"You get those boys, you take them someplace safe, alright? And you take care of Gracie. Make sure -" Dean stopped, his eyes locking onto Grace as she came back. Something was off, she could tell. "Gracie, come here. I need you." He reached out for her, stuck to the spot he stood in.
"The boys are in the - what's wrong?" She jogged over to join them, taking stock of the situation. "Dean? What the - Sam, call for help! Why aren't you -"
Dean shook his head, cutting her off. "No."
"We've got to have some stuff for a spell in the car, I can stop the bleeding until we get you to a hospital," she thought aloud, trying not to panic as she summoned a ball of blue light in an effort to patch him together. Deep down she could sense that the magic wasn't going to be enough. He was too badly injured for what she knew. "Magnolia, yarrow, dead man's blood - shit, we used the last of it on those bullets. Maybe the vamps' blood will work. And -"
"Gracie, please -" His voice was weak, practically begging her to give up. "Don't."
She refused to stop, desperately hoping there was a way to stall the inevitable. "We can - we can get Jack to - Jack, look, I know you wanted to be hands-off, but we need you!" She looked up to the roof, but Jack wasn't answering. "Come on!"
Dean kept his eyes trained on her. "No, Gracie, come here. Please." He took her hand, suppressing a cough. "Listen, take care of Sammy for me, will you? And promise you're not going to try to bring me back, that always ends bad."
"Dean, no, I can - we can - at least let me -"
He shook his head. "It's through my heart, Gracie. I can feel it."
"At least let me..." She conjured a warm purple ball of energy, gently pressing her hand to his chest. Relief washed over his face as the pain ebbed.
"Thank you."
"Of course." It was all she could do. There was no way they were going to be able to save him, not this time. But she could make it hurt less, and that was something.
"I'm gonna - do you remember that song, our song?" He paused, forming a coherent sentence getting more difficult by the second. "We were made for each other, Gracie. Chuck destroyed so much of our lives, but you, I'm so lucky. I think about it every morning when I roll over in bed and you're still asleep. I think about it when I catch you working and you're so in the zone that you don't know I'm there. I think about it when I'm laying in bed at a hotel, when I'm worried and I can't sleep and I can't wait to get back home to you. I'm so lucky… to have loved you. I wish we could've had - I wish I could've given you the life you deserved."
"You did," she insisted. "It's a beautiful life. No matter what, I have you, I have Sam, we all have each other. We might not have normal lives, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We've helped so many people, and I get to spend it with you."
The desperation shone through his voice, almost pleading with her. "Now I need you to… I need you to tell me you'll be alright, I need you to tell me it's okay, it's okay to… to go."
Grace's lip quivered as she nodded, squeezing his hand. The words hurt coming out of her mouth, but it would hurt him more if she couldn't say them. "It's okay, Dean. It's okay. Sam and I will watch out for each other. It's going to be okay." She reached up to wipe a line of vampire blood from his forehead. He couldn't control the fear in his eyes. She knew where he was going, but he was still terrified, worse than she had ever seen him. "Hey, you know what? You are... the sweetest, bravest, strongest person I've ever met. I love you so much. I'm so lucky I met you. I'm so lucky I stuck around. I'm so lucky that I get to love you too." Leaning in to kiss him for the last time, she could tell that it wouldn't be long now. His lips were already cold, even in the warm summer air. "I love you, Dean."
The briefest smile crossed his lips as he looked between the two of them. "Goodbye, Sam. Goodbye, Gracie. I love you."
Grace held onto him, refusing o look away no matter how much she was crying. He needed her there, he needed to be able to watch her in the last few moments he had. "I love you," she whispered, feeling his breath become more ragged. "I love you. I love you." Half a heartbeat later, his grip on her hand fell slack, the light fading from his eyes.
Nothing scared Dean Winchester. Except for flying, and that was a totally rational fear. No monster could scare him, though. Or so it seemed. Every hunt affected him, but this one had been too close for comfort. They'd been running on empty for days, Dean keeping Sam and Grace on their toes and fueled with enough coffee to give the average person a heart attack. When they were finally done washing the blood off of themselves, they decided to stay an extra night. It was already late, and there was no way Dean had the energy for a drive. It was the first hunt Grace had gone on with them after they came back into her life. Dean wasn't about to ask her to drive the twelve hours back to the bunker.
