'Cause I've been listening to the radio
And it's been telling me to be alone
But now I'm singing out here on their lawn
Simple song

After he left, I thought he would come back. Not right away, but within a couple months. So I waited. I wore the charm every day and I kept his notes. I waited six months for him before I agreed to go on another date.

I mainly went because Ashley insisted I would become lonely and adopt too many cats if I didn't. She set me up with this psychology major, Brandon…

At first, Brandon made me forget about my Winchester. He took me out twice a week for about a three months before things began to change. After he moved in, Brandon had a fight with Ashley and insisted we have nothing to do with her. And one night Jason walked me home from work, Brandon was waiting at my apartment. He accused me of cheating and demanded that I quit my job. After all that, he was all I had left. Work was hard to find and seeing my friends became harder.

I started to wish my knight in shining armor would return, but I never told Brandon about that relationship. About W.

I had lost weight and cut my hair, Brandon wanted me to resemble some celebrity and I wanted to make him happy. He was already unhappy with me enough…

During our fifth month together I came home from a job interview and found him in a bad mood.

"What the hell are THESE?!" Brandon was holding a couple folded pieces of paper.

"Huh…?" Did I forget to send the electric bill in?

He read from the note, "You look amazing in the morning by the way. I almost wasn't able to leave."

"Oh." I thought I'd hidden those well enough in my closet.

"Are you fucking around?" His face was red.

"No I-"

"You wear that necklace." He pointed at my charm.

"Brandon, it's-"

"You wear his fucking necklace." Brandon was fuming. "Do you love him?"

I didn't answer. The room was silent as Brandon walked towards me.

"You love him." And he hit me.

I was shocked. It wasn't a slap, but a punch in the face.

"Fucking whore." He pushed me backwards and a realized the door was behind me only as I hit it. But something inside me awakened. I stood up and ran out without a word.

"The fuck you gonna go?" He yelled after me, but I didn't care. I'd had enough.

I ran blindly. I ran until I realized it was dark outside. I'd made it to a local cemetery near my old job and rested on a bench. I didn't want to move, I'd go to the police tomorrow and figure it out.

XXX

Morning came and I forced myself to move. The cop shop was just a few blocks into town.

When I got there the receptionist behind the glass barrier just gave me a look and told me to have a seat. It was Sunday morning and Saturday night is always a busy night in this town.

I spoke with one officer after an hour and a half before being referred to another and led into a glass office. While I was waiting I heard yelling. Cue my soon to be ex…

"….cking bastard… moth…" I could hear his voice. I caught sight of him in cuffs walking past my room.

"Yeah, yeah…" There was another voice behind him and I caught a glimpse of a second guy in cuffs through the window.

No… I leapt up and opened the door for a better look at the second man. "Hey!"

They both turned. Winchester. He gave me a bloody smile that was somehow more dazzling than any other look he'd given me. I didn't hear Brandon's profanities as I ran to him. A cop stopped our embrace.

"You know this guy?"

"Yeah, and the other one. Unfortunately."

"Ah, so that's the guy you want to file a complaint against?" He pointed at Brandon.

"Yes."

"Well, he's filing charges against this guy for assault and breaking and entering."

I frowned, "That's impossible officer. It's my apartment and he's welcome anytime." I noticed W twisting his wrists in a weird way. He gave me a wink.

"So it's down to assault. We'll still have to take him for questioning. Are you still planning on filing charges of your own?"

"Yeah." I looked away and suddenly became very aware and embarrassed of my own situation again.

"Hey." W spoke and I looked up. "You're too beautiful to look down like that."

XXX

I met him outside the police station.

"They said the other guy was drunk. Fact he hit you before helped with my argument that he has 'violent tendencies'." W smirked.

"You slipped the cuffs didn't you." I stated.

"Yeah, we've got about 3 minutes to get out of here. Car is down the road."

We walked in silence and got in the car. He drove but passed my complex.

"Where are we going?"

"Next town over has a decent motel I've been staying at."

I mulled that over for a moment. "How long?"

"About two months." He sighed.

"Were you working there?"

"No." The implications hung heavy.

"Oh."

XXX

He unlocked the door to the motel and held it open for me.

"Thanks." I sat on the cheap desk chair.

"I'll take you back to your place for some clothes when I'm sure he's gone." The thrill of seeing each other once again was wearing thin and reality was looming overhead.

"So what happened last night?" His jaw was bruised.

"I was in the neighborhood. I heard yelling, saw you run…" He paused, "I should've chased after you, but that son of a bitch… I saw red."

