Have to give my thanks to ispiltthemilk for this one who got me back into writing Supernatural after so long. Not incredibly long but hope you enjoy nonetheless :)

Wanderlust and Fairy Dust

Dean saw fire every time he closed his eyes, a burning he felt deep in his soul. Fire had consumed his life; it took his mother on the ceiling, his father on the pyre he insisted on building himself, and now his brother as he burned in the cage with Michael and Lucifer. They were supposed to have fought side by side. He was raised a soldier- doing every thing he could to make his father proud. A man that knew nothing but revenge- a flame that had been passed on to his eldest son.

Watch out for Sammy.

The order had been ingrained into his mind since he was four years old. Long gone were the days of T-ball and matchbox cars as he was thrown into the caregiver role for his brother. Dean had accepted it and literally died to save his brother's life but it didn't change the fact there was never anyone to watch out for him. He didn't have the liberty of making a mistake, for letting his guard down for even a second, because his brother was his whole world; a loyalty that the youngest Winchester didn't share. Sam would have easily let Dean go if it meant he would get his own freedom from the world he had been running from since he was old enough to know what the supernatural was. They were two sides to the same coin but if the night was burning Sam would cover his eyes if it meant he got to work a nine to five job.

Sam had said yes to Lucifer before that could happen and he had made Dean promise that he would try to have a normal life, to show up at Lisa's doorstep and beg for her to take him in, but Dean couldn't do it. He tried though, he tried because it was his brother's dying wish, so Dean drove all night in silence to get to her house as he thought about what he would say. It wasn't until he was parked out front watching her and Ben playing a board game that he realized this was one promise he would have no choice but to break. He couldn't walk through those doors and dump his baggage on them. It would only be a matter of time before something supernatural came looking for him and Dean refused to put anyone else in the line of fire. He watched them for a few more minutes, wondering what his life would have been like if he was as naïve as the rest of the world before turning the key in the ignition and driving away. Dean Winchester didn't need a roof and four walls to have a home. He had the Impala, the wanderlust in his soul, and that would be enough for him.

It had to be.

One Year Later…

"I don't know, Bobby, aliens?...Yeah, well, E.T. phoned home. I'm going to give it a few more days then head out." He shoved his cell phone back in his pocket and brought the beer in front of him up to his lips. He could have been drinking water for the amount of buzz it was giving him but he would save the whiskey until he was ready for his four hours of nightly sleep.

"You're a hunter."

Dean froze for the briefest of seconds before turning his attention to the woman sitting next to him. She was dressed casual in a graphic tee, blue jeans, and worn converse that were resting against the rung of the stool. She finished her drink in one swallow before gathering her things to leave, her raven locks falling over her shoulder.

"Open your eyes. Take a good look at what is going on around you without prejudice and maybe you'll solve your case."

"Do you know what's going on here…" Dean trailed off hoping for her to introduce herself. The woman just smiled as she headed for the exit of the bar leaving him with more questions than answers. He motioned to the bartender for another drink and made a mental note to ask Bobby if he knew of any other hunters in the area. She didn't look like she was into fighting the evils of the world but looks had been deceiving before.

X-X-X

Dean had just finished interviewing his sixth person that day and was ready to throw the towel in for the day when he saw her across the street at the farmer's market. There was a pang for a moment as he thought about Sam but pushed it down as he crossed the street.

"Hey," Dean greeted her with his infamous Winchester smirk. She smiled at him and moved on to the next vendor with him following closely behind. "What am I supposed to 'open my eyes' to?" When she didn't reply he continued. "I have to tell you, sweetheart, there isn't much you could say that I won't believe."

"Fairies."

Dean blinked a few times trying to come up with some witty comeback but when nothing came to mind he simply repeated what she had stated. "Fairies?"

"Mhmm," she nodded, picking up a bouquet of flowers and enjoying their floral scent.

"Like little people with wings, Tinker bell is going to make me fly to Neverland, fairies? Next you're going to tell me unicorns are real and they ride on silver moon beams and shoot rainbows out their ass."

The slight shrug she gave had Dean wondering if she really thought the magical creature existed. "But you believe in aliens?"

"Look it's clear something is going on in your town. I don't have time to play twenty questions with some chick who is trying, and failing, to be mysterious."

"Failing? Seems to me you're still here which means you think I have the answers you are searching for."

"And do you? Do you know what's going on in this town?"

"I may."

"You know what, I don't need this. Hope you had your fun. I'm done," he turned to walk back to the Impala when there was a small hand on his arms stopping him. He could have sworn he felt an energy radiating off of her as she smiled in apology through her kohl lined eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"What's your name?"

"Olivia."

The name rolled around his mind a minute before he nodded, "I'm Dean."

"And you're a hunter."

The statement had given him the same uneasy feeling it had the night before. "Why do you say that?"

"It's all in your eyes, Dean." The longer she stared at him the more uncomfortable he became as if she was seeing passed all the defenses he had put up over the years. "I see fire in your eyes." He wanted to question it, wanted to know if she could literally see his past or if it was just some metaphor from the woman who had yet to give him any direct answers besides her name. "But this isn't my town. I'm just passing through."

"On your way to…"

She shrugged again, "Wherever the wind takes me." At his raised eyebrow she continued. "I stay in a town long enough to experience it but not long enough where I can form any relationships. I make the memories but don't have to worry about the 'goodbyes' or having to miss someone when I go."

Dean cleared his throat and tugged on the collar of his shirt, already chastising himself for even entertaining the idea. "Are…are you a fairy?"

"That's sweet," she let out a small laugh and touched his arm again, this time feeling a calm he was sure he had never felt in all his life. "I'm not a fairy, I just…accept what is. Keep an open mind and believe in my soul that there is something greater out there than you and I. It's when you believe that you can see, you can feel."

"And fairies," Dean almost stumbled over the word, "Is what you think the problem is here? I mean I have to admit I'm not much of a believer but aren't they all rainbows and flowers? How do you even fight a fairy?"

"There's all different kind of fairies, Dean, not all are helpful. Most are actually quite mischievous and childlike. I can't say for sure they are the bad guys here but keep an open mind and you might be surprised what you find."

Dean was envious of the pure peace Olivia carried with her as she drifted through life without so much of a care in the world. He found himself wanting to get to know her more, he could listen to her for hours and never get bored, but he remembered the reason he couldn't stay with Lisa and a frown pulled at the corners of his lips.

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'll see you around some time."

Olivia winked as she moved to leave him on the sidewalk. "If the winds so see it fit."

Dean watched her go and hoped that with a bit of wanderlust and a touch of fairy dust maybe they would cross paths again. And maybe in that time things would be different. Maybe then he would allow himself to accept the fire without the fear of getting burned.