Authors note: I was determined to end this as quickly as possible after posting the other day so here is the final chapter. I offer thanks to every one who stuck it out throughout the cry fest. Once again I leave boxes of Kleenex around for everyone's use.

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Chapter 7: Saying Goodbye.

Sam turned and stared out the window of Missouri's car as she drove through town towards the cemetery. Pulling up in front of the wrought iron gates, Sam could feel his chest tighten with dread. Missouri put her hand on his in an attempt to calm him down. Continuing past the gates she drove slowly, as Sam felt his pulse beginning to race. Every turn, every headstone, was an instant reminder of what he was about to see. He was looking off in the distance when Missouri put the car in park.

"Sam would you like me to come up to the graves with you or would you like to visit alone?" She asked aware of Sam's trepidation.

"I don't know where they are Missouri." he turned to her suddenly aware he had no idea where his mother and brothers graves were. It had been too many years since the last visit and the trees and bushes had grown considerably since then.

"Look over there Sammy." Missouri pointed to a rise shadowed by a large Maple tree. Sam sighed when he spotted the large marble marker simply carved 'Winchester'. He took another deep breath before he turned back to Missouri.

"I want to go up alone, I think… could you give me a few minutes?" he asked knowing he had to do it.

"Of course child, take as much time as you need." She gave him a sad smile. Sam nodded and slowly got out of the car.

Looking around he could feel how peaceful and serene it was. He wondered if his father picked the spot or his mother's family. He suddenly remembered that last time he had been there. Dean had come with him when they were both still teenagers. He didn't remember where his father was at the time, only that he was off on a hunt and he and Dean were only half a day away when Dean suggested they make the trip. Once there, Dean made sure he had had a few moments alone at his mother's grave. When he got back to the car Dean was quiet and they drove off in silence, never making the trip together again. Sam guessed it was harder on Dean than it was on himself. To Sam, his mother was merely a woman locked in photographs. Stories his brother and father would tell him to fill in the gaps of who she was. It was hard to mourn the loss of someone he never knew but he did mourn the loss of what could have been. The loss of the family he could have had. That pain was real.

So was the pain he was feeling now. He walked slowly up the rise until he stood at the huge marble marker. Looking down he could see two smaller headstones side by side shaded by the maple tree. He stood quietly not knowing what to do or say, his hands in his pockets. His heartbreaking at the sight of his brothers name.

'Oh Dean.' He said to himself as he looked down at his brother's headstone. Two small bouquets of flowers lay on top of both his brother and mothers graves. The flowers looked fresh and Sam wondered if Missouri had placed them there.

"Dean I'm sorry I haven't been here before now." He said softly, eyes misty with unwanted tears. "I didn't know….I just assumed you were off hunting with Dad. No one called me… Guess that is as much my fault as anyone else's. Anyway I'm here now big brother. I guess I really screwed up big time. I should have been there Dean. Maybe I could have stopped Dad from hurting you, I don't know, or should I say the demon from hurting you. Maybe I would have ended up dead too. God why does this have to be so hard."

He looked away as tears filled his eyes and fell down his cheeks. Wiping them away he glanced back at the car and saw Missouri standing outside speaking with a woman and two children. The two women looked up to where he was standing but made no effort to join him. Sam was grateful for the privacy as his tears continued to fall.

"Damn it Dean. What the hell did you get yourself into? All these years, all the hunts we went on. I never thought you'd go before Dad. You know, I just assumed Dad would bite it fighting some son of a bitch ghost or black dog. It's not fair. He dragged us into this mess, why did you have to pay for it?" Sam felt all the years of resentment towards his father resurface again.

"You know where Dad is Dean; he's in a mental institution. Yeah, he finally cracked. Can't say that I'm surprised. People just can't keep on doing what he's been doin all these years without goin a little crazy. Missouri says it started right after you died. Guess if I had known about it then, I might have gone off the deep end as well." He paused and wiped his face again.

"I really miss you dude."

A gentle breeze blew through the trees and Sam could hear birds chirping in the background. The sun was bright but it did nothing to lighten the darkness of his heart. He crouched down and touched both markers lightly, reassured somehow by the letters carved into the stone. His mother and brother were at peace. He didn't know how he knew but he felt it in his heart. He smiled at the thought of them together even if Dean wasn't really buried there. Standing back up he looked around and noticed it was a family plot. In front of his brother and mother sat two more empty graves. While he didn't think he would want to be buried there, he knew his father would want to be. He and Jessica, having their own family now, would probably be buried next to each other when the time came.

