DPOV

I remembered pain, torture, unspeakable horrors. Then I was awake...

Breathing heavily, I felt around until my hand landed on a lighter. Flicking it on, I used the flame to look around, finding myself in a tight, wooden box. A coffin. I was in coffin, in the ground, in my body. My real, completely alive and intact body.

"Help!" I tried to yell out, but my voice was too hoarse. I tried again. "Help! Help!" Lifting my fist, I pounded on the wood above my head.

Dirt rained down on my face, but I continued to pound on the wood. Pushing, hitting and doing everything I could until the wood broke and I could work on getting myself out of there.

Digging through the dirt, pulling myself up and out until I felt warmth on my hand. I didn't stop until I broke the surface.

Squinting against the bright light, taking a deep and needed breath, I grunted as I finished crawling out of the grave and on to the dry grassy ground.

Rolling onto my back I gave myself a moment to catch my breath before I got moving again. I couldn't waste time, I needed to figure out what was happening to me. Where I was. Why I was here, alive.

As I looked around I found myself in a field, a circle of dead trees laying on the ground around where I'd been buried, as if they'd been blasted by something powerful.

What the...?

...

I'd made it to a seemingly abandoned gas station. Reaching the door, I knocked on it and waited. "Hello?"

When there was no response, I pulled my shirt from my waist- the long sleeve, button up, green one which had been over my black top- wrapped it around my hand, and smashed the glass of the door with my fist.

Heading inside, I quickly grabbed some water from one of the fridges and began to drink, finishing it quickly. As I lowered the bottle from my lips, I noticed a newspaper that sat close by, seeing that the date was Thursday, September 18th.

I frowned. "'September'."

...

In the bathroom of the gas station, I washed my face as I tried to ignore the flashing memories in my mind. But there was one memory I couldn't ignore. The memory of how I died.

The Hellhounds had ripped me to shreds. Yet as I lifted my shirt, I found no scars or marks even hinting at what I'd been through.

A tingling sensation pulled my attention away from my chest and towards my left shoulder. Lowering my top, I reached for my sleeve, pulling it up to reveal a large, raw, red, scarred hand print brand.

What is going on?

...

With a plastic bag in hand, I grabbed food, and water, shoving it all in the bag. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to get to Sam, or Bobby, or Liz. So I would need all the supplies I could get.

Moving around the shelves, I spotted a magazine. Busty Asian Beauties. Smirking, I lifted the magazine and began to flick through it quickly before stuffing it in with the rest of my supplies.

Heading over to the counter, I set the bag down and opened the register to take all the money. As I looted the register, the TV to my left flicked on, though the screen only showed static.

Cautiously, I reached over to turn the TV off, hoping that it had just been something wrong with the wiring. The radio turned on the moment the TV turned off. I stepped closer to turn that off as well, but as I did the TV flicked back on.

Not wasting a moment, I hurried towards another shelf where I grabbed a carton of salt. Opening it, I moved to a window and began to pour, working as quickly as I could.

But before long, a high-pitched noise began to ring, distracting me. I tried to ignore it but the louder it got the more it began to hurt.

Groaning, I clutched my ear, hoping to block to sound out as I continued to try and pour a line of salt. But it was hopeless. The noise got louder and more painful, eventually I had to let the salt go and clutch both of my ears as I fell to the ground in pain.

The window above my head shattered as the sound kept ringing. I got to my feet as quickly as I could, moving for the door, needing to get out of there. More glass smashed, causing me to drop to the floor again, and cover my ears and face to protect myself.

A second later, the noise suddenly stopped.

Groaning, I pulled myself up and stepped to the window, looking around to see if what had just done all of that was outside. But there was nothing. I was alone.

...

In the phone booth, I put in some money and pressed in Sam's number, only to be met by an automated voice telling me the number had been disconnected. When I entered Liz's number she didn't pick up and I was left with her voice mail- though, I didn't leave a message because I wasn't exactly sure what to say.

That left Bobby.

Putting in more money, I dialled his number and let it ring as I waited. Lucky for me, it rang twice before there was an answer.

"Yeah?"

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"It's me."

"Who's 'me'?"

"Dean."

The dial tone followed me. He'd hung up.

Sighing, I hung up as well and dialled again.

"Who is this?"

"Bobby, listen to me-"

"This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya." With that, he hung up.

I knew better than to test him. If he was going to believe me then I needed to show him in person.

Looking around, I spotted an old, beat-up white car parked outside. My mood lifted as I left the phone booth and walked over to the car, thankful I knew how to hot-wire because there was no way I was walking all the way to Bobby's.

...

