Author's Disclaimer: This chapter does address a serious issue: suicide. It is a brief period, though and the subject is handled delicately. However, if this offends/upsets you in any way, please skip over this chapter. There will be a summary at the start of the next chapter reviewing what you missed here.

Chapter Seven: Escape Route

Considering the Winchesters had plenty of experience being dead, Sam knew what it felt like. He also knew that, once more, he was dead. Quite honestly, it wasn't such a strange feeling. His body felt lighter, skin cleaner, and eyes more focused. It was a nice feeling, having your body in perfect condition after so many beatings. The idea of being dead, however, wasn't so pleasant. At least this time, it was accomplishing something. Dean had to complete the task, or the mark would have never disappeared.

There was something else handy about being a Winchester: death was never permanent. Sam was sure that if he gave Dean enough time, he'd find some way to resurrect him. But whatever means Dean used would probably be too extreme and too harmful. That's why Sam was eager to find his own way back to life, so Dean didn't have to do anything.

So…does Heaven have an exit? Sam thought as he inspected his surroundings. It was familiar enough; it was a heavenly version of the bunker. The only difference was that there were no dirty dishes or empty beer bottles sitting on the table. Did Heaven have some rule against alcohol? If it did, Heaven certainly wasn't for Dean. But then, they figured that out a long, long time ago.

"Alright, well…" Sam started, filling the unnatural silence with his own voice. "The heavenly bunker should have plenty of research materials too, so maybe it'll have some way out of this…" He walked over to a bookshelf and reached out, grabbing hold of a book with a bright red cover.

However, as soon as his hand wrapped around it, the book transformed into something else entirely: a beer. And along with that, his entire world shifted into a new setting. He started, spinning around and seeing that he was in an empty bar. There were no patrons, no signs of life at all within his line of sight.

"Welcome to Heaven's Research Café," a familiar voice said from over to his right.

Sam spun on his feet, eyes widening when he saw a line of computers along the wall, all lit with streams of data he didn't understand. He was more curious about the two people that he saw sitting at the computers, facing him with amused smirks.

"…Kevin? Ash?"

"Don't look so surprised, Sam," Ash said. "You've been in my neck of the woods before. Or should I say, my neck of Heaven?"

"Uh, right," Sam agreed. Aside from the shock of seeing dead people, he was more surprised at the combination of the two of them. "I just…never pictured you two as being friends."

"Ash is awesome," Kevin smirked. "He taught me how to use Heaven's wifi and how to sneak into other people's heavens."

"Once you got down the whole string-theory thing down…"

"And being fluent in Enochian…"

"Anything's possible," Ash finished. "So, that's why we brought you here. You want a way out of Heaven, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Sam said, catching himself stumbling yet again. "But how do you know that?"

"Dude," Kevin said, giving Sam the look of "I can't believe you just asked that…You're here without Dean. That means that either he finds a way to bring you back or you find a way back to him. It's really not hard to figure out which one you want."

Sam walked over towards the computers, setting down the beer in his hand without opening it. "Is it possible, though? Get out of Heaven?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Ash scoffed in mock-offense. "Leave it to the masters. We'll find you a way out of here."

Sam shook his head, sitting down at one of the spare computers. "I'm not sitting around and doing nothing," he stated. "I'm looking too."

"You know Enochian?" Kevin asked.

"No…"

"You know how to use Heaven's wifi?" Ash inserted.

"How hard can it be…?"

"Took me a month to learn it," Kevin said. "And I know you don't want to be here long enough to get it down."

"Then what can I do?" Sam finally asked.

"I'm gonna give you a rough map of Heaven and a compass," Ash said. He pulled a pen out of a cup and began drawing straight lines and rectangles all across the paper. When Sam looked over his shoulder, Ash briefly acted peeved, but he didn't say anything.

"I don't walk the halls of Heaven—ever," Ash continued as he continued drawing and labeling wings of Heaven. "I just hop right into people's heavens and stay there for a while."

"I can guess why," Sam said lowly. "I just talked to Bobby Singer a while ago. He had to break out of his personal heaven to help us with something." Sam thought back to that time and about the letter that Bobby wrote to him after the whole incident of breaking Metatron free. Bobby said he was proud of him, but what would he think now? And more importantly, what was Bobby's punishment for helping them? For roaming the halls of Heaven and assisting in the escape of one of the most dangerous and most hated angels in existence? "Ash, you haven't kept up with him, have you?"

