The story takes place right after the season 10 finale, after Dean killed Death, the Mark of Cain was removed and Darkness was released into the world. I mentioned before, new characters will be added and thrown in the story and I will bring back several former characters from the show in the upcoming future.
Chapter 46 Long Journey Home
The long way back home was quite tiring and tedious. First, Sam and Dean had agreed to drive Becky all the way to Ohio on the way back to Kansas as they felt that was the least they could do to get her out of New York and out of the cops reach. The daunting task of their journey to Ohio consists of sometimes listening to semi-endless yapping from Becky who was definitely back to her old self including her annoying tendency to talk real fast and constantly over and over that sometimes they had to nicely tell her to rest her mouth and Becky got the message loud and clear. Other times, she was fast asleep in the back seat giving them some relief not to deal with her yapping but the light snoring irritated them a bit.
Then there was stopping in between to get lunch, going to the store to pick something up including a flashlight for Becky that would come quite handy during this Darkness, use the restroom at some gas station or restaurant. The real pain was when sometimes while driving, there would be a police roadblock due to the chaos including road rage, someone out in the streets shooting passing drivers. There was even a scary incident when a crazy man was running in the road waving his rifle around screaming profanity as the state trooper was chasing him and he even got near the impala leaving Becky really petrified and Sam had to turn around and try to calm her down.
They finally reached the city of Columbus late that evening and decided to get supper at the local diner then check into another cheap motel. Dean briefly left to get some beer while Sam tried continue comfort Becky and make her feel better. When Dean got back with the beer, he and Sam gulped them like pros and when Dean jokingly suggested Becky have one, she surprised them by insisting. Sam was reluctant to let her have one but Dean just relented to Becky's protest and let her have a beer and both of them watched with their mouths open as she drank the bottle as if she was an expert until the whole bottle was half empty.
They figured Becky's new fondness for beer may have come from her time as Rebecca who was quite a regular at the bar scene. The three of them then watched some television at first watching the news detailing more violent and chaotic circumstances that happened since the Darkness. Neither of them where too phased by what they heard anymore then just watched some current shows when they got tired of listening to the news. When it got too late, they all retired to bed, this time Becky changed into her pajamas in the bathroom. Once again she got her own bed, while Sam and Dean had to share another bed together and neither of them enjoyed it too much as they spent the night tossing and grabbing and pulling on the blanket.
The three of them all got up early next morning and Becky changed into a sweatshirt and jeans and then they all went out to the local café to get some breakfast. Afterwards, they headed back to the motel to get Becky's luggage and drove her to the greyhound bus station as both Sam and Dean decided that Columbus was as far as they would drive her and that she can just take the bus the rest of the way to her aunt's place. When they got to the bus station, it wasn't very crowded although there were some weird looking people sitting around.
Becky bought a bus ticket although she would have to wait a whole hour for her bus and Sam offered for both him and Dean to wait with her until her bus came, which annoyed Dean as he wanted to get on the road already. Becky politely declined his offer not wanting to impose on them anymore.
"That's okay Sam, you guys have done enough for me already, I can wait here by myself" she told him bashfully.
"Are you sure Becky, it won't be in trouble" said Sam.
"Dude, she said she's fine and I think we have to be going already" Dean said getting a bit tired of Sam's boy scout routine.
"Your brother is right, I'm good honestly you two probably want to be getting going already and do your hunting thing, I will be alright really Sam" Becky insisted.
Sam finally relented and just looked up at Becky with a sympathetic look.
"Okay Becky, take care and just remember when you get to your aunt's place what I told you on how to protect yourself from the Darkness" Sam told her.
"I will and thanks again you guys didn't have go through all the trouble after all the mess I caused you two" Becky told them.
Dean's expression softened as he walked up to Becky.
"Hey, like we said before, that wasn't your fault just learn to move on and take care of yourself okay" he told her.
Becky looked kind of touched by Dean's kind words as she could sense he had been exasperated by her in the past.
"Well take care yourselves and good luck with your hunting around the world" she told them.
"Good bye Becky" said Sam as he patted her gently on the shoulder and stepped back.
"Yeah, bye Becky" Dean chimed in awkwardly.
"Bye guys" Becky replied back and then she sat down on one of the seats to wait for her bus.
Sam and Dean both waved to her and she waved back and then they turned around and walked off heading for the door. When Sam turned around one last time, he saw Becky just sitting there with all her luggage nearby now just staring ahead with a calm expression on her face. They soon headed out the door and into their car and drove off. While driving away, Dean briefly turned to Sam.
"Hey, you were quite overprotective back there with your former misses" he said trying to start a conversation.
"Oh shut up, I was just concerned leaving her alone in that station with all those weirdos you know. I mean with the Darkness going on anything could happen, some psycho could storm in and start shooting up the place, terrorist comes with a bomb or something" Sam replied.
