AN: So, I get the feeling that people aren't liking where I'm taking this story. Feel free to let me know what you don't like, or what you were expecting (just be gentle - writing is hard!) Meanwhile thank you to Kathy for her review.

Sam had been wracking his brain to remember everything he'd ever read about fairy magic, so frankly he hadn't been paying complete attention to what his Mom and Cas had been saying. From what he had remembered, a fairy of Farryn's pedigree was more than capable of moving souls from one world to another, and presumably her angel heritage allowed Heaven to function like any other world. He had tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear Mom ask to see Dad. At the flare of light, he'd instinctively covered his face and turned away before his vision was overwhelmed, so his eyes adjusted almost instantly as he turned back to the circle. Sam was unable to contain a shocked gasp.

Standing in the circle was Dad. He didn't look like the the gruff 52 year old who had died in that hospital, or the 24 year old Sam remembered from when he and Dean travelled back to 1978. Still, even in profile, this was undeniably John Winchester, but it was a version of his father that Sam remembered from when he was a kid. It was Dad before Sam knew what he really did for a living, when monsters were just stories and Dad would smile and laugh and give him affection every once in a while. In front of him, Dad was clean shaven and looked rested. Standing motionless, he seemed lighter in some way, as if he had put down a heavy burden. Everyone in the magic glade was completely transfixed as Dad looked around. His eyes found Mom first.

"Mary?," Dad breathed in awe and disbelief.

"John!" Mom stepped forward and with a shaking hand reached out to touch his face. As her fingers touched his skin, Dad inhaled sharply. Even from where he stood, Sam could see the tears in his mother's eyes. Dad reached back with a tentative hand, and swept a stray lock behind her ear. Then he slid his fingers back, and cradled Mom's head as she looked up at him. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment and Sam felt like he was witnessing something wonderful and sacred. Part of him was mesmerized. He had no memories of his parents together and it was like seeing them in a whole new light. Another part of him felt like a voyeur and he wanted to turn away and given them some privacy. Dean must have felt the same because he tugged on the sleeve of Cas' coat and moved the two of them away from Mom and Dad and closer to where Sam stood.

Looking back at his parents, Sam watched as Dad pulled Mom into his arms. Dad's eyes were tightly closed as he buried his face in her blonde hair, arms wrapped around Mom tightly. Sam had forgotten how big his father was. He wasn't quite as tall as Sam, but he was broad shouldered and solid, making Mom look small. Dad took a shuddery breath, and Sam could see Mom's hands fisted in Dad's denim shirt. After a few moments, Dad pushed Mom away gently. They were both crying, but smiling, still focused only on each other. Dad's large hand cupped her cheek and he wiped away her tears with his thumb. Then he leaned in and kissed his wife with a desperate intensity. At that, Sam did turn away from the intimate moment. Instead he tried to catch Dean's eye, but Dean purposely avoided looking at him, and Sam was unsurprised to see a tear slide down his brother's face before he ducked his head.

xxxxxx

"Mary…" John began, struggling to process being with his long, lost wife after so long. "Where am I? How are you here?" Mary was so beautiful, almost luminous in the glimmering half light. She looked a little different than how he remembered her. Her glorious long blonde hair was shorter now and she seemed tired and stressed even as she smiled up at him. John couldn't bring himself to look away from her, frightened that if he did, that she would disappear like a dream. Her hand pressed against his chest was the only thing that convinced him that she was really here with him, and not a figment of his imagination.

"John, I'm alive again." She shook her head and glanced over his shoulder before continuing. "It's complicated, but I was brought back about a year ago." He had so many questions. A minute ago, he had been sitting in his armchair in the house in Lawrence, watching as she played with their boys. He knew that he was dead, and that the family around him was not truly real, but he could easily forget and just enjoy the life he and his sons should have had. She leaned even closer and he could smell the faint floral scent of her shampoo. This version of Mary was so solid, so vivid, that there was no denying that it was her and the heavenly facsimile he had known paled in comparison.

Mary had the same determined look on her face that he remembered from long ago. With one hand, he gently held her wrist, keeping her palm against his chest. He rubbed her arm with his other hand as she looked up at him, eyes welling up again.

"I'm so sorry, John. The deal I made...everything you and our boys went through….it was my fault." Mary hung her head in shame.

John had known since he woken up in her arms that night, that the events of how Mary's parents had died were odd, but it took years after her own death before he put together what had happened. He'd forgiven her long ago, in fact when he made his own deal to save Dean, he had thought about that night. When you loved someone so much, it was impossible to just let them die when you could save them. He gripped her chin gently and tilted her face up towards his own again.

"I know that you did it for me, Mary. I understand. Nothing you could ever do could make me love you less." He bent his head and kissed her again softly.

When he broke the kiss, he pulled her to him again. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement and, tucking Mary behind him, turned to see his sons. His heart swelled with love and pride. His boys were alive! And Mary had a chance to meet and know them. He could only imagine what that would mean to them, especially Dean. His eldest straightened and smiled at him.

"Hey Dad," Dean said almost shyly.

John couldn't resist. He opened his arms and moved towards Dean. Pulling Dean into a tight hug, he felt his eyes fill with tears again. A shudder went through his son and John stroked his hair, squeezing the back of Dean's neck. After a moment, he held Dean at arms length. His boy looked the same in many ways, but older as if the years weighed heavily on him. Dean's smile was different, warm and full and currently a bit wobbly with emotion, but not the same smart ass grin it used to be. He had a maturity that John had only seen glimpses of in the 27 year old he had left behind.

