Sorry it has been so long real life has been getting in the way and I just didn't feel inspired to write anything for a while. But I am back now and I really hope this chapter is well received, I have been working on it for a while. I own nothing, now on with the story...

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

1995

After I ditched the white knight, I went to go find the jackasses that stole my money. I caught up with them at the basketball court at the local park. Having lost all of my patience for the day by now, I wasn't looking to play nice. I went right up to the lead dumb ass and punched him in the face. The rest of his goons started to come at me too, so I kicked all of their asses until they were all crumbled heaps on the ground crying like babies. I went over to one of the idiots to collect my money which is when the cops found me. I decided that these assholes and the money weren't really worth a bullet wound so I decided to surrender and give the cop the story about how they tried to assault me first and I just defended myself. I was put in the back of a cop car while the cops talked about how to handle the situation and what to do with me.

But I wasn't the only one who ended up in the back of a cop car that day because before the cop could decide what he was going to do with me he had to respond to another call. Apparently someone was caught shoplifting from the local market. From the description given over the police radio it sounded like it might be the white knight from earlier today. Once we pulled up to the market the cop went in to defuse the situation since the shop owner had a gun pointed at the kid.

Once the cop got the kid in the back of the car, after himself a pretty nice shiner from said kid, he went back to talk to the store owner.

I look over at the same kid from earlier and ask, "So what'd you do?"

He finally turns to look at me for the first time and laughs sardonically, "As if this day wasn't bad enough already" he says mostly to himself. Then to me he asks, " You going to hit me again?"

I reply, "No, not unless you deserve it."

"I really don't think I deserved it before, I was just trying to help you out."

I look at him for a minute before I respond. He appears to be having a worse day than me and I can tell the punch I gave him earlier is already starting to leave a bruise. He gives me a confused, curious look, wondering whats taking me so long to respond. I decide this kid really isn't so bad and he thought he was trying to help me and he is having a bad day, I should be nice, plus he is pretty cute!

"I look down and sigh quick before i look back up at him, "Look, I am sorry I hit you earlier, it was a knee-jerk reaction I just don't want or need anyone coming to my rescue, I am quite capable of taking care of myself. But, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot, I'm Lexi."

"I'm Dean." "So, who taught you punch like that anyway?," he asks while moving his jaw around."

I give him an guilty look and tell him, "Sorry. The guy that raised me believed in teaching kids how to defend themselves, I was a good student so he taught me to fight offensively as well as defensively."

"Well good I'm glad you can fight if you're going to go around starting fights," he laughs at the end. I give him a rueful smile as my curiosity finally gets the best of me. "So, what did you do to land yourself in the back of this car?"

"I got caught trying to get a five finger discount," he admits without looking at me. I just nod even though he's not looking. He looks back up at me after a second, "What about you?"

I let out a short laugh, "Well I stole back the money we lost in that card game, but one of them noticed before I could get away clean. So they picked a fight they couldn't win, the cop got there to break it up, completely unprepared for a girl to be beating up two guys. I still don't think he has decided what to do with me yet."

Dean's eyebrows raise incredulously, "You really took all of those guys on by yourself? That is pretty impressive."

"Thanks, but I like I said I know how to handle myself. They didn't ,so it wasn't exactly a fair fight."

"But wait, you said they cheated in that card game? And you stole back the money?"

"Yea they slipped up at the end, I saw one of them switch a card out. And, yea the money is in my back pocket right now." "Mind if I ask, what were you trying to steal in there? I get the feeling you're actually a decent dude, usually on the moral high road, so what would make you break the law?"

Dean stares me down for a second, "What makes you say that?"

"You just looked pretty worried and upset after losing your money in the game, like maybe you needed the money for something important. But, then you still tried to defend me despite your own problems."

Dean looks down at his feet, "Yea, it was the money my dad left me and my brother for food. After I lost the money I knew my brother would get hungry so I tried to steal some bread and peanut butter but I got caught." He shakes his head, "Man, my dad is gonna kill me!"

I genuinely feel bad for the kid, "That sucks! I'm sorry, for what its worth if we both hadn't gotten caught I would have given you you're money back."

He lets out a humorless laugh, "Thanks but its a little late for that."

"So are you from around here?"

"No, we uh, we travel a lot. My dad's work kinda takes us all over."

"Ah, well where is dear old dad anyway? Why is he just leaving his kids on their own in strange places?"

"Look no offense, but it's really none of your business. Its private family business and I'm not sharing anymore with some strange girl I just met. And, I could ask you the same thing, where are your parents?"

"Okay, okay! I didn't mean to strike a nerve," I say trying to diffuse the sudden tension. "And I don't have any parents or guardians, I'm an orphan."

He drops back from being super defensive to being cool again, and with a sheepish look he says, "Oh… Sorry."

"Don't sweat it, I never new my parents so it's kind of hard to miss something you never had." He nods silently.

And, we lapsed into silence until the officer came back.

The officer opens the door and convinces Dean to give him his father's name and number so that he can inform his dad that his son has been caught stealing. When the officer comes back after that phone call this time he asks me for my parents information. I tell him that I'm an orphan, no parents or guardians he can call, I tell him I live on my own. I tell him my fake name so he can look up my fake emancipation papers. The officer makes one more call then gets in the car with us. He looks in the mirror at Dean first, "I talked to your father, he said to let you rot in jail," then he turns his eyes to me, "and I confirmed your emancipation Ms. Benson, and found that you have a record of getting in fights with other girls at school." The officer sighs and wipes in hand down his face then looks back in the mirror at us, "You're both too young to sit in county until the judge gets back, so we are gonna take a little ride over to the boys home in town and see if they can look after the two of you."

