EPILOGUE

One Year Later…

"I made today's kill so you're buyin' lunch."

Dean threw an incredulous look at his partner in the passenger seat. "How do you get today's kill? I shot that thing like twelve times before you got your ass up off the kitchen floor."

Quinn placed her pointer finger in the center of her forehead. "It's the killshot that counts, bucko."

"You'd be Ghoul-chow if I hadn't emptied my clip in it first."

"You're always such a sore loser," she scoffed, flashing him a teasing grin. "I gave you credit for the Rugaru last week, didn't I? I mean, I did all the work getting it into the trap, you just stood there with a flame thrower tryin' to look all Rambo." She leaned back in her seat and pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes. "Y'know what? I think I'm in the mood for steak today."

Dean grunted and turned up the radio while making a mental inventory of the contents of his wallet. He would never admit it, but he enjoyed the banter with Quinn. Sure, she got under his skin some of the time – okay, a lot of the time – but that just made coming home to Jenna's warm smiles and loving affections that much sweeter.

Dean and Quinn had been hunting together for almost eight months now and Dean still found himself shocked at how well they worked together. Sam's girlfriend had proven to be more than capable and he trusted her to always have his back. In a way, she was a better partner than Sam had ever been because unlike the younger Winchester, hunting was what Quinn wanted to do. She wasn't doing it out of obligation or guilt while yearning for something else. She had a way out available and like Dean, she didn't want it.

When Sam had enrolled in the Kansas University Law Program at the Lawrence campus and Jenna had taken a job as receptionist at the local Chevy dealership, both Dean and Quinn had tried their hand at 'normal' also. They had lasted five weeks. Well, Quinn had lasted five weeks, Dean had lasted four. Nine-to-five jobs and ignoring the strange death articles in the newspapers just wasn't who they were. This – hunting, saving people, fighting the good fight – this was what they were born to do, what they lived to do. This made them feel alive and gave them a sense of purpose. It had been Jenna and Sam who had sat them down one day, handed them a newspaper article about strange occurrences in Tulsa, and insisted they follow it up.

For Dean, the best moments of his new life were after a hunt, after the brush with evil and the violence that usually came with it, when he would return home to the bunker, to his brother and his family and to Jenna. Jenna was his escape from the ugliness of hunting, an escape he hadn't had before. She was his safe haven and it was she who now kept him grounded, kept him human, kept him from sinking too far into the dark life of a hunter.

He imagined it was much the same for Quinn where Sam and Lucas were her refuge.

They spent a lot of time at the bunker, making sure they were home when Lucas had a big game or Jenna had a doctor's appointment or Sam was studying for mid-terms, but they took on hunts in between domestic obligations. Nothing too far away and two-day or three-day jobs at the most. Hunts tended to be cleaner and simpler now with no demons around. Tyler and Nia joined them on occasion and even Benny made the odd appearance, but mostly it was Dean and Quinn.

After all his talk about not being able to have one foot in and one foot out, he had managed to do just that and it was working perfectly. As far as Dean was concerned, life was pretty sweet these days.

And a day didn't go by that he didn't wish Cas was here to see it.

~X~X~X~X~

"You find anything?"

Jenna peered at him over the top of three-inch thick book she was reading. "Nope. I think Dean's hunch about the symbol might be wrong this time."

Sam frowned and threw his own book down on the bunker's table. "I know but Dean's hunches are usually right."

"Listen, if you've got assignments to work on for school, go ahead. I can finish up the research."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Or they could do it themselves instead of finding a 'convenient' ghoul hunt to go on instead."

Jenna laughed, then groaned and pressed her hand to her belly. "Don't make me laugh, Sam or I'll pee myself."

"Didn't you just pee like five minutes ago?" he teased.

"That's what happens when you're eight months pregnant. It's all your brother's fault."

"Right, and you had nothing to do with it. You come up with any names yet?"

She shook her head. "No, but we'd better come up with something soon because Lucas wants to name it Thor if it's a boy or Shakira if it's a girl and he's getting pretty attached to those names."

"He's so excited about getting a cousin."

