Okay, new chapter is up. Sorry I lied again, this might a three or four chapter story and I added more to the first chapter. But good news, I started writing Max's beginning. From when she met Dean until he goes to hell. So basically a prequel. I just gotta think of titles for it... I have a lot of work to do. Also, this is an alternate story, there will be no apocalypse, just Max getting a second chance really. Yay. Also, I'm thinking about making a tumblr for this... Anyways...ENJOY!

The day was coming up. It was only three days away, Dean counted down. How can he forget when he made that promise to his daughter? Max was turning fourteen years old on July 13th. It's been over a year since Max made that damned deal.

It wasn't easy for the two Winchesters for the past year. After Max's death, they didn't talk for days, Dean would spend most his nights in a bar. Sam spend his nights dragging Dean out of bars and looking through Max's pictures most of the time before he finally when to bed. Hunts? They barely went on any in the first few months. Dean didn't have the motivation to go on hunts. Everything they did, it just reminded him of Max. When driving, Dean constantly looked through his rearview mirror, thinking he was going to see Max starring out the window, then wave at him when she caught his stare. He didn't know how he was going to go on with life with his daughter.

The thought of trying to bring her back crossed Dean's thoughts many times. He almost did one night when he got really drunk at Bobby's once. He found the same crossed roads where Max buried her box. He stumbled a bit, struggling to keep his balance. He pulled a picture out of his pocket, and he would look at it, just to see Max's smile. It was a picture of him and Max, it was his favorite picture. Dean had pie all over his face, because Max smashed it into his face when he looked away for a second. Sam and Max laughed about it until their sides hurt, and Dean, he was just upset that all that tasty pie was wasted. He made Max buy him a new one.

"I'm getting you out of there, Maxie," Dean slurred. He began to kick the ground, kicking the dirt away. Once he was finished, he closed his box and was about to place it the hole. Until, Sam run up and jumped him from behind. Bobby was catching up to Sam, but got there when they were rolling around in the dirt, fighting for the box. "Sam, no," Dean shouted repeatedly.

Bobby kicked the box away from them and set it on fire. The boys stopped fighting, watched as the small flames ate away the box, reducing it into nothing but ash. Dean, watched in horror, as his only chance of getting his daughter back was destroyed.

"Dean, what the Hell were you thinking," Sam asked, wincing at the small pain shooting through his body while standing up. He watched as Dean sat up, slowly reaching for the picture lying on the ground. Holding it, and letting tears fall onto it.

"I just wanted to see her, to save her. These two months without her, I can't do it anymore, Sammy," Dean slurred. He looked up to the stars, then to Sam and Bobby. "She doesn't belong down there, she deserves better. I just wanted to see my baby girl again."

"Dean, we promised, we swore, to never try anything to bring her back," Sam said. He saw that his brother was shattered, and there was no fixing him. "It was her last wish, and we have to keep it. For her."

"I want her back as much as you do, but we can't. And Max, always looked up to you. She would be heartbroken if she saw you like this, Dean," Bobby added. They waited for Dean to snap out of it for a while. He only stared up to the night sky and watched the stars. Then looking down to his picture, silently laughing at the memory. He knew Bobby was right. Max would be heartbroken seeing her father acting the way he is. "Come on, let head back. You need sleep." Sam and Bobby helped Dean back on his feet. He stumbled a bit before being caught by Sam and leaning on him. Sam didn't mind. They made it to the house, and Sam dropped Dean on the couch. He didn't fight while Sam took off his boots for him.

"Do you know what tomorrow is," Sam asked his drunk brother. He waited for an answer, but all he got was a look of confusion. "Max turns thirteen tomorrow." Dean had to comprehend what his brother told him. "Didn't you promise her something?"

"To light a candle…and sing to her… will she hear us singing to her," Dean asked sadly. He was drunk, he didn't know what he was saying half the time. But, he'll remember when he wakes up, he always does.

"Yeah, I think she will," Sam answered. He got up to get a blanket for his brother and when he turned around, Dean was already asleep.

