For anyone familiar with my other story, Unlikely Connections - OC is obviously the same, but this is not the same universe. I had a different idea for a story with a lot of the same OCs from Unlikely Connections, that is gathering dust in my WIP folder. This is an excerpt from that alternative story, turned into a one-shot for a writing challenge I decided to participate in on Ao3. Figured I'd cross post here 😊

May 2013

After Healer Stetson left the room, his lime green robes swishing behind him, the room was uncomfortably quiet, the reality of the situation bearing down on them all oppressively.

Dean took in the scene before him – Lorelai lying lifelessly in the hospital bed, her normally already pale skin somehow impossibly lighter, and her dark hair fanned out beneath her… Ellie and Collin sitting in chairs opposite him, on the other side of Lorelai's bed. Collin's typically cheerful disposition was long gone, replaced by an edginess that didn't suit him. He'd ranged from protective to angry, though Dean had seen the pure terror simmering beneath the surface, and he recognized the tactics Collin was employing to mask his vulnerability as just another similarity the teen shared with his mother.

Ellie had been subdued as well, more prone to watery eyes than the bouts of rage her brother had been displaying, although she'd been the only one capable so far of bringing Collin back to earth each time he'd begun to really spiral. The two of them had been inseparable since arriving – even in that moment, Ellie was tucked into Collin's side, both of them clinging to the other tightly – but Dean had been surprised to realize that aside from each other, he'd been the one they'd gravitated towards most. He'd have expected it to be either George or Nolan – they'd grown up with their uncles after all, and he was relatively new, even if he had started to feel like the four of them were a family. It wasn't a feeling he'd voiced; he'd been too afraid to.

This wasn't the way he'd have wanted to find out the feeling was mutual, however. Sitting there, taking it all in, gave him far too much déjà vu, and he could almost see Lisa with all of the machines laid out in front of him, an angry Ben staring him down as the two of them waited for the inevitable.

This was worse though.

Lorelai wasn't going to just Apparate into the hospital, wave her wand, and make everything better this time. Lorelai was the one in trouble, and she was already being given the best treatment wizards had to offer. It wasn't his fault she was hurt, but that didn't make the situation any better or bring him any comfort. If anything, he found himself sharing in Collin's anger, wishing he could find the people responsible for this and put to use every tip and trick he'd learned from Alistair before finishing the bastards off. Torture wasn't something Dean really let himself contemplate these days, but for this he'd make the exception.

The twins, at least, had been cleaned up easily enough – although Dean wouldn't have believed it possible a few hours ago. The hospital had still been in such chaos when he and Sam had gotten there that no one had had a chance to look at Ellie or Collin yet, and he'd seen firsthand the evidence of the attack at the terminal. Both of them had been covered in soot and small cuts. Collin's arm had been broken, and he'd been gritting through a twisted ankle, broken rib, and sporting a black eye. Ellie had had a gaping wound on her leg, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion that had kept her pretty nauseous. Despite their injuries they had swarmed him and Sam, relief clear on their faces before they'd pulled Dean in for tight hugs.

Dean had felt queasy himself seeing the state they were in, and his stomach only churned further while Ellie and Collin filled him and Sam in on what had happened – or at least what they had seen. Ellie had been knocked out early on, which was how she'd ended up concussed. Collin had managed to hang in until the backup from MACUSA had arrived. He'd waited until Ellie was with a Healer to tell Dean he'd seen one of the attackers kill one of their friends, and that he'd tried to jump in and save Ellie's boyfriend but was too slow to stop the werewolf from mauling him. Collin wasn't sure if the boy had lived or died, but he'd mournfully told Dean that from what he saw it would probably be better if he hadn't made it.

Dean and Sam had been the first ones there thanks to the portkey Nolan had given them. With no magical powers of their own, they were told they'd be rather useless at the scene, and for once Dean didn't give a shit. He wouldn't have been any good in a fight right then anyway, he hadn't been able to think straight from the moment Nolan had delivered the news. There was an attack while Lorelai was picking up the kids, he'd told them. She's at St. Fern's, but they're worried she's not going to make it.

