Chapter 3

"Jess? Are you decent?" Dean said from outside his closed bedroom door.

"Almost" she yelled from his bathroom, her voice seemed fragile, almost rushed and she knew that it would not go unnoticed.

"Ok!" she yelled before flopping down on his bed.

Dean opened the door carefully before stepping inside. "Breakfast is ready m'lady." He said and bowed, smirking as he rose.

It did the job. Jess laughed as Dean held out his hand for her. Taking his hand hesitantly he looked down into her blue eyes. She smiled up at him. He led her downstairs to the kitchen.

On the neat circular kitchen table, there was a pile of pancakes and a small cup of juice. Dean just smiled at her as she sat down on the bound leather chair.

"Eat." He said quietly, walking away from her to the other side of the table.

"Thank-you." She replied, barely audible.

He nodded in response before resting his elbows on the table to watch her. As she finished she rose to put the plate in the sink. He slowly walked over to her and placed his arms either side of her on the bench top.

"Jess, I want to know what happened yesterday." Dean said simply.

"I…" She trailed off, distracted by his closeness. "I can't tell you that…"

"Jess?" He said louder.

The confusion in Jess's eyes was visible but Dean didn't back down.

"I…was confused." She stated simply.

Dean leaned in closer so that he was inches away from her face, leaving her no chance to escape his questioning.

"On?" He pushed.

"On…the subject of me." She breathed; wondering if that was the right way to put it.

Dean could see that he was breaking down that outer shell that she had so carefully crafted over many years. He was the only person that could get through to her that way.

"Dean, you know my past. It's all finally catching up and I couldn't hold everything in anymore." She said softly, her cerulean glistening as she looked up to his deeply concerned ones.

Dean went to pull her into a hug which she refused by shifting as if to say not yet.

"I thought that maybe if I wasn't here anymore, the world would be a better place. But then I ran into you. And I almost decided right there and then that I shouldn't because I couldn't just leave you." By the time Jess had got this out she realised that she had been whispering.

Dean watched her carefully, his brow knitting together in response.

"Jess," He said slowly, deliberately. "I think that you need to see someone. A specialist perhaps." He said watching her eyes as they widened in fear.

"No, I don't need to do thatDean. I'm fine, really I am." She said, her voice betraying her false happiness.

Dean moved back slowly before reaching for her wrist. Jess attempted to pull it away but was unsuccessful. He flipped her wrist up so that they could both see what she had done.

The deep crimson lines were as visible as ever on her pale skin, she looked blankly at the floor next to Jensen, not wanting to face reality.

"Jess look, now." He said; his voice surprisingly louder and more angered than before.

"Don't try to pretend it's not there Jessica. You did it. You're the one who left this on your arm. You can't push it away anymore, it's already out there." He said kindly yet forcefully, pushing her wrist up to her face.

Jess looked at her wrist in disgust, feebly pulling it away from Dean's sturdy hand.

"No…no…I didn't do that…no…" She said while shaking her head. Putting her hands on the bench behind her to lean on them.

Dean placed his hands on her shoulders as she looked up at him weakly, her wall of protection falling away. She kept shaking her head as minute tears grew into larger ones that rolled down her cheeks.

"Jess, it's ok. Everything's going to be ok." He said sympathetically.

She started, hearing a key in the front door. Suddenly she had dashed up to his room, for the fear that someone might see her like this. Dean sighed, racing up the stairs after her.