There were a lot of things at Dean and Castiel's wedding that were different to a heteronormative wedding, or at least the ones Claire had known about. The walk to the front of the aisle, the veil, bridesmaids, the bouquet. But some things were exactly as to be expected. Claire and Alex returned from their walk in time for Dean and Castiel to cut the wedding cake … or wedding pie. They were weilding a sword to cut it, and Claire could see from the resignation in her father's eyes that this moment had Dean written all over it. But then, one glance at his new husband and he was so enamoured the moment of exasperation was gone. Dean caught Claire's eye and winked at her, and she grinned back.

The dancing carried on through the evening, Claire finding herself dancing with her uncles again, and Alex, and even her dads once again, this time a lot looser and less rehearsed. Dean turned out to be as skilled as Uncle Balthazar, and the two ended up in an overly elaborate fox trot at one point, all the guests circling them as they did so, Castiel cringing on his daughter's shoulder.

Eventually, the music started winding down and the guests started leaving. Dean and Castiel bowed out to applause and headed off to their suite, and Kaia threw an arm around Claire and Alex, who had been sitting at a table with Patience as she rubbed her feet.

"I am pooped," Patience yawned. "Bedtime?"

"Sure, come on." Claire led the way back to her bedroom. When she was being made ready for the day, they had told her that Castiel had arranged for them to sleep over the night of the wedding. At the time, Claire was a little cautious, but after an evening of dancing and seeing her parents so in love, it felt like the perfect ending. They walked along the hallway arm-in-arm, Kaia trying to work out sleeping arrangements. Alex yawned behind the back of her hand, and Claire patted Kaia's head.

"Kaia, sweetie, I'm going to sleep wherever I land. I just need to free my hair first."

"And undo that dress," Alex sounded sleepy. "Do you need help with that?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Claire smiled across Kaia at Alex, who gave a small smile back.

"I can't believe we have a chance at a slumber party like we're still in middle school and you all want to sleep," Kaia smirked as Claire opened the door. They fell inside, Kaia and Patience heading to their bags, and Alex standing behind Claire once she shut the door to undo the lacings on the bodice of her dress.

"You clearly didn't dance enough with Gabriel and Balthazar. Are those two on something?" Alex stifled another yawn.

"I saw your mom with that girl working it," Patience smiled. "They were grinding, before Gabriel joined in."

"Ohmigod, that's so embarrassing," Alex groaned, and rested her head against Claire's shoulder. Claire reached back and gave her fingers a squeeze.

"We all have embarrassing parents."

"Donna always gets Jody into stuff like that. She gave her a bazooka for her birthday with typical Minnesota charm." Alex shook her head against Claire's skin, and Claire felt a relief that despite their talk earlier, things did seem to be healing. She missed being this way with Alex.

"I bet your mom does the same sort of thing for Donna." She turned her head so Alex could hear. Alex raised her head, and shook herself before carrying on unlacing the bodice of Claire's dress. "Were you falling asleep there?"

"Little bit. Sorry."

"Claire, which one's your bed? I'll share with you. Makes it a little less weird for you and Alex," Kaia said as she changed into her pyjamas.

"It's okay, it's just sleeping." Claire shrugged.

"Um, no, Kaia's got a point. Sharing a bed might be a bit much for me. Your dress is done." Alex stepped away, and Claire nodded to the bed her father had slept in the night before, since she had slept more in that bed than the other. Kaia jumped on it, as Claire retrieved her own pyjamas, and Alex headed to the bed Patience perched on. Once Claire changed, Kaia started taking her hair out of the elaborate updo that she had put in that morning. Claire sat as still as possible, wiping off her make up.

"Claire, I've got to tell you, your cousin is the sweetest guy," Patience hugged her ankles to her chest and smiled softly. "We started dancing together and I think we only stopped when he saw his mom was alone and went to dance with her. I gave him my number."

Her smile widened, and Claire tried to keep her expression as clear as possible. But she still felt the stab of jealousy, of possessiveness. She was already struggling with her feelings for her cousin, but if all they did was dance … and besides, Jack was her relative, not Patience's. If they wanted to be together it made sense. She would just have to learn to cope with the loss, like Alex was slowly learning to. Kaia said nothing, but gave a tiny tug on a braid that Claire knew was her saying something close to what they had discussed earlier.

"You and Claire's cousin, huh?" Alex nudged Patience, both of them grinning, happy in Patience's evening with Jack.

"I hope so, but I didn't want to rush the evening, you know? I'm sure he'll message me soon."

They both squealed, and Kaia carried on unwinding Claire's braids, quiet and concentrating on her work. Claire had completely scrubbed her face, and watched as the other two girls snuggled under their covers, and almost immediately fell asleep. Kaia finished her work on Claire's hair, and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"You wanna talk?"

"Bathroom," Claire whispered. They tiptoed over, and locked the door behind them, Claire perching on the vanity as Kaia balanced on the edge of the bathtub.

"Sorry Patience and your cousin are, you know," Kaia shrugged. Claire sighed.