"Afraid not," he said. "Figured I'd let him have time to get adjusted to his new home before I break in. I can try to reach him while you're out searching if you want me to."

"That'd be great if you could, thanks."

"You got it. Now, first thing's first. Heaven is like a gigantic, infinitely large, office building. As soon as you exit my heaven, you're going to wind up in a hallway. From what I gather, it's hallway 'J72.' And don't ask me about the name, because I have no clue. "

"Where's the nearest exit?"

Ash took in a breath. "It's all the way in K1. Which is probably…50 miles away, by earthly standards."

Honestly, Sam didn't view that as such a bad thing. "Considering how infinite Heaven is, I'm okay with that distance."

"Except you're missing another detail," Kevin inserted. "As soon as you open that door, every angel in Heaven is going to be looking for you. You've gotta stroll out in the open hallway of Heaven with everyone looking for you for fifty miles."

Alright, that definitely put a damper on things. Cas told him how Bobby managed to make it: he opened all the doors in his hallway, got everyone riled up, and set them loose on the angels while he made a break for it. He supposed he could do the same thing, but he doubted the angels would fall for the same trick twice. He had to come up with some other method to not be captured…

He had an idea. It was unbelievably stupid, but it was the best chance he had.

"Okay, so I have the map. What about the compass?"

"Go northeast the whole time. But the compass might get wacky once the angels realize what you're following so…"

"So, don't trust the compass anyway," Sam sighed.

"It's Heaven—you can't expect to escape it that easily."

Again, that was something Sam already knew, but he didn't care. "As long as it's possible to escape, I can face whatever else comes my way." And now for that stupid idea that he had. "I need a knife."

"Behind the bar—grab what you need. Can't say Heaven's provided us with angel blades…"

"Any knife is fine," Sam said.

While Ash continued outlining a map, Kevin turned around in his office chair and stared at Sam. He was obviously trying to decipher whatever plan he was concocting. Sam had a feeling that his plan was so ridiculous and stupid that Kevin's brilliant mind wouldn't even consider it. But then something clicked in his eyes. "You can't be serious," Kevin said.

"Deathly," Sam half-joked. He didn't smile as he put the knife in his jacket. "Excuse me if I don't say my plan out loud—I don't want the angels to hear it."

"You think angels can hack into our system?" Kevin scoffed.

"This is Heaven," Sam reminded him. "And my escape is going to be hard enough as it is."

"Especially since we can't give much guidance," Ash inserted. He rose from his seat, brushing his hair behind his shoulder like he had done a hundred times at the roadhouse. "Map's finished. Follow it best you can, and if you get lost, well…Don't get caught. We'll try and keep them off your tails."

Sam accepted the map, reading it over and putting it in his mind. "Thanks," he said to both young men. With Ash, he didn't really know what to say—he was in his debt again. And Kevin was the same, but there was something else…

"Kevin…" He swallowed back a lump that had been threatening to appear in his throat ever since he saw his friend. He couldn't help but remember Gadreel, and how he used Sam to murder his friend.

"Dude," Kevin said sympathetically. "Don't worry about it. I know it wasn't you. You never have to apologize for that. Now you will have to apologize if you stick around here any longer and leave Dean to mourn. You know he's doing the self-pity and guilt thing as we speak, so get out of here. Alright?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Got it." He got up out of the chair and started walking, though he only made it halfway across the heavenly roadhouse when Ash called after him.

"Heaven's changed since you been here last, so don't even trust the map completely," he warned. "There's gonna be roadblocks I can't see coming. Probably some old memories will try to get in your way and convince you to stay here. Are you ready to face that?"

Sam found the concern laughable, which was rare for him, considering he was such an empathetic, caring person. "Don't worry about that," he said to Ash and Kevin. "Nothing's going to keep me away from Dean."

He opened the emergency exit and stepped outside into the bright white hallway. And then he picked a direction and he ran in it.

There wasn't a moment to lose.

