Escaping Hell

Epilogue

Five years later.

   I sit passively in a swinging bench, watching Cassie try to catch a brilliant-looking yellow butterfly. Her dirty blond hair sweeps over the frame of her blue eyes, which quickly glance over to me with a smile before resuming to follow the butterfly. Matthew places a hand on my shoulder, and then goes back inside to help Sam and his girlfriend carry some food outside. Dean, who sits on the chair perpendicular to me, turns to me and says, "You really did it, didn't you? You got out of the life."

   "Don't discredit yourself," I laugh, "You've come a long way, too. You and Sam both."

   "I'm not into the whole 'white picket fence' thing. I'll settle down when I die," he chuckles.

   Cassie comes back over to me, and sits herself in my lap. "Momma, I had a dream about the most beautiful girl last night."

   "Oh really?" I ask, "Was she nice?"

   "She was real nice, momma. She said she was friends with you," Cassie smiles before going back out into the yard to play with the dog.

   I carry on my conversation with Dean in a whisper, "So when does Sammy boy plan on popping the question to Kristen?"

   "Ah...you know Sam. Flies by the seat of his pants all the freakin' time. Who knows? He might even do it today," Dean laughs.

   Just then, the doorbell rings.

   "Matthew, could you get that?" I yell through the door as Sam and Kristen come outside with some sodas.

   "Yeah, I got it," he calls back.

   Sam then strikes up the riveting topic of house-buying, saying to Dean and I, "Kristin and I actually found a few little houses downtown. We'll probably move in together next year."

   "Take Dean with you, so that he's not Mr. Lone Wolf all the time," I joke.

   In unison, both Sam and Dean say, "No."

   Matthew walks back outside, a woman trailing him. "You didn't tell me you invited anyone else," Matthew says.

   Rising to my feet, I reply, "I didn't..."

   The woman is of medium height, with straight black hair and blue eyes.

   Her monotonous way of speaking is recognizable right away. "I'm back."

   "Momma! Momma!" Cassie squeals, "This is the woman from my dream!"

   "Is it really you?" I ask, feeling my knees go weak.

   "Yes. I could not obtain my former vessel, but I suppose this one will do," Cas smiles. She then walks to Dean, who looks her up and down, obviously liking the look of this new vessel.

   "Well, damn, Cas, if I had known you'd look this nice I would've worn my only clean shirt," Dean laughs, giving her a hug.

   After they part, I tell Cas, "This is my daughter, Cassie. Cassie, go say hi. She's an old friend."

"Why were you in my dream?" Cassie asks Castiel.

"I have been watching over you," Cas smiles, "and keeping you safe."

Cassie's little hand touches Castiel's arm, and Cassie gasps, "Are you like my daddy? Can you do magic?"

"I can do plenty of magic. One day, when you're old enough, and if your mother will let me, I'll show you how some of my magic works, okay?" Cas replies.

"Okay!" Cassie giggles as Matthew scoops her up to take her inside for her afternoon nap, and Sam's girlfriend also goes after receiving a text that said she was needed at work ASAP.

"It's like old times again," I reflect, "Just the four of us, back together."

"A lot has changed," Dean sighs.

"But we're together all the same," Sam adds.

"I received your prayers, all of you," Cas tells us, "And I have to say that all of them were very heartwarming."

"Hey listen, Cas," Dean speaks up, "There's a hunt that I need to go to a state away. I could use your help, if you wanna go..."

"I will accompany you," she replies.

"Thank you for watching over Cassie," I smile. "It means the world to me."

"I'm happy to do so. We will meet again soon - in a few days' time."

As Cas and Dean leave, I hear the familiar roar of the Impala's engine come to life. Nowadays, I don't hear that sound as much, but every time the sound floods my ears, I can't help but to think of it as music. As I hear the sound fade, and after Sam leaves, I look out to the freshly-trimmed grass of my back yard, and the sunset gleam now falling over the evening dew. A lot has changed, but the world remains the same.

Later on, as Cas and Dean become more and more close to each other, and as Sam prepares to marry Kristen, I think to myself what would have happened if we never got out of the hunting life. I wouldn't be anywhere near the kind of person I am today. The nightmares still jolt me awake from time to time, but I manage. Every day I look at Cassie and I see how she is living proof that we survived. We rose above all of the evil in the world and conquered it.

I'm sure that there will come a day when the life is completely behind me, but for now, adventure is still out there, and our lives will carry on - as will our stories, the memories, the scars, and the happiness that came out of it. All in all, this end is a new beginning, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.