#spn 15x20 rewrite

[mintconditiondean]

I rewrote the ending montage of 15x20 so that everything is almost the same but also, I think, a lot better -

...

DEAN: Enters Heaven. Finds Bobby outside of the Roadhouse. Has their conversation. Bobby points him towards the Impala, which is waiting for him on the road. Dean stands.

...

SAM: We see Sam standing next to a burning pyre; the wrapped body burning on it can only be Dean. As he stands in shocked silence, the first notes of "Carry On My Wayward Son" start to play. The song continues, a montage, as we watch what happens next.

...

SAM: Grieving Dean. He looks around the bunker. It's empty; no Cas, no Jack, and now no Dean. Sam decides that he refuses to isolate himself anymore. He packs his things and leaves. He gives the bunker one final look before closing the door. The bunker lights goes dark behind him. He'll pass the key on to someone else.

...

DEAN: He walks away from Bobby and the Roadhouse towards the Impala. Runs his hand over the black finish as he walks slowly to the driver's door. He opens it and gets in. He's in Heaven now, and he's supposed to rest; but he didn't want to die, and he's not ready to stop living- changing- growing. He starts the car and drives. He has a lot to think about.

...

SAM: He knocks on a house's front door. He looks nervous; he's holding all of his personal effects in the bag on his shoulder. Everything he wanted to keep of Dean's, Cas's and Jack's is in the trunk of the Impala. When the door opens, Eileen is on the other side. They look at each other, both silent. Their expressions are of unbearable sadness and infathomable hope. After a moment, they embrace. Both are crying.

...

DEAN: He's been driving for a long time. He doesn't know if it's been moments or years. The scenery shifts from mountains, to boundless fields of yellow grass, to dense and lively forest, to a desert, to an ocean cliffside. He's been thinking; thinking about what he wants. What he thinks he deserves.

...

SAM: We see Sam and Eileen host a dinner party with Donna, Jody and the girls. We see Garth visiting with Bess and their kids. Sam and Eileen look happy. There are photos of everyone they've ever loved hanging on the walls throughout their home.

...

DEAN: The Impala rumbles to a stop on a bridge overpassing a mountain stream. Dean gets out of the car and walks to the rail to gaze out over the flowing water. He hopes that Sam is doing well without him, but Sam's happiness isn't Dean's priority anymore. Dean wants his own happiness. He's had time to think, and he's ready to go find something of his own, something he wants for himself. He can't be alive anymore, but that doesn't have to mean his journey is over. Thing is, he doesn't want to travel it alone.

...

SAM: Sam and Eileen have a baby. We watch as they raise it. The baby grows from an infant to a young boy. Sam smiles with fondness and sadness at a framed photo of himself, Dean, and Bobby sitting on the hood of the Impala while he carries his son to his bedroom. When Sam tucks the little boy into bed, we see that the child's personalized headboard reads "DEAN". We can assume that Sam is going to live a long, happy life.

[The last notes of "Carry On" plays as the camera rises, panning up and away from Sam and Dean Jr., before returning to Heaven; to Dean. There is no music anymore, just the ambient sounds of the rushing stream and the forest.]

DEAN: The camera is on Dean in profile. He's still looking out over the water, arms braced against the railing. He looks content, and a little determined, but not fulfilled. It's not over, yet.

Suddenly, though we hear nothing, Dean seems to sense a new presence behind him. He straightens, and a knowing expression crosses his face. The camera pans to follow Dean as he turns around. There, in the middle of the bridge, standing next to the Impala, is Castiel.

Castiel gazes at Dean with a warm, soft smile, and even softer eyes. He's been waiting a long time to see Dean Winchester again, but the wait was worth every single moment. Dean is every bit as beautiful as Castiel remembers.

CAS: "Hello, Dean."

The camera is back on Dean, showing his head and shoulders with face centered in shot. He stares past the camera at Cas for a moment, eyes filling with wonder, before a broad smile breaks across his face. He looks to be overflowing with love. This might be the happiest we have ever seen him.

[Fade to black. Credits.]

[bobwess]

Favourite spn fanfic about post 15x20 or rewrite of the ending?

I’ve always loved “The Goldenrod Revisions” by aethylas as an alternative ending, it’s in a script format btw

I have not read that, I'll have to give it a look. I'm not sure what my favorite is. I actually haven't read a whole lot, and I'm struggling to separate them. I know there's been some good ones.

[mybrainproblems]

oh thanks for the reply! yeah it was the poll - i KNEW the monologue was long. too long (and shouldn't happen at all because dean shouldn't die but i am letting it slip here). BUT it never ever, for over 2 years, since november 19th 2020, it never occured to me it was 8 minutes long. it's 1/5 of the episode. literally WHAT. this information has been haunting me since i sent that ask days ago.

anyway like i said i would definitely like to read some more thoughts about dabbnatural because there used to be a lot of people posting about him as a writer in a good way and after the finale it was a hatefest, (generally speaking). his episodes ARE enjoyable in general so WHY did he write the finale which is you know. bad. very.

i tend to be tinhatty when talking about the finale but it boils down to the one big question of: "what happened?! what happened that the finale is so bad, so not fitting into the rest of the season?!" and it makes me mad and insane. i guess we'll never know the truth.

definitely gonna check that tag of yours though. i need more brainworms.

every time i've tried to answer this in the past almost-four-months i end up with a multiple pages word draft that is basically just a timeline of US politics and spn production schedules from 2016-2020 with source citations and it looks completely bonkers.

i think the extremely blunt thing is that i see a lot of destiel fans assume there was some rainbow capitalist gravy train the CW could have ridden to the bank if only they weren't wildly homophobic and hadn't stopped destiel. but the thing is that the cash money and ratings desired by the networks are with the GA folks.

probably the best proof against a shutdown rewrite to remove destiel is the existence of walker. the CW was betting on it as a "safe" show but greenlit without a pilot in 2019 to air in 2020. and a metric fuck ton happened in 2020 that made it a less marketable show than initially expected when it aired in 2021. if they were looking to pick up viewers from the spn finale and wanted the "destiel demo" then walker would not be their follow-on choice.

but in terms of the actual writing of the finale itself? well. i'm gonna tinhat that the 40yr driving gap was intentional. you can do a lot with a 40 yr amorphous gap in time and space traveling along the axis mundi and seeing the heavenly way in your chevrolet. there is actually quite a bit of flexibility in the story for offshoots or continuations when you have a gap like that. also like. another ep dabb wrote for s15 was 15x10 "the heroes' journey" which is pretty much a big ol blueprint for a "dean retires" ending.

but circling back, i think 15x20 is really in service of a very final ending with which they can shuffle the parts of the audience demo that they want over to walker when it starts airing.

as to just thoughts on dabbnatural... at this point it's become this sprawling madness where i'm a genuine fan who has sought out his non-spn work (RIP resi, you were taken from us too soon). i think he really wrote one of the thesis quotes of the show... "it's just people trying to do their best in a world where it's all to easy to do their worst."

i have no idea if this answered anything

[ao3feed-destiel-02]

And You Must Keep Your Soul (Like A Secret In Your Throat)

And You Must Keep Your Soul (Like A Secret In Your Throat) https://ift.tt/O3vmy4l by CryptidCatKid What if Dean was never fully cured of being a demon? What if he's been hiding it for years? Would canon be any different? Would the finale, and maybe a whole lot else, make more sense? My way-too-long-in-the-making reimagining of spn's many canon discrepancies and the events of 15x20. Set between seasons 10-15 of Supernatural. Buckle Up Because Shit Gets Sad. Words: 639, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: Gen Characters: Dean Winchester, Deanmon - Character, Sam Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), Blurry Woman (Supernatural: Carry On), Vampire Mimes, Leanan Sidhe Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester Additional Tags: finale rewrite, not-exactly-fix-it-fic, Canon-Compliant, bewilderingly canon-compliant, you can't prove that this isn't canon, Demon Dean Winchester, Major character death - Freeform, Dean Winchester Dies, Sam Winchester Dies, Sam Winchester dies and somehow this is an improvement on the actual finale, Rusty Nail - Freeform, cold iron (folklore), canon-compliant demon lore, Implied Fae, Sad Ending, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Character Analysis, Dean Winchester Has Issues, Dean Winchester Needs a Hug, Blurry Woman is a cryptid and you cannot change my mind, vampiric creature (unspecified), leanan sidhe - Freeform, implied Soldier Boy, POV Dean Winchester, occasional internal monologue, Dean Winchester is in the closet as bisexual and a demon, Dean Winchester Hates Himself, Mild Gore, death by vampire via AO3 works tagged 'Castiel/Dean Winchester' https://ift.tt/tVXh3cu April 28, 2023 at 10:22PM

[angel-wing-feathers]

I love how the finale was TFW 2.0 doing some Spring Cleaning in the bunker for 40 minutes with family occasionally stopping in, couldn’t think of a better ending :)

[found--family]

another fixit:

15x20 is actually the finale for the multiverse show 'Supernatural' in The French Mistake 'verse starring au!jensen and au!jared. meanwhile in the OG' verse, Sam is dating Eileen and they're helping Dean find a way to rescue Cas from The Empty.

