It's in the Genes

Author: Cheryl W.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or any rights to Dark Angel or Supernatural, nor am I making any profit from this story. Nor do I own any rights to the lyrics of "Next Contestant."

Summary: Crossover with DA and Supernatural -AU– It's the Winchesters who break Alec from jail in Hello/Goodbye and then they start road tripping together. No slash.

Author's note: Well, after a ton of rewrites, here's the next chapter. I'm crossing my fingers that it's entertaining.

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Chapter 24

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Alec, having extorted the right to be the designated driver by boldly playing the little brother card, pulled the Impala to a stop outside the cabin and cut the rumbling engine. A collective sigh of relief erupted from the brothers, because the cabin; it felt like a sanctuary. Offered them a home for the night, a place where they could be brothers, didn't have to fight for that familial right, not anymore. A right that was bestowed: freely, willingly, eagerly, permanently.

In synch, they all began to climb from the car, the creaks of the doors creating their own harmony in the night. But Dean's motions were stiff, the drive from the bar having allowed his pathetically weak, apparently overtaxed muscles to tighten up on him. Using the door, he levered himself to his feet, felt Sam hovering at his back and Alec's eyes on him as his younger brother came around the front of the vehicle. "I'm fine, little stiff," he lowly stated, hoping his admission would get his brothers to drop their nursemaid acts.

Meeting Sam's worried look over Dean's shoulder, Alec reassured, "I'll check his stitches. Make sure he didn't tear any." Purposefully ignored the glare his words evoked from his eldest brother because Dean, he could downplay his pain all he wanted but Alec wasn't going to forget the damage done to his brother's body any time soon…like never. So Dean could save his 'I'm fine,' for someone else, someone who had not been covered in his blood, hadn't put more stitches in his flesh than a quilt could boast, hadn't sat by his bedside praying he didn't die.

"I didn't," Dean growled, turning up the heat of his glare on Alec as he slammed the car door shut with more force than he would tolerate from anyone else. But he hated that his brothers were once again having a conversation about him, not with him. "Newsflash: I can hear you. And guess what? I can talk for myself."

"You hear anything?" Sam innocently asked, tilting his head as if there was a whisper on the wind.

Mirroring Sam's actions, Alec paused a moment before he began ticking off his list, "Frog…crickets…wait! There! Maybe a hint of whining."

"Jerks. You're both jerks," Dean grumbled, making his way toward the stairs of the cabin, his brothers' laughter trailing close behind him, too close. He could practically feel their breath hitting his back. And when his foot landed on the first step, he was instantly sandwiched between Alec and Sam. Coming to a halt, he did a jaw clench and reminded himself that good big brothers didn't bury their little brothers out in the woods. "Dudes, seriously. I'm fine. Maybe you didn't notice but I was holding my own back there."

"Yeah, and now you're paying for it. Even you admit that you're stiff and you might have pulled some stitches," Sam snapped back, because, for him, it was always a fine line between worry and anger when it came to Dean being hurt. Especially when his brother denied that he was in any pain. And considering he had tried his hardest to keep Dean safe and his brother had undermined all his efforts, his anger and frustration seemed justifiable…until he saw the stung look in Dean's eyes. It made him instantly regret the harshness of his words, because, though this was a battle he was set to win, he hadn't meant to belittle Dean to achieve a victory. Gentling his tone, he bared his worry, "Dean, excuse us for being a little concerned, but can you blame us? We almost lost you…"

Alec leaned forward spoke in Dean's ear, "I say we've earned the right to be a little overprotective."

"A little?" Dean protested over his shoulder, eyes colliding with Alec's.

Sam shook his head at the stubbornness of his two brothers. Knew that Dean would never willingly allow anyone to care for him to the depth that he took care of those he loved. It just wasn't in his makeup. "Alright, time out you two. You can continue this debate later in the week …when I'm out taking a walk in the woods or something," he lightly refereed, wasn't prepared for Dean's sharp focus to rapidly swing his way.

"But there's that hunt…" Dean began to protest, preparing to roll out the 'people's lives are at stake' song and dance.

Seeing an opening for a win, Sam announced, "I already called Bobby. He gave it to a hunter in the area." And he had honestly tried to keep the smugness out of his voice but by Alec's smirk and Dean's baleful frown, he knew he hadn't been successful. At all. "Come on, Dean! You're not up for it. Not yet."

