A.N.: So here is the real end guys. Thank you for all of your support and reviews and kindness, it means everything to me. A special shout out to my beta Kat, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to read this and help me fix up the parts that didn't work. *hugs* I appreciate all of you more than I can say.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Epilogue

I must be in shock as Sam lets me go and the guy I think is Dean stalks back towards us covered in blood. My sisters' blood. I finally stop screaming and crying and just watch in numb observation as he takes what looks like Dad's letter opener from Sam's outstretched palm.

"Dean?" Sam questions his voice rough and I didn't even notice until that moment that he is crying too.

Dean doesn't say anything as he heads back to my sister's unmoving body and slips the blade almost tenderly along her wound.

His face is anything but kind as he stalks towards the flailing monster, climbs on top of it and plunges the blade into its chest. The things yowls out in torment and Dean pulls the blade free and then does it again, jerking it to the side as the beast dies in the middle of shouting out its suffering. Dean drops the blade in the grass, flicks out what I think is a lighter and sets the nightmare alight. His face is dead as he passes by me and Sam without looking back.

I don't remember much after that; Dean had come back with a blanket in his arms and gathered my sister up to his chest. I followed behind Sam, my vision dimming before my legs gave out on me. He must have carried me the rest of the way because the next thing I knew we were back at the house.

Then nothing, snippets of gasps and sobs and empty promises that everything would be fine and voices, mine, Deans, Sams….who knows? Who cares? Kayla is gone…

I don't so much sleep as cease to exist for an extended period of time and when I wake up Sam hovers in the doorway and stares at me like he knows what it's like to lose everything in the blink of an eye.

"Bailey, I'm so sorry," he whispers and when I move to look up at him there is no one around. I wonder if I imagined it…

How do I get over this, how do I move on? What am I going to do? I lean back into my pillow and start at the noise of paper crinkling under my palm.

There are three envelopes sticking out from the corner of the bottom of my pillow. One addressed to me, one to Sam and one to Dean. As I lift the corner of the one addressed to me I'm crying hard. I have to wipe my face so I don't ruin the letter.

Bailey,

There are a lot of things in this world that don't make sense. Such as a giant evil bat crashing into your living room and taking your sister, or you and me being all that's left of the Tucker family. But then there are things that make perfect sense, like God putting us together as sisters. I wouldn't have made it on my own and I'm sorry if I haven't been good to you the last couple of months. Being around Sam and Dean these last couple days has given me back some sort of spark again, nothing like having your sister thrust into mortal danger to put your own petty problems in perspective. I hope you aren't reading this Bails, I pray with everything in me that I was able to race into your room and shred this before you ever had to see what I feared might be my final words. But if you are reading this, if I did...well you know, if I saved you it will all be worth it. Don't get me wrong I don't have a death wish, I want nothing more to than to bring you home and tease you endlessly on the crush you will undoubtedly have on Sam ( they are ridiculously good looking!) but if I can get you home safe and sound, even if I'm not there, I won't have any regrets. I'm not going to lie to you. I never have and I won't waste time by starting now. It's going be hard for you Bailey. Life is going to suck for a while, but your life doesn't end because mine did. Don't even think of giving up, life means so much more than that. For God's sake please be careful. I love you, whether I'm alive or dead, that will never change.

Always,

Kay

I fold it up and choke back tears. Even in death she knew just what to say.

It takes me several more reads to get up the will to go downstairs, and when I do Dean is watching the news. They are running a special on finding Rich Kipling's body, littered with holes like a piece of Swiss cheese. Sam smiles sadly at me to acknowledge my presence and Dean changes the channel looking strangely proud.

Funeral arrangements are the worst, especially with Kayla wanting to be cremated. I did not know how I was going to explain that she had been gutted to the crematory operator, but when we transported her body either Sam or Dean had already taken care of that, because she was cleaned up and dressed in clean clothes. How much time did I black out?

