Supernatural: Endgame

Chapter 25

Sam turned around, noticing that the room was now a part of the cavern. The charade of magic was gone, all wards erased.

"Dean!" he shouted, frantically searching the dark cavern. He could hardly hear over the rushing water from the falls. "DEAN!"

He turned to go back towards the entrance, thinking maybe the fight had gotten outside, and as he did so his foot made contact with something solid on the ground. A grunt let him know he had found his brother.

"Dean," he breathed, kneeling down to help him up.

"No, 'm good here," Dean mumbled. He held his right arm up as much as he could, showing a forearm devoid of any markings. "'S gone, Sammy. They did it."

Sam's eyes widened, and he gripped Dean's arm. "So did we. It's closed, the Codex. It's all over."

Dean sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "Awesome."

"Give me your hand, I'll help you up."

Dean grunted again as Sam tried to pry his other arm away from his stomach, swatting at him with his right hand.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here," Sam insisted.

Dean shook his head. "'M gonna stay right here. And you're gonna listen to me for a minute."

Sam looked down at where his brother's arm was clutched across his middle, and in the dim light flitting through the falling water outside finally noticed the blood pooling, running down his arm and onto the floor. He paled.

"My arm is the only thing keeping my insides from being on the outside right now, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna keep it where it is, mm'kay?" He offered Sam a weak smile, then continued. "And I'm ok with that, Sammy. I am. Being a hunter is the only thing I was ever truly good at. And that's done. And I'm ok with that, too." His voice grew weaker as he went on, Sam leaning in closer to hear it at all. "So here's what you're gonna do, Sam. You're gonna take that Codex, and you're gonna put it where no one is ever gonna find it. And you're gonna do for me the one thing I could never seem to do for you." His breath was coming in shudders now. Sam reached out and rested his hand on Dean's shoulder, trying to offer whatever comfort he could, and fighting the urge to interrupt. "You're gonna let me go, Sammy."

"Dean." Tears began to run down his face, and he wiped at them halfheartedly.

"No, Sam. I mean it. I'm tired, man." Dean was all but mumbling now. "And truth be told, I shoulda left this life years ago. But doing my job kept me going. Saving people, making the world safer one monster at a time. I had a purpose. That purpose is gone. I'm ready. There's no place for Dean Winchester in a world with no monsters," he smiled ruefully. "Please, Sammy. Let me go."

Sam closed his eyes, tears flowing in earnest, trying not to choke. He gave a small nod.

"Tell Cora…" Dean trailed off, making a small motion with his free hand. "…you know."

"Yeah, sure," Sam answered thickly, his throat constricting. "I'll make sure she's ok."

"Thank you," Dean whispered, letting his head fall back against the wall. He took one last breath that left him on a sigh, and went still.

"Dean?" It was barely a whisper, a sound that should have come out of a scared little boy.

No one answered.

"Cas, I need you," he managed to get out.

No one answered.

"CAS."

Silence.

"Cas, please!"

He laid his head down in his brother's bloody lap, and cried.

Sam had no idea how much time had passed. He was lying on the ground next to his brother, and it was cold. He had no urge to move, no will to get up, get out of the dank cavern and go home.

"Cas," he whispered brokenly, to no avail.

He was quiet for a moment, then tried again. "Abigail."

Almost immediately, a warm light filled the space. He slowly rolled his head to the side, and looked up into her face. He stared at her blankly for a few moments, then closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was lying on the floor of the library in the bunker.

"Sam!" Cora came running over to him, helping him sit up. "Are you alright? Did it work?!"

He didn't answer her, but turned to Cas.

"I called you," he stated simply. "You didn't come."

"I know, Sam, I am sorry. Circumstances…" The angel's voice slowly faded as he realized Dean wasn't there. "Where is Dean? Did the spell not work properly?"

Sam swallowed, unsure of the words he should choose, but they weren't needed as Abigail spoke up. "Your spell worked. The Mark is gone."

"And Dean?" Cas' eyes bored into Sam's, the worry there evident, and growing.

Sam cast his eyes downward, an almost imperceptible shake of his head more than enough for Cas to understand. He seemed to consider this for a moment, then quietly turned and left the room.

Abigail turned to Sam, settling her hand gently on his arm. "His body is outside, there's a clearing in the woods not far from here. If you want me to ready everything, I can. If you'd rather do these things yourself, we can leave you to do so."

Sam took a large breath, seeming to snap out of a trance. "Thank you. I…go ahead. I want to talk to Cora."

Abigail nodded, and headed outside.

The three of them made an odd assembly. Cas, standing stoic and rigid, his arms at his sides. Cora, next to him, hunched slightly with her arms clutching her elbows. And Sam, sitting on the ground, his long legs drawn up to his chest, chin resting on his knee.

The fire had been burning for almost an hour, and none of them had spoken. Abigail had prepared the pyre, and the body, before leaving them to their grief, with the promise that she would be nearby.

"You are cold," Cas said matter-of-factly, noticing Cora's shivering. "You should go in."

She didn't appear to have heard him, but ten minutes later she turned and slowly walked back down the trail that led to the bunker.

Cas moved closer to Sam, and sat down.

They sat in silence for a long time, the fire popping.

"I did not come when you called," Cas said after a time.

Sam stared straight ahead.

"The spell…we figured out what we were doing wrong. We were missing an ingredient."

Sam turned to look at him for the first time since Cas had left the library upon learning of his friend's death.

"What was it?" he asked quietly.

Cas cast his eyes back to the fire before answering. "My grace."

They were silent again for a few minutes.

"You worked so hard to get it back," Sam finally replied.

Cas nodded. "It was a sacrifice I was more than willing to make. I have not always done what would be considered the right thing, Sam. But there was no question here. Knowing that Dean Winchester is in Heaven, where he belongs, is knowing that I finally managed to do the right thing. The good thing. And some day, when this body gives out, and my life comes to an end, we will see each other again." He smiled sadly.

Sam turned his eyes back to the flames.

Cas placed his hand on his shoulder for a moment, then stood to leave. He stopped at the edge of the clearing.

"You did a good thing, Sam. The world is safe because of you."

He walked away, missing Sams' reply.

"Him. It's safe because of him."