The twins had been a heavy distraction while they'd all waited for news and the chaos swirled around them. Dean harassed a Healer into taking care of the majority of the twins' injuries, though the potion she'd given Ellie had taken about an hour to fully kick in and clear up the concussion. Sam, thankfully, still had a good stock of the potions and supplies Lorelai gave them in their first aid kit, and he and Dean were able to clean up the small cuts on their own. Ellie, after her head had cleared up, had managed to talk Collin into changing their clothes while the four of them continued to wait.

The reception area had only just begun to quiet down some when a flurry of somewhat familiar faces began piling in. Dean watched sympathetically while Ellie and Collin exhaustedly accepted hug after hug from their family members, while Dean did his best to answer questions about what had happened and where Lorelai was in an effort to keep from the twins having to relive any of it.

George had been the only one Dean had told the full story to, including what Collin had witnessed. The ginger had blanched at the information but had been appreciative, and Dean noticed that from there on out the Healers didn't give him any trouble when he had a question about Lorelai or the twins. He strongly suspected Lorelai's closest brother-in-law had pulled some sort of strings to make sure he was listed as an approved contact on their files, and he made a mental note to thank George for it later.

Weasleys had still been arriving when he'd gotten the call from Meg that Cas was awake. She'd been unmoved by their circumstances and had refused to give them any further information. It had been Nolan, again, who came to their rescue, offering to Side-Along Apparate Sam to the hospital in Indiana. Dean had been selfishly reluctant to see his brother go, but knew one of them needed to, and was frustrated to find his anxiety had only ratcheted up with Cas now added to the concerns he had.

It hadn't been long after that when the Healers had come out and pulled Nolan, George, and Dean aside, grimly letting them know that they'd done everything they could, but Lorelai likely wouldn't make it through the night. They added that she was unconscious, but they'd allow visitors shortly, and then walked away as though they'd told them something as mundane as a weather forecast.

In their wake, Dean had felt like the whole word was crashing down around him. Nolan fell into a chair, looking as shattered as Dean felt and George swore, looking ready to melt down himself until he caught sight of the kids. He was the one who'd delivered the news to Ellie and Collin. Collin had punched a wall and broken his hand. Ellie had thrown up again. They'd both came and found chairs next to a still shell-shocked Dean until the Healer had come back out to tell them they could start to send people in to see Lorelai.

It had been George to insist Dean go in with the kids. When Dean had begun to protest, George hadn't been willing to hear a word of it and was quick to point out that Dean had to go in there. He reminded Dean soul bonds like the one he and Lorelai shared could have restorative properties, and Dean didn't argue any further.

"Maybe the Healers are wrong," Ellie whispered, breaking the silence that had stretched longer than any of them were used to. Dean pulled his gaze from Lorelai back to the twins and took in Ellie's crumpled form, her auburn hair falling into her face as she remained curled into Collin's side, her hand clutching at his shirt. In that moment she looked much younger than her fifteen years, although Dean knew that after the events of the day, neither she nor Collin would ever experience another day of childhood.

"El, come on," Collin pleaded, a pained expression on his face, his voice tense, even as he soothed a hand over her back. "Don't do this." Ellie sniffed, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"I'm just saying… maybe." Dean didn't have the heart to correct her, and it seemed Collin didn't either. They shared a look over Ellie's head and Dean tried to search for words of reassurance that just weren't there. He was spared the trouble when his phone vibrated a moment later, but his motions stuttered as he reached into his pocket and his fingers brushed against the small velvet box resting at the bottom. Suddenly it felt like there was a vice around his lungs, and room began to spin around him.

"Dude, is this what I think it is?" Sam had asked just the day before, holding up the worn ring box with a skeptical look on his face, but a grin ready to bust out. Dean had glared, snatching it back as quickly as he could.

