What if it had've been Sam and Dean that found Max, not Hannah? How much would that one little difference have to Max's life? Warnings listed inside. Slightly AU 'The Pulse'

Okay, this is my first crossover fanfiction.

In this the Pulse didn't happen on such a large scale, it just wiped out New York and Boston.

By the way, Bobby doesn't lose the ability to use his legs. None of that stuff that happened after Lucifer came to life didn't happen. Bobby wasn't stabbed.

Warnings: Trigger warnings: PTSD, flash backs, abuse, violence, torture. Swearing.

One Little Difference

Chapter 26:

It ended up being just Dean and Max being able to meet Death. Max was awed to say the least. Max, unlike Dean, was highly amused by Death's dry humour, but she kept quite most of the time, letting Dean say his piece.

The scythe had been completely ineffectual, Death taking it within minutes of their arrival.

Max was almost surprised at how easily Death gave Dean the ring, but a part of Max understood why. In Death's words, he was being controlled by a little boy having a temper tantrum.

Max was glad that she hadn't had any attention during this meeting, but once Death had given Dean the ring, she spoke up.

"And Chicago?" Max asked, almost hesitantly.

Death looked to Max and offered her a dry smile. "I suppose it can stay." He replied. He watched her for a moment longer before turning his attention back to Dean. "Goodbye Dean."

Dean knew when he was being dismissed, so he turned to Max and gestured that they leave the restaurant.

Max let out a huge sigh once they were outside. "That was bracing." Max said to Dean, laughing for a moment, slightly hysterically.

Dean rested a hand on Max's shoulder. "We're alive and we have Death's ring. I think that is not a bad day's work." Dean said.

"The only question is, how do we get Lucifer to go back inside the Cage?" Max asked as they began their walk back to the Impala.

Dean sighed. "I have no idea, but we'll figure it out." Dean replied.

Dean punched the wall in anger, once he was alone in his bedroom. He had left a huge hole in the plaster, but Dean had barely felt it. He had been unable to save Adam from being taken by Michael.

Dean was furious and a little ashamed. All he could think was how glad it hadn't been him, or Ben or Max. Dean knew, he didn't know how, but he knew, that Adam was lost to them. He was now Michael's bitch and there was nothing Dean could do about it, which made him even angrier.

Max sensed Dean's anger and hovered outside the door, considering whether or not to go inside. Max decided to open the door and step inside. Dean was slumped up against the wall, his head resting against the old wallpaper. Max sat down on the floor next to him.

Neither of them said anything when Dean pulled Max into his arms. Max could practically feel the tension rolling of him. Max held one of Dean's hands in hers.

"It's not your fault." Max murmured, resting her head on Dean's chest. "The angels are stronger and more powerful than either you or me, Michael especially."

Dean sighed. "It's not that exactly." Dean replied.

"Then what is it?" Max asked softly.

"I-I was just so relieved when I saw it was Adam instead of you." Dean said. "I know he's my brother and I should have fought harder, but Maxie, you're my daughter and I don't know what I would have done had it been you trapped in that room."

Max kissed Dean softly on the cheek, feeling a tear fall from Dean's face to hers. "It's okay, I'm right here and I am never saying yes, to Michael or to Lucifer." Max said. "And same for me. I would have ripped Heaven apart had Michael taken you. I love you."

Dean chuckled, seeming to be holding back his tears of frustration and relief. "And I love you too kiddo." Dean replied.

"Dad?" Max said hesitantly.

Dean grinned. "Yes, darlin'?" Dean replied.

Max giggled. "I love you, Dad." Max said simply.

"I love you too, kiddo." Dean repeated.

Dean couldn't stop grinning, even after all the shit things that had happened in his life, Dean was a dad. Even if it may not have been through blood, it was definitely through bond. Dean secretly hoped Max would start calling him dad all the time. Yeah, yeah, chick flick, but Dean didn't care. He deserved a fucking family after every goddamn thing he'd been through.

Dean couldn't believe it. It had happened right before his very eyes. The boy he considered to be his son, just stepped in front of Sam and said yes to the Devil in his place.

Max didn't speak. And the brothers didn't try to make her. Max had just lost her brother. Sam and Dean knew how they would react, so they left Max alone.

They had planned for Sam to say yes, and when Lucifer was inside him, open the gate and jump into the Cage. But Ben had beaten Sam to it, accepting it instead. It seemed to work for a few moments, but Lucifer had just been pretending.

Now here they were, in the graveyard. Castiel was dead, blown up before their very eyes. Bobby's neck was broken, Sam had been knocked unconscious and Lucifer/Ben was beating Dean and Max.

"Please Ben! I know you're in there! Please!" Max cried.

Lucifer seemed to freeze. His eyes widened, a light returning to them and Max realised her brother was back.

"Ben?" Max all but whispered.

He smiled back weakly. "It's me Maxie." Ben mumbled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the rings. He threw them on the ground and walked towards it.

"Ben?!" Max screamed.

Ben smiled sadly at Max. "Thank you." Ben said, looking at Max and the two Winchester brothers. "Thank you for everything." Suddenly, Michael/Adam reappeared beside Ben.

"Please Ben. I need to fight my brother. It has to end this way." Michael said. Ben shook his head, and allowed himself to fall backwards.

"No!" Michael screamed, trying to pull Ben away from the gateway, but it was too late, the momentum had already gripped Ben and was pulling Michael in too.

There was a loud sound, as if wind was rushing by really fast and the gateway closed.

Max wailed, tears streaming down her face as she crawled over to where the gateway had been. She rested her head on the ground and sobbed. This hurt as much as it had when Max had lost Dean. She felt if someone had ripped out her still-beating-heart and stomped on it. She never knew it could hurt this much. The only other member of her unit that Max knew was alive, he brother, was gone.

