The moment Rory had vanished Dean had regretted everything. He should have never let Max get that close to his kids, knowing she still had a thing for Anders. He hadn't wanted to admit that deep down he knew she didn't love him. That he was just some balm for the prick that didn't want her the way she wanted him. That fact became more obvious when she refused to move back into the apartment, and instead moved into Anders' place.
He shouldn't have let it make him so mad that Rory felt more loyal to her than he did him. It was his fault he did. His fault that she got so close. And his fault that his kids were hurting.
Dean couldn't pass up the chance to try and mend fences. He owed him that. The moment Claire cleared it, he hotfooted it to the pub. He was panting softly when he pushed open the door. "Hey kid."