"The thing is Kaia, I don't know for sure if I like him," she kept her voice low. "I keep getting these dreams, and they have me convinced I do, but I haven't really felt this way before. But I want to be happy for Patience, you know?"

Kaia shrugged.

"I said before, love is love."

"Between cousins?" Claire felt skeptical. Surely, Kaia was meant to be talking her out of her feelings, and not the other way around? But Kaia didn't seem repulsed, or even surprised by Claire's reaction.

"Do you not love him? I love the family I still have."

"You're confusing me." Claire admitted.

"I'm not explaining myself well," Kaia got up, and prepared to brush her teeth, standing by Claire. "But maybe you need a talk with him? I'm sure if you told him how you felt, he wouldn't push forward with Patience." She put her brush in her mouth, and Claire slipped off the vanity, her head feeling clogged up. She wanted more than anything right then to have her mom to talk to, or her dad, but she was a week away from any time with Castiel. And she wouldn't get time with Amelia again. Kaia left the bathroom, and Claire sorted herself out, creeping into the room full of sleeping friends, and sliding into bed, hoping more than anything she wouldn't call out for Jack in her sleep this time. Explaining anything to Alex or Patience would be too much to handle.

The night passed without a dream about her cousin. Instead, she relived the wedding as it was, her fathers finally tying the knot, reuniting with her friends and distant family members. She woke up to a silent room, the early morning light sneaking in past the blinds. She sat up and looked around the room, before slipping out of bed and into the bathroom with a change of clothes. When she came out, hair damp from a shower and mouth minty fresh, she saw Kaia standing waiting for her turn, Patience and Alex still fast asleep. Kaia gave her a sleepy smile.

"Give me five minutes and we'll go for a walk," Kaia breathed, and Claire nodded.

"I'll wait outside the room," she whispered back. Kaia smiled and slipped into the bathroom, and Claire left, shutting the bedroom door as quietly as possible.

The house was still, the air full of sleep, like an enchanted castle from a fairy tale. Claire took the time she was waiting for Kaia to look around at the artwork on the walls, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpeting. She was glad to be back in her jeans and button down shirt. The best person dress had been right for the wedding but she felt much more like herself in her normal clothes. Kaia soon joined her, looking as relieved to be in a sweater and yoga pants. They headed downstairs together, Kaia as quiet as Claire as though she could feel the same sense of enchantment hanging in the air, and they waited until they were outside, away from the building to start talking, their voices still low in case it carried through the vast empty fields surrounding the house.

"You don't sleep much," Kaia observed. "Last in, first out."

"I guess," Claire shrugged. "I think I'm just nervous about Dad and Dean leaving for the week, you know? I want to see them as much as I can before they go."

Kaia nodded.

"I'd be the same way. My aunt's nice but, you know, she's not my mom."

"Yeah," Claire breathed out sadly. It was how she felt even about Castiel, after all. At least she still had him to turn to. "You didn't sleep much either."

"I get bad dreams too. But not like yours. Mine's like being stuck in some sci-fi horror. I'd take an imagined crush on my cousin any day."

"Really? At least when you wake up, you're not near the sci-fi horror. Jack's always there. And for the next week, he's the only one who's going to be there."

Kaia pursed her lips briefly.

"You haven't seen the trees by our house at night, totally looks like the Bad Place I dream about. But is it so bad, spending the week with him? You might find out either way if it's real."

"That's what I'm worried about. That it'll go like in my dreams and we'll just start making out, and things will go further than I've been before and in my dreams I like it, but in real life? I can count the amount of uncomplicated kisses I've had on one hand. All of them Alex."

Kaia went quiet, and leaned up against a tree, her face thoughtful and dreamy. Claire looked around and noticed a slight mist hanging in the air around them, making the house they had come from look hazy.

"You don't have to act on your dreams. You could just tell him what's been going on. I don't know him very well, but he seems like a reasonable person, and he cares about you. And not just because you're related."

Kaia's words twisted in Claire's gut again, as they had the night before.

"Don't put that out there, please. It's one thing wondering if I have a crush, it's something else if he has one too."

"I didn't mean a crush. Not last night, not this morning. He would rather dance with you last night than anyone, he looks at you the same way as him. That's all true. He loves you to bits, Claire, but I don't think like that. I think you're his favourite person, and I think even though Alex is your best friend in school I think it's the same for you too. That's why I think you can tell him about what's going on and he'd be okay. He won't make you feel bad for it, he won't string you along. He'll just want everything to be okay with his favourite person on the planet."

Claire took a moment to process this, and Kaia gave a half smile as she did so.

"Like I said, love is love. In any way it manifests. And it's hard when the people we love don't love us the same way, but like Alex has said you said to her - we love each other in every way we can."

Claire raised her eyebrows at her youngest friend.

"Are you some kind of a witch?"

Kaia gave a full smile, and shook her head.

"No. I just know how it feels. To think you want someone but know they don't want you back. To learn how to be fine with it. It's hard, but, I think it's better to have them in your life."

