Chapter 12. Pocket Full of Sunshine

Hefting the final crate of records out of the back of the Impala, Dean elbowed the back door closed. Their trip to the flea market had been frickin' perfect. They spent hours combing through albums and he got great deals on them. Six crates worth and plenty to keep his Used Vinyl section full for awhile. The suite he had splurged on had given them two nights away in a bit of luxury. They had made plenty of good memories. Enough that any time someone said 'Nebraska' they would both be grinning.

Cas came out the back door, holding it open for him. "Is that the last one?"

"Yep," Dean grinned.

"I put them in the storage room until we decide what to put out and get them all scanned into the computer."

"Good." Dean sat the last crate down gently and stood up to stretch his back.

"Jo said she doesn't mind working a few more hours until close."

"Awesome," Dean grinned. He was craving a little time to just sit back and relax.

They walked back to the front of the store where Jo sat at the counter reading a Rolling Stone.

"Hey, Dean."

"Hey, Jo. Thanks for staying. I'm just gonna grab my bag out of the car and take it upstairs. Want to hit up Ellen's for dinner?" He said, turning to Cas.

"Yeah, sounds good." Cas followed him.

Jo smirked at the pair of love birds as they left. She closed the magazine and put it back in the rack, but missed, the magazine sliding down to the floor. She groaned and came around the counter, picking it up and putting it back in the rack. The store was empty and she thought about changing the candy around, knowing how OCD Dean could be. It would drive him crazy and he would have to fix it. Before she could move even one gum pack, the front door chimed and she turned around. She stifled her greeting and scowled in slight confusion. "I thought you were going to Mom's."

Dean stood just inside the shop door. His face paled and he covered his mouth with one hand. If she didn't know any better, Dean Winchester was going to cry.

"What?" She demanded.

He dropped his hand and bit his lip. "Hey, Jo." His deep voice was more gritty than usual.

She gave him a look like he had just lost his mind, because...hello?

The door chimed again and Cas walked in wearing a tan trench coat and a suit. The only thing predictably the same was that his tie was screwed up.

"Is that?" Cas said quietly.

"Yeah," Dean pressed his lips together.

"What the hell are you two nuts doing?" She asked.

"Uh," Dean swallowed. "Jo, when was the last time you saw me?"

Jo pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, dialing Sam. It wasn't until she saw the trench coat that she realized Dean and Cas were wearing different clothes than they were two minutes ago. Dean had been wearing a red plaid flannel. Now he was wearing a blue plaid flannel. Cas had been wearing jeans and a black and blue flannel. Definitely not a suit.

Sam answered.

"Black Dog. Right the hell now."

She hung up.

"I just saw you a few minutes ago."

"Shit," Dean said, glancing at Cas.

Cas glanced around.

"What the hell is going on?" Jo demanded.

The door opened again, Sam and Gabe rushing in and stopping as Cas and Dean backed up a few steps to make room.

"Jo, what's going on?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure," she said.

Dean and Cas were looking at Sam and Gabe as if they hadn't seen them in years.

"Sammy," Dean said weakly.

"Gabriel?" Cas said, just as weak, eyes wide.

"Yeah?" The pair answered, looking at the other pair in confusion.

Cas put a hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "Gabriel...I...it's so good to see you." He hugged Gabe tightly.

Gabe looked slightly confused but hugged him back. "Aw, Cassie, did you miss me that much? You two were only gone three days."

Dean was looking at Sam like he wanted to see something there, but didn't.

"Dean," Sam said, glancing at the hugging pair, Jo, then back to his brother, "is everything alright?"

"Yeah. No. Shit." Dean covered his mouth again. "I didn't think this was going to be so hard."

"I'm calling Bobby," Jo said, already dialing.

"Bobby's here?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Jo said, shaking her head. Dean was acting like a certifiable nut.

"Hello." Bobby said.

"Bobby, come down to Black Dog. Dean and Cas are here and something's wrong."

"Be right there."

Cas finally let his brother go.

"Castiel," Gabe said, obviously worried. "Are you crying? What's wrong?"

Cas cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes.

"We'll explain when Bobby gets here."

