Dean Winchester II Pov

*Back In The Past*

Closely I watched as Samson Winchester stared at me.

It was beyond fighting.

It was clear he did not trust anyone around his little brother.

I can only imagine if I had a brother of my own, how protective I would be over him.

That's how I feel about Cassa and the twins. When the twins were born I knew no one could protect them like Cassa and I. With my brains and her brawn-beauty we are partners-in-crime for life.

I have to do what is necessary to get back home. To get back to her, and back to our family in one piece.

At this point I'm positive that Joseph Winchester is who I've directly descended from.

The way that he spoke about the witch that I assume was protecting him means he's compassionate and sensitive. In a very strange way his modesty when speaking of hunting with his brother, reminded me of how my father described not ever wanting to feel with his older brother in the past.

It's been months since I've read from my fathers earlier journals. Now, being stuck back in time- I don't have access to them.

I did not ask Joseph his age yet but it's clear I'm here to protect him. His brother Samson isn't doing such a good job. Just by looking at this place- that witch could have killed him and ate his insides or sold them to the highest bidder.

I extend my hand to Samson in hopes to break the ice. "Good evening, my name is Dean. I have come to assist with the monster … that ah- runs about." I say and Samson leaves me hanging- putting his glare back on his brother. I dropped my hand, placing it in my pocket.

"Joseph, I have told you about running off. These town woods are not safe, any monster could fool you." He says, looking at me.

Samson isn't indeed wrong, Joseph seems a bit ingenuous- and too seriously accused me of being a fallen Angel. Dad would have laughed at that one.

"Samson, trust. Dean can insist us with the Wendigo. We have to hunt it at once." Joseph desperately spoke.

"Come home, Joseph. I finally found a wife whom I can create a home with, publicly and privately. You can have that as well. Hunting does not have to be our way any longer."

"I'm sorry, it's the only way Samson. I do not wish that life for myself, not now at least. I'm a hunter. It's what I only wish to do." Joseph says speaking up for himself in what seems like the first time in his life.

"Joseph, you won't survive out there without me. Do not get involved with this town's evil. I beg you." I narrowed my eyes at Samson- it was obvious he knows more than he cares to share with his little brother. He's a skilled hunter yet he only wants to save his brother and go live a happy life.

Strange, it does not make sense. A hunter always sacrifices his wants, for the greater good of the world.

"We need to be on our way from here, trust in me we will hunt another day." Samson pleads.

"No." Joseph protested. "I will not leave this town with that monster killing-about. You have read our parents' journal. If no one kills that monster it will wake once more. Even those huntresses are out there searching, Why aren't we?"

Good question! Yet, Samson does not seem the type to inform his little brother on everything.

"Please, you don't know what dangers those girls bring little brother. Lets find somewhere safe, huh?"

"No, Samson. You're wrong." Joseph argued.

"I will tell you what I know about those drifters." He says to him, then looks at me. "You cannot trust any of them. Only me." He glared back at Joseph. "I will never put you in harm's way Joseph. The night of our parents murder I swore I would never lose you like that. You are all I have, do not be reckless and make careless mistakes."

"My apologies for what I need to do, however it is my choice Samson. Not yours."

I did not know much of Joseph and Samson's relationship, but it was awesome to see men whom I'm descended from act like a true family.

"So-be-it little brother, have it your way. You should know this morning while you slept, I mailed a telegram to the other hunter's. Gabe Walker, Rufus L. Turner, will arrive for their last hunt as well. Enderson Singer is out front keeping watch. He also made it clear that tonight he will not hunt the monster, he only will remain the lead for Man Of Letters… I will join him once I wed Phebe. I come out here to only find you, not that monster. Our future children will never hunt. this life is not for the faint-hearted. I ask again... Come with us?" Samson says to Joseph.

The last names of the other hunters gave me pause. Walker, Turner, and Singer. Were in my fathers journals.

I never met Bobby Singer but I will never forget who he was to my father and uncle. In my father's journal he was the closest to a father to them after their actual father John died. The last clearly Rufus Turner was passed down to his kin as there was a Turner who was best friends with Bobby Singer. Both of them are deceased now.

Ironically, the last name Walker … I can only remember as ..Gordon Walker the hunter who once killed my father and my uncle Dean brought him back to life by a deal with a demon. This Gabe Walker guy seems to be a fellow hunting friend of Samson instead of foe.

