A/N: This one's longer and angsty and the longest I took to write. I don't know if you guys will agree with me but Mary coming back was more of Amara's gift to Dean and it's time God gave back a little to the Winchesters for all they've done. And he can start with the Righteous Man. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Supernatural is not mine.

Summary: Dean, Sam, and Mary find Ben Braeden with his memories intact. AU.

CHAPTER 6

When they arrived at Lisa's, they didn't expect she would have company.

She opened the door with a look of incredulity on her face, eyes shining with unadulterated wonder at seeing Dean Winchester standing on her porch. He smiled tentatively, losing the weariness around his eyes ever so slightly. She remembers him, he realized, as she took him in her small but strong arms and the walls around his heart melted almost instantly. He'd dreamed of this in his most vulnerable moments, a treasured part of his memories that give him comfort whenever he felt like he's about to snap in two. He'd think of her and Ben when he'd lived a life he knew can never be his, a point of pure happiness even if it was tinged with the loss of his brother. But it won't last, he knew. Hunting will always pull him back no matter how hard he tried to leave it all behind. So, he takes comfort in her now like he did then, her strength seeping into him, renewing him into the man she once believed him to be, drinking in what she's willing to give. She broke away slowly and just when he's about to say he missed her, she slapped him right across the face.

He expected that.

"I deserved that." He confessed. She looked angry now, like a hurricane brewing on the horizon. He raised his palms in surrender when he saw who was standing by the stairs. Amara's smile was beaming but refrained and God's was a little exhausted but genuine.

"What the hell?" Sam whispered just behind Dean when he saw who Lisa's company was.

"What are you doing here?" Dean demanded cautiously, moving to shield Lisa away.

"Relax, Dean," Amara told him with a placating gesture. "We came here to set things right." She stepped forward, slowly making her way toward him. She took his hand softly and smiled. "I told you that I wanted to do the same for you." She whispered.

"You brought my mom back." Dean pointed out.

"Yes, but this gift is from my brother." She let go of him and walked back to God's side.

"Why don't we come in and talk?" God suggested, silently asking Lisa for her hospitality. She smiled tentatively at him, beginning to usher the Winchesters inside. When she saw Ben, she beamed at her son, engulfing him in a warm embrace.

"Ben, baby, it's so good to see you."

"Mom," he half-heartedly hissed, embarrassed, but he leaned into her arms. "I did go on a cross-country trip, I didn't lie."

"I know." Lisa reassured. "You just went to find a family of hunters." They broke apart and smiled warmly at each other. Dean looked at them like they hung the stars, smiling to himself.

"How was school?"

"It was great, mom. Rosie says hi."

"You'll have to bring her around one day. It's been forever since I last saw her."

"I will, mom. Don't worry."

Dean felt a nudge on his ribs and he reluctantly looked away to see his mom cautiously side-glance the Darkness and God himself. Ben shut the front door and Lisa led the way back to the living room, Sam and Ben in tow. God and Amara followed after them and Dean and Mary trailed behind.

"Dean?" Mary hissed, eying him expectantly.

"Right," Dean said hesitantly awkward. Then, sighed. "Mom, this is God or as he likes to be called, Chuck Shurley. He created the universe and wrote some of the worst books called Supernatural ever. And this is Amara, God's sister and the Darkness that will eventually end the universe."

Sam shut his eyes and mentally counted to five while Mary glared at her eldest son. Dean shrugged. It was the truth anyway. He turned to God and Amara.

"I thought you two were going away for a while?"

"We are away," God answered, clasping his hands together. "We aren't all here. This is just a projection."

"Well, where are you?"

God shrugged casually. "On the largest solar system in the Andromeda Galaxy. I'm showing Amara around the nearby galaxies on this plain of existence."

"Really?" Ben perked up, looking at God with wide eyes filled with wonder. God nodded and Amara smiled at him. "Oh, man, I wish Rosie was here to meet you. She'll totally geek out and have loads of questions about the universe. She's taking physics."

