A Good Man

Author: Cheryl W.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or any rights to Supernatural, nor am I making any profit from this story.

Summary: Every mother wants her daughter to find a good man and settle down and Lisa Braeden's mother is no different. It doesn't take long for her to see that Dean Winchester, he isn't your ordinary good man.

Author's Notes: **************SPOILER FOR SEASON 5 FINALE.************************

Well now we're into my AU universe after the 5th season. My take is that Sam didn't knock on Lisa's door but walked away.

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Buried Treasure

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The man Lindsey met in Lisa's living room, it wasn't the same man whose eyes she met across the chaos of a eight year old's birthday party. There was something…missing, something gone. Dean was all polite "ma'ams" to her, was all tender touches, soft looks with Lisa, and protective and affectionate with Ben. There were no red flags…except what lurked down deep in his eyes.

Lindsey had spent two years assigned to a medic unit in Iraq, had seen the look Dean Winchester was wearing in a few soldiers' eyes. The soldiers that had gone through the worst of it and had miraculously survived what so many of their fellow soldiers had not, could not. It was a haunted, pained reflection. It was a weight that some men never overcame, never found the strength to climb out of the abyss.

But Dean was a fighter, soul deep, Lindsey could see that. He was wounded, yes, but he wasn't done, had too much strength, too much life…too much love to give to surrender.

All that didn't mean that Lindsey was dropping her guard, was ready to welcome him with open arms. Sure, the way he treated Lisa and Ben, it earned him brownie points but this was her family he had unexpectedly swooped into, was just as likely to swoop out of without warning.

If Lisa and Ben couldn't keep a clear head, see what Dean Winchester was underneath his outward politeness, affectionate smiles, jokes and tenderness, the task fell to her. She knew that Lisa would say she was in her momma bear mode. 'Yeah, like she has any room to talk, the way she reamed out the teacher who let her son wait 5 minutes alone at school to be picked up after practice.'

So she smiled, made nice and she watched Dean, what he said, how he said it, where he looked, how he responded to questions, how easily he avoided providing answers. And she tagged along, like she was doing today.

Having boldly invited herself to the park with Ben and Dean, she watched the scenery flash by from the backseat of Dean's car, an impressive hunk of black steel from her era. She stroked the leather interior fondly, remembered Sunday drives in such a car, radio blasting from the speakers, waving at friends at the local hamburger joints, excited just to be out on the town. She kept her smile hidden though, didn't want Dean to think he had won some points with her with his car. No, her favor was going to be earned by the young man, every step of the way.

Having been busy reminiscing, she was surprised when Dean pulled to the side of the road and stopped, miles from town. She was about to ask what was wrong with Dean's car when she saw that a car was already on the gravel in front of them, riding low on the right side. It wasn't their car that was having trouble.

Putting the car in park and cutting the engine, Dean looked to Ben and smiled. "Want to learn how to change a flat tire?"

"Really? You'ld let me help?" Ben enthusiastically asked, eyes shining as if Dean had offered, out of the blue, to take him to a major league game.

"Absolutely. Just remember to stay off the road," Dean returned, his tone affectionate. Then he looked over the bench seat to Lindsey. "This won't take more than a few minutes. Is that alright?"

Surprised to be consulted, Lindsey opened her mouth and then closed it before she rambled, "Oh..Oh yeah, fine. I'm not in a rush. Just have laundry on the to-do list…"

"Laundry, so not my favorite thing," Dean sympathized and it jolted Lindsey to think Dean was doing his own laundry, maybe Lisa and Ben's laundry, that he wasn't the type of man who thought such tasks were 'women's work.' She almost didn't catch his next words.

"There's a lot of traffic along here, so if you decide to get out, get out from Ben's side," Dean cautioned and then he opened his door and got out, stepped onto the very highway he just told Lindsey to avoid. Swinging her head around, Lindsey saw from out the back window that there was a small break in traffic, that Dean's nonchalant stroll would get him to the side of the road before the next car breezed by, close enough and fast enough to rock the classic car. "Clearly a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do type of guy though," she said aloud to herself, couldn't help wonder what risks Dean would take that he wouldn't let others take.

Moving to the edge of her seat, Lindsey propped her elbows on the front bench seat and watched as Ben slid to Dean's side. It wasn't the first time she saw her grandson gravitate to Dean, like he was his own personal magnet. Dean's hand came to rest on her grandson's shoulder and Ben leaned into the touch as they approached the car's occupants, a man probably five years Dean's senior, and a teenage boy. She couldn't hear the conversation but she read the body language, the relief the older man was feeling at the arrival of a good Samaritan. 'That's a rarity these days,' Lindsey allowed, wondered if Dean was doing this for her benefit, to come off as this great guy. She snorted, said aloud, "Yeah, like he's worried about my opinion."

