Livin' on a Prayer

The angels heal the injured before Jack takes them back to Heaven.

Jack allows Castiel to stay but says he will keep the connection between Heaven and Earth closed for everyone else. He is still adamant on free will and will continue his no interference policy.

They bring the dead back to earth and give them a hunter's burial outside the bunker.

They gather for pizzas and beers to celebrate their victory and the lives of their fallen allies.

-.-.-.-.-

Dean wakes up in the middle of the night. He doesn't know exactly why, but he gets the urge to get out of bed.

"You're awake," Castiel states from his usual spot on Dean's chest.

"Yeah. I just need a second." Dean moves to get out of bed.

Castiel raises his head, a confused frown painted in his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Dean leans in and gives Cas a kiss before pulling back again. "I just need a moment of air. I'll be right back."

Castiel doesn't seem to like it, but he gives a small nod, letting Dean go.

Dean steps out in the hallway, tiptoeing in order not to wake up Sam or Eileen. It's not an easy task to sneak past two hunters, but he luckily succeeds to make it downstairs. He can't sneak past Miracle, who happily walks up to him in the hope of being petted.

Dean allows Miracle to join him as he goes outside, and right there on the steps of the back porch sits Sophia. She keeps looking at the stars as she says: "You need to go back to Heaven."

Dean takes a deep breath. "I know."

Surprised, Sophia looks over her shoulder at him. "I expected you to put up a fight."

Dean walks forward and takes a seat next to her, looking at Miracle as the dog happily runs around the backyard. "No. I learned that lesson a long time ago. What's dead should stay dead. And… I was happy. In Heaven. At peace, I guess. I'm not saying that I couldn't be here, it's just… things seem to pop up every two minutes, getting in the way of the important things." He turns to look at Sophia. "Just… give me time to say goodbye. Please."

Sophia leans back on her elbows and stretches her legs as she also looks at the happy dog running around as a white furball in the darkness. "Today is the 15th. I'll give you two weeks."

Dean whips his head around, surprised that Sophia so easily agrees. "Really?"

"Yes," she sighs. "I got you to do all the hard work. Only seems fair that you get a vacation."

Dean turns more towards her, suddenly feeling anger bubbling up in him. "Yeah, that you did."

Sophia crosses her legs and sends him an amused smile. "You have questions."

"Damn straight I have. Why did you remove my memory? It would have been a lot easier if I knew what was going on!"

"It's protocol, sweety. Normally, people's memory is removed when they are brought back, whether it's medically or magically. People can have such a hard time uniting the idea of Heaven with keeping on living. You only remember coming back that one time, because Chuck wanted you to. Once again, he had to be oh so creative in his writing." Sophia looks up at the stars. "Of course, I could have reminded you of that fact before bringing you back, but I told you to leave it to me. And I made it work, didn't I?"

"You mimicked Cas in my dream." Dean growls. "You used him against me."

"Yes, very efficient, don't you think? You should really know better by now than letting people take advantage of your emotions like that."

"You also said that you would bring me back," Dean snarls, "as soon as I found Chuck."

"And I intended to, really. But you and your brother are people of action and in no time, you were already collecting the Amulets. So, I just figured: Eh, let them continue. That way Jack and Castiel could focus on Heaven, and you could do your thing. Except that damn angel in so in tune with your soul, so of course he ended up finding you. But it worked out splendidly, didn't it?"

"You bitch…"

"Life's a bitch, why should death be any different?"

"You manipulated me!"

"Yes. I did what I had to do."

"You're no better than Chuck!"

"Oh, come on, just a little bit better."

"Why did you do it?"

"Remove your memory? I just told you-"

"No! Why did you send me back in the first place? Why go through all of this trouble? It's not like you give a damn about what happens to anyone else! Why put up this fight against the Empty?"

Sophia pauses for a moment, looking at Miracle digging in the dew-softened ground. "Remember when I told you what might happen if the Empty conquered Earth? How everything would die?"

"Yeah."

"That would include me." Sophia turns to look at Dean, and for the first time he sees through all her walls. "Being Death used to be a lifetime job, actually, an eternal job. Now, in the past ten years, three Deaths have died. I didn't want to be next."

Dean perks up with realisation. "You were scared. You did it to save your own ass."

