I Shall Find You Again My Friend

A/N

Yeah so I'm ignoring the whole demon blood/Ruby thing because it doesn't fit into the story

Chapter Two

Two Months Later

By this time Dean had been topside for two whole months. Two long months. It had taken a lot of convincing at first to convince Bobby and then Sam that he was indeed still him; Dean Winchester, but eventually live went back to normal. Well as normal as possible for the Winchesters. Throughout the long waking hours of the day a mask was forever residing upon the eldest Winchesters features. It had taken literally all of the famous Winchester charm to convince the every growing hoard of hunters that he was not some black-eyed bitch sent to screw with them. He really didn't need to everyone to know what haunted his dreams, the nightmares that resided behind closed lids.

Dean hadn't seen much of Castiel lately. After springing him from the hellhole (and I literally mean hell hole) he pretty much avoided any interaction with the human in his charge. Dean had confronted him about Esmerale; the angel had left quickly after that. Seemed the angel in a trench coat really was a heartless sonovabitch of didn't mind leaving his niece to rot for all eternity. This all happened one-month ago, and Dean hadn't heard from him since.

The knife came down in a deadly arc, crimson blood cascading endlessly from shining blade. This motion was repeated endless times; carving, cutting, slicing into parts of him he didn't even know could feel pain. When the pain became too much he blanked it all out, he became numb, slowly sinking into the endless oblivion of limbo.

"Now, now, kido," Alistair's sneering voice brought him hurling back to reality, "can't have you checking out too soon."

"No… no… no…no, leave me alone,"

"Dean…Dean…dean…"

Dean bolted up in his bed knocking Sam of the edge causing him to land flat on his ass.

"Dean are you alright?' Sam asked his brother tentatively reaching out a hand,

"Just peachy Sam," seeing the beginnings of his brother's world-renowned puppy-dog eyes Dean continued, "honest Sammy I'm fine."

Sam looked at his older brother not believing the lie one bit. Dean had been in Hell he had the right to not be completely fine. From what little Sam knew about Dean's time downstairs he did know that in was forty long, hard years. Forty years in demon headquarters. He tried so hard to get his brother to open up but Dean was as stubborn as ever and would plain out refuse. "I remember alright Sam, I remember everything. Everything that happened to me and everything I did. I will never ever let you go through that, so please Sammy just quit asking." Those words they had shared on the side of the road still haunted Sam.

He opened his mouth to try to form some coherent sentences but before any sound could escape Dean brushed past him and headed for the bathroom.

That was one of the few times that Sam Winchester was not afraid to admit that he cried.

"Remind me again what we're doing here?" Dean asked his kid brother,

They were sitting in the parked Impala staring out at an old building seemingly straight out of an old western movie; The Roadhouse.

"Ellen said she wanted to see us," Sam replied with a shrug,

"You mean she wants to check up on me?"

"Dean…"

Dean held up a hand silencing Sam, "save it."

In unison the brothers exited the cars and headed towards the bar. Ever since Dean got out Ellen and Jo had found countless excuses to get the boys to drop by, all of them a god-awful cover to conceal their true intentions, babying Dean.

"Boys you're here!" Ellen practically shouted launching herself (in a very non-Ellen way) at first Sam and then Dean.

"Yeah well you asked for us and voila; we came," Dean said with a flourish.

Although his reply was directed at Ellen his eyes scanned the dim-lit interior of the Roadhouse. He noted several hunters that he recognised and several more that he did not. These days it was always a test to see which hunter believed his tale and which ones wanted to gut him on sight.

His gaze continued to wander, only barely registering the conversation occurring between Sam and Ellen. He knew that they both new he wasn't paying attention but he also knew that they wouldn't ask him to join in, not just yet. Scanning a room was a new quirk of Dean's and they new he had every reason to do it.

His wandering eyes came to rest in the far corner of the bar. Seated, cloaked almost entirely in shadows was a face he would know anywhere, a face that had seen everything with him and gotten him through everything, a face he never thought he would see again.

His green eyes met her blue and it was as if a dam had been opened. Long forgotten emotions threatened to overcome him. She stood up and slowly walked towards him, a small smile playing on her lips.

Ellen and Sam had long since ceased their conversation and were looking strangely at the pair. But Dean didn't notice.

"Esme," his voice sounded small and broken to his ears, "Essie is that really you?"

She came to a halt in front of him, "it's me Dean. I promised I would find you and I don't break my promises."

Dean nodded dumbly before enveloping the girl in his arms, resting his head in the crook of her shoulders. She hugged him back, sinking into his embrace. She nestled her head onto his shoulder and whispered only to him, "it's me Deano, it's going to be alright. We're together again. Nothing bad will happen. It's me Deano."

She repeated this mantra time and time again, whether she was reassuring herself or Dean; I don't even think she knows. But one thing we do know, life never gets easy for a Winchester.

A/N

Oooooohhhh evil me leaving you on a cliff-hanger

Well you know the drill… Review time!