It had practically become second nature for Juniper Langley to wake up before her alarm every morning.

There was no way to stop it at this point. She was beginning to not mind it, for she enjoyed the stillness of the early hours, finding time for herself before her fiancé, Eric Farley, woke up for work. With her mug of coffee, Juniper sat at the table, taking small sips while mentally preparing for either a long or short school day ahead of her. She knew getting a master's degree in public health was no joke, and she was grateful that she only had seven months left until she would be done with school for good. She just hoped all of the hard work she was putting in now would be worth it in the end. It was wishful thinking, but Juniper was ready to have the life she always wanted, which included a stable job that she loved with a loving husband by her side, one that would support her until the end, through all of the ups and downs. She had daydreamt about it more often than she'd like to admit, and it was a good thing that Eric was just as excited as she was.

Honestly, it was the one thing she wanted to prepare for in her life at the moment.

Once Juniper was done with her coffee, she placed her mug in the sink and grabbed her journal from her backpack, opening up to the page she was currently on, going over what she had written a couple of weeks ago, with it being the most recent entry:

September 22nd, 2006

Dean Winchester (pretty sure that's his name as many times as I've seen him) is driving again alongside someone else. It's the same person as before (name is still unknown). A blonde girl named Jo (Dean knows her, I think. They seem to be familiar with each other) is there, too. No idea what the connection is, but this is the first time seeing her at all. They're heading for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to Jo. Why are they heading there? What's there that's so important?

Juniper really had no idea why she saw this, but it was horrifying enough for her to wake up in the middle of the night. Even though that wasn't the worst thing she had seen, every dream or vision, whatever it was, they never became less terrifying, always something new that could make her skin crawl. So whenever she woke up after having one, she wrote it down as soon as she could gather her thoughts, remembering every detail, despite wanting to be rid of them. The pages were filled with nothing but nightmares she had on certain days, along with the names associated with them, and it never seemed to end well for any of the names she had written down.

Well, Dean Winchester seemed to be the only exception so far, but why him? What made him stand out from the others?

Juniper had no idea what any of the nightmares meant, and there were no clues to help her figure out the answers. All she could do was wait until another one came along, even at the most inconvenient times. She had no control over them, and that bothered her, along with the fact that they all seemed so real, as if they were going to happen soon. Now, almost one year after talking to a psychiatrist and being prescribed medication for anxiety, which had been altered a few times already, Juniper still didn't see a change, and she was nervous about telling Eric that.

She jumped at the sound of Eric's alarm going off in the bedroom, not realizing how much time had gone by since she woke up. Closing the journal, she quickly put it back in her bag before he saw it. Eric had always been respectful of Juniper's privacy when it came to her journal, but she still didn't want the temptation to come over him if he spotted her with it.

Eric strolled in the living room as he let out a yawn, then turned towards Juniper. "Good morning," he greeted her, a grin on his face, leaning down for a peck on her lips.

"Good morning to you, too," she replied, smiling back. "I went ahead and made coffee."

Eric chuckled. "Well, then, I'll go ahead and scramble some eggs for us."

"How nice of you," she giggled, sitting back down at the kitchen table as Eric got started on breakfast.

"Anything for you, babe," he told her, breaking some eggs in the pan.

Juniper watched him as he scrambled the eggs then added the salt and pepper. She always liked seeing his concentration, even if it was just something simple like making breakfast for the two of them. All she could do was admire his face, and when he looked up at her, he chuckled.

"Can you believe it at times?" she spoke up.

"Believe what?" he asked.

"That we made it through our senior year of high school and four years of college together," she replied.

Eric grabbed two plates out of the cabinet, smiling at Juniper. "And then we'll finally get married and be together forever."

"Yes, Juniper Farley sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"It really does." Eric came to join her at the table with their plates and his coffee. "Also, my parents are coming to town for some conference, so they invited us to go out to dinner with them tonight." He avoided looking up at her, knowing full well that a dinner with his parents wasn't exactly something she was looking forward to.

"Great," she simply said, trying to not sound sarcastic or annoyed about the arrangement.

"You don't sound too thrilled about it," he commented. "You know my parents consider you family at this point."

"I know," Juniper stated. "It has been a while since we've seen them, so it'll be nice to catch up."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, in which Juniper was the one to take both plates and place them in the sink, while Eric was about to head for the bedroom.

"Care to join me in the shower?" he asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Juniper playfully rolled her eyes in response. "And risk us being late again for school and work like last time?"

"We were only running late by a few minutes."