[theheartchoice]

It's different this time. That's what Jack had said. The Empty took his body, Dean, removing his essence from this world. I can't bring him back like last time, and interfering in The Empty's realm would be dangerous. 

It made a detached sort of sense; Jack didn't want to end up like Chuck. Could be a slippery slope, that hands-on approach. But if there was anything worth an exception, it was this. Cas deserves to be saved. And if Jack won't fight then it's up to Dean. 

Which is how he came to be standing in an old familiar barn in Pontiac, Illinois, under a blue moon at midnight. It had taken months to gather all the spell components - the incantations and instructions in various ancient texts, smoke of a Crossroads Demon, and a piece of someone who had returned from The Empty; Jack couldn't bring Cas back but that doesn't mean he wasn't willing to help. He gave Dean one of his Nephilim feathers - not that he's technically a Nephilim anymore, but he kept his wings. Dean has no idea what they look like though because they're invisible to the human eye. 

Now he has everything. 

He actually had most of what he needed already: Cas' blood (from the handprint he left on Dean's jacket the night he..); something of Angelic origin for a baseline element (an Angel blade); an object imbued with personal significance (the mixtape Dean had made him years ago, that he found while searching Cas' room for anything); and Dean. 

Dean is the key piece of the puzzle here, because Cas lives within him. Kind of. Cas' Grace not only rebuilt Dean's body after Hell, it was gifted to him over the years, healing him time and time again. And from what's he's learned the Grace never fully left him after doing it's job. It hung around, orbiting Dean's soul (not unlike Cas, Dean thought, and it was a bittersweet thing). Maybe it's the source of their 'profound bond' but Dean knows what they share isn't just some side effect. 

What they have is real, Cas was right about that. 

In short: Cas' body may be in The Empty but his essence still exists outside of it, and Dean's going to use his connection with Cas to find him. 

He speaks the incantation to open the portal - a language so old it has no name - as sigils flare to life around him. The red smoke swims in the brass bowl, covering the patch of Dean's bloodied jacket and other items. The feather begins to pulse with golden light, illuminating its shape. 

As he finishes reciting the spell, a wet black flame erupts from the bowl, engulfing everything and snuffing out the warm brilliant light of Jack's feather. The sight alone fills Dean with dread, hurling his mind back to the night that thing stole Cas away. But he soldiers on, reaching out to touch the temperature-less globular flames growing tall in front of him, and a feeling of emptiness pervades him. 

If this is what it feels like just being near The Empty, then being in that place isn't gonna be some cake walk. 

Taking a deep breath to try and steady himself, Dean hesitates as his shoulder starts to burn. It's an odd sensation, growing stronger but not painful. He moves to shift aside his flannel—but the long-gone handprint shines through his layers of clothing, glowing pale blue. 

It's the bolster of courage he needs, and with a smile playing on his lips and in his heart, Dean reaches out, knowing for certain that he's not alone in this, and soon Cas won't be either. 

The world inks out to nothing, and he's falling.. but who's to say he's not flying? It worked, and he's going to find Cas and bring him home where he belongs. 

[erule]

Heaven can wait (15x20 rewrite)

Title: Heaven Can Wait (15x20 rewrite)

Pairings: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Eileen

Word Count: 4870

Warnings: none.

Summary: this takes place after 15x19. Castiel is in the Empty. The boys have defeated Chuck. Jack is the new God. Oh, Cas is becoming human again.

A/N: Hello hello! This is my rewrite of 15x20, because I didn’t like the finale AT ALL. I didn’t put a lot of things in the summary on purpose, because I want you to enjoy this story like you’d enjoy an actual episode. I hope you like it. Feedback is always appreciated! You can also find me on AO3 and Wattpad. Enjoy!

Story under the cut!

There was so much noise.

The Empty just wanted to sleep, that's all. Since Jack exploded, the demons and the angels were talking so much. It had to stop, one way or another. So that's why the Empty quickly stood up from the throne.

«This has to stop.»

There were some angels and demons standing in a circle around something. They were murmuring something like "How's possibile? or “He can't be...", but the Empty didn't hear so well their words. Ruby noticed it and made a sign to the others.

«Don't talk» she said.

«What's happening?» the Empty asked. Uriel tried to cover that something, but the Empty was angry, so angry. They had to be quiet again, somehow. «Nothing» Uriel answered, but it was a damn lie. The Empty slowly moved them away to find that something over them.

But what the Empty found out almost ruined all the knowledge, the experience, the years of the kingdom. It was something the Empty hadn't seen before, like, ever. That something was someone. That something didn't not have the angel's Grace like it should have had.

«Castiel... What's happening to you?» the Empty asked, astonished. Castiel looked at Meg, or at least, at her face, looking for some empathy, but without finding any. He was all alone there, without Sam, Jack and most importantly, Dean. He didn't know what to do and it was terrifying. He looked at the Empty with fear, his blue eyes so dark, the Empty asked itself how he could even see. He seemed so lost. His hands were trembling, barely covered by the trench coat. It was like all the light he had came off him. «My powers... I'm losing them.»

And so the Empty thought: "If he's losing his powers, it means... Oh no, no, it can't happen! Nobody can know it! I just want to go back to sleep”. But it was happening in the kingdom, so it was under its responsibility.

«We'll fix you» that's all the Empty said.

«What's happening to him?» Uriel asked, truly worried about Castiel.

«He's just sick.»

«I thought we were already dead.»

«You're angels, angels get constantly changings.»

«You're lying.»

The Empty just grabbed Castiel, taking him away from them.

«Am I sick?»

«If being dumb is a disease, then yes, you are.»

Castiel didn't already understand what was happening to him, but the Empty knew it so well. It had to hide him or God would have found that there was something weird. Someone who was not supposed to be there. Yeah, that was not his place anymore. Castiel tried to escape from the Empty's grip, but he was tired, like he hadn't the energy anymore to do something.

«What's happening to me? Just tell me! I can handle it! It can't happen something worse to me anymore» he said, with sadness in his voice. Thinking about Dean. About all the things he didn't tell him. His biggest regrets. Ruby was right: that was a really terrible place to spend the eternity in.

«You really wanna know? Well then, I'll explain it to you: you don't belong here anymore» the Empty said.

Castiel was surprised.

«W-why?» he asked, his heart beating faster. He still had it, it seemed.

«Because...» the Empty began to say, enjoying that moment, «you're turning into a human». Castiel looked at it with blank eyes.

«No...»

He was getting human again.

In the meantime, Dean was staring at the screen of his laptop. He had decided with Sam that they had left the hunting life. It hadn't been as easy as Sam had made it seem, because life without hunting was boring enough, but he much preferred it to the risky one he had before. He stroked Miracle, that was rubbing the head against his leg while he was looking for something to do. They could have gone to the Pie Fest, but then something else caught his attention. And no, it was not a case.

«What are you doing?» Sam asked, coming out of nowhere.

Dean quickly pulled down the laptop screen, shaking his head.

«Nothing» he hastened to reply.

Sam gave him an eloquent look.

«Dean, I've caught you watching porn before, I'm not shocked anymore.»

«I wasn't… I wasn't watching porn!» Dean exclaimed, his cheeks slightly red and Sam chuckled.

«Yes, of course, jerk» he joked.

«Bitch» Dean answered back. Sam frowned.

«Look, I need to talk to you about something important» Sam said, sitting down at the table across from him. Dean nodded. «Dean, me and Eileen...»

«Expect a baby! I knew it. Sam, I've always told you to use a cond...»

«No, no!» Sam exclaimed, looking scandalized. «She’s not pregnant. This is not what I want to talk to you about.»

«All right, then shoot.»

«Listen... we... we thought we were going to live together.»

Dean smiled at him happily.

«Of course, here is all the space you need! You choose the room for her and then...»

Sam swallowed.

«No Dean, we thought… to move in together, somewhere else, you know» Sam interrupted him.

Dean seemed to freeze, as if he had turned to ice. He was paralyzed. He only managed to part his lips in an “Oh” as Sam felt more and more guilty.

«Dean, please…»

«No Sam, you're right. It’s great! Soon you will start a family, it seems right that you go and live together. Alone. You deserve it» Dean said, with his usual fleeting glance. That's why Sam realized that he was upset.

«Dean...» Sam tried to say, but Dean raised a hand as if to tell him that everything was fine. The conversation was over. He picked up the laptop and headed to his room with Miracle at his heels.