Sam grinned at the image of Lucas's reaction when they had first told him. The only other time he had seen the boy that excited was his first day of school when he and Quinn had accompanied him inside to meet his teacher – and check for camera flare in her eyes, of course. Jenna, Tyler, Nia, and Dean had all waited outside with Rascal, refusing to miss Luke's big day. They'd had to make the drive in two cars – Sam's son was certainly loved.

Jenna smiled fondly. "He's such a good kid, Sam. And he's so happy now. How did things turn out so damn good for us? I never thought…" She blushed a little. "I just never thought I would ever be this happy, you know?"

Sam knew exactly what she was talking about. He felt the same way only… only when things were going really well - like when he'd wake up in the morning curled around Quinn or when he was sitting in the park on a sunny day listening to Lucas's laughter - his thoughts always drifted to Cas, the friend he owed everything to. The friend they all owed everything to. Not a day went by that he didn't wish Cas was here to enjoy life with them.

~X~X~X~X~

Quinn reached out and turned down the music. "Get off the freeway here. I need you to make a quick stop with me."

Dean groaned, more out of habit than any real inconvenience but he took the exit ramp. "Ain't I done enough for you today? You just had a thirty-five dollar steak. What now?"

"Just up here," she pointed. "Turn left."

He steered the Impala through the busy streets of Lincoln until she waved him into a parking spot outside a bridal dress shop.

"Oh, Hell no!"

"Come on, Dean. Jenna's doc told her to stay close to home and you're my next in line in way of BFF's." She flushed as soon as the statement was out and Dean was pretty sure she was trying to think of a follow-up insult to save face.

Truth be told, he felt the same way about her. He gave her a smug grin and shut off the engine. "I ain't lookin' at place settings or floral arrangements."

She shook her head. "Just a dress," she assured him. "We're not having any of that other stuff. And I'll be quick."

Five minutes later he found himself lounging on a green, leather chaise outside the change room, a glass of white wine in his hand.

"Okay, I could get used to this."

"You goin' white collar on me?" she laughed from behind the stall door.

"Nah, beer and pie still trump wine and cheese any day." He sighed contently and closed his eyes, thinking they should definitely get one of these chairs for the bunker.

"I can't believe my little brother's tyin' the knot."

"I was as surprised as you were, trust me. I thought he was crazy and I just didn't see the point but… well, he was pretty persistent. It means a lot to him."

"Yeah, that kid always had a healthy estrogen count."

"Oh, he's all man where it counts," came the smug reply. "And then some. Just last week he…"

"Ho! Way too much information!" Dean cut her off.

"But it's okay for you to give me a play-by-play of you and Jen making a sloppy mess on the kitchen table? The table I eat on?"

"Hey, that was the night my future child was conceived. I was sharing a magical moment with you."

"In vivid detail. I'm scarred for life, you know."

He heard the lock clicking so he opened his eyes. She pushed the door and stepped out and whatever comeback Dean had planned died in his throat. She was wearing a simple, ivory dress, one of the cheapest the store had to offer, but considering he was used to seeing her in jeans and army boots, she looked like a completely different person.

She gave him a nervous smile and did a half twirl. "Whaddya think? Think he'll like it?"

Dean's returned smile was genuine. "I think my brother's a lucky man."

~X~X~X~X~

Sam handed the plate to Jenna to dry and reached into the sink for the next one. "Wasn't it Ty's turn for dishes tonight?"

"Yup. Little jerk."

"He out with Nia?"

"Yeah, they went for a ride to Lovewell Park."

"Are him and her, you know…?"

"Sleeping together?" she finished for him with a laugh. "Aren't you a nosey one."

Sam felt his cheeks burn. "Yeah, right. None of my business. It's just, after Cas…"

He felt the familiar tightening in his chest at the mention of his friend's death. Even after a year, the pain and guilt were still fresh but it helped to think Nia was finding her way back.

She had not taken the angel's death well. She had been completely crushed and had started to withdraw to her 'Purgatory state'. Dean had been beside himself with worry when nothing he tried had been successful in getting through to her. Sam had made it his personal mission to see her through it because he truly believed that more than any other reason, Cas had sacrificed himself for her. He had been desperate enough to allow Benny to come and visit and in doing so, had discovered the vampire was annoyingly likeable. But in the end, it had been Tyler's gentle persistence and patient devotion that had turned things around and guided her through her despair.

