Here's the thing, I have two endings to this story. One sad, one happy. You can decide which one you would like to read, or read both see which one you like better. Thanks for coming along for the journey. NC

This is the sad ending. Chapter 26 will be the happy ending.

Chapter 25

The next morning Sam was moving around more, but very carefully. They packed the cars and made ready to leave for Bobby's. Hugs were had all around and Fine and Brody agreed to visit soon. Dean promised to let him know if they caught a case and he could take Sam's place while he was healing.

Dean slid behind the seat of his Baby, stroking the wheel and whispering loving words. Sam looked over at him with concern on his face. The feelings Dean had for his car were beyond creepy.

"What?" he asked. "I've not driven her in over two weeks, she missed me."

"Right." Sam scoffed.

spn

They made it to Bobby's in record time. Traffic was light and Dean let Baby fly a few times, before reining her in. He had no desire to be pulled over, so he kept it close to the speed limit. Everyone climbed out and stretched, except Sam who was just happy to stand up and move around.

"Boys!" Bobby called coming from the garage.

"Hey Bobby." they replied smiling at his approaching figure.

"Good to see you, don't just stand there go on in. Girls how did the case go?"

"Well all were saved and made it home." Nattie told him as she gave him a quick hug.

"Good to see you again." Ree said hugging him tight.

spn

They found Dean and Sam in the kitchen looking for food. Nattie and Ree shooed them out so they could fix lunch. Bobby got the low down on the gypsy case from Sam and a promise of videos after lunch from Ree. Dean moaned not sure he was going to like this at all. He really got grumpy when Sam told about the worm incident. He even had pictures he showed while telling the story.

spn

The next month past by rather slowly. Sam took time to heal, while Dean and Brody went on several simple hunts close to home. Dean wanted to introduce Brody to the game slowly and not get him killed the first time out. Several times Natasha went as back up. Sam and Ree took care of all the research and helped Bobby with research for other hunters.

spn

Fine came up most weekends and joined the family. She was still doing business with Bobby and had picked up some other hunters as clients. Bobby had not had this much happiness in his house in years and he was loving it. They rag tag family had grown over time and the kids he thought he would never have multiplied beyond his wildest dreams.

spn

Dean jerked awake and felt the bed beside him to find an empty spot. He looked around, saw it was light outside and pushed the covers off so he could grab his clothes. The house was quiet in the early morning light. He didn't hear any noises from the other bedroom and walked on into the kitchen. He jumped as the coffee pot came on automatically. He knew Natasha was out doing her daily run.

He found the note on the table from Bobby, he was making a parts run and was going to help another hunter check out a possible case, would be gone until the end of the week and to not burn the house down.

spn

"Hey honey." Natasha said jogging into the kitchen and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good run?" he asked pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I took it easy on myself." she said getting the juice out of the fridge and pouring a glass.

"Arm still doing ok?"

"Yes, little sore still, why?"

"Wanted to make sure you didn't over do it."

"I love you babe, I would tell you if I wasn't, I'm going to grab a quick shower and then some breakfast."

"Ok, how about pancakes and bacon?"

"You start and I'll help you in a few minutes."

"Sounds good." he said pulling ingredients out of the fridge as Natasha headed for the bathroom.

spn

Dean was mixing up pancake batter when Natasha strolled back to the kitchen.

"Here, let me finish that, you get the griddle ready." she told him taking the whisk and whisking the batter. "Do you want to see if the kids are up yet?"

"Naw let them sleep. They can have pancakes went they get up." he said spraying the griddle with oil.

"Bacon?"

"In the oven keeping warm." he nodded toward the oven.

"You are my hero."

"I try sweet cakes." he smiled taking some batter and pouring it onto the hot griddle.

"Modest aren't we?"

"I have my moments." he replied confidently.

spn

"You going to sleep all day?" Ree whispered to Sam as she nibbled on his ear. He smiled and started to tickle her. She tried to twist out of his grasp as she begged him to stop. He laughed at her as he pulled her to him for a kiss.

"Sure you want to get up?"

"I'm hungry, smells like Sis has breakfast going." she answered happily. "Come on quick shower and then breakfast."

"If you insist." he said following her to the bathroom.

Dean and Natasha were finishing their breakfast as Ree and Sam came into the room.

"There's pancake batter on the counter Ree, make you guys some and there's some bacon in the oven." Natasha instructed Ree.

"Thanks Sis, pour us some coffee Sammy, I'll get some pancakes cooked."

"Yes ma'am." he said getting out two cups and pouring the coffee.

Ree cooked the pancakes and took the plates to the table. Sam brought the coffee and some juice and sat down beside her.

"Mind if I talk to all of you for a few minutes?" Dean asked them as Natasha removed their dishes from the table.

"Go ahead." Sam said taking a bite of pancake.

"I'm listening." Natasha and Ree said together looking at Dean.

"Nat, the first time I saw you, well that was not the best circumstances, but I knew you were special, different than any other girl I'd hooked up with. You can be the most stubborn, hard headed, caring, loving, person I know. You are the only one who has had the nerve to go toe to toe with me. When you left, that made me realize how much you really mean to me, I never thought I would find someone like you." he admitted looking deep into Natasha's eyes.

