Author's Note: Soooo... this is the end...or is it?

~~~ EPILOGUE ~~~

The whole thing was Sam's idea…

Dean remained in Milbridge for the duration of the winter—and god if he never saw snow again, it would be too soon. (Twenty inches in one friggin' storm? C'mon!) By the first of the year, he was practically climbing the walls with cabin fever. Apparently, Sam had taken notice.

Early on, the younger Winchester had shown interest in finding out more about 'Dean the hunter'. The subject wasn't necessarily an easy one for Sam—he had his good days and his bad—but he kept pushing himself until he was comfortable talking about it (not quite one hundred percent, but close).

He had also gotten Dean to show him his way around weapons. The younger man could now break down a gun, clean it, re-assemble it, load it, and shoot it…quite accurately, too; he certainly gave Dean a run for his money. But where Sam excelled most was with knives. The kid could throw a knife and hit the target dead-center from twenty feet away nearly every time. Even Dean had a hard time doing that. Sam was a natural.

Oh, and sparring? Well, Dean would never admit that his little brother had kicked his ass once…okay, maybe twice. (That third time didn't count. Dean had tripped; he swore Frodo had something to do with it.) The kid was good. What could he say? It must have been because he had a good teacher.

Sam also had a knack for finding jobs on the internet. He had a way of just putting things together. For every little bit that Dean taught Sam, Sam taught him something in return. Anything that looked suspicious, they forwarded to Ellen and Ash. There were always plenty of hunters milling around the Roadhouse looking for an odd job here and there.

The younger man was damn near a prodigy and Dean was amazed at how fast he picked up on things. Dean considered himself one of the best hunters out there, and at the rate Sam was going, he was going to catch up real quick. He already knew more than enough lore to get by on.

Sam started pushing the idea in late January. He said, "Just something small to start with—a ghost maybe; a simple salt-and-burn."

Dean knew why he was doing it. Sam saw right through him. He saw that Dean was itching to get back out on the road. His brother was willing to leave the security blanket that was Milbridge for Dean.

Dean had managed to put him off for a while though. A sudden trip cross-country was a bit much. Instead, they started with working in short runs into town: a coffee run; a trip to Harold's market—quick errands just to get the feel of things. Sam stayed in the car in the beginning, but by the fifth or sixth trip, the younger man started to venture out sticking close to Dean's side.

March came roaring in like a lion as they say and Sam was wearing down Dean's reserves.

"Fine," Dean finally said during the second week of March, "but I'll pick the job."

Today was March 20th, the first day of spring.

Songbirds were singing high up in the trees and the air was finally warming again after the frigid temps of the passing winter. There were a few fair weather clouds passing by this morning, but other than that, the sky was clear. It was a good day for driving.

Bobby was standing in the doorway to the house talking quietly to Sam. (The man had just gotten back from another trip to Sioux Falls a few days ago.) Frodo was sitting on the porch railing, tail waving contentedly back and forth as he watched his favorite person getting ready to say goodbye. (And yes, the name 'Frodo' had stuck.)

Dean smiled as he inhaled the fresh scent of the pines surrounding the property. He looked over at Sam and Bobby who were now hugging like they would never see each other again. And then Sam scratched Frodo on the head before he bent over and picked up his two duffels full of clothing and research material.

They were heading out today. There was a job in upstate New York. It was a small one, more than likely a discontented spirit, but Sam insisted on getting his feet wet.

"You ready?" Dean asked when Sam tossed his bags into the trunk beside his own.

"Yeah, I think so." Sam glanced up at the azure sky above and the sunlight caught in his eyes, setting the blues, greens, and golds ablaze; Dean still couldn't quite figure out what color his brother's eyes really were.

"You boys stay safe out there," Bobby called out from the front porch. The man had agreed to stick around and watch the house while they hit the road for the next month or so. Dean could still see the disbelief on the older man's face as he watched Sam actually heading out for the first time in basically forever.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Dean assured Bobby as he draped an arm over Sam's shoulders and playfully tugged him close. "Nothing's gonna happen to little ol' Sammy."

