The Girl Not So Next Door

The Girl Not So Next Door

Chapter 1

It was early spring, 2013, and Sam and Dean had made their way across the country to western Massachusetts, where something was leaving bodies in its wake. Bodies without hearts, that is. They assumed it was a werewolf based on the patterns and information they gathered from local law enforcement, friends, and witnesses. 

They were not exactly running on all cylinders, however. Sam had undertaken the trials in their effort to close the gates of hell, and was feeling lousy. He was exhausted and weak, and no amount of rest seemed to help. He was also having a hard time keeping anything down. He should have stayed back at the bunker and at least tried to rest, but he insisted on heading out on the hunt with Dean. 

In truth, Sam wanted to stay home and rest, but at the same time it was important to him to prove himself to Dean. He needed to prove that he could see the trials through, and that he didn’t need to be rescued or taken care of all the time by his big brother. He needed to prove he could be counted on to get the job done.

The boys have always had a complicated relationship. Dean truly believed his little brother could do this. He knew he would see it through, and that Sam was tough as nails. Dean saw his determination and had no doubts or illusions. 

Still, after years of feeling as if he had always walked in Dean’s shadow, Sam felt the need to push on to, and beyond, his limit. Illness, or any physical risk to himself, was not important. 

They had been in Ohio wrapping up the clean-out of a vampire nest when they caught wind of the story about victims in Massachusetts. As usual, the cops were saying animal attacks, because what else could they say. The story was extremely fishy to begin with, but add to that the fact that the largest animal in those parts is the black bear, and it was clear that it was their kind of thing. Black bears just aren’t that big, and they don’t usually go around snacking on people. 

They had been in town for a couple of days, and finally thought they had a line on the werewolf they were looking for. Earlier that day, Dean had insisted Sam stay back at the motel and get some rest while he went and talked to the cops. He would need Sam to be rested so he would have reliable backup when it came to the actual hunt. Sam agreed, somewhat begrudgingly, but he knew Dean was right about this. He would need to be well enough to keep his brother alive, if necessary.

As evening fell, Dean called Sam as he drove back to the motel and filled him in on what he knew. When he arrived, with dinner and coffee, he found a fairly well rested Sam. They ate, checked their weapons, and headed out to the spot where the victims had been disappearing from. 

The area was wooded and rural, but it wasn’t far from town. It was part of the state park and had trails for hiking and running. The running trails were well lit, for the most part, but there were still plenty of places for someone, or something, to lay in wait. 

People living in this part of the state had little cause to worry about being out for a walk or run after dark. The area was exceptionally safe as far as violent crime was concerned. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of the other possibilities. Monsters lurking in the dark, for one thing. So, if a person worked all day, wanted to go out for a run, and had not been paying attention to the news reports, they might end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

The boys were walking the trail when they heard the screams off in the distance. There was no doubt that it was a woman, like all the other victims. The boys took off in the direction of the cries for help and soon realized, by the sound of it, she was running night toward them.

She didn’t see Sam and Dean in her path because she was looking over her shoulder as she ran. Dean grabbed her around the waist as she ran by and pulled her to safety. Of course, she didn’t know she was safe, for all she knew he was just another attacker, so she put up a hell of a fight. She was flailing in his arms and screaming while throwing punches and elbows wherever she could land them. 

Despite her struggling, Dean was able to hold onto her. She was petite, and barely an armful.

She didn’t realize they were the good guys until a moment later. As the werewolf rounded the corner toward them, Sam took him out easily with a couple of silver bullets to the heart. As far as hunts went, this one was one of the simplest they’d seen in a long time. 

Dean let go of the woman and she collapsed onto the ground in a heap, out of breath, and crying.

He crouched down beside her, placed his hand on her back, and asked, “Are you OK? What’s your name?”

The woman looked up at him, still not able to catch her breath, “I think I’m OK… I’m Brie.”

“OK, come on. Can you sit up,” Dean asked, guiding her by the arm.

They were right at a point in the path where there was a street lamp, so as Brie looked up she got a good look at Dean’s face.

“Oh, wow, did I do that?” she asked

Dean had a bloody nose and was sure that a black eye would come shining through later as well.

“Yeah, well, don’t worry about that. I’ve had worse,” Dean said.

“Who are you guys, and what was that… thing?” Brie asked.

“We’ll tell you all about it later, but right now, let’s get you someplace safe,” Sam said, still on alert, with his gun drawn.

“OK,” she replied, as Dean helped her to her feet. 

“I’m Dean, and this is my brother Sam, by the way,” he said, as they walked the path back to the car. “I want you to wait in my car while we finish up here, OK?”

“Yeah, OK,” she replied, sounding and looking like she was in shock.

Dean was guiding her by the arm, and she was still shaking uncontrollably, as he opened the door to the backseat and she climbed in.

“We’ll be back in about a half hour. Just lock the doors and stay in the car,” Dean said.

“Where are you going? What do you have to do?” she asked, panic in her eyes, as she grabbed Dean’s arm. 

“We have to bury that thing and then we’ll take you home,” Dean said.

“Shouldn’t we call the cops?” she asked, looking from Dean to Sam.

“No, trust us, we definitely do not want to call the cops,” Sam replied.

“We’ll tell you why when we get back. Just hang tight,” Dean said, as he closed the car door.

They grabbed their shovels from the trunk, and as they walked away, Brie reached around the car and locked all the doors. Her heart was still pounding out of her chest as she watched the boys walk back down the path. She lay down on the back seat, wanting to hide, and not feeling convinced that whoever, or whatever that was chasing her, was alone.

Her mind raced as the minutes ticked away. She wanted to run to her car and just get the hell out of there. I mean, who are these guys? She thought. For all she knew, they were killers too. Her mind went there, but her heart told her they were the good guys, so she stayed put. 

The boys soon returned, and as they packed the shovels away in the trunk, Brie unlocked the door and stepped out of the car.

“You OK?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” she replied. 

It was a lie, but she was trying to hold it together.

“OK, good. Do you have a car nearby?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, it’s at the other entrance to the running path on the other side of the park,” she replied. 

“OK, Sam, I’m going to take her home. You head back to the motel and get some sleep,” Dean said.

Sam drove the Impala over to where Brie’s car was parked, dropped the two of them off, then headed for the motel. 

“I’ll drive. You’re still pretty shaken up,” Dean said. “Do you have a key?” he asked, looking her up and down and thinking the answer must be no. Where would she keep it in a running outfit with no pockets.

“Yeah,” she replied, reaching into her bra for the car key.

Dean let out a chuckle. “Good thinking.”

“Well, no pockets, so… but I did manage to lose my phone.”

Dean drove Brie’s car, as she directed him to her house. It wasn’t far. It was a modest ranch house on a dead-end street just outside of the downtown area.

“How are you going to get home?” she asked him, as they pulled in the driveway.

“Well, we don’t live around here, but I’ll get back to the motel just fine, don’t worry. Do you live here alone?” Dean asked, as he walker her to her door.

“Yes,” she replied, as they reached the back door. “Will you come in for a few minutes? You said you would tell me what that… thing was.”

“Yeah, sure,” Dean replied as she turned the door knob, pushed the door open, and walked in. “Wait, you don’t lock your door?” he asked, realizing she had not used a key.

“No, it’s really safe around…” she started to say, realizing it was not nearly as safe as she had thought. The park where she was running was less than two miles from her house. 

“Yeah, we need to talk about that,” Dean said, taking a seat at her kitchen table. 

“Well, I need a drink,” she said. “Can I get you anything?” she asked, as she grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet.

“Yeah, that works,” he replied, pointing at the bottle. 

She poured them each what amounted to a triple and went to the freezer.

“Here,” she said, handing him an ice pack and a kitchen towel to wrap around it. “Sorry about the elbows to the face,” she said, sitting at the table, and downing half the contents of her glass.

“It’s OK,” Dean replied, with a warm smile.

Dean spent the next few hours explaining the werewolf, along with other monsters. He also talked about he and Sam, and what it means to be a hunter in their world. She was in shock, but seemed to be taking it as well as anyone could. Had it not been for the fact that she was nearly killed by a monster just hours ago, she would have thought it was crazy.

She was sitting in a ball on her chair, her knees tucked up against her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. By the look on her face, Dean could tell she was scared to death. He checked all the doors and windows in the house to be sure everything was secure, then proceeded to lecture Brie, gently, about keeping the house locked down.

Back in the kitchen, Dean said, “You’re secure here. Just remember what I told you about keeping this place locked up, OK? I’m gonna get going back to the motel.”

Brie jumped up out of her chair and grabbed him by the arm, saying, “No, please don’t leave.” 

It was not like her to be clingy, but she was scared to death. After spending a few hours with Dean, she was feeling comfortable with him. She trusted him. After all, he had just saved her life.

“Do you have anyone that can stay with you, or anywhere you can go for the night?” Dean asked.

“Not really, and what would I tell them if I did? That I need to spend the night because I’m scared of monsters?” she asked, as she began to cry softly.

“Good point. Come here,” he said, pulling her into a tight hug. 

The embrace had the opposite effect of what it was meant to, as she covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

As Dean held her tighter, her knees suddenly buckled. Had he not been holding her she would have gone down. Dean scooped her up, carried her to the couch in the living room, and set her down gently. There was a blanket folded over the arm of the sofa. He sat beside her and pulled the blanket over her.

Brie scurried over to Dean and buried her face in his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn’t hesitate, and for split second the thought, what are you doing? You don’t even know this guy, flashed through her head. A second later she decided it didn’t matter. She needed to be comforted, and as far as she was concerned, he was the hero that saved her. Her hero.

After a few minutes she had stopped crying, but she was still shaking. 

“When was the last time you ate anything?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know. Lunch, I guess,” she replied.

“And then you ran, and had the scare of your life. We need to get you something to eat.” Dean said, standing up. She was still holding on to his arm with both hands. “I’ll be right in the kitchen. You do have food in this place, right?”

“Yeah,” she said with a faint smile, as she released his arm. 

As Dean put a sandwich together for her in the kitchen, her mind raced. It ran from, what just happened, and what has my life become, to, why am I so attracted to this man that I just met, and who hunts monsters?

Dean soon returned with a turkey sandwich and a glass of water for her. 

“Thank you,” she said, as she looked up at him with a faint smile. 

It wasn’t anything fancy, but she was hungry, and it was just enough. 

He sat back down beside her and said, “Listen, I—”

He was about to say he really should get going, but she cut him off, saying, “Will you please stay with me tonight?”

“Yeah… sure,” he replied. “Just let me call Sam.”

Dean stepped back into the kitchen and dialed Sam’s number.

“Hey, Sammy, how are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m fine, Dean. I’m heading to bed. Where are you? Do I need to come and pick you up?” Sam asked.

“No, I’m good. I going to spend the night here at Brie’s. She’s still pretty shaken up.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Sam replied.

“No, Sam, seriously. She’s really panicked, and she doesn’t have anyone who can stay with her.”

“OK, then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sam replied.

“Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning,” Dean said, and then hung up.

Dean returned to the living room and looked down at Brie, giving her a warm smile.

“Thank you,” she said, in a whisper.

“It’s no problem. Come on,” Dean replied, sitting down again and wrapping an arm around her. 

