Juniper didn't see Eric until the next morning.

She was rolling over in bed when he came walking out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He didn't look her way as he was gathering clothes to put on, but she couldn't help but glance at him. The more she took a glimpse of his face, the more times their argument from last night replayed in her mind. She hated that it even happened in the first place, that it resulted in them sleeping in different rooms and feeling a sense of loneliness throughout the night. It was something Juniper didn't want to feel again.

When Eric went back to the bathroom, Juniper got out of bed and exited the room, heading for the kitchen. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she leaned back on the counter as she began to drink from her mug. She looked over at the time on the stove and saw it was ten o'clock, to which she thought was a late start to the day, even on a Saturday. It was when the sound of the shower running was the only sound she could hear that made her decide to finish her coffee on their small patio out back.

Despite the minimum amount of space, Eric and Juniper were able to fit two metal chairs and a table on the patio. During the summer nights, if the weather had cooled down enough for it, they'd have dinner and then watch the sunset, which was when the lights that Eric strung up himself came on, and the two of them stayed outside for hours without a care in the world. Juniper always looked forward to the summer for those evenings, even if it didn't sound like much to others, but they were memories that she and Eric would cherish forever.

As Juniper continued with her warm drink for a while, looking at the park in the distance and hearing birds chirping and cars driving by, the door behind her slid open, to which she turned around to find Eric standing there. He was dressed casually today in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, his hair damp from the shower.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," she replied, setting her coffee down on the table. "I heard you come in late last night."

He nodded. "Yeah, we all lost track of time," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Anyway, I'm gonna go for a walk and then run some errands afterwards. I think I need more time to clear my head."

She bit her lip. "Then we can talk when you get back?" she asked.

"Yeah, we can," he responded. "I'll be back in a few hours."

She nodded her head in agreement. "Okay."

With that, Eric stepped back inside and slid the door shut, leaving Juniper alone with her thoughts once again. She had to figure out what to say, what she wanted her apology to sound like. The guilt was beginning to build up inside of her the more she thought about it, her stomach doing backflips in the process.

By the time her coffee was gone, Juniper went inside to get some food in her stomach. She settled with a couple of pieces of toast and some sliced bananas on top while going back into her bedroom to get dressed for the day. Once she finished eating and put on real clothes, she headed into the living room and sat on the couch, pulling out her Environmental Health textbook, opening up to the last page she was on. She hoped it would be a good distraction until Eric came back.

However, when an hour turned into two, Juniper began to grow anxious. She was curious as to what errands he had to run. Then again, he told her he still needed time to clear his head from yesterday, so maybe he was just doing other things to pass the time until he was ready to talk. Just at the thought of their future discussion, Juniper's mind went back to what her apology was going to be, resulting in her closing her textbook shut and leaning back on the couch while crossing her legs and arms as she attempted to come up with anything. Really, at this point, she just wanted him to know that she felt bad about not being honest with him, and in the future, she wanted to be transparent with him about everything. After all, they needed to be up front with each other if they wanted their marriage to last.

Juniper closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, her mind becoming jumbled, so much that she thought a headache was about to come along. But before she got too frustrated, there was a knock at the door, causing her to open her eyes. She quickly got up from the couch and rushed to the door, only for her to freeze in total shock when she saw who it was.

There, standing in front of her was a lanky boy with a cast on his right arm, along with hair that just about covered his ears. The other boy next to him was one she was familiar with as she remembered seeing his short hair, blank expression, and leather jacket so many times: Dean Winchester.

"Hi," the taller boy spoke up, nodding his head. "I'm Sam and this is my brother--"

"Dean," she blurted, her eyes focused on him.

"Um, yeah," Dean stated, his face tuning confused. "How do you--"

"You're...you're real," she said, almost in a whisper. She could feel her stomach flipping and eventually going into knots. For a moment, she wondered if she was starting to have another nightmare, like she had passed out from the long couple hours of studying and homework she had been doing. But when she blinked a few times to make sure she was awake, the boys were still there, confirming that this was definitely not a dream.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You know who I am?"

Juniper nodded her head, opening her mouth to speak, struggling to get the words to come out. "Yeah, um...yeah, I think I do..." Juniper muttere, any common sense seemed to be out the window. She didn't even offer them a hello. "You...you're here, at my apartment...Oh my God, this is...this is really happening..." Her heart was beginning to race, along with her palms getting sweaty. With her anxious state coming, she tried her best to compose herself.

Dean turned towards his brother for a brief moment, who also shared a puzzled look. "Are you sure this is the right girl?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because Juniper here looks like she's on planet Jupiter," Dean replied, sarcasm filling his voice. "No offense," he added, turning back to Juniper, looking at her as if she might do something if he had offended her.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned back to face Juniper. "Look, is it okay if we come inside?" he questioned, "I, um, think we have a lot to talk about."

Juniper, taking another moment, stepped out of the way and let the boys in, quickly closing the door behind them. She started to take deep breaths as the three of them made their way over to the kitchen table, to which she slowly sat down and took another good look at the two brothers. She then remembered how Dean said her name before she even had the chance to introduce herself, freaking her out even more.

"Okay, so..." Sam began, going back and forth between Dean and Juniper. "It seems like there's a lot to unpack here."

"Yeah, I agree," Juniper replied, quickly nodding her head. "We can start with how you two know who the hell I am."

Dean scoffed, taken aback by her response. "How about we start with how the hell you know who I am? I don't know about you, but I am just as freaked out as you are right now."

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you two."

"Try us," Dean said. "Believe me, we've seen and heard it all."

She bit her lip, not confident by his answer. "Are you sure?"

"Look, whatever it is, we can handle it," Sam spoke up. "There's no judgment here, I promise." He nodded his head, with his eyes softening as he kept his gaze on her.

Juniper, hearing the assurance in Sam's voice and seeing the gentleness in his eyes, inhaled once more, giving herself a moment to gather up the courage to tell them everything. "So, um...I have these...nightmares..."

"What kind of nightmares?" Dean questioned.

"People dying," she explained. "There have been so many that I lost count. I wrote them down to keep track." She quickly stood up and went to her bag, pulled out her journal, and rushed back over to hand it to the boys.