He sat down on the bed, exhausted. He was out of energy lately. Indeed, for a month now. Time seemed to pass much slower. Since he was gone.

He shook his head. He opened the laptop and looked at the screen again, where the list of jobs he could apply for was prominently displayed. Maybe he would be alone in that bunker, maybe for all of his life, but at least he would have something to spend the time with.

Miracle reminded him of his presence by licking his cheek. Dean chuckled in a guttural voice, stroking his ear.

«Well, maybe I won't be completely alone in the end.»

Castiel felt it all amplified now. Everything hurt a lot more. Memories, or better to say, the regrets, were like pins that pricked his flesh. The Empty felt more like a place of torture than something else. It wasn't all that different from Hell, after all.

He opened his eyes, which he didn't even remember closing, but he always saw everything black around him. It was a nightmare. He felt like he was trapped and he was out of breath. It was like drowning in his own thoughts, falling more and more towards the deepest abyss of an infinite ocean. This is how Dean would have felt if he had been buried with Michael in his head along the bottom of the sea.

Dean.

That name was enough for him to remember everything. Who he was. His human nature. In fact, he no longer felt the power running through his veins, much less the Grace. It felt like empty. Just like when he became human a few years earlier. He looked at his fingertips, from which golden steam slowly emerged. He was losing pieces. This situation was one of the worst he'd ever found himself in, worse than the time he'd tried to stop Jack when he'd woken Dean. That man was like a bear.

A smile came to his face at the memory. He missed Dean so much. If she thought about it hard, his absence felt like a grip in the stomach. It hurt in places he didn't even think he had, such as the joints or the epidermis in the back of his knees. It was a dull ache that prevented him from walking.

I heard your prayer.

Another regret thundered in his head like a cannon shot. Why hadn't he made Dean speak, in Purgatory? Maybe Dean wanted to tell him something, but he hadn't given him time to do it. And now he would never know. He spent years feeling something for Dean, he even rebelled because of him, using his free will, as Chuck said, for nothing. He didn’t blame Dean, of course, but himself. He should have let him talk or he should have confessed his feeling to him very early, just to see what it looked like. He would have seen Dean’s soul changing like a painting that slowly come out, while the painter fills the empty spaces with colours.

The first time he saw Dean’s soul, he was amazed by it. It was completely white. Usually, those were the colours of children’s souls, that why Castiel felt like something was wrong. But then, he got to know him better day after day and because of that, Dean’s sould finally opened up to him. It changed slowly, like it was hiding from him. It was like seeing the waves of the sea coming near to your feet when you’re at the beach. The white and the blue mixed together. His soul revealed the blue parts, the dark ones, in which he was scared of his Dad or scared of himself. When he had got the Mark of Cain, it was completely black. But usually, the white parts were the larger ones. They were the memories with Sam, the memories with his Mom, the love he shared for the world, the faith, the weaknesses. Sometimes, Cas could even spot some of his memories with him and it made him feel warm inside. It was like his imaginary grey soul could merge with Dean’s and from that, their colours could become one. One big ocean.

That’s why he felt so lonely without Dean. Loneliness would have eaten him alive. Meg had hidden it very well, because he no longer saw anyone around, neither awake nor asleep. Maybe everything was back to normal and he was awake only because he was partly human. This was no place for him, but he figured Meg didn't want him out, that's why she had to keep it hidden from Chuck, even though he doubted God cared about him. But he had to go. He had to go back to Dean. Before things were different, he was at peace with the fact that he had been able to save him by sacrificing himself, but now that he could actually see him again and live a normal life with him, he wanted to return to Earth at all costs.

"Live a normal life". He had never really thought about it before. Perhaps because the time he had been human had lasted too short or because he had always thought he would remain an angel forever, but now he could no longer think of living without Dean. It would have been alright to just be able to be his friend forever, just to be close to him, even if he didn't return his feelings. On the other hand, loving another person means wishing them happiness, right? Dean had taught him that himself.

He got up from the ground, thinking of a plan, before yet another regret hit him again and he could no longer think clearly. In the past he would have prayed to Chuck, but now it seemed useless.

Then, a sudden revelation hit him. What if Sam and Dean were already dead? Maybe Chuck had won. Perhaps the Winchesters and Jack had already been erased from existence. A lump rose in his throat. No, it couldn't be. They couldn't be dead. Meg would have told him, to make him suffer.

He looked around. Even though he couldn't feel Dean's presence, it was like he was there. His thought gave him strength. He decided to walk. He did like the Jews in the desert. He would walk until he saw someone. Or maybe he would have made a little noise, just to annoy Meg. After all, he was a human and if he stayed there, he would die. Meg would not have appreciated having him around, neither dead nor alive. That's why he started calling Uriel and Ruby, meanwhile. Sooner or later, someone would answer him.

He would have walked even more than fourty days and fourty nights, just to get back to Dean.

Dean sent the job apply with shaking fingers. He really hoped to be able to become a mechanic. Then maybe in the future, after saving up some money, he would open his own bar. There was time after all. Finally he had it. And he also had the freedom to do it. He smiled sadly at the laptop as he heard Sam and Eileen talking in the kitchen. He left his room and looked out the door. He saw them laughing as Eileen smeared Sam's nose with flour, while he had his arms around her hips. It was a very sweet scene, but also an intimate one, so he left them alone to cook.

Castiel's absence hit him in the chest like a boulder. He hadn't told Sam about Cas’ confession, but he kept reliving that words every night. He saw his face, his eyes flooded with tears, his smile as he walked away peacefully. And it hurt like a knife. He hadn't even had time to process what he had told him. He had not been able to answer him, because he was too paralyzed by his words. That was his biggest regret. He should have told him how he felt about him a long time ago, but he wasn't ready yet. He still didn't understand what he wanted from life, but now it was clear to him. He wanted him, just him. But now he would have only his memory forever.

Castiel's throat was parched. His legs ached, but he kept walking. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed like an eternity. The fingers no longer gave off even a golden spark. Perhaps he had become fully human or nearly so. Either way, he felt like a prisoner. A prisoner enclosed in the dark. It was awful. There wasn't even a drop of light in there, except the memory of Dean. That was the only rope of hope he had left.

He went on, one step at a time, until he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. He felt defeated to the bone. He was desperate. He was afraid and did not know where to turn for help. He would stay in there and then die. What happens to humans who die in the Empty? Was such an end possible? It seemed like a worse conclusion than death. A warrior who died without even remembering his name, who he was. He was alone.

«Castiel?»

Cas looked up and saw in front of him someone who shouldn't have been there. Someone who was still alive on Earth, for as long as he knew. One moment: if he was there, then what the hell had happened to Sam and Dean?

«Michael?»

Dean cleared the table. Sam noticed this strange behavior of his, as he usually holed up in his room as a teenager, but he said nothing, mostly because Eileen motioned for him to stay there while she followed him. She went with him into the kitchen, standing in the door behind him. When Dean turned and saw her, a plate nearly slipped from his hands.

«Eileen, hey… Don't worry, I'll take it out tonight, since you've cooked. The cake was really good, anyway.»

«Thanks. Dean, I know that Sam...»

«Yes, he told me. And believe me, I'm happy for you» he said, smiling at her. But Eileen had learned to know him, to decipher his non-verbal language above all. And from his dimples, given by a forced smile, she understood that he was not sincere.

«What's wrong?»

«Nothing» Dean replied, but Eileen gave him a eloquent look. «Okay, listen, I'm just worried, that's all. I'm happy for you, but I'll be here alone with Miracle and you know… if Cas had been here, this wouldn't have weighed on me that much.»

Eileen smiled at him, finally understanding the root of the problem.

«You miss Cas.»

Dean clenched his jaw. He couldn't answer her verbally, so he just shrugged, while a lump in his throat prevented him from speaking. He wanted to tell her "Sometimes" but he knew it was a lie. He missed him constantly, but tried not to show it. In short, so as not to worry Sam. Or so it was said, at least.

«Don't tell Sam» was all that came out of his mouth, like a prayer. Oh, if he had known that Castiel could hear him, he would have prayed to him every day.

«Don't tell me what?» Sam asked, entering the kitchen.

«That I sent a resume!» Dean exclaimed.

«Thing?» Sam asked, amazed. «Dean, that's great!»

Dean smiled at him.

«Yes, well, I sent some of them actually. I hope they will take me to a workshop. After all, the Stanford student here is you and not me» he said, referring to Sam being back to study.

«You know you are so much more than you think, Dean» Sam told him before hugging him. «I'm really happy for you, man.»

Yes, Dean knew now, because Castiel had told him. And he would have spent every day of his life proving to him that he had heard him.

«What are you doing here? Castiel asked, deeply frightened. «What happened on Earth? What happened to Sam and Dean?»

