The sun rose with the dying echoes of Melilah's song, and with it, came two very groggy and tired brothers. Dean, as usual, was the first to rise. He grudgingly showered and packed up his things, Sam still snoozing contentedly in his bed, limbs thrown across the bed in a very humorous manner. Dean was tying his boots when the youngest Winchester woke up, yawning and stretching. Dean usually would have cracked a "rise and shine sleeping beauty', but he didn't feel like talking much this morning, and even in the haze of waking up, it didn't go unnoticed by Sam.

"No degrading remarks? Seriously, dude. Something's wrong with you."

"No, there isn't." was all that Dean growled back. Normally Sam would have given him the infamous bitchface, but there was something in Dean's voice that made him almost retreat back into the sheets for protection. Dean finished tying his boots and stood up, downing the last of the whiskey he had started to chug last night after…

Right. Her. After Dean and Melilah had their confrontational, the hunter had dashed straight into the room, slamming the door closed and drinking in a manner that should have killed him. Naturally, Winchesters don't go down that easily. He had felt a rejecting pain he hadn't felt in a very long while, and it hurt- badly. The aches of that pain still lingered in his chest. He had so wished she felt the same- but his desires had been in vain. She wasn't any different from angels or demons or anyone. He had thought she was more human in heart than in power. He was wrong. The hangover effects were throbbing in his head, and he actually struggled keeping his eyes open, everything fuzzy and red flashing around his vision. He groaned when Sam opened the window to shed in some light, covering his face with his arm as he dropped down on his unmade bed.

"Sam, shut those blinds," he griped, curling into a ball. Sam couldn't help but snicker at Dean's miserable state, but had to wonder why. Ever since Mel had joined Team Free Will, Dean hadn't drunk a single ounce of alcohol. He hadn't either, now that he thought about it. Why was Dean so hungover?

"Light's good for you, Dean."

"No. It fucking sucks," snapped the older Winchester as he threw the pillow over his head, trying to cease the relentless throbbing of his head. Raising his eyebrow, Sam walked to the edge of Dean's bed, sitting down on it as he watched his older brother writhe around in the aches of his hangover. Patting Dean encouragingly on his calf, Sam sighed.

"What's wrong, dude? What happened last night?"

"She turned me down, Sammy."

"She turned you- what?" asked a puzzled Sam as he took in Dean's sudden willingness to open up. Dean moved his head out from under the pillow and looked at his little brother, eyes puffy with the remnants of last night's tears and this morning's overshadow. Sam went wide eyed as he really looked at how much of a wreck Dean was. He looked physically ill, all from feeling rejected.

"Do we need to summon Cas?" asked Sam softly, looking at Dean with a very apologetic gaze, feeling very sorry for him. Normally Dean got any woman he wanted, without a lot of effort either. Maybe Melilah being a phoenix was unable to experience deeper feelings other than shameless flirting she and Dean often exchanged. Sam knew such was the case with angels, demons and such. Being with Ruby had proven that true. He grimaced a little at the memories.

Dean shook his head 'n'o very slowly, sniffling. "He doesn't need to see me like this, moping over a wom- a monster I thought I felt things for. I'm a fool, Sam. I let my guard down and it only got me hurt again." Moped the oldest Winchester as a few tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, from both the throbbing and the hurt in his heart. Sam didn't have any words to say. He liked Melilah, admired her greatly. Her being around had filled a little gap in his own heart that had been missing his entire life, never having the knowledge or care of a mother, just a hardass father with a protective older brother. Shortly after her joining them, Sam had been in the motel room with her, both of them reading from a Latin book as she taught him different inflections to make spells even more effective.

It was like he was a little boy again, a mother that he never had teaching him how to read, just in a different perspective now that he was a grown man. He and the redhead had bonded very quickly. Not that he would mention this to anyone, but he had imagined this new motherly figure stepping into his life marrying his older brother, who had been the father figure for the majority of it. Seems all those happy thoughts were tossed into the garbage now.

"Where did she go?" asked Sam softly. "Don't know, and I don't want to care. She probably left to go join Lucifer for all we know." Was Dean's only response.

"That's uncalled for, Dean. She wouldn't do that."

"I didn't think she'd turn me down either, Sammy. Looks like we're both going to be disappointed."

Huffing and rolling his eyes, Sam stood from the bed and packed his own things, letting Dean nurse his drunken aftereffects. He glanced out the window to the Impala, where Melilah usually waited for them in the mornings. Normally she'd be leaning up against the side of the car, hands in her pockets as she'd be deep in thought, or maybe sitting on the roof singing to herself, maybe even sitting on the trunk with her legs crossed as she'd flicker some magic around on her fingers. But she wasn't there, and it was strange to see her not there. Grabbing his things, Sam hauled his duffel out to the car where he tossed it into the trunk, above where they stored all their weapons. He glanced around some more, hoping he'd see her coming around from the forestry around them or she'd appear out of nowhere like other monsters usually did.

But it was silent, not even a presence nearby. Sighing, he closed the trunk and nearly jumped in surprise when the lid fell to reveal a very awaited phoenix on the roof of the car.

"Mel! Thank God, there you are!" exclaimed the tall moose-like boy as he sighed out relief, putting both his hands out on the trunk. He finally looked up to see Mel with a saddened expression on her face as her knees curled to her chest, her red hair a little frizzier than he was used to seeing, dark bags under her eyes from what seemed like lack of energy.

"Hey, Simba." Was her soft reply as she kept her gaze soft and almost expressionless. Simba was Mel's approved nickname for Sam, due to the young man's glorious mane of soft brown hair. Sam often exhibited mannerisms of a lion, so she only thought it was appropriate. Sam actually liked the endearing name, and it was comforting to hear it at the current moment.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really."

"What happened?"

"I think you know."

Sam couldn't press her any further, not with the way she was looking at him, sad and torn on the inside. It would have seemed that Dean wasn't joking about the conversation he had had with Melilah last night. But it seemed it wasn't as one sided as Dean had thought. Mel seemed just as conflicted too. "He thinks you turned him down. He was drinking all night."

"I didn't mean to hurt him-"

"You shouldn't have anything to apologize for, Mel. It's just his way of dealing with hard things. Dean's always been a drinker-"

"No, Sam. It's deeper than that. I honestly didn't know what I've been feeling towards him, and I was too confused to iterate how much I really do love him."

"He never wanted to- wait, what?!"

"You heard." Mel said bluntly, folding her arms under her generous bust. Sam stared at her wide-eyed, trying to process what she had just said. She… loved Dean? That escalated quickly. It seemed his assumption about phoenixes not being able to love back were wrong. But… how could he be sure she knew what love even was?

"Love?"

"My stomach always flutters when he's around, I always want to be beside him and I want to kiss him all the time and tell the entire world that I'm in his company. He makes me feel… human, Sam. Something I've never gotten to feel. It's unfamiliar, but I love it. I think we share a special bond, and I want to make him happy. Isn't that love?" she asked softly, her eyes wide and curious as Sam smiled gently, coming forward to embrace Melilah firmly. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was.

"You should tell him."

"I can't. He hates me."

"He does not."

Mel looked up the tall boy into his eyes, worry etched across her features. "He needs space from me. I'll be in touch. You know how to call me if you need me, Simba."

"Where are you going?" asked Sam as Mel stepped backwards and towards the forest again.

"There's activity at the Devil's Gate. Castiel wants me to join him in checking it out. Get to that job in Idaho, I'll meet you there."

And with that, she disappeared. Like angels and demons, into thin air. Sam should have expected that.