Title: In My Time Of Dying

Author: Kyra

Disclaimer: Not mine. Believe me, if I owned them, I'm pretty sure I could find some much more interesting things to do with my time… The song used is 'Time Of Dying' by Three Days Grace.

Summary: In their times of dying, they wait for each other. Connor/Dean friendship.

Spoilers: AtS – Up through the Season 5 finale, just to be safe. Spn – Up through the Season 3 finale.

Warnings: Very, very mild slash…and that's really only if you squint. Character death.

A/N: Part of the 'One-X' Series. Not connected to the first two at all though.

A/N2: The first 2 fics in this series can be found on my TtH account, if you want to read them. The link for my TtH account can be found in my profile. I'd post those 2 here, but they're a bit too explicit. You don't need to read them to understand this, in fact, they have absolutely nothing to do with this story. The 'One-X' Series is just a series of one-shot a friend and I are doing to the songs on the Three Days Grace CD 'One-X'.

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The first time it happened was right after the Impala was t-boned by the demon-driven semi-truck. Dean remembered the sound of crunching steel as the truck slammed into his baby and the feel of indescribable pain shooting throughout his body before his vision went black. He remembered seeing flashes of Sammy and his dad behind his lids for a moment before the darkness dragged him under into unconsciousness.

On the ground I lay
Motionless, in pain
I can see my life
Flashing before my eyes

He wasn't completely sure what happened next; if it was just a bizarre dream or a hallucination of some sort. All he really knew was that it felt incredibly real.

The darkness faded away leaving him standing in a park, the bright sunshine beating down on him. As he looked around, he saw a boy of about eighteen with shaggy brown hair sitting on one of the swings a few feet away. Aside from the boy, Dean was been the only person in the park, something that struck him as being vaguely odd, though he didn't pay it much attention. Shrugging to himself, Dean made his way over to the swings and sat down next to the boy.

The boy looked up and Dean's murky green eyes had locked with the teen's crystal blue gaze.

"Hello," the boy said, sounding surprised to see anyone else. "Who are you?"

"Dean."

"I'm Connor," the teen said.

"Where are we?" Dean asked and Connor looked around before shrugging.

"No idea," he replied as he looked back at Dean.

"How can you not know where we are?" Dean asked.

"You don't know where we are either," Connor pointed out calmly.

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but realizing that Connor was right, closed it without saying anything.

"Honestly, I think I'm dreaming," Connor told him. "The last thing I remember is going to bed. Though, I don't know why I'd be dreaming about you. Or being alone in a park, for that matter."

"Huh. Last thing I remember is pain," Dean said. "Lots and lots of pain."

"This sounds like a better alternative, then," Connor said as he looked at Dean.

Dean just nodded in response and took the next few minutes to look around the park, trying to see if he recognized anything. Deciding that he had never seen this park before, he turned back to Connor. "So, dream-sharing…That ever happen to you before?" he asked.

Connor shook his head. "Nope. You?"

Dean shook his head as well before standing up and stretching.

"Where are you going?" Connor asked curiously.

"Gonna look around," Dean replied. "I figure if I'm stuck here I might as well see the sights, you know?"

Connor looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding and standing up to join Dean.

The two spent the next couple of hours looking around the park, quickly realizing that there wasn't a way out. They finally decided to sit down at the edge of the lake that they had decided was the middle of the park.

"…So these two guys headed off to L.A. thinking they had some big movie deal when really, it was Sammy who had called saying he was a producer," Dean said with a laugh, telling Connor about the pranks he and Sam had pulled in the past. "And, unknown to them, there was also a dead fish in their backseat, courtesy of yours truly."

Connor was doubled up with laughter by the time Dean had finished talking. However, he sobered up quickly when Dean doubled over, his arms around his ribs and a cry of surprised pain slipping from his lips.

"Dean!" Connor cried as he scrambled over to the other man. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Dean shook his head as he opened his mouth to reply but all that came out was another pain-filled scream.

Dean looked up at Connor, his vision blurred by pain-induced tears, and his eyes widened as the other man started to blur around the edges and faded away before his eyes. Seconds later, the park faded away as well and his vision went black.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut against the pain that was wracking his body and when he opened them again, it was to see bright lights flashing by over his head. He could hear people talking urgently around him but was unable to make out any words. His gaze darted around for a second, barely registering the white walls and the doctors around him before the pain became too much and he succumbed to the darkness once more, slipping into blessed unconsciousness.

Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream?
Wake me up
I'm living a nightmare

The next thing he remembered was waking up with a tube down his throat and Sammy telling him that he had had a Reaper after him, but that he'd managed to get away somehow, that he'd refused to die. He couldn't remember a single thing about the Reaper or fighting for his life, the only thing he remembered was his time in the park with Connor.

I will not die
(I will not die)
I will survive

Connor remembered the first time he ever saw Dean, clear as day. It had been about a week before his high school graduation and he had gone to bed just like any other night. He remembered that he had been dreaming about his girlfriend before the dream had abruptly changed. The scenery had gone from his darkened bedroom to a bright, sun-filled, empty park and his girlfriend had disappeared completely. Shortly after everything shifted, Dean had appeared.

