Who I Am | #Wattys2019

Chapter 11

"Let me try to bring her back."

Dean wasn't one to trust strangers, especially witches, but that phrase alone was enough to get Evan's foot in the door. Evan had driven Lexi's car, following the black Impala back to some place the other two men had kept referring to earlier as 'the bunker'.

Sam kicks the door open to the infirmary room and carries Lexi's lifeless body over to the bed, carefully laying her down on the mattress, while Dean shows Evan to the storage room for supplies. He pauses for a moment, brushing hair out of her face, and his features falter for a moment as he allows the pain to get the best of him again. He runs both hands over his face and regains his composure the best he can, turning to go in search of his brother.

He finds Dean standing in the kitchen, phone to his ear, looking very impatient and furious, and after a beat he throws the cell phone angrily against the opposite wall, shattering it instantly, "DAMMIT!"

"Still no answer," Sam says solemnly, knowing his brother had been desperately trying to contact both Castiel and Jack with no luck, as well as Rowena.

The only person he'd spoken with was Jody right after everything happened, completely by mistake, he had assumed it was Castiel calling him back and answered without looking at his caller ID:

"Cas, Lexi's..." he hesitates a moment, "Lex's gone, and we need Jack...we need him to try and bring her back."

There was silence on the other end of the line, then Jody's voice breaks a little as she says, "She's gone?"

Sam and Dean exchange 'oh shit' glances at each other, as Sam carries the dark-haired girl's body to the Impala.

They both knew it was only a matter of time before Jody came barging into the bunker. Dean walks over to the sink, keeping his back to his brother. He's barely keeping it together and he knows right now he needs to be alone.

"Go check on the witch or warlock or whatever the hell he is will you?" Dean doesn't look at his brother when he speaks.

Sam understands the meaning behind the request, and he turns to leave the kitchen, giving his brother some time. Dean contemplates praying to Chuck, but he's not helped the last few times he's called out to him. He closes his eyes tightly trying to hold back the overwhelming emotion which makes his knees weak. A few tears slip past as he sinks to his knees in the kitchen floor, bringing his hands to his head in frustration. After a few moments, he lifts his head, staring at the ceiling, not having heard the person walk into the room behind him.

"What did you do?" A familiar, but breathless voice questions.

Dean twists his body around to find Lexi standing just a few feet behind him, she's gingerly touching the blood-soaked shirt she's still wearing, and she glances up at him in confusion as she continues her tone slightly harsh, "If you made a deal...I swear to God..." He's on his feet as she's speaking, a smile of relief creeping back on his face at the anger in her words.

"I didn't," he says, closing the distance between them. Lexi can see the tears in his eyes and feels a tinge of guilt for her tone. "Thought crossed my mind," he continues as he wraps his arms around her, effortlessly lifting her off the floor and she feels the quick kiss on her forehead.

"Dean," she whispers sadly, cupping his face in her hands as she brushes away the remaining tears with her fingers and thumbs. He closes his eyes as she does, but not before she sees the pain there; He watched me die. She can't imagine what he'd felt, what he's feeling.

"I'm sorry," she says and without hesitating leans down to brush her lips across his. It wasn't a kiss brought on by passion or attraction, nor did it linger for long. It was a small, fleeting moment of love and comfort, but neither could deny the intensity behind it as she pulls away, her eyes landing on his for a brief second. Lexi quickly moves up to kiss his forehead and then pulls his head to her chest as she lays her cheek against the top of his hair.

"Lex," Sam's voice is barely audible from the kitchen doorway, but she glances back over her shoulder to see the look of relief wash over the younger brother's face as he makes his way into the kitchen.

"Hey Sam," the dark-haired girl gives him a small smile as Dean places her back on the floor in time for his brother to envelope her in a hug. He holds her for a bit longer than he normally would, but he'd just lost her and if he was being honest with himself, he was a little scared to let her go again. Losing the other hunters had taken its toll on him and losing one of his closest friends was almost more than the man could take.

After a few moments he does pull back with a smile on his face, "It worked."

"What?" she questions searching his face, unsure what he's meaning.

"The spell," Sam continues, "that Evan did to bring you back."

"Evan's here?" Lexi looks at him in surprise, the name bringing back a memory.

"He wasn't in the room when you woke up?" Dean questions and Lexi shakes her head.

The brothers share a look of concern.

"If it wasn't him," Sam begins, confusion on his face, "what brought you back?"

Lexi looks between the two of them, remembering what had at first felt like a far away dream when she'd woke up, but now was beginning to feel like more than that. She takes a deep breath before she says quietly, "I think I know."