"I said I would just do research," Dean shot back, turned his head to drill holes in Alec when his younger brother snorted.

"You, research? Yeah, right," Alec scoffed, eyes flickering from Dean's look of offense to Sam's smirk.

"What? I research!" Dean defensively snapped, stomping up the stairs to the porch landing. Trying to ignore the tightness in his chest and shoulders and conceal the tinge of pain shooting up his leg, he stalked for the door, all the while hating that his body was proving his brothers' point for them.

Fearful that, if Dean made it through the door, the conversation would escalate into something bitter, Alec reached out and gripped Dean's arm. He accompanied his touch with a gentle, imploring, "Dean, just listen. Please." Though he could feel the tension in Dean, his brother stopped and faced him, gave him his attention simply because he asked for it.

Touched by his brother's capitulation and sensing the real harm he could inflict with the wrong words, Alec shifted his stance from stiff, determined to loose, reasonable and let his voice fall to calm, understanding but not mocking. Didn't think he could ever mock his brother's abilities or loyalties. "I'm not questioning your ability to research, Dean. But I'm down right disbelieving the notion that you would sit on your hands back in some motel while Sam and I went on a hunt, would be in danger, without you there to have our backs."

At Alec's words, Dean looked away, refused to confirm or deny his brother's claim.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Alec earnestly appealed. "Tell me you would be fine with that and we'll dig up another hunt. Tomorrow," he vowed and then he held his breath, waited for Dean to either tell him the truth or lie to him.

And it was strange; after all they had been through, how strongly they felt about each other, Alec honestly didn't know if Dean truly trusted him deep down. Sure, Dean trusted him to have his back in a fight, but Alec didn't know if his brother trusted him enough to let him past his reinforced steel barriers to his heart, to where he was most vulnerable. To someplace Alec knew that even Sam could only travel with the lightest of treads.

Alec wasn't blind to what he was asking, especially from someone as guarded as Dean was, as hurt as Dean had been. It was a colossal request, he knew that but it didn't stop him from wanting Dean's trust, badly. He still remembered how it felt to have Sam let him walk into the warehouse where White had Dean, alone. To trust him to save Dean, to protect Dean, to not lose what was most precious to him in this life. It had given him strength and the greatest fear, Sam's trust, Sam's belief in him, Sam's love for him. He had pleaded with Sam to trust him to get Dean away from White alive. And now he was demanding Dean to trust him…as if it were something he deserved, as if it was owed him…as if he hadn't proven himself unworthy of trust at every turn.

Manticore had taught him to earn trust only to betray it. And he had been at the top of his class. Had earned Rachel's trust only to kill her, had earned Max's trust only to lead her into a trap to kill Logan, had earned Josh's trust only to try and kill him to save his own life. Had earned just enough of Dean's trust for his brother to ask him to kill him to save him from hell and he had broken that vow too, for his own selfish reasons. 'And you honestly think Dean should trust you, let you see his weaknesses so you can exploit them like you always do.'

But Alec felt sick at the thought. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his brothers. He wanted to protect them. Wanted to make sure no one breached Dean's walls, and hurt him where he was vulnerable. Not even him. Maybe especially him. Told himself that he only wanted to know where the emotional landmines were so he didn't inadvertently trip them. But it felt like a lie. Was a lie. It was about protecting Dean, yes, but it was more about him wanting…needing to be connected to Dean. 'But that isn't something Dean's ready to give you…and it's not something you can steal, or batter for …or demand.'

Knowing that he had to drop his demand for what could be only granted by choice, Alec's eyes flickering away from Dean's profile. Glibly, he began to retract with a half smile as he started to head for the door, "Course I shouldn't underestimate the appeal of research. Just because I rather watch paint dry on one of Joshua's painting doesn't mean…" Dean's hand on his forearm forestalled his motion and his words. His chest felt tight as Dean drew up beside him Standing there, not looking at Dean, he felt a wave of hope sweep over him. His brother's proximity told him that all was not lost, that he was still a part of Dean.