Sam was the first to grab it, but Dean snatched it out of his good hand, to which Sam shot him a glare before taking a look at what was written inside. Both of them opened the journal and flipped through the pages, slowly looking stunned at what they were reading. All Juniper could do was watch them as she fidgeted with her hands on the table. She hoped what they were reading wouldn't actually scare them off or deem her insane. She hoped that they would at least humor her like Dr. Ziegler did.

"These are all the same spots we hit in the last year," Sam stated in a low voice.

"And my name is in every entry," Dean added. He raised his eyebrows, a small smirk coming across his face. "I mean, I'm sure plenty of girls have had dreams about me..."

"I didn't need to know that," Juniper spoke up, her face almost disgusted by his comment.

"Yeah, I didn't need to know that, either," Sam added.

Dean, noticing the discomfort, cleared his throat and got serious again, along with a hint of worry in his expression. "Right, um...yeah, no, this is freaking me out even more, actually."

With concerned looks, the brothers turned to face each other for a brief moment before looking back at Juniper.

"So these nightmares started over a year ago?" Sam asked this time.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head.

"That's around the time yours started, isn't it?" Dean asked, looking at his brother.

Juniper's eyes went wide towards Sam. "Wait, you've had them, too?"

Sam sighed, and with some reluctance, nodded his head. "Yeah, I have, which is why we're here." Pausing, he kept his focus on Juniper. "I had a premonition of you a couple of days ago."

There was almost a split second where Juniper wasn't sure she heard him right. She didn't move, only trying to process what Sam just admitted to her. There were others? Other people like her? People who saw things they couldn't explain? Hearing Sam say those words briefly sounded and felt like comfort, but quickly began to feel more insane than what she told her therapist. Juniper couldn't form any words, she couldn't force them to come out of her throat. So instead of saying anything right away, what came out of her mouth was a nervous laugh.

"You're joking," was all she could finally say. "I mean, there's no way--"

"It's true," Sam cut her off.

When she realized he was being serious, her smile dropped. "What did you see?"

Sam waited a moment before he replied, almost like he was worried to tell her. "You and your fiancé were in here talking about your wedding." He paused, looking around the living room. "And he...he suggested putting it off for some reason..." He glanced at Dean, who motioned him to keep going, then looked back at Juniper. "Then...you, um...you didn't take it well."

Juniper furrowed her brows, getting even more nervous for what he was about to say next. "You mean--"

"You went batshit crazy on him," Dean spoke up bluntly. "As in, this whole apartment just about went to shambles and you ganked him in the process."

Juniper's heart just about stopped, eyes going wide. "I-- what?!"

Sam threw his hands in the air, shooting wide eyes towards his brother. "I thought I was gonna do the talking."

"You were having some trouble getting it out," Dean protested.

Juniper shook her head in disbelief, feeling a mixture of scared and confused. "No. No, there's no way I would murder Eric. I mean, yeah, we get mad at each other at times, but...not that mad. I love him!" She stood up and began to pace back and forth, then froze in place to face the boys. "Wait, what did you mean when you said the apartment almost went to shambles?" When she stopped talking, just thinking about what Dean said only made an anger start to bubble up inside of her.

Dean shot her a confused look. "Do you not know about your...other abilities?"

"What other abilities?!" she asked, raising her voice, growing concerned and frustrated at the more questions she had. "There's more than just..." She trailed off briefly to point at her journal. "There's more than just those nightmares?!"

Sam opened his mouth to speak, standing up slowly. "There was one time where I got...overwhelmed and scared and I was able to move things with my mind."

Juniper raised her eyebrows. "You mean, like, telekinesis?" she questioned.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean," Sam stated. "I think we're a lot alike, Juniper."

The girl could only stare at the brothers, unsure of what to think of all this. She wondered if being crazy was a lot better than finally knowing the truth, even if there were still a lot of unanswered questions in her head, if any of this was even true.

"So you're saying that we have visions of things that could happen in the future if we don't stop it?" she asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes."

"And everything in my journal happened?"

"Every single entry," Dean added.

The girl exhaled. "Wow. This is...this is a lot to take in, honestly."

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.

Juniper took a deep breath, shaking her head. "No, not really."

"Understandable," he responded. "We know we kind of threw it on you, but you deserved to know, especially if it did happen."

She nodded. "Right." Deep down, she knew how much the guilt and trauma would haunt her if she had done something to Eric. "I'm glad you told me. I know it was probably a long trip for you just to tell me, so thank you."

"You're welcome," Sam replied. "Just out of curiosity, is there anything else you should tell us? Anything that's been strange to you?"

Juniper folded her arms over her chest and remembered one thing that stood out. "There was this really bad smell the other night, and then again at my therapist's office yesterday afternoon."

"What kind of smell?" Dean asked, standing up from his seat.

"Like, rotten eggs," she said.

"Where did you smell it?" Sam asked urgently.

"In the bedroom. Why?"

Before she knew it, the boys made a dash for the bedroom, to which she hurried after them, watching as they looked around every inch of the room.

Juniper watched them from the doorway, puzzled at first. "Do you guys often just barge into people's homes and bedrooms after telling them they have superpowers?"

"More than you think, sweetheart," Dean replied nonchalantly, "Hey, Sam." He paused as he stepped beside her and Eric's window. "Check it out."

"What did you find?" Juniper questioned, heading his way.

Dean slid his hand against the sill, picking up a pale yellow powder and rubbing his fingers. "Sulfur," he muttered, his expression agonizing.

Sam shared the same look. "You think--"

"Maybe," Dean replied.

"Wait, what's so important about sulfur?" Juniper intervened.

Dean huffed a sigh. "It means there was a demon here," he said bluntly.

"A demon," Juniper stated, becoming more shocked at what was being said. "A demon has been inside my apartment?"

"Looks like it," Sam responded, observing the sulfur. "Given what you can do, that must be why it came here."

The girl scoffed. "Is there more to you guys than you're letting on? Like, who the hell are you?"

Suddenly, the sound of keys jingling was heard, sending Juniper in a panic.

"That must be the fiancé," Sam said.

