Title: Swept to Ruin
Fandom: One Tree Hill/Supernatural
Genres: Angst, Romance, Crossover
Pairing: Dean/Peyton
Spoilers: One Tree Hill, "Over the Hills and Far Away"; Supernatural, "Provenance"
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't 'em. Wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself if I did.
Summary: Sequel to Come What May/Split Second. Takes place five months after Dean left Tree Hill. Dean's back, accompanied by Sam this time around and while the brothers wreak havoc on the hearts of the Tree Hill females, a murder mystery keeps them occupied.

A/N: Okay, folks. waves Certain people wanted the fic to continute so here we are and there's a few things you need to know before you begin reading this continuing tale -- The story picks up in One Tree Hill time after "Over the Hills and Far Away". Now, everything's happened except that Peyton didn't admit to Brooke that she loves Lucas. But Brooke and Lucas aren't together anyway so… that doesn't matter, now does it? Dan shot Keith. The school shooting happened. Lucas saved Peyton. And yes she did say ILY. BUT she had lost a lot of blood and thought Lucas was Dean. (How could she ever confuse the two? I don't know. And I'm the one writing this!) In Supernatural time, everything happened up to "Provenance". Yes, Dean almost died. Sam had his mini-vacation with Meg. You know the rest. Except Sam didn't have the warm and fuzzies for Sarah 'cause otherwise what I have planned for Sam wouldn't make much sense. evil laugh All this will come to play at some point so sit back and enjoy. This ride will be a lot more bumpy than the first one. Enjoy!

Swept to Ruin: Chapter One

Atlanta was far behind him, but yet the things that transpired there still plagued Dean Winchester's thoughts. With each spin of the Impala's tires, he inched closer to Tree Hill and closer to Peyton. It filled him with a flurry of emotions, none of which he had time to process at the moment.

With the sky darkening above, Dean found himself pressing his foot harder to the gas pedal, even more ambitious to reach the North Carolina state line before the sky opened up. He didn't want to slow down and the rain would do more than slow him down.

As he'd driven out of the gas station in Georgia, Sam had asked what was leading them to North Carolina instead of the trip that they had planned on to Illinois. Dean had quickly told his brother that there was someone that he needed to see. Sam had tried to prod further, but Dean quickly shot down his brother's attempts, telling his younger sibling that it was nothing he need concern himself with.

Sam had fell silent since then. He had slept for a while, but mostly he stared out the window, stewing.

Chancing a look at his brother, Dean noted that Sam was lost in his thoughts. "Stop thinking so loud," Dean chided, fully aware of his brother's consternation from the passenger side seat.

Dean was pretty sure that a hundred questions were running through his kid brother's head that he'd no doubt have to answer sooner or later. Though, something told him that it would be much sooner than later.

He and Sam had spent nearly six months out on the road in the search for their father and not once had he uttered Peyton's name. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about her. Because he did. He wanted to tell Sam all about Peyton and the summer that he'd spent in Tree Hill, but Sam wasn't ready to hear that story. Sam was still mourning Jessica and what good what it do either of them for him to reveal that he'd fallen in love and left her behind to go scouring the country for their father instead?

Leaving Peyton behind wasn't something that he was entirely proud of, especially given the way that he'd left. Sneaking out after Peyton had fallen asleep was a copout, he knew, but if he'd had to say goodbye to her face to face he wasn't sure that he could make it out the door by himself.

He'd regretted it every day since, but the damage was done. He just hoped that he could undo it.

Dean looked back at Sam, sighing when he realized that Sam was ignoring him on purpose. So he returned his eyes to the road, choosing to concentrate on his drive and not the internal battle that his brother was waging.

Yes, he'd been stewing, waiting for the most opportune most to attack Dean with the series of questions running through his head. But despite all the questions running rampant through his head, the only one Sam wanted an answer to was: Why?

Dean had always been the more focused one. Sarcastic, headstrong and the ladies man. He'd always had a way with the girls, but it wasn't very often that any one girl lasted beyond one night.

Girls were all good and fun when Dean wanted to get laid, but other than that he'd always been more concerned with hunting and training.

So to say that Sam was a little shocked that his brother was foregoing a hunt to go and visit a girl, it just tilted his world a little bit.