Jo eyed the pair curiously. She took a step toward Dean and he hitched a breath, trying not to look directly at her. "Hey, where's your wedding ring?" Jo asked, now looking at Cas. "Oh God. Did you two have some kind of crazy fight?"

"Wedding ring?" Dean asked. He huffed a laugh. "Fight with who?"

"Who?" Jo asked incredulously. "Your husband." She had her hands on her hips now. "I'm so fucking confused."

"Husband!" Dean stepped back, holding a hand up.

Sam stepped in front of Jo protectively. "You aren't Dean, are you." The brothers eyed each other. Dean neither denied nor confirmed. "Do the drill."

Dean nodded. He pulled a silver knife out of his jacket and pulled up his sleeve, cutting his arm. He handed it to Cas.

"I'm not-"

"Just do it, Cas," Dean said shortly, Cas rolling his eyes. He cut into his forearm as well, wiping the blade clean on his suit pants and handing it to Sam.

Dean took a bottle of holy water from Sam and promptly splashed Cas in the face. Cas gave Dean an unamused look and Dean smirked, then splashed himself. The pair wiped their faces off and Dean handed the bottle back to Sam.

"Got any turpentine?" Dean asked.

"For what?" Sam asked back, baffled.

"So you know we aren't Leviathan," Dean said, like Sam was an idiot.

"Leviathan? What are they?" Sam asked defensively.

"Oh, okay," Dean shrugged. "Never mind."

The door jingled and all four moved further into the store as Bobby, Ellen, Charlie, Ash, Chuck, Dean and Cas filed into the store.

Bobby flipped the closed sign on and locked the door.

"What the hell?" Dean said, eyeing himself up.

"Just take it easy," blue flannel Dean said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Cas?" Red flannel Dean was staring at the trench coat Cas, a slightly panicked look crossing his face as he reached over, his hand in an open, protective posture in front of Cas in the jeans.

"What the hell is going on here," Bobby demanded.

"I'm Dean," blue Dean said, "this is Cas. But we are here from a different...world."

Confused silence filled the room.

"Say again," Bobby growled.

"Gabe," blue Dean said, "back us up here."

Gabe looked lost.

Trench coat Cas stepped closer to blue Dean. "Gabriel is not an angel here. Neither is Castiel."

"We were Angels," Cas said, confused. "Who ARE you?"

"No," Trench coat Cas said, looking at him carefully, "you were never an angel."

"He has tattoos to prove it," red Dean defended.

"No," Trench coat Cas said firmly, with authority. "You are definitely human."

"Human?" All the Keepers repeated nervously.

Blue Dean sighed impatiently. "Okay, I'm gonna set this straight. Just...listen."

Red Dean stared incredulously as blue Dean gave him a 'calm-the -hell-down stare.

"Cas and I had to save my brother Sam from...a demon. Do you guys have demons?"

The Keepers all nodded.

"Okay, so a demon...look, the details aren't important, but we had to send a box here. Did you get a weird box?"

Red Dean and Sam exchanged a look.

Red Dean crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, couple months ago. Came from Poughkeepsie."

"Exactly," blue Dean looked relieved.

"Are you tellin me," Bobby stepped forward aggressively toward blue Dean, "Sam's soul is in that Dybbuk box?"

"Yeah."

"Son of a bitch," Bobby swore, looking away.

"Please tell me you still have it," trench coat Cas said.

"Course I have it. I knew somethin' was off with it."

"Wait," Sam said curiously, "so, if I die in your world, do I die here? Or visa versa?"

"No," blue Dean and trench coat Cas said firmly.

The Keepers all looked around. "But you do know all of us?" Sam clarified.

"Yes," the strange pair answered.

"Bobby," trench coat Cas said firmly, "we need the box."

Bobby narrowed his eyes, looking at the pair suspiciously. "To do what with, exactly."

"To save Sam," blue Dean said.

"In another world," Bobby added.

"Yes," blue Dean answered.

Bobby breathed out a long breath through his nose, his beard bristling. "Explain more."