Dean rolled his eyes a bit.
"Oh come on, you are being bit paranoid don't you think" he told Sam.
Sam just sighed.
"Well, maybe but like I said with the Darkness being here and all the things we hear in the news ever since, anything is possible, the world is gotten even crazier since" Sam said still looking worried.
Dean noticed Sam's worried look and softened a bit wanting to reassure him.
"Hey calm down there, Becky will be alright, I'm sure nothing is going to happen to her at the station. She'll be at her aunt's place by tonight. There is nothing else we can do for her now, we drove her all the way to Ohio like we said we would and now she is no longer our problem, just let it go Sam" Dean told him.
Sam just sighed and nodded his head.
"I know you're right Dean" Sam said.
Dean turned to see Sam still had a worried look on his face.
"Dude, like I said before, you really do have a soft spot for that Becky chick" he said to him.
Sam turned to Dean and just said, "Well, like I said before I just feel a bit bad for her".
Dean just nodded.
"Yeah, I know and I have to admit, I do too just a bit, after what she went through like I said before we can kind of relate as we've been there, not being in control and doing things you regret and can't forgive yourself for" Dean said with bit a melancholy look on his face as he was thinking of his past misdeeds.
Sam was thinking of his own past mistakes just sighed again.
"Well, I do have to also admit your ex may have been annoying at times but I was quite impressed how she gulped down that bottle of beer, I mean I didn't think nerd girl had in her, I guess Rebecca really rubbed off on her huh" said Dean trying to lighten the mood.
However, Dean still noticed Sam having the same look on his face and he started to think there was something else bothering him that he isn't saying other than Becky.
"Hey Sam, I know that look, there is something else bugging you now what is it?" Dean asked.
Sam paused a few seconds then finally swallowed and turned to Dean again.
"You know, I never told you this but way back shortly after we returned from that other world, I had a very strange dream, a nightmare of some sort" Sam said looking real serious.
"Oh?" said Dean who's facial expression suddenly looked nervous as he felt but awkward and intrigued by Sam's revelation.
"Yes, it happened right after you told me your idea of contacting Lucifer" explained.
He shortly paused again for a couple of seconds but then went on.
"You see, later that night I had a nightmare about Lucifer. He was in a new vessel but he was the same evil smug self. He knew that we wanted to contact him about Darkness so he said he decided to invade my dream. Anyway, he refused to help out in stopping Darkness, out of spite for God but he couldn't wait to start taunting me about all my past mistakes" Sam stopped for a moment to look at Dean again to see if he was listening.
Dean just had the same nervous uncomfortable look on his face as he was taking everything Sam was saying in while driving the car. So Sam just continued on with his story.
"Then all the sudden, all these people we knew appeared. I mean all these people from our lives, people that we cared about, there was Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, Jessica, people who all died popping up one by one and blaming me for their deaths. Then all these other people showed up, people who lost their lives because of us or me, blaming me for what happened to them, including that Lester dude who I tricked into conjuring up a crossroad demon, so I could find you, and just folks who were possessed by demons that we ganked. They all just surrounded me blaming me condemning me. Even you appeared Dean blaming me for how your life turned out, for mom's death and you having to be stuck taking care of me" Sam said sadly.
Dean who was silent this whole time decided to interrupt.
"You know Sam it was just a nightmare, I don't blame you for mom's death or having to look after you when we were traveling around the world with dad, none of that is your fault" Dean told him.
"I know Dean but about my dream, the thing it seemed Lucifer wanted to haunt me by throwing all of that in my face and it worked. I felt so overwhelmed thinking I was cursed somehow with all those people in our lives dying because of their involvement with us, with me. Then all of the sudden there was this bright light and all those people were gone and so was Lucifer. Then I heard this voice telling me that I was good but just lost my way and reminding me what my purpose was which is to save lives and to defeat evil in the world and that all people's lives matters not just ours and then I woke up" Sam finished.
Dean had listened to everything that Sam described in his dream that sent some shivers down his spine as it was exactly like his dream, almost identical. Sam turned to Dean hoping he would say something.
"Dean, I don't know why I didn't tell you about this dream much sooner but I'm convinced more then ever that the voice was God communicating to me tying to stop what Lucifer was trying to do in my dreams reminding me how valuable I am and what my or our true purpose is again" Sam told him.
Dean finally spoke up.
"Well, I guess than if God was trying to reach you than he was trying to reach me too" he said.
"What?" asked Sam.
Dean turned to Sam briefly then turned to focus on the road.
