Love Stinks- Band

You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
Till the day you die
This thing they call love
It's gonna make you cry
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
Love stinks

Dean felt disgusted with himself as he prepared to lock up the bar. He knew hooking up with Anna to have sex with her in the girl's bathroom Was wrong but he did it anyway. Not that he'd needed much convincing…he was a willing participant. He needed a distraction from John's bad news but also from the pity that he saw in Jo's eyes.

Luckily he'd managed to convince her that he couldn't come home with her because he had to be somewhere with Sam in the morning. She'd offered to come home with him but he knew Jo would raise hell at that. No, it was better that he was going home alone even though he was feeling quite lonely, he thought as he folded up his rag and went to grab his keys.

"Everybody gone?" a female voice asked softly from the dark shadows of the stage area.

Dean turned toward the voice. "Dani?"

"Yeah," she said carrying her guitar case and stepping into the bar light.

Dean chuckled "Have you been hiding back there since the set ended? It's almost 3am."

Dani shrugged as she began to pull her jacket on. "I haven't exactly been hiding. Let's just say I didn't want to deal with all the bullshit of tonight's scene."

Dean nodded in understanding, thinking of Anna. "I hear ya."

"I'm sure," Dani smiled halfheartedly thinking of all the drama that seemed to surround Dean on a regular basis. "What are you still doing here?"

He moved behind the bar and motioned for her to follow. "Let's just say I'm not anxious to deal with tonight's bullshit scene myself."

Dani sat on one of the barstools "Cas? Or Jo?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise as he pulled two of the glasses he had just washed and filled them with ice and soda."Um neither," he added as he placed the soda in front of her.

"Anna," Dani said as she watched him lean down to the refrigerator below the bar and pulled out a container of cherries.

"Maybe," he said as he reached for a plastic tooth pick and stabbed at three cherries. He then carefully handed it to her. "I know you probably haven't eaten."

"Thanks,"she smiled gratefully as she took them from him.

She chewed in silence as Dean sipped his drink slowly trying to think of something encouraging to say but came up short.

He finally settled on "Quite a song you had going there."

Her lips pulled up in a half smile but he could still the sadness in her eyes. It was a beautiful mixture. For a brief second, he could see what Castiel loved about her. "I'm sure that I sounded like shit, you know? Getting all choked up and stuff. Really screws up the music."

He didn't know how to reply "I thought you sounded great."

"You're being kind," she said bringing her glass to her lips "You don't have to be. I know I've been an idiot."

"I don't think you've been an idiot.," he offered leaning in the bar. "It's a messed up situation but when is love not messed up?"

"Wouldn't it be great if it was simple?" she asked a bit dreamily.

Dean seemed to think it over "Maybe, but would it be as much fun?"

"Are you having fun, Dean? " she asked miserably "Cause I'm sure not."

"I can't say I'm having much fun but then again I'm not the one in love," he shrugged.

She laughed outright letting him know she knew the truth.

"Damn Charlie," he muttered to himself.

"Your secret is safe with me," she said as she motioned to the container for more cherries.

Dean grabbed a bar napkin and carefully speared a handful and passed the napkin to her "Cas will come to his senses. It's just going to take some time. He cares about you..like…a lot."

Dani shook her head in disagreement "I can't compete with Meg. I'm not even sure I want to try."

"She does make a mess of things wherever she goes, doesn't she?" he asked.

Dani frowned, a mouth full of cherries. The effect was comical and Dean laughed out loud breaking the tension from the serious question.

"I don't think I can stomach seeing them together at Bela's wedding ," she admitted. "I may get physically sick. Maybe I just won't go."

Dean thought of all the times he had to see Jo with some other guy, pawing at her, touching at her, having her laugh and smile at them as if they were the only man in the room. It was enough to make him want to vomit. "You know, you can't not go. Don't let Meg off that easy…hell don't let Cas off that easy."

Defeated, Dani shrugged as she fumbled with her napkin.

Dean reached for her glass and his and poured them out in the sink. He left them there to wash the next day "How about we get outta here? Get some real food. Maybe some pie."

"You're in the mood for pie at 3am?" she asked as she jumped off the barstool and grabbed her guitar case.

He gave her a genuinely happy grin and his green eyes sparkled."Oh Danielle…I'm always in the mood for pie."