When Mika smirked and chuckled at her remark about Dean being crap about telling others how he felt, she couldn’t deny that it didn’t make her feel a little better than she felt before. She could have smiled and chuckled, too, if she wasn’t still thinking about how Natalia was. She was honestly worried about the girl and wondered how she had made it this far without really losing it. Yes, punching someone and breaking a car window wasn’t the most significant way to release her anger, but it could also be so much worse for whoever she directed that rage towards or if she directed it towards the wrong person and they came back at her. Which was something Esme would hate to see happen. She was also worried about how the conversation outside was going, but she tried not to focus on it too much since she knew it needed to happen. So, she tried to stay focused on Duke’s emotions, feeling how calm he was with the civil conversations between herself and Mika. She barely noticed how Duke moved his hips a bit closer to her as Mika spoke to her. Esme was definitely happy he was there at her side.

Even with Mika being civil, she wasn’t sure she would feel all that calm if she were in the kitchen alone with her, not with how tired her mind was. But that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have kept things civil. She would have. When Mika answered her about Natalia, Esme softly nodded and sighed softly. When Mika told her that she needed to be thanked for her help, Esme's eyes softened more, and she nodded again when Mika asked her to help Natalia. “I will do all I can to help her work through everything she has bottled up. And I also give you my word that I won’t use my empathy on her unless she permits me to or things get out of hand.” she told Mika. “I can already tell that working through all that anger will take some work, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get a handle on it.” When Duke spoke up, Esme turned her eyes up at him and nodded in agreement. “Yes, she is a lot like Dean, from what I’ve seen and felt from her…. And yes, we are all making strides tonight.” she said with a small smile.

Her smile faded as she went into thought about Natalia. “I think what helps me with Natalia is that we both went through the trauma of everything in that asylum at roughly the same time.” She sighed and turned her eyes away from Duke, looking at the kitchen floor and shaking her head softly, not believing she was about to say this out loud but felt it needed to be said. Esme felt she could trust this information with the two of them. “I’d never be able to admit this to Dean myself because I’m not sure how he’d take it.” she started, then paused, releasing a heavy sigh. “I was there, in a secret room, when Dean and Sam charged into the asylum to save Natalia…. I heard it all. The fighting, the bodies of the demons hitting the floor, the screams as demons smoked out, and even the moment they found Natalia and got her out.” Esme lifted her gaze, looking at nothing in particular, fighting the tears that threatened to show and tensing up again. “I was too weak to scream loud enough for them to hear me, and I couldn’t make any noise because I was strapped down tight to a gurney….”

“I never knew it was them until I learned that Natalia was there, and they found her there.” Esme drew in a shaky breath and slowly let it out. Even knowing that the place had been turned into rubble by her and there was no way she could be taken back, it was still hard to talk about and not fear being taken back to that horrendous place. “Those demons were never supposed to have taken me. That’s why they had me in a secret room, keeping me hidden from the others. I still find it a miracle my godmother found me.” Esme fell silent, shaking the memory from her mind, wishing she could forget about all of it. Lifting her free hand, she wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes and sighed again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all that on you.” she said softly.

MIKA

Esme's reassurance that she would help Natalia so greatly calmed Mika's heart a lot. She was willing to let anyone remotely trustworthy to be around Nat if it meant Nat got the help she so desperately needed. She knew in her heart Esme was the right person for the job and she told herself that if Dean and Duke would trust her around the girl, then she would go out of her way to also trust her.

Mika looked over at Duke when he spoke up about what he thought of the situation and she nodded. They were a lot alike and Mika really couldn't see Nat ever admitting it. “You're right there. They are a lot alike, which is why they clash heads so much and it's downright scary when it happens” she replied to Duke. “But you're right, it does seem like we're making strides in all the right directions finally” she agreed with his second statement, giving Esme a nod and small smile as she said it before looking back at Duke. “I know you don't know her as well, but you will soon enough. Like you say, she's a lot like Dean. Like a mini firecracker version of Dean. I don't know if she was always that way before she came to us, and before the … other place, but if she was? I can only imagine what her relationship with John must have been like. It still disappoints me that John didn't go looking for her.” She commented. She never particularly liked John Winchester, and certainly hated the way he treated Dean when they thought she had died by the Wendigo. Yet it was the abandoning of Natalia that really angered Mika the most about John's character.

As Esme then spoke up once more, Mika turned her full attention to the woman, listening to what she was telling them both. The moment Esme's eyes turned away from Duke briefly, Mika found herself intrigued to where Esme's words were going to go. So she remained silent as she took in what Esme was telling them. Telling them both a huge bit of information that she never told Dean was a big surprise to Mika. She didn't think Esme would ever trust her enough to tell her something so important, but it now made sense why Natalia seemed to confide in Esme so easily. Their trauma was like a bond that only the two of them could comprehend and get through together. What Esme was describing was gut wrenching and Mika knew at that moment she had been way too hard on the woman. Sure, she had been jealous that she got more or less forced into working with Dean's ex-girlfriend, but she really should have seen the woman as her own person.

She also felt awful because she was there. Outside, waiting for the boys to get back out and keep watch. She was the one who rushed the boys and Nat out of that place as quickly as possible by helping Sam get Natalia into the back seat of the impala. Mika heard the carnage from within those walls, the flashes of lights as demons got smoked out of gunfire went off. She didn't think for a single moment that night that there could have been any other victims in that asylum. Only that they had to get Nat’s barely conscious body the hell out of there and get her cleaned up. “I'm so sorry Esme, I was there that night. Outside, but there. When Sam was carrying Nat out, I didn't even think anyone else could be in those walls. I was so taken aback by this frail little malnourished thing that Sam was carrying in his arms, I just rushed the boys to get back to the impala and get outta there.” She admitted to Esme. “I'm so glad someone found you, as after seeing Nat last night strapped to one of those things and being drowned on it? I can imagine how terrified you must have been way back then” she sighed, genuinely feeling awful for Esme.

NATALIA

Once Natalia got everything off her chest, or at least the largest of her feelings and thoughts about Dean out in the open, she felt a little lighter. Yet that feeling also brought a lot of vulnerability out more as she didn't know how Dean would react to her words. She didn't know if he would react badly to her words or not and that terrified her as much as admitting everything out loud. The moment he told her she was wrong about what she said, she didn't know if she should yell at him or not for it. How could what she felt be wrong? She was so conflicted and was wanting to tune out but his scooting closer to her and grabbing one of her hands made her stay. Her breath hitched at the touch, not expecting him to be so nice when he had every right to hit her for what she did to him and his car. She refused at first to look at him as he placed her hand on his chest, making her feel his heartbeat whilst he pushed her legs down so she couldn't hug herself any more. She felt so exposed and every part of her wanted to run over to Cason to feel protected again, but she just couldn't actually move. Her mind and body wanted two different things.

The closer he pulled her to him, the harder it got to avoid being close to him. This was all she ever wanted from him, to feel like he did love her, want her as his family, being her big brother. She took the deep breath he asked her to do, listening to him talk, new tears stinging her eyes before they fell down her cheeks. Slowly looking up at him at his request, in what could be on par with Sam's puppy eyes, meeting his gaze as he leaned down, she continued to listen. She couldn't pull her eyes away from his as she forced her mind to let his words linger and stay in her memory. She saw how pleading he was as he spoke to her softly. Eventually she began to nod slowly before she just found herself leaning in, burying her head in his chest and wrapping both arms round him. “I want to believe that…I do, so much. You have no idea how much” she said, slightly muffled in his clothing. “I've waited so long to hear you say this to me.” She cried, her fingers gripping the back of his shirt tightly.

She couldn't even stop herself from hugging him. She went from hating him to craving his attention and just wanting to be practically swaddled by him like some goddamned child. Dean was the closest replacement to John she had which meant all her craving to have a father figure in her life was aimed at him. “I guess we are too alike…we're both crap with our feelings” she finally commented. “this just feels so new to me still…even after all this time. It's so hard feeling so much all at once. Esme said she'll help me” she told him, “but when Anna let slip what happened? It really tore me up Dean. Please don't take Cason away from me…please. I need him so much.” She begged, scared to look up from Dean's chest after she said the words. But they were true words, her and Cason had something no one could comprehend the way she and him could, but she wanted Dean to try and move forward from his hatred of Cason. She wasn't going to stop loving Dean just because she fell in love with Cason. There would never be a day she didn't need Dean around, she just needed to show it to him more, just as Dean needed to with her.

“But I also need you…” she cried.

SAM

Whilst Sam looked down at Anna as he spoke to her, he saw how she checked her arm from where Dean hurt her and he couldn't help the annoyance that bubbled up in his chest all over again at what Dean did to her. He was glad he stood up to his brother for once, he was glad he pushed him back and was even more glad he didn't even acknowledge him when he left the house. That was for Mika to explain and Sam was not going to apologize for any of his actions. He hoped so much that Anna could believe at least some of his words as he truly meant every single one. Even if Natalia had seen other sides of Anna, he could never see Nat looking at Anna in a different light. Hells, Nat was doting on a demon after all, there was no way Nat would be judgemental against Anna and see her as anything but a person. He knew if Nat could see some kind of humanity in Cason, then it would be no different with Anna. He knew his sister well, and the moment she had made up her mind about someone it didn't really change.

Then she said about how difficult it was to argue with Dean and for that, he had to give her a nod for making a valid point. “yeah…but just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's impossible. I'm not going to pretend that he came back from Hell the same person, because I don't think he has. It's scarred him in ways he'll probably never tell any of us, but it is possible to get through to him. Do you really think Mika would have stayed with him this long if it wasn't possible?” He smiled softly. “They've had more breakups than anyone I know but she still manages to come back, and get through to him like they never parted ways. If anyone can break down that damn in his head and make him see what he's doing to people? It's gonna be her” he told Anna honestly. He had full faith in Mika's ability to make Dean calm down and see what and where he went wrong with Anna. “Besides, Nat has a few more impala windows to break if Dean keeps being a jerk” he smirked, hoping it would bring the tiniest of smiles to her face.

As he finished speaking, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out he saw it was Ruby calling him and he knew this wasn't the time. So he canceled the call, placed his phone on the bedside table and focused back on Anna. Only she mattered right now.

Duke simply stood there, being whatever emotional support that Esme needed in the moment. She and Mika were in a full civil conversation, and it was heavenly. They could potentially be friends. For once, Dean’s inability to have closure in relationships might not hurt the two women that Dean would call his ‘big ones’.

His ears perked up and he frowned with slightly widened eyes, turning his eyes down to Esme’s face as she mentioned being in the asylum at the same time as Nat. Duke’s mind flashed to that time, as the story was told by Dean, and he closed his eyes with regret instantly. Dean had called him, asking him to come and help with a demon situation. Duke had let the call go to voicemail, figuring that it was just a ploy for Dean to try and speak to him again, when Duke wasn’t ready to bridge the gap between them after the fallout. He listened with his eyes closed to Esme’s explanation of how things went down, realizing that maybe…just maybe if he had been the extra set of hands, he would have thought to even check for other rooms, or maybe he could have heard a noise. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t likely, but the guilt was still there.

As Mika spoke her own guilt and apologies, Duke sighed, clenching his jaw at the fact that Dean had brought Mika along and Duke hadn’t even bothered to answer the phone. He should have been there to back her up. It was a miracle, from what he had gathered, that they all made it out mostly in one piece. As the room fell silent for a brief moment, Duke shuffled on his feet a bit and he turned his eyes down to the floor, “I should…I should have been there too. Dean called me and I was so wrapped up in tryin’ to stay away from him that I didn’t come. Maybe…m-maybe I could have felt you there or somethin’. I could have looked for the door…or I don’t know. But I should have picked up the phone.”

He sniffled, not even realizing that he was getting emotional, he was so used to repressing emotions around everyone but Mika. He tilted his head, trying to push all those emotions away, “Just like if I hadn’t got hurt, because of my own stupidity, I could have protected you back at the farm. I guess…I guess I’m just sorry, like Mika. We didn’t know.”



Dean kept his gaze on Natalia’s eyes as she took in his words. The look in her eyes once again reminded him of Sam, and it was then that she realized how much the two looked alike. Both his baby siblings had the same eyes, and it was a bit of a weakness for him. He almost sighed with relief at her little nod, before she wrapped her arms around him, her face buried in his chest. With a deep breath, Dean released her hand and wrapped both his arms tightly around her body, holding her to him. At her words, Dean closed his eyes, pressing his lips to the top of her head, “I know. I know you have.”

Dean brought a hand up, stroking his fingers through the back of Nat’s hair as he held her, just letting her cling to him until she didn’t need to. He didn’t care how long it took. He wasn’t losing his little sister…not after all that time. Not after managing to get her back from that horrible place all over again. It was time to put pettiness aside, and be her brother.

As Nat spoke, Dean nodded, a small scoff shaking his chest as she mentioned that both she and he were horrible with their feelings. Again, they were a lot alike, mores than they would ever admit, and Dean had to wonder if that’s why John never said anything to Dean about her. Maybe John thought that if she was around someone who she could see herself in…she would become all the parts of Dean that John hated. At the idea of Esme helping Nat, Dean nodded against her head and he petted her hair a bit more, “Esme’s a good ally to have for…dealing with uncomfortable emotions. That’s all a story for another time, but yeah…I do know that much.”