Almost recognizing too late the need in Alec for his honestly, for his trust, Dean grabbed for Alec before his brother could walk away thinking he didn't trust him, that the bond they had was faltering. When the truth was, it was growing stronger each day. Felt that it had always been part of him, that Alec had never not been a member of his family. Drawing up to Alec's side, he hated the vulnerability and hurt pouring off of his little brother. Letting his shoulders fall and his fighting stance melt away, he retorted but there was affection even in the barb, "Course I wouldn't be fine with you and Sam being in danger without me," his tone conveying that it was a crazy notion, one Alec should know without being told. "You lose some grey matter tonight or what?" he taunted but the hand he reached out to trace the bruises marring his brother's face was gentle, his sarcasm lending itself as an excuse to check Alec over. He smirked when Alec sorrowful look melted away and his brother playfully swatted his hand away. Then he retreated into the house, knew without looking that his brothers were sharing a gloating look of victory behind his back.

And Dean was right, Sam was sharing a look of victory with Alec but there was also love and gratitude and happiness. Sam had felt a little choked up watching the interaction between his brothers, knew what was at stake by the vulnerable look in Alec's eyes. That Alec hadn't just made a random challenge, was testing the waters, measuring the limits of the ties he had with Dean, with him. Knew that the foundation of Alec and Dean's relationship, even his relationship with Alec would either be damaged or fortified by whatever happened between his brothers in that moment. Of course, Dean had hit it out of the park. Had been what he had always been to Sam all his life: big brother, protector, anchor, partner, best friend, the one person he could always count on, even when the rest of the world was out to get him. And Dean had conveyed the greatest love with a few truthful, yet caustically delivered words, a light touch hidden behind a taunt and the warm, affection look in his eyes. All in all: A standard Chick Flick moment a la Dean Winchester.

Seeing the bewildered, overwhelmingly happy look on Alec's face, Sam couldn't help slinging an arm around Alec's shoulders. He drew his little brother close…and gave him a duck rub on the top of his head. He laughed as Alec broke free, gave him a light shove and then followed Dean into the cabin. Sometimes Sam couldn't get over how happy he was, how blessed he felt. Was a one hundred and eighty degree reversal from a few years ago…or even a month ago. Had come to see that he wasn't cursed as much as he was blessed. And that had everything to do with the people he loved. Without trying to wipe away the loopy smile from his face, he entered the cabin on Alec's heels, saw that, typically, Dean had his head in the refrigerator.

"Man, I'm starving," Dean groused, his voice muffled.

"Might have something to do with us skipping dinner," Sam lightly suggested, shooting a look to Alec, watching his brother's face morph into surprise and pleasure. 'Yeah, Alec. You rate above food for us. Even for Dean.'

The warmth Alec felt already intensified. Not only had his brothers gotten into a bar fight over him, they had been worried enough about him to skip dinner, to go out looking for him…for hours. At this blatant proof of just how much his brothers loved him, coupled with Dean's willingness to trust him, Alec didn't think he could be any happier. "I'll make spaghetti and garlic bread," he stated matter-of-factly, wanted to show his own devotion to his brothers, to their family. Knew that, whatever his family needed, he would move heaven and earth to make sure they got it. Even if it was something as simple as dinner. Heading, to the cabinets, he pulled out the spaghetti noodles.

At Alec's declaration, Dean straightened up out of the refrigerator, wore a look of delight. "You do that, I will love you forever."

"You bet you will," Alec shot back, wearing a smirk on his face and his heart on his sleeve, fully planning on holding Dean to that particular oath. When his brother's eyes met his, they conveyed Dean's 100% agreement to do just that.

"If only the women in Dean's life knew spaghetti was the way to his heart," Sam sighed dramatically, pulling a pan from the cabinet.

Instead of denying Sam's slam, Dean countered with a wide, open smile, "Food is always the way into my heart. Why do you think I dig waitresses so much?"

"You are a pig," Sam laughed, beginning to fill the two quart pan with water.

Enjoying his brothers bantering, Alec headed to the refrigerator, but did a stopover long enough to grip Dean by the arms and push him into a chair all the while ignoring Dean's "easy with the merchandise" "control freak," comments. Reaching the refrigerator, he pulled out the hamburger, tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Having been manhandled into one of the chairs at the table and knowing that Alec would cut off any attempts he made to rise, Dean sighed, "You know I was in that bar and I got nothing to drink. Didn't get a drop." Suddenly a pitcher of ice tea was placed on the table in front of him by Alec. "Great, tea, my favorite," he sarcastically drawled. "Am I just swigging this from…" but Sam sat an empty glass under his nose before he could continue his rant. Offering Sam a frustrated close mouthed smile, Dean poured himself a glass of tea, hated that his arm trembled at the strain of the action. 'I can punch some guy but get all weak pouring my own drink, just great. Man I need to start weight training, running, getting back my mojo.'

