LEXI

The shower with Dean in her eyes just went by way too fast. It wasn't rushed in the slightest but it still felt rushed to her. She enjoyed the closeness with him, but she figured the closeness didn't have to stop, just because they were out of the shower. She had managed to dry off and get dressed again in her shorts and strap top, again, only realising that she didn't bring spare clothes with her to get changed into. She would have to go back to her room to get proper clothes soon.

She followed him out, hair still slightly wet hearing him going on ahead slightly. Out of the door, she closed it behind her and jogged to catch up to him, gladly walking close to him as he pulled her closer by her hip. An action that made her subconsciously wrap an arm round him waist back before a smirk appeared on her lips as he leaned into her ear and said what she did.

"Well I guess you'll have to show me after work as that's not an offer a girl can pass up on" she smiled, looking up at him and pecking his lips quickly as they walked. Something she had mastered to do with her ex. As they got further down the halls and back toward where her room was, she remembered she needed stuff from it still, as well as being certain he left his phone in her room as well. "you go on ahead, just gonna grab something, change clothes and I'll be right out. Get me a coffee?" She explained then ended it on a request.

"I'll make breakfast if you want" she offered, reluctantly letting go of Dean's waist then heading into her room once more. Once inside, she pulled out a pair of her jeans, and shirt, getting changed swiftly before grabbing a clip for her hair and clipping it up so it didn't drip into her clothing.

Seeing Dean's phone on her bedside table, she picked up and shoved it in her pocket then grabbed her own phone and walked out of her room, towards the kitchen.

SAM

He didn't need to know any kind of sign to understand Anya's nod when he gave the warning about the other two being up and about. Sam swe the way she smirked as he described the state of the other two and it made him smirk back as he finally got that first sip of coffee in his system.

Glancing back at her after focusing on his mug, Sam saw the wickedness in her smirk and he just knew she was concocting something in that smart brain of hers. Part of him wanted to ask her what she was thinking, but another part of him wanted it to be a surprise once the other two showed their faces. Then her expression turned softer and it made him want to just scoop her up and hold her all over again.

He looked over at her when she snapped her fingers at him to get his attention and as she began to slowly sign, he watched intently. He really wished Lexi had taught him more sign language than what he already knew as he found himself trying to mentally pick up the gaps in his knowledge by guessing. He understood enough to get a good enough assumption of what she said and he couldn't help but smile at what she was trying to tell him. "I feel happy" he replied.

"oh! Almost forgot, here" he said, pulling her phone out of his sweats pocket and handing it to her. "Saw it in the room and figured you would want it on you" he explained, not realising that her earlier smirk was related to wanting her phone back to rip Dean a new one...or several.

Dean smiled widely as Lexi played right into his teasing, which was so refreshing. He didn’t even have a chance to quip anything else at her before she leaned up and kissed him while they were walking, something that for some reason made her even more intoxicating to him. There was no way that he wanted to separate from her, even for a moment, feeling oddly clingy. Anyone else, he would have left them in bed, went on with work, and hopefully would have shooed them out of the bunker by now. He sighed, as they stepped up to her room and she pulled away from him to go grab things from her room.

“I would complain, but you definitely deserve the coffee.” Dean chuckled, shaking his head. His eyebrows perked up a bit when she mentioned breakfast, and he tilted his head to the side as if to say ‘alright then. I’m keeping her forever.’.

“What the hell have you gotten yourself into…” He whispered to himself as he turned and headed toward the kitchen to fetch Lexi a coffee.



Anya’s heart fluttered into her throat when Sam studied her hands so intently, and managed to make out what she was saying, or at least the general idea. Just hearing him say that he felt happy made her beam with happiness for him. He deserved to be happy. She could see it in his eyes, every time she looked at him, that he had been through so much. There was a light flickering behind his gaze that seemed to be faded, as if everything he had been through had sucked the life from his eyes. All she wanted to see, for someone like Sam was his dimples dipping in so deep that they could hurt his cheeks, the creases in his forehead there for a reason and not for worry, and a smile on his face…a real smile.

She was broken from studying his face by him speaking up, and she pulled away from her thought with a small flinch, watching his hand as he retrieved her phone from his pocket. She laughed, taking it from him and quickly sliding her finger across the screen to type a message.

“Thank you. This is a lot easier.” She pressed play with a dramatic eyeball and then sat her phone on the counter. He was close enough that she could reach over and take his hand, tugging him toward her. She dropped his hand once he was close, and reached up, placing her hand on the back of his neck to pull him down to her. Once his nose touched hers, she pressed a tight, simple kiss to his lips, as if reminding herself she could.

A few moments later.

Anya barely heard Dean step into the kitchen as she stared intently into Sam’s eyes, trying her best to learn every color in his specific brand of hazel. It was mushy, but she didn’t care…

Then Dean cleared his throat.

“Can I get a cup of coffee or will I um…interrupt something?” Dean teased, and Anya broke her gaze from Sam’s face, rolling her eyes as she picked up her phone. She typed, and Dean watched her, placing his hands on his hips.

“If I said you were, would you be nicer?” Anya’s phone read and Dean seemed offended, but amused.

“Nicer? I’m wonderful today, alright? I feel great. You know what…I will even say that you look lovely this morning, wearing my giant brother’s clothes and sitting on the only countertop that’s anywhere near the coffee that I would like to take back to my…to Lexi.” Dean awkwardly explained, waving his hand around. Anya smirked and with a little bit of a squeak from the stainless steel against her bare thighs, she slipped off the edge of the counter, standing flush with Sam’s chest for a moment, before pushing him back and stepping to his side.

“Calm down Dean. I was joking. But thanks for the compliment.” She typed on her phone, grabbing Sam’s hand. She shoved her phone back into the pocket of Sam’s sweats, grabbed her cup and tugged Sam toward the doorway. The War Room seemed like a much less stuffy place for the barrage of parental questions she knew was coming.

LEXI

When Lexi grabbed what she needed and got properly dressed, she couldn't stop smiling to herself. She could match Dean's teasing, certainly match his stamina, and she could wrap him round her finger just enough to feel comfortable asking him to get the coffee going for her if she made breakfast for everyone. She couldn't help it, as much as she thought he was wrapped round her finger, she was most certainly wrapped round his just as tightly.

Walking back toward the kitchen after Dean, she saw Sam and Anya back in the war room and she now understood what Dean was talking about. They did look a utter mess from what she could see of them and it did make her smirk, she just didn't say anything at the moment. Instead she gave them a look of 'fun night I see!' and with a soft chuckle, she walked into the kitchen to see Dean by the coffee machine. She had to really force herself not to walk up behind him and wrap her arms round him, so she made herself head to the fridge and look to see what to pull out ingredients wise. "So what you wanting? Breakfast sandwiches or a full english?" she asked him, her fingers tapping on the fridge door.

"Breakfast sandwich if you're extending the offer!" Sam called through with a smirk that extended to his tone. "Wasn't asking you but alright! Anya you want the same?" Lexi then teased back at him without even looking back. The way Sam called out she knew she could get used being around the brothers like this every morning. Even if she didn't cook every morning, she certainly could happily go through this lighthearted morning. Looking back at Dean over the side of the fridge door, she waited for his answer as she willing to make whatever he wanted.

