Archive of Our Own

It was perfect.

That was the point, Dean thought. There was a small part of Dean that didn’t trust it. The idea that something felt a little off followed him, but he just figured he should ignore it. Too many years of fighting against Heaven had a toll, right? Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He had a family dinner with his parents last night and followed it with drinks with Jo, Ellen, and Ash at the Roadhouse. The day before, he was LARPing with Charlie and Kevin. Jody, Donna, and the girls meet him and Sam on “Saturdays” for pizza, and Bobby brings them pie his wife made on the first “Saturday” of the “month”. Sam spends most of his days with Eileen and their son, but he was with Dean today.

All in all, it was perfect.

That’s exactly what Dean was thinking when his front door flew open. It promptly slammed shut again, and pressed all the way against it was a girl he had never met. Her brown hair was in a ponytail, the tight curls bushing out behind her. She was wearing jeans, a pain t-shirt, and green flannel that matched her glasses. The dark eyes behind her glasses were blown wide.

She was panting and scanning the room. She looked up at Dean, “Please tell me you’re Dean Winchester,” she pleaded, “I’ve been through so many Winchesters, you would not believe.”

Dean was confused, so he answered, “Yeah.”

Sam finally decided to make an appearance, looking equally confused at the ruckus he heard and the random girl standing in front of them.

She smiled, “You must be Sam.”

Sam nodded, “And you must be,” he asked.

The girl laughed a little from her position pressed against the door, “Hoping you don’t mind if I draw an angel sigil on your wall.”

She looked back and forth between the brothers but didn’t wait for an answer before grabbing a knife out of her boot. She sliced her hand and quickly drew the symbol in question. Dean looked over to Sam. He asked a silent question of “you seein’ this'' to which Sam just nodded. Dean jerked his head over to the kitchen, knife? Sam shrugged, I don’t know yet.

A sigh from the girl drew their attention back to her. “Okay,” she said, “I’m going to open this door and anywhere from five to thirty angels are going to storm through it. I’ll explain once they’re gone.”

Before the Winchesters could ask any questions, she opened the door and stood behind it. True to her word, around two dozen angels came running in the room. They scanned the room, looking for something, probably the girl. One of them spotted Sam and Dean and smoothed out his expression as if to say “Everything is fine.”

“Sam, Dean,” he said, “Have you seen a young lady run through here?”

The door closed and was followed by the girl saying, “Over here, boys.” She waved at them as they turned around. Before any of them could act, she pressed her hand against the sigil. All of the angels vanished in a flash of light.

For the first time since this girl ran into Dean’s home, she let herself take a deep breath. Her shoulders sagged, releasing all of the tension she had been holding. She let her weight drag her down until she was sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the wall. She moved her glasses up to her forehead and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand—so as to not spread blood on her face—for a second before putting them back in place. She looked up at the brothers, who were still looking at her in confusion, and smiled. “You probably have some questions,” she stated.

“Yeah,” Sam started, “We have some questions, starting with who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Right,” she nodded, “I guess I skipped the introductions, huh?” She smiled at them, “Hi, I’m Mickey, I’m a hunter, and I’m here because things are kind of going to shit and I need your help. I’d offer to shake your hand, but you probably would want me to wash mine first,” she said looking at her hands, “Speaking of, where can I do that?”

Sam pointed to the kitchen. She stood herself up and sped to the kitchen. Dean waved his hands around, what the hell? Sam shrugged and followed her. She was scrubbing her hands under the water. Sam cleared his throat. She looked up and continued washing her hands. Sam looked back at Dean, who just waved his hands around in a vague gesture.

“Okay,” Sam said, “What exactly is going to shit?”

Mickey rolled her eyes. “Motherfucking angels,” she said slowly, “Hate those assholes.”

Dean snorted, “Me fuckin’ too, but what’s up with them now?”

“They haven’t been seen on Earth since, well, since y’all were around,” she turned the water off and grabbed a dish towel. She hoisted herself up on the counter. “But now,” she continued, “They’re back. There’s been a lot of movement on the celestial front and there’s been no explanations. All we know is that angels are showing up and people are disappearing. My partner and I were investigating on the ground floor but we kept coming up empty, so we figured the next best place to look was up here.”

Sam scrunched his face, “Wait, so you’re,” he trailed off.

Mickey nodded, picking up on the rest of his question, “I’m alive, yeah. You’d think they’d close all the ways into Heaven that aren’t the main gate, but no. There’s back doors all over the world, you just need to know what to look for.”

“What happened to your partner,” Dean asked.

“We got separated.” There was a distant look in her eyes. It only lasted a moment before it was gone. She’s definitely a hunter, Dean thought. She continued, “It’s easier to track living souls in Heaven because we’re not supposed to be here. We weren’t really succeeding in the outrun them front until we met one of your friends, Ash. He gave us this,” she held up her wrist and showed what looked almost like a smartwatch. At Sam and Dean’s confused looks, she clarified, “It translates angel radio into English so we know what they’re talking about. We were able to figure out how close to us they were at all times.”

“Wish we had one of those when we were sneaking around Heaven,” Sam said quietly, “If you’ve got this to help, how’d you get separated?”

“We ran through a door, door closed, I was there, she wasn’t,” Mickey shrugged, “I’m still not sure what happened, but no one’s mentioned catching a human, so I’m hoping she’s okay.”

“Wait,” Dean said, “Go back. You said Ash gave you that, but Ash never mentioned any of this to us.”

Sam nodded solemnly, “Ash would have told us about a conspiracy in Heaven if he knew.”

Mickey looked back and forth between the brothers. It was her turn to have visible confusion. Dean could see the gears turning in her head until something shifted behind her eyes. Her mouth fell slightly open. “Oh,” she said, “You don’t know.”

“What don’t we know,” Dean asked, irritation evident.

“No one here is real,” Mickey said, “No one except you. The Ash you spoke to, like everyone else, is just a part of your perfectly crafted paradise.”

The room was cold. Dean looked down at his feet to steady his head. They won, damnit. It was supposed to be okay after they beat Chuck. Everything was supposed to be fine, and they were supposed to never be dragged into angel power grabs because it wasn’t supposed to happen anymore. Dean looked at Mickey, who looked completely certain she was right, and he couldn’t believe her. Or he could. He just didn’t want to. “No,” he said, “Jack and Cas fixed Heaven to let everyone be together.”

“And who told you that,” Mickey asked, “A long dead loved one?” She spoke slowly, as if talking to a child. She wasn’t condescending, just trying to explain. “Being surrounded by all your loved ones is your idea of paradise, but that’s all it is,” she paused. When neither brother said anything, she continued, “Think about it. If Jack and Castiel fixed Heaven, why haven’t you seen them? Why haven’t they come around to see you?”

