Chapter 21

Back in the room in Las Vegas Sam, Dean and Alyx suddenly regained consciousness startling the four others who had been watching over them. While Sam did his best to answer their questions and explain what happened (without giving any of Alyx's personal details), Dean realized that Alyx had slipped away unnoticed. Concerned, he got up to go check on her, revisiting those memories couldn't have been easy. Alyx was just coming out of her room having changed out of her dress.

Dean stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "you okay?"

Alyx started to tell Dean that she was fine, make a joke and act like what they had just witnessed was no big deal, but she looked into those green eyes, so like the ones she saw in the mirror. They were filled with concern, there was no disgust or rejection in the face or body language of her brother, her big brother, she just could't slide the mask back into place. Her face crumpled and tears ran down her face. Dean immediately pulled his little sister in and held her close as she fisted her hands against his chest, burying her face into his neck and shoulder as silent sobs tore through her.

Alyx could not remember the last time she had allowed anyone to see her cry, and she certainly couldn't recall anyone ever holding and comforting her like this. It felt so good to lean on the warm strength of her big brother, to feel protected, cared for, loved.

Cas watched the exchange from the end of the hallway having followed Dean out of the living room. He quietly returned to the rest of the group.

Dean just held Alyx until it seemed that the worst of the storm of her emotions had subsided. Alyx pulled away, a little embarrassed with a muttered "Sorry."

"Never be sorry for needing family," said Dean, "that's what we're for… what Sam and I are for."

Dean let go of Alyx and followed her back to the living room, sitting next to her on the couch. Sam glanced over at them as they sat down, sharing a meaningful look with Dean that was not lost on Crowley. "Now that Moose, Squirel, and the Littlest Winchester are safe and sound I suggest you ladies get packing. Don't want to miss your own honeymoon." he said while wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Honeymoon?" asked Charlie.

"Of course," said the King of Hell, "I was thinking you might like a day or two in Tahiti, I hear it's a magical place."

When neither Sam nor Dean objected to the idea, the newlyweds figured that they really needed some time alone to process whatever it was they had just been through. While Charlie and Dorothy went to pack, Crowley informed them that while the girls were in Tahiti, he had to check in on several of his business interests and make sure that Hell was still running smoothly, he would be returning with them in a few days. While the three of them prepared to leave, Sam and Dean went to change their clothes.

Cas followed Dean into their room closing the door behind them, "I gather that you, Sam, and Alyx need to talk about whatever the Kitsune did to you. Maybe I should leave as well."

Dean turned to Cas, "yeah we need to talk, but it's up to Alyx if she wants you there or not. You love her, I heard you answer when that fox-bitch asked. I know she has feelings for you too, and now I think I get why she keeps pushing you away, but it's not up to me or you. Let Alyx decide."

Sam returned to the sitting area first and sat down in a chair across from Alyx. She was reasonably sure of Dean's acceptance, but had no idea how Sam would react to what they had seen of her past, and she kept shooting nervous glances in his direction. Sam noticed the nervous looks and decided not to wait for the others before reassuring his sister.

"Just so you know," began Sam, "What you did was one of the bravest things I've ever seen, I know I would not have been that strong at that age. And for the record, I'm proud that you're our sister."

Sam got up and crossed over to Alyx, sitting next to her and giving her a comforting hug. She couldn't believe that this big, strong, honorable man was proud to claim her as his sister after seeing the darkest part of her past. They broke apart from the hug as Cas and Dean entered the room.

Cas turned to Alyx, "I am glad that you are alright, I was very concerned."

Alyx looked into the blue eyes of the angel sitting next to her and for the first time admitted to herself that she was in love with him. Not sure what to do with that insight, Alyx simply whispered "Thanks", then dropped her gaze to her hands clasped together in her lap.

Sam spoke up, "I think we need to talk about some of what happened, clear the air a little."

"Okay," said Dean, "but no turning this into a chick-flick moment", throwing a wink at Alyx to try and lighten the mood a little.

"Would you like me to leave?" asked Cas as Dean went to the kitchen for some beers.

"Stay," said Alyx, "you've been part of this family longer than I have anyway."

Dean returned handing them each a beer. They each related their experience with the Kitsune, trying to figure out her motives. Near as they could tell, the Kitsune had adopted the Men of Letters bunker and the four of them who lived in it. She must have decided that intervention was needed to bring them together as a family to ensure that Alyx would stop thinking about leaving.

Alyx did not want to relate all of what happened, but she did have questions about the conversation they had heard between Annie and John. She told the boys that she had only caught the last of it the first time around which was why she had always felt that John was ashamed of her and didn't want her.

Sam and Dean talked about when John had gone missing and the whole chain of events that followed including Sam leaving Stanford and Jess getting killed by a demon. They shared stories about meeting Castiel and how they had become Team Free Will and he had eventually become part of the family.

Much of what they told her Alyx had heard through the hunter's grapevine but this time she got the full story. She learned that shortly after sending her away with Annie, John had given his life to save Dean. They had never known about her and Alyx had thought that John had been rejecting her instead of trying to protect her.

They drank beer and talked well into the night. They told her everything they could remember about their father, the good and the bad. They talked about Bobby and how he became a second father to them, she told them about training with Annie and learning to be a hunter. That on some level she had trained so hard and become so good a hunter in an unconscious effort to prove herself worthy of being a Winchester.

Castiel listened intently, aware that there was much about what the three of them had experienced that they weren't discussing, that they were avoiding any heavy emotions. He simply sat next to Alyx holding her hand, amazed that she was actually letting him.