I went through the entire story and made small edits and tweaks here and there to tighten it up and smooth it out.

Please check it out if you haven't already: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3011743/1/

Previous chapters can be found here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3011743/1/

Chapter Thirty
Now Comes the Night


Dean’s hand was on the trigger now. The gun felt cool against his warm skin; there was something inviting about it. It made everything feel better again. He wasn’t afraid of death, of dying. He was afraid of living, alone, without her. Because without her, without protecting Sam, nothing made sense.

---

Sam drove the rental car the last mile up to the old cabin with a sense of dread in his heart. He just didn’t feel right about Dean being up here by himself and had gotten on a plane two days after Dean had left. He heard Lauren’s voice in his head. You take care of your brother for me, ok? Stick around, for a little while anyway. He needs you, you know?

Something was wrong, he could feel it. He ran from the car to the cabin and knocked on the door. No answer, but he could hear something inside, things crashing. He’s throwing things, that’s probably a good sign. He tried the door, but it was locked. Finally, he kicked it in.

---

Dean hadn’t heard the knocking, then pounding at the door. All he heard was Lauren’s laugh and Blue Oyster Cult telling him how they could be together again.

Sam burst through the front door, and then followed the crashing noises to the back bedroom, where the door was partially open. All he could see from the hallway was anything that could possibly have been loose flying around the room in circles, randomly crashing into the walls. What the hell?

He pushed the door open slowly and his eyes opened wide. “Dean!” Sam yelled as he caught sight of his brother, sitting on the bed with his knees pulled up to his chest, his eyes squeezed shut, and a gun to his own head. “Dean no!”

Dean blinked, startled by the sudden interruption. When he opened his eyes, everything that had been flying around the room suddenly dropped to the floor. Sam figured it must be one of his abilities, turned loose by his subconscious under all this stress. Dean hadn’t even realized what he’d been doing.

“Dean, what are you doing?” Sam asked cautiously, slowly moving toward his brother.

Dean didn’t answer.

“Put the gun down Dean,” Sam said with a little more authority in his voice.

“Go away Sammy,” he saw his brother’s lips move but the voice was childlike, young and afraid.

“No, I’m not going anywhere,” Sam said evenly, taking another step forward.

“Don’t,” Dean said, his adult voice returning, his eyebrows lifting now, pushing the gun more forcefully against his temple, his finger tightening on the trigger.

“Dean, you don’t want to do this,” Sam said, taking another step toward him, almost within an arm’s length.

“Yeah, Sammy, I do. I really do,” Dean said matter-of-factly and lifted his head slightly, unintentionally sending Sam backwards several steps. “Hey, that trick would have come in handy ABOUT A WEEK AGO!!!!” he shouted.

Sam’s heart fell as he looked at his brother now, alone, scared and hopeless. “I’m sorry Dean,” he said.

“Sorry doesn’t bring her back Sam. I can’t do this anymore.”

“Yes you can,” they heard a familiar voice say. Dean and Sam both looked around to see Lauren, or more accurately Lauren’s spirit, appear as Angel’s had the night the demon had been destroyed.

“Lauren?” Dean’s eyes opened wide, then he looked at Sam to see if he was hallucinating.

“Yeah, Dean, it’s really her. She’s here,” Sam said.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Lauren smiled at Dean, sitting next to him on the bed. “I told you I would never give up on you. That doesn’t end with death. It’s too soon for you to join us Dean.”

“Sam’s safe now. He doesn’t need me anymore,” Dean said.

“Yes, I do,” Sam said resolutely. “Now more than ever.”

“I’m tired. I can’t do this anymore,” Dean said to Lauren, beginning to cry again.

Sam’s eyes filled as he saw another light enter the room and Angel appeared, sending Sam falling into a chair from exhaustion and relief. Dean hadn’t seen her yet. Angel walked up to Sam and touched his hand briefly before moving to her father’s bedside.

“I miss you Lauren, I miss Angel,” Dean said then, eyes still closed.

“I’m right here Daddy,” Angel said and Dean snapped his head up at the sound of her voice.

“Oh honey,” Dean said, “you are here!”

Angel smiled at him. “Do you remember what you would tell me when you would leave with Sam for the weekend and I told you I would miss you?”

“Remind me again,” Dean smiled

“No matter where I am, I’ll always be right here in your heart", Angel and Dean pointed to each other's chest at this phrase, "so long as you still love me.”

“Do you still love me Daddy?” Angel asked him.

“Always baby,” Dean said. “Always!”

“Then I’ll never leave you,” Angel said.

