Picture-Perfect Moment
When Dean is finally freed from purgatory, it's not like anything he's envisioned in his dreams. On the rare occasions that he has felt safe enough to sleep, Dean's mind has come up with exactly one scenario for how he will escape. He and Cas, who is surprisingly – or not – by his side through it all, always make it out through a glowing portal of some sort.
Sometimes it's Sam who manages to open this portal from the other side and who beckons them to step through. Other times it's Cas who finds a way by his somewhat diminished but still impressive angelic powers.
No matter who opens it, it's always a sudden tear in the fabric of reality that gets ripped open to let Dean and Cas return to the real world. And each time this return is preceded by a deadly fight against every creature and dark soul this place holds, a fight for the right moment to make the jump. Dean knows instinctively that no matter what, he mustn't miss this moment. It's vital that he doesn't miss it.
His dreams vary, yet this moment never does.
Dean tells Cas about his dreams and the angel agrees. He thinks it's very likely that a portal of some sort will be their only way out.
So they go on, night after night - for there is only darkness in purgatory, never light – searching for a way out, fighting their way through masses of dark souls, waiting for a portal, waiting for the right moment. Determination gives them strength. They mustn't miss it.
But in the end it's nothing like that. It's nothing like what Dean's dreams predict.
In the end it's this: One minute Dean is running through the dark undergrowth purgatory seems to be made of, some creepy creature breathing down his neck and with Cas nowhere in sight, and the next Dean is lying on a soft surface and staring up at a white ceiling.
There are voices nearby, human voices, but Dean is too busy blinking at the sheer whiteness above him to recognize or even notice them. Purgatory doesn't have any whiteness, at all. Everything's dark there. Dark trees, dark sky, dark creatures trying to kill them.
Now suddenly there's a white ceiling, and Dean can't remember the moment everything changed from dark to light.
The whiteness burns in his eyes and Dean's vision becomes blurry. Or is it the tears that well up? Dean has to close his eyes and it's dark again. That's when realization hits.
He's missed it!
Dean's eyes fly open once more and he bolts upright. He's missed it! He's missed his moment! How could he…?
"Dean?"
His agony stops. He knows that voice!
"Dean! Easy, you're safe now. Dean?"
Dean blinks away the tears and tries to focus through the haze of unfamiliar light and familiar disappointment. An even more familiar hand touches his shoulder and warmth seeps through him, chases away the feeling of disappointment.
And suddenly Dean can't bring himself to care anymore that he's missed the moment because… there's Sammy beside him, sitting on the edge of his bed and looking at him with his puppy-dog-eyes.
And, Dean turns his head a little, standing behind Sam there's a girl, a woman. Dean doesn't know her but she's hot and has a beautiful smile directed at him and Dean can't help but smile back. And the woman is holding a baby, which is a bit odd, so Dean quickly looks away.
His gaze travels further and there is Cas. He is standing in the middle of the room, looking a bit forlorn like he always does, staring at Dean with his head cocked to one side and…
Dean absolutely doesn't care that he's missed the whole portal-jumping when he gets this picture-perfect moment in return.
The End
I'd love some feedback on this, please.