The next morning, Sam woke up when a clattering noise was make in the kitchen. He rolled onto his back to see what was making the loud noise, only to find Dean starting to make an egg sandwich.

"Dean," Sam groaned.

Dean turned around, watching Sam rub his eyes and trying to get up off the floor. "Morning, Sammy."

"What are you doing?"

"Making an egg sandwich, want one?" Dean cracked another egg into the skillet before waiting for an answer form Sam. "Max loved egg sandwiches for breakfast."

"Where's Bobby?"

"Went on a supply run, said he'll be back in a while."

Sam tossed his blanked and pillow onto the couch and slowly made his way to the stove. "How are you feeling," Sam asked, watching Dean fry the eggs and toasting the bread.

"I'm fine, at least I would be if it wasn't for this damn headache I have." Dean went silent for a couple minutes, and Sam watching him place the perfectly fried eggs on to the toasted and placed a slice of cheese on each of them. He handed one plate to Sam and went to the fridge for a couple cans of pepsi. That's what Max would have with her breakfast every morning.

"What? No beer for breakfast," Sam asked when the pepsi was placed in front of him.

Dean glared at Sam as he opened his can. He was insulted. "You know, you and Bobby were right, Max wouldn't want to see the way I was last night."

"You remember?"

"Of course I remember. I always remember what happens when I get drunk. These last two months, I'm surprised I went this long."

"Yeah, I hear ya."

It got quiet again, the two ate their sandwiches and drank their sodas. "Thanks for stopping me last night, I don't know what I was thinking," Dean said out of nowhere. He looked out the window and starred at the tree that Max loved to climb when they were at Bobby's. "Remember when we couldn't find Max one morning here? We looked all over the place and it turned out she was up in that tree there."

Sam laughed. "You were having a panic attack. Well, more like a heart attack. How old was she?"

"She was seven or eight. We tore up this place looking for her. And she watched us do it. I was going to show her how to properly clean a gun after she ate up her grilled cheese. She even climbed down and ate she breakfast from up there while we were looking through the junk cars and everything. Evil little monkey." Dean took his last bite after finishing his story.

"Even then, she was a good climber. We didn't find her until what? Almost noon. Must've been pretty entertaining for her, watching us run all over the place." Sam finished up his sandwich and sat quietly for a bit. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Everything that Max loved. Going for a drive, eating a bacon cheeseburger and watch the stars," Dean listed off. "And light a candle, like I promised. Then, tomorrow, we get back on the saddle. I can't keep doing this, drinking myself to death every night." He looked up at his brother for approval, receiving a smile and nod.

They did just that, after the sat around for a bit, the Winchesters went a long drive through the country, listening to loud music and not stopping until they got hungry. They pulled over at a diner somewhere, they sat down and ordered their meal. Dean order a bacon cheeseburger and so did Sam. Which surprised Dean, because Sam never ordered something that greasy. It was always something light for him. He even ate a slice of pie.

On their way back to Bobby's, Dean stopped to get a small cake and a candle. He got her favorite, marble with whipped vanilla frosting. When they got to Bobby's, they took the Impala out to the field where they watched the star with Max the last time. They sat there for a few hours, watching the sky. When they thought it was time, Dean light the candle, and let it burn until it went out. He placed the cake on top of the Impala, their home.

"Happy Birthday, Maxie," Dean said quietly to the sky, hoping that Max heard him.

The months passed. They were slowly healing, but Dean would sometimes drink all night when he was sad. But he never tried to summons a Crossroads Demon again. Or else, he would be breaking the promise he made to his daughter. Dean learned from Max, to always keep the promises he made for her, like she would for him. And Sam, he made it routine to look at the pictures that Max had taken. They never got old to him, he always laughed at some them, sometime, he cried and thought of the memories of each pictures that were taken. Every now and then, Sam would even eat a cheese burger.