It was the strangest feeling. She never felt safer, or more vulnerable than she did in that moment. The only thing that was certain, was how tired she was. In just minutes she was asleep. 

Between the exhaustion and the whiskey, she was out cold. Dean carefully slid out from under her and picked her up, carrying her to her bedroom just up the short hallway. He flipped the light switch with his elbow, then crossed the room and laid her gently on the bed. He carefully removed her running shoes, then pulled a blanket over her, turned off the light, and headed back to the living room. 

He kicked off his boots and lay down on the couch, pulling the blanket over himself and closing his eyes. He could sleep anywhere, and he had certainly slept in worse places.

 

Chapter 2

In the morning, Dean woke to the sound of Brie moving around in the kitchen and got up to check on her. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked her.

“Better, I think,” she replied, with a smile. “Let me make you some breakfast. Are eggs OK?” she asked, reaching into the fridge.

“Um, yeah, but you don’t have to do that. I really should get going,” he replied.

She slowly closed the refrigerator door and took a deep breath before saying, “Dean, can I tell you something? It’s kind of embarrassing.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Dean replied. 

He had no idea what this could be, but took a seat at the table. 

Still not looking at him, she said, “I don’t know if it’s the werewolf, or what, but, um… I really like you Dean, and since I’ll probably never see you again, I just figured I would tell you. I mean, what’s the harm, right? Accept, you know… if I didn’t take a chance then I would never know…” she said, babbling nervously, and letting her voice trail off.

Dean stood up and walked across the kitchen. He placed his hands on her shoulders, turned her toward him, and pulled her into a warm and comforting embrace.

“I really like you too, Brie,” he said, rubbing her back.

She took a deep breath and let herself relax into his arms. They just stood there for a few moments.

Finally, Brie asked, “Are you sure you have to go so soon?”

“I’m not on a strict schedule,” he replied, as he took a step back to look into her eyes with a wide smile. 

“Oh my God, your eye,” she said with a gasp.

“What? Is it that bad?”

“Come on,” she said, pulling him by the hand to the bathroom mirror.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good one,” he said, poking at the dark bruise under his eye, as he examined it in the mirror.

“I am so sorry,” she said

Dean just laughed, and replied, “Nah, this is nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“All right. If you say so,” she replied, not fully convinced that it wasn’t a big deal. “Come on, let me make you some breakfast.”

After they ate, Dean took a shower, and when he was finished, he found Brie just standing and looking out the kitchen window into the woods behind her house. He knew what she was thinking. She was petrified to ever leave the house again. He’d seen it before.

“You’re gonna be OK, you know,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulder.

She laid her head against his chest, and replied in a whisper, “I’m so scared.”

“I know, but listen, I don’t have anywhere to be today, so if you want, I can stick around and teach you a little about how to protect yourself, and how to be on the lookout for this crazy crap, OK?”

“OK, that sounds good.”

“Good. The first thing we need to do is get you out of this house, so why don’t you get cleaned up, or do whatever you need to do, and then we’ll go,” Dean said.

“I don’t know…” she replied, shaking her head, and pulling away.

“Yes, we’re doing it. You have to trust me on this. The longer you stay in this house, the harder it’ll be for you to leave.”

Brie showered, and within the hour they were walking out the back door. They spent some time just walking her property and talking. Dean reassured her, as much as he could, that the chances of another monster encounter were slim to none. She shouldn’t worry, but she should be more careful. Running in the park at night was unsafe, to say the least.

Dean insisted they go back to the park so she could see that it was safe. He drove them there in her car, and as they walked the short path from the car to a clearing with a playground and some benches, she took is hand.

They sat on a bench by the children’s slide. Brie was nervous and fidgety. Dean put his arm around her and held her tight while they talked. He said all the right things to reassure her, and slowly, he could feel her beginning to relax. He cracked a couple of bad jokes, and she even laughed a little. They sat there for a couple hours just talking and holding hands as Dean told her everything he could think of to make her feel safe, prepared, and reassured.

Finally, in the early afternoon, Dean said, “Come on, I’m hungry. Let me buy you some lunch, and then I’ll take you home.”

Brie directed him to the bakery downtown, that happened to also serve lunch. They sat and had some delicious sandwiches and, of course, Dean had a slice of pie after.

Back at Brie’s, Dean realized he had neglected to call Sam, so he sent him a text asking him if he was OK, and letting him know he would call him later. Sam responded with, “I’m fine. Talk to you later.”

Dean had a few weapons with him and insisted on giving her one of his silver knives. She wasn’t sure she could use it if it came down to it, but it made her feel better to at least have it.

They sat and talked on the sofa for a while. She was getting a real education in monsters and how to kill them, but in some strange way it was comforting. 

It was now after seven, and Brie was a little surprised Dean was still with her, but was sure he would say he had to leave at any moment.

They were cuddled up on the couch together watching the news, another thing Dean insisted she do. It was important that she knew what was going on in her area. Brie looked up at Dean, and just watched him for a few moments before he looked down at her. She looked deep into his eyes and smiled just a little as she gave his chest a rub. Dean slowly closed the distance between them, then finally pressed his lips to hers. It was as soft and gentle as she had imaged it would be. She caressed his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

Dean pulled away first and smiled down at her.

“Hi,” he said.

She smiled up at him and replied, “Hi,” with a chuckle. “I’m hungry. If I order us a pizza, will you stay for dinner?” she asked.

“Yeah, that sounds great. I’m just going to step outside and call Sam to let him know.”

As Dean headed out the back door, Brie called in their pizza order. She couldn’t believe that she was actually feeling less apprehensive. Just 24 hours ago, she thought she would never feel safe again, but after spending the day with Dean, and letting him teach her a few things, she was starting to feel like everything would be OK. She was also feeling like she was falling head over heels for him, but imagined he got that a lot.

Once outside, Dean pulled his phone out and dialed Sam’s number.

“Dean, where the hell are you?” Sam asked, without saying hello.

Dean explained that Brie had been in rough shape, but he had spent the day with her talking, and getting her back to the park, and she was doing better.

“Listen, Sammy, we’re going to have some dinner and then I don’t know… I may not be coming back to the motel tonight. We’ll see. Just grab something to eat and get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sam let out a sigh that Dean could hear even over the phone, and said, “OK, Dean. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

This wasn’t the first time Dean had spent a day or two with a woman they saved. 

They ate their pizza in the living room while watching a movie. After, they sat on the couch and couldn’t keep their hands off one another. They kissed passionately, and until they were both breathless.

Finally, Brie pulled away slightly and asked in a whisper, “Will you stay? Will you spend the night with me?”

“Yeah, I’d love to,” Dean replied, before resuming their kiss.

Brie crawled up onto Dean’s lap and before she knew it, he was carrying her to the bedroom. They spent an amazing night making love until they were both exhausted. As the first hints of sunlight seeped through the curtains in the morning, they woke up still wrapped in each other’s arms. 

Brie looked up at Dean, and he smiled down at her and asked, “How are you feeling this morning, beautiful?”

“I feel amazing,” she replied.

“Good. Me too,” Dean replied. “But listen, I really need to get going. Me and Sam, we have a lot going on right now, and we need to get back to work.”

“I understand,” she said, looking away.

“I really like you, Brie,” Dean continued. “I can’t say when we might be back this way, but I’d like to see you again, if I can.”

Brie looked up at him, smiled, and replied, “Really?”

“Yeah, really,” he replied, leaning in for a kiss.

They got up and had some breakfast, after which Dean called Sam. He gave him Brie’s address and told him he could come and pick him up whenever he was ready, and they would head home.

About a half hour later, they heard Baby roll into the driveway.

“I’ll call you in a few days and see how you’re doing,” Dean said, as he pulled her into his arms. “You have my number, so if you need me, just call. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She nodded and smiled up at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

“You’re gonna be fine,” he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently. He pulled away, and said, “OK, I gotta go,” kissed her once more, then turned and left. A moment later she heard the Impala pull away.

She was sad to see him go, and that first day was rough, but he had left her with the information she needed to help her feel safe. He had also left her feeling as though she was falling in love with him. She figured she would probably never see him again, and tried to go about her life, but true to his word, a few days later, he called. 

“How have you been? How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“I’m good. I think I’m doing OK,” she replied, through a smile he could hear over the phone.

“Good,” he replied. “And, um… I hope I can see you again. I, um… I miss you already.”

Dean was choking on those words a bit, but he meant every one of them. He wasn’t sure what it was about this particular woman, but he sincerely wanted to spend more time with her. 

“Wow, I kind of thought I might never hear from you again, to be honest, but I want to see you again too. You’re welcome here any time you want to stop by, Dean. I miss you already, too.”

“OK, I’ll call you soon,” Dean replied.

If there was any doubt as to whether or not she was falling in love with him, that one short phone call ended the uncertainty. Still, she knew, she could only hope to see him again.

Chapter 3

Over the years, Brie had been able to set aside the memory of how she and Dean met. The feeling of being more frightened than she had ever been in her life, had long since been replaced with the warmth of having been saved by Dean Winchester. Her very own hero. 

Their first meeting had been extraordinary, and the days that followed were both intense and fanciful, in a way. Intense in the kind of monster, and self-preservation knowledge Dean instilled in her. Fanciful in the private, thoughtful times they spent together. Maybe some women can have a casual, one-time encounter with Dean Winchester and simply brush it off and move on like everything is normal, but some can’t. 

Brie was in the second group. Five and a half years had passed since their full on, hunter rolls into town, saves the girl, and the girl is grateful, meeting. From their first encounter, Brie silently hoped for more. To her, he was a real-life hero. Her hero. He was pretty easy on the eyes, too.  

Dean thought it was going to be just another one-night stand, but after spending two and half days with her, and getting to know her a little, he couldn’t bring himself to simply walk away. He was inexplicably drawn to her. It had been years since he had legitimately wanted to spend more than one night with a woman. She lived about as far away from the bunker as she could get, but usually if Dean wanted something, he could make it happen. 

As time went by, the two of them had gotten together whenever Dean was in town, or at least near town. They’d spend a night or two together, and even play a little at being domestic at her place. Dean could relax there. It was the stability he secretly craved. At Brie’s he could kick off his boots and just exist. Have a few home cooked meals and allow himself to be taken care of for a brief time. She even insisted on doing his laundry before letting him hit the road again. 

No one in Brie’s circle knew about Dean and his periodic visits. It was her secret. Something she didn’t even share with her closest friends. He only stopped by a few times a year, but after meeting Dean she never really felt like dating anyone else. She loved him. She just never told him. 

In truth, she never dated anyone else because she had found the one she wanted. She never told him because she knew the love thing wasn’t really Dean’s cup of tea. She knew she couldn’t have him, really, and she thought to tell him she loved him would push him away. She had resigned herself to taking what she could get, and if a few days of happiness a year was what he was offering, she would take it. She hadn’t put any strings on their relationship, and he hadn’t made any commitments to her. She was as content as she could be with that. 