Blue Dean stepped closer to him. "It was the only way. It was a Hail Mary move in a really messed up situation. Trust me, we're breaking a shit ton of rules just being here." Blue Dean turned to his Cas, "Are you sure Gabe isn't Gabe?"

"I'm sure."

"Hello!" Gabe threw his arms up. "I know I'm me! And I was an Angel. Now I'm a Hunter. Or Keeper. Whatever."

"What's a Keeper?" Blue Dean asked.

Now the Keepers looked at the pair even more suspiciously. "If you don't know what a Keeper is," red Dean scowled, "how the hell did you know where to mail Sam's soul?"

"I mailed it to Bobby," blue Dean said, his patience growing strained just like red Dean.

Red Dean glared maliciously at blue Dean. "You mean, you put my brother's SOUL in a box and mailed it to an address you HOPED was Bobby's in a world you don't know much about?!"

"Im tellin' ya," blue Dean snarled, trench coat Cas laying a restraining hand on his arm, "it was a crazy-ass plan in a-"

"Messed up situation," red Dean cut him off with a distrustful glare.

"It really was the only way," trench coat Cas said in his deep voice.

"Bullshit," red Dean crossed his arms. "My brother's soul is in a fucking box."

"No," blue Dean snapped, "MY brother's soul is in that fucking box! Your brother is right there! And Bobby! And Ellen!" His voice broke, all the anger draining from him as his eyes scanned the group and trench coat Cas grimaced with worry as he pulled blue flannel Dean back a step. "Sorry," blue Dean muttered.

"It's gonna be alright," trench coat Cas muttered back with an imploring look at Dean, who would not look him in the eye as he pulled himself together.

Bobby, red Dean and jeans Cas exchanged a worried look.

"And who am I to you? In your world?" Bobby asked.

"You're," blue Dean's voice cracked a little, "in my world my parents have been gone for awhile. Mom when I was four, Dad like 8 years ago."

"Same for Mom, but Dad just died last year," red Dean said quietly.

Blue Dean nodded, "Bobby was like a dad to us."

"Was?" Red Dean and Bobby repeated.

"Yeah. You died, Bobby, my Bobby died a few years back."

Bobby nodded. "Well, guess some things don't change much, cause these boys are like my own sons."

"Dean," trench coat Cas said gently, "don't forget the time gap. We are from 2017. Here, it is only 2009."

"Right," blue Dean nodded. "Look, I don't want to freak any one out any more than I already have. We should leave as soon as we can. Do you have the box?"

Silence filled the room. Ellen looked concerned, along with Chuck, Charlie and Jo.

"I guess Chuck is just a human?" Blue Dean asked quietly to his Cas.

"Yes."

Chuck gave a confused head tilt. "Was I a demon?"

"No," blue Dean smirked. "Trust me, it would only go to your head. You're better off just like you are."

"Are any of you in contact with angels?" Trench coat Cas asked.

"We are Angels, or were!" Gabe said, waving to himself and Cas.

"What does that mean?" Blue Dean asked.

"The Hunter group," red Dean answered, "The Angels. They're a gang of Hunters that think they, well they used to think they were better than us. Now we kinda work together."

"But they're human?" Blue Dean clarified carefully.

"Well they sure as hell aren't demons!" Red Dean snapped. "What else would they be?"

"Settle down freckles," blue Dean smirked, the pair exchanging bitchfaces at each other. "My Cas is a real angel. As in angel of the Lord that smites, kinda angel. The real deal."

All eyes went to trench coat Cas. Even jeans Cas looked awed. He stepped closer, their blue eyes meeting. Jeans Cas' were wide and curious, trench coat Cas' were guarded. "You've been to heaven?" Jeans Cas asked in awe.

"I have. It is..."

"Best not mess his head up too much there, Cas," blue Dean smiled.

"Wow," Jeans Cas mumbled. "And Gabriel?"

"Yes," trench coat Cas said, his eyes softening as they landed on Gabe again.

"So, I take it," Gabe said nonchalantly, "I don't make it to 2017 in your world."

"No," trench coat Cas said quietly.

"So...how'd I die? Wait! I was an archangel! Who kills them?"

"Lucifer," blue Dean answered.

"Lucifer's free in your world?"

