A new fic... enjoy

Chapter 1 Dreams of a Past

Leanna felt Dean wrap his arms around her. She brushed a stray tear from her eye, before removing his hands from where they had settled, so comfortable at her waist. She instantly regretted it, wanted to press rewind and just stay there in his arms, comfortable, safe.

"We can't do this Dean," she sniffed.

He lowered his gaze to look directly in her eyes. "Leanna, I love you."

Leanna felt her throat constrict, more tears threatening to spill over down her face. Again, she brushed them away. Her eyes found their way back to his. "I know."

"So why can't we make this work?" he asked, taking her small, dainty hands in his own, large excuses for hands. It felt right, him holding her hands. They fit.

Leanna pulled her hands away, causing a flicker of hurt to pass over Dean's face. She lifted one hand to caress the side of his face, a look of regret in her eyes. "We shouldn't have to make it work. It just should." The tears were falling freely now, but she didn't care, she just had to go before she made a mistake. She couldn't still keep him, as much as she loved him. James needed her more, even if the only reason she was doing it was guilt.

"It does," he whispered. "You can't just go and say we don't work."

Leanna tried to reply, but only her sobs were heard. Closing her eyes to blink the tears away, she took a deep breath. "It does work," she said, her voice shaky. "But it's not right. James needs me."

Dean held her hands again, tighter, not ever wanting to let go. "It wasn't your fault," he told her firmly. "Yes, you were in the car, but you weren't driving, he was."

She shook her head firmly. "You weren't there," Leanna said, not accusing him, just simply stating a fact. She paused, thinking. "And I didn't want you to be."

Dean thought carefully. He didn't want to upset her anymore, but he wasn't going to give her up to the guy that had almost killed himself, her, as well as everyone else in that car. He voiced his thoughts. "I'm not willing to just give you up Lea!"

She tried a small smile, a smile he could tell was one not of happiness or amusement, but a smile of regret. He knew he couldn't do anything from here on. "Dean, do you love me?"

Dean nodded. "More than you can imagine."

She smiled again, though this time it was out of amusement. "Do you want what's best for me?"

Again, Dean nodded. "But−"

Leanna placed a finger on his lips. "Shhh. Let me finish."

He just looked at her, his eyes telling her to continue.

"If you want what's best for me, please don't try and figure it out for me. Let me figure it out on my own."

Dean sighed. She'd won. He'd lose her, maybe forever. "Lea, I will always love you," he told her, raw emotion cracking his voice.

She placed a kiss on his cheek. "I know."

"Then why..."

He was cut off by Leanna, who had covered his lips with her own. Then as suddenly as it had happened, the kiss ended, the only evidence left, the tingling that Dean felt coursing through his body. He looked into her eyes, red from tears.

Leanna turned away, trying to hide them, his gaze boring through her soul. "I... I have to go."

"Leanna..." Dean took her by the arm, just his touch enough to send shivers up her spine. But she couldn't give in to her heart. Her mind always came first, and now she felt the obligation to be with James, no matter what her heart told her otherwise. She shook off his grip and walked back inside the hospital.

"Hey you!" James said, attempting to be cheerful. It wasn't as if he really had anything to be cheerful about. He was paralysed. It could be worse, he told himself.

Leanna took a seat next to his bed, but not before placing a kiss on his forehead. It felt wrong, after kissing Dean had been perfect.

James noticed her red-rimmed eyes. He turned his head to look at her. "What happened?" he asked, sensing her already knew the answer. They weren't best friends for nothing. Maybe now even more than that, dare he hope.

"Dean," was all she could manage.

James tried to smile for her, if that was his only way to offer her any comfort. "I told you you deserved better."

Anger flared in her eyes. "Don't talk about him like that James!" she said furiously.

Regret swept over his face. He loved her; he hadn't meant to make her angry. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the topic of their discussion standing in the doorway.

Dean gave James a courteous nod, reverting his attention to Leanna. God, she was beautiful. Not like Arieal, who wore so much make-up she looked like a clown, but like a natural beauty. "Hey mate," he said to James, his eyes not moving from where they had settled on her. "Can I come in?"

James saw the way that he was looking at Leanna. "I don't think she wants to talk to you right now."

Dean gave him a pleading look.

"Dean, just go away." Leanna had lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"Lea, please..." He left his request hanging.

Regret filled Leanna's heart. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to do this; be with one guy, but love another. It didn't make any sense to her, yet she was doing it anyway.

"Dean. No. Just go."

Dean nodded his head, a grim look set in his face. "Fine..." He strode out of the room, not stopping to look back.

Leanna woke up, tears in her eyes. A dream, she thought. Just a dream. But it wasn't 'just' a dream, it happened, five years ago.

She looked down at her side, a smile on her face. James. They had married two years ago, and he had regained the use of his legs. They were leading a pretty normal "young married couple" life: struggling to pay the rent, working long hours, only seeing each other at nights, and even then, James sometimes just got himself a hotel next to his office.

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. "Morning," she murmured.

"Hey," James said, his eyes on half open.

"Come on," she urged, taking his arms and trying to haul him out of the bed. "It's your parents' 20th Anniversary thing today. We have to go help Chad and Emma." Chad was James' younger brother, who was getting married to Emma in five weeks.

James groaned. "Argh. It's only their 20th!"

She rolled her eyes. "They managed to get out of bed for our special day," she argued.

"Alright, alright," he pouted, fake annoyance in his voice.

Leanna gave him a loving smile. Things were going well for them. She had been a bit hesitant when she had said yes, but life with James wasn't all that bad. No, it was perfect.