"Yes. No one wants to end up in the Empty," Sophia admits. "But besides that, the realms need to be rebalanced again after God tipped the scales just for kicks. Just like you, I crave some peace to perform my job."

Dean nods, though his jaw I still tight with irritation. "I get that, I guess… I hope you'll figure things out with Jack. And Rowena. And without manipulating anymore poor bastards."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll figure it out." Sophia sends him a small smile, and for once it isn't laced with arrogance. She then looks over her shoulder at Sam's house. "Go join your family. I will collect you when it's time. Happy Thanksgiving."

And then she's gone.

-.-.-.-.-

The next morning, Dean tells everyone about his little meeting last night. Sam is furious, still believing that Dean deserves to live for longer than two weeks.

Dean just sends his brother a small smile. "I got two weeks. That's more than anyone has ever gotten. And we get to spend thanksgiving together. Think about it, we've never had a real thanksgiving, have we? Let's make this a good one, okay?"

Sam gives a small nod but then leaves the house for a few hours. When he comes back, he's settled on making this the best two weeks they've ever had together.

They do things that they've always thought about, but never done. They go swimming at the beach. They go see the Grand Canyon.

They also do the small things that they have done many times, but never could get enough of. They go fishing. They gaze at the stars from the hood of the Impala. They make food over a fire with Cas, Eileen and Baby Dean, and Sam vows to continue this tradition with his son. The twist bread ends up half burned, half raw. Perfect.

-.-.-.-.-

Jody, Donna, and the girls come over for Thanksgiving. They are one, big happy family, and Dean has never celebrated a holiday quite like this. Just being out of a motel room feels odd. Not having takeout feels amazing.

Dean tries not to notice how everyone seem to document every moment of the evening with their phones.

-.-.-.-.-

The morning after Thanksgiving, they gather in the back garden. Dean feels an odd sense of calm. He's been given his second chance number one hundred, and this time, it just feels right.

Dean goes from person to person, hugging them, telling them he loves them, promising that they will see each other on the other side. But later rather than sooner.

Dean is surprised by how difficult it is to say goodbye to Baby Dean. He's known his nephew for less than a month, and yet the kid has wiggled his way into Dean's heart from the moment he saw him. Maybe because the kid looks so much like his dad.

"Take good care of them." Dean kisses Eileen's forehead.

"Always," she says back, eyes shining with tears, but smiling.

Castiel is standing next to Sam. Dean goes to his angel first, giving him a small peck on the lips. "Go chop some veggies. We're having burgers tonight."

Castiel smiles. "Of course, Dean." With a final nod to their friends and family, Castiel disappears in a flutter.

Dean takes a breath, trying to prepare to walk up to Sam, but a pair of paws stop him. He looks down, finding Miracle looking up at him. As if sensing what is going on, the dog gives a weak wiggle with its tail and a soft whine.

Dean feels his throat tightening. "Damnit, dog." He squats down, scratching behind the dog's ear. "Take good care of the family, okay? If you go to human Heaven, come look me up."

He quickly gets back up, not able to handle Miracle's puppy dog eyes anymore. But they are just replaced with Sam's pained, shining eyes, and that is the one thing that can beat Miracle's.

"Don't go," Sam whispers.

Dean swallows. "You know it's right."

"Yeah. But since when do we do the right thing?" Sam smiles weakly.

Dean chuckles wetly, mostly out of sympathy. "This isn't goodbye. This is just: 'See ya in 60 years'."

Sam lets out a choked sound. "It's too long."

Dean pulls him into a tight hug. "You have that beautiful wife of yours. And that great kid. And if he's anything like his uncle, he'll be a handful." Sam laughs, and Dean revels in the sound. "You'll need a non-salt shotgun to keep all the chicks away."

Sam laughs again and pulls away. The moment he lays his eyes on his older brother, the tears fall. "Don't go. I don't want to do this without you."

Dean gives in and lets his tears fall too. "I'm right here," he says with a hoarse voice and pokes Sam in the chest, right at where his heart is. "Just have a little faith, okay? You'll be fine. You'll do great. And we'll meet when time's right. And remember, I'm so damn proud of you."

Sam grabs on to Dean again, hugging him tightly. He doesn't know for how long, not long enough, never long enough, but Dean taps him on the shoulder. "Okay." Sam reluctantly pulls back. "It's okay."

