Title:Reunions

Wordcount: 1901

Rating: PG

Characters: Sam, Dean, Lisa, Ben, the Impala, Castiel.

Summary: Sam "kidnaps" Dean for lunch, after he assures Dean that he's Sam, of course. Another installment in the "Heaven, Hell, and A Mechanic" universe.

Spoilers/Warning: All five seasons, none for season six.

AN: This is another story in the "Heaven, Hell, and a Mechanic" verse, also set before "Lunch with Heaven, Hell, and a Mechanic" In this one, Sam and Dean reunite, as do Sam and the Impala.

Once again, thanks go to viridian_magpie for the beta work.

Sam Winchester, Lord of Hell, stood under a blown out light pole, staring at the Braeden's house.

He didn't let anything show on his face as he watched the family having dinner. Dean needed him. He had sent Meg to tell Dean that Sam was alright, but he didn't know if Dean had believed her. Now that things had calmed down a bit more, Sam had come topside in the hopes of proving it to Dean.

Not tonight, though. Sam faded back into the shadows. Tomorrow was Saturday. Sam could borrow Dean for the day, and with an archangel's blessing, no less.

Sam couldn't wait to see the look on Dean's face. Hopefully, Dean wouldn't shoot him first.

Dean Winchester slid out of the Impala. He wasn't sure why he'd volunteered in the first place, but here he was, returning from the grocery store. Ben ran out to meet him.

"Hey there, Sport," Dean said.

"There's someone inside talking to Mom," Ben said. "About you."

Dean frowned. "Who?"

"I don't know," Ben said. "He's real tall, and he looks a little familiar." Dean froze. He knew, almost without thinking, whose form was in the house. He just didn't know whose soul would be moving that body. If nothing else, he had to protect Ben.

He turned and stared at Ben. "Ben, listen closely. I want you to get in the car and duck down to on the passenger side. Stay there until your mom or I say it's safe to come out. There's a knife under the seat if anyone else tries to get you out. Don't try anything." He knew, even as he spoke, that Ben wouldn't like it.

"But if it's something bad, I can help!"

Dean shook his head. "Not with this," he said. "And your mom would kill me if I put you in harm's way. Hopefully, I'm just over-reacting, but be careful. If no one comes out in half an hour, yell "Castiel, I need help", alright?"

"Castiel?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. Hopefully, that will get you some help."

Ben nodded. "Ok," he said. "And what if it doesn't?"

Dean took a deep breath. "There's a jug in the back of the car, filled with oil. Take that jug and the salt, and head for the backyard. Make a circle 'round the shed with the salt, then the oil, and get in the shed. Light the oil on fire. If there really is a problem, the bad guys won't be able to get to you until the fire goes out."

Ben nodded.

"Now, get in the car," Dean said.

He waited until Ben was in, then closed the door and faced the house. He had a couple of knives hidden on him, but that was it. Not that it mattered, if this wasn't Sam; then he really didn't have any weapons that could hurt the Devil.

He walked in, trying for "casual" as he did so. "Lisa? I'm back!" he called out.

"We're in the living room!"

"We?" Dean asked as he walked to the living room. "I saw Ben outside. Who's visiting?" He walked into the living room and stopped dead. Even though he was expecting it, the sight still punched all the air out of his lungs. Sammy. Or Sammy's body.

"Dean," he- it- he said.

Dean swallowed. "Sammy?"

"Yeah," he said. "It's me."

Dean took a step towards him as he stood up. He wanted nothing more than to wrap Sam in a hug and never let go. "No," Dean rasped. "You can't be him."

The being wearing Sam's form didn't look surprised. "Dean," he said. He sighed. "Call Cas. He can prove it's me."

Lisa looked back and forth between them. "Lisa, you alright?" Dean asked. He kept his eyes on the Sam-shaped being, however.

"I'm fine. I don't understand, Dean."

"Sam" sighed. It was the same sigh Sam always used when he thought Dean was being dense, but he was still willing to humor him. "Dean thinks I might not be his brother. Not that he doesn't have reasons. But I promise it's really me."

"Yeah, well, Lucifer's already played that trick."

"So call Cas already. He knew I was coming here."

Dean kept his eyes on the Sam creature as he pulled out his phone and dialed Castiel. He needed only a second to look down to press the speed dial button. (Number three, right behind Bobby. Sam was, would always be, one.)

"Hello, Dean," Castiel said calmly.

"I'm at the house," Dean snapped out. "And there's someone or something that looks just like Sam in the living room."

"Ah," Castiel said easily. "And you didn't think it was really him, and he asked you to call me. Let me talk to him.

"What?" Dean asked.

"We set up a password, Dean. Let me talk to him."

Dean handed the phone over to Sam. Sam grinned. "Hey, Cas," he said.

Dean couldn't hear Castiel's reply, but Sam grinned. "Alright. These aren't the droids you're looking for." He paused for a moment. "I know, Cas," he said. He handed the phone back to Dean.

"Cas?" Dean asked shakily.

"It's Sam. He's your brother, Dean."

Dean swallowed. His fingers went numb and the phone slipped to the floor as he stared at Sam. "Sammy?" he asked again.

Sam nodded. "It's me," he repeated.

Dean reached out and pulled Sam into a tight hug. Sam held on just as tightly. After a long, timeless minute Lisa coughed.