That was a valid argument, Dean thought. Why hasn’t he seen Cas since getting here? If everyone’s together, where is Cas? Dean always considered Cas his family as much as Sam was, so Cas should be there. She was right. Dean knew it, but that didn’t soften the blow.

“If what you’re saying is true,” Sam started, “Why hasn’t anyone we know tried to find us?”

“You guys are in a no fly zone,” she said as if it were obvious. When it became clear that they didn’t know what she meant, she sighed and continued to explain, “Your Heaven is insanely difficult to get into. You need to use a lot of power and go through several walls of warding.”

“How’d you get in?”

“This,” she pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. It was a small green pendant on a long silver chain. She pulled it over her head and handed it to Sam. Dean looked over his shoulder at it. There were several engravings on the pendant. Dean recognized some of them. Sam handed the necklace back. She put it back on as she explained, “A few years back, some witch binded all of his power to this. At first, it was barely anything, just a way to make sure he didn’t drain himself, but then he figured out how to take power from other beings. Then the spell evolved to lifeforce. Starts draining other witches completely and finally gets on the radar. After he was dead, the pendant was still active, so we decided to save it. Turns out having a practically endless supply of magic comes in handy when you’re sneaking into the more restricted parts of the afterlife.”

Sam’s eyes were trained on the pendant, even after returning it. Dean could tell he was trying to determine if something like that could actually happen. Dean was doing the same, but eventually, Sam sighed. “Okay,” he said, “Say I believe you, can that thing get us out of here too?”

Mickey nodded, “It won’t be easy. We have to get through every outer room,” she explained, “I’ve already been through them, so it’ll take less time to get through the wards ‘cause I know what to do this time, but it’ll take more power to get three people out as opposed to one.”

Sam looked at Dean. Dean shrugged. As of right now, they didn’t have a reason not to believe her, especially given everything they already know about the way Heaven operates. The idea that Heaven is lying to them and screwing things up on Earth in the meantime was completely believable. There was only one thing bugging Dean.

Dean looked away from his brother and back to Mickey. “How’d you know to find us,” he asked, “I’m not completely sure how many years have passed since we’ve been out of the game, but I’m assuming Winchester isn’t a common name anymore.”

Mickey laughed. Dean glared at her, but she didn’t sober up. “You don’t think you can be at the center of several apocalypses and not be hunting legends, do you?” Sam must have made the same incredulous look Dean assumed he was making because Mickey started laughing again. “You guys were practically the main characters of the world for, what, fifteen years? Of fucking course we tell stories about y’all,” she said, “So when angels come back to Earth after decades since the last sighting, doing their whole Mysterious Ways thing, the first thing we did was read your records.”

“Excuse me,” Dean interrupted, “Our what?”

“We found a bunker in Kansas a few years ago that we think belonged to you because it was full of very thorough records of your hunts,” Mickey said like it was old news. “I mean, we told stories about y’all before, but now we know the real stories, but this isn’t important,” she said as if she didn’t just reveal that Sam and Dean are legends, “If you’re coming with me, we need to go now.”

Sam looked at Dean again. Sam was in. Of course he was. If this was true, they had to help, and Dean was believing it more by the second. Going with Mickey was the obvious choice. Regardless, there was a part of him that didn’t want to. They were supposed to be done. He died on a fucking nail in a warehouse, and he was fine with that because that was supposed to be it. Even if the whole everyone being together in Heaven thing was a lie, they were still supposed to be done. Dean looked away from his brother to the urgent look on Mickey’s face. She had begun tapping her fingers against the kitchen counter she was perched on. Dean started to think this was her first end of the world situation. If it was, why was she alone? Then he remembered that she wasn’t. Her partner was out there somewhere without her. Every second he wasted was another second she wasn’t looking for her partner. If it were him, he would’ve started yelling a long time ago, but she was still waiting.

Dean sighed, mind made up. “Let’s go.”

---

Dean was starting to feel real stupid right about now.

Mickey had shoved them into the Impala when she saw it and sled behind the wheel, didn’t even give Dean the chance to protest someone else driving his car before she started the engine and drove off. She drove for what felt like hours, eyes trained on the road, until she came to a wall.

A bigass white wall in the middle of nowhere that Dean never found because he was content to stay with everyone he knew instead of investigate the place he’d be spending eternity.

Mickey  turned the car off, and started toward the wall. “Alright,” Mickey said, “Before we go through, you need to be prepared. Heaven’s number one defense against us is our memories.”

Sam nodded, “We’ve gone against them before. They show your happiest memories, right?”

“And then some,” Mickey confirmed, “But it’ll be worse for you now. They don’t want you to leave,” she explained, “These wards aren’t just meant to keep people out, they’re also to keep you in. You’re gonna see things that are meant to make you stay, and you might forget about the mission.”

“What’ll you see,” Dean asked.

“Whatever you see,” Mickey answered. She paused, then said, “I think.”

Dean halted. “You think,” he asked. He looked at Sam, “She thinks.” Sam shrugged. Dean looked at Mickey again, “You think?”

For the first time since they met, Mickey’s cool composure disappeared. Fire started behind her eyes. Dean was almost convinced to look away as she stared him down. Despite that, she spoke calmly, “I’m sorry, I haven’t exactly snuck through Heaven before, but in case it’s escaped your notice, I’ve made it here and gotten you, and when I was on my way here, it was two living people, and on the way out, I’ve got one living person and two dead souls, so yeah, I think that’s how it’ll work but I’m not entirely sure,” she took a deep breath and smiled, “So I know I’m asking a lot, but you need to just trust me so we can get out of here because I’m kind of on a tight schedule.”

Sam cleared his throat. “Okay,” he said, “Dean didn’t mean anything by it, I guess we’re just wondering if you’ve got a plan to get us through there.”

Mickey sighed, fire dying out, “I can’t plan around the unknown. I have absolutely no idea what you’re gonna see in there, and I have no idea if we’re all gonna see the same things,” Mickey paused, “All I know is the shit they showed me was enticing, and it’s probably gonna be worse this time through.”

Sam nodded, “Any chance we’ll see your memories in there?”

Mickey shrugged, “Maybe, but I’m not really the target this time,” she said, “But you should know, it’s not just memories. It’s everything you’ve wished for, things you wanted but never got. Just be prepared.”

Mickey turned away from them to the wall. She pulled the pendant out and closed her eyes. She placed her free hand on the wall and started muttering something under her breath. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. It only lasted a second before fading. Then, a door appeared. She reached a hand out toward the brothers. Sam shrugged and grabbed her hand. She looked at Dean. Dean assumed she wanted him to grab on too. He rolled his eyes and grabbed Sam. Mickey smiled and opened the door.