They had spent a couple of enjoyable hours together, just talking and getting to know one another. Dean had just finished telling him about a prank that he and his brother had played when the older man had suddenly doubled over in pain before disappearing altogether. Shortly after Dean disappeared, Connor had woken up in his bed at home, gasping for breath and feeling a lingering sense of panic from watching his new friend vanish before his eyes.

I will not die
I'll wait here for you
I feel alive
When you're beside me
I will not die
I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying

The next time Connor saw Dean, it was right after he had been hit by that van. While it hadn't done any lasting damage, it had knocked him out for a few minutes. Though, to him it had seemed much longer.

He remembered the pain of the van hitting him, then the feel of the pavement scraping against his skin as he landed, and then everything went black. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on a beach somewhere and Dean was right next to him.

"Any idea where we are this time?" Connor asked as he looked at Dean.

Dean grinned at him in reply, "Not a clue."

"Well, just so we're on the same page," Connor said with amusement.

The two of them had made their way up to the water's edge and sat down so that the water just washed over their feet as the waves rolled in. After a few minutes, Connor turned to Dean once more.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked curiously.

Dean shrugged. "Going to bed," he replied. "You?"

Connor was silent for a moment as he turned back to the ocean and watched the waves. "I was hit by a van," he said finally.

Dean looked at him in shock. "A van?" he asked in disbelief. "You were hit by a van?"

Connor nodded. "Thing is, I don't think I felt anything break. And I know I should be in a lot of pain right now, but I'm really not."

"The pain thing is probably because you're here, wherever here is," Dean told him. "Last time, I had been t-boned by a semi just before I showed up in that park. Never felt a thing while I was in the park with you. Not until the very end at least."

Connor blinked in surprise for a moment before nodding. "Makes sense, I guess." After a moment, he spoke up once more, "You said you didn't feel pain until right before you woke up, right?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I think I'm waking up, then."

Dean turned to look at Connor and, sure enough, the younger boy was starting to fade away. "Why is it I had to suffer excruciating pain and yet, you just look vaguely uncomfortable?" Dean asked. "It's not fair."

Connor chuckled at the pout that had crossed Dean's face but never got a chance to reply as his world faded to black once more. Seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes to see his parents hovering over him, worry and panic clear on their faces. The panic was quickly replaced by shock and amazement as Connor stood up like nothing had happened, his only sign of discomfort was the slight wince as his ribs gave a twinge of pain.

On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life
Passing me by
Was it all too much
Or just not enough?
Wake me up
I'm living a nightmare
I will not die
(I will not die)
I will survive

Dean screamed as he felt the claws digging into his flesh, ripping him apart and dragging his soul to Hell. The minutes seemed to drag on for years to him as the Hell Hounds scratched and bit and tore his soul from his body and down into the pits of Hell. Finally, the pain became too much and Dean drifted away and his vision went black.

When he opened his eyes, he expected to see fire and brimstone, all the things you were told to expect in Hell. Instead, he opened his eyes to a beautiful crystal blue. A very familiar crystal blue, though one he hadn't seen in over a year.

"Connor?" he asked in confusion. "What did you do to deserve Hell?"

Connor pushed his hair back from his face and arched an eyebrow at Dean. "Hell? What are you talking about, Dean?"

Dean looked around and noticed that they were standing in the middle of what appeared to be a large garden. There were flowers, plants, trees, and statues everywhere and right next to them was a beautiful marble fountain.

"Okaaay," Dean said slowly, "This…is not what I expected."

Connor laughed at the surprised and confused look on Dean's face. "What did you expect?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "I dunno. Fire, brimstone, demons, torture devises, you know…Hell," he replied. "Definitely not this."

"Why were you expecting Hell?"

"Because I sold my soul to save my brother's life," Dean told him. "And my year is up. I saw the Hell Hounds, felt them tearing into me. Only thing I don't get is why I'm here instead of Hell."

"Wait a minute," Connor said, "You were hurt?"

Dean looked at the younger man in confusion. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be dead right about now. Why?"

"Because, the first time we met, you were hurt and I was fine. Second time, I was hurt and you were fine. I just thought…Well, I got hurt before I woke up here, pretty badly, so I just figured that you would be okay," Connor explained.

Dean chuckled humorlessly. "Definitely not okay." He paused for a moment before speaking up once more. "So what happened to you this time?"

"There was a demon trying to take over the world, my dad and I were fighting it," Connor said. "I got run through with a sword. Last thing I saw was my dad ripping the demon's head off."

"Wow."

Connor nodded. "Yeah."

Both men whirled around at the sound of a throat being cleared. Standing in front of them was a little girl with pure white eyes. Instead of a sense of innocence, the little girl radiated pure evil.

"Just what are you trying to pull?" she demanded as she glared hatefully at Dean.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked confused.