She scoffed. "Right, and I had to run across campus to get to class on time."

"And you made it, if I remember correctly," he pointed out.

"I'm going to get dressed and be on my way," Juniper said, walking past him in the bedroom.

"So that's a no?"

"Go get your shower, Eric, '' she replied, grinning as she watched him walk in the bathroom. It was rare that she took showers in the morning, but she would sometimes take one to wash off the sweat whenever she woke up from having a more terrifying nightmare.

She went for her dresser, grabbing a long-sleeved blouse and a pair of jeans to wear. Getting dressed, she headed for the bathroom as the shower was running, taking only a few more minutes to finish up before going back to the living room and checking everything in her bag to make sure her books were all inside.

"I'll see you later!" she called out.

"Don't forget about tonight!" he yelled back.

"Got it! Love you!"

"Love you, too!"

Juniper smiled to herself as she left the apartment and walked towards her car.

The drive to Johns Hopkins University was somewhat nice for Juniper, even when the traffic in Baltimore would hold her up at times, which frustrated her when she was stuck in it. Luckily, with it being early in the morning, she thought today was the day she'd make it to campus before the rush hour was at its peak. She was also grateful for having an early start with her classes because of how easy it was to find a parking spot.

Soon enough, Juniper's car was parked and she was walking towards the building the majority of her classes were in for today. She focused on her surroundings as she blended in with other students, some dreading being up at this hour, while others rushed to get to class on time. Then there was Juniper, who tended to move at a normal pace.

"Here comes Juniper Langley, looking alive as ever for another day of long lectures!" a voice announced not too far in front of her, revealing to be Nancy Davis, a classmate in the same graduate program as Juniper.

Juniper grinned. "You know I've always enjoyed getting an early start with our classes," she replied as she approached Nancy.

"And you are still the only person I can tolerate during this ungodly hour," Nancy stated, starting to walk alongside Juniper.

"When are you going to admit that I'm the only reason you get up for our morning lectures?"

Nancy huffed a sigh. "You got me, June. I have to say, you make the day a lot more bearable. It's going to suck when we graduate and I may never see you again."

"Don't say that, Nancy. We'll still keep in touch after graduation."

"How pissed do you think Eric would be if I kidnapped you?"

"Very pissed since I told him we weren't getting married until after I was done with graduate school. He's waited long enough."

Nancy groaned. "Of course. At least he agreed to wait that long for you. How's wedding planning going, by the way?"

Juniper let out a sigh. "We've been kind of busy with school and work to really sit down and discuss more details." There hadn't been much planning as of recently, but Juniper still toyed with some ideas in her own time that she was prepared to share with Eric when they were both ready.

"Well, I know it's going to be a beautiful wedding," Nancy said with a smile. "Just don't forget to send me my invitation."

"Of course I won't forget," Juniper laughed. "You'll be the first to know once we pick a date."

That is, if Eric and I can agree on one.

When the two girls headed inside the building and into their classroom on the first floor, they continued chatting away until their professor came in.

It remained steady for the remainder of the day during classes. Over the course of the morning and afternoon, as the lectures dragged on, Juniper and Nancy paid attention, always taking notes to not miss anything important, then giving themselves a break when lunch came around, along with waiting for their next class to start. By the time all of Juniper's classes were done for the day, she was mentally exhausted, and knowing she had to prepare herself for dinner tonight with Eric's parents didn't help at all.

"So, are you nervous about tonight?" Nancy questioned as they sat down for a moment before they parted ways for the day.

Juniper shook her head, chuckling a little. "Nancy, this is not the first time I've had dinner with his parents."

"No, but the way you've talked about them at times--"

"They can be overbearing sometimes," she admitted. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

It was no secret that there was some tension between Juniper and Eric's parents, something of which Eric was aware of as he and Juniper talked about it before. She wanted it to be resolved before she married him and they would be her in-laws, but she didn't think that was going to happen anytime soon.

"Well, you can always tell it like it is to them," Nancy suggested. "You think they'll stop grilling you about school or every other part of your life?"

"I doubt it," Juniper scoffed. "Eric and I have been together for six years and his parents haven't scared me off yet."

"You really are a trooper, Juniper."

"Yes, my love and tolerance is very strong at this point."

Nancy laughed. "Well, as much as I would like to keep talking, I don't want to keep you from your dinner plans tonight. I expect a full report tomorrow."

"You got it. See you then." With that, Juniper waved her friend goodbye and turned around to leave campus.

