John was gearing up to run towards the camp when Jake's hand gripped his arm.

'Dude, those people don't know you. Angels possess human bodies, remember. If I was them, I'd shoot first and ask questions later when an unknown person runs into their camp.'

For a moment, John was tempted to pull his arm free. His need to get to Mary was imperative but the Marine in him understood Jake's warning and he stilled.

' You're right,' he admitted. ' In war you gotta follow protocol or you're liable to get body parts blown off. Thing is, I haven't seen my wife in years and the temptation is too much.'

Jake nodded his understanding. 'I'll go in first,' he said. 'You boys follow at a distance.'

:

'Sorry, dad,' Dean said with a wry smile. 'I didn't give enough thought to the danger. I was rooting for you and mom to get together.'

'We will,' John replied.' Got too carried away myself. Come on, Jake's moved on enough for us to follow.'

John, Dean, Sam and Jack padded forward, Indian style, one behind the other with the oldest Winchester taking the lead.

As they approached, John could see Jake gesticulating with whomever he presumed was the commander of the camp.

Once again, John was struck by the wretchedness of the life these people were forced to lead but the thoughts were brushed aside as he caught a glimpse of the person discussing animatedly with Jake.

' Is... that….Bobby Singer?'

'Yes and no,' Dean grunted, almost crashing into his dad's back as he braked. 'It is Bobby, just not our Bobby and remember, dad, he doesn't know who you are. You're a stranger to him.'

John gave a huff. 'He's still pointing a shotgun at me. I'm guessing he's pretty much as ornery as the original.'

:

'Stop right there!' Bobby's gruff warning echoed through the air as he raised his weapon at the Winchesters. 'Jake here's given me the gist but I like to look over any strangers myself before trusting them. Y'all might be possessed and just playing possum until you get in here.'

'No,' a female voice declared. 'He's no angel.' From behind one of the makeshift shelters, Mary Winchester stepped out.

:

At first, nobody moved, then to the amazement of the onlookers, she ran towards one of the strangers only to be enfolded in his outstretched arms.

The brothers looked on with delight at the scene, wondering at the twist of fate that caused their mom and dad, both dead and resurrected, to find each other in a war-torn alternate Earth.

'I thought there would have been more of a rumpus, Sammy,' Dean grinned, catching his sibling's eye. 'But it seems they prefer actions to words.'

In fact, their parents had moved on from a simple embrace to a passionate, never-ending kiss.

'Yeah,' Sam agreed. 'Though I'd rather they'd talked. Watching your mom and dad making out is kinda icky.'

'I don't care. I'm just so happy to see them together.'

:

When Mary and John drew apart, there was a hesitant clapping from the onlookers. Some of them even had a smile on their faces, something that was a rarity in this reality of blood, death and tears.

'John,' Mary whispered. 'How is this possible?'

'I'm gonna have to ask the same question, Mary,' John grinned, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. 'I have no idea but I'm not in the mood to bother with whys and wherefores. I've got other things on my mind.'

Mary arched an eyebrow before searching out his lips again.

This time there was even some hooting, but neither John nor Mary could help themselves. They'd been torn apart before their time and now they were back together. They were of a mind to recuperate what they'd lost.

'You don't look a day older than when you left us,' John murmured against the blond tresses.

'Hmm. You're a little more beaten-up but I'll settle,' Mary retorted with a grin.

:

'Harrumph,' Bobby grunted. ' What the fuck's going on here. Is anybody gonna explain?'

Sam came forward. 'This is our dad, John Winchester.'

'The Winchester who never married the Mary Campbell of our world?'

'You got it, Bobby.'

'I thought he was dead.'

'He was, but,' Sam shrugged, 'seems Winchesters have a revolving door arrangement with death.'

'It sure does. So, I guess you've come to take your mom home?'

'That's the idea,' Sam nodded.

'We'll be sorry to see her go,' Bobby declared. 'She's a good fighter, that one and we need all the help we can get.'

:

'How's the war going?' Dean asked, coming to stand beside his sibling.

'We're losing. It seems folks have become downhearted,' Bobby sighed. 'They're sure we can't win and they're not responding as they should.'

:

'Boys,' Mary and John walked over, hand in hand, huge smiles on their faces.