Dean grinned at the kid and he shared a knowing look with Sam over the kid's head. Sam shrugged. Once upon a time, Sam was the same way with omniscient beings, too.

"Oh, I know." God said, smiling a little.

"You do?" Ben asked incredulously.

"I know all my children, Ben." God told him, looking indulgent. "Rosie is a very powerful seer with a frighteningly high IQ and an incredibly bright soul. She's very special."

Ben beamed proudly. "She'll change the world."

"Oh, she will. Most definitely." God assured him. "She is meant for great things, Ben."

Ben's eyes softened and he was sincere when he told God, "Thank you for giving the world Rosie Lewis. And for leading me to her."

Dean didn't expect the kid to be religious enough to be thanking God but he was strangely okay with that. It was good to have faith in someone like God. And for God to tell the kid that the girl he loves is so unbelievably awesome she'll change the world? Now that's got to feel amazing.

God smiled gently, nodding. "Support her in any way you can. She'll need you as much as I know you'll need her in the future. And Victoria and Carter." Ben beamed brighter at the mention of his best friends. He and his mom shared a knowing smile. "You four have a long journey ahead of you. The world will need you one day and it will call you to save it. Just like your father."

That seemed to seep all the warmth from the room, rendering them all paralyzed where they stood. God sighed heavily, eyes roaming their faces in concern, while Amara sat beside him quietly, patiently, watching as the mortals begin deciphering her brother's words.

Mary looked at Dean and her eldest son's jaw was locked tighter than a vault. The face her son had on is a variation of Dean's wrathful, protective face; only this looks more lethal and menacing than the one he usually wears whenever Sam or Mary are in danger. She doesn't know what's causing this exactly but she can take another guess. Sam looked just as worried for his big brother as Mary is but he kept his mouth shut, knowing his brother will not appreciate highlighting his reaction.

Lisa and Ben shared a confused look, not following where this is going.

"My father?" Ben frowned, his mood shifting from beaming to guarded curiosity. "What about my father? I thought he was just some deadbeat bicker jerk?"

"No, he's not." Amara said. She sounded almost defensive. Her eyes shifted to Dean. "He's right there."

Ben turned so fast Dean heard the kid's neck crack. Dean's eyes went from Ben to Amara, to Ben again and then settled on God. "What the hell is she talking about?"

If they weren't talking to the being who created the universe, Dean is pretty sure that God may be shifting nervously. "As you know, I went away for a while,"

"A while?" Dean retorted. God gave him a look and he shut up, raising his hands slightly in submission.

"Yes, a while," God agreed, resigned to his confession with an expectant look from Amara. "I just needed to get away. My most beloved son just betrayed me and everything just felt too much so I left. I've already told you the main reason of why I had to leave. I entrusted the care of heaven to Michael and the others, assuming that they'll look after everything while I'm gone. But when I returned eons later, I find demons jumpstarting the apocalypse and the angels have done absolutely nothing to stop it. Encouraged it even! I had to act pretty quick without alerting them I was back. So, I stayed in the shadows, watching, helping where I can to stop it before it can begin. But both heaven and hell were pretty determined to see it through so I just took every precaution I can to preserve the planet and…"

He trailed off, looking somewhat hesitant. Dean sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes, impatient to know what God was getting at. "Oh, come on, Chuck, you're God. Just spit it out. Like a band-aid!"

God huffed but confessed nonetheless. "Ben's your son, Dean."

Dean's face drained of all color. He took a step back and chuckled nervously, shaking his head. "There must be some kind of mistake." Ben shot him a hurt look. Dean turned to Lisa who was at a loss for words. "You said Ben wasn't my son."

"I-I did a test." Lisa stammered, imploring Dean. "It was a positive for Frankie. I swear, Dean, I wouldn't lie to you about this."

"She's telling the truth, Dean." God assured before Dean could say anything else. "I switched the tests."