Lauren reached out to Dean and put her hand lightly on his chin, tilting it up to look her in the face. “We will be together again one day, but not now. Your job isn’t finished yet, my love. There are still other hunts. You have gifts; you have to learn to use them. You still have purpose in this life, Dean. It’s not your time to go. Angel and I will come for you when it is and then we’ll all be together again.”

Dean felt his eyelids getting heavier by the minute.

Lauren looked at Sam and said, “We’ve got this one Sam. He’ll be ok.”

Sam stood up and took the gun out of his now sleeping brother’s hand. He leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, just like he’d felt Dean do every night after he’d thought he was asleep when they were kids. “I love you Deany,” he whispered, smiling as he recalled his old nickname for his brother.

Angel smiled and waved goodbye to Sam as she disappeared.

“I love you, Lauren,” Sam smiled through his tears.

“I love you too Sam,” she said as he turned to leave the room. “I’ll see you too, but it will be a while,” she winked at him. It was bittersweet news.

Lauren leaned down and planted her own kiss on Dean's forehead, whispering, "Goodbye my love," before disappearing. Dean slept for two days.

---

On the day he woke up, Dean and Sam spread Lauren’s ashes over the lake together, then drove back to Tampa in the Impala after returning Sam’s rental to the airport.

Sam had offered to join him on the hunt, but his heart wasn’t in it and Dean knew it. Dean gave Sam his blessing to go back to school, where he finished his law degree and joined a prestigious firm in Tampa. Sam called Dean daily, filling him in on all of the mundane aspects of his new life, when he’d rented his apartment, a girl he was dating, the little things that told Dean he was okay and happy. And Dean would occasionally call him for his take on whatever he was hunting at the time if he was stuck.

Dean had asked Sam to go back to school for another reason though. He knew that if Sam was with him, she wouldn’t be. And in the beginning, on the nights when Dean was feeling really lonely, Lauren would come to him and hold him until he fell asleep. He would wake in the morning alone, but still feel her there, giving him the strength to face another day.

He had put the house in Tampa up for sale and used the money to buy the cabin by the lake, returning there between hunts to feel close to Lauren and Angel. He would sit on the dock as she had so many times, and talk to her there. He heard her voice in his head long after he had stopped being able to see her.

In the end, Lauren’s voice had replaced the negative voice he had heard since he was four years old, and he never heard the voice of fear or loneliness again.

Author’s Note: Song I had in my head while writing the final scenes of this chapter (Dean falling asleep and talking to Lauren by the lake):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E802AEAA158B669D

P.S. You all have Kat to thank for your reprieve. My original ending had Dean killing himself in a season-ending cliffhanger type fashion and the possibility of it being a Sam vision as a follow up. Kat convinced me to let Dean live.

Please comment, let me know if I need to tweak this ending.

Chapter Twenty Nine
Shatter Point


Sam sat with Dean, still holding Lauren’s other hand, unable to really comprehend it all, torn between his own grief and the need to help his brother through this.

John’s voice broke the silence, “Dean, we’ll wait for you at the car.”

Sam looked up at him, shaking his head no. “She asked me to stay with him,” he said quietly, but Dean just shook his head and motioned toward the door for them to leave. For once, his father knew exactly what he needed.

Dean held her body in his arms and stared down at her. This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening, it’s a nightmare. I will wake up from this and she’ll still be here. I’m not hunting the demon anymore; we’ll just go back to a normal life. I’ll convince her somehow, because I cannot live without her. I just can’t. Stay calm, be in control, it’s okay; it’s just a dream, just a really bad dream. Wake up Dean, wake up!

Deep down, Dean knew that this was no dream. He knew this because the voice was still there, taunting him, reminding him that he will never be happy. That every good thing that came into his life came at a price, and he would never be paid in full.

Daybreak began to creep in through rusted holes in the roof of the warehouse, illuminating his surroundings. A beam of sunlight fell on Lauren’s face and for that moment, she was the girl he’d fallen in love with all those years ago, before she knew about demons and death, before Angel. He brushed the hair back from her eyes, and wiped the blood from her face with his shirt, smiling down at her, tracing the laugh lines around her eyes and mouth with his finger, memorizing again the features he knew better than his own. Memorizing them again, because in a very short time, he was never going to see those features again and all he would have would be his memories. He leaned down and kissed her forehead as he had done so many times before, watching for the smile that always greeted him after that gesture, but it never appeared.

An hour later, Dean walked silently out to the car, carrying Lauren delicately in his arms. Sam opened the door to the back seat and allowed him to get in, closing the door behind him, not saying a word.

---

In the days following Lauren’s death, Dean went through all the motions like a robot. They had brought her body back to Tampa for cremation and the funeral ceremony. Sam had made all of the arrangements because Dean hadn’t spoken a word since Lauren died.