“Don’t let go,” she said. She walked them through the door.

Dean shielded his eyes from the blinding light with his free hand. He felt a little bad for Sam before he figured Sam could just use his hair to block the light. Finally, a good use for it. When the light faded, they were on the other side of the wall. Dean looked around. There were trees everywhere. If it weren’t for the wall behind him, Dean would have thought he was in the middle of a forest. Dean couldn’t think of a single happy memory in the middle of a forest. It was always running for his life or trying to kill something. He looked at Sam, who looked just as confused. Mickey was fixing her ponytail.

“Alright,” she said, “Let’s get going. Long way to the next wall.”

“Wait,” Dean said, “Aren’t we supposed to be seeing our greatest wishes or whatever?”

“Does this look like your greatest wish,” Mickey asked.

Dean shrugged, “Guess not.”

Mickey nodded, “Let’s get moving then. And be ready ‘cause it’ll sneak up on you.”

They started walking. Mickey was scanning the environment. Dean tapped Sam and signaled him to hang back a bit. When Mickey was a little ahead of them, Dean leaned over. “Do we have any angel blades,” he asked.

Sam shook his head, “And I’d doubt she does if what she says about angels not being around is true.”

“Of course it’s true,” Dean said, “It took an apocalypse for them to come back after centuries last time. If Jack gave them a reason to leave and not come back, they probably took it.”

Sam nodded, “I hate to say it, but you’re probably right,” Sam paused, looking at Mickey. She was still walking ahead of them. Dean was sure she could hear their discussion. If she was a hunter, she had to know how to pay attention, but she was acting like she wasn’t listening. Dean guessed it was some form of courtesy. Sam probably came to the same conclusion because he leaned closer and lowered his voice, “Are you sure we can trust her?”

Dean shook his head, “No, but she wasn’t lying about Heaven not being what we thought.” Dean slid his eyes back over Mickey. She was young, about the same age as Claire was when he died. A little bit of hurt flared in his chest at that thought. If she was part of a scheme, Dean figured she would have been chosen because she was young. But still. “How many times have we gone out on a limb for someone we didn’t know before,” he asked Sam, “This is no different.”

Sam nodded, and they continued to follow Mickey.

Dean was thinking about what they should do if they met any angels when he heard a noise. Soft enough that no one would hear it unless they were actively listening. Dean turned to see what it was, gaining the attention of Sam and Mickey.

“Dean,” Mickey said, “Do you hear something?”

He nodded, “It’s soft, but getting louder.”

Mickey said something, but Dean couldn’t hear her. The trees were gone, and it was night in the empty field. Sam and Mickey were no longer next to him as he was leaning on the hood of the Impala. The heat was sticky, but it was contrasted to the beer in Dean’s hand. He looked up to the sky. Tons of stars were visible, he could almost see the pinks and purples of space.

The trunk of the car slammed closed. “Careful back there,” Dean yelled, “There’s a reason this car has lasted so long.”

Claire and Jack came around the side of the car. Claire handed him a firework like the ones she and Jack were holding. “Sorry,” she said, “Forgot you love this car more than us.”

Dean snorted, “Don’t you ever forget it again.”

“Are you sure this is safe,” Jack asked, “It doesn’t seem safe.”

“Sam and I have been doing this since we were kids,” Dean said, “You two have been hunters long enough to experience Fourth of July Hunter Style.”

Dean pulled out his lighter. He lit Jack’s first, then Claire’s, then his. The field erupted with light. The stars weren’t nearly as visible anymore, but the smiles on their faces made up for it. Besides, he could show them the stars another day.

“Dean.”

It was distant. He could ignore it if he wanted to.

“Dean.”

It was more insistent this time. He was supposed to be doing something, wasn’t he? Maybe not.

“Dean!” He was shoved by Sam. Back in the woods. No Claire. No Jack. Instead, he was with Sam and Mickey again.

“What’d you see,” Mickey asked softly. Not pressuring, just curious.

One of my greatest desires , he thought. “Not important,” he said. Mickey nodded, content with the answer. Sam wasn’t. Dean could tell Sam wanted to ask more, so he continued before Sam got the chance. “What is important is now I know what to look out for.”

“It might be easier to pull yourself out the second time,” Mickey said. She looked down at her watch. “The problem is that the Heavenly Host might be able to lock onto our location, so we have to move.”

---

They’d been walking for hours. At least Dean thought it had been hours. He couldn’t really tell physically anymore. The whole being dead thing. But he figured it had been a while because of Mickey. Her eyes weren’t as sharp, and her shoulders started to sag. She was still keeping pace with Sam and Dean, but was no longer leading them.

“Mickey,” Sam asked before Dean got the chance. “How long have you been in Heaven?” Apparently, Sam came to the same conclusion.

Mickey blinked a few times, processing, before she answered, “I dunno. Time’s weird here.”

“Have you slept at all since you got here?”

“It doesn’t matter.” So no, Dean figured. She continued, “We need to keep moving.”

She turned to keep walking, but Dean grabbed her arm. “You’re no good to anyone if you fall over from exhaustion,” he said, “Besides, we need you to break the wards and you need strength for that.”

Sam put a hand on her shoulder, “We’ll keep watch. We’ll wake you if we need to move.”

Dean could see the gears turning in her head, deciding whether or not to trust them. Eventually, she sighed, “Okay.”

She was out as soon as she hit the ground, erasing all doubt Dean might have had about her exhaustion level. Sam sat against a tree, which looked like a pretty great idea, in Dean’s opinion, so he followed suit. Dean was perfectly happy with the silence that followed.

The silence didn’t last long. “So,” Sam started, “You gonna tell me what you saw?”

Dean thought about not telling him, but only for a second. He sighed, “I was lighting fireworks with Claire and Jack.”

Sam nodded, “That’s a little…” he trailed off.

“Mundane,” Dean asked. When Sam nodded, he kept going, “I know, but they were like my kids sometimes. I guess I just wished I had more time with them. Even if it’s just lighting off fireworks like delinquents.”

This look crossed Sam’s face. Some mix of regret and wish. He got it a lot. Whenever he remembered Dean’s death. “I understand,” Sam said, “You should’ve had more time.”

“Sam,” Dean said, “You better not be blaming yourself for my death.”

“I should’ve done something, Dean,” Sam replied, “I should’ve called someone. 911 exists for that exact purpose.”

“Sure,” Dean laughed, “Call 911 and have the paramedics show up to the barn with all the decapitated bodies. Good luck explaining that one.”