«Calm down, okay? Sam and Dean had a plan to defeat God and they succeeded. They beat him. And now Jack has become the new God.»

A wave of heat filled Castiel's chest. He was proud of Jack. He could not believe he had raised what one day would become the new God. A better God, perhaps even more naive, but more valid than the previous one.

But then he wondered what happened to Sam and Dean and fear returns to take possession of his body.

«Why are you here?»

«Oh, Dad killed me because I tried to help them in the beginning. That's why I'm happy they beat him in the end. I heard everything from Meg» he explained.

«Oh.»

«I may also have overheard that you are becoming a human. Is it true?» he asked with strange interest, as if he were plotting something, but he certainly couldn't hide it from him.

«Yeah.»

«Then let me help you.»

«No, not…»

«Trust me. I have nothing more to lose now» Michael told him. Castiel sighed, unsure, then nodded. He needed someone on his side.

«What do you want me to do?»

«There is only one way you can hope to get out of here, since Meg is keeping you hidden. You have to pray to Jack. The others and I will make noise as a distraction, so Meg won't notice. You know everything in here.»

Castiel swallowed. He was afraid that the plan would not come true, but if that was the only chance to return to Dean, then he would try. Maybe Jack would have heard it.

«Hurry, though. You must do this while you are still an angel and have a connection with him. Otherwise, as a human, he won't hear you» Michael said, while Castiel no longer felt his fingers itch from the Grace that ran through his veins.

And Castiel also felt the last bit of hope disappear along with his words.

Dean went to bed after saying goodnight to Sam and Eileen. He rolled over and over in bed, unable to sleep. He looked at the clock several times, but it always seemed to mark the same time. He looked around and saw everything dark. He wondered if he shared Castiel's vision. A small consolation in that nightmare. God, how much he missed him. He pulled the jacket with Castiel’s bloody handprint on it closer to him, as if it were his best friend and closed his eyes. A warm tear rolled down his cheek.

God, I miss you so much.

Michael had already left him alone. He ran to Uriel, Ruby and the others to explain the plan to them. He should have let them out as he had promised Ruby to repay them perhaps, but he didn't have time to think about it, because they had already started to mess. The noise woke Meg - who may not even be sleeping -, who ran to check the situation. His eyes were bloodshot. She didn't notice him as he told the others to be quiet. Castiel was short on time, so he braced himself and used every ounce of energy left to him to call Jack. He prayed intensely, but he could not understand if he had heard it or not, so he did it aloud.

«Jack, it's Castiel. I am in the Empty, I am becoming human. Please get me out of here. Jack, please...»

«YOU!» Meg yelled, before joining him in anger. Michael tried to stop her, but he couldn't.

Castiel took a step back, but tripped and fell to the ground. Panic took hold of him. He was scared to death. He tried to use his powers to protect himself, but not a spark came from his fingers. It was over. He would have died in there.

«You will never see the sunlight again!» Meg yelled. «And neither your stupid boyfriend for sure!»

A flash of understanding passed into Michael's eyes, who was surprised. Castiel felt betrayed, betrayed by his own feelings. Vulnerable. Emotions so human, as to make him understand that the transformation had taken place completely. He was human again. Meg was right: he would never see the sunlight again. We might as well give up.

Then, he heard a beating of wings. The beating of a heart, his. And the forgotten voice of a person who had meant a lot to him before.

«Castiel?»

Cas turned, tears burning in the corners of his eyes.

«Jack.»

Jack smiled at him.

«Come with me, I'll take you away from here.»

Dean suddenly woke up, sweat running down his spine. It was too dark in that room. He tried to turn on the light, but it wasn't there. Then, the bunker went into alarm. It looked like there was someone inside.

He got up quickly, took the gun from the drawer and prepared himself for any eventuality. Red lights danced on the walls like flames.

«Dean! What is happening?» Sam yelled, joining him in the hallway with bare feet.

«I do not know. There is no light. Maybe some demon is trying to enter, I don't...»

«Sam! Dean!» Eileen shouted.

The Winchesters rushed into the living room at once. Dean loaded the gun, ready to fire, but there was no demon in front of him. His arm slid along his side as he stared astonished at the two people in front of him. An angel and a Nephilim.

«Hello, Dean.»

Dean was completely stunned. He stood there with his feet anchored to the cold floor watching Sam hug Jack, while his eyes remained fixed on Castiel. He had the same trenchcoat, the same incredibly blue eyes, the same tie on, yet he looked completely different. He wondered if the fact that he had remained all that time in the Empty had not changed him. He wondered how long the days in there would last, if he were tortured like him in Hell. He wondered if he remembered heis gaze, Dean's, the night he died, he remembered perfectly his eyes burning from tears.

«Cas...» his name finally slipped from his lips, each letter sliding on his tongue like an avalanche.

Castiel took a step forward to get closer to him. Time seemed to have stopped around them. He had walked a long way to get back to Dean and now that he saw him in front of himself, he couldn't believe it.

«Dean, it's me. I'm here.»

Dean reached out to him and Castiel came over to be touched. Dean stroked his cheek and Castiel felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, as if they were butterflies flying all over the place. He found himself closing his eyes for an infinitely long second in which there was only the consistency of Dean's fingertips along his jaw.

«You're real?»

The laugh that went up Castiel's throat, Dean could hear along the skin. What a nice noise it made.

«Yes I am.»

It was all too fast. It was quick the way Dean pulled him to him and hugged him, it was quick the way Jack patted him on the shoulder and disappeared, it was quick the glance that Sam and Eileen exchanged as they stood looking at them aside. But he distinctly felt the warmth of Dean’s breath Dean on himself, along his left ear and his hands gripping his trenchcoat.

Every part of himself screamed, as if Dean had touched his exposed nerves, one by one, every single fiber of his body, every cell of his skin. He was burning as if he had had a fever. As if Hell had dragged him into his deepest mouth. And he thought he would have chosen Hell a thousand more times if it meant saving Dean. Every single time.

That night lasted a long time. The celebrations lasted for hours, until Sam and Eileen decided, at dawn at seven in the morning, that maybe it was time to go to sleep. Castiel and Dean remained at the table, an empty beer bottle in the hands of Dean and Castiel with their hands in their laps, facing each other.

«So, what's it like to feel the flavors again?» Dean asked him, alluding to the fact that Castiel was back to being a human like a few years before.

«Strange» he replied and Dean smiled, eyes cast down, fixed on the empty bottle.

«You know, when Lucifer came back here... he tricked me into having the door to the bunker open» Dean began, looking up at him. Castiel felt a thousand electric shocks running down his arms. «He called me and on my phone screen appeared... your name.»

«What?» Cas asked, confused.

«Yes, and then he pretended to be you. He spoke to me in your voice and made me believe you were out here, hurt. I ran upstairs and let him in.»

«Dean, you don't have to feel guilty about...»

«No, Cas, let me finish this. Please» Dean said. Cas was silent. Dean took a deep breath, then continued, «I'm not telling you this because I feel guilty. If there was even the slightest chance that you had been out there, I would have opened that door anyway» he said. Every word was forced out of his mouth. Saying his feelings out loud costed him very much... it was something he hadn't even managed to confess to Sam, even though the weight was becoming so important that sooner or later he would have surely done it. «Cas, I would have liked to tell you everything in Purgatory. Damn, I wanted to tell you something even before Billie opened that door, but we’ve always run out of time. Or maybe that's what I kept repeating to myself to suppress all my feelings lower and lower, as if that could serve to make them disappear. But then you said those words to me and I... I couldn't pretend anymore, do you understand?»

Castiel frowned.

«I'm afraid I don't understand you, Dean.»

«Do you remember what you told me when the Empty took you away?»

«Every word?»

«No, Cas» Dean said, rolling his eyes. «The last thing you told me.»

«Goodbye? I think I've said goodbye to you, I'm pretty sure.»

«You told me "I love you ", okay? You told me you loved me.»

«Oh. Well of course and I still do» Castiel said and Dean felt his heart begin to beat faster in his chest.

«Are you sure? Because you know, maybe angels feel things differently than people...»

«Dean, you taught me what love is. I'm not sure I know what to feel in these cases, but it's something quite profound.»

Dean swallowed, looking him straight in the eye.

«You're human forever now, Cas. Do you realize it? You will grow old, you will get sick, you will die... like me.»

«I realize that, Dean. But you know, humans fascinate me. And I always thought you were the best among them.»

Dean felt his eyes get glossy. He wasn't sure where that was going, but he had decided that this time he would have played it well. He no longer had time to pretend he felt nothing for Castiel.

«Would you like to do all of this with me?»

Castiel smiled at him, a smile soft and bright at the same time. It warmed his heart.

«Yes, I'd love to, Dean.»

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

Never Say Goodbye

Summary: Nightmares are hard to banish, even when the light returns.