"No...maybe," blue Dean said, looking to his Cas who shrugged.

"So, no one here works with angels?" Blue Dean asked. "The real ones?"

"No," Bobby said. "They left a few trinkets here that we use but no one has ever worked with real angels."

"Good," blue Dean said. "Keep it that way." Trench coat Cas gave him a scowl. "Not you, man," blue Dean rolled his eyes. "But when you showed up is when all hell broke loose."

"I wouldn't have had to show up if you weren't in hell," Trench coat Cas defended.

"Whoa!" Red Dean held a hand up. "Back the train up. I was in hell?"

"Not you," blue Dean scoffed. "Me. I was. Several times. And heaven. And purgatory. Jesus, just stay right here on Earth. Trust me, this is by far the best place to be."

Red Dean looked shocked and doubly curious of his other self.

"I know this is all fascinating," blue Dean griped, "but we really gotta be going. The longer we're here, the more likely something from our end will find us here. Sounds like you guys got it a little better here than where we're from. So...box?"

Bobby nodded. "Follow me."

Jo watched, still in shock, as the Deans, Cas's and Bobby headed to the back of the store.

As the door snapped shut behind them, she looked at her mom. "What the hell?"

Ellen put an arm around her, giving her a sturdy hug and kissed her on top of the head. "I don't know, Jo. There's a lot a bizarre shit out there. But this...this is so...confusing and..."

Jo hugged her mom back. It was disorienting and scary to see two Deans. Two Cas's. The fact that trench coat Cas said he was an angel, a real one, was mind blowing. But blue Dean did not seem to treat him much differently than red Dean treated their own Cas. It's not like he was worshiping him or on his knees in awe. And if Bobby was gone and...her mom, then having an angel by your side did not fix everything. In fact, the way he looked at her with that haunted look, made Jo wonder if she was around in his world. The gut twist in her stomach told her she was not.

"How do you get from one world to another?" Charlie asked.

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Angels, maybe?"

"Huh," Charlie mused. "They jumped worlds and time. I wonder why both? And Dean did all that for Sam?"

"That's the easiest part to believe," Ellen said. "He'd do anything for his brother. This just shows you how much. That boy. He'd do any fool thing for Sam."

Jo squeezed her arm a bit tighter around her mom's shoulders. She was right. So, just what had they done?

Dean led the group down the steps. The group that contained two Dean Winchesters. Two Castiels. He glanced back. "This is...so fucked up," he mumbled.

"I know," he heard the other Dean huff back.

Two Cas's. God, two Cas's. His head was truly fucked up right now. He could feel his heart starting to race and sweat break out on his forehead as he unlocked the door. He knew he needed to pull it together before he freaked the fuck out. The other Cas was not his Cas. But the Cas wearing jeans and a flannel? Yeah, that was his. All his. He blew out a breath as he pushed the door open and the bizarre group walked into the weapon store.

Dean watched his other self with fascination. The guy looked older than himself. He looked tired and like he had carried a heavy burden for a long time. The other Cas looked so uptight in his suit and creeper coat. He was an angel. He wondered what his back looked like. Was he tattooed as well? Did he have wings? What did it mean that he was an angel?

"Nice set-up," Other Dean said, looking at all the weapons hanging on the walls.

"You don't have Keeper's Cross in your world," Dean asked, still creeped out by talking to another him.

"Whatever that is, I don't think so. We had Bobby. Now we have...the bunker."

"What's the bunker?" Sam asked.

"It's a...place where we have a lot of research stored. Ever heard of The Men of Letters?" The other Dean asked, running his hand along a sword.

"No. You, Bobby?" Dean asked, noticing a scar on the other Dean's arm that he himself did not have.

"No," Bobby squinted in thought.

"Huh. It's definitely different here." The other Dean kept touching things and walking around, but the other Cas stood still, just watching.

Dean was just as fascinated with the Other Cas. He was colder than his own Cas. All business. He reminded him of how his Cas could have been if he was more like the other Angels. Finding differences seemed to help him relax. He was calmer now and could think straight again.

"So," the other Dean continued, "you have this place? Where you meet?"

