And here we come to the end of our journey. I've so enjoyed going on this adventure with you!
Thank you for bearing with me and my random hiatuses (someone should have warned me that adulthood would hit me like a truck).
I've poured a lot of myself into this fic. I've grown with it. Changed with it. And now it's over. Well... I'll get sappy at the end and let you guys go read it now.
Please enjoy!

~TH~

The sound of the Impala coming down the gravel driveway was something any of them could recognize. It was a sound that meant many things. Sometimes it meant Dad was finally home. Sometimes it meant that the holidays were upon them. And sometimes it meant that the Winchesters could be whisked away without a second glance or proper goodbye.

Caleb's eyes immediately flicked to Dean.

The younger man had gone still, a pallor that had disappeared over the weeks now returning. Dean's recovery had been remarkable. It wasn't as immediate as it first appeared, there were still sleepless nights, meals where Dean barely touched his food, seeming to stare into nothing. But he was better.

"Deuce?"

"I'm fine." Dean assured his friend.

Caleb didn't believe it but didn't know what else to say.

Dean stood as the door swung open, fidgeting slightly before freezing as his father's eyes turned to him.

"Dean." The man said slowly.

"Dad." The boy answered evenly.

In a couple of strides, John was in front of Dean. Caleb stood, ready to play his part of protector, no matter the personal cost.

Instead, John's arms wrapped around his son, pulling him into a ferocious embrace. Dean didn't react for a moment, finally returning the gesture. Caleb noticed the way that Deuce seemed to melt into his father as if it was the one thing he had always needed. Maybe it was.

Dean always had been far too forgiving.

John pulled back with a slap on his son's back. "You look good."

That was just like the eldest Winchester. To show up when the worst was over and act like it had never happened. Like he hadn't been the cause of it all.

"I am." Dean answered. "Completely back to normal."

That was a lie but whatever.

"Good! I found a hunt a couple towns over. Thought maybe we could hit it."

Panic welled up in Caleb panic at the same time Dean frowned. "But Sammy-"

"He could stay here and finish the semester. Just you and me Ace."

Dean still looked unsure, but finally nodded. "That'd be good." The smile that creeped up seemed genuine, but Caleb knew Dean wasn't one hundred percent in. He may be acting fine, but the road to recovery was long.

"Let me go check in with Jim and then I'll fill you in." He offered another thwack on the back before turning to head to the Tomb.

Caleb didn't miss that John had completely acted like he wasn't there. The olive branch was only being extended to his son.

"I can go with him if you're not up to it." Caleb offered, still watching the hall that John had disappeared down.

"Dude, I told you I was good. It'll be nice to get back out there."

Dean had never brought up their conversation about leaving the Brotherhood. But they also had steered clear from all talk of hunting. Dean had shown no interest in reentering the world of the Supernatural. There had been hushed conversations between Jim and Mac on whether they thought Dean was ever going to volunteer to hunt. Debates between whether they should bring it up to him or let him bring it up when he was ready.

It looks like John had decided for all of them.

"You don't have to hunt if you don't want to."

"I'm a hunter, Caleb. It's who I am. I have to get back out there sooner or later. Like riding a horse."

Caleb remembered a ten year old Dean offering the exact opposite sentiment. "You don't have to-"

"Damien," he said with the breath of a laugh, "I'm fine. I'm good. I want to hunt. I want to be in the Brotherhood. I want to go with my Dad."

"I won't let him make you go."

"He's not making me, dude. I'm choosing to go. This is my decision, right? We decided to let me make the decision?"

Caleb felt his lips turn up despite his reservations. That had been the agreement. "Okay. If it's what you want."

"It is. Just make sure Sammy stays out of trouble until I get back."

The full Triad entered the living room. Mac and Jim's faces were mirroring what Caleb felt. Uncertainty. Maybe a hint of anger.

"Dean-" Jim began.

"I'm ready to hunt. I'm better and have been for a while." He seemed to be leaving out the part about recurring nightmares.

Caleb was surprised Dean wasn't worried about waking up his dad with them.

