20th June, 2013

Sleep could heal all manner of wounds, even those that cut deep into the soul. A sleep induced by the god of healing ....that can do wonders. And so it was for Becky, brought back to Porto Helio in the wake of Athena's trial and laid to bed, to sleep off the worst of the damage that had been done to her somewhere safe and warm.

Once Becky had returned, Sam had refused to leave her side, even to eat and sleep, taking his meals there in the rooms Ares had been so kind to offer them. Not even Ayden could convince him to abandon his vigil at Becky's side, even for a few minutes. He only sat there by her side, holding her hand, and waiting patiently and anxiously for her to awake - like a knight waiting for a princess to wake from a spell-induced sleep.

But she didn't wake, not until the night had come and gone, and the gentle warmth of a new day was beginning to dawn. As soft sunlight filtered into the room to illuminate her face, Becky stirred at last, moaning softly in protest against the light even as her eyes opened, blinking to clear the fuzziness from her vision. She didn't recognize the room, or the sounds of the place outside ....but she did recognize Sam, her lips curving in a sleepy smile as her eyes fell on him.

He'd surrendered to sleep some hours ago, unable to keep his eyes open any longer after his long vigil at her bedside and all the pain and worry he'd suffered after the Furies had taken over her mind. He was slumped in the chair by her side, his face peaceful in its repose, his fingers still tangled in hers despite his sleep.

"Sam." Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she shifted toward him, rolling onto her side with lazy comfort to squeeze his fingers and bring him round. "Sam, wake up."

Instead of the knight waking the princess with a kiss, it seemed it was the princess doing the waking of him instead. "Hmm?" he murmured, lifting his head with a small wince at the crick in his neck, his eyes slow to open and remember where he was. "Becky?" he asked, though, of course, it was Becky. Who else would it be? For the first time in what seemed like forever, but had only been a few weeks, she seemed like herself. Her eyes were bright and lucid, her smile warm and welcoming. "Are you okay' I've been so worried," he said, leaning forward to take her hands in his, his expression a mixture of relief and weariness.

It was Becky; Becky as she had been before her father's death, warm and lucid and brimming with the vibrant personality so few people had bothered to get to know. As Sam took her hands, her smile deepened. "I'm fine, I ..." But she wasn't fine, was she" She gasped as the memories flooded back; memories of weeks of nightmares, of fingers in her mind, of what she had done under their influence. "Oh god," she whispered, horror overtaking her expression as her eyes filled with tears. "I killed her. Sam, I killed Jo, I ..."

Sam scooted closer, moving off the chair to sit beside her on the bed, giving her hands a warm reassuring squeeze as if to remind her she wasn't alone. "It's okay, Becky. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. It was the Furies. They were trying to drive you to madness. It's a long story, but Mom is okay. I promise. You've been through a lot, and you need to take it slow, okay?" he asked, touching his fingers to her cheek and pushing a strand of hair back from her face, that worried expression in place again. "Everything's gonna be okay. I swear." There was one thing he couldn't promise though - he couldn't promise to bring back her father.

"But ..." It was a lot to take in, to realize that she had been targeted for some reason, that she had done something terrible under that influence and yet Sam said it was okay. "How is she okay?" she asked, rising onto her knees, needing to know. "Sam, I slit her throat. I had her blood all over my hands, and ....how am I still here" I ..." She looked down at her stomach, remembering how she had twisted the knife to kill herself.

"Just calm down and take it slow. I'll explain. I promise, but I don't want you getting yourself upset, okay?" he urged, settling his hands against her shoulders and meeting her gaze. He looked tired, worn, like he hadn't eaten or slept right in weeks, which was the truth, but all that would change now that Hades was dead and Becky had been returned to him. "First thing you should know is Hades is dead, so the war's over for now," he told her, tugging a tassled rope that would summon one of Ares' servants. It was a crude means of ordering breakfast, but they weren't in South Dakota anymore.

Her eyes followed his hand as he pulled the rope, a faintly curious frown touching her brow even as she settled down at his urging. She trusted Sam completely - even more so now she recalled the way he had looked after her as her sanity was eroded from the inside out. He had never once allowed her to feel alone or lost, and he was here now, even after everything she had done. She had to believe him when he told her all was well. "All right," she said quietly, twisting about to sit with him, her head on his shoulder. "Tell me."

He slid an arm around her to hold her close, while she rested her head on his shoulder, and he told her what had taken place over the course of the last six or seven weeks. He knew it was upsetting for her to know that she had killed his mother and tried to kill herself - to know it hadn't just been a dream - but he hoped the outcome would bring her comfort, knowing that Jo still lived and the conflict with Hades was over. He left nothing out, telling her how Artemis had led his father to the Underworld to rescue his mother and finish off Hades once and for all; how Ares had taken Becky to Olympus to see to her healing and to expose Athena's lies, not only to Zeus but all the Olympians. He explained where they were, and that Ares and Ayden had offered them sanctuary here in Greece for as long as they wished.