The rest of the car ride was silent as the cop drove us to some big house on a farm, Sonny's Home for Boys, that's what the sign we passed in the driveway said. We pulled up to the house and the officer helps a cuffed Dean get out of the car, and then me. As we walk up to the door a guy in jeans and plaid with very 70s hair style and mustache opens the door to let us in. The officer walks us in to a living room area and starts to debrief this guy on our situations. Dean and I both just sit on the couch quiet and seething with attitudes at being put in this situation and having to stay here. As the officer recounts what we did and why he brought us here to the new guy, Sonny, apparently, Sonny looks both of us over. Sonny tells the cop he will gladly take us in and teach us some manners, after learning about the cop's shiner courtesy of Dean. The cop finally leaves, while Dean sarcastically waives goodbye, and Sonny turns his attention to us.

"You shouldn't do that kid," Sonny says.

"Yeah, why, because he's a cop?" Dean bites back.

"Because when you make him mad, he leaves with the key," Sonny replies.

Dean and I both perk up at this reminder that we are still in handcuffs, and look to the doorway the cop just left through. I know that i could totally get myself out of the cuffs on my own, but I'm not really sure i want to give that particular skill away to the guy that is supposed to be "looking after" me. Dean lets out an incredulous laugh and shakes his head while looking at his cuffed hands, I just sit and wait to see what this Sonny guy is going to do.

Sonny smiles for a second, then says, "Don't sweat it," as he picks a paper clip up from the coffee table and comes over to sit in front of us. He un-cuffs my hands first, I say, "Thanks." Then he moves over to un-cuff Dean, but pauses when he notices bruises on Dean's forearms. I notice and my curiosity is piqued too.

"The deputy do that?" Sonny asks, Dean just laughs and shakes his head.

"Your old man then?" Sonny questions, Dean continues to shake his head.

"Then how'd you get it?"

"Werewolf," Dean fires back with attitude. My eyes bug out for a second, even though no one is paying attention to me, because if he is actually serious and not just purposely giving a ridiculous answer, then this kid probably grew up with a hunter.

"Okay," Sonny replies, seemingly also unsure whether or not to take Dean's answer seriously, but finding it somewhat amusing anyway. As he continues to take off the cuffs he just looks between the two of us curiously.

Since I am being the "good" one of the two of us right now I keep quiet for most of the exchange. I just want to play along appease the adults so I can get back to my regular unsupervised life, Dean apparently doesn't care to appease anyone and continues with attitude once the cuffs are off and stands up.

"So, how do you know I won't just run away?" Dean says.

"Because you're hungry," Sonny replies as he starts to walk away.

"No I'm not!"

"Then why'd you steal bread and peanut butter?"

Dean stays silent and just shrugs, looking around the room.

"So, what is this place anyway?" I finally pipe up.

"It's for kids like you, well normally for boys, but there is an exception to work the land, teaches you some discipline and responsibility, keeps you out of trouble."

Dean snorts a laugh at that and says, "That's lame."

I just raise my eyebrows with an "is this guy serious" look on my face.

Sonny looks at both our faces, "Beats jail."

Dean and I look to each other and shrug, the man makes a good point.

Sonny turns to walk away and over his shoulder says, "C'mon, I'll fix ya something to eat."

Dean and I follow and have a seat at the kitchen table while Sonny makes us a couple of sandwiches. While he works, Sonny explains the house rules to us tells us what chores we will be responsible for. Dean and I sit in silence and listen. Sonny brings the sandwiches over to us, setting the plates down he says, "Eat, when you're done meet me upstairs I'll show you where you'll be sleeping while you're here." Then he walks away leaving Dean and I alone.

We eat in companionable silence for a few minutes, but then my eyes catch the bruises on Dean's forearms again and curiosity gets the better of me.

I break the silence looking right at Deans arms,"So, a werewolf huh?" Dean pauses mid bite and looks up at me.

"You just being a smart ass with that answer or do you know something about real life horror movie rejects?" Dean actually looks surprised I would ask him such a question.

"What's that supposed to mean? You thought I was serious, you actually think werewolves and monsters are real?" he responds doing his best to laugh it off, but I am not quite buying it. I guess he is like me and not very trusting of people. Normally I wouldn't have even brought it up, I'd just stick to myself and not bother with anyone else. But, there is something about this kid, I kind of like him, he's growing on me. He is snarky and sarcastic, cute and funny, tough but compassionate, and actually seems like a decent human being. So, I decide I want to get to know him, and make up for being a royal bitch when I punched him earlier. Just as I am about to respond the room suddenly gets about 20 degrees colder and the lights start to flicker. Dean and I both freeze in our tracks and look up at the flickering lights, then back at each other.

"Don't you believe?" I finally respond.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Present

"Lex, hey, c'mon, get up!"

I wake up to Dean nudging me back into consciousness and the present. I grumble a little and get up, then I smile a little to myself remembering the dream I just had about the day I first met Dean Winchester.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I hope you liked this chapter! Please review, follow or fav if you liked it. I feel like I am finally really starting to get into this story again! Next chapter will be more of Dead Man's Blood possibly with more flashbacks too. Thanks for reading!