A/N: My very dear friend, @deanswaywardgirl has been having a tough time lately and missing Dean a lot. So, she requested a comfort fic that would make Dean's death a dream, so he can still give her the comfort she needs. I was more than happy to oblige. I hope this helps, sweetie and that it's what you wanted/needed. ❤️

Warnings: Discussion of the events of Dean's death in the finale. Sadness. Comfort. Fluff.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Y/N

Word Count: 893

"Y/N!"

You came awake with a start, the echoes of Dean's goodbyes so loud in your ears you couldn't comprehend the words he was saying as he leaned over you.

Worry caused vertical double lines to form between his brows, as they always did when he was concerned.

"It's okay, Sweetheart, you were just having a bad dream." The bed dipped slightly as he sat down beside you. He pushed your hair back off your shoulder and thumbed away the tears that had fallen while you slept. "Are you okay?"

You stared at him in disbelief. He was here. He was sitting beside you, the heat from his body warming your frozen limbs. You reached up and brushed your fingertips across his forehead and down his cheek, nails rasping against the light stubble there.

Dean took hold of your hand and pressed your fingers against his lips. The warm breath you could feel escaping his mouth made tears spring to your eyes again. He was here.

You launched yourself at him, wrapping your arms so tightly around his neck that he grunted a little.

"Y/N, that's a little tight." He said, half laughing, half choking.

You let go but only to scooch around behind him on the bed. He twisted around to try and figure out what you were doing as you pushed his dark grey Henley up his broad back.

"What are you doing?" He asked, completely dumbfounded.

Still not answering, afraid to speak, you spread your hands wide across his shoulders, marveling at the expanse of smooth, unblemished skin you found there.

As you took in the sight, and felt the heat of him, the strength and vitality of him thrumming beneath your hands a sob broke through and choked you. Before you could stop them, tears and sobs were pouring out of you as you wrapped your arms as far as they would go around his shoulders, pressing your cheek between his shoulder blades.

"Hey!" Dean twisted in your arms until he was facing you and you climbed into his lap, tears soaking his shirt, while you listened to the steady beating of his heart.

Dean seemed to accept that you just needed to cry, so he simply readjusted you both until he was leaning back against the headboard of your bed with you securely sheltered in his arms, his big hand sweeping up and down your arm.

As your sobs turned to hiccups and then to shuddery breaths, Dean tilted your chin up with one finger. He kissed your cheeks where the tracks of your tears were still visible.

"Do you want to tell me about the nightmare, Sweetheart?"

You shook your head but finally spoke. "It was so horrible. It was so real." You paused for a moment and then spoke in a whisper. "You died." New tears sprang up at the memory of watching the life leave Dean's eyes. You shuddered and clung to him again, with your head tucked under his chin.

Your voice was wavering and thin when you spoke. "You were...you and Sam were fighting these vamps and one of them threw you, and impaled you on this like, this piece of rebar and...and...you couldn't move and there was no one left to save you, no Chuck, no Jack...and all I could do was watch you say goodbye."

You wrapped your arms around him again, holding as tightly as you could willing away those images and again finding peace from the strong, warrior's heart you could hear beating under your ear.

Dean held you tighter, and kissed the top of your head. "Well, it was just a bad dream, Y/N. I'm here, Sweetheart, and I'm not going anywhere." His voice was reassuring and strong, deep and warm and it flooded over you, soothing you and bringing you peace.

He pulled back so that he could look at you. "We won, Y/N. We won. Chuck is dead, our fates are ours, and we can do anything we want now." His smile was bright and the happiness you could see there made it impossible not to feel brighter as well.

He leaned down and pressed a soft, slow kiss to your lips, gentle and undemanding. It was a promise. A promise of the tomorrows to come, a promise of a life lived well and together, a promise of holidays and birthdays, anniversaries and beginnings, so many promises wrapped up in one sensual sweep of his mouth against yours.

"I love you." He whispered against your neck as he trailed kisses across your skin. "So much."

More tears came to your eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. You tilted your head back, giving him easier access.

"I love you too, Dean Winchester. Never say goodbye." It was a confession and a demand all in one breath.

Dean brought his head up so he could stare deeply into you, like he was branding your soul with his words. His forest green eyes were serious but warm and he pressed his forehead to yours.

"Never."

@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone @foxyjwls007, @b3autyfuldisast3r, @myloversgone, @kazsrm67, @fangirlxwrites67, @kickingitwithkirk, @charred-angelwings, @hopefuldreamers-world, @siospins, @deanwanddamons @deandreamernp, @my-sherlock221b, @jensensgotyoudean @lyarr24, @snowlovespie, @stixnstripesworld, @thoughts-and-funnies, @magssteenkamp, @norman1967, @akshi8278

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[charlie-minion]

Could the same SPN finale make a little more sense with some additions/changes?

I’ve had the idea for this post stuck in my head for days now, but with every new conspiracy theory and every new eventuality in the fandom, it became difficult to cool down enough to write something less ship-related and more narrative-focused.

What Supernatural and non-SPN fans have to understand is that a lot of us have expressed disappointment and frustration after 15x20, not because of Destiel (that’s just one part of the whole problem), but because the finale doesn’t make sense. Everything was leading up to something beautifully crafted until the end of 15x19. Beyond that, it’s hard to understand what happened. The story rendered all the character growth irrelevant, invalidated the themes of free will and “family don’t end in blood”, regressed to the original brother codependency they spent 15 years trying to overcome, made a queer non-binary character in a male vessel and a deaf female character basically disposable, and kept the show’s reputation of queerbaiting and misogyny until its very last breath.

That’s not going out with a bang! At least not a positive one. We all were ready to mourn Supernatural, but we wanted to feel proud of its legacy, and somehow TPTB managed to tarnish that legacy in less than 45 minutes. What a way to ruin the other more than 13,600 minutes of story!

It doesn’t matter who is to blame (The CW, Robert Singer, Andrew Dabb). It doesn’t matter why it happened (homophobia, censorship, marketing for Walker, bad writing). What matters is that at the end of the day, the finale that aired is what we got and that’s going to hurt for a long time. It hurts even more when we realize that the same finale could have easily made more sense, even without being perfect.

That’s what I want to do in this post. I want to show you how things would have been less jarring (for the fandom), while still keeping the goal to please the general audience.

Before I begin rewriting 15x20, I have to mention that I talked to my conservative boomer sister about the finale. She hasn’t watched the second half of season 15 yet (she’s waiting for Netflix to have it), but she’s been watching the show for a long time (she introduced me to it 8 years ago). She’s the perfect example of a viewer from the general audience. Loves the show but doesn’t give a second thought to it and definitely isn’t paying attention to character development or themes. Doesn’t engage with fandom, actors, or any of the show’s social media. Pure GA! When I told her the series finale had aired, she asked me about it and I refused to give her spoilers. Because of that, she told me the ending SHE wanted. She said she would be happy with either of two possibilities: the boys retiring and finally living a normal life OR they going to heaven and finding peace at last. She saw Sam and Dean as a unit, which means: both retiring or both going to heaven. AND she saw Cas as part of that, too. She wasn’t so sure about Jack. And for her, we could use the “Eileen who?” and it wouldn’t be a joke. She didn’t remember her.

NOW IT’S TIME TO WRITE A NEW VERSION OF 15X20 (KEEPING 15X18 AND 15X19 EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY AIRED). This will be a very long post:

The opening remains almost the same. No “Carry on my wayward son” to induce feels. Too soon and too predictable! (Reasoning: Everyone was expecting it to play right there, so it would bring more tears at the end)

In the opening, after the scene where Jack says “People won’t need to pray to me or sacrifice to me”, we also see the scene from 15x19 where he says “I won’t be hands on”. Then we see the rest of the opening as it was. (Reasoning: People needed to be reminded that Jack would NOT intervene and that’s why later on, he would NOT save Dean).

We get the same montage, but when Sam takes a break from his morning run, we see him reading a message on his phone. A simple: “Hey Sam, what’s new?” from Eileen. Sam smiles fondly and begins to type a response we don’t get to see. The next scene continues the same, Sam making breakfast. (Reasoning: A text was a very simple way to show that Eileen was alive and still in communication with Sam).

The montage slowly ends as Sam enters the library (not after he sits down). He seems to be talking on the phone but we only hear an “I’ll tell him. Bye”. As he walks towards the table, he tells Dean: “Charlie says hi. Mentioned something about Stevie’s perfect scrambled eggs we have to try.” Dean’s answer is “Awesome!” (Reasoning: Just ONE line was needed to unbury Charlie and her girlfriend. ONE LINE).

Sam sits down, opens his laptop and everything continues the same. The title card shows for the last time.