Okay. It tilted his world a whole lot.

Unable to contain his silence anymore, Sam finally spoke. "You know what I don't understand is all these months together driving around and you say nothing," Sam finally said, his eyes locked on the sky and the burgeoning storm. "You breathe not a word about this girl."

"Peyton," Dean offered, not liking the way that Sam said 'girl'. It slipped from his brother's lips accompanied with visions of one night stands and meaningless sex. Peyton was so much more than that. Much, much more.

"What?" Sam asked as the first roll of thunder exploded from the sky.

"Her name is Peyton," Dean told his brother, his throat tightening as her name escaped his mouth. Even after all these months it was still hard for him to think about her without thinking about the way she'd looked at him after he'd rescued her from Lady Guinevere. It was that look that had fueled his middle of the night departure. It was cemented in his subconscious, forever reminding him about the danger that he'd put her in.

Sam stared at Dean for a few moments before he spoke again. "Peyton," he repeated, testing the name aloud. "You seem out of league for a Peyton, Dean, don't you think?"

"Shut up, Sammy," Dean snapped, shaking his head to get his thoughts in order. This was a conversation that he had never hoped to have. Maybe he should've thought about that before placing the call to Peyton in Atlanta.

"Dean, we're driving out of the way to see this girl, I think I deserve to know a few things."

Okay, now he was annoyed. Why should Sam be privy to his relationship with Peyton when he couldn't even speak Jessica's name?

Screw that.

As rain began to petal the windshield, Dean switched on the wipers as he reminded his brother, "I don't recall you giving me the tell-all on your relationship with Jessica so why should you get one on my relationship with Peyton."

Sam couldn't believe his ears. "Jessica died, Dean. Excuse me for not being exceptionally chatty," he snipped, outraged that his brother had literally used that argument. "But that's not really what your problem is, is it?"

Dean glared at his brother. "What?"

"You're not pissed that you don't know anything my relationship with Jess. You just don't want to talk about your relationship with this girl. Since when do you have relationships anyway?"

"Since my car broke down in Tree Hill, North Carolina and I met Peyton. That's when," Dean stated flatly, hoping that Sam would drop his line of questioning. He knew that his brother would have questions but he had hoped not to answer any until they'd gotten to Tree Hill. But, of course, he knew that was a fool's dream seeing that they were cooped up in the car for the next few hours alone and if he knew his brother, Sam wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him by to get the full story.

They had another 200 miles to go before they got to Tree Hill. Sam had three hours--give or take--to grill his brother about this girl and he wasn't going to waste a second. "I just want to know what makes this Peyton different from all the other ones, Dean. What about this girl has us foregoing a hunt to drive seven hours in the opposite direction to see her? Huh?"

Dean wished that he had a logical explanation for their current situation. But he didn't. He didn't know why Peyton still had the affect on him that she did.

Truth was, he had spent the last few months thinking about her. There wasn't a second since he'd left Tree Hill when she hadn't been on his mind. The phone calls to Lucas and Haley to make sure that she was okay just gave him glimpses into her life and what he'd left behind.

When Lucas had called to tell him that Ellie had passed on, he had curbed the impulse to jump in his car and hightail it back to Tree Hill to be there for her. But Lucas had told him that his presence wasn't necessary. Lucas said that she was dealing with Ellie's death in her own way and him storming back into her life would only confuse and anger her, more than she was already.

And Lucas had been right. He had no right to just barge back into her life, especially not after the way he'd exited it.

He and Lucas didn't talk much about the way he'd left Tree Hill. In the same instant, neither did Peyton. Lucas had told him that Peyton refused to talk about his leaving with anyone.

But in his haste to get out of Tree Hill, Dean hadn't realized that Peyton wouldn't be the only one he'd be leaving. It had taken Haley three months to get over being pissed at him. When he would talk to Lucas, he'd ask about her and she'd blatantly tell Lucas to tell him to go to hell. He was sure that most, if not all, of her hostility was due to her loyalty to Peyton.

Peyton.

He'd screwed up so many times since he'd met her. Lying to her, leaving her, almost getting her killed. The list was never ending. He still felt guilty for the entire New Orleans fiasco which had attributed to him not keeping in touch with her.

