Author's note: This came in first place on the Daley board. The challenge was to write for an hour, non stop, with the lyrics of the Script's "Break Even" as your inspiration. And that's what I did- and I won. I want to thank eveyrone who voted for me. It means so much. (:
Disclaimer: They're not mine.

Of Mice… and Dean Winchester.break even.

Life is better lived in the eyes of the beholder, because for him- everything moves in slow, understandable paces. But for the poor unfortunate soul who is forced to lead their life, instead of sit back and watch it be mapped out before their eyes- well, let's just say that things… don't always

He can vividly remember the first time he had ever seen her. She sat alone, her honey blonde hair dangling over her shoulders, as her face was buried in the middle of a book that was completely unidentifiable to him. She wore a maroon sweatshirt that bore the name of Stanford in big white letters. He was here to see his younger brother, and yet- he found himself severely distracted by this girl. She sat in the middle of a completely crowded room- and yet, it appeared as if she had her own little bubble of silence.

He sat two tables away, completely enticed to this stranger. It was as if he was afraid to merely blink, for when he opened his eyes- she'd be gone. Sure, it was farfetched on almost every level possible. But he wasn't taking any chances. And so he sat, in the middle of a gigantic cafeteria- his eyes dancing across the walls and unfamiliar faces, as he tried to occupy his attention on someone else who wasn't this girl. It was a challenge, a complete and total challenge- and well, he was failing miserably. Because even though there seemed to be a ravishingly entertaining argument going on between a couple in the very corner near the trash bins, Dean still couldn't manage to pay full attention. Why? You guessed it. That damn honey blonde had tacked onto his every thought, and now he was stuck obsessing over this girl… whose name he didn't even know.

This was completely unlike him. Usually, he'd just find her hot, walk over- get a number, and walk away with a satisfied grin. But- now he was… nervous? Insane. This girl, she wasn't… pretty- she was beautiful. She wasn't just another name to add to his list of one night stands she was… she was something else. Something else entirely. It may have been entirely cliché, but what he saw in her it was like…

God Dean, you're such a pansy.It was true. He was. And honestly, he couldn't quite place why. Maybe this girl was just… intimidating. Or something of the sort? He slumped his shoulders down, and tore his eyes away from her, afraid that if he looked at her any longer she'd place him as some creeper who had decided to stalk the hell out of innocent young female college students- yeah, that wasn't exactly a title he needed to have. Especially since his original plan was to come here for a completely different reason. Well, kind of different. He was here to basically stalk the hell out of his little brother, just to make sure that the kid was okay. After all, it had been five months- and well, every five months Dean found himself back here, same place- watching out for his kin like some kind of over-obsessive parent.

But this time- of course, Sam was nowhere to be seen. And even though that worried Dean completely, he still couldn't manage to gather the strength to leave this room without at least saying one thing to this chick- because he knew that if he didn't… he'd curse himself later for it. Gathering whatever amount of courage he had managed to store within him, Dean pushed himself up from the table, and balled his hands into fists before timidly walking towards the table where this girl sat, her nose still in the book, oblivious to the world around her.

Dean, unsure of what to say, just sat down on the opposite side of the table of her. He watched, as she flipped the page in her book, and pretty much took no notice to his presence. Dean's inner voice was telling him to get up, and run- just run as fucking far away as he could. But something else had him glued to that seat. It was foreign to him- being this close to a girl and actually being nervous about talking to her. His mind suddenly wrapped itself around that statement, and before he could stop himself he cleared his throat, as if to signify that he was sitting there.

"I was wondering when you were going to quit staring at me and just have the guts to walk over here." Her voice spoke up, causing Dean to whip his vision up, only to see that she hadn't even taken her eyes off the book. "You know, if I was a little more naïve, I probably would have called the cops on you." She added, simplicity flowing through her tone.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Come on. Why was the universe so freakin' against him today? Seriously, where was a good pick up line when he needed one? "Sorry." He breathed out lamely, and watched as she finally tore her vision from the book, and then looked at him.

"Sorry?" She quipped, with a grin. "That's all I get? No pick-up line?" She asked, her eyes widening with false hurt. "I'm ashamed in humanity these days. Why can't I at least get something like- you know, 'Did you just fall from heaven' or 'What am I supposed to do when the best part of me is always you?' I mean, seriously?" She paused, realizing that her rambling was ready to just hop off topic like it usually did. Looking up at the stranger before her she watched as he smiled, and furrowed her brows.

"Okay- first off, I'm pretty sure no one has used that fallen from angel line- since like the early nineties, and second off- I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever quote the lyrics to a song- because that's incredibly cheesy," he stated matter-of-factly before continuing, "And also, the reason why humanity just keeps dealing you these guys who can't come up with good pick up lines, is probably because they're just too stunned… by your infinite beauty." A childish grin then spread its way across Dean's features, as he sighed in relief to see that his old self hadn't slipped away completely.

