Summary: Dean stopped hunting when Sam left for college.

Ten year and some semblance of canon later, (Everyone lives-Nobody dies! I'm in still denial about Bobby so ) Dean sees Sam where he works and Sam looks at him and smiles and calls him by the name on his name tag.


Dean watched Sam leave without a single glance back at him. Dean waited two days for Sam to call him to let him know that he made it to Stanford safely but his brother never called. When Dean called Sam a day later he got the cell provider telling him that the number had been discontinued.

A week after that his father decided that he and Dean should separate and hunt solo. Dean watched his father drive away just like Sam had done.

"We'll meet up later." John had said as he got in his car.

Dean went on a single hunt after he was left alone, but it wasn't the same, and when it was finished Dean felt more alone than ever. His heart ached but when he called first Sam and then John neither one answered.

Dean looked at the phone in his hand, he then walked over the Impala and dug out all of his phones, credit cards and fake Id's. Dean stormed angrily over to a trashcan and dumped the items into it.

With that done Dean climbed into the Impala and drove off without a backward glance just like Sam and John had done.

Dean drove until he ran out of gas, he filled up the Impala using some of the cash he had hustled a few days ago and kept driving. Dean did this again and again until his stomach finally made itself heard.

Dean pulled into a cozy, warm and friendly looking Diner parking lot.

Dean went inside and sat down; emptying his pockets to see what he could buy to eat.

Three dollars and sixty-seven cents stared up at him as he looked at it tiredly.

"What can I get you, dear?" The elderly waitress asked.

Dean looked at her and then his change.

"What do you have for three dollars, beautiful?" Dean asked, flashing her his best smile.

Emily looked at the smiling man, he had bags under his eyes, and he smelled like he hadn't showered in a few days, his clothing was clean but rumpled and she could hear his stomach growling from where she stood.

She looked down at his pitiful pile of cash, she almost told him that they took credit but the man was clearly running from something or someone so he wouldn't want to use credit.

"We have a whole pie for $3.74." The waitress said.

"I have $3.67." Dean said sadly.

The waitress smiled, "I'll cover the rest, sweetie."

Dean tried to protest but she wouldn't hear of it, already walking away.

"I...thank you." Dean whispered when the woman returned with an apple pie.

The woman sat across from Dean as he cut into the pie, putting a piece on the plate and sliding it over to the waitress.

"You won't get in trouble for sitting with me?" Dean asked.

"I'm friends with the owner." She said as she began eating her pie.

Dean curled his arm around the rest of the pie and began eating it slowly from the pie tin since the waitress had only brought one plate.

"Oh, okay."

"So, where are you from?" She asked.

"Kansas, originally, but my father travelled for work, so, I've been mostly everywhere." Dean told her.

"I'm Emily Stanhousen." The woman introduced herself.

"Dean Win... Winston." Dean said.

Emily knew that Dean was lying but she let it go.

"If you're looking for a place to settle, Dean, we could use another waiter, and my husband and I have an extra room, you could help my husband with the yard as rent until you're on your feet."

"With all due respect, Ma'am, you don't know me, I could be an axe murderer for all you know." Dean said, pausing in his eating as he looked over at her.

Emily smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes scrunching together.

"You're a good sort, Mr. Winston, I'm a great judge of character."

"That she is." A male voice said suddenly from behind Dean.

Dean half turned, hand around the gun in the back of his jeans.

Emily stood and kissed the older man on the cheek.

"Dean, my husband, James."

Dean relaxed a little as the two sat down.

"We could use the help around here and around the house, you look strong and smart and Emily likes you already, that's a good enough recommendation for me." The man said.

Dean looked from James to Emily and then back to James.

"You're not going to let me say no if I stay in town, are you?" Dean asked.

Emily smiled, "The diner closes at nine, we'll get you started when lunch rush is over, you'll be ready by the dinner rush."

Dean smiled at her.

"You just finish your pie now, dear, I'll bring you some coffee."

Emily was right, after lunch rush and before the dinner rush Dean got the hang of being a waiter, when patrons found out that he was new and this was his first time as a waiter they became very helpful and patient with him.

Dean loved especially the smiles he got from the children when he placed their food down with a flourish and, for the younger children, sound effects. It had made a screaming toddler grin amd giggle which had made her mother smile at him thankfully.

And that was just the first hour, in the second hour Dean's reflexes had saved one of the waitresses from taking a tumble with a loaded tray, the entire diner had applauded Dean's save and Dean had felt his cheeks warm with pleasure and embarrassment.