"Why-" I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer, "Why didn't you find me earlier?"

"Seemed like you were moving on." He shrugged.

"I waited. I just…" I had no words.

"Gave up." He almost looked wounded.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. "Remember what you said about feeling empty inside?"

"Yeah."
"I thought I wouldn't feel that with Brandon." My mind wandered to the night before, "At least I thought that I wouldn't if I tried hard enough."

"Did it work?" He was still suddenly.

"No." A tear fell, "He made it worse. Guess you were right. Bad instincts."

I got up in search of a tissue and felt his arms wrap around me. I leaned in but he suddenly held me at a distance.

"What the hell?!" He gasped. "What happened to you?"

"What?" I sniffed.

"I saw you changed your hair… It's just…" His eyes were searching my body, "You're so thin."

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. Baggy, heavy clothes had hidden my weight loss well during the winter.

"Don't apologize." He ran his thumb over the left side of my face, "I should've put that bastard in the hospital." He held me closer.

"I missed you." It came out as a whisper against his chest.

He touched my necklace, "I missed you too." Then he let out a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through my hair.

"AH!" I cried out and hissed. I couldn't hide the bruise on my left cheek, but the bump on my head from the door was hidden by my thick hair. He pushed me back slightly and I could see the concern in his eyes as his fingers gently examined the bump on the back of my head.

"I'm going to fucking kill him." His tone was oddly deadly and gentle at the same time.

I was shocked and lost my voice for a moment. It was as if his presence took up the entire room suddenly.

"Forget the hospital, I'm going to put him in the cemetery." I could see the rage building in his features behind his care for me.

This was escalating. "Please leave it. I'll be fine." I smiled and hoped to dissipate the anger in his eyes.

His eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're defending that piece of trash!"

"No no no. He's just… He's not worth it." I grabbed his hand and squeezed. "He's not worth the effort or thought. If anything, I just want his stuff out of my place."

His brows wrinkled and he paused for a moment before pulling out his phone, "Actually, that can be arranged."

I gave him a puzzled look as he called someone in his mysterious network of strangers.

"Hey yeah it's me." He spoke with a gruffer voice than he'd spoken to me with. "Hold on." He turned to me and asked, "It's legally your apartment still?"

I nodded.

"I'm calling in a favor." The voice on the other end rose and he interrupted. "It's nothing big, especially for you." There was a pause. "First of all I want the locks changed and upgraded. You can bring the new keys to me. Secondly there's some clean-up work. Some monster's been living in there." He paused again. "No, not that kind. I need the bastard's stuff out of there and preferably burned. I'll let you know if there's anything else." He sighed, "Yes, I'm asking you to clean up a human mess. Just get to it already. Alright?" He hung up the phone.

"Wait… Who is this person and how are they going to know what's mine and his?" I was a little concerned about a stranger in my apartment.

"Maybe you'll meet them sometime. But I'm kind of hoping not because…" He trailed off and began looking uncomfortable.

"It's someone from work?" I guessed. He never liked discussing his work with me.

"Not quite." His tone was dark as he held me.

"Something then?" The idea sent a chill through me.

"Don't worry about it. They're trustworthy for this job." He rubbed my arms and I relaxed into him. The last 24 hours had drained me. Before I knew it I was almost asleep on my feet.

"You're exhausted." He lifted me and laid me on the bed. "You were long gone when I was through with him. Where did you go last night?" He gently stroked my cheek.

I yawned and closed my eyes, "The cemetery."

His hand paused, "Where?!"

"In town, by my old job." I nudged his hand. I loved his soothing touch.

"Shit." He was breathless and I opened my eyes. He looked guilty and a little panicked.

"What?" I sat up.

"Why didn't you go to Ashley or Jason? Why on earth would you go to that cemetery?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't have my phone and…" I felt embarrassed for what happened again, "He made me stop talking to them." I'm sure my face turned red.

"Shit. I knew I should've followed you." His voice held concern, but panic as well.

"What's wrong?"

"Other than the fact that you were driven out of your home and had to spend a night sleeping outside where anything could've happened to you? Hopefully nothing… Hopefully…" His eyes were scanning me now.

"I'm fine, nothing happened."

He sighed and brushed my hair back, "I hope so. You should get some rest."

I leaned back on the bed. "I'll be fine." I yawned. "I'm just tired…" Sleep was ready to take me again.

"I'll be here when you wake up." He smiled at me and it felt like for the first time in a long time, the sun was shining.