Bringing up the situation with Anna almost caused Dean to shake his head. He didn’t want to talk about that, while she was so fragile, but what he thought was going to be more calling him out for lying turned into her practically begging him not to kill Cason. Dean frowned, staring off at the gravel with hazy eyes as he let her begging sink in. He didn’t want her mixed up with demons. A huge part of him wanted to tell her that he couldn’t accept Cason. He probably never would, but couldn’t he? Cason was proving to at least be docile with Natalia. Dean didn’t quite believe that they loved each other. Sure, Nat seemed madly in love with the guy…but a demon feeling love? Nah. Dean couldn’t subscribe to that idea.

As he glanced up from the gravel, his eyes found Cason standing against a car in the distance, minding his own business and smoking a cigarette. He scanned Cason’s demeanor, and how he could tell that Cason had an ear ‘pointed’ at he and Natalia. At the very least, Cason seemed to care.

Dean’s heart clenched at Nat’s last words, and he held her a little tighter, turning his attention back to her as his heart dipped into his stomach. He pressed his lips tightly to the top of her head, and sighed, “I’m not going to do anything to him and I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. Alright? I’ve got you. I’ll talk to him…”, he promised, glancing back up at Cason again, before petting the back of Nat’s head.



Anna had to admit that she believed Sam about Mika. Mika seemed to be able to twist Dean’s arm in whichever way that she needed to. If anyone was going to break through his stupid shell, it was Mika. When he brought up Natalia breaking the windows out of the Impala, a pang of guilt hit her chest at first, but the idea of Nat going ton a full rampage and breaking the other five windows out of the car did bring a small smirk to the corner of her lips.

“I think he’s out numbered, at the moment…lots of women.” She joked softly, feeling a bit better just at the reminder to her brain that she wasn’t in danger. She wasn’t near Dean, and didn’t have to deal with his judgements or his mean words. She didn’t have to see the fall out of her dropping a bombshell on Natalia. She could just exist here with Sam.

When Sam’s phone vibrated, Anna sat up slowly, crossing her legs into a pretzel as she leaned into Sam’s chest, “Is that Dean? You can answer it if you need to. I’ll just…not be here.”, she offered, not necessarily wanting Sam to ignore his brother. She just wanted him to make his own decisions and to not blindly follow his brother into the pits of Hell, which seemed to be where Dean wanted to return, half the time.

“I hate this. You have so much bigger issues to worry about than squabbles between me and your belligerent brother…” Anna scoffed as more tears threatened to spill over her eyelids. “It just all seems so petty…self centered. And yet…I’ve craved being this close to you, alone for a while. I’ve wanted you to choose me…like there’s some meaning to our hearts beating in time, or me being guided to you. Something good can come out of this, you know?”

As Anna rambled, finally spilling all the thoughts she hadn’t been able to express while high that morning, she aggressively wiped tears from her cheeks, “Now everything is quiet, and it’s just me and you...we have a chance to talk, and to be close and I feel selfish…”

Releasing her hold on her jacket, Esme brought her hand to rest on her aching chest. She still wasn’t sure why she told Duke and Mika about that night. It was like as soon as it came to her mind, she couldn’t stop it from leaving her lips, which she immediately regretted and wanted to bolt from the kitchen when she felt the sorrow and guilt coming from the two. She didn’t want them to feel sorry for her for being in the asylum and going through what she did. Esme also didn’t want them to feel guilty for not knowing she was there. There was absolutely no way they could have known. Lifting her gaze to Mika, she shook her head softly after she and Duke finished talking. “Yes, it was pretty terrifying back then, but you have nothing to be sorry for, Mika.” she told her. “Even back then, it was a wonder that the place was still standing. And if she looked anything like I did, I don’t blame you for rushing to get out of there, especially with how many demons were there and the possibility of more coming. From what I could hear, I know getting in and out was a hell of a fight.”

Esme sighed softly, the sounds of the fighting ringing in her ears and sending a visible shiver down her spine. “I hold nothing against you for not going in and looking for others. There was absolutely no way you could have known they had someone else locked up in one of the other rooms. Not to mention, it would have been hard to find that room. They had the door well hidden.” she told Mika. “The only reason my godmother found it was because someone came and opened the door and told me it was going to be alright and that help was coming. To this day, I have no idea who they were or why they didn’t come in and unstrap me from the gurney or how they knew my godmother was coming for me.” she added. Esme still wondered who it was in that doorway back then, why they chose to keep their face hidden from her, and why they didn’t loosen her restraints. She wouldn’t even be able to pick out their voice since they spoke to her in a whisper. Esme could still clearly picture their silhouette standing in the doorway as they whispered to her.

Slightly shifting, Esme let her fingers slip from Duke’s belt loop and looked up at Duke. Removing her hand from her chest, she placed it on his chest. “And you, Duke. Especially you, have nothing to feel sorry or guilty for.” she told him, her features soft. “I know if you knew I was there, you would have been there in a heartbeat, but even if you had been there, I’m not sure you would have been able to feel me like you used to. When I left, the link between the three of us was broken. Or at least it was with Dean.” she told Duke. Esme then reached up with both hands, causing her jacket to fall from her shoulders and reveal the bruises she had been covering, and took Duke’s face into her hands, making him look at her. “Don’t beat yourself up for not answering the Dean’s call and missing the chance to save me from that place. I knew things would be hard between you and Dean when I left, but I never thought you’d leave and cut him out of your life for a while. For that, I’m sorry.” she told him softly, looking deep into his eyes.

“And don’t beat yourself up for what happened at the farm, either. Things happen that we can’t control, and we couldn’t have known what was waiting for us there. What matters is now. We’re together, and we’re both alive, a little beat up, but alive.” she told him with a small smile to try and get him to smile. “We’ve been given another chance, so let’s grab it by the horns and run with it. Don’t dwell on what happened. Just keep looking forward. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to protect each other down the road.” Esme held his face a little longer to make sure her words got through, then let her hands slip from his face as she took a shaky breath, crossed her arms over her stomach, and turned back a bit towards Mika, her smile fading a bit. “I feel like we’re all going to have to protect each other in some way with what’s coming. It’s good that we’re all working to be on the same page because we will all need to work together when we face what’s coming. It’ll be hard, or we’ll never see the end because we’re divided.” she sighed tiredly. Esme suddenly felt as if she could pass out right where she stood, even with her aching chest.

But even with being tired, she was worried about what they would have to face. She worried about her vision of Dean coming true and worried about losing Duke again. There was no way Esme would survive mentally if she lost Duke again. Something deep down told her she’d take out more than a building if she lost control of herself over losing Duke again. She also couldn’t help but worry that Duke would be reckless, especially if he ended up separated from her or the others. She hoped that he’d be smart about things to come after what happened at the farm. Esme dropped her eyes to the floor and closed her eyes in an attempt to ground herself and push away the sorrow and grief, but it was proving difficult with how tired she was and no other emotions to focus on. So she focused on something that made her happy, and that slowly started to work. Once she was where she felt comfortable, Esme opened her eyes but didn’t lift her eyes from the floor.

MIKA

Duke's words about how he didn't answer Dean's calls that fateful night that changed the direction of their lives forever was a surprise to Mika. She didn't even know Dean had tried to call him in, she thought it was always the plan to be the three of them- herself, Dean and Sam going to that asylum and thinking it was a standard demon hunt. Not once did she ever think Dean had his worries so much so, that he swallowed his pride and attempted to get Duke in on the hunt. One thing though that she knew for certain, was that things probably wouldn't have changed in the slightest even if he was there. Knowing Dean, he'd have had Duke staying outside to guard the perimeter with her. It’s just who Dean was and thinking back on that night, she could have done with the backup but none of this meant Duke needed to feel guilty, neither of them did but she also knew that guilt was part of them both.

As Esme turned to her and spoke to her, telling her not to feel bad or sorry for leaving Esme behind, she sighed but knew Esme was right. It was a horrible night, she felt helpless to the boys as she stood outside, fighting any demons that appeared to be heading inside whilst also staying by the impala. She wasn't helpless in the slightest, but that night she felt it because she wasn't inside helping them. “yeah it was quite the fight…but that was then” she replied, not wanting to go down memory lane of that night. Nat’s state still haunted her to this day and it was the only reason she didn't complain about Natalia's eating habits. She did find what else Esme told her about some mysterious shadowed person half helping her before her godmother found her, very intriguing though but didn't pry into it as like she said just now, it was the past.

Stepping away from the fridge door that she was still leaning against, she walked up to both Duke and Esme and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She's right ya know? We gotta focus on the here and now” she spoke up, not believing that she was actually agreeing with Esme if all people. Yet now she had spent this short time with her without Dean lingering in the background, she was starting to see that maybe, just maybe, Esme wasn't all that bad. She then turned back to Esme again and gave her a nod of agreement, “I agree. I'm willing to put everything aside and start again…like you say, we all gotta stick together for whatever is coming. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get a reality check” she told her honestly, knowing that Duke would no doubt have something to say to her privately about her actually offering an olive branch to Esme. It was a big step forward for Mika, bigger than Esme would ever know, but one that Duke would know all too well.

NATALIA

Feeling Dean holding her tightly, Natalia felt like the first time in her time with him, she was truly wanted by him. His actions were matching his words and she didn’t know how to process that as it felt simply like a dream. She couldn’t believe that for once, he was being her brother and nothing else. She took on board his words about Esme and it was good to have her as an ally. It confirmed to her that she did the right thing by actually asking for help from someone. Being buried in his chest, she didn’t know that he had gleaned up and saw where Cason was standing. All she knew was that Cason wouldn’t be far away, ready to jump in if he thought it was required. She knew Dean wasn’t going to be able to reply to her begging straight away, she knew it was a lot to ask of him but she had to ask it. With Cason around, she felt like she could battle the PTSD she was going through. She could begin to try and move forward and remember those lost memories with him. He centered her, gave her hope and calm.

As his grip tightened around her, Natalia tightened her grip on him. The next words coming out of his mouth both surprising her and giving her a sense of relief. “Thank you” she replied, feeling him pat her hair before she got the courage to look up and move her head from his chest. Sniffing from all the sobbing, she followed his gaze outward to see he was spotting Cason just ahead smoking. Looking back up at Dean, she loosened her grip on him, letting one hand go off his shirt and wiped her face. “I do love you Dean, I’m sorry I said I hate you because I don’t…” She finally said to him. She never told him she loved him and she knew if she expected or wanted him to be better with her, then she had to do the same toward him. Glancing back at Cason again, she gave him a small smile, not even knowing if he’d have been able to see it from where he was.

“He’s really not as bad as you think you know, I think talking to him might be a good idea. I hate seeing you two fight…” she told Dean before finally fully letting go of him, even if it was slightly reluctantly. It was late, it was cold and she was tired of being angry. “I mean…what demon do you know would go out of his way to win me a giant dog plush that is still in the back of my car at a fair?” she added, the words even making her break a little smile in the corner of her mouth. It was a ridiculous thing but she genuinely did love it but knew she’d have to leave it here at Bobby’s before they moved forward again. She hoped it would be enough of a starting hint for Dean to try and see the signs that Cason was different.

SAM

Sam had to laugh at Anna’s comment about Dean being outnumbered when it came to the amount of women in their group. He wasn’t just outnumbered by women, he was outnumbered by very feisty women with very strong opinions. He was convinced that if all four of them teamed up Dean wouldn’t stand a chance. Demons, vampires? No problem. Esme, Mika, Anna and Natalia team up? Sam’s bets were going on the girls.

Then his smile and laugh stopped when she brought up his phone vibrating and he just shook his head. “Just spam calls, it’s no big deal” he replied to her. He knew it was a lie but he knew right this minute was not the time to be talking with Ruby or telling Anna that Ruby was calling him. He also wasn’t in the mood for Ruby to be nagging him about dosing up on demon blood himself and getting stronger for killing Lilith. He wasn’t going to even entertain that whole conversation right now. He listened to Anna speak about how she hated this whole situation and the tension between him and his brother because of her. In his eyes, she had nothing to feel selfish over.

“It is petty, but you have absolutely no reason to feel like you’re being selfish or whatever. He was completely in the wrong and it was only a matter of time before I finally called him out on it. I’ve needed to be selfish against him for a while and he has Natalia to make amends with first. That should be more important to him right now” he replied. He lifted his thumb up to under her chin and turned her face to look at him, his other hand keeping her close to him. “We’ve needed this night to be properly alone for a long time now and I’m glad we’ve finally have it. So if that does make you selfish then so am I” he spoke, leaning down and kissing her softly, lovingly and slowly. “You’re my world Annabeth Donovan” he whispered against her lips.

With his words whispered, he solely focused on showing her just how much those words were true. He kissed her like it was already the end of the world and only she mattered to him. Passion, love, sensitivity, all poured into his kiss and onto her lips.

Duke frowned at Esme’s words about a stranger helping her out of the room. He couldn’t think of anyone who would have trailed the Winchesters. Most hunters worked alone. Not to mention, the idea that someone knew she was there…it was most likely someone on the inside. A demon?

He was shaken from his thoughts as Esme’s hand slipped away from him, but then her hand came to his chest. His frown didn’t leave his face as she told him not to apologize. That was a hard ask, when he felt as if he had failed her. He practically melted in her touch as her hands came to his face, something he was weak for, with Esme. It was an odd safe feeling, every single time.