"And also our cue to go," Dean added, wiping his hands on his jeans. "We gotta go now, Sammy."

"Take the window," Juniper told them. She hated that they had to rush off when she still had so many questions. From what they told her, there was a lot more going on that she wanted to know, that she needed to know, especially if it involved her and these abilities she had. What followed next was the guilt of hiding them from Eric when all she wanted was to start being more open and transparent with him. Not only that, but maybe if Dean and Sam had talked to Eric, assured him that Juniper wasn't crazy and that the Dean from her journal was, in fact, real...

I wonder how well that would go, she thought.

As Dean opened the window and jumped out, Sam took a small notepad and pen from his jacket pocket, ripping out a piece of paper and scribbling down something. "Here's my number. Just call me whenever you can. I know you still have a bunch of questions for us."

"I sure do," she muttered, taking the paper from him.

"Juniper?" Eric called out from the other room.

She stuffed the paper in her pocket and went to shut the window once Sam was out of the apartment. By the time she locked it, both boys were out of sight, relieved that they were able to make such a swift escape without Eric catching them. That would have only added fuel to the fire.

Spinning around, Juniper walked out of the bedroom to find Eric with two bags of groceries. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, setting the bags on the counter and starting to grab food cans and boxes out of them.

"Do you need any help?" she offered.

"No, I got it," he simply said.

She watched him put the groceries away, thinking about Sam's premonition of the two of them. It hurt her to think it almost happened, that it could still happen. She had the thought that maybe Eric would want to talk about the wedding once he got back from his walk and running errands to clear his head. It caused her to grow nervous for him and for herself.

Unless I prevent it from happening. That would mean--

"Okay, those are done," Eric stated, breaking Juniper away from her thoughts. "Now, I think you and I need to have that talk."

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding her head as she headed for the couch and sat down.

He took a spot next to her, his eyes staring at the ground for a moment before looking up at her. "So, about last night--"

"Actually, is it okay if I go first?"

He nodded his head. "Sure."

Juniper already felt tears well up in her eyes as she took a deep breath to compose herself. "I just want to start off by saying I'm sorry about not being honest with you about what's been going on with me. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for calling my parents about me."

Eric's expression turned soft. "I understand why you were upset, and I was going to tell you that I called your mom. I'm sorry I crossed that line, but I was only concerned for you. I just thought she could help, that's all.

She could feel the lump forming in her throat. "There's also something else," she said, her voice cracking. "I think we should put the wedding planning on hold for now."

His face grew sad. "Juniper--"

"Just listen, please," she cut him off. "There's so much going on in our lives with my school and therapy sessions and your job that we can't make the wedding a priority at the moment. Not only that, but with your parents on our asses about the damn ceremony isn't helping, either."

Huffing a sigh, he stared at her. "You have a point. Our lives are just so crazy, and if we want this wedding to be perfect, then we'll have to devote all of our time into planning all of it." His demeanor had completely changed, almost looking relieved. Their fight the night before seemed like a distant memory or even like one of her nightmares as soon as he wrapped his arms around her.

"And I only have a few more months until I'm done with school," she added, sounding more hopeful than before, and thankful that he couldn't see her face. She was worried that he would have been able to see it in her eyes that she was upset. Not only for calling off wedding planning, but because of what and who she was already hiding from him. "I'm willing to wait a little bit longer, and I know it'll be worth it in the end."

Eric gave her a small grin when he pulled away, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Yeah, it will." He paused, gazing at her for a brief moment. "I love you, Juniper. I'll always love you."

Juniper let the few tears fall down her face, to which she wished a weight was lifted off her chest. "I'll always love you, Eric."

So when he leaned and kissed her softly, she did her best to let it linger for as long as she could.

*******

As the rest of the day went on, Juniper was still tense, and Eric, being as observant as he was, could see it in her face. Because of this, he suggested to her to go out for a bit to clear her head long enough for him to set up dinner on the back patio for just the two of them. With some reluctance, she agreed, kissing Eric goodbye and going to the coffee shop nearby to be alone for a bit that evening.

Many things in her head were still hard to wrap her mind around, the first being the Winchester brothers. With Dean being a real person this whole time, along with meeting Sam, who also had the same types of dreams (and telekinesis, which Juniper still had to process), it was hard to take it all in, especially when there were so many questions she had for Dean and Sam. On top of that, there was the guilt of putting off the wedding and continuing to not tell him everything. It was all building up inside of her, and it only caused her to become even more stressed about it all. She couldn't look at Eric the same, nor could she see the world as it was knowing what little information she got from the Winchesters.

She was on her second cup of green tea, and it only made her even more anxious.

"Someone's a little jumpy," a voice stated behind Juniper, to which she turned around frantically to find an unfamiliar face standing there, her free hand in the air in defense. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, it's fine," Juniper assured her, sighing in relief. "You just startled me a bit, that's all."

The blonde gave her a friendly smile and walked around the table, stopping when she was in front of Juniper. Her hair hung over her shoulders as she flipped most of it behind her. She wore a purple long-sleeved shirt and a black vest, along with a pair of jeans that looked a bit tighter than what Juniper would wear. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Juniper stared at the girl for a brief moment, opening her mouth to speak. "Um..."

"I don't bite," the girl added playfully, raising her eyebrows.

Seeming like she was a nice person, Juniper nodded her head. "Sure," she said, motioning her to take the seat across from her.

The girl stuck her hand out to shake as she sat down. "I'm Danielle."

"Juniper," she replied, shaking Danielle's hand.

"Very unique name," Danielle said, smiling.

Juniper shrugged. "It's my great-grandmother's name."

"I like it, a lot nicer than Danielle, I have to say," she chuckled, stirring her coffee. "Anyway, I don't mean to intrude. It's just that you look like you need someone to talk to."

"Well, you're right about that," Juniper admitted. A part of her wished she had called Nancy to meet her, but she didn't want to bother her with more problems regarding Eric. Maybe meeting Danielle was a blessing in disguise.

"So, what's on your mind, then?" Danielle asked. "Let me guess, boy trouble?"

Juniper let out a soft laugh. "That's part of my stress, yeah. We got in a fight yesterday, and we made up, but..." Trailing off, she shook her head. "Do you ever...I don't know, still feel bad about it happening in the first place, or even if something else could have happened?"