Dean, for his part, liked the small amount of stability he gleaned from his relationship with Brie. Over the years he had come to feel like he was going home, in a way, when he visited her. He hadn’t told anyone about her. Not even Sam. Sam knew they had spent a couple of nights together after the boys saved her from that werewolf, but he had no idea Dean had been visiting her on a regular basis for years. Her place afforded him a time to relax and catch his breath. There were no expectations put on him there. 

Over the years they would talk occasionally by phone. She usually waited for him to call her. Brie knew that if she called him too often, she would want to talk to him every day, and thought that kind of neediness might not go over well with Dean. He would call sometimes after a hunt if he got his ass kicked, or on a bad day when he needed someone to lift his spirits. She was good at taking his mind off his troubles. He would find a quiet place to call and they would talk for a few minutes every now and then. Just long enough for her to give him a little encouragement. Even just a little small talk would do the trick sometimes. He had never told her, but really, he just wanted to hear a friendly voice that did not belong to his brother. 

He would also call when he was on his way to town to try and see her. Well, most of the time, anyway. Her heart would pound out of her chest when he told her he was heading her way. Yes, she loved him. More than that, she was in love with him. She sensed in her heart that he felt the same way, but she remained silent. If he did love her, maybe he would say it someday, or maybe he wouldn’t. This did not change her feelings or her desire to be a part of Dean’s life in whatever way he would have her. 

It was late Friday afternoon in early October some five and a half years after their first meeting when Brie received a text from Dean. It read, “Two hours away. Can I stop by?”

She responded, “Of course!”

She knew he must be feeling down on himself. She didn’t see him often but had known him for years. She knew his moods and patterns. The only time he asked if he could come by was when he was in a dark place, or having doubts about himself. Usually he would just say he was coming, or simply show up in her kitchen. A few times she had found him sleeping on her couch when she got home from work. 

The first time he turned up to visit, it was a complete surprise. It was summertime, just a few months after they met. She was coming home from work, and when she turned onto her street, there was Baby parked in front of her house. She found Dean laid out across the front seat, fast asleep. 

It was during that visit that she gave him a key. She wanted him to be able to just show up if he wanted to, but he had told her to keep her doors locked, so he couldn’t just let himself in. He could pick the lock, of course, but she had neighbors, and it wasn’t worth the risk of getting caught if he could just wait for her to get home. 

Two hours, she thought. She grabbed her car keys and headed out. It was nice to have a little advance notice to run out and grab a few things. Usually she would have to do that after he arrived, and she always hated to leave. They had such a limited amount of time to spend together. Using that time for shopping was not time well spent. 

The liquor store was her first stop. She didn’t usually keep beer in the house since she didn’t drink it.  Sweeter drinks, martinis, or the occasional shot of vodka or whiskey were more her thing. Dean, however loved his beer, and it always made her happy to see him kick his feet up in front of the TV or fireplace with his favorite brew.

The bakery was her second stop. If Dean was feeling down, pie would be a necessity. She picked up a cherry pie as well as a banana cream.

She had food in the house, but not necessarily food Dean would be enthusiastic about, so she hit the grocery store next. She picked up steaks, burgers, potatoes, and French fries, along with meat for sandwiches, pancake mix, assorted salty and sweet snacks, breakfast sausage, and a couple pounds or bacon. That should hold him, she thought with a smile. 

She headed back home and just as she finished putting everything away, she heard it. The familiar purr of Baby rolling into the driveway. A moment later he was walking through her back door into the kitchen.

She turned and smiled as they took a couple steps toward each other. She reached up to touch his face with a concerned look. He’d taken a beating from someone or something. He had a bruise over his left eye as well as a cut and swollen lower lip. He was almost always banged up when he arrived, and she never got used to it completely. He had a warmth for her in his eyes, but he looked bone-weary and burdened. 

Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. He buried his face in her neck as she rubbed his back with one hand and cradled his head with the other. She knew something was weighing on him. She could tell, even without him speaking. She could tell he was feeling unusually emotional.

“Shh, you’re here now, sweetie. It’s OK,” Brie said.

Dean took a deep breath and then a step back.

With a smile he said, “Hi.”

Brie’s face lit up as she replied, “Hi,” with a bit of a chuckle.

This greeting had become their own little tradition over the years.

He took her face in his hands and leaned down for a sensuous and comforting kiss, then whispered, eyes still closed, “I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah,” he replied with a smile, then resumed their kiss.

After a moment Brie pulled away and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“Starving. I haven’t eaten since this morning” he replied.

“OK, I’ve got a fridge full of food, or I can order us a pizza. Your choice.”

“Oh, pizza, for sure.”

“You got it,” she replied, grabbing the phone. 

She was not surprised. Dean loved her to cook for him, but the local pizza joint made the best pizza either of them had ever had. They ordered a pizza nearly every time Dean visited. 

She called in an order while Dean hugged her from behind and kissed her neck. Two pizzas would be way too much for them, but she figured she would send him off with the leftovers when he headed back out.

Brie grabbed Dean a beer from the fridge, as well as a bag of chips to tide him over, and they went and sat in the living room together. She turned on the radio and tuned it to the classic rock station, set the volume low, and went and sat on the couch next to Dean.

“How have you been?” he asked, before taking a long sip from his bottle.

“I’ve been fine, Dean, like always. I’m more interested in you right now. So… do you want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

“Whatever it is that’s bothering you,” she said, reaching for his hand.

“Why do you think something’s bother me?

“Dean,” she said, giving him a look that said, come on, really?

“Maybe later,” Dean finally replied. “Right now, I want to talk about you and just sit and relax,” he said kicking off his boots and putting his feet up on the table. He extended his left arm to her, motioning for her to scoot over. As she did, he put his arm around her, and she laid her head against his chest. 

She wouldn’t push him for the information. He was stubborn and would talk when and if he was ready, and not a moment sooner. Instead, she rubbed his chest and said, “I’ve missed you so much, Dean. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, baby. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Brie proceeded to tell him that nothing much had changed. She had taken a promotion at work, but other than that it was same old, same old. She talked about dinners with friends, a late-summer family get together in Connecticut, buying a new car, and all the other seemingly boring things she had done since their last visit.

After she finished, Dean asked, “So, have you been seeing anyone?”

This question really surprised her. He had never asked her that before. She was free to see other people, really. Dean hadn’t made any kind of commitment to her, and he had no illusions about their relationship. Still, he realized a long time ago that he had come to rely on her always just being there.

“No,” she replied as she smiled up at him and craned her neck for a kiss.

She knew better than to ask Dean if he had been seeing anyone. She knew he saw other women, but she really didn’t want to hear him say it. She wasn’t naive. She knew Dean liked women… a lot, and since it had been over three months since she had last seen him, she knew he had probably partaken of some local talent somewhere along the way.

They sat quietly for a while, just holding onto one another before Dean finally said, “Me neither.”

Brie, lost in her own thoughts, had momentarily forgotten what they had been talking about, and asked, “Me neither, what, sweetie?”

“I haven’t seen anyone either,” he replied, giving her a squeeze.

She sat up and looked at him with a surprised smile.

“Really? Why not?” she asked, without really meaning to. It just popped out. She wasn’t sure she was prepared for his answer.

“I don’t know. I guess I just really didn’t feel like it.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“That’s the pizza,” she said, jumping up.

“Here,” Dean said, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

“No, I’ve got it, sweetie. You sit.”

A couple minutes later, Dean heard Brie in the kitchen and got up to give her a hand. 

“You want to just eat in front of the TV and watch a movie?” she asked.

“I’d follow you anywhere,” he said, with a smile and a peck on the cheek.

“Yeah, OK,” she replied with a chuckle. “That’s the hunger talking.”

But it wasn’t. He had become really attached to her. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel like seeing anyone else, it was more that he only wanted to see her. He had just been biding his time until there was a job near enough that he could get there. This was one of the things that had been weighing on him. That nearby job just never came. 

Brie popped one of Dean’s favorite western movies into the DVD player and they sat and ate their pizza. Dean had a couple more beers while she sipped some iced tea. After they finished eating they just sat and watched the movie. Dean with his arm around her, caressing her shoulder, and Brie tucked in next to him, rubbing his chest. He was much quieter than usual, and she was worried about what was going on in his head. 

The movie ended, and Brie turned the TV off. 

“You OK?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dean replied, not very convincingly.

“Uh huh. Wanna try that again?”

“I do have a couple things I want to talk to you about, actually.”

“OK, shoot,” she replied.

“Not right now, babe. I’m really tired.”

“OK, well, why don’t you head to bed. I’m just going to clean this stuff up and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Dean gave her a squeeze and a brief kiss and headed off to the bedroom.

Brie wrapped up the leftover pizza and put the dishes in the dishwasher. She stopped to brush her teeth and pee, then headed to bed.

Dean was already fast asleep, his jeans and flannel shirt in a pile on the floor by the bed, and the overhead light still on. She was surprised he had taken the time to get undressed. Many times, on nights like this, she would find him laid out still fully clothed, boots and all. She picked up his clothes and draped them over the chair adjacent to the bed, then changed into a tee shirt and panties and slipped under the covers. 

He felt her next to him and let out a faint grunt while gathering her close. He wrapped an arm around her and she cuddled up to him. Everything felt right again. She felt safe and peaceful, and suddenly it was like he had been there all along. It was like he had never left. 

A couple hours later Dean got up to pee. When he returned to the bedroom he stood and watched Brie sleeping for a few moments before stripping out of his remaining clothes and slipping back into bed beside her. 

Brie didn’t know, because he had never told her, but she had provided him with the stability he had needed over the years. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough for him to get by with. On the darker days it gave him something positive to think about. On the coldest days, the days when he felt all hope slipping away and fear threatened to take over his mind, he would think of her and it would reignite a faint flame in his heart and warm him until he saw her again. Thoughts of her sustained him.

Dean woke Brie gently by cuddling up behind her and pulling her close to him. He brushed the hair from the back of her neck and kissed her gently. She whimpered softly and turned in his arms, brushing his cheek with her hand and kissing him. Dean carefully removed her tee shirt and panties and without a word he made love to her slowly and gently, and like he hadn’t a care in the world. And for a time, he didn’t. 

As they lay together, his arms around her, Brie finally spoke.

“Dean, I don’t want to push you, but I wish you would talk to me. I know something’s bothering you. You can tell me anything, you know,” she said, rubbing his chest. 

“I know, baby, I’m sorry,” Dean said. “It’s just, since I was here last time, I’ve been on a bunch of hunts and a couple of them were pretty rough. This last one… well, I wasn’t sure either of us were going to make it out alive.”

“Is that how you got this?” she asked, reaching up and brushing his forehead gently with her fingers.

“Yeah, that’s kind of why I’m here, actually. You know, I wasn’t a couple hours away today. Well, I was when I texted you, but I drove here from home. I wanted to see you, so I got in the car and drove east, and when I got close enough, I texted you.”

“Wow, what made you do that? What made you drive all that way just to see me?” she asked. “You’ve never done that before.”

The truth was, he had been desperate to see her. He had taken an awful beating from a demon on their last hunt. So had Sam. It took them days back at the bunker to even begin to recover physically. Dean felt emotionally defeated. He wanted to call her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, because he was afraid he would be too emotional when he heard her voice. If he was going to be emotional, he wanted to be able to physically hold onto her for support. He spent most of the time in his room alone. He would occasionally take his phone out and stare at her name in his contacts, but he could not bring himself to call. When he thought about how far away she was, and how it seemed like he would never be able to get there, he was overwhelmed. Finally, one night, he lay down to sleep and could not hold back the tears. At that moment he decided he needed to just go. 

