Authors Note: I am so sorry! I have been caught in school and work lately, and I have barely had the time to write a full chapter so this one is going to be shorter. After today I plan to try to get this more regular, but I hope that this chapter is good enough for now. (P.S I did not revise this, so heads up) and I promise that the plot will thicken.

"Goodnight," Dean called as he and everyone split into their separate rooms. "Wait! Dean." Ben called as he noticed the older Winchester retreated to the hallway to his room. "What is it?" Ben managed to catch up to the 6-foot male, "I just wanted to thank you, I know that bringing me here might have caused some problems. And I just wanted to thank you for letting me choose, I feel like this is where I was meant to be here." Dean felt warmth fill his chest, but at the same time, he felt uneasiness in the back of his head. "Ben, I want you to understand something." Dean stopped Ben in mid-stride and he checked behind him to make sure no one else was there. "You being here was no problem and you didn't disturb anything. The only reason why I wouldn't let you come with me sooner is that this is going to affect you. Living this life gets messy, it hurts, and the only thing that it gets you is dead. I will not sugarcoat this job or anything we do, but I will tell you that the only rewards you get are the people you save." Ben looked at Dean, trying to figure out what to say to that. "That's all I need."

"Wait, what?"

"I don't care what you said about how you are not someone that should be looked up to, I see you as one of the only men in this world that goes and saves the world and wants no reward. From what little I heard about your life, I gathered that the only reward you get is, as you say "hurt or broken'' but I could feel that I need to do something more than being a doctor or whatever the crap other jobs there are." Dean was once again struck speechless with Ben's words, "you want to become a hunter?" Ben finally let a smile grow on his face, "finally you get it!"

Silence filled the hallway as the pair looked at each other, "how much do you know about fighting? Hand to hand combat" Dean suddenly asks, "uh, don't all I need to know is how to fire a gun?" Dean sighs, "nope, if anything the combat is more important. We will start training at 5 sharp" Ben stares wide-eyed at his father figure. "AM or PM?" And just like that Dean left Ben wondering, "Hey! Wait! Gosh, dang it…" Ben watched as the Winchester disappeared behind a door. "He meant it." The kid jumped 10 feet in the air at the sudden deep voice. "What"

"You start training tomorrow at 5 in the morning." The angel repeated himself while smiling, "why wouldn't he just say that?" Castiel's grin widens "it's what he does, he wants you to guess. It's his way of starting your training, you have to be ready to guess what the other is doing. He also likes to see his students panic." Ben stares incredulously at the now-closed door. "If I were you I would get as much sleep as possible because tomorrow is going to be a long day" Ben quickly nodded and raced into his room. Cas quickly walked into what is now his and Dean's room.

"You are so mean." Dean smiled "why?"

"You know why" The angel changed into sweat pants and one of Dean's old AC/DC shirts and got into bed next to the Winchester. Silence fell upon the room as Dean laid his head on Angel's chest. "What if he's not ready?" The older Winchester's voice broke the room, "you'll make him ready. You don't have to worry about that'' Cas snaked his arms around the Righteous man. "I just don't want him to go through what I did growing up. These things I saw, the things I did. He is just too young." The angel's heart broke a little more, "no one will ever go through what you did, you shouldn't have been through what you've been through. And the kid is 17, almost an adult. You started way younger, so young that I hate to even think about it." Once again silence filled the room as Dean clings tighter to Cas. "I love you, I don't deserve you" Cas kissed the top of Dean's head, "you deserve the world and more, I love you, Dean Winchester''

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING!" Ben shouted, hoping that Dean or anyone would hear him. He quickly looked at the time and his breathing quickened, "4:58. Come on!" The kid found himself running around the bunker trying to find the oldest Winchester. "Ben? Woah, slow down there, kid" much to Ben's relief he managed to find Sam. "Sam! Where is the room where you train?" It came out as a rushed breath, "uhhhhh, it's down this hall, then take a right, and the 4th one down to the left. Why?" Ben started to follow Sam's instructions, "Sorry Sam, I'll talk later!" And he disappeared around the corner"

"I'm here! I'm here!" Dean watched the kid rush into the room with no extra breath. "Huh" Winchester looks at his watch, "you made it on time." Ben scoffs now looking at the fairly large gym-like room that had some wrestling mats in the middle, "no thanks to you! You never told me where this room is! You didn't even tell me where to meet in that matter!" Ben slowly caught his breath, "so what are we doin'" the oldest Winchester just smirks. "Hand-to-hand combat. Now I taught you some self-defense but in any case, whatever we are after will eat you alive." The kid watches as Dean makes his way into the open, gym-like room. "Ok, go across from me." Quietly Ben faces Dean, "I will not tell you what to do, but your goal is to put me on the ground, do not let any of my hits get you." The 17-year-old starts to panic, "wait, what!" But without any explanation, Dean positions himself so that his left side is facing Ben and his knees slightly bent.

Swallowing his nerves, Ben mirrored Dean's stance.

SLAM!

"Ow! What the ever-loving crap!" Ben feels his back hit the matted floor, his air ripped from his lungs. "Wow….. okay. I liked your bravery but literally, everything else needs work" Ben heard Dean state and Ben roles on his stomach, "how did- I BLINKED AND I WAS ON THE GROUND"

"And if I was anything else, you'd be dead, get up." Ben started to slowly stand, "I'm going to teach you about your stance, ok?" Ben only nods, "Okay, keep your knees bent, it gives more stability and support. Keep your as close to your person as possible, that is very important. You got this so far?"

"Yeah, I think" Ben starts to get into the position, "Like this?"

"Yup. Do you remember what I told you to do when someone is attacking you?"

"Uhhhh, didn't you say to aim for the head?"

"Somewhat, make sure to trap the arm behind them and aim for the neck."

