Chapter 29

Dean went to collect his clothes and Sam went to retrieve the grenade launcher. Dean didn't say a word about the grenade launcher but he raised an eyebrow in surprise, they were both soaked freezing and exhausted, questions could wait.

The thing about hunts is even once the monster of the week is dead there's always a bucket load of work to do, Dean pushed his brother towards the bathroom with orders to get warm and cleaned up, Sam looked like he wanted to object for a moment, but followed orders.

Sammy looked really unhappy, it was there even in the way he breathed.

Dean figured that after what they'd both been through, they both had a right to be more than a bit unhappy... however, the job came first, everything else worked around it or got shelved.

Dean towelled off roughly and got dressed, putting on his boots felt like putting on armour after so many days of vulnerability.

Dean was surveying the shack with a practiced eye, working out what to dispose of and what to leave, when Sam returned with the med kit.

"Dean, you should..." Sam subsided "well at least let me look at your wrists"

"I'm fine, let's just get this dealt with and get out o' here."

Sam shot him another 'look' and again didn't argue.

Dean struggled with the growing worry for his brother and ruthlessly shelved everything in favour of dealing with the job at hand.

...

'My brothers got no soul', the thought was tearing Sam apart, every time Sam looked at his brother's cool emotionless face, fear and grief twisted inside him.

As they worked together sanitising the evidence, Sam tried and failed to simply exist in the moment.

The mattress from the bed had to go for a start, soaked as it was with Deans blood. Sam swallowed thickly as they hauled the mattress and the small pile of Samantha's possessions down to the beach to burn, none of this was fair, you'd think after all these years, he Sam, would have got used to the unfairness of life.

When Dean returned with the impala and the prerequisite cans of accelerant and salt, Sam was still looking for the grenades, when he told Dean what he was doing Dean looked slightly bemused and shrugged.

"Leave 'em Sam, we can get more, let's go light this candle and get the hell out."

As the flames rose into the night, Dean handed Sam a bottle of beer, they sipped in silence side by side, each occupied with their own thoughts.

Then Dean cleared his throat and raised his beer.

"To Samantha, the world's most terrifying guppy, where ever you went, I hope you found peace."

Sam shot his brother a sick look but raised his beer and repeated

"To Samantha." He exhaled in pain. G-d Sam hoped if stealing Deans soul sent her anywhere, he hoped it was to eternal torment.

The flames burnt down slowly, finally they could bury anything the flames didn't destroy.

"Well that's it then" Dean rumbled as they walked back to the beach shack. Then he stopped dead his eyes almost bugging out.

"What?" Sam queried in concern.

Dean gestured to the old bike leaning against the wall.

Sam blinked confused.

Dean gestured and then started laughing "Fish, fish riding a, a bicycle!"

It took Sam's battered brain a moment to catch up, and when he did, joy shattered through him.

Because it was so stupid and infantile, and so, so Dean! And no one without a soul could find it that funny.

Sam found himself laughing too.

In the life, they lived.

A sense of humour in the face of situations that were pretty much a cluster$&#%... That, truly was, A Thing of Beauty.

A/N: Well, the question is, do I leave it there or do I give the boys that fluffy sandcastle building scene?

Gahds! This has been a hard journey for me, I can't work out if I loved it or hated it *shakes head* I've been told that once you write fanfic there is no escaping back to the sanity of the real world.

There is something bubbling in the back of my head but I think I might be able to repress it if I try hard enough.

The question is does this story make me a real ficwriter or just a wannabe who should leave the sandbox to the big kids? Let me know, I trust your opinion!

ngregory763, Kathy, SpnKs15, NightReader22, DeanSavesSammy, Dragonsrule18, KiaOraToGube, Ameliacareful, Sweder67, Raven-Phoenix... thankyou sooooo sooo much for your reviews you are all my favourites, and I couldn't have gotten through it without you. *Hugs*