“I just wanted to see you. I needed a little down time and I wanted to be here with you,” Dean replied. 

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to, you know that.”

“Thanks, babe,” Dean replied. He paused for a moment the continued, “There’s more, unless you’d rather sleep now and talk in the morning.”

“Well, now that I’ve got you talking, why don’t you keep going. Tell me what’s going on in your head, sweetie,” she said, squeezing him around the chest.

Dean lay there, trying to find the right words to even start saying what he wanted to say. He was struggling, and Brie could see it clear as day.

“Come on, Dean, it’s OK. No judgement here. You know anything you tell me is just between us,” Brie said.

“OK, well, here it is… I’ve been thinking I might like to tell Sam about us.”

“Oh?”

“Just oh? No other thoughts or feelings about that?” Dean asked.

“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure what emotions to express here. I mean, because…” she replied, her voice trailing off.

“Because?” Dean asks.

“Because, well, I do have some thoughts about this, but I don’t really want to say anything that might jeopardize the status quo we’ve got going here between us. I only get to see you a few times a year, Dean, but at least I get to see you. I’ve been content to take what I can get as far as spending time with you goes.”

This wasn’t one-hundred percent true. She wanted more. A lot more, but she never felt like she should push her luck and take a chance that he would never come back. 

 

Brie continued, “I’ve gotten to know you pretty well over the past five or so years and I know that talking about our feelings isn’t really your thing.”

“Well, it is tonight. Please tell me what you’re thinking,” he said in a whisper, kissing the top of her head. 

“OK, well, it makes me happy that you want to tell Sam. Really happy. It surprises me too. Five years, Dean, and you’ve never talked like this. I don’t want to push you into talking about your feelings, but I know something is weighing on you. I care about you a lot, Dean. I wish you were comfortable confiding in me.”

She lay on his chest, tears silently rolling down her cheeks because, in truth, she loved him, and she knew she couldn’t tell him.  

Dean could feel her warm tears landing on his bare chest. He squeezed her tighter and whispered, “Shh, don’t cry, baby. Everything’s gonna be OK. We’re gonna be OK. I promise.”

She propped herself up on her elbow and leaned in for kiss. Dean wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to his chest. She buried her face in his neck, closing her eyes and stroking his cheek. 

“I just don’t want to lose you, that’s all,” she said, in a faint whisper. 

“I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening,” Dean replied, taking her face in his hands and kissing her passionately. “I haven’t seen any other women lately because I’m always thinking about you.”

She laid her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes. 

They held each other in silence for a couple minutes before Dean finally said, quietly, “I love you, you know.”

Brie put her hand over her mouth and began to sob. She had waited five years to hear those words, yet she was still not prepared. She knew Dean never said these words, not to anyone, and she had given up hope of hearing them long ago.

“Shh,” Dean said as he rocked her in his arms, pressing his lips to her head. “I’m sorry I never told you,” he whispered.

The truth was he had always loved her. He depended on her for support, and the times he spent with her were some of the happiest of his life. He just never told her. He knew this was something she had wanted to hear for a very long time.

Finally, Brie collected herself and replied, “I love you too, Dean.”

She kissed his chest, closed her eyes and they were soon fast asleep once again, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

Chapter 4

In the morning, Brie awoke alone. Her heart sank as she assumed Dean was gone. She buried her face in his pillow, inhaling his scent. It was rare that he would stay for such a short time, or leave without saying goodbye, but it had happened once or twice over the years. Still, it was disappointing after what they had talked about the night before. 

Just as she was about to let herself cry it out into his pillow she heard footsteps coming up the hall toward the bedroom.

As Dean walked into the room, she said, “I thought maybe you left.”

Dean sat on the side of the bed next to her and leaned in for a kiss.

“You thought I would leave without saying goodbye after what we talked about last night?”

“Well, I didn’t know. I just woke up and you we gone, so I thought maybe—”

“Well, you thought wrong,” he said with a smile as he took her hand and kissed it.

“I also thought maybe you would want to forget all about what we said to each other last night,” she replied, squeezing his hand and looking away from him. 

Dean motioned for her to slide over so he could lie down beside her. He wrapped an arm around her as she curled up next to him. He let out a heavy sigh and said, “I’m still not very comfortable talking about my feelings. You know, chick-flick and all that, but I don’t want to forget what we said last night. No one ever taught me how to say that, you know, but I still feel it.”

“I know, Dean. I know it’s complicated and uncomfortable for you, and if you don’t want to say it, I get it, but is it OK if I say it? Because I do, you know. I do love you, but I never said anything because I didn’t want to scare you off.”

“You can say whatever you want to. You’re not going to scare me off,” he said with a smile and kiss.

“Well, in that case, you should know, I’ve loved you since I met you. OK, well, after I elbowed you in the face anyway,” she said, looking up at him with a smile. “You put your hand on my back and asked me if I was OK, and I haven’t been the same since.”

“I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me that,” Dean said.

“Well, now we both know, and I’m really happy,” she replied.

“Me too, baby.”

“OK, good,” she said stretching for a brief kiss. “Listen, you can stay in bed if you want. I’m going to start breakfast. Do you want bacon or sausages with your pancakes?” Brie asked.

“Bacon, please.”

“You got it, give me about a half hour.”

Breakfast was almost ready when Dean appeared in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Brie from behind and kissed her on the neck before going to sit at the table.

Dean enjoyed the home cooked meal, while Brie enjoyed the rare indulgence of the pancakes. Eating wise, Dean was a bad influence on her.

“Do you want to get out and do something today?” she asked.

“Like I said, I’ll follow you anywhere,” Dean replied with a smile. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve been wanting to check out the fall colors. We could head over to the French King Bridge and hike the trails there. I was going to go by myself this weekend anyway, but I know you spend a lot of time in the woods, so maybe that’s not much fun for you though,” she said, adding a chuckle.

“No, that sounds great, babe. Let’s do it,” he replied.

After breakfast, Brie took a shower while Dean sat in the bathroom and listened to her tell him about her new position at work. She laughed at how boring it must sound compared to his line of work. Then, while Dean showered, he did likewise and told her about his jobs as she dried her hair and applied her makeup. Over the years Dean had become much more comfortable telling her about his hunts and what was out there. After all, they met while he was hunting a werewolf, so monsters were not exactly a secret. 

Brie packed them a lunch in her backpack and they headed out around 11 a.m.

The French King Bridge was a local historical landmark. The beautiful arch bridge was situated high over the Connecticut River, and to really take it in, you needed to hike one of the trails down to the clearing where there was a park at the river’s edge. This time of year, with the leaves changing color, it was a very popular spot for locals and tourists.

It was just a short thirty-minute drive from the house to the bridge, and they were soon out enjoying the crisp but sunny fall day. There were a lot of people standing and taking photographs on the bridge, and they could see from there that the park was also teaming with sightseers, but the trail itself was relatively quiet.

As they walked the trail down to the river, Brie took Dean’s hand, and said, “Can I ask you something serious?”

“Sure,” Dean replied.

“What made you finally decide to tell me that you love me?” she asked, wrapping both her arms around his left arm, and looking up at him as they walked.

“Wow, that is a serious question,” Dean replied, laughing nervously.

“I warned you, but hey, you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to,” she replied, letting go of his arm. 

Dean took her hand again, and led her a few steps off the path, and sat down on a large rock. Brie sat beside him.

He pressed her hand to his lips, then said, “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while. Almost dying recently kind of made it seem a little more urgent. Then, driving here it seemed like every classic rock station was playing nothing but power ballads. When they played Boston’s, Amanda, I finally threw up my hands and said, ‘OK, I get it!’ I mean, how could I ignore a sign like that?”

They looked at each other and smiled, as Brie replied, “I love that song.”

“I know,” Dean replied. “Between the lyrics and the fact that I know you love that song, I decided the universe was confirming what I already knew. That it was time to come clean and finally tell you.”

They shared a soft kiss until they heard a few people walking down the path near where they sat.

“Thanks for telling me that. It’s very sweet,” Brie said.

“OK, don’t spread that around,” he replied with a wink.

“OK, it stays between us,” she replied, with a laugh as they started back down the path.

About ten minutes later they arrived in the park at the base of the trail. They walked to the edge of the river and looked back up to the bridge.

“Amazing,” Brie said.

“Wow, it really is. Look at that,” Dean said, stepping in next to her, and wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

She turned to face him and glanced around with the thought of stealing a kiss if no one was looking, when someone caught her eye.

“Oh, crap,” she said, as she stepped to the side, trying to use Dean to block her from view. 

“What?” Dean asked.

“It’s Tim. Come one, we need to go.”

“Your ex, Tim?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, come on,” she said, tugging at his arm.

“Brie, you dumped him before we even met, and it looks like he’s with that blonde chick anyway. What’s going on?”

“Listen, there are things I never told you because I didn’t want to bother you with it, and I didn’t want you to get mad. Let’s just go, and I’ll tell you all about it in the car or something.”

“Brie…” he said, tilting his head at her, and sounding a combination of angry and annoyed because she had obviously been keeping something serious from him. 

They tried to casually make their way back to the trail unnoticed when they heard Tim call, “Brie?”

“Dammit,” Brie said, under her breath, dropping her head. She turned around just as he was reaching them and said, “Hi, Tim,” very unenthusiastically. “We were just heading out,” she added, hoping they could still get away.

Tim ignored her attempt to cut him off and said, “You look great. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. Tim, this is Dean,” Brie said.

Tim extended his hand to Dean, but instead of shaking his hand, Dean simply gave him a stone-faced nod, and wrapped an arm around Brie’s shoulder.

“Oh, is this the guy who drives that crappy old black car?” Tim asked.

“How do you—” Brie began, but Dean cut her off.

“First of all, watch it. Second, how do you know what my car looks like?” Dean asked taking a step forward. He looked huge as he looked down on Tim, who was only a couple inches shorter.

“I’ve seen it when I drove past the house. Listen, Brie—” Tim began to say as he took a step toward her.

Dean put a hand out to block him, but did not touch him. 

Tim swatted Dean’s hand away and took another step toward Brie, reaching out to try and touch her. 

Brie flinched and took a step back and tried to put Dean between herself and Tim. 

That was all it took. Dean grabbed Tim’s outstretched arm, turned him around, and held his arm at a sharp angle against his back. It all happened in a blink.

“What the hell are you doing driving past her house? She lives on a dead-end street, asshole,” Dean growled in his ear. “You have no business driving down that street, and if I hear about you doing it again, I will find you, do you understand?”

Tim simply nodded his head. He couldn’t really speak and knew he was one-hundred percent outmatched. As it happens, physical confrontation wasn’t his thing unless he was trying to intimidate a woman.

“If I hear about you bothering her, talking to her, or even looking at her, you will have to deal with me, you got that?” Dean said, still growling, then letting go of his arm and giving him a bit of a shove.

“Yeah, I got it,” Tim replied, rubbing his elbow as he walked away.