"That sounds easy enough"

"Oh trust me, kid, it is not as easy as it sounds. Now keeping that in mind, how about we try that again, and maybe this time, don't blink."

The two stood toe to toe, in their separate positions. When Dean made a move to hit Ben, the kid narrowly dodged and kept an eye on Dean's movements. The Winchester noticed that Ben decided to keep to the defense, Dean decided to use this against Ben. He sends a quick jab to Ben's left and through a back fist. Ben suddenly got knocked down to the ground, the kid grabbed his nose in pain. "DANG IT! I thought I was doing good that time." Dean felt a smirk play on his lips. "You did, for the first half. But then I could easily map your movements. You have to combine different movements or your opponent could easily use your repeated moves against you." Ben got back to his feet. "How do I do that?"

"I'll teach you different moves you can do, but first….. Take 20 laps around this room" The 17-year-old looks at Dean like he was kidding, "Are you serious?" Dean looks at Ben with an evil smirk, "What! But that's like 2 miles!" "Then you better get moving" as Ben begins the slow jog, Dean notices Sam in the doorway smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" The younger Winchester let his grin widen "I know exactly how he feels when dad left for hunting and you were supposed to train me. I probably ran 4 miles by noon!" Dean smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. Even after years, the mention of their father brings in wanted memories.

"Come on, Dean! If I was coming after you then you would probably be dead!" John towered over the crippled-up figure on the ground. "I-I can't…" Dean feels his lungs fill with liquid as he coughs, his vision starts to leak bits of black "I can't!"

"Get up!" The small figure slowly climbs his way up, leaning all his weight on the tree behind him. He knew that if his dad asked for another round he wouldn't make it. Dean didn't even see the hit coming and he was back in the ground.

"Did you go on your hippy run"

"The matter of fact, Dean. Yes, I did, and when I came back I heard Ben yelling where you were." Dean tries to hold in his laugh

"You did the thing, didn't you?" Dean let himself burst out laughing "what!? It's the only fun part of training someone. You gotta mess with their head, have them freak out so that the Andrea Deline is pumpin'" Sam looks at his brother "you are such a child" it came out as a sigh but Dean knew that Sam thought it hilarious. "How is Ben?" Both of the brothers gaze at the 17-year-old running around the ridiculously large room. "Uhhhh, he needs work but give me a month and he would probably be good enough for a simple salt'n'burn" the brother fell silent.

"Does he know Jack is…."

"Nope"

"What about you and Cas?"

"Ummmm I don't think so?"

"What do you mean, I don't think so"

"I mean I haven't told him, but you and Jack caught on pretty quick, I mean Jack thought me and Cas were together the whole time sooooooo…."

"You should tell him. I think he would be happy."

"And tell him what, that I dumped his mom then hooked up with the angel that erased a whole part of your memory, yeah that would be awesome for the kid to hear"

"You know what I meant dean"

"Yeah, I know"

Silence filled the room as Ben got halfway, "what are you going to have the kid, do next" Dean thinks for a moment then answers, "I'm going to see how good he is a shooting then we'll come back here to fix up his fighting"

"Well, don't overwork him too much"

"I'll try" with no other words being said, Sam left to finish his morning routine.

Dean waits until Ben stops running altogether and leans against the wall as he tries to catch his breath. "I'll let ya catch your breath" the only response that Dean got was a weak thumbs up. Once Ben was able to gain a little breath he asked, "W-what are we going to do next?"

"I was thinking of seeing how you are at shooting" He watches the kid's face light up, "Let's do it!" Dean chuckled "Follow me"

As the pair walked through the long hallways, Ben made it a goal to memorize this maze. When the silence fell upon them Ben saw his chance to learn about Dean, "Hey, Dean?" the 17-year-old heard a grunt that he took to keep going, "Why did you leave the first time? The second time I at least know the idea of why you left. But with the kids, why did you leave?" Dean thought for a moment, "what do you know about death?"

"That once you die, you go to either heaven or hell? What's that suppo-"

"Well you go to hell if you sell your soul"

"And?"

"When you sell your soul, you get this contract from the demon. They give you what you want and they come to gather your soul after 10 years."

"Dean? You didn-"

"I did. But instead of 10 years, they gave me 1 year, but I was desperate."

"I don't understand-"

"When I visited you, it was my way of saying goodbye to the good times from my life, but then I saw you. When I saw you, I thought about the life that I could have had, the life I wanted. So when the monster was gone, all I wanted to do was to stay with you and your mom but I had a couple of months left, I couldn't do that to you two. So I left"

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that you sold your soul?"

Dean only nods

"But you're here! That means that you got past the deal, you're alive!"

"Ben…"

"You can't have possibly gone to hell"

"Ben-"

"You're alive! You're here!"

"Ben!"

Dean stopped Ben in the middle of the hallway and looked him in the eye, "Ben, by the end of that year I died and my soul was dragged to hell" it was said gently, but Ben felt his whole resolve start to crumble. It was useless, I mean, Dean was right there alive. But something about hearing that Winchester died and going to the worst place that humans can think of scared him and filled him full of an emotion he can't pinpoint.

"But you're right here!"

"Castiel gripped me tightly and raised me from perdition' as he puts it. I am alive now, I was saved. You don't have to worry."

"All that time, I thought that you left me. You died" Ben felt guilt fill his chest, he looked at Dean with tears in his eyes, "I felt so much hatred toward you. I couldn't understand why you left me. When you face eternal damnation, you die!" The oldest Winchester looked at Ben with sad eyes. "It wasn't your fault" Ben and Dean faced each other for what felt like a minute when Ben broke the silence but walked past Dean. "Let's shoot stuff already" it was said in a clipped tone, a tone that Dean understands all too well. The anger at yourself, of not being able to change or help a situation