Let me take a minute to start with an apology. A lot of time has passed. I just looked at the last update stamp and So much more time has passed than I thought. My last update was March of 2016. Two and a half years. And honestly, I haven't really kept up with either series. (Despite my love for the BAU team, Morgan will always be my absolute favorite and I just...can't really get back into it with him gone) And my life is at the point where I'm going through a lot of changes, and I'm not really in the best place. But I can look back at this and say in all honesty, I was going for quantity more than quality. I'll always love these characters and I'll always love the story I saw in my head that I somehow managed to bring to life here. And I want to thank each and every person who commented, favorited, followed, enjoyed, whatever. Each and every one of you has made my day and given me hope on days where I didn't have that. Each and every one of you has made me better. And while I'm not in these fandoms much anymore, I want you all to know that I love you and I hope you all enjoy this. Best wished in all you do and all you read, and may you never run out of material to read.

And as always, this is fresh from the desk of a 22 year old nothing.

The world was quiet. The first signs of dawn were approaching, the barest shine of the sun's rays lighting the horizon. The street was calm, with only the occasional car passing. The house behind him was still and silent, the pounding of little feet having long ago stopped echoing in the halls. One day, it would come back, but he knew that was out of his reach and far beyond his control. A set of footsteps, soft, almost silent, in a gate that he could never not recognize, approached. The approaching figure took the spot beside him on the front steps, sitting close enough that he could feel the warmth clinging to his sleep rumpled form.

"You know it's not an ending, right?" The voice was rough, slow, and he wondered if he'd woken him up.

"Yeah. I know."

"It's time, Dean."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"You could never. Jess and I are happy to have you."

"Sam," he started, setting down the coffee that had long since grown cold in his hands.

"Don't even try to argue with me." A long arm was draped over his shoulders, pulling him closer, and he could never turn down his little brother, not when it was something like this, so he leaned into his side and tried to pretend like he wasn't cold.

"You forgot your jacket inside."

"No, I didn't need it."

"And you're still a terrible liar."

"Better than you." Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, it's not that far away. We're still close to everyone."

"It's Pennsylvania. You know what's in Pennsylvania? Cows and fields and the occasional building."

"Now you're just being dramatic."

"I'm gonna be bored out of my damn mind."

"That's why I have some old cars out back for you to tinker with. I asked people to bring by any car that they couldn't figure out how to get working."

"So you've got me doing free labor."

"I figured you'd prefer the cars to jigsaw puzzles."

"Touché." They were quiet for a few moments, Dean subtly relaxing as he warmed up.

"You know it's okay, right? She wouldn't be upset with you." Dean sighed, pulling back and running a hand through hair that had faded from dark blond to a dusky gray before he'd even realized what happened.

"It still feels wrong."

"I know. But she would want you to be happy, to be with your family, not clinging to a house." He was right, of course. Much as he might try to tell himself otherwise, she wasn't here. He couldn't even smell her perfume in their bedroom anymore. The kids had all moved further north, out of Virginia and DC and they all had families of their own. There was nothing left here but memories.

"I'm just saying, you're not leaving her here. She's with you, wherever you are." Dean swallowed back words that wouldn't help anyone, and stood up. He ignored how his joints cracked and creaked, how much effort it took now to get moving, how his back seemed to have a perpetual ache.

He'd lost his innocence and childhood so many years ago, but he'd never pictured himself as old.

He'd never thought he'd live this long, much less that Jo would go first.

Sam let him go, didn't move to fight him on what was running around his head, and he was grateful. Sam had streaks of gray in his hair now, loosely pulled back into a ponytail that Dean had been teasing him about for the past week. Henry had been around to help pack everything up, and so had just about everyone else, and Dean wasn't sure he had the words to thank them. There was just too much here, too many memories he wasn't sure he could have dealt with on his own. The kitchen looked barren now, everything boxed up either for donation or to go with him to the little cottage Sam had had built next to his own house.

If he didn't think about how he wasn't coming back, did he still have to say goodbye?

He washed the mug and dried it, putting it into the last box, before heading down the hall. It looked different now, with the pictures removed and the furniture gone. He knew he had to get moving, had to help load up the cars so they could get on the road, but he had a little time. There was a couple moving in this week, and they were stopping by today after he and Sam left. He pulled out a piece of stationary, the fancy stuff that Jo had liked to write letters on.

He'd get dressed soon, but he had something very important to do first.