When she brought up their mental connection, Duke swallowed heavily and he glanced in a quick turn of his eyes toward Mika. He hadn’t explained any of that to Mika, the weird mental connection that the three of them seemed to have, Duke more than Dean. He snapped his eyes back to hers and he fell into them. Cutting Dean out of his life wasn’t something that he regretted, necessarily. He and Dean made each other weak. Their emotions, jealousy, love for one another, and general dependence on each other almost always got them in trouble.

They were better off alone. He nodded gently, but then opened his mouth to argue with Esme about the issue at the farm, where he literally got himself killed. He quickly closed his mouth and let her remind him that they were both alive…in spite of his mistakes. Duke inhaled a deep breath and he let it out through his nose with a soft smile, echoing the look on her face.

“You’re right.” He whispered, having trouble tearing his eyes from Esme’s for a moment. Her hands dropping from his face and her speaking to Mika pulled him away and he let out the inhale he had been holding, shaking his head with a soft smile. Esme was right. Whatever the world they were being dumped into was going to bring was big. The odds of them all making it out alive were obviously…pretty much zero. He had a feeling that he was going to have to step up and protect Esme plenty. Mika’s hand on his shoulder and her words, agreeing with Esme nearly made his heart swim with relief. It was all the proof he needed that Mika was going to try and be civil with her. He nodded, and dropped his own eyes to the ground.

Seeing Esme a bit unsteady, Duke absentmindedly placed a hand on her lower back, and looked up at Mika as she spoke up again. He nodded, “We’re gonna stick together. All three of us seem on the same page. We just gotta get the others on that same page…Dean and the little one might be the hardest to get through to.”



Dean loosened up on Nat as she looked up at him, and he knew that he had at least got through to her that he did…indeed love her. He was just horrible of showing it. Her little thank you tugged at his heart, as once again, he was reminded of all the ways he wasn’t there for Sam. Natalia was possibly a second chance, in a way. But mostly, she was his baby sister. She was his responsibility. He just had to find a way to share that responsibility with Cason.

Dean shook his head as Nat apologized for telling him she hated him. He was well aware that Natalia wasn’t able to grow up. That luxury was taken from her. So, when she had outbursts, a lot of times they were akin to a teenaged girl. Hating everyone came along with the territory, “Don’t. Don’t say you’re sorry. Honestly, I’m surprised you had never said it before then…”

He gave her a soft smile, and looked up at Cason as he and Nat shared a communicative little smile, and Cason nodded his head at her. Dean turned his eyes back to Nat, as she spoke and released him, sitting back. He was about to speak up and stop her, just to say that he would try to be civil with Cason while they talked about the situation, but her mention of Cason taking her to a fair caused Dean to narrow his eyes and tilt his head. Cason had actually taken her to do something totally normal.

“I don’t know a demon that can feel enough emotion to do something like that, unless they are manipulating you.” He muttered absentmindedly. Cason didn’t move as he lit up another cigarette and kicked his feet at the gravel. The man was a stone, standing there to make sure Nat was safe. It tore at something strange in Dean’s head, as the other half of his brain tried to find ways that Cason’s bad outweighed his good.

“You’re happy with him.” He mumbled, and sighed, “If…and this is a big if…he keeps you safe, he doesn’t hurt your feelings, and he’s good, I mean like giant puppy good, I’ll accept all of this. I’ll do what I can. I’ll talk to him. I’ll be civil.”



Anna expected Sam to say pretty much exactly what he did. Dean would be more concerned with making amends with Natalia at the moment. He probably barely realized that Sam and Anna were even gone. Something about that, while it should have made her even more worried about the lingering tension, it was calming. Sam’s hand turning her face toward his forced Anna to look up into his eyes, and she sighed through her nose. Her heart fluttered at his words, and she wondered if he was under some new spell, like the one with Cupid. It was the most romantic he had ever been.

She closed her eyes as he leaned in, and the softness of his kiss took her off guard all over again. Sam was the most gentle person she knew in this messed up world, but their time together hadn’t exactly ever been slow…and sweet. She returned the kiss, barely moving her lips as she let him take whatever control he wanted in the moment. But then he breathed the words she had wanted to hear, selfishly, since the day their eyes met.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that…” She whispered, just before his lips covered hers again. There was something new to the second kiss, it was gentle and slow, but desperate and full of that intense passion that seemed to burn in the hazel of Sam’s eyes every single day. She untangled her legs and rocked forward, until she could pull her knees under her, raising her face slightly above Sam’s but never breaking the kiss as she tilted his head back. Her hands found his jaw, sliding back into his hair with a light tug as all of the anger and worry melted away. As long as they were alone together, they were the entire universe.

MIKA

During the chat, Mika had decided to ignore the whole link between Esme, Dean and Duke that they once had remark by Esme. It was more information that she didn't want to hear after everything else she had heard this evening. Her mind just could not take any more information about everyone's past. She just wanted everyone to be calm and okay and well rested. She could, if she ever decided to know, ask either Duke or Dean about that link thing at a later date.

With them all finally on the same page, Mika knew there wasn't anything else to be said between them. She took one look at Esme and knew the woman needed more rest and a good sleep, not one plagued with nightmares and memories. It was funny, Mika thought, all this time she had been looking at Esme as just the other woman, but now she saw her as her own person and someone who deserved to have Mika's civility and dare she say, respect. Maybe it was the fact it was clear Esme was well and truly in love with Duke and Duke with her, or maybe it was partly due to the chat with Dean earlier, or maybe it was the fact Esme could actually help Natalia as she knew exactly what it was like. She didn't know the full reasons why, but she was open to having a change of heart. None of their group knew what they were going to be getting into, certainly not what Castiel was alluding to, and she knew better than anyone that life was too short to be holding grudges for life. “Duke let's get Esme back in the RV to rest up” she finally suggested, before turning to Esme, “I think spending a night not on Bobby's couch will do you the world of good” she softly smiled.

Stepping away from the two lovebirds, Mika then walked to the back door and opened it for Duke and Esme. As she held the door open, she used her foot to slide a pair of old battered boots she purposely always kept just outside by the door nearer to her and stepped into them so she wouldn't have to walk barefoot on the gravel. Holding the door open for Duke and Esme, she waited for the two of them to step outside before helping Duke get Esme to the RV, where she held the RV door open for Duke to get Esme inside. “look after each other and I'll see you both in the morning. Time to go round up everyone else” she smiled, patting Duke on the back before leaving the two of them to it for the night.

The air was freezing as it got so late, Mika only now realizing she was still in her shorts. Tightly hugging herself she walked across the lot towards Dean and Natalia, but still kept her distance so as not to interrupt the two of them. Waiting for one of them to notice her, she knew she had to call them inside.

NATALIA

Dean's comment about being surprised she hadn't ever said she hated him before now made Natalia think back to all their shouting matches, suddenly coming to the conclusion that he was right. She hadn't ever said that to him before, she's called him an asshole or jerk plenty of times, but never that she hated him. She couldn't quite understand how he could be understanding about it, but she took it as a little win that they could finally start properly seeing eye to eye. She wanted to be closer to Dean so much, but her temper and his lying always got in the way of it happening.

With Cason having smiled back at her and giving her a nod, she knew he had seen her smile at him before she looked back to Dean and told him about the fair. She saw the way Dean looked almost confused by the prospect, or was it a little bit of jealousy that she experienced something normal with someone other than him? She couldn't work it out, but the moment he brought up how it could be manipulation, she frowned a bit that he still couldn't fully try to move past his prejudices against Cason. She understood why, she really did. All other demons still scared the crap out of her and angered her, she wanted them all dead and gone or sent back to Hell as much as Dean did, but Cason really did feel different to her. She was determined to learn more about how he was able to feel emotion and love also, it was something the two of them could discover together, even if that meant Dean got out on edge over it.

As Dean started speaking once again, openly accepting that yes, she was happy with Cason, he would try and accept it all and actually talk with him. “thank you, it's all I want from you. He really does make me happy and as much as tonight doesn't really show as a good example, but he does keep me calm. I just hate it's taken me all this time to remember he's always been there for me” she replied, catching movement just off to Dean's side and seeing it was Mika walking from the RV. “I think mom is ready to call us inside” she joked a little, nodding her head towards Mika. Seeing her standing there, Nat couldn't help but wonder how she could be outside in just a hoodie and shorts when the air was so crisp, but then again, the way Mika was hugging herself, she was probably colder than she was seemingly trying to let be known. “I’ll follow you both in, promise” she told him, letting him know that it was okay to go back to Mika and she would be safe with Cason. Giving Dean one more hug, she wanted to cherish the calm sibling moment between them, sear it into her mind as firmly as possible before she scooted herself down the hood of her car and walked over to Cason.

SAM

After everything that had gone down this evening, Anna responding and kissing him back felt like such a large amount of worry and stress off his chest and shoulders. She was willing to still be reactive to him; that wasn't just a simple hug or cling to his side for protection from Dean. Her words were like a melody to his ears as she confirmed she would never tire of hearing him tell her just how much he did love her, despite everything happening or his mistakes. As she untangled herself and moved forward, tilting her head higher than his own, he moved in tandem with her, sliding his arms around her waist and keeping her safe and secure. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the moment by dropping her on the floor. The way she tugged at the back of his hair caused a small little groan to escape his lips, making him lift her just enough to get her onto his lap properly. This was what he needed and wanted, just to be alone with the love of his life and to take away all of the pain and anguish she was feeling.

Holding her close, he continued to kiss her not wanting to break away from her in the slightest. So much of him just wanted her but he also didn't want to push his luck and scare her off, but his desire for her was winning out. If she told him to stop he would, he mentally reasoned with himself as he moved his hands up her back and pulled her shirt off of her shoulders and down her arms. He took it relatively slow so she had time to push him away if she felt it was necessary to do so, but it didn't stop him from showing her that he needed her. Just him and her, alone for the night. When he knew she was okay, he picked her up so he could stand up and turn around, laying her down on the bed and climbing over her, leaning back down to kiss her again. He craved a night of normal couple intimacy and hoped that Anna did too.

Whatever was coming for them in the next few weeks could wait as far as he was concerned at this moment. He had wasted too many hours worrying about everyone else in the group and not focusing enough on the one person he cared for the most besides Dean and Natalia.

Duke raised his head with a soft ‘hmm?’ as Mika stated that she wanted him to help her get Esme back to the RV for a little rest. She did look absolutely exhausted, between the bad sleep on the couch, their extracurricular activities and now all the crazy emotions running crazy in the house. He could only imagine how tired she really was.

“I agree. C’mon princess.” Duke wrapped his arm around Esme’s waist and he dragged his feet pulling her toward the door as Mika opened it up. He carefully walked down the back steps, helping Esme take one step at a time, until he could stroll across that familiar gravel with no problems. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had to help her into the house a million times before after botched hunts…or long nights out.

“Night babygirl.” Duke called back to Mika as he helped Esme into the RV and then stepped in behind her. He closed the door and turned back to Esme with a soft smile, “Now. I get to take care of you for the night. You know where the bed is. I can turn on some music. We can get some rest. I’ll be here all night. A whole night…no drama.”



Dean watched Natalia’s face as she spoke about Cason, nodding slowly at how similarly she talked about Cason…to how he felt about Mika. It was odd and it made his stomach do a tiny flip, thinking about a demon having that much sway over his sister. But he had promised to give him a chance, and he would.

When she mentioned Mika, Dean turned and he chuckled, nodding “Yeah. I think it might be time for the porch light flicker. She looks like she’s freezing. Don’t stay out too late. Get…some rest.”

He ordered her with his words after she promised to come in right after himself and Mika. As she pulled him in for a hug, he happily wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight for a moment. He kissed the side of her head and then ruffled her hair as she stepped off the car, “Be good.”

He pushed himself off the car, and strolled over to Mika with a soft smile. As he stepped into a more open part of the parking lot, the air bit through his clothes, and he shivered, seeing his breath in the night air as he approached her.

“You’re gonna die of some kind of cold air…something out here. Let’s go inside.” Dean muttered to Mika, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he turned her and guided her toward the house. He wanted to just get her back to bed, get some rest and wait for the inevitable. The whole place seemed calmer, now. Sam and Anna were still in the wind, but everyone else seemed calm, possibly on the same page with one another. “So, everything okay with everyone else? Heard from Sam?”



Anna’s skin lit up in goosebumps as Sam’s arms came to hold her, keeping her sturdy against his body. But after a moment, she was straddling his hips and she could feel Sam holding back. She could feel it in his kiss, the way that his hands sat against her body. He wasn’t pulling her down against him, like he always did when he was lost in the heat of the moment. He was simply waiting for her to tell him, with her body, what to do. So, she did. She fluttered her tongue across his bottom lip, teasing his lips open as his hands began to trail up her back under her shirt. She pulled back, just a bit and allowed him to remove the garment without pause.

“It’s okay…”, she whispered as she came right back to his lips. As if answering her with his own body, he stood and she wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to turn and lay her on the bed. Keeping her legs on either side of his, she took the time between kisses to quickly push his flannel down his shoulders. She pushed it to his elbows, letting him remove it himself from his hands and then she went to work on his t-shirt, reaching underneath to trace his abs with her fingertips. She kissed him deeply, raking her fingernails over the sensitive skin of his stomach, but broke her kiss for a moment, tilting her chin back, “It’s just me and you here, Sam. I’m…yours.”