'Yeah,' Dean thought as he took over dish duty for a little while, 'This might be okay for a few weeks.'


-Ten Years Later-

Sam sighed as Castiel complained yet again about the lack of information they had managed to gather about the haunting they were investigating.

"Can we get burgers, Samuel?" Castiel asked, pointing at a diner.

"It's Sam." Sam sighed as he pulled into the parking lot.

The two entered the diner and Sam smiled slightly as he read the sign out front, 'Unattended children will be fed and returned with candy', it reminded him of Dean, always looking out for younger children.

There was an area away from the rest of the dining area where about seven children were working on some homework, every now and again a man would stop by them and speak to them, answering questions and re-explaining something. After about twenty minutes the man brought out a tray loaded with food and sat it at the table, which gained about nine more children, some of them very young, the man helping one toddler into a high chair and charging one of the older children with watching him or her, ruffling the toddler's hair as he walked away.

"Hello, I'm so sorry about the wait." The waiter said as he walked over to Sam and Castiel. "I had to get the kids settled; otherwise they'd be all over the place, so, what can I get started for you boys?"

Sam smiled at the man, Winston, his name tag said.

"Cas' will have the biggest burger you have and I'll have a salad, ranch dressing please."

The man wrote the order, "Any drinks?"

"Two coffees."

"Room for cream?" Winston asked.

"No, thank you."

"Alright, that'll be right out."

"Are they all yours?" Castiel asked, looking over at the children.

"What?" Winston followed Castiel's gaze, "Oh, no, none of them are, Rotten little monsters." Winston said loud enough for the children to hear, making them giggle, "Some of them just need a quiet place to do homework and the rest belong here."

Winston shrugged, "I'll go get your coffees."

Sam gave Castiel a look as the man walked away.

"Cas' you can't just ask things like that, it's very rude."

"Some of those children are hurt at home." Castiel said softly.

"We hunt monsters, Cas', not humans." Sam reminded him.

"Humans can be monsters too." Cas' said softly.

Winston set the coffees down in front of them, "So, what brings you boys here to this sleepy town?"

"We heard about the haunting a few miles out, we were trying to find out what happened, you know anything about it?" Sam asked.

Winston stiffened a little, "I don't, I've only lived here ten years and as far as I know nothing much happened except no one that buys that old house stays here for long. There aren't any records that say something bad happened there, but there might be a disturbed burial site, you'd be better off asking Taylor Wittens, she's the local historian, if you word it right she'll tell you the history of the house and the area without her shutting you out because you want to know if anyone could be haunting it."

"Thanks, that's actually really helpful." Sam said surprised, "How can we get into contact with her?"

"She comes in for dinner every day, I'll tell her you want some history about the town." Winston said.

"Thank you." Castiel said.

"No problem, really." Winston said.


Dean walked over to get the tray of food for Sam and his friend, and had to set it on the counter for a moment, his hands were shaking and he didn't want to drop the tray.

"Hey, boss, you aright?" One of the waitresses asked seeing his hands wobbling.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Dean said, he had bought the Diner from Emily and James when they decided to retire five years ago.

"You sure?" She asked.

Dean nodded, and lifted the tray.

He had hoped that Sam was a lawyer now, that he had gotten married, had children, but instead he was hunting again, solo because Dean was sure the kid with him had never held a gun, or maybe he was a newbie that Sam had taken under his wing. Dean didn't know and he was afraid to ask because Sam hadn't recognized him.

Dean wanted to ask about their dad, was he okay, alive, what about Bobby or Jo or Ellen, were they good? He was afraid to call, afraid that he'd be drawn back in to the life that he'd left so long ago, he couldn't go back to watching his family leave him, he couldn't; that would break him.

"Here you go, a salad for you and a burger for Cas'." Dean said with a large smile. "You boys need anything else, I'll be around."

"Thank you." Sam said.


Dean stared at the phone in his hand, he had already dialed Bobby three times only to hang up before it went through.

"Hey, Dean, what are you doing?"

Dean looked up and smiled at Anna, Emily's granddaughter.

"I was making a call, but I don't want him to know my number." Dean said honestly.

"Oh, let me see that." The sixteen year old said. "And there, dial the number and they won't get yours."

"Thank you." Dean said.

"No problem, Gran wants to know if you're closing up soon."

"Yeah, I'll be back in an hour or two, I'm going to do some things here."

"And make a call?"

"Yeah."

"I'll let her know."

"Okay."

Dean watched the girl leave and began locking all of the doors and clearing some things up. When he finished he picked his phone up from the counter, Dean took a deep breath and then dialed Bobby.

