And You Keep It Together:

By day three, the Colonel was starting to worry about his daughter because she still hadn't made any attempts to leave her room and he still wasn't sure what had happened in Illinois. But despite those worries, he had the distinct feeling in his gut that Toni had taken care of her target, whatever it was. The only thing that kept him from breaking down Toni's bedroom door and dragging her out was that she had actually eaten most of the meals that he had left for her on her nightstand. While she slept, he would sneak in to check on her and could instantly tell that she had been crying practically non-stop since she had returned home.

The thing that worried him even more that any of that was that Toni didn't seem to have the hearty appetite that he had lovingly teased her about the last time that she had visited. Toni had always been able to keep up with her brothers on any playing field and eating wasn't an exception when she was younger and now as an adult she maintained that same pace. But these past four days she had barely made it through half of the helpings that he had dished for her.

The Colonel stood beside her bed one night and gently petted her hair, careful not to disturb her slumber, thinking sadly to himself, I really wish you would talk to me about this Toni. If anyone hurt you Angel, you know that your old man would make them pay for it.

The next day her dad was folding the last load of Toni's clothes that he had completed when he heard the sound of the shower running upstairs. He let out a relieved sigh as he finished his work then he nearly skipped into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast even though it was late afternoon by now. He knew that this was Toni's favorite meal, so he was more than willing to indulge her by making it at any time of the day, so long as it meant that she was leaving her room to enjoy it with him.

While he was slicing fruit and washing the different varieties of berries, he heard the shower turn off, so he ran over to the foot of the stairs in the hopes of offering Toni a warm greeting for the day. As he stood there, he laughed to himself then quietly admonished himself out loud, "Takes more than two seconds for her to get dressed there Tom."

With that in mind, he turned back to the kitchen and started getting all of the crêpes' ingredients together out of the cupboards. As he continued all of the preparations for completing their meal, Toni's dad tried his hardest not to look at the clock, but he was so happy that his daughter was doing so much better that he found it hard not to check it in anticipation of her arrival. After he finished the first batch of crêpes, he finally did allow himself to check how much time had lapsed because the house had fallen deathly quiet and Toni still hadn't emerged from her room.

He once again walked over to the stairs, however this time it was with a much slower pace so that he could double check if she was moving around in her room or not. Her father knew that Toni had most likely dated a few boys when she was a teenager, but he didn't recall her ever reacting to a break-up like this, ever. Then he shook his head sadly at the realization that maybe there was a time or two where she might have, but he had maintained so much distance between them during that part of their lives that he probably wouldn't have noticed even if she had.

"I think it's time to try a different tactic," he quietly ordered himself as he turned and walked back into the kitchen.

At her door, he knocked gently a couple of times and then slowly turned the knob and pushed on the door softly calling out, "Toni? Sweetheart? Are you still awake?"

When he was met only with the sad sound of silence, the Colonel let himself in. At her door, he took a moment to catch his breath because the scene that he was confronted with absolutely broke his heart. Toni was curled up in the fetal position, gripping one of her pillows in an uncomfortably tight death grip against her chest. She was still crying, but the only ways that he could tell that tears were still falling from her eyes was that she was shaking ever so slightly and she had to sniffle in a breath every so often.

"Toni? Angel… Please? Please, can you try to tell me about what happened?" He asked in an anguished tone while he sat down on the bed behind her and stroked her hair sympathetically.

Toni rolled over onto her back and just stared up at her father through her puffy eyes before she rolled the rest of the way towards him. Her forehead hit his thigh with a dull thump and then she raised her head slightly so that she could lay with it more comfortably on his leg. As the Colonel caressed her face and head, Toni just kept crying silently without attempting to speak at all. When he felt her tears soaking the fabric of his pant leg, her dad opened his mouth to speak again and try to comfort her, but instead he heard, "I'm sorry Colonel… I'm so sorry."

"Toni? What are you apologizing for Sweetheart?" He inquired as he continued to try to console her with his gentle touch.

She leaned back a little so that she could look up at him again and wiped her face on one of the sleeves of her over-sized flannel nightshirt.