She smiled, using her thumbs to work his shirt up his chest, and then she kept tugging until she pulled it off over his head and tossed it to the side. She craned her neck back up to kiss him desperately, her nails raking back down his chest, until she found his belt buckle. Opening her mouth to gasp for air, she chuckled against Sam’s lips, flicking the belt buckle open, “I’m…yours.”, she repeated against his lips.

To say Esme was surprised by Mika's agreement with her was an understatement. She could have never imagined the woman agreeing with anything she said this soon after having a civil conversation. She figured it would take more time for her to come around to most of what she said, but Esme was glad to have her agree with her. Maybe Mika was finally starting to see her as her own person, which was a relief to Esme, and it helped not to have Dean lingering in the background while they talked. When Mika gave her a nod of agreement and spoke, she gave a small smile in return. “Don’t be. It’s not like either of us had a chance to really get to know each other with everything going on.” she told her. She was also happy that Duke had agreed with her before she dropped her hands from his face; it made her feel a little better, but it still bothered her how guilty he felt. Esme knew it was because he felt that he had let her down, which was far from what she felt. Duke hadn’t let her down at all. She felt she had let him down the day she left the trio.

Duke had tried to get her to stay by telling her he could make her happy, but she turned him down, which she regretted afterward. Esme wished she had stayed with him. If she had stayed with him, maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t have ended up in that damn asylum, and she’d still be human. After the dream she had, she felt she knew the demons were responsible for changing her. Duke, placing his hand on her lower back, pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up as Duke spoke and nodded in agreement. Esme had to agree with Duke; she felt Dean and Anna would be the hardest to get through to. But she still felt like it was possible. They had to get through to them and have the whole group on the same page. “Yes, we are, and I agree.” she said softly, the tiredness showing more in her tone. As she stood there, she tried to think about the best way to get the two on board with them without causing any more trouble between the two, without using any type of force, and without using her empathy to make them compliant with the idea of working together.

Her mind drifted from Dean and Anna to what Castiel had said before he left them in the field next to the rubble of the asylum. Esme couldn’t help but wonder what he was referring to and what would be in store for the group in the coming days. She could only hope that all of them would make it out alive, even though she knew that was a large ask. Mika’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and Esme couldn’t help but smile warmly and nod in agreement. “I believe you’re right about that. I’d actually prefer not to sleep on the couch again tonight.” Her tone held a light laugh as she replied to Mika. As Mika stepped away from her and Duke, Esme just barely had enough time to grab her jacket and drape it back on her shoulders before Duke spoke and wrapped an arm around her waist. A smile graced her lips when he called her princess. “Alright.” she said softly as he pulled her to the door. As he helped her down the steps, Esme was reminded of times he had helped her up the steps from botched hunts and long nights out, and it made her smile a little more as she reached the familiar gravel.

Once her feet were on the gravel, she slid her arm around Duke, rested her free hand on his stomach, and walked with him and Mika to the RV. Her eyes followed Mika as she walked over to the RV and opened the door for them. “Goodnight, Mika, and thank you.” she said warmly with a matching smile just before Duke told her goodnight. She then stepped inside with Duke’s help and kicked off her boots near the door, but out of the way as Duke shut the door behind them. Then she removed her jacket as Duke turned and faced her with a soft smile that she matched. “Having you here all night with music and you caring for me without drama sounds absolutely wonderful.” she said as she hung up her jacket near the door. She then went over to the bed with a yawn, sat on its edge, and her stomach growled softly. Reminding her that they never went out to get something to eat. “Before we get too comfortable, could I talk you into going back inside and raiding the kitchen for some snacks? We never made it out to get anything.” she said with a light laugh and a sweet smile.

“I’ll stay right here, and I promise not to fall asleep until you get back and we eat a little something.” Esme knew that Duke was now in protective mode and wouldn’t let her do anything but rest for the rest of the night, which was exactly what she was planning on doing. She didn’t want to do anything but eat a little something, rest, and snuggle up next to Duke for the night without worrying about anything but themselves. She wanted to tune everything out and become deaf and numb to everything outside the RV, and she wanted a decent night's sleep that wasn’t plagued by nightmares and memories.

MIKA

With everyone else dealt with, Mika continued to wait for Dean, Cason and Natalia whilst trying to not get too much colder. If they took any longer she would have to leave them and go inside on her own, but it seemed Nat spotted her and ended her talk with Dean. Seeing the two of them actually hug and be close for once brought a warm smile to her lips, a huge wave of relief washing through her that neither were still fighting. “about time you two got along” she whispered to herself as she watched on, seeing Natalia head straight to Cason and Dean over to herself. She hoped this would mean the start of the two siblings turning a new leaf and instead of going for the jugular each time, actually try and talk and be calm with each other. As Dean made his way to her, and muttered about how her being out in the cold the way she was, she couldn't help but smirk lovingly, wrapping an arm around his waist as they walked back to the house.

“I know but I had to check on you lot and help Duke get Esme back to the RV. Girl looked like she was ready to fall asleep standing up. Other than that, yeah they're both good. We all had a good talk and actually agreed with each other.” she explained, before trying to find the right words to explain the Sam situation. “As for Sam, he's taken Anna to a motel or B&B in town for the night. Just to get her far enough away to calm things down. He's taken my car at my insistence. They just need a night to cool off mentally, they'll be back I promise.” She finally said as they reached the back door and she stepped inside, kicking her boots off by the door. “He's still angry but you know what he's like, he'll come around. So we don't need to worry about him for tonight. He knows if he needs help, he only has to get in touch and we'll be right there.” She tried to reassure Dean as she turned to face him and cupped his face in her hands, looking up at him. “So no more worrying for tonight. All we need to focus on is us, that bed of mine upstairs and getting some well earned sleep” she smiled, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.

Despite the food being still in the bags from earlier and most definitely cold by now, she didn't even think about eating. She was too focused on tending to Dean and knowing that her loved ones were okay. “I love you Dean Winchester and I'm proud of you for stepping up with Nat” she said.

NATALIA

Dean's orders of not staying out much longer and to be good made Natalia smirk. It was the most brotherly thing he could have said to her to end their good heart to heart and she welcomed it. She just hoped that he wouldn't stop being like this with her after tonight and they could continue being in a more positive brother and sister relationship. She had to agree with him that Mika did look absolutely freezing and she didn't want to hold her up any longer by keeping Dean for herself. “I will get some rest. I'm just gonna go to Cason first, then be right inside for a good sleep. I promise” she told him as he hugged her back and kissed the side of her face. She meant it as well, she didn't want to be outside any longer than she had to be because it was really proving to be becoming a very cold night and something told her Cason wouldn't let her stay outside any longer.

“I'm always good” she told him back as she glanced over her shoulder back at him, walking over to Cason in a much lighter mood than she was earlier. “Ready to head back inside?” She asked him, thankful that he stayed in eyeshot the entire time, but remained out of the way. “This has been the weirdest day in a long time, and that's saying something” she remarked, ready to put it all behind her and just show Cason that she really didn't hold anything against him for keeping her in the dark about how hurt he truly was in the barn. She also kept hearing Dean's words in her head on loop, saying how he will make an effort to talk with Cason at some point and be civil. She knew it was the most she could ask for in this moment of time and she was content with that.

SAM

Hearing Anna verbally reassure him that he wasn't about to take advantage of her in her emotional state, Sam felt relieved. As she pulled his flannel down his arms, he let go of her just long enough to yank the shirt off his hands and throw it to the ground. As she went to work on his t-shirt, he kissed her back deeply before she broke the kiss, making him almost chase after it for a split second as she told him she was his. He smiled back at her as he let her remove his shirt, brushing his hair out of his face after. He leaned down to meet her lips halfway so she didn't crane her neck too far and kissed her back even more deeply than before, her fingers down his chest making him let out a little groan deep in his throat as she reached his belt buckle and flicked it open. “..mine” he spoke back in a low voice as he helped her get his jeans off, kicking them onto the ground the moment they got down to his ankles.

Trailing his fingers up her legs, he brushed his fingertips along her waistband of her own jeans, weaving his fingers under the buttons and undoing them expertly so he could push them down her legs. He wanted her in every way and now he knew she wasn't going to push him away, he wasn't going to hold back. He didn't know when they would get another chance to just be alone and express how much they love each other in peace. With no worries of what was coming, no drama from family or friends, just pure solace within each other. The world could burn outside right now as far as Sam was concerned, only Anna mattered in this moment and night.

Duke smiled brightly as Esme agreed to not only allow him to take care of her, but that it would be ‘absolutely wonderful’. Taking care of her was now his life mission, outside of all the hunting and the chaos in their lives…he just wanted to take care of Esme. He never thought she would come back to him, after the way the three of them separated. He honestly never had plans to see her again, but all their pieces had fallen into place. If there was a God, he was definitely on board with whatever this plan was…

As Esme sat down and Duke clearly heard her stomach rumble, he tilted his head and frowned, trying to remember if Bobby had anything in the fridge that she could eat. Duke was fine with his usual late night whiskey to hold him off until morning, but Esme was hurt and exhausted. She needed food, sleep and maybe a giant gallon jug of water that he would never convince her to drink.

He smiled sweetly and nodded, “You got it. I’ll be right back. Don’t…”

As he started to order her to not fall asleep and to get comfortable so she could rest, she read his mind and he simply nodded, turning to open the door. He jogged down the RV steps again, closing the door quietly, and he cleared the gap between himself and the house. He didn’t bother to look around the lot, figuring that everyone was already getting ready to go their separate ways…into peace. As he walked into the kitchen, Bobby had already come inside, and was making himself a sandwich at the counter. He turned his head and smiled at Duke, who stepped up next to him.

“You got it in you to make one of those for my very tired lady out there?” Duke asked Bobby with a smile, and Bobby chuckled, tilting his head back and forth in a mocking way as he pulled more bread from the bag in front of him.

“Never thought I’d see you guys so close again. It’s almost like a flashback, just with less awkwardness on your end. It’s nice.” Bobby chimed in his opinion of Duke’s relationship with Esme. Duke smirked, thinking back to how gentle and timid he was with her back before the big breakup. He was scared to even touch her, and the thought almost seemed foreign to him, now.

“Yeah, well…I think she would hold me hostage and make me get over it if I even tried to be shy around her, now. Life’s too short.”

“Speaking of life being short. You doin’ okay?” Bobby asked as he finished making Esme’s sandwich. Duke paused, glancing down at his stomach with a deep breath.

“Yeah.” He let the breath out as he said the word. “Good thing about dyin’ and coming back is there aren’t a lot of memories, ya know? I’ll be alright. I always am.”

“And you always bottle up whatever that is that’s buzzin’ around under that hat.” Bobby pointed a knife toward Duke’s hat and he sighed, cutting the sandwich in half, before handing the plate to Duke, “Let’s not do that anymore, while you got her back, alright? You ain’t gotta shoulder all that heavy stuff by yourself anymore, Jason.”

“I know…” Duke sighed, taking the plate from Bobby. He clapped a hand down on his shoulder, and simply turned, walking back out of the kitchen and to the RV. As he opened the door, he plastered a smile on his face and then hopped inside, holding the plate out in front of him. “I brought a Bobby special!”



Dean raised his eyebrows as Mika explained that she had helped Duke get Esme to the RV and that she had had a ‘good talk’ with Esme. The thought of the two women agreeing with each other, after the jealousy spill and vitriol that had flooded the house earlier in the night almost seemed like a miracle. Dean tilted his head, pressing his lips together tightly, impressed that Mika was trying to get along with her. It was definitely a start. He was proud of her.

When she explained where Sam took Anna, Dean took a deep breath and he let it out through his nose. Sam was likely more angry with him than he had been in a long time. Dean had lost his cool and assaulted Anna, which he didn’t even know he had in him, at this point in his life. He couldn’t allow himself to chalk the reaction up to trauma or any other excuse. He had simply lost his cool, and she was the first nail the hammer saw…and the only clear one for him to blame for his own mistakes. The thought cramped his stomach and he had no idea how he was going to apologize for the way he spoke to her, or physically hurt her.

“Yeah. He’ll cool off and come back…hopefully.” Dean muttered as Mika explained that Sam was just angry with him, and she was right. Sam always seemed to cool off, take a swing whether verbally or physically, and then he and Dean were able to reconcile. Dean just hoped that having someone to run away with, Sam would actually come back, this time.

As Mika turned and cupped his face in her hands, Dean watched her eyes with a slightly furrowed brow, nodding at her words. Truthfully, he was exhausted all over again, and he wasn’t even sure what was coming for them. He didn’t know what they needed to prepare for, and that was mentally exhausting all by itself, “Alright. Let’s go get some sleep…I promise I’ll sleep.”

Hearing her say the words ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m proud of you’ after what had happened earlier in the day made his heart flutter in his chest, and his eyes softened as he stared into hers. He took a deep breath, and reached out, turning her around to wrap his arms around her from behind as he awkwardly walked them toward the stairs, “I’m going to try to be more…open. It seems to get me further with all the women in the house. But thank you, for being my voice of reason. I don’t know what I would do without you…”, he chuckled against her ear. He released her shoulders, placing a hand on her lower back as he guided her up the stairs to her room. As he reached the room, he pushed the door open, only to see Castiel standing there at the foot of the bed.

“I thought you might be coming to this…room.” Castiel muttered as Dean stepped in, and immediately stepped in front of Mika, even though he trusted Castiel. Dean frowned and shook his head.

