Dirty Little Secret Chapter 13: No Place to Hide, an One Tree Hill + Supernatural Crossover fanfic

I don't own One Tree Hill and Supernatural.

Sorry for the delay of the update. School work is getting in my way and I've been busy because of this Holiday season as well. Anyway, thanks to Sara, Peridot809, amy marie 45, Lollo, and fggt16 for the reviews! Love ya lots. :]

13: No Place to Hide

We all wear masks to cover up our indiscretions, and we fear to be judged, so the demons within cause us to create a front to keep everyone out. Because in the end, we do not want people to know that we are broken like everyone else.

It was quiet inside the room; the dark blue curtains were down, making the room a little dark, and the only thing one could hear was the ticking of the clock. Dean couldn't stop the tiny little voice at the back of his head as he stared at Brooke's delicate face. Dean inched closer to her slowly, his eyes fixed on hers.

Brooke felt her heart skip a beat; the way Dean looked at her made her feel like she was on fire. As Dean came closer, she could feel his breath touch her cheek. Brooke looked down a little and took a deep breath as Dean closed in on the gap between them.

-----

* Six Hours Earlier *

The dreadful sound of the alarm clock echoed through the room. Sam groaned and fumbled for the clock on his bedside table and shut it off. After a couple of minutes or so, he got off his bed, took a quick shower, and then went downstairs to have breakfast. It was only 8AM and it was a Saturday; everyone in the house was still asleep except for John who was probably getting ready for work now.

After his breakfast consisting of cereals and apple juice, Sam went out to go jogging just around their estate; it was huge enough for that. When he got near their gate, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The picture plastered on the front page of the newspaper that was lying near their gate caught him off-guard. He grabbed the newspaper and then went back to the house.

John was just about to have breakfast when Sam stormed into the house. Just by looking at Sam as he made his way to his father made John assume that there was something wrong.

"Look at this," Sam muttered as he handed the newspaper to his father.

A photo of Sam was right in the middle of the front page; it was taken when he was with Brooke and Dean at the bowling alley the day before. A picture of Jessica was there too. The article below it was all about Sam's childhood with Jessica and how they got separated because Jessica moved away. It was also mentioned in the article that Sam was going to follow Dean's footsteps; Sam was 'going to propose' to Jessica in a matter of time. It bugged the hell out of Sam.

"Who could possibly know all these stuff?" Sam asked; his voice echoed through the kitchen. "I'm not even going to propose to Jess."

John set the newspaper on the counter. "Anyone; you know the reporters – they dig too deep just to get something."

"This is insane," Sam couldn't help but raise his voice a little louder. All throughout his life, he has managed to stay out of the spotlight; he didn't like the media attention that came along with their family's wealth and stature in the community. In fact, he often wished that they never left Lawrence.

Now Jessica was being dragged into the spotlight because of him; that's what ticked him off the most. He didn't want her face on the front page of the newspaper. Jessica and her family were private people; they'd probably blame Sam once they see Jessica's face on the newspaper.

-----

Brooke woke up with the sound of Sam's upset voice. She could hear him even if the door in her room was closed. The clock on her nightstand read 7:59AM. Why on Earth would Sam be upset this early? As she tried to go back to sleep again, she felt the bed move. She turned to her other side and saw Dean. He looked so peaceful while sleeping. A small smile escaped Brooke's lips for no reason. She then got off the bed and then washed her face and brushed her teeth before going downstairs. As she descended through the stairs, she could hear John's voice as well.

"What would Jessica's mom think once she sees this?" Sam asked with irritation. "These reporters are..."

"Damn irritating?" Brooke asked as she approached the two.

John and Sam turned to look at Brooke.

"Did I wake you up?" Sam asked; his voice was a little calmer now.

Brooke nodded and then shrugged. "It's ok. What's this all about?"

John sighed and handed Brooke the newspaper. Brooke frowned as she read the whole article. "Yep; they're damn irritating."

"You better call Jess," John suggested. "I have to go to work."

Sam sighed and received a pat on the shoulder from his father. John gave Brooke a small peck on her cheek and then walked out of the house. Brooke bit her lip as she placed the newspaper on the counter and felt sorry for Sam.