"Yeah," Bobby answered quietly, looking bewildered at explaining Keeper's Cross to Dean. "The land has been in my family for generations. A group of settlers started the Keepers as a network for Hunters. Hunters come here to get cases, gear up, get id, rest, hide shit. You name it. It's our home base."

The other Dean had stopped his pacing, looking at Bobby with a bit of wonder. "That's...really smart."

Bobby nodded, the two not breaking their gaze. "Keepers. We keep the Hunters going."

The other Dean shook his head. "Yeah. That's...really, damn. Wish we woulda had some support like that, huh, Cas?"

Cas was watching all of them with a thoughtful tilt to his head. "Yes. It may have helped a great deal."

"Dude, it could change everything," the other Dean rounded on Cas in the trench coat.

Cas in the trench coat gave him a placating smile. "I'm sure you are right, Dean."

"So, you and Cas hunt together?" Dean asked, turning back to the group.

"Sometimes. Lately, yeah." The pair exchanged a look. Dean could tell they were close. The looks they exchanged and the way they moved together told him they knew each other very well. But there was an awkwardness or shyness between them.

"So," his Cas asked, "I take it you two aren't married?"

"No," Other Dean said. "Neither of us." He cracked a grin. "I can not imagine Cas being married."

Other Cas furrowed his brow at the man.

"That's too bad," his Cas said. "I can't imagine life any other way." Other Cas gave his Cas the most curious look ever.

Dean bit his lip. He knew himself well enough to know Other Dean was not catching on. "Dude," he said, Other Dean looking him in the eye, "Cas and I are married to each other."

Other Dean's mouth dropped open. Other Cas' eyes lifted in surprise.

"You're married? To each other?" Other Cas asked, his eyes growing wide.

"What?!" Other Dean stammered. "Why? I mean..." he looked at Other Cas in confusion.

Other Cas just smirked.

"I see you two don't have quite the communication skills that we do," Dean laughed. "I mean, Cas showed up on my doorstep almost dead. So, if that sort of thing happens...just roll with it, Dean."

Other Dean snapped his jaw shut and looked stunned.

Bobby sat the Dybbuk box on the table and Other Dean and Other Cas were all over it. He picked up the box gently, cradling it. He immediately turned to Other Cas and asked, "Is Sam still in there? Is he okay?"

Other Cas put a hand on the box, closing his eyes. "Yes, Sam's soul is strong inside of the box, Dean." Other Dean nodded in relief. The pair exchanged a stare and Dean could not help but shake his head. It was so obvious that the pair cared deeply for each other.

"Dean," Sam said, speaking to Other Dean, "What's Sam like, there?"

The other Dean quirked a grin, his eyes taking Sam in again. "Looks just like you. Little older. Hair still too long."

"Am I, is he dating or?"

The other Dean's smile slid. "No. No time really. And Sam's girlfriends have a history of getting killed. It's been kinda rough. Like, all of it."

Sam swallowed with a haunted look. "Jess?"

"Yeah. Did you date Jess?"

"I did. She died when Dean came to get me at Stanford. I was going to be-"

"A lawyer," the other Dean grinned, nodding as Sam huffed.

"Yeah, that never happened at our place. Came in handy on some cases though."

Sam nodded. "What happened to Gabriel?"

"Gabriel?" The other Dean asked. "Gabriel was..." he glanced at his Cas, whose eyes slid over to him silently. "Gabriel died in a stand-off against Lucifer. He saved our lives."

Sam nodded, looking down with a pinched and worried look on his face.

"Hey," the other Dean said, patting his shoulder, "You guys are already doing things differently here. Whatever Keeper's Cross is, keep it going. It might save a lot of lives."

Bobby, Dean, and Sam nodded, heeding his words.

"Dean," Sam said quietly to the other Dean, "when you two get back, when Sam is back to normal...don't ignore what you and Cas have. It's pretty incredible."

"Yeah," other Dean huffed. "We'll get right on that."

Other Dean said it with sarcasm, but other Cas looked momentarily hopeful.

"Are you two going to come here again?" Dean asked.

"No," Other Dean said. "Like I said, we broke a lot of rules to pull this off. We have more than enough shit to deal with at home."

