A/N: This is a short one-shot Dean/Carmen that I wrote after I finished re-watching Season 2. Takes places directly after "What is And What Should Never Be."

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Supernatural. I just enjoy borrowing them.

Dean stood in the small magazine aisle of the connivance store casually flipping through a random car magazine. He was waiting for Sam to finish up in the toilet. They needed to get back on the road if they were ever going to make Sacramento before night fall. As he continued to flip the thin pages in his hand his mind was elsewhere.

I could have stayed. I wanted to stay so badly. He hated himself for refusing to let go of the dream world the dijn had created. It'd been weeks but he still woke up from dreams of Carmen and found himself daydreaming of the life he could have had with her. Sam, Sammy had been so happy, so innocent. Sam had been safe in that world. He didn't have to worry about him in that world. He could have found happiness for himself there too.

His fingers came to a stop as he found himself staring at a familiar face on a beer ad.

It's not really her. He let his fingers glide over the glossy ad. Still knowing that none of it was ever real, he still wasn't quite ready to let go of it.

"Hey you ready to go?" Sam walked out of the restroom letting the door bang loudly behind him. Without thinking Dean ripped the ad out before shoving the magazine back to its place on the shelf. "What was that?" Sam stepped closer trying to get a look at whatever Dean was shoving into his jacket pocket.

"Nothing. Now let's hit the road before we lose anymore daylight." Dean turned on his heel and headed straight out the doors to the waiting impala not daring to meet his brother's curious gaze.