then, he raise a self-conscious hand to straighten his mussed hair. He smiled widely at her as he said, "Happy birthday, Freddi."

Freddi stopped whatever she was thinking. That was the first time in fifteen years that someone said those words to her. She almost didn't know how to respond to that, but she realized she wasn't even looking at him so eye contact was a start. She slowly rotated onto her back with her ribs protesting at any chance they could.

"Mmmm…Good morning."

"You didn't think I forgot, didn't you?" Sam accused. Despite their insistence to the contrary, she seemed to find it difficult to wrap her mind around the fact that she was a priority to them. It was late in the morning and they were hoping no cases cropped up today so they could celebrate her birthday in peace.

"I did not," Freddi defended herself, crossing her good arm over her slinged arm. She was smiling, so wasn't too serious about it. She knew he wouldn't forget about her birthday.

Then, she looked over at the sleeping older brother in the other bed. Dean was still passed out though, lying on his stomach and two empty beer bottles on the nightstand next to him. She laughed at the sight, "Think we should wake him up yet? He fell asleep before us and it's almost eleven."

"It's your day…but if you want to poke the bear, be my guest," Sam chuckled as he sat up, half rolling out of bed to set her on the other bed's edge, where Dean slept soundly.

Ignoring Freddi shrieking muscles, she slowly made it over to the pillow, near Dean's face. Man, she could smell the faint smell of alcohol on his hot morning breath…ew. She waited for a moment to contemplate how to wake up this easily hot-tempered giant.

"Deeaan…wake up," she tried to coo with a fake gentleness to her voice. When Freddi saw that method not working, she talked out loud. "Okay, new approach."

She walked up to his forehead and yelled before kicking it, trying not to hurt him at the same time, "It's almost eleven! Wake up! It's not like you're hung over here!"

A deep frown immediately crossed Dean's sleeping features. He slurred, reaching up to swat at the disturbance, "Mmmnothungover…"

His hand was fast. Freddi almost didn't move in time, but her reflexes were better than her because she jumped out of the way before she realized what she was doing; except, she jumped in the wrong direction and sled into the space in between the headboard and the pillow. She would have gotten out fine…if Dean hadn't turned around in his sleep, lightly pinning her down underneath. Freddi could feel the handle of his emergency dagger against her feet.

Freddi tried struggling, but her muscles weren't even at an eighth of her strength at the most; she was not budging at all.

"Mph! Dean…" She groaned with a faint growl. She could still see Sam and his amused expression if she turned her head in his direction, "Stop enjoying this and help me."

Sam got out of bed and got closer, grinning ear to ear, "Hey, you got yourself into this."

He went to pull her out, but Dean wasn't making this easy. His hand slid under the pillow and he turned on his side.

"Just give me a minute," he grumbled as he slid his hand under Freddi, pulling her out to safety.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't think he'd swat at me like that," Freddi groaned back, blushing red with a smile.

With one last look at the eldest, she let out a sigh.

"Two beers are like friggin water for me," Dean finally sat up, giving her a reproachful look.

Sam ran a casual finger down her back, turning away to take her to the bathroom, "Here, why don't you get dressed and stuff while I go get some coffee for all of us."

Freddi softly thanked him and waited for him to leave before taking action. She quickly got out of her flannel pajama pants and black tank top and washed up. Once she was done, she got into something nice. She finally picked out this blue shirt that one of the sleeves hung off her shoulder and a pair of jeans, made from a pair of Dean's old jeans.

She took a short look in the mirror to see how presentable she looked. She was still painted like a picture, but it was mostly faint greens, browns, and yellows at that point. She could guess the bruising would completely heal within a week. She was still sporting a sling, supporting her arm and shoulder; it would be a couple more weeks until she was able to take it off. All things considered, she looked a lot better than the last time she looked in the mirror.

Thirty minutes after closing the door and after getting the coffee, Sam came back wearing a soft red plaid shirt and jeans. He looked like he had combed his fingers through his hair, trying to make himself look presentable.

"You look nice," he said, gently scooping her up into his hand.

"You do too."

When he carried her out, Dean was fully awake and holding something in his hand. Sam sat down beside him as Dean flicked the lighter, igniting the candle embedded in the gas-station pastry.

"Go on," Sam nodded at her barely concealing his pride in giving her the first birthday she's had in a long time, even though it wasn't much.

Freddi covered her mouth in partial embarrassment and responded, "God, you guys are being so cheesy!"

She blew out the candle the best she could, just barely able to do the task, more for their sake over her sake. This was so unfamiliar to her that it was inches away from being laughable.

"Birthdays are always cheesy. That's the fun part, right?" Dean nudged Sam, making him nearly wave her right into the cake.

"Sure," Sam rolled his eyes and gave Freddi a face to make her laugh, his efforts successful.

"Oh," Dean pulled out a tiny package, wrapped in newspaper. "Here."

Freddi chuckled softly as the present was dropped in her lap. When she looked back at them and saw the look on their faces, her blush just seemed to get deeper; Sam seemed the most enthusiastic out of the three, making her stifle another laugh.

"Fine," she sighed, playing along. "You win."

She focused back on the package in her hands and eyed it kind of suspiciously; she really didn't expected to receive any gifts for the world making another lap around the sun. Freddi slowly ripped off the newspaper to unveil her gift and was rendered speechless.

In her hands was this remarkable little dagger at her scale, sheath and belt right under it. It was gorgeous and it made her heart melt.

"Guys…" Freddi finally uttered, not even sure what to really say, "This is…"

She looked up at them, with her jaw still basically dropped, "How did you..?"

Dean was especially pleased by her reaction. He held up his hands, revealing fingertips freshly pricked and calloused, "Found a new talent, I guess."

Freddi bit her bottom lip as her gaze returned to the dagger. How long had he been working on this? It looked like it took a lot of time. The handle felt right in her grip as she was still trying to form a complete sentence.

"Oh, Dean," she finally sighed. "It's…It's gorgeous."

She looked back up at them, "Thank you."

They smiled quietly.

"Now, we just have to see you in action," Dean crumpled up the paper and set the cake aside.

There was a lot of open interpretation in his statement as Freddi arched an eyebrow at him, "Acre to clarify, deadweight?"

Dean shot her a perplexed look, "I…wait. What did you call me?"

She laughed in reaction, flashing a pretty big smile as she remembered weight on Dean's head pinning her down under his pillow. She glanced at Sam; Freddi knew he knew exactly what she was talking about as she responded with a confident, smart-ass smirk. "You would know…if you had woken up this morning. Nice attempt at swatting me, by the by."

For a moment, Dean looked quite disturbed that the two were sharing amusement over a moment he recalled nothing about. Slowly, it came back to him in bits and pieces.

"Your own fault," he replied, vaguely apologetic. "What, it's a crime to sleep now?"

"You passed out early in the night and nearly had twelve hours of sleep," Freddi laughed at him with a big smile. "Did you really think you needed more time than that?"

"You think it's easy looking this good?" Dean shot back.

"Oh, put your ginormous ego in the backseat and just tell me why you can't wait to see me in action?"

"Huh?" Dean's smiled faded at the edges for a second as he retracted to their prior conversation. "Oh…y'know…if someone else tries to lay their paws on ya, you can give the what-for."

"That would be useful," Freddi agreed, flashing a confident smile. "I've been manhandled by strangers too many times without a weapon. Maybe, now they won't mess with me."

"Glad we're not among those numbers," Sam said, almost guilty though he knew they were no longer strangers. It made him feel slightly better that the weapon might buy her some precious time.

"If you guys were strangers, then I wouldn't be here or want to stay," She said, switching her gaze from brother to brother. She honestly couldn't slash at either one of them; well, unless they deserve it. "Nah, I wouldn't do that to either one of you without a reason. I can't just slash at someone I trust and care about. You got under my skin and I'm actually fine with that."

Dean grinned, then had to answer his phone. He had to walk someone through how to kill a windigo, while Sam encouraged Freddi to try on the dagger and belt.

Freddi felt a little bad-ass as the dagger hung off her hip after it was assembled onto the belt. She needed some of Sam's help since she could only use one of her arms for the moment. She wanted to dig the sling, but her shoulder still stung and Sam was still in mother hen mode. All in all, despite her discomfort about it being her birthday and being able to celebrate with someone, she was happy.

A/N

Recovery! And part one of Freddi's birthday. Part two is a half chapter. I just had to write another fluffy scene between her and Sam. She was vulnerable, what else can I say? Lol. I hope you liked this chapter and I'll update real soon. Bye!


	22. Chapter 19 Filler

A/N

Well, here's the second half of Freddi's birthday. Full disclaimer; things are about to get a little intense for a couple chapter. Leave it me to fill a story with drama…I should've labeled this as angst. Lol!

Chapter 19.5

"God, twenty-one years and I'm just now having ice cream for the first time?"

Freddi was laying on one of the pillows on her back, almost staring at the ceiling. She still hadn't gotten close to healing, so she had to keep her movements limited, but it had been an interesting day so far. By some sheer chance of good luck, they hadn't found any cases that day, so they were free to relax at the motel.

What surprised her was when they heard she had never tried ice cream before; Dean was gone to the grocery store and back with a tub of Ben and Jerry's within forty-five minutes, claiming Freddi didn't know what she was missing. She didn't deny it when she had her first bite. It was creamy and cold and satisfying to her sweet tooth. Dean was right; she did love it.

"Birthdays always seem to slap me in the face every time it comes around. It used to feel like any other day before this one, even though I acknowledge I was another year older. I mean, right now, I don't feel any different than I did yesterday and yet I know I'm no longer twenty years old."

They each enjoyed their own type of happiness in the moment. Dean felt the satisfaction that had been waning since Sam grew up; he wouldn't let him do as many little things like for him anymore. It just didn't suit Sam, but having a day off, making her day…That was a gift for them, too.

"Mm. Just wait until you turn twenty-seven," Dean shook his head, finishing off the last spoonfuls. It still bothered him a little that he would be thirty in a few short years. Practically over the hill, and his life had never changed.

"You gonna show her the other thing you bought?" Sam encouraged after a few hours of all of them talking. Dean grinned, reaching into the paper bag and pulling out a bottle of vodka.

"I usually don't drink vodka, but…we're celebrating," Dean filled the cap to the brim for Freddi when they were moved to the table. The liquid splashed a tiny bit on her bare feet as he handed it to her. "Go on, kiddo. You're legal now. Might as well try the good stuff."

"You guys didn't have to spend all this on me. I would have been fine with beer."

This was Freddi's first time having vodka, so this was all uncharted for her. She slammed her eyes closed as she took a small swig. She was taken aback by the flavor and how much it burned down her throat. She coughed, "Shit, that stuff burns! Is it supposed to taste like how rubbing alcohol smells?"

Then, she asked, "Could we add something to it, like a juice or a soda?"

"Sure, I think we still have some coke."

Once the coke was added, the drink was so much better. Thirty minutes of talking and laughing with the boys, having a lot of fun with them, Freddi was done with her cap. Sam and Dean both had drunken plenty of alcohol, but they seemed fine. She was a lightweight, so it was only a matter of time before she went all loopy.

"Nice to be able to have a little fun without the cops on your ass," Dean said, knocking another shot back. He knew the same didn't exactly apply to Freddi, but it was an attempt to make her feel more equal all the same.

"Could still have the cops on my ass," Freddi giggled, already feeling the alcohol taking effect through her systems as she slowly sat down on the ground. "I'll have a collection of fake id's for the rest of my life when I'm done with my wonky situation."

"So what, four inches is a phase to you now?" Sam raised his eyebrows. After all the talk about making sure they still liked her at this size… He smiled just as widely as ever, clearly not seriously concerned about it, not tonight, "You're giving me whiplash on the size issue."

"I promise, there's logic in me somewhere about all this. It's all just smoother in my head," Freddi said, feeling bubbly.

"You keep saying that," Sam sighed, taking another small sip.

Dean, on the other hand, downed another shot like it was water and cupped the bottle. He placed the bottle next to Freddi with distinct thud, making her slightly jump in reaction. The bottle of clear liquid was nearly three time her size. He chuckled, "Guess this was a little bit of an overkill."

"Nuh-uh, who's the one with the eidetic memory here? I have never said things were smoother in my head, not even once," Freddi slurred. She was about a mile off the deep end at that point and somewhere in her cloudy mind know she shouldn't have drunken so much, knowing she was a lightweight. "If I ever did, then I would remember. Just because some girls are distracted by good looks doesn't mean I am.

Wait, what did she just say? Her sober self really wanted to kill her drunk blabbermouth at that moment.

"No, I'm positive you've said that…" Sam froze. "Uh, what?"

Dean's eyebrows shot upward, a small smile growing on his face. Pushing the bottle aside, he folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them, smiling smugly.

Freddi shrugged, the word vomit flowing faster than she could really register, "I may be four inches tall, but I'm still a girl. I'm not going to lie and say you guys aren't both attractive."

"You ever have dreams about me?" Dean joked, tracing a finger along her thigh, making Sam lose his smile a bit.

"No," Freddi stated, laughing at the sheer notion and at the ticklish sensation. "You act too much like my brother, Jamie. AND keep your fingers to yourself! I'm still ticklish!"

"So?" Dean grinned, circling his finger over her midsection, and couple times "accidentally" brushing her breasts. He noticed how quiet Sam was. They both knew Freddi didn't fantasize about Dean, but Dean knew Sam wasn't an idiot and he also knew that she did have dreams about his younger brother.

He focused back on the tiny laughing girl, trying to drag herself from his hands, "S-Stop it! That tickles!"

And that was Dean's cue. He relentlessly pounced, tilting her into one hand and running his fingers up and down her body all over, avoiding her sling and her bad shoulder.

What was it about the alcohol that made her ticklish spots several times more ticklish? She erupted into a series of sheer laughter, tossing and turning in his hand. She couldn't exactly escape on her own as she screamed in chuckles, "You are so not fair!"

Dean stopped before his little brother could cut in, because he knew Sam meant business about this girl. He slid the four-inch girl into Sam's hand and sat back, "Here, have a turn."

Instead of tickling her, Sam watched Freddi catching her breath with avid interest as he held her a little closer than usual. There was still laughter in her breathing and it was intriguing to him. He gently laughed when she fell over just from trying to stand up, "Take it easy. You don't want a minor concussion on your birthday."

Sam offered her a finger from his free hand to steady her, "Freddi? Do you…actually think about me like that?"

The sober voice in her head was screaming at her not to answer, but her mouth was slipping out her word vomit of honesty again, "I don't know what I really think about you on things. I know you mean lot to me. I know you're smart; you're funny; you're kind; it's easy to talk to you. You're a great guy; but, once you've made your peace with Jessica's death and not haunted by your past, then any girl would be lucky to have someone like you."

Dean was no longer smiling. He wasn't sure how he felt about this union. He couldn't stand to see Sammy's guilt over a tiny girlfriend.

Sam drew back a bit, the buzz of alcohol not enough to cloud the face that she had basically said she was holding out for him. He flashed back to all the time they had spent together…how long had she felt this way?

"Oh…" he said shortly. He ended with a charming smile he knew would lighten the mood, but her words still lingered in his memory. "Well that…I…Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

Freddi didn't catch any of Sam's social cues as she flashed a warm smile. The level of alcohol in her system was starting to take a toll on her consciousness and the yawn that came out of her mouth was proof of it. She mumbled tiredly, "What time is it?"

When she was told it was a little after midnight, she responded, "I don't think I'm going to last much longer. I need to crash soon."

"Yeah, I don't doubt. You can barely stand up straight," Dean quipped as Sam took her over to the bed they shared, even though she was asleep before she even hit the bed.

Sam and Dean talked for a while longer, then hit the hay themselves. Sam had settled down and was about to close his eyes when a tiny form bumped his arm. Freddi must have rolled when he laid down. Smiling softly in the dark, he gingerly curled his fingers around her and let her off onto his chest, "Happy 21st, Freddi."

A/N

Duh duh duh! Sam knows! Let the awkwardness and the tension begin! I hope you like this half-chapter and I hope hear back for you guys soon. Tune in next time for more! Bye!


	23. Chapter 20

A/N

Morning after! What's going to go down? How does Sam fully react? Read to find out. Warning…a little intense.

Chapter 20

Regardless of Freddi eidetic memory, the memories of the night completely blacked out from the amount of alcohol. She woke up with this splitting headache and barely any memory from the night before, "What the hell happened last night?"

She almost had no idea that she sleeping on a six-foot-four living mattress, until she felt herself rise and fall in steady rhythm. Freddi slowly craned her gaze to the sleeping man, but not for long. Her head was killing her, causing her to turn onto her stomach and hid her face in his shirt, as if trying to smother the migraine away

"Oh, my head…" Freddi softly whimpered, not wanting to speak too loudly.

"Mmmm," Sam smiled in his sleep and moved his up to press to a prone position, the weight slowly weighing down.

The palm enveloping Freddi's back was comforting at first, but the growing pressure eventually started building against her healing ribs, causing a light groan. With a small growl, she banged on his shirt with her good arm. It didn't hurt too much, but it still stung.

"Sam," Freddi softly groaned, her face still buried in the Sam's chest.

Sam didn't hear her, but her light tapping caught enough of his attention to wake him up.

"Hey-" he started with a sleepy smile before he noticed her distress, lifting his hand away immediately. "Oh my gosh. Did I hurt you?"

Freddi quickly shook her head, but she regretted that action when her brain clunked around her skull, as she muffled a response, "I think something died in my head. Please make it stop."

"Welcome to hangovers. I'll see about getting you a greasy breakfast," Then, Sam slowly remembered all she had admitted last night. Suddenly, he took her off his chest and put her on the pillow. He watched as she curled up again in a tight ball. She didn't not look like she was handling her first hangover well.

"I've got to take a shower," Sam announced, leaving her alone.

"Kay," Freddi quickly said, feeling the pings in her temple at every thought she had. Gez! Has his voice always been so loud? She hated feeling this way, the headache and a place of black where time and events and people once were. She had always been able to remember any point in her life and to not remember something…it's almost terrifying.

The smell of pancakes and bacon woke Dean up in a hurry.

"What's with the Waffle House?" Food was the best motivator for getting him out of bed. He came over to see a sleepy Freddi and a still-damp Sam sharing a to-go box from Denny's

"Oh…" Dean helped himself to the second box he assumed was for him. "Hangover?"

"Yes, so please lower your voice," Freddi mumbled, her fingers rubbing along the sides of her forehead; his voice was loud too, damn! "I don't think I can handle vodka yet. Beer is good enough for a lightweight like me."

Dean chuckled at his own pun, "Lightweight…"

"That's not cool, Hotshot. I'm kind of a mess right now. I don't even remember what happened last night," Freddi responded when she found out the double meaning of his words.

"Come on, it's a little funny," Dean said, mouth half-full of potatoes.

Sam's gaze craned over her with surprised. She…She didn't remember…at all?

The greasy food barely didn't do any improvement to the pounding in her head, but she still lightly chuckled, "Fine, it is a little funny, but still a low blow."

She winced at the new wave of headaches and she closed her eyes with a soft whine, "Oh, my head. How long do these things last? This is just torture."

"Level of hangover depends, but judging by the bucket you downed last night, I'd give it till two pm at the earliest," Dean answered before playing with her memories. "So you don't remember standing up on the table and dancing to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'?"

Sam laughed and shook his head, "You didn't actually do that."

"Then, what the hell did I do?" Freddi asked, trying to put the pieces together in her mind, "Because, the last thing I remember was talking about the cops being on my ass, then it's all black."

"Nothing!" Sam said quickly. "Nothing…you just passed out."

That was the first of many out bursts to come Freddi experienced with him. While she and Sam continued to grow closer over cases, Sam would habitually would stand up abruptly or stop comforting her. It even came to the point where he asked her politely to stop sleeping in his bed. She knew she shouldn't take it as personally, but there was a part of her that couldn't help it. Everything changed after her birthday. Things were changing…and she was still kept in the dark about it…probably when she needed stability the most.

Thinking she had done something to offend, she took up her concerns with Dean while Sam was a mile away at the convenience store. The impala was pulled over to the side of the road, a toolbox and cooler of beer sitting on the grass while Dean leaned over the open hood.

His tone wasn't quiet sympathetic, "So…you're pissed because he won't cuddle with you anymore."

"I'm pissed because there's no reason why he's been in a constant PMS mode for over a month. I'm nowhere close to know what happened during my black out and I'm not getting answers from the only two people that witnessed it," Freddi corrected him, leaning her back against the toolbox with her arms crossed as she continued with a gusto. "If something happened on my birthday, then I have the right to know. I can't be left in the dark forever and I can't shake this feeling…like I screwed up somehow. Whatever happened changed things and I don't like it."

Dean grunted sympathetically, half-buried in the engine.

"Hand me a screwdriver?" He asked hopefully, his hand barely missing the toolbox by an inch. He snickered, "What makes you so sure something happened, anyway? Maybe it's just his time of the month."

Freddi chuckled at his quip as she climbed into the toolbox, her voice echoing off the walls as she answered, "Because, it's the only thing that makes sense."

She finally found the screwdriver and nearly tossed the heavy thing out of the box. Thank god, she was back to her former strength and fully recovered from her kidnapping. She made her way out of the box the same way she got in, catching her breath for a second before she slumped the screwdriver against his waiting hand.

Dean tried to focus on tightening the fuel valve, but he knew she needed some type of answer to appease her.

"You just made fun of his height and you said you could out dance Michael Jackson. You were out like a light. I don't think he's out to get you, Freddi. It's probably just the stress of the job," Dean lied, wiping his brow as he asked to exchange the screwdriver for a wrench.

Freddi did the exact same thing for the wrench as she did for the screwdriver, but that that metal instrument was a lot heavier than the driver. She had a feeling he was lying though as she worked.

"Maybe…you're right," she grunted as she worked to get the wrench out of the toolbox. "Maybe this is all just a sign to give up on this crush I have on him. It's not like he'd see me any different whether I change my size or not. Besides, I have more important things to have on my mind."

She finally managed to get the wrench out and it took little bit more time to catch her breath this time before handing it to him, but this time, he lifted the wrench up before she had a chance to let go. She tightened her slightly sweaty hold on the tool as she was rocketed higher and higher into the air.

Dean was working on the car, completely unaware of her; the jerky movements powered by his wrist was threatening to throw Freddi off and was starting to scare her when she could feel her hands slightly slipping. The car engine below was almost groaning in anticipation, wishing for her to fall in, never to be seen again.

Freddi screamed, desperate for his attention, "Dean, stop! Please! Put me down!"

Dean stopped halfway through a turn and twisted the wrench in his hand, poorly stifling a laugh when he saw Freddi hanging for dear life. He pinched her sides and lowered the annoyed, yet slightly shaking, tiny girl on the cooler and away from the toolbox.

"Look, who Sammy dates is his business. I'm not his relationship coach, and I'm not yours either, but I will say-" he slammed the hood shut, placing the wrench back in the toolbox and then placing Freddi on the car hood. "-you've got to stop stressing over this size things. One thing at a time."

Okay, Freddi could admit he was right again. She needed to stop stressing about Sam; she had more important things on her mind. Along with figuring out the words in her journal, the worst day of the year was closing in faster than she wanted. Tomorrow. That's when it'll be. She had always been alone when that day came around, so she had no idea how she was going to be with Sam and Dean. She didn't even have the desire to tell them about it.

She'd rather suffer in silence than spill her guts out either one of them when they didn't understand. Besides, there were more important things to focus on; they were on the outskirts of Chicago on a lead for a case, so she needed to push her feeling away.

"Alright, Dean," Freddi said, nodding her head. "I can't promise I'll stop stressing, because that's kind of impossible, but I'll try."

"Good to hear," Dean crouched down by the cooler, wiping his hands on a soiled rag. "Just out of curiosity…"

He asked carefully knowing her sensitive nature, "Have you tried the, uh, size procedure thing lately?"

"Not really," Freddi admitted with a hesitancy. "But, I have been working on it and I think it's safe to say that almost halfway done with the translation."

Dean nodded and gave her a tight lipped smile with a twinge of sadness to it. Then, he worked on cleaning up and by the time Sam got back, Dean was stowing the rest of the trunk and swiping Freddi off the hood of the car, "Got your precious protein bars?"

"Yep," Sam replied obviously happy, his mouth full as they piled in and headed out.

Freddi stifled a small chuckle when Dean mentioned the protein bars, fully remembering being trapped in Sam's pocket because of those bars. Sam still didn't know about that fiasco; thank god for that. She'd rather not hear a lecture on how she shouldn't have done that when she had a broken leg.

She was resting against Dean's shoulder, listening in as they talk about their current case. A young woman name Meredith Jane Allen was found dead in her apartment, age 25, body ripped apart, no sign of any entry, no DNA, alarm still active. This was the second murder in that manner, but the first victim was an elderly man, completely different class than Meredith. It struck Freddi with curiosity at what could cause such a thing.

"It sounds like a vengeful spirit at first glance, but we'll find out more once Dean sweet-talks the police."

"We'll check it out," Dean glanced at the exit signs as they sped past. They were almost there, just a little further.

"Definitely sounds like out sort of things," Sam nodded, frowning as he mulled over the details. What type of spirit would go after two such different victims? There had to be a common link…

It was just a simple recon, but the boys were stubborn as hell about bringing Freddi along this time. She thought they had moved past the flaming fridge incident and she was ready to get back out there; they were just too protective to see it. There was no convincing them as they put her in the glove compartment, hidden from view and in the dark.

"Let me out of here! I can help! This isn't fair and you know it!" Freddi yelled, banging against the door, before there was a loud bang on the other side, causing her to cover her ears and jump away in reaction.

"Let's make this fast," Dean puffed, giving the glove box a secure pat as he withdrew himself from the car.

Sam reasoned, "It's cold enough. She won't over heat."

"I know, man, but still…" Dean shook his head, not the idea of locking her in there with the registration and junk. As least she'd be safe. He took the lead into the apartment; this time, they were under the guise of reps from the security company.

When Sam and Dean came back, about an hour and a half later, Freddi was almost fuming after being kept in the dark like that. The moment she was embraced with light again, she looked at the closest brother practically with daggers, "What the hell was that?! If you didn't want me to come along, then you should have just told me! I would have been fine in the car! You didn't have to confine me in the glove compartment!"

Dean quickly proclaimed, raising his head in innocence, "It was his idea."

"We…I didn't want to take any chances," Sam replied looking either really apologetic or nervous at Freddi's glare.