"Dean." John wanted to say more, to tell him so much, but his voice broke and he could only squeeze Dean's shoulder as he tried to compose himself enough to talk.

"It's good to see you again, Dad." Dean's voice was thick. "What you did...I..." John knew that Dean was referring to his deal with Azazel. Dean couldn't talk and swallowed hard sweeping the tears out of his eyes with his fingers. "I tried, Dad," he croaked with emotion, but John just tugged him in for another hug.

"I know," He said, not sure what he was agreeing with, but bursting with pride for the man Dean had become. Dean sniffed and gave him a final squeeze before pulling away to make room for his brother.

Sam stepped in front of John, a sad smile on his face. John was shocked at the changes in his kid. It was more than the hair and the muscles, it wasn't even the confident way he held himself that told him how much Sammy had changed. His boy had grown into a man. He could see in Sam's eyes that the years had not been kind. Sam seemed…tired, heartworn, haunted by memories. It reminded John of some of the guys he'd known in Vietnam. He had no idea what could have caused Sammy to look like that, but he reached out and carefully drew Sam into his arms, overwhelmed with the urge to comfort his son. With a choked off sob, Sam folded against him like he had as a child. He rubbed Sam's broad back and held him close, hoping his embrace could communicate to Sam how much he loved him. Feeling Mary and Dean close by he opened his arm and invited them both into the hug, holding his entire family close to his heart.

They stayed tangled up in each other until Sam began to move away, breaking the moment. Sammy chuffed a laugh and wiped tears off his face with his sleeve.

"Hi Dad," he said with a watery smile. Dean still had his hand on Sam's back and John was heartened to know that whatever his sons had been through, they still had each other.

"Hey Sam. It's so good to see you, son." John wished he knew exactly what had aged his little boys so much, but perhaps there was no point in dredging up the past. Whatever had happened, Sam and Dean were alive and well. He couldn't ask for more at this point.

A few steps away, a dark haired man shuffled awkwardly. John shot the stranger a wary glance. Dean caught the look and spoke up.

"Uh, Dad. This is our friend Cas." The trenchcoat wearing man extended his hand formally and John shook it, still puzzled. Mary had wormed her way under his arm again and was pressed up against him.

"Castiel is an Angel," Mary said with a spark of amusement in her voice. "And, he's practically part of the family."

"It is nice to meet you, John Winchester. I have heard a lot about you from Dean and Sam." Cas had a voice like gravel, but a pleasant smile and a forthright look. If you'd told him when he was alive that he'd be talking to an actual angel, John would have told you that you were a liar, but being dead, John was more open minded. After all he had been in Heaven himself until a few minutes ago. He'd never actually seen any angels, but he figured the heavenly host would be more robes and fluffy wings. He had to ask.

"Shouldn't you be in Heaven?" He saw Dean frown and Sam shift uncomfortably, but the angel didn't look concerned at his question.

"Technically I am a fallen angel, so I am not currently welcome in Heaven." This was said with a formal matter of factness that John found disconcerting. "Please don't let me interrupt your time with your family. I appreciate your interest in me, but your time here is growing short," Castiel said. Those words caused John to turn back to his sons. There was so much he wanted to know, so much that he wanted to say. It's funny how being dead gave you perspective on your life. He reached out and put a hand on Sam's face, his stubble rough and scratchy underneath his palm. Funny, the last time they'd been together, Sammy barely had to shave everyday. John shook his head, there was so much he would do differently if he could do it over. Sam just looked at him, putting his own hand over John's.

"Sam, when you were a kid…" John choked down a lump in his throat so that he could continue. "I was so scared for you, for what your future might hold. I wanted,...I wanted to keep you safe. And then when you went to college..." He couldn't continue.

"I know Dad," Sam said, with compassion in his expressive eyes. John just shook his head, tears welling up again.

"I saw how hard you worked, how smart you are, but I never told you how proud I was of you or how much I love you. So I'm saying it now." John bit back a sob and he heard Mary sniff beside him. He patted Sam's face and pushed his hair back behind his ear affectionately before turning to Dean. He could feel a faint pull deep in his gut, and somehow he knew that he'd soon be yanked back to Heaven. Dean's face was wet with tears and John marveled fondly at his son.

"Dean, you deserved a childhood, and a home...I took that from you. I put you through so much. I should have done things differently but..."

"No, Dad. I understand." Dean cut him off and smiled at him and Mary. "The past is the past. I'm just happy that we got to see you again." His boy clapped a hand on John's shoulder, his green eyes sparkling. John felt decades of guilt slide away and he could only nod,

"Thank you, son. I know I didn't say it enough when you were growing up, but I love you." There was more John wanted to say, but that was all he could push past the emotions that were choking him. The pull of heaven had grown stronger and John knew that he only had a few more moments. Turning back to Mary, John wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I'm so glad you've got this chance to know our sons." And with that he kissed her again. The insistent tug on his soul grew stronger and he could sense a faint glow starting to form around his body. With a final stroke of his arm, Mary moved away toward their boys and Sam wrapped a long arm around her shoulders. Dean, Sam, Mary and their angel friend began to be obscured by the light that was surrounding him. John smiled at his family and felt an overwhelming sense of peace as they faded from view.