Draining his glass, he felt almost too tired to pour another, to lift his other hand from the table. Found that he didn't have to when Sam appeared, played waitress and refilled his glass before filling two other glasses. "Thanks," he offered, taking a sip of the refill as Sam handed Alec a full glass, received thanks from that quarter as well before he left the room.

Hearing Alec tinkering behind him and Sam rustling in the next room, Dean felt contentment settle over him. Alec wasn't leaving, Sam seemed pretty set on sticking by his side and they were safe, at least for the moment. They were watching out for each other, sticking together, making dinner like normal people did. It was the closest he had ever come to feeling like he had a family again, since Sam had left for college, since Dad had died. And it terrified him. Getting what he wanted, being happy. It was like slapping a bulls' eye on his chest, asking for the world to end, for his family to be destroyed all over again.

He hadn't heard Sam's soft tread reenter the room amid Alec's clattering behind him. He startled at Sam's gentle, "Hey, you alright?" as his brother claimed a seat at the table. "What? Yeah. Great!" he quickly reassured, did his best showmanship. But Sam's eyes pinned him, begging, like Alec had, for his trust, for him to let him in. Sighing, he bowed his head, rubbed the back of his neck before facing Sam again, but couldn't find the words, didn't want to say them, afraid they were as much a whammy as his happiness.

Sinking into the chair on Dean's left, Alec stilled as he detected the tension in Sam, the despair in Dean. "What? Something else happen?"

Sam flinched and bowed his head to try and shut down his emotional reaction. They were the exact words Dean said after the cruel loop finally abated at the Mystery Spot. And he hadn't truthfully answered Dean then or ever, found he couldn't. Couldn't relive, even for a moment, the terrible, aching loss of being without Dean for six months, of Dean being dead. Of struggling every second to try and find the desire to live without his brother.

Looking up, Sam saw that he had drawn the attention of both of his brothers. He gave a shaky laugh that nearly turned into a sob, "I can't do this, again," he confessed, didn't care that a tear slipped down his cheek as he looked to Dean. And it was equal parts comforting and heartbreaking to see Dean's warm, affectionate gaze giving him that unfailing promise to protect him. "Lose you or Alec. Not to some drunk in a bar…or some deal…or some friggin' time loop or some covert military group that doesn't have a name." And he felt like his breath was trapped in his chest, like he would either die of suffocation or shatter apart.

"I know," Dean quietly agreed, felt both glad and saddened that Sam felt the same way he did at that moment: happy and terrified, safe and utterly vulnerable. "This all feels too…."

"Good," Alec supplied, earning his brothers' surprised looks. "Hey, it's not like my life has been Hallmark moments like this. I keep expecting White to be alive and come bursting through the door…"

"Or Lilith to come smoking in…" Sam added, hands clenching on the table. Reminding himself that he had killed Lilith, by his own hand, that she wouldn't be back to try and reclaim Dean's soul. Ever.

"Or a hell hound to show up," Dean supplied with a snort. The brothers shared chagrin expressions before they all broke into smiles and light laughter. "We're pathetic, you know that? We're finally together, safe …"

"And we're too scared to let ourselves enjoy it," Sam bitterly chastised, but the feeling wouldn't leave him. His survival instincts to protect himself from hurt, guard himself from pain that would cripple him was coiled tightly in his soul. Knew that if he ever lost Dean again…or lost Alec, though his body might not die, his soul surely would.

"I let Manticore manipulate me through fear my whole life. I never thought love could do the same thing…" Alec revealed with a sad smile.

"We're acting like cowards," Dean hissed out, hating himself for the fear that made tying himself even tighter to Sam and Alec seem a risk too great. "What are we even fighting for if not to get this," he growled, hand waving to the three or them, together, safe, happy. "We're earned it, haven't we?!"

"It sure wasn't freely given," Alec scoffed, voice taunt at the memories of all they had gone through together, how many times they had almost lost each other. Knew that Max was right, gaining his freedom from Manticore was about getting this moment: having a family, being happy. That taking out White had had more about ensuring his family's safety than about revenge, no matter how sweet. Yes, he had fought for this happiness, even when he didn't ever dream it was a possibility, when he knew nothing about Dean, Sam, about family, had just the desire, the hole in his soul which nothing had ever filled. Before now. "And I'm not giving it up," he lowly announced, eyes meeting his brothers.