“No. No no no. You’re not here for anything good.”

“No. I’m not. You need to come with me, now. Just you. We have Alastair and the garrison seems to think you may be our key to…understanding him.” Cas explained simply, glancing over Dean’s shoulder at Mika before meeting Dean’s eyes again as Dean shook his head and laughed.

“Don’t angels know all about him, by now? I mean, it’s not like he hides what he wants. He does…what he wants.” Dean shook his head incredulously, and Castiel didn’t move. He simply tilted his head to the side and he squinted at Dean.

“But you know him better than anyone. That’s why you need to come with me.”



Cason stepped away from the car he had been standing against while Natalia and Dean had their heart to heart. He was so thankful she was back. He was getting worried about the cold air, and her possibly getting sick, but he didn’t want to force the conversation to end. So, he had bit his tongue, but he wasn’t planning to do that much longer, “Yeah. Let’s get you inside before you freeze to death. This is your daily reminder that even though you’re hanging around a demon? You’re still human.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arm around Natalia’s waist as he led the way across the lot, ready to get her all bundled up in bed, preferably in his clothes, and resting. She may have had a pretty long nap that morning, but humans needed sleep-sleep. And sleep-sleep wasn’t something Nat had experienced in a while, that he could remember. As Mika and Dean crossed through the kitchen and into the living room, Cason pulled the kitchen door open and stepped inside, pulling Nat with him.

“Now. Warm house…time for warm bed. No pit stops until we get into the room.” Cason teased Nat as he walked across the living room to Bobby’s room, and pulled Nat inside. He closed the door behind him and quickly shrugged his jacket from his shoulders, quickly followed by his shirt being pulled from his head. Once her ‘pillow’ was sorted, Cason walked over to the bed and he flopped down, stretching his legs out and placing his hands behind his head, “Bare chest…just waiting to be laid on.”



Anna hummed her approval as Sam finally confirmed her words with a simple ‘mine’. She shoved at the waistband of his jeans, letting him take control in pushing them down his own legs and eventually, she heard his belt jingle as his jeans hit the floor. Her body erupted with goosebumps again, as his fingers trailed up her thigh, causing her mouth to fall open against his lips briefly. As his fingers made contact with her bare skin so that he could unbutton her jeans and push them down, she lifted her lower back from the bed, reaching a hand back to shove at the denim until it was far enough down her legs that she could shimmy them down to her ankles and then onto the floor with his pants.

It was then, mostly skin on skin that she melted into him. For once, they were present, there was no lingering fear of death hanging over them, forcing them into each other’s arms. There was no fear of dying, and never experiencing each other, like their first time together. There was just…this. No fear. Nothing but their bodies fitting together as if they were puzzle pieces, designed to snap right back into place…a perfect fit.

Anna opened her mouth to catch her breath, and she weaved her fingers through Sam’s hair, pulling his head back enough to look at her. She smiled breathlessly up at him, “I love you so much…”

When Esme sat on the bed, and her stomach growled, she saw the frown appear on Duke’s face before she asked him to raid the kitchen. Knowing Duke, he’d be fine with some whiskey to hold him off until morning. She could do that too, but with everything that had happened, she needed something solid in her stomach before going to sleep; otherwise, she’d be feeling quite sick in the morning when she woke. That wasn’t something either of them needed to wake up to, especially Duke, who was being so protective of her now. Esme knew he’d never let her leave the RV without a fight if she woke up sick from not eating. The thought made her laugh inwardly. Her smile then grew as he answered her request to raid the kitchen and went to order her not to fall asleep before she read his mind, and he nodded. She knew him well enough to know that those would have been the next words out of his mouth. “Thank you, Love.” she told Duke as he turned and opened the door. Esme didn’t move until he was down the steps, and he closed the RV door behind him.

Taking to her feet, Esme walked over to where she hung her jacket, pulled her phone from one of its pockets, and then walked back to the bed. Before getting on the bed, she unbuckled her belt, undid her pants, and slipped out of them, leaving them in a pile on the floor. She then crawled up on the bed and got under the covers but didn’t lay down, knowing if she did, she’d be out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow. She also needed a shower but was far too tired even to attempt to take one. Esme crossed her legs in front of her, placed her hands in her lap with her phone, and looked around the RV momentarily, taking in everything about it. Most of it she remembered from back in the day, but some things seemed new or things she had missed. “How did I miss that?” she asked herself aloud with a laugh as her eyes fell on a picture of her, Duke, and Dean. Pulling her eyes away from the picture, they soon fell onto two masquerade masks, and Esme couldn’t stop the grin that came to her lips.

“I can’t believe he kept those.” She was tempted to get out of bed and pick them up but was too tired to get out of the bed. As she stared at the masks, the memory of the night came to her mind and swallowed her. Esme could still picture every moment and the music that played in the background. She wore a tight purple dress trimmed in gold that matched her mask, and both boys wore tuxedos. Duke’s mask was a gunmetal gray, and Dean’s was black. They both looked absolutely gorgeous that night. She had walked into the party with them, one on each arm, and was overtaken by the vastness of the place. They were there to get information about a case they were working on and to have a little fun at the same time. After getting the information they had gone there for, the two boys took turns dancing with her, and they all three enjoyed the wine, champagne, food, and each other's company. The night may have ended a little differently than they all intended, but it was still a beautiful memory for her. Pulling herself from the memory, she looked down at her phone and opened it.

Scrolling through her contacts, she selected Sassy’s number and texted her despite it being late. Esme received an answer moments after sending hers. She read the message with a slight smile on her lips. Esme and Sassy sent a few more before stopping moments before Duke returned to the RV. As Duke walked in, Esme looked up from her phone and smiled warmly at him, setting her phone off to her side. “A Bobby special.” she repeated softly, looking at the sandwich on the plate he was holding. She was still a little wary about eating or drinking anything made by Bobby after the whole incident that morning, drinking the glass of whiskey he had made her, and she still wondered what he had put in it. But she trusted Duke and knew he would have watched Bobby make the sandwich and would have put a stop to him adding anything unnecessary to it. “Thank you, Bright Eyes. That’s actually more than I thought you might find in there.” she said warmly as she looked back at him. “I already know the answer, but I will ask anyway. Would you like half of it?” As she waited for his answer, she patted the bed next to her, silently asking him to come over and sit next to her.

MIKA

Mika knew the look Dean was giving her. She could tell he was impressed she was being so willing to give Esme the time of day after everything that happened before tonight. She was impressed with herself deep down as she didn't think she could ever see Esme as someone who deserved her respect, but it seemed she could indeed change and be open to change. She also saw how reacted to the information about Sam and somehow just knew in her heart that until Sam reappeared in front of them all, he would be convinced Sam wouldn't ever come home. Mika on the other hand had faith that Sam and Anna would come back because Sam has her car. If they didn't? It would be easy to trace their location. As he then agreed to get to bed, she was thankful he wasn't going to fight her on the decision and go after Sam. “Good” she smiled at his promise to sleep.

She couldn't help but smirk when he turned her around to face the direction they needed to go in and gently pushed her towards the staircase, something she was used to but never tired of it. She was pretty sure it all started when they were teenagers and he did it as a joke, but it was something that always stuck with them. It was their thing, or at least, she hoped it was just their thing. She was about to say something but his words of thanks for being his voice of reason and promise to be more open stopped her from saying what she originally was going to. “I'm always going to be here for you Dean. I don't plan on going anywhere. When I wrote on that note that day dad pulled me from school, telling you I'd come back for you, I meant it. I still mean it. I'll always find my way back to you and be there when you need me” she told him. She still remembers that day like it was yesterday, how could she not? It was the same damn day her whole family was attacked, just earlier in that day. She slammed that note she quickly scribbled in her sketchbook against the passenger side window as he was on the sidewalk. She had every intention of getting back to him, running away from her parents that night and back to Dean. She never envisioned that would be the night she went crawling to Bobby's for help and John declared she was dead to Dean, to make him move on from her.

Walking up the stairs to her room, she followed him into the bedroom, only to be greeted by Castiel standing at the foot of their bed and Dean instantly going into protective mode. She stood behind him but looked over his shoulder at Castiel, irritated that he just waited for them in her room. Mika felt like it was a complete breach of privacy and felt ever so slightly weirdly violated that an Angel just entered without permission. Listening to their conversation, she instantly put the pieces together in her head. Alastair was the one who tortured Dean in Hell. Coming to that conclusion, she instantly knew there was absolutely no way she was letting the Angels force Dean to be near the demon.

“Like Hell he is going with you to Alastair. Castiel, I get whatever it's for, it must be important but we are human. We need to rest up, it's been a long day and evening. Dean is drained, we all are. So without sleep he is no good to you or anyone.” She said sternly, narrowing her eyes to show Castiel she was not budging on her stance. “so please, give us this one night and tomorrow he can do whatever it is you want, but if he goes, I'm going. That's not a request either” she added.

NATALIA

Nat saw the worry in Cason's face as she got closer to him, or more the point, saw the worry fade from his face as she got to him. She figured it couldn't have been easy for him to stay back as she spoke with Dean, but she was so grateful that he did. When he gave her the daily reminder that she was just a human, she smirked and rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah yeah I know. I'm a fragile human” she retorted in jest as he wrapped an arm round her waist and led the way to the house. It was at this moment she knew he was going to be incredibly clingy and fussy until he was happy that she was safe and warm inside and fully got some proper sleep. Reaching the back kitchen door, she saw through the window Mika and Dean heading upstairs before Cason opened it and pulled her inside declaring that they were to make absolutely no pit stops until they reached Bobby's bedroom.

It was so endearing and amusing to see Cason being like this with her, but she understood it, at least she thought she understood it. She figured he was still being this level of fussy and protective as she did come so close to death the night before and it would be a while before he got less fussy with her. She didn't complain, but she knew she would have to just ride it out until he felt like she wasn't something that would break like a bag of potato chips. “Okay okay” she chuckled back at him, letting him just pull her into the bedroom and close the door behind them both. Inside, she pulled her jacket off and chucked it on the floor across the room before kicking her boots off. Looking up she saw Cason climbing onto the bed, spreading out and topless, making her bite her bottom lip briefly as she walked over to the bed and got onto it. Yanking the throw blanket over her as she did and settled down beside him, her head on his chest, arm over him.

“And laid on it is” she chuckled before yawning, the tiredness suddenly kicking in now she was laying down once again. “I'm really glad you stuck around tonight. Don't think I could have done that chat with Dean if you weren't nearby.” She told him, the need for sleep only getting stronger for her. So much of her wanted to stay awake with Cason, knowing he didn't sleep, but her body was winning out. “Night Cas–” she began to say only to fall asleep before she could even finish saying his name.

SAM

Opening his eyes to look at Anna as she pulled his head back just for a moment, he smiled at her. She really was the most perfect person to him and he knew staying away from the house was literally the best thing they could have done. “I love you so much too Anna. With all my heart” he replied to her, leaning back down and kissing her once more to show her exactly how much he loved her….

Later in the night, he was laid out in the bed, on his back and holding Anna close to him. Out of breath, tired and dopamine levels high, he was the most content he had been for a long time. He didn't even think about the fact they were far enough away from the house that no one could bother them. He just didn't want this night to end even though he was now close to falling asleep happily. Sam had completely let go of all his stress and anger towards his brother and the situation that had befallen them, only letting his happiness of having a completely normal night with Anna fill his mind. “I'm so glad we don't have anything to bother us. It's about time we had quality time to ourselves” he commented, stroking his shoulder with his thumb as he struggled to keep his eyes open as they stared up at the ceiling.

Duke laughed softly as Esme looked over the sandwich he handed her, as if Bobby was going to poison her. He tilted his head back and pointed at the sandwich, “I watched him the whole time. Completely drug free, I promise.”, he muttered, nodding as she thanked him for bringing her food. It was the smallest of gestures, considering how long he had wanted to just take care of her in full, on his own.

“You’re welcome…of course.” He murmured. As she asked him if he wanted half of her food, he frowned, and shook his head. But he did answer her request to sit next to her, closing the small gap and lowering himself onto the bed beside her. He scooted close to her, and draped his arm over her thigh, looking down at the sandwich.

“No, I do not. I would rather you just eat somethin’ and let me have my greasy breakfast in the morning. I’ll survive the night. I promise.” He smiled softly, reaching up and removing his hat. He tossed it over to the sink, and leaned back to her, “And you’re in a lot worse shape than I am. A little food…a little rest…take care of yourself, please. I’ll give the eyes. The eyes get you every time.”

He chuckled, tilting his head forward to look up at her from under his eyebrows, his blue eyes soft and pleading, “Please take care of yourself? For me?”



Dean didn’t even have a chance to respond to Castiel’s request…or rather his order to come with him. Mika said exactly what he was thinking in his mind. He was spent. He was tired. He was a little hungry and he just wanted to go to bed. Whatever was happening with Alastair, if the angels had him, he was going to be in the same position in the morning that he was in at night.

“What she said. Call me in the morning, or show up…just not in this room. You need to learn about personal space, man.” Dean softened his eyes, trying to give Castiel a little grace as he and Mika explained humanity to the angel. Castiel let out a frustrated sigh, and he turned in a circle, holding his arms out to his sides as if he was going to argue, but Dean continued, “I’ll come with you tomorrow.”

