A/N Set at the end of season 5... therefore totally AU.


Dean lay, barely breathing. It was all over. The angels and demons had battled, right alongside the humans – on both sides.

Sam was a few feet away. He and Dean had fought all their lives too – right up to the end. Sam had cuts and bruises and a knock to the head, but he was okay.

He mused. He could get up now and finish Dean off. He was easy prey – might even be dying in any case. He stumbled over burnt corpses and slippery, bloody ground and dropped to his knees next to his brother.

"Dean."

No response.

"Dean!" He nudged Dean's shoulder. The first time he had touched Dean in a very long time.

"Leave him alone."

Sam turned. So Castiel was still alive. Now him, he could kill. He raised his hand …. but Castiel didn't flinch, just stared at him…stared through him. It felt like… his chest was burning.

"Sam – we know." It resonated through his head. Castiel hadn't actually spoken.

"Know what, you son of a bitch? Look what you did! Look at us! You did this!" Sam was crying now, sobbing in a field of blood, salty tears splashing into the mire.

"We were part of it, yes. But it had to be this way Sam."

"No! You didn't have to do this to us. We had no-one left. What difference did it make?"

"Sam."

"Listen to your brother Sam."

"Sam."

Sam finally realised Dean was awake – and calling him. He pulled his brother out of the vile mud and cradled him against his chest.

"Dean?"

"S… Sammy….tell me this isn't happening?"

"Dean, I'm not gonna kill you."

Castiel appeared right next to them. Dean met his eyes – and smiled. No words were spoken but Castiel disappeared.

Dean turned to Sam. "You're not really holding me like I'm a girl or anything, are you Sammy?"

"Oh, you want me to drop you back in the mud?"

Dean couldn't help but smile. He felt like shit of course, but everything was going to be okay.

Sam was staring at him like he was going to die.

"I'm not gonna die Sammy."

"Yeah well I'm not so sure Dean… have you looked around? Where the hell are we? Do they even have 911 here? You know, you're in pretty bad shape and…"

"Sammy – shut up, would ya?"

Sam shut up. These could be Dean's last words…

"We were on the same side. "

"Um.."

"Sam, you had to do what you did. I get it. You were like an undercover spy. Castiel knew."

Sam was reeling. Castiel knew? All along?

"Dean, did you know?"

"Not till I got him drunk! You wouldn't believe how easily angels get drunk!" Dean started laughing but it soon turned into hacking coughs…. blood flecked spittle dribbled down his chin.

"Dean!"

Dean feebly clutched at Sam's sleeve.

"Sam, they had to believe it…both sides had to…I never stopped."

Dean collapsed against him, limp, one hand splashed in the filthy murk.

Sam hugged him. Held him tight. Just like the last time. Only this time his heart actually broke. No deals. The battle was over. Nobody won. Equilibrium was achieved.

The price?

Dean was dead.


A/N There is a very short sequel to this one.