Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

Summary: WARNING SPOILERS: This takes place right after Lucifer Rises in season 4. This is my take on what happened after the door was opened.

Raven 524: I know this has been done before but decided to go ahead and put my own spin on how Season five should begin. Of course, the boys will be jumping from the frying pan right into the fire—but I promise they will only be slightly singed when I'm through.

When Tomorrow Comes

Chapter 1 – He's Coming

The blinding white light continued to build as the two brothers locked onto each other to ride out the storm. Sam gazed down into the growing hole with a mixture of terror and wonder on his face. Dean shook his head and realized this was definitely not the place to be. He reached over and grabbed his brother's jacket more firmly this time. "I mean it Sammy—we have to go—NOW!"

He pulled and was rewarded with his brother following him. As they moved towards the doorway, the room began to shudder, stones fell and the sound of wood breaking seemed to bring Sam out of his trance for the moment. Dean no longer had to pull his brother along; they were both making a mad dash down the hall, past the dead bodies of Lillith's followers until the door to freedom came into view. Sam slowed down and took a look back, his eyes filled with fear before he once more headed towards the door.

Dean could feel debris raining down on them. "Move it Sammy—this place is coming down!" As they neared the doors, the loud noise and rumbling that had been taking place stopped. Suddenly there was nothing but a deadly silence. As they stumbled through the doorway, they both looked back in wonder. There wasn't a sound, not a cricket or bird could be heard. It was almost as if the world was holding its breath for what was to come.

"Dean?"

"I don't know Sammy—but I say we get while the getting is good…" Dean looked around and saw an orange car sitting to the side. It must have been Ruby's. Grabbing Sam's arm, he dragged his brother towards the car. "Get in…"

Dean opened the door and smiled as he saw the keys in the ignition. He turned and watched Sam take a step back, his face pale. "No—no…" Sam muttered as he started to move away from the car. The older hunter quickly reached forward and grabbed his brother.

"We don't have time for this Sam. You can grieve over Ruby later. Now we have to shake ass or we'll be toast!" Dean manhandled his brother over to the passenger door and quickly shoved him inside. He slammed the passenger door shut and leapt over the hood of the small car before jumping into the driver's seat.

He threw the car into gear and quickly headed towards the main highway. He gazed in the rearview mirror; his eyes growing wide as he felt the earth beneath the car begin to tremble. The little car bucked along the road but managed not to crash as Dean pressed down harder on the gas pedal. He glanced at Sam who sat like a statue in the seat next to him; his eyes were glued straight ahead. The hands holding onto the dashboard were white. Another violent jolt caused Dean to pay attention to the road once more.

Suddenly there was a loud explosion. Dean looked back and shuddered as he saw a cloud of debris heading right for them. "Hold on Sam, this might get rough!" Dean felt the little car quiver as rock and pieces of wood fell around them. It reminded the older hunter of pyroclastic clouds he'd seen one night on the National Geographic Channel. But he was sure this was more powerful than the largest volcanic eruption. As the cloud enveloped the car, Dean had all he could do to see the road in front of them.

He put on the windshield wipers to clear the dust so he could see better. The world around them was now gray, the moon and sky obliterated from view. Dean reached over and placed a hand briefly on Sam's arm. He squeezed lightly before returning his hand to the wheel. At least if this was the end, he and Sam would be together.

Dean drove on, his eyes looking for the black road that meant they'd reached the highway. The air was still deadly quiet, but the road beneath them no longer shook. It seemed like hours but finally he felt the tires hit the paved road of the highway. Not caring which direction he took, Dean turned and gunned the little car forward. He really missed the Impala's powerful engine as the car whined along the road. But then, maybe it was better that his car was safe at Bobby's house. It at least would survive for a little longer…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bobby Singer slammed down the phone. "Damn you Rufus and your stupid theories…" He paced and looked out the same window that Dean Winchester had been looking out of before he disappeared. One minute he thought he might be getting through to the boy and then he was gone. "Damn Angels…" He muttered as he headed back towards his library. He stopped to turn on the television. If something bad was going down, the news channels would pick it up.

He was sure this all had something to do with the apocalypse. He was also sure that his boys were being manipulated by both sides of this thing. As he pulled out a large volume, he began to read. The more he read, the more worried he became. None of the stories had a good ending. He gazed at the television screen and stopped, his eyes going wide when he saw a reported explosion at a convent in Ilchester, Maryland. As he stood and raised the volume his phone rang.

"Yeah, I'm watchin' it Rufus. I know, you idjit, it's probably the last seal being broken and I'm betting those two are right in the middle of it." Bobby listened for a few more minutes as Rufus asked him what the Winchesters were doing in Maryland.

"I don't know if they are, but if Armageddon is starting—those boys will be in the middle of it trying to stop it—even if it meant their lives. So don't you go spreading any rumors or so help me you'll be drinkin' your booze through a straw." Bobby slammed the phone shut and looked at the pictures of the convent.

