FIC: Just Fallen from Divine (5/5)

[nilchance]

Title: Just Fallen from Divine (5/5)
Authors: nilchance and beanside
Rating: Adult
Disclaimer: We make no claim of ownership on the Brothers Winchester. No infringement is intended, no money is made.
Author Notes: This is an AU of Of Bastard Saints, set after the Season 4 finale. (Also, less lengthy than previously anticipated. Sorry about that.)



They weren't moving. Either of them. Mary ached to go to them both at once, to hug away the pain and grief in her boys' eyes. Dean was closer, though. She raised a shaking hand to touch his cheek before stepping into his space and pulling him close. He was tense against her, guarding his center body. A hunter. It broke her heart. "Oh, baby. I missed you."

"Mom." Dean finally seemed to get with the program, squeezing her until she thought her bones would creak. His voice broke like a much younger man. She'd missed more than twenty five years of him, much more time than she'd ever known him. "Mom."

"It's me, really me." Dean grudgingly loosened his grip, and Mary leaned back, rumpling her fingers through his hair. Her eyes were leaking. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Dean managed. "How-"

"Lucifer." Mary shrugged. "A debt. I don't like it, but as you saw, Heaven sucked."

"Did you see Dad? Is he-" Dean broke off, looking stricken.

"He's not angry with you, sweetheart, he loves you. But don't take my word for it." She gestured towards the treeline, where John was slouching, too afraid that his son's would want to see him to come out. "Go talk to him, Dean. I'll see to your brother."

Dean hesitated, and she pretended that didn't hurt. But after a long few seconds, he shoved Sam with his shoulder and went to John.

She went over to Sam, who seemed to be looking anywhere but her. Tilting her head to look up at him, she sighed. "I think it's horribly unfair that after all the years I was told that only veggies would make you big and strong, you seem to have turned into a giant on spaghetti-o's."

That caught his attention, and startled a laugh out of her baby boy. Since he looked less likely to fold when she touched him, she hugged him hard around the waist. "You're so tall!"

Sam was gentler than Dean, but no less needy. His breath hitched against her hair, and she stroked his head, murmuring nonsense. "I'm sorry, baby," she finally said. "I'm so sorry I let that thing in."

He pulled back, eyes wide and shocky. "No--Mom, no. I--I've done things. Killed people. Killed women. I'm not human. I'm a monster."

"You're my Sammy," she said simply. "You can't change the past. But it's going to work out. It's going to be okay." She pushed him over towards the stairs. "Sit. I'm getting a crick in my neck. You take after your grandfather. He was nearly six and a half feet too."

"Really?" Sam smiled through his ridiculous bangs, and really, she was going to get a weed whacker. "I didn't know."

"My mother's father. He was from Romania. Tracked a vampire all the way through Europe, until he finally killed it in Switzerland. Met your grandmom in a pub, and that was that," she said. With a huff of laughter, she stretched her legs out on the step, idly knocking her foot against his. Her baby; he'd changed so much. She'd lost so much... "I want to tell you about that. All this stuff I've always wanted to tell you and Dean, and now I can."

Sam closed his eyes, his smile bittersweet.

*****

Dean shuffled over to where his father was waiting, staring fixedly at the ground, and stood close.

Dad shifted, cleared his throat, and Dean felt his muscles brace for an attack.

"Uh. The girl looks good," Dad rumbled. "Nice job."

That startled Dean enough to look up. "Thanks."

Tears were standing in his father's eyes, a smile tugging at his mouth. "Is it-" He lifted a hand helplessly. "Can I--?"

Dean had to crack at that, to laugh or to sob like a girl, and somehow, Dad's arms slid around him. Tight as ever. Felt safe, with the guillotine dangling over all their heads.

"Dad," Dean choked. "I-"

"Shh. I know. I know." Dad tightened his grip. "I know about the Seal."

Dean stiffened, starting to pull back.

"I don't care. I was down there, Dean. I know--" Dad stopped, swallowed hard. "If I could change it for you, I would. And it probably makes me an evil son of a bitch. But I don't care. You did what you had to to keep yourself... viable. And I won't regret that. I won't regret you being able to return, whole and alive. You're my son."

The sob bubbled out of Dean, and he tried to swallow it, sobbed again, tightening his grip. "Dad. I missed you."

"I missed you too, dude." His father's voice was far from steady, either. Small comfort.

"Sam--he-" A shiver of fear slid up his spine. Dad could be a hardass about the monster thing. Dean didn't want to get him back just to have to-- could he reach his gun in time?

Would he?

"He's alive," his father said. "Don't really care about much else."

"Oh. But you--"

"Dean." John leaned his head against Dean's, his beard scratchy as ever. "I was a dumb fucker sometimes, okay? A year in hell, two years in heaven... it changes you. Changed me. And I'm telling you, Sam could've snapped, and I'd still--"

Love him. Protect him. Follow him.

Like Dean. All the way down.

"Got it, Dad." Just for a moment, Dean let himself lean on his father. "I got it. I know."

Then, Mom--Mom was there, nudging Sam at Dad, and looping her arms around Dean.


It took about four seconds for Sam to start crying. Dean had to give him credit for holding out that long. He looked back down at Mom, smiling. "You got gray."

"Heaven'll do that." His mother blew the gray streak of hair off her forehead, and slugged him in the arm. "You know, you're not supposed to say that to a woman. You take after your father." Mom smiled fondly at him, and Dean fought back a fresh wash of tears. Christ, this was hell on his rep. "You're coming with us to Texas, right?"

"Texas?"

"The Murphys had a ranch. It's ours now. Your father and I thought we might settle down, maybe with you and Sammy?" Her smile was a little strained. "If you can't, I understand. I just...I don't want to let any of you go yet."

"I." Dean looked up and found his father and Sam's matching hungry gazes on him. "We'll come for a while at least," he said. The thought of staying in a house for any length of time made his skin crawl, but he couldn't just leave. He'd hang around for a little while. Get Sam settled in at least.

Sam deserved a normal life, or something like it.

Comments

[gypsy-atavari.livejournal.com]

I was doing such a good job of being good and working and minding my own business working and I had to be a stupid git and checked if there was an update and lo, there was.... and now the rest is history. LOL.

Love this. Love it to bits. :)

One can only hope that Andrew will come for his one true love at some point to woo him. Hee hee.

Thanks for sharing!!