A/N: This is it guys, this is the end.

I just want to thank all of you fabulous people that have read and reviewed and loved this and everything. A special thank you goes out to Bitblondetoday for reviewing every single chapter and just being amazing, and also DeansBabyBird who is just as amazing. Both of you get a lovely internet hug.

I hope you have all enjoyed the road so far and I appreciate every single one of you! Without further ado, here is your finale...

"Hi, Dean. I just called because…well… I'm sorry about the way I've been acting for the past few months. I've been stupid and immature and it wasn't fair to you or Jo. You didn't deserve it and I could make up a million excuses, but the point is that I'm sorry and I just hope you can forgive me someday… You can call or stop by anytime if you want."

Dean replayed the voicemail for the fifth time. He was sitting on his bed, trying to decide if the sorrow and guilt he could hear in Ellen's voice was real or not. After the seventh time, he gave up and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was a Friday afternoon, late March, and he'd had enough of not being able to see Jo or talk to her anytime outside of school so he took the message as a blessing and flopped back onto the mattress. There was a knock at his door and Dean glanced over to see his brother pop his head in.

"Is today still the day?" Sam asked, worry and excitement filling his voice and eyes.

Sighing out a breath, Dean replied, "Yeah, I guess so."

The week before, Bobby and Karen had left to head back home to Sioux Falls and the boys were left on their own with John. It really had seemed like John had changed and Dean was still slowly getting used to having their old dad back. Sam, likewise, was still having trouble adjusting after all the trauma he'd been through, but they both were glad that John was better.

Before the Singer's had left, however, Karen had made Dean promise her two things: that he would call them every day to check in, and that he and Cas would come out to John before the end of March. After talking with Cas about it, he and Dean had decided a date and were sticking to it, though both were fearful of John's reception to the idea.

But when he got home that evening and after a nice dinner courtesy of Sam, the couple stayed with their word and sat down with John. Sam hung around nearby just in case, too.

"Dad, there's something we need to talk to you about," Dean began, hesitant. They were all sitting around the table, and Cas had his hand in Dean's out of sight.

"Okay, shoot," John replied openly.

Dean took a breath, eyes catching Cas'. "Well, I'm… Me and Cas are…"

"Spit it out, son," his father said not unkindly.

Cas wanted to jump in and say something, but it was between Dean and his dad so he held back, instead waiting until Dean finally stuttered out, "I'm dating Cas."

John looked between them for a moment, eyes unreadable, until he shrugged. "I kinda figured as much."

Dean was looking at him incredulously. "You mean… You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? It's a little strange, sure, but I don't care who you date as long as you're happy."

"Well, Ellen got pretty mad when she found out so I just didn't know…"

"Ellen? Her sister is married to a woman, so that's a little bit shocking."

Sam popped out of his hiding place at that, saying, "No way! How can she be mad at Jo then?"

John glanced at his younger son with confusion. "Jo?"

Dean sighed and sent a glare at his brother. "Doesn't matter at this point."

Looking back at Dean, John relented. "So how long have you two…?" He pointed at Cas and his son.

Cas didn't know what to say so he looked at Dean. "November 22nd," Dean said with a reminiscent smile.

"That's the day I…"

"Yeah, well neither of us really actually said we were dating so I pretty much chalk it up to the day Cas went to the hospital."

"You never did say why when you've mentioned that before."

Dean allowed Cas to explain. "I tried to kill myself. But Dean saved me…" His hand squeezed Dean's as he smiled.

"My son, the hero," John said jokingly, eyes bright as Dean laughed. The way his eldest son was looking at Cas reminded him of how he used to look at Mary, and the thought gave him a small, sad smile, but one that his boys thankfully didn't notice as they were too caught up with themselves at the moment.

The next day Dean went to see Jo. Or rather, he went to see Ellen. She answered the door and ushered him in quickly upon his arrival.

"I guess you got my message then?" she asked, sitting him at the table. "Anything to drink?"

"No, thanks. And yeah, I did." Dean was a little nervous, after all he hadn't talked to Ellen in nearly a two months.

"So how have you been? How's your dad?" Ellen too seemed nervous and hesitant she took the chair beside Dean.