I pounded my fist on the door in front of me. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Bobby as he stood in his hallway, looking at me suspiciously.

Me on the other hand, I was a little out of breath, slightly apprehensive and completely aware of the fact that I was risking my life showing up like this when I was supposed to be dead. Bobby was a well-trained hunter that knew about a dozen things that could make themselves look like me.

Still, I smiled. "Surprise."

"I- I don't-"

"Yeah, me neither." I nodded, carefully stepping into the house. "But here I am."

I saw him move first.

Bobby pulled a knife out from behind me and lunged forward, slashing out at me. I grabbed his arm and twisted it around, trying to make Bobby let go of the knife. He fought against my grip, pulling himself away from me before backhanding me in the face.

I stumbled back into his office, recovering as quickly as I could. "Bobby! It's me!"

"My ass!" His grip on the knife was tight and ready.

I shoved a chair between us, holding my hands out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father." I hoped that would convince him. "Bobby. It's me."

He lowered the knife and stepped forward slowly, pulling the chair away. Cautiously, I lifted his free hand and rested it on my shoulder. I honestly thought I'd gotten to him, that he understood and believed.

But once again, he lifted the knife and slashed out at me.

I grabbed him again, this time getting his arm behind his back so I could take the knife away from him. "I am not a shapeshifter!" I insisted, back us up into the kitchen.

"Then you're a Revenant!"

I shoved him away and held out the knife in front of me. "Alright. If I was either, could I do this, with a silver knife?" Rolling up my sleeve, I grimaced as I used the knife to slice my forearm causing a line of blood to appear.

Bobby's eyes went wide. "Dean?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

He reached forward suddenly, only this time it was to pull me in for a tight hug. I hugged him back, finally taking a breath and relaxing. He believed me.

"It's..." He pulled away. "It's good to see you, boy."

"Yeah, you too."

"But... how did you bust out?"

"I don't know." I shook my head and turned away for a moment, putting the knife down on the dining table. "I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine bo-" As I looked back at Bobby I was cut off by the holy water he threw at my face. Looking away, I spat some of the water out. "I'm not a demon either, you know."

He shrugged. "Sorry. Can't be too careful." Reaching over, he grabbed a towel for me to wipe my face before he started for the office. "But... that don't make a lick of sense."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir."

Standing behind his desk, he turned to face me, shaking his head. "Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit-"

I cut him off, nodding, knowing where he was going. "I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it." As he sat, I went on, "Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not..."

"Oh, he's alive," he assured me. "As far as I know."

"Good... wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?"

Bobby shook his head, sighing. "I haven't talked to him for months. Lizzie doesn't stick around much either."

"You're kidding, you just let them go off by themselves?"

"No." He looked up at me. "I didn't let Sam do anything. He was dead set on it. And as for Lizzie... well, she comes and goes like she used to. Meets up with Sam a lot. Hunts on her own. Either way, I got no control over what those two do. I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For Sam, Lizzie or me. We had to bury you."

"Why did you bury me, anyway?"

"I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. Lizzie... she wasn't really in the right mind set to know what she wanted. But... Sam wouldn't have it."

"Well, I'm glad he won that one."

"He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said."

Suddenly I was suspicious. "What do you mean?"

"He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found. At least by anyone other than Lizzie. She always knows where he is. Won't tell anyone though."

"Oh, damnit, Sammy." I sighed, shaking my head.

"What?"

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off. And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this." I pulled the sleeve of my top up, showing him the branded hand print on my arm.

Bobby stood and leaned forward to get a better look at it. "What in the hell?"

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out."

"But why?"

"To hold up their end of the bargain."

"You think Sam made a deal."

"It's what I would have done," I noted. "We gotta find him. You know where Liz is? If she knows I'm back maybe she'll help us."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I know where she is." Walking around his desk, he started for the front door. "Follow me."

...

Walking through the yard of broken down cars, following the sound of an ACDC song playing. Walking around the corner I paused in my tracks at the sight before me. I'd almost forgotten how breath-taking Liz had been.

She was leaning into the hood of her dark cherry red 1969 Chevy Camaro. Red leather jacket hanging over the open door, white tee dirty from all the work, torn dark jeans, black worn boots, her long golden wavy hair falling around her. Body as beautiful as ever. Long legs, curves in all the right places…

"Wow..."

She paused, having heard me. Slowly she turned, her grip on the wrench in her hand tightening as she looked me up and down, glaring, her mind working through all the things I might be and all the ways she could kill those types of monsters.

"Lizzie, it's really Dean," Bobby assured her, seeing her getting ready to attack.