By the time she was halfway to the parking lot, Juniper's pacing slowed down as she felt something was off. Usually, she felt safe walking back to the parking lot by herself, especially since she had done it so many times already. Why today was different, she didn't know, but it didn't hurt for her to check her surroundings just in case. All she noticed were a few cars parked in the street, along with students and professors strolling down the sidewalk in both directions either by foot or on a bike. When everything appeared to be normal, she picked up her pace, clutching her bag over her shoulder, the anxious feeling not going away until she got inside her car and locked the doors behind her, followed by a sigh of relief.

The drive home with the radio on gave Juniper time to relax before she had to think about the dinner, but she felt the relaxation was cut short, because before she knew it, she was pulling into her spot in front of her apartment building. Gathering her things, she walked up to the second floor and went inside, with Eric standing in the kitchen, still in his work clothes.

"Looking handsome, as always," Juniper stated, grinning his way as she closed the door behind her.

Eric chuckled. "I'm glad that I still have my good looks after six years of being together."

"You'll still look good to me, no matter how old you get," she replied, smiling.

Approaching her, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "That sounds nice, growing old together."

"Yeah, it does." After a moment of gazing, Juniper walked past him and towards the bedroom. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we need to change and freshen up before we go."

"Well, we still have an hour before we have to meet them," he told her.

"But with traffic it'll take longer to get anywhere in this city," she pointed out. "So, be ready in half an hour, then?"

Eric, knowing that Juniper was right, obliged and changed into a blue button-down shirt and khakis. Juniper settled for a black blouse with red pants, along with black ankle boots. Once the two were finished getting ready, they headed out to go meet the Farleys.

Even after knowing Glen and Vanessa Farley for the last six years, Juniper sometimes got a bit jittery with every interaction they had, almost like she was back in high school meeting them for the first time. Of course, back then, she didn't know what to expect from Eric's parents. Now, six years later, at least she could prepare herself for their conversations.

When the couple arrived at the restaurant, Juniper got the uneasy feeling from before, wondering if someone was actually watching her this time. She quickly looked around, trying to not look so worried with Eric around.

"You okay, babe?" he asked.

She turned to face him, nodding her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's not keep your parents waiting." She took his hand and he led them inside, to which they found his parents already at a table, hoping that the feeling like someone was around would go away once they were inside.

"Eric!" Vanessa Farley exclaimed as she stood up to greet her son. "It's so good to see you."

"Good to see you, too, Mom," he replied, kissing her on the cheek, then turning to his dad standing up next.

"Hello, Juniper," his mother stated, leaning in for a quick hug. "I hope you're doing well."

"I am, thank you, Vanessa," she responded with a smile, then gave his father a hug as well. "It's nice to see you again, Glen."

"Likewise, Juniper," he said as he and the others sat down in their seats.

For a few minutes, it was silent as everyone decided on what they were going to order. Juniper was the first to put the menu down, taking a sip of her water. She shifted in her seat a bit as the rest of the Farleys finished looking over the menu by the time their waiter came around.

Then, Glen cleared his throat and looked at Eric. "So, how's work for you, son?"

"It's good," Eric answered, nodding his head. "I've been doing a lot of research and development, along with visiting some worksites when I need to."

"Well, I'm glad you're staying busy," Vanessa spoke up. "And I assume so are you with school, Juniper?"

Juniper smiled. "Yes, I am. It's a tough program, so I definitely study a lot to keep up with my grades."

"And in just a few more months you'll be done with school for good," Eric added, taking her hand.

"Maybe you'll find a job back in Annapolis," Vanessa added. "Wouldn't that be nice if you two moved back? You'd be closer to both us and Juniper's parents, after all."

"Mom, we've discussed this. Juniper and I want to stay in Baltimore," Eric informed her. "We like it here, and we're not too far away from you guys."

Vanessa, knowing she was going to lose this argument again, sighed in defeat and decided to change the subject just in time for their entrées to arrive. "Okay, well, any updates on wedding planning? Is there a date yet?"

"We're still working on that," Juniper responded this time. "Eric and I will probably talk about it this weekend, right?" She went to Eric and offered him a small smile, hoping he would agree even if it was just to please his mother.

"Yes, we should," he agreed.

"I still think a winter wedding would be beautiful," Vanessa commented. "I've told Eric the many times we've talked about it."

Juniper's grip on her fork got tight. "I still stand on having a spring wedding, especially with all of the flowers blooming, along with it not being too hot for an outdoor ceremony." Of course, in order for that to happen, she and Eric would have to wait longer to get married, but they were both willing to do just that if it meant they wanted everything to be perfect.