"Where are you going?" Grace asked, watching Dean gather up an armful of blankets and head for the couch.
"Sam's already knocked out," he whispered, looking over to the bed where his brother was steadily snoring.
"Okay. And?"
"You can have the other bed."
She smiled, telling him, "It's fine. There's plenty of room for you too."
"You sure?"
"C'mon, I know that look. You're still terrified, no matter how much you try to hide it. That one got to you. Whatever you saw, it's still stuck in your head."
Dean climbed into bed next to her, Grace reaching for the lights. As she wrapped her arms around him, Dean was finally able to relax. Giving him a gentle kiss, Grace drifted off to sleep soon after. Exhaustion washed over him, but Dean was awake for a while. The monster they had faced could replicate some of their worst fears. They knew that walking in. Dean had no idea what he would see, but as he crashed through the attic door, all he found was his father. John had a knife in his hand, standing over a very bloody Sam and Grace. It was impossible - Sam was in the basement, and Grace was busy clearing the second floor. The real Grace was the one to run through behind him and land the killing blow.
They hadn't talked about what they'd seen, but Sam had mentioned something about a clown. They all conjured different images of fear in their minds, but this one had stuck in Dean's mind for too long. He usually tried to forget about whatever horrors he had seen once the hunt was over, but this one haunted him. As he lay there, listening to the echoes of the nearby highway and Grace's steady breathing, he began to relax. He was fine. They were all fine. They had saved people that day. Every person they saved made this all worth it. Sam was safe. Grace was safe. He was safe.
He smiled to himself, thinking back to all of the tired evenings and lazy days they had spent together years before. The two of them would fall asleep just like this in beds across the country, in the Impala, wherever they could catch a few minutes of rest, exhausted from a stakeout or grateful that they'd finally stopped another monster. Just like old times, he thought. Grace was back, and it made all of the terrifying things in the world a little less bad. For the first time in a long time, he felt completely safe, like nothing could touch them while they were suspended in time.
Eventually he drifted off to sleep, but their wakeup call came too soon. Grace groaned, not wanting to get up. "Wait," Dean whispered, holding onto her in the comfort of a warm bed. "Five more minutes."
"Okay." Her sleepy voice made him smile as he reached out to kiss her, hoping to hold on to one more minute of peace before they had to get up and face whatever was next. "Dean?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too." Dean held her close, thinking that in that moment, all was right in the world.
It was a beautiful last memory. He hated to let go, but through his blurry vision, the two were melting together, the reality that stood before him and the sweet moment of peace that played in his mind. It wasn't his happiest memory, but it was pure, and beautiful, and comforting. His expression dropped as he took one last look at Sam and Grace, finally allowing that peaceful feeling to wash over him completely.
"Dean? Dean!"
As Sam tried to see if he was still breathing, Grace said nothing, leaning in to kiss his cheek and lay her head on his shoulder. "I love you," she mumbled, finally allowing herself to start sobbing. Sam held onto her, both of them overcome by grief. Her voice cracked as she talked, but Grace couldn't stop herself. There was so much she still wanted to say. "I'm sorry we never had the life you wanted. I'm sorry you carry so much with you. I'm sorry - I know you were happy sometimes. I know there was a whole lot of bad, but I hope Sam and I... I hope we made them better. You make my life so much better, Dean. I hope you know that. I hope you know how much of a difference you - you saved the world. You gave up everything for Sam and I, for everyone. You make me smile every day, even when I don't want to. I love you, Dean Winchester." She cut herself off, sobbing uncontrollably as Sam pulled her into a hug.
She stood like that for ages, but immediately jumped back when she felt someone standing beside her. Even then, she feared that something was coming for them. "I can't bring him back. I shouldn't. He wouldn't want it," Jack said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He'd keep blaming himself for everything. He already did."
"I know." She turned to face him, trying to bite back the tears. Had he let the vampires throw him? Grace didn't want to think about it. They were just on the brink of a normal life, but she knew he would carry so much guilt with him. He always did.
"I think I know something that might help, though." Jack handed her a book, Grace turning it over in her hands. Dean Winchester. Something stirred inside her as Grace realized that he had plucked it from Death's library. "Open it."