Dean moved towards her, trying to pull her into his arms. Max fought against him, trying to remain on the ground.

"No!" She cried. "No! He can't be gone! Please! He can't be gone!"

Dean managed to pull Max into his arms. Max relaxed slightly, allowing herself to be held and she sobbed into Dean's shoulder. "I can't breathe, Dad. I feel like I can't breathe!" Max whimpered.

Dean stroked Max's head. "I know sweetheart, I know." Dean murmured into Max's hair. "I know."

There was a flutter of wings and Dean looked up to see Castiel standing beside him and the distraught Max.

"Cas-? What-?" Dean said. "You're alive?"

Castiel smiled slightly. "I'm better than that." Castiel reached down and pressed his fingers to Dean's temple. Dean was healed instantly. Dean stood up, helping Max to her feet.

"Cas, are you God?" Dean asked, completely in awe of the angel.

Castiel chuckled slightly. "That's a nice compliment. But no. Although, I do believe he brought me back. New and improved." Castiel said. Castiel turned and walked over to Bobby. He reached down and healed Bobby too.

A rasping breath filled Bobby's chest and he coughed before slowly sitting up. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Castiel, but didn't say anything.

Castiel then moved over to Sam and healed his wounds, waking the brother up from when his head had hit a tomb stone, effectively knocking him out.

"Is-is everybody alright?" Sam wheezed, sitting up and leaning against a tombstone.

Max shook her head. "Ben." Max said softly. "He's gone."

Sam frowned. "Gone?" Sam whispered.

Max nodded again, leaning on Dean, as if she needed physical support as well. "In the Cage, with Lucifer and Michael." Max replied.

"Do you think Adam is down there too?" Sam asked, slowly rising to his feet.

Max shook her head. "Adam is dead. His soul went to Heaven when Castiel Molotov-ed Michael." Max replied. "It's just Lucifer, Michael and Ben down there."

Castiel rested a hand on Max's shoulder. "I don't think, I don't know if there is a way to rescue Ben from the Cage without releasing Michael and Lucifer." Castiel said. "Perhaps, if he is agreeable, we could convince Gabriel to raise him back to Earth."

Max's eyes widened. "You think he would go for that?" Max asked, stepping out of Dean's hold slightly, staring at Castiel, her eyes imploring.

Castiel shrugged. "You won't know until you ask." Castiel replied.

Dean pulled Max back towards him. "I think what you need first kiddo, is to shower and calm down before you, we beg anything from the archangel." Dean replied. "Ben would want you to take care of yourself."

Max wanted to protest, but after a moment, she sighed resignedly. "You're right. I could use a bath." Max replied. Dean smiled softly.

"Alright, everyone in the Impala." Dean said. Dean turned to Castiel. "You too Cas."

Castiel nodded and slid into the backseat next to Max, who was sitting in the middle, Bobby on her other side. On the way back, Max fell asleep, her head falling and resting on Bobby's shoulder.

Bobby smiled slightly and wrapped an arm around the sleeping teen. Bobby caught Dean grinning at him from the front seat.

"Shut-up." Bobby murmured as Max snuggled closer. Dean just chuckled softly and turned his attention back to the road.

Sometimes, when she wasn't having nightmares, Max loved sleeping. It was a dampener and made everything numb. It was an escape when the real world became too much. One of the places Max felt safest in the whole world beside the panic room and her bedroom had to be the backseat of the Impala. It smelt and felt more like home than Bobby's house ever would, not that Max had anything against Bobby or his house, Max loved Bobby, but there was something about the Impala that felt like Max's home. Maybe it was because it was her dad's car. Maybe it was because that even though Sam and Dean grew up in and out of hotels and motels, they never were really homeless. Max felt the same attachment to the Impala as Dean and Sam did.

Max didn't want to have to wake up, to face a world without Ben. She may not have loved Ben as he had her, but that didn't make her love him any less and the loss of Ben hurt her in more excruciating ways than Max could ever describe. It felt as if a part of her had died. She couldn't wait to have her bath and get refreshed so she could find Gabriel and demand him to bring her brother back.

She felt a presence in the back of her mind. It was a warm, familiar presence that Max immediately recognised as her dad.

"Come on, honey. It's time to wake up. We're back at Bobby's. Time to have a nice warm bath. I know you love them very much." Dean whispered in her mind.

Max grumbled and felt herself being lifted up by two very strong arms. Max grumbled again, not wanting to leave the peaceful numbness that was sleep.

"Yeah, I know kiddo, after you have a bath, you can sleep. I promise." Dean whispered in her mind, not wanting to jolt her into wakefulness just yet.

Max squirmed slightly in Dean's arms and slowly opened her eyes in time to feel herself being placed on her bed. "You carried me up the stairs?" Max asked in a croaky voice, her tone coloured with sleepiness.

Dean chuckled softly. "I didn't really want to wake you up, I could tell you weren't ready." Dean said, knowing that Max had understood his double meaning. Max still wasn't sure if she was ready, to get up and face the world. "You put your dressing gown on and I run a bath for you, okay?"

Max smiled softly. "Okay." She murmured. Dean nodded, leaving Max's room and shutting the door behind him.

Max slowly began removing her clothes. She undid the laces of her runners, took her jeans, blue and black plaid (tartan) shirt off and then her grey tank-top. Max stepped into her dark blue slippers and pulled on her fluffy dark green dressing gown. Max sighed decisively. A bath would make her feel better. If only for a while.

I know, I know, I know.. I hate me too. Poor Ben. Hopefully Max can get a hold of Gabriel so he can save Ben. What did you think? I hope you enjoyed. Please review! :D