6.
'I want to go back to Chuck's today.' Dean announced as he smashed his last shirt into his bag. Sam, brushing his teeth frowned and then mumbled 'What for?'
'I don't know. Something didn't feel right. Like you said, it looks like he just disappeared. What if something took him?
Sam spat out the last of his toothpaste and wiped his mouth, 'Like you mean something supernatural?'
'Stranger things have happened.'
Nodding and then thinking about it, Sam stepped out of the bathroom and over to his own bag. 'Yeah, good point. Makes sense too. A truckload of things out there would want a piece of him. We should definitely check it out.'
Going in with a different angle and a new mind-set, Sam picked up on something new within a minute of stepping into the vacant house. 'Dean, check this out.' He closed the drawer where he found it and handed the first half of it to his brother.
'What is it?'
'Another manuscript, a different one.' Flicking through it, he added. 'This isn't about us, it's to us.'
'Huh?'
'Have a look. 'Sam motioned for Dean to start reading. It was thinner than the others and jammed packed with small typed words in letter form yet also set out like a diary with the days and dates at the top left hand corner of each page. Taking a seat Sam moved straight to the last page. 'Oh my God.'
'What?' Dean still confused, unable to comprehend very much of any of it waited on Sam.
'Dude-'
'What? Spit it out. What?'
'I know who God is.' Sam raised his eyebrows and glared at Dean. 'He told us.'
'What do you mean? Chuck told us who God is? God is God isn't he?'
'God is Chuck.'
Dean shook his head hoping the words Sam spoke would sink in. They didn't. 'What? No man really? What?'
'I can't believe it. God is Chuck, Chuck is God.' Scanning his brain, he continued, 'I mean, I guess it makes sense.' He smiled, 'Dean God was helping us all along.'
'Give me a look at that.' Dean ripped the pages from Sam's hands and tried to clear his head before reading a word of the last page.
'You really should start from the beginning.' A familiar voice said from behind them.
Both boys nearly got whiplash with the speed their heads spun towards the voice. 'It always makes more sense if you start from the beginning.'
For the first time ever, Sam looked at Chuck with eyes filled with awe and wonder. 'You're God? All along?'
Chuck only smiled, not as awkward as usual, more confident but also with eyes that still seemed so innocent and naïve, accepting and harmless, humble and unassuming. He was still in his robe, still scruffy and still the same old Chuck. 'Why didn't you tell us?'
'That was never in the plan.'
'Then tell me, what was the plan?' Dean fumed, 'That my brother goes to hell, that my father goes to hell, that I go to hell? You could have stepped in at any time! Why didn't you step in at any time Chuck?'
'Dean-'Sam tried.
Dean shot around at him, 'Are you for real?' Spinning back to Chuck, Dean waited really, really wanting to flatten the Man himself but holding back until he heard the answer.
Sam shut up and looked back at Chuck, hoping to ….God, that Dean wouldn't do anything to annoy the Almighty.
'Dean for the record, I didn't enjoy that part of it.' Chuck said genuinely.
'Oh really? You didn't enjoy that part of it.' Dean's angry smirk was in full force. Sam knew too well what Dean looked like before he was going to throw a punch and this was definitely what Dean was looking like.
'Couldn't you have stopped all this? I mean the whole apocalypse?' Sam asked hoping if he stepped in, Dean would step out.
'That wasn't my job.'
'No, that was our job Sammy. Everything we went through we had to go through right Chuck? It wasn't God's job to save the world, no, it was our job – just two messed up humans. You and me Sam… and why? Why? Because it was destiny right Chuck?'
With a sympathetic sigh, Chuck replied, 'I was on your side if that helps. I always hoped you would do it your way and win.'
'No that doesn't help. Not even a little bit.'
'Dean he helped us.' Sam tried.
'Not enough and you know it.'
Sam did know it but Sam was doing everything in his power to accept what was and why. God had to be right. He had to have his reasons that would mean something more than what they could come up with. Right? It wasn't that he just gave up and let them do the work for him. He was there, writing, helping …albeit slightly. But if it wasn't for Chuck – or God, then Dean wouldn't have found Sam on that day. There were other things like that too, without his help; they might not have ever won. He helped he did and he was on their side and if he was on their side that meant that Sam was okay. Chuck had always been nice to Sam. Sam always got the feeling Chuck liked him and that was good, that was very good. Sam needed to know that, to believe in that. Dean didn't.
'You son of a bitch! You knew exactly what was happening to us and you just sat back and let it happen. Must have been one kick ass movie you were watching. What kind of God are you? I mean you wouldn't even let us die. You just kept bringing us back so we could keep doing your dirty work while our friends and family were killed off one by one! It must be so easy being you, using us as your pawns. You were right the first time; you are a cruel and capricious God.'
'I had to see what would happen if I stepped out. Who would stay loyal, what my sons would do if I was gone.'
'Oh the big test, yeah right. I forgot. That's awesome.' Dean gave a laugh signifying he found nothing amusing about this at all.
'I understand you are mad, but I really do think you should read from the beginning, it explains a lot.'
After simply nodding, Dean moved over to the door, opened it and threw the pages into the wind. Ignoring Sam's gasp and Chuck's sigh he then picked up his keys from the table and said 'I'm so glad you are okay Chuck. We were worried, we thought something bad might have happened to you and we were here to find out what it was and try and save you from it, cause you know, we're good like that.'
'I know.' Chuck replied.
'Let's go Sam.'
'But Dean-'
'Now Sam.'
Sam looked helplessly at Chuck who gave him a supportive smile. 'You did good, both of you. I just hope your reward is enough to let you know how grateful I am.'
'Nothing would be enough' Dean laughed moving back to him and then catching onto a word. 'What reward?'
'Well that was all in the letter.'
'Letter's gone. What reward?'
'You pulled me from hell.' Sam stated. 'It was you.'
'It was me.' Chuck said graciously
Instead of saying anything, Dean nodded once, still pissed but unable to fight that. That was something he was grateful for; Sam out of there and alive.
'I know you never wanted this and I know you both want it over, like really over.'
'Damn right we do.' Dean said adamantly.
'Here's the deal then. You are out, the angels - the fight between heaven and hell; not your problem anymore.'
'Good.' Dean said.
'But there is a condition, a proviso with no loop hole – no get out of jail free card.'
'Which is?'
'You die, either of you, you stay dead. You want normal, you want human, that's what you get.'
Sam and Dean both looked at each other and within a couple of seconds and without a word to discuss it, both said in unison; 'Done'
'As long as you understand there will be no deals, no chance of ever coming back.'
'We get it.' Dean frowned, nervous but still sure. 'Done.'
'Then….done.' Chuck responded before saying, 'I'll see you around guys. Enjoy the final part of your reward' Before Dean or Sam could say another word, Chuck had disappeared and standing in his place was none other than the very human and very alive John and Mary Winchester.
THE END.