She didn't look away from me, her gaze never softening as she spoke. "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Just like that, she dropped the wrench as a smile broke out on her face. Running towards me, I didn't have much time to react before she jumped and wrapped me up into a hug, her thighs around my waist and her arms around my neck.

It took a moment, but after a second or two I recovered, wrapping my arms around her to return the hug.

She smelt amazing. Felt amazing. She was all the memories I'd tried to hold on to and so much more. Nothing compared to the real thing, and now that I had her back I was never letting her go again.

EPOV

"Yeah, I know where Sam is. But I mean... I don't know exactly where he is." I stood in Bobby's office with him and Dean, explaining why I wasn't much help. "He asked for a little space. Said he needed to do somethings and that he'd call me when he's done."

"Well, he's done," Dean sighed.

I frowned at him, confused. "What are you talking about?" When he gave me a pointed look, I understood what he meant. "You think Sam brought you back?"

He shrugged. "Only thing that makes sense."

"No." I shook my head. "Sam... if he was planning on bringing you back he would have included me in his plans. We promised each other."

Turning my gaze to the floor I remembered the moment the two of us agreed that despite the fact Dean was gone, we would still stay in contact and hunt together. Things were hard and sometimes both of us had needed to go our separate ways. But we always went back to each other. He was my best friend, I couldn't lose him like we'd lost Dean.

In the four months he'd been gone, my whole life had turned upside down. Losing Dean had nearly killed me. For the first month or two I fell into a deep depression. Sam and I went around offering any demon anything they wanted in the hopes they'd bring Dean back. None of them did.

Once we figured out no one was going to help us, Sam and I dived into hunting. I spent a lot of that time on my own when I wasn't with Sam. Bobby hated it when I was by myself, but I couldn't let myself get close to anyone. I couldn't watch anyone else die. So I shut myself out.

But that was just for the first couple of months or so. Things changed after that...

Dean sighed. "Liz, please. Just tell us the town and we'll figure out the rest."

"Fine." I took a deep breath, knowing how they were going to react to what I said next, "Sam's in Pontiac, Illinois."

Bobby's eyes went wide as he looked up at Dean. "Right near where you were planted."

"Right where I popped up. Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?" Pulling out his phone, Dean shook his head as he punched in a number. "Yeah, hi, I have a cell phone account with you guys, and uh, I lost my phone. I was wondering if you could turn the GPS on for me." He nodded. "Yeah. Name's Wedge Antilles. Social is 2-4-7-4." There was a slight pause before he nodded again. "Thank you."

Bobby watched him as Dean hung up and moved to sit in front of the compute on the desk. "How'd you know he'd use that name?"

Dean scoffed. "You kiddin' me? What don't I know about that kid?" As he opened up the website to get the details of Sam's location, he looked at the various bottles on the desk and around the room. "Hey, Bobby? What's the deal with the liquor store? What, are your parents out of town or something?"

Bobby looked to me with guilt and understanding in his eyes as he answered. "Like I said. Last few months ain't been all that easy."

Truth is, yeah most of the bottles were Bobby's. But in the first few months I'd emptied my fair share. I'd decided all my problems could be fixed by getting to the bottom of every drink I had.

DPOV

Reaching the door of room 207, I lifted my fist to knock on the wood as Liz and Bobby stood with me, waiting. Liz was leaning on the frame, looking a little anxious. It was odd. I was so used to her being confident and ready for action. Seeing her like this, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something.

The door opened, revealing a hot, young brunette dressed in only a tank top and underwear.

She looked to the three of us expectantly. "So, where is it?"

I looked to Bobby and Liz confused, before turning back to the woman. "Where's what?"

"The pizza," she answered as if it were obvious. "That takes three people to deliver?"

Checking the number on the door again, my confusion grew. "I think we got the wrong room."

"Hey, is-"

From behind the girl, Sam walked into the room and out of the bathroom. He came to a stop at the sight of the four of us at the door. But it was me that held his attention.

A small smile grew on my lips as I looked to my little brother, having never felt this happy in my life. "Heya, Sammy."

He didn't say anything or move as I stepped into the room. The hot chick moved aside so I could get in further, getting closer to Sam. When I was a step or two away from him, he finally reacted- though not the way I'd been hoping.

Pulling out a knife, he lunged at me.

The girl screamed as he pushed me against the wall. I struggled and fought against him, trying to keep the knife from getting to me. Liz and Bobby acted fast, grabbing and pulling Sam away from me.

"Who are you?!" Sam yelled at me, struggling against Bobby and Liz.

"Like you didn't do this?!"

"Do what?!"