"Shut up, Sam," he'd grumbled, cursing himself for not thinking to hide it better and somewhat relieved that at least it hadn't been Lorelai rooting through his bag for something. His brother had laughed, Dean's grumpiness confirming what he'd already put together.

"Dean! This is awesome, I didn't think you'd ever… when are you gonna… Lorelai's gonna –"

"Alright, alright, chill out Dr. Phil. I'm not askin' her anything yet." Sam had glared at him, frustrated while Dean had warily watched the door, making sure the brunette witch holding his heart wasn't about to make an appearance.

"What the hell are you waiting for? You already got the –"

"Ellie and Collin are coming home from school tomorrow. That's why I've got the ring. I'm not asking her to marry me unless the two of them are okay with it."

It seemed laughable now that he'd ever dared to dream so big.

The phone buzzed again and shook him from his daze, and he felt Collin's eyes on him when he finally pulled it out.

Cas okay, but not quite himself. Any news on Lorelai?

Dean swallowed, his thumb hovering over the screen. He didn't know what not quite himself meant, and he was torn between relief and anger he didn't have time for, but he halfheartedly prayed, wishing the Angel might be able to come through one last time. Trying to put words to what was going on, even through text, was hard, but Dean forced himself. It wasn't like if he avoided saying it the reality would be any less true.

Bad. Not going to make it through the night. With Collin and Ellie in her room now.

He put the phone back away and slumped forward, rubbing at his forehead with one hand and reaching out to Lorelai with the other. She was cooler than normal, and Dean shuddered knowing why.

"Didn't the Healers say she could still be alright, Dean?" Ellie pushed. Collin sighed, but she shifted to sit up and was staring across the bed pleadingly. "She just has to start responding to the potions, and they said for some people that can take a while."

Dean frowned, wishing like hell he could do something then to fix everything. Hell, he'd even take the reaper-on-a-leash Sam had found after he'd been electrocuted, that's how desperate he was. If he thought he could find a demon to deal, he'd throw himself back in the pit ten times over. His own grief was crushing, and as Lorelai faded, he was beginning to understand what she'd meant about the pain of losing a soulmate. Ellie and Collin didn't help. Seeing the grief reflected back at him through her kids' eyes was obliterating.

"Whatever happens, I'm gonna be here to make sure you two are alright."

It wasn't enough by any stretch, but it was all Dean could bring himself to say. They all knew that Ellie's optimism was misplaced, and that Lorelai was getting worse not better, but Dean didn't have it in him to admit it aloud or to crush Ellie any further than she already had been that day.

Ellie let out a soft sob and buried her face back into Collin's chest. The pained expression returned to Collin's face, but the teenager gritted his teeth and just held his sister closer. It was all too relatable, watching him step into the stoic, protective older brother role, even if he was only older than Ellie by a few minutes. How many times had Dean done the same thing for Sam?

"Can you still feel her?" Collin asked hesitantly. Dean caught his eye and Collin shifted uncomfortably, looking to Lorelai's prone figure before back at Dean. "Through the soul bond, I mean. Mom said she could feel it when she lost Dad, and Uncle George said Dad felt Mom fading during the war… when she was captured."

Dean sighed, and saw Ellie was watching him closely again too. In the months since he and Lorelai had told the twins about their relationship and the deeper connection they shared, it hadn't been something either Ellie or Collin had discussed with them much. They'd more or less just adopted him further into their world, though from the time he'd spent living with them all before, it hadn't been much of a leap.

"I can," he admitted slowly, and Collin frowned.

"But it's fading," he theorized, and Dean nodded.

Before any of them could say anything more, there was a commotion outside the door. The effect was immediate – Dean dropped Lorelai's hand and reached into his coat, wrapping his hand around his gun, Ellie bolted upright, and both of the twins suddenly looked alert. Collin stood, edging himself slightly in front of Ellie, and Dean noticed he was gripping his wand the same way Dean had his gun, the weapon still concealed in his pocket. Ellie drew her wand, anxiety playing across her features, and her eyes swiveling between Collin and Dean. When the noises only intensified, Dean flew across the small room, pushing Collin back when he tried to do the same, and – still gripping his gun – poked his head out the door.

