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'

Season 6 is not going to happen, which kind of means that season 7 won't happen either, but it will. Castiel won't help Crowley find Purgatory, but mostly likely Crowley will still find it and try to use the spirits from there to get more powerful. So, the Leviathan will still be there.

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


One Little Difference

Chapter 29:

It had been a few days since Max had cracked all the info. Max knew everything that Manticore did. They weren't planning on doing anything per se, just making a super-soldier army, taking out targets here and there, taking over the world from behind the scenes, buying certain important companies, putting Manticore agents in every government party and department, seeping up from the inside.

Max sighed and moved away from her laptop. She turned on the news on Bobby's little television. Max's eyes widened when she saw the scene in front of her.

It appeared that Sam and Dean had just massacred a bank. Max picked up her mobile and called Dean. The two brothers had been out on a supply run.

"Dean! You need to get back to Bobby's as fast as you can!" Max practically shouted into the phone.

"Why?" Dean asked, sounding confused.

"Two people, I assume Leviathans, are pretending to be you. They just killed a lot of people in a bank." Max replied.

Sam looked at Dean. "Could we prove it to be mistaken identity?" Dean asked Sam.

Sam looked up at a security camera. "Well, that bank is on the other side of the country and we're here. We can prove that we can't be in two different places at the same time, but they'd still bring us in for that stuff in St. Louis and for escaping police custody a couple of times, not to mention faking our own deaths." Sam said.

Dean shrugged. "We could go to Jody and get her to prove that we weren't there?" Dean asked, looking at Sam.

"Good point," Sam replied. "Let's go to her then."


Jody had sighed, but had been able to prove that Sam and Dean had been in Sioux Falls at the time of the massacre. She had also been able to slip in that Sam and Dean had not been in St. Louis, they supposedly both being in Sioux Falls at the same time for that.

Luckily, those who were working both the cases, believed what Jody was saying and in what the evidence was saying.

When Jody got off the phone, she looked at the two brothers before her and smiled. "Well, a small repayment. You both have saved my life, twice." Jody said.

"Thanks Jody." Sam and Dean chorused.

Jody rolled her eyes in amusement. "Get gone." She said.

The brothers grinned and left the police station and went back to Bobby's house.

Max was staring at the two brothers in amazement. "The bulletin has changed. It says that two people impersonating you were to blame and that you, dad, have been vindicated of the St. Louis charges." Max said, grinning at them. "How the hell did you pull that off?"

Dean laughed. "Friends in high places?" Dean asked, ruffling Max's hair, grabbing a beer from the fridge and sitting down on the couch.

So far, it had been Winchester: 1, Leviathans: 0.

Bobby walked into the room. "The Leviathans still know all of your identities. When they take your form, they take your memories too. I suggest you all get new identities, new covers." Bobby said. "I know a guy, Frank Devereaux. He owes me a favour. He'll get you new identification."


Meeting Frank Devereaux was extremely interesting. The guy seemed to be angry all the time and was extremely uncomfortable around Max, knowing exactly what she was.

Max tried not to be offended, but she found it a bit difficult. After a while, she got fed up with it and got snarky with him. Frank had stared at her for a few moments before bursting out laughing.

"Good! There's an actual person in there, not just some dumb order-orientated clone!" Frank chuckled.

Max raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I'm flattered." Max said sarcastically. "I'm a real boy now."

"How old are you?" Frank asked her.

"I'll be 16 in April." Max replied.

Frank nodded. "You escaped in '09?" He asked.

Max nodded. "Yes." She answered.

"How many of you escaped?" Frank asked.

Max shrugged. "I don't actually know." Max replied.

Frank grabbed Sam's laptop from him and smashed it, handing him another. Then, he took all their phones and smashed them too.

"They can track 'em!" Frank said, almost frantically. "Get new ones."

He handed them new identities. "Now get out of here."


Max was relieved when she watched the news that there was no report on Max and Zack's activities in Wyoming, nor were there any reports of the others in Max's unit.

