All Secrets Known

Chapter 3

It was after six when Sam lifted his head from the book he was reading and said, "So this is a bit of a Hail Mary but it might just have a chance of working. I haven't found how to find Abaddon but and it's a pretty big but…" Both Emma and Dean spontaneously giggled childishly at Sam's choice of word. They looked at each other and stopped immediately, turning their attention back to Sam trying to fain seriousness. "Ok, children," Sam added before he continued "There is a possibility that we could find Josie Sands." "Who?" Emma asked. "Sam you might just be a genius." Dean remarked before turning to Emma, "Josie is, no scratch that, was, the poor girl that Abaddon is riding around in." He paused in case she had any questions, she said nothing so he continued, "Her soul managed to get out when Abaddon left her body allowing her to die. Abaddon some how managed to get the body back but her soul, her soul is free. The day Josie died was the same day; Metatron closed the doors on heaven." Sam stepped in, "The only problem is there were a few hours between Josie's death and the doors getting locked. But if she hung around, for whatever reason, if she didn't make it up in time, then she is still in the veil." Sam tapped the book in front of him, "According to this, if she is still around her soul is still linked to her body, whether its buried or happens to be walking around trying to take over the world." Dean turned expectantly to the angel, "Cas do you think you could find her?" he asked. Castiel nodded, please to finally have some good news, "Yes, I believe so, it may take me some time bit if she is in the veil, I should be able to find her before its too late."

With Cas gone, they were again at loose ends. Sam continued to stream through the files in the hope of finding something about the ritual or even a way of slowing her down if the managed to come face to face with her. Emma took the opportunity to have a wander through the bunker, curious to see how the boys were living. Despite everything she had said earlier she was pleased to see they finally had a place to call home, of sorts. She was walking down a hallway off the sleeping quarters when Dean opened the door of his room.

"You got a minute?" he asked. She hesitated, not wanting another argument. He held the door open and simply said, "Please." She accepted and entered his room. It was sparse, with only a small few personal items doted around the place. He closed the door behind her and sat on the bed, the shoe box next to him, already open. He took out the ticket stub and looked at it in his hands. She nervously sat on the bed next to him, the shoe box the only thing between them. He finally spoke, "I remember going to this concert, I stumbled across it on my way back from a hunt; nobody ever knew I had been there." She took the ticket out of his hand, "We," She corrected him "were coming back from tackling a particularly nasty poltergeist in Portland. Sam had just left for Stanford and neither Bobby or John was expecting us back for another day or so. And if by 'stumbled' you mean drove four hundred miles in the opposite direction then yes we stumbled across it." Dean smiled to himself. He remembered the night fondly although in his memory he had been alone. It was one of those perfect night that were so rare in existence, no hunt, no responsibility, no one to save, pure freedom. He rooted in the box and pulled out another item.

"And this?" he handed her the prom picture, "Seriously?" Emma smiled and for an instance there was no trace of pain in her eyes. "Yeah, that." She said apologetically, "Bobby forced me to go and you to take me. He wanted me to have some sort of a normal life and going to the prom was part of it. Except for the fact that no one was going to ask the crazy chick who could floor anyone on the football team in one move." She smiled remembering how excited her dad ha

d been when he first saw her in the dress. "Neither of us was given a choice, in the matter and neither of us wanted to disappoint him either." She looked at the picture and laughed a little. "We pretty much posed for the photo and then left, spent the rest of the night drinking cheap whiskey out the back of the yard." "In the old Caddy?" Dean asked, "You got it." She said. "That sounds about right." He added.

"Dean, I owe you an apology, I didn't mean anything I said earlier. I was angry, I wanted to lash out at someone, anyone, and you always had a habit of pushing my buttons." Emma said genuinely sorry for her outburst. "You weren't wrong," he managed to say before she stopped him. "Look, Bobby was a hunter, we don't go peacefully in our sleep, he knew that and so do I. He would have given his life for you and Sam, a thousand times over if he could of." Dean looked at her as if for the first time since they had met, finally seeing what seemed to come so easily to Sam. This girl was a Singer, she was family whether he remembered her or not, just being around felt right, she seemed to fill a hole that had been there even before Bobby had died. "Dean!" Sam called for somewhere in the bunker, "Get up here."

