Okay, don't be nervous. There's absolutely no reason for you to freak out now. You're just going on a date... an actual date... with Dean Winchester... Son of bitch, what am I supposed to do?! And what the hell am I thinking wearing this?!

Allegra hurriedly slipped out of the tight-fitting red dress and threw it back in her closet. That dress was way too hot for a first date. Oh, but wait, maybe that's what she had to wear? Something sexy to keep the guy interested. She groaned and smacked herself.

You don't need to keep Dean interested; you already have him interested! Dammit, why is this so hard?

Her hand raked through the dresses again. She gave an exasperated sigh. Things were so much easier when out on the road. No closet meant a minimum of stuff, so she just had to wear this or that and final. But since moving back into her childhood home, Allegra was forced to expand her outfits a little. Mrs. Robinson took her shopping a couple of times. So had her childhood friend, Lorelai (she was the culprit for the red dress), and she might've gone a little overboard with things.

No... No... No... N-Huh... Where have you been hiding?

Allegra pulled out a deep purple long-sleeved A-line dress with a black waistline belt. It showed just enough shoulder, and the cleavage was accentuated with a sweetheart neckline. It would go perfectly with her green leather jacket.

Maybe with the gold chain and my hair pulled back a little with the gold clip... Looks like we have a winner. 

She sighed in relief and set to work. While she fixed her hair and make-up, she wondered if Dean was feeling nervous too. He probably wasn't freaking out about his outfit like she was. Hell, Dean was probably just going to wear jeans and a flannel shirt like he always did and still be the hottest guy in the room.
Allegra looked at herself in the mirror, scrunching her nose at her reflection. Not exactly what she had pictured but considering the last date she'd been on had been with Eric when she was 18, it was more than okay. She turned to Trixie, who was lying on the big double bed she moved down from the attic to the guest room the first week she got home (and thank God she had, 'cause there was no way she could have made it all the way up with Dean last night).

"What do you think?"

The dog barked and wagged her tail, and Allegra smiled at her approval. She took a deep breath and went up to the attic where Dean was getting ready. But to her surprise, the attic was empty. She went downstairs and walked through the living and dining room to the kitchen to peer out the window to see if he was in the backyard, but there was no one apart from a few birds.

That's strange. Where could he have gone?

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Allegra raised her brow and walked back through the house. She opened the door and was surprised to find Dean there. Did he actually go out to make this a proper date where the guy picked up the girl? When Allegra appeared on the threshold, his smile wavered, and he just stared at her with wide-open eyes.

"Too much?" asked Allegra. "It's too much, isn't it? Dammit, I knew it. I'll go change, just give me..."

Her words were cut short when Dean grabbed hold of her face and kissed her. Allegra was stunned at the sudden action of her boyfriend (still a little weird) and closed her fingers around his wrists. But as she registered what was happening, she didn't pry his hands off. She made sure they stayed exactly where they were until Dean lifted his mouth off of hers.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Allegra felt her cheeks turn red.

"You're not looking so bad yourself, Winchester."

Against all expectations, Dean wasn't wearing his usual attire, but black jeans that were really bringing out his ass, a neat white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the top buttons left open. And to complete the look, and probably what stunned Allegra most, a dark grey vest that did more than just accentuate his upper body. Where the hell had he been hiding that thing?

"I wanted to make an effort." Dean smiled at the compliment. "Little wardrobe upgrade."

"Mission accomplished."

He leaned in for another kiss. But what started out sweet quickly became more intense. Dean pushed Allegra back against the doorpost, pressing his body close (maybe a little too close) to hers. She tried to nudge him away.

"Dean, I-I think we should maybe...a

But Dean didn't let her finish that sentence. Taking advantage of the fact that her lips had parted to speak, he slipped his tongue between them. Allegra whimpered softly, but she knew there was no point resisting him any further. God, did she want him.
Dean let go of Allegra's face while she ran her fingers through his hair and began to move his hands down her body. She shivered at his touch. When he got to her hips, Allegra feared for a split second that he might be too overcome in his desire and try to gather up the skirt, but Dean's hands instead moved to the small of her back. Then, their lips parted. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder, trying to catch his breath. 