"You could stay here," Bobby said quietly.

Other Dean hung his head slightly, clutching the box. Other Cas tilted his head in a sad look.

"We can't," other Dean said. "I gotta go back and get Sam fixed."

"You could come back," Bobby shrugged. Dean and Cas nodded.

Other Cas grimaced. "I used all I had and power I stole to get here. To come again would likely destroy me and I could possibly harm Dean or Sam."

"Oh," Bobby nodded.

"I gotta ask," Sam said, leaning against the counter, "Poughkeepsie?"

"Oh," blue Dean grinned, "Nice, right?"

"Nice?" Dean frowned, "We couldn't figure out what the hell was going on or who we needed to run from."

"Huh, I thought it was a dead giveaway," the other Dean shrugged.

"No," Dean shook his head.

"No?" blue Dean asked.

"No." Dean said again.

"Sounded good at the time. And it definitely gave you a head's up."

Dean felt so distracted watching the other Dean. There were more things he should ask. More things he wanted to know. But all he could seem to do was watch how he moved and the look on his face and how he looked at Cas. And the other Cas. It was mind blowing. "Is it even freaking you out that you are here talking to another version of yourself?" Dean wondered aloud.

The other Dean shrugged his shoulders. "The first time was way harder. I figured I might see you, so that helps. And Cas is," his eyes studied his Cas, grinning at the blue Jeans and easy manner Cas portrayed. "Cas is way better here than the last one."

Dean's mind wanted to short-circuit. How many other Deans were there? Other Cas's? His chest felt tight again. For a moment he could run with the wild thought of multi-verses, but suddenly it was feeling like too much.

"We gotta go," other Dean said, handing the box gingerly to other Cas.

He reached out to shake Dean's hand. Dean looked at himself in the face and pulled him in for a hug. It was bizarre. "Take it easy out there," he said quietly. The pair pulled apart. "And this?" Dean said, pointing to his wedding ring, "is by far the scariest and best thing I ever did."

"Hey," Other Dean held a hand up, shaking his head.

"Don't knock it til ya try it," Dean grinned, Other Dean's eyes going wide.

Dean moved over to hug Other Cas, who his Cas had only shaken hands with. "Be patient. That guy could love you under all that bullshit he fronts. Trust me," Dean said quietly to other Cas. His wide eyes were so blue. The question in them pulled at his heart. He knew how miserable he and his Cas had been before they had each other. He hugged him again, this time the angel relaxed and hugged him back.

"Thank you," Other Cas said very quietly. By habit, Dean touched his hair and hugged him tighter. He glanced over, seeing his Cas with a worried look on his face. Dean grinned and stepped back.

Bobby was hugging Other Dean and telling him something. Then Sam.

They went up the steps and back into the record shop.

Other Dean turned. "This is your store, isn't it?"

Dean grinned. "How could you tell?"

"Cause. I love it."

Dean nodded with a big grin.

Other Dean stopped, looking at the Keepers still gathered at the front of the store. He turned back to Dean, his eyes bright with tears. "Take good care of these guys. I've lost almost everything in my world. You don't know just how lucky you are."

Chills ran down Dean's arms. "Okay. I will."

"This is just so crazy!" Charlie laughed, hugging both the strangers tightly. Other Dean had a look of pain on his face that Dean recognized. Charlie must be gone in the other world. Maybe all of them except Sam and Cas. It was a chilling thought. He suddenly felt extremely possessive of all his family. He hated to see the two go back. If not for Sam, he would have fought for them to stay.

Dean felt an arm slide around his back, Cas pulling him back into him slightly as the watched the bizarre scene. Other Dean hugged Ellen and Jo. Other Cas hugged Gabe again. They were all muttering quietly to each other and Dean could not help but wonder what they were saying. Cas hugged him tight to him and Dean felt suddenly very sad to let his other self walk back into a life where Cas was only his friend, Sam was in grave danger, and he had apparently lost so many loved ones. But he knew better than anyone that that Dean would never rest until his brother was back together.

Ellen wiped away a tear as she hugged the pair again quickly. "You boys be safe. Whatever it is you're dealing with, kick it in the ass."

