Summary: Four months in Hell is a long time to reflect on dying alone. When Dean is given a second chance, he dedicates it to getting back to his first love, Carly O'Reilly. But it turns out a lot has changed in four months-including the relationship between Sam and Carly.

Amber Heard as Carly O'Reilly

Chapter One: Second Chance

It took two days of hitchhiking for Dean to reach Lawrence, Kansas, and he walked to Bobby's place. The old man would probably have a heart attack at the sight of Dean at his front door, but Dean couldn't think of a better way to break the news that he was back from Hell, and he was in a hurry. He didn't know where Sam was, or if he was even alive following their attempt to kill Lilith what felt like years ago.

Finally he mustered up some courage and lifted his bloody hand, tapping his knuckles on the door two times before backing up and waiting.

When the door yanked open and Bobby saw Dean standing there, he was completely silent for a few moments. Then he sighed and pressed the screen door open, waving Dean in behind him.

"You hungry?" was all Bobby said as they went to the kitchen.

"Nah, but I would kill for a beer right about now."

Bobby grinned and opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of Miller Lite and handing it to Dean. Dean took a big swig of it, aware of Bobby watching him. Surely the beer had holy water in it, and Bobby seemed satisfied that it wasn't just a demon possessing Dean's body. Bobby was ready to slice into Dean's arm with a silver knife to get rid of the shape shifter possibility as well, but he just knew this was Dean.

"Got some leftover burgers," Bobby told him.

"Not hungry. Where's Sammy?" Dean took another gulp of his beer and decided that nothing had ever tasted so good. Those first few hours after waking up the pain in Dean's throat had been awful, the thirst indescribable.

"On a hunt over in Oklahoma. He should be getting back sometime today or tomorrow."

With the cold beer in his hand and the knowledge that his little brother was alright, Dean finally allowed himself to breathe. Leaving Bobby, still shocked and somewhat speechless, he went to the living room and fell back on the couch, turning on the TV. The date scrolled across the bottom of the news channel and Dean shook his head.

Four whole months...

He didn't remember the specifics of Hell, but flashes of thoughts bobbled through his head painfully. With Sam's wellbeing acknowledged and pushed aside, the most prominent thought was Carly.

Carly O'Reilly was Dean's first real love. Although the Winchesters never stayed around Lawrence long, they were in town long enough and frequently enough for relationships to build. She was Sammy's age and the two were best friends long before Dean was in the picture. When she was eighteen and Dean was twenty-three they met, and by the following year their relationship had grown into more.

But then Sam went off to college on the west coast and Carly went to Iowa State and Dean began hunting more and more with his father. The long-distance relationship lasted barely four months and ended in a heated phone call which ended in Carly telling Dean she hated him.

He never attempted to rekindle the relationship or even a friendship. Years had passed (Carly was twenty-five now, no longer the naïve young teenager she had been at the time of the relationship, and Dean was nearly thirty) and the harsh feelings, although on the backburner, were as fresh as the day of the breakup.

Dean wanted to see her. He didn't want to die alone, and he didn't want his history with Carly to end there. He wanted to see her now.

He stood and faced Bobby, who was standing in the doorway watching him. "Where can I find Carly O'Reilly? The girl I used to da-"

"I know who you're talkin' about," Bobby interrupted. "She lives over in the Remington Square Apartments. But I don't know if-"

"Thanks, Bobby." Dean yanked his boots back on, pushed his arms through the sleeves of his denim jacket, and pushed the door open.

"Dean," Bobby called, and Dean glanced back. The older man grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "The Impala's out in the garage."

"Thanks, Bobby."

Behind the wheel of his baby, Dean finally felt like he was out of Hell. Things could go back to normal now. He still had questions and a lot of stuff still didn't make sense, but Sam was alive, the Impala was in one piece, and the world was still spinning. Dean had never been happier.

At the apartment building the first two doors he knocked on had no answers, and the folks in the next two had no clue who Carly O'Reilly was. Finally an older woman had some answers for Dean.

"Oh, you mean Carly Dunn," she exclaimed after Dean had questioned her. "Of course, she's such a sweetheart. She's up on the third floor, second door on the left. Apartment 3B, I believe."

"Thanks."

Dean wasn't even sure this was the right Carly, considering the old woman was convinced she was Carly Dunn, but it was the only lead he had. Bobby had said she lived here, and the old woman hadn't mentioned any other Carlys in the building. If it was her, great; if not, he'd worry about it later, after he saw Sammy.

He raised his hand to knock, but before he could the door flew open and a familiar blonde wearing a familiar t-shirt stood there. She was grinning flirtatioiusly, but then she saw Dean's face, and down she went.

Dean surged forward and caught Carly around her waist before she could smack her head on the ground. Holding her up, he cupped the back of her head with his hand to look at her. She was out cold.

"Hope you don't mind me coming in," he mumbled, reaching down and gripping the backs of her knees and sweeping them up off the ground. He went inside, kicked the door shut behind him. He glanced at the tiny apartment for just one moment before he carefully laid Carly on the couch.

For a moment he just looked at her, happier than ever to see her, but then he remembered the the familiar shirt she was wearing. The long-sleeved blue and brown flannel shirt that completely swallowed her small frame.

Sam's shirt.