And lastly, once the story was almost at an end, and they were finished with breakfast, he tangled his fingers with hers, his eyes bright with tears, and asked her the question that he'd been longing to ask her almost since they day they had met. "I know this is sudden, and I don't expect it to happen today, but I love you, Becky, and I want to spend my life with you. Would you be my wife" You don't have to tell me today. Just think about it, okay' And tell me in a few days."

The storytelling helped. At heart, Becky was an academic; she enjoyed a good story told well, and Sam spun a good yarn. Add to that the fact that she knew most of the characters, and the circumstances that had led to this moment in time, and it became easier to square with the confusion in her own memories. It would still be a few days before all her questions were answered, but that was just the way she was. She took her time to analyze and understand, never rushing to a conclusion. So Sam's unexpected proposal was a bit of a shock.

"Uh ..." Blinking rapidly, she squeezed his hand, trying to put together a response that wasn't going to hurt him or give him false hope. "I ....I-I ....okay, in a few days," was what she eventually came up with. "I think you just made my brain stop working."

"Sorry," he said, frowning as he tried to hide his disappointment. Maybe he should have listened to his mother and given her a little more time, but watching Becky suffer these last weeks and worrying he might lose her only made him realize how much he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He had never considered she might say no, but he realized now that it was a very real possibility, especially given all the pain and grief she'd suffered because of him. "I shouldn't have asked," he told her, dismissing the topic of discussion from his lips, if not his heart.

"I didn't say that," she pointed out, touched by how disappointed he was not to have a resounding yes right away. Rising from where she sat, she moved to plant herself in his lap, turning his face until his eyes met hers. "You're all I have, Sam," she reminded him, her voice soft but vehement. "I love you, and without you, I'd be dead, or worse. But the Furies didn't let me mourn my dad, and I'm not cruel enough to give you the yes you're looking for when my heart's still hurting over the last words I said to him. It's not a no, and I don't think it'll ever be a no, I just ..." She could feel herself tearing up as she tried to explain this to him. "I don't want my yes to be dishonest. I don't want it to be fueled by loss. I want it to be only because I love you, and not because I'm afraid of being alone. Does that make sense?"

"I thought you'd never forgive me," she murmured in return, revisiting that haunting moment when the cloud had lifted from her mind and shown her what she had done in her madness. "I'm scared to be alone. Not just to be by myself, but to be really alone, without anyone to love me. I was so sure I'd destroyed any hope of you ever loving me when I ....I'll always come back to you. Always. I promise."

"You're never be alone, so long as I live. Promise," he promised in return, tightening his embrace just a little as he held her close in his arms. Maybe he had jumped the gun a little in asking her to marry him, but it seemed no matter what her final answer was, they were both determined to stay together, no matter what. He touched a gentle kiss to her lips, soft and tender and loving. "I suppose we should see about a bath and find you some clothes to wear," he admitted, though he felt in no hurry.

She smiled into his kiss, easily reassured with just a little affection from the man she loved. She might only just have turned nineteen, but she was old enough to know her own mind and her own heart. "A bath sounds good," she murmured in answer, the tip of her nose circling his as they lingered together in the warm sunshine. "You need one, too. You're kinda stinky."

Sam laughed. "There's no kinda about it," he replied with a grin. He knew he needed a bath and a very long rest, but first things first. He had his Becky back, and nothing was as important as that.

"So what are we waiting for, hmm' Even you think you're stinky, and I bet I smell pretty ripe, too." She flashed him a hint of her familiarly cheeky smile. "I don't think Mad Me understood what soap and shampoo are for too well. I'm lucky I don't have lice."

Sam made a face, showing just disgusted he was by that thought. "You have to catch lice from someone who has it, Becky, and as far as I know, you haven't been around anyone with lice ....I hope," he added as an afterthought, scratching at his head, just at the thought of it.

She snorted with laughter, slapping his hand away from his head. "Unless you have lice, baby, we're all good," she promised him warmly. "Now ....there's gotta be a bathroom around here someplace, right?" The view could wait; now the thought of getting really clean had been planted in her mind, she wasn't letting go of it. Taking his hand in hers, she turned to march back into the room, looking around for a likely-looking door.

He already knew where the bathroom was as he'd made use of it multiple times since their arrival, but it amused him to watch her try to find it on her own. "You're getting warmer," he teased as she made her way back into the small suite of rooms Ares had so graciously lent them.

She paused, looking back at him with one brow raised. "Hunt the bathroom, really?" she asked in amusement. "Why don't I just strip off and go swimming in the sea instead" Might be easier."