Time slowly started to move again as they started hunting again. Hunting Demons, ghosts, shifters and rougahroos. Saving people, the Family business. It was difficult for them not to get caught or escape death sometimes. Max wasn't there to save them, but they pulled through with a few close calls. Every now and then, Dean used some of Max's weapons. Mainly her knife and her very first gun that she got on her eleventh birthday. Just to make sure it still worked and did its job. Soon, May came around, the first anniversary of Max's death. June passed and July rolled in. Her birthday was coming up again, and Dean decided to stay at Bobby's a few days before Max's birthday. To work on the Impala because it had a couple scratched when trying to drive out a dense forest. Dean wasn't' happy about that. But, what can he do?

After working on the car all day, Dean wanted to sleep. He walking into the living room and found out Sam was already asleep in the couch. He didn't care, the floor looked pretty comfortable to him after working all day on his car. Sam had two pillows, so Dean swiped on and dropped it on the floor. He looked for a comfortable position to lay and pulled the blanket over him. Sleep quickly took him and he dreamt that night.

Dean sat on a dock at a lake that he loved going to when they went through the town. It was a great place to fish. There was no Max in his dream, nor Sam. Not monsters or demons, it was just him. And it was calm and peaceful. The wind blowing through the trees and the bird chirping and dog barking in the distance. He closed his eyes, savoring each moment as it passed. It wasn't very often that Dean had a peaceful dream. When he opened his eyes, a strange man in a trench coat was standing in front of him, staring at him.

Dean jumped to his feet, dropping his fishing pole into the water and was ready to fight. But was stopped when the man raised his hand. "Dean Winchester," he asked in a raspy voice.

"Yeah, who the hell are you," Dean demanded.

"I am Castiel, and I am an angel of the Lord," Castiel introduced.

"Angels? I didn't even know angels existed. I thought you were all just stories."

"Well, if there are Demons then there are angels. I am real, and I have come to tell you news." Dean waited for the angel to speak, he only wondered what kind of new it was. "Max Winchester is saved."

Dean blinked, making sure he heard that right. He was pretty sure it was a joke. "Wh-what?"

"Max Marilynn Winchester is saved," Castiel repeated.

"Saved? How? Is this some sick joke?"

"No, this isn't a…sick joke. God has commanded me to bring your daughter and raise her from perdition. And he has given her a second chance, for the sacrifice she has made for you. Go to where Max is buried, you will find that your prayers have been answered." Castiel raised his hand and touched Dean's head, causing him to wake up.

Dean said straight up and looked around. He was back at Bobby's, on the floor where he made his bed. He repeated what Castiel had told him over and over again. Then he got his boots on and woke up Sam. "Sam! Sam, Get up. Get up, we're leaving," Dean commanded as he threw his pillow on Sam's face.

"What? Why? Where?" Sam sat up lazily and watched Dean put his coat on.

"Just get up, I'll tell you on the way," Dean said. When Sam put his shoes on, Dean was outside horning waiting very impatiently in the car. Sam grabbed his coat and left Bobby a note on his desk. Dean already shifted the gears into drive before Sam could close the door. Then they were off to where they buried Max. And on the way, Dean told Sam his dream.

"Dean, what if it's not true," Sam asked. "It could be a trick set by the demons. I mean, who knows who this Castiel is."

"Either way, I'm going to find out," Dean said. He was speeding through the back roads, on their way to Illinois, where they left Max. "I have to find out. Otherwise, if she is there, she's not going to know where she is or what's going on. I need to make sure."

Sam wanted to say more, but he saw that Dean was determined and that nothing was going to stop him. Instead of a nearly five hour drive, Dean cut it down to three hours. He didn't stop, he only sped through Minnesota. Not giving a damn if he saw police cars waiting on the side of the road. They didn't give chase, they would have never catch up to Dean if they tried.

It was nearly five in the morning when they final reached the stop where they burned and buried Max. The sky to the East started to change colors slowly. But it wasn't enough light to help them look. Dean opened the trunk and dug out a couple flash lights. He held one up to Sam, but he hesitated on taking it from him.

"Dean, what if_"

"Sam. Take it. I just want to find out. Please." Dean glared at his younger brother, shoving the flash light into his chest. He closed the trunk and readied his gun in case it really was a trap. Sam did the same.

