Note: For non-supernatural fans- Sam is Dean's brother and is presumed dead.
It was a betrayal, she knew that, but the look in his eyes still hurt.
Bravery to Lisa was walking after dark in a lonely parking lot, it was deciding to keep her child and raise him alone, or at least had it been. She'd let Dean come back into her life. She'd welcomed it. Bravery had become not screaming in horror over the things Dean told her, it had become confessing the truth about Ben, both to Dean and their son.
Bravery became charging Dean's phone and paying the bill so it could receive calls.
Now she faced losing everything and she was terrified.
The ringing was going to stop soon but Dean only stared at her.
What was she supposed to do? She couldn't stand it but Dean was fast and covered her hand as she grabbed the phone.
He knew but she couldn't back down. She couldn't. This life was killing him. His grip wasn't tight and he let go when she pulled back.
"Answer it."
"I have this life now."
The ringing stopped and Lisa felt like crying. She'd betrayed him and failed. She was going to lose him. One way or the other. She swallowed.
"This isn't your life, Dean," she breathed slowly. "Please don't say it is. I found the pentagram, the devil's trap. I found the maps and graphs in the shed." Dean's looked hurt but Lisa couldn't stop. "I know what the salt is for. I know why you bought the iron bars."
What more could she say? Dean wasn't helping; his usual smart-ass mouth was firmly closed.
"Please understand."
Understand what?
"I love you."
"Then why do this?"
"Because this isn't your life!" Lisa cried. "It's killing you!"
"That will kill me!" Dean pointed at the cell phone in the middle of the table.
"You're a hunter."
"Was."
"You still are! God, Dean, you're … you're like a wild animal trapped in a cage." Lisa sagged into a chair. "I'm not stupid, I see what's happening. You can't stay here when all those things are out there hurting people."
"Yes I can."
"Then you're not the Dean I thought I knew." The words burned like acid in her mouth and made her want to throw up. The tears didn't help at all. She wasn't brave.
The phone started ringing again but Lisa couldn't even look at it.
The tinny sounds of Led Zeppelin sounded like a death march in the kitchen.
Dean sat across the table and looked at her. "Leese, I want to stay."
"I want you to."
"We can make this work. I can try harder."
She shook her head, "you can't change who you are Dean."
"I want to."
"What part of you will you cut out?" Lisa finally looked up. "What will you destroy to make that happen?"
The ringing stopped and then started again and Lisa wished the thing would stop. She was starting to hate it. But the phone was further proof, wasn't it?
"You kept the phone."
"I'll throw it out."
"You're very popular."
"They'll find someone else."
"Will they?" Lisa pushed. "I thought you said a lot of hunters had died."
Dean flinched and Lisa bit her lip. Those hunters had been Dean's friends. Sam. The name and the feeling, the presence hung in the air. Oppressive and painful.
"Will they find someone else? We need hunters, Dean. You know that. I know that. My god, if a hunter hadn't killed that thing that took Ben …" Just the thought of her son locked up in a cage frightened her more than anything. More than what she was doing right then. The thought gave her strength. "But a hunter did."
Dean looked at the table. No cocky attitude. He'd liked Ben immediately. He'd loved him even before Lisa had told him the truth. He had a son. Dean looked at the phone. He had a son to think about now. And a woman to love. A woman that loved him.
"I can't do it, Lisa. I can't make you live the life. I can't do that to Ben. He deserves a home."
"I know that."
"Then why … I want a life, Lisa. I want a home," tears rushed the surface and poured over. "Haven't I earned it?"
"Oh, god," she rushed around the table and hugged him. "Yes. God. Dean, yes. You deserve a home and a family. You have it!"
Dean snarled at the phone as it started ringing again. "Son of a bitch."
"Dean, I love you but this isn't your life. You need to hunt all those things trying to hurt innocent people. Please understand me. I don't want you to just disappear but you can't continue this way."
"I want a home," Dean choked.
"You have a home, Dean. You always will."
"For the love of fuck!"
"Answer it already," Lisa sighed with a half smile. "Maybe it's a wrong number."
"My luck's not that good," Dean cracked then looked at her. "I used it up."
"Are you becoming a romantic?"
Dean snorted but grabbed the phone, "yeah."
"About time, ya edjit."
"Bobby," Dean laughed to hear the older hunter's no-nonsense tone and his trademark idiom. "What do you want?"
"Your sorry ass in motion. I have a report of a poltergeist about three hours north of you and I'm in Montana. What the hell is Lisa's phone number anyway? She didn't give it to me when she called."
Dean handed the phone to Lisa and got up to grab some paper and a pen.
"Hello?"
"Lisa, how's he doing?" Bobby asked gently.
"Um, okay, I think," she watched Dean come back. "Is pen and paper a good sign?"
"Yes," Bobby sighed in relief. "Thanks kid."
She blushed and handed the phone back to Dean.
"Okay, Bobby, give me what you've got," Dean glanced at Lisa and she smiled at him.