His guilt was unwavering and even though Lucas had assured him numerous times over the past few months that Peyton held no ill will toward him for what had happened, he still blamed himself.

He couldn't help feeling that everything that had transpired in New Orleans was of his own making. If only he'd held his ground with her. If only she'd stayed at the hotel…

As best as he could he tried to find somewhere that he could've made better judgments. But he was only left with the realization that all of his judgments had become jaded since he'd met Peyton.

"I can't give you an answer, Sam. I barely have an answer for it myself. But I care about this girl and that's really all you need to know."

Sam sighed, worried about his brother and what seeing this girl again would do to Dean. Obviously something had gone wrong if Dean never brought up her name. "Dean if she hurt you so bad that you won't even talk about her--can't talk about her--why go through that again?"

"You don't get it, Sam," Dean said with a shake of his head. Taking his eyes off the road for a millisecond, he told his brother, "She didn't hurt me. I hurt her. I hurt her in the worst possible way."

Sam cleared his throat, quieting for a few seconds, watching as Dean sped up to pass up the Dodge Caravan in front of them. "You know you can talk to me, Dean. I mean… I know I haven't always been upfront with you, but you can talk to me."

"But I don't want to."

---

"So this is it," Sam resigned as Dean entered the city limits of Tree Hill. There wasn't much to the town, but as he thought about it, there wasn't much to their home town either.

"This is it," Dean said, breathing a sigh of relief that wasn't even entirely relief. Exhaustion? Temperament? Neverousness? Calm?

No, it couldn't be calmness, could it? Though their was an air of calm that washed over him whenever he thought about what Tree Hill represented to him. Home. Tree Hill had come to be a home to him over the few months that he'd spent there during the summer.

"I just can't picture you spending an entire summer here. A big city like L.A. or something? Yeah, sure. But this?" Sam shook his head.

"Guess I like the small town life," Dean said with a grunt as he slowly made his way down the main strip, mustering a smile as the same old shops came into view. His breath hitched as he passed Karen's Café, remembering the many meals that he'd had there.

"Still, Dean… it's a basketball town," Sam said as he read the banner that spanned overhead from one side of the street to the other.

"The Ravens are one of the best, I'll have you know." Sam's stupefied look prompted Dean to add, "Or so I've been told."

"It's like I don't even know you," Sam muttered as Dean pulled into the River Walk Inn.

---

"You and the manager seemed like old friends," Sam said, hanging on tight to the strap of his duffel as he lead Dean into their hotel room.

It was Mel, the River Walk Inn manager, who had helped Dean arrange the skating outing with Peyton back in June. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but it was a night he remembered well. That night they had shared their first kiss.

Over the years he hadn't dwelled on many of his first kisses. Mainly because they were meaningless, but the one he'd shared with Peyton was different. She was different.

"Yeah, we go way back," Dean muttered, trailing behind his brother into the room. Closing the door behind himself, Dean watched as Sam chucked his bag onto the double bed. He'd left his bag in the car, not sure on what his plans were. One thing was for sure. He had to go see Peyton. Tonight.

"You know, since you two are old buddies, you could've finagled us some singles. You're my brother and I love you, but we haven't slept together since you started reading Playboy and I'm not up to play the 'Is that your wet spot or mine?' game every morning."

Dean swung his keys around his finger, faking a smile as he told Sam, "Well as fun as that game sounds--only not--you'll more than likely be bunking here by yourself. Unless I can't get Peyton to talk to me then we'll figure something out."

Sam nodded his head as he dug into his duffel for a change of clothes. It wasn't like he hadn't expected Dean to scamper off in search of Peyton the second they arrived in Tree Hill. So much for him hoping that his brother would introduce him to his girlfriend. Or whatever the hell Peyton was to Dean.

Dean's eyes roamed around the room. It wasn't much different from the one he'd stayed in when he'd first come to Tree Hill. Though this one smelled faintly of rotten cheese. Perhaps it was a dead rat. Quickly dispelling that thought, Dean told Sam, "When I first came to Tree Hill I stayed here. Not this exact room, but… well, you know."

Making his way over toward the television set, Dean plucked off the channel listing guide, not surprised to find that the movie of the week was Dirty Dancing. It always seemed to be something with Travolta, Swayze or Keanu Reeves.

