A/N: This is the final installment of Part Three. I have started work on Part 4, the first few chapters are in rough draft, but I expect updates to be weekly. I am also going on vacation in a few days so the new story will not post for a couple of weeks at minimum! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, and support my stories. Seriously, you've all been great!

Epilogue

The first 12 hours after Laney's collapse Dean wasn't all that worried. It wasn't the least bit unexpected nor was it surprising. She'd been running on fumes since the night she'd been taken to Cold Oak. But after nearly 24 hours Dean had begun to grow concerned and upon Sam's suggestion they drove her to Doc Mason's clinic. And despite having every scan and test known to man and being given a clean bill of health, Laney still hadn't regained consciousness. The doctor had admitted that supernatural forces could be at work and his medical degree did not qualify him to treat such things.

After 48 hours Dean had called Missouri because he and Sam were beyond worried and couldn't think of anything else to do. Missouri had hopped on the first plane from Kansas and had just arrived to find the brothers holding a bedside vigil. It only took her a couple of minutes with Laney to know that nothing was wrong with her that time and rest wouldn't heal.

"The amount of energy it took for your sister to pull off what she did is incredible," said Missouri. "She's more powerful than I imagined. I think she's recharging her batteries so to speak. What she did was traumatic mentally and physically. And not to mention what she's facing when she wakes up."

Dean's mouth twitched at that. Missouri was talking about his deal. Sam's eyes grew glassy and not for the first time since Cold Oak, Dean felt fresh grief wash over him. Not because he was going to Hell in a year. Not really. More because he saw it as a failure on his part. He'd failed his job as a big brother and protector of his family. Sam paid the price with his life, and even though he'd gotten him back, it had cost him dearly and poor Laney was going to pay the price twice. And Dean had never done well watching his siblings suffer.

"She's going to need guidance with her gifts, if she intends to use them again. I don't know that she will," said Missouri as she held one of Laney's hands in hers

"What do you mean by that?" asked Sam, not taking his eyes off Laney's face.

"I mean when I was training your sister, it was all about learning to restrain her powers, and not use them, most importantly to keep them from taking over. She never wanted to use them. But now that's she's unleashed what she has I don't think she's going to be able to put them on the back burner anymore. The cat's out of the bag, so to speak. The cork has been popped."

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his sister's dark unruly hair. "It's up to her, you know, whatever she wants to do about them. I'll support her. If she wants to use them or not, it's her choice."

Missouri smiled. "I know you'll support her anyway you can."

Missouri squeezed Laney's hand once more before she released it. She stood up to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Dean.

"Back home. Laney's going to be fine. She'll wake up when she's ready. She doesn't need me right now. She needs the two of you."

Before Sam or Dean could protest, Missouri was gone.

It was still another 24 hours, nearly four days after Wyoming before Laney finally woke up.

Her eyes fluttered open while Dean had been spending the countless hours watching her sleep.

He smiled. "Hey you," he said, fondly, pushing her hair out of her face.

Laney rubbed her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Dr. Mason's clinic."

"What happened?"

"We brought you here after your collapse in the cemetery."

"So that really happened," she stated blandly.

"Yeah, it did."

"I was hoping it was just a dream," she said, rolling to her side towards Dean, but not looking him in the eye.

"Sorry, kiddo."

"Yeah, me too."

"Where's Sammy?" she asked, looking around the room.

"He's outside. I'll get him in a minute."

"Am I okay?"

"You tell me."

Laney seemed to take a moment to do a self-assessment before she spoke. "Well, I feel fine. Why am I here?"

"You've been out for almost four days."

Laney marginally raised an eyebrow. "Huh."

"When you didn't wake up after a day I brought you here. You did bleed from your nose and ears you know, scared the hell out of me."

"Yellow-eyes is really dead." Laney said, half-question, half statement.

"Yeah, you did it."

"We did it," she said, softly.

Laney's eyes wandered around the room again. "Can you get Sammy?"