They both got up and joined Sam in the library to find Castiel has returned. "I found her." he said as they entered the room. "Who, Josie or Abaddon?" Dean asked. "Both." Came the reply. "Awesome, let get going." Dean said enthusiastically. "No, not yet," Cas replied. "We only get one shot at this, Abaddon must not finished the ritual, if we strike too early she could flee and complete it else where." "He's right; we need to wait until the last minute before we make a move." Sam added. "Do we have a plan once we get there?" Emma asked looking to Sam who had spent the evening with his head in the Men of Letters files but it was Dean who answered. "Sorry but there is no 'we' in this, we have no way of putting Abaddon down, there is no reason for us all to get our asses kicked." "Right then you stay here cause there is no way in hell I'm taking a knee on this. I've been doing this as long as you and to be honest, haven't died nearly as often as you two. Plus it wasn't that long ago I took down a couple of Winchester by myself." Dean looked to Sam for back up. "No way man, don't try and drag me in to this, I still have scars on my back from her taser. She scares me, I'm not arguing with her." Sam then got serious, "Maybe she's right on this though, about you sitting this one out." "What are you talking about?" Dean asked. "Without the blade you can't kill Abaddon but if she manages to take you out before we even get a hold of it, it will all have been for nothing." The conversation had turned in a direction Dean didn't like, "Whoa, hold it there, I'm coming, you're not ditching me on this one." It was Emma who came to his rescue; "Alright then, I'll ask again," knowing full well there was no hope convincing him otherwise, "Do we have a plan?" "Nothing new unfortunately," Sam answered, "Devil trap bullets and holy oil are the only things that have managed to slow her in the past and they're still our best bet." "So get in, make a big distraction, disrupt the ritual and get out again, simple." Emma added. "Right, we only have a couple of hours to prep, lets get to it." Dean ordered

Armed to the hilt, they were all ready to go a little before eleven. Not wanting to risk leaving it any later, Cas had already taken them a short distance from the empty building where Abaddon and her minions were hold up in. "I've check the area, there are no demons on sentry duty. Inside there is only Abaddon, and four others in a room just off the main entrance." Cas informed them. "Does this feel a little too easy to anyone else?" Sam asked, "She must have assumed we'd try and stop her." "Or she is as arrogant as she seems and simply didn't expect us to be able to find her." Dean countered. "I'll agree it does feel like she is just short of leaving a key under the mat for us but we have no other option." Emma added "We could walk away, let her finish the ritual and deal with the consequences, maybe it will be ok?" Sam suggested meekly. "What the hell man!" Dean snapped, "Bobby agreed to forget his only family to protect us from who knows what and now you think we are going to walk away from the fight because it might be a trap. Have you met us?" Emma was taken back by the conviction in his voice. Less than twenty four hours ago he was threatening to kill her and now he was willing to walk into God only knows what on no more than her word. Once he saw you as family he was loyal to a fault. "Dean's right, we have no other choice," she agreed, "It's now or never, lets go." She said before anyone else decided it was open for discussion.

Like Castiel had said, they met no resistance as they made their way to the buildings boarded up main door. Loose planks were easily removed, leaving a gap big enough even for someone as tall as Sam to easily stoop through. Cas led the way already knowing the location of the occupied room. The group paused outside the door, Dean now taking control, "Emma, Cas, you two head to the right, Sam and I will go the left, try and cover as much ground as possible before they get a bead on you." They all nodded in agreement. Dean began counting to three on his fingers; everyone readied themselves and their weapons. On three he flung the doors open and they rushed in. Any hopes that they held the element of surprise was immediately dashed.

Abaddon stood in the centre of the room, flanked on each side by two large military looking demons. All five ready and expecting them. The Demons on the Winchester's side each waved a hand and the brothers were thrown and pinned against the wall. On Emma's side they ignored the angel and advanced upon her. She tried to put up a fight but was quickly and easily over powered. They then held her in place, each holding tightly on to her shoulders, her feet barely touching the ground. A quick pat down and they had emptied her pockets and holster of all weapons. Abaddon turned her attention to Castiel. "I could smell your stench a mile away, angel." She made a show of backing away as he bore down on her. To his confusion she stopped suddenly and smiled at him. "I see no humour in this situation, you abomination" He said shortly. "That's the problem with you angels, you watch and watch but fail to ever see what is right in front of you all along." She said as she flicked a match in his direction. The floor around him lit up and he was encircled in holy fire.