Reluctantly, Dean let go. "You're alright, Sammy?" he asked as he looked his brother up and down.

Sam smiled, that wide grin Dean hadn't seen in a long time. "I'm doing fine," he said. "Missed you, though. And didn't you get the message I sent?"

Dean snorted. "Yeah, like I'd believe that messenger. Meg, Sam, really?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, I didn't think you'd believe it, but I had to try. That was before I got in contact with Cas, though."

"So, is it true? You really ran the Gauntlet?"

"How do you know about the Gauntlet?" Sam asked.

Dean frowned at him. "I considered making a run on it myself, when I was down there. But I knew I wasn't strong enough yet."

Sam nodded. "I should have known," he said.

Lisa sighed. "What's the Gauntlet?" she asked.

Sam and Dean turned to look at her. "It's a long story," they chorused.

"We've got time," Lisa said.

"Actually, no, we don't," Dean said. "I told Ben to hide in the car until you or I said it was safe, Lisa. I need to go do that." He turned around and headed out the door. Sam and Lisa followed him out.

Dean opened the passenger door of the Impala and looked down at Ben. The boy had done exactly as ordered. "All clear, kiddo," Dean said.

Ben unfolded himself and sat on the seat. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Dean said.

Sam wasn't paying attention to either of them. He was standing by the driver's side door and gently running his hand along the roof. "Hey there, girl," he said quietly. "Thank you. I'm sorry about what he did to you."

Dean stared at him. Sam looked up after a moment. "It was her- and you, Dean. You helped me win."

Dean grinned at him. "Really?"

"You wouldn't leave me, Dean. You wouldn't leave. I couldn't let him kill you." Sam refused to look up, but Dean could see how bright his eyes were.

Dean swallowed and looked away. "Yeah, well…" He sighed. "You're my brother, Sammy."

Lisa and Ben were watching them. "Dean?" Ben asked.

Dean grinned. "Ben, this is my brother, Sam," he said. "I don't know if you remember him."

"He helped you save me," Ben said.

"Yeah, he did," Dean replied.

Sam grinned. "Hi, Ben. Have you been taking care of my brother?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "Dean's cool, did you know that?"

Sam laughed. "Of course I do," he said. "In fact, I'm going to borrow him for a few hours, I think. That's why I'm here."

Lisa sighed. "Will one of you please explain what's going on?"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances.

"Lisa," Dean paused, struggling to find the right words. " It's a very, very long story. It's why I was so, uh, messed up when I got here," Dean said. "Can I just…" he trailed off.

"We'll tell you," Sam finally said. "But can we just," he paused and changed tracks. "Do you mind waiting a bit, so Dean and I can just spend some time together first? We thought we'd never see each other again after what happened."

Lisa softened. "Alright," she said. "But I want to know everything."

"No you don't," the brothers chorused.

"But I'll tell you everything important," Dean continued.

Sam looked at her hopefully. "Please? I only have a few hours before I have to get back and make sure no one's destroyed…" he paused. "I have to get back to work soon."

"Dude, seriously, work?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "Don't know what else to call it."

Dean rolled his eyes. Sam was ruling Hell, and he made it sound like an office job.

Sam grinned at him.

Lisa sighed at them. "I swear, this is why I'm glad Ben is an only child."

Dean grinned. "Ok, let's get the groceries inside, and Sam and I can take off."

Between the four of them, it took one trip to get everything inside.

"I'll have him back here in a few hours, Lisa," Sam promised as he stopped at the passenger side of the car.

Lisa smiled at him. "I'll come hunt you down if I have to," she said.

Dean got in the car, smiling ecstatically. He and Sam slammed the doors at the same time. Almost as soon as the car started, Sam relaxed into the seat. "It's good to be home," he said.

Dean laughed and pulled the car out. "Yeah, it is. So, where are we going?"

"We're meeting Cas at the diner we took him to shortly after the case in the mental hospital."

"That's halfway across the country, Sam!"

Sam grinned. "Hang on," he said. He put his hand on the dashboard, and closed his eyes.

Dean's vision went white for an instant. A second later, he was driving down a different deserted street, just a few blocks from the diner Dean could remember vividly. Castiel had ended up discovering that pretty much every angel had a sweet tooth when he'd tried their strawberry crème pie.

"Sam!" Dean yelped.

Sam grinned. "Its part of who and what I am now, Dean," he said.

"Warn me next time!"

Sam grinned, and Dean realized what he'd just said. Yeah, there'd be a next time.

"Come on, let's find the diner and the angel," he said.

Sam nodded. "And I'll tell you everything."

"Yeah, you will," Dean ordered. "Including what took so long."

"I did come as soon as I could, Dean," Sam said.

"Yeah, Sammy, I know," Dean said. And he did. He found a good place to park the Impala, and they headed into the diner. The familiar form of their angelic friend was waiting for them. He saw them, and smiled his small, almost unnoticeable smile.

"We're going to be fine, Sammy," Dean said before heading over to greet Castiel.

Yeah, they were all going to be just fine.

Ok, I wrote this story, in part, because I was a bit displeased by Sam and Dean's reunion in Season 6. That's really all there is too it. Plus, I wanted to see how Sam reacted to the Impala after Swan Song.