Dean leaned over to give her a look in there before Sam took her out.

Freddi rolled her eyes at him, "You didn't have to. It's not the first time you've left me alone in the car. The windows are dim enough to where it wouldn't be easy to see me."

Slowly shaking away her frustration, she changed the subject, "You know what. Never mind…so, what did you find out?"

"I think you were onto something with that angry spirit theory," Sam said, kneeing the glove box shut and bringing her closer to his face. "But there's something weird about it. I just can't put my finger on it."

"What, you mean the disembodiment or the Jet Li-style sneaking?" Dean said, revving the engine and pulling away. Sam rolled his eyes, not appreciating the sarcasm.

Freddi shrugged her shoulders before seeing a piece of paper in Dean's hand; it had a symbol on it that looked like a curved Z with a solid circle in the middle, "Um…Dean? What is that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Never seen it before," He handed it to the tiny girl, the scrap of paper filling up her hands like a large road map

Freddi puzzled at the symbol, trying to see something, anything, in her memories looked familiar, but it was complete blank, "Well, I've got nothing. It hasn't been in anything I've ever read."

This didn't seem to surprised Sam or Dean. Sam glanced to his brother, who nodded in reaction, "We'll run it through Dad's journal, just to be sure."

Dean smiled as he chuckled to Freddi, "Sit tight, Sweetheart. We're headed to your favorite place."

The bar was unusually busy. Dean almost regretting bring Freddi in, with the amount of people who had bumped into him just trying to buy a couple beers, but in this neighborhood, there was no way he was leaving her in the car; plus, he had a feeling that she didn't want to go back in the glove box.

If Freddi ever spoke to him, he couldn't hear a word she said over raucous laughter a few tables down. One guy was so drunk, he fell out of his chair. Dean couldn't help but snicker quietly at the scene; it'd been a long time since he'd been that drunk, thank goodness. He thanked the bartended for the beers and started back towards his brother when he felt a faint jab on his chest accompanied by a muffled but familiar voice.

"What?" Dean hissed down at Freddi, glancing around to see if he was getting the crazy eyes yet.

"Don't get snippy, Dean. You didn't have to bring me along. I was just asking if you found anything. The bartender knew Meredith, right?"

"Obviously," he said back, not really in the mood for her cuteness right now. He had too much on his mind. Dean sighed, "Sorry about the noise. Just keep it down alright?"

He shut his pocket closed. If Freddi did respond, then he didn't hear it; her tiny voice was once again drowned out in the overcrowded bar, so he shrugged it off his shoulder.

"The noise doesn't bother me," Freddi softly commented more to herself when she was shrouded in darkness again. She was technically alone, so her mask of keeping herself casual could come down. She could feel the sensation of tears beginning to develop, but she quickly shut it down.

"Stop it. You are not a pile of mush. It's just for one more day. You can toughen up for one more day, then you're done for the year."

She managed to shake those feelings away, burying them away. She had to do it. This wasn't the time to break apart. She had to focus on more than one thing at a time. She was starting to feel a little uncomfortable where she was and tried to find a better place to feel comfortable.

No sooner had he Dean up with Sam, the younger hunter was calling out to a blonde chick across the room. The two embraced and exchanged incredulous greetings.

"Didn't think I'd see you again. I thought you went to California."

She shrugged, "I did. I left. I kept on going."

Dean cleared his throat, but this girl continued to act like he was invisible.

"Dude, cover your mouth," Blondie finally looked over just to snap at him, only to return her undivided attention back to Sam. Dean was miffed. In between her not even acknowledging him other than to ridicule and lecture him on an issue from the past, and Freddi squirming around for the hell of it, this night was not how he wanted.

Freddi could hear Sam and the woman and how they were getting along too well, so she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She continued to try to find a more comfortable position, feeling restless. She immediately stopped when she could hear Dean's heartbeat get dangerously fast. He was angry and she didn't want to be in the direction of his wrath. He was freaky when he was genuinely angry.

'Come on, Dean,' Freddi wanted to tell him. 'Walk away if you're getting this angry. Why are you letting a girl get to you like this?'

"…I don't know, Dean. There's just something about her I can't put my finger on."

"Bet you want to though."

Sam rolled eyes and Dean finally conceded, "You really think she's connected to all this?"

"It's a possibility. I had only seen Meg once months ago and suddenly, she's here? It's fishy."

"Right…" Dean sank down on his cheap bed next to Sam's in the green motel room. He fished out a very small and rather flushed young woman from his pocket. "And you. What the hell was all that wiggling around for?"

Freddi defended, "I was trying to get comfortable. We had been in the bar for a while at that point and I couldn't stay in one place. I was restless. Plus, I stopped didn't I? You were getting mad and I didn't want to push it. You already had one reason to be pissed and I didn't want to add onto it."

"And why's that?" Dean challenged her. He was not in the mood for anyone assuming they understood him so well, not even her.

"You were beginning to get mad before I even did anything. I heard your heart rate increase and your breathing get heavier, two tell-tale signs when someone is getting mad. You were getting mad at Meg bringing up past issues, which were already resolved, more than you were at me," Freddi explained, stating her observations.

"You could hear me breathing..?" Dean arched an eyebrow, looking a little creeped out by the thought.

Sam stood in front of them, demanding their attention, "You're missing the point. Meg could be a lead."

"Alright, so you stake her out, and Tiny and I will look up to the symbol," Dean gave his wrist a little flick, so Freddi was tossed up a small amount before caught again, like a keychain.

"Dean!" Freddi gasped as she was launched in mid-air before landing back down on her side with an oomph. She flashed Dean this look of annoyance, "What the hell!"

Dean lowered his eyes and gave her a smug look at her less than impressive, or lack of, comeback. Then, he cupped his hand near his abdomen so she was shrouded in darkness, and he could carry in a conversation over her head. Dean figured he was entitled to give her a little bit if a hard time after her restlessness in the bar.

Freddi was pressed into Dean's shirt and she tried to fight for her freedom, faint groans releasing from her lips. Of course, it was a useless effort, considering even an ounce of his strength could overpower her. She still hated being manhandled like this, and he knew that.

"Dean! Dean, this isn't funny!"

"Here," Dean tossed the keys to Sam, than gave him a stern look. "Not a scratch. You hear me?"

"I know how to drive, Dean," Sam rolled his eyes, trying to glimpse Freddi before shuffling out the door.

Once Sam was gone and their conversation was finished, Dean finally acknowledged her…sort of. He lean down a bit, tilting his ear towards her, "What's that? I can't hear you."

Freddi scowled, seriously not feeling so happy-go-lucky, "Oh, stop being such an ass and let me go!"

Dean's chuckled vibrated through her before he finally released her, not sounding apologetic at all, "No need to get nasty. Besides, I know you check me out."

Freddi immediately made her way off of Dean and onto the bedspread; she didn't really want to be touched at the moment. Still, she shuttered at the thought of being attracted to her brother, "Sorry, Hotshot. Not the case. You remind me way too much of my brother."

Dean pursed his lips in thought, observing her carefully for a moment; didn't she say the exact same thing on her birthday, when she was drunk? Then, he got up and got his laptop out of his bag. He plopped back down on the bed and started to look up various symbols in different cultures and religion. He kept eyeing Freddi every once in a while; he knew she couldn't resist a good hunt. It was only a matter of time before she wandered back over.

Freddi's mind was poking a stick at the temptation of what Dean was doing regarding the case. She saw that cocky look on his face, and as much as she wanted to see, she wasn't going to let Dean win like that; she wanted to prove him wrong. Freddi was stubborn, starting out strong, but after thirty minutes, her determination was beginning to fail. She groaned in defeat as this hunt and that symbol ultimately beat her stubbornness. She walked over to the looming man, close enough to see the screen.

"Don't get too excited," Dean said, not looking at her other than his peripherals for just a second. "I've got squat so far."

"Not excited, bud," Freddi rolled her eyes at him. "Just being the research monkey we both know I am."

"Hmm…" Dean hummed in reply, seemingly content to ignore her by his leg for a little while. Then, his green eyes slid over her, her entire form illuminated by the laptop. His fingers paused on the keys, "You want a lift, kid?"

"No thanks," Freddi answered, not exactly wanted to be touched unless necessary. "I can see fine right here."

"Yeah…right," Dean scoffed. He just picked her up effortlessly and set her on his lap, just in front of the screen. His arms boxed her in on either side as he reached back to the keyboard to continue his fruitless search.

Not listening to Freddi initiated a faint grumble under her breath, low enough to where Dean probably couldn't hear it, as he grabbed the scruff of her shirt and pulled her up into the air for a second; if he did hear it, then he didn't show it or say anything. She sat down, facing away from him. Her mood felt sour and she knew why…she just hated mentioning it. With all this silence, Freddi had time to close her eyes and look through the arsenal of books in her head to see if maybe she read something in the past that would help. She was feeling stumped as time passed with no luck.

'Dad would know,' thoughts of her dad were slightly distracting. It was hard to really focus when she didn't have the information. Plus, she missed him, her mom, and her brothers a huge amount. She missed the baby sister she never got to meet. This time of year was always hard on her, but she still tried to concentrate on work. Freddi couldn't let the anniversary get her this year. She had to move on from that section of her life.

"Hang on, let me make a few calls…" The deep voice shook her out of her depressing thoughts before she was tipped side to side a bit as the man beneath her moved. She had to grab the denim of Dean's jeans to keep her from falling off. She watched as he shifted the laptop to the bed and reached over for his phone, flipping through the numbers with an intent look on his face. The moment she saw his face, the expression he wore gave her a clear warning to keep quiet for a few moments.

Oblivious to the plight his mundane action caused his tiny friend, Dean dialed one number…two numbers…ending up calling three different "friends"- other hunters his father knew. Finally, he got the answers he was looking for, results.

"Zoroastrian," He looked down at Freddi with satisfaction, watching as she moved to get off of his lap. He slowly sank back against the two pillows, thoroughly fed up with the research role. Still better let the little stalker know…He dialed up Sam.

Freddi listened in to Dean's side of the phone call to get a little more info on the creature he mentioned…whatever a Zoroastrian was. Freddi officially reached her threshold on feeling contact with someone else, so she climbed off of Dean and went over to the other pillow; she really felt like being alone, but the best she could do was sitting on the opposite side of the bed. Freddi hoped she didn't look at distracted as she felt. She could feel Dean's piercing gaze digging against her hair, but she avoided it.

"-But, don't leave bite marks…" Dean pulled away from the phone, hearing a click. "Sam?"

Silence…He just chuckled, knowing he was right about Sammy's instincts. Glancing to the side, Dean finally took the time to take in Freddi's withdrawn disposition.

"Hey. You okay, Sweetheart?"

'Lie,' Freddi's inner voice alerted her. 'Let him think it's anything else…but the truth.'

"I'm fine, Dean," she responded quickly.

'Idiot, he's going to see right through that weak tone you just used. You couldn't hide anything from either brother in the past…Do you really expect to start anytime soon.'

'Shut up!' Freddi mentally yelled at the voice, hoping she wasn't acting crazy.

"What? You jealous? Sammy's got his hands on you twelve hours a day. The kid's not allowed to branch out a little?" Dean arched an eyebrow at her.

'Go with it. He'll believe this,' she thought as she shrugged her shoulders, "Of course he can, but doesn't mean I can't feel anything about it. Emotions are hard to stop. Jealousy…anger, I feel it all."

Freddi kept up her façade with lies of omission, telling other truths instead, "I don't particularly like this version of Sam. I don't like what he's been keeping from me and I don't like him always having his hands on me. I get this sick feeling every time."

She didn't like lying to Dean….but she definitely didn't think she was not in the best state of mind to blab.

That got Dean's attention. Something was seriously up with her, "Really? Last time I checked, you thought he was the bees knees. Now you don't even want to touch him? You feeling okay?"

"Dean, I'm okay," Freddi responded, empty in her voice, but sticking to them anyway. She gently rubbed her hand against her temple, feeling some strain. "But, I am starting to get a headache."

She looked up at him and asked, "Mind if I go wash up? I need to clear my head a little."

Dean's studious green eyes remained upon her a while longer before he finally decided it was a girl thing and gave a nod of compliance. He lowered an open palm and waited for her to climb on.

"Thank you," Freddi sighed, climbing on. Her emotions and thoughts were still messing with her…it almost made her think she was going crazy, more than usual. She just felt drained and had it been any other time of the year, she would have told herself to buck up.

She was taken over to her bag of clothes, so she could get two of the tiny towels she made for herself and the only item of clothing she didn't make, the nightgown; it was a rich purple gown that fell to her calves and was pretty on her, made of a light material. Freddi hid behind something, to undress without Dean's watching gaze. When she came out, she had one towel wrapped around her. There was no way he was seeing her naked…again.

Dean was hoping to catch a glimpse of something, but she was about as closed off to almost nun level. He repeated the action with his hand and raised his hand to waist level and walked into the little bathroom. It was kind of pathetic, as far as bathrooms went, but he guessed to a four inch chick, it was pretty roomy at least that's what he told himself. It did have a bathtub though, so he turned on the water and let the tub fill up to about two inches, give or take.

"You get an Olympic sized tub," Dean smiled proudly at his great idea, putting her extra towel and nightgown on the ledge of the tub, so they wouldn't get wet. He reached to grab the towel around her, but she immediately slapped him away, or tried to, but he smirked at the fact she was still held in his hand and unable to run at the moment, "What…no peepshow?"

Freddi needed some time to think alone and he wasn't really helping with anything. She could roll her eyes at how bad Dean seemed like seeing her naked was the only thing in the world to make him happy... 'Too bad, buddy. Not happening.'

"I don't think so, Hotshot," Freddi stated, crossing her arms at him. "I'm growing tired of hearing you mocking my birthmark again."

"Oh, come on! It's cute! Kinda looks like Montana from certain angles…" Dean tilted his hand from side to side, angling his head to try and glimpse of it.

"Dean! Just put me down and get out of here!" She yelled, tumbling all over his hand. "Put me down or I test out the hand height like it's a diving board!"

Finally complying, Freddi was lowered down into the warm water, her towel immediately getting soaked and concealing her dignity at the same time. Dean's large frame soared upward as he stood up and turned for the door.

"Be back in a bit," Dean said, patting the doorframe in a parting gesture before leaving.

He waited outside the door, listening as she washed herself. Dean could hear her soft voice through the barely open door, like she was talking to herself. Her tone was sad until she starting humming a couple songs, singing under her breath. Something was wrong with her and he hoped it would be shared with sometime.

Freddi concentrated on the sound of the water when Dean left the room. She needed to calm down if she was going to make it through. Memories of her family was murder on her emotional strength and it was only the day before the anniversary…tomorrow was going to be worse on her if she didn't get a grip of herself. Feeling nostalgic she absently starting humming the songs her mom sang around the house as a kid. Freddi started off with "Pure Imagine" and worked her way through "Songbird" as she washed herself. She wrapped the wet towel around herself when she was done, singing the lullaby her mother used to sing to her ever night. "La Vie En Rose" was the only song she cherished more than any of the others.

"Hold me close and hold me fast

This magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

And when you speak, angels, sing from above

Everyday words seem

To turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose"

(Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose)

Freddi was mentally surprised she hadn't shed any tears at the memories that were constantly floating through her head, but she didn't want to jinx anything. She just attempted to shake away her nerves and craziness, before calling Dean back.

Dean entered the bathroom by no subtle means as soon as she called for him. His green eyes landed on her soon after he kneeled and peered in the tub. He scooped her out of the water, feeling the water drip onto his hand, before putting her with her dry towel and night gown. Surprising himself, Dean covered his eyes to give her a little privacy as she dried off and changed.

When Freddi gave the go-ahead, his fingers curled around her and lifted her back up, drawing her closer to his chest in a protective manner, "You alright? You look like you need coffee."

"I'm feeling better. My headache is gone," Freddi sighed, slightly curling into his warmth.

"You look exhausted, shaking on your own two feet, like you're dragging ass instead of kicking it," Dean went over to the beds and sat down on his own, curious about something. "What was that last song you were singing? It sounded nice."

"It's…It's just an old song my mom used to sing. It was the last song she ever sang to me before she died."

Why was Freddi confessing that? She never should have mentioned anything…it was practically an indirect scream that something was wrong.

"Not my taste, but I'm sure the song means something to you," Dean responded, knowing there was more than what she was expressing; he still kept his lips shut, because if she was anything like him…then she would bottle it up until it bit her in the ass. "You should get some shut eye. Gignator's on his way back."

"Thanks, I'm sure some sleep will do me some good," Freddi agreed as she cracked her neck, feeling a little sluggish from that bath. She looked up at him and told him the best she could. "I know you're worried, but don't be. I'll be fine."

"Uh-huh," Dean was unconvinced. He held his hand out on the pillow and braced himself for the ever-odd sensation of her little bare feet walking off his palm. He waited to see where Freddi would be so he didn't have to worry about rolling over on her. Still, it was less awkward sleeping in the same bed with her at this size.

Freddi hopped off and onto the squishy pillow. She settled down on the closest pillow to the bedside table, just in case from an escape route for if they left before she woke up. She hadn't used the established drill yet, but it was wise to be prepared at any moment. At that last thought, Freddi slowly fell into a much needed nap, her medium-length hair sprawled on the pillow; being an emotional bomb just drained her.

A/N

I warned you it would be intense on more than one occasion. I just think Sam needs to grow up. Who else loves Dean here? He's like the brother I dream of having! I will update soon! Hope you liked it! Bye!


	24. Chapter 21

A/N

What a rough night for Freddi. Hope things are aren't too dramatic, but what's a Supernatural fanfiction without angst and the angst is still going on. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Freddi woke up to the sounds of guns clicking and the boys talking. Sam was back and it just made her stay and listen in to their conversation

"Big night," Dean said, loading a shotgun.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "You nervous?"

Dean didn't look up, "No. Why, are you?"

"No! No way," Sam quickly replied. They continued working in silence for a few moments. "Man, could you imagine if we actually found the demon tonight?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet," Dean reminded him, level-headed and refusing to get his hopes up.

"I know," Sam said. "I'm just saying, what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month, go back to school…finally be a regular person again."

Dean set his gun down and turned around, halfway to unpacking the little motel dresser, "You…wanna go back to school?"

Sam shrugged, "Yeah, when we finally kill it."

Dean looked guarded all of a sudden, "Huh…"

Freddi kept quiet and continued to listen in as she pretended to be asleep. Somehow, she always knew Sam wouldn't want to willingly hunt. This was always going to be a game of revenge for him. Freddi knew she wasn't any better, knowing she wanted that monster dead too, but Sam was going to leave the moment that day comes.

Her mad but stubborn side wanted it to happen. Two birds, one stone; she'd have closure with her village and her heart would stop breaking for a man that didn't even respect her enough to be real with her. He was talking on and on about wanting to be a regular person. Well, she wanted to that too for herself and because of her ability, she didn't have the luxury to be regular.

Still, Freddi's opinions were still all in her mind and she mentally shook them away to hear what came out of the boys' mouths next.

"What? Is there something wrong with that?" Sam asked.

"No, no…Uh, it's great. Good for you," Dean mumbles.

"Well, what about you? What are you going to do when it's over?" He asked his older brother.

Dean steels coldly, "It's never going to be over. There's gonna be others. Always will be."

"But…isn't there something you want for yourself-" Sam starts, but Dean cuts him off.

"You know, I'd love for you not to leave the minute this all ends, Sammy. I want-" He stops, looking from the ground right at Sam. "I want us to be a family again…and what about Freddi? We are the closest thing to family she's got. You just going to up and leave her, too?

"Of course not, Dean, but this isn't how I'm going to live out my life forever. We all have to move on eventually."

What did Sam mean he wasn't going to leave her? That was just bullshit. Did he really expect Freddi to fall for those lies? The moment Sam had the chance, she and Dean were going to be left behind; he wanted normal and the other two didn't exactly want that. Freddi knew she was doubting Sam so much because she was starting to lose trust in his words, something he'd have to earn back if he ever realized how much he was hurting her.

Freddi continued to lay immobile throughout the entire conversation; if either brother knew she wasn't asleep, then they weren't showing it. She felt something warm, like a finger, lightly brush against her arm and the sound of Dean's baritone sigh before hearing the door opening and closing, signaling Sam and Dean's departure.

She stopped the charade once she was alone…and finally, the tears begun to shed. She gave in to the pressure she felt in her head and her heart. The tears didn't last long though, but the numbness afterward lingered for a couple hours. It was all she could think about until the door opened…and it wasn't Sam and Dean.

John Winchester hardly looked like his sons at first glance. The scraggly mess of a beard on his jaw might have something to do with that. He was exhausted, but his face brightened quietly at the sight of Sam's old plaid shirt hanging off the side of a chair, then immediately scowled at the face that they had left such obvious traces of themselves in plain sight. He made his way through the room, intending to wait for them. There wasn't much time.

Stranger! Freddi got to her feet at an instant. Any thought she had running through her head simply vanished. She took off to the phone cord, always glancing at the intruder as she began climbing down. The only times she ever stopped was when he looked in her direction, but he was always scanning the room, reaching her area in thirty second intervals.

Once she finally made it to the floor, Freddi booked it under the bed and hid behind Dean's spare boots. She sat in the shadows of the giant boot heels and curled in tight, hugging her knees. Freddi kept a tight grip on her dagger. Her nerves were out of control and her heart was beating so loudly, it felt like it was coming out of her ears.

Freddi could hear the clomping of the stranger's shoes nearby as she was trying to be completely quiet. She hoped to God that the boys would be back soon, and feared for her life if she was discovered.

John paced around, picking up belongings of his sons here and there, judging silently and quietly missing on past memories. He stiffened suddenly. There was the sound of a familiar engine coming in, the slamming of car door, along with the voices of Sam and Dean.

The door opened, "Dean, that doesn't make sense!"

"Yeah, yeah-"

Dean stopped short in the doorway, blood draining from his face.

"…Dad?"

John gave him a small smile, "Hello, Dean."

He nodded to his younger son, "Sam."

Freddi had a constant hold on the handle of her dagger, her knuckles white, fully prepared to use it if anyone were to discover her. Every time she heard him come near the bed, she held her breath as she tightened her position against the shoe. She only felt a glimmer of relief when the door open and the familiar sounds of Sam and Dean entered the motel room.

She was tempted to just move to watch what was going to happen, but she kept repeating the drill in her head, 'Hide under the bed and stay there until someone comes for you.'

Freddi was still resting against the boot as she listen to Dean identify the man as the reason for Sam and Dean's cross country mission. The intruder was their father, the only living connection to her family history, and she was still frozen in one spot, just waiting for the all clear.

The door dramatically shut behind them as the men stared each other down.

"What…What are you doing here?" Sam sputtered. Dean was shocked speechless for a moment. Then, his eyes caught sight of the slight indent where Freddi had been sleeping on the pillow. Gears turned in his head, and he made his way in between the beds. He treaded carefully, then knelt down.

John frowned, ignoring Sam's query, "Dean, what are you doing?"

"Looking for something," Dean replied as his body lowered to the floor, peering underneath the bed. His eyes darted around for Freddi, not seeing her for a moment, but his sharp eyes notice a quivering shadow on the far wall.

"Dean! I'm taking to you," he could hear his father start, obviously a little suspicious.

Dean pushed the shoe out of the way, revealing a white-faced Freddi. His eyes softened, though his face remained determined in his father's presence.

Freddi slightly tensed when huge boots came the closest to her hiding spot and the owner kneeling down. If Dean's voice hadn't resonated around her not ten seconds later, she wouldn't have hesitated to use her dagger.

She slowly turned around and slightly peered out from behind to find Dean's face peeking from outside the bed. His green eyes scanning the floor for her; he must not have seen her quite yet, until he locked onto the boot she was hiding behind. On, instinct, she recoiled backwards a little before boot was moved with no effort. Freddi's nerves must have been so obvious for him to see; Dean's expression changed a fraction of a smidge at the sight of her paled skin.

She may have flinched at the initial contact, but Freddi trusted Dean. He knew what he was doing. She just smiled at him in relief as he scooped her up into his hand and pulled her closer. He was so warm compared to her.

Dean was all too aware of his father standing over him. He knew exactly how his father would see her: a supernatural creature, something to be hunted and killed, not coddled. Dean gathered Freddi's trembling form close to his chest as he stood up, blocking her from sight. His father's stare was menacing.

"Dean, you know how I feel about secrets in this family."

"What about where you've run off to all these months? You didn't even pick up the phone when I was dying, Dad, DYING!" Dean easily shot back.

Freddi tensed at the power and volume of Dean's voice, clamping her hands over her ears, semi-cowering as the vibrations shook through her; she was at the source of his voice and that was louder than at first glance. If John was anything in real life like Sam and Dean described, then Freddi completely understood why Dean was hiding her. She just slammed her eyes shut and tried to block everything out as the giants around kept talking so loudly.

"Dean-"

No, Dad, you don't understand," Sam cut in; no time for sweet hellos in this family.

"What don't I understand?" John's suspicion was aroused further.

Dean glanced down, beginning to crack his hand away from his chest. He could see Freddi practically writhing from how loud they were, tense with her hands over her ears and her eyes shut.

"Keep your voice down," he hissed to both his father and his brother.

He stood his ground, "Look, Dad, what you have to know is… She's not a threat."

There was a moment of tense silence before Dean revealed the tiny girl in his hand. Sam held his breath, eyes darting between Freddi and his father. He desperately wanted to scoop her up, away from his dad. He didn't like the looks that flashed over his father's weather face when he got a good long look at Freddi.

John never looked away from her. So, this was what his boys were hiding.

"She a vic?" He finally grunted after a few moments of silence.

"No," his eldest son answered. "Not exactly. She's a…well, she's a hunter, in a manner of speaking."

John gave a skeptical look at this, but rolled with it for now.

"Alright then. What's your name?" He bent down to look at her more closely. Brown hair, green eyes, purple dress. Her expression was steeled up, but it was obvious she was nervous.

Freddi knew Dean was going to expose her; might as well do it with her stones intact. She moved her hands away and did her best to calm down before she was brought out into the light. With a deep breath, she faced the man she had spent a good hour hiding from, meeting the eyes of this new person.

John had the same expression on his face as Dean did when he first met her; Freddi could definitely see where he got it from. It was a slight surprise to hear herself being called a hunter, from someone's lips other than her own. He seemed to be convinced, but it just seemed too quick when she was told by both Sam and Dean that their father was stubborn as a mule.

