Title: The Guardian
Author: kateyes085
Pairings: Dean/OFC; subjective to mention of any and all characters up to and including through 4.22
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 4,944
Summary: When Dean's world has fallen apart, he revisits a place and person from his past for shelter and the strength he needs to go on. Warnings: Overall: Eventually heterosexual relationship. Cursing, the usual, blood, guts and mayhem.
Disclaimer: All stories posted are not for profit and are works of fiction. The Owens are mine.

Beta: In one way or another all of my PLs (blynnk, ellydee27, jolinarmalkshur, vampirebites13) were involved. I love you all! *kisses & smishes* blynnk & jolinarmalkshur were my final editors.

Feedback is love and honest criticisms are appreciated.

~*~

"You're doin' it wrong Sammy," Lizzie screeched. "Stop it! You're gonna kill 'em."

Sammy informed her, "No I'm not! Dean said …"

"Psfst! What does Dean know? He's just a big ol' meanie. Gampa said ya' hafta hold 'em gently in your hands or you'll crush 'em," Lizzie insisted in a superior tone. She glared at Sammy up through her lashes when she blew a wayward chestnut curl out of her eye. Her hair never stayed in place. Blast it!

Sammy gasped and sputtered still holding his hands closed but not as tightly. "What does Dean know? He knows everythin', well not everything, but I mean Dad I'm sure knows how to … why're you scrunching your nose like that?" He asked scrunching his nose, mimicking her, as he opened his hands for her to see their treasure. He rubbed his unoccupied, sweaty, grimy hand on the pant leg of his too big shorts which were also smeared with grass stains and dirt.

"I don't like your Daddy. He gets mean like mine does when he drinks the beer in the fridge." She whispered to Sammy, putting her hand on his arm to lessen the sting of the truth. Sammy knew his Dad drank a lot. He could smell it all the time, sour and bitter. Dean always made things better. He always took care of him, made sure he was ready for school, cooked him dinner, and even made sure that he had his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms. His Dad probably didn't even know what his favorite cereal was.

His hazel eyes looked so sad when he mumbled, "I'mma sorry," to Lizzie as he placed their find in her hand for her to hold for a while. The wind was picking up and tousling his shaggy brown curls.

She smiled up at him "S' not your fault, Sammy. At least you have Dean. I don't have big brother to take care of me. But, I do have my Gampa." She beams with a huge smile on her face. "Even if he is married to Gran." She grumbled. "Nothin' I do is ever right. I get so mad some times, ya' know?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered. Because he did know. His Dad was always correcting him and yelling at him too.

They were both heavily contemplating as only children can, and did not hear the rustling in the trees above.

All of a sudden, Dean jumped down from the tree overhead. "Whatcha doin'!" he thundered as he landed, crouched in front of them then standing with his hands his hips. Sunlight glinted off his dark blonde hair cropped closely to his head. His green eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"Dean! You made me drop it! You make me so mad!!! Don't you have somethin' to do?" Lizzie fumed at him stomping her foot, mimicking his stance while she glared up at him.

Sammy was laughing at them both from where he was sitting on the fallen tree trunk. Dean was always picking on Lizzie. She was so tiny too. Smaller even than even Sammy was and she was older than him. Didn't stop her though. She stood up to anyone. He liked her a whole lot.

Lizzie proceeded to ignore Dean. She rolled her eyes at him, wiped off her hands on her shorts, pushed her hair out of her eyes, again. She sat back down with Sammy again.

Dean crouched again to see what they are doing and just could not resist antagonizing Lizzie some more. "Nah, I just like watchin' you get pissed off, Mouse." Dean winked and pulled on her pigtail.

"Quit it! Don't call me that, you creep!" She slapped his hand away. "Dean Michael Winchester! You are so annoying, go away!" She jumped up and kicked him in the shin. He yelped in pain grabbing his shin. She pushed him out of her way, trying to run off, but he lost his balance, fell backwards, trying to grab her to stop his fall but ended up pulling her down on top of him.

"Damn it, Mouse! If you don't…" Dean started to curse.

Lizzie gasped. Her eyes were huge. She put her little hands over her mouth, hanging open in exclamation. "Shhhh!" She put her hands over his mouth before he can utter another word. "They'll hear you! You shouldna' say bad words, Dean. You'll get inta trouble." Her green-violet eyes got impossibly big and her bottom lip quivered.

Dean looked up at her in awe. She really does look like one of those cherubs in the paintings in Pastor Jim's church. Almond-shaped eyes looking so innocent and concerned for him; flushed round chubby cheeks, cupid-bow lips, all of that framed by chestnut waves and curls that never stay where she wants them to.