The two entered the forest, they haven't set foot there in over two years. Dean felt his heart begin to quicken and his stomach turned. He can taste vomit slowly creeping up his throat. Dean suddenly stopped, wide eyed at what he saw under his flash light. Sam, who was looked at a different direction bumped into his brother. He saw that Dean was a statue and not moving. He couldn't move, not at what he was looking at. The trees roots were showing, they were down, and some were splintered in half. Like an explosion happened there. They slowly walked into the crater, then to the center of it. Dean pointed his light to the ground, and scanned every rock, branch and clumps of dirt. He stopped, that was not a clump of dirt he just saw, it looked like a hand covered in mud. He moved closer, and pointed his light to the figure lying on the ground. Moving the light up and down the figure, he saw her face. The face of Max Winchester, covered in mud and was unconscious.

"…Maxie," Dean finally found his voice. He locked his gun back on safety and kneeled down next to Max to check for a pulse, "She's alive. Max? Maxie. Sam, run and get her blanket out of the trunk. Go!" Dean dropped his flashlight and lifted Max into his arm and rested her on his legs. Dean saw that she was holding something in her hand. She held it so tight it took both of Dean's hand to pry her hand open. It was her necklace, the same necklace that Dean burned and buried with her. Max never went anywhere without it. Even coming back from Hell, she refused to leave it.

One year, Dean hasn't seen his daughter for over a year, and there she was. Alive, breathing and real, the Max he raised, took care off and watched die for him was back in his arms once again. He had always wished his daughter to come back to him, now she was.

Sam ran to Dean as fast as he could with Max's blanket in his arms and a bottle of water. Dean was wiping some of the mud off of Max's face, when he saw Sam open the water, he quickly took it and pressed it on Max's lips, slowly pouring it into her mouth.

"Max? Come on, wake up," Dean prayed. He watched her closely before she started to cough up the water that got caught in her throat. "Max, hey. Wake up." She stirred and coughed up whatever water was left in her throat. She blinked a few times and slowly starting to wake up. Dean started to wipe the mud off her face again, with the help of Sam. "Let's take her to the car," Dean said. Sam nodded and helped Dean lift her up.

Sam went a head of them and moved whatever large object was in the way and guided Dean. The sky grew a little brighter, and Max watched as the shadows of the trees moved above her through her blurred vision. They made it to the car, Sam opened the door to the back seat and moved out of the way. Dean slowly, and carefully laid Max on the seat and kneeled down. He got the corner of her blanket wet with water and washed the rest of the mud off her face. Max brought her arms up to her face and tried to stop Dean from doing so. She didn't know what was going on, where she was or who was with her.

Dean fought with Max's arms, he grabbed them both with one hand and held them away from her face. "Quit fighting. Almost done," he said to her.

Her vision was finally clearing, she looked up to the where the voice came from and saw her dad and Sam looking down at her. She quickly sat up and moved away from them. She opened the other door and slowly climbed out, keeping her eyes on Dean and Sam. She didn't understand how, or why her dad was in front of her. How can he be? She's supposed to be in hell still, she thought.

"Max, it's okay," Dean said calmly. Slowly moving to the back of the Impala. Max watched his every move and went the opposite way as him. "It's me. It's dad, Max. And Sam."

"How," Max finally spoke up. Refusing to get any closer to them.

"We don't know. Max, please. It's us, we swear," Sam said to her. He went the other way from Dean, slowly getting closer to his niece. She moved back further away, trying to keep her distance. "Do you want us to prove it?" Max gave him a slow nod and watched as Dean opened the trunk and grabbed a silver blade and a flask of Holy Water.

Dean went first, he took off his coat and rolled up his flannel, holding his arm out. He looked up to make sure Max was watching and slowly cut his skin above the elbow, letting the blood seep into the dirt. Then handed the blade to Sam, copying Dean. Then the flask, Dean slowly took a sip of it, showing Max that he swallowed the blessed water and it didn't burn or kill him and Sam.

