𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 || 𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Epilogue

When it was all over, Dean was distraught. Carter was gone. The Reaper who had been in Dean and Sam's lives for a year now was just...gone. But she had been more than that. She had been a friend, an ally...family. And to Sam? To Sam she had become something entirely different. Something he had always needed in his life. And now...now that was gone.

"What about us? What about Earth?" Dean finally spoke up, eyes wandering over to the lone figure of Chuck standing before him.

"Earth will be fine," he reassured him, "It's got you and Sam."

And with those last words, he made his way back over to his sister, intertwining their hands.

"Dean, you and Sam gave her what she needed most," Amara said suddenly, her tone genuine as she spoke of the Reaper, "Carter wanted to do the same for the both of you."

Dean looked at her in shock, not fully understanding her words as both God and the Darkness slowly faded into smoke - white and black - before funneling up into the Heavens...

"Sam, I'm so sorry," Castiel said sincerely, eyes glancing over to Sam as they trudged into the darkened Bunker, "If you want to talk, I'm here if you need anything."

Sam nodded before a voice broke their thoughts.

"Me too."

Sam and Cas stared on in shock at the figure of Dean standing in the middle of the Bunker, waiting on them. Not hesitating for a moment, Sam had embraced his brother in a tight hug, in pure disbelief.

"I don't-I don't understand. Amara-" Sam stuttered out, shaking his head in confusion.

"Amara let me go. She made up with God and...and they let me go," Dean told them, letting go of his brother then to briefly embrace his angel friend as well.

"Okay, well...well that's great then! But...where's Carter?" Sam asked happily, glancing around to look for his girlfriend.

Dean paled then. He had already feared the question, knew he had to break the news to him sooner rather than later. But still...

"That's just, uh...that's just the thing, Sammy. It's why I'm here," he admitted, tears pricking his eyes as Sam took a step back, realization starting to dawn on him, "Carter, she, um...she sacrificed herself. To save me."

"No," Sam shook his head, tears welling in his hazel-brown eyes, "No, no, that's not true. She-she couldn't- No, just - no!"

It felt like his chest was about to cave in. She couldn't be gone. She-she just couldn't! She was supposed to be here - with him... He shook his head, trying to will the emotions away but he couldn't hold it back and the tears fell fast, sliding down his cheeks in succession.

Maybe it was fate, just a coincidence. But suddenly, just as Dean moved to embrace his brother, a Queen song flickered to life on the old radio in the library, it's melody and lyrics drifting on the air to them.

"Love of my life, you've hurt me... You've broken my heart and now you leave me..." the song sang out through the tiny speaker, "Love of my life, can't you see?"

Sam sobbed, Dean's embrace tightening as he held onto his baby brother. Because Carter was gone...and she wasn't coming back.

"But she did leave something for you, Sammy. She wanted us to have this - for you to have this..." Dean said quietly, slowly letting go of his brother as a familiar figure stepped out from behind Dean.

Sam gasped, speechless as he stared at the blonde woman before them. The woman who, although had given life to him, he'd never gotten the chance to know. She was taken too soon. Just like...just like Carter.

"Bring it back, bring it back, don't take it away from me because you don't know what it means to me..."

But as the tears dried due to his shock, Sam knew then...although the pain of losing her was still fresh, still something he'd have to live with...he knew why she'd done it. And why she'd brought his mother back. Because she knew what it had meant to him. To have his mom back, to know Carter...

"You will remember when this is blown over and everything's all by the way... When I grow older I will be there at your side to remind you how I still love you..."

And for that, he'd forever be grateful. 

"Oh, hurry back, hurry back, don't take it away from me because you don't know what it means to me... Love of my life, love of my life..."

She'd always be the love of his life.

As he had been hers.

His Reaper.

His Carter.