A/N there is one or two more parts to this. I'm still on the hunt for a beta so if you're up for the job drop me a line. Peace

Brass

When Mary heard the news of Daniel Elkins death she knew where they would find Dean. He was waiting for them at a diner just off the highway. His hair was longer than she'd seen it in years, his face drawn and anger but his eyes were bright. He smirked when he saw them, the anger melted away, vanishing like a trick of the light. Sam dropped into the seat next to Dean, wrapped long arms around his brother. Dean let Sammy cling to him. Mary sat across from her boys, watched them reconnect. After a time, Dean pulled away from Sam reached into his jacket and dropped the gun on the table. Mary reached for it, hands griping tight around the handle. This was the gun that would end it. She looked up meet Dean's bright eyes and knew he lost something to gain this.

It took Mary two nights to figure out what her son gave up for the gun. She should have known sooner, a mother affection can be blind even in the face of the obvious. She sent Sammy out for supplies, Caleb was near he could be trusted to give them what they needed no questions asked. Sam had stood in the doorway mouth open ready to complain, a sharp look from Dean sent him off in a huff.

Dean sat cross legged on the bed a circle of salt surrounding the low wood motel bed. She knew it was to keep him in just as much as it was to keep others out. She sat on the bed across from him, sheets rumpled from Sammy's sleep.

She watched him looked for the signs she should have seen before. He watched her, hands taking apart and rebuilds the guns in his lap.

"Did you kill them."

He nods once, eyes focused on his task.

"They got you before or after you got the gun."

He smirks, it crawls along his lips crinkling up the edges of his eyes and she loves him, her eldest son. She doesn't know what she'll do when he's gone.

"During."

"You should have waited for us."

"Wouldn't have mattered.. I'm okay mom for now."

"Does Sammy know."

"Yeah. I think he dreamt it first."

Mary nods because she understands Sam and the dreams. Understand it better than this, than having an undead son.

"When do you… how do you."

He gives her the soft smile the one he never gives anyone but Sam. "Four days. I know where the demon is. We hunt it. Kill it. Then you kill me."

"There has to be another way." The words are out her mouth before she thinks to hold them in.

Dean's face is serious, eyes leveled calm. He reminds her painfully of John. "Never another way mom you know that."

He's right of course. He and John never wrong when it came to the hunt.
"Four days, that's not a very long time. Does Sammy know?"

"No but he will when the time is right. Don't let him be the one."

She nods of course never ask that of Sam. They sit for a while watching each other. Mary's arms ache to hold him, feel warm skin under her palm. She misses him, misses the baby boy with laughing curious eyes, flushed cheeks, who spoke so fast he stumbled over his words. She misses the boy the fire ripped from her.