Dean was still seeing red when he turned back to Brie. She looked panicked and was breathing heavy. She could feel her heart pounding.

Dean took her by the shoulders and asked, “Are you OK?”

“Yeah,” she replied in a whisper, nodding her head and looking up at him with fear in her eyes.

He hadn’t seen her look like that since the werewolf.

“Come on,” he said, wrapping an arm around her and leading her toward a picnic table across the park.

“No, I want to get out of here,” she said, tugging at his arm.

“No, look, he’s going… see? We’re staying. Come on.”

Brie watched over her shoulder as Tim and his companion headed up the path.

Dean took the backpack from her and sat her down at the table, taking a seat beside her. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding.

“Still my hero,” she said. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” he said. It was a lie, of course. He was pissed, and at that moment was still wishing he had pounded Tim into the ground. “Do you want to tell me what the hell that was all about? I thought you dumped that guy before we met?”

She had, actually, about a week before the werewolf. It was one of the reasons she was out jogging that night. She always used running to clear her head and she really needed it during that time. 

She and Tim had dated for about six months when she began to realize he was too possessive for her liking. It made her uncomfortable, and she planned to break it off with him before it got any worse. Then, one night, she was out for dinner and drinks with some friends from work when Tim showed up wanting to take her home. She told him she was going to finish dinner, he should go home, and she would call him later. It was then that he grabbed her forcefully by the arm and started to pull her away from the table.

Brie fought him by hanging onto the table with her free hand and literally digging in her heels. Her friends came to her defense and were able to release her from Tim’s grasp. Brie and her friends convinced him that he should leave, and luckily, he did. She called him that night and told him it was over. 

Brie had told Dean all this many years ago. She recalled her entire relationship with Tim, and the incident in the restaurant to him on his second visit. This was why Dean took him down fast, as soon as he looked like he was going to put his hands on her.

“Listen, I never told you about the times I’ve run into him since we split because I didn’t want to upset you,” she said.

“Brie,” he said, shaking his head, and sounding angry.

“I’m sorry, Dean. I just didn’t want you to kill him,” she said, only half joking.

“Well, I still might. Let’s have some lunch, and I want you to tell me everything. I mean it, Brie, everything.”

He was in full-on protection mode. She hadn’t seen him like this since the werewolf. It was both comforting and scary. 

She dug into her bag and pulled out their sandwiches and bottled water, along with a bag of chips, and some cookies for Dean’s sweet tooth. As they ate she told him everything. Every time she had run into Tim at the store, the gas station, the local pub where she occasionally grabbed cocktails with the girls. Come to think of it, she ran into him a lot. 

“Do you think he’s stalking you? What does he say when he sees you? Has he ever grabbed you since that time in the restaurant?” Dean asked, peppering her with questions. 

“Well, he grabbed my arm once at the grocery store as I was trying to leave. I have no idea why he can’t move on. I mean, we only dated for a few months. I don’t know if he’s stalking me. I never thought about it, but I had no idea he was driving past the house. That’s a little weird.”

“It’s more than weird, Brie. He’s stalking you. Far be it from me to want to get the cops involved with anything, but this guy worries me… a lot.” Dean said.

“Come on, what am I gonna tell the cops? I run into him around town quite a bit? They’ll think I’m nuts. Listen, the police station is less than a mile away, so if he comes to the house, they will get a call, trust me.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I just worry about you, that’s all.”

“I know you do, sweetie. You’re my hero. Five years ago, today, and always,” she said, looking for a kiss. “And listen, I didn’t know he was driving by the house, that’s true, but I never worried too much about him because you taught me how to protect myself. I’ve got my gun, and I’ve got knives stashed all over the place.” Brie said.

“True,” he replied with a smile.

They moved to one of the benches near the river bank and just sat for a while and talked. Brie snuggled in close to Dean and he wrapped his arm around her. 

“I’m glad you made me stay. It’s a beautiful day, and I’m glad you didn’t let that jerk ruin it,” she said.

A little while later they decided to make their way back up the trail to the car, and head home. 

In the car, Dean said, “I want you to tell me where Tim lives and what kind of car he drives.”

“Dean, what are you going to do to him?”

“Nothing,” Dean said, with a laugh. “I just want to check him out, you know, his background, and stuff like that. I want to see if he’s really dangerous or just an ass.”

“OK, fine. He drives a Camry. 2016, I think. I’ll write his address down for you when we get home.”

Back at the house Dean did his thing and researched Tim. He did not like what he found.

“This guy is bad news, Brie,” Dean said.

“What do you mean? What did he do?” she replied.

“Looks like he got physical with another woman before you guys started dating. Police report says he broke her nose, and she still has a protection order against him.”

“Holy shit,” she said, as she looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.

“Have you ever thought about moving?”

Brie just laughed.

“I’m serious. How am I supposed to leave you here now?”

“Sweetie, no, I love it here. I’d have to sell the house…” she said.

“OK, well, think about moving… seriously. In the meanwhile, you have a carry permit for your pistol, and I think you should start carrying it. You’re ready. I’ll get you some pepper spray too. And, if he ever gets in this house, hold your gun on him until the cops get here. If he makes a move toward you… shoot him.”

“Dean…” she said, walking away, shaking her head.

Yes, she owned a gun and knew how to use it, but she always thought if it came right down to it, she couldn’t shoot anyone. 

He got up and walked to where she stood at the kitchen counter, turned her to him and hugged her tight, saying, “Baby, if he gets in this house it will be to hurt you. Make no mistake. It’s you or him if that happens. You shoot him if you have to, do you hear me?” Dean said quietly. 

“Yeah, I know. I hear you.”

“I want you to call me if you ever see him… anywhere. If you see him drive by, or you think he’s following you, call me,” Dean said.

“OK, I will,” she said squeezing him tight then letting go. “I need to get these hiking boots off. I’ll be right back.”

She headed to her bedroom, and when she didn’t return, Dean went looking for her. He found her sitting on the far side of the bed, staring out the bedroom window.

“Brie?” he said quietly.

“I’m scared,” she replied in a whisper.

Dean walked around the bed, sat beside her, took her hand and kissed it. 

“I’m sorry you’re scared, but you needed to know that so you can be prepared. You’re gonna be fine.”

She buried her face in his chest as he wrapped both of his arms around her.

“Remember the werewolf? How scared you were then? You felt much better after just a couple days. It’ll be the same this time.”

“That was because of the great sex, though,” she said, muffled into his chest, and they both burst out laughing.

“OK, well, if that’s the medicine for this disease, we’re in good shape,” Dean replied still laughing.

“OK, good,” she replied.

“Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor, baby,” he said, kissing her forehead.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Brie was feeling much better. A little tumble between the sheets, and a good night’s sleep in Dean’s strong arms always helped, but he also had a way making her believe that everything would truly be all right. 

After breakfast, Brie sat across Dean’s lab at the table, wrapped her arms around his neck, and asked, “What do you feel like doing today?”

“You mean, besides you?” he replied, playfully biting her neck.

“You’re such a perv,” she said.

“You love it.”

“Yeah, I do,” she replied, laughing.

“Seriously though, if it’s OK with you, I think I’d just like to hang out here. Maybe watch some movies. Just chill,” Dean replied.

“Fine by me, sweetie. This your down time.”

After his shower, Dean was brushing his teeth when he called down the hall to her, “Hey, your faucet has a pretty serious drip.”

“Yeah, I know. I really should call someone to fix it before my water bill goes up,” she called back.

“I’ll fix it before I leave,” Dean replied as he walked into the bedroom.

It took her a few seconds to respond as the word leave stuck in her head. The hardest part of his periodic visits was the overwhelming sadness she felt after he left. She had never told him that either.

“No, sweetie, I don’t want to put you to work while you’re here. Plus, you just said you wanted to relax today.”

“All it’ll take is a trip to the hardware store and about 15 minutes with the sink. I’m doing it,” he said with a smile, while pulling her into a warm embrace. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“OK, I know how stubborn you are, so I’ll just say, fine.”

Dean picked a movie from Brie’s large collection of DVDs and they cuddled up together on the couch. It was an action flick this time. With Dean it was usually action or westerns. They had both seen it, but what neither of them remembered was the explicit love scene plunked down somewhere in the middle of it.

The scene in front of them was having quite an effect on Brie. She began slowly running her hand up and down Dean’s inner thigh, giving it an occasional squeeze. She knew her ministrations were having the desired effect by the way he was squirming. She knew she was achieving her goal.

She raised her hand and turned his head toward her and kissed him passionately. In minutes they were both out of most of their clothes and were making love at a feverish pace on the sofa.

After they dressed, Brie fell asleep curled up next to Dean, her head resting on his thigh as he stroked her back. Dean pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her, then turned off the movie and closed his eyes.

Brie woke about an hour later to the sound of Dean snoring, his head tilted back and his mouth wide open. She got up and watched him for a moment before leaning in to place a kiss on his jaw. He woke with a start.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. “It’s a little late for a big lunch, but I can fix you a sandwich if you want.”

“Sounds great, babe, thanks.”

Later in the afternoon, as they were sitting on the sofa and talking, Dean’s phone rang. It was Sam. 

“Hey, Sammy. What’s up?” Dean asked.

He shot Brie a nervous smile as she took his hand, lacing their fingers together and giving it a squeeze.

Dean hadn’t planned on broaching the subject over the phone, but now he was wondering if this might be his opportunity to break the ice and not have to actually see the look on Sam’s face. 

Dean had told Sam he needed some time to clear his head after hunting non-stop for weeks, and then getting their asses handed to them the week prior. He said he was taking a ride to their dad’s storage locker in upstate New York. Sam offered to go with him, but Dean said he would really rather just go alone. The difference between driving to Buffalo and driving to Brie’s was only a few hours, so he figured this was a good cover story. What Dean hadn’t planned on was all the thinking he would do while on the road. It was during the drive that he decided he wanted to tell Sam and put an end to the stressful secret.  

“Hey, did you get what you needed at the locker? Are you on your way home?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, not exactly, Sam. Are you home?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, I’m home. What do you mean, not exactly? What’s going on? Are you OK?” Sam asked, sounding worried.

“Everything’s fine, Sam. I’ll be home in a few days. I’ve got something I need to talk to you about, but I didn’t really want to do that over the phone.”

“Well, you’re scaring the crap out of me, Dean, so you better tell me something or I’m going to trace this call and track you down,” Sam replied.

“OK, OK, Sammy, take it easy,” Dean replied with a chuckle. “I’m in western Massachusetts. I didn’t go to Buffalo to the locker. I—” Dean started before Sam cut him off.

“What the hell are you doing in western Mass., Dean? Are you on a job?” Sam said, now at a full yell.

Dean held the phone away from his ear and looked over at Brie, who flashed him a very nervous smile.

“Sam, just relax and let me talk and I’ll tell you everything. Then, after that, if you want my twenty, I’ll tell you where I am, and you can come see for yourself that I’m fine. OK?”

Sam could be heard taking a deep breath before he said in a more level tone, “OK, go. Tell me what’s going on.”

“OK, I’ve been seeing a woman, and I’m at her place. We’ve—”

“A woman? What are you talking about? Did you test her?”