“It’s not funny, Dean,” Sam yelled. He took a breath of composure before continuing, “We’ve been through so many life or death situations, it doesn’t fit that you died there. You should’ve gone out guns blazing, not impaled on a rusty piece of rebar.” Dean almost spoke, but Sam interrupted, “And don’t you dare say you were content with death because I know you wanted to live. I saw the application.”

Oh. The application. Dean had been thinking of applying to a firefighter academy. The idea was that he could still help people while living a semi-normal life with hunting only in his free time or if someone needed him. Cas sacrificed himself to save Dean. Dean wanted to honor that by living. If he had to go the rest of his life without Cas in it, he was going to make damn sure he honored Cas’s wishes. Cas wanted him to live, so he was going to live. So much for that idea. He sighed, “Sometimes, what we want just isn’t in the cards, Sammy.”

“Yeah but it’s still not fair.”

“Life’s not fair, kid,” Dean said, “If it were, you’d have married Jessica and been a successful lawyer with two kids.”

Sam laughed, “You know, it’s been so long since then that it’s not even my wish anymore.”

“Really,” Dean asked. Sam nodded. “Then what’s your new wish?”

Sam smiled at him, “Would’ve loved it if you could’ve met my son.”

“Yeah,” Dean said, “Me too.”

“So,” Dean said, ready to change the topic, “What d’you think happened to Mickey’s partner?”

Sam knew what he was doing, but let him get away with it. “I don’t know, but I do know that she’s still alive.”

“How’re you so sure,” Dean asked. He didn’t think the angels would kill someone just for breaking into Heaven, but they might come close for breaking him and Sam out.

“She can be used as leverage against Mickey,” Sam said, “Whoever Mickey’s partner is, they’re important to her, which makes ‘em her weak spot. Plenty of people have done the same thing with us before.”

Dean nodded. Makes sense. You want someone to do something, or stop doing something, you have to find the right place to put pressure, and loved ones are an easy target. It had happened to Sam and Dean more than once. It’s why so many hunters work alone. The number of friends you bury always outweighs the opposite. Sam and Dean knew that from personal experience.

Maybe he’d finally be able to see some of those friends again.

---

Dean wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling. Mickey was right, time was weird in Heaven. It was maybe a day later when they reached the second wall.

“This was the longest section,” Mickey said, “This is basically like the Pacer Test. The section will get shorter, but that’ll just make it more difficult.”

“They’re gonna throw more shit at us,” Dean asked.

Mickey nodded, “I’m honestly shocked we got through the last section with only one temptation.”

“Better keep our minds sharp then,” Sam said.

Sensing the conversation was over, Mickey went about the door opening process again.

When they walked through this time, they were in a city instead of a forest. The buildings weren’t tall enough to be considered skyscrapers, but they were highrises. Almost like where he was living when Zacariah made him Dean Smith.

“Is this Denver,” Dean heard Sam ask.

“No,” he replied, “This is Heaven fucking with us.”

Bitch face #4 activated, “You know what I mean.”

“It’s definitely Denver,” Mickey confirmed, ignoring Dean’s statement. “We should get a move on.”

They walked down the streets of Denver for a while before Dean decided he wasn’t a fan of the silence any more. Silence in the woods was fitting. It made sense. But walking through what looked like a big city without any sounds in the background? That was the type of quiet that makes people’s skin crawl. It was the type of silence that felt wrong. Dean wanted to end the silence. So he did. “How’d you know this was Denver,” Dean asked Mickey.

Mickey looked over at him, almost checking to make sure she heard right, before looking back at the road ahead. She pointed at a glass building in the distance. “I went to school at CU Denver. It’s in the shadow of that building.” She clicked her tongue and smirked. “I could probably draw that building with my eyes closed.”

Dean smiled, “That where you got into hunting?”

Mickey nodded, “Dorm building was haunted. Vengeful spirit.”

“How’d you know what to do?” Dean noticed Sam was actively not participating in the conversation. He was making too much of a show out of looking the other way. Dean wasn’t sure Mickey had noticed yet.

“Claud and I found an oddly accurate video on youtube.” She got a faraway look in her eyes as if remembering something and chuckled a little. “The video was several decades old and I think the guys who made it must have been on something, but it was on the money. Salt, iron, burning the remains, it was all there.”

“Who’s Claud?”

“Claudia,” Mickey replied, “My partner.”

Dean stopped walking. He put his hand on Mickey’s shoulder. “We’ll find her.”

Mickey held his gaze for a few seconds, then swallowed and looked away. She nodded. “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean wouldn’t necessarily say Mickey wears her emotions clearly, but she was honest. She never dodged Dean’s questions. Dean figured that was a key indicator that she didn’t grow up in the life. Charlie was always the same, but Eileen was more like he was. Lying came naturally to the hunters that grew up hunting and honesty came naturally to the ones who didn’t. Dean had to learn how to lie at a young age. He was barely 10 the first time John left them without enough food and money. He had put some cartoons on for Sam and locked the door behind him. Either the clerk at the general store was more compassionate than he looked, or Dean was a better liar than any 10 year old had the right to be, but Dean got the food. There’s a part of Dean that feels like he never outgrew it. He knew he lied about more than he told the truth about. That conclusion took Dean years to come to terms with. Lying took years of practice, and well, old habits die hard. Thinking about how much Dean had lied about was easy when he was comparing himself to someone who so clearly had no problem with the truth. There was something enticing about it.

“Tell me about Claudia,” Dean prompted.

Mickey’s eyes widened a little. Dean suspects she hadn’t been expecting him to ask, but she shrugged and spoke anyway. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. I punched the kid that was bullying her in third grade and she snuck me food after my lunch detention.” Dean laughed at the situation, which caused Mickey to smile. “Anyway, we were practically inseparable after that. She’s probably the best person on the face of the planet. Full of that compassion that gets hunters killed, you know? Not in a bad way,” she paused. She looked over Dean for a moment before coming to a decision. “It’s what I love most about her.”

Dean nodded, “I get that.” Dean thought of dark hair and kind eyes and the drive to help every kid who needed it. “So you two are…” he trailed off, not sure how to ask the question.

“We’re partners in more than one sense of the word, yeah,” she confirmed his suspicions. She shook her head and hardened her face. She didn’t give Dean the opportunity to respond before she diverted his attention. “What about you,” she asked, “Any special someone you’re hoping to see again once we get past the final ward?”

Dean sighed, “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

Dean thought about how much he was willing to share. On the one hand, Mickey was a perfect stranger. Whatever he told her had little chance of affecting him in the long run. On the other hand, Sam was right there. Sam wasn’t listening to the conversation, but there were things Dean had never told him. Once the levee breaks, there’s no going back, right? 