Other Cas furrowed his brow in a tight, sad smile and Dean nodded, frowning hard to contain his emotions. "We will."

The pair left, carrying the box and the door jingled as it closed behind them. They walked off into the night, shoulders touching and stride confident.

"Damn," Dean said. "That Dean has been around. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory. And here I thought I had seen a lot."

Cas kissed his cheek and leaned his head against Dean's. "But he was so lonely. And Castiel...I hope they figure it out."

"Me too," Dean said, turning and holding his Cas tight.

"Well, there's one mystery off my shelf. Can't say I coulda called that one," Bobby sighed.

Dean and Cas joined the group again.

"My wig is friggin' flippin', man!" Ash said, looking dazed.

"Mine too," Charlie said quietly, looking at Dean.

He could tell she wanted another hug and he smiled, bracing himself for the thump that was her small frame thudding against him. "I think something bad happened to me there."

Dean held her tight and petted her long red hair. "Well, not here. We got you. They didn't even have Keepers there. Musta been quite the shit show to organize."

He kissed the top of her head and she pulled away, sniffling slightly.

"Hey, you're in good company," Gabe grinned, swinging an arm over her shoulders. "Apparently I was smote by Lucifer himself! I mean, I musta gone out with a bang!"

"I'm sure we all did, all of us who didn't make it," Ellen said, putting an arm around Jo's shoulders.

"Well, I, for one," Sam said, "hope they come back some day."

"Me too," all the others said.

"I hope Sam is okay," Dean said. Dean and his brother exchanged a look. It was difficult for Dean to let someone else (even another himself) go after Sam (any Sam).

"I suggest everybody come have a drink," Ellen announced. They nodded and mumbled their consent. Dean, Jo, and Cas quickly closed up the shop, everyone going to close up their own and meet at the Roadhouse.

Everyone seemed quiet. Dean felt numb. His other self looked like he had surely been through a lot.

Castiel sat in the corner of the booth, Dean practically in his lap. He kept leaning his head back into Cas' and held his hand under the table. He felt extremely thankful to have Cas every single day. Now he felt almost panicky about it.

"I wonder how many other uses are out there," Charlie said with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Maybe there are places where we are just normal people," Sam said, glancing around. "Ya know, like we meet in college or high school or band camp."

"Dude!" Dean scoffed. "Band camp? No. I don't think so."

"Hey," Sam grinned, "Ya never know."

Sam squeezed Gabe's hand tighter, looking over at him. Gabe was slowly rotating his beer bottle in his other hand. "You okay, Gabe?"

"Yeah," Gabe said quietly. "The other me was an archangel. A freaking archangel. That's like...really powerful."

"You are an angel to me," Sam said quietly, kissing his temple and putting an arm around him to hold him closer.

"Can you imagine me with powers?" Gabe laughed. "Dude, I would so mess with people! I mean, how could you not mess with people?!"

"You'd be a bad-ass demon smiter," Sam grinned.

"Nah," Dean laughed, "I bet he'd just fuck with people." They all laughed as Gabe nodded, pointing a finger at Dean as if making a plan.

"Well, I felt sorry for them," Ellen said quietly.

Dean, Cas, and Sam nodded. Bobby just stared at his half-drunk beer.

"It was hard to let them go back. Just felt like a bad parent sending my kids out into gunfire. I don't know. It felt...it sucked."

Bobby looked at her then with a sad smile, putting an arm around her for a side hug. "It feels wrong every time I send these guys out too. But I know what ya mean. Felt real shitty watching them walk out the door."

"You couldn't have stopped them, Bobby," Dean said, staring at his beer. "I know me. And he was enough like me to know there was nothing that was going to stop him from fixing Sam."

"I know," Bobby nodded.

Dean couldn't help but grin at Ellen resting her head against Bobby's and her hand holding onto his. He had often wondered just how close the pair were. Tonight, anyway, they were pretty damn close.

"I shoulda asked more questions," Charlie sighed. "Like how did I die? Who all died? A detailed description of what they dealt with so we could be prepared!"

They all sat quietly.

