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- Sam's P.O.V.
"You sure you're okay?" Dean asks me, gripping the steering wheel of the Impala.
"Yeah," I answer, looking out the window. "I need to do this."
"Alright," Dean says. "Call me when you're ready, okay?"
I nod and open the door, stepping out of the car. I walk towards the cemetery, a bouquet of flowers in my hand.
Today marked one year since Casey's death.
Since there was no body to bury, I had gotten a headstone made for her. It was in the same cemetery her mom had been buried in, and it was on the plot right next to hers. I figured that this way, at least Elizabeth and Rosie would have something to come visit when they were older.
I took a deep breath and kept walking.
Casey Winchester Loving wife and mother. 8/14/87 - 6/29/16
I sighed as I read the engravement. I bent down and placed the flowers under the stone.
"It hasn't been easy without you," I say, looking up at the sky. "I'm lost. We needed you.. we still do. I can't believe it's already been a year. The girls have grown so much. Elizabeth misses you, I can see it. I don't think Rosie remembers you all that well." I stop to look around. Nobody else was here, but I didn't feel alone.
"Casey, I love you." I say, closing my eyes. "What happened was my fault. I dragged you into this life." I can feel the tears running down my face, and I pause to wipe them away.
I reach into my shirt and grab a hold of the necklace I was wearing. It was a small chain that I had slid through Casey's wedding ring. After the fire, there wasn't much left to recover. One of the firemen had found her ring and I had kept it with me ever since.
"Sam?" I look up and my breath catches in my throat. Casey flickered a few times and finally appeared.
"Casey?" I ask, blinking a few times to see if she was real. I couldn't help it as a few more tears rolled down my cheeks.
"It's me, Sam." she smiles, stepping closer.
"How..?" I choke out, rushing towards her. She throws her arms around me and I hug her back.
"I think you know the answer to that," she laughs, wiping under her eyes.
"You're a ghost?" I ask, looking her up and down. "But how? Your body was.. gone. What's keeping you here?"
She reaches towards my necklace and turns it a few times in her fingers.
"Oh," I say, realization hitting me. "Have you been here the whole time?"
"Sort of," she answers. "I was stuck in the house until you got the ring back."
"Why didn't you do anything?" I ask her. "Why didn't you give me a sign or something?"
"Believe me, I tried." she answers with a small laugh. "I guess I wasn't strong enough, until now."
"I can't believe this," I say, smiling.
"I haven't seen you smile in quite some time," Casey notices.
"I need to call Dean and tell him to bring the girls over here.." I say, reaching into my pocket.
"No," she says, putting her hand over mine.
"Why not?" I frown. "Don't you want to see them?"
"Of course I want to see them," she answers, her expression fading. "But it's not good for them. Elizabeth saw me that night, Sam. She'll be all kinds of messed up if she sees me again. Dean wouldn't want her to go through that, either."
"Yeah," I sigh. "You're right."
"Listen to me, Sam." Casey says, placing her hands on the sides of my face. I relax into her touch and close my eyes for a moment. "You have to destroy the ring."
"What?" I ask. "No- why?"
"You know what happens to spirits who stay longer than they're supposed to." she answers. "I don't want to be a danger to you or the girls."
I sigh. She was right. I could feel the tears stinging in the corners of my eyes. "Just let me say goodbye, alright?"
"Of course," she says with a sad smile. "I wouldn't let you get rid of me that easily."
"I'm sorry this happened to you," I say, pulling her into a hug. I rest my chin on top of her head and close my eyes. I wanted this moment to last forever.
"It's not your fault, Sam." Casey says, sniffing back tears. She nuzzled her head into my chest. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay?"
"I promise," I say.
"Take care of Elizabeth and Rosie, okay?" she asks, and I could tell by her voice that she was crying. "They need you. Don't become your father. Promise me that, too."
"I promise," I sob.
"I love you," she says, pulling away. She gets on her tiptoes and I lean in to kiss her.
"I love you too," I tell her.
"Can I ask you one last thing?" she says, and I nod.
"Of course you can."
"Why didn't you just let me go?" she says, looking at the ring.
"Believe me," I say, using her answer as my own. "I tried."