"I totally know how it feels," Brooke muttered. "How these reporters write something that they don't really know. I mean…" Brooke looked down at her hands and thought of the last time her name was in the newspaper: her engagement with Dean. "Never mind," she said as she waved her hand dismissively. "I think Jess would understand this. Just talk to her."

Sam went beside Brooke and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Brooke then rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I should talk to her. Thanks Brooke. I mean, you know. You've been a good friend to me."

Brooke chuckled and liked this little moment she and Sam had. "You're actually one of my best friends now."

Sam chuckled and looked at Brooke. "Really?"

Brooke's dimples showed off as she laughed and nudged Sam's arm. Right then, Dean came down the stairs and saw Sam and Brooke close to each other, laughing.

"Can't the two of you quiet down?" Dean asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

Brooke frowned and looked straight into his eyes and tried to get what's wrong with him. All she saw in his dreamy hazel eyes were sorrow. "Okay, Mr. Grumps."

Dean frowned at the nickname Brooke just gave him and then made his way back to his room and made loud thuds with his feet as he went upstairs.

Sam shook his head and felt disappointed; he had fun with Brooke and Dean yesterday and he thought that Dean was changing for the better. But heck, good things take some time to happen. He sighed and patted Brooke's shoulder. "I'm gonna go call Jess."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah; you do that."

Once Sam was out of her sight, Brooke looked around the room and her eyes landed on the newspaper. She sighed, grabbed it, and went upstairs to her room. When she got in, she saw Dean sitting on the edge of the bed, his face buried between his hands.

"Hey…" Brooke said skeptically as she walked towards Dean. "Look at this."

Brooke handed him the newspaper. Dean didn't even look at it; he just threw it across the room and mumbled something unintelligible. Brooke's brows creased as her mouth fell slightly open.

"What is wrong with you?" Brooke scoffed.

"Mind your own business," Dean muttered without looking at her.

There he goes again. Brooke folded her arms across her chest and looked intently at Dean, but Dean didn't look at her. He got up from the bed and walked straight to the adjoining bathroom in their room and slammed the door shut. Just like Sam, Brooke felt disappointed. Dean was back to his I-don't-give-a-damn self.

When Dean woke up ten minutes ago and saw the date on the calendar, his heart went dead again. It's been four years now since that day…he had been planning on visiting her in New Jersey, where she was resting in peace, but the thought of seeing her father made him think twice. And then he heard Brooke and Sam's laughter and it just made him more irritable. When Brooke came in their room and showed him the newspaper and then asked him what's wrong, he couldn't put into words the things he felt so he just walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He took a bath and tried hard to erase the memory of that night, but he couldn't. It kept on playing inside his mind.

Dean was inside the bathroom for an hour and a half, and when he came out, he was surprised to see that Brooke was still in their room, probably waiting for him to talk to her. Dean just stood by the bathroom door for almost a minute and just stared at Brooke, who was looking back at him. If what he saw in her eyes was right, she wanted to hear his thoughts. But no; Dean didn't want to open up to anyone in particular today. He averted his gaze from Brooke's eyes and then walked out of their room.

Brooke tried to read Dean's mind, and judging by the look in his eyes, she could tell that something big was bothering him. All she saw in his eyes were sorrow; his aura was also gloomy. A little prodding worked when she tried to make Dean tell her about Ana, so maybe it would work again this time. But when she saw the look on Dean's face when he came out of the bathroom, she knew it wasn't a good time to try and get something out of him.

-----

It had been two hours now since Dean left the Winchester household. He spent an hour driving to New Jersey, and another hour just sulking in his car, parked somewhere in Essex County, as he deliberated whether he should go to the cemetery or not; it had always been like this for the past three years. Dean would always wait until the next day of Alice's death anniversary before he could see her. But today, he just felt like he should go now.

Dean pushed aside the thought of Alice's father and thought, what the heck; he has some right to see her. So he turned on the engine of his car and drove off to the nearest flower shop and then to Glendale Cemetery. To his assurance, Alice's family was nowhere in sight. He took a deep breath, got out of his car, and walked towards Alice's tomb.

The weather wasn't nice today; the wind blew hard and the sky was pretty dark. Dean ignored the cold air as he knelt down in front of Alice's tomb and placed the flowers he bought in front of it.

"Hi," Dean murmured. The small photo of Alice engraved on her tombstone eased Dean's sorrow somehow. He touched it and then closed his eyes. "It's been a while," he whispered.