"I'm sorry… I know this isn't the proper etiquette of a great soldier… But I just… It's all just so much to take… I just wasn't…"

Toni started to breakdown again and before she had a chance to struggle through the completion of her thought, her dad pulled her into a hug saying, "Don't apologize Angel. If you need to have a good cry, then you cry." He kissed her head then continued, "But that being said, I really wish that you would tell me about whatever it is that has you so upset. I just want to be able to help you through all of this."

As she took in a few deep breaths to compose herself, Toni overheard the distinct sound of two spoons clanging together. Once she was sitting upright, she couldn't help but give her dad a confused, questioning look.

"I heard somewhere that this is pretty much the best medicine to help someone deal with a broken heart," he explained with a large grin on his face and holding up two spoons along with a pint of ice cream.

Toni laughed as she took one of the spoons he was offering her and said, "Ice cream? But we were never allowed to…"

Her dad popped the lid off the Häagen-Dazs interrupting her with an amused, "New house means new house rules. Plus I have absolutely no alcohol in the house anymore so I figured this would be the next best thing for you."

Toni dipped her spoon into the container then smiled sadly as she said, "It most definitely is… Thanks Dad."

They both slowly worked away at the frozen treat in complete silence. The Colonel wanted to jump in with some of the thousands of questions that had been running wildly through his mind since the night that his daughter had returned home and passed out crying in his arms, but he waited for her to come to him. With every small bite that she took, Toni's father could see that she was calming down and relaxing somewhat. He tried to keep from staring at her, but he couldn't help himself. He had never, not even once, allowed himself to really look at her while she was growing up and he sincerely hoped that she wouldn't hold that against him now. He knew deep down that she needed him to be a source of comfort for her and his only desire was that after her last visit with him that Toni would allow him to do just that.

"Dad?" She asked as she started to mindlessly stab her spoon into the ice cream. "Are you sure? Are you really sure that you're okay to hear about all of it?"

Before answering her questions, he took Toni's spoon out of her hand then put it with his own and the ice cream on the nightstand on his right. "Toni, you need to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you and I promise that I am more than willing to listen to it… Understand?"

She nodded then shifted on the bed and took a deep breath. "Well… For starters… I know how Dean managed to get out of Hell…"

"Really?" He inadvertently interrupted because he was completely unable to hide his excitement.

"Yeah… But before I get into that… Umm… Well… I know that we went to services at the base's chapel whenever we could as a family and never missed going for any of the holidays when I was a kid… But… Umm… Do you… Do you actually believe in God and Angels and Heaven and all of that?"

The Colonel held Toni's hand then smiled confidently answering, "Your mother and I… We saw some truly horrific things before you and your brothers were born and I always pictured that what we saw people do to each other… Well I always thought that that was what Hell would be like… We both had a bit of a hard time dealing with it all… Well you know that I just tried to drink my memories away, but your mom… She put all of her focus on you three." He paused for a moment to monitor his daughter's reaction then continued, "When she had you, like I said before, I was completely terrified because I had no idea how… How I should treat you, but your mom, she… She smiled a little bit brighter any time that she was near you… She even told me once that she thought that you were an angel sent from God as His way of rewarding us for making it through Hell on Earth in one piece."

Toni was too stunned to reply for a moment then she hoarsely whispered, "She… I mean, I don't remember her ever saying that to me."

He stroked the length of her hair then serenely explained, "That's because when you were really little, not quite old enough for school, she dressed you up in this cute, frilly dress she had somehow found off base and once you were in it she called you her 'Perfect Little Angel'… But you got really upset at being called that and screamed bloody murder until she finally took you out of it… She had absolutely no idea what to do once she had, but you ran straight into William's room, put on his Cub Scout uniform and shouted at her that you weren't an angel, that you were just like another son for her. She felt so guilty about singling you out like that, so we both tried our best to treat all three of you the exact same from that day forward."

"Oh God, Dad I… I remember that. She had tears in her eyes when she helped me to change again into some of Alexander's hand me downs. I didn't… I just didn't want to ever get special treatment for no reason. But Mom tried… She still tried to make me understand how special I was to her, even after I left you two to go to school."

