"This is the stupidest idea on planet earth." Miranda states.
"I know." Sam says.
"And you're going along with it? Just because it's Dean?" Miranda questions.
"I just-- there is a monster there." Sam says.
"So? Let Deacon fucking handle it. You stay here." Miranda says.
"Baby, I-- I have to go." Sam says.
"Yeah. Besides who doesn't wanna date an ex-convict?" Dean chuckles.
"Shut up, Dean." They both tell him.
"Look, we will be out as soon as we can. And I will be back here and you can scold and bug me all you want." Sam says.
"Why can't we figure something else out?" Miranda asks.
"Because we don't have time. And you know you can't go because it's a guys only prison, Randi." Sam says. "So you will be safe at Bobby's, far away from us and any police."
"If you don't come back--" Miranda warns.
"I will." Sam promises, cupping her face. "I will." He kisses her on the nose.
+++
Sam and Dean are sitting in the cafeteria and have food. Dean is chowing down while Sam stares at his food in disgust. He has his spaghetti on his fork and he sniffs it, grimacing. Honestly, he'd much rather eat any of Miranda's burnt cooking than this.
He frowns a little as he thinks of her, praying that this plan actually works and he can be with her again.
"You know, this chicken isn't half bad." Dean comments.
"Great. Finish mine." Sam pushes his tray away from himself. Dean grabs his chicken. "All right, so let's go back over this, Dean." The two start talking about the case.
+++
Miranda is in the spare room at Bobby's and lying in bed and she looks up when the door opens.
"My little fugitive." Miranda smiles.
Sam groans, walking towards her. He immediately plops onto the bed, lying partly on top of her and he buries his face in the crook of her neck.
"Hi." She strokes his hair. "I missed you, too. You okay? You get hurt?"
"No. No, I-- I'm physically fine. I'm just tired. Dean's a fucking idiot."
"Well, I coulda told you that." Miranda says. "You didn't happen to bring him back, did you?"
"Yes. He's downstairs." Sam says.
"Aw, man." Miranda whines making Sam quietly laugh.
"Hey, you know what?"
"What?"
"I think... that I wouldn't mind if you made literally anything. Even instant ramen, I'm okay with. Even if you burn it." Sam says, pressing gentle kisses to her neck.
"You want me to cook?" Miranda asks.
"Mm-hmm." Sam nods.
"Okay, are-- are you sick?"
"Honestly, anything you burn has got to be better than prison food." Sam says making Miranda giggle.
"Okay, okay. I'll burn some eggs for you in the morning." She laughs.
"Thank you." Sam sighs in relief, kissing her.
"Mm. Did you really have to bring Dean back, though?" She asks.
"Okay, well, don't think about Dean. Don't think about the person you find the most annoying." Sam says. He gently pulls on her ear with his teeth.
"Oh, yeah? What should I focus on?" Miranda asks.
"Me." Sam smiles, dipping his head down to kiss her.
===
Sam and Miranda pull up to Mary's house and get out of the car, Dean sitting on the porch.
"Miranda." Dean tightly hugs the blonde.
"Um... hi." Miranda frowns in confusion. She looks back at Sam who shrugs. "Dude, I-- I can't breathe."
"Oh." Dean lets go of her. "Sammy." He turns to his brother.
"Hey." Sam greets.
"Well, look at you guys. You're with each other. I don't believe it." Dean laughs. The couple share weird looks.
"Yeah." Sam mumbles.
"Where'd you guys come from?" Dean asks.
"We just flew in from... Califor--"
"California! Stanford. Huh? Law school, I bet." Dean says. "And, uh... social worker, right?"
"Yeah." Miranda nods.
"I see you started off mom's birthday with a bang, as usual." Sam says, motioning to the beer in Dean's hand.
"Wait. Mom's birthday, that's-- that's today?" Dean asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, Dean. That's today. That's why we're here. Don't tell me you forgot." Sam says.