"Like the regret just keeps forming inside you and you have no way of getting rid of it?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean!" Juniper exclaimed. "I know things are okay now, but what about later? What if the guilt just makes things worse and I won't be able to contain it anymore? What if--" She stopped all of a sudden, huffing a sigh and looking down at her cup. "What if it ruins everything for us? I mean, I love Eric so much, and we've come so far for it all to screw up now."

Danielle, listening attentively, leaned back in her chair. "Wow, you really love him, don't you?"

"Definitely." She held up her hand to show Danielle her engagement ring. "We decided to put our wedding planning on hold."

Danielle shot her a sympathetic look. "Damn, I'm sorry. I bet that was hard to do."

"It was, but it's for the best." Pausing to take a sip of her tea, she thought back to her conversation with Nancy the day before and giggled a little. "You know, my friend mentioned eloping."

"Yeah? Not a big fan of the idea?"

"Well, Eric and I had our hearts set on a ceremony, and...so did a lot of other people, actually." Juniper's smile faded a bit.

"And you're going to let them have control over what you and your fiancé want to do?"

"I mean, we're trying to not let that happen--"

"So don't," Danielle cut her off. "In my opinion, eloping sounds like your best option. Just go and get it over with and worry about everyone else later." When Juniper's expression turned unsure, Danielle kept going. "Just suggest it when you go home to him tonight. I don't think it'll hurt to do that."

Juniper merely stared back at the girl in front of her, seeing how much time and effort she was spending just to give out advice that she had heard before. Maybe it was fate that she met Danielle this evening, as if Juniper had to hear what Nancy first suggested again, like eloping was the start to their happy life together.

"I think you and Nancy are onto something," Juniper commented. "Maybe this could be a good thing for us."

"Exactly," Danielle agreed, grinning a little before drinking some of her coffee. "There's a whole world out there for you two, so why not get a head start on seeing it together?"

"Yeah, you're right." There was now a grin on Juniper's face as she nodded her head in agreement. She didn't want either of them to miss out on anything, even if there was more to what was out there than she already found out from today. "Thank you for this. You really gave me a sense of clarity, and I needed to vent to someone about everything."

"Hey, I'm always here to lend an ear if anyone needs it," Danielle replied, flashing another smile.

So Juniper and Danielle sat at the table for a bit longer, talking some more until both of them ran out of their beverages. They conversed about other aspects of their lives, to which the two had many stories to tell that had a funny ending. By the time their cups were empty, Danielle was the first to stand up.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Juniper," Danielle said with a grin. "I hope our paths cross again one day."

"That'd be nice," Juniper stated. "Have a good rest of your night, Danielle."

With that, Juniper watched as Danielle waved goodbye and turned around, strolling out of the coffee shop in her black boots. It wasn't much longer until she left the shop as well and headed for her car. She wasn't sure if it was the jitters getting to her, but she was now eager to get back to Eric and put her offer of eloping on the table.

During the drive home, Juniper had a hard time keeping the grin off her face. All she could imagine was her and Eric going to the courthouse and exchanging their vows to each other and not worrying about everyone else because their happiness was all that mattered in the moment. She just hoped Eric shared her same enthusiasm over the idea, and if so, then maybe they would be married not too long after that.

However, her happy thoughts and smile quickly went away at the sight of police lights in the parking lot of her apartment complex.

"What the hell?" she mumbled, coming to stop in the middle of the lot when she saw her spot was blocked by a police car. She got out and looked up to see a few officers going to the second floor. She felt a sense of worry as she rushed inside and up the stairs, where she saw that her apartment was roped off. "Oh my God." In no time at all, she raced down the hall and weaved around the bystanders, going under the crime scene tape to get inside.

"Ma'am, you can't come in here!" an officer called out to her.

"This is my apartment and my fiancé is--'' She stopped talking when she looked down at the blood on the floor, seeing the trail lead into the kitchen. Heading in that direction, she let out a scream at the sight of Eric lying motionless on the floor, with even more blood splattered on the counter and walls. "No. No!" It didn't take long for the tears to follow. "Eric!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to step back," a female officer stated in a calm manner, pulling Juniper away from the kitchen.

"But...Eric...he can't...he can't be dead!" she shouted, covering her mouth. "Please don't tell me he's dead!"

"I'm so sorry," was her response, shaking her head. "He was gone by the time we got here."

She shook her head, not wanting to believe it, not wanting to accept that her happy ending was ripped away from her all of a sudden, already feeling her heart dropping and breaking all at once.

"Did you know the victim?" the officer asked.

Victim. The word made her heart drop. "Eric...he's...was...my..." When she couldn't get the words out, she showed the officer her ring.

"You're Miss Langley, then?" Juniper nodded. "Okay, we're going to need you to go down to the station to answer some questions."

Juniper turned at the women in shock. "What? Why?"

"It's just routine, ma'am," she said. "This is an ongoing murder investiagion."

A murder investigation? Who would want to murder Eric?

All she could reply with was a nod as she was led out of the apartment. But before she was back outside, she spotted a familiar yellow powder along the bottom of the door frame.

Sulfur.

Juniper could feel the stares and hear the murmurs as she walked back down the hall and steps of the building, not turning around. Through the sniffles and whimpering, she pulled out the piece of paper and smoothed it out, looking over Sam's phone number written on it. She stared at it for another moment before taking out her phone and dialing the number. She inhaled as the phone rang a few times, and when he didn't answer, she did the next best thing and left a voicemail.

"Hi, Sam, it's Juniper," she started, her voice cracking. "I'm calling because...something's happened to Eric, and I think..." Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath to compose herself, but it didn't work. "I think the demon came back."

*******

By the time Juniper got to the police station, night had fallen upon Baltimore, and the next phone call she made was to her mom, explaining what happened with Eric. While she was expecting them to come barging in the police station, she was taken to one of the interrogation rooms in the meantime. As she waited for someone to come in, which felt like at least an hour, all she could do was be alone with her thoughts, and she wished that wasn't the case.

