Thank you so much Leann Nickerson and Blondie 20000 for your feedback and support! Well this story is coming to the end. Just this and the epilog. I hope people enjoy this little story. Just makes me happy to think Dean and Sam found the happiness they both deserve.

Oh and I have to say that was such a fun throw away line from the show when Bobby told Dean Rufus was with 'Aretha'. Of course Rufus would be with the Queen of Soul!

Chapter 7

Sam laughed as he listened to his Dad and Bobby argue over which of them had taken out a particular nasty shapeshifter. He looked around in wonderment at their family and friends gathered around Dean and Jo's home.

He turned his head when Dean joined him and handed him a beer.

"So is it everything you imagined?" Dean asked.

Sam let his eyes drift over the crowd again before grinning at his brother. "Better…the only thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around is Rufus. Seriously how did he even meet her?"

Dean cracked up laughing, "he won't tell us but it sure makes gathering fun having her here. Give it some time, she'll probably grace us with a song. You want to go over and meet her?"

Sam blinked several times as he realized what Dean was telling him. "Dude it's Aretha Franklin!"

"I know, I'll never forget the first time I met her either but she's pretty cool."

"Maybe later," Sam said as he caught sight of a woman who had given him so much joy. "Dean…Lauren?"

Dean looked over at his nephew's mother, "she probable felt you coming home."

Sam nodded his head as he gave the woman in question a smile and was glad when she began walking towards them.

"I'll give you some privacy," Dean said as he clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder before heading over to where Jo was standing.

"Sam," Lauren said as she reached up and hugged him.

"Lauren," Sam said as he hugged her close.

She pulled back, "I just wanted to come and see you. I wanted to say I saw you raising our son and to tell you that you did a great job."

"Pretty easy to do since he's so amazing," he told her.

"Yes he is," she agreed.

"How about you, are you happy?" He asked and then shook his head. "that's probable a stupid question."

Lauren chuckled, "it's not a stupid question. I'm happy Sam. I missed our Dean but I'm happy. I'm with my Nan and I feel so much love up here. It's good…honest."

"I'm happy for you," Sam said as he nodded his head.

Lauren looked around, "and I'm happy for you. You have a wonderful family."

Sam looked around too and murmured, "yeah I do." He said as he realized there was one member of his family he was missing.

Lauren reached over and squeezed his hand, "hey…he'll be here when his time comes." She told him, knowing he was thinking that there was one member of his family missing.

Sam chuckled, "you always could tell what I was thinking."

"Yes I could," she teased as she looked over Sam's shoulder and smiled. "And I think there is somebody here that has been waiting a very long time to see you."

Sam frowned as he looked over his shoulder and gasped, "Jess."

"Go…you deserve this." Lauren told him when he turned back towards her. He reached out and cupped her cheek when he saw the happy tears in her eyes. "Thank you, I never told you before but you saved me from going down a very dark path."

"We saved each other," she told him truthfully. Getting pregnant with their son made Lauren take a good long look at her life. She had fell in with a bad crowd after her Nan had died and she knew that if she kept partying like she was she would have been dead in a few months verses years from a drug overdose. "Now go," she urged him.

Sam gave her a quick smile before he turned around. He saw Jess watching him as Jo touched her shoulder and whispered something to her before giving Sam a wink and walking over to where Dean was with Ellen and their mother.

Slowly he walked over to Jess…suddenly feeling shy about what to say to her.

"Hello Sam," the girl he had planned to marry said to him.

"Jess," he murmured and the did the only thing that came natural to him, he reached out and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh Sam," she cried as she eagerly returned the hug. How could she had ever doubted that he would have wanted to see her. This was right…perfect…she was embarrassed she had ever voice her doubts to Jo.

Jess knew this was always meant to be. Sam pulled back so that he could look into Jess's eyes and couldn't contain the joy he felt as he lowered his head so that he could finally kiss the only woman he ever truly loved.

He wasn't sure how much time had pass, gradually he became aware that the others left and it was just Jess and him sitting on the porch swing in front of Dean and Jo's house. "I'm so glad you were able to finally find some peace. Your son was a wonderful gift given to you." Jess told him as she looked up at him.

"I always thought it would be us. You know…get marry…have a few kids." He said before confessing. "I even bought a ring."

"I know," Jess said with a laugh. "I found it in your sock draw."

Sam rolled his eyes and chuckled, "of course you did."

"I'm sorry we didn't get to have that life together but Sam…what you and Dean did for the world. It was worth it…I don't ever want you to think I died in vain."

Sam let out the breath he held, "thank you for that."

Jess grinned as the door opened and his namesake and her three sisters came rushing out of the house calling out a quick hello before running down the stairs over to their swing set. "Besides, we have all the time in Heaven to live that life if you want it."

Sam's eyes widen at what Jess was saying, "you would want to be with me?"

It was Jess's turn to roll her eyes, "how can you even ask me that. Of course I would…unless you feel you belong with another?" She asked tentatively.

'Eileen', he thought to himself. She was referring to Eileen. It suddenly occurred to him that she wasn't here…how could he have forget about her. He gave Jess a smile, "you mean Eileen?"

"I know you have feelings for her." Jess said as she ducked her head.

