Summary: Dean and Sam return to Bobby's after the almost-Apocalypse, their return causing a certain hunter's daughter some painful memories. Can she and Dean become what they had been during that summer nine years ago? Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters. I only own Imogen Singer.

-Four-

Present Day

"Hey," Dean said softly as Imogen opened her eyes weakly, taking her hand and stroking it soothingly, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Dean..." She said softly, "Thanks for being here."

"That's okay." Dean replied, "I'd always come for you, you know that."

She nodded and closed her eyes again, sighing sleepily.

"Mmm..." She murmured, grimacing a little in pain, "Love you, Dean..."

Dean's heart stopped beating for a moment and all the air left the room as he gazed at her. She'd fallen back to sleep and maybe not even known what she'd just said. He kissed her temple gently, a tear escaping his eyes as he let her hand go, looking to Castiel who had heard the confession.

"Tell her I'll be back soon, okay?" He said, the angel nodding in response, "Promise her I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Castiel asked, Dean sighing and wiping his eyes which were quickly filling with tears.

"I need some air..."

Outside, Dean pressed himself against the hospital wall, putting his hands to his hair and sighing as a tear slid down his cheek. She'd just said she loved him, after all he'd done to her. He'd led her to throw herself under that car; he'd got her on those meds for the past seven years and he'd hurt her so much he didn't know if she'd ever be okay again.

Bobby laughed as he watched the couple head down the street hand in hand, closing the door and shaking his head.

"You want a milkshake?" Dean asked, Imogen beaming at him and biting her lip before nodding.

"Yes please."

"What flavour, baby?"

"Strawberry would be great!"

Dean stopped and leaned down, kissing Imogen passionately and opening the car door for her.

"Thank you, Dean," She smiled, "Ever the gentleman."

Dean winked and closed the door as she put her seat-belt on, climbing into the driver's side and starting that gorgeous Impala, the engine purring and rumbling as it should, sounding sweeter than ever.

"Beautiful..." He breathed, grinning and leaning over to kiss Imogen who giggled sweetly and blushed as he did.

They set off towards town, talking about music, movies...hunting...anything and everything really. Even the thing they were bracing Imogen for. Sex.

"So..." He began, "You enjoy it in the car last week?"

"Yeah..." Imogen replied shyly, "It was amazing."

They stopped at a stop-light and Dean smiled when she quickly leaned over and kissed his lips, the look in her eyes telling Dean that her feelings were growing somewhat deeper for him, and for the time being, Dean didn't mind. He loved spending time with her and she was the cutest little thing he'd ever laid his eyes on. She was sweet, funny, kind, loving and goddamn gorgeous, and Dean found himself feeling deeper things for her by the day. It began to scare him.

"I promise, he's coming back..." Castiel said softly, trying to soothe Imogen as she shed tears in her hospital bed, "I promise, Imogen."

"No...no, he's gone..." Imogen breathed, "Gone and l-left me..."

"Shhh," Castiel whispered, not knowing what else to do, "Shhh, he's just gone outside for a little air, that's all."

"No..." Imogen replied, shaking her head and turning it into the pillows, "He's gone, Cas. Just...just leave me be...please..."

Castiel bit his lip. He didn't want to leave her in this state and Dean was coming back. He'd promised that he was coming back.

"Bobby..." Castiel said, the older hunter entering the room, "Just keep watch..."

"Why?" Bobby asked, "Is everything alright?"

"I need to find Dean. Right now."

The angel made his way down the hospital corridor, Bobby sitting by his baby girl and stroking her bruised head soothingly.

"Imogen?"

"Daddy?"

Pressing a kiss to her hand, Bobby sighed and he watched as tears fell down his child's face. All of this pain and suffering had been caused by Dean Winchester, and Bobby didn't know how much more screwed up his daughter was.

"I still love him, y'know." She breathed, leaning into her father as he touched her forehead, "I still love him, Papa..."

"I know." Bobby whispered, "And I'm so sorry you do..."

"I'm not..." Imogen replied, "I love him...and...I think he still loves me..."

"Imogen, don't do this to yourself again," Bobby told her, "I don't want you to get hurt again, sweetheart."