"He's good, really good, and so am I for the most part. It's been a little odd having him back around but Sam and I are both getting used to it again." They were quiet for a short time. Dean didn't know what to say and every time his eyes found Ellen she looked like she was about to talk so he stayed quiet. Eventually, she did, though.

"I told you in the message, but I just have to say again how sorry I am that I treated you like I did. It was selfish of me to keep Jo away and downright stupid, too."

"I get it, Ellen, I really do. It's been tough for everyone for a while and everything just happened at a bad time. You don't need to apologize any more than you already have," Dean told her when she looked like she was about to go on more.

Ellen nodded tightly and gave him a small smile that was more of a grimace. "Can we just pretend this never happened and go back to how things were before?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

The rest of the afternoon Dean spent with Jo, just hanging around like they used to. And though it was still a little tense to be around Ellen, for the most part they got along fine after that, Dean having readily forgiven her though a small part of him didn't want to.

It was nearly three months later that found Dean fresh out of high school, and Cas heading into his senior year. As soon as Dean was out of school, he found a job at a local mechanic's and went apartment hunting, quickly finding a nice, small one just a mile down the road from Sam and his dad.

Cas moved in with him, too, and Dean was both fearful and excited about living alone with his boyfriend. He was also a little paranoid about leaving Sam alone with John, but over the past few months John had proved himself a better man, a better father and Sam, having just turned fourteen, had convinced Dean that he'd be okay.

So, one evening, there Dean was, sitting in his new bedroom, which was fairly empty except for a small bookshelf in the corner, a single dresser, and the mattress which took up almost all the floor space in the center of the room. He moved out to the main room, where there was an old TV and an old couch he'd picked up from a thrift store that, even though it was falling apart slightly, was the most comfortable couch he'd ever had the pleasure of resting his ass on. There he sat, putting his feet up on the little coffee table in front of the couch.

The front door suddenly opened and Cas walked in, locking the door behind him with one hand as the other had a plastic bag hanging from it and held his phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I understand," he was saying, heading to the kitchen to set his bag on the counter. Dean leaned down onto the counter on his elbows, resting his chin in his hand and watching Cas put away the few food items he'd gotten into the fridge. "Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Dad." He hung up and sighed, tossing the now empty bag into the trash.

"Dads, am I right?" Dean mock rolled his eyes and grinned at Cas who laughed at him with a smile. He moved around the counter and hooked his fingers in the belt loops of Cas' jeans to pull him in for a "welcome home" kiss. He stuck his hands in Cas' back pockets and smiled lazily.

"How was work today?" Cas asked after a moment, pulling away to grab his laptop off the other side of the counter and head to the couch.

Dean shrugged. "Normal, I guess. Just some regular old tune-ups and oil changes today. Nothing to write home about." He paused, leaning back against the counter. "How was volunteering today?"

For about a month now, Cas had been volunteering at the local hospital. He worked mostly with the mental ward and people dealing with similar issues that he'd had, but also with the children's ward. Dean thought it was good for him, and the regular staff all said he was great with kids and a lot of their depressed patients liked talking with him.

"It wasn't very good," Cas said noncommittally "Judy died last night." He sat back, looking troubled, and wrung his hands together. "Dean, what if I can't help people like you helped me?"

Dean sat next to him, putting a hand over Cas'. "You already have helped people, lots of them. Don't beat yourself up over 'what if's and stuff like that. But as much as you want to help, some people just aren't as strong as you. And you are strong, so don't give me that look.

"Every day I look at you and I don't see that little scrawny kid who was about to jump off a three story building. No, I see a guy who made it through some really tough times and lived to tell the tale; a guy who wants to make sure that other people can live, too. There's something inside of you that's changed, something that only changed because I was there and I cared enough to help you change. I know you want to be that person for everyone, but not everyone can change like you did. It sucks, it really sucks, but be proud that you're here after all and that you're trying."

Cas just looked at him. "Okay, that was a really shitty speech, I admit. But you get the point, right?"

Solemnly, Cas nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just hard sometimes."

"Things'll get better. I promise they will."

"I know, Dean." Cas laid down and put his head on Dean's lap. Dean's hand rested on his head, while the other found his heart. He felt it beating beneath his fingertips, steady and strong, just as Cas was.

There's something inside of you that's changed. Something inside of you…