"I did," Sam agreed before reaching out and placing his fingers under Jess's chin he gently urged her to look up into his eyes. "She wasn't you…nobody ever filled that hole in my heart Jess…nobody."

"Well that isn't completely true…I think there were two people who filled your heart with the joy and love you always wanted." She told him as she looked through the window to where Dean was sitting on the couch, rocking one of the twins in his arms.

Sam laughed, "yeah I guess that's true…never would have believed that back when Dean broke into our place to get me to go with him to try and find our Dad."

"You always loved your brother…even when you were too stubborn to admit it."

"Me…stubborn," he chuckled.

"Uncle Sam will you push me?" Ellie asked as she ran up and stood in front of her uncle and Jess.

Jess leaned over and kissed his cheek, "go…spoil those nieces of yours while I go help Jo clean up."

"But…" Sam started to say only to stop when Jess pressed a finger to his lips.

"I'm not going anywhere…promise."

Sam nodded his head as he stood up and scooped up his youngest niece earning a high pitch giggle as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. He watched as Jess patted Ellie's head before she went inside to help Jo.

He jogged down the stairs towards the swing set where four little angles waited their turns for their Uncle Sam to push them on the swings. He laughed as his namesake spread her tiny wings and rose above them.

"Samantha Elizabeth, you have five minutes and then you get your little butt inside and get ready for bed." Dean called out to his daughter before saying to the others. "Okay you three. Upstairs and brush your teeth and put on your pjs."

"Can Uncle Sam tuck us in?" Talie asked.

Sam smiled, "I would love to Sweetheart."

The three little girls giggled as they ran inside to get ready for bed as Dean went and stood next to his brother. They both looked up and watched Sammy fluttering above them with a look of joy on her face. "She was thrilled when I told her that she was no longer grounded."

"It's amazing to watch," Sam told him honestly. He turned and looked at his brother. "Dean…Eileen?"

Dean looked over at his brother, "I was wondering when you would ask about her. She's with her parents."

"Have you seen her?"

Dean shook his head, "no but then again I wasn't as close with her as you were."

"But she wasn't here?" he said.

"Sam…she isn't a fool. She knew Jess was the one. Yeah you cared about her…the same way I cared about Lisa but when it came down to it Lisa knew our afterlives weren't meant to be spent together here…that mine was Jo…that it was always Jo even if I couldn't say it out loud when I was alive."

"And Eileen knew for me that it was Jess." Sam reasoned.

"It's not a bad thing Sam…really it isn't. She's happy…Jack said she's with her parents and Lillian O'Grady."

Sam smiled as he knew how much Eileen had missed her parents and Lillian. "Good…then I'm happy for her." He told his brother as he clapped his hand on his shoulder as he watched Sammy flutter gradually down before them.

"Thank you Daddy," Sammy said as she hugged her father. "I promise never to disobey you again… I missed flying too much."

Dean chuckled as he returned his daughter's hug. "That's a nice thought Pumpkin but disobeying is all part of growing up. Now go on up and get ready for bed."

"Kay Daddy," she chirped as she ran inside.

"You're a good Dad," Sam said.

Dean smiled as he said, "so are you…you did a great job with my namesake."

Sam looked over at his brother, "I learned how to be a father from the man who really raised me… of course he was really just a little boy himself at the time."

Dean ducked his head, "Sam."

"It's the truth. I know Dad loved us and I know Bobby did what he could but it was you Dean…you were my constant."

Dean nodded his head, "we were each other constant."

Sam laughed, "yeah I guess we were."

They both looked up when the door opened as Jo and Jess joined them. "Sam, there are four little girls waiting for their Uncle to tuck them in." Jo said.

"Right," he said as he started inside before stopping in front of Jess. "I think the girls would like it if we both tucked them in."

"I love to," Jess said as she accepted Sam's hand that he held out.

Dean wrapped his arm around Jo, "I think he's found his true happiness."

"I think you're right," Jo said as she pointed towards a small home next to their property. "And I think his happiness is closer than you think."

Dean looked over to where Jo was staring and laughed, "I guess it is."

And it was. Jess and Sam moved into their home and began sharing their afterlives together. It amused Jess that's the family Sam had tried so hard to separate from when they were at school was the same family he chose to spend eternity with and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She remembered Jo telling her back when the twins came into their lives but Dean seemed almost preoccupied by Sam's life and him becoming a father. Jess had asked Jo if she was ever jealous of the bond between the brothers.

"How could I…. I have the same bond with my Mom. Those two have so much love to give. I never doubt Dean's feelings for me or our family. Besides the love they have for each other make them the men we love."

Jo was right, the more time Jess spent with the Dean and their family the more she understood Sam and made her realize he really was the one she was meant to be with…to share her afterlife with and her prayers were answered when Sam took her hand in his and they climbed the stairs to tuck in his nieces and begin their time together.

The same hand that held hers as they spoke to Jack about having their own hatchling. The same hand she squeezed reassuringly when he went with Lauren to greet their son when he came home to them. The same hand that held hers when their son Lee joined his cousins in Jack's garrison.

What Sam and Dean had lost out on in life they embraced in their afterlife. Here they could love the women who stole their hearts and have the families both men had craved but realistically could never have because of the monsters they hunted. They were together and they were happy.

TBC