"Hello?" The gruff voice answered and Dean put his hand over his mouth the help him hold in the sob that threatened to come out.

"Hello?" The voice asked again, "If this is one of those prank ca-"

"Bobby." Dean finally got out.

"Dean!" Bobby yelled, Dean could practically hear him sitting up at his desk.

"Hey, Bobby." Dean said. "How are you?"

"I'm having a heart attack, you fool boy!" Bobby yelled. "What the hell happened to you, ten years silence, we thought you were dead, we tried to find you, your dad went and talked to Sam. Where are you, you need me to come get you?"

"Nah, I'm good Bobby, I saw Sam. I thought I should call." Dean told him, "Find out why he wasn't a lawyer."

"Dean, what happened to you, kid?" Bobby asked softly.

"They left me, Bobby, so, I left them." Dean whispered, "I haven't been on a proper hunt in ten years. I'm out."

"You're out? You got out, how?"

"I'm not a Winchester anymore, I didn't want them to find me, they left me and I got tired of being ignored, I just had to call to see how you were and Jo and Ellen." Dean admitted.

"Jo convinced Ellen to let her hunt, Sam went on her first few, for back up, a lot has happened, Dean.
You saw Sam, he see you?"

"Yeah, we talked, he looked at me, Bobby, but he didn't recognize me." Dean finally let the tears fall.

"Dean?"

"We had a conversation and he didn't even notice it was me, Bobby, what does that mean?"

"It's been ten years, Dean, since he saw you, he thinks you're dead, hell, we all thought you were dead, buried in an unmarked grave."

"Maybe if I hadn't gotten lucky when I did, that would be true." Dean whispered.

"Dean, come up and see me, we'll talk, or I can come to you, where ever you are." Bobby said softly.

"Nah, I just thought... I shouldn't have called, I'm sorry, Bobby. Don't tell Sam or dad or anyone."

"Dean..."

"They left me first, they didn't pick up, I only called you because you always pick up, and I needed to get an answer." Dean explained. "I needed someone to answer."

"Yeah, I won't tell, but Sam's on a haunting hunt with Castiel, hopefully they'll be safe, Cas' is kind of new at this thing."

Dean smiled, he had called it. "Yeah, I saw, Sam should teach him knives, he'd be good with them, have them be iron and silver, he'd be covered then."

"Yeah, I'll make a call and give them to him the next time I see them." Bobby said, "And, Dean, don't be afraid to call, it was great to hear from you, and I'm glad you're happy, you deserve it."

"Thanks, Bobby." Dean said, smiling, "I'll call you later, yeah."

"You'd better, kiddo."

"Till then."

"Yeah."

Dean waited a moment before he hung up. It had been good to hear from Bobby, he was glad he called and he knew Bobby wouldn't say a word to anyone about Dean calling, not even to reassure them he was okay, because Dean was out and if Bobby told them that he was still alive, Sam or John would look to drag him back in.


Dean listened to the gossip going around about Sam and his friend, half of the ladies thought that they were together and looking to buy the condemned house, the other half thought that they were reporters gathering urban legends. Dean was very amused and sorry, because maybe if he had kept hunting it would have been different for Sam.

Dean smiled a little when Cas' walked into the diner, expecting Sam to follow, but he didn't.

"Just you today, Cas'?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, Samuel is following a lead."

"Same thing?"

Cas' nodded enthusiastically.

"Your burgers are very good." Cas' praised, "I have been many places, and your burgers are some of the best I've had."

"I'm glad you think so, we get another guy who says much the same, Mr. Mort is actually due back soon, you two could discuss burgers." Dean suggested.

"Mr. Mort?" Cas' asked.

"Yeah, it's a strange name but it fits him, he is kind of eccentric." Dean said, "But he's nice."

"I trust your judgement, Winston." Cas' said with a smile.

Dean blushed lightly, "I'll go get your burger started."


Dean took a few deep breaths to calm himself, he really shouldn't even think about getting involved with a Hunter, even a novice one such as Cas', eventually Cas' and Sam would have to leave and Dean couldn't go with them, and even if they came back through town every couple months Cas' would tell Dean the truth and Dean would have to act horrified, confused, and disbelieving.

Dean sighed and took Cas' burger out to him, frowning in confusion at the portly man sitting in Sam's usual place.

"Hello. Joining Cas'?" Dean asked, something about the man putting him off.

"Just a coffee, sweetheart." The man said, smirking at Dean.

"Alright." Dean said easily, going to get the coffee, a plan forming in his head.