SAM

As Anya took her phone from his grip, he watched as she quickly typed a message and pressed play, making him chuckle and nod. "Thought it would be" he replied back to her. He looked down at her as he grabbed his hand and tugged him closer to her which made him smirk as he she pulled him down to her level just enough to kiss him. That intoxicating kiss he could never get enough of. He did eventually pull away as he tried to focus on why else he was even in the kitchen, but he was too distracted with looking Anya in the eye as she studied his own eyes. There was something so endearing about the way she felt the need to really take in every feature of his, just as he felt the same way to do the same to her.

He rolled his eyes at her when he heard Dean clear his throat. As Anya also rolled her eyes, he couldn't get over how alike they both were when it came to reacting to Dean's teasing. The moment she asked him if he would be nicer if she admitted he was interrupting something, he had to stifle a laugh from escaping him. Because he was so close to her, he knew she was just joking and that just made it funnier. Then Dean tried to defending himself and the end of his sentence made him raise an eyebrow and turn to face his brother. Oh how every fibre of his being wanted to ask him what he was about to truly say before he corrected himself, but he wouldn't..not yet anyway.

He found himself glancing back at Anya as she pushed herself off the worktop, her skin squeaking against the metal making him try and control his reactions to it as she hopped off. Reaching an arm out to steady her as she landed on the ground, flush against him he made sure she was firmly on her feet before he let go of her so she could reassure Dean she was just joking around. He watched her as she put her phone back in his pocket, a smile appearing on his face again before letting her just pull him out the kitchen and into the war room. Like Anya, he knew more teasing and questioning would no doubt happen and he wasn't prepared to deal with it until he had at least had caffeine in his system, along with food.

A few minutes later, as he sat on a chair he watched as Lexi arrived looking more dressed than when he first saw her this morning. He wondered if his own teasing caused her to get dressed in different clothing or not. If it was his doing he would class it as a win. Sure he was mature and old enough to not be creating scores out of everything, but this time it felt different and warranted. He put his focus back onto Anya, deciding he would ask her to show him a couple of signs for him to learn, when he heard Lexi talking about making breakfast.

"I'll take a breakfast sandwich if you're extending the offer!" he cheekily called out, smirking to himself. If they were going to get teased about the bruises, then the least Lexi could do was make them breakfast. Lexi's response made him laugh as it was very clear what a good mood she was in.

Dean sighed as Anya and Sam left the kitchen together, but he smirked the second his back was turned to them. It was oddly refreshing to see Sam so loose in the shoulders, and to see an echo of his brother’s old smile on his face. He would give him Hell until the end of time for everything, but in reality, Dean was happy to see Sam happy…for once. The guy needed a win. They both did.

He walked over to the coffee pot, and touched his fingers against the outside, to make sure it was still on and hot. As soon as he was happy with the temperature, he looked down at the counter, and paused, thinking about the sound Anya’s legs made against the metal. Without touching the actual counter, he made a mental note to make Sam and Anya clean the kitchen later, and reached for two mugs.

He heard Lexi’s light footsteps against the floor as he poured her coffee, and he turned to watch her walk…not to him, but to the fridge. The part of his brain that was food driven jumped to excitement, while the part of his brain that wanted to just keep a hand on her all day sunk into a bit of sadness. When she asked what he wanted for breakfast, he walked over to the counter, not far from the fridge, and placed her mug there. He took a drink of his own coffee and glanced down at her, tilting his head with pursed lips, “I’m thinking…”

And then Sam called out, and Dean sighed through his nose at the interruption, followed by Anya knocking on the table like it was a door to tell Lexi ‘yes’. That caused Dean to chuckle, and he shook his head.

“I’ll have what they’re having. Also, she might be too cute to bully. She’s quick. Competitive.” He raised his eyebrows as if he had been beaten at his own game, and took another drink of his coffee. “Sure is nice to see Sam smile, though…after the past few months. I don’t know how he’s held it together this long.”

Dean stepped away from the counter, deciding to go to the door like a watchful father and check on Sam and Anya, keeping out of their eye sight. As he watched them, he smiled softly, watching Anya doing her best to teach Sam sign language. He couldn’t lie, it was new…and it was nice, seeing her little giggles and watching Sam’s face match hers. Seeing how intent Sam seemed on furthering their communication was welcome. There was no way he was forcing this girl out of the bunker…not at this point. It seemed the hunters training had to go forward. His brother…would be happy, even if he was uncomfortable with the means.



Anya plopped down in one of the old wood chairs, glancing at the lit up table in front of her as she pretzeled her legs in the wide seat. Any other time, she would have propped her feet up on the table, but in Sam’s shirt, she was afraid she might give Dean more of a show than he would prefer. So, she grabbed the edge of the table and rolled the chair forward, and then to the side to be a bit closer to Sam.

After a bit of just sitting there, taking in the morning, Sam had asked her to teach him a few signs. So, she held her hand out for her phone and then laid it on the table top, thinking of words that would be helpful, specifically to hunting.

She typed the word “gun” and then held her hands up, signing to him with a soft smile. Then she typed a few more letters and pressed play to read “he has a gun” and did a slightly more exaggerated version of the previous sign. She then typed “he’s over there” and signed it to him, smiling as he called out to Lexi in the kitchen. When she called back and asked if Anya wanted anything, Anya found a spot on the screen of the table that would echo, and knocked twice for “yes”, hoping that Lexi could hear her.

Anya turned back to her phone with a cheeky grin, and she typed the words, “Are you okay? What hurts?” And then typed “I’m okay.”

She played the first part, and signed it slowly for Sam, looking at his eyes. There was something beautiful about watching him learn, and watching how fast he picked up on information…and the fact that he was doing this to be able to communicate better with her. She then tapped the last message and signed it, pausing at the end to reach out and tap her finger gently on his nose.

LEXI

Dean wasn't the only one who chuckled when even Anya knocked twice for yes to answer her question about breakfast sandwiches, Lexi did as well. It really was like providing for kids again and the very notion of it was just utterly amusing to Lexi. She focused on Dean when he said he'd have what they were having and gave a nod. “okay! My epic breakfast sandwiches all round it is! That she is. She's sure witty I agree, she'll give Sam a run for his money that's for sure” She smiled broadly, pulling out of the fridge everything she needed. As she scoured it's contents, she spotted what she wanted and began pulling them out. Eggs, bacon, sausages and butter. Placing everything out on the counter top, she closed the fridge then used that moment to grab her mug and take a sip of coffee. “I agree with you, I know I've not known Sam that long in reality, but I've seen him more serious and stressed than anything else. I think I've personally only seen him break once” she told Dean honestly. She still remembers that one night and it weirded her out greatly because she had never seen that side of Sam before that particular night after a hunt. They got back to a motel after dealing with a vampire hive. It was a standard hunt but it was clear that something had flashed through his mind on the drive back to said motel.

After a few drinks in them both to unwind Sam had just broken down completely. At first, she didn't know what to do or if he was the kind of guy to even want comforting, but the moment she sat beside him, he just fell into her side and cried. It was that night she learned of Mika's death and how much he had been holding it together for Dean's sake. But out of all the familial deaths he'd experienced, there was something so different about Mika's. Lexi never found out about the guardian phoenix that resided within the woman but she didn't need to know. All she cared about was comforting Sam and being there for him when he needed it. She was certain that was the moment they bonded as friends.