Toni's Dad squeezed her hand in an attempt to reassure her before saying, "She understood Toni, really she did. But to answer your previous questions… Yes, yes I do believe in God, I do believe your mother and brothers are in Heaven right now because they were faithful servants to Him… Yes I believe that Hell does exist and that Dean Winchester's soul was sent there when the deal he made with a demon came do… And yes, I do believe in Angels… And whether you like it or not, I still agree with your mother that you my beautiful girl most definitely are a gift from God… You're still my Angel."

Toni blushed then uttered an embarrassed, "Dad…"

"I don't mean to embarrass you, but over these past six months I realized that it's all true and I wanted to get better so that I could prove that all to you… Antonia, I love you and everything I just said is the honest truth. When we all took an oath to serve God and our country, we all took that oath to heart. Every war that I fought, I did so in our Lord's name in the hopes that no one would ever have to experience the Hell that all of us saw. But then…"

When her dad trailed off, Toni gently shook his arm asking, "But what Dad?"

He looked up at her and brushed a stray tear that had escaped down her cheek. "But this job that you're doing now… If you've faced even half of the things that I've read about Sam and Dean fighting, then I know that you've had to face demons and the fires of Hell already… I know you say that you're happy, but I never wanted a life like this for you. I just wanted you to be safe."

Toni tried her best to give her Dad a strong, confident smile as she replied, "It's okay Dad… Yeah some of the things I've killed have been really nasty, but it's all been beyond worth it because I know that what I've done has meant that no other families would fall victim to those things. I guess… I kind of see this job the same way you looked at fighting a war, which honestly does make me happy."

He smiled in response to that then they both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts again. The Colonel's eyes only shot up to his daughter's face she he heard her snort in a quiet laugh.

"So… Seriously? You really do believe in all of it? Everything we've read in the Bible?"

His eyes narrowed as he playfully asserted, "Yes Antonia, I do. So please? Will you just tell me what's going on?"

"Oh… Sorry… Sorry… Yeah, okay… So Dean… He was pulled out of Hell by an Angel," she explained almost hesitantly.

"An Angel? Really?"

"Yeah… I even kind of, sort of met him… But only briefly so I can't really tell you what they're like," she quickly added knowing what her father's line of questioning would most likely entail. "Although I'm pretty sure that they can read minds."

He laughed softly then said, "Wow, so you really did meet an Angel?"

She nodded replying, "Yeah… But I'm pretty sure that Dean and Sam have spent quite a bit of quality time with him because Dean called him a close friend of the family, but… Umm… Things were a little too hectic at the time for me to chat with him."

Her dad nodded solemnly then looked up at her with a playful glint in his eye, "But can you at least tell me what he looked like Toni?"

"Umm… I don't know… A banker? Or maybe an insurance agent?" She squeezed her dad's hand concluding, "He pretty much looked like an average, good-looking guy in a suit and trench coat. It was nothing really too spectacular really… But when I get a chance to talk with Dean again, I promise that I'll try to find out more for you Dad."

The Colonel nodded then smiled sadly before saying, "Thanks Toni that would be greatly appreciated… But I know that that isn't what has had you on lock down here for the past few days. Please? Please will you tell what has had you in tears for nearly four straight days?"

Toni swallowed hard and nodded before she attempted at a response.

"Thank you," her father whispered almost inaudibly prompting her to shutter and sob slightly.

"I'm so sorry Dad, I really didn't mean to hurt you by keep all of this from you…" He once again squeezed her hand for encouragement, so Toni continued a little more confidently, "Part of it is that I've been on the go so much over these past few months… I think everything just kind of caught up with me all at once and hit me really hard… The other part, it's… It's Sam… Dad… He went to Hell too. I don't know why, but he did and something or someone brought him back… Well most of him anyway." This time it was Toni that took a moment to monitor her dad's reaction to make sure he was still following her narrative. He only offered her a hard scowl in thoughtful contemplation and remained silent, so Toni continued to explain, "They don't know how Sam got out, not even the Angel, but whatever did it… They forgot to make sure that they brought his soul out with him."

"Oh goodness… Toni…" Her father gasped when he saw her tears return to her eyes. "Oh Angel, I'm so sorry to hear that."

Toni let her dad hold her tightly in his arms while also trying to keep her tears at bay so that she could fully explain why she had hidden herself away from him after getting back to Wisconsin.

