Rolling Waves: Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Wish I did.
A/N: As much as I love Alec, he probably won't make an appearance in this fanfiction. Also, Manticore was created for two purposes, one to be a military/army unit, but also to fight the supernatural.
Dean stared at the Seattle skyline the lights of the city twinkling in the horizon. As predicted rain began to fall from the sky and the memories of a forgotten time began to resurface.
Flashback
Dean stood at the bar a glass of whisky in front of him. The bar, aptly named Crash housed a multitude of patrons who were crashing after a long week of work. A group stood crowded around a table in the back corner. Two women and three men stood around the table sharing laughs and a pitcher of beer. Dean wasn't all that interested in the men, and something about the African American woman stuck him as odd, as if she wouldn't welcome his advances. No Dean had his eye set on the brunette beauty. She would probably give Dean a run for his money but it would be sweet to get with her.
End Flashback
Dean remembered that night well. When he first approached the brunette she shot him down with out a second thought. She didn't even looked at him. Just told him she was taken and didn't she wasn't interested. Dean usually wouldn't have put so much effort into the getting a girl but something about her made his blood boil and his heart race. He made an uncharacteristic effort to get to know the girl and her friends. Two weeks into his stay in Seattle he learned the girl had in fact broken up with her boyfriend a week before and was free to date as she pleased.
For the next week he wooed the girl and she reluctantly agreed to a date. Her name would forever be engrained in his heart. Max Guevara.
Flashback
"Why are you trying so hard?" Max asked from across the table.
"Excuse me?"
"A guy like you? You could've had any girl you wanted. Why did make such an effort to be a pain in my ass?"
Dean smiled. "Always about my ass. You want to kick my ass. You want to beat my ass. You sure are obsessed with my ass."
"I am not obsessed with your ass."
"Denial's not just a river in Egypt."
"You know you keep taunting me and you won't get a second date."
"Second date? Whoa sweetheart, we aren't even through our first date." Dean said smiling.
Max laughed. He loved her laugh. It was light and musical.
"Honestly though…"
"Honest? I don't think you've ever been honest a day in your life. I should probably be slowly backing away from the table in an attempt to flee."
"Very funny, Maxie."
"Names Max, Deanie."
Dean shook his head. "You interest me."
"I interested you? Come on a guy like you has his pick of girls no matter where he is."
"I'm not as shallow as I look. I do value other things besides looks, like a great pair of legs, or an equally nice rack. I'm an equal opportunity guy."
Max laughed again.
And so their date went. Dean and Max bantering back and forth.
End Flashback
Dean watched the rain run down the window. It always rained in Seattle. It was okay, the rain reflected his dreary mood. Would Max forgive him for leaving her?
Flashback
Dean's father had stopped by. He had a couple of sightings that could use looking into and Dean was the guy to go to if you needed help or backup.
"Dean what do you mean you're leaving."
"I have to go Max."
"Your telling me you have to go but you won't tell me why! Your going to drop everything and just follow your father all over the country fighting the forces of the supernatural."
"He's my dad Max. Besides, I'm not like everyone else, Max you know that. You're not like everyone else either."
"So what Dean? You have a life here. Friends, a job, a girl that's crazy about you."
"Max I know, but he's my dad and he needs my help. Besides you fight supernatural forces you know how it is. When you get a sighting you just have to go with the flow."
"Damn it Dean just because I deal with those types of things doesn't mean that I want to."
"Then why do you?"
"Because I was trained to. But that doesn't mean I want to do it forever. But my ongoing battle with the forces of the paranormal is beside the point. The point is that I can't believe you're going to leave after only being here six weeks? Do I mean nothing to you? I thought you cared about me."
"I do Max. I asked you to come with me. We can hunt together. We're a good team. We work well together, at least when your not drooling over my ass."
"Damn it Dean. I have a family here. A chance at a real life. I don't want to hunt the supernatural for the rest of my life. I want to have a steady job and friends who I can hang out with on a Friday night. I don't want to be constantly afraid that something is going to get me out there."
"You want to be normal." Dean said in a flat voice. It was like talking to Sam all over again.
"No Dean, not normal. I know I'll never be normal. Genetically altered human here! I want to be safe, Dean. And I want you to be safe too."
"I can't stand by on the sidelines and do nothing, not when I know what's out there. People like us have saved a lot of lives."
"If you wanted to save lives Dean you should have become a doctor. Hunting the supernatural, Dean, it's going to kill you."
"Well then at least I'll die knowing I did something to make the world a better place."
"Dean the world won't stop spinning if you stop fighting the supernatural. I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I may not be a genetically altered human being Max, but my father taught me everything he learned about the supernatural. I'm good. Maybe not the best but I can muddle my way through anything. If your so worried about me getting hurt you should come and watch my back."
"I can't Dean. I worked too long and too hard to build the life I have here. And if I had known that you were going to leave after six weeks I would have stayed away like I planned to."
"Max…"
"No Dean. You need to choose, what's more important, me or you battle against the supernatural."
"Max, I can't make that choice. You both mean too much to me."
"I guess I have your answer. You should go. If you head out know you can beat the morning rush."
"Max…"
But Max had turned and walked in to her room. The soft click of the lock sliding into place sounded finite and final. Dean shook his head. She didn't understand. It was more than fighting the supernatural; it was finding what killed his mother.
End Flashback
He had left without looking back, pushing his sorrow and regret a side and threw himself into fighting the supernatural with a renewed vigor. His dad had complemented his renewed effort but never probed deeper as to why he wouldn't talk about his time in Seattle. He had lied to Sammy about Max. To Max it wasn't just a passing fling. She was hurt that he just packed up his life and left. Things between Max and him could have been long term, perhaps even forever.
His life changed that night. He was still the joker he always was but his comments had more of bite to them, an edge that previously been nonexistent. He distance himself from people, flirted with girls who were physically the opposite of his Maxie, or were out of his reach. He hadn't returned to Seattle in two years and he hadn't planned to until Alanna came around.