Thank you Jenjoremy for all you've done for me and this story. You're so much more than a beta. You're a cheerleader, pre-reader, a mine of information, and a very special friend.

Thank you Gredelina1 for always supporting me no matter what.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.

Epilogue

Sam sat slumped in the seat of the Impala, staring out of the window at the houses they were passing. It was a nice area but he barely noticed; his thoughts were consumed with other things.

Dean was on the phone, Castiel's voice coming through the crackling speaker.

"We have the bone and the blood now."

"And Crowley still doesn't know you're alive?" Dean asked.

"No. They lied and said there is another angel they're using for the blood. I believe I am safe. Perhaps when Dick Roman is dead, he will feel forgiving."

"We can hope," Dean said. "So, who's taking the shot?"

"Annie and I each have a portion of the bone. Whichever one of us has the opportunity will take the shot. I am confident this will work, Dean. We are well prepared and have a lot of hunters backing us up."

"I know," Dean said. "Just be careful, okay."

"I will. I should go. The others are ready."

"Okay. I'll see you real soon."

"You will," Castiel said confidently.

They exchanged goodbyes and Dean tucked the phone back in his shirt pocket. "They can do this," he said to himself.

He turned on the blinker and pulled them onto a new street. The houses slipped past them and they slowed as they reached a large house set back from the road at the end of the street. Dean stopped on the driveway and pulled on the parking brake.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sam nodded.

Dean climbed out and Sam imitated him. Dean headed up the path and steps to the door, glancing back at Sam expectantly. Sam followed him and waited as Dean knocked. There was the sound of locks disengaging and the door opened.

Elsie beamed at them. "You're here!" she said happily, stepping onto the porch and hugging Dean. "You made it."

"We did," Dean said, kissing her cheek and chuckling as she touched the spot and smiled at him.

She held his attention for a moment before turning to Sam. "Hello, Sam."

Sam grinned at her, his nerves dissolving as the painful memory left him. "Hello, Elsie."

Her eyes grew wet and she dabbed at them before deciding to throw caution to the wind and wrapping her arms around Sam. She clung to him for a moment and then pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "You're really back. Dean told us, but I didn't let myself really believe. Look at you though. You're really here. All the way here."

Sam nodded. "I am."

"You need feeding up," she said, dabbing at her eyes. "I have a casserole in the oven, and I made some muffins for you to have now."

Sam laughed. He remembered food being something Elsie was passionate about.

She patted his cheek. "Come in. Alfie is waiting for you."

Sam followed her inside and through the hall to the sun room. Sam looked around the familiar room where he had spent so many days before, lost in himself.

"Elsie," Dean said quietly, his gaze focused on the wall.

Sam followed his gaze and saw there was a new framed picture that he hadn't seen before. Among the pictures of their family was a new painting of Sam and Dean. Sam's head was thrown back with laughter and Dean was staring at him with a happy, if a little wistful, smile. Sam supposed it was one of the moments from before, captured by Elsie's talented brush.

"Do you like it?" Elsie asked nervously.

"I love it," Dean said, and Sam nodded.

"I wanted you up there with the rest of our family," she said. "And that was such a special day. Now, come on. Alfie will be getting impatient."

They went outside to the garden where Alfie was pushing Izzy on the swing. Her eyes were closed; she seemed to just be enjoying the sensation of almost flying.

Alfie's face transformed into a wide smile as he saw them, and he rushed forward and shook their hands. "You made it at last," he said. "How are you?" Though the question was asked openly, he was looking intensely at Sam.

"I'm okay," Sam said. "Good even."

"Is it very difficult?" he asked.

"Sometimes."

He remembered every moment of his time in the Cage now. Lucifer still occasionally showed, and while Sam was sometimes debilitated by the things he saw, most of the time he could handle it without pain.

"I suppose it is," Alfie said thoughtfully. "It's why you're here after all. I have arranged your first appointment for Doctor Platt on Monday. He's looking forward to seeing you. We told him all about your 'recovery'."

"Thanks, Alfie," Dean said.

As the swing slowed, Izzy opened her eyes and looked around. "Grandpa?" she asked, possibly wondering where the pushing had gone. She caught sight of them standing together and she leapt from the still moving swing, stumbled slightly, and then rushed over to them. "Sam! Dean! You came home!"

"We did," Dean said.

Izzy smiled a gap-toothed smile at them and fixed her excited gaze on Sam. "Are you better? Not so tired now?"

"Much better," Sam said. "I only get tired sometimes now. I'm here to get completely better."

"Good," she said with a nod. "Then we can play. Will you push me on the swing? You're much taller than Grandpa, so I bet you can make me go really high."

Sam laughed. "I can, but we can't go too high."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because you might fly off and I'm not sure your wings are as good as Tinkerbell's."

She giggled and chattered away as they walked to the swing set. "I love Tinkerbell. Her wings are pretty and she's Peter's best friend. My best friend is Emma. Who's yours?"

"My best friend?" Sam asked. "Hmm, I think it has to be Dean."

"He's your brother," she said.

"He is. He's all kinds of things for me." Brother, protector, supporter, defender against the nightmares. He was everything Sam needed and more.

"And he's the best?" Izzy asked.

Sam looked back across the yard at Dean where he stood with Alfie and Elsie. "Yes," he said. "He really is."

Dean was everything because he had given Sam the strength to fight to get his life back. It wouldn't be easy, but with Dean at his side, Alfie and Elsie, he was going to make it.

He was going to live.

So… What do you think? Sam isn't completely better, but he's healing and they're together again. That felt more real to me than a perfect magic fix. I know things for Castiel don't look good, but we all know he'll come out of that in the end, too.

I have a new story. It's a S5 AU called Can't Find My Way Home and it's ready to go. It has been a labor of love that I have been working on for months and connected with in an intense way I haven't felt since my Brotherhood Verse. I really hope you'll give it a look.

Summary: Sam finds himself trapped in a time that isn't his own. Searching for a way to return to the present - and his brother - comes with many challenges and he's going to need friends, old and new, to help him along the way.

Until the next story…

Clowns or Midgets xxx