"Dad...Dad, I think he's changed." Imogen whimpered, "I hope Cas finds him...I want us to be together again..."

"Imogen..."

"Please, Papa..." Imogen breathed, "Give us your blessing...or something..."

Imogen sighed as she drank her milkshake, Dean holding her hand in his own and kissing her cheek as a tear fell down it. They'd gotten onto the subject of her mother, a very sensitive subject, which clearly Imogen was still pretty torn up about.

"Baby?" He asked, "Y'alright?"

Imogen nodded, grimacing before shaking her head in contradiction, leaning on Dean and burying her face in his neck. Dean wrapped his arm around her, her right hand still in his left as he held her close, pressing kisses to her temple as he tried to reassure her.

"Hey, it's okay..." Dean soothed, "It's okay to be upset..."

"M'sorry." The eighteen year old breathed, "Sorry..."

"Shhh..." Dean whispered, "Don't be sorry, sweetheart. It's okay..."

Dean held her close, the pair finishing their drinks and heading for the car. They parked in that cluster of trees behind Bobby's house and lay in the backseat again, kissing and holding each other as Dean comforted her in the best way he could. They ended up laying on the hood of the car, Dean giving Imogen her first beer which he kept in the trunk of the car. She'd gotten drunk and Dean had been forced to make her sleep in the back of the car for three hours before taking her home, Bobby unimpressed by how late back they were.

"She still loves you, Dean."

"Damnit, Cas! I know! But...but I'm not worthy of her love, okay? Not after everything I did to her!"

Castiel punched Dean in the face, luckily not causing any bruising or bleeding before dragging him inside, Dean unable to protest as the angel led him into an elevator.

"You go and tell her you love still love her." Castiel ordered, "There is still a chance for her to learn to trust you again, for the pair of you to be together as you always should've been."

"Well, Castiel..." Dean breathed with a smirk, "Didn't know you were such a romantic."

"I'm not but strangely I feel for the pair of you and you need to stop the guilt trip and try and make things right with that poor girl who is now lying in a hospital bed." Castiel said, "She is crying for you. She thinks you've abandoned her again."

"Jesus..." Dean breathed, the elevator doors opening before Dean marched out of them, straight to Imogen's room only to be met by Bobby.

He stopped, staring at the man he considered a father who tearfully put a hand on his shoulder.

"You ever hurt her again and so help me, boy...I'll drag you to Hell myself."

Dean understood that this was Bobby's way of telling him to be with his daughter and the older Winchester swallowed thickly, nodding and patting Bobby's shoulder before entering the room, sitting by Imogen's side and taking her hand.

"Baby...look at me..." Dean whispered, "Open your eyes..."

"Dean?"

"I love you." Dean told her, "Imogen Singer, I love you more than anything on this goddamn earth, okay...? And I promise I'm gonna take care of you, and I'm gonna love you for the rest of our lives..."

"I love you too, Dean Winchester..." Imogen replied, opening her tearful brown eyes to meet his tearful green ones before Dean leaned down so slowly.

The pair watched one another's eyes and lips, which finally met in a tender, loving kiss. Both of them shed tears into the kiss and smiled weakly into it, breaking it and pressing their foreheads together.

"M'sorry for being so selfish, Imogen..." Dean breathed, "I left you because I was scared...I was scared about how much I was in love with you and..."

"Shhh..." Imogen soothed, "Shhh, it's okay...it's okay, baby..."

The lovers shared another deep and passionate kiss, embracing gently which even then elicited groans of pain from Imogen. Dean knew he had a lot of trust to gain, and he knew he had to do everything in his power to show her how much he truly loved her. If he got labelled as a big girl, that didn't bother him. He didn't care if he had to let that macho libido go. It was about proving his true love for Imogen now, and even though he had a lot of work to do, he'd do everything in his power to get her to trust him again.

He had to.

-TBC-

Okay, there will be flashbacks leading up until when Imogen finds out Dean left her, and the parts of the story set in the present will be focussing on Dean's efforts for Imogen and how their relationship grows into a loving and trusting one.

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

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