Rating:PG-16

Dean hesitated to call Cassie until the last possible minute knowing she might not be happy about his decision since they had made an agreement about the ghost hunting life that he led. When Dean did phone her he was pulling into the campus parking lot. He knew where she liked to hang out so he wasn’t surprised to see her on a bench that faced the sidewalk; she wore a sleeveless blue dress with her hair down around her shoulders, he parked in a spot where he hoped she wouldn’t see him.
“Hi,” he said hesitantly into the phone.
“Please stop driving where ever you are before you say anything else.”
“I’m stopped,” he said as he watched her. She was sitting with her head down as she held her phone in her free hand.
“Don’t tell me you are coming to Ohio to watch out for me.”
“Cas,” he began.
“No if you come you have to be done with ghost hunting,” she said as her throat seemed to close up.
“I know what we promised about me hunting but I feel liked I need to..." he said before she cut him off again.
“I love you too much to play this game, Dean; I can’t have you here knowing you want to be out hunting. You can come when you need a break,” she insisted as she tried to hold back the tears. Why is he making me push him away; it hurts too much. She leaned her head back as she pursed her lips together. Dean watched as she wiped her eyes. he is right why am I torturing myself and her?

“You’re right we made a deal to keep our sanity, I just wanted to be there for you.”
“I understand that and I love you for feeling that way but call to talk to me don’t come, please, watching you leave hurts too much. Do what you need to do so we can have some time together. Real free time not borrowed time,” she said as she blew her nose. She got up to head toward the building; he watched as she dropped her tissue then stooped to pick it up. She shook her head then it seemed to him she took a deep breath as straightened her shoulder before she walked in the building though he barely heard it over the phone.
“Thank you for being honest please be careful; I’ll call you when I get to a hotel later. I love you.”
“I will talk to you later then, be careful, Sweetie,” Cassie said before hanging up.
He saw Missy come out of the building a frown appeared on her face when she saw Cassie; she put her arm around her friend as they walked inside together. Dean wiped the tears from his eyes as he left the parking lot. Maybe I could just watch over her without her knowing it? But if she ever found out she would be angry because then I would be lying to her and avoiding her. He was glad she talked some sense into him as much as it hurt to see her walk away it was the best thing since ghost hunting was still a part of their lives. They both knew this was the only way for him to do both things at once. She needed to have a life outside him to survive emotionally with their crazy agreement. He loved her more for her conviction she needed him to be strong enough to do his part.

A few days after Dean resumed the hunt with his brother, since John had moved on to chase a werewolf in Maine, Cassie phoned Dean to let him know they found the man who was looking in her window that night.
“He was a vagrant that had spent time in the empty cottage over the years. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.”
“So they got him for vagrancy?”
“Yea it wasn’t personal, so you can stop worrying about me.”
“That won’t happen but I am glad that situation is cleared up,” he said as he lay down on the bed.
“So what are you wearing tonight?” she asked.
“Feeling frisky now are we?” he replied getting up to shut the door to the room.
They had begun to get at least one bedroom considering Dean’s married status and intimate conversations with his wife; Sam thought it was best.

Dean and Sam showed up three weeks later at Cassie’s. They were in the cottage when Cassie came in from working at the paper. Sam was asleep on the sofa while Dean slept in her bed. She watched him from the doorway as she smiled while her heart began to race at the sight of him. He’s home, my baby is here. Though he looked pretty bruised up; there were a few scratches on his face and arms but he didn’t look any less handsome to her. He lay on his stomach with his arms around the pillow only wearing a pair of boxers and a muscle shirt. She wondered if he had a fever since it was cool in the room but he was uncovered. She reached to touch his forehead and he grabbed her hand.
“You were faking it?”
“I was checking you out while you checked me out,” he said as he pulled her onto the bed with him.
“I missed you,” she said as he held his arms around her waist while she laid her back against his hard chest.
He lazily ran his tongue over the spot just behind her ear that he had a fondness for she raised her shoulder as the ripples of a tickle began to build.
“Dean,” she said as she bit her lip.
“Humm,” he replied.
“It tickles.”
“Yea, I know,” he said smiling to himself.
He kissed her neck as he reached up to undo her blouse then someone knocked on the door.
“Hey Cas, you have a visitor,” Sam said before he headed to the kitchen.
Cassie unwrapped herself from Dean’s embrace.
“Don’t move,” she instructed him with a smile.