"But an indoor ceremony with a church is more traditional," Glen intervened.

"Plus, it'll be just as nice inside," Vanessa added. "Just make sure you're thinking about the pros and cons of both indoor and outdoor, that's all."

Eric glanced at Juniper, then back at his parents. "We'll consider it when we have our discussion about it this weekend."

As they continued eating and chatting, Juniper barely made eye contact with Eric's parents. Tradition was all they seemed to care about in the Farley family, something that Eric broke when he and Juniper moved to Baltimore for college and he decided to be an engineer and not a doctor like the rest of his family. Juniper had to think that was the reason his parents tried so hard to bring him back to Annapolis or to say or do the opposite of whatever Juniper's words or actions were. Needless to say, it didn't take a lot for Glen and Vanessa Farley to irritate Juniper, but for Eric's sake, she tended to bite her tongue and tolerate it. After every dinner or holiday gathering, she always waited until it was just the two of them to rant about it (as if Eric didn't know and hadn't heard it before). She hoped that once they were married it would all change, but to Juniper, it was merely wishful thinking.

When dinner was just about over, there was more small talk that was mostly between the Farleys, with Juniper chiming in every once in a while. She was almost relieved when Glen and Vanessa decided to call it a night, giving them both hugs before she and Eric parted ways with them.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Eric stated as they walked back to his car, taking Juniper's hand in his. "Other than the usual comments about moving back to Annapolis and our wedding--"

"That was to be expected," Juniper cut him off. "I just wished they'd back off about it. It's our lives and our wedding, not theirs."

"I know, I know," he said. "But they'll respect our choices in the end."

"Will they?" Juniper inquired, stopping once they were in front of the car. "Eric, your parents are great, they really are, but we don't need to make decisions that will please them. We can make our own choices, whether they like it or not."

Eric, listening attentively to her, nodded his head. "You're right." He dropped her hand, pulling her in for a hug. "We lead our own lives and we won't let anyone stop us."

Juniper gripped tightly around his waist. "No, we won't." After a moment of their embrace, she pulled away, grinning up at him. "Come on, let's go home."

So the couple headed back to their apartment, being very quick to jump into the shower together and decompress after a long day. They spent the next few hours watching TV, along with Juniper getting some studying done before they decided to get to bed.

"Don't forget to take your medication," Eric said.

"I won't," Juniper assured him, opening up the medicine cabinet in their bathroom, taking out her pill bottle and letting one of the pills fall into her hand. She always took her medication for anxiety at night, as that was when the nightmares occurred the most.

"Are they helping you?" he asked as he got into bed.

She reluctantly turned her head, swallowing the pill. "A little," she lied. She felt guilty for lying, but the last thing she needed was for him to worry.

Not now, Juniper. Now isn't the time.

"That's good to hear," he said. He was always one to make sure she took her meds, as he was concerned about her wellbeing when he first heard about the nightmares. The way he cared for Juniper was something she admired in him, and she wondered at times if she even deserved his compassion, because all he wanted was the best for her in every way possible.

Nodding her head, Juniper brushed her teeth, then finally went to join Eric under the covers. As she laid on her side to face Eric, she noticed the way he was staring at her. "What is it?" she questioned.

Eric shrugged. "I'm just looking at you, that's all." He paused, sighing. "I love you so much."

Juniper gave him a soft smile. "I love you, too," she replied.

He leaned in, pressing his lips onto hers for a moment, letting his face only be inches from hers. "See you in the morning. Goodnight, Juniper."

"Goodnight, Eric," she said.

Once the two turned off their lamps, Eric flipped on his other side, while Juniper laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She waited for her eyes to get heavy, almost feeling like she would never go to sleep. Finally, she could feel the medication kicking in, her eyes fluttering as she began to doze off to sleep.

However, as the night went on, she couldn't seem to get the smell of rotten eggs out of her nose.

~~~~~~~

A/N: It's here! Chapter one of Faulty Eyes is finally here!

Hopefully, this chapter wasn't boring, as I wanted to introduce Juniper and what her life was like just so everyone can get a glimpse of her as a character.

Shoutout to reloading- for being my beta reader (if we want to use fancy terms lmao), since she is already in love with this story just as much as I am. You're the best. :) (y'all should go check out her two Supernatural fics: Mad World and Killing God).

What did you guys think? I don't know about y'all, but I love Miss Junie already.

Comment, vote, Happy Birthday, Juniper. <3

-A