Abaddon turned to Emma who was still fruitlessly struggling against her captors, "You, you're the missing link, aren't you. I have been tearing hell and earth apart, trying to figure out how a crossroads demon managed to usurp the throne. And every lead I followed led me to a nameless face. Hunters and demons alike, no matter whose memory I poked away at, it was always the same, there you were, no more than a shadow, a smudge, but there none the less." She took Emma's chin in her hand and examined her face up close. "You are the last piece of the puzzle. You will show me how pond scum like Crowley became the last King of Hell." "Bite me!" Emma spat, "Oh you're not my type darling, a little too short, I like 'em big, like your friend over there." She shot Sam a look that turned his stomach. "This is about, Crowley?" Dean asked, Abaddon smiled and looked back to Emma, "Well, that's what we are all her to find out. Let's see what is bouncing around in that little noggin of yours?"

She grabbed the front of Emma's shirt and tore it open, revealing the anti-possession tattoo on the left side of her chest. "Well, that has got to go." She said scornfully letting go of Emma and walking over to a table next to Dean and Sam. "You see your angel here did a damn fine job at keeping you from me, I knew sooner or later you would let your guard down but I grew impatient. That bastard, Crowley, really does seem to get on my nerves." She looked about the table and selected a thick short poker from one side and a blow torch from the other. "You see there never was a ritual," She looked over at the boys pinned to the wall next to her, "I can't make you remember anymore than I can make you not be the four most gullible people in the world." She waved a hand in the general direction of the demons with her, "And to think, this lot thought that picking tonight was too obvious, they feared it would tip my hand. But I guess you are dumber than you look. Like lemmings running head long of a cliff you lot run in here, into battle, without giving it a second thought. She lit the blow torch and began heating the poker. Dean stared at her, realising her plan, "I swear to God, if you lay a hand on her…" "You'll what?" she cut across him, "You'll remain where you are and watch helplessly, as her flesh cooks, that's what. Now stop making idle threats, its only showing your weakness."

The poker was now red hot, placing the torch back on the table she stepped over to Emma, who was desperately trying to break free of the hands holding her in place. One of the demons grabbed the top of her head with his free hand and yanked it back, pulling her face and chin out of the way, giving Abaddon room to work. Without ceremony the Knight placed the headed metal across Emma's tattoo. The searing heat was intense and caused her to let out a reflex scream as her skin and the tattoo distorted. Holding it in place a while longer Abaddon waited until enough skin had been burnt. When she was finally satisfied that the tattoo was unrecognisable she removed the poker. Emma's knees were weak from the heat and the pain but she was held in place effortlessly by the two burley demons. The grip on her head was release and it now hung listlessly towards her shoulder, all of her strength had gone to remaining conscious through the ordeal.

"What do you hope to achieve, Knight?" Castiel demanded, the angel fire dwarfing his normally booming voice. "Her story has no bearing on yours. She is nothing, in the scheme of things. Your fight is with Crowley." Abaddon stepped towards him, "I am more than a Knight, I am a Queen. And as Queen I must know all the players on the boards, even a lowly pawn such as this. She had a hand in Crowley's rise and I will know the truth." She tilted her head back as thick black smoke erupted from her perfectly lipsticked mouth. The cloud travelled across the room to where Emma had unwillingly mirrored Abaddon's actions and accepted the plume into her. The demons on either side released her as her eyes blinked black before returning to normal. The men watched in silence as Emma craned her next from side to side and stretched out her arms and fingers."

"Cramped in here." Was all she said. For a couple of minutes she didn't move at all, although it seems as if she was reading from an invisible text, laid out in front of her. Then suddenly the black smoke exited and travelled back, the same route it had taken, to the vacated body across the room. Abaddon stood, happy to be back in her favoured body. "Oh my," she said, "I have to say that was a revelation, certainly worth the trouble." as she stomped the distance between her and Emma. The Demons had immediately taken up their post again, holding her in place. As Abaddon reached her she drew up her fist and landed an upper cut, full force onto Emma's jaw. Her whole head rattled and blood spilled from her mouth and nose. A second blow came before she could focus again making contact with the left side of her face, her eye socket making a sickly cracking sound. Abaddon turned her attention to Emma's torso, landing punch after punch, breaking ribs and knocking the wind from her. Emma was sure her left lung was punctured but between the hits it was hard to be sure. "Enough! Stop it!" Dean yelled, but Abaddon paid him no heed and continued to pound on Emma, alternating from ribs and back to face until she felt a mild sense of release. She stepped in close to Emma, her lips almost brushing off her ear, "We both know you've endured worse."

She motioned to the demons behind Emma and they roughly dropped her into a nearby chair. Her head dropped limply to her chest as they secured her wrists to the chair. She managed to drag her head semi upright, catching Dean's eye she mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to him before her head dropped again. Abaddon crossed the room once again.