"That job that I worked with Sam in Mississippi… He had no soul then, but he still… He acted like he did back when we knew each other in Stanford so I… I treated him the same way that I did back then too," she hesitantly explained.

Although no father ever wants to admit that his daughter would one day grow up from being his 'Princess' or 'Perfect Angel' to a woman with wants and desires, Toni's father knew that his daughter had in fact grown up. He knew that she wasn't just beautiful in his mind's eye and he had hard evidence of that because anytime that she worked for Paulie, he found hastily scrawled notes with names, phone numbers and sometimes hotel room numbers jotted down on them in the pockets of whatever outfit she had worn to work. He never knew the details of what transpired from those advances, but if Paulie's warnings were any indication than he had the vague notion that his daughter was able to find "comfort" with pretty much any man she met whenever she sought that out.

"Oh… So you and Sam… Sam without a soul… Got… Ahem… 'Close' while you two were in Mississippi and now… Umm… You're feeling kind of guilty about it?" He asked awkwardly.

"Yeah… Well no, not like that Dad," Toni clarified while stumbling a little bit over her words as she sat back out of her Dad's embrace. "With Sam… It wasn't just… Umm… You know… Physical… I love him Dad and I told him that… Then I treated him like… That even though he… He…"

When Toni broke down in tears and couldn't complete her thought out loud, the Colonel did in a stunned tone, "Even though he has no soul and could never reciprocate your feelings."

She nodded but remained mute while she continued to cry.

"Toni…" Her dad quickly pulled her into his lap again. "Angel that doesn't reflect poorly on you at all. You love him and love should be unconditional… But Angel he… He didn't hurt you did he? I mean physically… He didn't make you do anything that you didn't want to do, did he?"

She shook her head against his chest then replied quietly as her tears started to subside, "No sir. Sam knows that I would beat his ass down if he ever thought about trying anything like that with me."

The Colonel laughed heartily, petted her hair adoringly then replied, "Well I'm glad that your brothers were able to teach you that much at least."

Toni chuckled against his clothing, so her father relaxed a little bit more. Both seemed to be content with her being held in her dad's arms, so neither made any attempt to change what they were currently doing. After a while, the Colonel almost thought that his daughter had drifted back to sleep and had resigned himself to having to wait for any further explanation because her breathing had steadied to such a calm, even pace.

"Really Colonel? You don't think that it's wrong for me to love a man that has no soul and can't ever really love me back? You're… You're not disappointed in me for being weak?"

"No Toni! I could NEVER be disappointed in you for that," he answered looking her square in the eye and smoothing her drying hair against her head. "The fact that you can still see the good in him… The part of him that you fell in love with back at college… That just proves that you truly are my Angel."

Toni leaned in and wrapped her arms around her dad's neck with a relieved sigh. "Thank you so much Dad. I was afraid that you would think that I was being feeble, so I was afraid to tell you about all of this…"

"And that why you wouldn't leave your room?"

She nodded again against his neck then said, "Yes sir. But I'm sorry that I doubted you, sir… I know now that I should have had more faith in you, sir."

"Toni, Sweetheart, with our history I really don't blame you for that." He continued to hold her tightly then after what felt like an eternity of silence, he asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

As she nodded against his shoulder, Toni sat back to answer, "Yes sir. I think my lack of appetite over the past few days has started to catch up with me."

He smiled then stood up off the bed explaining, "Well dinner should be here any minute… But no rush, when you're ready just come on down, okay?"

"Okay… I will Dad."

Once she was alone, Toni went into her bathroom and sighed sadly at her reflection. "Wow… I don't think that I've ever looked this shitty before. Poor Dad… I owe him big time on this one."

By the time she got downstairs, her dad was at the door of the townhouse speaking with someone that she couldn't see. They then met in the kitchen and Toni was completely confused by the scene that was playing out before her. The Colonel placed the two brown paper take out bags on the table and just flashed her an amused grin.

"Since you didn't make it to Paulie's the last time that you were in town, I thought I'd call him and ask him for a favor," he finally explained as he unpacked the food.

"I think I'm kind of afraid to ask what you had to tell Paulie to get him to break his "No Take Out" rule," Toni commented before taking a large bite out of her hamburger.