"I understand Samson, but we need to be going now." Joseph says, glancing at me, getting ready to move past his brother.

"Wait." Samson says grabbing hold of Joseph's arm. "I understand that this is something you must prove to yourself- I will not argue. I only beg you to be wise and careful. My soon to be home life with Phebe as well can be yours. We'll find you a wife and a real man's work, you will be happy. Make sure you come back, alright?"

It was clear he did want what was best for his younger brother.

"Don't worry, Samson. I will one day." Joseph said, and his brother nodded once then stepped clear from the doorway.

Man, these times are quite different and yet the same here. I always refused the hunter's life, but I have to help kill this Wendigo and get back home. I know I won't be able to change anything while I'm here, yet if I die here… I'll be no more in the future and I refuse to cause that much pain to my family.

I followed Joseph onto the porch and he paused.

"You alright?" I ask him, only imagining how tough that could have been to turn away from his brother like that.

"I will be fine. I will return. He is my only family."

With a head tilt and a shrug I agreed. "He is and he will always protect you, no matter what. Look at me.. I got your back."

Joseph laughed. "Well.. it seems as though you're here… I will not die tonight. That is a good thing."

I laughed. "That's nice. A silver lining- now, can we find the witches before I'm entirely forgotten or gone from my family?" I say in a sardonic tone.

"Oh right. Come." Joseph says and we rushed past Enderson Singer -who still waited for Samson. The Enderson's beard was so long it rested on his chest. He held fire torches and a weapon holster belt underneath his suit jacket.

It reminded me of the first time I met Cassa and she removed one of my knives from my silver belt and I almost injured her.

*Flashback*

Running to the entrance of 'The Escape Maze: Tournament Competition that I joined my freshmen year.

Here at Stanford I knew I would call home, yet I only have two or three friends but couldn't be happier.

To my surprise I didn't know my father would buy a house down the street. He most-likely planned this once I turned fifteen and joined high school. Searching for homes nearby 'in hopes I would choose this University that he had to drop out of when he was my age.

With ten other students from my college, I searched for familiar faces. I did spot my father in the audience, yet my roommate Chad Bradbury was nowhere insightful. Probably still working overtime at his video game-shop. He's working on a new program called 'Breakers' about four siblings who hunt zombies. It's a pretty violent game.

"Look who comes prepared for battle." I hear a voice and feel a hand on my back buckle, not sure who it was. I spun around so fast to pin his arm firmly against his back. As we dropped to the ground the crowd exclaimed in muffle horror.

"Hey, Winchester!" Thick curly brown hair and gray fatigues says, my mouth dropped as he was definitely a she.

"Holy-crap. I- I'm- Are you alright?" I loosened her arm.

"Well I damn sure would be better if you weren't on my back, Winchester."

"Oh." I say jumping to my feet. Before dusting off my orange Khakis, I helped the girl up. "I'm so sorry, I was watching 'The Mummy Returns' before I got here and it was almost late. You caught me off guard."

Her beautiful eyes smiled at me and I knew her, and it wasn't just from my dreams. We have History 101 together but she's far up front from where I sit.

"You- your-" I stuttered instantly feeling my hormones rising at the worst moment ever, now.

I cleared my throat and swung my book-bag to the front of my pants. "Ahh- Do you need a towel or water?" I say fast, getting ready to unzip my bag.

"No, thanks. You don't remember me, Do you?" She asked, and I wanted to avoid her face.

"Nope, nope. I mean yeah -of course from History 101."

"No." She laughed, which made having a boner so much worse.

"Umm, What do you mean?" I was confused.

"Cassa. Cassa Robinson. Technically, we met at your 10th birthday party where my mother wouldn't stop talking to your father about his deceased brother. Then she started crying about the haunted truck from Route 666- it was beyond sad and embarrassing." She says and I can hear the smile on her face. I needed to avoid looking directly at her.

Her mother had been drinking and took a framed photograph from the top of my father's fireplace. She never even gave it back, but my father had plenty of photos of my late uncle around our homes. We lived at two different places before we moved there. I never quite understood until I read in the journals that her mother was the very first love of my uncle Dean's life, he had even told her he was a hunter.

I narrowed my eyes. "Right. Right, I remember that.. but the real embarrassing moment was when I tripped and knocked my fathers board games over- almost ruining the marble cake, until you slid it out of the way."