Sam was quick to answer. "Come on, you know we can't read that even if we -"
"I can." Grace turned to Sam, admitting that she had been able to make out some of the words in Chuck's book, even when he had seen nothing but blank paper. "I've just been afraid to understand what that says about me. About what I am - who I am."
Dean Winchester, the slayer of Death, must too run out of time. Time for him does not run out with a bang, with a flurry of gnashed teeth and a spray of blood. Time will run out in the most mundane of ways, the most anticlimactic for a man who has done so much and survived even more. He will be survived by his brother, who will carry on his legacy and the legacy of the Men of Letters. He will also be survived by his loyal wife, who is to be the one to walk him into paradise.
"What does that mean?"
Jack cleared his throat, telling her that, "Miczael was never a demon. She was a reaper. A reaper who rebelled against Chuck when he wanted her to wipe out an innocent civilization. He locked her up with Lucifer, the other traitor who he knew he couldn't just kill off. There was more to the story, even back then." Grace closed the book, asking him what she was supposed to do. "You know who you're supposed to be. Death is dead. I need a new Death that I can trust. When you're ready, you can move on and I can find another Death, but for now, I need you. You're still human, still Grace, but you're also more than that. For now, you need to take him where he belongs."
"How?" Her voice hardly felt like her own.
"You'll know how."
Something shimmered in the air behind Jack. Sitting on a bale of hay, Dean smiled at her like he'd never been hurt. Sort of. Grace had seen apparitions like this before, just as people had died, or when they needed to conjure a spirit. Sam watched in disbelief as she reached out for something he couldn't see. Grace tried to keep her hand from shaking as she laced her fingers with his. He felt as real as if he had been right there with her. "What do you say, Gracie? Want to take a walk with me?"
She nodded, the two of them walking out of the barn doors. Outside was nothing like what they had left behind. It was the middle of the day, a cool breeze blowing through the warm air. Just the edge of summer, when everything was in full bloom. "Were you there the whole time?"
"I heard everything. I'm sorry, Gracie."
"How am I supposed to do this without you?"
Dean shook his head, finally telling her that, "You've always been so strong, Gracie. You're one of the strongest people I know. You'll find a way. And one day, one day you'll be back here with me for good."
The two of them stopped in front of a wooden building, one they hadn't seen in years. Harvelle's Roadhouse had been rebuilt perfectly, like the fire had never happened. Bobby sat on the porch, a beer in his hand. He waved at the two of them, Grace waving back. "This is where I have to stop. You're safe now."
Dean held onto her hand. "I wish you could stay here. It's not Heaven without you."
"I'll be here soon." She smiled, if only to keep herself from crying again. "I've got to watch out for Sam, remember? I love you, Dean." She couldn't hold the tears in any longer, Grace moving to hug him before he could see her cry. "I love you."
He kissed the top of her head, saying, "I know. I love you too. I'll wait for you. I'll have a nice place set up by the time you get here. I'll be here, when it's time, don't worry." He paused, his voice nearly breaking as he added, "You're the love of my life, Gracie. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. It was a fantastic one. And now, this... it is what it is. I love you, Dean. I will always love you," she smiled through her tears, Dean pulling her into his arms. "I have to get back to Sam. I wish I could stay, but even Death can't stay in Heaven or Hell for too long. Go on. I'll be back soon, I promise."
It broke her heart to have to leave him there. But she watched until he sat down on the porch with Bobby before she turned to go back through the barn door. It was still dark, the vampires still lying on the ground. Jack and Sam stood in the same spots, like she had never left. To them, it had only been a couple of seconds since she had walked outside. Time worked differently between worlds. "Is he really…?"
Grace nodded. "He's okay. He's safe. I left him with Bobby. They're all okay."
It was just the two of them standing in front of the pyre, just the two of them there to bid Dean one final goodbye. Sam and Grace had collected everything in a numb haze, neither of them processing anything more than the task they were focused on. Jack had transported all of them back to the bunker, so they could take care of everything in private. While Sam collected a bunch of firewood and rock salt, Grace went to find an old bed sheet and a bunch of rope.
Taking one last look at her husband's body, the deep, aching sadness washed over her once more. She reached for his hand, which had long since grown cold. Wedding ring. It wouldn't be a risk. There was no way it could turn into a cursed object, since she had walked him to Heaven herself. So she slid the ring off of his finger and onto her own, mumbling a few words of Latin under her breath. The two welded themselves together, Grace inspecting them closely. The words inside had lined up perfectly.