"So, you two really don't remember her at all, do you?" After everything she did for you. A bit of a doormat if you ask me, but who am I to judge." She directed her attention solely on the older Winchester. "Let me ask you this, Dean, you don't remember her, that's fine, but do you still remember hell, don't you?" A contented smile crossed her lips, she was enjoying this more than she had expected, "Because she does." She watched Dean's face, waiting for the moment of realisation. She ran her hand down his chest, caressing it, feeling his heart beat quicken. Emma tried to speak, desperate to stop what was happening but she only managed a couple of groans. Dean looked from Abaddon to Emma, still not fully understanding what she was alluding to. "Bite me!" he said stealing Emma's earlier response, hoping it would give her a sense of solidarity, some idea that he was still on her side and that this bitch wasn't going to break him. "Original." Abaddon said before she continued.

"She was there whole time you were and she remembers every second of." She turned away from Dean and addressed the whole room, "And here was me, hoping there would be some useful info in her tiny mind about Crowley, little did I know how big a web I was trying to unravel." She grabbed Emma by the hair and pulled her head back. "As it turns out, it was all her fault, this insignificant whore caused the embarrassment hell has become under his reign, and why?" She pulled a knife out of her pocket and pointed it accusingly at Dean. "To save your mortal soul, "she said in disgust. She looked at Emma's swollen, bloody face, bringing the knife to her temple she drew it slow down in an arch finishing at her jaw. Emma winced as blood poured from the wound. "She willingly followed you into the pit." Abaddon said, absently watching the blood pool around Emma's collar bone. "Thirty years, locked always, in a tiny cell. No light, no noise, no sleep, nothing but hells steaming heat. Damn near lost your mind didn't you, my dear girl." She said with mock concern as she drew the blade along Emma's jaw line, this fresh cut spilled warmth down her chest soaking into her bra and down her stomach. "Then finally the door opened and she was greeted by a familiar face." Dean's face was pale with fear and anger in equal measure. "She thought she was saved, she thought it was all over, that you had come to take her home. But instead you put her on the rack, on your rack."

She let go of Emma's hair and turned to Dean. She really was relishing this. Sam watched Dean trying to get a read on whether anything she was saying was true. "She was your first, the soul you broke the first seal on." "Dean, don't listen to her." Sam whispered. "You can't believe a word she is saying." Abaddon ignored Sam, advancing on Dean. "But that wasn't enough; her job wasn't done yet, not even close. She was your second, your third, your fourth, well you get the gist." She leaned in close to Dean and ran her bloody blade along his neck causing a shallow cut, enough to sting, but nothing more. "She was the only soul you put your blade to.

Everyday for nearly ten years, it was her and only her you tore at, it was only ever her you sliced, carved and burned." Dean shook his head in disbelief, "No it couldn't have been." "Oh but it was, but wait it get only gets better from here. It was all orchestrated by your good buddy, Castiel." She paused letting this sink in; when she didn't get a reaction she pushed further. "He chose to send your oldest and most loyal friend, to toss your first love's soul into the pit, just to save yours. Dean looked at Cas through the roar of holy fire, begging him to tell him that none of this was true. "And why?" Abaddon said, "Because hid God supposedly commanded it." "It wasn't like that, Dean; it was for the greater good. It had to be her, there was no other way." Castiel pleaded. "How about you shut the hell up angel, haven't you done enough?" Abaddon yelled at him, slamming her blood soaked hand down on to the table, where an angel banishing sigil had already been prepared. Castiel was enveloped by a blinding white light and was gone.

Composing herself, Abaddon said, "Ok, so where was I…, oh yes. So your buddy teamed up and made a deal with a slimy crossroads demon, one that had aspirations far above his station. It was simple, get Little Miss Martyr here in to hell and ensure no other soul crossed your rack. In return when the Michael defeated Lucifer, hell would be his." Sam looked to Dean who seemed to be lost in a world of despair and shame; instead he spoke to Abaddon asking, "Why?" Dean snapped out of his self pity at the sound of his brother's voice. "Easy, every soul you brother cut into would destroy a piece of his own, eventually leaving no humanity at all, creating a demon. As a demon, he could not be rescued from hell, and Michael would have no vessel. Not the one he wanted, anyway." Abaddon stood beside Emma, who was staring at the brothers doing her best to ignore the Knight next to her. She should have told them, she should never have brought them her, she wanted desperately to tell Dean that it was her choice, that it was alright but she could say nothing, do nothing but stare as their world fell apart.