Max walked outside and leant against the railing on the small porch. Max thought about what she had seen, how she thought she had seen Ben in town. She had to be imagining thing, right? If Max had really seen Ben, then why wouldn't he have just come home? Why wouldn't he have just said something?

Max felt Dean come up behind her and wrap his arms around her. Max sunk into his chest, appreciating the comfort his warmth gave her.

"What are you thinking about in that old head of yours?" Dean asked, kissing the top of her head.

Max shrugged. "I thought I saw Ben the other day." Max replied. "I must have been seeing things."

Dean sighed, but didn't say anything. "Yeah, I know, you're right." Max murmured. "I don't just see things."

Dean smiled softly. He and Max seemed to have this non-verbal communication down pat.

"What I don't understand is why he didn't just talk to me? Or why didn't he just come home? He knows we love him. Anything he has been through, we can help him." Max said.

Dean squeezed Max slightly. "Can you sense him in your mind?" Dean asked.

"No, I can't. But I don't know if that's because he's dead or because he's out of range. He might even be blocking me. I have no idea. I just feel so helpless dad." Max replied.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to be found. Maybe he's just not ready to face you, us. Hell, well, Hell sucks. We don't know what it might have done to him." Dean said, rubbing his hands up and down Max's upper arms, attempting to comfort her. "All we can do is sit tight and hope he comes home to us. I've got Ellen and Jo keeping an eye out for him and they have their contacts too. We'll find him."

Max sighed, leaning her head back against Dean's chest. "All I want to do right now is kill the leviathans, find Castiel and Ben and bring down Manticore." Max said. "And I want to avoid 494 at all costs."

Dean nodded. "I understand. I want those same things." Dean said softly. There was a pause and Dean whispered. "I really miss him."

Max smiled sadly. "I know you miss him, but we will find Cas." Max replied. "He can't have just been destroyed. I could pray to Gabriel and ask him to find Castiel for you?"

Dean chuckled softly. "You really think he'd do that?" Dean asked.

Max shrugged. "Castiel is his brother. You'd think he might help." Max replied.

"Good point." Dean replied. "Come on, let's go inside. It's getting chilly."

Max grinned, knowing that neither of them actually felt cold, but did register the slight temperature drop. "Alright dad." Max replied.


"Yeah, I can grab Cassie easily enough, but Ben though, that's gonna be harder. He's blocked even from my powers. The angel symbols, remember?" Gabriel said, sitting on the couch, eating a chocolate bar, the wrapper suddenly disappearing before it even hit the ground.

"Where is Cas?" Dean asked, ignoring Gabriel's use of the nickname 'Cassie'.

"Near South Bend, Indiana. Up north. He doesn't appear to remember who he is, but he goes by the name Emanuel and is apparently a faith healer." Gabriel replied.

Dean's eyes widened. "Well, get him here!" Dean said, in an almost demanding tone.

Gabriel grinned. "Sure thing, Dean-o!" Gabriel said. Suddenly he was gone.

A few minutes later, Gabriel was back, and he was gripping Castiel's shoulder.

"Who are you?" Came Castiel's gruff voice.

"I told you already bro! I'm Gabriel the archangel! Remember? Your brother?" Gabriel said, looking up slightly into Castiel's face. "Come on Cassie! You've got to remember."

Dean frowned. "You can't get him to remember?" Dean asked.

Gabriel's face screwed up in thought. "Sit down on the couch Cassie." Gabriel said, gesturing to Castiel. Castiel seemed to understand that he was the one being spoken to, though didn't seem to connect that Cassie, or rather, Castiel was his name. Castiel did as he was told.

"Dean, put your hand over his heart, and Castiel, put your hand on Dean's upper arm." Gabriel said. The two men did as they were told.

Gabriel put his fingers to Castiel's temples. There was a flash of light and Castiel seemed to fall unconscious.

A few moments later, Castiel sat up and blinked for a few seconds. He cleared his throat and then swallowed. He turned to Dean and gave him a small smiled. "Hello Dean." He murmured.

Dean's face brightened immediately and pulled Castiel into his arms. "It's good to see you, Cas." Dean whispered in his ear.

