Author's Chapter Notes:

Helloooo! *waves* Sorry I still haven't had time yet to reply to the wonderful reviews but I just wanted to keep this going, I know that you'll forgive me. I will get to them soon! Mary x

A little Dean and Lisa in this short chapter. Enjoy!

He'd had to go straight to the garage that he worked days in and then from there to the bar, only managing to catch two hours of restless sleep in the car, and no food, in between. Tired and irritable, the night at the bar was a test of Dean's nerve, the place heaving with the usual Friday night crowd. Try as he might, he couldn't get on top of his game. He caused a fight in the bar, managed to break more glasses than Gregg's present record and sliced his arm cleaning it up. He realised that it was maybe time to call it a night when his staff and the patrons where all avoiding making eye contact with him as he rounded up the empty glasses from the tables.

Dean finally gave up at nine o'clock, handed Brian the reins again and went home, knowing that he'd have at least an hour to get his head straight before Lisa got back. Friday was her late night at work, Ben would be with a friend. The house would be quiet and empty and at this moment that was what he needed. Pushing in the front door he placed his keys in the dish on the table in the hall. Taking the pill bottle from his pocket he dropped it on the coffee table on the way by. His jacket found the arm of the chair, his boots their usual corner. He entered the kitchen and opened the cupboard door to get a glass, eyes falling to the still sealed bottle of scotch that was sitting on the shelf below. Rolling his eyes he gripped the edge of the counter, worried his bottom lip and then reached for it.

Lisa opened the door to find him sitting in the dark, head resting back against the back of the couch. Her heart lurched at the sight of him. The worry that he'd taken off, despite his cryptic text to the contrary, easing as she watched him sleep. Still, she didn't like the strained look on his face nor the tight line of his mouth. Moving towards him she took in the glass and the half empty bottle on the table and was about to sigh when she spotted the empty pill bottle sitting next to it. In a moment she was over next to him. "Dean? Dean?" She shook him gently, relief and gratefulness filling her when he roused almost straight away.

His hand came up, wiped at the sleep in his eyes and then reached to cup her face. "Hey." The voice like his smile was sleep warmed and soft, at odds with the darkness that pooled deep in his eyes.

"Hey," she whispered softly to him. "Want to tell me what's going on?" She lifted the pill bottle and held it up. "Did you take all of these?," she asked, voice light not accusing.

He focused on the bottle and then back on her face. "No. I ditched them."

She gestured to the other bottle on the table. "We going down that road again?" The question was asked lightly again, not judging just a need to know.

Dean shook his head. "Nope." He pulled her down until she was kneeling beside him. "I just needed something to take the edge off you know? Just tonight, I promise. I'm sorry."

She relaxed at that. "Sssh, it's okay Dean. I've got you," she told him and she reached to kiss him.

His other hand completed the frame her face as read her intent. He pulled her down onto his lips, the touch tender at first and then turning demanding. She let him take what he wanted, sliding down onto him. Swallowing his soft moan she hooked her hands round his neck. The fingers of one hand gently carded through his hair until he eased back off, rested his forehead against hers.

She smiled. Whatever had spooked him, it wasn't her. Wasn't this. For that she was glad. She was happy to sit like this, the silence stretched but not uncomfortable, until he finally broke it. His words though brought back the chill of uncertainty. "Sam's back. My brother's alive."

Lisa stilled, watched him. "So that's good news," she offered then paused, confusion and a little fear in her stare. "Right?"

"Yeah, good news," he answered flatly and she frowned. Sam's loss and the knowledge of where he had gone had almost broken the man she'd thought of before that as unbreakable. It was the thing she knew he wanted and deep down she feared. His brother was back. His tone though was off, too flat for the bombshell he'd just dropped. The lack of relief or excitement as he told her worried her more than Sam's return ever would.

Lisa turned the pill bottle in her hand again fearing it was the reason for the lack of enthusiasm in him for the news he'd waited four months to hear. "Dean?" She ran her thumb across his cheek, pulling his head up slightly as she did. "Swear to me you didn't."

It took him a minute to realise what she was asking. " I didn't Lisa. I swear," he said softly. "I wouldn't, not now," he breathed as he kissed her again, something so sweet but sad about the way he did that it caused hot tears to prick her eyes.

She brushed his hair back with her hand, dropped her head again to kiss at his neck and trail a slow path up to his ear, lingering there. "So you don't need these anymore then? Do you think the dreams will stop now? Just like that?"

"No more dreams," he answered turning his head to kiss her again. The look on her face made him stop and cup her face once more in his hand, the gesture a loving and familiar one that she couldn't help but lean into. "What it is?," he asked.

She tensed in his embrace. "Is he….?," she fumbled for words to ask what she needed to know. "Are you….?"

His hands drifted down her side then up inside her shirt. Shivers wracked her as he swept them slowly, lovingly across the skin of her stomach and then up again. He rested them on her shoulders as he kissed her again and then he shifted on the couch. Lying down he pulled her with him. Strong arms wrapped her warm and tight inside them. "I ain't leaving," he breathed into her ear, teeth teasing at it as he did.

His voice though when he spoke again had a little edge of bitterness to its tone.

"This is my home now. You're my family."

TBC

Chapter End Notes:

Have I got you worried with the last line? :)

Sam and Dean up next! Mary xx