"Cas?" yawned Dean, pulling open our door around 3:00AM. "What's wrong?"

"Dani isn't awake, is she?" He asked as I sat up in bed at the mention of my name. Dean pulled the door open wider and gestured for Castiel to enter the room, which he did and as he approached my tear stained - broken out - face, he frowned as he dropped onto the bed. I felt the bed shift once more as Dean dropped on his side of the bed. "I know you're not doing well, but I have a message...from Sierra."

Dean's sleepy eyes went wide as my exhausted red ones did the same.

"S-Sierra?" I almost whimpered, feeling that familiar pinch in my chest again.

Castiel nodded as he offered both of his hands out for me to take, which I did after glancing at Dean who nodded silently.

"One; she says it was her you saw in the window." Cas spoke, with his eyes shut. Assuming she was whispering to him in the present moment, I didn't question. "Two; she wants to elaborate on what happened when she crossed the threshold into the other realm."

"Okay," I whispered, adjusting myself as Dean slid closer to our side of the bed, placing his hand on my thigh, for support. "What happened?"

Castiel remained silent for a moment with his eyes squeezed a few times, again assuming this was part of the connection process, there was no questioning.

"She says; she made a deal with God, once he informed her of Rapheal's intention." He sighed heavily, squeezing his eyes again. "She says the deal was her life for Colt's..."

"I knew it." whispered Dean, earning an elbow from me.

"...she says the deal was her life for protection, and the best she could pull from God was for 18 years." I sniffled, feeling my entire heart melt within my chest. "She also states that she'll always be here with you, with Dean, for the baby - she'll be his guardian angel -"

"- that's so sweet." I whimpered as Castiel opened one eye to clarify.

"Not only is she saying she'll do that, that was the job given to her." Castiel stated in a low tone as he shut that eye again and continued, "She wants to apologize -"

"- Apologize?" I choked, feeling the tears streaming down my face again as Dean's hand squeezed my thigh a little.

"- She wants to apologize for what she did to you with Nick and Dean. She also wants to say she wishes she could have been there more for you, been a better sister -" I cut Castiel off, interjecting and hoping Sierra could hear me.

"- You don't need to apologize, you made up for all that and then some," I whimpered, struggling to sit up right, all the pain in my heart was radiating to my eyes, my back and my chest. "I love you so much Sierra...so fucking much, you were my sister - through and through - and if anything...this kind of outweighs everything you've done."

Castiel giggled, and opened his eyes with a smile, "She's laughing and crying, and says to - and I quote - shut the fuck up."

The three of us chuckled as Castiel pulled me into a hug that wasn't too light, but not too tight either, and then I leaned into Dean's chest as Castiel rose off the bed to make his exit.

"Cas..." I chirped, as Dean kissed my scalp.

"...yes?" He grinned, looking back as he pulled open the door.

"Thank you." I whimpered, as he nodded in response and pulled the door shut. Dean wrapped his arms around me and allowed me to soak his chest until I managed to drift off to sleep.

*

I sighed into the piece of paper as I doodled on as Dean and Bobby entered the Kitchen. They had been on the phone with the funeral home most of the morning, I couldn't bring myself to do any of the arrangements for my big sister.

Bobby sighed, dropping into the chair next me as Dean leaned down, kissed my forehead and looked over at the paper I was doodling on.

"Colt Sierra Winchester?" Dean read aloud as Bobby's jaw hung.

"Sierra knew it was a boy, so Colt it is." I announced, smiling down at my paper. "I want to honor Sierra for what she's done for us, for Colt, so that's his middle name - we'll just write 'S' on things until he's comfortable with it." I shrugged.

Dean chuckled as he leaned down into my ear.

"What about you changing your last name to Winchester?" He whispered as my eyes went wide, and immediately shot into Bobby's whose face was lit up as I turned to confront Dean about it, only to find him on one knee. "I know it's bad timing, but it seems our lifetime will be soaked in these times...I want you, you want me - we've been through hell and back -"

"- literally -" I smirked as he continued.

"- and I want to make sure we take over heaven together too." He smirked, pulling out a ring box and opening it to reveal a sapphire ring, hugged with white diamonds and a silver band to wrap around my finger. Without hesitation, I all but tackled him to the ground, kissing him passionately as he managed to stand me back up without hurting either of us. "Is that yes?"

"Fuck yeah, it is." I shouted, as he slid the ring on my finger. "God, I love you!" I smiled, looking back up to him and pulling him in for another kiss. "Thank you...."

He kissed my forehead as Sam entered the room, holding his phone - he had taken pictures from the next room, silently - and surprisingly, he was smiling as Castiel came around the corner with a bouquet of flowers.

"For you," Castiel smiled, passing them to me. "For our condolences, and congratulations...."

I smiled, tears filled my eyes as I frowned down at the flowers.

"Sierra would have loved these..." I smiled, inhaling the beautiful scent of the Lilies. "...let's go say goodbye."

*

The hushed whispers of the gathered crowd were the only sounds in the small, well kept graveyard as the casket was slowly being lowered into the ground.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, given I had cried every day since she passed and all the way here from Bobby's house. That familiar pinch of pain kept threatening to rise as I took in the details on the casket, the flowers, the preacher - who didn't even know Sierra or our family, some friends of hers from high school and from the diner.

I tightened my grip as I held Dean's hand and found my knuckles almost fading to a white color, as I watched them begin to fill in the hole. The Preacher's soft words about eternal peace and being in a better place faded from my ears as all that kept echoing through my head, therefore overpowering the preacher's words were the sounds of Sierra's laughter.

Flashes of them playing as children, going to high school together, fighting over pants and makeup and boys, even fighting monsters, demons, vampires, werewolves, and saving each other's asses constantly.

I felt someone take my other hand, and I knew it was Sam, while Bobby sniffled behind me to ensure I didn't buckle.

After a bit, Sam let go of my hand and moved to the Impala as did Bobby, but Dean didn't leave my side, nor did he let go of my hand, if anything he just adjusted himself so that his arms were wrapped around my shoulders, holding me tightly.

My eyes traced over the fresh grave as the funeral home people bidded their condolences and goodbyes, leaving Dean and I there. I studied the soil, the balled up pieces of mud and grass mixed together, the untouched grass that surrounded the disturbed ground.

The memories of my sister and I brought both comfort and ache as the realization of her absences struck me, hard, and I just allowed the tears to fall in silence as Dean attempted to dab them away as much as he could.

After ten more minutes of silent crying, I turned and buried my face in his chest as he slowly started walking me back towards the Impala.

I knew things were going to change.

I knew things were going to be different.

I just didn't realize I'd be losing someone while gaining another.

Colt will never know his Aunt the way we all did.

But I wouldn't have to worry is the thought that came to mind as I paused before getting into the Impala and turning back to look at her lonely grave one last time. She would be watching over him, protecting him and who knows - maybe one day - on a Hunt, or a near-death experience, like the rest of us, Colt will come face to face with the raw reality of protection, with his guardian angel, with Sierra.