Fourteen

"No more running," Dean's voice was surprisingly calm. "No more lies or secrets. You tell me the truth and first of all tell me how you're even here right now because from what I've interpreted here today you don't even exist yet?"

"Dean," Holly pleaded, hoping she wouldn't have to explain. Dean gave her a look. "Dad…"

"Tell me." Dean demanded.

"It's sort of like a death echo," she sighed. "But in reverse. Many times God can conjure up a perfect replica of a person even if they haven't died yet. He fills up their dead mind with their future memories and sends them into the dream world."

"So you're like a succubus," Dean said. "What with the dream travel and all that, but no sexual stuff. Just omens and oracles?"

"Essentially yes," Holly nodded. "I was given an order by God to show you your future. He often does this. If you've ever heard of a person's life flashing before their eyes? Or a near death experience? Or in your case, a comatose future tour."

"So you're telling me God's trying to wake me up?" Dean pointed upwards, he wasn't buying it, but here she was his daughter standing before him. She looked like she'd gone a few rounds with a Hellhound, but after seeing the car crash Dean knew why. "Excuse my French, but why does God give a rat's ass about me?"

"Because of his son," Holly swallowed hard. "You make his son happy."

"Jesus?" Dean asked, trying hard not to raise his voice any louder than it was.

"Castiel," Holly shot back at him, Dean took a step back at her defensive tone. "My Papa."

Dean stared at her for a moment. She let out a giant sigh and looked him in the eyes. Dean almost felt the anguish Future Dean had just by looking at her. She was cut up and bleeding and glass filled her eyes. She was a royal mess. One day she would be his and Cas' royal mess though, that is if Dean wanted that. Just by looking at her, Dean didn't think he did.

"Why do you think God kept bringing him back," Holly asked Dean, her voice going a bit lower. "All those times. Because you didn't know it Dean, but he did. He knew that you looked at Castiel and you saw hope. He knew that you looked at him and saw friendship, but you saw more. You saw what Sam will see in Gabriel. A kindred soul that matches with yours. You love Castiel and not just as a friend and don't try to lie to me in your own mind because I'm sure if I could that I could find a million thoughts and images that prove I'm right."

"I…" Dean tried to lie, to think up anything, but the truth. But he couldn't. He'd been shown his future after all and there was no faking any of that. "You're not wrong."

"See?" she smiled a little, a tiny half smile in the right crook of her mouth. "Now you're learning."

"You really are my daughter," Dean remarked. "Sarcasm and all."

"I learned from the best as I said before," Holly replied. "You and Papa teach me a great deal."

"I just want to know why," Dean said. "I want to know why you showed me it. The worst part of my future."

"Correction," Holly said, Dean raised an eyebrow. "The worst part of my future. I showed you because I realized that even early on I couldn't fight it. I tried to avoid it because I knew you'd react badly, but eventually I had to give in. I'm glad I did."

"Glad," Dean exclaimed. "Why in the hell would you want to see your own death?!"

"To remind you," Holly explained. "How fragile and short life is."

Dean tried to argue back, but he found he couldn't. She had a more valid point than anything he could've thought of in response.

"If I had shown you only the good and not the bad," Holly went into a long dissertation. "I'd have been lying to you. My death would've hit you like a sideswipe with no warning. Most people don't get the luxury of knowing when loved ones are going to die. You and Sam are special cases; you've gotten warnings about deaths all of your lives. If I hadn't showed you my death you'd have done something stupid to try and bring me back. I showed you to show you that I will accept death. I've accepted my own even before it happens. I showed you so you can let go."

"I can't," Dean shook his head and turned away from her, he couldn't look at her. It made him hurt deep inside. "I can't accept that Holly. You're my daughter. You're supposed to outlive me. Not the other way around."

"Dad," Holly said softly. "Just…please let me show you one more thing? Before you have to go, before you have to wake up?"

