I have gotten some positive feedback on this, so I decided to continue. But need everyone's opinion – would you like to see it become an actual story, or just a series of one-shots? Either way, the one-shots will be centered around Dean and the mystery girl. – how they met, who she is, exactly, and why she means so much to him. If I do a story, it will be chronological, of course, and if you guys are interested in their history I could always do it in the form of a flashback.

As for this installment, I'm going to do a flashback. Or, if it's decided that it's more of a one-shot story, we'll call it another one-shot. Feedback is great, let me know what you guys want to read.

I find a map and draw a straight line over rivers, farms and state lines.
The distance from 'A' to where you'd be is only finger-lengths that I see.

Tuesday, May 14th, 1997

Dean was leaning against the driver's side of the Impala when the school bell rang. He watched, hands tucked into the pockets of his dad's leather jacket, as the students filtered out from the building, chattering incessantly and scattering to the busses or their rides or their own cars in the parking lot. Green eyes searched out two separate individuals, and when they found them a smile stretched over his handsome face. Dean pushed himself up into an upright position off the car, hands still in his pockets, and his smile widened as the figures approached, "Hey, Sammy!" he called, and his younger brother glanced up to him, smiling in return and waving. Dean did a quick one-over of his brother as he came to stand before him, and pleased to see that he was all in one piece, allowed his eyes to drift to the girl beside him.

She was taller than Sam, but only by a few inches, and he thought it was funny that even though Sam was four years her junior, he'd probably be taller than her by the time he was fifteen. Her auburn curls were pushed back by a headband, a light spring dress covering her thin figure. Her books were clutched in her arms, as usual, and Dean couldn't help but smirk. "Hey, Red." He greeted, and she chuckled lightly, used to his silly nicknames by now. "Hey, Dean. How was work?" She was referring to the job he'd gotten at the garage a few months back. He shrugged. "Fine." He'd been forced to get a job – mostly by his dad's strict rules – since he'd turned eighteen and consequently dropped out of school. If he wasn't going to further his education, John said, he would have to get a job to support himself.

So, like the good son he was, he'd gotten a job the very next day. And, perhaps because of that, John had allowed them to stay in the small town of Cedar Bluff, Virginia. They'd gotten there just after Christmas and now, halfway through May, they were still in the same place. Sam, of course, had been absolutely ecstatic and Dean couldn't truthfully say that he had room to complain.

Sam walked around to the passenger side of the Impala, opening the squeaky door and tossing his books inside, while Dean turned back to survey his friend. "So are you still picking me up tomorrow?" she asked. "I figure you could take me out for sundaes since it is my birthday. It's not every day your best friend turns eighteen. I remember when you turned eighteen you were going to go to a strip club until I made you stay behind and go tubing with me." Dean couldn't help but grin at that. He'd grumbled a bit about missing out on the naked women, but in all honesty he wouldn't have done it again any differently. Somehow, spending the day with her, sledding down the giant hill in someone else's field, watching her laugh, pink-faced, with the snowflakes clinging to the red hair that was exposed under her knit winter hat… It had all been worth it. She had been worth it, and maybe that was why…

His face must've fallen because her pink lips turned down at the corners in a frown. "Dean, what's…" he started, and his jaw clenched as he looked away from her. "I can't." he said, and the words burned like acid in his throat. He could feel her shoulders tensing without even looking at her. "But… why?"

The door squeaked again and Dean cursed inwardly as Sam peered at him over the top of the Impala. He was just tall enough so that his nose was visible. Even though his mouth was hidden, Dean knew that it was twisted into a very Sam-like scowl. "Dad's making us leave, isn't he?" came Sam's incredulous voice. "This is ridiculous, Dean! Term ends in three weeks! He promised we could stay until I finished ninth grade!" Dean shook his head, knowing how Sam felt but somehow unable to voice his troubles in the same way. "Sam, Dad is just doing what's best. There's another job in Illinois and – "

"I don't care!" came Sam's voice. "I hate this stupid job. He can't keep uprooting us like this! How am I supposed to finish my freshman year in a new school? I actually made friends this time! I like it here! And I know for a fact you do too. I mean, you've got your job, and…" Both of the boys turned to look at her, and she was holding a deathgrip on her books. Grey eyes were wide with surprise and obvious pain. "You… you're leaving?"

A moment passed before Sam slammed the door and stalked off, hands in his pockets. "I'll walk." He shot briskly back to Dean, and his older brother sighed, scrubbing one hand over his face. This was definitely not the way he was supposed to tell her. Hesitantly, he lifted his eyes back to hers and was almost surprised at how upset she looked. Not angry, but genuinely upset. "You're leaving? Today? But… tomorrow's my birthday. And Friday is the football game and this weekend you were going to show me how to fix a transmission, and…" She bit her lip and looked away from him. "You're leaving."