Mac looked like he was about to say something in opposition, but quickly closed his mouth after a look from Dean. HIPAA could be a powerful motivator.

"We plan to leave in the morning." John spoke up after the awkward moment of silence.

Caleb felt slightly better at that. At least he wasn't taking Dean and running.

"And we'll be back before Thanksgiving."

That was only a few weeks away. Things would be fine for that long. Probably.

Then again, Caleb's hunt with Bobby hadn't been all that long when everything had fallen apart.

"Sounds like a plan." Dean clapped his hands together in what appeared to be excitement.

Mac nodded, a pinched look still on his face. "I should probably inform Sam." Maybe the doctor just needed to get out of the room before he said something he'd regret.

"Jim, can you get me that book now?" John raised his eyebrows at the Guardian.

Jim looked about as thrilled as Mac had, but nodded, heading back towards the Tomb.

"I should probably pack."

And Caleb should probably move out of John's room.

As Dean passed his father, John grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, Ace. I can manage it on my own."

"I've got it Dad. Like riding a horse, right?"

John nodded, releasing his son, and Dean went up stairs.

Caleb momentarily wondered what this particular horse was referring to, Hunting? Being alone with John? All of the above?

Alone with his mentor, Caleb wasn't sure what to say. That had never stopped him from opening his mouth before. "If you ever touch him again I'll kill you."

John smirked. Honest to God smirked at the threat. "I'd like to see you try that, Reaves."

"I'm serious."

"I know you are."

"And you will never cut off our contact again."

"Hopefully I'll never have a reason to."

"John-"

"I hear you, Junior. I won't do anything to him. It was a-" He sighed. "I just want to take my son on a hunt. Grab some beers. Together this time. It's a simple salt and burn. Be back in time to pick out the turkey."

And Caleb realized what this was. It was a John Winchester apology. A simple hunt. Low risk, high reward.

"If you're not, Sam will kill you before I can."

John let out a laugh at that. "All four of you can fight for the honor if that happens. If it takes a full two weeks it's because Dean's sleeping off his hangover."

Caleb nodded. John returned the gesture seeming to be relieved that they were at least on speaking terms.

He turned, heading to the Tomb. Good it would give Caleb time to clear out his things from John's room.

He threw the few things laying around the room into his duffle and carried it upstairs.

Dean was doing the same thing in Caleb's room.

"If I forget anything, just throw it in my room." Dean didn't even glance up when he entered.

"You're one hundred percent sure you want to do this."

"I want to, Damien." And he seemed almost excited. Caleb didn't know what religious experience Dean had at the pond. But it made him wonder.

Wonder what good he had ever done in his life to deserve Dean. What any of them had done.

They probably didn't deserve him.

John definitely didn't.

The forgiveness that Dean had turned on one day like a lightswitch. Forgiving the many faults that he had rightfully been angry about and the few that the drugs had manifested.

He'd even thrown out his own apologies at how he had acted while under the influence.

Caleb would never know what he had done to deserve Dean.

But he couldn't help but be thankful for it. Thankful that Dean had returned to them. That he had returned home.

The End (for now)

~TH~

And that's that! My own opinion of John has changed over the course of writing this story. Still despise the man but at least in Ridley's universe, he has some redeeming qualities.
Please let me know any thoughts that you might have for this fic! Would absolutely love to hear them! I think I wrapped up all of the loose ends but if I missed anything let me know lol.

This is my longest fic to date, 20k longer than my second longest. I'm proud of it lol.
I don't know where I'll go from here. I have some one-shots I'll probably post. Might try to revisit some of my abandoned works. As for my next longfic, we'll see. I have a non Brotherhood S14 I'm working on. Don't kow when I'll post that.
I'm also working on writing some spn episodes into the Brotherhood canon. Again, will see if/when that will be posted.
But thank you again for everything!

Excuse my little chick flick moment here. But this fic means a lot to me.

Please let me know any thoughts you have for now or the future!
Hope to see you in the future!

Hit me up on Tumblr Trekkiehood.

Much love and God bless,
Jamie