Snapping out of the memory as she worked on the food, she let Dean go spy on Sam and Anya whilst she cooked the meats, made the eggs and even toasted in the rolls in the pan before melting a bit of butter to spread across the bread. It took her about 15 minutes in total to get everything cooked to what she deemed perfection then started assembling everything together, placing them all on one big plate. She was glad that she was sipping her coffee throughout the cooking or it would have gone cold before she could have drunk it. “okay, food’s up! If you want anything else on it you'll have to get it yourself” she instructed as she brought it all over to the table. “they're all the same, maple syrup coated and fried bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs” she smiled, feeling rather proud of herself that she remembered the old recipe.

SAM

Sam felt thankful that Anya was willing to teach him some more ASL. It always meant so much tobim to be able to converse with anyone he connected with and Anya was absolutely no different. He was expecting some random things, but when she started teaching him things related to hunting he smiled. If he, Dean and Lexi were going to teach her how to survive in a world of hunting then it made sense he would be taught hunting related words. ‘gun’ was easy enough to get the hang of, but when she started putting it within a sentence, he found it would take a few tries before he finally got it. His attempts making her laugh which just ended up making him laugh. Yet he was loving every minute of the teaching. It was refreshing to be one who was learning and not teaching for a moment even if it was early in the morning.

He wasn't even aware of his brother watching them the entire time. When he called out to Lexi he couldn't help but smirk because he knew he wasn't being asked about what to have for breakfast, but after the earlier mild teasing, he had to chime in as a little bit of payback. He was pretty sure that nothing could ruin this good mood of his. He waited for Anya to also answer Lexi as she got asked, then went straight back into focusing on learning the ASL. As things got more complex, he focused harder, determined to get things right and make Anya proud, even though he couldn't know why he wanted to make her proud. They were still learning about each other, yet that need was entering his mind and heart so quickly. It took him a little while longer to learn things correctly but when he finally got it, he heard Lexi call out that breakfast was ready. “sema we're being called in” he chuckled, standing up and then realizing that Dean had been watching them.

He thought Dean would have been hovering Lexi like a lapdog, so it did take him a little by surprise that his attention was focused on him. Walking passed Dean, he stepped into the kitchen and took the same seat he did the night before by coincidence. “It smells incredible Lexi” he remarked, leaning over to grab one sandwich for himself. “seriously Sam? You can't wait for everyone else to sit first?” Lexi teased him, causing him to roll his eyes at her. “No I can't actually. You can't make amazing smelling food and expect me to wait” he retorted back. “wow…I thought Dean was the foodie” she laughed, sitting down herself.

Anya was a little more than impressed by how quick of a learner Sam was, and how eager he was to learn. As soon as he figured out his first few full sentences, Anya smiled widely, holding her hands up and clapping them beside her head, proud of him. Then came Lexi’s voice, and Anya nodded her head toward the kitchen, telling Sam to go and reward himself with breakfast.

As Sam stood, Anya took the opportunity to go and refill her coffee. As she passed Dean, he looked down at her with a smile that weirded her out just a bit, and he held up his hands, signing “Are you okay?”

Anya couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. He had been watching them and now he was making what she could only assume was an effort to try and get to know her, or at least show her a bit of grace. She didn’t ignore the grace, bringing her free hand that wasn’t holding a coffee mug up to her wrist, and signing “I’m okay.”

Then she brought her hand up to her chin and signed “Thanks” which Dean surprisingly seemed to understand, because he muttered out a simple, “No problem.”, with a nod. He then stepped away from the wall and followed her over to the food on the counter, smiling as Lexi teased Sam. For the first time in a long time, it felt like they were all home. There was a family atmosphere to the room, and Dean realized right then how much they had lost…and how much he missed having people around.

“Alright, alright. How about we all grab our food and our drinks and be adults.” He teased, grabbing a sandwich, as Anya reached over and snatched one for herself. She skipped out of the kitchen, her hair bouncing against her back as she did so, and Dean watched her, shaking his head with a chuckle.

“I could get used to mornings like this…”, he muttered honestly. He grabbed his mug off the counter, stepped around to where Lexi was standing, and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, before stepping the rest of the way around to head into the other room. “Let’s go plan the day over some good food, shall we?”

LEXI AND SAM

Both Sam and Lexi noticed how Dean actually made an effort and picked up on the basic signs language to actually talk with Anya without words and it made both of them proud. when Dean wasn't being suspicious of Anya he was actually really sweet with her. Seeing the girl smile at Dean's efforts, it was clear to them both also that it meant a lot to Anya.

Lexi watched as Anya practically skipped over and grabbed herself a sandwich just before Dean got to his and skipped back into the war room. She really was adorable and so refreshing to almost watch. Lexi couldn't help but think of Anya as a walking positive orb that just spreads the joy onto anyone she comes into contact with. She could see why Sam got drawn to her from the first meeting in the store. Dean's words about grabbing their food and drinks and getting to work rung true to the moment, forcing both Sam and Lexi to refocus their minds on what was important right now.

As the two of them grabbed their food, Lexi got up from the table and poured herself another coffee, hanging near everything and everyone was. She smiled when Dean kissed her cheek before heading to the war room. A content smile remained on her lips whilst she watched Dean walk away with his food and mug. "yeah, let's" she agreed forcing herself to leave the kitchen and follow Dean out of the kitchen.

Whilst this was all happening around him, Sam found himself just watching the lot of them as he took his first bite of the sandwich, nodding his approval of it. Dean was being so sweet to the girls and Sam even could have sworn he heard Dean say he could get used to mornings like this. "I'll be right in, gotta grab a drink first" he said, gesturing for Lexi to go on ahead, to which she did. He got up and grabbed himself a coffee before being the last one out the kitchen and into the other room.

In the war room, Lexi sat down at the large table, placing her mug down. She happily ate, glad that she decided on them. "So where to start?" She asked the group, glancing up when Sam finally joined them all. "I guess decide who should look online for any clues, and who should teach Anya what and when?" Sam suggested, looking between them all. "Sounds like a decent enough rough plan to me. What do you think Dean?" Lexi replied, looking over at him as she went to grab her phone out of her pocket, realising she had pulled out Dean's phone instead. Placing it in front of him, she then delved into her other pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Forgot I brought that out for you when I picked up mine" she smirked between mouthfuls of food and coffee.

Dean sat down at the table and he immediately delved into his sandwich, not really hearing anything else that was happening in the room, until Lexi asked his opinion about the plan for the day. Dean rattled the words that had been said around in his brain, picking out what he had actually heard that he could remember and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Since we’re at a bit of a halt on finding the Colt, we might want to prepare ourselves for whatever comes next.” Dean said simply, taking another bite as Lexi handed him his phone. He glanced at it, a bit of nervousness hitting his chest, sending his heart racing and then took it with his empty hand. He pressed the button on the side, to see if he had any texts, and then sat it face down on the table with a smile, “Thanks. I was a bit distracted and left it.”

“I wouldn’t mind learning some things, while we are kinda stuck here.” Anya’s phone chimed in, and Dean glanced up at her, seeing her with the phone in her hand. He smiled briefly, before taking another bite and nodding.

“I don’t see why not. I mean…I’m assuming you’ve handled a gun before, right?”

Anya nodded.

