Till We Meet Again
By: chosenfire28
Pairing: Buffy/Dean, Xander/Cordelia, Willow/Oz
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN, other brilliant people do.
AN: Okay here is the second chapter, one to say I'm particularly proud of. With that said I'm having a bit of trouble and decided to resolve it in a poll or two.
Should there be a John/Joyce pairing to this story in the later chapters?
Should I make this into a series?
Chapter 2 Hard Lessons Part 1
John looked around at the small two bedroom apartment he had been renting for the past month and a half.
The job had been more complicated then he had first thought and he had had to get a part time job to support him and the boys while he was working on the case. He had become a mechanic.
During their time in L.A John, Dean, and Sam had frequented the Summer's house and John had noticed the growing absence of one Hank Summers from his family.
With dread John had watched as Buffy and Dean grew closer and their relationship developed past the point of just friends. Dean had never had a girlfriend. He had been with girls and had a tendency to flirt with woman of all ages, shapes, and sizes but John knew his oldest son had never been in a serious relationship.
As Dean became closer to Buffy John became more concerned. Even Sammy was becoming attached to the Summer's women. The boys face would light up whenever one of their names were mentioned and it was often that Buffy, who spent a lot of time at their apartment, would keep Dean in line about the way he treated his little brother. Buffy had taught Sam how to charm everyone in sight.
John was concerned because when it all came down to it when this job was done they would be on the road again, they would leave. The boys knew that.
"Hey Princess." John gave Buffy a small smile as she walked out in to her backyard where John was enjoying the night air as Joyce talked with Dean and Sam about a little prank of theirs.
Buffy had grown on John. Their was something about her bright outlook on life and wry sense of humor that John Winchester found endearing. Also, he worried about her. He saw the pain Hanks often sharp words had caused and had felt a need to protect her. Had invited her himself over to their apartment whenever Hank would be home.
"Hey yourself." Buffy returned the smile her eyes holding more pain and secrets than was right for a fifteen old girl.
She had been trying to sneak out for a quick patrol and hadn't expected to find the eldest Winchester sulking in her back yard.
"So where are you going?" John asked her becoming suspicious when she avoided looking him in the eyes.
"Just out for a walk." Buffy gave him a quick grin.
John stood up straight burying his hands in the pockets of his coat "I think I'll join you. It can get dangerous at night."
"So I've heard." Buffy sighed.
Buffy Summers walked into her house stunned and numbly took off her jacket letting it drop to the floor.
"Buffy your home." Joyce smiled seeing her oldest daughter.
Buffy looked up at her mother struggling to focus on her words, her voice; trying to enjoy the screaming pain in her own mind. "Is…" she forced some naturally sounding words out of her mouth when all she wanted to do was cry "Dad home?"
The smile waned on Joyce's face "Your father had another business trip this week."
"Oh." Buffy nodded processing the information. No more yelling for at least a week. She moved past her mom to go up to her room. She just wanted to lie down, to sleep.
"Honey are you okay?" Joyce asked her softly.
Without out turning around Buffy said shakily "I'm fine." and made her way up to the stairs. There were tears in her eyes.
When she got to her room she laid on her bed fully clothed and behind her closed eyes the night's action replayed over and over again like a cruel joke or sadistic torture.
She had watched as a vampire had killed her Watcher Merrick, the man who had trained her and instructed her about her calling, and she hadn't been fast enough or strong enough to save him.
In the middle of the night she woke up from the same nightmare and instinctively reached for the phone by her bed.
Half an hour later there was a soft tap on her window and Buffy stood up opening it.
"Hey babe." Dean said softly crawling into her room and unquestionably taking her into his arms. Finally she let the tears loose and he rocked her holding her small frame close to his whispering soothingly in her ear "I got you, I got you."
"Dean we need to talk." John said firmly as his on came into to the apartment as the sun was just starting to rise. He knew why his son was staying out until the early morning, knew it had something to do with a rebellious 15 year old blond cheerleader.
This needed to dealt with now, time was up.
"Bout what?" Dean said offhandedly throwing his jacket on the second hand sofa grabbing a soda out of the small mini fridge they had been using.
"About your girlfriend."
"What about Buffy?" Dean asked immediately going on the defensive and John winced inwardly knowing he had let this go too far. Had let the two of them get too close; and now both were going to get hurt and like it or not part of that blame went to him.
John determinedly set his face "You need to end things with Buffy."
"What?" Dean shouted angrily putting his soda down and telling his father firmly "I'm not going to dump her." She was the best thing that had happened in his life, and she was his. Something apart from the constant hunting and training and all around hell that was his life.
"Yes you are." John's voice was stern laying down the fact "The case is solved, we leave in two days."
Dean shook his head pleading "No, we can't." He faced his father, only sixteen but knowing what he wanted in his life, or more specifically who he wanted in his life. "I love her."
"I know you do son." John didn't doubt that. When it came to love age hardly mattered and in that moment he hated himself for what he was doing to his boy "And if you really love her you'll let her go. Make a clean break so she could move on, do you want her touched by this life?"
The last part hit Dean hard; it was a truth he had long been denying. He was a hunter, hell he enjoyed it, and he was just as determined as his father to kill the bastard that had killed his mother.
"No." he said softly looking down tears in his eyes, he didn't want Buffy involved in the kind of life that he lead.
He had been living a dream but now it was time to wake up.
"Hey sexy." Buffy greeted him with a rare smile. Things were hard on her right now but Dean had made it hurt less. She stood up on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and moved past him to lift herself onto the Winchester's counter.
"So Prom is tonight and you really do need to rent a tux. I know you hate dances but you'll only be there for an hour or so." She gave him a shy smile "Then maybe we could go somewhere more private."
"Sorry." Dean shook his head gritting his teeth "No can do."
"Why not?" Buffy hopped off the counter confused. They had made plans two weeks ago after a little cohesion on her part.
Dean felt his chest tighten as he looked into her into her innocent green eyes and he forced a cocky grin on his face. He had long perfected the art of being an ass and this was his hardest test.
"It's been fun Buffy," his hands clenched into fist at his sides and he felt like puking but he held it back "but this is as far as things go. I'm little bored with this game and as much as I would love to see exactly how limber of a cheerleader you are" he gave her a wolfish grin "its time I moved on to more experienced prospects."
"What?" Buffy backed away from him in disbelief at what he had just said. The Dean she knew would never be this cruel, this much of a jerk.
"Really," Dean shrugged "it's not me, its you."
"Don't do this?" she pleaded softly.
Dean's face hardened "I just did."
With that Buffy ran out of the house tears streaming down her face. Apparently she hadn't known Dean Winchester at all.
He watched her leave and a single tear made its way down his check and he closed his eyes tightly to keep at bay anymore. It was over; there was no use in crying.