Sleep had never felt as good as it did that night, the usual nightmares were replaced by images of Beth; the way she bites her lip when she's concentrating on something, the face splitting smile that stretched across her face while they sang Livin on a Prayer together and the way she looked wearing his jacket the night before.
"Rise and shine kid!" Bobby called from the bottom of the stairs, his voice echoing through the narrow hallway.
"Coming" Dean replied, quickly pulling a t-shirt over his head.
"Morning Sammy" Dean chirped, sitting down at the table for breakfast.
"Morning" Sam grumbled.
"Someone sounds a little cranky" Dean commented between bites.
Sam glared across the table, unaffected by his brothers cheerful banter.
"Oh, I see what's happening here, you're mad at me for yesterday aren't you?" Dean guessed, downing his glass of orange juice.
"That's fine, you go ahead and stay mad me but you know I did it for your own good" Dean told him, ignoring the lack of response.
"Come on Bobby, let's get working" Dean called towards the living room where he was enjoying the morning paper.
"You got it kid, let's go" Bobby replied, folding his paper up and putting it aside for later.
"Sammy, since you aren't talking to me anyways go to your room and stay there, I'll come see if you're feeling more talkative later" Dean instructed.
Sam shoved his empty plate across the table with as much force as he could muster before muttering something under his breath and stomping up the stairs.
"Some days I'd swear you were his father, not his brother" Bobby commented as they walked outside.
"I hate to have him mad at me but he's my responsibility and if keeping safe means pissing him off.. I guess I can live with that" Dean replied with a sigh.
"You're a good brother Dean, one day Sam's going to realize it and thank you for all of this" Bobby assured him, seeing the stress in his eyes.
"Thanks Bobby" Dean smiled.
The morning went by quickly as they hauled scrap across the yard to the crusher, piling it to be compressed another day.
"Well I don't know about you kid, but I think I might melt if I stay out in this heat any longer" Bobby laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"I should probably talk to Sam anyways" Dean agreed, following him back to the house.
Dean made his way up the stairs to Sam's room.
"I'm coming in" Dean warned, knocking on the door before opening it.
"What do you want Dean?" Sam barked.
"I don't want anything" Dean replied, frustrated with his attitude.
"Then get out of my room and leave me alone" Sam growled, throwing a pillow in his direction.
"Fine, I'll leave but I won't apologize for yesterday. You did something you knew you weren't allowed to do and then you straight up defied me, not to mention making Bobby look bad" Dean told him sternly.
Dean couldn't help but notice Sam's expression soften at the mention of Bobby's name.
"It was Bobby's job to make sure you stayed safe, he trusted you to stay in the house and you broke that trust by sneaking out. That's not alright Sam, do you understand that? Do you have any idea how hurt Bobby would have been if something had happened to you?" Dean continued, determined to get through to him.
"I didn't.. I didn't mean to get Bobby in trouble" Sam whispered.
"Well you did. In fact I think you owe him and me an apology for your behaviour" Dean informed him, finally seeing some remorse from him.
"I'm sorry Dean.. I won't do it again" Sam sniffed.
"Sammy, you know I love you right? I just don't want you to get hurt" Dean assured him, pulling him into a hug.
"I love you too Dean" Sammy whispered.
"Now, I want you to go apologize to Bobby and then we'll have some lunch" Dean prompted, walking him out of his room.
Sam marched dutifully down the stairs to the living room to find Bobby.
"Hey Sam, what's going on?" He asked, folding back his paper.
"I'm sorry I snuck out yesterday while you were sleeping and got you in trouble" Sam blurted, staring at his hands.
"That's okay kid, come here" Bobby smiled and pulled him into a bear hug.
The next few weeks flew by quickly, Dean worked with Bobby in the mornings and spent every afternoon tucked away in the back of scrapyard with Beth.
"Your girlfriends here" Sammy chuckled teasingly.
"Oh don't worry Sammy, you'll find one too someday" Dean teased, ruffling up his hair.
Before Sam could respond Beth was knocking on the door.
"Come on in" Bobby called from somewhere in the house.
"Hi Mr. Singer" Beth chirped happily.
"Hey sweetheart, Dean is still upstairs I think but you can go look for him if you want" Bobby replied warmly.
"Thanks Mr. Singer" Beth grinned, her voice high and bubbly.
"Oh and Beth, call me Bobby" He told her gently.
Beth breezed up the stairs to look for Dean, knowing exactly where his room was.
"Hi Sam, is Dean in his room?" Beth asked as she passed by Sam in the hall.
"Yup, I think he's still putting that styling goop in his hair" Sam snickered.
Beth made her way down the hall to Dean's bedroom and quickly slipped past the partially closed door.
"Guess who" Beth purred as she wrapped her fingers over his eyes.
"Hey baby" Dean grinned before turning around and quickly kissing her.