The scene waiting for him would have been comical if he weren't feeling so strung out. There was a small waiting room at the end of the hallway, in which they'd left the horde of Weasleys and Baudelaires that had gathered. It was just visible from Lorelai's room, and from his spot at the door, Dean could see George and Nolan standing protectively between their families and a confused looking Sam, a disgruntled Meg, and an unfazed Cas, trying to shout them down. Harry had his wand trained on Meg, a murderous look on his face, and Sam looked displeased but seemed to be trying to defend her. Molly Weasley was clutching at her husband, looking somewhat faint. Healers had rushed in and were arguing with George. Ginny was trying to calm down the younger kids, some of whom were crying. Cas stood in the middle of all of it seeming almost oblivious, dressed in the white uniform Dean remembered from the psychiatric ward in Indiana and his old trench coat. He'd turned when Dean had opened the door, as if he'd sensed it, and smiled largely when his eyes found the Winchester.

"Dean!" he called down the hallway.

Already starting to get a sense of what Sam had meant by not quite himself, Dean looked on dumbfounded and took a step further into the hallway, allowing the door to swing open behind him. The chaos of the room quieted down almost immediately, everyone turning in his direction as well, and in his peripheral Dean saw Collin and Ellie crowding the doorway from the inside of the room.

"Cas? Sam? Meg? What the hell are you guys doing here?" Cas didn't bother to answer, and instead just took off down the hallway towards where Dean was standing. Sam grabbed Meg by the arm and hurriedly followed after, and Dean noticed George quietly saying something to the rest of the group before doing the same.

"I asked Sam where you were, and he said that Lorelai was hurt, so I came." Dean felt his eyes widen, and he looked to his brother, not even sure what to say. Sam shrugged as George caught up with them. "You would be very sad if anything happened to Lorelai."

"Yeah Cas, I would, but that doesn't mean you can just bust into the middle of a secured hospital wing. These guys are under attack, you're lucky they didn't kill Sam!"

"Wait, Cas?" Ellie questioned suddenly, pushing past Collin to look around at all of them. Cas looked back at the young girl and tilted his head to the side, a smile coming across his face. "Cas, like the Angel who introduced you and Mom, Cas?" Dean sighed and nodded his head, already knowing where Ellie's line of questioning was going. He glared at Sam for letting this happen, especially as the Meg eyed the twins skeptically.

"What's with the half-pints?" she asked. Dean moved before he could think better of it, automatically trying to shield the twins from Meg's gaze, and he saw the moment she put it together, her eyes lighting up in mirth. "Ooo, I see –"

"Don't!" Dean growled, giving Meg a pointed glare. If anything, she only seemed more amused, but she mercifully shut her mouth and Dean begrudgingly looked back to the twins. "Yeah, Ellie, this is Cas –"

"Can you heal our mom?" Dean had expected it from Ellie, and his heart faltered when he heard the hope in Collin's voice.

"Collin – " George began, his tone of voice letting Dean know he shared in his unease, but Cas cut him off almost immediately.

"Yes, that's why I'm here," Cas informed the twins cheerfully, before turning back to Dean. He was clearly expecting Dean to share in the relief and excitement immediately apparent on the teen's faces and became perplexed when Dean only managed to show frustration. "What's wrong? I thought this would make you happy."

"Do you even know if you can fix her, man?"

Cas looked flabbergasted, and Dean felt his anger ratcheting up. Suddenly it all felt like his fault to begin with, and Dean didn't have time for the lost puppy look the Angel was currently sporting.

"Of course I can, I'm an Angel of the Lord."

"And she's a witch! You don't even know what's wrong with her and you're coming in here, making promises you don't know if you can keep!"

"Dean!" Sam tried to cut in, and Dean noticed that Cas suddenly looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Don't like conflict," he mumbled, and disappeared. The twins and George all looked stunned and went wide-eyed looking around. Dean, however, looked to Sam and Meg for answers and was met with exasperation.