"Winnifred Everheart," Freddi answered. "I heard you knew my father..?"

"That so?" John's eyebrows went skyward. Everheart…he only knew one person a long time ago. He recognized the name, but he had his doubts. She could have just stolen the name.

He still slightly smiled to her, "It's nice to meet you…"

"It's nice to meet you too," Freddi said, feeling no harm in being polite. She was keeping herself calm, and if he ever tried to hurt her, then she believed Dean wouldn't hesitate to protect her. "I can match a face a name now."

John went to reach for her, but Dean's hand began to close around her protectively. His sons seemed to trust this creature. He shoved his hands into his pocket instead and stood up straight

He looked to all of them in turn, "And, how exactly did you run into each other?"

Freddi explained in a nutshell, catching the attention of the older man, "I can answer that. I've been traveling with them for a good five months. I've lived on my own since I was five. Sam found me, when I was trapped by a mousetrap in their motel room, with a broken leg and helped me. It's how I met them."

John took the story into account. He grunted in response, "Mm."

Sam watched as his father motion for the older brother to follow him outside, "Dean, c'mere."

Dean didn't argue; he just passed Freddi to Sam and went out. Though they closed the door, it did little to muffle the raised voice, mostly his dad's.

"What the hell were you thinking, letting her walk around like that? Did you even run the basics on her?"

"Of course I did. I'm not an idiot."

"She's not a hunter."

"What?"

"There's no such thing as a four inch hunter, Dean. She could be a demon."

"She's not…You worked with her dad! You must have known-"

"I knew of William and his sons. The only child I didn't meet was the youngest and still at home. Don't you think I would have mentioned that a fellow hunter had a four-inch-tall daughter?!"

"Let me guess…kid's name was Freddi?"

"…Yes."

"He was talking about her! Freddi is a nickname."

Freddi watched from Sam's hands as John did all but drag Dean out the door. Not two seconds passed when she could hear shouting; was John really that much of a judgmental son of a bitch? He didn't even know her! There was silence on Sam and Freddi's side as they heard the things that were said. Their voices carried very well through thin walls.

"Put me down, Sam," she exhaled sharply, not wanting to be held anymore. She needed to think and this wasn't giving her too much of a chance. She wanted to be able to compose her thoughts without wanting to insult the man who probably wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she made him made.

Freddi could tell Sam was nervous about the notion, but he did the next best thing; he sat down on his bed and setting her near his thigh.

Sam gingerly touched her shoulder with a fingertip, but she immediately stiffened, so he pulled away.

The moment Sam touched her shoulder, she tensed and took a deep breath. It must have been noticed because that finger was off within two seconds.

"Not now, Sam. Please."

She managed to calm herself down enough that she wouldn't completely blow up when the other Winchesters came back into the room.

Dean managed to convince his father that she was telling the truth; she really was the daughter of long lost hunting comrade. Dean looked deflated, but still determined, "She can change sizes, but it's just complicated. She can't exactly control it because her family died before she could be taught to control. She's just…stuck right now."

That was the last thing said before they headed back into the room. Dean took a look at Freddi; her body language hinted that she basically heard everything and she wasn't exactly happy about that, her arms crossed after standing up at their entrance.

John stood closer to the bed. His rare sense of humor came out- the forced kind he used to calm down victims, "I have to say, when he told me he had a little one at home, I didn't take it literally."

"Nobody would. I wasn't supposed to be raised like I was," Winnifred answered. There was a guardedness in her response. "I had a different way of growing up."

"I'm sure it was difficult for you," John crouched down, cold eyes surprisingly warm now. "Yeah, I can see your daddy's eyes there…I'm sorry to hear he passed."

"Thank you for the condolences. Being on my own for most of my life was difficult, especially with eidetic memory," Freddi agreed with him on the difficulty. "Sam and Dean can vouch for me. When they first found me, it was horrible."

Sam nodded reverently, "It was pretty bad, but she's tougher than she looks."

"I have to be honest though; voices carry well through thin walls," Freddi wasn't going to sugar coat anything with the conversation she overheard. "I don't appreciate someone I just met slandering my name. Now that you believe in me, I'd like it to stop."

John felt a hint of surprise in her calm outburst and acknowledged it with a nod. Respectfully honest, just like her father. He gave her a smile before standing up, looking from her to his grown boys as he changed the subject, "I wanted to meet with you after this case. We're very close to the yellow-eyed demon. It knows I'm gonna KILL it and it knows I'm close."

"What? But, how-" Sam started.

"I'm working on that," he paused, taking a deep breath. "It's good to see you boys again. Been too long."

Dean took this as his cue, and stepped forward into his father's open arms. The two shared an emotional embrace, then parted. Dean tried to blink away tears. He watched as his father turned to Sam, his eyes are glistening.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, Sammy."

"Too long," Sam agreed, unexpectedly rising to his feet and doing the same. Dean could see the tears from both men. It was a touching scene.

Freddi felt happy that there was some closer between Sam and his dad. After everything she heard happened between them, both of them deserved a cease-fire. She did her best to put her best face forward, but her eyes still slightly watered, forcing her to look away.

She took a few deep breaths as she tried to stop her emotions as she thought, 'Damn girly hormones.'

She understood her rush of emotions were just nostalgia for her family and seeing Sam and John together like that didn't exactly damper it. Freddi didn't want to have these feelings; this was not the time to become a skittish pile of mush.

Dean glanced down at Freddi when he stepped back. He stood a little close to the bed, but didn't pick her up yet. As much as he didn't want to, he realized Dad was vulnerable with them around.

"Dad…I think you should go."

The moment was immediately tainted.

"What?" Sam asked, incredulous. "We've been looking for him for months! We just got him back and you want to just leave him?"

"Of course I don't want to! But you saw what happened tonight. Meg used us as bait to get Dad. We're his weakness. He's safer without us."

Didn't see that coming out of Dean's mouth. She thought he'd jump at the chance to have a Winchester family reunion, but she also saw the wisdom and the sacrifice behind it.

John was as shocked as Sam looked at first.

Slowly, he came to the same conclusion as Dean though, "We'll go our separate ways then…until this is all over."

John started to leave the room, pausing at the door, "I want us to be together. You have to know that."

Sam and Dean nodded, silently heartbroken at the latest blow to their little broken family. The door close and soon after the pick-up truck engine started up. It faded away within a minute. Dean slowly sank down, sitting on the bed and lowing his hand into his hands.

Sam paced over to the window, checking the parking spot he knew would be vacant

Freddi managed to keep her balance through the bed quake from Dean mondo weight slumping onto the bed. When she was steady, she walked over to him. Freddi placed a hand on his thigh and looked up at him; she knew it wasn't an easy decision to make. For right now, the dread she felt for the anniversary tomorrow didn't exist. She just cared about being there for him.

"You okay, Dean?" she asked. Even if he kept things to himself sometimes, Freddi knew that even the simple question showed that someone cared. If he didn't want to answer then she would have been fine with being by him through the silence.

Dean raised his head slightly, just enough that Freddi was in his sights. He shrugged his big shoulders and didn't say anything for a minute. His jacket crinkled audibly as he decided to pick her up, fingers curling beneath her and holding her to his middle, like she was the last piece of sanity he had left.

"Yeah," he said, petting her hair and back with his other hand and keeping that distant look in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm good."

Dean did verbalize his answer for a while, but the way he carefully picked Freddi up and pressed her against his chest showed more of him through his actions than his words sometimes. She curled in against him and closed her eyes as she felt his other hand running along her hair. She gripped onto his shirt.

"I think things will turn up," she said, using her best voice of comfort.

"Yeah? Well it feel like crap," Dean replied roughly, but he kept stroking her, keeping himself calm, keeping her close. His Adam's apple bobbed as his frown deeped when he felt Sam come over to him. His little brother put a hand on his back. Dean turned his head in time to catch a small, genuine smile, returning it half-heartedly.

"You hungry?" Sam started up, obviously trying to distract everyone. Dean took note of this and nodded.

"Chinese. I'm in the mood for egg rolls."

"Okay," Sam paused mid-dial. "You sure you don't wanna try any spring rolls? They're a lot healthi-"

"I'm sure, Sammy," Dean chuckled, despite himself, and opened his eyes to look down at the little girl in his hand. Freddi was looking at him in an expression of understanding and compassion. He knew there were other things on her mind, but for tonight…they'd be okay.

Freddi had a more relaxing night, but the next day was draining. She felt like crap, but she kept the boys in the dark about it. At any time during the day, triggers restarted her memories of that night. They all spent a lot of the day on the road, so it was just her, Sam and Dean in a small area of space. Throughout the ride, Freddi was either placed on the dash or sleeping in the middle space on the seat bench.

She didn't talk much that day, and she knew the boys were suspicious about it, but every time they tried to address it when she was awake, she'd always tell them an excuse. She's spent most of her time working on the key to the mental block that hindered her ability.

Dean was, for all purpose in his mind, the only one awake in the car. They were still miles away, and he was bored. Looking over, he sees his little brother snoring softly with his mouth open. Dean smirked, glancing down to Freddi to see if she was watching, which she was. He pawed around for a plastic spoon and stuck it into Sam's mouth. Grinning, he snapped a picture, then he cranked up the music, singing along while Sam snapped awake.

Sam realized something was in his mouth and panicked, flailing his arms as he spit it out. Dean was laughing.

"Very funny, Dean."

"Sorry, dude. There's not a lotta scenery round here. Gotta make your own. Right, Freddi?"

"You realize this is war, right?"

"Bring it on, Sammy."

Freddi laughed at seeing Sam flail around like his limbs were rubber. It was a good joke on him. Dean was glad he got some form of response from her, even though he knew it wasn't a powerful as either brother was used to. Something was up with her…He wanted to address it, but Sam was quicker than him.

"What's up with you today? You've barely eaten, hardly said a word…the only reason you even come close to is to work on your father's writing," Sam's fingers curled around her and brought her up, finding herself before a pair of huge and demanding hazel eyes, "…What gives?"

"Nothing you don't already know," Freddi groaned out a lie. She wasn't going to spill. Why would she? It wasn't his business.

He stared at her for a moment longer. He knew she wasn't telling the truth. He almost set her back down, but he kept her in front of his face and inquired further, "Freddi…What aren't you telling us?"

Freddi emotionally stood her ground, "This is all in my head. I don't have to explain my emotions. Now, can you please…put me down?"

His eyes widened in surprise and he reluctantly nodded, setting her down on the dashboard and giving her the journal.

'Just until tomorrow. You can last until then.'

'But how long to you expect Sam and Dean to accept your behavior?'

'…'

'That's what I thought'

Freddi finished her mental debate with, 'I have to conceal it. I get that I'm selfish right now, but I…I just can't tell them, not yet.'

It was a long silent drive in her eyes, but it felt even longer as she lied there on her stomach. She put a lot of concentration on working; well, as much work as she could with the feeling of the brothers' stares drilling at the back of her skull every once in a while. Freddi tried to ignore it, but it built up and twenty minutes later, she kind of snapped.

"God! Would you both just chill out for a second? I'm not going to disappear is you blink!" Freddi said, trying to shake away her frustration. "I say this in my best attempt to be respectful; please…back off!"

"Fine!" Sam scoffed, rolling his eyes to glare out the window.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but then clamped it shut again. Girl drama was something he'd rather avoid. He hoped she'd just cool down, but a little sniffle caught his ear…Yep, definitely a larger story left untold here.

Freddi turned her attention back to her father's journal, and accidentally stumbled on a picture of her family all together, causing her eyes to water. It was her fifth birthday and her father and brothers were able to make it in time. Her mom was six months pregnant with her baby sister…and they were happy. Exactly sixteen years later, she looked almost exactly like her mother and the knowledge that had the past Freddi known her family wouldn't survive in a little over two months…she didn't even know what she would do if she had the chance to save them.

She didn't even realize she had tears running down her cheeks…until one of those tears landed on her hand. She quickly wiped away her tears off her cheeks and hope neither Sam nor Dean caught it. They already had a lot on their plate. They just said goodbye to their father just yesterday; having her issues topped on top is just too much.

Sam turned to peek at her and caught the tears at last second. He sighed. He couldn't just leave her there. Reaching for her, Sam offered her a gentle expression, looping his long fingers around her. He brought Freddi to the base of his neck in some form of hug. She didn't have to look at him, but she needed to feel support.

Freddi didn't like feeling this any more than they did, but her first reaction was to try to push away from Sam, but it didn't last long. Ever so slowly she started to give in to the embrace. Her breathing was heavy as she just waited for this to be over. Her emotions were too wild to accept it. Freddi didn't want to face the aftermath.

"It's okay," Sam's voice was gentle, but losing its patience. She wasn't taking care of herself, and she was refusing his help. God, she was almost worse than Dean!

Freddi finally had enough and looked up at him. He was looking back at her with the same expression that he knew she couldn't lie to. She shook her head and recoiled away from his chest, "Don't…Don't look at me like that…I-I…"

She turned her head away from him, uttering softly, "Don't you understand? I'm not ready."

"…No," Sam's grip tightened around her into a fist. "I'm tired of doing this with you. You can't keep going off like this, then expecting us to just go along with this and let you fall to pieces right in front of us."

He sighed and quieted down, trying to calm his nerves, "Look, I just…If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, I guess; just don't be stupid, alright."

"But you'll let me fall apart about my missing memories? You'll let me hear lies and excuses when I am desperate for some clarity?" Freddi challenged him, her watery eyes locking with him. She knew it was just partially her mood swings, but the issue had to be fully addressed; she couldn't take it anymore. "It doesn't feel right. Why can't YOU just tell ME, because being kept in the dark toys with me."

"All I've ever heard from either you or Dean is excuse after excuse, mostly from you," Freddi finished with a bang. "And I don't like the change."

Sam's eyes widened. The car was silent. His fingers loosened and then tightened around her, unsure what to do with her.

"I'm…I'm not toying with you," he said. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't changed…"

Sam swallowed guilty, realizing the times he had hesitated or gotten uncomfortable around her since knowing about her crush had not gone unnoticed. He could see the hurt and desperation in her teary eyes.

"This…This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I didn't want this drama, not today. I wanted to be in a better state of mind," Freddi said in a softer, almost breaking voice as she looked away from him. "Why did you have to keep pushing?"

"Because I care about you!" He whispered urgently. Why was that so hard for her to understand?

Freddi met his eyes again, "Then be real with me like before. Don't tip-toe around me like I won't understand, because I can't just sit here and accept it.

Sam said nothing in response. He couldn't talk about this in front of Dean. No way. It was just so awkward.

Dean rolled down the windows and let the roar of the wind drown out any further awkward air between them, or so he hoped. At least they were almost there. Thing were quiet until they made it to the motel room.

Once they were settled, Dean went to take a shower, clear his head and Sam actually volunteered for once to go to the store for dinner. Dean was in the bathroom for maybe thirty minutes and when he came out he laid down on the bed, next to a flustered Freddi.

Embarrassed by her outbursts today, Freddi softly looked down, obviously a little shameful, as she softly uttered "Okay, lay it on me. How bad were my mood swings?"

"Okay, friggin annoying, for one things," Dean didn't hesitate to say. Sheesh, dealing with females and their emotions were worse than watch Oprah. He watched her closely under half-lidded eyes. "We're just trying to help you, but you keep pushing us away, so excuse me for being a little skepti-"

"It's the anniversary… with my family," Freddi cut him off, tired of the emotional exhaustion.

After a couple seconds of silence, she hugged her knees while she was sitting on the pillow. "I deserve every word you said."

It all started to fall into place. The moment she started speaking…Dean understood.

"That type of thing never leaves you," he said, fully understanding the trauma. "You can bury it all you want, but you still hold on tight the whole time."

He turned his head on the other pillow to look at her eye to eye. He could see the tears starting shed down her cheeks.

Freddi could feel the tears, her voice breaking as she said, "But when it get so bad, you avoid looking at your reflection because you look exactly like your mom, with your dad's eyes. You become afraid to open your mouth. You lash at those closest to you, like a wounded animal. That's not normal…It's just sick."

Her shoulders were shaking with suppressed tears that she wasn't letting free.

"Freddi…What you went through…most people wouldn't be able to form sentences."

Dean hesitated, then added, "Not to mention the whole…you know, the whole four inches thing."

He gestured towards her roughly, "You made it this far, haven't you?"

"And lashing at Sam?" Freddi asked, wiping the tear trails off her cheeks before meeting his eye. "Does that excuse my behavior? No amount of trauma should ever justify screaming at a friend like that."

Dean's lips thinned at this and he glanced away. His hands weren't clean of that, "Yeah, well…Sometimes we do that to the people we care about. We let them down. The thing about family though, is that you know they'll always let you back in, not matter how much crap you pull."

He looked back just as Freddi looked away, "Well, it still doesn't change how awful I feel."

Dean offered her a hand, palm down this time. It wasn't to pick her up, but just a form of a physical comfort.

"He'll come around," he assured her. "Try to take some deep breathes for me, alright?"

Freddi's breathing was slow, but she listened to his suggestion. It was at that point where she knew she had put it off long enough. The truth wasn't just biting her in the ass; it was completely shika-bobbed straight through her. She just wanted her nightmares and baggage to be over.

She slowly looked back up at him, a slight look of defeat, "I give up. I can't keep these memories bottled up anymore. I can't keep them to myself anymore. When Sam comes back, then if he's willing to hear it, then it's time. I'm ready to tell you and him what happened that night."

A/N

Well, how about all that jazz? Sam and Dean's dad returning, the anniversary… a lot of issues. Read the next chapter to find out why exactly Freddi is haunted about her past. I will update soon. I hope you liked it! Bye!


	25. Chapter 22

A/N

Moment of truth… the complete story of Freddi's memory. The massacre of her village. If people cry -passes virtual tissues- and I hope you guys get to understand why Freddi was so hesitant about her past. I hope you like this chapter. More twists and turns coming your way! Enjoy!

Chapter 22

Sam and Dean sat before her at the little table in the corner of the motel room. Freddi was sitting on a book as a feeble attempt to give her a boost to their level. Sam exchanged looks with his big brother, then focused on her. He was warned outside before he came in that this wasn't going to be easy for her and he braced himself for the tears he knew would follow.

Freddi addressed Sam first. She didn't know what to really say, but she knew she had to say something in an attempt to fix the damage she caused, "I'm sorry, Sam. I never wanted to hurt you. Nothing should justify yelling at you like that, regardless if it's an anniversary or not."

"We saw the ruins. It's okay," Sam reminded her gently, his eyes already glistening. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for you at such a young age."

Though he had seen truly horrifying things in his life, he was suddenly grateful he had no memory of that fateful fire back in Kansas. Dean alone bore that memory between them.

"I know," Freddi said, looking away. "But, seeing the ruins is child's play compared to actually experiencing it. I couldn't talk about it before, but I realize it's not healthy for me anymore. I trust you guys; I should have been about to talk to you about these things a long time ago without fear of judgment or pity."

She could tell they were waiting for her to go on, their eyes completely locked on her. With a deep breath, Freddi started her story, "I-I was five, helping my mom with some of the things she wasn't able to do while she was so far in her…pregnancy, when my dad and brothers came home from one of their hunts. Things were…Things were good."

The tears were already started to fall, her gaze looking off as she recalled her memories, "It wasn't until dinner when we heard a crash outside followed by several screams. Dad went out to investigate. I watched out the window and I saw him just getting grabbed by a giant, white hand. Had I know at that time he would be grabbed and held hostage…"

She paused to control the hitch in her voice, "I don't know I could have done. I probably couldn't have saved them, no matter what I did. Any attempt to change things and I'd probably die with everyone else instead."

Sam and Dean could hardly begin to imagine how to comfort her.

"You know it's not your fault," Sam finally said, feeling inadequate already. "Your family would be proud of how you've grown."

Freddi nodded, still partially locked in her memories, "We only had a two second warning before we started to smell smoke in the house…and it didn't take long it to turn in a full-fledge fire. It spread fast, like the house was doused in alcohol. Me and my mom managed to get out of the house, but my brothers…they ended up trapped inside somehow.

"I didn't see them in the house…but…b-but I could hear them. I-It was horrible, hearing my brothers' screams and cries as they were burning alive in that house. We…We had to leave them…and I hate that we did that when my mom dragged me away.

"Our house…It wasn't only house that lit on fire. I can still feel the heat. Fire and chaos was everywhere…People were running and screaming and my mom tried to take me somewhere safe; well, the best she could at eight months pregnant…but…"

Freddi hitched again, the tears breaking her voice again before continuing. She needed to finish her story; they had to hear it, "But I got separated from her as our hands slipped in the crowds. I panicked and I tried to look for her, but by the time I found her…"

She trailed off for a moment, trying to keep more tears at bay unsuccessfully. She took more deep breaths, "Her body…Her body was still warm. Sh-She couldn't have been dead for more than five minutes."

Dean was leaning forward, his face ashen with grim sympathy. He shook his head, recalling those yellow eyes with a burning hatred growing ever stronger inside him.

Sam slipped a hand around Freddi's back, his thumb gently rubbing against her shaking shoulder. There were no words from the horror she had seen.

Tears still fell down Freddi's cheeks, even in her attempt to damn up emotions. She wiped away the tear trails from her cheeks, "I could hear people screaming everywhere as they were dying one-by-one and demon seemed to be getting closer to my location. I was running out of time, so I…I did what I needed to do; I crawled under the corpses and played dead."

She paused again, trying to calm down a little, her voice getting softer as she uttered, "Th-The corpse above me was my…it…it was my mom and I...I couldn't do anything. Her eyes were still open; they were cold and empty…and something I can never forget.

"I-I kept feeling a small, weak pressure tapping against my skin as I continued to lay on the ground," the tears fell faster as she was completely emotional, "…It came from my mom's stomach. My baby sister was stick kicking. She was…She was still alive and I-I couldn't save her. I just stayed there, forced to feel my baby sister slowly die for what felt like hours until it…it weakened to nothing. Less and less people were screaming and dying around me until eventually there was practically silence."

Freddi slowly finished her story, her tears lessening, but the emotions evident in her voice, "Yellow-eyes just stood there, satisfied with his work, holding my unconscious father in a tight fist. He woke up my father with a laugh to let him see the aftermath….M-My father barely had twenty seconds to react before the demon snapped his neck without regret…and added him to the corpse pile like he was throwing away a piece of trash. I can't ever forget the laugh Yellow-eyes made as he walked away, leaving me with the fires and the bodies and the trauma.

"I didn't talked for a while after that and it took two years to reteach myself to speak again. The nightmares haunted me for years and the anniversaries…they're the worst. I lash out because my mind is on a continuous loop of that night. I can't even look at my reflection. I just see my mom…with my dad's eyes. I'm reminded that I'm the spitting image of her…"

Freddi was cut off before she could say anything else.

Sam felt sick to his stomach. On top of all this trauma…He had been giving her the cold shoulder in some regards. She cared for him and he just hurt her even worse; he made her feel like she couldn't talk to him. She was right…he did change on her.

He snatched Freddi up in a loose fist and held her to his chest. He could see Dean's taken aback expression, but Sam wasn't going to back down this time.

"I'm so sorry," it wasn't much, but it was all he could say.

He could feel her struggle against him. Did she really distrust his touch that much? Sam continued to keep her close, not letting her hide away again. She wasn't crying anymore, but she wasn't saying anything either.

"Don't fight it," he said gently, hugging her a little closer, surrounding her completely, "Just let someone hold you for once. You're not carrying this one your own this time. You shouldn't have to feel like you do."

Dean sniffled and stood up. The air was getting pretty thick in the room and...Freddi needed this. She needed reconciliation with Sam during this tough time. Dean figured he could help her later with the best way he knew how.

"I'm gonna go to the station…you need a drink."

Freddi grew too exhausted to fight against Sam for long. With slow deep breath, she gave in to his best attempt for a hug without saying a word. She didn't ask for this de ja vu feeling, from back when she first started traveling with the boys, comforting her about her nightmares; Sam was giving her support even when she didn't exactly ask for it, but still gave it to her when she truly needed it.

Dean was right; she needed a drink.

The impala's engine faded, and Sam and Freddi were left in the aftermath of her catharsis. After a few moments longer of clinging to her, Sam pulled his hand away, Freddi falling back with gravity into his palm. Her face with evident of her crying and flustered.

"Do you…you want me to put you down?"

Freddi didn't know when, but it clicked in her head that she didn't care about how she felt about him. It only mattered how she saw him…family, as it should be. He didn't feel like a friend or practically her hero. Her crush was taking a back seat if it meant things could go back to the way it was supposed to be.

"That would be great. I just feel so…drained after everything," She responded, trying to calm herself down.

Sam started to lower her to the table, but changed his mind, bringing her back to him and carrying her to the bed instead. He watched the tiny girl step off his hand, barely indenting the covers as she took a seat. He could still feel echoes of her presence on his hand.

He finally broke silence after a few moments, "Do you mind if I lay next to you? I just wanna rest my eyes for a while."

"Go ahead," Freddi shrugged with her answer. "It's not like I take much room here."

Sam laid down carefully beside her, stretching out his long legs. He left plenty of room; unnecessary, but he hoped she could see he was trying to give Freddi as much space as giant could. He inhaled deeply, eyes shutting. He could still feel the tension in the air around her. She must have been really worked up about all this.

He rolled over to face her, but kept his eyes closed. Sam's hand slid up along the covers, blindly feeling for her tiny form. When he found her, his fingers molded along her side, stroking her skinny arm in silence.

Freddi grew aware of her rotating friend, but didn't react much to it. She'd grown used to it ever since she met them, but then he patted around the bed with his eyes closed. She almost didn't know what he was searching for until it clicked in her mind that he was looking for her. She didn't flinch or tense as his finger brushed along her leg before moving to wrap the hand around her. The rubbing was successful in calming her down, but there was still trouble on her mind.

"Sam?" Freddi asked, her voice was quiet, yet clear at the same time. "I want to know. Why did you suddenly get so uncomfortable with me? What changed?"

Sam came up with an answer off the top of his head. Not the truth, but close enough that it was believable, "I guess something just switched in me. I was so afraid of hurting you. You're just so…tiny, you know?"

Freddi looked up at the closed-eyed man with a puzzling sigh. Things didn't exactly add up in her mind, but it was the most truthful statement he's told her since her birthday. She'd take it temporarily, "I'm a big girl, no pun intended. I think I've proved that my size doesn't hinder my ability to help. So, no more, okay?"

Sam let out a short laugh as he agreed, "Okay then."