He blushed at his thoughts and scoffed, "So, that's nothing new," he said, full of bravado.

"I don't wanna see ya' getta whippin' s'all." She says matter-of-factly, but blushes nonetheless. He smirked up at her. She just rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

Sammy got up from where he is sitting and ran over with a big smile on his face, telling Lizzie, "I got one. See, I told you I could do it." He shoved his small hands in Dean's face while Dean was trying to sit up with a lap full of Lizzie.

"Whatcha got there, Sammy?" Dean asked and Sammy opens his hands to show him. On his palm sat a ladybug walking back and forth fluttering her wings.

"A ladybug, Sammy? Seriously? You coulda at least have dug up a worm or somethin'." Dean mocked him, but tousels his hair with affection to lessen his jab.

"Ewww! You're so gross, Dean Winchester." Lizzie exclaimed scrambling off Dean's lap to go see the ladybug in Sammy's hand.

Thomas Owens watched from the seclusion of his rocker on the porch. He was glad the Winchesters had found their way to them. They were good boys. They just needed some family structure was all. The father is misguided to the point of obsession with revenge for the death of his young wife.

John Winchester met Thomas' son, Colin, during the war. They were in the same unit and became fast friends, served their tours and went their separate ways. Over the years, they stayed in contact. Thomas was so sad to hear of John's sweet Mary perishing in such a horrific manner. Devastating is the only word that comes to mind. Grief-stricken and desperate for answers, John set out to seek revenge against the creature that destroyed his family with his two young sons in tow. A series of misadventures, disorganized hunts and sheer luck brought the two old friends together again. Now they scour the country ridding the world of evil. When they are close by, John will leave the boys here to attend to his various hunts. This is the first summer that they have actually spent any significant amount of time here. Normally, it is only for a day to two at most. John and Colin were coordinating their efforts to track down the yellow-eyed demon that murdered John's Mary. The boys had now been here for over two weeks and it was likely they would spend the summer, which was fine. It would be good for Lizbeth. She did not really have anyone her age to play with so it was turning out just fine.

Hunters. He really did not like the lot of them as a whole. Most go off half-cocked without all of the research and information about their target usually leading to unfortunate casualties. Figures he married into a family of them. His Em was a firecracker in her own right. She was a beauty in her day. He did love her, but she was devout to her calling and raised their only son as such. The sun rose and set on that boy, even with all of his faults.

Thankfully, Thomas had waited. He was right that Colin was not to be his successor. He had hoped they would bear another child, but they were not blessed with such. So, he waited; waited, prayed and hoped for the day that God would grace him with his successor.

Then, Colin's only attempt at a semblance of a relationship had brought forth his little Lizbeth. Lizbeth's mother was a drunken whore who was entirely too self-indulgent with her excesses and overdosed on a cocaine/heroin cocktail a few years ago.

Shortly after Lizbeth was born, Colin showed up on their doorstep with her, handing her off on his way to a hunt. Colin had not even bothered to name her. Em had no patience or tolerance for a little baby, so it was left to Thomas to care of her. He named her appropriately; Lizbeth "God Is My Oath" Greer "Watchful, Guardian".

He raised her from infancy. At a very young age, he began the ancient teachings of their Craft. She was well versed. She had a keen, voracious mind for someone so young. He was so proud of her. She proved to have a natural aptitude for hunting as well, but neither her father nor Grandmother could be bothered with her instruction. She took it upon herself, trying to garner some sort of attention from them but to no avail. She continued with her studies as well as excelling in her schoolwork. The Winchester boys had taken over her hunting training in their rather unorthodox approach. But, she would be ready when the time came.

His time was drawing near; he knew this. He had been planning, organizing and training her for what she would need to do. The signs were all there. The time was coming. It was a ways off yet, but as the Guardian of the Seals, he knew it was happening as it was foretold. He just was not sure if it was a blessing or a curse that the Winchesters found their way to them.

All he could do was prepare his little one for her task and pray for those boys. It would happen and they would all be involved whether they wanted to be or not. He just hoped the boys were strong enough. Of his Lisbeth, he had no doubt. She would set the gates of Heaven and Hell on their ear without batting an eye. Of that, he was sure. He laughed to himself. Heaven help them all.

~*~

Dean climbed the old tree in the front yard. Lizzie was sitting on one of the branches in the far back so no one would see her.

"Are you gonna come down and say goodbye, Lizzie?" Dean asked from his perch below her.