She had quick reflexes and even helped my father clean up, when the entire party was over. She never gave me crap about it- unlike the parents in the neighborhood. They laughed about it for months. My father always mentions it could have been worse.

To be honest I couldn't stop thinking about Cassa that entire week, she saved me from neighborhood humiliation.

"Well… I don't know whether to give you a hug or take a shower. You have a pretty good reflex there, I can tell you'd make a great hunter if you wanted too." She smiled and the French-horn blew for the race of the maze to begin.

Instead of running into the maze along with the others, I slowly walked as Cassa moved ahead. It was clear she had something sharp, shiny and silver in her hand. "You surely need to brush up on them though." She teased.

I felt the back of my belt buckle that my father once gifted to me, and it was missing my folded knife.

"Hey, wait. When did you take that?" I say jogging up to her and she slipped it to me.

"When you were on top of me, pinning my arm behind my back. Next time, place my arms above my head."

I paused tilting my head to the side. "That's actually a very good idea."

I am very impressed by her. Beauty and brains to the utmost power.

"I was only teasing by the way." She noted.

"I know. Do you hunt?" I ask.

She laughed. "Oh heavens no. I would never, unless it's the hand that fate gives."

I narrowed my eyes. "Seriously? How can you believe in fate? There's just this life in our minds. Our attractions. We attract the things we want and keep in our heads, positive or negative. We are in control clearly, we make situations happen."

For a hunters life… they are blessed to have one of many lovers. If fate lasted, my mother would have been from Kermit, Texas… Yet, my father's second love Sarah wasn't meant for forever and his first love Jessica was a tragedy that all hunters fear most.

"What the heck does that mean? We are God's now?" Cassa says a bit offended and humored.

"No, I'm not saying that… it's like in the Matrix… when Neo finally believed he was The One, he became The One. It's a mind-thing."

She laughed again, and I groaned feeling I may never be able to take this bag from in front of me.

"Whatever, I don't even remember that movie and obviously your mind attracted this moment or else we wouldn't be here. Fate."

"Dating is the last thing on my mind, no offense." I say fast.

"Ah, non taken- Who says I want to date you, Winchester? We're practically family."

"There's an image I'd rather not have." I muttered.

"Look- If a person believes in love they believe in fate, and I'm not talking about that fake 'I need you, I'm obsessed with you type of love' but the… unconditional-true.. I will take care of you when you're sick and crying -type of love."

"Funny, I never thought to myself to want to believe in something like that.. much let alone love." I say honestly. "I loved all the pet animals my father gifted as a child."

Cassa laughed once more. "Ugh."

She probably would call it fate that my father and I moved to Missouri that year, he had a job at a start-up law firm he wanted because it was low-key. Yet, he ran into her mother while shopping and invited them.

"Why? Because you're afraid of the truth of what's really out there and what it would do?" She asked.

"No, no. I'm very aware of what's truly out there… I just dislike the terms fate, and destiny when it's obviously a manifestation of energy."

"Clearly you haven't yet had the most celestial of beauty cross your path yet."

I laughed. "No, I'm sure I have." I whispered. I just had the willpower to ignore it until now.

"Why do you say that?" She asked.

I glanced around the maze. "Well for one… I'm not even trying to win this thing. I'm very competitive and yet one floor wrestle-match with you… I already lost focus." I admitted.

Cassa smiles widely showing her pearly teeth.

"Then I'd very much admit that my first hedge maze with you is one for the books."

I shrug. "Then maybe we are destined to get lost together? How is it that we are at the same college?"

"If I get started on that story… then we'll be in here for hours, Winchester." She rolled her eyes.

"I won't mind." I admit, she has always been a good fortune around me.

Oh no, fortune. Fortune runs in the same boat as fate and destiny.

Perhaps us here is fate. I believe in love as I never had it. I've been on pointless dates- I just don't remember their names.

Cassa has the type of aura that I could never forget, but my father knows her mother… it will be like being attracted to a distant-distant- family member. I rather not feel that way.

"What's wrong, I just spotted a frown line." She pointed out. "And why are you holding your bag like that?"

"Ahh- it's nothing." I shrug. "My back aches a bit." I lied. I can let her see how excited I am down-below. It will freak her out.

