A/N: My FIRST Supernatural fic! One of my best friends got me ridiculously obsessed, so...fanfics follow. :-)

I own nothing, of course, and most sadly of all, not Dean.

This time, it's his turn for nightmares.

She wanders in at the edge of his dream-clouded sight, always moving farther and farther away from him, and when he wakes with a painful jolt (to his heart) it's Sam who looks at him with the grating sympathy that Dean always is kind enough not to show.

"Dean…"

He doesn't answer—won't answer, because anything he says is going to be stupid and far too revealing of the tangled emotions he won't admit to having…And hell, if Sam can keep his mouth (relatively) shut about Jess, Dean isn't going to blab on about someone who isn't even dead (yet).

(Just gone)

"Dean…"

He rolls his eyes (more for his benefit than his brother's, because it's dark) and fumbles with the tape-player (Metallica cures all ills). Sam smacks his hand away, Dean elbows him back, and for a few moments they progress along the road in a way that would cause any police officer worth his donuts to administer a couple of Breathalyzers.

They avert a sign post (narrowly) and that singular silence of recognized folly (it's all Sam's, Dean decides, as he's the one who insisted on driving) falls…until Sam starts it up again.

"She's doing alright, man. At least you have that. And you said it yourself, you two could have a future together."

"Huh." He's careful to sound as noncommittal as possible.

"So…why the nightmares?"

He considers a few options—"No idea what you're talking about, bro," which won't do anything to convince Sam, or "It was just a dream" which is even worse because Sam dreamed about Jess before…before…

He motions towards the radio again.

"If you won't let me turn on that music I swear I'll make us run into a ditch."

Sam scoffs, but the stabbing sympathy (not meant to hurt him, he knows) is there beneath the false layer of scorn. "As if. God forbid, the fender might get a dent."

Refusing to acknowledge defeat, Dean slumps back and closes his eyes. Maybe that will make Sam shut up. Maybe that will let him see her smile.

Cassie. He doesn't want to replay their farewell in his head, so he searches for sweeter moments…yet he's tired, so tired, and his unwilling mind slips into sleep again, searching for a hope he's lost sight of in the waking world.

But in his dreams she only says goodbye.

A/N: Well? Reviews are lovely!