Chapter Ten

Michael

Dean

"What do you mean she's back?"

"What I just said." I rubbed my face, speaking into my cell phone.

I could picture Mom's face. Her eyes wide, and her mouth slightly open. "How did this happen? How are you feeling? Is she…"

"Slow down." I grunted and glanced at Ava, who was sleeping on the couch cuddled next to Nel. We were all three up all night talking. Talking about everything, but Michael. I was grateful that my daughter was clearly on the same wave length as I was. Don't tell her about Michael, not yet.We didn't want everything to blow up. I climbed the stairs and pushed into the early morning air. It was twilight and the world looked cool. The leaves on the trees were brown and dying, and the air had a chill to it. "It was a magical pearl. Supposed to be a solution to the whole Arc Angel problem. It gave our deepest desire, and turns out Nel's deepest desire was to have her Mom back. Guess like father like daughter, huh?" I laughed humorlessly.

"Oh, honey."

"Don't." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Everything is good. Spectacular, actually."

The sky was a deep, dark blue. The horizon glowed from the sun curling up from below the earth. It was peaceful. Michael wasn't screaming, or banging in my head from what I could tell. Maybe he was asleep.

"But Michael…"

"He's still in there. I can feel him. I can always feel him in the back of my mind, but I got a second chance, ya know? I got to see her again. She's so beautiful, Mom. I can't wait for you to meet her."

"I'm sure she's great, Dean, but…"

"But nothing." I snapped. "Now Nel will have her mom. She will have Sam and Cas, and I got a little extra time with Ave before I go under. It's the best gift I could ask for. Now just promise that when we bring her by that you won't tell her. Please."

"How do you think she will feel when she finds out, Dean? Have you thought this through? You're being impulsive."

"I'm not, actually. I've thought it through. She doesn't change anything." My sternum tugged back toward the bunker, and I glanced behind me. My soul knew she was in there. "She's back, so I know more than ever that I have to do this. I can't leave her in a world with Michael. It was always her." I mumbled quietly. "So just do me that one solid, okay? I don't ask you for a lot."

"Okay." She said sadly. "When will you be by?"

"This afternoon, I think. Gotta talk to her first. Thanks." Click.

Ava. I shook my head, feeling the sting behind my eyes. I sucked in my breath, trying to keep it all in, but fuck I wanted to scream, to laugh, to cry. Everything bubbled up inside of me, and I couldn't contain it any longer. I lowered myself to a seated position on the steps of the bunker, and let the tears fall down my face. She was back. Nothing else mattered.

"Was wondering where you went."

I turned, and caught a glimpse of Sam before he plopped down next to me.

"Just getting some air."

"I just got a call from Mom. She's worried."

I snorted. "She's got a weird way of showing it."

"She tries."

"I guess." I wiped my eyes and sucked in the cool morning air.

"I can't believe it." Sam admitted.

"Me neither."

He turned toward me. "How are you?"

"I feel… fuck. I don't know. Happy, mostly." I sighed with a smile, trying not to fucking cry again. "She's everything, man. She doesn't remember anything after she died. She said was in my arms and then she blinked into the bunker. No time has passed for her."

"But you've had a life time in that blink."

"I kept telling her that and she didn't care. She looked at me and it was like she saw into my soul."

"She does that." Sam smiled.

I'd forgotten for just a second that Sam loved her, too. I closed my eyes to help the stinging in my eyes. "Yeah." I grunted. "She sure does."

"I saw her with Nel on the couch when I walked out here. That went well?"

"Better then well." I smiled to myself. "I never thought I'd get to see that. Both of my girls together. Maybe you should take me out now, Sammy." I laughed darkly. "While things are bright."

"Do you see the rabbits, Lenny?" Sam teased.

"Shut up, bitch."

"Jerk." He countered with a sigh. "Who would've guessed." He looked off into the distance. "That all of this would happen."

"Not me." I agreed. "We have a teenager, angel, Satan's son, a naked cat, and my dead wife all in an old bunker. What a weird life."

"Weird, yeah, but it's also pretty great."

I smiled at my little brother. "I'll say."

We sat in silence for several minutes, just enjoying the peaceful morning air. I yearned for some coffee with a little kick. Something to warm my chilled skin.

"Mom said you're still planning on going in the coffin." Sam said weakly.

"I have to. There's no other choice. We are out of options."

"We are out of options today, but we will find another one tomorrow."

"Sam, please. Can we not do this? Not today. Today, I'm going to go introduce Ave to Mom. I'm going to hold her, and kiss her and probably have lots of sex. Because he's quiet today, but he won't be quiet forever. Which means I'm going to have to break her heart. Again."

"We can find a way…"

"Sammy, just stop. It's over. It's been over for a long time." I smiled weakly, putting my hand on his shoulder. "It's over."

Ava

"I don't have any clothes." I complained, staring at Dean's closet. "I'm not meeting your Mom in my day old sweatshirt."

Dean snaked his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. "New idea, let's not go see Mom."

I eyed him over my shoulder. "Not happening, Dean. I am meeting the famous Mary Winchester." I turned around and pressed my chest to his, wrapping my arms around his neck. "But I do need to go shopping. Plus, I'm sure all of my clothes aren't of this decade."

"You can wear my clothes."

I narrowed my eyes at him and pressed my lips to his softly. "As much as I love wearing your clothes, I don't think they'd be appropriate for public."

"I don't mean in public." He nibbled on my bottom lip.