"Wish Cas woulda showed us some of his powers," Ash grinned, obviously imagining what it could have looked like.

"What was up with the tax accountant look?" Gabe grinned.

"No idea," Cas grinned, shaking his head. "That Castiel had a lot to learn about relaxing. I should have offered him a pair of jeans at least."

"And he had that damn trench coat," Dean said with some wonder. "How's that even possible?"

"I stand by that coat," Chuck grinned. "I just knew it would look bad-ass. Ya know, nerdy bad-ass."

Cas laughed and Dean rolled his eyes, grinning.

"My head is so screwed," Jo mused. "When blue-flannel Dean hugged me...it felt like he wanted to...I don't know. He seemed really happy to see me and really sad at the same time." Ellen and Charlie agreed.

"Do I look as uptight as that Dean?" Dean asked, looking around.

"No," Cas laughed, hugging him tight to him.

"Usually," Jo smirked.

"Sometimes," Ellen and Ash said.

"Yes," Sam and Bobby said.

"Well, damn," Dean grinned. "Guess I need to relax a little bit."

Silence circled the table as everyone was lost in their own thoughts for a time.

"Can you imagine doing this, hunting, without Keepers?" Sam asked.

"No," they all answered.

"How do they know what the hell they're even doing? How do they get supplies?"

"It's kinda sad," Ellen said.

"How did they even get here?" Charlie asked.

"They wouldn't say," Bobby answered. "They were pretty tight-lipped in general. Guess they were protecting us."

"I never would have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes," Cas said.

Dean nodded. The whole experience had been surreal and disturbing.

Dean picked up his beer bottle and held it up. "To us. And to all the other uses out there."

Everyone raised their drinks. "To us."

After several quiet moments, Bobby cleared his throat. "I think we need to keep a lid on this. If word gets out, people will think we're crazy."

"Or try to figure out how to do it," Gabe said.

"Ooo, every good SciFi fan knows you can't mess with the space-time continuum," Charlie scowled.

"So, this has never happened here before?" Cas asked.

"No," several answered.

The group called it a night, helping Ellen lock up. They all dispersed to their own places.

Dean, Cas, Sam, and Gabe headed down the alley walking close together but saying little.

When Dean and Cas stopped at their door, Sam and Gabe stopped as well. "Dean," Sam said quietly, "I don't know what that Sam and Dean have been through, but I just wanted to say thank you. You're the best big brother a guy could ever ask for."

Dean rolled his eyes and looked away shyly. "Come on, Sam. That's what brothers do."

"Not all brothers, Dean. Just good ones. Just so happens, I have a great one." He hugged Dean tight, Dean hugging him back. Their time as Hunters had been eventful. Their dad had led them straight into a demon hunt with Azazel, which ended up getting him killed and damn near his kids as well. Dean knew in his heart he would go to the ends of the Earth for Sam. Apparently, in this life and others. Their dad may have put them in danger, but Dean was damn sure trying to keep them out of it.

They stepped apart, Gabe and Sam heading for their back door.

Cas and Dean went up the steps and flopped onto the couch.

"That Castiel seemed...cold. Uptight. And powerful. Could you feel it?" Dean asked, staring blankly at the carpet.

"I did feel it." Cas sat the same way. "And Dean looked like he had been through so much. He looked...beaten. Or tired."

Dean slid his hand over, lacing their fingers together. "I hope they figure out that if they get together, their lives will improve."

"Castiel looked like he might be up for it, I thought," Cas said, grinning.

"Yeah, but Dean looked freaked," Dean huffed.

"I think they will figure it out," Cas grinned. "Maybe we helped a little."

"Maybe."

Note: Okay, feeling like I need to clarify here. This story takes place in AU and if it were following the show, would be at beginning of season 4, except it is has differences since it is AU. Now, when Dean and Castiel show up to get Sam's soul, they are supposed to be season 12. I was going for a flip here. We are used to the show being the main universe and when they go into pocket universes (via Gabe or Zack) we walk into that strange world with them. This time we were in the otherverse the whole time, our boys from the show popping in only briefly, then gone. I thought I would give this a try :)

Final chapter coming and it's a shortie. Ending stories is the hardest part to me.