"But one soul," Abaddon patted Emma's head, "Even a thousand times, was only one scar on yours, plenty for the angels to work with. When they did finally manage to rip you both free, you had no idea what she had done for you, no one did. Sam had been AWOL, Bobby thought she was too. He had been sick worry, but you were all so glad to be back together, no one really questioned it. Until Alistair, that is. Until he told you the truth about everything, about the first seal and about the only soul you tortured in hell. You crumbled, Bobby, your pretend daddy, despised you, wanted you dead, if truth be known."

Emma finally managed to find her voice. "That's not true, Dean, he loved you, he was just hurting, he would never have…" Abaddon drove her elbow into Emma's already broken ribs to shut her up. "Beat you to a pulp, like father like son, I suppose." "Shut your mouth, you whore." Emma yelled but this time Abaddon only laughed at the interruption, "There's that fire, I was wondering how someone like you managed to last so long in my domain." She turned back to Dean, "But that was exactly what you wanted, you want him to kill you, you didn't lift a hand in your defence." Again she approached Dean, "There was no coming back from this. Everyone you loved either feared or hated you. Even Sammy here, bless him, he tried to convince you it wasn't your fault, but you could see how differently he looked at you. And Emma, good old selfless fool that she is, although still by your side, had to fight herself not to wince at your touch or even be in the same room as you." Abaddon glanced at Emma but continued to speak directly to Dean. "She still has nightmares of her time down there with you." Dean looked at Emma, tears in his eyes, he said nothing, what could he say?

"But, it was you," Abaddon said tapping the tip of her blade against his chest. "It was you, who played the final hand. You, who made the final decision, you put the muzzle of your .44 into your mouth and pulled the trigger." Tears streamed down Emma's face, she never wanted Dean to have to remember any of this. Sam looked at his brother in shock, unable to image Dean giving up like that. He knew he carried his demons with him but could he really have taken his own life. "The angels had other plans for you however and suicide wasn't part of them. Within a couple of days you were back in the land of the living. That was when she knew what had to done, she had to go, to be forgotten. Otherwise there was no way to prevent the apocalypse." Abaddon shook her head in disgust, "Again, she sacrificed everything to save you." The Knight's narration was interrupted by a commanding voice coming from the open door way. "Abaddon!"

Cain stood before them, the first blade gripped firmly in his hand. He looked angry and ready to pounce. Her four minions stepped towards him but in a flash of red they disappeared, leaving nothing behind them but blood stained clouds of dust. "Cain!" Abaddon replied, obviously shaken at the sight of her old commander. "No, you don't speak," he boomed, "I'm assuming you have done enough of that already." She looked around the room, "I've gotten what I came for." To the Winchesters she said. "We'll pick this up another time, boys." Then turning to Emma, she added, "However, we're done." She drove her blade deep into Emma's chest and gave it a twist for good measure. "That's for ruining hell, bitch." Again Emma felt the warmth of her blood spill across her skin. Pulling it out again, she gave Cain an obstinate look and disappeared.

Dean and Sam now released from the forces pinning them to the wall rushed to Emma. "Get her untied." Dean said hurriedly, "Clear the table." He added once, she was free. He picked her up as Sam swept everything on to the floor. Dean carried her over and laid her down gently upon it. He placed his two hands on her chest, doing his best to stem the blood loss. Sam turned to Cain, "Can you help her?" He asked. "You must be Sam, nice to meet you and no, Father of Murder and all that. No healing just death and destruction." Still holding onto Emma, Dean turned his neck to look at Cain, "You have the blade, why didn't you give it to me, I could have finished this, I could have saved her!" Cain looked at the jaw bone in his hand, "This, this old thing is a fake your friend Crowley had whipped up. He figured it would be enough to spook her, buy you guys some time." He looked at Emma. "But it seems it was too little too late. I'm truly sorry about your friend."

