A/N: So this is possibly - probably - already done, but... I just watched Dark Side of the Moon and I need to cheer myself up somehow^^ If there's one thing I want to see returned in season 7 (apart from all the other things I'd love to see season 7) it's Dean's necklace, because it is practically the symbol of Sam and Dean.

Merci to my beta PleaseBelive who hasn't actually watched the episode (yes, that will be rectified soonest possible)

Disclaimer: *unintelligble mumbling* noIdon' *cough, cough*

What is left of faith

"You're losing faith, in yourself, in your brother."

Joshua looked truly apologetic, his words made worse by his saddened honesty.

"Just another deadbeat dad…"

Dean was taking it stoically, but Sam was his brother. Hell, he wasn't a moron, although he doubted even a moron would buy Dean's pretence.

"You son of a bitch… I… believed…"

Dean turned to Castiel. He had his back turned, but Dean knew Castiel's face was a mirror to his own. But somehow, somehow there had still been hope, because Castiel was the one angel that had always known, followed God. The last blow to a crippling round of mental punches and kicks was awarded as the angel lost his faith.

"Here, take this. It's worthless."

Sam was sort of hoping that Dean would get angry. Yell a bit. Be the usual Dean and then turn to him like his big brother, brave a twisted, broken smile and tell him they'd figure out a way. He didn't.

"We'll find another way; we can still stop all this, Dean."

"How?"

"I don't know, but we'll find it, Dean. We'll find it"

Dean stood, seeming to contemplate what Sam was trying to tell him, but Castiel's words, Joshua, his own voice, in his head, knew that he didn't believe. He had been spending these months trying to regain his relationship with his brother, when he suddenly realized: He didn't trust him. Sam would say yes and Dean would end his days having his neck broken by a smiling Sam, no, Lucifer, but not Sam. And this would be a few minutes after having sacrificed the last remnants of anything and anyone he cared for. He knew these events would occur, not by trying to shoot the devil with the colt. Dean already knew that didn't work, but something would lead him right there.

Dean didn't answer, but walked to the bed, grabbed his bag and moved towards the door. Sam didn't understand until Dean let his hand hover over the bin, his fingers loosely holding onto the string. Sam felt memories of that Christmas resurface and breathed sharply – something painful in his chest catching his breath. For five seconds Sam still hoped, but then Dean dropped it and it clanged to the bottom, echoing hollowly. Dean opened the door and left, not turning to look at his brother.

Sam knew that Dean was no longer the same brother. The one that had rescued him before he could even remember, had played pranks, made him dinner, tucked him in at night, come to get him at Stanford and… Given him his favourite Christmas ever, although, granted, it had been accompanied by some lousy presents. Sam let out a shaky breath, gazing at the place where his broken brother had disappeared.

If there was one thing that Sam would not be, it was like his brother. Sam had different tastes, made different mistakes and, above all, had no cause to doubt that his brother would make the right choices. To Sam, Dean always had made the right choice, with the exception of the deal, although, even that was for Sam, mostly. Dean had never run away from what was most important to him.

Dean had lost faith in him, but, then again, this was not the best time to rebuild trust. Sam would not let him down again and, hopefully Dean would… well, trust him?

Sam walked to the bin and gazed inside. The necklace was the only thing occupying the murky interior. Strange, how that object, tiny, insignificant looking to anyone that didn't know its importance… how it could signify so much. Just thinking about everything it was made Sam's head ache, and that was not including "God radar."

Sam bent down and grasped the necklace. He picked it up and tucked it into his pocket, secure, knowing what this meant to him, personally, and knowing what it could still mean for Dean.

There would come a day.

Maybe Christmas.

RETURN OF THE NECKLACE, am I right?^^