I love you. - Dean / I love you. - Grace
It was late afternoon when they were finally ready, Miracle circling Sam and Grace's feet. "I don't think we need to say anything," Grace proposed, staring at the pyre they had built. She had already started crying, refusing to meet Sam's eye. "But he… everything he did, he did for us. We've lost so much, so many people, but it had to end like this." She finally turned to Sam, confessing, "We were driving through Ohio once, back when I was staying with Bobby. Dean and I were checking out a haunted house in Youngstown, and we'd just gotten back on the highway when… he told me that there was no way he was going to get old. I think he meant it as a warning about this kind of life. He knew I had a way out, and even though he wanted me to stay, he wanted me to be safe. He wanted both of us to be safe and have our own lives apart from all of this. He always knew it would end like this one day. I'm just," she sighed, trying to collect herself, "I'm just glad we had as much time together as we did. It was a wild run. The adventure of a lifetime, all the time. We helped so many people. We saved the world, more than once." Turning to look back at the pyre, Grace gently set a lighter down, the flames slowly spreading. "Dean, thank you for letting me love you."
The two of them stood there for a long time, Miracle keeping them company. When night fell, they sat on the hood of the Impala. Miracle sat down in front of the car, watching the flames with them. No one said a word. Miracle was quiet, eventually dozing off in the warm firelight. Sam and Grace, however, kept their eyes trained on the pyre.
"We don't get happy endings!"
"You don't seriously want me to leave," Grace sniffled, bathed in the dim light that reflected off of the river.
Dean crossed his arms. "All I'm saying is that if you see a future with me, you don't. You know the family business. Hunters don't get old. We don't have happy little lives in houses with a picket fence and a dog. Now I love you, Gracie." His voice shook a bit, but he tried to bottle everything up. "I love you more than anything, which is why you have to go. You can get out of this."
"So can you."
"You've got everything going for you. What do I have? A GED and -"
"You have me. You have me, and Sam, and that's a place to start," she fired back. "Why get a GED at all if you didn't ever think about leaving?" She went quiet for a moment, but followed up with, "I've been marked. Ever since those vamps. You said it yourself. This life finds you, and sometimes you can run, and sometimes you can't. My first semester of college I killed three demons. They come after us. They always will. It's like they can smell it in our blood. We might be able to get out for a little while, but they always come back. We always get pulled back."
"I want you to be safe. It hurts me too, but I want you to be safe."
"And you don't think I want the same thing for you? Do you know how much I worry when you go off on a hunt?" She took two steps forward, now standing right In front of him as he leaned on the Impala. "We're never going to be able to fully escape this, but we can do it together. We can keep our skills sharp and have real lives. It's possible, Dean. If you want me to go... fine. I'll leave. But I can promise you leaving won't keep me safe, not any more. If I was going to get out, it should've been years ago."
He bit his lip, knowing that he didn't want to hurt her. "You don't deserve this life, Gracie. You have a chance to have a real life. Take it."
"So do you! Leave! Give up on your dad ever being halfway decent and leave!"
"Grace," he warned. She was quiet, but she was still fuming. Dean reached out, pulling her in by the waist. He kissed her before she could say anything, opening the back door of the Impala and raising an eyebrow. "Do you know how hot you are when you're mad?"
A while later they lay in the back seat, curled up with each other. "So do you still want me to leave?" Grace asked, tracing the tattoo on his chest.
"No matter what I do, you're not going to, are you?" he smiled, sitting up a bit so he could kiss her again.
"Mmm, no."
"I don't want you to leave. I never did. I want you to be safe, and that's the only way I can think of."
"You can keep me safe. I'm kind of a badass myself, but you can help keep me safe. Y'know, if you want."
"I'm never letting go of you," Dean laughed. "But we do have to figure out how to sneak back into Bobby's pretty soon. Neither of us will be safe if he catches us."
The last of the ashes burned out around sunrise. Grace was the first to stand, the sun in her eyes throwing her out of the trance-like state she had been in. She offered Sam her hand, helping him hop off of the car. "He's okay. He'll be waiting for us."