Apparently, he was talking too long to answer because Mickey looked over at him a little concerned. Dean figured he’s dead, no more consequences, so he answered. “Complicated like he told me he loved me and then died,” Dean sighed, “I never saw him again. Don’t even know if he’s here.”

“I’m sorry,” Mickey said. Dean almost thought she meant it. Maybe she did. “Let’s make a deal.”

That caught Dean’s attention. “Isn’t rule number one ‘no deals’?”

“Yeah with demons,” Mickey laughed, “This is different.”

Dean laughed along with her, “Sure,” he said, “Why not? What’s the deal?”

“You help me find Claudia,” she said, “And I’ll help you find your guy. Wherever he is.”

She stuck a hand out. Dean thought for a moment before grabbing it. “I hope you know I’ll hold you to that.”

“Counting on it.”

---

Dean was sure that what he just witnessed was exactly what Sam and Mickey went through when it was him.

Sam was staring into the distance, not really focused on anything. Almost like that girl they’d saved from the djinn all those years ago. Dreaming with your eyes open. The first time Dean tried to get his attention was unsuccessful. Sam simply kept staring at something Dean couldn’t see. Mickey also tried calling his name. She had put a hand on his shoulder and started shaking him. Eventually, Dean got impatient and pushed Sam over. The force of the shove must have snapped him out of it. He went from confused to alert to sad in seconds.

“Do you wanna-” Mickey tried.

Sam cut her off with a shake of his head, “Let’s keep going.”

The trend continued like that each time they passed through a new seal. There wasn’t any telling when a vision (or as Mickey called them, a “temptation”) was coming or who it would affect. Each time, whoever was the victim would zone out for a few seconds then come to confused and sad. No one ever shared what they saw. Sometimes Dean saw Claire and Jack, sometimes it was Sam or Jody or Charlie or Bobby or Jo or anyone else. It was never who he was hoping to see. He hadn’t decided if he was happy about that or not yet.

But you know that phrase about speaking too soon?

One minute, he was walking down the road with Sam and Mickey, and the next he was in the Bunker. It was exactly how he remembered when he left it for the last time. Dean was standing on the stairs, looking out at the dark room before him. There was a light on in the library. When he entered the room, a lamp was on next to the chair in the corner. Books were strewn around. Someone must have been reading.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean turned around and was faced with those blue eyes. Cas was holding a glass of water. He was wearing jeans and one of Dean’s old Zeppelin shirts. He had a small smile on his face that was lighting up his eyes, as if Dean was the best thing he had seen all day.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean replied, “You waitin’ up for me?”

Cas nodded slightly. “Of course.” He offered Dean the glass. Dean happily accepted. “What else am I supposed to do when I get home to a note saying you’re helping the kids but with no location to meet you at,” it was phrased like a question, but Cas’s tone indicated he didn’t care about Dean’s answer.

He gave it anyway. “It was just a salt and burn, and Claire asked for some back up. What was I supposed to do,” he asked, “Say no?”

“You were supposed to call me so I wouldn’t have to worry about you,” Cas replied slowly. He was still smiling so Dean wasn’t too worried.

Dean smirked at him, “How can I make it up to you?”

Cas pretended to think about it for a moment before meeting Dean’s eyes. “I’ve got an idea or two.”

“Oh yeah,” Dean grabbed Cas’s hands, “What’s your idea?”

“You should make me pie,” Cas said innocently.

Dean barked a laugh. “I think I can swing that.”

For the first time in ages, or possibly ever, Dean was perfectly content. He and Cas were more retired than not now. He only went into the field when someone explicitly asked him to. He mostly stayed put doing research for other hunters and pretending to be agency supervisors with Cas. Sam was officially a Man of Letters, but not with the Brits. He started a new branch in America with Eileen. His kids were safe and happy. Jack started hunting with Claire and Kaia when he gave up his powers and let Amara run the universe. All in all, Dean had very little to worry about. The only thing Dean was thinking about changing was only a question away, and he was going to ask any day now.

“Dean.”

It was so quiet, Dean barely heard it. But he’d been through it enough times. He knew what the small voice was. His perfect reality was cracking. He couldn’t stay. He knew that.

“Dean.”

But he still had a little time.

Dean pulled Cas in and wrapped his arms around him. He buried his face into Cas’s shoulder, trying to absorb as much of him as possible. Cas immediately hugged him back.

“What’s this about,” Cas asked.

“Dean!”

“I just needed a reminder,” he mumbled into Cas’s shoulder. He knew Cas would be able to hear him.

“Of what?”

Dean pulled back slightly and met Cas’s eyes. Blue. Just like when last he saw them. Just like the first time, too. “Of what I’m trying to get back to.”

Cas never got the opportunity to respond. Sam shoved Dean into the ground, breaking the image. “You okay,” Sam asked him, “You were in there longer than normal.”

Funny. He hadn’t realized he was crying until he wiped his eyes. “I’m fine.”

“What’d you see,” Mickey asked.

“The wrong fucking thing.” Dean wiped his hands on his jeans and started walking. “Heaven just made their first mistake,” he paused for dramatic effect, “They reminded me why we need to win.”

---

Mickey was staring at the angel radio watch. Staring wasn’t the right word, more like glaring. Her lips were twisted into a frown, and she kept tapping it.

Sam tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump. “What’s up?”

She looked up at him, then back at the watch. “It’s quiet.” She tapped the watch a few more times. “There’s been no word from the angels for days. I thought it might have been an error, that the watch wasn’t working, but the watch is working fine.”

Sam frowned, “How long’s it been?”

“How long’s it been since the last temptation?”

“You worried they’re onto us,” Dean asked.

“I’m worried about what’s gonna be waiting for us when we get past that final wall,” she answered. “They might be waiting for us.”

“They probably will be,” Sam said, “So we make a plan now.”

Dean nodded, “We’ll set a camp for a night. Rest and plan so we can outthink them tomorrow.”

Just like every other time, it took a while to convince Mickey to get some rest, but eventually, she gave in. When she was finally out, Sam and Dean stood watch. They could see the final wall from their campsite. It was maybe another day’s walk away, but Dean had a feeling that it wouldn’t be too difficult to get there. He was willing to bet the whole temptation plot has been abandoned in favor of just waiting them out. Apparently, Sam reached the same conclusion.

“We’re not gonna be seeing any more visions.”

Dean shook his head, “I don’t think so either.”

Sam sighed. “What d’you think’ll happen if they catch us?”

“Well,” Dean started, “They’ll probably erase our memories and put us back in our heaven.”

Sam nodded. “That’s what I think too.” Sam got this look on his face. Dean’s seen it enough times to know he was thinking about whether or not to say something.