"Well, it seems we had the same dream. You see that same night I too was dreaming about Lucifer who told me the same thing, that he wouldn't help God defeat the Darkness then he started reminding me of all my past mistakes and just like in your dream all these people from our past who had died popped up blaming me for their deaths. I mean there was Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, Ellen, Jo, Rudy and more. All of them condemning me for what happened to them. Even Lisa and Ben were there blaming me for messing up their lives. Even you appeared in my dream Sam, blaming me for what happened to Jessica, for ruining your chances of having a normal life by luring you away from Stanford to find dad, you said a lot in my dream" Dean said.
"Dean you know that is not true, I chose this life it's not your fault" Sam reassured him.
Dean just continued on with his story.
"Well, I even winded up in hell again and saw all the souls I tortured when I was trapped there, then the people who we ganked that were possessed by demons just like with you. And just like in your dream, bright lights appeared and all those people disappeared and I also heard a voice telling me the same thing he told you in your dream then I woke up" Dean finished.
After taking a moment he continued. "I too wondered if that voice was the man upstairs" he said.
Sam just look amazed at the thought that he and Dean had the same dream and that it couldn't possible a coincidence either.
"Wow Dean, we had the same dream on the same night. There is no way this is a coincidence" Sam told him.
"Yeah, it means Lucifer decided to invade our dreams and taunt us throwing the people from our past in our heads to mess with us until apparently the man upstairs interrupted it if that was him that is" Dean told him.
"Dean, I definitely believe that was God who came into our dream to stop Lucifer but more importantly remind us about who we are" Sam said.
"We are already know who we are we're hunters we kill monsters" Dean replied.
"I know that, but God wanted us to remember what our true purpose was is to save lives and defeat evil in the world and that is what really should matter something we kind of forgotten that over the years" Sam said.
"Hey, we do save lives to stop evil that has never changed" Dean said.
"Yeah but in the process we've done some questionable things too. I mean what happened to saving a person possessed by a demon, now we just kill demons and sacrifice the hosts in the process when there was a time we would exorcise the demons" Sam explained.
"Come on Sam, sometimes the job can be dirty and…."
But Sam cut him off.
"That's crap Dean, when we were in that other world without Ruby's knife or an angel blade, we did something we hadn't done in years and exorcised those demons and saved those three people rather than kill them. That is what we should be doing, saving people not sacrificing them and justify it with an ends justify the means excuse" Sam replied.
Dean was listening and Sam's words was really sinking in since deep down he kind of felt the same way since having that dream although he kept these feelings so buried deep down not really wanting acknowledge them but Sam's words are forcing him to admit what he already knew to be true was that everything Sam was saying is correct.
"Sam, I get what you're saying" Dean said.
"Do you?" Sam retorted back.
Dean just looked confused.
Sam went on with his speech. "I'm been thinking about this for quite a while. It's not only that we have sacrificed lives and killed innocent people to gank demons but the rules are different when it comes to each other or someone we care about but everybody else is fair game. Dean it has to be about saving all lives not just each other's or those we care about. Everybody's lives should be just as important as our own and to do this we got to go back to being what we were in the beginning" he finished.
Dean was silent for a few seconds and spoke up again.
"Yeah, Sam I know you're right. I part of me felt the same way after having that dream, I just didn't want to face it until now" said Dean.
"Well, there's more to it than that you know" Sam told him.
"What do you mean more?" asked Dean.
"Well, I mean that dream made me face what truly has happened to us. It's more to just saving lives but this cycle we've been doing over the years. This tendency to cross the line in order to hold on to each other" Sam told him.
Dean turned to briefly face Sam again. "Hey, I know we both have bended the rules bit" he said before turning his eyes back on the road.
"We have broken our own rules, we did anything, make deals with demons if it meant saving the other. There's you selling your soul to that crossroad demon to bring me back from the dead. Or stopping me from finishing the trials to close the devils gates so you couldn't lose me even though I was willing to die if I had to" Sam answered.
Dean looked like he was about to reply but Sam didn't give him a chance.
"And it is not just you it's me too. I tricked a guy into conjuring up a crossroad demon in order to find you and what happened to him is on me. I was willing to make a deal with Crowley to bring you back when you died. I went behind your back and worked with Rowena to find a cure to remove the Mark because I didn't want to lose you. Death was right, I wouldn't let you go, I would do what it takes to find you if he sent you away, I know maybe in a way I was trying to make up for not finding you when you were trapped in purgatory. Then there's dad selling his soul to Azazel to save your life, and our grandfather Samuel willing to throw us to the wolves to bring mom back, this cycle seems to run in our family" he told him.
Dean finally spoke up.
"So what are you suggesting Sam?" he asked.
"I'm saying that we have to stop this cycle of trying to hold on to each other despite the consequences. It doesn't mean we should stop trying to save each other but there has to be a line somewhere. No more this crossing the line, going against the rules for our own personal benefits. No selling our souls to demons or working with witches or anything evil to bring the other back from the dead if that happens in the future" Sam said.