“But I can’t take you both. I can’t. My superiors…”

“Screw your superiors. Try that for once. Make a decision that’s going to piss them off. Kick up a little dust. C’mon…you want me to trust you.” Dean stepped forward, pointing at Cas and Cas turned his eyes to the ground, “Then trust me. Whatever you have planned, Mika won’t hurt anything by just…being there. If anything, it’s another set of hands against a demon who is likely trying to outsmart you, right now.”

“Alright! Fine. The girl can come with you. But she cannot be involved. She cannot touch anything. And Sam? He needs to stay away.” Castiel finally conceded and Dean nodded in a wide and resolved way. He held his hand out to Cas and Cas narrowed his eyes.

“Great! Sam’s not even here. He doesn’t have to know about any of this. Come back after we eat breakfast, and me and Mika will be ready for our little road trip. Deal?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Be ready. Be rested and fed. It’s going to be a long day, Dean.” Castiel said simply, and then he disappeared with the flutter of wings. Dean sighed, dipping his head before turning to Mika.

“Well…so much for two days, right?! Dicks.”



Cason smiled softly and tilted his head to the side to kiss Natalia on the top of her head as she laid down on his chest. He reached his hand down and made sure that the blanket was secure around her shoulders, before wrapping his arm around her, holding her tight to his chest. At her words, he shrugged his shoulders a bit and turned his eyes toward the wall that was furthest from the bed, “I wasn’t going anywhere. I could feel the anger and concern vibrating from him, and I’m not even really privy to that kind of power. It was just a vibe. I’m not leaving you outside in the cold with a pissed off brother…”

He chuckled, keeping the chuckle light so he didn’t move her head too much. After a few moments of quiet, she began to tell him goodnight, and he noticed that she had dozed off. He smirked, and brushed a bit of her hair from the side of her face with a sigh, “Goodnight sweetheart…”



Anna lay there, her arm slung over Sam’s chest as her head rested against his collar bone. She listened intently to his heartbeat, as it thundered in his chest and began to slow along with his breathing. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to try and slow her own heart as her eyes burned with sleepiness. She scooted a little closer to him, deciding to just give into the sleepiness and she buried her face in his hair, against the side of his face with a soft sigh.

But when he spoke up, she smiled happily, knowing that he rarely saw a smile from her, but maybe he could feel it against his jaw as she nuzzled into him, “I agree. We should really start spending more time in our room when we’re on the road. Just a thought.”, she joked with a small scoff, trailing her fingers up and down the other side of his jaw soothingly. After what only felt like seconds, she began to drift off, in her happiest of places, buried in Sam’s hair. The smell of his shampoo was the best aromatherapy, and would probably always be calming to her, along with the stubble that tended to grow along his jaw. She fell into the first deep sleep she had experienced in what felt like months, right there…safe.

Esme scrunched her nose a bit when Duke softly laughed at her weariness of the sandwich but smiled when he confirmed her thoughts. But she couldn’t help it. She was too tired to get out of bed and find a place to throw her guts up from something Bobby slipped into the sandwich like he did the whiskey. Duke would have to carry her to bed, which she was sure he wouldn’t mind, but then he would be even more worried about her and never let her out of his sight. Esme also didn’t want to go through it again because she knew she wouldn’t be worth anything in the morning. She was already worried about falling into such a deep sleep that she wouldn’t wake up for a few days, and she could picture the panic on Duke’s face when he couldn’t wake her by talking to or shaking her. Duke had never witnessed that except for small moments when they were a trio, and Dean would kiss her to wake her. She sighed inwardly before looking back at Duke as he came and sat next to her on the bed. She followed his eyes to the sandwich and then looked back at his face.

He gave Esme the answer she thought he would, and she matched his smile. Her eyes never left his face as he removed his hat, tossed it on the sink, and looked back at her. Her smile grew at his next words, and she even laughed with him. Esme knew she was in worse shape than he was, but he was still hurt, too, and she wanted to take care of him. When Duke gave her the eyes, she half wished he was still wearing his hat so she could pull it down over his eyes, but she laughed a little more. “Okay, okay. Stop with the eyes already. I’ll take care of myself.” she told him through her laugh. Looking down at the plate, she picked up half the sandwich and took a bite. “See, I’m eating.” she said through her bite as she looked back at him. Chewing and swallowing the bite she took, her eyes fell to the bandage on Duke’s stomach before returning to his face. “You need to be taken care of too.” she told him. “And don’t you dare tell me you don’t. You know I’ll tie you down and make you let me take care of you.”

Her tone was serious, but a loving smile rested on her lips, showing that she really wanted to take care of him just as he wanted to take care of her. Taking another bite of her sandwich, Esme leaned into Duke and sighed contently, her eyes falling back on the masquerade masks. As she stared at them, another memory of that night came flooding into her mind, and unbeknownst to her, she projected it to Duke as well. Esme had just finished a dance with the owner of the place, and in his drunken state, his hands had started to drift to her ass. She was trying her damndest to keep her cool as she tried to keep his hands away from her ass as they had danced, but when they did, she’d move in such a way that his hand slid off. As the next song started, the owner took her into his arms again and began dancing with her. Keeping a smile, she looked around the room for Dean and Duke, hoping they were done with their part of the job. Just as she spotted Duke, the man's hands found her ass again, and she clenched her jaw.

After making eye contact with Duke, she gave him a look that said, ‘help me out here, please.’ Duke didn’t waste any time weaving his way through the throng, but she lost sight of him when the man turned her to change directions. Once she located him again and he was close, Esme pushed herself away and spun right into his open arms as he asked if he could cut in. The man opened his mouth to argue, but Duke pulled Esme away before he could get a word out. Once they were out of earshot and sight of the owner, she relaxed a bit and sighed. “Man, am I glad to see you. I’m not sure I could handle much more of his groping.” she told Duke. Duke, in his usual manner, smiled brightly at her with a light chuckle and asked her if she wanted him to go and kick his ass. Esme laughed and shook her head. “As tempting as that sounds, no. We don’t need that kind of attention on us.” After agreeing with her, he pushed her from him and spun her, then quickly brought her back to him and led her around the dance floor with a smile resting on his face.

“Did you and Dean find and get the item?” she asked him. He gave her a look that said, ‘I can’t believe you asked that.’ But nodded with a smile before verbally saying they did. “Great. I was a little worried with how many showed up to this party. Guess that means the three of us can enjoy the rest of the night then.” Duke agreed with her with his bright smile and worked his magic with her on the dance floor, drawing everyone's eyes to them as they danced. “Maybe this should have been the distraction. No one can tear their eyes away from us.” she joked before Duke dipped her with a light chuckle. The memory slowly faded as the song ended. They bowed to the crowd, and Dean approached them to get the next dance. Esme released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding while the memory overtook her, dropped her eyes to the plate, and took another bite before her eyes returned to the masks. After chewing and swallowing her mouthful, Esme yawned, now feeling the tiredness settling in. “When I’m not so tired and can hear your full answer. You’ll have to tell me why you kept those.” she said in a soft, tired tone as she gestured to the masks and yawned again.

Esme fell silent and finished her sandwich. Then, she put the plate and her phone off to the side out of the way before settling into the bed with a yawn. Once Duke settled into the bed and was comfortable, she snuggled up to him and tangled her legs up with his. Tilting her head, she looked up at Duke with tired eyes and a tired smile, then placed her hand on his cheek, gently pulling his face closer to hers. “I love you so much, Duke.” she softly whispered against his lips. Esme then closed her eyes and kissed him lovingly, falling asleep in the middle of the kiss. Her sleep started out peaceful, but later on, it turned into a nightmare. She found herself back in the asylum, reliving the experiments they did on her. Little did she know, she was sharing it with Duke as he slept.

MIKA

Mika knew she was sounding harsh and crass but right now she didn't care. Like Dean, she was tired and rather hungry, only now realizing that none of the food Sam and the others brought back for them actually got eaten. Yet as Dean openly spoke in agreement with her, she knew she didn't step out of line talking to Castiel the way she did. Sure, she was forever grateful to Castiel for bringing Dean back from Hell and to her again, but she still felt suspicious about him and his kind. It was honestly still mind baffling to her that Angels existed. She watched as Dean tried to reason with Castiel, whilst also teaching him that in no way can the Angel just show up in this room again unannounced. She was glad that Dean also thought it was out of order for Cas to show up the way he did, as she really did feel protective of her room. It was her only space she considered hers and Dean's, she didn't want Angels knowing about it or more to the point, snooping in it.

The moment Castiel said he wasn't going to take the both of them in the morning, she felt a little bit of annoyance bubble up inside as there was no way she was going to let Dean go it alone. If this Alastair was the demon who tortured Dean and made him almost a shell of what he once was, then she wasn't going to let Dean get near him without her being around. Luckily for her, Dean wasn't okay with that announcement from Castiel either and he fought her corner. So she didn't have to verbally fight for her right to be there as well. She sighed with relief when Cas finally gave in to Dean's argument to bring her with him, glad that he seemingly didn't want to go without her. She was willing to stay out of the way unless she really had to step in and no Angel was going to stop her. She just hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Mika didn't like that they had to keep Sam out of it, it somehow felt wrong but judging by the way Castiel was looking at Dean and clearly not happy about conceding to Dean's negotiation, she wasn't going to push it by asking why Sam had to stay away.

With Castiel now gone, the feeling of his wings being felt by her, but she didn't know why as it never seemed like anyone else could feel it, she sighed and walked over to Dean. “Yeah, it really was too good to be true huh?” She replied, rubbing his arms gently. “So I guess we should rest up and then prepare for whatever it is the Angels are dragging you into” she told him softly. She really wished the world would just give him a break. Sliding her hands down his arms to his hands, she stepped toward the bed, pulling him gently with her before letting his hands go so she could get out of her hoodie and shorts and get into bed, whilst thinking how glad she was Castiel didn't appear when her and Dean were being intimate on the couch earlier or in a very similar state to then. As she pulled back her duvet to get in her side of the bed, the thought made her smirk and softly chuckled under her breath, “as much as it annoys me he was just in here, at least he didn't appear at an even more awkward time” she told him.

“Though, probably would serve him right if he did” she chuckled in a tired manner, swinging her legs up onto the bed and scooting down to lay down, she waited for him to get in so she could get comfortable beside him. When he was in and she could snuggle up to him, she wrapped a leg round his, arm draping over his chest as she always did and head on his shoulder. “try get some sleep handsome. I love you” she said, leaning her head up just enough to kiss his cheek before settling back again for the night and falling asleep until morning rose once more.

NATALIA

Like Esme, Natalia began to sleep peacefully for the night until the nightmares found their way back into her mind. Slithering into her happy dreams like snakes and coiling around them until all there was nightmares. She tried to get rid of them in her sleep, but it was so difficult. The memories of her latest lot of torture from the night before replaying in her mind as if she was watching them on a big screen in a drive thru movie theatre. Except she had a front row seat and was not just the spectator but the actor as well. Gripping onto Cason for comfort without knowing it, her mind still tried to fight through to find some kind of solace.

As her dream self managed to fight through, she thought it was the end of it, her sleeping body beginning to slowly relax once more until another memory from way before she joined her brothers charged her mind like some horror movie jumpscare. Knocking her dream self onto the ground of the dark space she was in, forcing her to replay every moment.

”I don't know anything! Please! Let me go!” She cried in the seat, cuffed tightly to it at the wrists, ankles and forehead. “see that's not going to happen because if your daddy dearest is John Winchester, then there's no way you don't know about your brothers Dean and Sam! It's just all about unlocking that little brain of yours to tell us where they are!” A demon retorted back to her in an almost sing-song tone of voice. “I don't have brothers! I'm an only child, please stop!” She begged before getting something shoved in her mouth and the next thing she felt was intense electric pain through her head from the electric shock therapy. Screaming through the pain, she eventually slumped in the chair when it stopped, feeling dopey and weak as she panted, trying to regain her breath. “Now tell us, where are your brothers and why doesn't John have you with them?” She heard the question be asked, but she couldn't answer. Her mind is still feeling the effects of the electricity surging through her temples. “That's enough, she's clearly not gonna tell you anything and if she takes anymore you'll just wipe her memory of the Winchester's anyway.” A voice said from the doorway, but her vision was too blurry to see who it was, but the voice…it sounded familiar somehow.

With a growl of annoyance, she got uncuffed from the chair and roughly hoisted into the wheelchair they brought her into the room in, her head just dropped downward, unable to have the strength to lift it. “give her an hour break then it's the next round. Maybe that will give her time to give us the answers we want!” She heard said, tears silently falling down her cheeks.

Those tears fell down her face in real time, landing on Cason's chest as she felt trapped by her own memories. Memories she wanted to forget but couldn't, and not the memories she lost but wanted back so much. Unable to fully stir until the morning.

SAM

Sam couldn't help but smile as Anna scooted closer to him, more so than she already was and traced her finger around his jaw. It was such a soft action that it was beginning to truly lull him into sleep. He could feel his own heart rate and breathing begin to slow down as they just laid there in the bed, fully alone. Her little quip about making more time for their own room when out and about made him lightly chuckle, “I'm sure we can find time” he replied with a soft and light chuckle, so as not to move her too much. He was going to wish her good night but he realized just from her breathing that she had already fallen asleep. Smiling, he tilted his head just enough to kiss her head before he closed his eyes himself and let sleep take control.