“Then you’re already on your way. The rest is learning how to defend yourself without the gun. You gotta learn how to take a hit…and you gotta learn how to keep your energy up. First things first, eat.” Dean ordered, and Anya pressed her lips tightly together, picking up her sandwich while looking at Dean. She took a bite and smiled, waving her sandwich a bit. “Good. Then, Lexi, being the other woman here…she can work on you. I would say work with Sam but judging by…looks of you, that ship has sailed. No need to add to the bruises.”

Anya blushed and looked down, before she typed a message and smirked, “Different kind of bruises, Dean.”

“Yeah yeah. Alright. Well, either way, it’s better for Lexi to help you with that. Then, sometime this evening, me and Lexi will comb the lines and you and Sam can go out and take care of that tattoo. You’re not leaving this bunker without it…other than to go get it.” Dean muttered before finishing off his sandwich with his eyebrows raised. Anya didn’t even complain about him being bossy. She could tell it was coming from a place of concern and care, not from malice, which from Dean, she would take as a win in her corner.

“A tattoo like Sam’s?” Anya typed, and Dean nodded, pulling down his t-shirt to show his own. “I’m fine with that! It’s not my first…”

“Well that’s good. Should be an easy trip…and before you type…” Dean held a hand up, and stopped Anya who was about to type something about where her other tattoos were, one he had already glimpsed on her thigh, “That’s between you and Sam.”

Dean glanced over at Lexi, communicating with his eyes that they weren’t being hard enough on the kids, and that Anya was winning the wit war. He was practically begging her for help.

LEXI

“I figured” Lexi replied to Dean when he mentioned how he got a bit distracted and forgot about his phone in her room. She was thoroughly distracted this morning herself and she wasn't complaining one bit about it. Normally being distracted was a dangerous thing in their lives, but this morning it was anything but. Knowing she was pretty much the reason for Dean being distracted did make her smirk briefly as she ate her breakfast and sipped her refilled coffee. Forcing herself to look up when Anya's phone went off with what she wanted to do, she smiled. She had to admire Anya's willingness to want to get straight into learning anything she could. It was promising. Lexi let Dean talk with the girl, glad that Anya had at one point at least handled a gun before. It was one thing they wouldn't have to heavily focus on, but she still thought they'd have to see for themselves how Anya handled a gun. If there was any hint of bad form they'd need to correct it so Anya stayed alive out in the world. Dean's next words would take Lexi by surprise as he remarked on Anya's bruises that Sam inflicted upon her the night before, only for Anya to match his wit and make such a good comeback, she almost choked on her sandwich. To hide it, she sipped the coffee to pretend she didn't choke on her mouthful of food.

She finished her food as Dean continued on his instructions for the day's plans, glancing at Sam and found they both smirked at each other as they just sat and watched the chat between Dean and Anya go on, Anya absolutely not missing a beat when it came to be sassy and witty back at Dean. When Dean glanced at her, practically begging her for help with his eyes, she shot him a look back that said ‘i got you beau’ before turning to Anya. “okay, so we can see you've clearly got the wit, but wit can only get you so far when you're hunting. So when I train you I won't be easy on you. I need you to be serious at times Anya. I'm hoping you got clothes you can sparr in? Once Sam picks up your bags from where you were staying?” She asked her, knowing that Sam's shirt alone or tough jeans just would not cut it in her training sessions. She needed the girl to be comfortable and in clothing that would help her be agile. They could do training sessions in normal outdoor clothes at a later date. She needed to know how Anya moved first. Lexi was a caring and open person, but when it came to sparring she was as serious as one could get. She took it seriously and always lived by the mantra of ‘if you didn't keep up the fitness and agility, you died on the job’. So she fully intended to whip Anya into shape.

“If you don't have anything I'm sure I got spares you can borrow” she then told her before turning to the boys, “and I'm guessing this place has a good workout room or the equivalent of one?” She spoke looking between Sam and Dean.

SAM

Sam ate his sandwich in silence as Dean and Anya exchanged words across the table. The wit war was quite the sight and he couldn't help but look at Lexi to find she too was being amused by it all. Yet the most amusing thing to him was seeing how Dean looked across at Lexi practically begging for help as he realized that he couldn't win against Anya and get her to just be submissive. It was clear to him that with two women in the bunker who could easily stand against Dean in the battle of wits, it was going to make life a lot more interesting and amusing. Suddenly the bunker wasn't going to feel so quiet anymore, and life was brought back into it. There was even a tiny part of his subconscious that just knew Mika would have approved of both girls and liked them. To the point that he knew if Mika was still alive, then they'd have to be very scared and cautious whenever the girls were left alone. The brief mentions of being tattooed wouldn't be her first time, he couldn't stop the little smirk creeping into the corner of his lips. Oh he knew exactly where she was tattooed already, remembering just how well and in depth he explored her body the night before. Dean's remarks telling her he didn't want to know just made it all the funnier to him. “Okay, we'll go tonight” he agreed, already knowing of a place he could take her to.

Then Lexi spoke up, bringing things back to being slightly more serious which he was only used to when they were on hunts together. It was a little jarring considering whenever she was in this bunker she had been lightly hearted and full of banter the whole time. Yet he understood it, Lexi's words were true. As fun as Anya might find the whole prospect of being a hunter, she did have to take it seriously. He couldn't lose another person so anything that they could do to keep Anya alive for as long as possible had to be taken seriously. He even noticed the look she gave Dean back moments before speaking to Anya, unable to stop himself from thinking how perfectly matched Lexi and Dean were. He didn't think anyone could fill the space that Mika left behind, but Lexi was proving that she really could, without completely replacing Mika. He shook himself from his thoughts when he heard his name be mentioned and nodded, “yeah, it does” he replied, knowing neither he or Dean really used it, but he seemed to remember a room that was clearly used for training at some point. He was even certain it had such items like Bo-staffs in it, not that he thought they would be needed.

“I can show you both where it is after I get back from picking up Anya's bag” he added, finishing his breakfast and dusting his hands off breadcrumbs onto his sweatpants. “Talking of staying alive on the job…Dean you heard from Nat lately?” He asked, suddenly realizing he had had a check in from their sister in what felt like a long while. He might have to check in with her later when he was out.

Anya dropped her smirk when Lexi brought things back to the seriousness of hunting. She nodded her head, letting Lexi know that she fully expected her to be rough during training. She also interrupted briefly to type a ‘I can do that’ in response to being serious when learning. Anya could be deadly serious, when she needed to be. She just used her wit to counter men that thought they were going to run over her, or explain things to her like a child.

Anya also nodded at the question about training clothes. She typed a simple, “I have workout gear in my bag. I like to run.”, and then she pressed play with a soft smile. In fact, this was one of the first mornings she hadn’t been out on a jog in a while, but it wasn’t like she could just run around the streets of Lebanon in her underwear and an oversized tshirt. The locals might get more of a show than they bargained for.

She turned her eyes up to Sam as he spoke, watching the way that his hair ruffled when he moved his head, and she realized right then that she would be as serious as she had to be, in order to learn more about the way he lived, survived…and to survive to keep the tension out of his eyebrows. When she had met him, there was no way he didn’t have a constant headache from all the tension in his face, as if he was just getting through the day by the skin of his teeth. But now? He seemed relaxed, on mission, and…happy.

Dean turned his eyes from Lexi back to Anya, smirking to himself at the way she looked at his brother. Any other time, he would make a comment, or say it was pathetic and weird, but the girl seemed enamored by him. The look he could read in her eyes was almost laughable, but she seemed to be looking at him like someone she could protect…whether from himself, or others.