She caught her Dad's eye as she devoured her meal and froze for a moment before almost mumbling, "Dad?"

He had a small, sad smile on his face as he answered, "You really do underestimate how loved you truly are by the people around you Toni. All I had to do was tell Paulie that you had your heart broken by some stupid guy that… Well that you had your heart broken and he was putting our order together before I hung up the phone."

"Oh… Really?" She asked sheepishly.

"Absolutely… Now eat up before you waste away on us."

Over the next few days, Toni was able to tell her Dad even more about what she had learned during her last job with the Winchesters. To her surprise, he seemed to take the news that pagan gods existed in relative harmony with the Biblical beings he had already confessed he believed in without much distress. She had wanted to start searching for another hunt as soon as possible, but her father convinced her that it would probably be better for her to just take some time off completely away from the supernatural for a spell.

Toni then ease into her father's routine with the only glaring omission from her own being that she refrained from doing any research what so ever. The Colonel had been eager to introduce his daughter to some of the other residents that he had befriended, so she quickly became like his shadow when he attended any social functions at the complex. As much as Toni appreciated seeing this side of her father, she felt severely self-conscious about all of the compliments that all of the other tenants bestowed upon her when they met her. But as the professional she had grown into being, Toni was able to put her feelings of unease aside because she could see how her spending this much time with her father made him smile so brightly and how he looked genuinely happy for the first time in a long time, so she didn't want to do anything to hinder that.

It was because of this that she even tried participating in some of the activities her Dad had made apart of his regular routine while she was away on hunts. At least she tried to as much as possible… It ended up that she was most hesitant to join in during her father's "Aquacise" class and at the pool she felt that it was for good reason. When she first draped her robe on the back of a lounger poolside she felt uncharacteristically shy because she could sense that every male eye was laser focused on her bikini clad body.

As she hugged her arms around her chest, Toni quietly commented (mostly to herself), "I should really consider investing in a one piece suit."

Her Dad chuckled and gently patted her back saying, "Angel, I don't think that it would make much of a difference with this crowd."

She couldn't help herself as she laughed and rolled her with a begrudged, "Thanks a lot Dad."

During the class, Toni couldn't help but notice that the majority of the lustful leers directed at her transformed into chagrinned stares when the other participants got a closer look at all of the scars that were scattered over her body. Her most recently acquired werewolf claw marks had continued to heal without complications, but they were still quite prominent against her pale skin. She still didn't know what her father had told everyone about her employment or the reasons he had offered in regards of her extended absences, so she worried even more about what everyone was thinking about her and her wounds.

As soon as the class was over, Toni was the first one out of the pool so that she could cover herself up with her ankle length, terry cloth robe.

"Toni! Toni wait up!" Her Dad called out to keep Toni from running back to their townhouse.

She waited for him to catch up with her on the path then quietly explained as they walked side by side, "Dad… I shouldn't be here… I shouldn't be making every day here harder for you like this."

"Toni, you're not… Really don't waste another thought worrying about them. They all think that you work for 'Search & Rescue', so they see your scars as nothing but badges of honor… Just like they actually are… They know that each one represents at least one life that you've saved."

She stopped suddenly on the path and just stared at her Dad in a stunned silence. He gently grabbed her shirt sleeve to get her moving again as he further explained, "They are all pretty impressed that you saved that woman from a bear attack single-handedly."

"Dad? Really? You told them that?" She questioned in a hushed tone as they made their final approach to the entrance of the townhouse.

He shrugged nonchalantly replying, "Bear? Werewolf? Same difference, right?"

She smiled with appreciative tears in her eyes and nodded then they both retreated into their rooms. After Toni had washed the chlorine out of her hair, she met her dad in the living room. They had recently perfected an afternoon routine of reading while sipping tea together on their favorite chair in this room of the townhouse. As she approached the couch, her dad passed Toni her novel and a mug of tea. She took them both silently and made herself comfortable as she resumed reading Carver Edlund's rendition of Dean's Djinn induced alternate reality.

When she got through the part where Dean has the heartfelt monologue beside John's grave, Toni calmly closed her book and turned to face the Colonel.

"Dad?" She called out softly. "Colonel? Can we talk for a minute?"

"Of course we can Toni. What's on your mind?"