The next morning, Sam and Freddi sat at the table over a newspaper article and several supplemental sources on Sam's laptop. Dean pulled up a chair and joined them, "Gimme the lowdown again?"

"All right, about a month or two ago, this group of kids goes poking around this local haunted house…apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters. Anyway, this group of kids see this dead girl hanging in the cellar."

"No ID of the corpse?" Dean exchanged bewildered looks with Freddi.

"Well, that's the thing," Sam continued. "By the time the cops got there, the body was gone, so the cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains."

"What makes you think they're right?"

"I hm….Read some convincing testimonies on a local site-" Dean saw his brother blushing a little as he leaned over Freddi to read the name of the website.

" ?" Dean snorted. It sounded like it was made by forever virgins in their mom's basement.

Freddi laughed along with Dean, but also gave her opinion before informing them something, "I think we should at least check it out. It might actually be a case…but I want to try out the wording again. If I can be more help at a bigger size, then I'm not hesitating."

"Alright, let's see what you got," Sam agreed. He picked her up and set her on the floor carefully. Then, he stood back and exchanged glances with his brother. So far this size changing business had been temporary at best.

Freddi took a deep breath, trying to ignore the drilling gazes of her boys, before reciting a clearer version of the wordings that she had been studying. She was nervous, but her desire to help, and to be normal sized, was way more powerful than some nerves. When she was finished with the last words, she could feel her body changing, growing back to her five-foot-five size…but she could something was different halfway through the process.

Nothing was recognizable. Her mind was empty and she didn't know where she was. She stood up and when she turned around, there were two tall men staring right at her.

Sam and Dean watched with awe and apprehension as the young woman stood up, a dozen times her previous stature. She looked stunned and a bit dizzy.

"Not bad, kiddo," Dean stepped forward, putting on a smile for her sake. He wrapped her up in a hug, like he was welcoming her back from a visit elsewhere.

She was at a loss about the man coming for him. He acted so buddy-buddy with her and yet, she had no memory of him. She didn't hesitate to struggle with his tight bear hug though, "What the hell? Get your hands off me!"

She must have spooked him more than she thought because she was able to rip out of his grasp and see how surprised he looked, "Who are you guys? Where am I?"

Dean blinked, bewilderment darkening his features. He exchanged a look with Sam before looking back at Freddi. To their dismay, she was completely serious.

Sam stepped forward, already getting a bad feeling about this.

"Freddi, calm down. You know us…We're your friends," he spoke slowly, like to a skittish child. Sam took another step forward. "Just…take a deep breath, okay? Let's talk."

"Stay back," she gritted, making sure there was still distance between them. He called her Freddi…was that her name? Why couldn't she remember? What else did they know about her?

Sam stopped in his tracks out of respect for her wishes. He glanced once more behind him and knew that his brother was thinking along the same lines as him.

"Look, I know you're scared, but I promise, you know us. I think this is the side effect from the growing process."

There was a part of…"Freddi" that wanted to believe them, her instincts…but she didn't want to follow them. She just wanted to get out of there. They were just looking at her with these indescribable gazes, "'Growing process?' Do you know how insane that sounds? You're right; I am scared. I'm in some room with strangers and nothing of who I am and why I ended up here. I don't really even remember my name…"

Sam didn't know what to say. She didn't even remember she had a size changing ability? This was quickly degrading from bad to worse. They stood between her and the door. As hunters, they recognized the look in her eyes: fight or flight.

Dean braced himself; if he were to bet money, he would say she was going to try to run.

Freddi's hand clenched in the silence, her eyes never leaving the boys. She needed to get out of there, but it seemed like they could fully take her down if she wasn't smart about this. Against her better judgment, she started to walk forward towards them. Her emotion-filled eyes locked onto the taller man's and her heart lurched for a moment…wait, what the hell was that?

When she was close enough to them, she bolted. Freddi pushed her way through, her skinny physique and flexibility allowing her to bend and slip away. She didn't know where all this came from. She just made it to the door and started running, hearing a loud "Dammit!" from the open door.

A/N

Uh-Oh…on many different things. Sorry if her story is a tear jerker, but it kinda needed to be. On the other hand, Freddi tries again with her size…and loses her memories. How is that going to go down? I will update soon. I hope you liked this!


	26. Chapter 23

A/N

Freddi without her memories…and on the run. Not good. Keep reading to continue the adventure. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 23

Sam and Dean bolted after her. Dean charged straight along the walkway behind her. Sam started off too, then went out to the side and sped up around the parked cars. He managed to cut her off by taking that shortcut and before she could as much as gasp, he had latched an arm around her midsection and knees. He hoisted her over his shoulder, trying to lose as little momentum as possible. He hustled back towards the room, having to practically lock her against him so her protests were muffled. This looked bad enough as it was.

Freddi tried to get out of this man's grip, but any effort just made him latch on tighter. She was pressed up against him and any noise she made was drowned out by his shirt. His arms weren't leaving her waist and her breathing was heavy with uncertainty and fear, "Let me go!"

Dean followed, making sure no one was out and about to notice. Luckily, the motel was quiet during daylight hours. Once they were inside, he locked and bolted the door as lowered a thrashing Freddi onto one of the beds.

"Just…listen to me," Sam grunted, dodging her attempted blows and grabbing her skinny wrists in each hand, restricting her movements.

"Freddi, snap out of it. It's me, Sam! Sam Winchester," he insisted, unintentionally shaking her a little as he spoke with emphasis. He kept searching her vibrant, green eyes for something, anything related to recognition…but it wasn't there. It was like she didn't want to remember.

Freddi's strength wasn't a match against his; he was able to pin her down in no time flat. She continued her attempts to slip through his hands, but she couldn't exactly do that and get him to stop straddling her hips.

"Pl-Please, just let me go. I can't remember you," Freddi tried to convince him. Now, she could label one of the men, although she still didn't know why there were butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know why her heart sank at the emotion in "Sam's" eyes.

"Sam," It was Dean's quiet voice that finally got Sam to move. Sam released her and pulled Dean aside to the corner of the room.

"What are we supposed to do with her? We can't just lock her up till it wears off. She'll go to the police and shrink there….and-"

"I know," Dean cut him off. "But pulling that whole interrogation thing on her isn't the way to make friends."

Sam huffed heavily, stealing a glance at the girl on the bed.

With the door bolted, Freddi didn't have much chance of an escape, so there wasn't much to do but to just sit there on the bed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. She didn't look at either man as she overheard bits and pieces. What were the "police" they were talking about? She knew what everyday things were called; she could identify the names of everything in the room, but there were things that evaded her, events and complex terms. Everything was jumbled into mush in her head… What if she never regain her memories? Would she have to stay with these strangers? Did they really know her like they seemed to claim?

"You want proof?" Dean addressed Freddi now, pulling out the bound, tattered journal out of their bag. He handed it to her, "It's your father's. We went back to Salem with you to get it."

They waited for recollection, approval…anything.

Freddi looked at the black leather cover with a semi-confused look, "I had a family? Are they still around?"

She finally met their gazes imploringly, like she wanted answers, but one quick look on their expressions and she already knew her answer, "…Oh."

Then, she asked, "How'd we meet? When was it?"

Dean sat down in a chair, assuming a relaxed position strategically chosen to relax Freddi as well. It would have worked better if Sam had followed, but the younger Winchester was still standing there at the foot of the bed over at her.

"Ah…At least five months. I found you in our motel room. You were hurt and uh…a lot smaller. Than you are now."

That confused Freddi, causing her to arch at them, "Not saying I believe you, but how much smaller?"

Sam exchanged a look with his brother, hesitating. Freddi was really taking a big blow to the brain if she couldn't remember her original size. He admitted gruffly, "Uh…Four inches tall."

Disbelief showered her face as she responded, "Forgive me if I don't believe that as quickly, but do you know how insane that sounds?"

"You know how insane it is to actually live with it?" Dean countered…It didn't exactly win their case, but Sam could tell he was speaking from experience.

Sam brushed his bangs out of his eyes in an agitated fashion, coming over and sitting down on the bed next to her, "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Your whole family had the ability. Look at your dad's journal. Don't you recognize his handwriting even a little?"

Freddi took a moment to look through some pages, very weird stuff on them. It all just seemed blank. She shook her head, "No, nothing's familiar. It's all just a fuzzy haze to me."

Suddenly, something close to a smile lit up Sam's face and he whipped out his cell phone. He flipped through his photo album; it didn't take long to find it since he wasn't exactly a shutterbug. Sam handed the phone to her, so she could see hard proof. In the picture was Freddi sitting on Dean's shoulder. She had an open mouth smile, and he remembered her telling him to turn that off. Her face was brushed with a light pink, so he just kept it.

Freddi stared at the phone with her jaw dropped for just a second. It was a sight to see…and they were telling the truth? Their story wasn't crazy? That was her and the more Freddi looked at herself in the picture, the more relaxed she became. She looked happy in the picture and it was more convincing than their words were.

As she was returning the phone, Freddi said, "I wish I could recall that day. I look happy."

Sam lowered the phone to his lap.

"I think you'll remember soon," he assured her, and himself. "Just give it some time, okay?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her word. He wanted her to remember probably as much as she did. He didn't really like the look in her eyes, like he was a stranger to him, no recognition in her expression one bit. It was getting him more than he cared to admit.

"Alright," Freddi agreed, nodding her head in reply. "I just hope I start remembering soon."

She slowly took another look around the motel room. It wasn't very tidy and it didn't seem like they all actually lived there. Plus, there were only two beds; this was not going to end up fair, "We don't truly live here, do we?"

"Feels like it," Dean grumbled in the back.

Sam shook his head, "It's just a motel. We moved around for hunting cases."

"And…what case are you working on right now?" Freddi asked. Against his better judgment, Sam started telling her all about the Hell House and the disappearing dead girl. She went through both hunting journals and seemed to go along with it, like her mind was made up. She said, "Then, let's figure this out."

This was a bad…no, it was an awful idea. Both brothers knew that. Bringing her along was just asking for collateral damage, but at the same time…more people could be killed if they didn't crack this case. The three of them drove around town, interviewing apparent eye witnesses. They got a bunch of mixed stories, most people craving for the spotlight.

"Do you guys normally get witness stories like this?" Freddi asked out of curiosity. "They all claimed to be there, so why did each give a different description of the same girl?

"I don't know, but it all ties back to this Craig guy," Dean answered. The car pulled up to the curb and he pulled the keys out. They went inside and talked to him. Turns out, he heard it from his cousin…but it wasn't supposed to be true.

After an exhausting and fruitful day, they sat at a booth in a little diner down the road from their motel. Freddi was sitting next to Sam, across from Dean. It was a shame Freddi couldn't even relish being normal sized right now. She didn't even know what to order, not even remembering what she liked to eat, so they had to order for her.

It was kind of sad for Sam to see Freddi so out of it, lost. He could see the small degree dejection on her face when she didn't even know what she liked. He remembered though and when the waitress came to get the orders, he picked something he knew she'd like, a mushroom and Swiss steak sandwich. He grabbed her hand in reassurance and gave it a quick squeeze.

The diner was quiet and cute and Freddi enjoyed the atmosphere. Her mind drew a blank of what she wanted, but then Sam spoke up for her and she just accepted it, but it made her wonder how much he really knew about her. Freddi slightly flinched at the feeling of her hand in Sam's, but it felt nice and reassuring.

The waitress brought the food and one bite of her food made her close her eyes in enjoyment. Good choice, Sam. About half way through the meal, Freddi developed a very minor headache. It was subtle, so she just shrugged it off. She slowly got out of the booth, and let the brothers know, "I'll be right back. I need to hit the restroom."

Sam suddenly stood up, "You know what. I, uh…have to go too actually."

With that excuse, he escorted her to the bathrooms and while he was fairly certain she would be find, he also wondered how long Freddi's biological clock was set for before she shrank again. He knew it looked weird, but she would undoubtedly thank him later. She didn't look any different when she came out, so Sam could feel calm about it.

When they returned, he grinned ear to ear in reply to Dean's flat scowl. Dean moved his hand up…and the beer bottle came with it.

"Hilarious," Dean grunted.

Sam laughed and flashed the bottle of superglue he had used, "Isn't it?"

"Okay, what is up with you two?" Freddi asked under the laughter of watching Sam and Dean doing stuff like that…enjoying it more than she thought she would, "Messing with the radio? Putting itching powder in Sam's underwear? Is this how you spend your free time? Pull pranks on each other?"

The brothers shared a look with each other before replying, "yeah," and "occasionally" at the same time. She just laughed and continued eating her sandwich.

"Oh, but like I was saying…the research proves none of the stories match up. There's no evidence of this ghost anywhere," Sam continued the conversation.

Dean finished his beer and smiled at the waitress that dropped off their check.

"Let's take a look for ourselves, tonight then."

Freddi was curious about this. From the journals she read through, they hunted all these creatures without batting an eyes, and apparently she did to. She ran a hand over the handle of the dagger that had been strapped to her hip since this whole thing started. She wondered where it came from, but wearing it felt right for some reason.

The three of them walked in the dark, through the overgrowth that surrounded the abandoned house. Dean glared at the power lines and grumbled about how it was screwing with the EMF readings. Once inside, they searched the place from bottom to top. No bodies…no signs of the horror stories anywhere. This place was a dead house.

Freddi soft voice could be heard behind Dean, "If this spirit strings up girls, then shouldn't this thing have attacked by now? I'd be target number one out of all of us."

"Don't make me regret bringing you along," Dean warned her, accompanied by a sharp look over his shoulder.

"Relax, Hotshot. I'm fine," wait, that nickname…does that mean Freddi was starting to remember. Topic for another time.

His flashlight beam illuminated a cluster of graffiti on the walls. "Looks like old man Mordechia was a tagger back in his day."

Sam frowned when he noticed something, "And after his time…that Satanist symbol wasn't used in this area until the sixties."

A sudden scuffling from the kitchen made all three hunters stiffen. Sam and Dean raised their gun and crept towards the door, ready to face whatever evil lurked beyond…SLAM! Dean kicked the door open and they all charged in and…immediately lowered their weapons.

"Whoa! Do you mind? In the middle of a paranormal investigation here," the two scrawny men inside the kitchen looked like they were attempting a Ghostbusters cosplay…and failing miserably.

"…You gotta be kidding me," Dean grumbled.

Sam, on the other hand, recognized them from a picture online, "You…You two run the website…"

"Yep, and we already know who you guys are."

This time it was Freddi who responded, putting her knife away, "Oh really?"

The redhead answered, "Amateurs…"

Then, he noticed her, "Though…you do have a lovely assistant here. Very fine."

Freddi arched a brow at them in semi-annoyance. Then, she looked to Sam and asked, "Can I hit him?"

Sam scoffed a laugh, tempted to say yes as the guy went on and on about EMF and ghosts they never actually saw. Suddenly, the dork grabbed Freddi and pulled her closer to him to try to get a better look at her. She looked pissed as the guy uttered, keeping a hold on her hand and obviously willing the girl to be impressed, "Something like that changes you."

"Wow," Dean said, the sarcasm was lost to the nerds, which made Sam hide a smirk. "We'll uh, leave you to it then."

Okay, Freddi had enough of this. She ripped her hand away and said in a low voice, laced with venom, "I have a knife…DO NOT TOUCH ME."

She quickly went back to Sam and Dean, gripping her dagger for reassurance. She softly whispered to Sam, "Walk behind me so they can't stare at my ass."

Sam did so without needing to be asked. He heard them giggling about pot as they left…Go figure. Keeping Freddi close, they searched the rest of the house, finding nothing. The house really did seem dead, like as in no activity whatsoever.

He heard his brother utter roughly, nodding towards the door, "I hate to agree with the cops, but this might be a load of teenage bullshit."

Sam followed, nudging Freddi before him.

Once Freddi was out of the house, she grabbed the hand that was nudging her and looked at Sam face to face; well, face to chest, releasing his hand, "Sam, I'm okay now. You can stop pushing now. Have you always been this protective?"

Sam looked straight down at her and mumbled an apology purely on instinct. He hadn't really thought anything of the way he put her before him, probably how Dad raised them to treat vics. He opened the back door of the Impala for her and asked with a smirk, "You coming quietly this time?"

Freddi smiled at the tall man as she made her way into the back seat, "That quiet enough for you?"

During the car ride, every once in a while, Freddi's hand subtly brushed along her temple. Things were so foggy in her head. She kept seeing really fuzzy pictures and scenes, but it was almost like a magic trick; the closer she tried to focus on it, the less she saw and the more they grew blurry. She still didn't know what the scenes were, but she was still able to feel what she couldn't see. She felt happiness, tension, anger…and fear.

At one point, only for a second, Freddi felt a great pain all over her body, but she couldn't see the memory corresponding with that sensation. She let out a suppressed, very faint groan as the pain was released and passed, but she couldn't shake that feeling. What happened to her that caused all that pain?

Dean glanced up into the rear view mirror several times on the way home. Each time he would glimpse a portion of Freddi's face, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary, so he'd continue driving at a slightly elevated speed. They had a quick drive through dinner that was finished by the time the unlocked the motel room door.

Middle of the night, the parking lot fuller than ever. Go figure. They were silently grateful the girl came along willingly this time.

Once they were inside, Freddi asked, slightly nervous to ask two people that seemed like strangers to her, "Um…C-Could I borrow something to wear while I wash my clothes and take a shower?"

Their mouths opened, followed by awkward nods and yet another shared look. That hadn't occurred to them. All the rest of her clothes was for someone four inches tall. Sam crossed over to his bag first and pulled out a clean red shirt.

"Here," he straightened up and nearly knocked heads with her, not having heard her come over.

When she was gone, Sam released a breath he hadn't realized he had been withholding.

Sam's chin nearly hit her forehead, causing Freddi to slightly jolt back a step. God, he was tall, but it wasn't that bad. She took the shirt from his hand, but their fingers touched for barely a second. Her heart bubbled for some reason, but she just pushed it down.

"Th-Thanks," she softly responded with a respectful nod before going into the bathroom for some time for herself.

"Less trouble when she was smaller…" Dean muttered as he laid down, losing a battle with exhaustion.

"Dean," Sam threw his brother a reproachful look before going over to his laptop.

In the bathroom, Freddi rested her back against the door for a second, trying to make sense of everything. Every time she seemed to discover something clear, blurry things would overcrowd her mind, jumpstarting more headaches. Freddi's instincts trusted Sam and Dean, but without knowing why. She could see why she could stay with them; they were funny and seemed to treat her well.

She slowly undressed, washing the clothes in the sink and hanging them to dry off on a rod before getting into the shower. It took her a couple minutes to figure the water handles, like she'd never used them before. Had she ever use a bathtub before? She quickly washed herself, humming a soft unknown song that stuck with her somehow. It felt important to her, even though she didn't know where it came from.

Freddi got out of the shower and draped her wet clothes over the shower rod, then she used one of the towels to dry herself off. She reached for the red, short-sleeved shirt and slipped it on. It was long to wear, but it was soft and warm and it smelled like Sam…wait, why would she care about what he smelled like?

She just shook those thoughts away and left the bathroom. Dean was already asleep by the time she came out of the bathroom. There was only one bed left and she offered it to Sam, but he made excuses each time she mentioned it. She even offered sharing it and he still turned it down. After a while, she stopped pushing it. There wasn't much for her to do for but to just go to sleep.

After a good thirty minutes, Freddi finally came out of the restroom. Sam had hardly touched the other bed, since she would be sleeping tonight. Knowing she barely knew who he was at the moment, he pretended like he was too wrapped up in what he was doing on his laptop to really talk much, not that she tried to.

Conversation remained at an awkward minimum, even though Freddi kept offering options for sleeping arrangements. She even considered sharing with him and even though it surprised him, Sam still insisted he "wasn't tired and would be perfectly fine, thanks."

He only let himself breathe in frustration and relief when she finally gave up and went to bed. She did look peaceful when she was asleep.

During the night, Freddi had a moment of clarity before her eyes. She was having good memories of Sam and Dean run through her dreams. She felt happy being with them in every single one of them. Freddi slept through the night with a soft smile on her face. Finally, she knew these men could truly be trusted because she could remember why she did.

Freddi woke up with the sunrise shining in her eyes and stretched before sitting up, finding both Sam and Dean still asleep. Dean was passed out, still in bed…and Sam was still right where he was, hunched over in the chair and against the table, the laptop on, like he had fallen asleep doing research. She let out a soft chuckle at the sight; that did not look comfortable at all. Freddi put a blanket over Sam, took ten dollars from his wallet for coffee, and went into the bathroom to see if her clothes were dry…which they were. For some reason though, she still wanted to keep wearing Sam's shirt…weird.

She came out in clean clothes and took another look at the slumbering brothers. She wrote a note out and put in on the nightstand before heading out the door for some fresh air, taking her father's hunting journal with her. Freddi wasn't leaving; she was just wanting to have some peace and quiet to think about what she was remembering. She started on her way to a coffee shop close by, admiring the atmosphere of the weather.

The morning blew up a strong gust of wind and crusty leaves. Sam paused to zip up his jacket and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He kept glancing around like he might see Freddi pop out of thin air, but she didn't mention a hint in the note to where she had gone. He hadn't a clue to where she would go.

Sam walked into the little coffee shop on the corner, a local college joint. It had only been open for a few hours so far today by the looks of it. He got in line and ordered for him and his brother, memorized beyond a doubt. Once he retrieved his order, Sam glimpsed a bit of dark brown out of the corner of his eye.

He did a double take to see his amnesiac friend, sitting in a booth. Freddi was looking through a familiar black book and sipping her coffee, so Sam stepped out of his stupor to slowly get closer to her, "Freddi…"

Freddi had no clue Sam would end up showing up thirty minutes later. It kind of dampened the whole "peace and quiet" thing, but she accepted it. He was a friend in her memories and that shouldn't change.

She looked up at him with a smirk, unable to resist teasing him even a little, "Stalking much? It wasn't like I was going to be gone for long."

"I'm not!" Despite everything, Sam's protest came out like a laugh. That smirk on her face was painfully familiar. It felt so natural to see it on her face.

"I just came to get some coffee, scout's honor," he smiled at her toothily as he sat down across from her.

"…You were actually going to come back?"

Freddi laughed, rolling her eyes, "Alright, I'll believe you this time, and of course I was going to come back. Why wouldn't I?"

Freddi answered her own question, "You and your brother have done nothing but treat me well…and, besides…"

She admitted with a shrug, "I'm starting to remember."

She didn't think she'd ever seen his eyes go as wide as they did in that moment as he snapped, looking right at her, "What?! But when…How much do you..?"

"Just bits and pieces," Freddi cut him off, not letting his hopes get too high. "I remember some memories of you and Dean and me. It happened while I was asleep. The rest of my memories are still locked away, but it's just blurry, like I should remember all this…but I just don't."

Sam still couldn't help but smile. It was hope. The first solid sign that the memories weren't permanently gone.

"These side effect you get are pretty off the charts," he commented, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'll take your word for that. They must be weird to deal with. I don't know how you can live with it," Freddi responded. It wasn't as hard as she was assumed. Seeing that look of recognition on her face; that was worth it. "I've been looking through my journal, hoping something would be familiar, and I think I might have found something. Come here."

Sam flipped to the other side of the booth, next to her before she handed him a black and white picture. The five people in the picture all were sitting together, close and obviously a family. He saw a little girl next to her older brothers, with a beaming smile, and he knew it was Freddi. She was adorable and must have been four or five.

The two adults must have been her parents. They looked happy together. Freddi's mom had to have been strong to wait for him after all the times he must have left to hunt. Sam could see a moderate-sized baby bump and that gave him an estimated timeframe. She was beautiful and Freddi was right though…she really was practically the spitting image of her mother, even though he could see some portion of her father in her. He could see the same fight and drive in his eyes that Sam saw in her expression every day.

"I think…I think this might have been my family."

Sam nodded, staring at the picture grimly, "Yeah. That's them. They uh…They passed a long time ago. I'm sorry."

He glanced up at her face. She looked lost. It was still her, but she just looked…confused. Worried. He had no clue what it was like to be isolated from his memories and it hurt more than he anticipated.

"It's okay. I figured as much," Freddi sighed, taking the picture back and putting it back safely in the journal. "I wish I did remember though. The stories must be exciting to hear."

She playfully nudged on his side, so she could be let out, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Okay, I'm moving," Sam chuckled back, helping her out. They made there was out of the shop and stood that end of the sidewalk, waiting for traffic to slow so they could cross.

"Not all stories are good," Sam warned her, but then she flashed him that headstrong look, the one that ended up winning him over, so he told her as they were walking, and bit by bit, his hope grew tenfold; she was remembering a little more as he told her different things about her life. Maybe she could overcome her side effect and on at a normal size. Poor girl could use the break.

As he was telling Freddi all these stories, some scenes surfaced through her mind. At one point, she stopped him, in words and in footsteps, "Hold on, I think I remember that. Did I really help you take down an Aztec god? At four inches tall?"

"Well, yeah," Sam admitted. In retrospect, he was able to smile at the mention of her involvement. At the time it happened, it had been stressful as hell, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"It was something alright," he pursed his lips. "I mean…I guess you're remembering things from a different perspective than you are right now…"

Sam trailed off, realizing the rest of that sentence did not need to be voiced. He took their empty coffee cups to the nearest public trash bin and came back over, lightly steering her back towards the motel.

"I still remember how good of a friend you were in the bits I can see clearly," Freddi said as he came back. "I also remember having fun with you and Dean when we all had some free time in between cases. I just can't remember the bad things."

Sam laughed with a bitter undertone, "Consider yourself lucky."

He averted his gaze to the sky, overcast and bright. He didn't like remembering all the troubles she had witnessed with them.

"Sam…" He could hear the reason in her voice, forcing him to meet her again, "I have to know bad memories too. I'll always feel incomplete without them. I mean, I can't see them, but I can feel them, the anger. The pain. It's all there, so I have to know them, so I can understand what happened.

"The one that really gets me was went I remembered being in pain. I mean a really bad pain. My ribs and my shoulder hurt. It was just bad…and I don't know where it came from or what happened."

"You were kidnapped," Sam begun carefully. He understood what she was saying, so with no great amount of detail, he painfully recounted the horrible scenario she had been in.

"It was…God, it was awful," Sam said, screwing up the emotions on his face and looking down at his shoes as he sniffed loudly. "I really thought…I really thought we lost you for a while there."