Dean stood, hands in his pockets. He looked over at his daughter. Here she had put him through his future and hell combined and she was insistent on him seeing more? Dean had been hoping to reach the end from the beginning. This had been his goal all along, to wake up, to go home. But now that he stood so close, he still felt so far away. He felt like if he didn't see what she wanted to show him now, he'd feel incomplete. He finally sighed and nodded.

"Ok fine," Dean said. "Show me. What's so important that I see it before I get to go home?"

Holly took him by the shoulder again and flew them back to house Future Dean had bought. The air was slightly warmer. Dean guessed it was summer. The windows in the living room were open and soft music poured out, not the usual rock and roll that Dean played in his car. Holly flew them inside of the house. The downstairs consisted of Castiel sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Dean was cooking. Holly flew them upstairs and showed him the upstairs. The door that had led to his future daughter's, Holly's, room was shut. The one to Sam's old room was shut too. Two others were open. The door to Castiel and Dean's room and the door to Daniel's room.

Dean peered through the door. Daniel was rushing around on a cell phone, chatting with a friend Dean assumed. Daniel had grown into a handsome teenager who looked just as Dean had in his teen years. Dean noticed also that in the corner of the boy's room a familiar canine face was carefully watching. Titan was lying down and seemingly being ignored by Daniel as he rushed to put his shoes on. Daniel went to leave his room, hanging up his phone and as he stalked over to the door Titan's head shot up. He barked, standing up.

Daniel looked back at him and even though he was in a hurry the boy hugged him tight around the neck, closing his eyes as he did so. Titan nuzzled the side of Daniel's head.

"I love you Titan." Daniel smiled and waved before running off and as if he were five again, Titan gave a little tap of his nose to Daniel's bottom. Daniel didn't seem to notice, but it was almost as if Titan smiled as he watched the boy descend the stairs, grabbing his skateboard along the way and then disappearing.

"Love yah too," Titan had appeared to pick up quite a lot of human lingo in the future. "Daniel."

Dean watched Titan lie back down and close his eyes. He couldn't help, but smile. He heard Daniel downstairs bidding future him and Castiel a goodbye and Castiel warning him to be careful. Daniel gave out "I love you's" too. In fact the entire family seemed to be giving them out more frequently after Holly's death. So far Dean had noticed that.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The next thing Dean knew he was on a beach. A familiar beach. The beach behind Gabriel and Sam's apartment. The sky was a bit cloudy and the beach was deserted. Deserted except for a few figures Dean saw in the distance. He saw Sam and Gabriel. Sam looked a little older than he did now in the waking world. Gabriel hadn't seemed to age. What surprised Dean the most was who was in between them, holding each of their hands. A little boy. He had golden hair like Gabriel and when he looked over at him Dean saw that he had hazel eyes like Sam. His giggle could easily be infectious and his smile was precious. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put together what had happened here. In front of the happy family ran a happy Black Labrador Retriever with a matching collar like Titan's and the same angelic dog tags. His tongue was hanging out and he barked at Sam. Sam petted behind the dog's ears and it took off again down the sand.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean found himself back at the house next. It was night. There was only light on, the downstairs living room light. The music played again. This time it was a bit faster, but only a bit. It was perfect to dance to and dancing was what was occurring. Dean peeked in through the window and saw future him and Castiel dancing back and forth in sock feet and pajamas in the living room. Castiel's smile was unwavering and Dean's almost as bright as the sun. Their matching rings glittered even in the low light. Dean's strong hands were intertwined with Castiel's and Castiel's head was thrown back in laughter until he could laugh no more and he rested his face in Future Dean's shoulder. Future Dean smiled down at him and continued the dance. Castiel's eyes closed contently as he swayed back and forth in the arms of the man he loved.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The last place Dean ended up was where he'd hoped he wouldn't. The graveyard. But the aura this time was different. It was less pain, less anguish, the air was filled with something more like…acceptance? Dean looked over at where Holly's gravestone stood. There were four figures huddled around it. Three human, one dog. Castiel, Daniel, Future Dean and Titan. The flowers on the grave were fresh and their son's old stuffed animal was amazingly still hanging in there. It hadn't disintegrated yet. Daniel had Titan by his side; the Angelhound nuzzled his leg and licked his hand. Daniel looked down at him and gave a small smile before walking off and away from the grave. Titan followed him like a hawk. Castiel stood with Future Dean, hand in hand. They looked at the carving of her name on the stone and the dates of when she was born and when she'd died. Dean was silently grateful they didn't put how people died on their graves.