"Good answer."

"I know, I thought so too." He stated brightly, before casting his eyes to the book that was in her hands. "So beautiful, whatcha reading?" He asked almost too smugly, as curiosity played with his tone of voice.

With a roll of her eyes, Haley looked up at him. "John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men." She stated smartly, as she flipped the book up so that Dean could view the torn and tattered cover.

"What's that? Like a rip off of Walt Disney or something?" He asked in all seriousness, and watched as she cracked a grin, before breaking into complete laughter.

He sat there for a few standing moments, when suddenly she calmed herself, and looked to see that his face was absolutely serious. "Oh my god," She said before pausing, "You're serious!?" She asked incredulously, and watched as he shook his head in reply. With a retreating sigh, she then looked down at the book in her hands. "It's kind of the story of these two guys, who are like… chasing the great American dream, but of course run into a few bumps along the way." She told him, her voice a little low. "It's my favorite book. I've read it like a thousand times." She stated offhandedly, and watched as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Y'know, because it's more about brotherhood, rather than unrealistic romance."

Dean grinded his teeth along his lower lip, as he nodded in understanding. "It sounds pretty interesting actually." He told her truthfully. "I'm going to have to pick myself up a copy." He said, making a false mental note to actually do so, even when he knew that the chances of him remembering were actually pretty slim.

Haley smiled, before running a hand over her face, in an attempt to get the bangs out of her eyes. "I'll tell you what…" She began in a kind tone. "I'll let you borrow my copy- On one condition." She stated with a smile. "You gotta promise on everything you own that you'll return it once you're done."

Dean raised his eyebrows. Was this her attempt to ask him if they could see each other again? If it was… he had to admit, she was pretty damn clever.

"Deal."

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SEVENTY EIGHT DAYS LATER
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"Mad props to you for being completely and totally stealth." He said, his voice a little muffled, as he smiled into the phone.

On the other end of the line Haley smiled. "Yeah, I know. Just another perk of being Haley James." She grinned absentmindedly, and then looked down at her watch. Groaning absentmindedly, she then realized that she only had less than ten minutes before she was to report for class… all the way across campus. "You know Dean, I'd love to continue this conversation- but of course, physics class beckons me."

"You serious?" He asked with a sigh. "Come on Haley, just skip it. Be a bad girl."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

With a hearty laugh Dean replied back, "More than anything."

God- he really was crazy for this girl, and he had only been on exactly a date and a half with her. Yeah, after the little book incident he asked her if she wanted to catch a late lunch, and of course she agreed. And well- from then on, they just professed their entire personal life to one another- except, Dean excluded the entire 'hunting-ghosts-out-of-revenge' thing because well… he didn't want to scare her off, but he did tell her about Sammy, and honestly, from then on they really just connected. So much so, that Haley invited him back to her dorm room that night, and well… Let's just say they fell asleep together… eventually. But then, after that Dean received a call from his father, saying that there was a hunt down in Baton Rouge that needed attending to, and of course the man had dubbed Dean for the job. And so, they said their forced goodbyes, with Haley promising to keep an eye on Sam, considering they were both of the same age- and Dean exchanging numbers with her so that they could keep in touch- and they did. Every day.

He'd usually call her first, but sometimes, she called him, and so- they formed this long distance relationship. Which was complicated… for the both of them.

"When are you coming back, Dean?" Haley suddenly asked out of the blue, causing Dean eye's to bolt open, as he tried to think of a plausible answer.

"Soon, I promise." He said in reply to her question, a weighing feeling of guilt hanging over his shoulders.

Haley sighed. "Yeah, sure. Soon means what- six years?" Sadness leaked into her tone, and almost dripped through the receiver.

"Haley- I promise you. I'll be there when I can, everything just been really… crazy lately." He told her in an honest tone, before clearing his throat, and looking down at the small clock on the dashboard.

She shuffled on the other end of the phone, before replying, "That's understandable, I guess." She stated, still wondering exactly why Dean's father made him travel everywhere with him. She wanted so badly to ask Sam, but she knew that would blow her and Dean's little stealth cover up out of the water, and that Sam would probably start ignoring her like the plague. "So, where are you now?"

"St. Louis, Missouri." He fibbed, knowing that at this moment, lying to her was better than telling the truth. "Dad says I gotta wrap up a few things here and then I have a cleared schedule." He told her, a genuine smile spreading across his face with ease. It was true. All he had to do was wrap up a simple salt and burn, and then he was free- for the time being, of course. Free from the wrath of the all too powerful John Winchester was the one thing that Dean craved. He wanted to get away from this madness, just disappear into thin air, or maybe even just pull a Sam and run off to Stanford, but for different purposes… that all surrounded one single doe-eyed girl.

