Dean stared at the snow – or what everyone thought was snow – falling from the sky. He knew it was all over; the family business was shutting down for good, and he wasn't sure what to do next. Normally he might run off with Sam and celebrate the end of the world with a few beers and maybe, if they were lucky – and rarely were they lucky – a couple of girls looking for a good time. But even if he wanted to – which he didn't - Dean knew better then to try something like that right now. He knew Sam was questioning their next move too. He couldn't blame him; the only normal the two brothers had experienced had been separately, when one Winchester boy was stuck in Hell and the other had to cope with their grief.

And Dean knew Sammy want

ed out. Since before he could remember, Dean knew his brother hated their life. The only thing keeping him in it had been the fact that neither knew how to live normally. Sam's short time at Stanford had given him a taste of something he had never had, and Dean wasn't too thick to realize that Sam had decided that one way or another, he wouldn't die a hunter.

The only problem being that Dean never thought that both of them would get out alive.

Sam and Dean Winchester had just saved the world again. They had stopped the angels from taking over the world after learning of God's death, and single-handedly saved every human on earth while killing every supernatural creature alive. Neither one of them quite knew how, or why it happened, but it did. Every demon, poltergeist, wendigo, vampire, werewolf, and angel; they were all dead. And while that meant Cas had died in the process, the brothers weren't worried – no, Castiel had had a good run, and they knew he would rather pass on than allow the Winchesters to suffer any more than they had. While upsetting, Cas's death had not been for nothing.

The Winchester brothers had lit heaven on fire, and burned that son of a bitch to ground.

Dean looked around. The streets of New Orleans were nearly empty, which he knew was strange for the city. The only other thing moving around the city was the ash falling from the remains of Heaven. He didn't think too much of it – he was too tired to think about the sleeping habits of a town he didn't belong to. His girl had a toddler with her in the motel room, and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep with tears of joy in his eyes while watching his wife and daughter sleep. No, Dean couldn't worry about this city right now.

He had other priorities.

"Sammy," he whispered as he nudged the man standing next to him. "It's time to go."

Sam nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is," he said with a chuckle. The two brothers stood there for a moment more, then turned and walked toward the Impala.

Dean quietly turned the key in the motel room's lock, and pushed open the door. He swept his eyes across the room before they landed on the sleeping form of his wife and daughter, nestled together under the thin sheets. He set his bag on the chair next to the door, and made room for Sam to enter the room. Sam pushed past his brother, shutting the door behind him as he pulled his jacket off and fell onto the second bed, dozing immediately.

The oldest Winchester stood at the doorway a moment more, watching the three people he loved most in the world sleep peacefully - safely even, he realized. And he knew, as he kicked his shoes off and pulled the thick leather jacket away from his body,that he wouldn't have minded dying in the big ass angel battle he and his brother had just fought in. He slowly climbed into the bed, and gently climbed underneath the sheets so as not to disturb the girls sleeping next to him.

He felt Mary stir, bringing him out of his thoughts. She rubbed her eyes and turned over in her mother's arms, her face lifting up to look for Dean's. After a moment of searching the dark room, she noticed him next to her. "Daddy!" she whispered, carefully exiting her mother's embrace and crawling across to Dean. He opened his arms for his daughter, and wrapped her in his arms. "Hey, kiddo," Dean whispered into her hair. They stayed this way for a while, his eyes closing and relaxing his arms around Mary. He allowed himself to relax, his breathing slowing and his focus leaving little girl in his arms and going to the life they would give her when they settled down, and Dean and Caroline were able to get normal, apple pie jobs that didn't involve killing monsters. And with that thought in his mind, he drifted to sleep.

He woke up before everyone else.

Gently turning over, so as not to disturb the sleeping girl in his arms, he looked at the ceiling. It had months since they had had a morning to sleep in. Dean smiled. He hadn't felt this way in a while. And it felt good.

He turned his head to look at Caroline, and then to Sam. He kissed Mary's head, and got up. He changed into a fresh shirt, and put on his shoes. Grabbing the keys to the Impala, he looked back at the sleeping forms of his family, and felt tears come to his eyes as a smile stretched across his face. And for the first time in a long time, he didn't tuck a gun into his jeans before he left. He didn't need one.

They were safe.