I sort of feel like this first bit of me actually talking is just me trying to explain myself for some reason but here goes! I came up with the idea for this fic a couple of weeks ago whilst looking through various classic American movies. From the title, (hopefully!) you can see that the movie that inspired me was It's a Wonderful Life. Although at first I thought this might be more suited as a Christmas fic, I saw so many parallels between the show and the film that I couldn't help myself! I must say that this is my first foray into the world of publishing my fanfics on the website, so please excuse any spelling errors I could have missed because I was distracted quite a bit whilst trying to get used to actually getting this online! Anyway, most of you have probably skipped this bit by now so I shall leave you with my story. It starts of largely like the film does.

Enjoy xx

(I don't own any of the characters or anything cw or film related)

Chapter 1

Staring into his beer glass wasn't unknown to Dean Winchester- especially in the Roadhouse. Many a time he had come here after a failed conquest or another crushing blow to his personal life. Except, before, there had always been a glimmer of hope that stared right back at him. Not today, it seemed. So, not for the first time in his 34 years, he prayed. A silent prayer, unnoticed by his fellow drunkards that surrounded him. Letting out a small sigh, he stumbled towards the door.

Out in the cold, harsh, December weather, he reached into his father's old leather jacket. Inside he found his keys to his beloved impact. A small sad smile graced his face for a moment before it returned to its previous steel. At this point, even his Impala (or 'Baby- depending on his mood) wasn't enough to brighten his outlook.

Inside the car, he glances at the wing mirror to see the now messy back seats. It was a compromise. The only way he could've kept this (awesome) car was if he promised that he'd let the kids come in. Otherwise Cas might've banned him from driving it all together. It would've been a sin to let her fester in the garage so, of course, he relented. Ground rules were set but the little devils always still managed to worm their way around them. He forgave them, but he still couldn't hide his scowl whenever he saw the aftermath of long journeys.

He grips the steering wheel in front of him just a little tighter.

Before he knows it, he's speeding down the main road through Bedford Falls.

"Just a little faster" he tells himself.

Memories of the last week run through his head. Mistake after mistake that he knows for sure lead right back to him. This, he thinks, has been a long time coming.

He prepares to drive off the road, after checking to see that nobody is around with the words,

"It seems to me you're worth more dead than alive," spoken by a friend not so long ago.

He takes a sharp intake of breath before he even tries to set out with his plan. He can feel his hands shaking whilst wondering what Cas and the kids are doing. They were making decorations this morning. In his front pocket, he reaches carefully to take out a short piece of tinsel, bright red and overly glittery. He lets out a quiet chuckle before clutching it underneath his hand, which is now firmly back on the steering wheel.

He was doing it for them, wasn't he?

Then he accelerates into a tree ahead.

Not fast enough it seems.

He is dizzy but not dead. Dean groans quietly. A faint trickle of blood rolls down his chin from his lips but he pays no attention to it.

Slowly he stumbles out of the impact. The bodywork would be pristine if not for the large dent made by the tree which clearly made its presence known. He sighs. He wasn't meant to see her like this. He strokes over a scratch made by what he can presume made by a branch falling in the collision.

What now?

The dizziness seems overwhelming however something urges him to continue. It was the only thing he could do.

It could be a sign. It happened in the movies. A guy thinks that his life is over because everything is falling apart around him. They prepare to die but then by some twist of Hollywood fate a friend/ significant other comes, changes their mind, somehow everything is resolved and all other potential problems that linger are all mysteriously forgotten. It's a tonne of bullshit. He'd seen enough of those crappy films with Sammy to realise that.

He sees the bridge up ahead and with a half limp, half crawl sits on the edge with his legs dangling over the icy water. His back leant against the railings. Realising that life was in fact not like a Hollywood movie wasn't so much a discovery however it was a disappointment. If he couldn't believe that what else was there? He was pretty sure that if God was up there, he wouldn't care about him. He'd gone through enough shit in his life. Only a few dreams realised and even the one perfect thing he did have- his family, he had messed up.

"Go on, show me what I'll be missing," Dean whispered almost silently, "Because I'm sure as hell that it'll be bad no matter what you do. And in my experience you haven't done anything to help at all..."

Heaven

Clarence watched Dean Winchester quietly. If his suspicions were correct, Dean Winchester would be his next assignment.

For what seemed like millennia, he had tried to get his wings to qualify as a guardian angel. All he had to do was to change a human life for the better. He thought he had done a brilliant job last time, but apparently letting out a bull in a ceramic shop was not appropriate to help lower the competition for a humble shopkeeper whose calling was to create small wooden animals for his toy store. His rival across the street was driving him out of house and home so it seemed right that he should get some comeuppance. Apparently his actions went too far however now he had found himself with a second chance. Although his methods had been seen as unorthodox, Clarence was fixed upon helping this poor man.

Upon an earlier briefing, his garrison leader told to do a little research into Dean Winchester before meeting with him. It was seen as professional to know at least a few facts on the "Client"'s life before they tried to sort through the problems that they had to face. What Clarence was expecting, however, was far from what he uncovered with the information given to him.

At first glance, the man's file would seem no different to any other. Significant events to him, relatives, ambitions- all of which he saw on earlier files he had read before. However, although much looked the same, he knew that the information laid out before him was very little in comparison to living out the printed words set before him. These were the facts, not the hopes or dreams that may have been behind the choices that influenced them.

What instead intrigued him were a list of names. Names of the people Dean Winchester saved. Not all were grand acts but the sheer number of names was enough to shock. It wasn't often Clarence saw such a selfless being. It made him wonder what brought Dean to breaking point as he had seen. There was nobody as worthy as him to be helped and yet in his hour of great need, he was alone. From the papers in front of him, there seemed no reason for it. Yet only so much that's learnt from a file.

He needed to know more.

So instead, he put down the files and just watched Dean's life from almost the very beginning- when the first name on the list was saved- a young Sam Winchester- saved by Dean at a mere twelve years of age.