“Spit it out,” Dean said.

“This doesn’t feel like Jack.”

Dean frowned, “What do you mean?”

Sam sighed. “I mean why would Jack lie to us like that,” he asked, “Why would he let the angels do whatever they’re doing that’s apparently bad enough to catch the attention of hunters? I know he said he was gonna be hands off, but doesn't this feel too hands off for the kid we knew?”

Dean rubbed his face. Sam had a point. Dean thought it was weird that Jack didn’t stick around after they depowered Chuck. He thought it was weird that Jack didn’t split from Amara. He thought it was weird that Jack didn’t bring Cas back to him. There were a lot of things he thought were weird, but he ignored all of it because they won, damnit. They beat Chuck and got their freedom. They won.

But then again, if they really won, why did things turn out the way they did? Dean fought too many vampires to die on a vamp hunt. Heaven didn’t make sense if it was all a ruse. Sam didn’t seem nearly as happy with his long life as he pretended.

Cas should have been there.

“There’s a theory.” Dean hadn’t realized Mickey woke up. Neither had Sam if the way he jumped meant anything. She bit at the nail of her thumb as she looked at them. “It’s an urban legend more than anything. A conspiracy theory put together by what little we know about your lives, but I always thought it made some kind of sense.”

Sam’s face passed through a few different emotions. Confusion, curiosity, fear. “What is it,” he asked.

“You’re not gonna like it.”

---

The easiest way to tell that this was the final wall would probably be the door. There wasn’t a knob or handle on it, but it was still clearly a door. One that was locked from the outside. Just like every other time, Mickey placed a hand on the wall, right where the door knob should have been, and began the incantation. The door frame began to glow a bright white. Dean had to look away. When the light subsided, there was a knob on the door and Mickey looked about ready to fall over. She shook herself out, fixed her ponytail and turned to the boys. “Ready?”

Sam shrugged. “Now or never, right?”

She huffed a laugh, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Mickey opened the door.

The thing about hunters is that they typically have some pretty good instincts. Anything less than that could get you killed. Hunters need to be able to tell what kind of situation they’re about to walk into. One of the most irritating things about dealing with the British Men of Letters was when they tried to imply that Dean was lesser just for being a hunter. Just because most hunters can’t rattle off obscure lore off the top of their heads doesn’t make them dumb. It’s just a different type of smart. So if three hunters have the same idea about what’s waiting for them behind a door, they’re probably right.

Here’s the data to support the theory.

Dean was sure angels would be waiting for them. Sam was sure angels would be waiting for them. Mickey was sure angels would be waiting for them.

And sure enough, a couple dozen angels were waiting a few yards away from the door.

The part of the situation that Dean was not expecting was that one of them seemed to know Mickey by name.

“Mickey,” the mystery angel said. Dean would bet he was the leader.

Mickey grimaced. “Only my friends get to call me that.”

“Michaela,” he amended with a whole lot more irritation, “How nice it is to see you.”

She shrugged, “And here I was hoping we never see each other again, Jegudiel.”

The angel, Jegudiel, abandoned all illusions of patience with Mickey. He stepped toward her. “You need to come with us.”

Dean moved to put himself between them. “I’m afraid that’s not gonna be possible,” he said, “Maybe you can find another date to the prom.”

Jegudiel didn’t look amused. “Dean Winchester. Why am I not surprised that it’s you standing between me and that pest?”

Dean shrugged. “I consider it one of my best personality traits.”

“I remember,” Jegudiel started, pitching the bridge of his nose, “All those years ago, when the demons were trying to convince you that your father was supposed to be the Righteous Man, but he was stronger than you.” Dean’s face hardened. That was so long ago, he barely thought about it anymore, but when he did, there was always a part of him that held to that doubt. That he wasn’t supposed to be the one who saved the day. That he was weaker. That his father was supposed to be where he was. And here was an angel, who he didn’t even know, airing out his dirty laundry in front of everyone. Then he did something to piss Dean off further: he laughed. “And I can’t believe you thought they were right. There’s clearly no one, past or future, as godforsaken righteous as you are. I mean, come on. Getting involved in something that clearly doesn’t concern you just because of a lost puppy asking for help.”

Dean smirked, “I’ll take that over heartless dickbag any day.”

Jegudiel sighed, “I’ll make this simple.” He snapped his fingers and another angel appeared holding someone.

The girl was dressed in jeans, boots, and a blue flannel over a black tank top. The only reason Dean could tell it was a tank top was the shoulder of the flannel had fallen down. He could see the top of an anti-possession tattoo on her arm. Any doubt Dean had about who this was was erased when Mickey gasped, “Claud.”

Claudia smiled at Mickey, “Hey, Mick. You good?”

Mickey smiled back at her. “It’s always easier when I’ve got you on my back.”

“Sorry I couldn’t lend a hand.”

Mickey nodded at her, but never got the chance to respond.

“I love this little reunion,” Jegudiel said, “But let me cut to the chase, Michaela. You and Claudia can go free, no harm done to you, if you allow us to continue our work. Refuse to accept, we will smite you both here.”

Mickey glared at him. “What about Sam and Dean?”

“In either scenario, we wipe their memories and put them back where they came from.”

Mickey looked at Sam. Then at Dean. She got this sad look in her eye. Dean knew what choice she had made. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Dean smiled at her, “No hard feelings, kid.”

She looked back at Sam, a question in her eye. He nodded. Content, Mickey turned to the angels. “Okay,” she said, “But you only get the Winchesters when I have Claudia next to me. I won’t leave without her hand in mine.”

“Fine.” Jegudiel waved a hand and the angel holding Claudia released her and pushed her toward Mickey.

Claudia stumbled a bit before running the rest of the way into Mickey’s waiting arms. Mickey caught her with practiced ease. Dean hadn’t noticed from the distance, but Claudia was taller than Mickey. Not only did Claudia have to bend down, but Mickey had to stand on her toes in order to put her face in Claudia’s neck. Mickey said something Dean couldn’t make out, which caused Claudia to nod. Claudia’s eyes flew between Sam and Dean before she shifted them downward. When she found the answer she was looking for, she smiled slightly. She slid her hand down Mickey’s back, and pulled something out of her back pocket. After a closer glance, Dean noticed it was the pocket knife Mickey had used to make the sigil when they met.

Dean met Sam’s eye. They were on the same page. Claudia met his eye next. She nodded. Dean smiled.

Sam smirked. “Jegudiel,” he said, “Know what the best thing about prideful asshats is?”

Dean didn’t give him the chance to respond, “They always think they won.”

Before anyone got the opportunity to do anything, Claudia sliced her hand and placed her palm on Mickey’s shirt.