It absolutely broke his heart to see her like this, and he shifted to bring his hands out of his pockets to wrap his arms around her. Her books fell from her arms and hit the pavement with a few dull thuds, and her thin arms were soon tucking around him. She pushed her hands under his leather jacket, hugging herself to him and burying her face in his chest. One of his large hands moved to her back, holding her to him and trying to prevent her from trembling. The other hand moved to gently tangle through her auburn locks as he dipped his head to rest his cheek on the top of her fiery mane. He could feel her tender heart pounding against his chest, through the flannel of his shirt and the cotton of her dress. He didn't want to let go. He wanted to assure her that he would be here for her birthday and the stupid football game and he'd teach her to be the best (and hottest) mechanic in the state. But he wouldn't be. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stay, and they both knew that.

"I'm sorry," he said to her, his voice thick with upset as he tried to swallow down resentment toward his father. He had an obligation, and as much as he'd wanted to stay, he simply couldn't abandon his family. Especially not Sam. Taking care of Sam was the only thing he was good at, really. She sighed deeply in his hold and then pulled back to look at him. Her hands moved from his waist to rest on his shoulders. His own hands gravitated down to rest gently on her hips. They'd never touched this way before, and Dean's skin tingled at the knowledge. He'd been with this girl almost every day for the last six months, and he'd never kissed her, or hit on her, or even tried a pickup line. She was different, and maybe that's why it hurt so much. Why he wanted her so badly.

"I'm not going to ask you to stay," she said, and he blinked down at her, surprised. She frowned a bit, one thumb tracing comforting caresses over the cloth-covered skin of his shoulder. "I know how much you love your dad, and your little brother, and I would never ask you to choose me over them." His jaw tensed fiercely as he looked at her, and suddenly he wanted to stay so badly he could almost taste it. He wanted her to ask him to stay, and he knew in that moment he would. But she didn't.

Instead, she leaned up on her tiptoes, tilted her head and pressed her pink lips to his cheek. Dean started a bit in shock. He'd had plenty of make-out sessions, and even a couple of sexual experiences already, but never once had a girl kissed him on the cheek as tenderly as she was now. After a long moment she pulled back and looked at him, and he swallowed hard to keep his heart out of his throat. "I'm going to miss you, Dean Winchester." she said, and he managed a small smirk. "I'm going to miss you, Allison Cooper."

Her eyes were welling with tears, and she released him with one hand to reach up and hastily wipe any rogue moisture away. "Dean, I just…" she started, and her voice was surprisingly strong. "I just want you to know that – "

"Allie!"

She turned her attention away from him, over his shoulder, and Dean turned as well. There was Sam, hurrying toward them. He stopped just before the two of them, looking up at Allie sheepishly. "I forgot to say goodbye," he said, and Allie beamed. Releasing Dean, she stepped forward and leaned down to envelop Sam in a hug. The boy turned a bright shade of red and Dean couldn't help but chuckle. "You take care of yourself, Sam." she said softly before releasing him and ruffling his shaggy hair. "Don't let your dad and brother get into too much trouble." Still red-faced, Sam fixed his mussed hair and murmured a small "okay" before turning and heading off once more.

Allie laughed, and turned back to Dean, who was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. "He's never had a cute girl hug him before, I guess." She observed with a laugh, but as she studied Dean her happy smile faded into a look of disdain. "Promise me you'll call. Please, Dean. Promise me you'll call."

He opened his mouth to answer, but the rumble of his dad's truck drew his attention away from her. Sure enough, as he turned, John's truck was pulling up beside them. Sam was already in the back with his books, looking absolutely enraged, and John glanced down to his eldest. "Everything's already in the truck. I want you to follow me in the Impala. We're headed to Brookfield, Illinois." Allie tensed beside him, but she put on her best smile. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Winchester. Have a safe trip!" John's dark eyes moved to glance at Allie, who had reached over and taken Dean's hand into her own. "It was nice to meet you… Amy."

Dean frowned. "Her name's Allie, dad." He said, and John huffed a bit. "Don't get behind. We need to leave, now." And with that, the truck roared to life and John drove off, Sam still scowling in the back seat. Dean turned to Allie, and she smiled brightly for him. "Be careful, okay?" she requested, and he rolled his eyes a bit. "Please. I'm a Winchester. We're practically invincible." She sniffled a bit and nodded, and he allotted her hand a tiny squeeze before releasing it. "I should go."

Allie nodded and stepped to the side as he climbed into the driver's side and turned on the Impala. Led Zeppelin was blasting from the speakers but he still turned and looked at her, her hands clasped tightly together as she tried to keep smiling. "I don't usually call," he said, and her shoulders fell a bit. "But, you know… I'll call you, Allie. I will. I promise."

He drove away before she could say anything else, and as much as he tried not to, he still found himself glancing into the rearview mirror to watch her. He never looked back, not once, because it was always so hard, but he found himself unable to stop himself this time. Allie was still standing in the middle of the road with her hands clasped together. Dean watched her for as long as he could, before her svelte form retreated into a small dot, and then disappeared altogether.

I'm not going to forget you, Allie Cooper.