YOU SEE? In the first 4 minutes they could have acknowledged that THREE WOMEN were alive and safe: Eileen, Charlie and Stevie. It wasn’t hard! Don’t blame bad writing on Covid! Now let’s continue.

Sam and Dean arrive at the Pie Fest just the same. Dean goes to get some “damn pie” and Sam takes out his phone. He dials and when someone picks up, he says “Hey, Jody, how are ya?” We don’t hear the rest of the conversation. The scene moves to Dean coming with his 6 portions of pie. Dean sits down and Sam tells him, “Talked to Jody. The other hunters haven’t had much work lately.” “That’s good, isn’t it?”, Dean says. All we get from Sam is “Yeah.” So, Dean looks at him and asks “what’s wrong?” like it happened in the episode. (Reasoning: Again, a couple of lines to make sure the people that were killed in 15x18 are safe and remembered by the boys in 15x20. Why is this important? Because they’re family!)

The conversation about Sam’s sad face happens the same. Sam is the one that mentions Cas and Jack. (Reasoning: Because this episode was so Sam-centered, it’s obvious he was the protagonist in the finale. If we see him communicating with Eileen, Charlie, and Jody, then it’s NORMAL, even expected of him to be the one to bring up Cas and Jack). Without these additions, it’s harder for people to understand that most of the finale was NOT from Dean’s POV but from Sam’s.

Dean’s “if we don’t keep living, then all that sacrifice is gonna be for nothing” stays the same. (Reasoning: I believe it’s necessary that the show sticks to the importance of “letting go” and “what is dead should stay dead” for the first time ever because the message is “even when you lose someone you love, you can still find some form of happiness and keep living, for you and for them, because that’s what they would have wanted”. Bringing someone back means “I can’t live without you”, and that’s just more codependency. It’s how the demon deals began in the Winchester family –Mary being the first one to do it. This would explain why Dean didn’t ask Jack to bring Cas back, as he asked Chuck. He understood Jack was NOT going to interfere anymore and accepted it. Besides, when Cas saved Dean from hell, Dean thought he didn’t deserve to be saved. This time that Cas saved him, Dean finally feels worthy enough to accept that YES, HE DESERVED TO BE SAVED ALL ALONG, just as much as he deserved to be loved by that angel of the Lord. In this scene, Dean also says that the pain is not gonna go away, which means that from HIS PERPECTIVE, it still hurts that Cas is not there. The problem is that the finale is not showing his POV but Sam’s.  

Sam pies Dean on the face just the same. (Reasoning: That part was just to avoid ending the scene on a sad note).

Everything related to the case happens exactly the same. (Reasoning: At this point, people don’t really care about the MoTW, they care about Sam and Dean).

NOTE 1: The case is important to show that even when the Winchesters are finally free of Chuck’s influence, they CHOOSE to keep hunting. It isn’t something they do out of revenge or because it is their destiny anymore. Maybe they were forced into the life at first, but they’ve learned to find joy in saving people. Being hunters is who they are. However, the fact that a job application was shown on Dean’s desk is also important because it means he was willing to explore what else was there for him besides hunting. Maybe he could find a balance? Maybe he was thinking it was time to quit? We will never know! The thing is that Sam only finds out about it when he goes into Dean’s room after his brother is dead, so maybe that’s when it hits him that Dean wanted to explore his options, and Sam starts to think it’s time for him to do the same.  

NOTE 2: I believe the masks the vampires are wearing is something we can blame on covid. If they had their faces covered, it was easier to use people from the SPN crew for some scenes, instead of using more actors unnecessarily.

NOTE 3: When Sam and Dean arrive at the barn, we get 3 visuals to remember Cas in the same scene (those are for the fandom, not for the general audience): a) the barn, obviously; b) the bag that resembles Cas’ trenchcoat so much that many people thought that’s what it was; and c) two feathers hanging on Dean’s right when he opens the trunk.

The scene with the throwing star happens the same. (Reasoning: The episode is still told from Sam’s point of view, so it makes sense that he fondly sees his brother as a man child).

Jenny the vampire? Uhhh… I mean, it’s not the best piece of writing I’ve ever seen, but it’s not the worst, so okay. That stays the same. (Reasoning: There is none, but she’s not what really ruined the finale, so whatever!)

Dean still dies impaled on a rebar. (Reasoning: OK. HERE ME OUT!!! I hate as much as everyone else that Dean is killed. I think it’s lazy writing, but that’s what we got and I can’t change that in this re-write, so if killing Dean is what we have to work around, then, memes aside, death by rebar is better and here’s why. There’s no one to blame for Dean’s death: no Chuck (the boys were willingly hunting even after Chuck was defeated), no vampires (they were all killed and were no real threat, so it was impossible for Sam to begin a quest for revenge against all vampires. What was Sam going to blame? A rebar? Can you kill it? Hunt it? NO. It was an ordinary death, a stupid accident. Just like any person can die at any moment by slipping on a banana peel. Is it a good death? No, but it’s good to know he doesn’t die trying to save Sam or Cas, because Dean Winchester is NOT willing to give up his life in exchange for anyone else’s anymore.

Sam takes out his phone and says he’ll call for help, but his phone is more visible to the audience. He dials and it’s almost to his ear when Dean stops him and Sam hesitantly hangs up. (Reasoning: People have complained that Sam didn’t call an ambulance, but actually he tried to. It’s just that people missed that part, maybe?)

After Sam puts his phone back in his pocket and says “OK” to Dean, he adds, “I’ll pray to Jack”. Dean’s immediate answer is: “No hands on, remember?” “But Dean”, Sam says, and Dean interrupts him with “OK listen to me” and tells Sam what to do with the kids they rescued. (Reasoning: Jack is God now and how come Sam didn’t remember? The viewers remembered, so it was necessary to include a line that ruled the option out and that showed Dean didn’t want Jack to intervene. The rest was fine).

The lines “You knew it was always gonna end like this for me. It was supposed to end like this, right?” disappear completely from Dean’s monologue. (Reasoning: This is the most problematic part of Dean’s dying speech. He fought God and earned free will, he is no longer controlled by fate or destiny. Accepting that he is supposed to die on a hunt regresses his character development and denies his desire to keep living. This was a total mistake and should be removed).

Instead, if going to heaven is the ending TPTB wanted to give Dean, at least he should say something more empowering. Sam tells him that both of them are going to take the kids somewhere safe. Dean answers and the scene follows like this: “No. Sammy, we made our choice, didn’t we?”, he smiles with difficulty. “We were free to write our own story and we did. We decided to keep saving people, hunting things. Because it’s what we love despite the risks.” (Reasoning: If Dean’s going to die it doesn’t have to feel like it was always meant to be that way. He should die knowing that he exerted his free will until his last breath).

The rest of the dialogue between Sam and Dean happens almost the same. Except that instead of Dean saying “‘cause when it all came down to it, it was always you and me. It’s always been you and me”, he says “’cause when it all came down to it, we’ve always had each other’s backs. Always.” And instead of Sam saying “Don’t leave me”, he says “I still can try to save you.” (Reasoning: It sounds way less codependent without diminishing the importance of their love and support for each other).

Besides, let’s change Dean’s “I’m not leaving you” for “You don’t have to be alone. You’ve still got family.” The rest stays the same word by word. (Reasoning: Dean reminds Sam that “family don’t end in blood” and there are still lots of people out there who love Sam and will be with him).

“I love you so much, my baby brother” stays exactly the same. (Reasoning: Dean always had trouble to express the big L word. I always believed and said many times that before Dean could say “I love you” to Cas or any other character, he had to say it to Sam. So, this is important as part of Dean speaking his truth).

The last part when Dean insists Sam tell him that it’s okay stays the same. (Reasoning: It’s the final moment when the codependency cycle breaks. No more running in circles).

The forehead touch between them stays the same. (Reasoning: I think I would do something similar if my sister were dying. I know there are w*ncest shippers out there, but it shouldn’t matter because the moment feels appropriate for that kind of goodbye). 

See? There are changes but not too many. That’s why I’ve been saying that it was easier to get it right, yet they still managed to screw it up.

The second montage stays the same. (Reasoning: Life goes on, but of course Sam has to mourn).

The call about a case in Austin remains the same. (Reasoning: It’s the only part of the episode where someone from the found family is mentioned, so I think that Donna’s name is perfect in that moment. However, without the other additions I’ve made in this re-write, that off-hand mention feels too little. Its purpose was to tell the viewers that if Donna was alive, so were the others, but the way the episode was executed gave us an isolated Sam, incapable of having friends and a family without Dean).  

After 30 minutes of Sam’s POV, let’s finally see the last bit of Dean’s POV that we’ll ever get.

Dean arrives in Heaven and Bobby receives him. All their conversation stays almost the same, except that after mentioning Rufus and before saying “and your mom and dad…”, Bobby adds an “Ellen and Jo let me borrow their place”. (Reasoning: If you’re gonna put the man outside the Harvelle’s place, at least mention them for Jack’s sake!).