The traumatic event and image of Eric's death stuck with Juniper as she sat there. With swollen eyes, she had both legs bouncing and hands shaking, her anxious state only getting worse the more she sat there alone. But as she looked at the glass window in front of her, she wasn't sure if she was truly alone, wondering if someone was watching her on the other side. If so, all they could see was Juniper sniffling and weeping with trembling lips.

With the entire room being silent, it only caused Juniper to grow impatient. She hated the anticipation of waiting for an officer to come in and drill her with many questions that she probably would not be able to answer. How was she supposed to tell them that a demon killed Eric, that there was more out there than she or anyone else even realized? She wasn't even sure if she believed it herself, so how could she make them believe her? She started feeling even more scared, knowing that the demon that murdered him was still out there, most likely still wanting her. After all, Juniper figured that was why it came to the apartment, and when it realized she wasn't there, that was when Eric became collateral damage. Really, at this point, all she could do was go by what Dean and Sam said earlier and trust them, despite hardly knowing the two.

Juniper remembered their last interaction before she left to go to the coffee shop, and if she had known it would be the last time she'd see him alive, then she would've stayed and found a way to protect him. None of it made sense, and none of it was fair. The more she pictured Eric's body, the more real it was that her forever with him was gone. She had an aching feeling, a hole in her heart that she didn't think would ever close up.

When the door opened, Juniper jumped in her chair at the sight of an older male detective with brown and somewhat scruffy hair entering inside with a cup in one hand, along with a manila folder in the other. "Hi, Miss Langley. I'm Detective Sheridan." He took the seat across from her, sliding the cup her way. "Apologies for the wait. It's coffee in case you'd like something to keep you awake."

Reluctantly, she raised her shaky hand and grabbed the warm cup, taking a sip of the drink. It was a little more bitter than how she liked it, but she was still grateful to get some caffeine in her system, despite it not helping her uneasiness. Nevertheless, she wanted to stay awake, not just for Detective Sheridan, but for herself as well. The last thing she wanted to do was close her eyes and see more of finding Eric over and over again.

"I want to start off and say how sorry I am for your loss," the detective stated. "I can't imagine how you're feeling right now."

Sniffling, Juniper nodded her head. "Thank you," she croaked.

"How long were you two engaged?" he asked.

"Um...almost a year and..." She stopped, hesitant to finish her response. "Wait, don't I need a lawyer before I can answer any questions?"

"You're not being charged with anything, Miss Langley," he assured her. "We just need to know some things so we can rule you out as a suspect."

She lightly shook her head, finding it hard to believe what he was telling her. "A suspect?"

Detective Sheridan nodded his head. "There was a call from one of the neighbors who said there was yelling going on and possible foul play. But by the time police got to your apartment, Mr. Farley was dead."

More tears formed in her eyes. "But I..." Trailing off, she shook her head again. "I wasn't even at the apartment."

"Where were you?"

She took a deep breath, the lump in her throat still present. "I went to the coffee shop by our apartment to clear my head. It was Eric's idea. We just..." Drifting off again, she hiccuped a few times before continuing on. "We just made up after having a fight yesterday."

"What was the fight about?"

"Just..." She wiped her eyes as she calmed down a bit. "Just over some bills for this month. It was stupid." She let the lie easily fall out of her mouth, and she hoped the detective didn't catch it.

But all he did was nod his head. "So, if you weren't at the apartment at the time of Mr. Farley's death, then who did the neighbors hear him arguing with?"

Juniper shrugged. "I don't know."

Detective Sheridan kept his stare on Juniper, leaning back in his chair and raising his eyebrows. "Is it possible that your fiancé was having an affair?"

She shot him a confused look. "What? No. No, Eric and I...we were together for six years, why would you--"

"Well, it would explain who the other person heard in the apartment, wouldn't it?"

Juniper thought her heart would drop to her stomach at the mere thought of Eric cheating. "Eric wasn't like that. He loved me, Detective, and the last thing he'd ever do is cheat on me."

"So you've been faithful to him in the six years you were together?"

She let out a scoff, getting angry as her face began to dry up. "Yeah, I was, actually."

"The neighbor across the hall from you has a camera, you know."

Juniper nodded her head, taking another sip of her coffee, trying her best to swallow it down. "Yeah, I know. I've seen it before." She had a feeling she knew what was to come next, which only caused her heart to beat fast.

"Well, then, you know that it picked up two boys coming by earlier this afternoon while you were home," he explained. "Funny thing is, the camera didn't catch them leaving." The man looked down at the manila folder and opened it up, revealing a file as he spun it around for Juniper to look at, his finger pointing at the footage from the security camera of the three of them at her door. "Based on your expression, I'd say you know them."

Juniper took a glance at the file, seeing his face and the charges listed below not only for two counts of murder in Baltimore, but torture and murder in St. Louis, Missouri as well, along with credit card fraud, breaking and entering, and grave desecration. That was when she remembered their time In St. Louis, only her memory of it was fuzzy. Nevertheless, she knew this wasn't the same Dean Winchester that she met today.

"Miss Langley, how do you know Dean and Sam Winchester?" Detective Sheridan questioned.

Shit, she thought.

She opened her mouth, trying to come up with something, anything that would be convincing. But thanks to her getting anxious, all that came out of her mouth was, "I...well...we..."

"Is there still something you're not telling me?"

While that happened to be the case, her frustration only grew when she knew what he was still trying to imply. "I know what you're thinking, Detective, and it wasn't like that." With wet eyes, she shot him a glare.

"Oh, really? So do you care to explain why his name is written on every page of the journal you left on the table?" he retorted.

Her eyes went wide. "You can't just take my journal!"

"It's evidence from a crime scene," he told her. "And it just might have the motivation Dean Winchester needed to kill your fiancé."

"That proves nothing!" she protested. "I mean...it just...it..." Juniper could feel her heart rate going up, with short breaths to follow and more tears in her eyes.

The lights around her began to flicker, to which Detective Sheridan shot her a concerned look. "Miss Langley, are you alright?"

Before Juniper could answer, the door opened up, a blonde-haired woman standing in the frame. "Her parents are here. They'd like to see her."

"I'm not done here, Diana," he said.

