A/N: There aren't any character watches the story fics for Supernatural yet (or I'm not looking in the right place, the right way, someone help me!) so I thought I would kind of do one. I just wanted to think about how Sam's college friends would react if they knew what really happened in the pilot, when Jess died.

The story definitely takes place after the first episode. Mild spoilers up to season 5?: we know that Lucifer had demons in many of Sam's friends, so I'm assuming that most of them died. But everyone remembers what their college years were like and they all remember Sam.

This chapter is when everyone comes together. The second, much longer chapter, is the episode. Jess, and Brady are watching and then some other names are just going to be thrown in.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Or I would know a lot more than I do.

Mary looked around her, sighing. She really was happy, she was. After all, she was in heaven. It was beautiful up here, and she was able to relive her happiest moments in her life, and be with the people she loved most, in the places that were very dear to her.

She was also able to do something that no other soul could – watch the humans on Earth. It was a gift from the angels, for giving birth to the two vessels, the most important humans on the planet. It hurt like hell when she found out what they were destined for. Her precious Dean who, by the time she died, was already growing up so quickly. And her Sam, her baby. She hadn't even had a chance to be a mother. She hadn't been able to take them to school, or do homework with them. She hadn't been able to go to baseball games to cheer them on. She didn't even get a chance to ground them for going out drinking underage.

Mary also felt extraordinarily guilty, because she now understood why Dean had told her not to get out of bed that night. She couldn't understand at the time. What could possibly happen? She had given up hunting, for good. She hadn't been bothered by anything in years. And her baby had been fussing. She had to make sure he was okay. When she had gone back into the bedroom, she had recognized the Yellow-Eyed Demon right away. And she had understood how royally she had messed up. Dean telling her not to get up tonight should have been her first clue. The fact that it was ten years since she had met with the demon and made her deal should have been her second clue. Then of course, there was the light in the hallway. Lights don't just flicker, and she should've known that. All those years of hunting with her father and she hadn't even recognized the signs.

She hadn't made it to heaven until she had gone up against the poltergeist in her house, and saved her son. She didn't know why she hadn't left, but she couldn't bear to leave her home. She wanted to hold onto her sons for as long as possible. She had tried to warn the family about the poltergeist too, but understood when the mother wouldn't listen to her daughter. It was hard enough to convince people that ghosts were real while you were an adult. As a child, it would be even worse. When her boys had shown up, she had been terrified for them. And when she realized they were hunters, when she realized that they knew, she wanted to cry. Their loss of innocence and childhood would always be with her. They shouldn't know these things. They were supposed to live happy and free lives. They weren't supposed to be dragged into this life of danger, and deceit, where you didn't know who to trust. When the poltergeist had gone after Sam, she had understood that there was one last thing she could do for her boys, because watching them she had seen how close they were. And turning towards Sam, she had said the first and last words he would ever remember hearing from her, "Sam. I'm sorry." She couldn't stay for long, she knew that and she was sorry she couldn't say more to Dean. But she had to say sorry to her youngest. Sorry for making the deal with that demon, for condemning her youngest to that fate. She had been forced to watch as the blood had dripped into his mouth and she felt sick knowing that Azazel could only do it because of her.

The only reason why she wasn't a vengeful spirit was because of her boys. She knew that. As long as there was hope that she could see them again, even just for a moment, she had held on to who she was. Twenty two years was a long time to hold on, but for that moment, when she was able to see how goodhearted her boys were, it was worth it. Every single second.

When she had gone to heaven, finally, she had been greeted by an angel. An actual angel. And at first, she felt blessed and honoured. And then their plans for her boys had been revealed to her. She had been furious, but could do nothing. The angels had given her a chance to see her boys grow up, into the men who had saved the family from the poltergeist. They had allowed her to see them in all those missed years, and had then let her continue watching, in present time.

Watching the boys growing up had made her heart wrench. Not only should she be there for them, but so should John. She hadn't wanted her own kids raised in the hunting life, and that was exactly what was happening. She watched as Dean raised his brother, taught him how to read and write, played with him, made him food, and took care of him when he was sick. John dragged them from place to place, always looking for the next hunt, looking for the next thing to kill. She understood John's need for revenge, oh God did she understand, but that didn't mean that it was right. That didn't mean that he could do this to them.