Afterward, Dean and Sam went back to Lauren’s house. Dean stood in the bedroom he and Lauren had shared and stared out the window. He heard the doorbell ring, heard Sam say, “Hi Dad,” and invite him in. He heard the door to the bedroom open and his father say, “Can I come in?” He heard his father’s footsteps as he approached him.

“Dean,” he started.

“You knew, didn’t you? You knew what she had planned,” Dean said almost inaudibly.

“Yes, I knew,” John said simply.

“How long did you know?” Dean asked.

“Dean…”

“How long?” Dean repeated.

“A few days after Angel’s funeral, Lauren called me from the cabin at the lake and wanted me to help her figure out what the nightmares meant. It took about a month to piece most of it together.”

“You knew for over a year that she was going to die, and you said nothing,” Dean said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I knew what Lauren wanted most in this world was to get rid of the things that haunt you so that you could be happy. She knew you wouldn’t let her do this, so she asked me to keep her secret. She loved you Dean, she just wanted to be a family again.”

Dean turned to face John, his eyes full of tears. “And now she’s dead and I have nothing! This is all your fault!” Dean yelled, pointing at his father before turning away again.

“Dean, I tried to talk her out of it once we realized the risk. We weren’t sure of anything except that it was the only way to get rid of the demon for good.”

“I don’t care about the damn demon, I just want her back!” his voice caught in his throat.

John put a hand on Dean’s shoulder, but Dean turned around and punched him in the face. He stumbled backward, felt the warmth, and tasted the blood on his lips.

“I deserved that. I deserve a lot worse. I’m sorry Dean,” John said.

“No, I’m sorry,” Dean shouted. “I’m sorry that I ever followed you on this stupid crusade to begin with. I’m sorry I ever listened to anything you had to say. I’m sorry for all the years that I lost with Lauren and Angel because you thought you knew how to protect me. This isn’t protection Dad; this is hell. And you put me here!”

“Dean,”

“Go. Get out. Get out of this house and get out of my life. I never want to see or talk to you again,” Dean said evenly.

“Fine, I’ll go, but I need to give you this first,” John said, reaching into his shirt pocket to pull out a dusty old envelope. “Lauren sent me this on Angel’s first birthday. It contains her final wishes at that time. I don’t think they’ve changed. I’d give anything to change what happened, to bring her back. I’m sorry Dean; I know I’m not perfect, but I’ve always tried to do what’s best for you. That’s what fathers do.”

“My father died when I was four years old,” Dean said quietly as he turned back to the window.

John Winchester turned around and walked out of Dean’s life without another word.

---

Dean stared at the urn containing Lauren’s ashes sitting on top of the dresser. He sat down heavily on the bed and looked at the envelope John had handed him. He pulled the single sheet of paper out and stared down at Lauren’s handwriting:

John,

I wanted to send along some pictures of Angel, since it’s the only real connection she can have with her father’s side of the family. She’s growing so fast, walking now. I will never forget what you’ve done for us and how you saved Angel’s life that night. God bless you and Dean for everything that you do to make this world a safer place.

My one regret is Dean. I wish that he would have had a chance to know his daughter and that Angel had a chance to know him. Every time I look at her, I see his eyes, his smile and his strength. I miss him so much that I feel my heart breaking a little more each day. I wish that there could have been another way, but I know now that’s not possible.

Anyway, I don’t want to ramble. There is another purpose for this letter. Underneath that tough guy exterior of yours, you believe in real love. You haven’t fooled me at all (smile). I am sending this to you because I know that you will understand.

I have already made arrangements to be cremated, but I left nothing public to let anyone know where my ashes are to be taken, just a notation that they are to be turned over to you. At the bottom of this letter is an address for a lake in the town where Dean and I met.

In a perfect world, Dean would handle this. But we don’t live in a perfect world John, so I am asking you to spread my ashes in that lake so that I can spend eternity in the most beautiful place I know… the place where I fell in love with your son.

Lauren


A few minutes later, Dean heard a soft knock on the door before Sam poked his head in.

“Can I get you anything?”

Dean shook his head. Sam sat down next to him on the bed and Dean handed him the letter, then got up and began to pack up his things. Sam finished reading the letter and looked up at his brother.

“I’m coming with you,” Sam said.

“No,” Dean replied.

“Dean, I don’t think you should be alone right now,” Sam objected.

“I’ve always been alone Sam,” Dean said. “I need to do this alone too. I’ll be back in a week.” With that, Dean grabbed the urn and walked out the door.

---

Dean sat on the dock, staring out at the water, with the urn sitting next to him unopened. He knew what she wanted, but he also knew that as soon as he opened that thing and let its contents out that he was going to have to face the truth. And he knew he couldn’t face it, not now, not ever.