"I think you are for now," she replied, shooting him a stern look, then turning towards Juniper. "Come on, sweetheart."

Quickly shooting up from the chair, Juniper grabbed her coffee and hurried out of the room and down the hall, spotting her parents frantically standing at the end of it. When her mom turned and locked eyes with her daughter, she let out a small gasp.

"Oh, honey," she said sadly, pulling Juniper in for a tight hug the moment she was within reach.

"Mom, I didn't do it, I swear," Juniper whimpered, wrapping her arms around her mom. "By the time I got there, he was..." She let out more sobs, burying her face in her mom's shoulder as she started shaking in her arms.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she told her, rubbing the back of her daughter's head. "He was a sweet boy."

"A polite one at that," her father, Matthew Langley, added.

"He...he..." Juniper managed to get out, squeezing her grip tighter. "He...didn't...deserve this."

"I know," she whispered.

As the two stayed in their embrace, the sound of yelling entered the room, all of which the voice was familiar to Juniper, and she knew things were about to get worse for her.

"Where is she?!" Vanessa Farley shouted.

Juniper pulled away from her mom, seeing the heated woman angrily look around the room, followed by Glen right behind her in a less angry manner. Her nerves started to act up, quivering with fear at the sight of the woman. With her heart rate going up again, along with her chest starting to get tight, it became overwhelming.

"Mrs. Farley, we're going to need you to calm down," the female detective said.

"There she is!" she yelled, pointing at Juniper, ignoring the detective altogether. "You little--"

"I would suggest choosing your next words wisely," Terry warned her. "She had nothing to do with Eric's death."

"The hell she did!" Vanessa retorted. "I knew from the moment she set foot in my house all those years ago that she was no good for my son, for my Eric. She's the reason he didn't become a doctor and stayed in Annapolis near his family."

"Vanessa, please, let me explain," Juniper spoke up, her voice straining from the crying. "I didn't murder Eric. I loved him."

"Why should I believe you?" she snapped. "You're the reason we're all here in the first place!"

"Vanessa, just take a deep breath." Glen attempted to grab her arm, but she only shoved him away.

"And do what, Glen?! Let her get away with this?!" Vanessa asked him.

"Just to be clear, she hasn't been charged with anything," her father intervened.

"Not yet, and believe me, it will happen." Vanessa turned her face towards Juniper with daggers in her eyes. "You better lawyer up, bitch, because we're coming for you."

Juniper let out a small gasp, taking a step back as the lights around her started flickering again, with the addition of papers flying off desks and opened doors swaying back and forth, to which the officers and detectives scrambled to gather. She clutched her chest as if her breathing was becoming more uneven, and when she thought she heard more yelling behind her, it all sounded muffled in her ears, and the ringing and headache that occurred suddenly was all she could focus on as she moved her hands up to her ears.

She wished it wasn't real. She wished that none of this was happening and that it was just another nightmare. Closing her eyes, she wanted that to be the case, but all it did was cause her to be more frustrated, more scared, more angry at everything around her.

"June?" Her mom's voice was all she could make out , but it was faint. "June..."

Before she could give an answer, Juniper quickly opened her eyes, only to be met with darkness once again as she felt her body give out and dropped to the floor.

*******

"June? Sweetie, can you hear me?"

The girl fluttered her eyes open, squinting and groaning at the light above her. She felt her head still pounding, but her ears were close to being able to fully hear again, even if the sound of her mom's worried tone was still dull.

"Mom?" she questioned in a groggy tone, sitting up from the floor. "What...what happened?"

"You passed out," she replied, handing her a cup of water.

"How long was I out?" she asked, taking the water.

"Just for a minute," she assured her. "Are you okay?"

No, I'm not, she thought. I'm far from being okay.

"Are the Farleys still...?" she started to ask, but with her voice being shaky, she couldn't finish her sentence.

"No, they were escorted to another room," her father said.

As she slowly stood up, her legs still a little wobbly, she held onto her parents' arms and spotted the two detectives from before walking their way.

Detective Sheridan sighed. "Well, Miss Langley, we called the coffee shop you were at earlier this evening. The young lady there was able to confirm seeing you around the estimated time we received the call from your neighbor."

Her parents looked more relieved at this. While Juniper wanted to feel relief at that, she got nothing. It didn't change the fact that they could possibly still see her as a suspect working alongside Dean Winchester with planning out Eric's murder over what the detectives believed to be an affair.

"So what happens now?" her father asked.

"For now, your daughter is free to go," the female detective answered this time, shifting her attention towards Juniper. "Your apartment should be cleared in a couple of hours. We'll give you a call when you can go back and get your things."

"And then you can come home with us," her mom added, nodding towards her daughter. "How about we go get something to eat, yeah?"

Despite not wanting to think about food, already getting nauseous just by the mention of it, Juniper nodded her head, anyway, ready to get out of the station. Detective Sheridan escorted the Langleys out, letting Juniper know he'd be in touch in case he needed anything from her pertaining to Eric's murder, and she was hoping he didn't.

The cool night hit Juniper as she was guided by her mom towards her car, to which she was appreciative of her mom offering to drive to the nearest diner. It was a quiet drive there, where all she did was press her forehead against the cold window, staring at every street light they passed. When she looked up at the night sky, she thought about Eric again, and this time, she fought back tears.

The crowd at the diner was just about crowded, typical for a Saturday night. The Langleys managed to get a booth in the corner, with Juniper facing the entrance. She imagined it was a day in the week where she and Eric were eating dinner with her parents this time, expecting him to come walking in after a long day at work, still with a smile on his face, even if he was exhausted. At least when they had dinner with Matthew and Terry Langley, the atmosphere was more relaxing for the two of them. Now, as she sat alone on her side of the booth, everything around family dinners felt incomplete without him by her side.

"And for you?"

Juniper snapped out of her thoughts to see a young waitress standing there with a notepad and pen in hand. "Oh, sorry, um..." She quickly scanned the menu, then looked back up at the girl after making a decision. "Just water and some fries, please."

"Sweetie, you should get more than that," her mom spoke up, shooting her daughter with concern.

Huffing a sigh, she took another glance at the menu. "I'll have some onion rings, too, then."