"Uh, five minutes ago you didn't want to step outside in your pajamas and now you want to go skinny dipping" And you wonder why we find women confusing," Sam remarked with a chuckle. "Besides, I'm not so sure I want to share the view," he added truthfully.

"In that case, you should definitely point me toward the hot water," Becky informed him impishly. "Or I might lock you out until the view's all covered up again." She flashed him a sweet smile, blowing him a kiss just to lay it on thick.

"But I've seen it already!" he pointed out with a pout. He stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms against his chest and looking just a little too much like his father. "Just for that, you can find it yourself," he teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Oh, so you want to be locked out," she nodded sagely. "I get it. You want a little alone-time with your right hand, that's cool." Not even Jo would tease Dean like this, but Becky had the measure of her Sam. She winked at him, prodding open the nearest door to find a closet that had more than a few changes of clothes in it. "Huh. So I guess I'm not going naked here after all."

"Hey, if you want to get naked in the closet, knock yourself out," he teased further, having a hard time hiding the smirk from his face. "You're getting warmer though," he added, as she eliminated one more door in her search for the bathroom.

Laughing, she rolled her eyes at him. "You're enjoying this far too much, you know," she told him cheerfully. "Anyone would think you like the idea of getting really filthy with me. Maybe I should find some lice, we could share them then." The last door opened at her touch, and in front of her was the biggest tub she'd ever seen. "Oh, wow. Please tell me that doesn't take a day to fill."

"Oh, come on. Can you honestly say you didn't enjoy making mudpies as a kid" Besides, it's not about getting dirty. It's about cleaning up," he replied, as she finally found the right door. "It doesn't take a day to fill," he told her, knowing that wasn't quite what she meant.

"Ha, ha," was her sarcastic response, delivered with a smile as she let go of his hand to step into the bright space that was their bathroom for the time being. It was a matter of minutes to set the tub filling, and despite its size, it filled quickly. "Ares likes his luxuries, doesn't he?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Why shouldn't he" They treat him like a god here," he pointed out. And why shouldn't they' This was Greece, after all, and Ares was an Olympian. In this place, at least, it seemed the past wasn't forgotten, and though he might not be openly worshiped, Ares certainly had the best of everything.

"Hope Ayden doesn't let it go to her head," Becky mused, bending to inspect the bottles on display, searching out a decent shampoo she could use to get the dry, greasy feeling out of her hair. She glanced back at Sam. "Are you planning on getting in fully clothed, or am I getting a striptease?"

"I don't think Ayden lets anything go to her head," Sam remarked, knowing Ayden better than even Ayden might think. After all, she had helped raise him once upon a time back home in his own time. "I wasn't sure you wanted me to join you," he said, regarding bath. It was certainly big enough to fit the two of them comfortably, but he didn't want to assume.

She straightened, looking him over with a teasing eye. "Get your pants off," was all she really had to say, crooking a finger toward him as she turned to close the faucet. A moment later, her pajamas were in a pile on the floor, and she was performing the delicate action to stepping into hot water without slipping, sliding, or making a big splash.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sam replied, with a grin as he unbuttoned his jeans. The bath really was a luxury, especially to Sam. He was more accustomed to a quick shower himself. It wasn't often he had the time for such luxuries as this, and despite the lure of a soak in warm water, he felt just a little bit leery about it. "I'm not gonna come out smelling like a girl, am I?"

He chuckled, but there was little humor in it. "Nothing about my family is normal, Becky. I thought you knew that by now." For starters, he was from the future, while his younger self was still a baby in this reality. "My dad is more likely to hug you than lynch you, trust me." Maybe he was exaggerating a little, but he didn't think his father was going to blame Becky for Jo's death, knowing it hadn't been her fault. If anyone understood that, it was Dean Winchester.

She held his gaze for a long moment. "I'm so glad we met," she said suddenly, easing closer to kiss him. "No one else in the world could possibly have understood even half of that, and you need someone to keep you on the mild side of insanity."

"I'm sure most people would think I'm nuts if I told them what I just told you," he said, smiling into her kiss. He hadn't even told her half of his parents' story, but for now, it was enough. Thankfully, she'd been raised to keep an open mind about such things, just as he had, but that didn't make what she'd gone through any easier.

"Becky," he started, his expression turning serious. "My family is never gonna be normal. I'm never gonna be normal, but what we do is important. Essential, really. I know you've been through a lot, and I know it's gonna take some time before you feel safe again, but if we're gonna be together, you should know this is who I am and this is what I do. I can't be anyone else. I promise I'll do my best to keep you safe, but being with me ....being part of my family ....it's dangerous, and ....maybe it's selfish of me to want you to be part of my life, but you deserve to know the truth. I wish I could take back everything that happened, but I don't regret meeting you or being with you. If you decide it's too much and you don't want to be with me, I'll understand, but I want you to know that I'll never forget you and I'll never stop loving you."

