Thanks to islashlove for the title. Enjoy!

As Dean Winchester watched the girl across from him laugh, he felt his lips curl up in a soft smile.

Cassie Robinson. The first girl in his life that Dean had truly loved. She was gorgeous, funny, smart, and out of his league. But somehow, she was interested in him and Dean was infatuated with her. He would never admit it but it was true. Once or twice Dean had even considered proposing but had ultimately decided that it would be too soon. They had been only dating for a few weeks and Cassie was still in college.

Eyes traveling away from Cassie, Dean scanned the tiny diner and the parking lot he could see from his spot next to the window. Dean stiffened as he saw a familiar face in the parking lot. His father.

There was no way Dean could pretend that he hadn't seen his father because John had already taken note of his son and the girl sitting across from him. He raised an eyebrow and turned away but Dean knew it couldn't be that easy. His father would confront him about Cassie at some point.

Dean's attention was directed back to his girlfriend as her smaller hands grabbed his.

"Dean?" she asked, concern covering her face. "Did you hear me?"

Dean shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "I got distracted. What did you say?"

Cassie sighed but repeated herself. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight."

Normally Dean would have an immediate yes but with his father back in town, there was something he had to take care of first.

"I wish I could but my dad's in town for a bit and he wants to see me tonight," he told Cassie.

"Well, why don't I come with?" Cassie said. "I haven't met your family yet."

"No!" Dean's response was immediate and Cassie's eyes widened at the force behind the answer. "No, that's probably not the best idea. My family isn't exactly the meeting type."

Cassie busied herself with her purse, trying not to show how Dean's rejection had stung. "Fine," she said in clipped tones. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch."

As Cassie slid out of the booth, Dean's hand on her arm stopped her. Cassie found herself looking into green apologetic eyes.

"It's not that I don't want you to meet him," Dean said. "It has nothing to do with you. It's just…. my father isn't exactly the best person in the world. Not even close."

Cassie hated it when Dean looked apologetic. His green eyes always seemed to ensure that she would forgive him. She smiled softly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and stood up. "You better not be late."

"Never," Dean replied as she walked away.

As Dean entered the small motel room, he braced himself for however his father was going to react. Inside the room, John was sitting at the desk the motel provided, opening a bottle full of amber liquid.

"Dean, you've gone insane," John stated as he poured himself a tumbler of whiskey. Dean just rolled his green eyes. At least once a week, his father believed that. At least his father wasn't angry to the point of yelling.

"You can't possibly think that dating this girl is a good idea," John continued. "It's just going to end badly."

"I thought you'd be happy for me," Dean said quietly. "To find someone that I loved."

"She's just another person to be used against you," John warned. "We can't have relationships in this type of life. It's too dangerous."

"What if I don't want this type of life anymore?" Dean asked. "What if I want to marry her and have a family?"

John laughed scornfully at the idea.

"We're hunters, Dean. We don't leave this life. We're hunters until we die. You don't just up and quit."

"But—" Dean began but his father cut him off.

"Girls like her don't end with guys like you," John told his son. Dean's eyes flashed angrily at that statement and he slammed his hands down on the table. His father looked surprised by his reaction.

"How do you know?" Dean demanded. "How do you know that I don't have a chance with her? That I don't have a chance to have a normal, happy life?" John opened his mouth to speak but Dean didn't let him. "How do you know?" he roared. "Because it's never happened before? Can't I at least try and make it happen?"

"You'd be wasting your time," John advised. Dean glared at his father, silently warning him to shut up but John continued to speak. "The best thing you would be able to do is leave her and never look back."

"And what if I don't want to do that?" Dean questioned. John's eyes widened as he realized what his son was thinking and he laughed cruelly.

"You think she's the one, don't you?" he asked his son.

"And if she is?" Dean shot back. "What are you going to do about it?"

"How do you think she'll handle it?" John asked.

"Handle what?" Dean asked, thrown off by the sudden question.

"Handle the fact that you're a hunter. Have you told her yet?" At Dean's blank expression, John chuckled. "You haven't, have you? Why? Too scared that she'll turn tail and run?"