No wonder Sam was hesitant. No wonder he wanted to protect her. Freddi's eyes softened, then she heard the sniffle. He really was choked up about it, because he wasn't looking at her anymore. She didn't like him with that look on her face, so she the next best thing she could think of.

"Hey," Freddi put her hand on his shoulder and took another step closer, forcing him to look back at her. "Thank God, you didn't give up on me then. Would I had even been here if you had?"

Sam's eyes flickered first to the pale hand on his shoulder, then at her upturned face. She was so pretty, with such genuine gratitude in those eye. It just about tongue-tied him, so he just studied her face, formulating a reply at an almost glacial pace. Who knew when she'd be human sized again?

He blinked and awareness and shook away all these thoughts. He needed space from her. Why couldn't he think clearly when she was right in front of him like that?

Among all the memories she had recovered, Freddi was still in the dark about why she was reacting this way. Sometime about him had heart wanting to beat like a samba, but it was suppressed, like something inside her memories didn't want it. What was going on with her? She slightly backed away so she can try to figure it out.

She saw Sam blink back to wherever he dazed off from and shuffled past her and led the way back to the motel room. She followed his with an expression of puzzlement. He was kind of weird…oh well, something to think about later.

A/N

How about that? Freddi still has bad-ass moments even without her memories. Ghostfacers! And Sam seems very confused with her. What is going on through his mind? Find out the answer next time. I will update real soon. Enjoy!


	27. Chapter 24

A/N

Continuation. I hope you like this chapter. It's bound to be cause a couple gasps or squeals at the end of this one. Enjoy!

Chapter 24

The entire case was a freakin' hoax! Dean obsessing over a specific symbol on the wall led to the guy who planned the whole thing. The symbol ended up being on a rock vinyl record, where Craig worked at. Now, they were left without a case and no real reason to be there.

Dean was silently praising all that was good in the world when the country station playing at the bar was finally switched to a rock station. Not classic rock, but it was better than those redneck jams. He tapped his finger on the napkin of his drink, watching Freddi take a drink out of the corner of his eye. From what Sam told him two days ago, about half of Freddi's memories were back, half practically nonexistent, and one-hundred percent biologically unstable.

The more time passed, the more they were comparing her to a time bomb. If she even breathed too loudly, they were both staring her down, waiting for her to drop sudden height, but remarkably, nothing happened. It had been two days now…nothing changed.

"You want another one?" Dean asked as she polished another drink.

"Sure," Freddi chirped, setting her empty beer bottle down. She was barely tipsy, but she wasn't done yet. She couldn't help but to think all that transpired during the events that happened in the last couple days.

Things were getting smoother as the days ran on. She was remembering more and more each hour…good times with the brothers, some bad times with the brothers, every hunt she had with them. She couldn't remember one hundred percent and the only time she completely panicked was when she remembered all about the kidnapping. Pain coursed through her body and she couldn't breathe, a panic attack that took over an hour to get her to calm down while the pain took its course and slowly dulled down.

Dean waved over the bartender and ordered another round of drinks for the three of them, even Sam, who was still toying with his first half-full beer glass like it had offended him. Dean clapped him on the shoulder.

"Loosen up, man. Quick biting yourself in the ass and have some fun."

Sam shook his head but smiled at his brother's attempt to lift his spirits. He took a gulp and looked at Freddi over the top of his glass. He's been doing that a lot lately, but in a bar…especially in a bar.

"Hey!" Dean complained when the radio was shut off. A live band was taking up the small stage in the main room.

Damn, Freddi did not like being a lightweight. She felt her mind clouding a little halfway through her second beer, but she was still able to turn away any of the guys that was stupid enough to try to flirt with her. Plus, the boys were the perfect back up intimidation; it was perfect.

When she was done with her beer, felt Sam's hands around her arms.

"I'm going to take her back early," Sam mouthed to Dean, making the gesture for drinking. "Too much…"

Dean nodded without arguing, but his sly grin made Sam blush. He was just being a good friend…

"Why're we going?" Freddi chuckled half-heartedly. She could feel one of Sam's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she walked. She slightly pulled herself deeper against his side for some reason, but she couldn't understand exactly why. It just felt like something she wanted to do.

Sam sucked in a breath- not because she was heavy, but because it felt good. He could feel Freddi's breast compress against the side of his rib cage and his mouth went dry. He continued to steady her as they waked down the sidewalk, passing cars on his right. The motel sign glowed in the distance.

"Back to the room," he said, determined to keep a clear head and get a grip on himself. "You need to lie down."

Freddi's heart was beating through her ears and she appreciated his help. Why couldn't she remember what it meant for her? Why did it only happen with Sam and not Dean?

"Okay," she mumbled her compliance softly.

Once back inside the dingy motel room, Sam let out a small breath of relief. The moment he left her side to close the door, she plopped down on Dean's bed, and he had to almost pry out that one and into to the other, to save a hassle later on.

"Even when you're normal sized, it only takes three beers to get you buzzed," Sam teased, the joke coming out more affectionate than he intended. What was wrong with him? He had never used to feel this way around her, but something about the dark…the way he could only see half of her features clearly through the crack in the curtains, her petite body laid out on the bed like she was waiting-

He looked away.

"Aren't you the ones that in…introduced me to a-alcohol?" Freddi asked, reaching over for the bottle of water that was on the bedside table. Even with her hands barely shaking, she managed to twist the cap open and guzzle at least half the bottle. It was a good idea in theory, but then she started to feel sick. It just hit her all at once and she just ran to the restroom, slamming the door closed. She made it to the toilet at the last second before everything in her stomach was forced out.

What was the up side to drinking again? This didn't happen last time. Freddi never would have drank that water if this was going to happen. She still felt a little nauseous as she lied down near the toilet, feeling the coolness of the tile floor with a soft moan.

"Yeah, we-whoa!" Sam stood back as she bolted for the door, shocked, and debating on whether to go in and help...or just stay put. Decision made, he went to the closed door and knocked.

"Are you okay? What's happening?" He asked through the door, assuming the worst. When she didn't answer, he just barged in…only to find her lying on the floor, curled up. He stood over her, trying to estimate whether she had shrunken at all. It had to be coming soon. Sam knelt down and helped her sit up.

"You're gonna give me a heart attack for sure," He mutter, getting her bangs out of the way.

"I'm…I-I'm okay," Freddi uttered, the gross feeling of upchuck still hanging in her mouth. She was a little more sober than a couple moments ago, and throwing up woke up a little. "I'm okay."

Freddi slowly stood up, with Sam's help, and rinsed her mouth out at the sink, "God…That was gross."

Sam stood very uncertainly in the doorway, watching Freddi vigorously swish water around inside her mouth. Nothing was certain with her though he supposed. Not surprisingly, she complied to lie down and was asleep soon after. She slept for a little over two hours. He was almost finished watch a movie on TV when she started to stir. Oh no…

It was a nightmare. Sam muted the showing and crossed the room. He sat down next to her on the other side of the bed and leaned over to gently rouse her. Soft whimpers escaped from her lips as she tossed and turned. Why wasn't she waking up?

"Freddi!" He half-shouted her name, pulling her over to face him. Sam pushed hair away from her face. Her eyes were shut but leaking tears.

"Hey, come on…" He leaned closer, trying to find a balance between gentle and firm.

Freddi felt like she couldn't breathe at first, and it only got worse as all of her memory regarding her family unlocked and hit her with the level of heartbreak she couldn't express with words. Was that what Sam meant about her family's passing? No wonder Sam was skittish with her bad memories.

Sam's voice reached her unconscious and jolt her to awaken. Freddi woke up with a gasp, heavily breathing like she had been drowning. He quickly sat up and hung her legs off the edge of the bed, resting her hand in her hands before wiping away her tear trails.

"Hey, come here," Freddi tried to fight him, but he pulled into his arms nonetheless. Sam held her tight, stifling her sniffles into his chest. "It's okay. It's just me…you're okay."

"No, no," she struggled against him, trying to grasp her bearings with the new found memories she would have been glad to live without. He wouldn't let her get away though; he just held on tighter. Why did he have to be so strong?! Freddi buried her face in his shirt, hiding her blushing face.

Sam tightened his grip until she literally couldn't move. He swung his legs up into bed and she was curled up in his lap. Hardly knowing what he was doing, he started running his fingers through her hair. She eventually broke and the tear started to fall and he didn't blame her; he'd be like that if he even went through what she did.

When she was done crying into his chest, Sam slowly, cautiously started to release her and looked down to her, his eyes searching hers for answers he knew he shouldn't even be hoping for.

Freddi didn't exactly look at him for a while. She simply got off his lap, not knowing why she was really on it in the first place, and onto the bed again. Her hands were shaking for more than just the regained memories, but she disregarded any other reason, 'I-I...I saw it…everything. My b-brothers, my mom, m-my dad; everybody...everything."

She wiped her tears away, and slowly met his eyes. She couldn't exactly read him very well, but her breath still hitched for some reason. There was just something about the way the moonlight from the windows that seemed to jumpstart these anomalies in her emotions. What the hell was going on?

"I'm so sorry," Sam said, afraid to reach out again. He sat there in the dark with her, unsure how to remedy the situation. It just seemed like only dead ends with her.

"It's not your fault, Sam," Freddi responded. "You couldn't have stopped me from remembering, even if you wanted to."

He sat there, feeling as useless as ever he watched her hunched over on the edge of the bed. She looked so defeated and exhausted.

"You have happy memories too," Sam said, recalling several involving the tiny girl himself and smiling wistfully. "I wish you could remember those instead."

"I remember some," Freddi softly uttered, finally looking back at him. "But there's something that's blocked, and I'm trying to remember. I really am, but every time I think I'm close, the less I see. I loses it and it's driving me crazy."

Her voice grew softer as she asked him, her gaze desperately searching for some answers, "Sam, what the hell are you supposed to be me? Why does my heart do such weird things at even the thought of you? What the hell is going on, because I can't figure it out,"

Sam's heart beat faster as she met him again. He shifted his legs over the edge, feet on the ground.

"I don't know. I've…I've never known," he responded with a stammer, a new part of him wishing she'd come a little closer.

"I wish you did though. It seems like it would make it easier for some reason," Freddi said, suddenly looking uncomfortable, so she quickly lied down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"It doesn't work like that," Sam reminded her softly, turning to watch her with intense hazel eyes. She was just lying there, slowly blinking, hand interlocked on her stomach. It was a sleeping beauty pose and he almost couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"I know, but can't a girl dream?" Freddi's reply was in chuckles.

Sam didn't answer. He just stood up and then turned to look at her again. Those green eyes on him now as he finally said, "You should sleep."

He looked over to see that Dean's bed was still empty. Either he was still at the bar…or he left with a girl, poor girl.

"Fine…" Freddi sighed in defeat before asking. "Hey, Sam…Will you teach me to shoot tomorrow, while I can still hold a gun?"

"Sure," he promised. "Now just…"

Sam turned around and saw she was already sleeping, "Yeah…That."

Dean probably wouldn't have agreed with Sam's decision to teach Freddi how to use a hand gun, but Dean, according to a text message received at four a.m., had gone home for a wild night at the bartender's place…along with a few other details Sam would have got without. He was more focused on teaching.

Freddi was a good student. She was great at following directions and she was a pretty fast learner. Before he even let her begin shooting, Sam showed her how to load and unload safely before he taught her how to turn the safety on and off. He made sure she had it down before moving on. He wasn't sure when it exactly happened, but he was beginning to realize he didn't want to lose Freddi…in more ways than one…

"Alright, that was a good shot, but you need to steady your arm more. Support your hand with your other one…like this…" Sam came over and set his own gun down to guide her hands into the right place. Her back was a couple inches from his front as he placed his hands on top of hers.

This was the first time Freddi handled a gun and there were things that she had to get used to. Guns were heavier than she thought and the first couple times, she underestimated the recoil. Her target were only empty beer bottles and soda cans, she hadn't hit anything yet. She was having a lot of fun though.

Freddi's breath hitched very faintly as she felt Sam's hands against hers as he moved them to where she needed to be. She could feel his breath blow faintly on the top of her hair as guided her. Taking a deep breath, she took the shot, an echoing ping from the soda can as it fell at the contact of the bullet. She finally hit one!

"I got it!" Freddi beamed, turning to look at her teacher. He looked kind of proud.

Sam chuckled at her, but he was honest, "You only have it down if you can do the same things to the other four cans."

"Well…let's see what I got then," she responded with her ever familiar 'challenge accepted' tone of voice with a smirk. Freddi quickly turned around and knocked out all four cans in six bullets.

"Not bad," he clapped her on the back with a wide smile at her hard work. It was kinda cute in another sense. "Actually, pretty damn amazing considering the gun is usually heavier than you are. You just need practice…"

They turned to face each other. Sam should have stepped back to see her better. As it was, they were inches apart, but he didn't.

Freddi seriously felt awesome at the moment the last can fell. She did it…without Sam's help this time. She turned around, thinking he had moved at some point, but he didn't. He was still right there, so close. Her heart bubbled and raced again, right on cue, as her eyes remained locked on his. What was this feeling and why did it feel so normal…but so bizarre at the same time? Freddi didn't know even register she was getting closer to him until her lips had already made contact with his.

The gun fell to the ground with a dulled clunk of metal on packed earth. Her lips were soft and untouched, and Sam eagerly gave way to hers. He realized with a start how at ease he felt in his moment, like the tension built up with suddenly gone. His hands intertwined with her dark brown hair, tracing a thumb along her cheek, and guided her face to stay with his.

Freddi couldn't believe what she was doing. This was someone she half remembered, but she didn't exactly want to stop. This was her first kiss ever and it was with this confusing man. Somewhere in her mind was almost embarrassed by what was happening, but then she felt the surprise of how it was to feel him begin to kiss back.

"You better fuckin' remember me…" Sam murmured when they surfaced briefly for air. He let instinct, the raw need to have her in the moment overwhelm any rational thought he might have had moments before. He moved his lips against hers, deepening the kiss gently. His arm slid down against the small of her back and pulled her a little closer.

A/N

A drunk night, a nightmare, and gun wielding morning…leading up to the best part…La kiss. Who else is thinking "Finally!"? The story's not over though. Tune in next time to see the aftermath.


	28. Chapter 25

A/N

Well, here's a couple scenes after. All might not be as it seems though. Read to find out. This is the shortest chapter submitted in a while. I hope you like this chapter but keep in mind. The story is not over yet.

Chapter 25

Freddi's arms wrapped around his shoulders, shaky hands hooking together behind his neck. Her heart felt like it was going to burst and it was like the final gaps of her memories suddenly hit her, her crush on him, her self-heartbreak, the drunken night on her birthday. If she didn't remember absolutely everything, she remembered at least 98% of it.

The second time they separated for air, she uttered, her voice trembling, "I-I…I-I…I remember."

She could see Sam leaning back in again, and Freddi realized her memories were complete again. It was only a matter of time before she shrank back to her original size. Before Sam got too close, she lightly pushed against his chest to put a little distance between them, even if it was a little. Her words felt fumbled and awkward to her as she picked up the gun she dropped on the ground, "We…We should he-head back. Dean might...Dean might be back already."

"You worried?" Sam scoffed, seemingly unwilling to let this moment pass so easily. Sam took the gun from her hands and removed the ammo without looking, reaching over her then to set the pieces on the hood of the car.

"The only thing I'm worried about is the mystery countdown I have at this size. It's only a matter of time," Freddi responded, biting her bottom lip before leaning against the car.

"I know," he said, pushing her hair away from her face and taking the time to notice how soft her cheek was. Sam's eyes darkened as he leaned down again, longing to refresh his memory on what exactly her lips felt like. "You'll figure it out."

He shut down Freddi's negative thoughts, urging her to lose herself for just few moments more. As their lips meshed over and over, his hips pressing hers against the side of the Impala, neither noticed at first how she was having to go further and further on her tiptoes to maintain the embrace. Freddi was nearly at ballet point when that familiar pit dropped in her stomach. She was shrinking and it was slower than the last time.

Her eyes grew watery, but she still push as much force her lips into a deep, desperate kiss, trying to implant the feeling of his lips on hers. Freddi released when she knew she wouldn't be able to reach Sam for much longer.

"I hate to say it but…" Freddi trailed off, biting her lip as she officially shrank too small to reach him anything and losing height by the seconds.

Sam stood up, pulling out of the kiss too. His eyes went wide. He thought he was just leaning her back into the car…he actually had a good two feet on her.

"No," he breathed. "Nonono-"

He dropped to his knees as she continued to dwindle at a slow but steady pace. Sam was looking up at Freddi for the better part of a minute. Then she was at eye level. Then below even that. It was almost worse this way, having to watch every step of her shrinking at an agonizingly slow rate.

Freddi's equally wide staying on him, her cheeks red with humiliation. She didn't ever want Sam to see this. She seriously felt like crying as she kept reducing, even as Sam fell his knees for her. While she was still shrinking, she placed her hand on his ever expanding cheek as a tear fell down hers, "I-I'm sorry."

A shaky laugh left Sam's mouth, though it was far from reaching his eyes.

"Don't…" He said, trailing off and forgetting the rest. He stretched out to hold her hand. It gave him chills to find her entire hand already fit nearly under the palm of his hand. He had to shuffle back a bit on his knees so he could continue to lower himself along with her, more and more…until Sam's hands were planted on the ground on either side of her to support his body weight. His chin was nearly on the ground.

Freddi's perspective was changing; everything was distorting around her and bending. The hand that held Sam's was almost shaking when she saw how small it was compared to it. It went from half the size of his to only the size of his palm. It just got smaller and smaller until she couldn't even hold it anymore.

By that time, Freddi was about two feet tall and lessening. She about the size of an extremely scrawny child, still looking at Sam as he loomed over her. She shied away for a moment as Sam kept lowering himself for her. It was sweet of him, even as she hit the one foot mark to the eight inch mark. She zoomed past six inches and then finally stopped at her four inches after that slow torture of shrinking like that.

Freddi was sure her emotions were going to kill her if she let them get to her like this. It was difficult though, because it felt bittersweet. She finally let her feeling come out into the open…but she still felt awful for both of them because she just had to shrink right after probably one of the greatest moments of her life.

She grew afraid of what happened next for them, but she still tried to push down that painful, heartbreaking pit in her stomach. She couldn't meet Sam's eyes anymore. Seemingly at a loss for words, the huge hunter stared agape at her-not with shock so much as longing.

It all just happened so fast…

With an air of delicacy, Sam pushed himself more on one arm so he could raise the other and extend a hand toward her tiny form. His fingertip brushed her cheek where his hand had only been minutes beforehand. He tried to find it in himself to smile at her.

Freddi smiled softly at the contact against her cheek. She had to believe things would turn out for the better. Her heartbreak was bad, but she did take in that after twenty-one years, she finally had her first kiss at it was everything she could hope for. She sighed, trying to convince herself under trying to convince him, "Please, let's not dwell on what was inevitable. Let's just go back to the motel and let everything to calm down a little. I don't think the situation is as grim as either one of us thinks."

"I…I just wish there was something I could do," Sam knew she would try to assure him it wasn't his fault or his responsibility…but he hated how big he must look to her. A part of him had hoped that maybe this time things would be different, the she would stay his size and they could be more.

Slowly, Sam reached down and wrapped his hand around her. He stood up, trying to as smooth of a transition for her as possible.

Freddi had to get used to being carried again and it completely sucked; she never thought she was have to get used to that stomach dropping sensation when he lifted her up into the air. She quietly responded, "There's nothing you can do, other than be here. Remind me why I still have hope that this…whole thing could be permanent. Be my friend, like you always been."

The word friend stung. Sam could still taste her lips on his…

"Right," he said, clamming up significantly. He hesitated with the new size difference, then brushed his lips against her cheek. It wasn't the same, but he felt like she needed some reassurance. "Just keep practicing."

Freddi closed her eyes at the feeling of the pink, plushy lips against the side of her face. It just made all of this feel harder. The dull numbness in her chest felt warm, "I-I will…Thanks for teaching me today. I had a lot of fun."

She was trying to make things a little easier, an attempt at cushioning the blow of what happened. If there could be a subject change, then it might make conversation less awkward than it seemed at first glance.

She was changing the subject. Sam sighed, his breath ruffling her hair slightly as he contemplated what came next. Hop in the Impala, pick up Dean and get back on an endless road. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Freddi, I just…I can't sit back and pretend this didn't happen," he admitted. Sam held her level with his face. "Can you?"

Freddi took a second to think about it before shaking her head, "I can't either, Sam. I just confused. We kissed and it wasn't just any kiss to me…it was my first kiss. I'm confused because…"

She paused for a beat, "Because I like you and I know you've known that for a while. I remember…everything."

She remembered her drunken confession and it felt time to bring it up.

Sam was respectfully quiet for a moment before a faint smirk crossed his lips, "Well, I think the kiss kind of gave it away more than your slip up."

They shared a laugh, the weight of their future on their shoulders, but it felt a little less tense when Freddi easily teased back.

"Hey, who initiated it more than once? You seemed to enjoy it too."

Sam responded with another shared chuckled, then his phone buzzed in his pocket…Dean. He gave Freddi a look of withheld longing before seeming to resign himself.

"We'll figure it out," holding her close, he pulled out the keys to the Impala and climbed into the driver's seat.

Freddi's chuckles were soft as Sam reviewed the obvious, "Of course we will. It's us."

Then, she thought out loud, more to herself, "Dean's going to mock me from here to Timbuktu if he finds out about this..."

Sam shook his head, driving one-handedly to keep her fenced in on his lap with the other.

"Dean wouldn't mock you…but…this can stay between us. He's got enough on his plate as it is."

He glanced down to give her a lingering look before returning his gaze to the road again. The pavement never seemed to end in his eyes.

Freddi was cupped against Sam as he drove. She wasn't claustrophobic, so kind of felt nice. It was the first time in a while that she didn't feel like he was hiding something. It was still a habit to look out the windows in a moving vehicle, so she asked, "As nice as this is, I wanna see out. Mind moving me to your shoulder or something?"

Sam mumbled a "sure" and transferred her squarely on top of his shoulder. The hand remained nearby until she gave it a sure pat, letting him know she was settled.

"How's the view?"

They were still in Texas, so it looked like desert in some part, "The view looks hot and humid…"

Sam snorted, playing her response through again as if she was talking about him.

"Yeah…Still looks like we might get some rain though."

And sure enough, they did. It was raining cats and dogs by the time they got back to the motel. Freddi was shaken up like pocket change as Sam cupped her with both hands to his chest, jogging to room number seven. He stood there for a moment after knocking, before Dean opened the door. His green eyes locked onto Sam's hands and his expression said it all. He knew too well what was under there.

A/N

No! Shrunken after probably the best moment of her life. I am probably really mean for doing that, but it had to happen. I hope you still liked this chapter. I will update soon. Bye!


	29. Chapter 26

A/N

The story continues. I hope you like it. Warning…enter Sarah. You have been warned.

Chapter 26

"What happened?" Dean asked. He shut the door as Sam sat down, letting a very wet Freddi onto the table. She was completely soaked from the rain.

On the table, Freddi took off her own jacket and wrung it out, a lot of water droplets falling out of it. Luckily, she wasn't wearing any white, but she was still dripping wet.

"I gained all my memories and shrunk again while Sam was teaching me how to shoot a handgun," she answered, neglecting a couple details.

"Yeah, I kind of gathered the shrinking part on my own," Dean said, lowering himself into the seat across from her. He stared down at her intently, his eyes reflecting concern and ever disappointment. She had been so close to achieving a normal life…but it wasn't to last.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, pursing his lips sympathetically.

"I'm not giving up. I guess we'll just try again another day," Freddi said, meeting his haze with a shrug. "Hey, it wasn't all bad. Sam says I'm getting pretty good with a gun…"

As much as she wanted to continue, Freddi quickly added, not exactly wanting to be soaking wet like she was, "Could I have a towel or something..?

"Yeah," Dean straightened up, remembering he had intended to do so in the first place. He came back and tossed a towel at Sam, and set down a folded washcloth for Freddi.

"So…pretty good with a gun, huh?" Dean raised his eyebrows skeptically at his little brother.

Sam shrugged back, "She's a quick learner."

Freddi considered herself proud of that as she ran the cloth through her hair and all over her clothes, "Maybe next time, you'll come along to see it for yourself."

"Maybe," Dean said. "Anything else I should know?"

Sam pursed his lips, looking innocent, "No, there was a lot of traffic from the rain."

Dean eyed them both a moment longer, but seemed to accept that answer for the time being. Sam rigorously toweled his shaggy, brown hair and hung the towel on the back of the chair. Only a fine mist hit Freddi as he stood up and went to the restroom. The door shut, and the sound of water running in the shower soon followed.

Freddi just shrugged and went over to her bag of clothes to get something dry to wear. When her back was turned to Dean, she ran her fingers over her lips, still feeling the tingle from the memory of Sam and her together. She was still a little surprised about that kiss and she wouldn't have believed it…if she hadn't experienced it herself. She felt calm though, like the tension from before had been reduce significantly.

The rest of the night didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable, like Freddi suspected it could have been. Being with Sam and Dean felt like any other day…before all the drama. It just grew easier to be closer and to allow herself to open up again. Freddi felt a little easier, knowing that things weren't changing too fast for her.

Halfway through the night, Freddi slowly woke up. The room was dark and Sam and Dean had both fallen asleep. Looking over at Sam, she couldn't help but to smile. Against her better judgment, Freddi got out of bed and started her way over to him. Her weight slightly sunk with every step as she got on the mattress. Once she made it to the pillow, Freddi easily climbed up, seeing how close she was to his face.

'What am I doing this for?' Freddi asked herself, treading lightly with how close she could get with Sam. It was too far to go back though, so she just kept going. She'd face the music in the morning. She over at his large unconscious form and pushed her nerves away with a dry swallow. He was right there and she wasn't going to sleep without trying something. Freddi walked closer to him, already feeling a blush for forming on her cheeks, and gave his huge forehead a quick peck. She immediately turned away, embarrassed if he ever found out about it, and moved away a little farther away.

With a soft air of mischief, Freddi did something before was too tired to get back to her bed, so she just lied down on the pillow and passed out. Freddi, she didn't really care how she looked or how close she was to Sam.