*…*…*…*…*…*

When Castiel, Jody, and Charlie returned to the bunker an hour later, they found Sam and Dean on the floor of the bedroom. Because none of them there for Sam's death at the hands of Jake, they didn't realize that Dean was cradling his younger brother the same way he had years ago. Even the stab in the back paralleled that which Sam received way back then. This time, though, it didn't come because Dean couldn't get to Sam in time. It was because he did get to Sam that his younger brother was dead.

None of them knew what to say. It was all too sudden—too random. If they had just been there, they could have helped, somehow. Charlie automatically began to tear up, lifting a hand to her lips to hush whatever cries she would unleash. Jody hesitantly reached out a hand towards Dean, but she then withdrew it and curled it by her side.

Castiel, on the other hand, couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Sam…" he uttered quietly. Dean only stiffened and held his brother more tightly at the potential interruption. Or, perhaps he feared criticism. However, Castiel wouldn't critic Dean for anything. He knew better than anyone how much Dean cared for his younger brother—how hard he fought to protect him. Whatever Dean was telling himself was far worse than anything anyone could say.

"Dean," he said then. "I wouldn't worry. Neither of you have a habit of staying deceased…"

Dean lifted his head out of Sam's hair, furrowing his eyebrows and staring at Castiel with swollen red eyes. "Can you bring him back? Please?"

With his diminishing grace, Castiel wasn't sure that he could. But he still knelt down next to the pair and set his hand atop Sam's brunet hair. As his eyes closed in focus, he realized that he couldn't do anything. "Sam's soul is…out of my reach."

"What does that mean?" Jody asked quietly. Dean hardly seemed to notice her presence, but his eyes echoed the same message.

"I'm not entirely sure," Cas confessed to the whole group. "It's possibly connected to my grace not being sufficient. Or…"

"Come on, Cas, out with it," Dean snapped tiredly.

"It could be another connection to the Mark of Cain. The deal Cain originally made was to send his brother to Heaven. It's possible that the deal also locked Abel's soul in Heaven, so maybe Sam…"

"…Maybe Sam's trapped there. Forever," he finished. Dead, forever. He curled his hand tighter, grasping the back of Sam's jacket so tightly that his fist almost started to tremble. This is my fault. I couldn't pull it together and now Sammy's…

"It's not hopeless," Castiel inserted. "As Charlie always states, there's nothing that you two cannot do."

"Yeah!" she agreed at the mention of her name.

"Yeah," Dean said quietly, though his tone was disbelieving. He changed his hold on Sam, grabbing Sam underneath his armpits and starting to hoist him up. The bed was just a few feet behind him, so he dragged Sam into the bed and laid him flat. He recalled laying Sam down in that same position, before he sold his soul to the crossroads demon.

Even if I do bring him back, Dean thought, how do I possibly make up for this? I killed him. I did that. I was supposed to protect him.

"Dean," Jody called from the doorway.

Dean stood upright, but only after brushing some of Sam's hair off his forehead. He was going to find a way to be together with his brother again. Staying apart from him wasn't going to make up for his sin. "Sorry, guys," Dean said then, his voice soft. "But I wanna be alone with my brother for a little."

Of course, the three of them knew what happened the last time they left the bunker. Sam wound up dead. But Dean did have a right to be alone to grieve the death of his brother."Alright," Charlie responded in sympathy. "We're going out to the library. Come out when you're ready."

Just as quickly as they appeared, all three left, giving Dean the moments he desired with his brother. There wasn't much they discussed during that time, but the conversation struck a chord with him. If Sam was trapped in Heaven with no chance of escape, then Dean saw only one possibility. He'd have to take the party to him.

*…*…*…*…*…*

Sam wasn't sure how long he was running. All he knew was that he turned where he was supposed to, followed the compass the best he could, and sort of stuck to Ash's map. He heard a lot of commotion in the hallways surrounding him, but he hadn't actually seen any angels yet. But he knew that the moment he stopped running, they would catch up to him, send him back to his own personal heaven, and lock it tight.

And then Sam began to realize what Ash meant when he said that Heaven was unstable. Despite the highly organized and unnaturally clean hallways, his surroundings began to blur. He had to slow himself down, keeping a hand against the wall as he stumbled forward. This wasn't any connection to the Mark of the Fear of Abel—this was just typical disorientation and dizziness. Vertigo, almost.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, standing still out of fear of collapsing. All he needed was a moment to pull himself together. Hopefully by then, Heaven would reorient itself and he could keep running.