"She won't," Dean insisted. "Cassie's not like that."

"If you're so positive that she's the one, tell her about hunting," John dared his son. "Tell her that you've killed creatures and hunted ghosts. I'd like to see how love-struck she is after she knows about that side of your life. See how fast she goes running."

"She won't run," Dean said firmly. John raised an eyebrow and took a drink of his whiskey.

"Sure she won't," he muttered as Dean stormed out the door.

Dean paced up and down the motel for hours that night. He was determined to prove his father wrong, that Cassie wouldn't be afraid of him once she knew about the big family secret, but the more he thought about actually telling her, the less sure he became.

How did he know that Cassie would even believe him? His line of work wasn't the most common; he would be the first to admit that. Would she just think that he was crazy? Dean had no clue if Cassie even believed in ghosts or demons or anything of the sort.

John was asleep when Dean slipped back into the room. Dean lay awake in the cheap motel bed, pondering how he would break the news to Cassie. There was no easy way to do so but Dean didn't have a lot of time. He was meeting Cassie for lunch and then over the weekend John wanted Dean to come with him on a new hunt. Their current hunt in Ohio was over with and apparently his father was ready to move on.

Dean wasn't sure that he felt the same. Not until he talked with Cassie at least one more time.

"Dean, you look exhausted," Cassie said as Dean approached her at the park where they had decided to meet up. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not really," Dean admitted.

"Was it your dad?" Cassie asked in concern.

"Not really," Dean said. "He just brought up some things that got me thinking."

"Okay…" Cassie said hesitantly. Dean grimaced as he knew what he had to do. He gestured for Cassie to sit down on a nearby bench.

"There are some things I need to tell you," he said. Cassie looked nervous and Dean couldn't blame her. He knew that he was acting odd.

"I think you're a wonderful woman," he began. Cassie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms but couldn't help but smile. "And you've been honest with me since day one."

"But?" Cassie asked. Dean shifted nervously.

"I haven't been completely honest with you," he confessed. "There are some things about me that you don't know."

"Like how you always seem to disappear for days at a time? And usually show up again injured or exhausted?" Cassie asked. "Dean, I already knew that you weren't telling me everything. I never expected you to."

Dean gave her an exasperated look.

"Can you let me get this out?" he asked. "And not say anything until I'm done?"

Not waiting for an answer, Dean plowed forward with the speech he had prepared.

"I'm not a salesman," he said. "I don't go door to door selling things for a living. I'm what's called a hunter." Cassie raised an eyebrow and looked skeptical. "I hunt ghosts and demons for a living. I have ever since I was a kid. All those days I disappeared? I was on a hunt with my dad. The times I came back injured? The demons and monsters I hunt don't exactly go down without a fight."

Cassie looked amused but her amusement quickly turned to horror once she realized Dean was being completely serious.

"You're crazy," she said. "You're absolutely crazy. Do you expect me to believe this whacked out story you've come up with?"

"It's not a story," Dean said. "It's my life."

"No, Dean," Cassie said, shaking her head. "It's not your life. It's insanity."

"I thought you deserved to know the truth," Dean said.

"The truth?" Cassie asked angrily. "The truth? If you're—" she cut herself off.

"If I'm what?" Dean asked, curious as to what she was thinking.

"Nothing, Dean," Cassie said firmly. "It's over. I think you should leave now."

Dean's eyes widened.

"Wait, Cassie—" he began but the college student just shook her head.

"No, Dean," she said. "You wanted to break up with me but instead of just doing it outright, you came up with some crazy story. So I'm doing it for you."

"Cassie—"

"Don't, Dean." Cassie said firmly as she stood up. Quickly she began to walk away while Dean could only stare helplessly after her, positive that he had just ruined the best thing in his life.

A few hours later as Dean threw his bag in the Impala, John had a knowing look on his face.

"How'd she take it?" he asked smugly, knowing there was only one reaction the girl could have had. Dean glared in his father's direction as he got into the Impala.

"Just get in your truck and drive, old man," he ordered. "I'm not in the mood."