Be True to Your Heart

Chapter One

The bar was becoming old hat for Dean lately. The alcohol wasn't working to drown out the dull ache that seemed to never leave his chest nowadays, so on this particularly chilly November night he decided a burger and fries were better company than bourbon. That was how he ended up in the diner a few miles down the road from the bunker. It had started to rain pretty steadily and he was lingering longer than necessary in hopes that it would end before he had to venture back out but here he was an hour later and it was showing no signs of easing up. He ordered another cup of coffee and a slice of pie, deciding to give it another ten minutes. He had pulled his phone out a half dozen times, finger poised over Cas' name in his contact list, wanting so badly to call him, to hear his voice, but decided against it every time. He was just shoving it back in his pocket for the hundredth time when he heard the little bell above the door jingle signaling a new customer had arrived. He looked up to see a sad sight indeed. There stood a woman, her coat still held above her head in a vain attempt to keep from getting soaked, hair plastered to her head and mascara dripping. The waitress that had served him approached the woman and they spoke briefly, but whatever words were exchanged, they upset the woman and she stomped her foot in frustration. Dean didn't know why but it bothered him to see her like that. The waitress said something else that sounded like an apology but was hard to hear from where he sat. He took a bite of his pie and watched as the waitress walked away. The woman lowered her coat, which he had noticed was a tan trench coat, her shoulders slumped. She shuddered and he realized she was crying. Immediately he got up and went to her. "Hey, I'm not trying to be weird or anything, but it looks like you just took a long walk in this crummy weather. Did your car break down or something?" She looked up, apparently surprised to see a perfect stranger standing before her. She wiped at her eyes which only made the mascara smear across her cheek. "Uh, yes actually. I don't known what happened. It just stopped. My cell died so I couldn't call for a tow, and I was halfway here before I realized I left my purse in the car, so I can't even get a motel room or anything to eat...." Her eyes, a beautiful and familiar shade of blue that made that ache in his chest thrum deeply, welled up with fresh tears. "Hey, it's ok. I can take you back to your car if you want, so you can get your purse. In the meantime why don't you let me get you something to eat? And a hot cup of coffee to warm you up." He smiled, hoping she didn't think he was some kind of freak. "Hey, if you don't trust me Susan, the waitress you were talking to will vouch for me. I'm a regular, I live only a few miles down the road." She smiled tentatively. "Ok, coffee will be nice. I'll pay you back though!" He nodded and led her to the booth where his own coffee and pie were still waiting. He slid back into his seat and she sat down across from him. "I'm Dean, by the way." "Cassandra." She laid her coat on the seat next to her and attempted to smooth her blonde hair back. "Nice to meet you Cassandra. What brings you to Lebanon?" He flagged Susan over. "Get her whatever she wants." He told her. The waitress smiled and nodded, turning her attention to Cassandra. "Oh, coffee, please. And maybe I'll try a piece of whatever he's having?" Susan jotted the order down and left to get it. "Bathroom is that way if you need it." He motioned to the other end of the diner. "Do I look that bad?" She asked worriedly. He shrugged. "You look like you walked miles in the pouring rain." Her eyes went wide. "Yeah, maybe I better freshen up." She slid from the booth and he watched her walk to the bathroom. It was almost ten minutes before she returned and he was genuinely surprised when she slid back into her seat. She was beautiful without streaks of black mascara making her look like she belonged in the cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Her coffee and pie were already waiting on the table for her and she added sugar and creamer to her cup before taking a sip. "Are you from Kansas?" She asked as she used her fork to break off a piece of the pie. "Technically, yes, but I've lived all over. I only recently came home to stay. My brother and I both did." He replied. He had finished his pie while she was in the bathroom and had gotten a refill on his coffee. He took a sip and looked out at the falling rain. "What about you?" He asked. "I was born in Kansas City, but I live in Topeka now." She ate the pie faster than expected, but it was good. "Are you still hungry? Get something else. Don't worry about the money, you don't really have to pay me back, and I don't expect anything of you. I just believe in helping people out when they're in need." He smiled and she decided that as tough as this guy in the denim jacket seemed, he wasn't a monster. She smiled back. "Alright, I am pretty hungry, but I'm going to pay you back!" His smile widened and he waved to Susan again.