Chapter Text
"Never thought I would see this day," the man in front of Dean said, smiling sadly at him. The man was in a fine suit, hair impeccably brushed, teeth blindingly white.
He was an Angel.
Dean glanced around him - an all white room, empty except for the two chairs, one which he occupied, the other by the Angel. He had chains around his wrists and ankles, binding him.
"It is just a precaution, you know. It is no secret how aggressive you can be, Dean Winchester.” Dean didn’t respond, not rising to the bait. “We have been waiting a long time for you to come here. You do know where you are, don’t you Dean?”
“Where’s Sam?”
“Oh, he speaks,” the Angel said with that same small smile. “And yet, instead of concerned for himself, he thinks of the one he cares for most.” Dean felt an ugly flush creep up his neck to his face, but he steeled his face into his best ‘i-will-fucking-kill-you’ look. The Angel let out a small chuckle. “Samuel is close, but not here yet. Any minute now, he will be though. Have you figured it out yet?”
Dean felt his heart pounding in his chest, his blood rushing in his ears. But was it really though?
“I’m dead.” The Angel just had that sad smile again as he nodded. “For good?” Another nod. “How’d it happen this time?”
“Shot in the heart when someone tried to steal your car. Could not be saved. Brave Sam did try, of course he did. He ended up with a bullet in the back and in his lungs for you.”
“Shit,” Dean muttered, eyes closing. Sam was going to die, because of him, again . Seriously, they couldn’t catch a fucking break, could they? “So who the hell are you? My personal tour guide? Cuz no thanks, I don’t want what you’re selling.”
“Oh, but I think you might,” he said simply, standing up now. “My name is Marco. And you can consider me… a Guardian of sorts.”
Dean snorted. “A Guardian Angel? Didn’t I already have Cas?”
“Castiel was more a pet, was he not?” Dean snorted and gave a small nod. “He is watching, and he is not amused by my statement, even though he knows it's true. He is not arguing. Oh!” Marco snapped his fingers, and Dean watched as the wall across from him lit up, as if for a movie.
It was Sam, bleeding out on a hospital bed, tube down his throat, the machine next to him beeping erratically.
“Sammy!” Dean screamed, knowing that the image couldn’t hear him, but that didn’t stop him.
“He’s flatlining! 1-2-3-CLEAR!” Dean heard the buzz, the sizzle of Sam’s skin. “We need to stop the bleeding and get this man’s heart started up again. 1-2-3-CLEAR. He’s not responding!” Dean had tried to stop it, but the tears began to slip down his cheeks as he watched Sam grow paler, the blood stain larger. “I’m calling it. Time of death, 10:32PM. ” Marco snapped his fingers again, and the image faded.
“Why did you show me that?” Dean muttered, angry now.
“To show you that you are not alone. Not now, not before, and not again.” Dean met his eyes, and now Marco smiled, all white teeth and blinding energy. “Want to hear “what I’m selling” now, Dean Winchester?”
…
“Hello Samuel.”
“It’s Sam,” he muttered before he even opened his eyes, raising his head to look at the woman across from him. “Who the hell are you?” He shifted his arms, feeling the chains binding him in place.
“A friend in your most desperate time of need.”
“No thanks,” he mumbled, head dropping again.
“Hmm, death does not agree with you, does it. You did put up a most remarkable fight.” Sam looked up again, eyes hard. “Do you remember dying?”
“I remember enough. Where’s my brother?” The woman smiled, and he finally got a decent look at her - dress suit, hair in a tight bun, impeccable taste; between her and the all white room, he had a feeling that he could guess who she was. “You’re an Angel?”
“I am. My name is Diana. You are dead. Your brother is dead. The Winchesters are dead. There is no resurrection for you this time.”
“Great. Thanks for the pep talk. So what do you want from me? And where the fuck is Dean?”
“You care for him greatly, do you not? I am sure you are aware, that there is no hiding miniscule details at this point in time, yes?” Sam wore his best bitch-face as he eyed her. She just chuckled. “Dean is fine. He is being made the same offer that you will receive. Even has the Castiel stamp of approval.”
“Yeah right. I’ll pass. Just throw me in some corner for the rest of eternity.”
“Oh no, we would never let such potential go to waste like that. Not with you, Sam Winchester.” Sam just leaned his head back, staring at the white ceiling, not responding. “You will listen, if nothing else. I think you will see that this is something you will want, more than you can imagine.”
…
“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” Dean muttered, staring at Marco, who was seated across from him again.
“I can assure you,I am not. Sam is just on the other side of this wall, hearing the same offer. We extended it to you both. After all, what is one without the other?”
Dean sat back in his seat, stomach twisting. What they were offering, even
suggesting
, went against everything he had tried so hard to hold on to in his life, never letting his heart take the lead. If he did this, if he let them do this to him and Sam, then there wouldn’t be anything to hold him back. Nothing to hold
either
of them back anymore, leaving them to face these …
feelings
, once and for all.
“What do I gotta do?”
…
Sam looked at Diana, who just smiled.
“You’re crazy.”
“Am I? As if someone with your intelligence does not know what it means for two souls to share a heaven, to share a bond such as yours and your brother’s.” Sam was quiet as he thought about that - yeah, he knew, the echo of Ash’s words all those years ago permanently scarred in his heart.
It left him facing things he didn’t want to face.
“If it makes you feel any better, Sam, Dean is considering the offer. Because he knows what it means for the two of you.”
Sam let out a shaky breath, nodding his head. He had always known it was there, the thing they never talked about, and now they were being offered an out.
“Okay. If he agrees, then so do I.”
…
Castiel closed his eyes and his face twisted down as he heard the twin screams echo in the air, followed by the woosh of angel wings, and then silence.
It had not been an easy argument, convincing them to give this chance to the Winchesters - the same ones who had destroyed Heaven one too many times, had fought tooth and nail against anything supernatural. But he had won out, and now they had a chance to live their lives.
And he would be watching.
…