He didn’t say anything, just watched them, until Sam spoke up straight to him and he cleared his throat, sitting up a little straighter in his chair.

“Yeah. I heard from her a few days ago. She and Cason are working some…’string of bear attacks that left no real bodies behind’ up in Northern California. She said…and I quote…’I’ll come by to visit when I know the door to the dungeon is locked’. She acts like I’m just gonna lock her boyfriend up the entire time she’s here.” Dean waved his hand with a scoff. He then had a slight thought, “Although, I wouldn’t mind picking his brain about this…”

LEXI AND SAM

Anya's confirmation that she can do serious was a relief to Lexi as it wasn't going to be all fun and games for her. Lexi, Dean and Sam have had years of experience being a hunter, Anya hadn't and that meant Anya had a lot to learn in a short amount of time. She then listened as Anya explained she had running gear which Lexi knew would be perfect for training. Hearing the girl liked to run made Lexi smile and nod, "Maybe we go running together sometimes" she added but saw Anya had turned her attention completely to Sam as he spoke and like Dean, she couldn't help but watch the way Anya looked at him. There was so much admiration in the girl's eyes, it was actually really sweet to see.

When Sam was done talking, Lexi nodded "Sounds good" she replied to Sam about showing her and Anya the room once he had gone out and come back. She glanced between the brothers when Sam mentioned about a person called Nat and she couldn't help but wonder she was. It wasn't out of jealousy or similar, but it was purely curiosity. Hearing Dean's response, she had a good idea of who this mysterious might be. Judging by the way Dean spoke of the girl's boyfriend Lexi figured Natalia must be a family member of some kind. "I mean...it wasn't that long ago you'd have done exactly that. So can't blame her" Sam replied with a smirk. "But you're right, he might have some answers about this situation. Maybe give her a call and see if they'd be willing to pop over?" he added. It felt like forever since he saw his sister, so it would be nice to see she was alright and safe.

"She a cousin or something?" Lexi found herself asking the boys, "sister. Well...half sister, complicated history" Sam summarised, which Lexi gave a nod to, finding that news interesting. The idea of the boys being brothers to a sister was somewhat surprising, but at the same time not at all. Sam, she could easily see being a brother to a sister, Dean she couldn't picture it as easily. "But I gotta ask something else, why is she convinced you'd lock her boyfriend up in the dungeon?" she asked, looking more at Dean than at Sam for answers. She couldn't think of a single reason why Dean would have even humoured the idea other than he was just protective and had the 'no one is good enough for my baby sister' attitude. Sam tightly closed his lips together, deciding that this was going to become a moment he just had to witness as he knew the answer would be something that would shock both Lexi and Anya.

Leaning into Anya a little bit he whispered into her ear, "once this conversation ends, I'll head out to get your stuff". He just really wanted to see the bombshell drop and the reactions to it. Lexi briefly glanced at Sam and saw how he was reacting to her question, before she looked back at Dean. This just made her all the more intrigued as she waited for an answer.

Dean shook his head at Sam’s reminding him of all the ways he had tried to kill or just torture Nat’s boyfriend over the years. It was true that the two were almost sworn enemies, making the others life hell in any way they could, but Dean had grown. If it meant that Natalia would come and see them, he was willing to play nice. Plus, Cason had ears on Hell that they didn’t have access to, outside of Crowley, who he wasn’t really ready to hear from…just yet.

“I’ll give her a call in a bit. I’m sure they would just be chomping at the bit to come all the way to Kansas.” Dean scoffed sarcastically, although, the thought of hearing Nat’s voice echoing through the bunker halls brought a small smile to his face, “Yeah. I’ll call her.”

Dean gave Sam a look when Lexi asked about Natalia, not really sure how to bridge the conversation about her boyfriend being a demon. He was hoping she wouldn’t ask. But after Sam explained that Nat was their sister, Lexi asked the million dollar question, and Dean sat a bit straighter again with a sigh. He turned his eyes toward Sam. Seeing Sam’s expression, he raised his eyebrows as if to say ‘really? You’re going to leave me alone with this?’

“Um…Natalia’s boyfriend is different from…us. He’s not exactly the stereotypical hunting partner.” Dean started, glancing down at the table as he drew a devils trap on the glass with his finger tip, “He’s a demon. BUT…before anyone says anything, he has proven himself to be…docile.”



Anya glanced quickly between Sam and Dean, as Sam leaned his head down and whispered straight into her ear about going to get her stuff. She was just as intrigued as Lexi, as to what could be so dramatic about their sister’s love life that Dean seemed nervous. She turned her eyes to Dean and the second ‘he’s a demon’ left his lips, Anya stiffened a bit.

A Winchester was dating a demon? Wait. Sam and Dean didn’t seem bothered by the fact that their sister was shacked up with a demon. That seemed out of character for them. She pulled out her phone and typed, pressing play and holding the phone out to Dean.

“And you’re planning to bring him here?”

“Like I said…docile. Cason won’t hurt anyone. He proved that years ago. He’s a good ally to have, right now.” Dean explained simply, his face stone still as he looked Anya in the eyes and then turned to Lexi, “I promise. Nat wouldn’t be out there alone with him, if we didn’t trust him.”

LEXI

As the boys discussed calling their sister, Lexi continued to look between them and then it seemed she almost touched a possible sore subject from the way Dean sat up straight at the sound of her questions. She was starting to think maybe she shouldn't have asked, but Sam was looking at Dean with a look that said he was amused by the idea of making Dean be the one to explain it. She watched as Dean gave Sam a look and Sam just right lipped and nodded. Now she REALLY wanted to know what this bombshell was if Sam was forcing Dean's hand. Of all the things she could have thought of, Dean's next words were not them. The moment ‘he's a demon’ came out of his mouth, she went wide eyed like Anya did and almost choked on her coffee. With a small cough and placing her mug down, she looked between the two men, “wait…what?” She asked seconds after Anya questioned about their decision to bring the boyfriend to the bunker. “Well I've heard some crazy shit in my time, but that is a new one. And there's me thinking you were gonna say ‘no one is good enough for our sister's” she chuckled in disbelief, shaking her head at her own naive thinking.

She looked at Dean as he turned to her to repeat that there would be no way they would let their sister be alone with a demon if he wasn't trustworthy. “I believe you. It's just not the explanation I think myself or Anya were expecting, that's all. But if you say he's trustworthy, then I'm willing to trust him as well, even without meeting him” she replied. Lexi also figured their sister must be pretty badass if she got involved with a demon and happily went hunting with him. It certainly was something that went in line with being a Winchester that was for sure. She couldn't imagine any other hunter even humoring that situation, let alone actually put themselves in it. “She must be quite the sister you two got,” she smiled. It was clear to her that when Dean previously made a sarcastic comment about this Natalia wanting to leave North California for Kansas, that they both absolutely doted on the girl and if her and her boyfriend could help them in any way with Anya's situation, then Lexi was open to just about anything.

After a short moment, she stood up and grabbed her empty mug, “right, guess I should go do the washing up” she remarked, stepping out and away from her chair and walking back to the kitchen with her empty mug.