He walked back into the cabin, urn in hand, still unopened.

---

Everyone has a shatter point. It’s the point at which the human psyche has taken all it can take; the point at which everything crumbles; the point at which everything falls apart. Lauren’s death had pushed Dean to his shatter point.

Dean Winchester had been surrounded by death since he was four years old. His mother, Sam’s girlfriend Jessica, some of the people he had tried to save, and countless paranormal entities along the way.

He always thought that he would be the first to go. That some spirit or demon would take him out and he would die doing what he was made to do, protecting others. He never thought that he would have to live through this. He never thought that Sam would ever be safe while he was still alive.

In destroying the demon, Lauren had released Dean from the responsibility he had since he was four years old – keeping Sam safe. The demon that had haunted their family and wanted Sam was now gone. She gave Dean the biggest gift anyone would think they could, but ultimately took away his purpose in this life. Now, Dean didn’t know what to do with himself.

He pulled his knees up to his chest. He felt like he was four years old again. He began to rock back and forth, clutching his legs tighter and tighter to his chest, closing his eyes, trying to fight back the memories. He didn’t want to remember, it hurt too much.

He pushed his hands against his temples, willing the memories to go away. For hours, they kept coming, replaying over and over in his head as he cried like he had never cried before: their first kiss, making love to her for the first time, her smile, buying the ring, finding her again, pushing Angel on the swing, Angel calling him Daddy for the first time, Lauren’s smile, Angel’s smile, the love in their eyes when they looked at him, the way they trusted him, the tears in Lauren’s eyes when he’d asked her to marry him, the feeling in his heart when she’d said yes, the pain when Angel had died, the hope that he felt when Lauren had held his hand for that split second at the lake, the grin on her face the night she’d let him back into her heart, the happy tears in her eyes when they laid there together afterward, the way she could lay her hand on his forehead or his cheek and smile at him and melt the whole world away, Meg and the dagger, Angel, the blood, and the fire, Lauren, the demon, the blood, all that blood, Lauren’s face when he told her not to give up on him and the final word she ever spoke to him: “Never.”

It echoed in his head now, “Never. Never. Never.”

Nobody needs me here anymore. I’ve failed. Sam is safe, he doesn’t need me. Dad… well, Dad can go straight to hell. The demon is gone; the threat has been extinguished. Angel’s gone. Lauren’s gone. Sam is safe. I’m tired. I miss my little girl. I miss Lauren. I’m alone, always alone. I don’t want to be alone anymore; I want to be with them.

You can be, a voice whispered in the darkness.

He knew that voice, and he knew it was right. It had always been right. Missouri had been wrong. It wasn’t the devil talking to him, it was his conscience, the truth of who he was and what his life had become.

You don’t have to be alone anymore Dean. You can be with Lauren and Angel again. There is a way. The voice was softer now, kind and sympathetic.

You’re tired. It’s time to rest. You’ve done your job, fulfilled your purpose in this life. It’s time to move on to the next, be with your family, be happy, really, truly happy and stay that way forever. You don’t have to be alone anymore. Join Lauren and Angel; they’re waiting for you.

An old song began playing itself in Dean's head now, the lyrics soothing him:

Love of two is one. Here but now they're gone. Came the last night of sadness. And it was clear she couldn't go on. The door was open and the wind appeared. The candles blew and then disappeared. The curtains flew then he appeared (saying don't be afraid). Come on baby (and she had no fear). And she ran to him (then they started to fly).

Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity.

Dean stopped rocking. He reached into his jacket pocket and slowly pulled out his gun. He ran his fingers over its polished edges, felt the soft curves of its lines, felt it calling him. He rubbed his left hand over his tired eyes and face.

The pistol was cool against his skin, soothing the pounding in his head as it caressed his temple, chasing the fear and loneliness away. He felt his pain start to ease as he pulled the hammer back and placed his index finger on the trigger.

Previous chapters can be found here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3011743/1/

Chapter Twenty Eight
The Final Battle


“Xaphan,” Lauren said finally. “Your timing is perfect. I have presents for you!”

“Xaphan?” John asked. “As in one of the fallen angels who sided with Satan Xaphan? As in the one who came up with the idea to set heaven on fire Xaphan?”

“One and the same,” Xaphan said.

“It’s him,” Sam said. “The one who took Mom, and Jess!”

“Right again,” the demon smiled, his eyes glowing.

“Of course it’s him, the signs were all there,” Dean said.

“About that,” Lauren began. “I hacked the websites, made it all up to get you here. I knew he couldn’t resist all three Winchesters in the same place at the same time,” she smiled, looking at the demon now.

Father and sons looked at each other and realized they’d been suckered.