The road was both familiar and foreign now. He'd stopped travelling for work years back, retiring and taking up consulting for both the FBI and local law enforcement. The Impala however, continued to run smooth under him, her engine purring as he followed behind Sam's Prius.

Yeah, he didn't care how efficient it was, it was too damn quiet and small.

He still looked over, about to say something, and was abruptly reminded that he was alone in the car. He sighed, patting the steering wheel out of habit more than anything else. He'd been to the house before, while it was being built, when Sam told him what it was.

A retirement home.

It was smaller than the house he'd spent that last thirty years in, but then, he didn't need as much space now. And it was just a stone's throw from Sam's house, which would be nice. And the kids would be up to visit all the time, bringing the grandkids too. Still, he couldn't help feeling like this was it, he was going to this place to get ready to die. He didn't really have anything he needed to do, no work, just a bunch of car sized puzzles to work on.

He'd always thought retirement was supposed to be like an extended vacation, he'd never thought about having to do it by himself.

He shook his head, trying to pull himself out of those thoughts. They wouldn't help him. He saw the driveway just as his back reminded him that he wasn't thirty years old anymore. He silently apologized to Baby, knowing he didn't get to drive her much anymore, knowing he couldn't without aches and pains that took days to get rid of.

It looked serene, almost picturesque. It looked like the type of place he'd never felt like he'd belong in.

Sam parked, getting out and stretching, and Dean parked beside him. He bit back a groan as he stood, and Sam didn't mention that he wasn't successful.

"Come on, Jess said she brought some stuff in for you. Old records, a couple plants, some food, that kind of thing," Sam said. Dean paused, looking around.

"Sam –"

"Dean, stop it. Accept it. It's a gift."

"I don't need charity."

"And you're not getting charity. You're getting family. Exactly like what you would do for me."

Dean couldn't really argue with that, so he just shook his head and followed Sam inside.

The inside of the house was dark, and he wondered if Jess left the lights off so they wouldn't waste electricity waiting for them to get there. He stepped into what seemed like it might be a living room, and the lights turned on. For a split second, he thought it was a surprise party, which Sam knew he hated because they made his blood pressure skyrocket, but the room was devoid of life except for him and Sam, and the plants Jess had brought, obviously. It was however, full of other things. Pictures, his furniture, things from the old house. And right on the mantle were a row of pictures. He looked closer, his heart skipping a beat.

A picture of him and their mom holding a baby Sam.

Him and J.J. when he graduated high school.

The picture Garcia took of the whole team the day he finally joined.

Him and Sam at both of their weddings.

Him holding each of his kids in the hospital.

Him and Jo dancing at their wedding.

He didn't even notice the tears streaming down his face until Sam hugged him and he finally let go.

He wasn't coming here to die. He wasn't coming here to waste away until Death finally reunited him with all those he'd loved and lost. He wasn't coming here to be alone.

He was coming here to be with his family, to spend all the time he had left without any distractions from them.

He was coming here to live.

"Welcome home, Dean. Welcome home."

Dear whoever is buying this house,

There are a few things you should know. First and foremost, I want you to know that this house has seen a lot. There have been fights, there have been tears, there has been plenty of hurt. But that's not important. What's important is that my wife and I never went to bed angry with each other. What's important is that my kids always said I love you before going to bed. What's important is that even with all the bad, there was so much more good. There has been so much love in this house, and I hope that love continues with you. I hope you have as many good memories as we did. I hope you know that no matter what, there's nothing more important than family because at the end of the day, family is all we have.

I wish you nothing but the best, and I have only one request. Out back, there's a garden. My wife and I had a secret to such a beautiful garden. Every time there was a fight, we would plant something. We always forgave each other, but pretending the fight didn't happen was pointless. So we left a mark and it always turned into something beautiful.

You see, even the worst things can still create something good.

Please take care of that garden. The tulips in particular like to listen to classic rock, particularly Led Zeppelin. And that stone dog at the edge? That's Ozzy. He protects the garden. Feel free to add to it, maybe our method will work for you too.

All the best,
The Winchester family

And that's all she wrote. Literally. I was super torn about how to end this, but I figured, well, giving Dean an openish ending that still fits with his character and letting him have his closure to everything? That's the best I can do. I apologize for only mentioning the Criminal minds characters, but if I'm working with this timeline, and having Dean be old, they've presumably passed already, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

If anyone wants to talk with me, you can always catch me on tumblr – daslebenistgut – and I'm always happy to talk with anyone.

All my love,
Aidith