"They're not," Jenna supplied in answer to his question. "They are a couple though. I mean, he's so in love with her it's ridiculous and I think she loves him back. I honestly do. I probably shouldn't be blabbing their business but Ty admitted she's kissed him and they spooned one night. Nothing more than that though, so far. Dean warned him she may never be ready for, you know, sex," she whispered the last word and spread a palm over her belly as if shielding the baby from hearing it. "But Ty said he didn't care. He loves her anyway and he'll stick by her."

Sam nodded, finding some solace that the woman Cas had loved might someday be happy again. He knew that's what Cas would have wanted. "You think she'll be okay?"

Jenna took another plate from him. "This about Nia or Cas?"

He shrugged. "Both, I guess."

"I know your brother's told you this like a million times, Sam, but I'm gonna say it again. If you weren't willing to die for Cas, what he did wouldn't have worked. The trial only worked because you would have taken his place at the end of that knife if you could have. Don't ever forget that. There was no cowardice or lack of love in what you did. Quite the opposite."

He nodded at hearing the familiar line of reasoning again. His brother had indeed hammered that point home numerous times over the past year but it still didn't erase the memory of the blade sinking into Cas's flesh or the black outline of two wings still burned into the garage floor. He still missed his friend.

"So, you ready for the big day?" She gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder with her blatant attempt to change the subject. "You got less than three days until you're Mr. Talise Quinn."

Sam allowed the joy of what was to come swallow the sad feelings within. "I'm so excited." He grinned. "I can't wait to be married."

"Awww, you're such a blushing bride," Jenna teased, earning herself a splash of suds in the face.

"Shut up and dry."

~X~X~X~X~

It was sunny and warm in the field above the bunker with just a hint of a breeze, the perfect weather for the occasion.

Two figures stood off to the side, in plain sight yet completely unseen, watching the inhabitants of the bunker and their guests gather in the shade of a large Red Maple tree.

"Do you miss being here with them?" the older and taller of the two asked.

"Yes," replied Cas.

The pair fell back into silence.

Dean and Benny finished shimming one of the three large logs set in a semicircle as benches to keep it from rolling while Sam fidgeted nervously near the trunk of the tree. Jenna appeared over the crest of the small hill wearing a pink, cotton dress that stretched around her swollen belly, Kevin and Mrs. Tran in tow.

"Momma Tran," Benny greeted, gesturing gallantly towards the log on the left.

"Kevin!" Lucas squealed, splashing his way out of the shallow stream to greet the former prophet and give him a hug. Kevin had moved out of the bunker the day after Hell was sealed off but he and his mother managed to visit every few weeks, in part to keep in the supernatural loop but also to access the bunker's archives for research. Taking his mother's advice to 'get an early start', Kevin was already working on his graduate thesis.

"My mom and dad are getting married today," Lucas announced.

"I heard," Kevin grinned back. "That's why we're here."

"You live in Michigan," Lucas continued. "Michigan's letters are MI. This is Kansas. Kansas letters are KS."

Mrs. Tran beamed down at the six-year-old before looking up at Sam. "You know, it's never too early to start thinking about getting him into an advanced placement program. Sure, they cost a little extra but…"

"Mom, he's getting married in five minutes," Kevin interceded. "Can it wait 'til after the wedding?"

"Of course." She patted Sam on the arm. "We'll talk later." Kevin steered her over to sit where Benny had directed. "You look very handsome," she called over her shoulder as she was dragged away.

There was an eruption of barking and Rascal came bounding into sight, tail wagging furiously as he proceeded to knock Lucas over with a big, wet lick to the face. Lucas just giggled and picked himself back up, the back side of his trousers now as dirty as his feet. Nia and Tyler came running over but it was Benny who grabbed the end of the leash. One sharp command and the dog sat obediently. Tyler was wearing a suit, minus the tie, but Nia was wearing her usual cargo pants, t-shirt, and light jacket and was licking at the ice cream cone in her hand.