"Sam," the younger man mumbled. "Sammy's a chubby twelve-year old," he added.

"Uh-huh, whatever you say, Samm-"

Sam ducked away from the arm Dean had wrapped around him and somehow got it twisted up behind Dean's back. He laughed out loud when Dean squawked in surprise.

"What were you sayin'?" Deep dimples carved into his cheeks as he whispered into his brother's ear. Dean was helpless in the position he had him in.

"Was just sayin'," Dean tried to break free of Sam's hold before he finished his answer, but he wasn't having any luck, "Sam." He finally gave in. Maybe he had taught his brother too well. Their father would have been proud.

"That's what I thought," Sam said with a snicker before releasing his hold and jumping away before Dean could retaliate.

"You kids done playin' or d'you want me to take out the bicycles and the Tonka trucks?" Bobby teased dryly from where he stood.

"We're goin', we're goin'. Sam?" Dean asked as he looked over the roof of the car.

Dean could see his brother take a long, steadying breath—he knew this was a huge step compared to everything else Sam had done over the previous few months—and then Sam nodded as he squared his shoulders before opening the passenger side door.

"Yeah. I'm ready." The younger man glanced up at Bobby then. "We'll call you." And then he folded his 6'4" frame in half and slid into the seat without any further hesitation, closing the door behind him.

Sam was probably as good as he was going to get until the demon was destroyed. He was back to talking full-time; he was interacting with both Bobby and Dean like any other 'normal' person. The nightmares seemed to have subsided for now as well as the visions…or at least he hadn't had any since before Yellow Eyes had shown up. Dean hoped that meant something. But what? He couldn't be sure.

Dean opened his door; it squeaked loudly, welcoming him back like an old friend with open arms. "Take it easy, Bobby," he called out. "We'll check in with you when we get there. And don't worry; I'll keep 'im safe."

"You be sure you do."

Dean gave a mock salute before slipping into the car with a smile.

There's no place like home, he thought to himself when the leather creaked under the seat of his pants as he got himself situated behind the wheel. He looked over at Sam in the passenger seat; the kid flashed him a nervous smile.

"You're completely sure about this?"

"Never been more sure about anything. I'm with my big brother and he said he's got my back."

"Damn straight."

Dean started the car up—and ohhh…that purr. He grinned widely when Sam jumped at the loud mullet rock pouring out of the speakers.

Yeah, Little Brother is gonna to have to get used to that.

He was still chuckling when he put his sunglasses on and shifted the car into gear. And then the Impala began to roll down the driveway leaving the only life Sam had ever known behind them. But there were plenty of roads yet to be taken, places to be seen.

Sam and Dean had twenty-two years to catch up on and a whole hell of a lot more to look forward to.

The End

Author's End Note: I've had several reviewers on both my sites already requesting a sequel for this. I've mentioned the idea to my beta and her reply was, "That would be so wicked awesome!" I think that means she's on board with the idea...maybe? :) We've discussed the idea before, but never set anything in stone. I'm currently working on another fic (which I'm just about done with), and I have another planned for right after which I REALLY need to get out of my system. (Those will both be posted to my other site due to their nature. Yes, I admit, I have an evil side which I don't show over here.) I'll schedule a sequel for "Lost" in for after that. Throw me some ideas, my friends. I'd be happy to hear what you'd like to see!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed "Part 1". Thank you soooo ever much for your patience. I look forward to hearing your final thoughts. I really enjoyed some of our conversations. I'd like to think I made a few new friends along the way.

And again, another HUGE thank you to my beta RiatheMai for this plot bunny. Be sure to check out her stuff when you get a chance.

Hope to see you again!

P.S. - If you're interested, a downloadable version of this fic with pics can be found at archiveofourown dot org / works / 1383469