EPILOGUE

The Winchesters stayed for a few more days after the explosion. Sam wanted to give the neat lines of stitches in Dean's shoulder a chance to settle a bit before they hit the road. Dean wanted to be sure his patient -Caesar- didn't overwork himself and rip his stitches. Sam let Dean think their period of recuperation for Caesar's sake. None of the apes took sides in that argument.

Caesar wanted to know everything the humans could teach him about the monsters he never used to believe in. He was now the proud owner of a silver knife and an iron machete, courtesy of the Winchesters. His daylight hours of healing were filled with Dean's voice, lecturing about various monster and the means to defend the apes from them. The ape hoped he never saw another supernatural creature again, and Dean assured him that most people rarely saw more than one in their lifetime, but he still wanted to be ready.

Sam spent much of his remaining time with Curious George to further the younger ape's medical skills. At the very least 'combat medicine' would not be a problem. When the stitches were ready to come out of the ape patients, George would be ready to handle it. Between the two of them and Maurice, the apes would have a decently stocked apothecary to work from in the future.

The evening hours saw Sam and Dean together across the table from Caesar, Lake and Maurice. Between the five of them, they had hammered out some basic trade agreements and a good place to set up a trading post. The Winchesters agreed to keep the exact location of the ape colony away from the rest of their human population. Even they agreed that humans would deal best with the apes in small doses. And Sam promised to be careful who they would send if the brothers couldn't come.

Dean even suggested sending his werewolf friend Garth to the apes to be included in the trade circle. The werewolves, apparently, had a colony of their own down south. Garth's pack kept cattle as an alternative food source to human hearts. They dried and traded the rest of the cow. Caesar didn't need beef or leather as much as he was interested in another group that wasn't human. Though he worried about Wolves among the apes, Dean mockingly told him, "Don't be racist. Garth is good people." There was mocking, but there was also truth.

Sam had promised to send medical textbooks and supernatural lore books along with Garth.

The really were good men, Caesar mused.

"This human colony of yours, you that said you welcome anyone?" Caesar asked, late on their last night.

"Anyone willing to live within our laws," Sam agreed. "If they aren't, they are given a week to rest, all the supplies they can carry, and then we send them on their way."

"From now on, you should close your borders," Caesar told them. "The Simian Flu has mutated. Now, it doesn't kill humans. It destroys their minds, reduces them down to the intelligence of animals. They forget how to speak, how to think. The only way to stop it is to burn everything they have touched. The virus stays alive for days outside of the victim and acts on the victim within hours."

"Dammit," Dean growled. "The hits just keep on coming."

"No, its okay." Sam placed a calming hand on his brother. "As long as we know it could be a problem, we can set up a quarantine zone for everyone new coming in and anyone who goes out when they get back. Thanks for telling us, Caesar."

….

Today was the day the Winchesters went home.

Caesar realized he would miss their company.