SAM

Sam had to smirk at Dean’s initial comment about Nat leaving California for Kansas. Even though it was a sarcastic comment, it was a valid point in his eyes. Knowing Natalia, she wouldn't ever want to leave a place like North California if she thought for a moment she could get away with it. It was certainly more appealing than Kansas and at least she had a good protector in Cason. Though he did miss his little sister greatly, it didn't matter to him she was nearly 30 years old at this point, she was still his kid sister. It still baffles him that her relationship with Cason was as strong as ever and was lasting, years ago he was convinced that it would never last and Nat only got involved with Cason as a way to rebel against the two of them but over the years, the two of them had proved him wrong. Nowadays, he wasn't in the least bit scared about Nat's safety hunting alone if he knew Cason was beside her. He knew why they went their own way, she needed to break away from them for her own sanity and try and live her own life whilst hunting as well as working through her own grief from losing Mika. The two girls had grown extremely close over the years, really seeing Mika as not only her sister but a mother figure and to lose that was a big blow to Natalia. Sam saw it instantly and the moment it was clear she couldn't remain nearby he knew her leaving with Cason was the right decision.

“Like you say, calling her will be a good idea. Pretty sure if anyone can get some kind of lead, it'll be Cason” he replied to Dean's remark about calling her later. Then Lexi just had to bring up the questions which made him tighten his lips together more as he tried so hard to not smirk or snigger at the idea of making Dean be the one to explain it all to Lexi and Anya. Dean's look to him just amused him all the more and he gave a nod as if to reply to the unspoken question. The girl's reactions were exactly how he imagined they'd be when Dean dropped the bombshell. Lexi's was just priceless and Anya's wasn't in the least bit surprising. He knew she wouldn't feel too comfortable with the information, but if anyone could change her mind it would be himself and Dean. Or so he hoped. He placed a hand on her knee to be soothing as Dean explained how docile Cason was. “He's right. For the longest time he and Dean did not see eye to eye whatsoever, I have many a story about the arguments or fights between the two of them, even Nat and Dean over Cason, but he really has proved himself. It's crazy to imagine I know, but the guy really does love Nat and has been a great ally to have on our side.” He added to Dean's comments.

“He's practically a puppy when around Nat, it's quite amusing actually!” He chuckled before Lexi said she was going to go to the kitchen to do the washing up. “and on that note, I'll go get your stuff. You got the room key or car key I need to get to your stuff?” He asked Anya.

Dean expected but hated the reaction from both girls. He had known Cason for so long that him being a demon just never came up, unless they had an accident with some iron, or the odd devils trap in some random hunters house. It was rare that Cason ever made it very obvious. Sure, he could disappear at will. He could control hellhounds. He was vicious when it came to those he cared about, which pretty much only included Natalia. But to Dean, he was just any other human, after years of fighting himself over Cason’s nature.

Dean sighed, hearing Lexi’s mix of disbelief and what almost sounded like disappointment. He glanced over to her, and held her eyes as she explained that she would agree to trust Cason if he did. He nodded slowly, and raised his eyebrows, “Good. You can trust your gut instinct around him, just don’t look at his smile. He’s manipulative.”

Deans words were partially teasing her and partially serious. Cason was really good at getting his way, for better or for worse. At Lexi’s musing about Nat being ‘quite the sister’, Dean nodded, “Yeah. She is. We got a bit lucky, I guess.”

Dean glanced over to Anya, who still looked uncomfortable with the idea of having a demon in the bunker. He just let Sam calm her, as he could see her face brightening a little with how calm Sam seemed on his own. Dean turned and looked at Lexi, quickly standing from his chair as she mentioned that she was going to go wash up, “I’ll help. We might work quicker together and I’m good company.”

He gave a sheepish grin, and followed close behind Lexi



Anya took in Dean’s words but she was still shocked. She couldn’t imagine a world in which Dean Winchester would be okay with having a demon in his home. Sam’s hand being placed on her knee pulled her attention away from Dean’s face, as she glanced down at the hand. Anya narrowed her eyes at Sam’s explanation, and she pulled her phone up, typing a short message.

“Demons can feel love?”

She was a bit surprised, and in a way, intrigued by this demon. If he could feel love, then he could feel empathy. At least, he could feel something akin to empathy, she had to assume. So, maybe he was actually nice, in his human ways. The more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became, and the idea of meeting this demon didn’t feel as scary. It felt exciting. She wanted to ask him a million questions.

Hearing Sam call Cason a puppy only made her want to meet the guy more, and she giggled, pulling her phone back onto the table top, as Lexi stood and walked off to the kitchen, with Dean in tow. She was about to ask Sam more questions about the demon his sister was lovin’ on, when he asked about her clothes and things back in her motel room. With a short nod, Anya stood from her chair, brushing her fingers over the back of Sam’s neck as she walked to the library. She pulled her backpack off the chair she had left it on the night before, and dug out a motel room key, walking back to him with a small skip. She tossed the key on the table in front of him, and then typed.

“I’m coming with you, though. I mean…it is my stuff. I should ride along. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone and do the whole tattoo thing while we’re there.”

LEXI

Lexi liked to think of herself as open minded for a hunter. At least, compared to a lot of hunters, so if she said she would trust this demon for as long as the brothers did, she meant it. She didn't see the point in judging someone before she had even met him. Though when Dean warned her about not looking at Cason's smile, she couldn't help but cock an eyebrow for a second in curiosity. Seems like he could not only be manipulative but someone who clearly thought a lot about himself and a massive flirt. "good to know" she replied to him.

Dean saying he and Sam got lucky having Natalia as a sister made her heart a sense of pride in Dean's tone as he spoke about the girl. 'another little branch of character showing. You are one interesting man Dean winchester' she thought to herself before she got up and went to the kitchen.

As Dean followed her, she smiled to herself feeling like she had him on some kind of leash that he just followed her around on. Walking up to the sink, she placed her mug and the serving plate that was now empty in the sink as she turned the tap to run some water. She tried to think of something else to talk about other than his sister and her interesting choice in men, but her mind was blank. It didn't help that Dean was very close to her and it was like he just created this euphoric fog around her brain.

Eventually she thought of something and threw the tea towel at him, "you can be on drying duty" she smirked at him.

SAM

Anya's question about demons and feelings love made Sam nod his head, "yeah...it's incredibly rare. Not many have ever felt it, but Cason does." He replied to him before their conversation continued and he felt they should try and get back on track for the day's plans. He could see the intrigue on her face and knew if he hadn't tried to move the conversation along, she would continue to ask questions for what would feel a life time.

He watched Anya get up and walk over to her bag that she left in the library the night before to grab her motel room key, walking back to him with a little skip that made his heart skip a beat. Tossing the key down in front of him, he picked it up and pushed his chair back to stand up. Then she spoke about coming with him and he almost was about to protest when she mentioned about getting the tattoo done at the same time. A valid point he thought to himself.

"Okay, you can come" he replied, giving in to her without much fighting. "Let's go get dressed properly and head out. Those two could be a while in there" he smirked, judging his head towards the kitchen.

Dean stepped up close to Lexi as soon as they were in the kitchen, his instant instinct to be in her personal space until she told him to get out of it. As their hips touched, he looked around for something to do with his hands, only to have Lexi throw a towel at his chest. He caught the towel and smirked, holding it in his hand as he paused to just look down at her with a mix of admiration and surprise, “Yes ma’am.”

As Lexi began washing the dishes, Dean took them from her hands one by one, drying them off and placing them in the strainer. He mulled over what he would say to Natalia, his brain nearly blank. It wasn’t as if he checked on her enough to ask her for any favors and even though he and her boyfriend were on decent terms, there was a deep and angry history between them that made it awkward to reach out.