Besides, after Bobby tells Dean that Sam will be along and that time in heaven is different, Dean gives a small smile and says, “Well, there’s no rush. I want him to have a long, happy life.” Bobby answers with: “I would expect nothing less from you, boy” and tells him he got everything he could ever want, etc., just like it happened in the episode, and finishes by asking “What are you gonna do now, Dean?” (Reasoning: It’s important we know for sure that Dean is NOT codependent anymore and that he doesn’t expect to have a miserable afterlife just because his brother is not there yet).

Instead of saying “I think I’ll go for a drive” Dean says, “I think I know what I want” and walks towards baby. Bobby still tells him to have fun. (Reasoning: “Know what I want” is ambiguous enough to help us introduce the last piece of the puzzle, the one thing Dean’s wanted for many seasons and has never been able to express).

 The biggest change is coming:

Dean gets on the Impala and has a moment of silence while he contemplates the wheel. He begins to pray: “Hey, Cas, you got your ears on? I hear you’ve been busy working on this updated Heaven with Jack. You were right about him, Cas. You had faith in him and he saved us all. You could always see the best in everyone, even when they couldn’t see it themselves. Even when I couldn’t see it myself. There’s so much I want to tell you. Maybe you can visit sometime. I hope prayer’s still a thing up here.” (Reasoning: Dean’s side of the confession was unaddressed and that was terrible writing. If there was no way to get him to speak his truth textually, at least take him as close to it as possible).

We listen to a flutter of wings and a “Hello, Dean” from the back seat. We don’t see Cas, but the camera shows us Dean’s cocky smile and he says “Took you long enough.” He turns around slowly. End of scene. (Reasoning: The flutter of wings confirms that angels have their wings back and ties that loose end. The final “hello, Dean” was highly anticipated and it made sense. If Misha couldn’t be there to film, for whatever reason, or if the problem was the kind of conversation Dean and Cas would have, then don’t show it, but leave the door open. Let us know that the two characters were reunited and will talk, but whatever Dean has to say is so private that it’s not for us to hear, only for Cas.  

We finally hear “Carry on my wayward son” and get a montage that begins with Sam playing with his kid. Then we see Dean driving, super happy, and Sam living his life to the fullest. We still get Sam’s Blurry Wife, BUT… we see pictures of Eileen in the living room (not just of John, Mary, Sam, and Dean). We also see photos of Jody, Donna, Charlie, and AU!Bobby. (Reasoning: FAMILY DON’T END IN BLOOD).

The scene where Sam is wearing the party wig and looks miserable inside the Impala is cut and nobody talks about it ever again because it never existed. We get a scene of Sam teaching his son how to fix the car instead. (Reasoning: First of all, don’t give Sam a life where years later he’s still in pain. Second of all, the fucking wig was a crime).

Sam’s dying scene stays the same. The only thing is that his son signs a couple of phrases to him before actually speaking. (Reasoning: More confirmation that Dean Jr. is Eileen’s son).

We hear the final “Evanescence-like Carry on my wayward son”. Again we see the photos and there’s family other than the Winchesters there. (Reasoning: Obvious at this point).

The rest is exactly the same. The show began with two brothers and it’s okay if the last scene is with the two brothers reunited in Heaven. At this point, the other parts of the story are acceptable enough for us to feel happy that they get to see each other again after years of a happy (after)life.

Now look me in the eye and tell me this was too hard to execute. I still think that bad writing is a thing we can’t deny here, adding to the possible meddling of the Network. Maybe Dabb wanted us to hate the finale because he couldn’t get away with what he truly wanted. If that was his intention, then kudos to him. He and The CW really gave us a finale that only 30% of the fandom liked.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this and it helps to give you some peace of mind. In my heart, this was the finale we got. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t drop the ball either.

[wigglebox]

Nostalgia

Rated: G | AO3 link | Words: 1253 | No Beta | Tags: Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fear, Nostalgia, References to The Empty, Human Castiel (Supernatural)

Summary: On a drive out of Chicago, the boys stop at an old familiar barn on the outskirts of Pontiac, Illinois. Ideally, it'd bring back fond memories. But for Cas, he's still struggling with the last memory he had of the place.

EXCERPT

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” he said to Dean, glancing over to him.

Dean ignored Cas as they passed by some traffic cones left by the side of I-55.

Cas reached over and tapped Dean on the arm and Dean finally turned to face him.

“Take exit 197,” he instructed nodding at a sign they were coming up on.

EXIT 197

PONTIAC

FLANAGAN

1 MILE

Cas hadn’t been paying much attention to the signs, but now he understood why Dean suddenly took interest.

Nodding, Cas moved over to the travel lane as they passed another field, and a sign that indicated the exit was half a mile away. A knot began to form in his stomach.

“Take a right at the end of the ramp,” Dean said as Cas slowed down.

“I know where to go.”

Things looked different on the ground versus how Cas originally came into the area — and at night, with his eyesight now nothing special, things did look exceptionally foreign — but he still knew where to go.

“Do you think it’s still there?” he asked.

Dean sat back in his seat as they headed down Route 116.

“I hope so.”

Read on AO3

[earbuds-and-hightops]

How I would have ended Supernatural

15x16: Drag Me Away (From You)

Condense/cut most of the Monster of the Week stuff and instead focus on the Chuckmara storyline [that was told in 15x17] and possibly add some more connection between Jack and Amara for foreshadowing purposes

Keep the parts where we find out that this is the only world left and that Jack will die

15x17: Unity

Condense/cut some of the beginning and introduce Billie's master plan

Billie opens Deaths Book and Team Free Will discover it to be useless but formulates a plan anyway.

About halfway through the episode, Jack explodes in the Empty (and why not do this before a comercial break for dramatics)

Have Cas's goodbye speech and sacrifice

Have Sam and Jack discover everyone gone

Still end the episode with Sam calling Dean and Dean not answering

15x18: Despair

Sam and Jack go back to the bunker and find that Dean hasn't moved from that spot on the floor

Dean fully explains what happened, and the three of them sit on the floor and mourn the loss of their family member. They do a small "service" where Castiel's name is carved into the table.

Then we move into their acknowledgement that everyone is gone

Keep the part where the find Miracle, because it's wholesome

Lucifer sneaks in, pretending to be Cas on the phone (running up the staircase clip) and he and Michael do their thing, minus creating a new Death

Flesh out that storyline and possibly emphasize the themes of sons loyal to their fathers and brothers who aren't

End the group going to whatever location to trap God

15x19: Inherit the Earth

Dedicate a good portion of this episode to fighting God and dealing with Michael, using more than fists (I'm talking angel blades at the very least) and dialogue more clever than repeating "seriously guys, stay down"

Right before Jack is able to take away Chuck's godliness (?) Chuck does something powerful (something that only a very powerful being could do) that ends up killing Dean

I don't think Dean's death should necessarily be a sacrifice, but I think it just makes sense that since they're fighting such a powerful being that they be unable to fully keep up, if that makes sense

Jack does his thing and the "we're not gonna kill you" speech, and Sam cries over Dean and does his little speech

Jack becomes the new God and brings people back

Sam and Jack hold an Endgame-esque hunter's funeral for Dean with a ton of familiar faces (Eileen, Jody, Other Dimention People, etc.)

Fade to black; it's finale time

15x20: Carry On

The Road So Far, but it's the entire song (if not extended a bit) and recaps all 15 seasons starting with "Dad's on a hunting trip"

Open on Sam and Eileen in the bunker with Miracle and show their routine and whatnot; casually show that Jack's name has been added to the table, and there's some sort of tribute to Dean in the library or map room

I would even be on board with them going to the pie-fest in Dean's honor

Cut to Dean in Heaven; he talks with Bobby and Castiel shows up with the explanation that he and Jack remodeled Heaven together

Dean and Cas acknowledge / work through what happened before Cas went to the Empty -- kiss scene???

Montage to "Carry On My Wayward Son" (not a cover) that shows Sam and Eileen and their kid (I'm thinking cute, curly haired, and deaf) and Dean visiting other people in Heaven

There's so much potential in this montage: Sam (and his kid, I guess) learning sign language from Eileen, Dean seeing Charlie again and their sibling-like dynamic, Sam's kid applying to Stanford, Jared not wearing a wig, Dean and Cas sharing drinks with Ellen, Jo, and Ash, the possibilities, people

The final scene is Dean and Cas driving around, and they see something up ahead (on the bridge, why not) and they turn down the music (montage music ends)

They step out of the car to find Sam there, they all reunite and hug, look out at the mountains, fade to black, Executive Producer title card

Thank you message from Jensen, Misha, and Jared, and same drone shot of the crew (but they're wearing masks).