Dean brought the coffee over and made himself stumble, spilling the coffee on the strange man, "Chisto, fudge, I am so sorry." Dean said as the man flinched at the first word Dean had muttered almost silently.

The two men sat in surprise, each for different reasons.

"Leon, can you get some of Aiden's pants from the back!" Dean yelled. "I am so sorry, you have no idea, I'm not usually this clumsy, I promise. Whatever you want is on the house, I'm so sorry."

"Yes, you've said." The man said, giving Dean an assessing look, "Perhaps you can show me to the restroom."

"Yes, of course." Dean said as Leon handed the pants to him.

They entered the restroom and The man looked at Dean, "Is this the part where you exorcize me?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Why you're with Cas'."

"We work together sometimes." The man shrugged.

"I hope you mean you get him information for hunts." Dean said honestly.

"And if I don't?"

"I don't want to exorcize you, or have to hurt Cas', and I don't want to have to make up a story for why you two split without the third guy. But if you mean anyone in this town harm I will." Dean told him.

The man looked at Dean curiously.

"Crowley." He said finally.

"What?"

"My name is Crowley, I'm a demon that helps Team Free Will or whatever the humans are calling it now on occasion. Sam and Castiel hit a road block on the haunting, even with your suggestion, Winston." Here the demon sneered as he put on the pants.

"What kind of road block?" Dean asked.

"The kind that sends you to the hospital." Crowley said.

"Is Sam okay?"

"You're awfully invested in these to people for having only just met them." Crowley said.

"Don't make me change my mind about sending you back to hell."

"How do you even know about the supernatural?"

Dean smirked, "A little birdie told me."

"Fine, keep your secrets."


Crowley was a regular feature after that, Sam returning with a limp in his step.

Dean decided that something was very much wrong with the house if Sam and Cas' had called a demon in for backup.

So, here he was on his day off digging through the Impala's trunk and getting his guns out, so he could clean them and head out to the house later.

"Uncle De'!" A young boy shouted.

Dean turned as watched one of Emily's grandsons toddle over to him.

"Hey, Danny, what are you doing here?"

"Hi." The child said as he latched onto Dean's leg.

Dean smiled and wrapped a towel around his weapons and carried them and Danny into the house.


Dean moved silently, habits that he had thought he broke returning as he snuck into the old house.

Once inside Dean flipped the flashlight on and walked through the house, he wondered what had happened here, as far back as any one in the town could remember no one had lived in the house for long, and sometimes, if the family had a child then that child would die before they moved out, it was why Dean had ordered the children that came to the diner to stay away from the house.

But Dean had never wanted to deal with whatever haunted the house, he had just wanted normal and so, he had ignored it, just like the rest of the town.

Dean paused the flashlight when it passed over a child's form.

Dean smiled at the small being, "Hey, you shouldn't be here, kiddo, are you lost?"

The child glanced up at him in fear and Dean knew that this child was trying to warn him.

He ducked forward as a tub fell where he had been. Dean looked up and saw an older child at the top of the stairs duck into a room.

Just like that pieces fell into place, what little information Dean had got on the house had been this, once a family had lived there, a family of five, but an accident with the youngest had made the family decide to move, before they could the oldest had killed himself, a family of three had left the house, the parents had buried the children in the back yard by the five trees that had represented their family.

Dean walked out to the back of the house and went to the shed, finding an old shovel and he started to dig, two tiny faces watching him from the window as he did so.

Dean looked at the two skeletons and went back to the house and found some of the salt that had been left and lighter fluid in the shed.

*Can we go home now?* The youngest boy asked Dean as he poured salt over the bones.

Dean smiled at the child, "Soon."

Dean poured the lighter fluid over the salt.

*I didn't mean to do it, but I didn't know who to ask for help, he died so fast.* The older boy told Dean. *I was supposed to watch out for them, protect them.*

"It's okay." Dean said quietly, "It's time to go home, the rest of the family is already waiting."

Dean sat on the ground, the ghosts sitting with him and as Dean lit a couple of matches he told a story, a story about a boy who thought he could run from his family because they had left him first.

The two ghosts went quietly as Dean watched their bones burn in the night.

Dean stood up and looked at the doorway of the house as Sam, Crowley, and Cas' exited.

"All finished?" Crowley asked.

"What?" Sam asked.

"A simple salt and burn, kids, you can move on." Dean said smirking as he walked passed them and through the house.

"You knew about the house?" Cas' asked.

Dean looked at him and wondered again what the man was.