"We fought to get it, so what if we have to fight to keep it?! We fight for strangers all the time. We can fight for ourselves. As often and as hard as we have to," Sam rationalized, voice growing stronger with conviction.

"Guess it wouldn't be our family if we didn't have a fight on our hands?" Dean quietly asked but there was agreement in his eyes, even hope.

"Good thing we're good at fighting then, huh?" Alec smirked, the bar scene again replaying in his head.

"Absolutely," Dean and Sam concurred with conviction. And suddenly, happiness, family: those things didn't seem like a risk but the safest bet in the world.

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After they were all stuffed, Alec shooed Dean into the living room to relax while he put away the leftovers and Sam started to clear the table. Closing the refrigerator door, he shot a look into the other room, saw that Dean was claiming the lounge chair in the living room and most likely not hear him from where he sat. Leaning against the counter, he watched Sam stack the dishes on the counter and begin to draw some water to wash them.

"You think I'm going to regret staying, not going back to Max, don't you?" he quietly asked, saw the way his brother's back tightened at his words.

Shutting off the water, Sam faced Alec. "No," but at Alec's probing look, he amended, "I hope not. I just don't want you to wonder about the could have beens…"

"Like you would have if you hadn't gone to Stanford?" Alec softly asked, struggled to not level any accusation at Sam for his choice, to ignore the tightness in his chest at the thought of making the decision Sam once had, of leaving his family behind…for years. Knew this was a conversation he didn't want Dean to hear, not since he had detected the slight rift between Dean and Sam whenever Stanford or college or their four year separation was acknowledged. Was a fissure between his brothers that it hurt him to see, wished he could mend somehow even as he knew he couldn't. It wasn't his place to, whether he was their brother or not.

Shooting a look to Dean, reassuring himself that his voice wouldn't carry to his brother, Sam turned fully to Alec, quietly admitted, "Crazy as if sounds, I would have never realized what my family meant to me if I had stayed. I was blinded by my frustration, my hatred of the life I was forced to live. A life that I thought was worse than anyone else's." He paused, tried to read the shift in Alec's stance, to brace himself for his brother's condemnation but Alec remained silent, gave him a look he couldn't decipher. "Alec, I know, what you've gone through…the way you were…raised, it makes my life look like a gift in comparison. And it was…but I had to leave to see that, had to see the world on my own. Had to realize that, what all those 'normal' people had, it was shabby compared to what I had, what I threw away. Could never match up to what my Dad…and Dean gave me, did for me…how deeply they loved me. I mean, you think there's another guy out there who would sell his soul to save his brother?" he tried to joke but it came out choked, his brother's actions meant too much to him to come off sounding offhanded.

"Well I know of two other brothers," Alec countered, earning a soft, sad smile from Sam. Then he exhaled and shook his head. "It's pathetic but, the way Manticore trained me, treated me, I never rebelled against it. Just thought that was the way the world worked. Didn't know there was more to life than taking orders, being either commended or reprimanded for my actions. Thought that, earning my superior's trust, even Lydecker's trust, that was the best thing in my world. Until Rachel…until I realized that there was something missing…in me. Love, happiness…family. I didn't know what those things were…but I was starting to think I wanted them." He shook his head, rubbed his hand over his mouth nervously, "And we all know how well that turned out…"

"Alec, it wasn't your fault," Sam insisted. "You tried to save her. It was Manticore that blew up the car, not you."

"I was a means to an end…literally. And losing Manticore's trust…." Alec snorted and bowed his head but didn't continue. Vividly remembered Lydecker's words. "You have to prove that the small trust we have in you isn't misplaced, that you don't really deserve to be down in the dungeons with the rest of the failures.' And he had seen the failures…had heard their cries of agony and fear, first hand. Had been among their number after the Berrisford assignment, had been reminded, time and again, that if his superiors couldn't trust him they would have no use for him. Knew the outcome after watching the cool execution of an entire X-6 unit that had proven itself useless.

But now, he knew that there was something worse to fear than uselessness, than reindoctrination, than death: To be proven untrustworthy in the eyes of his brothers. Raising his eyes to meet Sam's concern expression, he admitted, "You are right, I'm not like you, Sam."