She found Mary Ann sitting on the sofa with a smile on her face.
“Looks like your hubby made it back though he seemed to be a bit bruised up.”
“Yea, but he’ll be fine,” Cassie replied with her mind totally on the fact that Dean was in her bed waiting for her. She smiled at Mary Ann hoping she would take the hint, but she didn’t.
“So you met them when they came in?”
“Yes and they seem like nice young men. So that tall one is the one Missy is always talking about?”
Sam coughed in the kitchen.
Cassie laughed, “Yes that’s him.”
Mary Ann finally seemed to be catching on since Cassie wasn’t expounding on her answers.
“Well I will see you in a few days we are leaving for the weekend. You take care.”
“I will you two be safe,” Cassie said as her land lady walked out the door.

“Did she come by to make sure I wasn’t beating you?” Dean said sarcastically as Cassie walked back into the room.
The room was large and open with a bay window, a queen sized bed, two dressers, a full bath plus vanity.
“No, she came to make sure you were fulfilling your husbandly duties,” she replied as she lay beside him glad that her cast was off; though she still wore a partial one.
“Very cute,” he said just before there was another knock on the door.
“Yea Sam,” Cassie said.
“Be gentle with him he has bruised ribs,” Sam said through the door with a laugh.
“What are you listening at the door?” Dean asked a bit upset that Sam told, he didn’t want Cassie to worry about him.
“Dean, you weren’t going to tell me?” Cassie said as she backed away from him.
“Get over here, I’ll be fine,” he said grinning up at her.
She couldn’t resist that smile.

Missy came by to pick up Sam after she left school.
“So is pizza okay,” she asked as they left the cottage.
“That’s sounds great.”
At the restaurant they ordered a sausage and mushroom pizza before they really had time to talk. They were both hungry. Sam had only eaten chips while Missy had skipped lunch since she had been nervous about seeing Sam again.
“I’m glad you finally made it back to town,” she confessed.
“Me too, I was hoping things would settle down for a while so we could come back here.”
Sam reached across the table to caress Missy’s hand.
“I really want to get to know more about you,” he said as he looked in her eyes.
“Well my real name is Melissa,” she informed him.

Cassie had began to call her Missy when they first roomed together in college for some reason Cassie thought it fit her better and it stuck. Missy was an only child the same as Cassie so they got along well most of the time but often the brattiness would rise to the surface. The thing that helped them both was their independence they didn’t need anyone else so they chose their mutual friends wisely though there were few.
“Dean and I are opposites that’s the dynamic that helps and hurts us at times,” Sam said.
“I noticed that right away.”
When the pizza arrived they ate in silence at first just enjoying they company.
“I’m glad Cassie got back with Dean she really missed him… I have a hard time dealing with her pain. We used to kid each other that we were sisters separated at birth because we have always been so close.”
Sam smiled. Missy was as dedicated to Cassie as Dean was to him. He could appreciate a woman that cared so much for others.

At the car Missy was surprised when Sam came up behind her as she opened the door. She turned and was in his arms a second later. Sam looked into her eyes but didn’t hesitate to lower his trembling lips to hers. She responded with eagerness pressing her body against him. She was shaking when she pushed him away a few seconds later.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said though he still held her at arms length.
“Don’t be,” she said as she filled the gap between them to kiss him again.

After they made love Cassie made a decision.
“That was a bit more complicated than I remember,” Dean laughed between his aching ribs and her cast they had relied on creativity a bit more than usual.
“Yea different but still nice,” she said as she leaned down to kiss him again.
Dean watched her and could tell she had something on her mind.
“What is it?” he asked as he ran his fingers over her lips.
“I wasn’t going to tell you this because it makes me seem too girly.”
“Well considering the last few minutes I already have a few major clues that you are indeed a girl, or more specifically a woman,” he said as he smiled at her.
“When I told you I was a realist I just didn’t want to be hurt when you didn’t come back, you know. But even before then I did something I never thought I would do, I’ve heard of girls who do these things and I though they were delusional,” she said realizing she was going on and on without making sense or getting to a point.

