Strange to say, as the zombies or whatever the fuck they were, rose from the graves and zoned in on them, Dean felt a sensation of peace pervade him.
The sickening fear which gripped him moments ago when the lights had gone out and God had plunged the world into darkness, had disappeared completely.
If this was the end for him and Sam, then he couldn't have imagined a better way to go, back to back with his little brother, the one person he loved above everything and everyone.
All they possessed to defend themselves from the approaching hordes was an iron spike. A pitiful weapon, if ever there was one, but come what may, they'd use it to fight to the bitter end.
Armageddon had finally arrived on Earth, not by way of Lucifer and Michael and their lame-ass apocalypse, but by the hand of Chuck himself, sentencing the end of another reality which hadn't followed his script to the letter, one where Sam and Dean had written their own ending.
Dean could feel the weight of Sam's back against his own, fine tremors of fear rippling through the plaid shirt onto his own skin. Sammy was afraid, but not for himself, for Dean, for humanity.
He sent out a silent apology to his baby brother. He hadn't been able to protect him as he would've wanted. He hadn't pulled the trigger, hadn't obeyed God's wish. Instead Sam fired the gun, but not at Jack, at Chuck himself.
His heart filled with pride at Sam's action. His sibling was a fine man and Dean gave himself a moment of credit, knowing he'd contributed in making him so.
A frown creased the older man's brow, for a moment everything seemed to slow down. The undead were still coming towards them but as if through thick molasses. Seizing the moment, he turned his head towards Sam. Their eyes met and Dean revelled in the love which shone forth from the so familiar hazel ones.
God had sold them the fairy-tale of free will while knowing all along that humans were merely dancing to his tune, yet as he tore his eyes from Sam's to prepare for the assault, he understood with certainty that Chuck hadn't anticipated how much the brothers would come to love and bond with each other.
:
That had been the wild card, and Dean offered up a thought for all the other versions of himself and Sam who'd been brought to life in other realities, and wondered if they too had become as one, soul-mates as he and his Sam were.
Then he remembered the Djinn universe where the brothers had never shared that same love, and he felt sorry for those who hadn't had the privilege of loving their little brother as Dean did.
:
Lunging forward with the iron spike, he struck the leading zombie. At his back, he could feel Sam doi the same.
Goodbye, Sammy. If Chuck hasn't fucked up the after-life, maybe we'll see each other there, if not it's been worth every, minute, every pain and immense joy, knowing you, loving you.