If you've read any of my other fics, you're going to see something in this epilogue that I've done before (at least twice comes to mind) and you may ask yourself: How many times is she going to do that? The answer is: Until I don't have to.

Epilogue

Just one more moment

That's all that's needed

Like wounded soldiers

In need of healing

Time to be honest

This time I'm pleading

Please don't dwell on it

'Cause I didn't mean it

Sam knocked softly on Dean's bedroom door. Dean had spent a lot of time sleeping in the past week and Sam didn't want to wake him but he couldn't put off talking to his brother anymore. He had too many things he needed to say.

"You can come in, Sam."

Sam opened the door and found that Dean had rearranged his room.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"I've spent too much time sleeping. Thought I'd do something productive instead."

"So, you're Martha Stewart now?"

"Shut up." Dean straightened the pillows on his bed. "I just….I needed a bit of a change."

"You know, there are more bedrooms, Dean. We could move your stuff….."

"Nah, I'm not gonna let it get to me like that, Sammy." Dean gave him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "This is my room. The first one I've had since I was four years old. Nothing is taking that away."

Sam nodded. He could understand that. This was Dean's way of not letting the things he had done as a demon control his actions now.

"Something on your mind, Sammy?" asked Dean. "You've got that "I need to talk" look."

Sam laughed. "Am I that obvious?"

"No, I just know you."

Dean plopped down on the foot of his bed and motioned for Sam to pull up a chair. As he did, he dug into his pocket for the item he had placed there earlier this morning. It was time to do this. It was way past time to do this. He took a deep breath and pulled the amulet from his pocket, the amulet he had given Dean one Christmas morning, back before the world had touched them with its darkness. The amulet his brother had tossed away when the darkness had overtaken them. The amulet he had never been willing to let go of because of everything it represented to him.

Dean sucked in his breath. "Is that….?"

"Yeah, Dean, it is."

Sam found that his hands were trembling as he offered the amulet to his brother. When Dean reached for it Sam saw that his hands were also shaking.

Dean's eyes filled with tears as he stared at the amulet in wonder. "Do you know how many times I wished I'd never thrown this away?"

"Probably not as many as I did."

Dean laughed, wiping at his eyes. "Where has it been all this time?"

"With me." Sam stared at his hands. "It was in my pocket when I went into the pit."

"Sammy….." Dean's face softened at the thought of Sam diving into that pit without him.

"When Cas pulled me out, it was still there. Of course, I didn't have a soul but I couldn't throw it away. Even without a soul, I couldn't bring myself to do it so I kept it with my stuff. When I got my soul back, I always meant to return it but things just kept happening and there never seemed to be a good time and then, lately…."

"You didn't want to be brothers."

"God, no, Dean, that's not it!" cried Sam. He wasn't doing this very well. He always had sucked at apologies.

"It's okay, Sammy." Dean sighed. "I screwed up. I understand that. I shouldn't make those types of choices for you."

"But I did the same for you, Dean." Sam searched his brother's face for forgiveness. "After all the things I said to you…..all the self-righteous things…when it came down to it, I couldn't lose you. That was all that mattered and I did the same thing you would have done."

Dean smiled. "Yeah, you did."

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"For saving me?"

"No!" Sam threw up his hands in exasperation. "Good God, could I possibly suck at this any worse?"

Dean sniggered. "No."

Sam gave a small chuckle. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to laugh with his brother. Sam motioned to the amulet in Dean's hand.

"So, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Can you forgive me? I'm sorry for what I said. I never meant we couldn't be brothers. I was….I was so stupid, Dean."

"Sammy, we'll always be brothers. No matter what stupid things one of us may say or do, that's never gonna change." Dean's eyes were shining with tears again. "There ain't no me if there ain't no you."

Sam swallowed against the lump in his throat. "Gadreel said that."

"No," replied Dean softly. "No angel is getting credit for that. That's how I feel. Gadreel knew it. That's why he used that line."

They stared at each other for a moment and then Sam nodded toward the amulet. "You gonna put that on or what?"

Dean smiled and slipped the amulet over his head. Such a simple gesture, but it meant so much…..more than any words they could ever say.

Dean cleared his throat. "So, you got any hunts lined up for us, geek boy?"

"I think we can take it easy on the hunts for a week or two."

"Come on, Sam. You know me better than that."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, unfortunately, I do. But can you just take it easy for a day or two? Seriously, how are you, Dean?"

Sam saw the pain in Dean's eyes even though he tried to hide it. "I'm working through it, Sammy."

"You don't have to do it alone, Dean. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."

"I know."

They fell silent for a moment and Sam wondered if Dean was thinking the same thing as him. All the past mistakes they had made….Sam was determined not to repeat any of those, not when it came to his brother. He wanted to help him through this.

"Oh, hey, there is one thing we need to take care of before we start hunting again."

"What's that?"

Dean pulled his shirt open, pointing to the grisly scar where his anti-possession tattoo used to reside. "We need to get tatted up again."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we do, but I'm thinking we could get something smaller this time, maybe something not so noticeable."

"What? You want a foot tattoo or something?" Dean picked up one of the pillows on his bed and tossed it at Sam. "You're such a girl."

Sam laughed.

"Oh, wait, even better. How about on your ass because God knows, nobody ever sees that!"

"That was low, Dean, even for you." Sam launched the pillow back at his brother and Dean dissolved into a fit of laughter.

Sam thought nothing had ever sounded so good.

And I'd fight for you

I'd lie, it's true

Give my life for you

You know I'd always come for you

No matter what gets in my way

As long as there's still life in me

No matter what, remember, you know I'll always come for you

I'd crawl across this world for you

Do anything you want me to

No matter what, remember, you know I'll always come for you

You know I'll always come for you

THE END

Thanks to everyone who has followed this fic and commented on it here and on Twitter. I really appreciate the feedback. Some of you have been reading and reviewing my fics for a long time and I appreciate you more than you know. Also, thanks to my Twitter peeps for recommending some of the songs I used.

Here is a list of the songs:

Prologue: The Fight by The Rasmus

Chapter 1: Falling Away With You by Muse

Chapter 2: Lonely is the Night by Billy Squier

Chapter 5: Shed Some Light by Shinedown

Chapter 7: Demons by Imagine Dragons

Chapter 9: Save You by Simple Plan

Chapter 10: Good Man by Devour the Day

Epilogue: I'd Come For You by Nickelback

Roll on season 10!