===
They're at a nice restaurant and everybody is dressed up as they get their food.
"Wow, that... looks awesome." Dean says, looking at his plate.
"All right. To mom." Sam raises his glass. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." Mary says, everybody clinking their drinks together.
"To mom." Dean says.
"All right. Randi and I actually have another surprise for mom's birthday." Sam says. "Uh... you wanna tell 'em?"
"She's your mom." Miranda quietly says.
"All right." Sam says.
"What? Tell me what?" Mary asks, smiling with anticipation.
Sam holds up Miranda's left hand, showing off her engagement ring. Mary laughs out of happiness.
"Oh, my God! That's so wonderful." Mary grins. She gets up and hugs Miranda.
"Congratulations." Carmen tells them.
"I just wish your dad was here." Mary says.
"Yeah. Me, too." Sam smiles.
"Miranda, let me see that ring." Mary says.
"Congratulations, Sammy." Dean says.
"Thanks." Sam says.
"I'm really glad you're happy." Dean says.
===
They get back to Mary's house, the three women laughing together.
"So, Dean, what was, uh... what was all that back at the restaurant?" Sam asks.
"Uh... I-I thought I saw someone. I'm sure it's nothing." Dean says.
"Well, I had a lovely birthday. Thank you. Goodnight." Mary says.
"Goodnight." Everybody calls out.
"Yeah, well, I'm beat. Ready to turn in?" Sam asks his fiancé.
"Yeah." She nods, grabbing his hand.
"All right. Goodnight, guys." Sam says.
"Night." Carmen tells them.
"Wait a second. Wait a second." Dean stops them. Come on, it's not even 9:00 yet. Let's, uh... let's go have a drink or something." Dean says.
"Yeah, maybe another time." Sam says.
"Come on, man. Look at us, huh? We both have beautiful women on our arms. You're engaged. Let's go celebrate." Dean says.
The four stand around in silence for a few moments.
"Guys, can you excuse us? I just want to talk to my brother for a sec." Sam says.
"Yeah." Miranda nods.
"Thanks." Sam says. Miranda kisses him on the cheek before going to the kitchen with Carmen.
===
Miranda wakes up to noises downstairs and an empty bed. She quietly trudges downstairs, seeing the two brothers in the living room.
"I can't believe we're even related." She hears Sam says.
"Sammy?" She groggily calls.
"Hey. Hey, it's okay. It's just Dean." Sam assures.
"Dean broke into your mom's house?" Miranda questions.
"Yeah. It's fine. Just go back to bed, I'll be there in a bit." Sam promises.
"Okay." She mumbles, going back upstairs.
+++
They saved Dean and a girl from the Djinn and the three are back at the motel.
"Okay. Uh, thank you so much for the update. Okay, bye." Sam hangs up his phone. "That was the hospital. Girl's been stabilized. Good chance she's gonna pull through."
"That's good." Dean says.
"Yeah." Sam says. "How 'bout you? You all right?"
"Yeah, I'm all right." Dean says. "You should have seen it. Our lives. You were such a wussy, Sam."
"So we didn't get along then, huh?" Sam chuckles.
"Nah." Dean answers.
"I thought it was supposed to be this perfect fantasy." Sam says.
"It wasn't. It was just a wish. I wished for mom to live. That mom never died, we never went hunting and you and me just never, uh... you know." Dean says.
"Yeah. Well, I'm glad we do. And I'm glad you dug yourself out, Dean. Most people wouldn't have had the strength, would have just stayed." Sam says.
"Yeah... lucky me. I gotta to tell you, though. You know, you two had your normal lives. Mom was gonna have grandkids."
"Dean... it wasn't real." Sam says.
"I know. But I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay so bad. I mean, ever since dad... all I c-- all I can think about is how much this job's cost us. We've lost so much. We've... sacrificed so much."
"But people are alive because of you. It's worth it, Dean. It is. It's not fair, and... you know, it hurts like hell, but... it's worth it."