A Time to Collect

Chapter 7

John watched over his sons as they slept. Dean on the bed in Bobby's spare room and Sam in a nearby chair, unwilling to be convinced to sack out in another room. He didn't want Dean waking up alone. John could only smile at Sam's stubbornness.

He looked at Dean and enjoyed the peaceful rest he saw on his son's face. He hadn't seen that since Dean was a young boy. He hated waking him up, but he knew his time was growing short and he couldn't just leave him without talking to him one last time, couldn't leave them both that way. He had done that too many times in life. It was about time he had learned something from his son. You just don't leave the ones you love.

"Dean?" John whispered, but loud enough to hopefully wake him.

Dean moaned and stirred in his sleep then opened his eyes reluctantly. When his vision cleared, he saw his dad smiling at him.

"Dad? What is it? Is something wrong?" Dean asked, ready to leap into action if he was needed.

John softly chuckled at Dean's ever readiness. There were so many things that he could never take back. Dean would always be ready for battle, would always put himself in harm's way to save another, and he would never walk away from hunting because it wasn't in him to let innocents die. It was a testament to the kind of man Dean had become, but John hoped that his last act in this life would be to give both his sons a better future. By bringing him back to bind him with Sam, Dean had given him that last chance to redeem himself. Something he had failed to do the last time he had seen them, so gripped by emotion and remorse and with very little time to say what he had wanted to them. In many ways, John regretted that he had exposed both his sons to the evil in the world, made them into warriors to fight them, but inside, he knew that Dean had always possessed qualities that would have brought him to helping people somehow. He knew that his Mary would have given Dean the best of her qualities, her humanity, her honorable nature, her grace, her devotion to family, and most importantly, her love for the four years he had her in his life. Sam's only handicap in life was having never known his mother, but he knew that Dean had been able to impart Mary's compassion towards Sam and that Sam had learned his humanity from that compassion.

"Everything's fine, it's just…"

Dean slowly sat up in the bed, feeling the soreness in his muscles and the small pulls at his quickly healing wounds.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

John nodded.

"Not that I want to, but you knew it wouldn't be forever. The binding spell would only last as long as Sam needed me…" John smiled again only it was tinged with sadness. "And he doesn't need me anymore. He has everything he needs."

This time, Dean nodded in understanding.

"I know, Dad…it's just…"

"I know, son, but I wanted you to know that Sam and I, we made our peace. We're okay. You did that for us."

Dean could only sigh.

"I didn't do anything –"

"Dean, you have been holding our family together from the very beginning. I know it's my fault that you feel this sense of responsibility towards every life, towards your family, but you have to know that with that responsibility, also comes worthiness. I'm sorry I never gave you enough of that so you'd know how much you did for both Sammy and me, how you kept us together, how much you still keep Sam together, but it's time you hear that from me and it's time that you owned it."

Dean just blinked at his father and sat speechless.

"I also want you to promise me something."

"Sure, Dad," Dean said hesitantly, remembering the last time he had kept a promise to his father.

"I want you to promise me that the both of you will live the lives you were meant to before your mother passed. She would have wanted that for the both of you. I want that for the both of you."

"I don't know, the Devil's Gate, all those demons escaping from Hell –"

"I know neither of you could walk away from that responsibility even if you wanted to, but promise me, it won't be all about hunting, that you won't let it consume you like I let it. If you need permission then I'm giving it right now. Be happy, both of you. You've more than earned it and it's what I want for you. I want you boys to have what your mother and I had. Love is everything. Only now do I have the courage to tell you that."

"We promise, Dad," Sam piped up from his chair, a shaky smile on his face.

Sam wanted to give their father something more than just memories to take with him. He wanted to give their father peace.

"How long have you been listening?" Dean scolded jokingly.

"Just for a little while," Sam smiled a little mischievously.

"Yeh, right and since when are you making promises for me?" Dean protested lightly. "Who died and made you boss of me?"

John watched the loving and light-hearted exchange between his sons and felt uplifted. He'd never tell them, of course, but his torment in Hell had been the legacy that he had left his boys. It had tortured his soul knowing that his sons would be forever unhappy, unable to truly love someone else and have a family as he had until the demon had destroyed him. He had been solely responsible for doing that to them. He couldn't blame the demon entirely for what he, alone, had done to them. Now, with the knowledge out in the open and giving his blessings to his sons to live on, he, too, had been freed and could finally reunite with his Mary. The glimmer of hope that had never faded since the night he had lost her.

"Boys, I need to hear that promise from you both. I know that if you give your word, you'll hold to it. After all, I taught you that, didn't I?" John half-teased.

Sam and Dean became serious again and nodded.

"I promise, Dad," they chorused and no other music ever composed could have sounded as sweet to John as his sons' voices joined in concert.

"Good. Now, I've got a date waiting for me," John smiled.

At first, the boys looked confused. It was Dean who finally made the connection.

"Mom?"

John nodded.

"Thanks to you both I can finally be with your mother. Your forgiveness freed me."

They smiled and for the first time, with nothing more to say. They could only watch as their father slowly began to fade.

"Take care of each other now," John said as he disappeared.

"Bye, Dad," they chorused together again.

oooo

FIN

Thank you for the WONDERFUL reviews and feedback. They are all very much appreciated.