When Sam had left for college, her heart (metaphorically speaking of course) shattered. She seemed to be ripped three ways. Her husband had only wanted to protect his child, she knew that. He wanted to be sure that he was always around to save him. And when Sam had revealed his acceptance letter, John was so scared that he couldn't do it. His last words in that fight, before Sam had walked out, were a result of how terrified he was that something would get Sam at school and that he would know it was his fault, because he wasn't there. Having seen his wife die already, he wasn't prepared to lose his son. He checked on Sam from time to time, Mary was relieved to know.

Dean was even more upset than his father, she was sure. While John loved Sam and wanted him safe, it was Dean who really knew him. Dean had been the one to raise him and he loved Sam as though Sam was half of himself. Of course, they were soul mates. She had been informed that when Sam and Dean did die, they would share their heaven. When Dean went with John to check on Sam (and sometimes without John), Mary was relieved.

And her heart ripped for Sam, her baby Sammy because he was all alone. No one to support him, no one to be there for him. He was getting what he wanted, what she wanted, but it wasn't fair that he had to lose his family over this. And he was more like her than anyone would ever know. They had both hated the life, and they had both lost their families to the monsters in the dark. Knowing that her husband and oldest were checking in on Sam didn't make it any better, because Sam didn't know.

And then Sam's friends were possessed. All part of Azazel's plan to raise Lucifer, and to make sure Sam didn't just disappear. And his friends souls left the 'meatsuits' and came up to heaven. They relived their fondest memories, sure, and they were always with the people they loved the most, but she knew they were confused. They didn't understand what had happened in their last days/weeks/months.

And that is why Mary is currently standing in a heaven that isn't her own, looking at memories that aren't hers, and seeing unfamiliar faces surrounding the one she's looking for, Iris. She walks to Iris and speaks, "I wish to ask for a favour". Iris doesn't even glance at her, simply continuing to watch the memory. In it, a family is reconciling – a young man and woman. This is Iris' favourite heaven to come to, having offered comfort in their time of need.

"You want to help those souls."

"Yes."

And then it happened. Now Mary was in a little pocket of heaven that wasn't hers, with a bunch of confused souls that didn't know her, although she knew who they were. They were in an open space with couches and chairs, and a large TV that would suit her purpose. These were friends of Sam's. Friends who had been taken from their loved ones too soon in the war that demons always preserve. Jessica was there, and Brady, and David, and Cassandra, and Lizzie. Zach, Luis and Rebecca were still alive, however. They knew the truth. Or at least part of it. They knew some of what was out there, and that would have to be good enough.

"Hello," Mary smiled at them. They looked at her, some of them nervous, all of them confused and all of them curious. "I know that you're all enjoying your memories, but I also know that you're unsettled and a little confused about what happened, about the way your lives ended. And I think I can help with that. My name is Mary Winchester. You all knew my son, Sam Winchester in college." A collective gasp followed these words. She looked at all of them, but her kind eyes rested on Jessica, who was holding a hand over her mouth.

"I have been watching my sons grow up, and I saw your lives where you interacted with my son. I wanted to show you what happened, why everything happened as it did, and bring you some peace. You loved my son, I can see that, and he loved you too. All of you. But first, I'd like to get to know the people that my son spent four years of his life with."

And so, the six of them sat down on the couches and chairs and talked. Mary revealed to them a world that they didn't know about while they talked about themselves, their families and her son. Mary listened raptly, not even caring that she had already seen every moment of Sam's life, but living it again with the people around her.

Eventually conversation died down, and Jessica, who was sitting next to Mary, asked, "What do you mean by what happened? Can you explain to me why I was – why I was on the ceiling?" The others looked at her, confused.

"On the ceiling?" Lizzie asked.

Jess turned and nodded, readying herself to speak.

"You don't need to tell them," Mary said not unkindly. "I can show them. I can show you all of it. That's why we're here, in this room. I told you that I wanted to give you peace. That means that I want to tell you the truth. About the world, about monsters, and about Sam and his brother."

"Can you really do that?" Jess asked, eyes wide.

"I've had a little bit of help, setting this up, bringing you all here, but yes."

"I want to see Sam the Man's life," said David. And the rest of his friends agreed.

"Then let's start." The TV flickered to life.