Summary: Brotherhood AU. After Sam is hurt on a hunt, Dean blames Caleb. It will take disaster to fix their friendship.
Disclaimer: Not mine; Ridley's and Kripke's.
A/N: Alright, here is the epilogue!! I actually managed it! :D
Chapter 7: Epilogue
The sun streamed in through the window. Caleb yawned and opened his eyes, groaning at the bright light. He sat up gingerly, muscles groaning in protest. Caleb closed his eyes, remembering yesterday's events. He pushed himself out of bed and wandered over to Sam and Dean's room. Dean was still fast asleep in bed, but Sam was pulling a jacket on.
"Hey Caleb, how do you feel?" Sam asked.
"Not too shabby, how about you?" Caleb analyzed the younger boy.
"Okay, I just hope Dean's alright," Sam replied.
"Me too, Runt," Caleb ruffled Sam's hair. Sam swatted his hand away. Caleb grinned at him.
"So, are you okay, like, emotionally?" Sam asked carefully.
"Huh?" Caleb quirked an eyebrow.
"Well, I mean, being stuck with Phillip being tortured, and seeing other people tortured…seeing Dean tortured," Sam said.
Caleb looked at him a minute, "Well I'll admit it didn't bring me particularly bright dreams, but I think I'm okay."
"Good," Sam smiled.
"It's just…your brother, you know, he's always got to come in and save everybody, despite what could happen to him," Caleb sighed.
"I know," Sam agreed.
"I'm just afraid one day it's going to get him killed, and if it's because he's saving me…I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself," Caleb admitted.
Sam wanted to tell him if that scenario would ever play out, it wouldn't be Caleb's fault, but he couldn't say that because he didn't want to think about the possibility of Dean dying, and he had thought about that himself, except he was the one Dean had to save. Instead Sam said, "You know, he feels really guilty that he got mad at you."
"Well I'm not mad at him, I get why he blamed me," Caleb looked at the sleeping teen.
"Yeah, I think I do too," Sam remembered his and Jim's talk at Phillip's house while looking for the tomb.
"You know I can hear you," Dean's voice surprised the two, and they looked at him, as he sat up in bed. Caleb glared at him, grabbed a pillow, and whacked him with it.
Dean held his arms up to protect himself, "Hey! I'm in pain here!"
Caleb and Sam laughed. "So," Sam said after a minute, "Jim's making breakfast. You guys want to go downstairs and eat?"
"Sure, we'll be down in a minute, go ahead Sammy," Dean replied. Sam looked between the two, and then headed downstairs.
"Damien, I'm so sorry about this whole thing," Dean said.
"Deuce, you already apologized," Caleb held up a hand.
"Yeah, but…"
"But nothing, it's all forgotten. You made up for everything when you nearly got yourself killed saving me, okay?"
Dean smiled, "Thanks, man."
"So…can we go to breakfast now?" Caleb raised his eyebrows in question.
"Yeah…but I'm going to beat you down there," Dean raced out of the room.
"No!" Caleb cried, hurrying after him.
Dean made it down to the kitchen a split second before Caleb. "Ha, ha!" Dean cried.
"Shut up," Caleb glared at his friend.
"You guys, be careful, you're still healing," Mac said. "How are you feeling today?"
"Hungry," Caleb replied.
"Great," Dean replied at the same time. The two sat next to Sam.
"Junior, it's good to have you back," Bobby said.
"Aw, did Bobby miss me?" Caleb smirked.
"Yeah, he really did," Dean nodded. "He was crying."
Bobby shot the two a death glare, "It's really nice to see you two talking again." Dean and Caleb laughed. Everyone settled down to breakfast, chatting and bantering like it was a perfectly normal day, like they were a perfectly normal family. And that's exactly what they all were: family. Dean and Caleb were more than just friends, they were brothers.
A/N: OK, so, thanks a million to all who reviewed, they make my day! Also, thank you so much to everyone who encouraged me to write this epilogue because I really like how it turned out and I think it really completes the story, and I am REALLY happy I wrote it!!