"I... I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to... God, I'm screwing things up again, aren't I?"

Allegra kissed his brow, and he looked up. She saw that curious golden glistening in his eyes again. 

"You're not screwing anything up," she said. "How about this; we go on our date, and when we get back, we'll see where the night takes us. One step at a time."

Dean beamed at her. They gave each other another kiss, not giving in to the urge they were both feeling, and after making sure they were still presentable, Allegra closed the door behind her. She hooked her arm with Dean's so they could walk off the porch together.

"So euhm... where did you go, if you don't mind me asking?"

Dean pointed to a dark blue Chevy parked at the fence.

"It's not Baby, but it'll do for now. I called Mrs. Robinson to ask if she knew a good car dealer near, and she insisted I take her late husband's car. Which reminds me, how the hell did you not get it before I did? She said she offered it to you, and you refused."

"I don't have a driver's license."

"Wait, you don't know how to drive?!"

"I didn't say that. I said I don't have a license. Seeing how I can just zap from place to place, it seemed kinda useless to get one. Or a car, for that matter."

"Huh, guess that's true. You might have some competition, by the way; Mrs. Robinson got pretty excited to see me when I went over there to pick up the car."

"Oh well, I know I'll lose you to a better woman."

Allegra grinned at Dean's startled expression and nudged him lovingly. This was going to be a fun night.

***

They got to the bar Allegra's friend owned about 15 minutes later. From the outside, it looked like any ordinary bar, just like so many Dean had been to. But The Wonderland Bar was anything but ordinary. As the name would suggest, the bar's interior decorations were entirely inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Every section of the bar was a different part of the story; falling down the white rabbit's hole, the caterpillar on the mushrooms, the unbirthday tea party, and the cricket game of the Queen of Hearts. The waitresses wore dressed blue dresses with white aprons, and the bartenders dressed in waistcoats and green top hats.
There was a dance hall in the back, a karaoke stage, and a DJ set, too. The bar, carved in fine mahogany, was set up in the middle of the room. Every barstool was different, and every glass, cup, and bottle behind the bar was as well. And coming from behind said bar, in a red and black outfit stamped with golden hearts and black curly hair pinned up with a little crown, was the owner of The Wonderland Bar - Lorelai Graham.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" She waved wildly at Allegra and Dean and went straight for them, nearly pushing aside another couple in her excitement. "Is this him?! Is this Dean?!"

Her arms were around Dean's neck before he had time to register what was happening.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Lorelai, but you can call me Lor; everyone does."

"It's nice to meet you too." Dean smiled back at her as soon as she released him. "Quite the place you got here, Lor. I haven't been to anything like this before."

"And you never will, I can guarantee that. I have your usual table free, Allegra. You guys go on ahead, and I'll be right over."

She skipped away, her long skirts waving about her. Dean turned to Allegra and saw she was barely holding it together.

"Something funny, Galen?"

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you about Lorelai. She can be a little..."

"Extreme?"

"Excentric. But she's nice. She was my first and only friend when my da... Gabriel finally let me go to school."

Allegra led Dean to a little table near the mural of the unbirthday party. 

"I was homeschooled until I was 12 years old," she continued as they sat down. "Each year, I would beg to go to school so that I could be with other kids and make friends, but Gabriel always said no. Then, a few days after my 12th birthday, he said I could go. I was so happy. Now I know he was only letting me have that one year because I would never have another."

She pressed her lips together. Dean reached for Allegra's hand to stroke her skin with his thumb. Her eyes peered up at him through her lashes. 

"How about we don't talk about him tonight?" he suggested. "Any family members. Real or pretend."

Allegra smiled and nodded. They waited until Lorelai came with their drinks (she correctly guessed Dean liked beer and served him a pint of Wonderland's home-brewed, graciously provided by her husband, while Allegra got a glass of red wine) and a couple of plates with the most curious and downright delicious finger food. They engaged in some small talk while they ate until Allegra surprised Dean with a request.

"Okay, so there's something I wanna do here, and I was kinda hoping you would go along with me. We've known each other for years now, but we don't really know each other. So, ten personal questions each, and we have to answer truthfully."

Had it been any other woman asking this, Dean wouldn't have gone through with it. He didn't like getting personal. But with Allegra... He wanted to share absolutely everything with her.