Honestly- if asked, he wouldn't know what made her so different from the rest of the girls he knew. There was just… something there. Something that he couldn't get enough of, and hoped would never get tired of. She was… just what he was looking for.

"Just… come see me soon, kay?" She begged, her voice taking a few steps down, as depression sunk into her mind. "I'm not sure how much longer I can go on without you, Dean."

"Right back atcha, Hales. Right back atcha."

And with that, the phone call was ended, leaving both of them equally as unsatisfied. Dean, was dying. Slowly. It was as if Haley was some kind of sick drug, and he was highly addicted- with no hope of ever being cured. Staring bleakly at the road, ahead of him- Dean suddenly allowed his heart to get the better of him, and before he knew it, he was taking a sharp turn, and pulling his car in the opposite direction.

Next stop: Palo Alto, California.

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SIXTY EIGHT HOURS LATER
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"No! Wait--- No! I'm not… Nat! Drop it!" Haley yelled into the phone, frustrated to no end with life in general. It was as if the world, no wait- the universe, was against her. First off, she was failing one of her classes, and of course- her teacher was being a complete ass about giving her extra credit, and now Nat- one of her closest friends was getting married- and expected Haley to just drop everything to drive across the state in order to just go dress shopping. Yeah. That wasn't going to happen. "Listen… Wait! No. Calm down! Nat--- Calm down and listen to me. Your wedding is going to be great. I promise you. No seriously. I do!" Haley paused, and sighed, as she began to dig in her pocket for her dorm keys. "No… He loves you. You're just overreacting. I swear."

Haley fumbled with the keys, as she began to reach for the locked knob. "Nat---" Suddenly a hand reached out and wrapped around her upper arm. Dropping the phone, Haley instinctively froze. With a sudden movement, she got a good hold on the arm, and turned herself around- ready to beat the crap out of whoever was behind her.

"Whoa! Whoa! Haley!" The familiar voice pulled at Haley's heartstrings, and suddenly- everything went into a slow swirled motion. Was it- Could it be? No. Dropping all protective walls, Haley suddenly let out a loud breath, and focused her eyes on the being before her.

"Dean?"

And with that their mouths crashed against one another. It was slow and steady at first, but soon, they lost control- and passion engineered their bodies. Haley's phone call was long forgotten as she slowly bent down to pick up her phone, and then retreated back inside, Haley pulling Dean down the tiled hallway, and towards her dorm room.

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EIGHT HUNDRED AND FOUTY NINE DAYS LATER
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"You've reached Dean Winchester, leave a message."

She's lost count of how many times she's heard this damn message already. It just keeps getting shorter as the seconds tick on. She was out of college now, and she hadn't heard from Dean for almost eight months. He had told her he was going to drop everything after one final job. He had told her that he was going to come back, and together they would live- as normally as possible. She was now beginning to believe that what he had told her was all one big fat lie.

She had been counting the days since she'd last heard his musky voice over the phone. She could remember that the last time she spoke to him, he sounded tired- very tired. Then he told her that he was making a pit stop- and well… the last words she heard from Dean Winchester was his infamous, "I love you- stay safe." Now here she was, screaming the same thing back at him- wherever he was.

She'd broken down months ago, and told Sam about his brother. To say that the tall brunette was surprised would be an understatement. He actually smiled- Smiled! Then he mumbled how strange it was that Dean had actually found himself a respectable woman. Haley had blushed for a second or two, but she instantly went back to worrying about his fate. Sam promised her that he'd look into it- and try to get in touch with his father, and Haley relied on that. She really did. That was until Sam showed up at her doorstep, a duffel bag in his hand, and a frown upon his face. "Something's wrong." He told her grimly, and then explained that he was going to travel the country to find his missing- and possibly dead- brother.

And then, all was quiet.

Sam left, and the days dragged on, and eventually turned into weeks that stretched out into months. The Winchester's had dropped off of the side of the earth- and by the looks of it, they weren't coming back anytime soon.

It was almost nine months, to the day that she had last heard from Dean, when a package showed up on her doorstep. It was about the size of a shoebox, and on the top in messy handwriting it said 'To Miss. Haley James'. There was no return address, which lead Haley to believe that someone was trying to creep her out. Confused entirely- Haley picked it up and brought it inside, where she began to open it.

When she finally managed to tear the box apart- her eyes laid on the item inside, and she could swear that for a moment… her heart just stopped beating entirely.

There inside of the small brown box, sat an old torn and ragged copy of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

Her eyes instantly pooled with tears, as she picked up the book, and stared at the cover. Pulling at the cover, she then flipped through the pages only to see that there were several notes made, as well as passages circled and underlined. Her heart instantly panged with fear- why was he returning this? Finally, when she reached the last page, she saw four words, that broken her into uneven shards of brokenness.

On the last page in Dean Winchester's handwriting it said;

"Go far, Haley James."

And she did.

She did it for him.