"You and I really should talk first," he said, as he moved from the chair to sit on the bed next to her.

"I'd feel better if I saw Sam."

Dean hesitated.

"Please?" she asked, eyes wide and sad and pleading.

Dean sighed. He'd never been able to resist that look. Not when she was 8 and apparently not when she was 18 either. With another sigh he got up from the bed. "Yeah, okay."

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"So, we should talk about what went down in Wyoming," said Dean.

Laney pursed her lips. She was sitting on the clinic bed waiting for the doctor to give her the final okay to go home. She'd showered and dressed and eaten. She felt fine, physically. Emotionally was a whole other ball game.

"Sure" said Laney. "So, what happened after I blacked out?"

That wasn't really what Dean wanted to talk about, but he didn't really mind if they took the long way around. Whatever his sister needed was okay with him.

"We salted and burned yellow-eyes and Jake's bodies and we left."

"What about the devil's gate?"

"Secured," said Sam. "But not before a boatload of demons got out."

"How many do you think?" asked Laney, forehead creased with worry.

"A couple hundred," said Dean. "Give or take."

Laney whistled. "That's a freaking army."

Dean and Sam both shook their heads solemnly.

"So, what's the plan? Damage control?" she asked.

"First, we're talking," said Dean.

"So talk," said Laney, irritation in her voice, because she knew where this was going.

"Were you really going to make a deal with the demon for me and Sam?" asked Dean. He locked eyes with Laney, his face more deadly serious than Laney cared to see.

"No," she said simply. She was silent for several long moments.

"Care to elaborate?" asked Dean. "Because from where Sam and I were standing, you looked pretty damn serious to us."

"I knew he was lying," said Laney, getting up from the bed and walking over to the window. "I knew he didn't have the connections to do it."

"How did you know that?" asked Sam.

"Simon told me."

Dean nodded, that made sense. "Speaking of Simon. I got an interesting call from Bobby the day before yesterday. Seems you left something in his basement."

Laney turned back from the window in surprise. It had totally slipped her mind. "Was Bobby pissed?"

"No actually, I think he was impressed," said Dean. When Bobby had told him what happened Dean had actually laughed, a real genuine laugh, because he just couldn't believe what his sister had done, yet it made all the sense in the world.

Laney allowed herself a small smile. "Is he still alive?"

"Yeah, Bobby cut him loose. I don't think he'll be around again though."

"I doubt that," Laney muttered under her breath.

A few minutes went by in awkward silence. Sam was picking at his nails, a nervous habit since his youth. Dean was twisting his ring around on his finger and rocking back on two legs of the chair he was sitting in. Laney just felt completely lost.

"If I could have made the deal, I would have," she blurted out.

The chair Dean was rocking in abruptly slammed back to the floor. Sam's eyes widened. It was the admission they'd both been waiting for, but dreading.

"I think we've made enough deals in this family to last a lifetime and then some," said Dean. He was able to keep the anger out of his voice. He'd had days to think about what his sister had done or tried to do; long enough to make peace with it.

"I'm not going to let you go to Hell Dean. I'm not going to let you die."

"She's right," said Sam. He moved towards Laney and took her hand, standing next to her. A united front.

Dean stood up and rubbed his hands across his face. "You two have to learn to let this go. Let me live out the rest of my year and let me enjoy it."

"If you really think we're not going to try and save you, you must be out of your mind," said Sam.

"Damn straight," agreed Laney. "You've been saving our asses and protecting us our whole lives. It's time for us to do the same for you."

Dean shook his head, his eyes full of love and admiration, and fierce protectiveness. He knew he couldn't be saved, deep down he knew it was a lost cause. He knew the consequences if his deal was broken. But his brother and sister needed to feel like they could do something and he understood that all too well. If it would make the year he had left easier for them, he would let them believe they could save him, for a while anyway.

Dean finally smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay. I can live with that."

Laney finally smiled for real for the first time since before Cold Oak. "Good. Let's go, we have work to do."