"Okay," he said. "All fair?"

"Sure, but let's start with simple stuff to ease into it. You go first."

"All right, euhm... What is your favorite scary movie?"

"Child's Play and The Black Cauldron. Trust me on that last one. Okay, let's see... Have you ever read a book that you actually liked? And I do mean actual fiction, over 100 pages."

"I'm not that much of a reader, but I did read The Sirens of Titan a few times."

"Vonnegut? Really?" Allegra raised her brow, pleasantly surprised. "Huh, I'm impressed, Dean."

"Thanks." He smirked. "My turn."

They went back and forth for a while, talking about their favorite this and hating that, learning more about each other, before Dean decided to dig a little deeper.

"So... was I the first? I mean, after... Was I the first guy you fell for?"

Allegra's cheeks reddened, and she nodded shyly. His heart surged with joy.

"Well, if we're going down that road..."  She cleared her throat and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You know I've had feelings for you for a long time since Veritas forced me to confess, but you never told me when you started to feel differently towards me. And don't tell me it was when you first kissed me, 'cause I'm not buying that. It can't be that cliché with Dean Winchester."

Dean looked into her gold-speckled eyes and thought about his answer. 

"Honestly... I think I've always felt something for you," he said. "You're right, I don't wanna give in to the cliché and say I liked you from the moment we met or when we kissed. But there was something, I won't deny that. You were different from all the other women I've been with, and I found you... I don't know, I can't really describe it. I... I definitely cared for you. I didn't want you to get hurt. And I... wanted to be with you. But I think I only realized how much that was true when we were fighting Michael and Lucifer. When I pulled you out of the dirt, and you weren't breathing, I... I thought I lost you. That felt worse to me than losing Sammy. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's the truth. And Veritas made me confess something as well, remember? It... It's always been you, Allegra. I... I..."

Good God, Winchester, spit it out!

"Alley, I l-..."

He nearly jumped out of his seat when a bell chimed through the bar, and Lorelai's vibrant voice suddenly resonated as she spoke into a microphone.

"Okay, everyone, it's time! Come on, people, let's make up the teams! I see a lot of regulars, so we're gonna have a swell contest tonight!"

People started moving around, talking to each other loudly, and putting tables together. Dean noticed a group of three women around Allegra's age waving at her.

"What's going on?" he asked, confused.

"One of Lorelai's unexpected trivia games. I was hoping she wouldn't do this tonight."

"You wanna leave?"

"Nah, it's okay. We might as well join in while we're here."

She got up from her seat and pulled Dean along to the group of women. Their husbands were at a nearby table, already in full game mode.

"You play with the guys," said Allegra.

Dean scoffed.

"Yeah, don't think so. I'm not good at this kind of stuff. I'll just sit back and watch you kick their ass."

"Oh, no, you don't." Allegra started to push him toward the other table. "If you win, you get a free drink from Lorelai plus a medal."

She stood on the tip of her toes so she could reach his ear.

"And if you manage to beat me, I'll continue what we started earlier," she whispered.

Dean drew back to meet her playful wink. He smiled broadly at her.

"Oh, you're on, Galen."

***

Of all the topics Lorelai could have chosen, it had to be music. Of course, it was music. Allegra saw Dean beaming as soon as those first rock songs started playing. Being on the road almost his entire life, listening to the radio and his tapes had practically prepared him for this moment. 
People who had been to the bar before knew how extremely difficult it was to beat any team Allegra was on. But when they learned that Dean was her boyfriend, they started speculating and even taking bets. All the men were cheering for him while all the ladies were in Allegra's corner. After about half an hour, it was all coming down to just Dean vs. Allegra and Lorelai's infamous lightning round.

"All right, five songs, 5 seconds of each song. I'm looking for the original artist of the song. Ready? Here we go!"

Allegra eyed Dean through her eyelashes. The pen in his hand moved swiftly over the paper with each song. She'd never seen him like this. He was just having fun without a single worry or care. Finally. After everything he'd been through, Dean deserved a break. And a lot more. 

"Okay, that's all, folks! Alices, if you please."

The waitresses gathered the papers and brought them over to the bartenders to check while Lorelai went over the songs again. 