Beth sunk into Dean's arms, her lips melding in perfect harmony with his own and wrapped her fingers into his freshly gelled hair.
The sound of Sam giggling caught Dean's attention immediately, as he spun Beth off his lap and onto the bed beside him in one fluid motion.
"Dean and Beth, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Sam mocked from doorway.
"Get out of here Sam!" Dean screeched before launching a pillow at the door, slamming it shut.
"Sorry about that" Dean purred, his voice soft like satin.
"That's okay, he's just being a little brother" Beth smiled, gently chewing on her lower lip.
Dean slid his fingers into her long dark curls and pulled her lips against his.
"Dean.. I have an idea" Beth breathed, pulling herself away from him for a moment.
"Okay" Dean whispered, having a hard time concentrating.
"How would you like to go camping with me?" Beth grinned.
"C-camping? where did that come from?" Dean stammered, feeling a little confused.
"Well.. I was thinking if we went camping.. we would have the whole night together" Beth hinted, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Oh.. that is a fantastic idea" Dean grinned before kissing her again.
"I thought you might like that" Beth giggled.
"When do you want to go?" He asked curiously.
"Hm.. how about friday? my dad is going out of town that morning" Beth smiled.
"Friday it is" Dean agreed, completely helpless against her smile.
"I'll have to clear it with Bobby though, I need him to watch Sam for me" Dean told her quickly.
"Why don't you bring him along? I have an extra tent and then Bobby won't have a reason to say no" Beth suggested warmly.
"You..are.. awesome" Dean purred against her neck.
Dean trailed kisses along Beth's neck, smiling at the way she responded to his every touch, arching to get closer.
"We.. Shouldn't do this here" Beth breathed reluctantly.
"I guess you're right" Dean sighed, hesitantly pulling away from her.
"I can't stay long today, told dad I'd help him pack and do some baking him before he leaves" Beth told him softly.
"Okay.. I'll talk to Bobby about tomorrow" Dean smiled, excitedly by the thought of spending the night with her.
"I'll see you tomorrow sweetheart" Beth breathed, kissing him softly before leaving.
Dean laid back on his bed for a long moment, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent Beth always leaves behind.
His mind was swimming when he found Bobby sitting, half asleep in his lazy-boy recliner in the kitchen.
"Hey Dean, looks like you had fun" Bobby snickered.
"I did.. I have something to run by you" Dean started, feeling nervous for the first time in forever.
"Go for it" Bobby smiled.
"Would it be okay if I went camping with Beth this weekend?" Dean asked timidly, feeling his cheeks get red.
"What about Sam?" He replied softly.
"Oh, Beth said we should take him with us and frankly the kid could use some sun" Dean replied, feeling better already.
"In that case, have fun kid and bring plenty of food" Bobby grinned, happy that Dean was finally acting his age.
"Thanks Bobby" Dean boomed excitedly.
"The camping supplies is in the shed, you better go look for it now god only knows how buried it is" Bobby laughed, cringing slightly at the thought.
Dean spent the rest of the afternoon digging out the sleeping bags, portable stove, kerosine lanterns and camp pots, making sure everything was clean and hole free.
"Hey Sammy, we're going camping this weekend so figure out what you want to bring" Dean told him happily from the doorway of his room.
"Camping? With who?" Sam questioned suddenly confused.
"Beth and myself, you need to get some sun, if you get any paler I'll lose you in the snow this winter" Dean laughed teasingly.
"Okay, can I bring my books?" Sam asked, anxiously rubbing the corner of the page between his finger and thumb.
"Sure Sammy, if you want to" Dean smiled.
"I love that kid but he is nothing like me" Dean mused to himself.
Dean threw a fresh outfit into his ragged old backpack, humming happily to himself when a knock at his door caught his attention.
"Hey kid, can I talk to you" Bobby asked anxiously.
"Sure Bobby, what do you need?" Dean asked happily.
"Well I think we should have a talk" He started, his cheeks burning under his beard.
"What about?" Dean asked, concerned by the look on his face.
"Well you and Beth have been spending a lot of time together, and I know you're at that age where you want to um.. Explore certain urges" Bobby fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable.
"Bobby you really don't have to do this" Dean told him as he realized what he was talking about.
"No, no your dad isn't here and you need to hear this" Bobby replied softly, sounding very much like a parent.
"If you and Beth decide you want to.. Explore things, I want you to know that's okay, it's healthy but you need to make sure that Beth is comfortable with it, if she tells you no you stop immediately. You hear me? You don't do anything she doesn't want to do" Bobby instructed, his voice stern and authoritative.
"Believe me Bobby, you don't have to worry about me. I would never do anything to hurt her" Dean breathed.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Here take these and pack them, even if you don't need them I would feel better if I knew you had them" Bobby replied, pushing a box of condoms into his hand.