"Dean" Emma said hoarsely, "I'm here," he said turning to her, "I'm so sorry for everything." "Shut up for a second" she interrupted, "Let me say my piece." She lifted her hand and placed it on Deans. "What Abaddon told you, truth or not, it's just a story, it doesn't have to be yours." She coughed as blood pooled in the back of her throat. "You're memory, real or fake, is the reality that lets you get out of bed in the morning, to continue to doing the good you do. Hold on to that reality, own that story, don't let Abaddon's story own you." "Everything I did, to you," Dean closed his eyes, "to Bobby." She cut him off again. "Bobby died loving you; he died with two loving sons by his side. He was so proud of both of you. And Cas, don't blame Cas, he was always straight with me, I knew what I was signing up for. The angels didn't expect you to hold out a year let alone thirty. Every time you told Alistair no, you were protecting me, you just didn't know it." Her breathing was getting shallow and words came slower. "Following you into hell, I never regretted it. I would have done it for either of you, my boys, my brothers." Sam placed a hand gently on her forehead, smiling at her through his tears wiping it clean of her blood and sweat.

Dean turned back to Cain, "Can you get us to a hospital at least?" he asked. It was Sam who answered, his voice cracking with emotion. "It's too late." He whispered, Dean looked at his brother "She's gone." Sam confirmed. Dean looked his brother in the eyes and shook his head; He slowly looked down at Emma, who was staring blankly at the roof beyond him. "No!" Dean yelled in a rage, picking up the chair next to him and hurling it across the room. "No." he repeated more softly. Taking Emma's battered face in his hands and placing his cheek next to hers, his tears flowing freely. "Please, no." he whispered one last time.

Cain had left, the brothers sat silently with Emma's body through the night waiting for the angel to return. The sun came up and cast dusty shadows through the room. "Dean." Sam said finally lifting his head. His brother didn't answer. "She's right, you know." "Don't Sam," he muttered, "I don't want to hear you tell me it wasn't my fault." Dean pleaded quietly. "Ok, I won't, although blowing a hole in your skull was a dick move, I'll give you that." Dean put his face in his hands, but said nothing. "But that wasn't what I was going to say." Dean didn't move. "She was right about your story, your history, remember the one you have, crappy and broken as it is, it's enough." Sam looked at Dean wishing he knew what was going on in his head. "We'll keep doing what we've been doing. Kill Abaddon and Gadreel; get the doors to heaven unlocked. Then you can break, wallow all you like in self pity and hatred" Dean was hurt by his brothers cold matter of factness but he still remained silent. "Until then, all you heard today was some cock and bull story from a crazy blood thirsty bitch." Things between them had been a little more than strained lately but hearing Sam talk like this, completely detached left Dean feeling more isolated and alone than ever before. He wiped his cheeks and ran his hand across his mouth but simply nodded. They returned to their silence, each brother trapped in their own solitude,

It was another few of hours before Castiel returned. He walked silently to Emma's body but didn't speak. Dean stood to face him. "You sent her to hell, you son of bitch." The angel looked up at him but still remained silent. Dean threw a punch that would have floored a human. Castiel's head snapped back an inch or two but no more. "There was no other way to ensure your safety, your soul." Dean dropped his head and closed his eyes. "Why? Why her?" his hand motioned in the direction of Emma but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. "No stranger could have endured what she went through. And Sam, well, Sam was already known to Lucifer and those in hell, there was no one else, no one strong enough. Without breaking his gaze on Dean, the angel's hand moved from his side and took Emma's in his. "She was my friend, she was extraordinary, I will miss her too." "But the veil, she in there, surely you can bring her back." Sam asked hopefully. "I am sorry, Sam, cut off from Heaven, I no longer possess such power, resurrection is not an option." Dean turned away from the angel finally bringing himself to look at Emma's lifeless body. The pain was so raw he found it hard to breathe.

After giving Emma, the same hunter funeral, they had her father no so long ago, they returned to the bunker. The brothers avoided each other, neither in the mood of company or to talk. Sam headed down to the archives with a couple of beers, not looking for anything in particular. He was reeling from what he had heard, what had happened to his surrogate family, how it had been torn apart. He didn't want to, but right now he was blaming it all on Dean and was sure he would regret what he might say if the matter was pressed.

Dean stood in the doorway of his room; frozen, staring at the shoebox that was where he and Emma had left it the night before. He eventually forced himself to cross the threshold and sat next to the box, his hand instinctively placed where Emma had last been, willing her to return. He took the box and upended it on to the bed, moving the pictures around until he spied what he was looking for. He picked up the ring and twisted it around between his fingers looking closely at it. For the first time he noticed an inscription along the inside. 'ES & DW – 1996'. He bit his lip to an attempt to stifle the tears that filled his eyes. He slowly put the ring on his middle finger, it fit perfectly. He picked up the prom photo and looked at the smiling faces of their teenage selves. Running his finger across her face, he said, "You will always be part of my story, Emma Singer."

- The End -