Sam woke up from a nondescript dream. His groggy stupor evaporated when he spotted Freddi only inches away from his face. Something in him throbbed for multiple reasons. It was sweet…but stupid too, seeing as he could have easily crushed her without knowing. The hunter carefully swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

Dean was already up, sipping on coffee and perusing three local newspapers for a possible lead on a new case. He mumbled a "mornin'" without really looking up. It was a rare day when Sam's big brother let him sleep in so much, but he was grateful. He shuffled into the bathroom for his morning routine, running a hand over the stubble that had accumulated overnight. As Sam was casually regarding his reflection whilst washing his hands, something big caught his eye: a messy marker mustache was scribbled onto his upper lip.

"DEAN!" Sam charged out, a scowl on his mug. Dean swivel in his chair and promptly bit back a laugh. He looked like he had tried to wash off the 'stache, but it had only half worked.

"I took you for more of a soul patch kind of guy, Sammy."

"This isn't funny, Dean. It's like living with a twelve year old with you!"

Dean laughed again, "I'm sorry I can't take you seriously in that thing."

Freddi jerked awake to the sound of Sam's exclamation and couldn't help but to smile. He found his "surprise" and it was only a matter of time before the brothers realized…it wasn't Dean. She quickly slid off the pillow with a soft chuckle and hid underneath the pillow just as Sam stomped out of the restroom. Her face was red from suppressing her laughter.

She didn't intend on drawing a mustache on him. She woke up a couple hours earlier, bored and wanted some fun. She saw the marker and it just clicked in her mind. It didn't take long to get the marker, draw the mustache and then fall asleep again, like nothing had ever happened.

"Dude, it wasn't me!" Dean protested as Sam charged into the bathroom to viciously wipe at his lip. Sam shot him a glare out of the corner of his eyes.

"Seriously!"

"Come on, Dean. It didn't magically appear on my face. Just own up that you're an immature-" Sam cut himself off short, turning his head toward the bedroom. He patted his mouth dry and crept out. One person wasn't accounted for. Someone who had been sleeping by his face, last he checked, and she was out of sight now.

Watching his step carefully, Sam tread over to the bed. He only knelt on the sheets, not yet on the bunched up comforter in case she was hidden amongst its folds, but the tiny snort caught his attention from higher up on the bed. He grabbed the pillow in one hand and yanked it away. Freddi was revealed, curled up beneath like a cute bed bug. Before she could escape, Sam snagged the back of her shirt between a finger and thumb and hoisted her high in front of his face.

"Freddi…"

The moment the pillow was taken away, Freddi tried to run, but Sam was too fast. She was immediately grabbed and lifted up and up, all the way to his eyes. She was laughing...beaming with this entertaining smirk.

"Looks like you owe your brother an apology."

She was only able to defend herself with, "What? I missed out on the prank war without my memories! I thought of it after I woke up. Had I been near Dean, he would have been the one with marker on the stubble."

Freddi didn't regret her actions one bit. Her smile was just evident of that.

"Wow," Sam finally scoffed. He turned to Dean, whirling Freddi through the air as he did. "You're a bad freakin' influence on her."

Dean raised his eyebrows at each of them. Then, he grinned and raised his fist to fist bump Freddi.

"Oh, no," Sam hoisted Freddi higher, out of Dean's reach. "I don't think so. The last thing I need it you two in cahoots."

His eyes slid back to Freddi. Why was there always something tempting about being able to hold her in one hand?

"Come one, Sam. It was supposed to be funny!" Freddi was still being hung by the back of her shirt. "And I'm still not hearing an apology to your brother."

Sam gave a haughty laugh. It never ceased to amaze him; the balls she had at her size. "Yeah, uh, what makes you think I'm taking orders from you again?"

"Because, the sooner we resolve this, the sooner you put me down, so I'm not hanging so high by the loose grip you have," Freddi said, looking from to him to the ground, back to him. One slip of either his finger or his thumb and she'd…yeah. She wanted some stability.

Sam immediately placed her into his other palm and cupped a second hand around her.

"I wouldn't drop you," he muttered.

A soft chuckling made him look up at Dean.

"What?"

"You missed a spot," Dean pointed out cheerfully.

Sam groaned and returned to the bathroom, setting Freddi on the back of the counter.

"Try rubbing alcohol," Freddi suggested, remembering a time she got covered by pen ink years before she met Sam and Dean.

Then, he voice got quiet. They were alone; she could say it, even if she was developing a light blush, "And, I don't know if it'll make you feel better, but I didn't move over to the pillow just to prank you…"

Sam was fishing through his zip-lock bag of toiletries when she spoke again. He paused to look at her. Sam set down a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and zipped the bag up again. The light over Freddi became filtered as Sam stood up again, Q-tip in hand.

"I know," he answered quietly. He dipped the cotton tip into the alcohol, but didn't rub it in yet. "It's just…confusing."

"I'm confused to…I'm being completely honest here, Sam," Freddi said, looking away every once in a while. "I like you…I have liked you for a long time. I just…I don't like change a-and I didn't prank you to try to say otherwise. I just wanted some fun. I wanted some form of normalcy."

She sighed, "Please understand what I'm trying to say here."

Sam finished wiping away any trace of the marker and dried his face again. He emerged from the hand towel, setting it aside in a bunched up heap on the counter.

"I get it, and I promise I won't push you away. You're a great girl," he reached down to gingerly rest a hand next to her, letting his thumb brush her skinny arm. For a moment, he lost himself in that that motion, feeling a burn inside him to kiss her again, but he couldn't, not anymore.

"Change just…takes adjusting," Sam gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Major adjusting," Freddi agreed, mirroring a light smile. She softly chuckled and stopped his thumb with her hand, letting it linger for a second. She stood up, dusted herself off, and looked at him.

"There, as if never happened. Now let's get back out there. I won't even push for that apology."

The unspoken tension between them dissolved as Sam straightened up and laid out his palm for her.

"Good, 'cause it's not happening," he smirk softly at her as she made a face at him, carefully picking her up and holding her near his chest as he walked.

Freddi rolled her eyes at him half-heartedly as she was picked up gentler than the previous time, "Eh, it was worth a shot."

"Couple's throats slit in own home," Sam read off the online paper. "Security systems still fully armed…I don't know, Dean. Seems like our kind of weird."

Dean handed Freddi her doll-sized cup of coffee before taking a swig of his own, "Where'd you say this happened?"

"New York."

"Everything about it screams a case," Freddi agreed, taking a sip of her coffee. It had an acquired taste, but made her think of good memories she's had with the hot, bitter, beverage.

They were currently in Pennsylvania, so it shouldn't be too long of a trip, "I say we should check it out."

Sixteen hours later and three Metallica cassettes later, they arrived in New York. After a late night on the town, Sam took the initiative sweep of the victims' house for EMF while Dean was sleeping off a hangover. There was nothing unusual about the readings…not doubt correlated to the fact that there was nothing left IN the house. After calling around to the police department and local charities, he finally got an answer.

"A silent auction," he muttered out loud, walking up to the Impala parked down the street. Freddi clung to his collar, hearing every word, but he couldn't hear her if she did respond while he was walking. "Who the hell gives all their stuff to a silent auction when they kick the bucket?"

Freddi tagged along with Sam as he searched the house, but she was very puzzled to find the house emptied. She kept a firm grip on his jacket, so she wasn't bucked off his shoulder. After hearing where everything was, she knew the party of interest could only be labelled as "high society bluebloods."

Dean was jolted awake as Sam blared the horn on the Impala and then started the Impala. Sam chuckled loudly at his expense and offered Freddi a lift off his shoulder.

"Not cool," Dean mumbled groggily. He was still awake enough to listen as Sam filled him in on the details. He nodded, then held up his finger with a pointed frown. "No monkey suits."

That being said, they stuck out like sore thumbs at the black tie event. Not to mention that Freddi was bumping against Sam's chest every step he took.

"Sorry," he whispered. Dean shot him a look, like he should know better.

Freddi was rocking back and forth in the pocket with every step. Gently bumping in Sam's chest didn't bother her as much as he thought it did. She had grown used to it a long time ago, but it still made her smile to hear his apology sometimes.

She lightly taped on his chest, hoping he understood that she was trying to tell him it was okay.

Sam glanced at his chest and smiled…nearly running into a waiter on his way.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" The snooty-faced man raised an eyebrow at their casual attire.

"A beer, thanks," Dean clapped him on the shoulder. The man bristled and Sam scrambled to recover the situation.

"Sorry. He's new at this. We're art collectors. We were added late to the list, but we're on there."

"Why don't you go double check your list," Dean jumped in. "And maybe grab that beer while you're at it."

The host glared at them, but left them free to subtly scan the items with EMF.

Freddi rolled her eyes at Dean's antics. It wasn't a hunt without it, that and wanting a beer…but it got the unfamiliar man to leave, so they could do what they were really set out to do. She just didn't like having to constantly be quiet in public like this. It just made her wish this whole trapped in one form or the other thing suck more than usual.

"Dean, here."

Dean leaned in to see the EMF meter spike full spectrum when Sam held his over an early 20th century painting. They exchanged looks.

"I think this is it," Sam continued.

"Are you interested?" Both boys pivoted at the sound of a female voice behind them. A shapely brunette with curious brown eyes and glossy lips peered up at them.

"I uh, yeah, we're interested in this painting," Sam sputtered.

"Art collectors," Dean added helpfully. The young woman glanced at Dean, then immediately locked her eyes firmly back on Sam.

"If you can call that monstrosity art," She scoffed.

Freddi had just heard EMF meter go off and her ears perked up…what was it? She was about to stand up and get Sam's attention when a sudden rotation knocked Freddi from one end of the pocket to the other…ouch. She groaned from the harsh movements and shook away her grogginess when she heard another voice.

It was female and she sounded pretty. She seemed to know her art and when she challenged them to it, she was more impressed with what Sam had say. Freddi knew she could have been jealous, but it never came. She didn't feel jealous; by some miracle, she felt calm…this hadn't happened before, so she was kind of speechless as she listened in to the rest.

"Sarah Blake," she introduced herself.

"I'm Sam. This is my…brother, Dean," Sam reluctantly admitted. Dean was currently holding up a waiter to take his pick of hors d'oeurvres. He nodded towards Sarah, still chewing.

She raised her eyebrows, glancing between them as if trying to determine whether they were really blood relatives.

"So, Sarah, what can you tell us about the Telesca estate?"

"The whole thing's pretty grisly if you ask me, selling your things this soon, but Dad's right about one thing, sensationalism brings out the crowds, especially the rich ones."

Sam listened intently, glancing around.

"Could we see the-"

"No, no. I think it's time these two were leaving," the man from earlier now brought with him a security guard. "This is my auction house, and I know for a fact you two are not on the list. Vacate the premises before I call the police."

Sam shared a long, lingering look with Sarah before giving in and followed Dean out of the building.

Their motel room was oddly themed. The whole place on the inside looked like it had been transported out of 1972. They gave it a bewildered look before shrugging and bringing their stuff inside. Sam could feel Freddi already struggling to stand within his jacket pocket and made it his first priority to scoop her out.

"Well, we are getting nothing out of Chuckles back there," Dean grumbled. "But Sarah…"

He trailed off, giving Sam a knowing look. Sam laughed shortly as he set Freddi down on top of his duffel bag.

"No thanks. Pick-ups are more your thing, Dean."

"Yeah, but she sure had eyes for you."

Sam looked down for a moment, unable to deny how attractive Sarah was, "I'd just be using her for information."

"Doesn't have to JUST be for information, Sammy," Dean raised his eyebrows, passing him the phone over Freddi's head. "Call her up."

Freddi remembered hearing Sam's heart speed up when she was in his pocket. She knew he was attracted to this woman. She knew she couldn't stake any real claim on Sam and there seem to be a mutual connection between the two. She had a choice to make about what she thought and felt.

'I can't believe I'm doing this,' Freddi mentally groaned before telling Sam. "You should do it, Sam. You might enjoy your time with her, regardless if you get the information or not."

Sam raised his eyebrows at the tiny girl on his duffle. He looked from her to the phone and seemed to silently come to a decision. He looked up the auction house number and asked for Sarah Blake by name.

While Sammy was schmoozing with Sarah at some four star restaurant, Dean was trying to get some shut eye….and failing. He couldn't rest when Freddi was acting restless again, sighing, humming and pacing every now and again on the bed next to him.

"Okay," he slapped his hands on his knees and sat up to face her. "What gives, kid? You're going to pace a hole through that bed."

Freddi was trying to be calm about this and she was hiding it, but it didn't seem like she was doing a good job, "I don't know. I guess I'm more worried than I thought. I'm good. I should probably get some sleep though. Am I keeping you up?"

"No, no. I'm too hungry to sleep. Might go out and grab a bite. You want something?" Dean got his read shirt off the chair and pulled on through each arm.

"Nah, I think I'm just going to talk a nap. Maybe clear my head a little."

Something entered his mind as he looked down at Freddi thoughtfully. "This about Sam?"

Freddi actually shook her head in a no, and Dean didn't know whether he believed it or not, "I'm not burning with jealousy like last time, if that's what you mean, but I guess some things still don't settle well with me right now."

Dean raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue with her. He nodded quietly, not really finding his place to intrude on her romantic feeling.

"I'm going to hit the can. Be right back," on that note, he disappeared into the bathroom behind a closed door.

While Dean was distracted, Freddi thought of handing him his keys. They were only on the bedside table and she wasn't far from them. She was so freakin' thankful Dean went to the restroom, giving her the quiet on her trek to the keys. She was barely out of breath when she made it to the shiny, jingly objects. She picked them up and put the key ring through her arm just as Dean came out of the bathroom.

Dean went over and shut off the laptop before Sam could get the chance to bitch at him later about letting it overheat. He tucked his wallet into his inner pocket and turned to grab the keys off the nightstand. His hand hovered over an empty space.

"The hell..?" Dean muttered, frowning as he looked around the motel room. He spotted a little fold in Sam's comforter that he assumed was Freddi. Tiny little thing, she was. Really put it in perspective. He glimpsed the car key sticking out from behind the lamp. Huh. He grabbed the keys in one hand and shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned to talk to Freddi.

"Must be losing my mind faster than I thought…Alright, Sweetheart, I'm taking off," he addressed the room. "I'll bring you back a sandwich or something closer to ten. You know the drill."

Dean waited for a response, but she was quiet. He assumed the poor things was already dozing. He headed out to the Impala, grabbing the keys, unaware of what his knuckles were rubbing against.

Dean was moving around the room way too fast for Freddi to keep up with, too fast to get her arm out of the keys in time, so when he grabbed them, she was taken along for the ride. His fist was a little tighter than they normally were, probably because he didn't think there was anything alive in his hand as she was shoved into his lower jacket pocket. She tried to struggle, even after he already let her go, but she could barely move with the slightly heavy weight of the keys on top of her.

She could hear him talking to something, but it definitely wasn't her. What was he talking to if she was in his pocket? Could he even feel her? His hand definitely was on her, but Freddi wasn't sure if he was aware of it once he started walking. She quickly freed her arm from the keys just in time for the hand to grab them, the knuckles brushing against her nightgown.

Freddi softly groaned. This was not how she wanted her night to go down like. As long as he didn't hook up with anyone tonight, she'd hope it would be okay. If she stayed still, then he never had to know she was there.

The ride seemed longer than five minutes turn around it was. Distantly, the hum of the Impala rumbled to a halt and the menacing jingle of the keys returned. Dean got out of the car and headed inside. Judging by the smoke and alcohol and rambled voices, he was at that bar he'd been eyeballing all morning.

He sat down at the bar and ordered the beer on tap. The bartender was hot, but she didn't pick up on his silent 'how ya doing?'…However, the stunning brunette to his left was more than happy to accept his advances. Dean pulled out some cash from his wallet to cover her drink in addition to his.

"So you said you're into modeling? My company could definitely use talent like yours," he sent her a lusty grin over the rim of his glass, slipping his wallet back out of sight with his keys, not noticing the extra weight pressed into his torso.

She smiled, "Mostly swimwear gigs right now. You really think you could get me a gig with 'Sports Illustrated?' I'll do anything to get out of this town."

"Well, that's exactly what I want to hear, Marissa."

Freddi was free from the extra weight for a little while…until the ride was over. Then, they were back with a vengeance, landing right on her torso and knocking the air right out of her. She still had to force herself to remain still, even though she every step made her swing against his hip. The strong smell of alcohol entered her brain the moment Dean was inside.

'Great, he's at a bar,' Freddi grumbled to herself before she realized this was exact where she feared he was going. 'Oh crap! He's a bar.'

Her suspicions proved true as the rich, feminine voice rang through the air. Dean was looking to hook up with someone. Dean was hot, so of course it didn't take long for someone to hit on him…and vice-versa. She's already heard a live-action porno before; she did NOT want to hear it again. The last time, it was two strangers. This time…this time, it would involving a guy she considered her big brother. Eww…

Freddi started moving to let Dean know she was there. She pushed the keys off of her and tried to stand up, the key jingling against her leg…but she was knocked off her feet and onto her stomach as the unaware giant stuffed his wallet in her hideaway. The old leather landed on Freddi back, pinning her to the bottom of the pocket. Her legs got caught in the keys and she was stuck, no matter how many times she tried to get free. Even worse, Dean wasn't feeling her one bit.

She out a faint whine of frustration, too soft to be heard, and buried her face in crossed arms. Freddi felt weak and insignificant as she continued to hear her best friend shameless trying to hit on his intended one night stand. She couldn't help but feel nauseous about this whole thing.

A/N

Dean! You giant dolt! Freddi seems to be in awful position. I leave you on a cliffhanger. Tune in next time to find out how this all pans out. I hope you liked it! Bye!


	30. Chapter 27

A/N

Continuation of both the case and the pocket situation. There will be some intensity near the end, but nothing to fret over. I hope you like this update. Enjoy!

(I do not condone drinking and driving in any way what so ever, so the first scene of the chapter…not something I would ever do in a million years, nor would I persuade other to do it.)

Chapter 27

It took several more drinks in the girl before she was drunk enough to invite him home with her. Dean chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist, sitting shotgun in her convertible as she drove to her condo. He let his right hand rest over his lap as he kept the other on her thigh.

Suddenly, a tiny thing jerked under his right hand. Dean's expression grew puzzled and he looked down at himself. There was nothing, but as if to be certain, he slid his hand into his jacket pocket, feeling around all corners.

Something heavier in the wallet pressed down on top of Freddi, not painfully but still making it extremely uncomfortable for her. She tried to shift so it wasn't as tense, but then it jerked away. Someone noticed the movements because then Freddi looked up to see a hand digging into the pocket. It pushed the wallet off of her and gave her a smidge of room to squirm her legs out of the keys.

She went into the corner of the pocket, seeing the hand come closer to her. She saw the metal ring and she knew it was Dean. His fingers brushed along all of Freddi's leg and reached her torso before she used her fists to bang on the hand rapidly. It felt like she was indirectly shouting, 'I'm here! I'm here, Dean! Get me out of here!'

Dean stiffened, his heart skipping a beat in cold blood. Dear God; he knew those tiny hands, pounding on his fingers as if they were desperate. A heat spread across his cheeks at the knowledge that his privacy had been completely shattered this evening, and chances were, it was his fault to begin with.

"You okay, baby?" Marissa asked at his hand sliding off her legs. Dean straightened and curled his hand further around Freddi, a protective grasp.

"Uh, I'm going to have to take a rain check. I just got a text that I'm being called away to a conference."

She groaned, reluctantly turning the car around. Dean rubbed his finger up and down Freddi's arm. He could just barely feel her shaking and she was curled up as small as she could be in the corner. If he hadn't been feeling specifically for her, then she would have been easily overlooked.

Words could not describe how relieved Freddi was to hear Dean's lie. Still, knowing how long took him to feel and find her…kind of reminded her how insignificant her small form really was to others, Sam, Dean…everybody. She curled up in the corner because of those thoughts, burying her face in crossed arms again. Then, Dean started rubbing against her arm, bringing her out of most of her thoughts.

She put her hand on one of his unmoving fingers and caught her hands quivering a little. The chance of possibly having to hear…whatever Dean planned with that woman…must have left her more shaken up than she originally though. She did know she was going to get a lecture when they got back to the room and she braced herself for it the entire ride.

A much quicker ride back to the motel was ended with a brief murmuring of goodbyes and excuses. The car door slammed and within the minute, Dean was back inside the motel room. He could feel Freddi's movements- more shy than usual as she allowed him to gingerly pull her out in a gentle fist.

First things first: "Are you okay?"

Dean demanded. A timid nod in reply, she was still in her nightgown, looking about as chipper as rumpled laundry would be.

"How…How the hell did you wind up in my pocket?"

Freddi was a little tense the moment the door was closed. She almost didn't want to come out of the pocket, not exactly wanting to see Dean's expression. How was she going to explain this? She must have looked as flustered as she felt…but she still nodded her answer, letting him know she was alright. She only looked up him for a second.

"I-I…I was grabbed with your keys."

Cupping her carefully in one hand, Dean moved to pull the comforter down on the bed…empty. He had mistaken a fold for a tiny person. Immediately, the guilt slammed him as he ran through the various worst case scenarios he could have unwillingly caused her. Overwhelmed, he took a seat on the chair.

"And… Is there a particular reason you hanging on to my keys?"

Well, now Freddi had a choice to make; lie and him seeing right through her or tell the truth and face the lecture. She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Well, let's just say, I'm never handing you your keys at any time soon."

Dean scoffed a small chuckle, but it was twinged with regret. He could have killed her. He rested his elbow on his knee and leaned down to her a little, looking for any signs of blood or bruises on her bare arms.

"I didn't…hurt you, did I?"

Freddi shook her head. She wasn't hurt, but it did help see vulnerability…her desire to be normal and that this size wasn't going to be enough anymore. She was a liability like this. She needed to figure out the wording fast or she needed to leave so she wasn't reminded of something she wasn't.

Having learned to read her moods quite well, Dean sensed the vulnerability she was radiating.

"I'm sorry. I suck," he sighed, hesitantly reaching around his other hand to rub his little back. He could feel her spinal knobs through the thin nightgown, and he felt his heart stiffen at the sight again of the tiny girl huddled in his hand.

"You don't suck, Dean," Freddi said, feeling his thumb run up and down her back. She trusted him, and she hoped he wouldn't think too much about it. It happened, it passed, they will move on. "I don't hold anything against what happened."

She looked up at him with a brave face and a small smile, "It's not like you meant to grab me and you found out about it. Plus, I'm not hurt, so let's just move on from this."

Dean looked down at her with a hardened, disturbed expression, stopping petting her.

"See? That right there," he pointed at her, shaking his head. "That's not normal. You should be pissed or…or freaking out or something! You keep playing this card like everything's fine. You know what I think? It's bullshit. You've been through crap no one should have to go through, and you're ready in a minute to just…move on?

Freddi was stubborn with her expressions, still meeting his eyes as he basically tried to analyze her entire being. Sure, she had problems with feeling so small all the time, but they were all in her head.

"In case you haven't obviously noticed, Dean, I'm not normal. I'm never going to be normal, not with my genetics," Freddi responded to his call out, defending herself. "Even if I learn to change my size, it won't change the fact that I will always be a freak with an ability, and what if I don't ever figure it out? What if it never works? I'm already one foot in and one foot out of the hunting world as it is, so yeah, I'm gonna play the 'I'm fine' card…because after everything that I've experienced so far, I have no other choice than to move on an adapt the best I can."

Dean resolve softened. He was glad to hear the pain in the undertone of her voice, in a strange way; she wasn't fighting it for once, wasn't burying it under a mask of contentment and calling it a day. She was trusting him, being real. Dean adjusted his hands beneath the tiny girl, as if making her more comfortable might shade the fact that he towered over her.

"You just gotta give it time," he finally said. "There's a light at the end of the shit-storm for you. I know it."

Freddi laughed in disbelief. She didn't know when it was, but her level of hope was growing less and less about her situation. Why did it take this long to realize it?

"When did you starting having more hope than me about this?"

Hey, just because I'm stuck in this dark forever doesn't mean it had to be like that for you," Dean jested back, giving her a small smile. It was a brief flicker of joy, because honestly he wanted to keep Freddi under lock and key from here on out.

She chuckled back, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. This definitely was a stressful night and he could read her body language. It was time to unwind a little as she responded, "So, what now? I'm pretty sure I ruined your plans."

He chuckled, trying not to mourn the loss of the potential notch in his belt.

"Eh…She was only like a six," Dean shrugged. "Anyway, tonight's not completely lost."

He set Freddi down on the bed and walked over to the small brown bag on the table. He pulled out a six inch wrapped sandwich and held it up for her to see, "Got you a pretzel sub."

"That thing is bigger than me. You are dreaming if you think I'll be able to eat all that," Freddi didn't think she could even eat a dent into that sandwich.

"She sounded pretty though. Hey, if she's a six, compare and contrast...what am I on the Dean appearance radar?" She teased with a smirk. She felt like yanking his chain a little. Plus, she wasn't going to expect any kind of answer.

Dean merely raised his eyebrows at Freddi's question, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you're 'pretty' easy to feed," he grinned, unwrapping it and painstakingly rearranging a miniature version of the sandwich for her. She took the bite-size reduction off his fingertip and started munching. With her satisfied, Dean sat down next to her with the rest of the sandwich.

Freddi rolled her eyes at the obvious avoidance of her question. She saw that coming, so she just shrugged it away; it wasn't like she needed him to tell her she was pretty. She always knew she was.

The efforts to minimize a meal for her didn't take too long to prepare, and she appreciated it. Plus, who could turn down pretzel bread? It was still warm and crunchy and delicious. The cheese and meats were melted together and gooey…yum!

They shared the meal in relative quiet, trailing off into small talk until Dean realized he was talking to an unconscious body. He balled up the paper sandwich wrapping and tossed it in the trash. Looking down at Freddi with a gentle look, the hunter lad his handkerchief over her diminutive form, barely allowing himself to touch her.

He was about ready to take a nap himself, but of course it was at that time Sam texted that he was on his way back from Sarah's. There was still work to be done.

"She just handed the providences over to you?" Dean asked, sharpening his knife while Sam rifled through papers in his lap.

"Provenances," he corrected, eyes not leaving the papers.

"But you didn't have to do her any special favor or anything?" Dean pressed.

"No, I just got the papers and left," Sam insisted.

Pleased with its sharpness, he tucked the blade back into its leather sheath, "Just saying…we could stick around for a while after the case."

"Why?"

"So you can take her out again. It's obvious you're into her."

Sam hesitated, seeming grateful for the distraction of what he had discovered, "Dean, look at this. We've got a pattern."