He shuddered at the thought of seeing his fathers name on a marker there as well.

"Dean, I'm not losing any more members of my family." He said with conviction. "I'm gonna talk to Dad's doctor and find out how long he has to stay in that hospital. I'm thinking I want to bring him back home to California. Oh god you never knew did you…."

Dean never knew he had gotten married and now was a father himself.

"Dean I got married a few years ago. Her name is Jessica and we have a little boy too. His name is Brendan and he is so like you in so many ways. Always curious, getting into stuff and that temper, oh my god does he have a temper. He's 8 months old and already trying to walk. He's a Winchester through and through, always on the move. He smiles a lot like you, like he's in on some big secret that only he knows about. I wish you could have met him and Jess. I wish they could have met you…You would have made a great uncle, Dean. You would have been a great father too; I know you were to me growing up. It couldn't have been easy for you taking care of your little brat brother all the time. I don't think I realized until I had my own son everything you had to do for me while Dad was away, and now I can never say thank you or tell you how much I loved you. "

"It's ok Sammy…" Sam looked up as he heard his brother's voice whispering in the wind. He felt a hand gently squeeze his shoulder and knew his brother forgave him. "I love you too little brother."

Hearing voices coming up behind him he wiped his face dry and turned to meet them. The other woman wore a sad smile as she walked towards him, her two children held small bouquets of flowers in their hands.

"Sam this is Jenny and her children Sarry and Ritchie." Missouri said introducing them to Sam.

"We brought some more flowers." Sarry said holding up her bouquet and her brothers to Sam. Sam looked down and gave her a smile.

"Thank you Sarry. I wondered who had left the beautiful flowers, did you?" She smiled back at him and nodded.

"It's the least we could do after all your brother did for us." Jenny added. Sam looked at her confused.

"Sam, Jenny and her children live in your old house. A few years back it was taken over by a really nasty poltergeist. Your brother was able to rescue them, and with the help of your mother's spirit, vanquished it."

"My mother?" he asked turning around to look down at her grave. "How was that possible?"

"Your mother's spirit was still in the house, Sammy. When the poltergeist attacked Dean, she went after it and destroyed it taking her own spirit with it." Missouri explained to a stunned Sam.

If it weren't for your brother and your mother, my children and I would be dead now Sam. I can't tell you how grateful I am. I wish we could have met under different circumstances. I've been wanting to meet you ever since Dean saved us. He spoke so proudly of you." Jenny added as she touched his arm.

"Dean was proud of me?" he asked even more stunned.

"Of course he was child, just as you are proud of him." Missouri interjected knowing how Sam truly felt about his brother. He looked at the two women and quickly turned away as tears welled up in his eyes again. He felt a small tug on his shirt as Sarry held up her arms for a hug. He reached down and picked up the girl up and held her tightly.

"Don't cry Sammy." she said in a small voice trying to comfort him. He quickly wiped his face for the last time and set her back down.

"Thank you Sarry, I really needed that hug." He said giving her a smile.

"Sam I don't know how long you are in town but I wish you would stop by the house for a visit" Jenny offered the invitation not sure how he would react.

"I'd like that Jenny." He replied giving her a reassuring smile. "I need to make plans to get my father back to California so I'm not sure how long I'm gonna be around, but yeah, I'd like to stop by if I get a chance."

"Missouri has my number, give me call if you can come by." She leaned in and gave him a big hug of her own.

"Thanks Jenny." Sam said hugging her back.

"Bye Sammy…" Sarry said waving as they turned to go back down to their car. Sam waved back.

"See ya soon Sarry." He said as he and Missouri both watched them drive off.

Sam turned one final time and touched the carved Winchester name in the family marker. Taking something out of his pocket he crouched down and set it on top of his brother's grave, near the newly placed flowers.

"Driver picks the tunes, shotgun shuts his cakehole." He said smiling as he left behind one of Dean's old cassette tapes of his favorite band. He remembered the day he left for Stanford, snatching it from the car before Dean could catch him. Standing up he took a deep breath and turned back around to Missouri standing behind him.

"Missouri thank you." He said as he walked towards the other woman.

"You're welcome child." She said simply as the two of them headed back down to her car. At peace finally within himself, he went back to her home where he called Jessica and told her he was bringing his father home.

The End

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Authors note: I'm sure you want to find out how it was with John living in California with them but I'm not up to writing more of this story right now. Perhaps someday I will add an epilogue. Thanks again for reading. Leaves more Kleenex next to the review button.