I tickled the back of his neck and pulled back from the kiss. "Let's see if everyone else wants to go shopping with us. We could make a day of it, and meet your mom for dinner?"

"That sounds good." He agreed, tugging on my curls. "I can't believe you're here." He whispered.

"Me neither."

It was all very surreal. Eleanor and I spent the evening with Dean going over everything that I missed. The crazy times. The happy ones. She told me about the darkness and how Dean was going to shoot himself to the moon. He was always one for the dramatics. She fell asleep cuddled to my side, like she did when she was a baby. I couldn't believe I missed so much, and I wasn't going to miss another second.

"I have something for you." He said suddenly, releasing me from his grip.

"Oh?"

He dug in his drawer and walked back to me. He held my wedding ring between his index finger and thumb. My hand suddenly shot to my empty ring finger. I hadn't even noticed it was gone. Maybe I was more out of it than I originally thought. I looked down at my hand and ran my finger over the callous.

"Your mom didn't want it back?"

"Wasn't hers anymore." He shrugged, taking my hand. He slid it back onto my hand easily. I flexed my fingers, and my eyes landed on his left hand, where his ring still sat. It was scratched up, and a little misshapen, but there it was.

"You never took it off?"

"Not for a second." He laced his fingers through mine.

We were out shopping at the small strip mall that was in Lebanon, Kansas, where we apparently lived. It was small and quaint, and everyone knew Sam and Dean. It was really great to see that they settled down, no matter how unconventional. Dean was touching me constantly, his hand was always on my back, fingers twisted in mine, lips on my forehead. He had been since I'd been back. Nel was ahead of us looking at band T-shirt's and holding hands with her girlfriend.

"I'm Ava. It's so nice to meet you, Claire." I took her hand in mine and she shook it with a strong grip. "I can't wait to get to know you better."

"Likewise." Claire said through pursed lips. I could see her looking me over. She was being protective, and I was thankful for that. She didn't want anyone to hurt Nel. I wanted to hug her.

"Mom, this is Jack." Ava said, referencing the blonde boy that was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Hello Jack." I smiled.

"Hello, Ellie's Mother." He said before giving me a large hug. "We have not had a mother in the bunker before."

I laughed lightly and hugged him back. He seemed like a sweet kid. From what I heard, he'd had a time of it. His own mother had died, too.

When Jack released me Castiel made eye contact. I nodded to him and he took a step toward me. "Hello Ava."

"Castiel." I smiled. He pulled me into a hug, and I gasped in surprise. From what I knew of him, I didn't think he'd be a hugger. I guess a lot had changed.

"I am happy you're here." He said I to my hair.

"I guess you took my advice." I murmured into his ear, tilting my chin up.

"I did." He smiled. "I took Dean's lead, I chose honor."

"Good." I smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I'm glad. I can tell he really loves you."

"He loves you too." He said with a smile. He let me go and moved out of the way.

There he was, Sam. Tall and broad, with the same shaggy hair. His eyes looked tired, and sad, and he a defined layer of scruff on his chin and cheeks. "Hi Sam."

"Hey, Ave." We walked to each other, meeting in the middle in a tight hug. His arms wrapped around me and I rested my head against him. "We missed you."

It'd been awhile since things had been that simple with Sam. Or that simple in general.

"What about this?" Dean teased, holding out a skimpy black dress.

"Oh please." I laughed and waived him off. "How about this." I pulled out a flannel and grinned. "Hunter sheik."

"Looks great." He kissed the top of my head. "But you look sexy in everything." He said, his voice full of gravel.

I grabbed a few things and went into the dressing room. I pulled a pair of jeans off the hanger, wiggling into them. I buttoned the top and looked at myself in the mirror. They fit good . I moved my eyes up to my face looked really tired, but not like I'd died, and definitely not like I could have a sixteen year old. I sat down on the bench in the dressing room.

It was a lot. It was almost too much. I took a few deep breaths.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, honey. I'm great."

"Can I come in?" She asked, and I opened the curtain allowing her to join me.

"What's up?" I asked her with a forced smile.

"Dad was thinking that you needed some help."

I patted the spot next to me and she sat next to me. I wrapped an arm around her. "Is that all?"

"Yeah."

I kissed her hair. "Nel you can tell me if there's something else going on. I know you don't know me well, but I love you. You can trust me." When she looked at me her teal eyes were full of tears. "Honey." I held her cheeks.

"I'm worried about Dad."

"Why? What's wrong?" I pushed her hair behind her ears.

"I'm not supposed to tell you." She exhaled.

"Baby girl you can tell me anything."

She closed her eyes, and I wiped her tears with my thumbs.

"He's going to be mad."

"It's okay. He won't be mad for long. Not at you. You can tell me. You don't have to carry everything alone. I'm here."

Ella

I could hear him screaming. Banging against the walls of Dads mind. He was scratching at the door. Begging to get out. I'd heard it every minute since I brought him back. His mind was reaching out to mine in tendrils. Wrapping around mine, pulling me close. Dad and I had always been of one mind, but this was more. This was dangerous.

"I know you can hear me little Winchester." He hissed in Dads voice. "I will kill you first. Your dear old dad will watch you die."

Chills ran up my spine. For the first time in my life I wanted something that I could have. I wanted my mom.

"I'm here." She told me, her palms on my cheeks.

"I can hear him." I mumbled through my tears.

"Hear who?"

"Michael."