"Are you ready Dean?" Castiel asked.

"Yes," Future Dean nodded and Castiel squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek before walking off to where Daniel was waiting. Future Dean stayed a few more moments. "You'd be proud of your brother. He's getting straight A's in school. Your Papa is serving Heaven well and so are you I'm sure. Uncle Sammy has a son now. He's five. You'd love him. He's perfect. I miss you every day princess, but I know you're not in pain now. You're watching over me just like my mom said. Angels watch over me every day…"

He looked over at Castiel who was tending to Daniel's crooked buttons on his flannel and Daniel rolled his eyes. Titan barked at him.

"Anyway," Future Dean smiled a little, it was real too, Dean could tell. "You will always be my little girl even if I can't see you anymore. I know you're watching over me and I love you every day and night, don't you forget that, ever. Oh and uh one more thing…"

Future Dean pulled a cellophane bag out of his pocket and inside was assorted flavors and colors of gummi bears. He looked at the bag a moment before setting it at the foot of Holly's grave. He smirked.

"I've always enjoyed our gummi bears toss wars," Future Dean started to walk away. "We'll have another one day."

Future Dean left the grave and Dean stared in disbelief. He, Dean Winchester, being so nonchalant about death. Especially hers!

"It's called moving on," Holly explained to Dean, deep seriousness in her voice. "It stills hurts. For all of you. For the rest of your lives, but you've moved on. You've accepted it. You've accepted that I'm in a happy and painless place. This dad, dare I say it, may be the most important part of your future. The part where you all find strength, love, and peace."

Dean looked at her, he stared. He waited. He waited for her to continue.

"You and Papa," Holly looked over as everyone disappeared out of the graveyard gates. "And Titan and my brother and Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe. You all are the wind beneath my wings, we are all what makes your future Dean Winchester, but ultimately it's up to you."

"Up to me?" Dean asked.

"The future can always change," Holly explained. "Nothing is ever set in stone. It all depends on what you're willing to go after. I can't control what choice you make when you wake up, but Dad…"

She took Dean's hands in hers; somehow they'd healed as had the rest of her. She looked like she did when Dean and she had met at the park before he'd even seen a glimpse of the future he could have. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"I know you'll make the right choice." She finished.

Dean felt her hands slip out of his and he felt them for the first and last time. She stepped back, a smile on her face and watched as the scenery around them started to disappear. Dean watched too. The trees became no more, the grass disintegrated below his feet, and the sky was starting to become white. Even Holly herself started to fade away. Dean wanted to say something else, anything else, but as soon as she was almost gone she simply waved goodbye and the world around Dean inside of his head went white.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

In the hospital room Sam and Castiel sat. They had been waiting for weeks for Dean to wake up. The doctors had given them hope in the beginning, but now they were giving Dean slim chances. Sam hated those odds. But as Sam went to turn a page in his magazine, his hope returned. For he heard the unmistakable sound of his brother muttering. Both Castiel and Sam jumped up and rushed over to the bedside. Dean shot up, breathing heavily, eye blown. Sam smiled; relieved he called for the doctor. Castiel simply laid a hand on Dean's back. Dean looked over at him.

"Welcome back Dean." He said.

Reviews are appreciated!

So it was longer than I had planned, I lied. Oh well it needed the extra moments!

The epilogue is next!