As she watched, Dean turned to Ben, handed him his keys and then Ben was running along the passenger side of the Impala to the trunk. She heard the creak of the trunk opening, and Ben rummaging around, the clank of metal against metal. She almost missed Dean walking back to join Ben in his scavenger hunt, heard the deep rumble of his voice, "The lug nuts are going to be on tight, so let's grab the hammer too, just in case we need it." Then boy and man, loaded down with tools, returned to the car in distress.

Lindsey had never seen her grandson so focused before, not even on baseball. And she worriedly realized why, that Ben didn't want to disappoint Dean, that Dean's opinion mattered to Ben, very much so. 'Don't put him on the pedestal your mother has him on, Ben. I don't want you hurt,' she silently advised and her breath caught when Ben's young hands slipped from the tire iron. But stronger hands came to rest gently upon Ben's, caught the tire iron and set it back to its task. And together, Dean's strength and Ben's, moved the tire iron, had the lug nuts falling into the dirt and the flat tire sliding from the wheel base. The same set of hands lifted the spare tire in place, spun the tire iron until each lug nut was tight.

And then man and boy were climbing to their feet, were met with the car owner's grateful smile and outstretched hand. Dean shook the man's hand and then the man held his hand out to Ben. Lindsey watched as her ten year old grandson shook the stranger's hand, proud that he had earned the man's respect. She felt herself tear up because she realized what she was seeing, the start of Ben becoming a man.

A few more words were exchanged between the foursome. Dean laid his arm across Ben's shoulders and drew the boy against him. And Ben went willingly, happily, all notion of his manhood dissolving back into adoring child.

Lindsey barely slid back in her seat before Dean and Ben climbed into the car. Then they sat there, in silence, waiting until the previously disabled car in front of them merged back into traffic.

"Why didn't you correct him? Tell him I wasn't your son?" Ben's words were quiet, tentative as if he was reluctant to voice them, even more loath to hear the answers to them.

Dean's head snapped to Ben and Lindsey saw the way the man's features softened as they fell upon her grandson, noted the boy's bowed head, withdrawn posture. Ben's fear was tangible, the happiness of a few seconds ago dimmed at his uncertainty and Lindsey honestly didn't know if she was mad that Dean had let the misconception go or touched that he had.

Dean's voice was gentle but was without a shred of apology when he gave Ben his answer. "Guess I should have corrected him but the truth is, I was proud he thought you were my son." And there was no guile in Dean's eyes, was only that depth of affection that leapt from him to Ben, that made it impossible to think he was offering anything but what was in his heart.

Lindsey saw her grandson's head snap up, saw, even from her vantage point, the wonder and love in Ben's eyes as they met Dean's. "I didn't correct him either. You know why?" Ben challenged, his voice cocky and full of life. He spoke before Dean could. "Because when someone thinks the coolest guy on the planet is your dad, you shut your mouth and let them think that."

Dean's answering smile lit up the car and he tenderly cupped the side of Ben's face with his strong hand. "Thanks Ben," he said, his voice thick with emotions as his thumb stroked Ben's cheek. And then he pulled back, settled his hand again on the steering wheel and pulled onto the road, his wide smile staying in place.

Too considerate to leave his other passenger out of their moment, Dean looked in the rearview mirror, met Lindsey's eyes. "For the record, if the guy thought you were my grandmother, I wouldn't have corrected him either."

Letting out a sputter of laughter at the barb, Lindsey swatted Dean playfully on the back of the head. "Watch it buddy. I believe in not sparing the rod."

Hamming it up, Dean rubbed the back of his head, whined, "ouch." His overacting got Ben giggling.

Begrudgingly, Lindsey found herself smiling, admitting that, dang it, she liked Dean. A lot. Goodness knew, he wasn't hard on the eyes, had a seemingly unlimited well of charm but what she was discovering underneath…that was where Dean's real treasure was buried.

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TBC

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Thanks so much for still reading these one shots! And I loved every single review from last chapter. I wish I knew the right words to put in a reply to such kindness, a way to show the level of gratitude I feel for such surprising support. I guess words fail me but I really owe my bravery to posting anything here to my wonderful supportive readers. Thank you!

As the TBC indicates, I do have more of these one shots planned. I hope that's something you would welcome.

Have a great day!

Cheryl W.