Summary: When it comes to starting life after the Apocalypse, Dean has one person he knows he has to go and tell something incredibly important, knowing he can't ever screw up his chances of happiness again. DeanxOC! Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters. I only own my OC.

A/N: The fic and its title are inspired by Hoobastank's The Reason because I think the lyrics describe how Dean will behave at times during this fic.

There will be love, laughter, tears, happiness, fear and lots of other emotions. I really hope you enjoy it and please leave a review!

I'd love to know if it's worth continuing!

ENJOY! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean's Reason

-One-

He stood outside that small house in Avon, Ohio, knowing that his future could be resting behind that door. He'd met her on a hunt not long before he went to Hell, the young woman remembering him well from when he attended high school in Avon for a month. He'd really kept her in his mind a lot during the Apocalypse and now he was standing at that front door, the winter air a little cold around his body as he reached up with shaking fingers, ringing the doorbell.

As he waited, he thought back over the past couple of years and how he and his brother managed to survive one of the world's biggest disasters with the help of one demon and two angels. He was just grateful that he, Bobby, Sam, Castiel, Gabriel, Jo, Ash, Ellen and hell...even Crowley had gotten out alive. He didn't want to fuck his chances of a good, normal life up ever again. He waited for a few more moments, about to turn and walk away when he heard the door unlock, watching it open and seeing that beautiful girl on the other side, her brown eyes wide and tearful all of a sudden.

"Dean?"

"Hey, Chloe..."

Her hair was still that stunning shade of strawberry-blonde, the colour that almost became rich honey and it still curled ever so slightly around the shape of her beautiful face. Her smile was so gorgeous that it made Dean's breath catch and she reached up, hugging him to her body tightly and sighing against him.

"How've you been?" Dean asked, "Been a while, huh?"

"I've been okay..." The young woman replied, "What about you?"

"I've been great, thanks..." Dean said softly, "I...I kinda came here to tell you something."

Dean was in no way, shape or form able to control his nerves. Truth be told, Dean and Chloe had really hit it off both in high school and during that hunt, even sleeping together at one point, and Dean had found himself feeling such deep things for the twenty-eight year old it had scared him. Well and truly scared him. He sighed, smiling weakly as Chloe let him into her home.

"You want a drink?" She asked, Dean just shaking his head.

"No thanks." He replied, "This shouldn't take long."

"Oh..." Chloe said sweetly, sensing a hint of fear in the room.

She had this talent, like she was able to pick up people's emotions and read them like a book. Dean was doing his best to hide his nerves but they were slipping through, and as the pair sat on the sofa he felt Chloe slide her hand into his. She was really sweet, the only girl who Dean had really felt something incredibly deep for. He couldn't believe he was about to tell this girl how he felt about her, and how he was going to ask her to start a new life with him...at Bobby's of all places.

She'd been to Bobby's place before. It was where she and Dean had first slept together, since the demon that had kidnapped her had taken her all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Dean had held her in his arms when she'd been unconscious. He'd taken her into the panic room and locked them inside, keeping her close to him and trying his best to soothe her as she'd woken up. They'd slept together in the spare bed that night and Dean had realised after his encounter with Anna that he'd actually made love with someone...that someone was Chloe. It didn't feel the same before or after Chloe so he knew.

Dean was in love with Chloe Bailey.

"So...what did you wanna tell me?" She asked, looking at the hunter's eyes as he took a deep breath, almost looking like he was going to cry.

"Um...you remember how we hooked up a few years ago...kinda slept together and stuff...?"

Damn. Great start, Winchester...really good start.

"Yeah...?" Chloe said, a slightly confused glazing over her face as she did.

"Um...shit, I don't really know any other way of saying this...uh..." Dean stammered, "God, this is so...fucking chick-flick..."

He was getting flustered and Chloe chuckled sweetly.

"Dean, just...just take a deep breath, okay?" She said softly, "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I've...I've kinda not been able to get you out of my head since we...since we had sex and I just..."

The older Winchester took a breath, looking straight into Chloe's eyes. Those warm, brown, beautiful eyes were so focused on nothing and no-one but him. She was listening to him and only him, and this was a chance he wasn't going to miss. He didn't want to screw things up for himself anymore, and a small voice which sounded pretty much like Castiel's rang through his head, telling him to tell Chloe the truth about his feelings. So he did.

"I'm in love with you..." He said, Chloe gasping and staring at him for a moment, "And I've been through absolute Hell these past few years...partially because I've been fighting the Devil...but also because not a day's passed where I haven't had you on my mind...and..."

He took a deep breath, feeling tears stinging his eyes which he didn't need at that moment.

"My brother survived the Apocalypse that didn't quite happen...Bobby survived...our friends, Jo, Ellen and Ash survived," Dean continued, "And also the two angels and one demon who risked their lives for us...and I've got a second chance at having the life I never had before...and I want to spend it with you..."

He had no idea that he currently had tears spilling down his face but good God, it felt wonderful to have been able to get that off of his chest.
"If you don't love me back, then that's okay...I just needed to tell you..." He said, getting up to walk away before a tearful Chloe grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her.

"Dean..."

She chuckled, knowing her next words were just going to be so cliché it was sickening.

"You had me at 'Hey'."

Dean smiled at the reference and looked down, feeling ashamed about being so goddamn girly.

"I've spent the last few years pining for you..." She confessed, "And...I know we made love the first time we slept together..."

The hunter's breathing hitched for a moment and he gazed at her, feeling terrified that there was going to be a 'but' coming up. That was the way life was for Dean normally. Nothing came without its price or its faults.

"And...I'd love to start that life with you." She told him, Dean taking a sharp breath in at the words, "I love you too, Dean..."

"Really?" Dean asked, "You...you actually love me?"

"I really do..." Chloe replied, Dean beaming at her and leaning down, capturing her soft, plump lips in the most amazing kiss she'd ever felt in her life so far.

This was what Dean had spent his life waiting for.

He was about to start over. He was about to begin a new chapter in his life where maybe he could settle and be as normal as humanly possible, all with Chloe. When he'd told his friends and brother where he was heading that day, they'd told him to bring Chloe back to them, to begin that new life with them in Bobby's house. Bobby could give Dean a job in the yard, Sam had found a job in the local library with Sarah who had moved from New York to be with him, and Chloe, who was an amazing mechanic, could help Bobby and Dean in the yard.

Chloe looked up at the hunter, unable to believe that the love of her life had just appeared on her doorstep after all this time and confessed his love for her. He'd asked her to start a new life with him and he'd told her about where they'd be living, about how she'd have a job to turn to. The young woman didn't hesitate before packing her bags up and climbing into that car with Dean.

For once, Dean Winchester was getting something good out of life, and he wasn't prepared to throw it way...not for anything or anyone.

-TBC-

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Thanks for reading so far and I really do hope that you enjoyed this chapter :D

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