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm not really hungry, Mom." She only ordered something in the first place just to please her mom, but clearly, it wasn't enough to satisfy her.

When the waitress left, the Langleys were met with silence again, to which Juniper noticed the way her parents took the opportunity to stare at their only daughter with sad expressions. It only caused an unsettling tension between them, and Juniper could only handle it but so much given the circumstance.

It was when their food came around that Juniper was grateful her parents could focus on something else momentarily. But even as she nibbled at her fries and onion rings, they still glanced at her with worry when they could.

"You know, I think a slice of warm apple pie sounds good after this," her dad spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, yes, that does sound good, along with some ice cream," her mom added. "What do you think, June?"

"I'm not in the mood for pie," Juniper replied bluntly. She really didn't want any more food, already having a hard time with the sides in front of her.

Her mom sighed. "June--"

"My fiancé is dead, Mom. Eric is gone, and you think eating pie and ice cream is going to help?" Juniper could feel the frustration bubble up inside her, so she took a deep breath before . "I'm just...I'm still trying to make sense of it."

"And you don't know who could've done this?" she asked.

Juniper, thinking about the sulfur she found, shook her head. "No," she lied. She knew the truth sounded crazy, and in her state of mind, her parents would only get more worried.

Her dad exhaled loudly, placing his napkin down as he noticed the tension between his wife and daughter. "I'll, uh...I'll be right back." Standing up, he headed towards the bathroom, leaving Terry and Juniper alone.

"You know, when Eric called me the other day, I couldn't help but notice that something was...I don't know, off about him," her mother explained, almost sounding hesitant to even say it.

Juniper furrowed her brows. "In what way?"

Her mom shrugged, a puzzled expression falling upon her face. "Like...like he sounded unhappy."

The girl was slowly starting to realize what her mom was trying to imply. "You don't mean..." She let out a small gasp and leaned in closer towards her mom. "You're not trying to tell me that Eric killed himself, are you?"

"Well, we can't exactly rule that out, can we?" she retorted.

Juniper scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you would even suggest that, Mom. If Eric was having those types of thoughts, then he would've told me and we'd get the help he needed." She paused, attempting to stay calm. "You didn't...you didn't see the crime scene, Mom. It was..." She tried to not get the image in her head again of the last time she saw Eric's face. "It was horrifying. There's no way he killed himself."

Seeing the sadness in her eyes once more, her mom nodded her head, almost like she was accepting defeat during the entire conversation. "You're right. I'm sorry for suggesting it."

Juniper had a hard time believing that her apology was genuine, but she was grateful that the subject was dropped.

By the time her father came back and decided to order pie and ice cream, Juniper was quick to excuse herself and rush towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her. As she placed both hands on either side of the sink with a tight grip, she dropped her head down and closed her eyes, letting out the emotions she was holding in while sitting at the booth with her parents. In a way, she thought sobbing some more was what she needed, and she'd rather do just that when no one else was around at this point. She was exhausted from having to think about what she had gone through in the last couple of hours.

While she continued to sob, her tears falling on the porcelain surface, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she looked at the caller ID, recognizing the number from earlier this evening as she wiped her eyes to answer it. "Hello?"

"Juniper? It's Sam. I, uh...I got tied up, which is why I'm just getting back to you."

She sniffled. "It's okay. So you got my message?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry about your fiancé." There was a pause as he cleared his throat. "So you're sure it was a demon that...you know..."

"I'm sure. There was--" Juniper stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath. "There was sulfur by the front door."

"Shit," he muttered on the other side of the call. "Yeah, definitely a demon."

"Sam, do you think the demon came back...for me?" she questioned, her voice getting shaky.

He was quiet for a moment, then, after sighing, he said, "I think so."

Juniper felt her palms get sweaty and her heart drop to her stomach. "Oh, God..."

"I also heard from the detectives that they think Dean did it," he explained. "That doesn't look good with the other charges they have on him."

"Sounds like he's having a fun night," Juniper commented sarcastically in an attempt to add some humor to the situation, along with trying to make herself feel better.

"Oh, for sure," he agreed in the same tone as hers. "Look, Juniper, um...I know you're going through it right now, but if this demon really did come back for you, then maybe..." He trailed off for a moment, and Juniper could tell he was about to say something she probably didn't want to hear. "Maybe you should come with me and my brother."

Juniper opened her mouth to speak, not expecting for him to suggest that. "What?"

"I know it sounds crazy. Hell, this whole situation with you is already crazy. But you might be safer with us."

"With two boys I just met today?" she pointed out, letting out a scoff as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like that's not a bad idea at all."

Sam huffed a sigh. "Listen, you need us, Juniper. We're the only ones that can help you get the answers that you need about your abilities. I know exactly what you're going through, and it's scary, but I get the feeling that you're just as curious as we are."

She didn't respond. Instead, she pondered the idea of leaving Baltimore with them, admitting to herself that she was curious to get some answers. But leaving her life behind, leaving her friends and family, her school, her entire future...

Juniper's heart just about broke at the mere thought of giving up everything she loved and worked hard for. How could she run away from all of it so easily? How could Sam ask her to do such a thing?

Then again, maybe it would be safer for everyone if she left. While it meant she was still in danger, at least she wouldn't be alone, having to defend herself from demons (or any other supernatural creatures that might be lurking out there). As if she could fight any other being she came across.

Walking around the bathroom, she broke the silence. "Do you really think you can help me?"

"Maybe," Sam replied. "I'm still figuring it out for myself. But you'll be safer with us. We can protect you."

Juniper, still conflicted on what to do, let out a small groan. "If I did agree to go with you, how much time would I have?"

"However long it will take to get Dean out of jail," he answered. "Until then, just pack whatever you can and lay low until you hear from me."

"And what if I decide not to come with you?"

"It's up to you whether you want to join us or not. All I'm saying is that you can't go back to your old life now that you know what's out there and what you can do with your abilities. You'll put yourself and those you love in danger, and I know you don't want that for your family and friends."