Sam and Ree glanced at each other as they slowly ate their pancakes. This was better than a soap opera.

"I don't ever want to feel that helpless again. Natasha marry me; spend the rest of your life with me."

Natasha looked at him in total shock as she drew in a deep breath. She looked at Dean and then Sam and Ree before answering.

"I never thought I would hear that from you." Natasha said in surprise. "I don't even have to think about it; of course I'll marry you. I was hooked the moment I saw you."

"Yes, you said yes?"

"There was no other answer." she said sitting down in his lap and kissing him.

Ree and Sam looked at each other in disbelief and finished chewing the bite of pancake they had in their mouths.

"Way better than a soap opera." Ree commended.

"Want to make it a double?" Sam asked Ree softly taking her hand in his. "You've brought so much happiness into my life that I thought I would never have. I can't picture a moment without you in it. Reeanna will you marry me?"

Ree eyed him closely before giving him an answer. "I would be honored."

"Looks like we need to do some shopping." Nat giggled snuggling in Deans arms.

Sam kissed Ree several times and smiled happily at her. She stroked his face and smiled back lovingly.

"Finish up R and lets go shopping then."

"Right." Ree said putting another bite in her mouth.

"What are you two going to do today?" Natasha asked the boys.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Dean smiled leaning back in his chair. "I'm taking the day off."

"Cute." Natasha laughed slapping his arm. "We'll be back later. Want us to pick up some dinner for tonight?"

"Sounds good, we can celebrate."

"Bye love." Sam said giving Ree a kiss as she grabbed a jacket and followed Natasha out to the car.

"Come on let's see what's on the tube." Dean said heading for the living room.

spn

Natasha and Ree giggled as they checked out the sexy lingerie in Victoria's Secret. They had spent the day shopping at every store. Both were enjoying the sister time together and the planning a double wedding.

It was getting close to dinner time when the girls packed the car with their purchases and headed to a small Italian restaurant to pick up dinner. They were singing to an old rock song when the utter chaos happened.

Traffic was heavy with people heading home from work. Natasha and Ree were near the front of a string of cars when a truck at the front of the pack blew a tire causing it to weave into the path of a semi tracker trailer who slammed on its breaks causing a chain reaction of accidents. The semi lost control and the load it was carrying tilted over crushing a car on the right of it. Natasha slammed on the breaks but was hit by another car pushing it in the way of another semi who side swiped their car crushing the side.

Cars skidded and slammed into each other as they tried to avoid the pile up ahead of them.

Pieces of wreckage littered the highway for nearly half a mile. Onlookers were calling 911 and helping those who could get out of their wrecked vehicles to the side of the road.

spn

Sam sat up suddenly from the couch and reached for his cell. "Call Natasha now." Sam said dialing Ree.

"Why?" Dean asked taking out his phone and dialing Natasha.

"Something's not right." Sam said getting up off the couch to pace. He listened as Ree's voicemail pick up. "Damn."

"Voicemail." Dean said looking at Sam.

"Does Bobby still have that police scanner around?"

"Yes, in back." he said sitting up as coldness began to creep over him.

"Be right back." he said running to the garage. Sam came back in with the scanner and flipped it on. It began to scan the bands and stopped when it began spitting out, "All units fifteen car pile up on 31 East, roll fire, rescue and ambulances, numerous injuries."

"Dean I have a bad feeling, we need to get to the hospital." Sam said grabbing his jacket. Dean picked up his and followed to the car.

"I'm driving." he said taking the keys from Sam. He backed out of the garage and raced toward the hospital.

spn

"I'm looking for victims from the wreck on Highway 31, have any been brought in yet?" Sam asked the nurse in the emergency room.

"They're just coming in now. You need to stay out of the way please."

"I think our girlfriends may have been in the wreck." Dean said looking around for the ambulance entrance. Seeing it to the left, he headed that way with Sam on his heels.

"Sir! Sir! You can't go in there." the nurse called after them.

The first of the ambulances were pulling into the bays to be unloaded. Stretchers were pulled off and wheeled quickly into the emergency room.

"What you got?" a doctor asked at the first gurney.

"Female, approximately twenty-four, head injury, lacerations, internal bleeding, BP 60/45, pulse 48 and thready, IV ringers started."

"Contact radiology for x-rays and let surgery know we're on our way." he said checking Ree's pupils.

"Ree!" Sam cried out when he saw her bandaged bloody face. "Ree!"

"You can't be in here." a nurse argued holding Sam back.

"Go with her, I'll try to find Nat." Dean told his brother as he looked around at the others coming in.

"Ok, call me." Sam yelled rushing after Ree.

"Hey her sister was with her in the car, is she in another ambulance?" Dean asked the EMT that brought Ree in.

"Hey man, sorry only one survivor in the car, I gotta go, there are more injured people we need to bring in." he said rushing back to the ambulance.

spn

Dean grabbed the wall as all color drained from his face and his legs started to buckle. His breath caught as he tried to pull air into his lungs. His vision went into tunnel vision as everything around him seemed far away and in slow motion. Black spots spun around him as the world turned sideways. Dean stared into space as tears brimmed his eyes and threaded their way down his face.