"And the next time…?"

Dean's head shot over at Sam. "What?"

"You said the first time," Sam pointed out. "That implies that you came and went numerous times. Where'd you stay the rest of the times?"

Making his way to the window, Dean peered out at the busy River Walk and the harbor beyond. Dusk had already fallen so the River Walk wasn't as nearly busy as it usually was in the daylight hours. Dean was pretty sure that the younger crowd had congregated to TRIC.

"After I left the first time and came back, I stayed at Luke's mostly." When Sam shrugged his shoulders citing that he had no idea who Luke was, Dean informed his brother, "He's a friend."

Sam questioned no further. When Dean wanted to tell him about the few months he'd spent in Tree Hill during the summer, he would. Dean was not an open book and pushing his brother for details would only aggravate and annoy his older brother.

One thing was for sure, Dean was an emotional mess, if the wringing of his hands and the constant glances at his watch were any indication. He had never seen Dean so strung out. Or so nervous. Dean was actually nervous to see this girl again. There was no doubt in his mind now that something bad had happened. Sam just wondered what it was and why his brother was hesitant to talk about this girl who apparently meant a great deal to him.

"You know, Dean, if you want to talk…"

"Ah, geez…," Dean muttered before he threw himself facedown onto the bed. The last thing Dean needed or wanted for that matter was for Sam to put the Psychology classes he'd taken at Stanford to use on him.

He didn't have a problem and he didn't want to be doctored. He was simply revisiting past wounds. Couldn't he do that in peace without being hounded every five minutes from his baby brother? "You know, Sam, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but…," Dean began as he rolled over onto his back. "… the last thing I want to do is talk about this."

"It might help you deal with seeing her again."

Dean crossed his arms as he leaned against the headboard, informing his misguided younger sibling, "Whether I talk about it or not, when I see her again it's gonna hurt like hell."

---

He'd had two hours to think about his course of action. He wouldn't have driven seven hours out of his way just to stalk her, that much was for certain. He just didn't know how he was going to approach her or what he was going to say to her.

Hell, he couldn't even be sure she would even talk to him.

When he'd called from Atlanta they'd had a conversation based on a hypothetical situation so he couldn't be positive that she wouldn't kick him to the curb. He'd certainly deserve it.

The summer before he had spent the better part of three months in Tree Hill, leaving only when a job arose. Perhaps, he had stuck around Tree Hill longer than he should have. After all, he wasn't supposed to get close to anyone.

That was the Winchester mission statement, wasn't it? No long term commitments. No relationships.

It was the Winchester credo. Relationships didn't factor into a life of demon hunting.

But for some reason he let down all of his defenses when it came to her.

Which was why he was sitting in his car in an empty parking lot at midnight waiting for her to leave work.

He had spent every day since he left Tree Hill thinking about her. He had called her several times, but only let the call last long enough to hear her voice. He just had to know that she was okay, even though there was never a doubt in his mind that she was. Lucas would make sure to that.

Dean knew he had no right to be jealous of her relationship with Lucas, but jealousy wasn't something easily controlled. He couldn't turn it on or off and for no reason except the obvious one, he was jealous of Lucas Scott.

Lucas and Peyton had had a bond like no other, a bond that he'd witnessed first hand on numerous occasions. So Peyton hadn't been honest with him from the get go about her previous relationships and lack thereof. So what? It wasn't like he'd been honest with her about his previous relationships.

Of course for him there was more lack thereof than there were relationships.

Still, he wondered if there was something more between her and Lucas. Peyton had assured him that she hadn't had feelings for Lucas in a long time. Lucas had even told him that there was nothing aside from friendship between him and Peyton, but it didn't keep Dean from wondering.

Dean watched as the last of TRIC's customers had existed the building. The group of girls climbed into the same little blue Volkswagen bug, leaving only Peyton's car in the parking lot. He waited until the car had vanished down the road before he made his move.

Pushing open his car door, he climbed out up and began making his way across the parking lot to the building.

Inside Peyton was wiping down the countertops as she hummed along to the music playing from a portable stereo that set atop the bar. When she heard the door open and close she didn't even lift her head from her task, simply saying, "We're closed. Come back tomorrow."

Dean watched Peyton for a few moments before he made his presence known. "Well, I'm glad that I didn't come here for a nightcap."