"You what?" Surprisingly, it was Sam who spoke. Every mortal and immortal eyes turned to God who grimaced guiltily. But God held his ground, fully knowing that what he did was for the protection of his children.

God turned to Dean who was breathing too shallow and eyes hardening like steel, the Creator's eyes omniscient and wise beyond anything Dean can comprehend. "I wanted to protect Ben."

"By making everyone believe a lie?!" Dean snarled, anger rearing full force.

"Yes." God answered, his voice ringing definitely. Dean gaped at him, floored. When he didn't say anything, God continued. "Angels and demons were equally determined to start the apocalypse, Dean, and they stopped at nothing to get what they wanted. You and Sam know this better than anyone. It was too late for Adam Milligan. I know my children. They're strategic. The angels would've made sure that there will be another vessel on-hand in case there were complications. Complications that you gave to them beautifully, might I add. If there's one thing they needed to learn, it's the concept of Free Will. I've told you about how reliant of me they were and that needed to change. Castiel was the only one who learned that lesson."

Dean scoffed in scorn, his fists beginning to curl in rage. He'd held back his anger towards God before because he respected him for every beautiful and right thing he created. But Dean knew deep inside that he all he saw was his father in God. A man who was willing to sacrifice his children's stability to save other people. A man who was willing to forsake his sons' happiness for vengeance and justice. A man who made his sons into warriors so that they can protect each other only to tell his eldest son in the end that if he cannot save his brother, he had to kill him.

God is not a man, no, but he sure as hell had the likings of one John Winchester.

"You're doing it again, Dean," God sighed, reading his thoughts. "How many times must I tell you I am not your father?"

"No, you're not." Dean sneered. "But every time I talk to you, I see him in you. Saving people, hunting stuff, the family business, right? What happened to us, how we grew up, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the job. All that mattered was the next big bad monster. Dad might've been a good father but he gave Sam and me a crappy life!" Dean retorted, pointing a finger at God. "Just like how you gave the angels a crappy life. Emotionally stunted, over-powered soldiers? Really? And how about you leaving us all to rot in all the evil in this world? Huh? You might've created beautiful stuff, but you've also made shit. I would know. I've been to heaven. It was lousy."

"Remember to whom you're speaking to, Dean," God warned gravely.

"I didn't forget a single second." Dean growled right back. God sighed.

There was an exhaustion weighing down God's shoulders but also strength in the willful authority of his eyes. "Dean, I'm sorry that I entrusted you to save the world. It was more than I can ever ask a human soul to endure. Everything you and your brother has been through is more than two human souls could bear but here you two stand, victorious and still so good, and I am so proud of who you have all become." God beamed at the brothers, eyes strangely misty. "I'm sorry that you and Sam never had a chance to live normal lives, that you had to go through so much pain. But this is me telling you that I want you to finally be happy." God's teary beam became a gentle smile. "This is my gift to you."

Sam and his mother were strangely quiet. They both had these peaceful expressions on their faces that exuded their acceptance of whatever God was trying to tell Dean if Dean is only so inclined to listen. But he couldn't because if this is what Dean was beginning to believe it was, then, he doesn't think he can take it. He had his second chance. His third. His fourth. His fifth. And every time, he screwed up. He doesn't think he can bear to take another chance. He just began to accept his fate to die as a hunter, killed by some monster, buried in an unknown grave with no one to leave behind but his brother and mother who will probably see the same fate. He can't take another screw up. Not with them. Not with the people he loved…

Ben and Lisa were looking at him expectantly as if waiting for something, so hopeful and untainted. Unlike him.

Dean looked at God with hard eyes but inside, something in him just wanted to run. And God seemed to know this because he sighed again as Dean shook his head.

"I can't do this." He choked out and did all he could to keep himself from running out, yanking Lisa's door open and out into the open, night air. There were voices behind him, telling him to stop but he kept running.