Dean just gave Sam an awkward look but Sam went on.
"I know neither of us want to think about that but we have to be aware of what could lie ahead in the future, if it ever came down to something happening to one of us, like either of us ended up well you know, we have to just accept what ever happens and learn to just to let the other go. That's a hard thing for either of us to do, but we need to break this pattern of trying to hold on to other no matter what the costs because there is always going to be a price to pay like with this Darkness being unleashed. We simply can't afford to be that selfish and remember Dean, it was you that once said a long time ago that the dead should stay dead, that should include us too" Sam finished.
Dean had been listening with an uncomfortable look on his face as some of Sam's words gave him shivers. Maybe what was scary about Sam's words is that they were all true. Sam was right about everything he was saying. Somewhere down the line, the two of them have forgotten about saving human lives being their first priority over killing demons ever since they had possession of Ruby's knife angel blades. They also have not applied to the same rules when it came to each other.
Dean couldn't imagine killing Sam possessed by demon, he knows when push came to shove he would exorcise that demon no matter how long it takes but killing wouldn't even be an option. However, those same rules wouldn't apply to strangers, people he has no emotional connection to. Sam's also right about them having this unhealthy pattern of not letting the other even in death, but doing whatever it takes to get the other back including from death, as he did sell his soul to a demon to bring Sam back from the dead and because of that he help break the first seal which led to Lucifer eventually being released.
Their father did the same thing with Dean and then their grandfather who wanted to sacrifice them to bring back their dead mother. This messed up pattern certainly runs in the family and they are both have this unhealthy co-dependency of latching on to the other at all costs, refusing to live in the this world without the other. Dean did remember he is the one that said that the dead should stay dead yet couldn't follow through when it came to his little brother.
Even when Sam was in hell, Dean didn't keep his promise and let it go at first but only did so because he didn't have a choice to go on with his life. Plus their actions doesn't go without any consequences or a price to pay, like this Darkness being unreleased, Charlie is dead and now that Dean killed Death because once again he had to choose Sam and he doesn't know what that means but has a feeling that there will be price to pay for that action and fears it will be huge. Dean was silent for moments thinking about what Sam just told him and finally spoke up.
"I know you're right Sam, we do got to break this habit we keep making," he told him.
"Excellent we are on the same page then?" asked Sam.
"Yes, I suppose I agree with everything you said that is" Dean told him.
"Perfect, then we need to make a new pact, first no more keeping secrets from each other because that has caused nothing but friction between us" Sam told him.
"Okay" Dean agreed.
"And from now on it is all about trying to save all lives first in foremost treating each human life as important as our own no more sacrificing others as collateral damage to kill demons or any other possessed humans unless as a last resort if there is no other options" Sam replied.
"I'll go for that too" Dean said.
"And finally, no more of this ends justify the means mentality to save each other. That includes no selling our souls to demons or something similar or risking the lives of others or this entire world for that matter just to hold on to the other, should either of us die or is doomed to die and there are no other options that doesn't involve evil, we have to let the other go no matter how hard it is for us, we have to just do it" Sam said.
Dean paused for a bit as he was hesitant to answer this one at first.
"Dean?" asked Sam again.
Finally Dean spoke up. "Agreed Sam" he told him although he knew this was one rule that won't be easy to follow for neither of them.
"Good it's great that we are in agreement with this" said Sam.
"Yeah, I know, but what really make this all great is that this is the our first hunting case since we got back and we succeeded despite all the chaos with this Darkness going on we managed to complete our first real case and we did it without worrying about angels, reapers and demons coming after us" Dean said wanting to change the subject already.
"I know Dean, and it felt good to getting back to doing what we do best" Sam said with a satisfying look on his face.
They both were silent for a while processing all that they had been discussing in. Both of them glad that they got the dream thing off their chest and had their discussion on how they need to change and making their new pact and about getting back into hunting during the Darkness being released into the world as if it was just business as usual without worrying about Darkness or vengeful rogue angels or demons who are still out gunning for them.
Of course with the angels and demons, that problem was already taking care of with Hannah returning to the bunker later that day they had both returned from the other world and met their little brother Adam again. Hannah simply carved enochian sigils into their ribs like Castiel had done to them in the past and Adam's too to protect them from any vengeful angels. As for the demons, Sam and Dean had made some hex bags to wear on them in order to hide them from demons and even made one for Adam too insisting he wear one when they left the bunker the very first time. They had them on them when they left the bunker to solve this recent case and have them on them right now.
However, the most important thing on their mind now is getting back to their bunker and back to Adam with the satisfaction that their first real mission since the Darkness was a complete success.