"I didn't mean that in a bad way…" Sam protested, wished Alec hadn't overheard his conversation with Dean..had instead been a part of the conversation.

"I know," Alec quietly assured, a weak smile on his face. "Doesn't make it any less true. Just not in the way you meant it. I've lived without a family, never thought I would ever have one, Sam. Didn't think I was good enough for one."

"Alec," Sam objected but Alec cut him off.

"Just let me get this out, Sam," Alec implored, waited until he saw the capitulation in Sam's stance before he spoke. "All my life, I've been just trying to survive to see another day: To not fail Manticore, to not get killed on an assignment, to not get killed by White. But with you and Dean, for the first time, I saw that there was more to being alive than surviving. That having someone to care about…having someone care about me…it changed everything. Changed me. And it's scary, letting myself vulnerable, letting you two in…but thinking about living without that, leaving…Thinking about that tonight.." his voice caught, "For the first time, surviving seemed a crappy hand to be dealt."

And Sam understood only too well what Alec was saying, had felt that way after Dean died in the Tricksters game…could feel that dark cloud settling on his soul as he sat beside Dean's bed, watching his brother fight for every second of life. But he also loved Alec enough to give him the option for all he ever wanted instead of just a portion of what he wanted. "You really could have both: Max, TC and us. Watching Dean with you tonight," and he broke off because it affected him, seeing Dean reacting to Alec's possible departing. His voice was thick when he continued, "I realized that I could have had both too. Dean would have allowed me that, him and Stanford. If I had asked…if I had handled things differently…if I had said the right things instead of all the wrong things. It doesn't have to be Max or us."

"I know but I want this, us," Alec bluntly stated. But felt guilty for seemingly not considering Max in all of this, in the life he wanted. "Max means a lot to me but …" 'you guys mean more.'

Misinterpreting Alec's silence, Sam filled in, "You need some space from her, need to figure out your feelings? Yeah, women take some figuring out."

Not correcting Sam's assumption, Alec replied with a smirk, "Yeah." But, as right as he knew his choice was, he also knew it was the riskiest thing he had ever dared. That, if it failed, if he failed, there would be no making it better. No moving on like he had the delusional thought to do tonight, before he bound himself more tightly to his brothers, to his family. "Just lie to me, tell me this is the worst it's ever going to get," Alec lowly entreated, unable to fathom going through what they had with Dean ever again, being faced with the possibility of losing one or both of his brothers.

Exhaling and shifting his feet, Sam drawled, "Well, we have some rounding up to do after we let the devil's gate open. Then there's the ghosts, wendigos, shapeshifters, reapers, random curses, tricksters, bored or hungry gods, campfire legends…"

Alec shook his head and cut off Sam's catalog of foes, "So what you're saying is, enjoy the peace and quiet right here and now."

"Ah yeah," Sam concurred with a small smile.

Faced with the prospect of more gut wrenching fear in the future, Alec asked with desperate hope, "Think we can convince Dean to stay here a few more weeks?"

"You mean convince? As in change his mind…with words or logic?" Sam drawled, heavy on the 'you've got to be kidding'.

Laughing at Sam's incredulous tone, Alec still replied in the affirmative, "Yeah."

"No," Sam shortly replied but then a deviously smile began making an appearance. "But I'm not opposed to conning him into staying."

"Conning?" Alec repeated, raising his eyebrows even as his smile began to match Sam's. "I'm liking the sound of this."

Then Dean's voice calling from the other room startled them, as if their brother was already catching them in the act of their con. "Sam, your favorite movie is on: Beaches."

"Bite me!" Sam hollered back but there was joy in his eyes and a wide smile on his lips that only Alec was privy to.

"Thought that comeback was off limits, Sammy?" Dean gruffly shot back.

Sam couldn't help but lean out the kitchen and watch Dean's face as he delivered his comeback. "To you, Dean. Not to me. I'm not the one who was a Scooby snack." Dean's scowl was like a well earned reward.

"Nice," Dean growled. "You should have been a therapist, Sam. Course all your patients would commit suicide…" he undertoned the last as Sam merely smiled wider before ducking back into the kitchen.

Retracing his steps back to the sink, Sam was about to start washing the dishes when Alec spoke.

"You're not actually going to wash them tonight are you? I don't think I can stand you switching roles from Rocky to the little woman." Alec got a dishtowel in the face for that quip.