"I've lived here ten years, of course I knew." Dean shrugged, "Then two rather shoddy, novice hunters showed up and started stirring up trouble, making the town question things, people at the diner talk, think you're some sort of witches looking to cast a curse, and given some of the things I've heard you two went out and bought, I might start thinking they're right and I might have to exorcize your demon."

Sam and Castiel both opened their mouths to say something but Dean shook his head.

"I made a call to Bobby Singer," Dean made sure to look Sam up and down, "I gotta say I expected a little more out of a Winchester, then again the older boy was better at getting things done."

Dean watched Sam take a deep, shaky breath before speaking, "You've seen Dean?"

Cas' and Crowley turned to frown at Sam.

Dean shrugged again, "Last I heard he was hunting a Wendigo in Montana, that was ten years ago, word is he died, figure he got the wendigo and died after from his wounds, wendigo are hard to kill on your own and I couldn't get to Montana quick enough to be his back-up, told me he didn't have anyone else he could call, and Bobby only hunts in his town."

Sam swallowed thickly and rubbed up and down his arms, Dean wanted to laugh and say 'joke's on you, little brother', but he couldn't, they had done this, made him this person, this normal person that only hunts when hunters bring one up, and hunters had been through the town before, Dean had made sure they found nothing to make them stay, he'd run off Vampires and a few other rotten creatures, but it'd been ten years since he had a proper hunt, and honestly he hadn't really missed it.

"Why do you ask?" Dean inquired, curious as to Sam's reason.

"Me and my dad have been looking for him for ten years. Dad got worried when Dean didn't answer his calls. He came to see me at school, asked me for help finding Dean; I've been looking ever since, trying to find Dean."

Dean looked at Sam sadly, "I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, kiddo."

"Where in Montana was he?" Sam asked.

"Don't do this to yourself, kid, let it go." Dean said.

"I can't do that, Dean never gave up on me, even when I went to school and left them behind." Sam shouted, "Where in Montana?"

"Somewhere near the border of Canada, I don't know, it's been ten years." Dean told Sam, he wondered what Sam would find there. Would he find a police report about a bunch of cell phones and fake Id's found in a park trash can? Would he find a missing person's report about some do-gooder that saved a little boy from a monster that tried to eat him and carried the boy back to his house?

Dean shook his head and sighed, "Good luck, kid, I hope you find closure or whatever it is you're looking for."

"How did you know Dean?" Sam felt he had to ask.

"I went on a few hunts with John, he never shut up about his boys, Dean and I went on a hunt or two together." Dean shrugged, "But you know how it goes when you want to get out, you start losing numbers and not answering the unfamiliar ones."

Sam looked guiltily at the ground and Dean wanted to reassure him that he still loved him, that 'nothing he ever did would change that and how about we splurge for some pie' but Dean knew he couldn't do that, he couldn't let his brother know that he was here in this quiet town, he couldn't go back to the way his life was before.

"Yeah, thanks for the lead and for the help, we have to go, I have to call my dad and tell him I have a lead on Dean." Sam said.

"Yeah," Dean said, "Go, get your closure."

Dean turned and started walking down the street towards his house, suddenly glad he had expected rain tonight and parked the Impala in the garage.

"Hey!" Sam yelled suddenly, "I'll tell my dad you said hi, yeah."

Dean turned to look at his little brother, he wanted to be proud of the man he had become, but Dean felt that he would have been much prouder of his little brother if he had become a Lawyer.

"Yeah, tell him Winston Robertson said hi." Dean said, he had changed his name legally when he decided to stay in this town permanately a year after arriving and since everyone called him Winston because he didn't want Dean on his name tag he had chosen to keep the name, Winston Dean Robertson, he liked it and it reminded him of the man who always picked up, even for a strange number ten years later.

"Okay." Sam said smiling and the man practically bounced to his car, the two supernatural creatures following him bemusedly.

Crowley looked back at the man walking away from them down the street and he wondered just why the man had decided to do this hunt after so many years of letting it slide, and why had he told Sam where he might find his brother, the brother that had been missing ten years with none of the hunters having a clue about what Dean's last hunt had been or even where it might have been, no one had even seen the rather distinctive black Impala the man had driven, but suddenly this man knew where Dean might have been, and he did have an attatchment to Sam and Castiel, bordering on protective.

"Hey, Crowley, you coming or what?" Sam shouted.

Crowley looked at Sam and then the man shrinking in the distance, "Yeah, I'm coming." He grouched.

He didn't know what they would be finding in Montana, but it wasn't going to be Dean, they had alredy found him after all.


I haven't decided whether or not this will be a series or not. But for now enjoy a 'Normal Dean Au'.