“Sam! You just said you would let me talk,” Dean said, impatiently. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, go,” Sam replied.

“Do you remember that girl, Brie? We saved her from a werewolf back about five and a half years ago in western Mass.?” Dean asked.

“Vaguely. I remember you disappearing for two days with her after we saved her, though.”

“Yeah, well, I’m at her place. We’ve been seeing each other since the werewolf. When I need a little down time, or when we’re in the area, I come here and spend a day or two,” Dean said.

Sam was silent.

“And no, I didn’t test her, but I think she’s good,” Dean said winking at her.

Still, Sam said nothing.

“OK, Sammy, it’s your turn to talk now.”

“I don’t really know what to say, Dean. I can’t believe you managed to keep this from me all these years. We’re definitely going to have to talk about you keeping this a secret, but for now, I guess I’m happy you’re spending time with someone who you care about,” Sam said.

“Actually, she takes really good care of me, and, well…” Dean paused. 

“What, Dean?”

“Don’t get all girlie on me or anything, but… I love her, actually,” Dean said, looking into her eyes.

Brie had no idea he planned to tell Sam that part of the story, and she felt a little overwhelmed as the tears started to flow again. Dean wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his chest.

Dean hadn’t planned on saying it either, but he figured he was in deep already, so why not go all the way and get it over with.

“Wow, OK, Dean. I can’t believe this. We have a lot of talking to do. I’m kind of stunned here, but I’m happy for you. That’s really great. How long are you planning on staying there?” 

“Probably another day or two. I’ll call you when I leave. Don’t go looking for any jobs until I get back. You can use a few more days off too, Sam.”

“Yeah, OK, Dean, don’t worry,” Sam replied.

“OK, good. Call me if you need me,” Dean said before hanging up.

“Are you OK? How’d he take it?” Brie asked him.

“Yeah, I’m good. He took it pretty well, but I think he might be in shock and a little pissed. Secrets, you know,” he said, laughing.

The secret was a problem that he and Sam would have to dive into when Dean returned home, but Sam was feeling truly happy, and even proud, of his big brother. This was huge. Not only had he found a woman to spend time with, but he loved her, and he admitted it… out loud. He said the actual words. Sam was a little stunned by it. He had known for years, that despite what Dean said, he wanted someone in his life. He wanted a stable relationship. If that’s what this was, then he was happy Dean had found it.  

Dean felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.  Two, in fact. 

Not telling Sam had been weighing on him for quite a while. Over the years, secrets had nearly destroyed them. Dean knew keeping this relationship from Sam was a bad idea, but he desperately wanted something for himself. They spent nearly every day together, all their lives, so neither of them really had anything that was theirs and theirs alone. He wanted to be able to see Brie without any criticism or judgement. As the years went on, the secret began to eat away at him and he lived in fear of Sam finding out somehow. If that happened, the results could have been devastating. He knew he would have to face the music when he got back to the bunker, but at least this way, Sam would have a few days to wrap his head around it first. 

Not telling Brie how he really felt about her had been bringing him down too. Dean was not one to discuss his feelings, but he did have them. Over the years he spent as much time with her as was possible because he really cared for her and he knew she cared for him. She put no expectations on him, and in the beginning that was a real novelty. Later, he found that when he was with another woman his thoughts were of Brie. He even felt a little guilty, despite the fact that they were not committed to one another. After some serious soul searching he realized this was because he loved her. Still, over a year had passed since the realization and he was only now telling her. Nearly dying… again, had made him see the urgency a little more clearly.

“Can I tell you something chick-flicky?” Brie asked.

“You are the only one allowed to be chick-flicky with me,” Dean replied, putting an arm around her. 

“You’ve really surprised me… in so many ways. I’m proud of you, and I love you, Dean.”

“Well, I’m not that good at saying it, but I do love you, Brie. Even if I don’t say it, I hope you’ll never doubt it.”

“OK, I won’t,” she replied.

They shared a passionate kiss and Dean seemed to be rapidly getting carried away as his hands roamed her body. 

Brie pushed away gently, saying, “Easy, cowboy. I don’t want you wearing yourself out before bedtime. I want to be nice and relaxed when I close my eyes, if you know what I mean, so save it,” she said with a wink. “Besides I need to get started making dinner. What’ll it be? I have steaks and I have burgers.”

“Those New York strips I like?” Dean asked.

“Of course.”

“Sounds great, babe.”

While Brie cooked dinner, Dean flipped on the TV and promptly fell asleep. Another thing he loved about being at her place was the rest he got. There wasn’t anything for him to do there but relax.

The next thing he knew, she was gently waking him by running her fingers through his hair and stroking his cheek.

“Dinner’s ready,” she said quietly, smiling down at him.

“Sorry, I guess I was tired,” he replied with a chuckle, as he got up from the sofa.

“Don’t apologize, sweetie. I want you to relax here.”

Brie had grilled some beautiful steaks and served them with oven roasted potatoes and a salad, which was really just for her.

After dinner Dean lit a fire in the fireplace and Brie grabbed a couple of blankets. They tossed a bunch of pillows down and cuddled up together in front of the fire, Dean with a beer and Brie with a glass of wine. 

Dean wrapped an arm around her as she snuggled up to his chest.

Finally, Dean spoke quietly. “Brie, you know, if you want to see other people, you can. It’s OK.”

He didn’t really mean it. It would break his heart, but at the same time he wanted to make sure she was happy.

Brie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What happened between this afternoon and tonight that brought this on, she wondered.

Brie sat up, and with a look of disbelief said, “What… what are you talking about? The other night… this afternoon… you said—”

“I know what I said,” Dean replied quietly. “I’m just saying, if you want a chance to be happy, maybe you should—”

“No… no, you can’t do this. You can’t say what you said… you can’t tell me you love me then turn around and try to get rid of me and disguise it as doing what’s best for me. You can’t do that, Dean,” she said angrily.

Brie got up and stormed out of the room, and Dean realized he had obviously said the wrong thing. Actually, he said what he felt he needed to say, but he probably could have phrased it better, to say the least. A few minutes passed, and Dean knew he had to go find her and try to explain himself and make things right. 

She was feeling devastated, confused, and hurt. She had been on an emotional roller coaster ever since Dean arrived, and this was the last straw. She went from happy Dean was there, to elated at the revelation that he loved her, to frightened of her ex, back to happy that Dean told Sam, and now she was crash-landing on heartbroken. 

Dean found her in bed. She was crying, and as he entered the room she turned on her side, putting her back to him as she wiped her face with her hands. 

He lay down beside her and tugged on her arm. “Come here,” he said.

She turned in place and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I guess I really said the wrong thing. It’s just… You’re a very special woman, Brie, and I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy, you jerk. What we have makes me happy, and if this is all there is for us, I don’t care. You’re a good man, Dean, the best I’ve even known, and you make me happy. Why are you trying to push me away all of a sudden?” she said, still crying.

“I’m not. I just needed to put that out there as an option for you.”

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself a little, and said, “Dean, I haven’t dated any other men, not even casually, since I met you.”

“You never told me that,” Dean said, sounding surprised.

“Well, you never asked. I don’t want anyone else, Dean. Can’t you see that?”

“I’m sorry, Brie. Listen, if you want me to stick around, that’s what I’m gonna do. I don’t really want anything to change, except maybe seeing you more often. I told you I love you, and I meant it,” he replied, kissing the top of her head.

“Well, I don’t want anything to change either, so can we not talk about this anymore?” Brie asked.

“OK, fine,” Dean replied, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. 

They lay in bed holding onto one another for a few minutes before she said, “I’m cold. Want to go back to the fire?”

“Yeah, come on,” he said, getting up and taking her hand.

They settled back in by the fireplace and Brie was still feeling a little shaken about what they had just talked about. 

Dean could tell she was still preoccupied by what he had said. He knew he had to find a way to make it up to her.

After a few minutes he asked, “So, do you want to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?”

This was rare. They had gone out to dinner twice in all the years Dean had been visiting, and that was only because he popped in on her and there was no food in the house. 

“Really?” she asked with a broad, excited smile.

“Yeah, a nice dinner maybe? I have my suit in the car.”

“So, you’re staying a while longer?”

“Yeah, now that Sam knows, I don’t have to rush back to make my cover story work.”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Dean had said just the right thing to turn her mood around and she was already beginning to believe that everything would be all right.

Brie ran her hands up under his tee shirt and Dean quickly stripped it off over his head.

“You want to head to the bedroom?” Dean whispered as he kissed her neck. 

“No… here,” Brie replied.

There was never any shortage of sex when Dean visited, and neither of them had a problem with that. Dean had been her only partner since she met him. She didn’t want anyone else, even if there was no future promised. Dean had not seen another woman in quite some time either. Back in the dark corners of his mind, he really only wanted her, even if it took him years to realize it. 

They made love in front of the fire then, as they cuddled together, Brie found the nerve to ask the question she had wanted to ask for years. 

“Dean… am I your girlfriend?” she asked in the tiniest voice.

“Yeah, baby, you’re my girlfriend. Am I your boyfriend?”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

They fell asleep wrapped in one another’s arms, then around 2 a.m. Brie heard Dean moving around in the kitchen. She pulled on some clothes and found him taking the banana cream pie out the fridge.

She hugged him from behind as he said, “Thank you for always buying me pie. That bakery downtown is amazing.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. I just want you to be happy,” she replied.

“Well, I am,” he replied. “Want a piece?” 

“Yeah, a small one.”

They enjoyed their pie, then Dean made sure the fireplace was secured, and they headed to bed.

Chapter 6

The following morning, Monday, Brie let her boss know she would be out for a few days. She always took spur of the moment vacation time when Dean visited.

In the afternoon, Brie was in the basement starting a load of Dean’s clothes in the washer. As she ascended the steps to the kitchen Dean called to her, “Hey, have you been keeping up with your shooting?”

“Of course,” she replied as she walked into the kitchen. “Every month, just like you told me to. I’ve got the targets in my office. Want to see them?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah, let me see them, and bring me your pistol too. I want to clean it for you,” Dean said. “And that bowie I know you keep under your pillow. Bring me that too. It’s dull,” he said with a wink.

Dean had taught her very well how to protect herself. He taught her gun safety and she was a member of the local gun club where she used the shooting range every month for target practice. She carried a folding pocket knife just like his in her purse, and had other knives stashed around the house, including the silver knife he gave her when they met, and a very large bowie she kept sheathed under her pillow. She hadn’t told him it was there, but he didn’t miss a trick.

She brought him the requested items and he sat at the kitchen table to do his work. Looking at the targets, he said, “Hey, these are awesome,” as he noted all the bull’s-eyes.

Dean cleaned her pistol and sharpened her knife, then announced he was heading to the hardware store to get the parts he needed to fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom. The nearest place for Dean to pick up the parts he needed was about fifteen minutes away, so at least she knew this little endeavor to fix the sink wouldn’t take up too much of his time. 

As Dean left for the store, Brie locked her pistol back up and put it on the shelf in her office closet, then crossed the hall to her bedroom. She wanted to get the bed sheets in the washing machine and get fresh ones on the bed. 