"Fine, you be the little woman and do them tomorrow," Sam taunted, proud of himself for earning a second brotherly scowl to his tally for the night. Giving Alec a smug look of victory, he refilled his tea glass, retrieved something from the freezer and stalked out to join Dean.

Smiling at his successful manipulation of Sam, Alec put himself in super mode. He made quick work of the leftovers, the dishes and the countertop cleanup. Slowing down, he grabbed his glass of tea and casually stepped into the living room in time to watch Sam snap off the tv with a vengeance. Then, turning to his brother at his side on the couch, Sam settled an ice pack against Dean's cheek, pick up Dean's hand and rest it against the pack to keep it in place. Alec almost smiled at the glare Dean tossed over at Sam for his mothering. "Dishes are all done," he smugly announced, cocky smile in place for Sam's benefit.

"Showoff," Sam grumbled, settling back on the couch beside Dean, amazed and a little jealous of Alec's supersonic motion.

"If you got it, flaunt it," Alec brazenly countered. But Dean cut across his self-satisfaction.

"Wrong. You start playing it safe. Cover up that barcode from now on like I keep telling you to," Dean ordered, knowing, with the events of the night, that he finally had some true leverage for his argument.

"Just because you and Sam are ashamed of your tats doesn't mean I am," Alec smart mouthed back, sinking into a chair and resting his feet on the low table beside Sam's and Dean's feet.

Sam readily joined the brotherly fray. "Well our tats don't incite riots. And another thing…" he began as he tossed the Tryptophan pill bottle to Alec, who caught it deftly in his right hand. He returned Alec's confused look with a long suffering sigh. "Yeah, I know that the more you expand energy the more likely it is that you'll have seizures. You would realize that too if you took care of yourself, did a little research about the imbalance in your…"
"Oh he's got an imbalance alright," Dean eagerly jumped in, earning him a glare from not only Alec but Sam. "What? I'm supposed to pass on an opening like that," he protested to Sam. To Alec he snapped, "Now stop whining and take your pills."

"And you take yours," Sam added, setting a bottle of low dosage pain killers and a bottle of vitamins in front of Dean.

"Did I miss the part of our family history where you switched your major from lawyer to doctor…" Alec groused to Sam, sharing a look of commiseration with Dean for their joint predicament.

"This falls under his Know-It-All BS degree he's still working on," Dean grumbled, giving Sam a close mouthed smile. Then he lowered the ice pack from his face, reached over and gently pressed it against Sam's bruised jawline.

Sam flinched at the contact and the coldness but conceded the battle, knowing that they knew each other too well to get a real advantage. Replacing Dean's hand with his own, he held the icepack to his throbbing jaw, was touched that Dean recognized his pain even though he had another brother to take care of now.

"If anyone has the chops to go the doctor routine, it's me," Alec boasted as he climbed to his feet. Coming around the low table, he claimed a seat beside Dean's feet. "Alright let me see the damage," he ordered, waiving a finger at Dean's chest and the wounds that lay underneath.

"No damage," Dean stated but felt ganged up on when matching frustrated sighs came from Alec and Sam. "Fine," he gave in with ill-grace, pulling his shirt up to reveal the healing, stitched wounds underneath. He involuntarily flinched when Alec's fingers made contact.

Instantly Alec withdrew his hands. "That hurt?" cursing himself for not being more gentle, for hurting Dean instead of…

"Your hands are freezing! Thought you just did the dishes?" Dean complained, wondering about the adage of cold hands, warm heart.

Relieved that Dean wasn't reacting to pain, Alec replied, "Yeah, in cold water. Hot water heater takes a while to heat up,"

"Which is why you thought you should do the dishes instead of me? I'm not delicate, Alec," Sam protested, surprised to find that he now had two brothers sheltering him instead of just one.

"Sure you are, Sammy. Catches colds like nobody's business," Dean tattletaled to Alec with a wink, enjoying the glare Sam sent his way.

Ignoring Sam's tirade and Dean's comeback, Alec lightly traced the stitches on Dean's chest, was relieved that they were all in tact. Tuning out Dean's growl of unhappiness as he pushed Dean's shirt higher to view his brother's shoulders, he found the same good results there. "Ok, lean forward," he ordered, fingers wrapping in Dean's shirtfront as if he intended to pull Dean forward… or simply wanted to keep his brother close.

