Finished
K Hanna Korossy

"Hey, what did Gabe say to you?"

Dean had waited until he heard Sam flush because it was weird enough they'd gone to the bathroom together. But after hours of driving with an archangel in the back seat, it was good to have a few minutes to themselves. Besides, archangels seemed to be able to chug a ton of coffee without having to pee, which was a superpower Dean wouldn't've minded having.

Sam came out of the stall frowning and took his place at the bathroom sink next to his brother. They were at a Taco Bell, not a gas station, so at least it was clean.

"When?"

"You know, after all the hunting and stabbing and clean-up." Dean had already checked to make sure there was no one else in the small bathroom, of course.

"Ah." Sam concentrated on washing his hands for a moment, obviously not loving the question. Which made Dean all the more curious to hear the answer. "I asked him how he felt. Now that he got his revenge."

Dean wasn't surprised, not after Sam had jumped at the chance to help Gabriel go all Uma Thurman on the Norse god family that had betrayed him. Clearly his brother was having some Lucifer issues. Dean just wasn't sure why now, after they'd put the devil down how many times now? Not that Sam would ever really be over what that monster did to him, for decades. But it hadn't come up once since Lucifer had gotten back from Apocalypse-world, not until Gabe showed up.

"And?" Dean prompted. "What'd he say?"

Sam shook the extra water off his hands and reached for a paper towel. "That he's 'swell.' A 'whole new person.'"

Dean met his eyes in the mirror as he soaped up. "Yeah, he looks real swell. Don't you believe it, man. Putting down a few monsters doesn't wash anything clean."

Sam arched an eyebrow as he tossed the towel and crossed his arms. "Right. Hey, weren't you always the one who wanted payback from Azazel? And Dick Roman? And the Stynes, and—?"

Dean jerked the tap off. "Yeah, and what did that get me, Sam, huh? Dad dead, doing time in Purgatory, black eyes, offing myself—"

Sam's arms dropped and he straightened. "Wait, what?"

Dean played back what he said and gave an internal wince. He hadn't meant to say that. He avoided Sam's worried face now as he took his own sweet time drying his hands and tossing the paper towel. Dean finally sighed and gave his brother a sideways look.

"I didn't eat my gun or anything—c'mon, man, you know me. But you really think I went straight to Lisa after you took the big dive into the Pit? I just…stopped caring. Drove Baby off the road into a shack or something."

Sam's eyes widened. "I just thought…"

Dean shrugged uncomfortably; it hadn't been his proudest moment, and he'd never intended to tell Sam. "Yeah, well… God or Chuck or whatever brought me back, same as Bobby and Cas. Guess He didn't want me to take the easy way out."

"Oh."

Sam was processing that. But as Dean risked a glance at him, he saw no anger or condemnation, only sadness. And maybe understanding.

Sam took a deep breath. "Yeah, it's…not a good road. We gotta stop Lucifer, but…I'm not gonna do anything stupid, all right? I promise."

Dean searched his face a moment, then nodded. Good enough. Without another word, he led the way back out to the car and the waiting Gabriel, Sam a solid presence at his back as always.

They'd grown up a lot since those early years. No more deals, no more terrible secrets, no more suicidal behavior, subtle or overt. Not even when Dean would see vampires rip his brother's throat out a week later.

Not until Lucifer disappeared with Sam, anyway.

The End