As she tossed the pillows and blankets on the chair, she thought she heard something odd. Did I just hear that, or am I imagining things? She thought. A split second later, she was sure. She was hearing glass breaking in the kitchen.

Brie darted across the hall to her office. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the figure of a man in her kitchen, but did not stop to take a closer look. Dean always told her to stay focused. She grabbed the lock box containing her pistol, and the key from her desk drawer. She was shaking uncontrollably, but managed to get the gun free of the box. She loaded the magazine, chambered a round, and removed the safety, as she moved to the office doorway. 

She had made a considerable amount of noise retrieving her gun, so she was sure whoever, or whatever, this was knew she was in there. She heard footsteps slowly coming up the hall toward her as she tried to calm herself with a few deep breaths, again, just like Dean had taught her.

She quickly stepped out into the hallway, gun drawn.

It was Tim, and he was just inches away from her now.

He grabbed her upper arm forcefully, but Brie reacted quickly kneeing him in the groin. Dean’s words, “if he gets in the house, it will be to hurt you,” echoed in her head. 

Tim stumbled back down the hallway, but quickly regained himself and began to advance on her again, although he was doubled over in pain. 

“Get down on the floor!” Brie yelled.

“Woah, woah, woah. Brie, I just want to talk to you,” he said.

“Get down, now!” Brie repeated.

He was holding his hands up, but he was still slowly moving toward her. She was in a panic, but she could hear Dean in her head. 

Dean had spent a lot of time teaching her how to defend herself. He couldn’t be there often, and he always worried about her living on her own. She took a deep breath and tried to allow the training to take over.

Tim was still advancing on her, and she literally had her back against the wall. She fired a warning shot into the ceiling, just as Dean had told her to do. Tim hit the floor as the plaster from the ceiling fell around him. 

“OK, OK, don’t shoot! Jesus Christ!” he yelled.

“Put your hands behind your head and lace your fingers!” Brie said, still yelling.

Tim complied.

“Cross your legs at your ankles!”

Again, Tim did not hesitate to follow her command. 

Her phone was on the kitchen table. Since she knew Dean would be back soon, she decided to hold Tim there until he got back. She couldn’t take a chance that he would get up or try to grab her. She would have to literally step over him in order to get to the kitchen.

After a couple of minutes, Tim asked, “How long are you going to leave me like this?”

“Not long. Dean will be back in a few minutes,” she replied in a controlled and even tone. 

“Who is that guy?” Tim asked.

Brie did not answer. She knew he was trying to engage her in conversation to distract her and get her to let her guard down.

“Brie, I just—”

“Shut your mouth. Do not talk,” Brie replied forcefully, cutting him off.

Tim was silent and remained still. Finally, about twenty minutes after Tim had broken into the house, Brie heard Baby pull into the driveway.

As Dean approached the back door, he found it ajar, glass everywhere.

“Brie!” he yelled in a panic.

“I’m here. I’m OK,” she yelled back.

He rounded the corner, gun drawn.

“Get your handcuffs,” Brie said, without taking her eyes off Tim. “I have him.” Her voice was calm and level.

Dean ran back to the car and grabbed his cuffs as well as his fake FBI credentials, and was back in just seconds.

Back in the hallway, Dean kneeled on Tim’s back and cuffed him, roughly. “I thought I told you stay away from her,” he growled.

Dean sat Tim up against the wall. He was seeing red. What he really wanted to do was snap his neck, but he knew he couldn’t lay a hand on him. Dean wanted to be sure everything was very clear cut for the cops. As a repeat offender, Tim was likely to do jail time this time around.

“Are you OK?” Dean asked Brie.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, coldly, still no taking her eyes off Tim. 

“OK, I have him. Why don’t you go and call the cops,” Dean said.

A moment later, Dean heard Brie on the phone.

“You have just made the biggest mistake of your life, pal,” Dean said.

Tim did not reply, or even look up. 

Brie’s house was just one street away from the police station, so within minutes the cops were there. In fact, it looked like every cop was there. It was a small town. Only six police officers were employed there, and four of them were soon entering the house through the open back door. 

Two officers removed Tim from the house, placing him in their car, and taking him to the police station. The other two officers stayed with Brie and Dean to get their statements. They also called in a crime scene expert to gather evidence, like finger prints, and take pictures. 

Massachusetts has strict gun laws, but he officers were quick to reassure Brie that her actions appeared to be perfectly lawful. They just needed to see where and how she stored her weapon, and they needed to see her permit. They watched her clear the pistol and secure it again in its lock box, and they were satisfied. Another thing they were, was impressed. She was calm and collected. Dean knew this look, however. She was in shock and would let it all out later. 

The police took their statements, Brie’s account first, then Dean’s. They sat on the loveseat, Brie holding Dean’s left hand with both of hers, while the two officers sat opposite them on the sofa.

Dean wanted to avoid having to break out his fake FBI identification, so he had put away his pistol before the cops arrived. If questions arose that required him to play the G-Man, he was ready, but thought it would be better in the long run if it didn’t come up.

Brie told the cops exactly what had happened, every detail intact. There was no need to add anything or embellish. It was all pretty cut and dried, and the fact that Brie was a law-abiding citizen with not so much as a speeding ticket, while Tim had a history of assault, certainly made it seem like this would be an open and shut case. 

Upon hearing that Tim had grabbed her with a good amount of force, the cops asked to take a look at Brie’s arm. She rolled up her sleeve to expose the skin that had already begun to bruise. The crime scene investigator took photographs, and the lead officer told her Tim would not only be charged with breaking and entering, but also assault. Without a doubt, Tim would be going to jail.

Brie would be granted a temporary protection order automatically, but would have to go to court to get something more permanent. The police advised her it would simply be a formality. The police report and their testimony would be enough to ensure Tim could not go near her for a very long time.

There were statements to sign, along with other paperwork related to the protection order, and a contractor who worked with the police department was on his way to board up the window Tim had broken in the kitchen door. The officers gave their business cards to Brie and Dean and prepared to leave. 

The officers shook Brie’s hand, and one of them said, “I’m sorry this happened to you, Miss, but you did just what you should have done.”

Brie thanked him, quietly, as he shook Dean’s hand and said, “You should be proud of her, man.”

“I am,” Dean replied, smiling down at her. 

The contractor arrived, just as the police left. He cleaned up the glass, boarded up the window, and was gone within thirty minutes. 

Once everyone had gone, Dean pulled Brie to his chest and held her tight. He said nothing. He was scared for her, and was afraid if he opened his mouth to speak he would lose it and all his emotions would come pouring out. 

Brie pulled away, and said, quietly, “I need to finish the laundry,” and walked back down the hallway.

Dean fought the desire to grab her and sit her down to make her talk this through, but he knew she was in shock and would let it all out in time. 

“OK, I’m just going to step outside and call Sam,” Dean said, as she disappeared into the bedroom.

Dean sat down on the steps leading from the back door and dialed Sam’s number. He didn’t want to leave Brie alone for too long, but briefly gave Sam a rundown of what had happened. What he needed Sam to know most was he would be at least a few more days. He had no plans to leave until he was sure Brie was OK.

“Wow, Dean, that’s crazy,” Sam replied. “He didn’t hurt her, did he?”

“Well, he bruised her arm, but other than that she’s fine, physically, but she’s still in shock, I think,” Dean replied. 

“OK, well, stay with her as long as you need to, Dean, and just give me a call when you’re on your way home,” Sam said.

“OK, Sammy, talk to you later,” Dean replied.

Back in the kitchen, Dean grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and took a long sip.

After a moment, he heard Brie calling out to him from the basement, quietly at first then progressively louder and with a more panic-stricken tone, “Dean? Dean… Dean!”

Dean flew down the basement steps to find her sitting on the floor in the corner. She was in the same tight ball she had sat in at the kitchen table following the werewolf all those years ago. 

“OK,” he said, crouching down next to her, and completely enveloping her in a tight embrace.

As soon as Dean wrapped his arms around her, she began to shake and cry. He scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. All he could think about was how badly he wanted to kill Tim for hurting her like this. 

Even Dean didn’t think Tim would be so bold as to actually break into the house like that. He was beyond relieved that Brie was all right, and was enormously proud of the way she’d handled herself. Tim had no idea what he was in for when he entered that house, and all Dean could hope for was that when he eventually got out of jail, Brie’s actions, along with the protection order, would discourage him from trying anything again. 

Dean set her down gently on the couch, sat beside her, and wrapped both arms around her.

“I was so scared,” she sobbed into his chest.

“I know, baby, but you did great. You got him,” Dean replied, rocking her in his arms. “I’m so proud of you, Brie,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

She continued to cry as Dean said, “Now I know you can handle anything. He was going to hurt you, Brie, and you took him down before he could do that. You’re going to be OK.”

Brie fought to catch her breath, then said, “Thank you for teaching me how to do that, Dean, I love you.”

“I love you, too, baby,” Dean replied, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently.

She reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, then crawled up in his lap.

“Hold me tighter,” she whispered into his neck. 

After a few minutes, Dean felt her relaxing in his arms. She was asleep. Exhausted from the stress of everything that had happened. 

He carried her to the bedroom and put her to bed, just as he had done after the werewolf. The bed was only half made, since Brie was interrupted by the break-in while stripping it. Dean replaced the pillows, lifting her head and placing one under her, then grabbed the blankets and covered her. 

Brie woke with a start, “Dean?” she said, with panic in her voice.

“Right here, baby,” he said, taking her hand.

“Please don’t leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Just close your eyes. I’m right here,” he said as he moved the chair to the bedside, and took her hand again.

She fell asleep quickly as Dean watched her, his own mind racing. The realization that Tim could have beaten her, or even killed her, was setting in. He felt an ache in his chest as the tears streamed down his face. Not only did he love her, but he knew now, he needed her, and the thought of living without her was extremely painful. 

About an hour after drifting off to sleep, Brie woke. Dean was still there, as he had promised, holding her hand.

He smiled at her, squeezed her hand, and said, “Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling?”

“Better, I think,” she said, pushing herself up, and sitting against the headboard. 

Dean sat on the edge of the bed beside her and took her hand again. He held it to his lips, closing his eyes, and whispered, “I’m so glad you didn’t let him hurt you, baby.”

She reached out and caressed his cheek with her hand, realizing it was her turn to soothe his worries.

“I don’t know what I would have done if he hurt you,” Dean said.

“I’m OK, sweetie. I think I’m going to be OK. Do you think you can stay for another day or two though?”

“Yeah, I told Sam I was staying for a while longer. Plus, I still need to fix your sink and take you out on a date, right?” he said with a smile and a wink.

“I don’t care about the sink, but a date sounds nice. Just not tonight, OK?”

“No, not tonight. Let’s see how you feel tomorrow, baby. Tonight, I’m going to make you dinner, and you’re just going to relax, OK?”

“Yeah, OK. I do need to finish the laundry, though, and I think I’d like to take a hot bath,” Brie replied.

“I’ll do the laundry. I just want you to relax. You did something amazing today, you know? Something not many people could do. It was incredibly brave, but it was also incredibly stressful. So, you’re going to take a bath and relax, and I’m going to do everything else, understand?” Dean said lovingly, kissing her hand.

“Thank you,” she said quietly as she leaned forward and reached for him. They wrapped their arms around one another and she whispered, “Can I have a kiss, please?”