Cas couldn't tear his gaze from her. She looked well. He didn't know what he had expected but there was an almost painful joy gripping his heart at seeing her again, alive and smiling. He missed that delightfully endearing smile. She sat down between Tyler and Benny on the log to the right, sidling up so close to Tyler there was no space left between them. She gave the young man a fond smile and took his hand in hers.

"She will never hold one so dear as she did you," the tall man next to him said quietly.

Cas simply nodded and shifted his attention to Dean. The hunter had taken a seat on the middle bench with Jenna. He had his arm around her shoulders and was currently whispering something in her ear that had them both smiling. He looked happy. He looked in love. He kissed Jenna gently on the lips before turning to Sam.

"Where the Hell's this bride of yours? She pullin' a Julia Roberts?"

He earned himself a slap on the shoulder from Jenna and a nervous version of Sam's bitchface.

"He looks to have found peace," Cas observed. "Yet he still hunts."

"Of course. He wouldn't have found his peace if he had stopped. I see much of Michael in him."

"Michael?"

"Of course. Michael is a soldier, a leader, and a protector. And he values loyalty and family. Since Dean and Talise are of Michael's chosen bloodline, it is to be expected they share his strongest attributes."

Cas frowned. "But Sam and Jenna are of Lucifer's chosen bloodline. They have nothing in common with Lucifer."

His companion peered down at him curiously. "Do they not? Lucifer acted on and stood behind his beliefs without wavering, even to his own detriment. His intentions and motivations were once fueled by love and righteous cause, if misguided and misconstrued. He is flawed but unshakably true to his beliefs. Can you truly say Sam is none of those things?"

Cas was still deliberating on an answer when Quinn finally appeared, arm in arm with Pastor Christopher and using him heavily for balance as she stumbled over a rough patch of terrain in her heels.

"We didn't think this through," she laughed as she finally made it to the clearing under the tree and was escorted to stand next to Sam.

"I'm not marrying you in Army boots," Sam told her, his eyes sparkling with a happiness matched by his wide grin. "God, you look beautiful," he added, taking her hands in his.

"You're not too shabby yourself, Mister," she replied.

"Everybody here?" the Pastor asked, standing in front of them. Cas recognized the young priest as the younger of the two pastors at the nearby St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church, the church that was aware of the Men of Letters bunker and helped keep its existence a secret. With no demons topside, it seemed the secret Crowley had somehow uncovered was once again, secret. The young pastor had clearly taken over after Crowley had killed the senior clergyman, Pastor Clivedon, and seemed to be on good terms with the Winchesters. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, definitely, please do," Sam nodded eagerly, getting a chorus of chuckles from the audience.

"Very well," said the pastor. "As you are both aware, this is not a legal union since you are both currently either wanted by the FBI or officially deceased. However, it is only in the eyes of God that any vows undertaken today hold true value. That and in our own hearts."

As the Pastor continued speaking, Cas watched, a feeling of melancholy spreading through him that he could not truly join his friends, his family, in this important moment.

"They seem happy," he observed. "Their lives seem peaceful."

"Thanks to you. And peaceful? Yes, for now." His companion's mouth widened into an amused smile. "Their children, on the other hand." A hearty chuckle rumbled deep inside the old man's chest. "Now that will be something to see, Castiel."

Cas frowned. "Why is that?"

"Three children all of both Michael's and Lucifer's chosen bloodlines? The strongest of those bloodlines at that. This has never happened. Oh my, the world is in for some tumultuous times."

"Three children?"

"Barely a year after their fist daughter is born, Dean and Jenna will have a second." Another chuckle, full of mirth and anticipation. "And what a delightfully mischievous pair of girls they shall be. Dear, brave Lucas will have his hands full keeping his young cousins out of trouble."

"You may kiss the bride."

A chorus of hoots and cheers drifted from the clearing.

"Atta boy, Sammy!" Dean's was definitely the loudest.

"We should go," the tall man at Cas's side said quietly. "I have much more to show you."

Cas gave his friends one last wistful look.

"Do you wish to return to them, Castiel? It could be arranged. It wouldn't be the first time."

Cas let out a long, slow exhale before shaking his head and turning to his companion. As tempting as it may be, he was where he should be.

"No, Father. My place is here, with you."

~X~X~X~X~

THE END