"Come on, I can't let you be gloomy now. What you need is a little excitement. So let's have some fun?"

Definitely the wrong choice of words. "Alright." I nodded not wanting to say no.

"Tell me your deepest darkest secret." She says.

I sorted. "Really, this is what you mean by fun?"

"No, you square. Just answer the question."

I cleared my throat looking around the hedges. "Let's see… my deepest darkest secret…."

"You have to be completely honest." She pressed.

"Alright… um.. Well.." Ever since I could remember it has been just me and my Dad. "When I was younger I never could quite grasp why I would cry alone in my room at night… as I got older.. It was obvious … that I was lonely." I admitted looking at her.

Cassa didn't speak right away and I waited for her to mock what I just said.

"To be honest… me too." She said looking down to the dirt on the ground. "See… two lonely hearts… always find each other in the end."

"Why does it have to be the end?" I ask.

"Alright… the beginning."

"The beginning?"

"Of a very long beautiful friendship, now let's race. Beat you to the finish line, Winchester." She laughed, taking off running through the maze.

I smiled, pleased to be at a school where the one person I could trust with my past - would be a familiar face.

*End Of Flashback*

Until I see Cassa again, our memories have to bring me back to myself. I don't want to be without her. She never had to try, she never had to do anything except be there and she was always there for me.

It may be dramatic to always say that she always felt like the only person in my world that understood me, yet she is.

My father never said it, but I know he didn't want this hunting life for me. He wanted me to make something of myself, instead of going into the family business, and having each and every person I loved die.

To move on, and live a life is what I know he needs me to do… more moments like the one Cassa and I had on the beach before I was summoned here.

Cassa and I created a family. The two of us, forever together. The rest of the world and its burdens were always far, far away. I took that for granted by obsessing over the stupid Baozhu. When I do return home, I will never bring it up again.

"Is it me or is it cold out here?" Joseph asked as we power-walked through the woods.

"It's definitely not you… it's like these woods are a beacon for supernatural creatures."

"Like what… a monster that drains heat from the air?" He asked seriously.

I laughed. "No, Like a spirit."

"A what? A ghost?"

"No, well a spirit and ghost are very different. A ghost is a dead person which is believed to manifest to the living, yet a spirit can be held into objects, places or things… something non physical .. It's emotions that drive the form."

"Wait.. like a ..doll or something?" Joseph asked.

"Actually yes."

"Oh .. this isn't good." He muttered. I looked at him and he seemed to be turning green. I held on to him..

"Maybe we should slow down. You don't look so good, it actually seems like you could use a drink."

"Yes, though I'm not old enough."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen, and way too young to mentally handle the devil's juice."

I laughed. "Funny that you call it that, It does bring out the evil in people."

"Fellow traveler… you are one of the chosen… I can see why you're here." He says, hanging onto me.

"How?"

"To make sure I survive." He noted as his eyes began to shut.

"Whoa, hey Joseph what's wrong? You didn't sneak anymore of the witch's tea did you?" I say.

"No, no- of course not."

"Then what's wrong? You were fine a minute ago and now you're acting as if you're… high." I say.

"What's high?" He asked.

I sighed glancing around the trees, this wasn't the time to stop. "High… it's another word for .. and poisoned. We'll just say drunk, drunk.. you seem like you've been drinking."

"Ooh no." He exclaimed, bending over.

Please no. "Are you going to vomit?" I frowned.

"No, no. Just feeling a bit unwell."

I nod. "Clearly. Look um, Can I ask you a question?"

"Your brother mentioned other hunter's… are there women who hunt with you?"

"Oh no.. no.. that's against The Men of Letters. Why do you think it's called Men of Letters?"

"Right, right stupid me." I say fast.

"Enderson.. Was married."

"The hunter friend of your brother? Who was he married to?"

"Ah… the only lady researcher around … she helps the men with her brain, and owns a bookshop. Joanna-Scarlett Harvelle." He says and the last name sounded oddly familiar, that I wish I had my fathers journals to read. Yet, it was obvious that when the portal opened my belongings fell from my pocket.

I have to find a way to get Joseph on his feet and continue heading towards the witch that can help me get back home.

"I am a small part of your legacy, I won't allow you to get weak here. We have to keep moving. The witches maybe near. Come on." I said lifting him up higher to lean on me.

*End Of Back In The Past*