The image of Alice's face, as how Dean remembers it, flashed on his mind; she was smiling, beaming with delight as she opened Dean's birthday gift for her. That was the last birthday she had, and she told him that it was her best because she was with him.

"Dean." A firm voice startled him.

Dean took a deep breath and then stood up; it was Alice's father, and he didn't look happy at all to see him. Dean and Alice's father exchanged heated glares for a moment.

"You know you're not allowed here, or at least to be here today," Brandon Welsh, Alice's father, mumbled.

It was always like this; whenever Alice's family sees Dean in Essex County, especially her father, they always drive him out of town. Dean looked down. "I just came here to see her."

"You don't have any right to." Brandon's voice was harsh and cold; seeing Dean made his blood boil. He couldn't forget that day. "Leave."

"Look," Dean muttered; he tried real hard not to snap at Brandon. "I have a right to be here. I was Alice's fiancé."

Brandon narrowed his eyes. "Where is your fiancé now? Does she know you're here?"

Dean sighed. "For the past three years, I've been hiding – keeping my visits here secret. I know you don't want me here, but do you think that's what Alice wants?"

"Don't you dare bring her into this. You're the one who got her killed in the first place!" Brandon roared; even for a fifty year old guy, he still looked like he could have a fight with Dean.

And there he goes again. Dean tried with all his might to be calm, but he couldn't. How could he? Alice's father blamed everything on him; that's why he forbade Dean to come to New Jersey. "It was an accident, Brandon! It was no one's fault!"

"Stop defending yourself. You know it was your fault." Brandon glared at Dean and then shook his head. "Now leave; don't make me call the cops."

Dean knew that Brandon was once the police chief of Essex County; Brandon could put charges on anyone he wanted to just with a flick of his finger, and that wouldn't do Dean any good. Though he didn't want to, Dean dragged himself back to his car and drove away. All the while, Brandon watched Dean with hatred in his eyes.

-----

"Sammy!" Brooke yelled as she ran up the stairs.

Sam chuckled as he got off his bed to open his bedroom door for Brooke. Brooke was just in time as he opened the door; a wide smile was spread across her face.

"Jessica's here." Brooke was just too excited for her friend. A couple of hours ago, Sam called and talked to Jessica about the newspaper and Jessica told him that she'll drop by the Winchester household.

Sam looked nervously around his room and looked for a nice shirt, since he was only wearing an undershirt; only Jessica has this effect on him. Brooke's lips curved up a little as she watched Sam; he looked like he was just a teenager who's going on a first date. She walked up to his closet and grabbed a simple maroon long-sleeved polo; it would work well with Sam's black undershirt.

"Here, wear this." She handed him the polo. "Don't close the buttons."

Sam gave Brooke a thank-you smile and donned the polo. Brooke then came up to him and rolled up the sleeves just above his elbows. She then stepped back and admired what she did with Sam; it was simple, but it looked great on him.

"You're a life saver," Sam said with a warm smile.

Brooke kinked her eyebrows. "Jessica's waiting downstairs."

"Oh!" Sam gushed and then went out of his room.

Brooke chuckled and thought of how a great man Sam was. Jessica was lucky for having him. She spent the next two hours just talking and bonding with Sam and Jessica. Fortunately, Jessica understood that Sam didn't have anything to do with the articles on the newspaper. She even found it funny, especially the 'proposing' part. Sam felt glad that everything was fine, and that Jessica's family understands it as well. He was also glad that Brooke and Jessica got along well.

-----

Dean spent two and a half hours bar-hopping when he came back to Manhattan. Hell, he didn't care if the paparazzi caught him doing it, he'd deal with the consequences of it later. When he felt that he couldn't intake any more alcoholic beverages, he decided to go home. Surprisingly, he arrived home safely, despite the fact that he was drunk.

As Dean walked into his house, he saw Sam talking to a familiar blonde girl; Jessica. It had been long time since he last saw her. Her hair was longer now and she was thinner.

"Hi Dean!" Jessica greeted when she caught sight of him.

Dean forced out a smile and gave her a nod, and then went upstairs to his room. There was no one inside the room, but he could hear the shower in their bathroom running. Dean took off his jacket and then sat at the edge of their bed. Right then, the shower stopped running; a few minutes later, Brooke came out of the bathroom wearing a pink tank top and a pair of pajamas; her hair still uncombed.