"I don't want you to go," she said with a pout and crossed her arms across her chest. She turned from where she was seated. Her legs dangled off the sturdy branch. She was dressed in her parochial school uniform as her school had started back today. He would have to take her in and clean up her knee. It looks like she scraped it when she climbed the tree. "I don't like it here by myself. I have Gampa, but Gran and Daddy don't like me. They just ignore me. I don't like being alone … I," her bottom lip quivered and her eyes watered as she turned to look away from Dean.

"Lizzie," he sighed. "We are gonna be back next spring when school lets out, Dad already said we could stay the summer while he and your Dad go huntin'…" He tried to reason with her.

She turned back to him. "But that's such a long time away…" She whined as two big tears rolled down either cheek. "I'm gonna miss you, you creep!" She was starting to look really pissed off having admitted that.

Dean smirked at her revelation. "I got somethin' for ya'." He told her with a grin. "Really, what?" she asked. Lizzie scrubbed her face dry and leaned down to see.

He reached into the pocket of his second-hand jeans and pulled out a small medallion.

"A St. Benedict's medal?" Lizzie asked him as he placed it in her hand.

"Pastor Jim says it's for protection. Ya' know, to keep you safe until we come back next spring. Or, whatever…" he blushed as he explained his reasons. "Or if anythin', it can protect you from Sister Margaret Clare's ruler." He tried to laugh off his embarrassment.

Lizzie rolled her eyes at him and then beamed. "Thank you. It's beautiful. I love it." She reached out and grabbed his neck to hug him. The only problem was he lost his balance when he tried to hug her back and they fell from the tree, Dean landed on his back with a thud and a groan, knocking the wind out of him. Lizzie started fussing over him because of his fall. He was fine and thankfully, he thought, no one saw.

Dean sat up and arranged Lizzie in his lap so she was sitting with her head resting on his shoulder under his chin while she looked at her new present. She really is tiny, he thought.

"I saw it and thought you might like it is all." He blushed again.

"You mean you stole it," Lizzie said as she pulled back and glared up at him with a hand on her hip with her head tilted slightly and an eyebrow raised at him.

Dean bristled and said, "Well if you don't want it, I'll take it back," reaching for the medallion.

"No!" She yelped. "You gave it to me as a gift and it's mine!" She smiled down and looked at it. She liked sitting in his lap. She always felt safe with Dean around, not like she would tell him or anything though.

Dean just kind of fizzled at that point and lost his bluster. "Well alright then." He huffed and dropped his arms around her waist, holding her close, but not too close. He did not want her to think he liked her sitting on his lap or anything, or that he thought she needed looking after or anything either.

She looks up at him again. Putting her tiny hand on his cheek, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips, very lightly. "Thank you" she whispered and blushed, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"You're welcome," he whispered back, staring at her, his eyes as big as saucers too.

"Dean!" John Winchester bellowed for his oldest son from inside the house.

They both startled and stared at the porch. Lizzie scrambled off of Dean's lap. They tried to clean each other off and straighten their clothes.

"Yes sir!" Dean answered as he ran to the house, stopping to look back at Lizzie from the bottom step. She was holding the medallion and staring at it She looked so sad and lonely, but she clutched it to her heart, looked up at him and smiled brightly waving for him to go inside before he got into trouble again.

"Come say goodbye. We're heading out." John instructed him as he got their things together.

~*~

"Mikey! If your room isn't clean and your homework done before you leave this house, I swear, I will drive over there and drag you out by your ear. Daniel's mother will be here any minute. Get a move on!" Lizzie bellows from the kitchen.

"But Mom! …" Mikey groans from the living room.

"Don't you 'But, Mom' me. Move it or lose it, mister. Is your bag packed? I don't want any panicked early-morning calls that you forgot your uniform for soccer camp," she tells him as she walks into the living room, dishtowel in hand and a hand on her hip, glaring a hole into his skull.

"Yes, God! Will you give me some credit, mother? Geez!" He stomps off upstairs to put his uniform in his overnight bag. He was so not letting her know he forgot. He would never live that one down.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young man. I brought you into this world. I can take you out." She follows him to the foot of the stairs.

"I wish you never watched that Bill Cosby special," he mumbled.

"What did you say to me … ?" She bellowed from the stairs and marched up after him as their conversation continued throughout the house.

Overhearing this, Dean just smirks and laughs a little, standing at the gate that leads up to the house. He fidgets with the sleeve of his jacket while he listens to the conversation in the house through the open windows. Some things never change, he thinks fondly. His Lizzie is still terrorizing someone somewhere.