More accurately, the banishing sigil drawn on the back of her shirt.

In a flash of light, the angels were gone.

Dean watched Mickey sag into Claudia’s arms. “You okay,” she asked.

Claudia nodded. “I’m good, but we gotta keep going, baby.”

Mickey leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Claudia’s lips before pulling away. She held Claudia’s hand and led the way to the next wall.

They walked mostly in silence. Mickey was holding onto Claudia like she was afraid she would disappear, while Claudia seemed to be trying to reassure her that she wasn’t going anywhere. Dean thought that if the roles were reversed, if it were him being reunited with someone he had lost, he would react the same. Hell, he had on more than one occasion. The first time Jack brought Cas back, Dean refused to let him out of his sight.

When Dean was feeling self destructive, he thought about Cas’s wife from when he lost his memories. Daphne, if Dean remembers correctly from the one time he met her. He wondered how she would react if Cas–or Emmanuel, he supposed–showed up on her doorstep. A selfish part of him was glad he never found out.

---

Sam insisted the girls rest while they still had time. Mickey was definitely out, but Dean couldn’t tell if Claudia was sleeping or not. Regardless, Sam and Dean discussed next steps.

“Do you think what Mickey said is true,” Sam asked, “About Jack?”

“I’d like to believe it wasn’t,” Dean admitted with a sigh, “But it sounds pretty damn possible.”

“Wouldn’t we have noticed?”

“I dunno, Sammy,” Dean said, “But I think that if we were just ready to be done, we might have just let it be. Taken it at face value.” He shrugged. “Or maybe we were just outsmarted one last time.”

Sam let the silence stew for a minute before changing the subject. “What are you gonna do when we get out of here?”

“That depends on what we find out there,” Dean answered, “It also depends on if what Mickey told us is true.”

“It is.” Dean looked over to see Claudia untangle herself from Mickey where they were laying. She checked on Mickey, and when she was sure Mickey wouldn’t wake, she walked over and settled herself with Sam and Dean. “I heard the angels talking when they had me. I think it had something to do with why they’ve been hanging out on earth more.”

Sam frowned. “What d’you mean?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “When Mick and I found the records of your hunts, we decided to do some deeper research. The most famous story about you two is when you defeated God, or well, Chuck. Mick is a dog with a bone with legends so she cross referenced everything.” Claudia bit her lip. A nervous gesture. She directed the next statement directly to Sam and Dean. “After everything you’ve been through, especially with Chuck, doesn’t it feel like it was too easy?” She didn’t give them the chance to answer. “The angels certainly thought so. They figure there must have been a moment when Chuck’s influence officially ended, and if they can get back to that moment, they’ll be able to take power for themselves.”

Dean straightened his shoulders. “And what happens if they are able to go back?”

“I don’t know,” she said, “You both will likely still die. I’m not sure if you’ve realized, but they don’t really like you.”

Sam and Dean both gave a small laugh. “I think we might have gathered that by now,” Sam said.

“One day, you’re doing Heaven’s work,” Dean said, “And the next, you’re stabbing angels in the face and being told the very touch of you corrupts.” Dean laughed, a little rueful. Fucking Hester. At least she never got her hands on Cas and Kevin. “Can’t ever forget a compliment like that.”

Claudia looked like she was hiding a smirk. “That’s rough, buddy.”

A small snort drew Dean’s attention to Mickey, who had apparently woken up. She placed herself next to Claudia. “Why’re we referencing Avatar?”

“I’m explaining the angel’s plan,” Claudia told her.

Mickey’s smile fell. “As bad as it sounds,” she told them, “Claud and I think that we might be able to stop them, which is why we came looking for you.”

Sam furrowed his brow slightly. It looked kind of like he had a Wi-Fi symbol on his forehead. “Why exactly did you have to get us,” he asked, “Couldn’t you have just gone to Jack.”

The girls shook their heads in tandem. “We tried,” Claudia said, “They’ve been hands off, but we figure if you ask, they’ll come.”

“Problem is, nothing can get past that warding,” Mickey explained, “We have to get you on the other side before we can contact Jack. Luckily, we’re almost there.”

Dean rubbed a hand down his face. “Then let’s get a move on. No time to waste.”

---

Last wall. Something about it didn’t feel too real, but Dean figured that was to be expected. One of these days, he was going to finally take a moment to reflect upon why it is that he never gets good thighs, but today was not the time.

Mickey was starting to wear out from all the ward breaking. She was pretending to be okay, but the slight lean on Claudia she had going on was a dead give away.

Last wall. And then Dean was going to make sure these kids were back on earth and away from the angels and all their bullshit.

Mickey finished her incantation. The wall dissolved into a bright light, somehow both warm and cold. Sam walked through first. Claudia guided Mickey. Dean took a deep breath before he followed them through.

On the other side was the hallway of doors that Dean was used to seeing when he traveled through heaven. The door that he had just come through read D. & S. Winchester in that stupid industrial, faux-elegance front.

One minute, Dean was looking up and down the hallway, the next, his equilibrium was upturned as he was sent flying down the hall. He vaguely noticed Sam landing next to him. Dean blinked the focus back into his eyes. He looked up to find the girls in a fist fight of sorts with Jegudiel. Claudia had what looked like brass knuckles. Dean would bet they had sigils carved into them like the ones his mom got from the British Men of Letters. Mickey, on the other hand, was wielding a blade, a regular not supernatural blade. They were switching off in a well choreographed dance. Claudia would hit him a few times, then Mickey would jump in with her blade when Jegudiel tried to shove his toward Claudia.

Jegudiel seemed to catch onto the pattern at the same time as Dean because the next time Mickey swiped at him, he caught her arm and tossed her like a rag doll. Mickey came slamming into the wall next to Dean just in time to watch as Jegudiel was finally able to land a hit on Claudia. He shoved the blade into her stomach, stopping at the hilt.

Pain flickered across Claudia’s face for approximately one second before she reached up to grab the blade. She shifted her body to force it out of Jegudiel’s grip, but she didn’t go far. Insead, she pulled the angel blade out of her stomach and in one swift motion, she shoved it into the angel. He lit up before falling to the ground.

Claudia held herself up just long enough for Mickey to run over and grab her. “Claudia,” she screamed. An animalistic noise from deep in her gut that Dean would never be able to forget. She gently lowered Claudia to the ground. “I got you, baby,” she said softly, “Remember, we’re dying side by side in the nursing home. No sooner.”

They had maybe a moment of silence before the sound of fluttering wings once again filled the room. Mickey didn’t waste any time before raising the angel blade toward the noise. “Don’t come any closer,” she proclaimed without even moving away from Claudia.

