Chapter 7.

Sam remained in the library with Eileen and Charlie. When Dean and Anael had left the bunker, Charlie said, "It's good that he's helping her so much."

"Yeah, I'm impressed." said Sam, "Not long ago, they could barely be in the same room."

Eileen smiled at Charlie. Charlie smiled back.

"What? said Sam.

"You still think they hated each other, don't you?" said Charlie.

"Did you hear the stuff they said to each other?"

"I heard some pretty intense verbal sparring." she said.

"I keep trying to tell you," said Eileen, "She likes being around him and he's trying very hard not to let on that he likes being around her. This thing with the cars, it's practically a date."

"Dean doesn't date." said Sam.

"Angels don't either." said Charlie.

"And her being an angel is the biggest barrier." said Sam, "He hates her just for that."

"He doesn't like it." said Eileen, "But think about it. Jack may be about to make her human."

Sam thought about it. He liked Anael and he wanted her to get what she wanted. He just hadn't thought that included his brother. It was hopeful, though. Dean had promised to give himself a chance at happiness, but seemed determined to find reasons not to get involved with anyone. Maybe the very fact that she was, for now, an angel would allow her to get past his defences, which were all aimed out into the human world.

A lot of their interactions did seem like flirting, but that was a part of Dean's nature, he flirted with everyone, ven his opponents, either to unsettle them or to anger them. It had backfired with Crowley, who seemed to have quite a crush on him and maybe it had backfired with Anael too. Did she use the same tactic? It seemed a little sophisticated for an angel. He suspected that she wasn't even aware she was flirting. She just said the things that came to mind when she was talking to Dean, but looked at from that angle, it was pretty flirtatious.

"I haven't been paying attention, have I?"

Charlie was kind. "I think you were too worried about his state of mind to look too closely at his relationship with her."

"I thought, after what she did and with what she was, that would not be a possibility." he said, "Plus, they do argue a lot."

"But less aggressively now, more playfully." said Charlie.

"They could be great together." said Eileen, "He wouldn't have to hide the hunting stuff from her. She even knows about his time in Hell."

"Yeah, not necessarily a good thing." said Sam, "He still sees himself as corrupted. He may not be able to form a relationship with someone who knows any of that."

"But he can't use it as an excuse, the fact that she might find out." said Eileen, "And I find that being able to talk to someone about it really helps."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Always here. You know that."

"Yes, I do." she said, "You, me and our baby."

He grinned. It was a beautiful thought.

Charlie was grinning at them both. "That is so great. What are you hoping for?"

"A Winchester." said Sam. He laughed. "Boy, girl, whatever! Who cares? I never met a Winchester I didn't love."

"And now I'm a Winchester, you have to love me." said Eileen.

He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I loved you so much, I made you a Winchester." he said.

"And I loved you so much, I became one, even knowing how dangerous that can be."

"Safer, these days, I hope." he said.

"How would you feel about Dean and Anael?" said Eileen, "She did try to kill you too."

"Everyone's tried to kill us. We've even tried to kill each other." he said, "You can't let things like that ruin perfectly good relationships. Dean needs something to keep him here."

"In the bunker or in the world?" said Charlie.

"Both. He talks and acts like an old man, on his way out. It scares me sometimes. This kid is gonna give him a reason to stick around and take an interest in the future, but he needs something just for him. He needs love. If she can give it to him, I have no problem with that. Anael made one mistake, one terrible mistake, sure, but which of us hasn't?"

"I'm so glad you feel that way." said Eileen.

"But I'll admit, I'm not convinced Dean is up for it. Dean can stay bitter and resentful for years. It may take more than a pretty face and some gorgeous hair to win him over."

"Even your gorgeous hair didn't always, did it?" said Eileen.

Charlie laughed. "Sam, I like your wife!"

"The whole world loves my wife." he said.

"Most of the world don't know I exist." she said.

"Their loss." he said. He looked at Charlie. "You know Anael pretty well now."

"We talk a lot."

"And you like her a lot too?"

"Yes, I do. She plays shallow, but she has a lot of depth. I think under all that angelic armour and sarcasm, there's a pretty tender heart, longing to be accepted by humanity, by us, by Dean. Have you noticed, she joins us for hot chocolate every night? It's not because she likes the taste."

Sam had noticed that and he liked it. She had gone from being a loner, hanging around on the edges of bunker life to being at the table with them, laughing at their stories, commiserating with their regrets.

She never slept, so she would often be one of the last to leave. She would offer to wash the cups. That reminded him of Cas, doing little chores to feel like part of the family. She was like Cas in a lot of ways and that was part of the reason why he felt doubtful about her and Dean, because Dean was well aware that his influence on Cas had caused a lot of pain.

That was probably the biggest obstacle to any kind of happiness for Dean. He felt he hurt everyone whose life he touched. They had all tried to tell him that was not the case, but he never listened.

Some time ago, he had admitted that he still heard his mother's scream from the night of the fire. He still bore the guilt of escaping alive and letting her die, as if a child of four could have fought off a demon. He felt he should have died trying. Whatever those he loved said to him, he never seemed to hear it. Sam suspected that it was all drowned out by the memory of that scream. If that trauma could be healed by an angel, Cas would have done it by now.