“I don’t understand,” Sam said. “Lauren, after everything this demon has put our families through, why would you do this?”

Meg rose to her feet now, angry, and more than a little sore from the blow from the pipe. “I’ve had about enough of you,” she screamed at Lauren, gesturing at her with the same movement of her arm that had thrown the three men into a wall not long before that. But with Lauren, it only threw her back a couple of feet and she kept her balance fairly easily.

“Gee Meg, no protein shake this morning?” Lauren asked. Dean, Sam and John gaped as Lauren responded with her own arm movement that threw Meg halfway across the room.

“You’ve been holding out on me Lauren,” Xaphan said.

“You don’t know the half of it,” she said, glaring.

“And you forget who you’re dealing with,” he reminded her, pinning her to the wall opposite Dean. “Did you really think that you could lure me into a trap and finish me off?”

“I was counting on it,” Lauren said.

Dean was speechless. Everything he’d done to try to keep her safe, keep his whole family safe, and here they all were, at the mercy of the very thing he’d promised her he would destroy.

Sam tried desperately to focus on the Colt and finish this before his vision became reality.

“This throwing us up against the wall deal is getting pretty old, haven’t you got any other tricks?” Lauren asked.

Xaphan turned to face her now, staring at her with his yellow eyes. Lauren yelled out in pain as blood began to appear around her abdomen.

“Lauren!” Dean yelled.

“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” Lauren said to the demon.

“You refer to the prophecy about the elements?” Xaphan asked, laughing. “I suppose it’s possible that I missed you as an infant and that you are one of them, but your child is gone.”

“She’s even more powerful now than she ever was in this life!” Lauren responded.

“What do you think she’s Obi Wan Kenobi?” Meg scoffed, changing her voice to mimic Alec Guiness, “Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine?”

“Something like that,” Lauren sneered.

Meg stalked toward Lauren now, taunting her. “She’s dead and gone. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. I took a dagger and slit your daughter’s throat.”

“You know Meg, sometimes you talk too much!” Lauren practically spat. Meg whirled as she heard a gun cock behind her, turning to find herself staring down the barrel of the Colt, suspended in mid-air, firing its last bullet into her forehead.

Dean and John stared at Sam, but he only shook his head. “It wasn’t me!”

“Damn, I thought she’d never shut up!” Lauren said, almost laughing.

“What the hell did you do?” Dean yelled, “That was the last bullet!”

The demon whirled on Lauren now, howling. He stared at her, but responded to Dean. “Your little girlfriend here thinks she has it all figured out. She knows the Colt won’t work on me. Sam tried to shoot me with it, remember?”

“I thought I’d missed,” Sam said.

“Only one way,” Lauren said, her breathing more labored now.

Dean felt a tingling in his chest and braced himself for the demon to execute all of them on the spot, but there was no pain. The demon was focused on Lauren now, furious over Meg’s death. “You made a terrible miscalculation Lauren, and it’s going to cost you everything, and everyone.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Lauren said.

“I’m surprised I didn’t sense your abilities before,” Xaphan replied thoughtfully.

“Yeah, funny about that, don’t you think? I wonder how many others you’ve missed,” Lauren said.

The demon began attacking Lauren a little more strongly now, and she cried out in pain, bleeding more intensely than before, but Xaphan had decided that a slow death would suit his purposes.

John and Sam were fighting desperately against the invisible bonds which pinned them to the wall.

“Lauren! Come on you son of a bi*ch, why are you bothering with her?” Dean was trying to deflect the demon’s attention from Lauren. “I killed your son, remember?” Xaphan didn’t seem to hear him, focusing on Lauren and not wavering.

The tingling in Dean’s chest grew stronger and he realized that it was coming from where his amulet rested. Suddenly, he heard Lauren talking to him. The amulet Dean, it hid my abilities from Xaphan when I was a baby. It hides yours too. Dean snapped his head up, eyes wide, staring at Lauren. Lauren was fighting hard not to scream, her face contorted, feeling her flesh start to split open. Then she looked up at Dean with determination and nodded one time.

Dean’s heart began racing now, desperate to save Lauren, unable to really believe what was happening. Angel’s the key Dean, help me reach her. It has to be all three of us, the family. Call to Angel. I can’t hold on much longer Dean, we have to do this together! Dean closed his eyes, head down, focusing. The amulet fell from his neck.

“No!” Sam screamed. John looked at him. “My vision. It’s happening. No!” Sam wanted to close his eyes, not see what was about to happen.

The demon whirled around to face Dean as soon as the amulet fell, his eyes crazed. “You?!” he said incredulously, and Dean began to bleed too.

Lauren looked up now, “God’s had enough Xaphan,” she said quietly.