Peyton froze, her eyes closing upon hearing the familiar voice. She couldn't ignore the feelings of joy and excitement that shot through her or stop the smile that tugged at her lips.

She spun around, spatting, "Dean?" as her eyes locked on him. He was a sight for sore eyes, that was for sure. Throwing down the washcloth, Peyton exited the bar area to meet Dean where he stood out on the empty dance floor. Launching herself into his arms, she exclaimed, "I can't believe you're here! I mean when you called I never expected… I never expected this."

Her body was shaking with excitement and happiness accompanied with fear, nostalgia and a small twinge of anger. She had dreamt of this day for so long and despite how overwhelming the feeling to kiss him was, the urge to knee him in the groin was stronger.

"So, I guess saying 'Surprise' is pretty futile at this juncture, then?" he joked awkwardly as he held her in his arms. He relished the feeling of having Peyton back in her arms, knowing that it was only a matter of time before her excitement turned to anger.

Slowly Peyton let her arms fall to her side as she muttered, "I've been worried about you, you know." She had witnessed firsthand just how dangerous his job was so maybe worried wasn't the appropriate word to use for what she had been the last few months.

Terrified. Yes, terrified seemed more fitting.

She'd been terrified that she'd turn on the news or open up the newspaper one day to find that Dean had died under mysterious circumstances.

"I'm sorry." He knew the apology was moot, but he felt that he had to make it.

When she moved out of his arms, her excitement dissipated while Dean's somberness returned. "You never called," Peyton murmured, locking eyes with Dean. She was glad to see the sadness lurking in his green eyes.

Well, not glad. More like relieved. At least he felt bad. He should.

Dean let out a deep sigh, saying, "I never knew what to say." And it was true. He hadn't known what to say.

"No, your letter pretty much said everything that you couldn't," she snipped, grateful that he focused his attention elsewhere. She didn't know what she would've said had he looked at her with those big, vulnerable eyes of his. "I mean, was it too much to ask that you just call to say that you were alive?" she asked as she turned her back on him to stalk back towards the bar.

"Come on, Peyton, don't be that way," Dean begged, following her to the bar. It was weird to be back inside TRIC and not have a stupid hot pink band on his wrist. He wondered if they'd for some reason changed the color.

"What way?" she snapped, spinning around to trap him in a hazel-heated gaze. "You made me care about you and then you just up and left Dean! You knew what that would do to me."

"I'm sorry. I had to go. I had to…," he trailed off when Peyton cut him off.

"I know, I know," she said sarcastically, interrupting him. "You have an obligation to your family. Yeah, I know. You've told me. Well, you know what? I understand and it's fine. I'm flattered that you stopped by and I'm glad that you're okay. It was nice to see you again," she said offhandedly, turning back around to fight the flood of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She had spent way too many nights crying and she refused to do so in front of him. She would be stronger than that. She would. She had to be.

"You're ordering me away?"

"It isn't like you'll stay for long anyway."

"Peyton…," Dean whispered, watching Peyton's movements carefully. She leaned against the bar, breathing heavily, doing everything in her power not to meet his gaze. However, when her eyes met his for a second he could see how much she was hurting. How much he had hurt her.

"I put up with it the last time, Dean because I had no choice. I needed someone to fill that void in my heart and you did… for a little while at least. But one night with you isn't enough. Especially not after all the months we've spent apart."

He moved to meet her behind the bar. Grabbing her arms, he turned her so that they were face to face. "I'm here for a little while, Peyton. A few days… possibly a few weeks. It's what I can give you--now. We both knew that when we met that this wasn't going to be some big whirlwind romance. Not that I wouldn't like it to be," he said reaching out to touch her cheek.

He took a breath, watching as her eyes softened, then saddened. He brushed his lips against her forehead before his head touched hers to whisper, "I knew that when I came back it'd have to be longer than one night. That's why I'm only coming back now. I've left a lot of people behind over the years but leaving you is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

With a slight shake of her head, Peyton's eyes met his again her voice thick with emotion as she asked, "Then, why come back at all? Why torture us both when all you're going to do is leave again?"

Dean offered Peyton a faint smile, confessing, "Because having you even for a little while is better than not having you at all."