—

Once morning rose, sunlight trying to break through the curtains of the motel room. Sam stirred calmly and felt a lot more refreshed than he had done in a long time. He couldn't remember the last time he woke up feeling this refreshed. He figured being away from the house was the answer as well as being close with Anna again. Glancing down at her, he smiled, brushing her hair away from her face gently as he took in her features. He didn't want to wake her or disturb her, so he stayed where he was and looked around the room before his eyes fell onto his phone on the bedside table. With his free hand, he carefully reached out and picked it up to check the time, 7:30am. He also saw there were several texts on it that had built up overnight and he presumed it would be Dean or Mika checking up on him, but it wasn't. It was Ruby. Opening up the messages, it was just a barrage of annoyed messages asking him why he ignored her phone calls and he had to pick up the damn phone. Sighing, he hit the delete button on the entire conversation, not wanting them to ruin his good mood. Placing the phone back on the table, he wrapped Anna up in his arms again, kissing the top of her head before wrapping his legs around her.

Nothing was going to ruin this morning if he could help it.

Duke laughed softly as Esme complained about him giving her the eyes. He knew it would work. It always worked. It was like his super power with the women in his life. He turned the eyes off, softening his face into a comfortable smile as she picked up the sandwich and took a bite, causing him to sigh with relief, “Good. Eat. That’s all I want you to do.”, he murmured, bringing up his hand and brushing her cheek with his thumb in a quick motion. He followed her eyes down to his stomach and he frowned a bit, tilting his head before turning his eyes back to hers. He started to shake his head, but she cut him off before he could argue too much.

Her words caused him to smirk with mischief and he shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. That don’t exactly sound bad, as long as its you tyin’ me up. I’m down for…new things.”

As she leaned into him, a memory began to slip into his mind, thanks to Esme being tired and accidentally projecting it onto him. The memory was one of the strangest and yet best nights of Duke’s life. As the memory played out, Duke remembered distinctly the sound of the woman he had been dancing with calling the name he had given her. He had pulled away from her the second that he saw Esme’s pleading eyes, and the groping that she was dealing with. He remembered the pang of jealousy that flooded his chest, but also the worry for her safety that took over that jealousy.

As he cut in, Esme’s body pressed to his, safe and sound as they danced caused his head to swim. His own voice flooded through some of the haze and he smiled outwardly at the offer.

“I can break his arm. He won’t be feelin’ anyone up for a while…”

But she had refused his offer, and simply danced with him. It was the closest he had been to her, other than the hug they had shared right after they met. That dress, her makeup, the way her hair sat just right against the side of her face…it all drew him in and for a moment, he had to admit that he was a bit more attached to her than he would ever express out loud.

It was that night that he had admitted to her one of his favorite grifts, swindling old rich women at parties. He wooed them, took their husbands to the cleaners, bedded a few of them, and then blew through town like the cowboy he was. As they danced, the memory began to fade just a bit, and he shook his head, turning his eyes back to Esme’s face in the present as she mentioned the masks. His eyes turned to them, and he smiled softly, “Just a little reminder of…that night. Better times.”

Back in the day, Duke would have been weirded out by the fact that Esme’s memories were projecting onto him, but now that he knew about her powers, and her lack of control over them when she was tired, he just…accepted it. As long as the memories were good, he would just roll with it.

Duke scooted back on the bed, and he moved his pillows around, laying back and pulling the covers up around his shoulders. He reached out, pulling Esme close as she snuggled up to him, her legs tangling with his in their little puzzle game they always played under the blankets. He could tell that she was about five seconds away from passing out, when she pulled him close and whispered sweet words against his lips. He smiled softly, reaching his hand up to brush through the side of her hair, “I love you, Sweet Pea.”

As he kissed her back, he felt her face relax, and he chuckled through his nose, pulling her into his chest. He kissed her hair and wrapped her up in his arms, leaning his cheek against the top of her head as he fell asleep.

—————————

Duke awoke from the most vivid dream he had dealt with in a long time. As his eyes shot open and he gasped for air, he replayed some of the dream in his brain, trying to figure out where he had seen any of it. He didn’t remember that being…a thing for him. He knew it couldn’t be the future or anything, because Esme looked so much younger to him in the dream. It was then, thinking of Esme, that he realized that the dream was most likely a night mare she was projecting onto him in her sleep.

With a sigh, he brought his hand up and ran it through his sweaty blonde hair, staring at the ceiling as he realized it was morning, and the sun was peeking through the small windows of the RV. He turned his head, glancing down at Esme as she slept, but she felt extra heavy on his arm, like she was really….really out. He frowned, and leaned his head a little closer to her, realizing that her breathing wasn’t blowing his hair at all. In a slight panic, he pulled the blankets back from them and pulled his arm from under her head.

“Esme?” He whispered, adjusting to lean over her as he rolled her onto her back. She was completely limp, and looking down at her from this angle, she didn’t appear to be breathing at all. He brought his shaky hand down to her neck, feeling for her pulse, which made him sigh with a tiny bit of relief. He could feel it, but it was deep and slow, “Don’t do this to me. C’mon. Wake up sweetheart.”

He moved his hand from her neck, wrapping his fingers around her jaw to shake her head a bit, trying to jar her from her sleep. He patted her cheek and nothing. Closing his eyes, he clenched his jaw, trying to find somewhere in his brain the solution here. She could have fallen asleep and started bleeding in her brain or something. She did hit her head really hard back at the barn. He let out a shaky breath, tempted to go get Dean. Dean would know what to do.

“Baby please…c’mon wake up.” He whispered, as his eyes clouded over with a few scared tears. After a moment of just scanning her face for any signs of movement, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, inhaling through his nose as a tear fell onto her cheek.



Dean sighed as Mika suggested that he should rest with her, after Castiel left them. He wasn’t ready to be dragged into anything with angels, after everything they had dealt with. Typically, they at least got a few days of downtime in between hunts, and he didn’t know why it couldn’t be the case this time…other than the stupid seals and the stupid apocalypse looming. Dean unbuttoned his jeans and he slipped them off his legs, as she let him go and walked over to the bed. He shrugged off his jacket and then reached back to pull his t-shirt from his body, tossing it toward the dresser as he walked over to the bed.

As Mika chuckled, Dean glanced to her and he smirked, “I mean, it’s only appropriate that he gets to feel as uncomfortable as he makes others feel when he just shows up. I swear, he’s going to pop into the bathroom to talk to me one day, while I’m fully nude…”

Dean walked around to his side of the bed, and he pulled the blankets back, climbing in and settling against the pillows. He laid his arm out against the other pillow, expecting Mika to curl up on him, and when she did, he sighed happily, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“I’ll do my best to rest. My brain is buzzing a lot right now…” Dean muttered, tilting his head to press his cheek against Mika’s head after she kissed his cheek. He stared off into space, thoughts of what the angels had planned for him…with Alastair of all people buzzing around in his head. After a while, he had apparently fallen asleep.

——————

Dean awoke with a start, having nightmares of Hell for the first time in what felt like forever. He tensed up on Mika, breathing a sigh of relief the second he felt her breath against his jaw. She was fine. He was fine. They were alive and it was apparently morning. He didn’t move, just stared at the ceiling for a moment as he tried to still his racing heart.

He had a bad feeling about today…



Cason stared at the ceiling all night, frowning at times when Nat would twitch in her sleep, or he would notice her breathing changing. But he didn’t wake her up. Even with the nightmares he could tell she was having, she needed the rest. But as the morning broke, he wrapped his arms tighter around her, deciding that enough was enough as she began to cry again. He could feel the hot splatters of tears against his bare chest and he frowned.

“Hey. Baby wake up.” He whispered in the dim light of the room, shaking her shoulder a bit. He didn’t know what she was dreaming about, but he could imagine a few scenarios. He scooted himself to where he could whisper in her ear, nuzzling his nose against the side of her face, “Wake up. I’m right here.”



Anna didn’t stir when Sam first touched her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, but when his touch came back and he wrapped up on her, she smiled pleasantly and her eyes fluttered open a bit against the side of his neck. His kiss to the top of her head made her smile a bit wider, “Good morning. You seem mighty lovey after last night.”, she murmured against his skin, before kissing his neck.

She pulled her head back a bit to stare into his sleepy hazel eyes, just sinking into them. She felt as if she had never really watched his eyes, or been able to appreciate the wave of humanity that just sat behind them, screaming to be seen. He held so much empathy and repressed love there, and she wanted to swim in the bluish green.

“Waking up with you sure is nice.” She whispered against his lips as she smiled, brushing his hair back from the side of his face with her fingertips. She trailed her fingers down his jaw and over his cheek, before tracing his eyebrow, just taking in all of the features she had yearned to see this close for what felt like a lifetime. “Seeing your face is also nice…I’ve missed you being so close.”

As Esme dreamt about her time in the asylum, she could not only see every detail vividly but could also feel, hear, see, and smell everything from that time. She could still feel the straps holding her down tightly in the gurney as the demons poked, prodded, beat, stabbed, and broke her bones while they did their experiments on her to see how each liquid they injected reacted to her body. They also put her through tremendous amounts of streets, fear, anger, and sorrow but never rage as they were too afraid to push her that far, fearing what she might be able to do, and they were told not to by their boss. They were to wait until they were in a more controlled environment. Esme could still hear the generator's hum that powered the lights and the beeping machines hooked up to her. She could still feel the various items shoved into her mouth to muffle her screams while they did the experiments and the shock therapy. When the memory faded and Duke woke, Esme was plunged into darkness before she found herself lying in an open field filled with lavender, lupins, lilies, and a little stream. She hadn't seen it in person in years, but it was always a place of pure comfort.

As Esme lay among the flowers, she heard Duke’s voice say her name. He sounded miles away, but it didn't sound like him. “Who’s there?” she called out but received no answer in return. She then sat up, keeping her left leg straight and bending her right knee toward her chest. Dropping right arm over her knee, she rested her chin on her arm and looked out over the field. Esme was enjoying the peace when a male voice called out to her. “Esme, Honey? I know you need rest. And this is your comfort place, but you can’t stay. You need to go back, Little Wolf.” Tears welled up in Esme’s eyes before she lifted her head and looked at him. “Daddy?” she breathed. Scrambling to her feet, she ran over and wrapped him in a tight hug, which he returned as she softly cried into him. “I miss you so much. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.” she cried. Her father smiled warmly and stroked the back of Esme’s head. “Shhh, you have nothing to be sorry for, My Little Wolf.” her father told her. Esme lifted her head and looked at her father as he continued.

“ I knew what I was walking into, as did the others. We all knew there was a chance it was a trap and we wouldn’t make it out. That’s why I sent you after those ghosts.” He leaned in and kissed Esme’s forehead, causing her to close her eyes and making a few tears roll down her cheeks. “If I would have been faster after you called, maybe I ……” Her father sighed heavily at her words and shook his head. “No, not even then could you have brought me back.” he whispered sadly. Lifting a hand, he brought it to Esme’s cheek and wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t use better judgment that day so I could have been there to help you through everything you’ve been through. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to get you out of that asylum.” he said, hugging Esme again. “I’m sorry for what they did to you.” Esme hugged him back with a sniffle and shook her head against his shoulder, silently telling him he didn’t need to apologize. “Don’t apologize for that. No one could have known that would happen.” she said softly. After a moment, Esme lifted her head from her father's shoulder and looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

Her eyes held sadness and questions, and he sighed. “I know you have lots of questions after having to go back to the asylum. I want to tell you, but I don’t have the time to give you the answers you want.” he told her. “You have to get back to him. He’s worried about you.” Esme looked at her father, confusion written on her face. “Him?” she questioned. “Duke. You need to get back to him. He needs you.” he told her. Esme’s eyes widened with surprise that she had momentarily forgotten about Duke. The word ‘worried’ echoed in her mind, and then it hit her. Duke must be trying to wake her, but she can’t and is getting scared. Esme didn’t want to leave her father, but she wanted to return to Duke. “I don’t know how to get out of here without sleeping it off.” she told her father. “But I need something answered…. Is it true Mama made a deal with a demon, and I’m the product of that deal?” Esme watched as her father’s features hardened a bit and then nodded. “Yes, she did, but was tricked into making that deal. Your mother wasn’t familiar with demons and the other things that go bump in the night. I never told her about what I did until I had to. The demon claimed she was a “miracle worker” and could help her have the child she always wanted.”

He paused with a sigh, dipping his head a moment before looking back at Esme. “Your mother desperately wanted a baby. She wanted a small family. So she jumped at the chance even though it sounded too good to be true…. I couldn’t stop her. I was off getting us drinks at the bar when she unknowingly made the demon deal.” he admitted. “So, Valdin was right.” Esme breathed. “Yes, he was.” he answered her. “I’m sorry I never told you. I thought I was protecting you, Little Wolf.” “I understand.” she told him softly. “You'll find out all the other answers you seek in time. Now focus on waking up before that Cowboy of yours thinks you’ve fallen into a coma or you’re about to die on him. Who I approve of by the way.” he told her. Esme nodded with a light smile and focused on waking up, but nothing was happening. But then she lifted her fingers to her lips as she felt a warmth on them and could feel herself waking. Duke must have kissed her. Lowering her fingers, Esme looked back at her father with a warm smile. “I love you, Daddy.” “I love you too, Little Wolf.” he smiled warmly.