He looked back at her, laughing. “There have to be three elements Lauren. You really should have been more thorough in your research.”

“You forget what day it is,” Lauren responded, using every ounce of her strength. Her head dropped again, the only thing holding her up was the demon’s lock on her body.

“Dean?” John said now, looking from Lauren to Dean and back again. Lauren looked bad. She can’t take much more of this. John’s breath caught in his chest. Will any of us live through this?

“November 2nd,” Sam yelled suddenly. “All Souls Day! The intercession of the faithfully departed… the joining of the living…..and the dead…”

Xaphan’s eyes grew huge and he whirled back to face Lauren, determined to finish the job. The bleeding grew worse.

Suddenly, in front of John and Sam, a small light appeared, growing steadily until it evaporated to reveal a young girl.

“Angel?” John and Sam yelled at the same time.

Dean looked up quickly, “Angel?” he looked at her, unsure of his own eyes.

“Daddy,” she smiled at him.

“Honey?” Dean said, his eyes filling with tears. “Lauren, she’s here,” he said, looking at Lauren now.

Lauren lifted her head, the faintest hint of a smile on her face. “I knew you’d make it,” she said.

Xaphan began laughing now, almost cackling.

Dean was staring at Angel, smiling at her, mesmerized by the glow of her small body as she stood there beaming with light all around her.

“Daddy,” Angel said a little reproachfully. “We have a job to do.”

Angel looked at the demon and then at both of her parents. Suddenly a blinding light radiated from her chest to Lauren’s, from Lauren’s to Dean’s, then back to Angel’s, forming a triangle between them, surrounding Xaphan. He screamed in surprise and then howled in agony as the light joined itself in the middle of the triangle and blew him apart. Immediately following, Angel disappeared again.

Sam, John, and Dean were released from their bonds and Lauren slumped to the floor.

“Angel?” Dean said, looking around desperately, but she was gone. “Lauren!” he yelled, running to her. “Dad, go get the car, now!” He cradled Lauren in his arms, talking to her, “it’s going to be ok”. Sam went around to her other side.

“Sam,” Lauren said, reaching for his hand.

“Yeah?” Sam looked at her with tear-filled eyes.

“You take care of your brother for me, ok? Stick around, for a little while anyway. He needs you, you know?”

“Don’t you do this Lauren, not now, not after everything that’s happened. You hold on, do you hear me?” Dean yelled.

“Don't say goodbye to me. We’re going to get you to the hospital,” Sam said. “It’s going to be ok.”

“Sammy,” she said, starting to cry. “You and I both know that’s not true.”

Dean looked from Lauren to Sam and back again. “Lauren, why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“If I had told you, Xaphan would have sensed your thoughts and we wouldn’t have had a chance.”

Dean swallowed hard. “I heard you talking to me, telling me to call Angel. I heard you.”

“I knew you would,” she smiled. “Dean, your family is safe. You don’t have to worry about keeping Sam from the demon anymore. John’s quest is over. You can start to heal now.”

“We can heal now,” Dean said, panic edging into his voice. “You’re my family too. We can all heal now.”

“I’m sorry Dean,” Lauren said sorrowfully.

Dean lifted her left hand and showed her the ring. “You promised me happily ever after, remember? I’m going to hold you to it,” he said through tears. “Don’t you leave me!”

“’Til death do us part,” she said with a sad smile. “I love you Dean,” she said, her voice getting weaker and her breathing shallower. “I always have.” She looked away from him now, past Sam. She took a sharp breath. “She’s here!”

“Who?” Dean said, looking around.

“Angel, she’s here,” Lauren repeated.

Dean looked around frantically. “I don’t see anything Lauren.”

Lauren looked at Dean again. “No one goes alone,” she said.

“Lauren, please, I need you!” Dean pleaded.

Sam was crying openly now, his heart breaking for his brother. John came running back in, about to tell them the car was right out front, suddenly realizing he was too late.

“She says it’s time to go now,” Lauren said.

“No!” Dean shouted. “Lauren, no! Don’t you give up on me!”

She reached up to touch his cheek and smiled. “Never!” Her eyes closed, her hand fell, and her body went limp.

And the lights in Dean Winchester’s world went out.

Previous chapters can be found here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3011743/1/

Chapter Twenty Seven
Preparing For War


Lauren was slumped against Dean unmoving when Sam came in the door. “What happened?” he asked with wide eyes as Dean picked her up and carried her over to the bed.

“I’m not sure, she was staring out the window talking to herself and just collapsed,” Dean said, worried. “She’s got a fever; go get some cool washcloths out of the bathroom and some Tylenol out of the bag she keeps in there, please?”

“There’s no Tylenol in here Dean,” Sam said a minute later, coming out with a couple of washcloths.