She listened, letting him get it all off his chest in one fell swoop, her fingers playing in and out of his hair. "Sam ....normal is overrated," she told him softly. "I love you. And I want you to teach me how to fight. Sure, someday I'll have to take over in the bunker, but ....well, there's something I haven't told you about my family." She lifted the pendant that hung from her neck, showing him the ruby stone. "This is one half of the key to Atlantis," she said quietly. "It's been in my family for generations, further back than recorded history. It's the reason I'm so obsessed with Atlantis; it's why my great-grandfather joined the Judah Initiative and why we ended up a part of the Men of Letters. We're guardians to something that almost everyone in the world thinks is a myth. And somewhere out there is the other half. Still think I'm normal?"

He arched a brow at her confession. He'd often wondered about the stone she wore about her neck, but had never asked about it. As far as he'd known, it was just a family heirloom of some sort, pretty but without any real usefulness. He smiled as he realized she'd just taken him into her confidence, as he'd taken her into his. "I think normal is over-rated, too," he said, leaning close to touch a soft kiss to her lips, relieved she still loved him, and even a little amused to know they weren't so different, after all.

Her smile echoed his as he kissed her, the last of her secrets gone as her arms wrapped about him, deepening that kiss. For months, that secret had been something she'd hated keeping from him, but it was too important to share with just anyone. If he was listening carefully, he would realize that she had just given him that yes, albeit not in so many words. She'd trusted him with the most important thing about herself, something that she had told no one else. It was no small thing for a person who knew about Thules and monsters and demons.

He sensed that yes in her kiss and her embrace, not quite realizing the depth of the secret she'd just shared with him. It would most likely occur to him later, when she wasn't there to distract him with kisses and caresses. For a short time, it seemed as if it was just them - that nothing and no one else in the world existed or mattered. For just a little while, it was true; Becky was Sam's world and for just a little while, nothing else mattered.

For just a little while, she had no intention of being anything but distracting. Forget washing - they'd get clean enough in the process, but for now, she wanted to reconnect with Sam, to show him that she really was back as she had been before. So long as they remembered to wash her hair before they got out, it was all good.

Without any distractions or interruptions or responsibilities, they had more than just a little while; they had all the time they wanted. Time to rekindle their love, time to renew the promises they'd made, though no words were needed. Sam went slow, letting Becky choose the pace, patient despite being unable to hide his obvious desire for her. What mattered most was making sure she knew that he loved her, and if that love could be measured in gentle kisses and tender caresses, then there should be no doubt left in her mind.

Gentle was what she needed, though she would never have admitted it aloud. The girl who was quite happy to tease and grope him in public needed soft touches right now, like a horse newly broken to bridle, afraid to give too much in case she let anything else in again. But with Sam, there was no need for fear, and slowly, gently, her fear turned to tender laughter as she reciprocated his affection with her own, finding the fun as well as the love and reveling in it for its own sake. Now there was the Becky he knew.

They might have spent the rest of the afternoon cavorting in the tub if not for the fact that they were both starting to shrivel like prunes. But before Sam would let her leave, he made good on his promise to wash her hair, taking as much care with that task as he did with anything else that concerned her. He washed her hair as gently and thoroughly as he'd made love to her, only then pulling the plug on the tub before anyone came looking for them.

In that respect, they were lucky that it was Ares' house they were staying in. Neither Ares nor Ayden would consider disturbing them, not even to satisfy their own curiosity, unlike Sam's parents. If they had been at the Winchesters', someone would have "accidentally" opened the door by now. As it was, Sam had the leisure to lull Becky into sleepy warmth with the gently thorough cleaning he gave her hair, the weeks of sleepless nights already beginning to catch up to her. It would be a while before they could both get through a full day without needing a nap.

Maybe it was the warm water or maybe it was their lovemaking that lulled them both into a sense of drowsiness. He had shared her sleepless nights, as he'd worried and fretted over her, and now that they were both relaxed and safe, it was easy to give in to the need for rest. With that in mind, Sam led Becky back to bed, not to finish what they'd started but to let her rest, safe in his arms, for as long as she wanted.

There would be plenty of time to finish what they had started. The rest of their lives, in fact. But for now, all Becky really needed was to sleep in Sam's arms, safe in the knowledge that he could keep these nightmares at bay. She nestled close to him, sighing softly as her weariness began to catch up to her. "Sam?" she murmured, just on the edge of sleep. "Thank you for loving me."

He smiled, eyes heavy with sleep after fighting against it for so long. How did one respond to that' "Always, Becky," he told her as he held her close in his arms and allowed sleep to claim him, content in the knowledge that she was safe at last.

((Hugely enormous thanks to my partner for these last few scenes - epic and fun!))