Another Auld Lang Syne: Sam & Dean’s New Year’s Eve
Another Auld Lang Syne
Story by Gail Z. Martin
Dioramas by Catherine Curl
Authorâs Note: I wrote this during Season 14 before the mid-season finale, so itâs a look into the past. This first appeared in my Supernatural TFWNC group on Facebook.
New Yearâs Eve at the Bunker is fairly quietâa rarity for the Winchesters. They pick up burgers and wingsâand beer. Maybe Cas or Eileen or AU Bobby will drop by, maybe not. They watch Die Hardâbecause itâs a Christmas movie, after allâbut now, they both flinch because the fight with AU Michael and wolfed-out Garth makes Nakatomi Plaza a little too real.
Dean realizes Sam is feeling too many memoriesâand Dean doesnât need to remember that time, eitherâso he changes channels. âSeen that a thousand times,â he mutters, not that it fools Sam, who gives him a grateful half-smile, knowing what he did there, and why.
Itâs easy between them now. It wasnât always. But like Dean told Sam, and Sam told John, theyâve learned to let go and leave the past behind. They grew upâand learned to talk it out, stop keeping secrets. (If Dean ever gets another chance to time travel, thatâs what heâd tell both their younger selves, not that theyâd have listened.) All that matters is that theyâre alive, and together. Theyâre good with themselves, with each other, with their lives, with hunting. Itâs been a long time coming, but now that theyâre here, it feels….solid.
For Christmas, they splurged and went together on a gift for both of themâan un-haunted big-screen TV. Sam pointed out that theyâd watched enough movies on laptops and crappy hotel TVs to last a lifetime. Dean ragged on him about the âfading eyesight of the elderlyâ, Sam reminded him who was older, and theyâd bought one big enough that theyâd needed to borrow Bobbyâs truck to bring it home. It took all three of them to carry it in.
When Dean looks in the mirror, he sees the mileageâand itâs been a long, hard road. He knows heâs only still here because of Sam. Funny, but when he looks at Sam, despite everythingâand Dean knows that although he hasnât had it easy, Samâs had the worst of it, time and againâhe doesnât see the years. Not really. Itâs like he sees all the phases of Sam, all at once, on top of each otherâgeeky kid brother, the goofball riding shotgun in the Impala, the guy who stared down the Devil and made Lucifer blink, the bad-ass MOFO hunter, and now, with all his research and occult knowledge, Rowenaâs witchy heir.
Dean knows better than to say âIâm proud of us.â That sends a shiver through him, just remembering the last time he spoke those words, and he knows Sam still has nightmares about that time. But he is so damn proud of Sam. And although, even with their new, improved talking they still donât say as much as they probably should, Samâs let him know that heâs proud of Dean, too. Dean struggles to believe that, but heâs learned to try.
They channel surf. A lot of movies are off the table…just because. Titanicânope. Itâs a Wonderful Lifeâhits a little too close to home, with all the Djinns and asshole-archangel time f**kery. They still like westerns, although having been to the Old West, the real thing left a lot to be desired. Ha. How many people can say that?
In the end, they watch a ScoobyDoo marathon Sam finds on one of the streaming channels. Itâs like spending the evening with old friends.
âVelma was really crushing on you, dude,â Dean teases. âThose shoulders,â he adds, pitching his voice higher, like a swooning fangirl.
Sam rolls his eyes. âWhatever. You were crushing on Daphne so hard, Iâm surprised you noticed.â
âIt would never have worked, Sammy. She was so….two-dimensional.â
That makes Sam snort his beer, as Dean intended. They both know that theyâre not the white picket fence type. Been there, done that; it didnât work out for either of them. Maybe for the best, maybe not, but whatâs done is done. There would be worse things than ending up as two bachelor brothers living out their golden years in a cabin somewhere, arguing about who forgot to pick up more beer – worse things like one of them not making it to the end. Thatâs happened too many times, and always, theyâve nearly burned down the world left on their own. The universe has made it clear theyâre stronger together, and Dean really hopes that the universe overrides even the will of Chuck. Because this time, theyâre staying together, like Sam said, no matter what.
Dean sees Sam watching him, with a look that suggests his brother can guess his thoughts, and faking a smile, tries to shake off his mood.
âHave another beer, Sammy. Not like weâre drivinâ anywhere.â
When they run out of beer, Dean brings out a good bottle of scotch. Itâs the one Ketch gave him, which hurts a little, but Dean doesnât mention it, because tonight isnât about pouring one out for all the people theyâve lostâtoo damn manyâitâs about right now, which is all they have.
Tonight is a break in the storm they know is coming. This time feels special, maybe a little sacred. Cas would probably call it something dumb, like a âstate of graceâ. Dean doesnât know whatâs coming with Chuck, but it wonât be good. This might be the time they run out of luck. Sam knows it too, Dean sees it in his eyes. But Samâs smile is real and warm as they pour a couple of fingers of scotch into their glasses and raise a toast.
Dean clears his throat. Saying things out loud has never been easy for him, but dammit, this time heâs going to do it, because they might not have another chance. He hopes notâhe wants to see them both get old and gray and spend their time fishing on a lake somewhere, with a cabin and a dog like Sam always wanted. But Deanâs a realist, and he knows the odds, so heâs not going to miss the opportunity.
âTo us,â he says, lifting his glass. Sam gives him his âconfused spanielâ look, squinching his eyebrows, which makes Dean grin. âAuld lang syne, and all that shit.â
Sam clinks his tumbler against Deanâs with a smile that says he already knows all the things Dean couldnât find the words to sayâand feels the same. âHappy New Year, Jerk.â
âRight back atcha, Bitch.â
Songâ”December Prayer” by Idina Mendel
A little gift from the heart, for my SPNFamily. Happy New Year. Or as Charlie would put itâPeace out, bitches!
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Enjoy Gail and Cat’s other Sam and Dean stories: “Slay Belles: A Supernatural Christmas Story”, “Just Another Weekend in the Bunker” and “Amethyst Dreams: A Supernatural Hunt.”
Spend more time in Sam and Dean’s world with original Supernatural Fan Fiction written exclusively for The WFB, and enjoy Gail’s many articles and reviews listed on the WFB Writer’s Page!
Get to know CatCurl, the artist behind these vignettes, and see her incredible Supernatural drawings, in WFB’s artist profile: Inspired by Supernatural!
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