Juniper rubbed her forehead, trying to weigh out her options. Really, the idea of leaving scared her, more than she realized as she continued to think about it after hearing what Sam had to say.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, to which Juniper jumped at the sound. "Just a minute!" she called out, getting back to her conversation with Sam. "Listen, I gotta go for now. There's a park behind my apartment complex. Just call me when you can and I'll meet you there." Before he could respond, she quickly ended the call and unlocked the door, walking around the older woman and heading back towards her booth.

"I got the pie to-go," her dad said. "Let me get the check and then we can head out."

So after her dad paid for the check and the three exited the diner, Juniper got another call from the female detective from the police station (she found out that her name was Detective Ballard), informing Juniper that her apartment was all cleaned up and she could go back. Juniper was surprised at how fast it took to clean everything up, which threw her off as she now had to go and not expect Eric to be there with her.

"Do you want us to come with you?" her mom inquired.

Juniper shook her head. "No, I'd rather go by myself. I'm just gonna pack a few things and then head for Annapolis afterwards."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" her dad asked.

The girl nodded her head. "I'll be fine." She almost teared up, knowing she meant the words something else entirely.

No matter where I'm at, I'll be okay. I promise. Please don't worry about me when I'm gone.

Juniper pulled her parents in for a hug, holding them tight for as long as she could. When her parents pulled away, she sucked in a breath, wiping her eyes.

"I love you both," she said.

"We love you, too, June," her mom replied, giving her a small smile. "We'll see you at home, okay? Take as much time as you need."

Nodding her head, she watched as her parents walked away and hopped in their car, pulling out of the parking lot and driving out of Juniper's sight.

Her drive to the apartment was nerve-racking, to say the least. When she pulled into her parking spot, knowing it would be the last time she'd do that, she sat there and leaned back in her seat, only stalling herself to face the inevitable. After a few minutes, she got out of the car and made her way inside the building and up the second floor, with no one in the hall. Slowly, she unlocked the door and opened it, seeing the apartment as it was when she left for the coffee shop.

The first thing she did was take a deep breath, noticing the clean smell that filled the apartment and not the rotten eggs odor thanks to the demon and sulfur it left behind. She went into the living room first, sitting on the couch and picturing Eric sitting next to her with their hands intertwined. Gripping the couch, she saw his perfect face, and she smiled sadly at the image.

Next, she headed to the kitchen, not finding a single drop of blood on the floor or walls. Still, Eric's body on the floor was all she could see as she looked down.

Shuffling her feet, she went towards the back door and slid it open, stepping onto the patio. Her heart almost stopped when she saw the table set up with two glasses and a bottle of red wine, along with a nice flower centerpiece. She thought her heart was going to break at the sight of what was supposed to be a romantic evening together, bringing up the idea of eloping and hoping that Eric was going to agree to it, ending the night with being entangled in one another. It would've been perfect, but to Juniper, it would remain as a dream.

Looking out at the park, she decided to go ahead and get started on packing. Without another thought, she went back inside and rushed towards the bedroom, grabbing her duffle bag from the closet and stuffing any of her things that she could fit in there. She glanced up to see the framed picture of her and Eric during their engagement photo session on his bedside table. She remembered how happy they were that day, and she let a few tears fall onto the glass, but wiped them away and placed the picture in her duffle, then went to his dresser and grabbed a few of his shirts to take as well.

Finally, the bathroom was her last stop in the apartment. She didn't spend too much time there, only just to gather her toiletries and medication. When she was done packing the rest of her things in her duffle, she zipped it up and huffed a sigh, plopping on her bed. She got on her side, feeling how cold it was without Eric there. Then, she realized their last together was spent sleeping in separate rooms. It was all because of that fight, that stupid fight. Regret filled her mind the more she let the thought sink in. This time, Juniper buried her face in the pillow, crying harder than ever before.

She stayed that way for what felt like a long time, eventually drifting in and out of sleep, making many attempts to stay awake. After fighting for her eyes to stay open, she found herself being taken over by exhaustion, her dreams consisting of Eric. At least there, she could find some source of happiness, what little of it she had left.

Juniper wasn't sure how long she slept for, but her eyes shot open when she felt her phone vibrate. Sitting up, she pulled out her phone and saw multiple text messages from her mom, asking where she was. Seeing that the time was past three in the morning, not realizing she had slept for so long, she quickly let her mom know that she was okay. The next thing she saw was a voicemail that was left only five minutes ago. Placing the phone against her ear, she listened to it.

"Hey, Juniper, it's Sam. Listen, we're heading towards the park in about twenty minutes."

When the message ended, Juniper felt her heart pounding as she grabbed her things, taking one last glance at the apartment before shutting the door and locking it, walking down the hallway and not looking back.

The night air was bitter as Juniper walked around the building and towards the park, avoiding any lights she saw shining above her. She resisted every urge to turn around and just run off on her own, knowing the risks if she were to do that. She thought about her parents who were most likely waiting up for her, ready to get her settled back into her childhood home. A part of her understood why things had to be this way, but she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she was involved in this mess.

The park was empty, only filled with light from the street lights. She took a seat at a nearby bench and waited for the Winchesters to show up. As her emotions were still high, she rummaged through her bag to find her medication, popping one pill in for the ride to wherever they were heading.

All of a sudden, she spotted a black car driving in the lot, realizing that it was the same car from yesterday as it got closer. She stood up with her things in hand as the car stopped, the two boys stepping out.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd show," Dean admitted.

"Well, your brother has a way with words," Juniper commented, approaching them.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Sam asked her.

She stared at him, nodding her head. "It's the only way I'll get some answers about me and these abilities, right?"

Sam sighed. "We hope so."

As Dean opened the trunk, Sam took her duffle, while Juniper got inside the back seat. When the two took their seats in the front, she did her best to get comfortable.

"All settled in?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah," she simply replied.

Dean turned towards his brother briefly before nodding his head. "Alright, let's roll."

With that, he started the engine and hurriedly sped out of the parking lot, in which Juniper made sure to take in and see what was left of her old life for the final time.

~~~~~~~

A/N: RIP Eric. :( Not a very good Valentine's gift for you all, sorry.

Things are starting to pick up now the Winchester have arrived.

Comment, vote, more to come soon (also, Happy Birthday, Danielle)!

-A