Disclaimer: I don't own, Sam or Dean Winchester or Supernatural.

Title: Meeting the Truth

Summary: Autumn and Dean have a talk when they get home after Bread Crumbs and Dean reveals a little bit of information no one dreamed he'd ever say.

A/N: Dean may be out of character here and I'm sorry. I did try! I was watching Grey's the other day and Karev and Izzy are having marital issues due to the fact that she's mourning George and he's freaked out that his wife is terminally ill and died in his freaking arms! I can't blame the guy for being afraid to do anything that might further damage her weak weak body. ANYWAY they get into this fight where he admits that he's terrified of losing her in nearly the exact words you'll see Dean use here. Karev got me thinking about Dean in that situation and I realized Autumn did die in his arms. So this piece of crap was born. Hope you at least enjoy the idea though. I'll be doing NaNoWriMo again this year so holler if you want to see whatever I decide to write.

"Dean?" her voice was soft an sweet. She wanted something. The muscles in his jaw tensed up, if she wanted something that she had to ask him for it couldn't be good. She found him quickly, the cabin was small and he was sitting under the only light that was on. The kitchen light was easy enough to spot from most any room in the cabin.

Sam was in the library still, will Darcy. They were researching still, both so determined to find some sort of flood gate to put up. Things seemed to be picking up all over the place. The Resort looked like Hunters' Grand Central Station lately. Hunters were coming and going at all hours. The library and bar were always occupied. The beds stayed relatively empty unless the hunter occupying the bed was seriously injured they weren't staying more than a single night.

Dean didn't want to think about what Athena was doing. He liked Will well enough. He was a good guy, had made a lot of mistakes, specially when it came to Teenie. But then again who wasn't carrying around a laundry list of mistakes? It was that long list of mistakes however that made Teenie's current relationship with him worry Dean. He had let himself get attached to her. She was his little sister for all intents and purposes. So the fact that they were in his room in the big house still at 3 AM made Dean's stomach churn.

"Dean?" she whispered it in his ear this time wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He was mad at her. She'd attempted to leave him. He refused to let himself melt back into her arms the way he so badly wanted to.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he questioned. She kissed his ear before moving to sit in one of the other chairs across the table.

"You weren't there." Autumn admitted. Some how she looked small, breakable even, when she said it.

"I was just working on the report for Jen." he told her gesturing to the papers scattered across the table.

"She doesn't want us hunting together anymore." She said staring at the patterns in the wood surface. His Autumn was gone. He had lost her that day in the warehouse. The woman sitting across from him now was familiar. So much like the woman he'd first met in a bar in Ohio: Strong, cocky, and sarcastic but obviously beaten and broken. It was like looking at a smashed up monster truck. You know back at one time the truck was impressively huge and intimidating beyond belief but now it's just sad and a little pathetic. The most heart wrenching part for Dean was eye contact. She didn't meet peoples eyes often or for long and it seemed even more difficult with him.

"I can't blame her. The last year hasn't been good for any of us. Our work is slipping."

"We are still alive and our hunts are still being completed. We aren't losing any more innocents than before." She argued. Desperation tinted her voice and he couldn't place why.

"We're distracted." He pointed out. "Autumn half of the time I'm more worried about you, Sammy, and Teenie than the hunt. Something has to give and you know it."

"So what?" She asked betrayal already forming in her beautiful hazel eyes. Her voice was tight, careful, she was picking her words wisely. "Its us or hunting? Do you think we need to stop hunting together or break up?" He stared at her trying to see how she'd jumped to that conclusion.

"God no! Aut...Aut," He drew a slow breath summoning the courage to say what he had to.

"What?" She demanded her fear getting the best of her.

"Damn it Autumn!" He growled. "I never let people close for this reason. Our lives are dangerous and people are going to get hurt. We're going to get hurt. But you wouldn't quit! You wouldn't back off. You made me let you in. You made me love you. Then you just died. How could you just die in my arms like that? I can't lose you. I don't want to hunt with out you. I need you." The words burst from his lips before he had time to register them much less stop them. She was watching him bewildered. He doubted that he looked much better. The moment of silent shocked staring seemed to stretch on forever.

"Me too." She whispered so low the hum of the fridge nearly drowned it out. There was another beat of silence more awkward than the last. Then she got up and came around the table, pulling his chair out to sit in his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him softly. "I'm sorry. I know I should have waited for you."

"Forget about it." He brushed her hair gently from her face. She was making eye contact. She was his Autumn again and it made his heart flutter, could she be back? "We need to decide where we're going now."

"Bed and we can talk in the morning with the kids. It's not just you and me. This concerns our whole family."

"OK" He agreed. "Let's go to bed."

Dean let her lead him to bed. Part of him knew no matter what they'd work through this. He knew she was so much more than a part of his life. Autumn laid down in their bed and he hesitated a moment taking her in, killing the remaining bitter angry emotions for how badly she'd hurt him. She was wearing one of his favorite t-shirts, red hair cascading over the white pillowcase, once long delicate fingers were now angled and crooked playing with the sheets waiting for him. He knew every scar, freckle, and mole that tainted her forever sunkissed skin. He gave her a quick smile, the one that had won him countless nights of reckless, meaningless fun. Hazel eyes locked onto his green ones seeing past the smile, seeing him. He slipped into their bed then, wrapping his arms around her.

"Night, Aut." he kissed her temple.

"Night, Dork." She snuggled closer drifting off.