It looked like an atomic bomb had gone off. The building had been leveled and even the trees had been flattened. The report was saying it was probably some kind of natural gas explosion caused by an earthquake that had registered in the area. Since the convent was empty, there had been no casualties. Bobby breathed a sigh of relief but wouldn't rest until he managed to talk to the boys. At least he hoped they were together, if not—he didn't want to think about it.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean's hands curled around the steering wheel as they continued to barrel down the highway. He had no idea how long he'd been driving or where they were going to end up. All he knew was he had to get away from the convent—from Lucifer. Damn Zachariah and his grand plans for getting rid of Lucifer. Down deep, he had to believe that there was still some way to avoid the coming war, to save the people who would be caught in the cross fire of the Angel and Demon pissing contest. He didn't care about them—Angels had turned out to be just as corrupt as Demons and proved to be just as trustworthy.

For a moment he wondered what had happened to Chuck and Cas. What he'd give to be able to read one of Chucks books to see how this all ended. But then, they'd already changed destiny hadn't they? Chuck said he wasn't part of the story but here he was running with his brother in tow. He may not have been part of the tale, but he was certainly in it now. He gazed over at his too quiet brother. "Sammy?" He tried to get his brother's attention, but Sam continued to stare straight ahead. His hands were no longer digging into the dashboard but rested loosely at his sides. It was almost as if his brother had checked out.

Dean sighed. "Don't worry Sammy, we'll figure this out. No way I'm gonna let a little Angel on Demon action separate us. Do you hear me Sam, we will do this together."

"Why?" Sam croaked, his eyes turning to meet Dean's for a brief moment before sliding away again.

"Why what Sam?" Dean was thrilled his brother was at least responding. It meant he was still in there somewhere.

His little brother swallowed and looked down at his hands. "Why did you come back?"

There it was the elephant on the table. Dean wanted to find a place where they could have a long talk, but now wasn't the time. They had to get someplace safe. So he decided to give his brother the best answer he could. "Because we're brothers Sam and nothing will ever change that."

Sam didn't respond at first but after a few more minutes of silence he bit his lower lip before speaking so soft Dean had to strain to hear. "Dean—ah—do you think we could stop—we're in a wooded area and—well—we have to—I mean I have to—she should be given a proper burial."

Dean slowly pulled over to the side of the road before he turned to look at Sam. His brother was shaking, his head down so that his bangs covered his eyes. "Who Sam?"

"Cindy—she said—Cindy McCellan, wife of Matthew—Oh God—what have I done!" Sam dropped his head into his hands as silent sobs lifted his shoulders. Dean was at a loss. He figured this Cindy was somehow involved with what happened back at the convent.

"Where is she Sam?" Dean finally asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"She's—she's in the trunk—I tried, I really tried to save her Dean—but Ruby—ah God, why did I listen to her?" Sam gulped in air before he continued. "Ruby said we needed her to—to give me the final boost." Sam turned and looked at Dean, hazel eyes full of despair and guilt glimmered with unshed tears. "She's dead because of me Dean…"

Dean sucked in a breath before he slowly exited the car. He opened the trunk and looked inside. A young woman in nurses' scrubs was curled inside. Her wrist was slit but otherwise she looked as if she were sleeping. He hung his head for moment before he moved towards the passenger door. He opened the door and leaned in. "She was possessed." Dean said matter of factly. "Just tell me you sent the demon inside her back to hell…"

Sam looked down at the floor and sighed softly. "I didn't take that much blood from her Dean. I mean, she should have survived. But when I finally killed the demon—she, she just died. The looks on her face Dean while I drank—Oh God—she looked at me like—like I was some kind of…" Sam stopped talking as if he couldn't find the words to continue.

The older hunter wiped his hand over his face as he processed what his brother was telling him. He knew down deep that the host usually didn't survive, especially with the stronger demons inhabiting them. It wasn't fair, but in a way it was probably better this way. At least they wouldn't have someone turning them in to the cops. Although, with Angels and Demons on their back, maybe the police would be a better alternative. A soft sob brought Dean back to the matter at hand. His brother was falling apart in front of him and he had to try to fix it.

"Sammy" Dean leaned in again and pulled his brother's face over so that he could see his eyes. "She was probably dead before you bled her. I'm not going to say what you did was okay because we both know it wasn't. But you didn't kill her—the demon did." Dean watched as Sam looked up at him, something he hadn't seen in a long time reflected in his eyes—belief. It was the look his brother had always given to him when he was hurting, the look that said he knew Dean could fix it and make it better.

"Come on Sam, the sooner we get her taken care of—the sooner we can find some place to rest for the night. In the morning, we'll figure out what to do…" Dean watched as Sam uncurled himself from the small car. Any other time, he would have laughed at the sight of his huge brother getting out of the toy car. But now wasn't the time or place.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It took the boys over an hour to find an area where they could burn the body. Luckily, Sam had left his bag with some of their supplies in the back seat of the car. After they salted and burned the body, Sam stumbled off into the bushes. A short time later Dean heard the sounds of his brother getting sick; he waited a few moments before going in after his brother to help him. Finally, he managed to get Sam back to the car and they were once more on the road.