"Um.. Thanks Bobby" Dean chuckled nervously and slid the box into his backpack.
"Okay, well I'm going to drink until this isn't awkward anymore" Bobby laughed, running his hand along the back of his neck.
"I wonder if we'll need these" Dean thought anxiously, staring at the unopened box.
Sleep wouldn't come that night, no matter how many times he tossed and turned. The room was hot even though he had his window wide open and his mind was restless and filled with possibilities about the upcoming camping trip.
Dean packed all the camping gear for him and Sammy stacking it all in the porch for the next day. Bobby went into town and bought a huge amount of hotdogs, marshmallows, chocolate squares and graham crackers for s'mores and helped Dean pack the cooler properly after breakfast.
Dean picked up the phone and called Beth around noon.
"Hey Hun, are you ready?" Dean asked excitedly.
"Just about give me five minutes" Beth chirped.
"Okay, we'll be there to pick you up soon" Dean replied, smiling ear to ear.
"See you soon" Beth replied happily before hanging up.
Dean and Bobby loaded everything into his rusted old pickup truck and got ready to leave while Sam struggled to decide what he wanted to read for the weekend.
"Come on Sam, get a move on it's time to go!" Dean hollered.
Sam came bounding outside a moment later with his choice of book tucked under one arm and his backpack swung over the other.
Split rock creek state park was only a forty five minute drive from Beth's house that Bobby was happy to make for them, knowing this would likely be the only proper outing the boys would get for a long time and wanting Dean especially to have some normal, healthy fun for a change.
"Okay kids, the camping spot is yours for the weekend and Dean has the cellphone in case you need anything, I'm going to head back" Bobby explained, carefully stretching his back while he talked.
"Thanks for everything Bobby, see you Sunday!" Dean grinned, playfully smacking his shoulder.
"You kids have fun" Bobby smiled, climbing back into his truck and driving away.
Dean made quick work of putting up the tents while Sam and Beth collected fire wood for the night and unrolled sleeping bags.
"Everyone ready for supper?" Dean asked happily.
"I am" Sam chirped.
"Me too" Beth smiled.
Beth pulled the hotdogs from the cooler while Dean stacked the wood and lit a small bonfire.
Flames licked at the dry wood, quickly consuming it and leaving a thick bed of ash and embers in it's place.
"Want another s'more Sammy?" Dean asked warmly while he stuck another marshmallow on his stick.
"One more" Sammy replied through a yawn.
Dean carefully turned the marshmallow, hovering it just over top of the bed of embers and watching as it swelled and browned slightly before quickly sandwiching it between two graham crackers and passing it to a very sleepy Sam.
Beth smiled softly from the other side of the fire, the flames highlighting her pale skin and bouncing off her sun bleached curls.
Sam let out another yawn, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands like he did as a toddler, a tell tale sign it was time for him to go to bed.
"Come on Sammy, I think it's bed time for you" Dean murmured encouragingly.
"Kay" Sam mumbled back before crawling his way into his tent, zipping it tightly behind him.
"Hi" Dean purred as he slid down behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"Hi" she murmured, tilting her head back and planting a kiss against his soft, warm lips.
Standing up, Beth took Dean's hand and led him into the large green and gray tent and quickly zipped the door behind them.
Sitting down on the large soft sleeping bag Dean pressed his lips gently against hers, gently lowering her down to the pillow.
Beth wound one hand into his hair and pulled him down harder on top of her while sliding the other along his back, tracing his spine with the tips of her fingers in a slow, teasing circles.
Dean eagerly followed her cues and carefully slid on top of her, his lips never leaving Beth's. In a moment of bravery he gently dragged one hand up her ribs, hovering hesitantly over her breasts for a moment before Beth smiled; taking his hand and placing it directly on top of one.
"She's so.. soft" Dean thought as he gently cupped her right breast.
Beth sunk her teeth playfully into his lower lip while she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.
"We.. We don't have to do this if you don't want to" Dean breathed, his words genuine but full of hope.
"I know" Beth growled seductively before shoving the waist of his jeans down.
"Are you sure you want this?" Dean asked once more, determined not to hurt her.
"I'm sure Dean" She replied, looking deep into his eyes.
"Okay" Dean breathed before kissing her again.
The next morning Dean was momentarily confused when he noticed a small patch of blood on the sleeping bag, until the night before came flooding back.
"Good morning" Beth purred sweetly.
"Good morning" Dean smiled, leaning in for a kiss.
"Are you guys ever getting up!" Sam called from outside the tent.
"In a minute Sammy" Dean groaned, quickly pulling on his jeans and t-shirt.
"Bobby will be here soon, we should pack everything up" Dean suggested, handing Beth her sundress.
"That's probably a good idea" Beth agreed, stretching her back before pulling her dress over her head in a single, smooth motion.