"Your soul is mine," she stated. "That was the deal. Your brother's life and one year in exchange for your soul. It's time to pay up, Dean, and I want to know just what it is you're trying to pull here. I sent the Hounds out to collect your soul. Imagine my surprise when they came back without it. You wouldn't be trying to back out of our deal, now would you, Dean? If you are, that means little Sammy loses that life you traded for."

"Lilith," Dean said as realization dawned on him. "What are you talking about? I don't know how I'm here. Believe me, I expected to be in Hell; I have no idea how I ended up here. And I'm not stupid enough to try and back out of the deal, I won't let Sam die just because I don't want to go to Hell."

"Well, then," she said, holding her hand out to Dean, "It's time to come with me. Just remember that if you refuse, Sam dies."

Dean looked at her for a moment before taking a hesitant step toward her.

"No."

Dean blinked in surprise as Connor stepped in front of him, blocking his way to Lilith.

"Connor! What are you doing?" Dean demanded.

"I'm not letting you just walk into Hell, Dean," Connor told him as he stood between the older man and Lilith, glaring at the little girl in front of him.

"I have to, Connor, if I don't my brother dies."

"He's telling the truth, you know," Lilith said. "You don't really want to be responsible for the death of his brother, do you?"

"No, I don't," Connor acknowledged. "But I also noticed something." He glanced back at Dean for a moment. "You see, it's all in the wording." He turned back to Lilith. "Isn't that right?"

Lilith's eyes widened as she realized what Connor was saying. "No!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot like the little girl she appeared to be.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked.

"It's all in the wording, Dean," Connor explained as he kept his eyes on Lilith. "You can't try and get out of your deal, but nowhere does it say I can't get you out of it."

Dean's mouth formed a silent 'oh' as that information sank in.

"I'll fight you for it," Connor said as he looked at Lilith. "I'll fight you for his soul."

Lilith studied him for a few minutes before cocking her head to the side. "Alright. If you win, I'll release Dean from his deal. But if I win, I get your soul as well."

Connor nodded and stuck his hand out. "Deal."

"NO!" Dean exclaimed and tried to push Connor's hand out of the way but was too late and could only watch in horror as Connor and Lilith shook hands.

Lilith seemed to shimmer for a moment and seconds later a tall black-haired woman stood where the small girl had been, a sword in her hands.

Connor closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before grinning as he felt the weight of his favorite sword settle in his hands.

I will not die
I'll wait here for you
I feel alive
When you're beside me
I will not die
I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying

Dean back away as the other two started to slowly circle each other, knowing that if he interfered in any way that Sam would be the one to pay the price.

A few moments later, Lilith lunged for Connor and Connor easily dodged the blow and returned it with one of his own.

Dean watched the fast-paced fight with awe. Connor was the first to draw blood, his sword slicing through Lilith's thigh. Lilith looked down at the wound for a moment before turning her attention back to Connor with a growl and lunging once more. The two traded blows and injuries until Connor finally knocked the sword from Lilith's hand, placing the tip of his own sword against her throat.

"Do you yield?" Connor asked lowly.

Dean watched with wide eyes as Lilith slowly nodded, unable to believe that Connor had just saved his soul.

Connor smirked, but didn't move his sword. "Good."

"Not like it matters," Lilith said with a sneer. "He's still dead."

"I may still be dead," Dean said, "but knowing you don't get my soul is more than enough to cheer me up."

"Just because I don't get your soul, doesn't mean I won't find a way to get Sam's," Lilith said, sending a smirk Dean's way. "After all, he still thinks you're going to Hell; I can use that to my advantage."

"You could if you were actually leaving here alive," Connor said.

Lilith's head whipped back around to face Connor in surprise. "Wha-"

Lilith was unable to finish as Connor shoved the sword forward, cutting through Lilith's throat and jerking it to the side, slicing Lilith's head clean off.

"You just killed the bitch," Dean said, looking at Connor in awe. "I think I may love you."

Connor smirked then winced slightly as he pressed his hand against the sword wound in his side. A look of slight surprise crossed his face before he looked down and watched the wound disappear. "Well that's convenient," he said.

"I'd say," Dean agreed.

Connor and Dean looked up as an archway appeared across the garden from them, a glowing white light emitting from it.

"I guess we go into the light?" Dean questioned as he glanced at Connor.

Connor shrugged. "That would be my guess."

They walked slowly around the fountain and stopped briefly in front of the archway.

"Sam will be okay, right?" Dean asked.

Connor nodded. "He will."

Dean nodded and the two of them stepped forward into the softly glowing archway. There was a bright flash of light and once it faded, the archway was gone.

I will not die
I'll wait here for you
I feel alive
When you're beside me
I will not die
I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying

Sam sat up in his bed with a sharp gasp. After a few minutes of catching his breath, a smile slowly crept across his face. Dean was okay, he was happy. Sam wasn't sure why he believed the dream he had just had, but something about it stuck him as legitimate. Sam laid back down and quickly drifted back to sleep once more, a soft smile still on his face.

I will not die
I'll wait here for you
I feel alive
When you're beside me
I will not die
I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying

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K, I'm not real sure how well I actually like this one…Let me know how it turned out?

~ Kyra