Someone was trying to talk to him, but he couldn't hear the words. This was not happening, please God no. He pushed himself away from the orderly, hunting for an elevator to take him down to the morgue. He knew the dead would be brought directly to the morgue and by pass emergency room.

Dean followed the signs to the morgue. He saw stretchers with body bags lining the hall. The morgue assistant was filling out paperwork as Dean unzipped a bag.

"Hey, you can't do that. Who are you?"

"I'm looking for someone from the wreck." he said trying another bag.

"I'm calling security." he complained.

spn

Dean opened the third bag to see Natasha's bloody broken body. Even with the blood, her face had a peaceful, calm look. He gripped the edge of the stretcher trying to hold himself up. Tears etched down his face and dripped onto her bloody face. He gently brushed her hair into place as he clenched his jaw tightly from the pain.

This loss was killing him. He had found true love and had lost it just a blink of an eye. He tried to hold his emotions in as he drew in a couple of deep breaths. He closed his eyes tightly praying it was a bad dream. But when he opened them, she was still laying there not moving.

"He's over here." the assistant told the guard.

"Sir, I need to escort you back upstairs."

"Don't touch me." Dean growled through clenched teeth as he tightened his fist ready for a fight.

"You're not authorized to be down here."

"This is my fiancé, I'm claiming the body." he said not bothering to look up and daring security to touch him if he valued his life. The guard backed up slowly when he saw the look in Dean's eyes.

spn

Sam paced the waiting area as he watched for anyone to come his way. He looked at his watch and glanced back at the surgery doors. He saw movement and headed for the doctor.

"Doctor." he questioned.

"Are you here for the female brought in from the accident?"

"Yes, my fiancé."

"I'm sorry son, her injuries were too intense. There was nothing we could do to save her." he said gently to Sam.

Sam stumbled back against the wall to hold himself up as the news sunk in. Ree was gone from him. He gulped in a mouth of air as he tried to control the urge to throw up. The doctor laid a hand on his arm and was talking to him, but he couldn't understand the words. A sob escaped his lips as he hung his head.

"I want to see her." he finally got out.

"Give us just a few minutes and I'll have someone bring you back." he said.

Sam leaned his head down as tears dripped off his face. He knew he needed to find Dean, but first he had to see her one last time. He waited by the door of the operating room. A nurse came out and led him back to where Ree's body was waiting.

He slowly walked over to the gurney that was draped with a sheet. He couldn't hold back the pain and anguish that was coursing through his body. He placed a trembling hand to her face and gently caressed it. Sam kissed her forehead, then touched his forehead to hers. He sobbed quietly as he pulled her to him holding her tightly.

spn

"I can't release the body but to a family member." the tech complained.

"I am her family, her sister is in surgery upstairs, I don't know if she's alive or not. So don't talk to me about paperwork." he replied.

"I have procedures I have to follow."

"To hell with procedures, I will take my fiancé's body and you are not stopping me." Dean growled backing him into a corner.

"You need to sign these papers." he cried holding out the paperwork.

Dean grabbed the clip board and scribbled a name. He pushed the guy out of the way and went over to the body bag. He unzipped it and picked up the sheet covered body of Natasha. He carried her to the side entrance and out the door to his car. He carefully laid her in the back seat. Looking up, he saw Sam carrying Ree toward him. He knew by the drawn look on his face that she didn't survive the surgery. Sam laid her body besides her sister's and closed the door.

"Let's go." he mumbled getting into the car. Dean got behind the wheel and drove away. The girls were warriors and deserved a warrior's burial and they were going to make sure they got it.

spn

Dean and Sam stood side by side as they watched the flames grow stronger around the girl's bodies. Neither had spoken since they had left the hospital. Tears flowed freely down Sam's face as he felt the heat of the flames. Sobs escaped his lips as he trembled uncontrollably. Dean placed a hand on his shoulder as Sam turned to him and stepped into a hug. Sam's shoulders shook as he released the sorrow and pain over his loss.

Dean's eyes brimmed with tears and he blinked trying to stop them from trickling down his face. He had to be strong for Sammy, he was the oldest, and he had to look after his younger brother. Both had suffered a great lose today, something that would take a long time to heal, if ever. They stood silently until the fire had burned itself out and the girls ashes were released to the wind. Drops of rain began to pelt them as a cloud moved overhead blocking out the night sky.

"Let's go Sammy." Dean finally got out as he put a hand on Sam's shoulder to steer him toward the car.

"I don't know if I can go on." he whispered not moving.

"Sammy, you have to. We both have to, they would want us to."

"How can we?"

"We morn, we cry, we suck it up and we go on. Storms coming we need to go."

Sam looked up as lightening flashed across the night sky blinding him for a second. He drew in a deep breath and followed Dean to the Impala as the heavens opened up. It seemed they were not the only ones crying tonight. Rain blew against the car in sheets as Dean cranked her and slowly drove away not looking back only looking forward.