Hesitating at the gate, he reaches for the latch, stops, and looks back at the Impala. He really shouldn't bring her into this. She obviously has a whole other life, but where are they gonna go? Is there anywhere to hide from all the demons in hell or all the angels in heaven? One night, that's all, and then he'll leave her alone. He just needs to rest and to think.

And still, Dean fidgets at the gate. This is one of the few places he ever truly felt safe. Dean looks back at the Impala, his baby. Castiel is sitting stalwart and steadfast in the front seat, showing no emotion, looking a little worse for wear, and Chuck is passed out in the back seat.

How did things get so fucked up? Well, more so than usual, anyways, Dean ponders.

Dean opens the gate and walks up to the walkway to the house. He stops on the bottom step and is flooded with memories of happier times full of discovery, wonder and hope. Times that he has longed for, it seems, for an eternity.

I can't bring this into her life, he thinks. She doesn't deserve this.

As Dean turns to leave, the bottom step creaks. Just then, the front door flies open and she is there, his Lizzie.

"Dean?" she questions in a breathless gasp.

Just like that, like always, she makes him feel whole. She revitalizes him. Like a breath of fresh, clean, pure air after the morbid, decayed stench of death.

"Hey Mouse." Dean laughs a little. "I, I, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come, I.…" he stutters and blushes. Damn it! She is the only person who has ever been able to make him blush. Shit! He feels like he is ten years old again and she is eight, sitting in his lap under that tree after he gave her that stupid pendant. Fuck! He needs to get out of there.

"I'll just …" he starts, and then she is in his arms; hugging him, accepting him just as always. God! She smells the same, he thinks, apples and sunshine. Now that she is older, it is richer, cinnamon-sweet with an earthy hint of vanilla. He could just drown in her. Both arms come around and hold her tight, clinging as he stands to his full height causing her feet to dangle in the air. He burrows further into her warm sweetness. This is what coming home feels like.

Lizzie pulls away. There are tears in her eyes as she caresses his cheek, strokes her thumb across his bottom lip, looks up into his eyes and leans in to kiss him on his forehead. He closes his eyes, cherishing this small moment of affection. He's missed her so much. Her eyes are still that that deep hazel green with violet flecks. She still wears her glasses that she has cursed every day since she first had to put them on. Her hair is still the same deep, rich reddish-brown, soft in curly waves slipping from the haphazard bun that she has it up in. She is still small in stature but filled out with maturity. She is fuller and curvier than he remembers. Hell, last time he really saw her she was sixteen. She is wearing a simple button down over a tank top and jeans with those black Converse sneakers she always loved. He had never seen anything more breathtaking. Oh, this is not good. I should definitely leave, he thinks again.

"I am so sorry, D," is all she says as she caresses his cheek again looking deep into his weary eyes. She knows. He knows she knows. She always does it seems. Freaky, but he is glad he does not have to explain. It is still too raw.

"I shouldn't be here," he says. "You don't need to be involved in this." He tries again. He is falling all over again. I can't do this. I'm not strong enough.

"Mom! Where are my socks for my uniform?" Dean hears bellowed from the back upstairs of the house.

Lizzie sighs heavily and turns to yell up to the house, "Top right-hand drawer of your dresser and hurry up! Daniel's mom is going to be here any minute." She turns back to Dean. "Sorry," she cringes and wrinkles her nose.

I forgot how cute she looks when she does that, he thinks. Stop that Dean! Pull it together dude, and get outta here.

"I'm gonna …" He puts her down and turns.

Lizzie grabs his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip and says, "You will do no such thing, Mr. Winchester. You are right where you need to be. Move your car around back and put it in the garage, please. Mikey is going to a training camp for the weekend, so that will be one less distraction. Go do as I asked and we 'll figure out the rest tomorrow. You guys need to get cleaned up, have a decent meal and a good night's sleep. We'll go from there after that. Now go. Shoo!"

"Wait, how did you? I mean, do you even know what is going on?" Dean stutters. Shit! As usual, he is reduced to a babbling idiot around her.

Lizzie just rolls her eyes at him like she always does and pats his arm. "Of course I do." she informed him. "You should know not to question where I'm concerned, just accept. You would think after all these years at least that would have sunk into your thick skull." She chastened him shaking her head.

Lizzie peaks around Dean, sees the Impala and smiles sadly, but startles when she sees the passengers. Castiel turns, looks at her and tilts his head to the side, like he is trying to solve a puzzle.

"Oh!" Lizzie gasps and walks over to him as he steps out of the car. She stops at the gate, hesitates and walks through. Clasping her hands in front of her, she bows her head.