"Umm… I really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I can't… I can't stay here much longer. I'm not old… Shit, I mean I'm not retired, so I shouldn't be lounging around here with you like I am or something. Hell, I've been sitting here for the last hour worrying about remembering all of the Bridge rules you taught me for our game with the Garrottes tomorrow night. You have to admit, that's just not right," she elaborated as gently as she possibly could.

"It's alright Toni, I understand what you mean. But Sweetheart, after everything that you've gone through, you needed to give yourself some time off. There is no shame in that," he replied as he got up and walked over to his bookshelf. "But that being said, if you really are ready to head back to work, I think I have a job for you."

While claiming the file, Toni asked dejectedly, "You've been doing research without me?"

"No Angel… Not really… A friend of mine was telling me about this, so I just put together a few articles and things that he lent me to… That's all."

By this point, Toni was lost in the Colonel's case file, so he let her familiarize herself with the information without any immediate interruptions.

"And only males have gone missing?" Toni clarified out loud as she finished reading through the paperwork.

"It would appear so. My buddy's friend's son is one of the victims… Do you think it's something that you might be able to help with?"

"Well… It couldn't hurt for me to look into it," she offered with a bright smile.

"So I guess that means we'll be getting you set up to head out to Indiana then," he commented more cheerfully. Before Toni could ask anything, the Colonel added, "And you did hear me correctly… I'll be staying behind again." Toni scowled, but her Dad continued with the same light hearted tone, "Angel, I AM old… And I AM retired. I don't belong out in the field with you. My place is here, at home, helping you with research, okay?"

"Well I can't argue with that logic. I guess I'll start packing and then I'll head out as soon as possible," she answered with a tentative smile and a quick hug.

Toni wasn't sure where she was going to start with this job, but she didn't want to delay working on it at all since it involved a friend of her Dad's. The prospect of a nearly seven hour drive by herself wasn't every appealing either, but her father had promised to call her periodically until she got there safely, which warmed her heart to no end. She also made sure to stop more than once for a caffeine fix to maintain some level of alertness for the time when the night started to turn into the wee hours of the next day.

"No sir, the nap I took after dinner seems to have helped a lot," Toni reported over the phone as she navigated down a dark, deserted highway. "I think that I'm just going to find a place to crash and then I'll pick up the case again tomorrow. Once I know more, I promise, I'll call. Now… You should head to bed too, okay Dad?"

"Okay… You take care Angel."

As she hung up her phone, the headlights of her truck flashed against the back of someone walking on the shoulder of the road.

"IDIOT! Who goes out walking in the middle of the night dressed in all black?" She questioned out loud through the windshield.

Toni was still shaking her head as she passed the pedestrian and she couldn't help but steal one more glance at the dumbasses' face as she passed.

"Holy shit!" Toni exclaimed as she slammed on her breaks and pulled over to the side of the road.

Dean was just going to walk past Toni's pickup without looking at her, so she rolled down the passenger side window and yelled, "Hey! Hot Stuff! How much for the whole night?"

Dean stopped then turned and stalked up to the open window. "What did you say?" He asked with an undeniable snarl.

Toni turned on the dome light and suppressed her laughter long enough to reply, "I said, 'Hey you! Did you need a lift?' Is all."

He opened the door laughing then said, "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks Toni."

She waited a minute to see if he would offer any explanation for his being without his vehicle or cellphone, but Dean just glared out the window at the road ahead of them. "So… Fancy meeting you out here… On the road… In the dark… Walking back from…?"

Dean shook his head answering, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Toni swallowed uncomfortably then abandoned her humorous tone after Dean's terse response. "So where are you guys staying?"

When he realized that Toni wasn't going to push him to answer her previous question, Dean relaxed and answered more civilly, "It's just up ahead here… The first one you'll reach on the right hand side."

True to Dean's word, the motel was easily found. Toni immediately navigated through the parking lot towards Dean's Impala with the thought that it would be parked close to their room. Dean didn't offer any alternative directions, so once she was in front of the Impala, Toni stopped her truck and slipped it into park.

Dean finally looked over at her and asked in a thoroughly confused tone, "Didn't you want to come in and talk about the job that brought us all here?"