"And you, beloved." Castiel replied, kissing Dean's cheek as subtly as he could with all these other people in the room. They pulled back from each other and Dean cleared his throat. He turned to Gabriel.

"Thanks man." Dean said to the archangel.

Gabriel grinned. "Don't mention it. Always got to look out for my favourite little brother and his boyfriend." Gabriel said, smirked before disappearing with a flutter of wings.

Sam smiled at his brother and Castiel. They stared into each other's eyes and Sam wondered if they were even trying to hide their relationship. Sam sighed and rested his hand on Max's shoulder, leading her out of the room.

"Let's give them some privacy." Sam murmured to Max.

Max raised an eyebrow. "How long have you known?" Max asked.

Sam shrugged. "I always knew Dean swung that way, even if he didn't want to admit it. Besides, did you see the way they eye-fuck each other? You'd have to be blind not to notice." Sam replied. "And how long have you known?"

Max grinned. "Since before Dad became a transgenic." Max replied, walking outside. Sam followed her, frowning at her.

"Really?" Sam asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, Castiel was sitting with Dad when I came to check on him. Castiel was kissing Dad's hands." Max replied. "Dad seemed to be enjoying it, even if he was unconscious. Besides, didn't you just hear Castiel call Dad 'beloved'?"

Sam laughed. "I am so giving him Hell over this." Sam said.

Max laughed too. "As is your responsibility as younger brother." Max replied. That made Sam laugh again.

"Exactly." Sam replied.


It was getting closer and closer to Max's 16th birthday and all Max could think about was how time had just flown by. She had been 11, almost 12 when Sam and Dean had first found her, and in these few years, Max had gained a family. Even with the loss of Ben, Max was still happy.

Max opened up the newspaper and gasped at what she saw.

A man of faith had been brutally killed in Maine a few days ago. Most of the bones in his body were broken, his body contorted in unnatural ways. His teeth had also been pulled out.

Max felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she read those few words. She was so absorbed by the newspaper, Max didn't hear Bobby walk into the kitchen.

"So, what's the news got to tell us today?" Bobby asked her. This startled Max out of her trance.

"Oh-uh, nothing really Bobby." Max replied. "I'm just scanning for any new cases."

Bobby nodded. He was surprised at how distracted Max was, but he let it go. Max was coming up on her 16th birthday, and that, plus the loss of Ben, must have been weighing heavily on her mind. At least, that's what Bobby assumed.

Bobby grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and headed back outside to continue his work on the cars in the lot.

Max let out a breath closed her eyes once Bobby had gone, feeling the memory wash over her. The woods, jumping over rocks and boulders with ease. The speed. The freedom. Her heart pounding in her chest as she hunted her prey. For the first time in her life, Max felt like what she was built to do. Like an animal. A hunter. Max could feel her brothers' and sisters' around her, her pack. She could smell the prisoner's sweat, could feel his heart beat, and could hear every step he made.

He didn't have a chance.

They were upon him in seconds. It wasn't until they ripped his shirt did the true horror begin.

"Look! Look at his chest!" Ben cried, pointing at a tattoo of a bleeding heart with a knife stabbed through it. "He's a nomalie!"

Max remembered the sudden fear and blood lust that raged through her, which raged through them all. They destroyed him, dislocating the prisoner's arm, wrenching it up behind his back, ripping out his teeth.

Max could hear his screams ringing through her head. She shivered. In fear or disgust, Max couldn't tell.

Dean walked into the room, sensing that Max was in some sort of distress. Dean was confused by what he saw. Max was just sitting at the kitchen table, a newspaper in front of her and her eyes closed.

Dean moved over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, causing Max to jump. "You okay darlin'?" Dean asked her.

Max swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." Max replied. Dean nodded and moved to exist the room. At the last minute, he paused at the doorway. He turned to see Max removing and then scrunching up a page from the newspaper, before throwing it in the bin. Dean didn't say anything, he just left. Dean knew that Max would share this secret when she was ready.


Uh, oh! Things are getting worse! I hope you enjoyed, please review! I love you all!