[h2]Esme Stirling[/h2]

Esme couldn’t help smiling when Dean kissed the top of her head again before he pulled away. As he did, she released him, letting her arms fall to her side. She watched as he lifted his arm and pulled his sleeve down to reveal the wire bracelet on his wrist. Her smile grew when she saw it. “Who would have thought…..” she said with a laugh before Mika stormed in, cutting her off. 

She jumped in surprise just as Dean pushed her behind him protectively and kept a hand on her back, which she wasn’t expecting. It was a strange feeling having someone protect her from another. She couldn’t see Mika from behind Dean, but she could hear the rage in her tone, which caused her to wince. [i]Notches?[/i] She thought. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was getting at. 

[i]She thinks Dean and I……[/i] she trailed off in her thought. She was about to speak out, but Dean had tried talking to Mika before she could. She winced again as he stammered as Mika screamed at him. She remembered earlier how Mika stuck close to Dean and seemed to calm him when no one else could. She had thought little of it at the time, but now she couldn’t deny it. 

There was definitely something between them and she had apparently stirred up some jealousy in Mika. She felt terrible now. She didn’t want to come between anyone and mess anything up between them. That was the last thing she wanted. She took in a breath when Mika stormed off. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath. When Dean turned to face her, her face and eyes held a soft look. 

“It’s alright. Go after her.” she told him softly. Esme’s eyes closed when he kissed her forehead, then opened as he ran for the door. She flinched just as he did when the door slammed in face. Once he was out the door, she walked over to a chair, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she went, before she sat down. She placed her elbows on her knees, then put her face in her hands and sighed heavily. She now wondered if she should stay or leave. Would her being there put too much stress on things?