They check it with the journal, and sure enough, they were right. As they left to burn the painting, Sam threw one more look at Freddi's sleeping form.

After a while of talking, Freddi eventually embraced sleep like a dear friend. She didn't even hear the rest of what Dean was saying when she was completely out. She didn't respond to the handkerchief being placed on top of her other than shifting into a comfortable position.

She only woke up once, finding she was in the motel alone. Her groggy mind assumed Dean was in the restroom, so she just went back to sleep. The thought of the case in relation of being alone didn't even occur to her.

With the painting burnt, Sam and Dean were packing up early the next morning. They thought the case was over…but Dean left something behind, so they weren't going anywhere until they found it. With Freddi cushioned by the handkerchief in Sam's pocket, they reluctantly got back out at the auction house.

"I can't believe you left your wallet, Dean," he grumbled.

Freddi was still sluggish in the morning; she barely had time to wake up before she was put in Sam's pocket for a little joy ride. Hearing bits and pieces of the conversation, she could figure out that Dean forgot his wallet when they snuck around in the auction house. Sam was bound to run into Sarah, but she kept her prediction to herself. It wasn't her place anymore to say anything.

"Hey guys!" Sarah called. The boys froze and tried to act cool.

"Sarah!" Sam said, heart hammering. "H-Hey."

"We're leaving town and I…I just uh, wanted to say goodbye."

Freddi softly chuckled, 'Called it.'

She endured hearing Sam's heart racing again, seeing that coming the moment she heard Sarah's voice. She knew this…whatever it was with Sam, was just in her head. It was at that moment Freddi made the mental decision to shut down these feelings. It was exhausting and it felt like a waste of her time. She was officially done. She put every ounce of her will power she had into putting her feelings away and focusing on being friends and roommates, nothing more.

"What are you talking about? We're staying in town a few days more," Dean came out of nowhere. He produced his wallet with this smug grin and flashed it at Sam, revealing he had it the whole time. Sam scowled at his brother, who was walking away, leaving them alone to chat…well, mostly alone, anyway.

"I had a good time last night," Sarah said, bridging the awkward silence.

"Yeah, me too," he responded, glancing towards his chest.

"Maybe we should do it again sometimes," she suggested, her eyes bright.

Sam shifted uncomfortably, all too aware of the tiny person between them, "I…I'd like that, but uh… Dean was just messing around. We really are leaving today."

"Oh…That's too bad," Sarah said, obviously disappointed.

Sam suddenly jolted as the cursed painting was carried to a shipping container behind her, "OH MY GOSH!"

Sarah whirled around, alarmed.

He tried to recover, "I uh…That painting…looks so good."

"I guess…" She said, giving him a strange look.

"What do you know about that painting?" Sam pressed.

"Besides it being creepy? I know we brought it in to be sold the night the Telescas were murdered."

"And are you going to sell it?" he said, forgetting to lower his voice again.

"Are you interested in buying it?" Sarah asked.

"Buying it? No! Hell no, but just…Don't sell it, okay? I'll call you…See you later!"

"Wait, so you're not leaving?" She asked, calling after him.

"Uh, no…No, I guess not," Sam said, hauling Dean toward the exit, and Sarah was left standing alone stupefied.

Freddi covered her ears and tensed up from the sheer volume of Sam's voice, but she could still hear his surprise and then the mention of the painting and it made more sense. Didn't Sam and Dean turn that into ash last night? What the hell? She couldn't exactly talk about it yet, not until they got to the car.

Sam slid his hand into the pocket, letting Freddi climb onto curved fingers so he could hoist her out.

"What the hell?! We burnt it didn't we? We saw it burn," he sputtered, cradling Freddi in his hand without looking down at her. Dean drove with his frustrations evident.

"No shit! We gotta find out more about that painting."

They were dealing with a vengeful spirit, not cursed object. The painting was a portrait of a family that was killed at the hands of the father. Everywhere that painting went, the owners died in the same way…same M.O. for all the deaths surrounding it.

Back at the motel, Dean convinced Sam once again to take some time out with Sarah. Reluctantly, Sam made the call, only to come to a nasty surprise.

"What? Sarah, give me the address."

Dean snapped to attention, already getting ready to go.

"Sorry, Sweetheart," he snatched Freddi off the desk and stowed her gently in the desk drawer. He could hear he little fists pounding on the wood. "Not risking your throat around Edward Scissorhand's ghost."

Time seemed to switch to fast forward before Freddi's eyes seconds before Dean grabbed her. She was put in the drawer faster than she could struggled and closed in the drawer fast than she could protest. She started banging on the wall, "Dean! This isn't funny! Let me out…Dean!"

Even though she could hear his reasoning from the outside, it still erked her. She kept pounding on the wall of the drawer, hoping by some miracle, he'd change his mind. Dean didn't seem to be budging and she was stuck there, stopping her banging when the motel door opened and closed. Freddi felt the slight vibration of the door slam, and then she was embraced by the dark and the quiet.

She didn't like this. She hadn't been put in a drawer since she was kidnapped and her mind kept reminding the painful nights she experienced during her time with Pyro. Her hands grew shaky and she had to remind herself more than once that her life wasn't in danger anymore. She kept checking her arms at different times to see if there were needle marks, like last time, but they weren't.

Sarah," Sam growled. "I told you not to come."

Yet, she stood outside the woman's house, "Why? What's going on?"

She didn't get a straight answer. Dean went up and pulled out his lock picks.

"Are you guys robbers or something now?" Sarah whispered, increasingly alarmed.

"Or something…" Dean replied, popping the lock and heading inside. She approach the woman in her chair…she appeared to be in deep thought, perhaps sleeping.

"Sarah, don't!" Sam tried…a second too late. Sarah tried to touch the shoulder of the woman. With a sickening tearing of flesh, the woman's head fell back and clunked along the floor. Sarah screamed loudly and Sam and Dean looked with unease at the latest victim.

It took a while, but Freddi managed to calm her memories long enough. When Sam and Dean came back hours later, she was sitting against the back wall, close to the corner. Her legs were curled in against her body and she wasn't happy. Her withdrawn body language was evident with her arms crossed like that.

There was a thunk as Dean set the laptop on the table and sat down. He set it up quickly and Sam came over to the desk.

"Freddi?" He crouched over and pulled open the drawer halfway. He had to angle himself to actually spot her in the back. She didn't look like she enjoyed her time in there at all. Sam cooed patiently, "Come on out, Freddi. It's okay."

With a deep breath, Freddi stood up slowly and started to take a few steps. Her voice was soft, but it was still clear, "I don't care how tough or dangerous a hunt is. Never grab me like that and keep me here without communicating with me. I would have been fine just waiting in waiting in the room."

Sam's face twisted in remorse, "I'm sorry, but you have to-"

His reaching hand suddenly withdrew altogether as a sudden knock on the door sounded through the air. Without even thinking, Sam slammed the drawer closed again and Freddi was yanked back harshly, slamming against the hard wood of the back wall on her side, crashing down on her back with burning thud. She tried to recompose herself the best she could with a soft groan. What was it with getting hurt anytime Sarah was around? Ow…Yeah, she didn't want to go anywhere for a while.

Dean raised his head as Sam strode to the front door and opened it up. Sarah waltzed into the room, arms wound around her chest.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Sam asked.

"No," she hissed. "I just spent an hour lying to the police. What the hell is going on? Who is killing these people?"

"What," he said. "It's 'what' is killing them."

Sarah gave him a bewildered look.

"Sarah, you saw that picture move."

"No," she was in denial, collapsing into the chair by the desk. Sam glanced nervously at the drawer…where Freddi was. "No, I was imagining things."

'No, you weren't' Freddi mentally commented, her muscles still aching and sore from the collision. After a couple moments of staying flat on the floor, she started to sit up, her arms slightly shaky. She was bound to develop a couple bruises, but it was something she could brush off. She had to be quiet though.

Freddi heard the clicking of shoes nearby and she knew it wasn't either brother. She was just hoping Sarah would just walk away.

"Think about it, Sarah. Two times now, people you knew…this thing wasn't natural," Sam insisted.

Sarah hesitated, looking at war with herself, ultimately deciding, "Fine. I…I guess you should show me what you mean then."

"What? No way. This is going to get dangerous and…and I don't want you getting hurt," Sam replied. Sarah just stood up, fixed on him with an undaunted look.

"Look, you guys are probably crazy…but on the off chance you're not, I played a role in moving that painting, and as terrified as I am…I'm not going to just run and hide," she marched over to the door and opened it, "You coming?"

Sam and his brother lingered back as Sarah left the morel room.

"Sam..?" Dean said, sitting at the table, "Marry that girl."

Sam gave an appreciative smirk before crossing over and retrieving Freddi from the drawer. She looked completely disheveled in there as he pulled her out. He smoothed a thumb over her frazzled hair.

"I'm so sorry to shake you up like that," he whispered, cupping her close in case Sarah came back.

Freddi almost didn't accept his hand, but she wasn't too bitter, just sore. As long as it didn't happen again anytime soon, she wouldn't hold it against for a very long time. She went with him anyway, her head naturally tilting whatever direction he tried to smooth out the disaster that was her hair, "Shaken up is an understatement, bud."

"I couldn't let her see you. She's got enough on her plate. Anymore and she might have cracked," Sam tried to soothe, but truthfully, he felt awful. It was just so different to treat her with her full human dignity sometimes when she was a constant liability.

He glanced up at Dean, who was standing next to him now. He held her out to his brother, "We gotta go check out this crime scene. You…mind chilling in Dean's pocket?"

Freddi and Dean both looked a little surprised, but seemed to get over it quickly. Sam shrugged it off though; he had a subconscious agenda when it came to Sarah.

Freddi pushed passed her surprise and softly chuckled, "I think history had your answer."

She was inwardly happy she was being so calm, and she wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. She enjoyed her time with either brother and didn't focus on things beneath the surface.

Dean lifted her to his pocket. At the last second, he brought Freddi up to his face and kissed her cheek.

"Hang in there, Kiddo," he gently lowered her into his breast pocket and buttoned it shut.

Sam had already gotten the weapons and ammunition and left to reunite with Sarah.

Okay, Freddi would be lying if she said she wasn't flattered at the sensation of Dean's lips. It was sweet and unpredictable…and not like him. She liked it either way.

"Thanks, Hotshot," Freddi responded, obviously flattered with a blush. It wasn't her first kiss, but the intention was not lost on her for a second. When she was put in the safety in Dean's pocket, she tapped against his chest when she was settled.

'At least I'm not in that stupid drawer again.'

"Isn't this a crime scene?" Sarah looked around nervously as she watched Dean break into the victim's house for the second time.

"What's one more rap on your sheet? You've already lied to the police," Dean answered, standing up and trying the door- successfully unlocked now.

Sarah asked as the boys approached the painting, "What are you guys looking for?"

"Well, the spirit is acting up with the painting for a reason," Sam explained, scrutinizing the portrait. "Hey, look at this."

He nudged Dean and pointed it out. Dean grabbed an ash tray to use it as a magnifying glass over the stone crypt.

"Merchant…"

The spirit showed signs of dormancy during the day. Every once in a while, she'd peek her head out, against Dean's suggestions, when she knew the practically innocent giantess wasn't looking. The first time she actually saw Sarah, it was almost a surprise to see how attractive she really was; skinny, brunette, beautiful, Freddi could see why Sam would like her. She sounded smart and kind as well…

Each time she peeked, she met the giant face that was her chauffer. He looked annoyed, but just met him with a smile and shrugged. She wanted to see and Dean wasn't going to stop her, no matter how many times he tried to hide her down when Sarah turned towards them. Freddi was pretty sure he was starting to regret bringing her along, but it made her suppress her entertainment.

The finally found the Merchant crypt right as they were about to throw in the towel for the day. Sarah glanced over her shoulder as they walked in. Dean swiftly made a motion like he was scratching himself lightly, hoping to get Freddi to wise up. He made a mental note to take her out to an open field or something when this case cleaned up. All this time cooped up must have been messing with her head.

"Okay, this is way too creepy for my taste," Sarah shuttered as she came eye to eye with an antique doll behind glass, caked in heavy dust.

"Notice anything weird?" Dean asked, eyes skimming the interior.

Sarah scoffed, "Uh, yeah? Where do I start?"

Sam chuckled at her in a fond manner, and Dean pointed at the urns, "Only four bodies accounted for; dear, dead, old Dad isn't buried here."

"Then where is he?" Sarah asked, trying to keep up.

Freddi took the warning rubbing from the outside the pocket, so she only looked out once more when the doll was included in the conversation. That thing was at least four time her size, very large. She ducked back down before Dean had time to notice the urns.

She tried to ignore the fact Sam was laughing at something Sarah said, but it still stung a little. She used to attempt comments like that all the time…not a chuckle came from either brother most times and suddenly this…stranger comes in and suddenly, Sam laughs at Sarah's equally attempting comment? It was a little bruising to her ego, but she had to shake it away for the sake of this case, Sam…and for the sake of herself.

After a long day of searching for the missing father's grave, they wound up back at another cemetery later that night. Dean held back from digging the grave in an attempt to protect Freddi. Every once in a while he would stroke the little unnoticeable lump in his pocket, trying to soothe her or make her laugh. Despite being right next to his body, Dean could only imagine how alone she must have felt, especially with Sam and Sarah hitting it off so well within earshot.

"You guys seem uncomfortably comfortable with this," Sarah said, watching Sam chuck dirt out of a grave.

"Not out first grave dug," Dean answered.

Freddi lightly laughed at the pushing sensation against her side. It was tickling her…and it made her wonder if it was intentional. She tapped on his chest, hoping he would just stop, but he just continued even more, the ticklish sensation growing worse. She had suppress her laughter and squirms until he relented.

The body was exhumed; Dean poured the salt, and Sam poured the gasoline.

"Good riddance," Dean said, dropping the match. The three, well…four, of them stood, watching the remains catch fire and crackle under the intense heat.

The pocket blocked a lot of the heat from the fire, but Freddi was still too restless. She peeked her head out to watch the fire. The heat hit her even more, but not enough to make her hide away again. She was definitely a pyromaniac; she always was intrigued with fire, how the flames seemed to dance and flow. Everybody else was looking at the fire, but she could tell Dean was aware of her movements, but he didn't seem to do anything about it.

Then she sat back down in the pocket. It wasn't ideally where she wanted to be, but it was warm, and comforting and every once in a while, Dean brushed his fingers against her side through the pocket fabric on the drive back.

Sarah frowned in confusion when they drove right back to the last victim's house.

"Uh guys?-" She started asking, but was cut off.

"We're not taking any chances with this one. We're going to bury the painting," Sam explained, getting out.

"I'm coming with you," Sarah said decisively, following him.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

She nodded, fixing him with a hardened look, "Positive."

Sam wasn't in the mood to argue. This was almost over, anyway.

"I'll wait here," Dean called after Sam. "Go make your move."

Sam scoffed but followed Sarah inside. As they approached the painting, she frowned. Something was off, "Sam…You're the expert here. Is it supposed to be like that? Where's the little girl?"

"And the razor," Sam asked.

Eerie laughter sounded behind them and they spun around just in time to see the front door swing shut.

When Freddi and Dean were alone, she hooked her arms onto the mouth of the pocket and looked out…just as the door slammed shut on its own. Sam and Sarah were still inside!

"Dean!" Freddi got his attention, panicking a smidge.

"I know," Dean said, plucking her out of the pocket between a finger and thumb. He bolted out of the car and cupped Freddi close to his smoke-scented shirt as he took the steps two at a time.

"Sam!" He pounded on the door with his free hand, trying to force the door open…no luck.

"Dean!" Sam's voice wasn't far.

"Please tell me you slammed the door," Dean said. He could practically see Sam shaking his head behind the door.

"It's still here, Dean! It's the little girl!"

Dean glanced down at Freddi, his heart pounding with concern, "Hey, in the painting, wasn't Isaiah looking down at the girl? Maybe he was trying to warn us."

"Recap later, Dean!" Sam said, trying to keep an eye all around for potential attack points around him and Sarah.

"I don't understand. She was cremated. We both saw- No body left!" Dean called through the door.

There was a couple seconds of silence before Sam's voice finally broke through the door.

"Dean!" He barked. "Sarah says the doll would have been made with the girl's real hair."

Dean left and Sam immediately hunted the house for pure iron or salt, but she was furious by complete lack of salt in the pantry. He returned to Sarah's side just as that ominous laughter decided to make a reappearance. Sarah gripped his arm as the little girl from the painting appeared at the end of the dark hallway. She moved in an inhuman quality, jerking and flickering as she drug a doll on the floor behind her.

Sam grabbed the fire stoker, holding it out as defense. The ghost lunged, razor flashing and he swiped at her with the iron rod.

"Is she gone?" Sarah asked.

"Not for long," he answered.

"Human remains," Dean finished for him, looking down at Freddi. "Hang in there, Sammy! Hold it off till we get there."

She knew Dean would have to bolt out of the car to make it in time, so as soon as she was placed on his lap, she jumped off of him. She landed next to him on the chair and braced herself for when Dean floored the gas. Freddi gripped the passenger seat belt with white knuckles as Dean booked it. They both felt this sense of urgency, so there was no way in hell she was giving any objection. Dean could control the speeding Impala better when he had no distraction, so she just kept her mouth shut while she held on.

When they reached the cemetery and finally stopped the car, Freddi quickly yelled at him before he could even think about the option of taking her along, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine in the car. Go!"

It was race against time to a desperate extreme. Dean sped through two red lights in his haste to reach the cemetery. He had to save his brother. The moment the car reached their destination, he ran out of the car, disregarding the tiny passenger back in the car.

He burst into the crypt and used the butt of his handgun to whack the reinforced glass holding the doll captive. It wasn't giving. It was just them that he looked at the gun…and felt like a complete idiot.

"Come on, Winchester," he muttered, flipping it right side up and turning his head as he pulled the trigger. Dean hastily yanked the doll out of its case and flipped his lighter. He trailed the flame all over the brunette locks, the air filled with the pungent odor of burning hair. It was burnt to a crisp when he was satisfied.

Dean vaguely heard a security guard shuffle in his direction but Dean was already skidding out of the cemetery parking lot. He started up his car and drove back to where Sam was. Freddi went flying halfway across the seat before Dean caught her. He couldn't even speak until he saw his little brother and his companion fill the doorway of the victim's house.

They were okay.

Freddi was pacing nervously, worried for Sarah and Sam being trapped in that house. There was no way she was calming down until she knew they were alright. Fifteen minutes later, the door opened, revealing a very unnerved Dean rushing to get in the car and go. She didn't have time to anchor herself to anything, so when the car was launched into motion, so was she.

Freddi tumbled off the edge, but Dean was quick. She landed on his palm with a soft 'oomph' and shook away the dizzy aftermath. She was lifted up just in time to see the missing member of the trio at the front door of the house he was just trapped in. She saw Sarah too and couldn't help but smile in relief. Freddi could see why Sam liked her; she was very pretty and she sounded like a nice person.

With a large sigh in her exhale, she looked up at Dean, feeling proud of him, "Good job, Dean."

Dean looked down, giving her a strange look. His lips parted uncertainly. He wasn't used to gratitude or praise, especially when it came to hunting. His father was more of the negative reinforcement type of guy.

"Thanks…" He muttered. "Hang on."

He slid her into his lower jacket pocket, his hand still wrapped around her as the others join them in the car.

A/N

I love how much sweet Dean is being with Freddi (in his own way though), but the drawer was sadly necessary. This chapter finishes the case and I did my best to try to include her in the events. I hope you guys liked it and I will update soon. Bye!


	31. Chapter 28

A/N

This is the last chapter I have pre-written, the updates might not happen as much, but I will do my best. I won't leave things unresolved. This story with be completed. I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 28

The case was over. The night had passed and the morning was peering its head over the horizon. There was a sense of quiet in the car as they went back to the auction house. Inside the building, there was some chit chat, but most of it was an attempt to say goodbye. Freddi could hear Sam's reluctance in his voice.

Dean placed her on the dash board of the car just as Sam went back to the house and banged on the door. The two giants shared a passionate kiss and it took everything in her not to react to it. It was another example of pushing down her feelings and it was a bitchy bitter pill to swallow, 'At least I kissed him first…'

As much as Dean wanted the best for his brother- like it or not, the kid could use some normal in his screwy life- his heart went out to Freddi. He watched as she looked over at them and quickly look away.

As Sarah and Sam parted, she watched him trot to the car, reluctantly leaving her side. Her smile slightly dropped as she glanced at Dean, and an odd…moving dash board figurine. When it turned its head, she felt the pleasant buzz from Sam's lips morph into a suspicion of the supernatural.

She hastened after Sam and put her hand on the door.

"What is that?" She demanded.

Dean had lunged, barely coiling a fist round Freddi in time to black her from view, but it wasn't enough this time. She had been seen. Sam and Dean exchanged looks.

"Sarah, it's not…It's just…" Dean's Adam's apple bobbed in response to Freddi's breathing in the cramped space of his fist.

One shocked expression on Sarah's face as she locked on Freddi and she knew…Dean's skin surrounding her wasn't going to change it. He was kinda holding her pretty tight, too tight, too tight for her threshold. She slight struggled a little.

"Dean…" Freddi's soft voice whispered with a slight strain, "Too tight."

Dean loosened his grip, but kept her pressed against his chest for a moment. Then he relented and held her out in the open.

"Holy shit. Is this for real?" Sarah sputtered, leaning over Sam to get a good look.

"You just helped destroy a spirit. You're having doubts now?" Dean retorted. Sarah shook her head.

"B-But it's a tiny person…where did she come from?"

Freddi rolled her eyes, regarding a pet peeve Sam and Dean both knew about, "How about you ask me and not talk above my head?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Sarah breathed. "I just…I didn't know you could…that this existed. What are you?"

"I'm human…hard to believe, but true," Freddi answered, keeping polite with this girl. "It's nice to actually talk around you."

Sarah's expression dropped into confusion again.

"What do you…" She snapped her gaze to Sam and Dean, accusatory, "Has she been here the whole time? You've been hiding her?"

"In their defense, the last person who's seen me was their dad…and he mainly wanted to kill me for a good ten minutes," Freddi said. "And to be honest, I don't exactly know how people react when they see me. Sometimes I have to assume the worst."

"I can only imagine," Sarah breathed. She looked torn between wanting to hold "the tiny thing" and wanting to bury her in a deep grave.

"Do you want to come in for a minute? I have lemonade," she offered, not taking her eyes off Freddi.

"I don't know," Freddi answered, not completely knowing Sarah's intentions. Freddi wasn't completely trusting with everyone.

She had a read on the tall brunette and ultimately made a choice, "…Sure."

"Sam, please," Sarah turned her eyes onto Sam, who undoubtedly was weak to her charms. He trusted her, but…

"A private room. We need somewhere we won't be disturbed," Sam said sternly.

Sarah nodded, understanding, "I have just the place."

The boys rose and followed her inside, Freddi held under the jacket until they were inside the elaborate room. It looked more like a museum than a sitting room and the boys looked very out of place in the fancy arrangements. Sarah hustled to get everyone drinks, bustling with nervous energy. She sat down right next to Sam, their legs touching. Dean still held Freddi in a protective grasp as he sipped on his lemonade.

Freddi was nervous about this, but she took deep breaths as she looked around. Pictures of art, elaborate vases, and beautiful pieces of jewelry was all around the room. She couldn't help but be enamored by the sophistication.

"You…You can put me on the table, Dean," she told him.

He didn't exactly move for a couple seconds, giving Sarah a harsh warning in his expression before lowering is hand on the table top, palm face up, and letting Freddi step off.

"H-Here," Sarah offered her an antique thimble full of the same drink. "I cleaned it out, don't worry."

"Th…Thanks," Freddi responded, taking the lemonade and sitting down. She rested her back against a vase of flowers and took her fist sip, remembering the first time she had the tangy beverage.

"I don't mean to be rude," Sarah said, her voice softening as she accepted the strange reality. "You have to understand this is the weirdest day of my life."

She glanced at Sam, who smirked.

"Where did you find her?" She asked them.

Sam exchanged a long look with Freddi, recalling that fateful night all those months ago, but eye contact didn't last as long. Freddi looked away a couple seconds after. The thought of that meeting was bittersweet to her, because even though she had a broken leg, she wouldn't trade meeting the guys one bit. She looked over to Sarah.

"Trust me, it was weird for them too," Freddi chuckled. "They had no idea they'd find me, injured in a closet of their motel room, but they kind of kept me around after a while…whoever knows why though."

"That's so sweet," Sarah commented, smiling down at her. "I guess you're lucky you ran into guys that are used to crazy, huh?"

"That, and the miracle that my father was a hunter too," Freddi added, then she explained the glitch with her size in summary. She knew it sounded crazy, but she still waited to hear Sarah's response.

Sarah looked down at her glass, considering how mundane the task of drinking lemonade could be, and how extraordinary, given the company.

"Should've spiked the lemonade," she muttered.

"I support that," Dean interjected, raising his empty glass.

Sarah stared at Freddi as she set down her glass, instantly regretting it, for she was dying to hold the immature human.

"This just doesn't seem real. Ghost, tiny people…" She sighed, sitting back against the couch.

"It's a lot to take in," Sam finished for her.

"I don't know if it changes anything, but at least Bigfoot is a hoax," Freddi served as slight comic relief on some things. Fingers crossed it was the right time. She seemed to be met with silence and it made her blush. "…Too soon?"

Sam cracked a smile, and soon Sarah giggled.

"You're precious," she said warmly. "I can see why you keep her around. She's got to be so brave for her size."

"You got that right," Sam agreed.

Freddi disregarded the "precious" label, but didn't lose the intent behind it. She was warming up to Sarah as she just chuckled, "I guess you can say that."

It honestly was nice to be around another girl. Being around testosterone constantly with kind of exhausting sometimes. Plus, a girl understands more than guys regarding other girls. Sam and Dean still didn't exactly know how to handle…specific things. She knew they tried, but it was a subject nobody wanted to touch with a thirty foot pole.

Sarah fiddled with her hands in her lap, glancing between the brothers nervously before addressing the tiny woman, "…Feel free to say no, but would you mind if I…uh, held you?"

Freddi only looked surprised for about a second before answering with a nod, "Sure, I don't mind."

The boys exchanged shocked glances. How was she so calm about this? They watched with hawk eyes as the beautiful woman lowered a hand palm-up on the table. Sam noticed Sarah shiver when Freddi first stepped aboard. He could sympathize. It was something that was incredibly difficult to get used to.

