A/N: Sorry the update took forever. Computer problems. Long story. The song used in this chapter is "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.

VisionGurl: Ah, my first "how could you?" review since I killed off Piper in my Charmed fic... Hopefully you'll like the way this one goes more. :)

erica222: Yeah, poor Dean... I'm glad you understood that he had to go... I was worried that him leaving was going to sound stupid.

EmSyd: Hopefully I didn't leave you hanging for too long!

sasha1978: Don't worry, it's not finished yet. Thanks for such a great review!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

For what was probably the thirtieth time in the last month or so, Dean could think of nothing but Angela as he drove. Here he'd spent a year idly wondering if there was anything between them, and once he'd learned, he'd left. He tried to convince himself to just forget about it- it was probably just a one-time thing. But it didn't feel like that. That night that Dean had spent with Angela just felt… right.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, snapping his brother out of his trance. Dean swerved the car back onto the road just before they'd gone off into a ditch. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry," Dean mumbled. Now he knew that he was taking this way too seriously. He searched around for road signs when he realized that he had no idea where they were. Judging by the lack of- well, everything- they were in the middle of nowhere. "Where are we, anyway?"

Sam looked at him incredulously. "Are you even watching the road? Dude, what's going on with you?"

"I'm just thinking."

"Well then I guess you've been thinking a lot lately. Just answer me this time… what's wrong?"

Of course, the last thing Dean wanted to do was answer. But this road trip- however long it was going to be- was going to get a lot longer if Sam knew he was hiding something from him.

"It's Angela," Dean finally answered.

"What about her? Is she okay?" Sam asked warily.

"She's fine," Dean replied. "…I love her." Sam was instantly taken aback. "At least, I think I love her. I don't know."

For a minute, Sam didn't answer. "You and Angie… that's one I never thought I'd see."

"Join the club," Dean muttered.

"Dean, this is big. You haven't had a serious relationship since Cassie. And Angie's a lot different than Cassie."

"I know she is. She's different from any other girl I've ever known. And she's completely opposite of my type. I don't know what it is…" Dean trailed off. "We've barely even spent any time together. I shouldn't feel like I love her."

"Listen to yourself, Dean. You do love her," Sam stated.

"Great," Dean replied. "Just what I needed to hear when she's in New Jersey and we're in…" (a road sign had finally come along) "Texas."

"Sorry," Sam mumbled.

Dean sighed and popped one of his Metallica tapes in the cassette player to distract him.

So close, no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trust in who we are

And nothing else matters

Trust I seek, and I find in you

Every day for us, something new

Open mind for a different view

And nothing else matters

Dean spontaneously hit the brakes.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

Dean maneuvered the steering wheel. "Turning around," he replied. "I have to talk to her."

A/N: Please review!