"Who is it for you?" Claire asked softly. Kaia shook her head.

"Nope. We're not going there."

Claire wanted to argue, to get some answers from Kaia, but there was a shout from the house, and they could just make out two figures by the back door, waving them over.

"Guess it's breakfast," Kaia sighed softly, and drifted off. Claire followed her, noting how the closer they got to the house, the more alive it felt, and realised that she and Kaia had been gone a while as the remaining guests woke up. When they got to the dining room, it was busy, with Alex and Patience saving them seats at their table, waving them over. Kaia was on her way already, and Claire not far behind her before she realised Jack was already there, with a woman who had to be his mother. Kaia tactfully sat between Patience and Alex, leaving Claire to slot in between Alex and Jack's mother. She greeted Claire with a kiss on the cheek.

"Claire! You looked so beautiful yesterday. You probably don't remember me? Kelly Kline?"

Claire shook her head.

"No, but I didn't remember half the people here, everyone's said it to me from Dad's side of the family."

"I'll bet. You probably feel like how I feel, after the divorce from Jack's father. Like you're not really meant to be here somehow."

"Kinda. I mean, I belong with Dad and Dean, but the rest of the family has been a whirlwind."

"That's just Gabriel and Balthazar." Kelly grinned. Jack leaned over at that moment to interrupt.

"Hey, Claire? Would it be okay if my mom stays with us a couple of days? She took some holiday days to spend some time together. That's cool, right?"

"Of course!" The words fell out of Claire's mouth before she could consider them. But having his mother there would stop things from being awkward for a couple more days. It was buying Claire time, time that Jack would be preoccupied, catching up with his mother. Time that Claire could avoid the two of them - on the pretence of letting them catch up - and work out exactly how she felt. Kelly gave her a swift hug, just as the noise level in the corner of the room rose, and they all turned to see Dean and Castiel walk in together, clasping hands and grinning, stopping to chat to absolutely everyone as they made their way slowly to a reserved table to eat. Claire watched them, even as her food was served, and stood when they finally arrived to hug them both. She was surrounded in a bone-crunching hug by the two of them.

"I can't believe I won't see you for a week," Castiel moaned. "I promise we'll call."

"No wild parties with Jack," Dean tried to sound stern, though it was ruined by the smile on his face, the one that had been there since the morning before.

"Puh-lease. We'll mostly be eating junk food and watching movies. Bring me good souvenirs back."

Castiel hugged her tightly again, and moved on to the next table. Dean lingered a moment, bending down to whisper in Claire's ear.

"We want to see you before we go, okay? Castiel's nervous about leaving you. I'll give him the chance to smuggle you into our luggage."

He kissed her forehead, and then rejoined his new husband, and Claire sat back down to her cooling eggs.

After most of the wedding guests were gone, and the house handed back over to the owners, Claire stood on the driveway with Dean, Castiel, Jack, and Kelly. Jack had the keys to the Impala, with strict instructions from Dean about driving her home only, and they were waiting for their taxi. Castiel spent most of his time hugging Claire and saying nothing, and she was embracing him back, trying to reassure him that it was only a week and she wanted gifts from the places they went, to make time for sightseeing in between whatever gross things they would do in the bedroom. Occasionally, Dean heard her, turning to grin at her as he processed what she was saying. As the taxi rounded the end of the driveway, Castiel led her further away, out of earshot, and Dean started talking to Jack about some ground rules for while they were away.

"Bear, are you going to be okay?" He sounded anxious.

"Yeah. I said, it's just a week. Plenty of time to clear up the mad party."

Castiel didn't smile.

"I've been thinking, when I've had the chance to do so the last couple of days. I think I see now … what I'm really asking, Claire, is are you going to be okay being alone with Jack?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She deflected.

"Because you were calling for him in the night. Because you've barely looked at him in weeks. Because I think I know," he swallowed hard, and looked at the ground. "If I'm right, it's a bad move not sending you to your grandparents."

"Jack's responsible, Dad. And Auntie Kelly's going to be around too. We're not going to be alone for long."

Castiel looked up at her, his gaze searing into her eyes, and she felt like he could read her accurately. Like he knew what was really going on and neither of them could bring themselves to say it. Because putting it out there between them meant there was no coming back from it. Claire was terrified about who would be the first to break. Would she admit everything just before her dad flew to another part of the country, or would he put it on her before leaving her to deal with it?

In the end, he spoke first, but thankfully, he didn't address it, not really.

"I'll see if Sam and Eileen can stop by as well."

Claire nodded mutely, knowing he was stopping them being alone together as much as he could. He had worked out something, and Claire wished she could do the same, and piece together exactly what was going on with herself and her cousin. But maybe Castiel was also avoiding making it real by not voicing his concern. They drifted back over to everyone else, and Claire accepted another crushing hug from Dean, and a final one from her father, this one tight and tender, before they got in the taxi and drove away. Jack and Kelly were climbing in the Impala, and Claire drifted into the backseat, still watching the taxi until it disappeared from view.