"Umm… Sure… But there's no parking over here," Toni answered with a shrug.

Dean glanced around the crowded parking lot and blushed slightly with embarrassment. He nodded over in the direction of their room and apologized saying, "Sorry, I didn't notice. We're right over there, room nine."

"Okay… I guess I'll just find a spot then I'll be right there."

Her search for a sport was thankfully quick because each one of Toni's coffee breaks hit her all at once. She nearly sprinted through the parking lot, but slowed down when she saw the Winchester's door propped open.

Yes! I can run in and bee-line for the bathroom.

As she once again quickened her pace, Toni ran full force into Dean while he was standing in the door way still.

"Dean, I really need to use your bathroom," Toni pleaded as she gently pushed the elder Winchester out of her way.

His right hand instinctively flew out to block her path, but Toni didn't stop until she caught an eyeful of an auburn haired woman laying naked on top of Sam. They both had somewhat overly cheerful smiles on their faces. When his eyes locked with Toni's, Sam's smile faltered for a millisecond before the woman enthusiastically exclaimed, "Sam! They brought your brother back!"

Dean squeezed whatever part of Toni's flesh that was under his palm, leaned towards her and whispered, "Bathroom's up on the left just ahead there."

Toni nodded then hurried to the open door and inadvertently slammed it in her haste to cut herself off from the scene in the room. She tried to listen to what was happening in the other room and she was pretty sure that she heard the outer door close, but decided to give Sam and Dean a couple of minutes alone. She stole a quick glance at her watch and started pacing around the room like a caged lioness while she tried to pass the time and collect her nerves. After five minutes of wearing a circular pattern into the tile, Toni washed her face in the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

Dad's friend needs YOUR help, so get it together girl. Focus on that thought and let's get the job done. You can deal with Sam… Later… Or Never… Okay, deep breath, game face and let's go.

She took another moment at the sink then stood at the door with her hand on the knob and just stared at the door. Toni allowed herself one more deep breath then she slowly turned the knob and opened the door. Dean and Sam were seated on their own bed in an animated conversation, so she just hung back and watched.

"They actually seemed surprised… I don't think anyone's ever done that before," Dean narrated exuberantly before jumping off the bed to his feet. He looked down towards his brother and declared with joyful smugness, "I had a close encounter and I won."

Toni bit her lip to keep from laughing. Sam followed Dean's suit and jumped to his feet a well. "You should take a shower," Sam commented happily.

Dean was completely distracted by his own joyous thoughts that he just distractedly agreed, "I should take a shower. I'm going to take a shower."

Without thinking about or noticing Toni, Dean locked himself away in the bathroom and moments later Sam and Toni heard the shower running. Toni watched as he stood by their beds itemizing the information of the case quietly to himself.

Toni started moving towards the door and interrupted their silence by saying, "Thanks for letting me… Umm… Use the facilities. Good luck with ET."

It only took one long stride for Sam to block her exit route and put his hands up, but kept from touching her. "Whoa… You're just leaving?"

To increase the distance between them, Toni took a large step backwards into the room. "Yeah… I was actually on my way to West Virginia to help one of my Dad's friends with a job. I… Umm… Just needed a pit stop when I ran into Dean, so I should really be hitting the road again."

Sam took a step forward reaching out to the petite woman saying, "Seeing me with her… That bothered you, didn't it?"

Toni quickly side-stepped around Sam's large frame and before he could turn around to look at her she replied, "Nah… I told you back at school that there were no strings attached, so why would it bother me?" She begrudgingly turned her sad eyes up to Sam's face and nearly pleaded, "You and Dean seem to have the whole UFO thing figured out, so please… Please just let me go?"

Sam remained completely silent with a strange faraway look on his face as he reached around her and opened the door. When Toni stepped out, she whispered a 'Thank you' and barely paused when Sam called out, "Good luck in West Virginia."

Toni didn't trust herself to turn back and look at Sam, so she just waved one of her hands over her head and might have shouted, "Thanks". Her mind was completely blank as she weaved through the crowded parking lot, but all of her thoughts caught up with her once she was behind the wheel of her truck.

Fuck! She thought forlornly to herself as she threw her head back against her head-rest. Now what am I going to tell the Colonel?