"Your turn," Dean said. Max looked up to him, wondering why she had to do it as well. "Just to make sure." He placed the blade and flask on top of the car and moved to the other side of the car. Max slowly moved closer to the items and grabbed the water first. She took her sip and showed them as well. Then, reached for the blade. She took off her muddy jacket and quickly cut a piece or her t-shirt off for a bandaged when she finished. She held her arm out and cut through her skin, wincing at the stinging pain and felt her blood run down her arm. Proving to them as well, that she wasn't a shifter, or a Demon.

"Max? It's us, we swear," Dean said after watching Max set the blade down.

Max shook her head. "How? You promised, didn't you? That you wouldn't bring me back. How could you?"

"Max, we didn't do anything," Sam assured her. "We swear. We kept your promise, we wouldn't break your final wish."

"Then how?!"

"Just let us explain, please." Dean gave Max a hopeful look, silently asking her to let him speak. Max moved towards the two, she couldn't do it, she couldn't fight back her tears anymore. She slammed into Dean, tightly wrapping her arms around him. He did the same and allowing Max to cry. After a minute, she let go of Dean and did the same to Sam. Then back to Dean, practically bawling now.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry," she repeated over and over again. "Don't hate me for what I did. Punish me if you want, I don't care. I'm sorry for doing this to you. For leaving you. I'm sorry. Just don't hate me." Dean and Max fell to their knees, Sam moved behind Max and sandwiched his niece between him and Dean.

"We don't hate you, Max" Dean cried. "We don't. We love you, and we're just glad you're back and safe." They sat there for a while, refusing to let go of each other. They were whole again, Sam and Dean. Max was back in their arms, it was the greatest feeling in the world. "Let head back to Bobby's," Dean finally said.

The three slowly let each other go, and got in the car. Dean was glad, his daughter was back in his life. He looked in the mirror, looking at Max watching her stare out her window. But something was wrong, she wasn't the same as she was before. She was different now, the way she stared out into the distance it looked like she just got back from a war. Max wasn't the same, and she didn't wave back at Dean when she saw him looking at her. She tore her eyes from his, didn't smile and stared off into the distance again.

The drive was quite for them. Once they got back to Sioux Falls, they stopped at a grocery store to get food to cook once they get back to Bobby's. Max didn't go in with them though, she stayed in the Impala and found her bag of weapons under Dean's seat. Looking through her bag, she took out each item and held it. Her first sawed of shot gun John made for her was first, then her first pistol, checking the cartridge to see if it was load. Then to her favorite weapon out of them all, her hunting knife. The first weapon she has ever gotten since she was allowed to go on her first hunt with her family. It tasted first blood when she killed a werewolf when she was ten. Around when Sam was back hunting with them. It was a given to her by John, and she swore then, that she would always take care of it.

"Hey," Dean stuck his head in the window, making Max jump. Dean saw her jump and backed up to open the door, chuckling nervously. "Sorry. I got you some from food." He went through the paper bag and pulled out each item. A bag of large chips, a couple of chocolate bars and water. The rest was full food that was going to be cooked at Bobby's.

Max stared at each bag. "That's…a lot…"

"We thought you would be hungry," Sam said, getting into the Impala.

"And…" Max looked towards her father and watching him dig into his pocket. He pulled out her bear claw necklace. Max's eye widen when she first caught sight of it. It was something she couldn't live without, it was precious to her. "You had a death grip on it when we found you."

"How? I gave it to you before I_"

"I…" He didn't have enough courage to say it at first, but he eventually spoke. "I burned it with you. It seemed wrong to take it." Max reached over and slowly grabbed took it from him. Teary eyed, she placed it around her neck and it was back where it belonged.

"I guess even on your way out, you still couldn't leave it down there," Sam said quietly.

Max looked at the two, nearly crying again. "You still have to tell me, how I got out."

"We'll tell you when we get to Bobby's. You need to shower and clean up first," Dean said. Max looked at her clothes, she was still filthy.

She sighed, "A shower sounds good. But promise you'll tell me then?" Dean and Sam smiled. There she goes with the promises again.

"We promise."