After a moment, Dean spoke up, rattling off the top of his head, “I think I heard Sam and Anya talking about leaving, which means all the work at home is up to us, I guess. Not that there’s much to do with them gone…”

He paused and smirked to himself, staring at the wall in front of him as he placed another dish in the strainer, “And the question lingers if we can even work together, considering there’s no evidence you’ll keep your hands to yourself. Not that we couldn’t figure out how to pass some time…”

Dean chuckled, and tiny flashes from the night before boiled up in his head, causing him to chew at his lip.



Anya smiled brightly as Sam gave in without much of an arguing effort from her. She couldn’t tell if he was giving in because he couldn’t argue with her, or if it was because her idea was sound. Either way, she wasn’t getting left behind to stew in the bunker with the two lovers in the kitchen. She was actually going out with Sam. She stepped back from the table and nodded at his suggestion to get dressed. Though, when she glanced toward the kitchen, she giggled, and shrugged her shoulders before typing.

“They’re enjoying each other. I say let them.”

She shrugged her shoulders as she played the message and then stepped back over into the library, reaching her hand in her bag. She pulled out a black Ramones t-shirt that she had packed in case she ruined her other shirt (a paranoia she was very thankful for at the moment). After snatching the t-shirt, she skipped back over to Sam and grabbed his hand, tugging him toward his room to grab her jeans.

As soon as she stepped into the room, she bent and grabbed her jeans from their place by the door, where she had kicked them the night before. She nudged her boots near each other with her foot and then without saying a word whisked Sam’s shirt over her head, tossing it on the bed. She shook out her jeans, and shoved her legs through, before shimmying her hips to pull them up. She picked up the t-shirt she had dropped on the floor and shoved her arms through the sleeves, before pulling it over her head and flattening it around her waist. It was while putting on her shirt that she realized she was incredibly sore.

She stepped over to her boots, swiping her phone off the floor along with her socks, and then carefully kicked her boots toward the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and put her socks on, before shoving her feet in her boots, and typing.

“Fully dressed and less distracting.”, she teased, looking up at Sam with a playful smirk.

LEXI

Dean's 'yes ma'am' gave Lexi butterflies in her stomach and sent her mind racing but outwardly, she kept her cool as best as she could, by focusing on starting the washing up. It didn't help that he purposely stood as close as he could to her in the process, hips touching. She could sense he was trying to think of something, but she didn't know what and she didn't feel like she had any right to delve into his thoughts. Despite that ship probably having sailed a long time ago. She looked up at him briefly as she handed him a dish and he spoke about overhearing Sam and Anya's plans. Knowing that Sam fully intended on going to get Anya's other things from where she was staying, it didn't surprise her that Anya wanted to go with him as it did seem like they had really grown close incredibly quickly. It was clear that the two were going to become inseparable in no time, just as she had hoped would happen between herself and Dean. "Not a shock, it is her belongings he's going for after all" she spoke back.

She smirked at his initial words but then smirked more as he continued and taunted her about not being able to leave him alone. "Oh is that right?" she replied just as teasingly, "I think you'll find it's you unable to not touch me" she continued, also thinking about the night before and even this morning in the shower before childishly flicking some soapy water at him with a chuckle. "Oh whoops!" she said sarcastically with a snigger. "My bad" she chuckled. She knew she probably had started a playful war but she was in a playful mood and no one was going to stop her from splashing the Dean Winchester with soapy water.

Looking at him, she bit her bottom lip as she dried her hands on her jeans, taking a cautious step backward, expecting him to retaliate. If he was going to then she was going to give herself a head start on trying to run away. She was determined to give Dean as many happy moments and memories as possible before they went serious and she had to go change into her workout gear to train Anya.

SAM

Sam honestly got the feeling from Anya that it was pointless to protest against her wanting to come with him. Not only was it that she had valid points, but over the years he had learned not to argue with a woman who had made up her mind. He knew a few fearless and strong women in his time and if he argued with any of them, it would always be them who won out in the end. At her words about Dean and Lexi, he couldn't help but glance toward the kitchen and saw how closely Dean was standing next to Lexi in the distance and he smiled. Of course his brother was acting like glue to Lexi.

He waited for her to come back when he saw that Anya went into the library half of the war room and pulled out a Ramones t-shirt from her bag. Smirking softly at the choice of shirt, he knew Dean would approve of the choice whenever he spotted it. In fact, he was certain Natalia would also approve as her tastes were very on par with Dean's. He smiled as he saw her skipping back over to him, an action that was so innocent. He just hoped she wouldn't lose this personality trait and demeanor when she truly began hunting. So many lost their innocence and joyful attitudes when they entered the world of hunting and he really didn't want that for Anya.

As much as he admired Mika's strength as an adult when she was alive, he still remembered how different she was a kid when they were growing up and so much light just disappeared in her eyes as her life changed. He didn't even know how Natalia was, but something him she was the same before she went through the life she did. It was a miracle Natalia even had any kind of joy or humour left her- but then again, Cason was a big reason for that. He managed to help her unlock so many lost memories over the years of dating her and it was like he and Dean got to see a taste of what she could have been like if she wasn't a hunter.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Anya grab his hand and pull him to his bedroom so they could change. A smirk on his lips appearing once more. In his room, he walked over to his chest of drawers to grab a pair of jeans and shirt when he suddenly noticed Anya was just stripping down to change without a care in the world. Despite the night before, he still found himself getting flustered at the sight and made himself turn his back to her as he changed out of his sweats and into his jeans.

He quickly got his shirt on over his head, before picking out a button up shirt and pulling it on, one arm at a time, leaving it open. Turning back round to face her as she let him know she was fully dressed and less distracting. "I uhh...uhh, yeah" he replied,sheepishly smiling and running a hand through his hair. "So I guess we should get going" he said, trying so hard to not stutter his words out.

Dean rolled his eyes and taunted Lexi, bouncing his head from side to side when she accused him of not being able to go a moment without touching her. True, he had issues staying away from her, while she was available to him…but he was a professional! He nudged her side playfully, but then she splashed a bit of soapy water on his face. He closed his eyes and a hint of a devious smirk touched the corners of his lips as he brought a hand up, and wiped it down his face.

“We want to play this game?” He chuckled, stepping away from the sink. The look on her face, the closeness, all of it was nearly enough for him to pull her to him and just kiss her right there, but he didn’t. He reached above the sink, grabbing a mug, and then held it under the faucet to fill it up. Turning, he splashed the water toward Lexi, most of it landing on the floor, before he stepped back to the sink and got another cup.

“See, I’m a bit of a master of the water wars…wet towel wars…prank wars. Ask Sam.” He chuckled, chasing Lexi toward the center of the kitchen. He threw another cup of water at her, but his foot caught some of the water on the floor, causing him to slip. At first, he was able to fight the fall, but the more he fought against it, the more obvious it became that he was going down.

He held the mug up high, to make sure it didn’t slam into the ground and break and landed flat on his ass with a groan, “Okay. Alright. So, I misjudged how much water came out of a mug. Floor’s wet!”, he choked out, before he was forced to laugh at his own stupidity, laying his head back against the damp floor.

“And now Sam’s going to make me clean the kitchen. You didn’t win. This is…this is a timeout, a pause, a ‘Dean’s down’ break.”