“You know you can tell me anything, really I’m sure its okay.”
“Your wedding ring….”
“Yea.”
“I bought it after I told you I didn’t believe your story about ghost hunting,” she said as she bit her lip.
“Really…..why didn’t you ever call?”
“I was stupid and scared to be hurt by you I think I believed we fell in love to fast.”
“It wasn’t any less real, Cas.”
“I know. But I bought the ring hoping we would be together at some point.”
“By faith?”
She nodded; he pulled her down beside him to hold her. “I’m glad I love you and the ring. I was angry at first but, I never stopped loving you though I confess I did seek solace in other woman,” he said clearing his throat.
She was quiet; she knew Dean was a charmer.
“We are together now that’s what matters, right?”
She turned over to face him to see tears in his eyes.
“Are you in pain?”
He shook his head as he wiped away the tears.
“I had never loved a woman before so it really hurt for you to reject me. When I was with the others all I wanted was you. I felt so empty and useless.”
She leaned up on her good arm to run her fingers through his hair.
“All that is over now,” she smiled before he put his hand in her hair to pull her down to kiss him again.

Once they began kissing it was addictive. They sat in front of the cottage in the car kissing again as Sam put off going inside.
“Thanks for the pizza,” Missy finally said.
“You’re welcome; I know you have to get home so you can go to class tomorrow,” Sam said as he reached to open the door.
“You can meet me tomorrow in the library if you want around one o’clock for lunch.”
“I would love that and I enjoyed myself tonight too. Be careful driving home,” he said as he got out.
She waved before she drove away.

Cassie leaned up on her elbow to watch Dean sleep. She wondered how he had gotten hurt and how long she could live they way they did. She noticed the slight crow’s feet that had developed near his eyes. She wanted to touch them to smooth them away but didn’t want to wake him, if he were even really asleep. After the effort it had taken her to lean up.
“Dean.”
His eyes fluttered open so she could see the beautiful colors as they changed from green to blue then settled on a nice shade of teal.
“Yes, are you okay?” he asked with concern.
“I’m fine now that you’re here,” she said as she touched his soft lips.
“You want to talk?”
“No just enjoy your presence; that’s all I want,” she replied as a lump rose in her throat. He smiled at her; a crooked grin that spoke volumes. She knew he loved her beyond reason not because of what he said so much it was just an awareness that surrounded her even when he wasn’t there. Maybe it was a gift he didn’t even know he possessed to be able to care without smothering. Sam probably felt it too. Dean’s type of caring was an enigma.

“I promise this will all be over soon,” he said as he reached to touch her hair. She bit her lip knowing that it was a promise he may not be able to keep but one he hoped for as much as she did. I hope so we live such a strange life.
Dean wondered how he could stay away from her so long, it was madness. She had a presence he was sure she wasn’t aware of. A comfortable grace that showed she felt good in her own skin. He looked in her eyes that had seemed to light up when she had seen him earlier and wondered what she saw in him. A crazy man that hunted ghosts while she waited at home. Am I crazy? Am I putting her in danger by just being in her life? After what happened to Jessica its this whole marriage doomed to lead to another death? The death of my only love this time?
Sam stood there at the door a moment, and then realized he didn’t have the key. Cassie came to the door after a few knocks with her hair wild around her shoulders but all that mattered was the grin on her face. He was glad for the two of them. Dean had been miserable the last week; complaining and distracted. Sam knew that was how he had gotten hurt but he would never mention it to him. They both needed to re-charge. His brother played the super hero when his only real desire these days was to hold his lovely wife and keep her safe from the madness in their lives. Sam got that, now; even more after spending time with Missy. Was revenge worth what Dean was giving it? Could they both survive not living the lives they desired so much? Sam prayed it would all be all right as he followed Cassie in the house.

TBC