"First song that played was Hey Joe. We all know Hendrix's version, but it was originally by The Leaves. Then, we had I Will Always Love You. Thank you, Whitney, but Dolly Parton performed that one first. Hound Dog might have been a big hit for The King, but Big Mama Thornton recorded that one way back in '53. I Can't Quit You Baby is not a Zeppelin song as many believe but a blues song by Willie Dixon. And last but certainly not least; you heard an acoustic version of Hell's Bells, which is, of course, by AC/DC. And the winner is... Son of a bitch! People, we got another tie here! Okay, you guys are leaving me no choice here. Alices, hand out the buzzers. One song, sudden death. You get it wrong; the other team gets to answer and can still win. Is everyone ready? Go!"

As soon as the song - her song - played, Allegra hit the buzzer. She met Dean's eyes, throwing him an apologetic look, knowing he'd probably been looking forward to victory seeing what she promised him afterward. He smiled at her. Curious about what he was thinking, Allegra opened her mind to him. What she heard made her heart soar. 

***

"Go on, Alley, take the win. We can just sit on the couch and watch a movie or something; I don't care. I just wanna be with you. I just want you in my life. You're what makes it all worth it, any-..."

"Mariah Carey."

Dean's eyes widened. He stared at Allegra. Had he heard her right? Did... Did she seriously just say that I Wanna Know What Love Is was originally by Mariah Carey?! 

"Oh euhm... No, that's... that's not right, hun." Lorelai stammered, clearly also a bit perplexed at the mistake. "I guess it's going to the guys, then."

Everyone turned to them. Dean vaguely heard one of the guys at his table whisper that he thought it was a Mariah song too, but he was hardly paying attention to the idiot who also believed Stairway to Heaven was by Clapton. He only had eyes for Allegra, who was sitting back in her chair. 
That was her song. How could she not get her guilty pleasure song? Why would she say it was Mariah when she knew it was Foreigner? But then, Dean saw the corner of Allegra's mouth curl up mischievously. 

You threw the game... Oh, Alley...

"Foreigner," said Dean, never taking his gaze off her.

"Correct!"

The bar exploded in applause and cheering. The guys at his table were going wild, celebrating the fact that they had finally taken a win over their wives, who were rolling their eyes at them. Dean ignored them all. He went straight for Allegra and pulled her to his feet. When he felt her lips on his, it felt like the whole world was shrinking away into nothing, and they were the only two persons left. 

"Why did you do that?" he asked softly so that only she could hear him.

"Because I love you, you idiot. And I don't like unfinished business."

His blood rushed through his body as his heart pounded inside of him. This woman... 

"Let's get out of here," said Allegra. 

They got their things and went over to Lorelai to settle their tab, but she wouldn't hear of it. Dean won the game, after all. And she wanted to make up for something too. 

"Sorry it took me so long to give it back to you, but with you going to England and me moving in with the hubby and misplacing the boxes in the attic, it took me a while to find it again." Lorelai handed Allegra a large leather-bound book. "I always used it as inspiration for my art classes, so thanks again." 

"Euhm, sure. Anytime."

Dean looked over her shoulder as she skimmed through it. It looked like a fairy tale book but different than any he had ever seen. The pictures were drawn in and looked more like the stuff he would expect to find in his father's journal had John Winchester ever bothered to be an artist. Allegra paused on a page with a drawing of a house and two little children outside. An old woman was at the door. And a demon standing behind her. 

"Oh my God." She gasped. "Dean, we gotta go. Thanks, Lor!"

Allegra grabbed hold of Dean's hand and pulled him along. She made her way through the crowd and out the door, hurrying to the car. 

"Wow, Alley, slow down! What's going on?!"

"I figured it out!"

"Figured what out? Alley!"

Once they were inside the car, Allegra held out the book to him. 

"Dean, the case. I know why it all looked so familiar to me. It's because I read it all when I was a kid. The body that was found this morning? The grandmother and the two children eating candy? That's Hansel and Gretel!"

Dean's eyes traveled from Allegra to the book and then back to her. 

"Are you seriously saying that all these freaky things are connected to..."

"Fairy tales. They're fairy tales, Dean."