Anya didn’t realize how shy Sam actually was. She should have know, considering how long it took him the night before to even think about kissing her…or doing anything else. He wasn’t a pig like most of the men she came across, and for the first time ever, she felt as if she was the one coming on a bit too strong. She felt like she was the one who was acting too confident for Sam’s comfort. As he turned around to look at her finally, she realized that he really was having a shy moment toward her, despite how fiery and crazy the night before was.

She couldn’t help the smile of absolute admiration that bubbled up on her face as she watched him run his hand through his hair, his lips pressed together in discomfort, as if he had done something wrong. She tilted her head, and stepped up in front of him. With her phone in one hand, she signed single handed with the other. It was a sign that she had taught him earlier in the morning, “One second. First.”

Anya then pulled her phone up in front of her, and she typed, “If you need me to slow down, that’s fine, Sam. I’m not here to uproot your life. I’m not here to push your boundaries. I’m here for business, but now…I’m staying because I want to get to know you. I want to spend more time with you. If that means that we’re hands off? Then we’re hands off. I’ll wear as many clothes as possible.”

She pressed play on her phone, scanning his face as she reached her hand out and placed it gently against his chest, sliding her fingers under his over shirt. If he was flustered because he was having trouble leaving the room, she was fine with that. But if he was flustered because he was overwhelmed…or because they were moving too fast for comfort, it was time to pump the brakes a little. She could tell that he had lost someone, a very big someone, and not just Mika. She could tell that he needed that touch, and that closeness, but that in some places he was holding back. She was prepared to wait until he decided not to hold back, even if it meant that she had to leave the bunker.

LEXI

The moment she saw Dean filling a mug up with water from the faucet, Lexi knew if she didn't try and run for it she was going to be soaked in no time flat. Dean wasn't messing about and she really had opened up the flood gates to his competitive streak. "Oh I wanna play this game" she smirked, before continuing to step away from him to get as much of an advantage as possible as he went throw the first mugful of water, making her dart backwards with a yelp and laugh. Quickly looking down at herself, she saw was for the most part, dry. Only wet in little spots as the water had mostly hit the floor. A safety hazard for certain, but she looked up again at Dean as he started filling the mug up again. "It's my lucky day!" she beamed as she chuckled, only to see he was going for another round of water to throw at her.

"That boasting will bring karma down on your pretty ass!" She warned him, holding a hand out to protect herself as she continued to step backwards, making sure to know her surroundings so she didn't go falling into the table. Then he went chasing her, throwing the water making her yelp again as she ran to the other side of the table, only to see Dean went down, and went down hard. "Oh my god, are you alright!?" she asked but she couldn't stop laughing at the same time. So although she was genuinely concerned about him, it didn't exactly sound like she was. The only saving grace was that he was laughing as well and calling a time out.

His wording of 'Dean down' just made it all the more funnier to Lexi as she walked round to him, took the mug from his hand and placed it on the table before offering her hand to him to help him up onto his feet. "Told you karma would get ya!" she grinned, "but I'm soooo taking this as a win! Can't beat my quick reflexes!" she now was the one boasting and not taking her own advice about boasting will come back at you and bite you in the ass.

SAM

Sam's shyness came out of nowhere and considering how he was with her last night, he didn't fully understand why he was feeling shy all over again. But then again, he hadn't let himself be close to anyone since he said his goodbyes to Anna and left her with others in Denver. He almost felt guilty for letting himself be close to Anya even though she was utterly addictive to him. He looked down at her and gave her a softer smile as she placed one hand under his over shirt and typed with the other after she signed to him. He let her type what she needed then listened to what the phone quoted from her.

He had given her the impression he needed to pull on the brakes and he sighed. Shaking his head, he looked down at her and swept some of her hair behind her ear. "It's not that. I don't think you're trying to uproot my life or anything of the sort. I'm sorry, I guess it's just been a while since I've been close to anyone and I have to get used to having a beautiful woman naked in my room again" he smirked, a soft half chuckle escaping his lips.

He took her hand from his chest and into his own hand, raising it to kiss her knuckles before lowering their hands again. "So...forgive my moment of shyness?" he requested of her, not ready to talk about his ex-girlfriend with her just yet. There was a reason he refused to do any hunts in Denver and Annabeth Donovan was that reason. If he remained away from there, then she remained safe with their friends. It was for the best, and he would forever try to justify his actions of taking her there for as long as possible. "Shall we go get your things?" he asked, then heard Lexi's happy yelp echo through the halls from the kitchen, a smirk appearing on his lips again and shaking his head. "Lets definitely get outta here, I don't even wanna know what they're doing in the kitchen because it sure don't sound like washing up" he chuckled.

Dean should have taken Lexi’s warning of Karma. Now his ass was on fire, he was soaked, and she looked like he hadn’t even hit her with hardly any of the water he had thrown her way. Technically, he was losing the fight, whether he wanted to admit it or not. As bad as his ass hurt, Lexi’s laugh at his fall was music to his ears, and he laughed harder.

“I’m fine. I’ve taken harder bumps than a slip on a floor, darlin’.” He waved her off, resolved to his wet grave on the floor for the time being. As she took the mug from him, he dropped his hand onto his chest for a moment, and laughed, his face fully lit up with a smile so wide it kinda hurt his cheeks. It had been a while since he had laughed so hard, even at himself.

“I’m horrible at taking advice. That’s something you’ll definitely learn.” Dean joked as Lexi offered him her hand. He thought for a second about whether he wanted to let her help him up, or serve her a dose of Karma of her own. In a quick move, he reached up, wrapping his hand around her arm, just below her elbow and yanked her down.

As he pulled her down, he rolled, and with one knee between her legs, he hovered over her, pressing her back and hair into the wet floor with a wide smile on his face, “Now, about those quick reflexes. You’re just as wet as I am…”, he teased with a laugh, carefully placing his hand on the floor beside her head, to avoid leaning on her hair.



Anya watched Sam’s face as he took in her concerns, pleasantly surprised when he shook his head with that soft smile on his lips. She let out the breath she didn’t even know she was holding, and leaned into his fingers brushing the side of her face to tuck her hair behind her ear. His comment about having a naked woman in his room again made her giggle softly, and she also raised one of her eyebrows, wanting to ask how common it was for him…but she didn’t want to joke with him much, while he was being so sweet.

There was something else behind Sam’s eyes as he picked up her hand, and he kissed her knuckles. She couldn’t quite place it, but it was a mixture of a painful memory, holding back, and also extreme vulnerability. There was always a light that almost came to the surface in his eyes, like it was hidden right behind a curtain, and he refused to let it through. It made her want to ask a million questions, in any effort to try and unleash that boyish light. But from that look, she knew he wasn’t ready to talk about it, yet.

She released his hands for a moment, and just signed, “All forgiven.”

As he asked if she was ready to go, Anya nodded, her expression a bit neutral, until she too caught Dean and Lexi’s laughter echoing down the hall. She couldn’t help the happy little smile that covered her entire face at the sound of them having fun, although, she didn’t want to know exactly ‘how’ they were having fun. She stood on her tiptoes, and pressed a gentle kiss to Sam’s lips, before nodding her head toward the door in a way to say “Let’s get out of here.”. Then she reluctantly pulled away from his warmth, and led the way out the door, shoving her phone in her back pocket as she stepped into the hallway, and Lexi and Dean’s laughing grew louder.