'I want to hear it all. From the moment John found you, to how you managed to open the rift,' Mary said.

'It was a joint venture between Sam and Jack,' Dean explained, slapping his brother on the back. 'But we'll talk later. My stomach's rumbling like a volcano. I need to eat. We've brought enough rations for everyone to get at least a bite.'

The rest of the day passed quietly, no attacks were forthcoming and to Sam and Dean's awkward delight, their parents disappeared into the nearby foliage as soon as it got dark.

:

'I'm gonna call it a day,' Dean said, yawning.

'I'll hang on a while. Keep a look-out,' Sam offered.

'You do not have to, Sam,' Jack piped up. ' If any angel approaches, I will sense them and give the alarm. Then I do not need as much sleep as an ordinary human.'

'Works for me,' Dean said. 'Come on, Sam. Even a gigantor like you needs their rest and it's been a very emotional day. Let's go look for a soft spot to get some shut-eye.'

:

The next morning the brothers awoke to the bustle of another day in the camp. Today, they'd be on their way back to their own reality. They'd come for their mom and they'd found her. Mission accomplished.

Even if they felt bad for the fate of this world, it wasn't theirs and Dean reckoned he and Sam had given enough. They weren't ready to take this Earth's burden on their shoulders too.

Dean looked up with an eye-roll as Mary and John came towards them, hand in hand, grinning like two Cheshire cats.

'Morning boys,' John said. 'You sleep well?'

'That we did, ' Sam confirmed.

'So, you ready to move out?' Dean asked his parents.

'Uh, about that,' John said, clearing his throat. 'Your mom and I have been talking and we're staying here.'

:

Dean's shocked expression needed no words; those were uttered by Sam. 'You can't, dad. Dean and I came to take you home. This isn't your fight.'

'Yeah. What about us?' Dean growled, unwilling to even contemplate the idea.

'Son,' John said, his hands gripping Dean's arms. 'Don't you think I haven't watched you these past days? You boys have always been close, but now it's as if you're no longer just brothers but conjoined twins. You have each other and that's all you really need.

Our Earth has you to look out for it. They have a Sam and Dean who saved them from the Apocalypse and who'll continue to defend it. This Earth hasn't had that same luck but maybe it can make do with a Mary and John.'

'These people need us,' Mary added with a gentle smile. 'In truth, far more than you do. We'll bring new blood to the fight, new grit. Maybe we can defeat the angels and help rebuild a new world for the adults and children who are left.'

'Mom,' Dean whispered, heart-broken. 'No.'

:

Mary swallowed down the lump in her throat, but she continued gamely on. ' Jack wants to stay too. He was telling us how powerful he is. We need him on our side, especially as Lucifer is still around somewhere.'

When Bobby came up to join them, she linked her arm through his.

'The fantastic four,' she quipped. 'We can make this world right again.'

:

'You're sure about this?' Sam demanded. He knew how upset his brother was.

Mary came forward to hug her youngest. 'Yes, Sam. Last night we talked too, you know!'

She moved over to Dean who looked like hugging was the last thing on his mind, his expression dark and unforgiving.

'Dean. You brought me a gift beyond compare. You brought John back to me. If we return with you, we can hunt, yes, maybe save some people but here we can make a true difference. Then if we need to, Jack and Sam can open the rift. I've been informed that I have a highly-psychic son.' She smiled up at Sam, who blushed at the compliment.

'I guess we better be on our way then,' Dean grunted, pissed at his parents' decision but unable to do anything about it.

:

Then it was John's turn to hug his sons.

'I couldn't understand why I'd been taken from heaven, but now I do. It was for this. We'll be fine, boys.'

He pulled his wife close.

'This world never had a Sam and Dean but maybe it was just a question of time,' he grinned, kissing Mary.

'Or maybe this Earth needs a Samantha and Deanna,' Mary bantered with a wicked grin.

Epilogue

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

'Well, that went well,' Dean complained, stomping down the Bunker's staircase. 'We got dad and mom back from the dead, were getting used to having Jack around and now we're back to just me and you.'

'Yeah,' Sam echoed. 'I guess we are.'

'You're not gonna be next to fly the nest are you, Sammy?'

'Nah. You're stuck with me for good, Dean.'

:

'I could do with a beer.'

'Me too.'

The end