He breathed in, then out. In again, out again. When he opened his eyes, he was relieved to see that his vision was fully clear. What he wasn't relieved to see was a figure in front of him. At first, he thought that an angel caught up to him in his moments of hesitation. Then he saw the typical plaid shirt, jacket, and jeans of his brother.

Dean was there in front of him. Standing there, staring at him with a small, sad smile on his lips.

"Dean, no," he whispered. "You didn't…"

The elder brother met his eyes and retained that sad smile. His next phrase was spoken just as softly.

"Hiya, Sammy…."

Sam stared at the figure in front of him in utter disbelief. No. Absolutely not, he thought in pure denial. Sam thought if he blinked hard enough, Dean would disappear from his sight. It would all be a hallucination and he would realize his brother wasn't really there with him.

But even after he blinked multiple times and even rubbed his eyes, Dean was still there.

"Dude, it's me," Dean said, taking a small step forward. Sam didn't change his expression or his closed off stance. "C'mon, don't gimme that look," he said in a gentler, pleading voice. "Don't you do that."

"You shouldn't be here," Sam automatically said.

"What, and you think you should?"

"What are you doing here, Dean?"

"I'm here to stay. Cas and I couldn't get you back to earth—something about your soul having a lock on it."

Sam kept his mouth shut. If my soul has a lock on it, then how am I able to escape Heaven from this side? Maybe Ash and Kevin didn't know about the lock. No, that was stupid; those two knew just about everything on this side. He knew he was able to make it out.

"Well Cas was wrong," Sam stated. "I know for a fact that I can get out of here. Exit's this way—let's get out together" He stood up taller and started to walk past Dean, who just looked stunned.

Right when Sam was about to pass him, Dean reached out and latched onto his arm. "What?" Sam asked, glancing over and seeing how tense Dean was.

"Angels," he said. "Don't you hear 'em coming?"

"Of course I do, Dean, that's why we have to move!" Sam hissed.

"We can't out run 'em, Sammy! We gotta duck back into your heaven or something—make a game plan."

There were two things that set Sam off. The first was that he already had a game plan, so there was no need to strategize. The second, more relevant, was that going back to his heaven was like walking into his own prison cell.

And Dean wanted him to go there.

"Sammy, we gotta move!" Dean said more frantically.

Sam reached into his jacket, pulling out the knife that he grabbed from Ash's heaven. Dean watched him with a confused gaze.

"Sam?"

He removed his arm from Dean's, pulling up the sleeve of his jacket to his elbow. "Sam, we don't have time for this!" Sam drew the knife across his forearm, drawing a circle. "Sam, what're you-" Dean didn't bother finishing the sentence; he saw what Sam carved into his own skin: an angel ward.

"That's not gonna work, genius! You can't expel angels to Heaven when you're already in Heaven!"

"That's where you're wrong." Sam winced, completing the task. He tucked the bloody blade back into his jacket. "I remember what happened at the hospital, after I was dying from the trials. Even with Heaven closed, the ward sent them away. You would know that too…if you were really Dean."

The man in plaid didn't have time to protest. Sam lifted his arm and prepared to slam it down on the ward. However, his hand never touched his arm; another grasped it partway down and stopped him.

"Hold on there, sport. I don't think you want to do that right now."

Sam's eyes widened as he looked over to his right. There stood an angel—one he thought was dead for years. "Gabriel?" he said in shock.

The angel Gabriel only smiled and nodded at him. At that moment, they both heard the noise Sam feared most: angels coming their way. Before he could react, Gabriel grabbed him by the shoulder and the two of them were gone away, out of the hallway and away from the angels that pursued them.

*…*…*…*…*…*

Author: Ah, I love bringing back old characters! Ash and Kevin could totally be friends in Heaven, and Gabriel seems to be alive in the show, so bringing him back to this story is easy.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback last chapter—I see I stirred up quite a reaction with that last chapter. As evil as it sounds, I enjoy messing with your emotions ;). I look forward to continuing that trend with future chapters.

Peanut