They both stayed for the service, sorrow evident even through their masks of stoicism. After the service I contacted my uncle who was going to be moving to Clovis to be my guardian in the next couple of days.

When we got back to the house, I run upstairs to change out of my black clothes and when I cross back into the hallways, Dean is in Kayla's' room, one of his hands twisted in her bedspread. I want to ask him what gave him the right, needing somewhere to place all of my anger, but his shoulders began to shake. Subtly at first and then with the force of an earthquake.

I can almost hear Kayla in the hallway standing next to me. "Don't blame them, it's not their fault."

What did this man and my sister share in those few days that had him shaking like this? I get the impression that Dean isn't the type of person who spares much time for tears. I have tears pouring down my face by the time he turns and walks out of the room. It really sucks that Kayla isn't here to fill in the blanks...

Another two days pass with Dean and Sam popping in regularly and staying less and less time. Dean seems like it really bothers him to be in the house and a time or two I catch him just staring at the laundry room. Sam is completely aware of just how much because he is always the one making up an excuse as to why they have to leave.

He tells me once when I am alone, staring out into the backyard that "All she cared about was saving you."

I turn towards him with raw eyes to match my raw heart. "Would that make a difference to you?"

Sam casts his gaze to Dean in the entryway, looking like he would rather be anywhere else doing anything else and says "No, no it wouldn't."

The next time he tries to talk to me he is just tells me about how he lost someone (and the way he says it communicates that someone is almost everyone) and he knows what it feels like.

I want to rage out and tell him there is no way he can know how I feel, no way he can understand what I am going through, but when I turn my heated glare on him his eyes are crammed full of sympathy. We just sit in silence until Dean guns the engine of his car.

I force myself to eat and breath and sleep. Even though it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Because Kayla was right, she hadn't given up her life so I could wallow in mine. I even manage an actual smile when the guys show up this time.

When they both show up with the car idling outside I know it's because they have come to say goodbye. I run upstairs to retrieve their letters and Dean looks like it physically pains him to see her handwriting scrawled across the front of the envelope. I know the feeling.

Sam opens his and reads through it smiling the whole time, smiling through his tears by the time he gets to the end.

Dean opens his and I can only make out the first couple of lines

'The timing was all wrong, the feelings were all right, and no matter what happens I'm so grateful that I met you.'

Before Dean folds it back up and shoves it into his jacket pocket. I don't know if he will ever finish it, but I hope so.

Sam hands me a piece of paper with a series of numbers printed on it. "Give us a call whenever." he says and then they are just awkwardly standing there waiting for permission to go.

I grip tight onto Sam's waist in a hug. "Thanks guys."

Sam pats the top of my head and I curse whoever decided it was a good idea for me to be fourteen at this very moment.

I look at Dean and can't think of anything to say to him.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he whispers and it feels like the only thing left to say is "You too."

We chat for a little while longer and then they are checking their watches too much and my uncle is coming by in an hour and I really don't want to have to explain why there are two guys way older than me just hanging around my house.

As if on cue Dean slaps his brother in the middle of his chest. "Time to hit the road Sammy."

Sam nods. "Goodbye Bailey."

I raise my hand a farewell wave as I watch them get into the car. I can hear Dean grumble "How long are we going to listen to this pansy crap?" as alternate rock leaks out of the car.

Sam sighs loud and long, before flipping the station over to what sounds like classic rock.

"Music to my ears." Dean sighs and runs a hand along the dash.

"Its music to everyone's ears Dean."

Dean looks embarrassed, but smiles for the first time in days at his brother.

As I watch the car start to disappear into the distance, sunlight glinting off of the metal exterior I can almost feel Kayla at my back mumbling something about "those two never change."

I feel her touch a hand to my shoulder. "I'm always here." and then I close the door on the sight of the Winchesters driving away with something like hope fluttering to life in my chest.

Roll credits!

Thanks again you guys! :-]