Dean helped Sam take down his tent first, carefully folding up the poles and wrapping the tent small enough to fit back into the canvas bag before repeating the process with Beth's.
Dean recognized the sound of Bobby's truck long before it pulled slowly into the camping spot.
"Hey kids, are you ready to go?" He asked cheerily.
"Yup, we're all packed up already" Sam replied, throwing his sleeping bag and tent into the box of the truck.
Dean wrapped his hand tightly around Beth's and walked with her to the truck, letting go only long enough for them to crawl into the cab.
"Hope you kids had fun" Bobby smiled before slamming his door and backing out of the camp site.
"We did" Beth giggled, squeezing Dean's hand.
They dropped Beth off at home first and waited to make sure she could get into her house before driving away.
Dean's heart dropped when they pulled into the scrapyard and saw the 1967 Chevy Impala parked in front of the house.
"Dad's back" Dean realized, his heart thundering anxiously in his chest.
"Dads here!" Sam chattered excitedly before jumping out of the truck and running for the house.
"Sorry son" Bobby whispered knowingly as he climbed out of the truck.
Dean sat frozen in the cab of the old truck for a long time before finding his legs again and made his way into the house.
"Hey Dean" John murmured.
"Hey dad" Dean replied as a cold sweat broke across his body.
"You better get packed kid, we're leaving in the morning" He informed him happily.
"Sure dad" Dean nodded, walking up to his room in a numb haze.
"What am I going to do" Dean thought frantically.
"I don't have a choice, I have to go.. Dad needs me and so does Sammy" He realized as a rush of sadness pushed down his chest, threatening to crush him.
Dean slowly threw all of his things into the large black duffle bag he kept under his bed and zipped it up, barely aware of what he was doing.
"I have to see her before I leave" He decided, glancing at the clock.
Dean tip toed down the hall to Sams room, peeking inside to make sure he was asleep before sneaking down the stairs and outside.
"Where are you going Dean?" Bobby asked gently.
"I just want to say goodbye to Beth, I'll be back before everyone wakes up, don't worry" Dean explained quickly.
"Okay, take your time son. John won't be awake for hours" Bobby assured him.
"Thanks Bobby" Dean whispered before grabbing his bike and riding away as quickly as possible.
Dean stood at the edge of Beth's yard for a long moment, trying to figure out what he was going to say to her.
Dean climbed up the large tree outside her window, sliding his way out along a long branch and tapping on the glass to get her attention.
"Dean? what are you doing up there?" Beth asked with a stunned laugh.
"I need to talk to you" Dean replied, desperately trying to keep his voice even.
"Here, come inside" Beth suggested, opening the window and moving aside for him.
"Thanks" He nodded before climbing into her bedroom.
"What's going on Dean?" Beth asked cautiously.
"My.. My dad is back and we're leaving in the morning" He blurted.
"Oh" she breathed, unable to find any other words at that moment.
"I'm so sorry Beth.. I didn't know he was back.. please don't hate me" Dean croaked, his voice cracking with emotion.
"It's okay Dean, I promise I'm not mad and I could never hate you.. ever" She replied lovingly, pulling him into a hug.
"I don't want to go.. I'm sorry" Dean sniffed, his whole body shaking against hers as they held each other.
"Shhh.. it's going to be alright" Beth assured him soothingly.
Beth held Dean tightly until he finally stopped shaking.
"I have to go.. Dad will be awake soon" Dean sighed.
"I wish you didn't have to go.. but i understand why you do" Beth replied carefully.
"Here I brought something for you" Dean told her, suddenly remembering the backpack he had on.
Opening the bag Dean pulled out a large, dark hoodie with the letters AC/DC written across the back.
"Here, I want you to have this" Dean smiled, handing her the sweater.
"Thank you.. I have something for you too" Beth replied, quickly going to her dresser and pulling out a small box.
Dean opened the box and pulled out a carefully braided, leather bracelet with a single etched wooden bead in the centre of it.
"This is beautiful, did you make it yourself?" Dean asked warmly.
"Yeah, I did" Beth grinned, pleased by his reaction.
"I love it, thank you" Dean purred, kissing her softly.
Dean sighed when he realized how late it was, knowing he needed to leave.
"I really do need to leave but I'll come back here the second we're back in town okay?" Dean told her, his heart aching wildly in his chest.
"I'll hold you to that" Beth smiled, fighting back tears and kissed him one last time before he left.
Dean struggled to bike back to the scrapyard, his heart was broken and it felt like he couldn't breath but he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter.
Pulling into the scrapyard Dean saw Bobby still sitting on the porch and John loading the impala.
"Hey kid, ready to go?" John chirped.
"Sure dad" Dean murmured, pushing back the tears and finally realising why hunters are rarely married.
"I won't do this to myself again.. it hurts too much" Dean thought, pushing his feelings down and vowing never to let anyone get that close again.