"You will have to excuse me," she begins. "I was never formally instructed on the proper etiquette in greeting an Angel of the Lord."

Castiel places his hand on her forehead and nods. Bringing his hand back, he says, "Dean has informed me that is customary to greet with a handshake?" He stretches out his right hand to her rather stiffly.

Lizzie looks at the proffered hand and blinks. She clasps his hand and shakes it firmly with a soft smile.

"Well, he seems to be teaching you well, then."

The corner of Castiel's mouth turns up slightly falling short of a smile or smirk. In a staged whisper, she tells him, giggling, "Make sure you check with me first if something doesn't sound quite right, he likes to make jokes at other people's expense and embarrass them."

Castiel cocks his head to the other side again with a puzzled look and simply nods.

"My name is Lizbeth, but you can call me Lizzie," she informed him. "This is the Prophet, yes?" She asked Castiel, looking into the backseat of the Impala.

He informs her with a nod, "Yes, this is the Prophet Chuck."

Lizzie blinks at that.

"The Prophet … Chuck?" she asks looking from Dean to Castiel. Dean just shrugs and Castiel nods. Her only reply is, "Huh? Okay."

"Well," Lizzie starts, "as I was telling Dean, I need you guys to pull the car around to the garage in back and then I will see about getting everyone settled in once Mikey leaves. Now, if you will excuse me, I really have to get Mikey ready."

She starts off to the house again, but stops at the bottom step to look at Dean. She giggles again. "At least now I know why I wanted to bake an apple pie today."

Dean perks up at that, "Pie?"

Lizzie just laughs at him and shakes her head walking up the stairs, calling back, "Well, you have things you need to be doing mister. Go, go, go … time's a wastin' … stuff to do … demons to slay … yada, yada, yada … Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! " She prattles off as she goes up to the house to finish up with Mikey.

Dean blinks and looks around. What the hell was that? Oh yeah, Hurricane Lizzie just blew through. He shakes his head, laughs, and turns to do her bidding.

Dean and Castiel get back in the car. Dean drives it around and stores it in the back garage as she asked. Nothing really had changed that much in the time since he had been here as he looks around. Older, worn here and there, a fresh coat of paint there and such. Dean woke Chuck up with a smack to the back of the head. He ushered them in through the back to the kitchen where they settled around the old farmhouse kitchen table. The kitchen looks warmer and cozier than the last time. That must be Lizzie's touch.

Dean knew she had lost her father and grandmother shortly after the last time he saw her. He wonders where her life had taken her. She has a son. That much he knew so far. How had he fallen so far out of her life? She had been so important for so long. After the last time his father had picked him and Sammy up, John had just kept pushing and pushing with the training and the hunting. Her calls just stopped and then he was never able to get a chance to call. Then it just got too weird that they had been out of contact for so long. They just drifted apart.

He did see her one other time, but he is too embarrassed to think about it. Sammy had left for college and his father was off on a bender after the huge fight that preceded Sammy leaving. Dean was so lost and so lonely. His family was falling apart. He turned to the bottle as a means of comfort. Those first few days were a blur. He was lucky he did not die on the side of the road. Somehow, he made it here to her. In the middle of the night, it was pouring rain and he was drunk almost to the point of incoherency. He woke up with the hangover from hell and was completely mortified that he did not remember what happened or how he got there. She was curled up next to him sleeping peacefully. He watched her quietly for a short while and then shot out of there faster than if hellhounds were hot on his heels. That was the last time he had seen her until today.

Dean leaves Castiel and Chuck in the kitchen as he made his way back out from the kitchen and around to the side of the house to see that Daniel's mother had just shown up. Lizzie rushes a lanky-looking kid with dark blonde hair down the walkway to the awaiting car. He had an iPod ear bud stuck in his ear, a huge sports duffle bag over his shoulder and an overnight bag in his other hand. Lizzie chatted with the other woman for a few minutes then ushered the boy into the car. He kisses and waves bye to his mother. She just stands there waving and watching as they pull away.

Lizzie watches after the car as it fades from view. She just stands there hugging herself quietly contemplating something. The sun is setting and she seems to glow in the fading light as he walks up behind her.

"Cute kid," Dean says.

"Yeah," Lizzie replies. "Just like his Daddy." With that, she turns and heads for the house to attend to her new guests.

Dean stands there for a minute. "Uh, Mouse, how old is he?"

"Twelve," Lizzie replies without turning around as she climbs the stairs and goes in the house.

Dean follows her up to the gate and stops, looking from up the road the car had departed, then looks back up to the house. "Uh…Lizzie?"

~*~