Sarah dared to breathe as she cupped both hands around the tiny passenger and held her slightly in between herself and Sam.

Freddi had the same effect, her breath getting caught in her throat as she was lifted up by these strange hands. She couldn't help but feel the awkwardness of being in the hands of her crush's girlfriend. She still resumed her brave face and put on a timid smile, "Feels weird. Softer hands."

Sam gave a sheepish chuckle, holding up his own hands of defense.

"Sorry, grave digging leaves its mark," he said.

Sarah smiled at him, immediately finding it off that she could even smile about digging up graves.

"It's a miracle," she said, holding the tiny woman as close as she dared without crowding her. "I mean just that you're functioning at this size. What's your name?"

"Winnifred, but people I allow call me Freddi," Freddi answered, still chuckling in her response. "Winnifred just sounds too old for me."

Sarah smiled widely at her, "I agree. You're way too cute to have such a formal name; it makes you sounds too much like a nineteenth century school teacher."

Freddi laughed, looking at Sam; he couldn't really read her expression, "I can see why you like her."

Sam's smile faded, unable to help but detect a note of bitterness deep, deep underneath. He chuckled self-consciously and agreed in a mumble. What Sarah didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"How did they hide you this whole time?" Sarah asked, lowering his hand to the table, so Freddi could get off.

"Pockets can do more than hold change," Freddi answered, also remembering the drawer. "I was hidden in a closed drawer once. Other times, I've either stayed at the motel or in the car."

Then, Sarah started frowning faintly, "That sounds…pretty rough."

Her obvious disapproval suddenly shone through as it sank in.

"Isn't it dangerous?" She asked, turned her gaze to Sam and Dean. "Carrying her around while you hunt monsters?"

"She's tougher than she looks," Dean attested.

"I don't go to everything, just recons and simple things. It's not that scary and besides, like Dean said, I'm a lot tougher than I look," Freddi said. "It's not like they force me to do all this. It was my own choice and I'm doing good things, even in it's not much."

Sarah raised her eyebrows, expecting Sam and Dean to join in, humoring her. Sam shifted uncomfortably and Dean wasn't laughing.

"Oh," Sarah corrected herself awkwardly. "That's…wow. Unexpected, but awesome! Can't leave all the saving to the men, can we?"

She raised her hand in a high five motion. Freddi happily returned the motion with this adorable smirk, "Duh."

The conversation must have taken longer than they all thought; by the time they were heading out, it was almost four or five hours later.

"Maybe you'll find yourself around here again sometime?" Sarah asked, tilting her head up towards Sam.

"Maybe," his voice wasn't promising, but he leaned down and cupped her face, parting with a deep, lingering kiss. He was going to miss those lips terribly.

"So?" Dean asked him when he got back in the car.

"So what?"

"She a good kisser?"

He smirked in response, "Better than you."

Freddi was proud of herself. She wasn't bitter. She wasn't going to cry about anything. She just felt indifferent about everything. She acted like she did before and it was surprisingly easy. Freddi never lost any sleep about it. It just felt nice to not have to consider what Sam thought of her anymore.

She went back to the mindset of being friends with Sam. She didn't cave into his touch like she used to. Her gaze didn't linger on him for too long. She didn't let her heart race with the little things that she liked about him. Freddi didn't share beds with either brother ninety percent of the time, and if she did then it was with Dean.

Everything just felt different, yet it felt the same simultaneously. She still joked around with them and helped them with any and every case they came across. Freddi just guessed everything felt different when she was officially done with breaking her heart for a guy that didn't want her, EVERY part of her. It was the way things were for weeks.

One day, Freddi and Dean were looking for a new case when they found an obituary for someone that sounded familiar…to both of them. She quickly looked through her journal and found the exact same name. Holy crap.

"Elkins," Dean read out of his dad's journal. He passed the contact page to Sam and Freddi.

"You think it's the same guy?" Sam asked.

"Has to be," Dean reasoned.

Sam shut his laptop and held a hand out for Freddi.

It was a grueling two day road trip to Colorado, filled with many a gap in conversation. Finally, they arrived at the address listed in the journal. The place looked torn apart to shreds.

"Something definitely went down here," Dean muttered, glancing towards Sam, "Put Freddi on the floor, would you? See if she notices anything extra."

Sam gave him a reproachful look. Dean sighed, "Dude, I'm not gonna squish her. Come on, man."

Freddi rolled her eyes at even the possibility of being stepped on by either brother. It wasn't like she didn't communicate with them or didn't let them know where she was at all times, when she was on the floors.

"I know what to do, Sam," Freddi reassured him with a quick response, only looking at him for a couple seconds.

"Okay…" Sam mumbled. He set her amongst the debris and stepped away to carry on his own search.

She made sure to move around papers and other noisy objects, letting a sound indication of where she was. The whole room was just chaotic, like a tornado met a hurricane, just in one room. Freddi could hear Sam and Dean working above her as she worked below. She moved away some random rubble and debris from the floor when she saw something. Blood…but there was something else too. It looked like chicken scratches, but there were clear numbers that collected the blood in messy pools.

"Hey guys! I think I found something!"

Dean frowned, spotting the same odd pattern. He snatched a scrap of paper and a pencil off the ransacked desk and crouched over Freddi. His massive hands came down on either side as he made a pencil rubbing of the scratches.

He held up the resulted etching. Sam came over and took to paper, "Might be a message, Sammy."

"Postal box pick up code," Sam recognized.

"Just like Dad used to do it."

The boys were unaware of the shadow watching over them from afar.

"Let's go check it out then," Freddi broke the sensation of nostalgia with her 'let's get some answers' attitude. Each case felt like a puzzle worth figuring out to her…it was one of the things that she truly liked about hunting.

Dean didn't say anything; he just snatched her up in a careful fist and carried her aloft as they excited the house.

Sam and Dean entered the combination into the local box…receiving a letter addressed to a "J.W." Sitting in the Impala, they stared at the unopened letter, more intent on pondering it before opening their father's mail.

"You think its Dad's?"

Dean didn't answer, but gave him a look that seemed to say "who else?"

All three people nearly about flipped their shit when there was an uninvited knock at the window. Dean was protectively smashing Freddi into his abdomen, slack jawed as he stared at the face behind the glass.

"Dad?"

A/N

Well, there you have it. Freddi mindset changed and it seems peaceful, back to going on cases. This is the last pre-written chapter I have so it will might be a little bit before I update. I'm sorry. I hope you liked the chapter! Tune in next time for John's return! Bye!


	32. Chapter 29

A/N

Hey hey! Hope I didn't leave anybody waiting for too long. I work with a partner and when we're both busy…no co-writing gets done. We managed to squeeze out even creativity for another chapter to keep our loving fans at bay. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 29

Freddi's back was to the window, so when she heard the knock, her entire form twirled around in a jump. Then, she was met with Dean's instinctual grasp and pulled in against him. How was that for a heart attack before she was twenty-two?

She recognized the man as John Winchester. She hadn't seen him since she met him the first time. She still didn't know what to think about him, but it was…nice to see him again. She started struggling, hoping Dean would get the hint and let her go.

John smiled when he saw how he shocked them. He got in the back seat, and the boys twisted around to see him. He saw Dean tuck Freddi on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," John assured, looking considerably softer than he usually did. He missed his boys. "Heard about Daniel, came as soon I could. I saw you two up at the cabin."

"And you didn't come in?" Sam quietly asked.

"Had to make sure you weren't followed," John's eyes shifted to the tiny woman on his son's shoulder. "I see company hasn't changed."

"Nope, company hasn't changed," Freddi admitted with a shrug. She could see the double meaning in her words, but she just shrugged it off her shoulder. "Nice to see you, John."

'At least I don't really about him possibly killing me,' she kept that thought to herself, but she kept eye contact with him and took in his very large features. His beard seemed to be a little wilder, but she could still see the same things she saw the first time they met.

John raised his eyebrows at her, as if surprised his boys had managed to protect something so small during their high risk lifestyle.

"Dad, you came out here for Elkins?" Sam asked, trying not to sound insulted.

He nodded reverently, "He was a good friend. A good hunter. Learned a lot from him."

"Elkins was in my father's journal too. Did they also know each other?" Freddi wondered. She wanted to know about things her father didn't share in his stories, what he was like in his familiar element, as a hunter.

"Elkins had been at this since the 60's. Your father and I came in to hunt much later in the game…He was a mentor of sorts. A good one."

Freddi nodded and accepted the answer. She might have more questions in the future, but it wasn't the time. They had more things to think about, like what was in that letter? It had to be important if Daniel used the last moments of his life making sure John got that message.

"What did he leave you in the letter?"

Dean handed him the letter, glancing at Freddi to make sure she was stable. He watch as his father read the paper, making noises to himself as he went down the lines.

"Son of a bitch. He had it the whole time."

"What?" Sam asked with a frown.

Their dad looked up urgently, "In the house, did you…did you see a gun? An antique…A colt?"

Dean racked his brain, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, there was a box, but it was empty."

"Damn," John let the letter crumple in his lap. "Then they have it."

"Who?" Sam puzzled, "The people who killed Elkins?"

John nodded grimly.

"Talk to us, John. What's so special about this particular colt?" Freddi inquired. Dean removed her from his shoulder and moved her to the top ledge of the bench-seat. She faced the oldest of them all, with a semi-curious expression on her face. "What do you know?"

John ignored her, moving to get out of the car while he dodged further questions surrounding the gun.

"We gotta pick up the trail."

Sam called after him, "W-Wait! You want us to come with you."

He moved back to the open passenger window. He replied, "If Elkins was telling the truth, we gotta find this gun."

Sam wasn't satisfied. He inquired, "Why?"

"Because it's important, that's why," John snapped back.

Freddi's eyebrows rose at the complete brush off of her questions. What was so important with that gun? What was John hiding and why was Sam so on edge about it? She saw the signs in everyone's body languages. This was going to turn south…it was only a matter of time.

"We don't even know what these things are yet," Sam pointed out, urgency increasing.

"They're what he hunted best…Vampires," John answered in a huff.

"Vampires?" Dean repeated, his eyes bugged out, "I thought they were real. You never even mentioned them!"

"My father spoke of them once. They're just rare…too rare for me to find out how to kill."

"I wouldn't expect the fourth inch wonder to lend a hand in this, no offense, Sweetheart," John barely paid the girl a glance, finding her more of an inconvenience by the minute.

Dean bristled, but found himself unable to contradict his father. Sam glared at him, but John pressed on.

"I thought vampires were extinct were extinct. I thought he wiped them out…I was wrong"

Freddi's expression grew into a controlled annoyance. She could see where Dean got that skeptical attitude from sometimes…and where the habit to call her Sweetheart came from, "No offense, John, but how about you actually look at me when you judge and slander my size…I may not be suited for combat right now, but I excel in stealth and intellect. If I was a real liability, then your sons and I would have parted ways a long time ago."

She stood by her words with confidence, even if the world tried to make them doubt them. John was no exception of that.

"Sweetheart, this is a whole lot bigger than you," John dismissed her and got right back to briefing his sons. Dean's Adam's apple dipped in his throat as he glanced her.

"Most vampire lore is crap," John went on. "But the bloodlust…that's real. They'll suck you dry. They were people once, too, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."

Freddi almost expected him not to take her seriously, understanding the stories Sam and Dean told him. She just didn't humor him with a response, knowing it would have taken too much energy to try to change his mind, and just listened intently about vampires. The descriptions of reality shattered the illusion of the lore and it was just another thing to add to her "knows how to kill" file in her mind palace.

The boys were well past exhausted by the time they finally all settled in a seedy little side of the road joint to crash at for the night, but of course neither man dared to voice this in the presence of their father. John refused to sleep, taking up a post at the table, setting up a police scanner while insisting the boys got some rest.

Dean laid a hand out for Freddi to clamber into. He held still as her tiny body crawled into the center of his palm, then bent down to drop her on the pillow of his own bed. He saw his dad raise an eyebrow

"You make her sleep in your bed? Can't get the girl a little space?"

Dean stopped short in his movements, looking between Freddi and his dad.

"She's bite-sized, Dad. There's plenty of room without me squishin' her…"

The tiny girl chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Your sons don't move much during the night, so it's not like I have to worry."

"It's the principle of the matter," John answered, returning to fiddle with the police scanner to get a clear reception. Dean bit his lower lip briefly, lowering his gaze to Freddi and pretending he couldn't feel Sam staring through the back of his shirt. He said nothing as he pulled off his boots and jeans and slid under the covers in bed. His broad back was turned to Freddi.

Freddi wasn't tired really, so she didn't see herself getting much sleep; plus, she liked listening to the police, not wanting to lay down yet. She waited patiently for things to quiet down, other than the police radio. Freddi slid off the pillow, jumped to the bedside table, and retrieved her father's journal. She was wide awake, so she figured she could work more on the wording; she was so close. She could almost feel it…

Freddi stayed in the light of the lamp above her, laying on her stomach as she paid close attention to the scribble of her father's handwriting.

Hours later, the police scanner crackled to life with an officer claiming to have found an abandoned vehicle after a 911 call. John leapt to his feet and came over to the beds.

"Sam. Dean," he slapped their feet to rouse them, already pulling on his jacket.

"Mmhmm," Dean grunted immediately, half asleep. Sam scrunched up his face in protest but sits up all the same.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Couple called 911 but when the cops got there, everyone was missing. It's the vampires," John answered, the certainty in his voice astounding.

"You sure?"

Already out the door, John merely instructed them to follow him.

Freddi listened in and watched as Dean sat up, chuckling and rubbing his eyes, "Heh, vampires…"

"Fill me in on any information you get about those blood suckers," she said, before looking back down to the journal. She needed to focus on something outside her boredom. As much as she wanted to come along, Freddi knew there wasn't a chance, not while John was holding the metaphoric reigns.

The boys mumbled a reply, each hurrying to finish dressing before the dad might have lost his temper and came barging back in.

"Sam, come on!" Dean urged, the first to be fully prepared. Dean left without another word, and moments later the care engine was rumbling impatiently.

"I'll meet you there," Sam said, bending down to tie his shoe. He stood up and went over to Freddi, getting back down on one knee. When he laid out his large hand next to her, she gave him a startled expression.

"Screw what he says. You want in?"

"Vampires, Sam. Need I say more?"

Freddi said, getting on the hand after recovering from her surprise. She didn't exactly keep eye contact longer than she was comfortable with, but she felt she was emotionally in a good place. She was getting over her crush and focused more on the cases and just treated Sam like she was supposed to, like a friend. She didn't have any more hope or let herself feel like it could get any more than that.

She still kept her thoughts to herself as she was tucked into his pocket.

Sam folded up a bandana and sent that in after her, letting her draw it around herself. He didn't explain his intentions, but he hoped she understood he was trying to pad her against potential damage during the hunt. He then left the room and climbed into the car next to Dean, who floored it to keep up with their dad, blissfully unaware of the extra passenger Sam smuggled along.

The tan bandana was very cushiony under Freddi's light weight as she maneuvered herself with it, but it was flexible enough for her to wrap it around herself. She didn't know what it was for, but it was soft and she appreciated it. Freddi leaned into the corner seam to limit the swaying movements of Sam's steps, out of the motel and into the car.

There was less room once Sam's hand entered Freddi's hideaway, but it wasn't too much. Every once in a while, he did remove it, but then the hand was right back in with her less than five minutes later each time. It was nice, but then she felt his fingers rubbing against her leg, causing a small shudder to vibrate through her spine. She bent her leg away from the moving appendage, so she could actually think clearly again.

By the time they got to the crime scene it was daylight. Sam tried to keep Freddi company with a hand in the pocket as much as possible, but he could feel his hand getting sweaty from the confinement. He had to keep taking a break, removing his hand and wiping it on his jeans each time.

Sam started sulking by the car as his father gathered the information for the cop.

"We could have done that," Sam grumped.

"Oh God, not this again," his older brother groaned.

"What?" Sam asked, before their dad came over and interrupted the subject, changing the conversation immediately.

"It was them, headed west."

"How do you know?" Sam challenged him.

"Sam!" Dean hissed almost like he was scolding Sam. Their dad merely smiled vaguely and held out something small to them. Dean observed, "It's a fang."

"A tooth…from a second set," the eldest Winchester corrected.

Freddi grew puzzled as she took in Dean grumbling; what "Not again" was he talking about? Then, she took in Sam's tone and his brother scolding into speculation. She continued to listen in on the conversation. Freddi was finding out more and more about vampires by the moment, their retractable pair of secondary teeth…the mental image looked kinda cool in her head.

"Any more questions?" John asked pointedly.

Sam clenched his jaw and turned away.

"Good. Follow me then, we're wasting daylight."

As he passed the Impala, John frowned at the thin coat of dust on the exterior. "Dean, why don't you touch up your car once in a while? I wouldn't have given it to you if I thought you were going to ruin it."

Dean looked down at the car and grimaces at the "I don't you so" Sam is silently aiming at him.

Sam drove this time, following John's truck.

"Wish he would just tell us what he's thinking," Sam growled. He felt Freddi stir, possibly from the hostility in his voice. He wished he could hold her; it worked in the past to calm him down.

"He does what does for a reason, Sammy," his brother attempted to reassure him.

"What reason?" Sam snapped back.

"Our job!" Dean clapped the book shut, raising his voice back at him. "There's no room for error, no time for stupid fights. That's the way Dad runs things/"

"Yeah, well maybe that worked when we were kids, but after all that we've been through, you're going to just fall in line again."

Dean fell quiet, like he was wrestling with something. "If that's what it takes."

Freddi winced at the hardness of John's voice. That car was Dean's pride and joy and to hear that broke her heart for him. She didn't like it and she didn't like that she had to be quiet like this; if she wasn't hiding from sight, she wouldn't hesitate to defend him. Someone had to.

She didn't like Sam's tone either. It was hostile and loud and rubbed her the wrong way. Was there more to the situation than she was told? Who knew?

Freddi's restlessness grew just a smidge and she tried to find a better position. She was getting tired. Maybe she could take a nap at some point, but she wasn't exactly relaxed when she was constantly hearing Sam's heart rate increasing and his breath growing a little heavier, two tell-tale signs when Sam was getting mad…This was not going to go well if it kept going like this. Unfortunately, she was right.

There was an argument…another aggressive argument with his dad. It was loud and harsh and once it was done, Sam had all but resorted to sulky silence in the car until they reach their destination. He, Dean, and their dad were all staked out in front of the vampire's barnyard settlement. They watched a late night party get shooed inside with little scolding.

"So, they're not afraid of the sun?" Dean asked, astonished.

"Direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn, but the only way to kill them is beheading, and yeah, they sleep during the day, but they can wake up too."

Sam kept his eyes on the door and his hand coiled loosely around Freddi's body, smoothing his thumb repeatedly over her extremely small hand, not letting it escape his grasp.

Freddi covered her ears at the loud volume from Sam and John's argument. She almost wanted to yell at them for wasting precious time they could have with each other. She knew she would kill to have even one more moment with her father, and they both were being idiots! She was mad…mad at both of them. She just sat there in Sam's pocket, unmoving with arms crossed.

Then, she looked up at the sounds of clothes ruffling at the motion of sticking his hand in with her. Sam wrapped it around her for some unknown reason. It was a nice gesture, but why though? Why was he grabbing her hand like that? More importantly, what wasn't he letting her take back her hand? Every time she tried, his thumb and his index finger tightened a little around her hand.

She just didn't know what to think about it. She simply did her best to ignore how her heart still wanted to race.

With one final stroke of reassurance, Sam rose to his feet alongside Dean and their dad.

"Wait, Dad. We can't just walk in the front door…" Sam started.

"That's the plan," he responded revealing an arsenal of impressive array of weapons in the back of his truck, even though Dean offered use of their arsenal.

Freddi swayed with the movements again, bracing herself for when Sam was actually moving around in the den. She wrapped herself in the bandana a little tighter for the padding. While Sam had let it go of her, the hand had continued to keep her company. She put her hand on his for a second, letting him know she was ready for anything he was going into.

They took the barn windows as means of entry. John disappeared inside first, followed by Dean, and finally Dam. John searched the disheveled stalls while his sons roam stealthily between the hammocks. They all had their own patch of net to hang in, barely breathing as they slept their bloodlust away. Dean stiffened, machete in hand as he kicked an empty beer bottle into a pole. He remained tense for several moments but the vampire didn't wake up.

Freddi held her breath, letting it out slowly, and repeating the motions. She didn't dare say a word or make a sound. There was a subtle rush of adrenaline, and she wasn't even the one doing the creeping around; she was just along for the ride. Freddi could hear a snore every once in a while one of the vampires. All in all, it was quiet. Hopefully it would stay that way…not exactly happening like it was planned though.

Sam found the missing woman tied to a pole and hastened to her side. He got his brother's attention with a whispered "Dean!"

The woman was still unconscious, head lolling to the side. Sam knelt down and began to untie her. In the corner of his eye he could see Dean making his way over to a large metal cage…hoping more captives, all unmoving or unconscious. Sam was nervous all the metal scraping from picking the lock, but so far the vampire hadn't stirred an ounce.

He wondered when their luck would run dry like it always did. He got his answer a heartbeat later, when the woman began to stir.

"Shhh, I'm here to help you," Sam assured her, throwing the rope aside and bracing her shoulders. The woman opened her mouth and screamed- this shrill inhuman noise. Sam dropped her in favor of self-defense; the vampires were waking up.

Freddi covered her ears from the long, loud screech and instantly there were jerking movements that launched her from one end of the pocket to the other. The movements got worse as the minutes passed, causing her to accidentally slip inside the bandana, the sudden movements was slowly influencing the fabric to wrap itself tighter and tighter around herself. The freedom to move became more and more impossible the tighter the tan bandana became for her.

Dean huddled to his brother's side. They were outnumbered in every sense of the word, even with their machetes at the ready. A loud thump in the back of the barn signaled their dad was faring about the same.

"Boys, run!"

For once, Sam didn't question his father's judgment. He barreled out of the barn as fast as his long legs could carry him, with Dean hot on his trail. They called for their dad as they ran, but all they could hear was the vampires snarling as they gave chase. Sam plastered a hand over Freddi's pocket, keeping her from slamming into him with every step of the desperate sprint.

They didn't stop running until they were by the cars. Sam immediately wriggled his hand into his pocket. At first he only felt cloth, and his movements became panicked. Thankfully, the touch of her hand had an instant soothing effect on him…She was safe.

Freddi could feel Sam's hand pressed against her, making her little mobility even less. The friction of being pressed against the pocket, helped to loosen the restrictions of the bandana. She was still mostly immobile for a couple moments until the movements stopped and the ever familiar sound of the Impala entered her hearing.

She tried to get free from the cloth the best she could when she was met with Sam's hand frantically moving around. Freddi could only assume he was looking around for her and that wasn't exactly happening yet. His fingers brushed along her side over the bandana, making her laugh as it tickled her for a moment. With some effort, she managed to finally get out of the cloth and pressed her hand on his.

That seemed to cease his frantic movement, but he was still continuing to tickle her. Freddi banged a shaky hand, trying to get him to stop with the damn tickling. Dean was a bad influence if Sam was doing this on purpose.

Then, John broke through her thoughts…well, this is going to be interesting.

"Dad!" Dean called, his stomach sinking…no reply. After a gut wrenching pause, Dad came running up the hill.

"They won't chase us. They'll wait until tonight."

"What the hell do we do now?" Dean asked.

"You find the nearest funeral home," he responded.

Sam and Dean exchanged bewildered glances, but their dad promised to explain once they were back at the motel room.

The car ride back seemed longer now that the adrenaline rush that came before a hunt was long gone. Sam kept shifting in his seat uncomfortably. It was probably throwing Freddi around, making him more ticklish, but he couldn't help it. Her tiny form kept grazing his fingers and his abdomen. It was distracting to an extreme.

"Got ants in your pants, Sammy? Or just tiny women?" Dean asked. Sam gave a start, a guilty blush forming.

"W-What?"

"Dad may not know what it's like, but you think I can't tell when you're protecting a girl in your pocket? Dean smirked, raising his voice, so he could talk to her too. "Hey, Sweetheart."

Since there was no real reason to hide anymore, she didn't see the need to stay hidden. She started climbing up the wall of the pocket, but she could only get so far up. Sam's hand eventually blocked her way from getting any farther, so she used one of her hands to push against the giant fingers.

"Trying to get out of here, Sam!" Freddi tried to alert him of her actions. "Can you remove your hand so I can get out?"

Sam pulled his hand out of the pocket but kept it level by the opening so she had a platform to climb onto. Once she was seated in the middle of his palm, he lowered his hand to his lap.

Dean berated, "Dad deliberately told you to leave her out of this. It's like you actually enjoy pissing him off!"

"I couldn't leave her behind," Sam replied defensively.

"She would have been safer."

He fell quiet. That bit was true, but he had been selfish in his blind irritation toward his father.

Sam looked down at Freddi, "How was the ride in there?"

Freddi made her way and onto his hand, mentally laughing at how easy it was compared to when she first started traveling with the brothers. The topic of John came in the air and rolled her eyes; their father may be the oldest, but he still couldn't exactly order her around the same way he did to Sam and Dean.

"It was bumpy in the end, but the thrill was kinda fun," Freddi smirked, telling the truth. "But maybe next time, don't include the bandana. That thing could have suffocated me if it had wrapped around me any tighter."

"I thought it would help," Sam apologized, sending her an unsuitably soft smile for her remarks. He knew it probably wasn't nearly as pleasant as she played it off, but he appreciated her being a good sport about it.

"Dean, I understand what you mean, but I can't follow what John says yet. I can't, no while all I've heard him do is shut down my opinions and keep me away from where I know I'm meant to be. I'll stay in the car if you guys really want me to, but can't just sit here and do nothing is the only thing I can do."

Freddi set the record with Dean. Maybe Sam would understand this but she didn't know if Dean understood it yet.

The huge hunter sighed, "I'm not expecting you to understand him yet, but he's just looking out for us. All of us, you included, and honestly…He has a point."

On that note, silence seemed to take over the atmosphere. There was nothing that Freddi could really say about this.

"That stings, Hotshot," Freddi's voice finally broke the quiet a minute before they reached the motel. Her tone was deadpanned and she kept of her thoughts to herself.

A/N

Well, here we are after such a long wait. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up, but I promise you, it won't be forever. Hope you liked it and Reviews and Favorites are openly welcomed and appreciated. Bye!


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Supernatural, Friendship, Romance