"You're not serious?" Dean gritted out, but Alec's no-nonsense look was answer enough. Conceding the battle, Dean leaned forward, felt Alec lift his shirt up and the tingle of his brother's hands gently trailing across his wounds before his shirt was pulled down. As he leaned back against the couch, he was surprised to find Alec slipping down to kneel on the carpet. Remained still and silent as Alec pushed up his pant leg and run deft fingers over the stitchwork decorating his leg.

"Satisfied?" Dean tersely demanded, tried to hide how touched he was that Alec cared enough to check him over so thoroughly.

"Yup," Alec smiled up at his brother, shared a relieved look with Sam before he climbed to his feet and took his seat on the chair again. The last of the evening's tension seeping out of him as he leaned back into the cushions, reassured that his family was all in one piece…and all in one place for the foreseeable future, together.

Handing Dean his glass of tea from the table and his two pill bottles, Sam settled back onto the couch, cocked an eyebrow at Alec and dramatically drew his look from his brother down to the bottle of the Tryptophan on the low table and back to Alec's. He watched Alec intently until his little brother grumbled something about lawyers thinking they were doctors and tossed a pill in his mouth followed by a gulp of his tea.

Dean, recognizing that Sam was fully entrenched in his mothering role, manned up and swallowed the vitamin and pain pill without more protests. He was prepared for Sam's condescending smile to make an appearance when Sam snagged the glass from his hand and set it down on the table. Instead Sam leaned back on the couch until their shoulders touched, sat there without offering up a word or a gesture of smugness…only radiated contentment. Then companionable silence fell on the three brothers as they drank their teas and nature's nighttime orchestra music slipped in through the open windows.

Alec almost jumped when the icepack landed in his lap, looked up to see Dean pointing to his own eye, silently ordering him where the icepack needed to go. 'From abandoned to suffocated, all in one day,' he thought as he obediently raised the icepack and rested it against his eye that had been a punching bag for his first contestant that evening. Found he was unable to truly resent the care his brothers were showing to him, not when it made him feel so complete.

"Guess we screwed up tonight, with your Good Samaritan thing," Dean quietly admitted, eyes meeting Alec's.

Lowering the icepack, wanting full eye contact with Dean and Sam, Alec pointed out, "I didn't throw the first punch. Well, not in the first bout. Second bout, yeah, I got the first punch in, was more than happy to do it too," his bold smile expressing that he had no regret for his actions, not after his antagonists had put their sights on his brothers.

"Well technically, we didn't have the right set up for the Good Samaritan routine," Sam imparted, found himself under the matching, raised eyebrow, questioning look of Dean and Alec. "See, in the Bible story, the Samaritan helps a man who has already been beaten up, patches him up when others have walked right by him, pretending to not see that he needs help."

"Ah, so we're doing more than our share," Dean said jokingly. "We're beating them up too. Full service, that's what we're all about. Course I guess that means we forgot the other steps…"

"I enjoyed step number one," Alec admitted, one side of his lips flipping up. "And we're patching up, just happens to be us instead of them. I mean, in the story, how do we know the Samaritan wasn't running a con, you know, hire some thugs to beat the guy up then help him to the healer and charge overpriced rates on ..I don't know, linens and oil and his chamber pot."

"You are just not right," Sam laughed, shaking his head, saw by Dean's expression that he was going to take Alec's side in this tale. "Neither of you are."

"And you're right there with us, geekboy. Cause I saw that uppercut you nailed that guy with!" Dean teased. "Unless that was for medicinal purposes…"

"Yeah…mine," Sam smiled back in return. 'Because I owed that guy for hitting you.'

"Oh, you're a real humanitarian," Alec mockingly praised, earning a squinted eyed glare from Sam.

"So I say we check out another bar tomorrow night," Dean suggested, anxious to get back fully into the swing of things.

But the vote from his brothers was a unanimous, "No!"

"Killjoys," he grumbled as he sulked back against the couch, already scheming to go for a run tomorrow morning, to prove to his body…and his brothers that he could take charge again.

SNDASNDASNDASNDA

TBC

SNDASNDASNDASNDA

Thanks to everyone for reading this chapter and for your wonderful support!!

Slight spoiler…And for those wondering, Alec and Dean will talk about Alec's vow to use Ruby's knife, it just didn't flow into this chapter like I thought it would.

Have a great evening!

Cheryl W.