"Yes, it is," Dean says. And it truly is. He is looking at a whole bunch of people who will be there for Sam. He just knows that his brother will have a great life. Swallowing, he grabs Sam's shoulder for the last time in a long time and croaks: "I love you."

Sam closes his eyes in emotional pain, at knowing what it means for Dean to say these words. He opens his eyes again and swallows hard. "I love you too."

Dean nods proudly. Then he takes a few steps back, and Sophia materialises next to him. "Ready?"

Dean takes a final look at all these people that he loves, and who loves him. He nods at them, revelling in their wet smiles, which he returns. Lastly, he looks at Sam, sending him a wink. "Born ready."

-.-.-.-.-

Sam sits down on the back porch steps, burying his head in his hands. He feels Eileen gently slide her fingers through his hair, placing a small kiss on the top of his head, before she walks into the house and gives him a moment to himself.

He has lost count of how many times he has lost his big brother.

He looks up, out over the green grass, and unconsciously fiddles with his – Dean's – wristwatch. He tries to hold back the tears, knowing that this is not forever. Dean is in Heaven, and he is happy, together with Cas, and some day they will see each other again. But it doesn't change the fact that he has, what? 30-40 years to live before he gets to see his brother again.

Yet, he's happy to have had and lost his brother one last time. They might have had to go on one last hunt, but this time, they got to say a proper goodbye. No sudden deaths, no lost opportunity to say everything they needed to say. Maybe this is as close to a happy ending a hunter can ever have.

He doesn't know for how long he sits there, just staring into nothing, but it must have been for a lot longer than he thought.

When he walks back into the house, Eileen is cooking dinner. She smiles at him before nodding towards the kitchen table.

The table is filled with pictures. Pictures from the last couple of weeks. Pictures with Dean. Sam had noticed that Eileen was a bit more active than normally with her phone during Thanksgiving, but she has also caught pictures of them in the bunker. Pictures during research. Pictures just sitting together, having a beer. Pictures of Dean with his nephew, even from the first night when he was back. There's even some of the pictures that Sam snapped of Dean with his nephew that one time he remembered to do so. Eileen must have copied them from his cloud.

Sam had been too caught up in everything to even think about something as simple as capturing this final chance to be with his brother, but his beautiful, smart, and clearly sneaky wife had thought ahead of him, and collected these pictures, most of which looks just like perfectly, normal family pictures. And she has even taken the time to print them.

Sam can't take his eyes away from the pictures, even as they fill with tears again. It's not until Eileen places a small bag in front of him that he looks up. She has a small, knowing smile on her face, and nods towards the bag.

He pulls the handles apart and finds a bunch of different picture frames.

Tears rolling freely, he looks back up at his wife.

Eileen smiles, and takes his hand before asking: "Which ones should we put up?"

-.-.-.-.-

-.-.-.-.-

-.-.-.-.-

Dean wakes up, arms full of comfy angel. It's like every other morning they wake up together. They have done this for such a long time that Dean has lost count. He doesn't care about days or years or anything anymore, not as long as he gets to go to bed with Cas every night and wake up with him every morning.

Yet, today somehow feels different.

"What's wrong?" Castiel asks, voice amazingly morning rough.

Dean blinks for a moment, not really sure. "I think… I think I should go for a drive."

Castiel leans up on his elbow, a small smile playing on his lips, and Dean gets the feeling that his angel knows more than he does. "That sounds like a good idea."

Dean skips breakfast and goes straight to Baby. She's glistening in the morning sun. The rumble of her engine fills the otherwise quiet area by the lake as he hits the road.

He doesn't know where he's going, and yet he follows a pull that he knows is leading him to the right place.

He drives until he stops at a bridge, getting out to look over the sun hanging low above the treetops.

And there it is. The thing that has been pulling him since he woke up this morning. He smiles.

"Hey, Sammy."

"Dean."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A/N

Well, end of the road :)

Based on your comments, you might be a bit dissapointed by this ending, since Dean does not get to live his full life. But like I tagged, this fic is canon compliant, so this story takes place between Dean driving away from Bobby in Heaven and driving out to rejoin with Sam.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

To those of you who encouraged me with your kind comments, thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been overwhelmed!

Take care!