"Where'd you go?" Brooke asked as she walked across the room to her vanity to brush her hair.

Dean took a deep breath as he watched Brooke. Hell, he doesn't have anything to lose anymore. Why not bring it all up and let someone know what he feels?

"Today…um…today's Alice's fourth death anniversary," he said, almost a whisper.

Brooke looked down and sighed; Alice had always been a touchy topic for Dean. She tried to think of how hard it is – living through a day that commemorates a beloved's death – and felt sorry for Dean.

Dean looked down as he rubbed the back of his head. The two of them were silent for a while; Brooke felt that she should just listen to him, so she decided to sit beside him on the bed; Dean couldn't find the right words to say. It was hard, actually, for Dean to tell Brooke something very emotional to him. But when he looked up at Brooke saw the sympathy in her eyes, he felt a notch better.

"I just moved here to Manhattan when I met her; we were both sixteen. It was my first day of school and she was my guide." Dean smiled at the memory. "We fell in love…typical love story."

Brooke looked at Dean intently as she listened to his story.

"I proposed to her right after we graduated high school." Dean pulled out a photo of Alice from his wallet and handed it to Brooke with a weak smile. "That's my favorite photo of her."

Brooke took the photo and was surprised at how beautiful Alice was. Like her, Alice was a brunette. Her hair was cut in a bob style; it fit her petite frame perfectly. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown, and her lips looked plump yet soft. She was smiling from ear to ear in the photo, probably because she was wrapped in Dean's arms. Dean looked young and vibrant in the photo; Brooke had never seen him smile like that before.

"I loved her more than any other," Dean murmured.

Brooke handed the photo back to him and gently patted his hand. "It must've been really hard for you." Now Brooke could totally understand why and how Dean became like this. She couldn't imagine what she would do and what would happen to her if she lost someone that dear to her. "Whatever I can do to help…just talk to me." Brooke chuckled. "I'll be right here as long as our arrangement is open."

Dean saw sympathy in Brooke's eyes. Though it was the last thing he wanted to see in her eyes, it somehow made him feel better. Brooke hazel eyes were drawing him in an odd kind of way. Maybe he was drunk, or maybe he was moved by the emotions he was feeling right now…whatever the reason was, Dean couldn't help but want to touch Brooke's face.

As Dean stared at her, Brooke felt that something was not right. The way Dean looked at her – not the usual look, but a look that Brooke had never seen on him. His eyes were fixed on hers, and it made Brooke feel a little awkward.

The kiss was short but tender. It was probably wrong, but Dean felt good for many unexplainable reasons. Brooke was surprised, not with the kiss, but with the fact that she didn't even try to shove Dean off. The two of them stared at each other for a couple of moments, wondering what on Earth went on their minds. The tiny voice at the back of Dean's head popped out again. Before he could even think, Dean leaned closer to Brooke again and kissed her, this time with more passion. He placed his hands on Brooke's neck as he gently pushed her down to the bed. Brooke was still in the process of registering that small kiss into her mind when Dean kissed her again. Though she didn't want to admit it, she liked it.

A knock on their door brought them back to reality. Dean jumped off of Brooke and cleared his throat before going to the door. Brooke, on the other hand, sat up and just watched Dean.

"Dinner's ready," Jo said as soon as Dean opened the door. "Everyone's waiting downstairs."

Brooke got up quickly and went to Jo. She glanced at Dean as she passed by him, but Dean avoided her glance. As Dean watched Brooke go with Jo, he knew that he had to call an old friend of his, becauses right then, he knew that he was in trouble. He fished out his cell phone from his pocket and dialled a number that was already etched in his mind, even though it has been years now since he last called that number.

"Hey, it's me," Dean said as soon as the other person answered the call.

There was a short pause before a semi-husky voice spoke up. "Dean? Is that really you?"

Dean chuckled; he truly missed this person. "Yeah…"

"It's been a long time since you last called me."

"Two years, actually," Dean said in a low voice; he felt guilty for not keeping communication with his best friend. "I'm sorry, Cas."

So, do you like it? I hope you do. Oh, happy holidays too. Please leave a review. :)