Dean pulled away slightly and smiled at her, taking her face in his hands, he leaned in and kissed her gently before resting his forehead against hers. “Thank God, he didn’t hurt you,” he whispered. “I love you, Brie.”

“I love you, too, sweetie,” she replied.

“Ready for that bath?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Good. Now, tell me what laundry needs doing, and I’ll do that while you’re in there.”

Brie explained that his clothes just needed to go in the dryer, and their bedsheets needed to go in the washer. Then the bed would need to be made with fresh sheets from the hall closet.

“Easy enough,” replied Dean.

Brie got undressed and slipped into her robe, then set out to draw a hot bubble bath for herself.

Dean moved the laundry around, then made the bed, as promised. He lit a fire in the fireplace, then poured a glass of wine for Brie and delivered it to her in the bathtub.

“Ooh, thank you, sweetie,” she said, taking the glass from him.

“What do you want for dinner?” Dean asked.

“I was thinking comfort food, to be honest. How do you feel about spaghetti and meatballs? It’s pretty simple, if you still have you mind set on making dinner. I’ve got meatballs in the freezer and sauce in the cabinet,” Brie said.

“I’m all over it,” Dean replied, leaning over the tub and kissing her before leaving the bathroom. 

Dean got started on dinner, then returned to the bathroom a short time later to fill Brie’s wine glass.

“Are you trying to get me drunk, Dean Winchester?” she asked, smiling up at him.

“Yeah, I think I am,” he replied with a wink.

He could tell she was feeling much better. Over the years, he had come to realize how incredibly resilient she was. She amazed him in so many ways. That day’s events being only the latest example of how amazing she was.

Dean prepared a delicious dinner for them. Even throwing together a nice salad for Brie. In all the excitement, they had missed lunch, so the comforting meal was just what they needed, both to fill their bellies and soothe their souls. 

Dean insisted on cleaning up after dinner, while Brie curled up on the couch by the fire with another glass of wine.

Dean soon joined her. He lay down on the couch facing her, wrapping both his arms and legs around her and pulling her tight to his body as she giggled.

He kissed her softly and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Better now. How do you always manage to make me feel better?”

“I don’t do anything, baby. It’s all there inside you,” Dean replied, giving her a squeeze and kissing her forehead. “You’re an incredibly strong woman, Brie. You’re amazing.”

“I don’t know about that, but, thank you, sweetie. Everything you’ve taught me over the years really paid off today, you know. When it was all happening, I could hear your voice in my head. You calmed me, somehow.”

“Good, I’m glad. I’ve always wanted you to be able to protect yourself, but I never actually thought you would have to. I’m so glad you didn’t let him hurt you,” Dean said, getting a bit choked up. 

They fell asleep on the couch, all wrapped up in each other’s arms. They woke a few hours later and headed to bed, where they both slept as if they had been awake for days.

Chapter 7

The following afternoon, Brie pulled out her tool box and Dean got to work on the sink. Sure enough, he had the washers changed out and the drip fixed in a few minutes. 

“You’re all set,” he said.

“Wow, thanks,” she replied. 

“I like taking care of you, babe.”

“I know you do, and you do a great job, sweetie,” she said, standing on her toes, and looking for a kiss.

“I love it when you call me that,” he said, kissing her softly.

“I know,” she replied, patting him on the ass.

“Listen, come sit down, I need to talk to you about a couple things,” Dean said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the kitchen table.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, as she sat.

“Nothing’s the matter, but listen… You need to call someone to replace this door. I don’t want you to just replace the glass. You can see how easy it is for someone to get in once the glass is broken, so you need to get a solid door, OK?”

“Yeah, OK,” she replied. 

“Good, and I really want to you to seriously consider moving away from here. You’ll need to be around for Tim’s trial, but after he goes away, I think you need to move,” Dean said.

“OK,” she replied.

“OK? So, you would consider moving?” Dean said, surprised.

“Yeah, I don’t want to be here anymore… you know… in this house. My company has offices all over, including one in Kansas City. All I need to do is sell the house and ask to be transferred.”

“Wow, OK, I thought you were really going to fight me on that,” Dean said, sitting back in his chair and smiling.

“Nope. When you’re right, you’re right. I need to get far away from him.”

“So, Kansas City, huh? You must really like me,” he said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Well, now that I’m your girlfriend, I guess I can admit that, yeah,” she replied, shifting into his lap and sucking a bruise into his neck. 

“Still want to go out to dinner later?” he asked.

“Yeah, definitely. Wanna take a nap with me first?” she asked, getting to her feet and pulling Dean by the hand.

“Lead the way, beautiful,” Dean replied.

After their nap, they both showered and got ready for their dinner date. Dean wore his navy-blue suit, and Brie dressed in a snug fitting cranberry colored dress with black heels.

“Wow, you look amazing,” Dean said as she walked into the kitchen and handed him her necklace.

“Thanks, sweetie. Can you help me with this?” she asked turning her back to him and lifting her hair out of the way.

He kissed her bare neck then closed the clasp of the delicate necklace.

She turned and kissed him, saying, “And you look very handsome.”

They headed to the fanciest place in the area. A beautiful, upscale Italian restaurant. Brie had the chicken piccata and Dean the chicken parm. It was a real date. They sat close to one another around the small table. They held hands, and Dean stole a few kisses as he stroked her leg under the table. They talked and laughed and just enjoyed one another’s company. Seeing Dean smile as he looked into her eyes melted her heart and had the most relaxing effect on her. 

After dinner, as Dean drove them home, Brie slid over next to him. He wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head against him. Dean pulled over into a wooded area by the side of the road and turned the car off.

“What are we doing?” Brie asked.

“Well, since this is a real date, I thought we could park and make out,” Dean replied.

Brie threw her head back and let out a huge laugh but didn’t object. She kicked off her heels and curled her legs up behind her on the front seat. They made out like teenagers, but stopped before it went too far, thinking they really didn’t want to get caught if a cop happened by.

Back at the house, they barely made it to the bedroom. Dean left a trail of his clothes leading from the kitchen, stripping as he walked, and grabbing at Brie’s dress as she screamed with laughter.

These were the moments that sustained her between visits. Not the sex, necessarily, but the unabashed happiness. The pure joy. The moments she could bring to memory and smile over.

Later, as they lay together, spent, but content, Dean said quietly, “I think I need to take off tomorrow afternoon, as long as you’re sure you’re OK. It’s time to get back to work.”

Brie resisted the urge to cry. She always tried to save that for after he was gone.

“I wish you could stay longer. Actually, I wish you could stay forever, but yeah, I’m OK, if you need to go,” she said.

“I wish I could stay longer too, babe, but trust me, you’d get tired of me in a hurry.”

“Well, we disagree on that, I guess,” she said, as she rubbed his chest.

After a few minutes, when she was sure he was asleep, she whispered, “I love you,” as tears welled up in her eyes.

Dean squeezed her tighter and replied in a whisper, “I love you, too.”

She couldn’t remember ever being happier but knew in the back of her mind it would all come crashing down tomorrow afternoon when he drove away.

Chapter 8

The following day, Brie fixed them a big lunch that would hold Dean over for a while as he traveled, and then she made him three sandwiches to take with him. She packed the sandwiches in the cooler with several bottles of water and filled a separate bag with potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. She also sent him off with the rest of the beer. Dean loaded the car as Brie began to clean up the kitchen.

She was quiet. She didn’t want to be. She didn’t want Dean to feel bad about having to leave, but she was having a very hard time feigning happiness and acting like her usual easygoing self. 

Over the years, each time Dean left her, she would lie in her bed and cry, and follow that up with pining for him for days. Then he would call, and talking to him would sort of reset her feelings, and she would begin looking forward to his next visit. 

She could usually fake her way through their goodbyes, but this time was different. He loved her, and now he knew she loved him. It was real. With every fiber, she did not want him to leave, but she knew he couldn’t stay. Domestic life was never in the cards for them. She knew it from the start, but she wanted it now more than ever. 

“You didn’t have to do all that,” Dean said, pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Well, I wanted to. You know taking care of you makes me happy,” she said.

“You don’t look happy.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m trying, it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“No, never mind. I’m fine,” she replied, shaking her head as if to clear it and plastering on a big smile.

“No, no, no, come here,” Dean said pulling her by the hand into the living room.

Dean sat on the couch and pulled her in so she was sitting across his lap.

“Tell me what you were going to say,” he said.

“I don’t want you to feel bad,” she replied looking down at her lap.

“Don’t worry about me, come on.”

“I’m having a hard time acting happy because you’re leaving soon, and I’m going to miss you like crazy. Who knows when you’ll be back? But I don’t want the last few minutes of your visit to be spent listening to me whine. I don’t want that. And…”

“And?”

“And I love you, Dean,” she said quietly, still not looking at him.

Dean lifted her chin and kissed her gently before resting his forehead against hers.

“I love you, too,” he said in a whisper.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight as he said, “Don’t tell anybody I said that.”

Brie burst out laughing and began peppering his face with kisses. He always knew exactly what to say to make her laugh. 

“I’m just kidding,” he said with a wide smile.

“Do you have to leave really soon?” she asked.

“I’m not on a schedule. Why?”

She leaned in to kiss him on the neck and whispered, “Can I convince you to make love to me one more time before you go?”

With that, Dean scooped her up in his arms and carried her off to the bedroom.

“I guess that’s a yes,” she said, giggling as he carried her.

They cuddled for a few minutes after, before Dean got up and got dressed. Brie sat up against the headboard, and Dean sat on the edge of the bed, turned to face her and took both her hands.

“You know I can’t say when I’ll be back, like usual, but I want you to know, I think about you all the time, and I want to be here more than I want to be anywhere in the world,” he said.

Brie sat quietly, looking down at their hands as tears streamed down her face. 

“Please don’t cry, baby,” Dean said, wiping her tears away.

“I always cry when you leave,” she whispered.

“Everything’s gonna be OK,” he said pulling her into his arms. “It’s hard for me to leave, too, you know. I know you don’t usually call me, but I want you to.”

“Really?” she asked into his neck.

“Yeah, I want you to call me any time you feel like it, and I’m going to call you as often as I can. I mean, now that you’re officially my girlfriend.”

This elicited a smile and a bit of a chuckle from Brie.

“Five and a half years and I’m finally your girlfriend,” she said.

Dean pulled away slightly and looked into her eyes.

“I don’t like to rush things,” he said, and they both laughed. “So, now that this isn’t a secret, would you want to come and stay at my place sometime?” Dean asked.

“You just tell me when and I’ll book a flight.”

“Good,” he replied, kissing her hand and then standing up. “OK, I’m gonna hit the road, baby.”

“OK,” she replied brushing away the blankets and kneeling on the edge of the bed, her arms outstretched. “Give me a kiss that will get me through until I see you again.”

And he did. They kissed passionately before he hugged her tight, kissed her neck, and whispered, “I love you, Brie.”

Then he pulled away, turned, and headed for the door. He had to do it fast or he would have stayed all night. 

“I love you, Dean,” she replied just as he turned the corner up the hallway.

A couple of minutes later she heard Baby roar to life, and then they were gone.