Lauren started to come out of it now, slowly regaining consciousness. “I took the last ones a couple days ago, forgot to get more,” she said weakly.

“More headaches?” Dean asked.

Lauren nodded silently, “there’s a convenience store in town, mind getting me some more?”

“You going to be okay until I get back?” Dean asked. She had sweat running down her cheeks and was breathing hard.

Lauren nodded, “Just go.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her Dean,” Sam said. Dean sighed and grabbed the keys, heading out the door to the local town. Sam heard the Impala rev up and head out.

“You ok Lauren?” he asked, obviously concerned.

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled, but he wasn’t convinced. He took her hand in his own and then froze, his head pounding suddenly, a vision sweeping over him.

“Sam?” Lauren said, “What is it?”

Sam rubbed his temples fiercely. He hadn’t had a vision since the one he’d had that brought them to Tampa when Lauren was first attacked by the demon. He’d learned not to try to fight them; just let them take their course. When it was over, he looked up at Lauren with tears in his eyes. “Lauren, you…you…oh my God!”

“It’s ok Sam. At least now I know how it ends,” she said sadly. “I kind of thought it might be that way.”

He looked at her incredulously, realizing somehow she knew what he’d seen. “It’s not ok! We can stop this; we will stop this from happening.”

“You can’t tell Dean about this. Promise me you won’t tell him, Sam!” she said desperately, squeezing his hand as hard as she could manage, her eyes pleading with him.

“I can’t keep this from him Lauren,” Sam started.

“You have to Sam, it’s the only way to keep him safe,” Lauren said, “I need you to do something for me.” Sam looked at her again, the tears running freely down his cheeks now. “Think you can find something to keep you busy for a couple of days, give us some time together?”

“Sure,” he smiled for a moment. Then, a look of slow realization came over his face. “So you can say goodbye?” Lauren looked away and said nothing.

They sat there in silence until they heard the car pull into the parking lot again. Lauren squeezed Sam’s hand and he wiped the tears from his eyes. “I love you Sam, please do this for me.”

“I love you too,” he gulped.

Dean came in with a bottle of water and the Tylenol, giving it to Lauren who pulled herself upright.

“Those cool washcloths helped, thanks Sam,” Dean said as he realized her temperature had already come down some.

“No problem, glad to help,” Sam replied.

“You ok little brother?” Dean asked him.

“Yeah, just tired, I guess. I’m going back to my room, grab a shower,” he said as he left.

Sam paced back and forth in his own motel room now. What am I going to do? I have to tell him. Do I really have to choose between my brother and my best friend? Because in the end, that’s what this was about. He decided he wasn’t going to have to make that choice. I will give Lauren her couple of days, but I will spend that entire time finding a way out of this. I can do this. He told Dean to just spend some time with Lauren and he would let them know when he found their next gig.

A few days later, Sam realized that Lauren was right. “We got a lead on the demon,” Dean said intently when they went to breakfast that morning.

“Really?” Sam said. “Where?”

“Some remote island. The signs have started up again,” Dean said, scarfing down his bacon and eggs.

Sam nodded. Lauren looked up at him silently. “Alright,” Sam said. “When do we go?”

Lauren smiled then, “right after breakfast!”

“What about Dad?” Sam asked Dean.

“What about him?” Dean replied.

“You did call him right; he’s meeting us there?” Sam said.

“No, I’m not having him run off half-cocked. You know how he is about this demon Sam. It’s our turn to protect him, mostly from himself,” Dean said with finality.

“Dean,” Sam began.

“End of discussion Sam!”

---

“You do realize we’re going to have to fly Dean,” Sam said when they were on the road.

”Nope, we’re going by sea, and no customs either, so we can take whatever we need,” Dean replied.

They arrived on the island a couple of days later and set up in a three bedroom cabin in the woods. The information they had isolated the point of attack to a three mile radius. There were no homes in the area, just a small abandoned warehouse. That’s where they would start.

That morning, Lauren came out of the bathroom with a confused look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked.

“My ring’s missing,” Lauren said sadly.

“Did you take it off somewhere?” he asked.

“I had it when we left to come here, and I remember taking it off before I showered yesterday, but I could have sworn I put it right back on afterward. I’ve looked everywhere,” she said.

“We’ll find it,” Dean said, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

The three went through their routines as normal, acting like it was any other hunt, packing everything they could think of. Sam came out of the bedroom, bag in hand, and saw Lauren and Dean gathering their things on the living room table.

“Dean, she can’t go,” Sam said.

“Already thought of it Sammy,” Dean said as he grabbed Lauren from behind, pulling her into a chair and beginning to tie her hands behind it.