"Good going, jackass," Meg muttered. Dean looked to Sam, hoping for some type of backup, but Sam looked just as frustrated with him as Meg did.

"Kid gloves, Dean. The guy's off his rocker." Sam, at least, sounded somewhat sympathetic, even if he was annoyed.

"Dean!" Ellie was tugging at his sleeve, and Dean swiveled instinctively, but Ellie was pointing wide-eyed into the room.

Cas was standing over Lorelai, a contemplative look on his face as he rested a hand on her forehead. Dean felt an impulse to rush forward, not daring to hope that this would actually go the way they wanted, but fought it, realizing the situation was already so dire it couldn't get any worse. George, it seemed, shared his same initial instinct, because he went to rush forward himself, but Sam caught him and pulled him back, and the six of them stood watching with bated breath.

It took a minute – longer than it usually did for Cas to heal people – but just as Dean was getting ready to give up, to head in and push Cas away, it happened. He felt it before he saw it, thanks to the connection, and when Lorelai's eyes fluttered open as Cas stepped back from her bed, he was the only one unsurprised – though he was just as speechless as the rest of them.

Lorelai saw Cas first and looked confused, if not a little alarmed. Dean could understand why – he looked every bit as "off his rocker" as he was acting, and last Lorelai had seen him, the Angel had been comatose in a psychiatric ward. Her eyes found the doorway not long after that, and she pushed herself into more of a seated position. Dean watched her notice the hospital bed, and the white walls around her, and he saw the temporary panic that flooded her, only to disappear when she looked back at them all again.

"Collin, Ellie! Yo –"

"Mom!" The twins exclaimed in unison. Lorelai had already been making to get out of the bed, but Ellie and Collin rushed forward and threw themselves at her in a hug, effectively keeping her in place. Dean felt himself sag in relief against the doorway, and he looked towards Cas apologetically.

"Bloody hell," George muttered, coming to stand next to him.

"Aw, how sweet," Meg muttered somewhat sarcastically, but for once Dean ignored her.

"I thought we were going to lose her," George admitted.

"I didn't think Cas would be able to pull it off," Dean said. Meg rolled her eyes and looked between Sam and Dean as though they were both idiots.

"He's still an Angel," she pointed out.

"Dean!"

He turned at the sound of his name. Lorelai was sitting up fully in the bed now, Ellie curled into her side, and an arm wrapped around Collin on her other side. She looked at him imploringly and despite himself, he melted. The rest of the room fell away when they locked eyes, and it wasn't until Sam shoved him that he was startled back to life.

Dean moved towards her as if he had blinders on, captivated by the smile on her face. Collin went to move away, to give them space and let his mom free an arm up, but Dean quickly put his own hand out to stop him. If possible, Lorelai smiled wider at the gesture. Collin silently gripped at him, an appreciative look on his face Dean didn't think the girls noticed, and something else Dean had really only seen from Sammy before – some combination of emotions he really couldn't put his finger on.

Not wanting to pull Lorelai away from either of her kids, Dean brought a hand up to cradle her face and bent at the waist. Their kiss was chaste, but for Dean it felt like she was breathing him back to life, and in a way she was. If he'd lost her… well, he'd thought he had, and he'd been genuinely unsure if he was going to be able to find a way forward.

When he straightened back up there were tears in her eyes, and under other circumstances he may have teased her – especially since she made such a big deal about how the Great Lorelai Baudelaire never cried. Today, though, he was pretty sure his eyes were just as watery, and so he stayed quiet and just savored the moment. The world was still ending, a war was still coming, and Dean had no idea how much more crap was going to keep rolling downhill. But this was a miracle. The impossible had just happened, and for once he was going to take a moment to enjoy the win, and enjoy his family, because that's what they were, his family, and at the end of the day, if Lorelai was still in his corner, not only did he have something to fight for, but there was a chance that they might actually be able to succeed.