Bonus points if Misha releases his essay on Cas's queerness.

[castiel-left-his-mark-on-me]

I actually didn't mind the ending at all but I'm scared I'm gonna get yelled at for being kinda content with the ending

I won’t yell at you. Everyone has the right to their opinions. I just personally feel like it was such a cop-out to end it that way.

I write, I know how to tell stories (I’m not saying I’m the best at it or anything-- far from it, but I know how to do it) and this WAS NOT how you finish off an epic story like Supernatural.

But the writers seemed to have only one stipulation to the ending and that was: End it with the brothers and only the brothers.

Which, you know what-- fine, if that’s what they wanted to do, okay, but there was a much better way they could’ve done that. They could’ve had both Sam and Dean die after saving those kids. They could’ve found the boys hiding in that barn, and then just as they freed them, they could’ve got jumped and taken out by the vampires. They still could’ve fought them off and killed them-- classic Winchester style, but their wounds would’ve been too great, and they could have thought for a moment that they’d try to save each other, but then ... they both realize that that death was always meant for them. That kind of death was the best they could hope for living the life they had. So they say goodbye to each other, happy that the world is finally free, just as they are now; and then-- they wake up in heaven to Castiel and Jess, and Bobby and Jo and Ellen, and all the rest of the people who they lost through the years, and that’s when they find that this is a new kind of heaven. They discover that Jack brought about peace and unity, and it’s more than either of them expected. It’s more than they could have ever hoped for.

So, they spend the rest of the episode reuniting with the ones they love, they get those special calm and normal moments they always wanted-- eating dinner as a family, drinking beers with their friends, holding hands with the ones that also hold their hearts. They finally get the happy endings they always deserved; and after that and ONLY after that, do Sam and Dean drive to that bridge and look off into the distance, smiling to themselves, because they really did save people and hunt things and make a real difference in people’s lives-- they know, because they can see it. They can see Eileen and Charlie and Donna and Jody, and Claire and Kaia, and all the rest of their friends still on earth. They can see that they’re happy and alive and safe ... because of them; so they give each other one last hug before hopping back into Baby and driving into the distance, fading into light, and Carry On My Wayward Son is playing, and Baby’s engine is roaring, and we are left looking after them knowing that the boys’ work is finally done.

THAT is how you tie up 15 years of history and characters while still maintaining the sanctity of the show.

[bloodsigilsandpie]

A Turn of Events

I’m not going to stand back and let my emotional support characters be treated like that.

Here’s something that I’m pretty sure cannot possibly be worse than what was aired.

wc: 556

Part 1 of Chapter 1

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |  Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

He could feel the rebar inside him. The blood had started to seep through his jacket. He managed to keep his voice steady, “Sam. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to move.”

“Dean? What-” Sam moved closer and realized what had happened.

“All that and a rusty nail takes me out, huh?” He let out a dry laugh that sounded more like a wheeze.

“Wait, Dean, hold on.” Sam stepped back and started looking around for something, anything that would help.

“Sammy, stop. It's okay. It’s gonna be okay. You-”

“No. It's not! It's not, Dean! We’ve been through too much for me to be okay with this! And stow that ‘let me go’ crap. This isn’t over.” Sam turned around, ignoring Dean’s strained breathing and called out, “Jack? Jack! Jack, can you hear me? Please, we need you!”

They heard a light flutter of wings and Dean felt a hand on his shoulder. With a small flash of white light Dean was healed and brought down from the wall.

“Jack!” Dean gasped as he looked at the boy standing next to him.

“Hi Dean, Sam. I was going to meet you in the bunker but I guess we’ll do this now.” He took a deep breath and walked over to one of the nearest crates, confusing the Winchesters who were surprised he even showed.

“Amara and I got to spend some time together and we came to an agreement. She decided it would be better if instead of the ‘Light and Darkness’ both existing in me, it would be better with her.”

“Wait, you mean she is now her own… ‘being’ and you're...” Dean waved his hand vaguely at Jack.

“Just me. Well, not yet. She’s still here. We have some things to get done first. But when she does leave I’ll be just, me, Jack. Still a Nephilim, though. I can't really go on without my grace. She said I deserved a life. And a childhood.” he finished with a smile.

Sam returned the smile but they still had a few questions, “Wait, what do you mean stuff? Do you need anything from us?”

“Yes, actually we do. First we need to stop over at Hell.”

Dean took a moment to appreciate how casually that sentence could be thrown into their conversations before asking, “Can you maybe give us more details kid?”

“We’re going to see Rowena. She found an ancient book that might have something about putting the Empty back to sleep.”

Dean’s face fell at the mention of the Empty. “You’re putting the Empty to sleep… forever?”

“Yes. That’s what I need you for. We made a deal that said we would put it to rest as long as we get some angels in return, you know with Heaven slowly dying and everything. And a few demons- Rowena’s request. But it won't give up Cas. So one of you will have to go in and pull Cas out while the other helps Rowena with the spell.”

Sam felt his heart lighten for the first time in maybe years when a light that had been gone a long time returned to Dean’s eyes as he asked, “We’re bringing Cas back?”

“Of course. I am god for now. What else would I do with all this power?”

“Well, let’s go to Hell then!��

(ᵖˡˢ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵘᵗ)

First of all, I didn’t get the ending I wanted, or even one I could tolerate, so I’m writing my own.

I see many people are doing whole rewrites and I can’t wait to read them. But I just want to see the boys have peace and not send the message that you have to die for it. You can have a good life no matter what you had to go through in the past. There is always hope.

So I’m going to fix this clusterfuck of a finale and write a season 16. It’s just going to be TFW 2.0 and their extended family (ᴮᴱᶜᴬᵁˢᴱ ᶠᴬᴹᴵᴸʸ ᴬᴵᴺ’ᵀ ᴱᴺᴰᴵᴺᴳ ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ᴮᴸᴼᴼᴰ. ᴺᴼᵀ ᴵᴺ ᴹʸ ᵂᴼᴿᴸᴰ!) doing regular things with maybe an occasional decapitation.

Only fluff. Pure domestic fluff. No pining. No hurt without comfort. No angst. My babies are going to be happy. I promise. And I’m not leaving till I wrap this up with a fucking bow.

This is just part one of the first chapter because I am incapable of writing more than 500 words in one post. I’ll be posting at least twice a week and the whole fic will be on AO3 once finished.

If you want to be tagged in my season 16 fics please let me know.

[found--family]

the ending of 15x20 didn't actually happen, one of two other things happened: 

#1: Dean went into cardiac arrest at the Pie Fest, so the vampmime case and his death and Sam's depressing life montage and that hellish heaven was just Dean's subconscious playing out scenarios before he was resuscitated; nothing supernatural was involved. 

OR 

#2: everything from the Pie Fest onwards was a Djinn-induced hallucination perpetrated by Cas' Djinn Queen wife who blames Dean for her husband's death and she sought revenge by torturing Dean: taking away his happy ending, his found family, even the peace that heaven should hold. 

bonus for #2: Dean is rescued by his Found Family who then help him finish what he started (what he was really researching in the bunker at the beginning of 15x20 and what he was in the middle of trying to do when he was captured and poisoned): saving Cas. 

[desperately-seeking-words]

Standing on this bridge, in Heaven, Dean feels the entirety of eternity stretched before him.  He doesn’t feel fear, or anger, or sadness -- no, not even over Sam not being there yet.  He feels hope.  He feels love.  He feels certainty.

Sam will be there.  He will.  There is no Heaven for him without Sam, and since this is Heaven, well.  Sam will be there.

Dean smiles, and he feels it more acutely than he ever has before.  Everything feels different here.  It’s easy, but it’s intense.  In the best way.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean felt the comforting presence before he even spoke.  He turns, and there he is -- Castiel, Angel of Thursday, in his trenchcoat.

“Bang up job, Cas.”

Cas shrugs.  “We’re just...making it up as we go.”

Dean feels a tug at his heartstrings.  A memory from long ago.  He shakes it off. “We’re in Heaven, and you still wear that damn trenchcoat?”

Cas tries to fight a smirk but fails.  “This is your Heaven, Dean.  And didn’t you once tell me to never change?”  

Dean steps towards him.  “But you did.  You told me.  You changed because of me.”

Cas nods.  “I did.”

Dean steps closer.  “And then what did you say?”

Cas sighs, a wistful look in his eyes.  “I love you.”

Dean nods.  “Damn right.”

Cas manages a laugh.

Dean steps right up next to Cas and looks into his eyes.  He slips his hand into Cas’s and interlaces their fingers.

“I guess good things really do happen.”

Cas beams at him, and Dean turns so they’re standing side by side, hand in hand.

Sam stands at the far end of the bridge and slowly breaks into a smile at the sight of them.

Everything is right with the world.