“Dean, we talked about this, you promised,” Lauren said angrily, struggling to get free from his grip as he was securing the ropes.

“It’s too dangerous Lauren,” Dean said.

“Sam, you promised you wouldn’t tell him,” Lauren yelled at Sam, tears building in her eyes.

“Tell me what?” Dean said, looking from Lauren to Sam.

“Dean, please, I have to be part of this. This is personal. This thing killed my parents, my brother, his daughter took our little girl, please,” Lauren pleaded.

Dean looked at her now, his heart filling, and wavered, reconsidering.

“Dean, if you let her come, she’ll die. I saw it,” Sam said.

“Sam!” Lauren screamed.

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked Sam.

“I had another vision. We were confronting the demon, and he killed Lauren,” Sam said matter-of-factly.

“And you waited to tell me this until now, why exactly?” Dean thundered.

“She asked me not to, and I was afraid of splitting us up until it was time to go. In my vision, we’re all together when it happens.”

“Tell him who we are Sam,” Lauren said indignantly. “In your vision, John was there too, right? That vision isn’t coming true tonight Sam. Dean, you have to let me go with you. I have got to be there. You have to trust me!”

Dean knelt down by the chair Lauren was in and put his hand softly on her cheek, looking her straight in the eyes. “Lauren, you’re my whole world. If anything happened to you,” his voice cracked. “I don’t know what I’d do. I’m not going to risk it. I’m going to get rid of this thing for good, so that you and I can finally get married and have that forever after we’ve been talking about,” he smiled, kissing her softly.

She returned his kiss like it was the last one they would ever share, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Dean,” she locked his eyes in her gaze, begging now. “If you go without me, you’re not coming back,” she said. “You and Sam will both die tonight, please don’t go,” she began to sob.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he said, stroking her hair, trying to reassure her. “I am not dying tonight. I’ve got everything to live for, because I’m coming back for you!” He turned and joined Sam at the doorway.

“I’m sorry Lauren,” Sam said quietly as he joined his brother. “I’m sorry.”

Lauren hung her head and cried as the door closed behind them.

---

They saw no sense in salting the warehouse because they wanted the demon to be there. Dean had the Colt and the last bullet, ready to make their move. They were there about five minutes when they heard something behind them.

“Show your face you son of a bi*ch!” Dean said whipping around.

Out from the shadows with his hands up, stepped John Winchester. “Hi boys,” he said quietly. Dean and Sam stared open-mouthed.

“Where’s Lauren?” John asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Back at the cabin, safe. How the hell did you find us?” Dean asked.

“She has to be here,” John practically shouted. “It’s the only way!”

“What are you talking about?” Sam said.

“We don’t have time for this,” John said. “We have to get out of here now!”

“Dad, it’s ok, we have the Colt!” Dean said exasperated, hand in the air for emphasis as he and Sam followed John back toward the entrance.

“Going somewhere boys?” a familiar voice said as it snatched the Colt from Dean’s hand and sent all three colliding into a wall.

---

Dean woke up; his head hurting as he slowly raised it to look at his surroundings. This routine was starting to get old. Sam and John were pinned to one wall about ten feet away from the one he was adorning. He struggled, only to have his head snapped back against the wall.

“Miss me baby?” a voice said to his left.

“Meg,” Dean said. “This is perfect. You’re just who I wanted to see,” he grinned defiantly.

She drew closer to him now, breathing hot along his neck. “I missed you too,” she whispered. “You know,” she said, looking down at her hand, “if I were Lauren, I would have asked for a bigger stone. Lord knows she’s earned it dealing with your family and all you’ve put her through all these years. Still, it was a nice thought. Very sweet, I didn’t think you had it in you to be honest. But, fun’s over for Lauren. You’re mine now, and I don’t like to share,” Meg said, approaching him again.

“You’re crazy! You killed my daughter!” Dean yelled, furious.

Meg cocked her head and looked at him. “Sorry about that. Try not to take it too personally. Besides,” she whispered, running her tongue along his ear. “We’ll make beautiful babies together, you just wait! I’ll make you forget all about the pain, and Angel, and Lauren. I’m all you need baby!”

“I don’t think so!” Lauren said from behind Meg as she slammed her in the back of the head with a pipe.

“Bi*ch stole my ring,” she said, removing it from Meg’s hand and placing it on her own.

Dean and Sam looked on in amazement. “How the hell did you get...” Dean began, but there was no time to finish his question as a dark swirling presence entered the room, gathering itself in the middle before taking human form.

Lauren backed away from Dean toward the center of the room, turning to face the yellow eyed demon. He eyed her carefully.

“Xaphan,” Lauren said finally. “Your timing is perfect. I have presents for you!”