Dean turned to see which angel came calling. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas said, staring right at him.

“Cas,” Dean breathed out.

Cas smiled. He turned to look at Mickey, then lowered his eyes to Claudia. “Let me help,” he asked.

Mickey looked at Cas, then at Dean, a question in her eyes. Dean nodded slightly, a message that Cas is trustworthy. Mickey lowered the blade. “Please help her.”

Cas moved over to the girls. He held his hand over Claudia’s wound and it began to glow with Grace. Soon, the wound was gone and Claudia was breathing steadily in Mickey’s arms. “She is resting,” Cas told her, “But she will be okay.”

“Thank you.” Mickey sounded close to tears.

Cas smiled again. “You helped bring the Winchesters here, I should be thanking you.”

“Let’s call it even, yeah?”

Cas nodded. He turned to Dean again. “I know you have questions.”

Dean didn’t answer. He shook his head and walked over to the angel. His angel. His angel who he had spent the past however many years thinking about. “You changed me as much as I changed you,” he said, slowly to let it sink in, and softly to keep it private. He laughed a little. He couldn’t believe he got to say this. “I love you, Cas. I’ve loved you since you made that stripper cry. But Cas,” he said, “ Cas , I just didn’t know angels could love like that. If I had known, I’d have done something about it years ago.” Dean sighed with a big grin on his face. “Better late than never.”

Something shifted behind Cas’s eyes. A barely there assessment of whether or not Dean was telling the truth. Dean kept eye contact. His way of letting Cas see inside his brain to know it’s the truth. Cas must have gotten the message because he smiled at Dean. Dean smiled right back. Dean pulled Cas in by the tie and kissed him. Cas leaned into it deeply and grabbed Dean’s shoulder. And finally, finally , the world righted itself. For the first time in a very long time, Dean found himself thinking about something Cas told him once. That good things do happen. And damnit, maybe they do.

Dean pulled away before the kiss could get more heated. Dean was sure, absolutely positive in fact, that they would have time for that later.

“Friggin finally,” Sam said. “Do you know how long I watched them make puppy eyes at each other,” he asked Mickey, causing her to crack a smile, “So damn long. I thought it would end with death but I’ve even had to deal with it in the afterlife. But it’s over.” Sam laughed. “I’m free.”

Dean snorted. “Drama queen.”

Claudia begand to stir. Mickey helped her up.

Cas pecked Dean on the lips once more. “We should get going. There is someone waiting for you.”

Dean smiled. “Lead the way.”

---

Cas brought them to a small clearing in the woods. Well, they hadn’t left Heaven yet so it was fake woods but same difference. Standing in the clearing was yet another face Dean wasn’t sure he would see again.

“Hey, kiddo,” Dean said.

Jack smiled broadly. “Dean!”

Not a second later, Dean had an arm full of godly being.

“I’ve been trying to find you,” Jack said, mouth going a mile a minute, “But they had you surrounded by too many wards. I couldn’t find you.”

“It’s okay, kid,” Dean said, “I’m just glad to see you’re you again.”

Jack’s smile faded a little. “About that,” they started, “I think I might have figured out a way to actually beat Chuck.”

“Wait,” Sam interrupted, “You mean that it’s true?”

Jack nodded. “Chuck had already written the ending before I took his power. He outsmarted us.” There was a beat of silence while everyone took it in. They hadn’t won. Then Jack smiled again. “But we have a plan.”

Dean frowned. “And ‘we’ is?”

“Aunt Amara,” Jack explained, they tapped their temple, “She’s still in here. She won’t be much longer, but I need her strength to carry out the plan.” Jack looked at their small group. “We’re sending everyone back to when Chuck lost his power. Aunt Amara and I can change the ending now that we know what happened.”

“Wait. Hold on.”Dean looked over at where Mickey and Claudia were standing. Mickey had placed herself in slightly front of Claudia. She had her hands held up in a T, asking for a time out. “Claud and I are from the here and now, Sam and Dean have been dead for decades. If you change the past by having them live, what happens to us?”

Jack took on a sympathetic face. “I’m not sure. There is a chance your lives will be altered but we can’t know for certain until it happens,” they said, “I’m sorry.”

Claudia frowned. She grabbed Mickey’s hand and addressed Jack, “If this is what it takes to save the world, it’s okay.” She gave a small smile. “That’s what we came here to do.”

Dean squeezed Cas’s hand in tandem with Mickey squeezing Claudia’s. They all watched as Mickey pressed her forehead to Claudia’s and whispered, “No matter what happens, I’ll find you.”

Jack tilted their head slightly to the right, a trait they got from Cas. They snapped their fingers and the ground fell out from beneath Dean’s feet.

---

Dean came to in the driver’s seat of the Impala. He noticed the road sign telling them they were entering Hastings, Minnesota. He remembered the scene like it was yesterday. However, there were a few differences this time around. Most notably, Cas was sitting next to Jack in the back seat. The sight made Dean smile. He was wearing that dirty trench coat and Dean was never happier to see anything in his entire life. Any of his lives, honestly.

Another welcome addition to the scene was wedged between Jack and the driver’s side back door. Mickey and Claudia, who both looked extremely confused about the situation, but not necessarily upset.

Dean pulled off to the side of the road. Everyone got out of the car. And looked at Jack, who simply smiled. “Everyone is back. Chuck is powerless. Amara and I have already counteracted the plan. You are actually free this time,” they told them, “But there is still one thing I have to do.”

Before anyone could ask, a giant warm light filled the area, followed by a cool breeze. When Dean looked up, Amara was standing in the clearing. She smiled. “Finally,” she said, slight humor in her voice, “Thanks, kid.”

Jack smiled, happy with the praise. “You can have it now.”

Amara gave them a soft smile and held out her hands. A large sphere of light left Jack and floated in Amara’s palms before dissipating in a shower of sparks. “I won’t abuse it,” she promised.

“I know.”

Dean wanted to ask, but he didn’t have to. Jack gave up their power to Amara. She was God now, and they were back to just being a kid.

Good.

Amara spoke once more, “Goodbye, boys. Don’t take this the wrong way but I hope I don’t have to see you again.”

Without giving the chance to respond, Amara vanished, off to rule the cosmos from a distance, letting free will actually exist. Letting them win for real.

“What now,” Sam asked.

Dean knew there were definitely things to be done. Mickey and Claudia needed identities for 2020. Dean needed to call Jody, Donna, and the girls. He had to make sure Claire was okay. The car needed an oil change, and Jack and Cas needed to go clothes shopping because they were too into the habit of just using angel mojo to clean their clothes. He had to take care of a vamp nest in Akron, Ohio.

Dean smiled. “We ramble on.”