Neither one of them said anything as they put more distance between them and the night's events. Suddenly Dean's phone rang. He reached into his pocket and saw Bobby's name on the display. "Oh crap, I should have called him…" Dean winced as he answered the phone.

"Dean, what the hell happened?" Bobby's voice sounded over the phone.

"ah, well funny you should say that…" Dean paused as he looked at Sam. His brother was looking down at the floor, his shoulders hunched as if he was trying to disappear. Small tremors were visible even in the dim light of the car.

"Don't mess around with me boy—is Sam with you?" Bobby asked impatiently.

"Yes, but Bobby—I was too late…" Dean said softly into the phone. He could hear the quick inhaled breath of his brother. "Lucifer is free…"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam listened to the one sided conversation Dean was having with Bobby. He knew Dean had to tell their friend what happened but part of him had wished he could hide from what he'd done. As he pulled away from the shame he felt over what he'd done his mind flew back to the convent.

"You saved us—you set him free…" Ruby's voice echoed in his mind. The rapture on her face as she looked at the widening hole in the floor was painful to see. He shivered as he remembered those last moments—the time he discovered he'd been duped by the demon he had come to trust.

"What did I do?" Sam's voice pleaded.

"You opened the door and now—he's free at last…" Ruby shouted with glee.

"No—no—Lillith—I stopped her—I killed her…" Sam pleaded with the demon as she continued to gloat.

"And it is written, the first demon shall be the last seal…"

There was no excuse, Sam had been wrong and Dean had been right all along. He should have known better, he was raised to be a hunter. Both his father and Dean had told him the dangers of dealing with demons, even Bobby had warned him. But he knew better, he had all the answers and in the end he chose the demon over his brother. He watched as Dean continued to talk to Bobby, but he couldn't hear the words because his mind was shouting his own damnation.

"You've turned yourself into a freak—a monster…" Lillith's taunts caused him to suck in his breath. She'd known all along what needed to happened. In fact, she had practically told him that night at the hotel. He should have sensed it then, but he'd been so blind, so full of anger and a thirst for revenge. Even Chuck tried to warn him when he told him drinking the demon blood was wrong. The man didn't even know his books were real, and even he could see the destructive path Sam was spiraling down.

The demon blood, the source of his great powers—the means to stop the rising of Lucifer turned out to be the key instead. Sam closed his eyes as he realized he'd become exactly what he had fought so hard against—a monster.

"The blood—you poisoned me!" Sam glared at the demon in front of him.

"No, it wasn't the blood. It was you and your choices. I just gave you the options and you chose the right path every time." Ruby took Sam's face in her hands. "You didn't need the feather to fly, you had it in you the whole time Dumbo…"

The whole time he didn't need the demon blood. He'd changed himself into a freak, into something his brother would have to kill. When all this time he'd had the power to do it on his own; his abilities were a part of him long before Ruby was on the scene. If he'd only listened, done more research—taken the time to think about what he was doing. Instead he took the easy way, the sure way to get what he wanted. He'd convinced himself that the ends justified the means. All he did was give control to the demon—he became her puppet and danced while she pulled the strings.

"Why—why me?" Sam whispered as he gazed out into the dark night.

"Because—because it had to be you Sammy. It always had to be you…" Ruby's voice whispered back.

Dean had been picked by the Angels to stop the apocalypse while Sam had been picked by the son of Satan to release the ultimate evil into the world. As he let his head drop to his chest he couldn't help but feel that the wrong person died in the nursery so many years ago. Gordon was right, he should have been killed because now he was no better than the filthy things they hunted—in fact he was worse.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean glanced at Sam as he tried to finish his discussion with Bobby. He could literally see his brother pulling inward. A single tear ran down his brother's face as his lips moved silently. "Look Bobby, we're going to find a place to stop and then I'll call you…"

"You need to head back here Dean until we figure out what is going on. If Cas is still around, he'll look for you here. Besides I've added some additional protections so that neither Angels nor Demons can get in here." Bobby's voice sounded worried.

"We're at least three days out from you Bobby but we'll head that way as soon as we can. In the meantime, start figuring out how we put this genie back in the bottle would you?" Dean saw a sign on the road indicating they were entering the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. But he didn't see any signs for the nearest town yet.

"Sure, I'll get right on that!" Bobby said sarcastically into the phone. Dean chuckled softly as he imagined the look on his friends face right now.

"Look we just entered some sort of forest called Pine Barrens. I'll call you when we get to the hotel." Dean knew he had to find someplace soon as both he and Sam needed some down time.

"Pine Barrens—as in New Jersey!" Bobby said urgently into the phone "You idjit get out of there…"

"What's wrong Bobby?" Dean asked as he looked out into the darkness of the forest surrounding him. Suddenly something knocked into the roof of the small car. The wheel jumped in his hand as he tried to juggle the phone and the car at the same time.

"Watch out for the…" Bobby's warning came a moment too late as the car was hit once again, this time Dean couldn't keep the car on the road. As the small vehicle left the road Dean yelled at Sam to hold on before he felt something hit the car a final time. It was just enough to cause the car to flip before it headed for a large pine tree.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled before his world went dark.

TBC

Raven524: So what do you think—should I keep going?