Esme’s father and safe place faded away, and she found herself in darkness again, but she felt Duke’s lips against hers, and a tear fall onto her cheek. ‘Oh, Duke.’ she thought. She concentrated on Duke’s lips on hers and finally woke, inhaling deeply through her nose as she kissed him back. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw the fear in his teary blue eyes before she felt it hit her hard. She knew he’d be scared about her not waking, but not this scared. Her not waking up had scared the hell out of him. “Duke.” she said sadly, her eyes matching her tone. Esme quickly wrapped her arms around Duke. Pulled him to her and hugged him tightly, her hand resting on the back of his head. “Shhhh, it’s okay. I’m here.” she whispered. “I’m sorry I scared you.” She stroked his hair and kissed the side of his head. Tears welled in her eyes as she nuzzled her head against his and closed her eyes. “I’m here, Bright Eyes. I’m here.” She fought not to let her tears show in her tone, but she was sure she failed. Her tears were a combination of feeling Duke’s fear and from seeing her father and talking to him, which was strange and soothing all at the same time.

MIKA

Dean's racing heartbeat became one factor to Mika stirring awake. Something in her subconscious was telling her to wake as Dean was worked up. Giving him a light squeeze as a form of a hug whilst she opened her eyes, she looked up at him. “Hey…it's okay. You're alright” she said soothingly, lifting a hand up to his face to make him look at her and not the ceiling. “Did you get any sleep?” She asked him, worried he was up all night. If he had been, she would have been even more annoyed at the Angels for putting so much on his shoulders. She was just glad that he wasn't going into this Alastair situation completely alone. She was going to be there for him the whole time and have his back. No matter what and screw the angels if they tried to stop her. “I got you” she reminded him, not realizing just how big of a bad feeling it was he had about the day. It was clear though that he wasn't feeling hopeful or positive about any of it.

She wished more than anything that she could take his place and just not have him do something that was so obviously haunting him. She wished she could take away all of his pain and memories of Hell and just leave the positive ones of his life in his head. It wasn't a case of wanting to fix him, but a case of wanting to ease his pain. “I'm gonna be right with you the whole time today okay? Whatever it is they want you to do. I'm not leaving you” she reminded him, propping herself up on an elbow into the mattress and leaving a gentle kiss on his lips for a moment before pulling back, stroking his cheek. “Never forget- I love you” she said, wanting to fill his mind with as many happy things as she could before they forced themselves to get up and go downstairs for breakfast. If she could stall them leaving for any amount of time she fully planned on it.

’Have his back but be alert’ echoed through her mind, it was an obvious thought but one she had to push back or she'd start worrying as much, if not more than Dean already was. He needed one of them to be the strong one right now and she wanted to be that person for him. He had been the strong one so many times for her, she had to repay that. Though something about the thought in her mind just didn't feel quite like her own, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that. She figured it was just the stress of the impending situation playing tricks on her mind.

“Guess we should get up and go downstairs…” she finally sighed. Pecking his lips once more, she forced herself to peel away from Dean's hold, pulling back the covers and getting up, walking over to her drawers where she pulled out some clean clothes and got dressed. She didn't know how soon it would be before Castiel just appeared and Dean's comment last night about Castiel appearing when Dean was in the shower, wasn't something she wanted to happen to her. Grabbing her hairbrush, she sorted her hair out as she had a light case of bed hair.

NATALIA

Cason's voice broke through the nightmares that Natalia was having, making her wake up abruptly, but frozen in her position. She gasped as she woke up, it taking a few seconds for her to see that she wasn't back in that god forsaken demon run building, but actually in Bobby's house, with Cason and perfectly safe. Raising one arm up to her face, she used her forearm to wipe the tears away from her face, looking up at Cason, taking in his face to ground herself and calm her breathing. “Cason?” She asked as if needing clarification that she was in fact safe until it truly sunk in. Natalia found herself hugging him, burying her face into him, relieved she wasn't back there and it was all just nightmare after nightmare. She hoped they would have been over and wouldn't plague her anymore, but it seemed that was merely a pipe dream not to come true any time soon. “I wish those memories would just leave me alone… I can't stand reliving that pain over and over…” she grumbled, hoping that she didn't thrash out or hurt him in her sleep as she was well aware she thrashed about in the nightmares her mind replayed over and over again.

She didn't want to pull away from Cason, feeling like he was a wall between her and what tormented her. For a demon, he really did give off a lot of calm to her, probably more than he would ever think. At least for a change, she had him by her side through it all and not on her own in a room, like she usually was before Cason came back into her life. She would eventually lift her head and look him in the eyes once more, pressing her forehead against his as her breathing finally steadied itself. “I hope I didn't attack you in my sleep” she told him, keeping her head where it was. She knew she'd have to get up at some point soon, but she really didn't want to. As strange as she found using Bobby's room was to her, it also felt like a little bit of a private sanctuary for her and Cason to be close without anyone giving them judging eyes. She also assumed they all still had two days of nothingness like Castiel said the other night, so what was the harm in relaxing in bed for a bit?

SAM

Sam pulling her in, waking her and Anna pointing out how loving he was being this morning made Sam smile back at her. “I can't help it. It's easy to be this way when I'm waking up beside you and I feel the most refreshed I have done in months” he replied to her truthfully as she kissed his neck. He looked back into her eyes when she pulled her head back to look at him, unable to rid himself of the smile on his face. He let her tender touch burn into his mind as she brushed her hand through his hair and down the side of his face. He let her take in his features as if it was the first time, just happy that she seemed a lot happier this morning than she did the night before. It was honestly a real big relief to him that she was smiling and feeling able to just be herself again for a while.

“I agree, it is nice waking up beside you” he replied before continuing to reply to her next comment that made him softly and lightly chuckle. “I've missed you being this close too, Anna. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you smiling this morning. I have missed seeing you smiling” he said, lifting a hand up and stroking her face with his thumb. She really was a sight for sore eyes and he didn't want this type of morning wake up to end. She was his end game, and no matter what he would do anything to keep her safe, smiling and happy. It also helped that as far as he was concerned or knew, they didn't have any hunts on the agenda for a while and they could just spend this time to be a normal partner to Anna. At least, he was determined to try and keep the moment normal and non life threatening. He knew at some point he would have to talk to Dean, but for now he was content letting Dean stew on what made him walk away last night for a little while longer. Just as he was content leaving Ruby waiting for a while longer. As long as he eventually drove them back so Mika could have her car back, he was no in rush to head back.

Duke flinched and he gasped through his nose as Esme began to kiss her back, and her breathing deepened. The relief that washed over him mixed itself with the intense fear and sent his heart racing off somewhere into space, as it hammered in his chest and he opened his eyes, looking down at Esme. He scanned her face, making sure she was actually awake and he wasn’t just being hopeful, his blue eyes burning with a mixture of fear and many other emotions.

“Hey there…” He breathed, as she said his name. It was like the sweetest music that had ever played on earth, just knowing that at least…she was alive. As she pulled him in, he squeezed his eyes tight against her shoulder, just burying his face in her neck as she held him and stroked her hair. He wasn’t much of a cryer, but that felt different. The idea of losing her…especially after everything they had both been through was overwhelming. His fear was overtaken by a sense of relief, but his heart didn’t really know the difference, continuing to hammer away under his skin as he pressed a soft kiss to Esme’s neck, letting her voice wash over him.

After a few moments, he sniffled and tilted his head back, pressing a kiss to her jaw. He could tell that she was just as emotional as he was, and he had to assume that it was his own emotion that was affecting her, something he tried really hard not to put her through. She had a hard enough time around the intense emotions that tended to fill every house and motel that the group traveled through. He took a deep breath to calm himself down a bit, and brought his hand up to tangle in her hair, curling his fingers against her scalp to try and sooth her.

“I’m okay. I’m alright. You’re alright.” He muttered against her skin, reaching back with his other hand to pull her hand back, so he could lean back and look down at her. “I’m alright. Let’s breathe together. C’mon…”

He pressed his forehead against Esme’s, sniffling back his own emotions a bit as he took a deep breath, doing his best to calm down with her.



Dean took a deep breath as Mika’s arms tightened around him. She was alright. He was alright…at least physically. When her voice came through, soothing and sweet, Dean took another deep breath and he glanced down at her face, letting her pull his gaze to her. He nodded simply when she asked if he had slept. Truth was, he had been in a deep sleep, until the images of Hell came washing back in like a tidal wave he had almost forgotten was in his mind. Usually, he was so busy that he didn’t even think about Hell. Yeah, he had the odd flashback here and there, but not the nightmares anymore…not really.

He melted into Mika’s touch a bit, bringing himself down to reality as he gazed into her eyes and tried to slow his heart a little more. No one else would see him like this. He didn’t allow anyone to see his fear, or any sort of vulnerability that wasn’t useful to the job…except her. As long as Mika was with him, he could at least get it out of his system. He could show her those little moments that made him feel weak and small. He could let her shoulder some of that weight with him, even if he really didn’t want her to.

Dean nodded slowly and he swallowed, clenching his jaw as Mika stated that she would stay with him, no matter what they were facing with the angels. On one hand he was so thankful, but on the other hand, he regretted sticking up for her decision, and allowing her to put herself in what he was starting to feel might be a danger she had never faced. Her kiss to his lips pulled him out of his conflicted thoughts, and he kissed her back. He was tempted to pull his hand up, tangle it in her hair and convince her to never leave the bed. If they didn’t leave the house, nothing could happen to them…either of them.

“I love you…” He whispered, his heart swelling a bit as her skin brushed his cheek. He knew they had to leave this room and they had to get some food in them, because they didn’t know what they were even walking into, but he was content to tell the angels to shove it and let them do whatever they were planning to do to him in return. But when Mika broke the silence and said they should get up, Dean sighed, and he nodded. He dropped his head a bit deeper into the pillows for a moment as she left the bed. He brought his hand up and ruffled his own hair, before rolling out of bed and onto his feet.

“I don’t know how we’re going to convince the others that they can’t come with us…” Dean grumbled, walking over to his bag. He quickly pulled a black t-shirt and a simple blue overshirt along with his jeans. He tossed the clothing on the bed and then carefully nudged his boots across the floor until they were next to the bed, “You know they’re gone throw a fit. Maybe if we promise Nat that she can get to us if we can get her whatever location…she will feel less left out. I dunno. And Sam…”

Dean sighed, pulling his t-shirt over his head with a huff. He picked up his overshirt, shrugging his arms through it and then picked up his pants, “I feel like Sam should just sit this one out, like Cas said. If the angels want him out, we probably shouldn’t argue.”

He yanked his jeans over his legs, stepping into his boots as his feet appeared through the leg holes. He turned and sat on the bed, quickly tying his boots, and then flattened his jeans, standing and walking toward Mika. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and kissed the side of her neck.

“But I need you to be the most careful…alert…all of it, today. We are both coming out of this in one piece. Promise me you’ll be careful.” He whispered against her neck, placing another soft kiss to her shoulder.



Cason tilted his head back a bit when Nat gasped and jolted awake. He didn’t touch her or say anything at first, letting her ground herself to reality as she wiped her tears and took him in. He nodded gently as she spoke his name, confirming to her that he was indeed real and not part of some terrible nightmare she was having, “Yeah. I’m right here. I got you.”

He barely moved, just letting her wrap up in him, burying her face. He stroked the back of her head gently, holding her to him as she calmed herself down but her words about ‘reliving the pain over and over’ made him furrow his brow. Of course she had been dreaming about the Asylum. It was a memory that he wished she didn’t have, along with all of her other partially forgotten memories. But unfortunately, it seemed to be one of the most prominent memories she contended with.

After a few moments, she pulled back and rested her forehead against his, and he found her eyes smiling a bit as she voiced her concern that she had hurt him in her sleep. He shook his head, and chuckled, “No. You were surprisingly still. No attacks. I didn’t even have to hold you down.”

He pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose, and brought his hand up to brush some of her hair away from the side of her face, letting his hand rest there as he brushed a stray tear away from the corner of her eye, “Besides, I heal fast and I don’t sleep. The least I could be, if you needed it, is some sort of demonic punching bag.”, he teased, smiling to do his best to cheer up any sort of sadness that might still be lingering from her dream.



Anna didn’t even realize that she was smiling. The corners of her mouth tried to turn downward, as if the reminder of her smile was something wrong. Like she wasn’t allowed. But she was with Sam, alone in this room. If anyone deserved to see her show an emotion that wasn’t sadness or anger, it was definitely Sam. She leaned into his touch, turning her eyes up with a slightly wider smile.

“And I’m sure there there are a million ways you could make me smile. I don’t do it enough. Sorry I’ve been so sour…” She murmured, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips as she brought her hand up and wrapped her small hand around his wrist gently. She tapped each of her fingers against his skin, and the pulled that same hand up to the side of his neck, resting her fingers against his skin. “And being close enough, with enough time to just feel your heart beating, to watch your eyes as they change with the way you talk, to see what Sam Winchester looks like when he’s in love…with no demons meddling with his mind.”

She let his heart thunder beneath her fingers, and brushed his nose with hers, just enjoying the peace for a little while longer while she had him…all of him. This was one of those moments that made her want to snatch him up and run away with him. They could find some place to settle down, where no one could find them. They could live in peace, away from all the angels and the demons…somehow. They could leave the life, together. They could escape. But…

That wasn’t in the cards, while the angels were so focused on the seals. She knew that. She knew that until the job was finished, Sam was stuck. They were both stuck and they had to take advantage of the little moments of normal, in hopes that it could become permanent in the future.