"It's him," Bobby assured him. "It's him. I've been through this already, it's really him."

Sam stared at me, slowly and eventually calming down. "What...?"

Being careful and cautious, I moved closer to him. "I know. I look fantastic, huh?"

Seeing that Sam was no longer ready to kill me, Bobby and Liz let him go. Once he was free, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug that we held for a few extra seconds. We both needed this, to feel that the other was alive and well.

Pulling away, Sam looked to me with tears in his eyes, relieved.

"So, are you two like... together?"

Sam frowned as he looked to the hot chick, remembering that she was in the room. "What? No." He grinned lightly as I gave her a confused and offended look. "No. He's my brother."

"Uh... got it. I... I guess. Look, I should probably go." She gestured to the door.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Sorry."

EPOV

You have no idea how hard it was not to say anything. I was not an idiot. Sam and I had hunted many times together over the last four months. I saw him at least once every week. I knew what was happening in his life.

Just like I knew that the girl he was escorting to the door right now, the hot chick with dark brown curls, she was not just some random chick he'd picked up. No. I knew exactly who and what she was.

Ruby.

But something told me Sam wouldn't want Dean to know, not just yet. So I was willing to keep quiet. Just like I knew Sam was going to do the same for me. We both had a few secrets these days.

Now dressed in a white button-down shirt, Sam opened the door to let Ruby out, the two of them pretending like they didn't know each other.

Once out of the room, she turned to him with a sweet look in her eyes. "So, call me."

"Yeah." He didn't sound too convincing, which was the point. "Yeah, sure thing, Kathy."

Her face fell in disappointment. "Kristy."

"Right."

Looking hurt and rejected, she turned and left a moment before Sam closed the door and came to join us by the couch.

Dean stood close to where Sam sat, looking down at his brother disapprovingly and suspiciously. "So tell me, what'd it cost?"

Sam chuckled. "The girl? I don't pay, Dean."

Dean wasn't laughing. "That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?"

Just like that, Sam understood what Dean was saying. "You think I made a deal?"

"That's exactly what we think," Bobby answered.

"I just wanna point out that I don't think this," I gestured to Dean, "was your doing."

"She's right." Sam nodded. "I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie to me," Dean said it so simply and straight forward, but there were emotions behind his words, and an underlining warning.

"I'm not lying," Sam insisted.

Pushing off the wall, Dean stepped up to Sam. "So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch boy? I didn't want to be saved like this."

Getting just as frustrated and upset as his brother, Sam stood. "Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?"

Dean suddenly grabbed the front of Sam's shirt. "There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!"

Pushing Dean away, Sam snapped. "I tried everything! That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So, I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

Seeing the look in his brother's eyes, Dean realised that Sam really was telling the truth, and that he felt so guilty about it all. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologise, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong," Bobby chimed in. "I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question."

Dean nodded. "If he didn't pull me out, then what did?"

SPOV

I handed Bobby, Dean and Lizzie a beer each. Bobby and Lizzie were sitting on the couch, while Dean sat on the coffee table facing my chair which I moved to sit on.

"So, what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" Dean asked, cracking his beer open.

"Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback," I answered honestly, with a shrug.

There was no point in lying to Dean. But at the same time, there was no way I was telling him everything. Looking over at Lizzie briefly, I trusted she would do the same. The two of us had secrets now, and there was no way Dean- or even Bobby- was ready to hear them.

"All by yourself." Bobby didn't sound very happy. "Who do you think you are, your old man?"

Lizzie turned to him. "Bobby, Sam's just as capable as I am, and I go out on my own all the time as well."

"Yeah, well, I don't like that either," Bobby mumbled, taking a drink of his beer.

Dean frowned as he noticed something and got up to check it out.

Ignoring my brother, I kept my attention on the old man. "I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up."

"Oh yeah," Dean spoke up, turning to show us the pink bra he'd just found on the floor of my room. "I really feel your pain."

I scoffed lightly. "Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here."

"When?" Dean asked, taking a seat next to me.

"Yesterday morning."

"When I busted out."

Bobby looked to Dean. "You think these demons are here 'cause of you?"

"But why?" I frowned.

"Well, I don't know... some badass demon drags me out and now this?" Dean shook his head. "It's gotta be connected somehow."

"How you feelin', anyway?" Bobby asked, watching him carefully.

Dean shrugged. "I'm a little hungry."

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?"

"Or demonic?" Dean finished for him. "Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned." Bobby had a point.

"Well, I feel fine," Dean insisted.

Changing the subject, I spoke up. "Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help."

"I know a psychic," Bobby suggested. "A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking."

"We're going." Lizzie stood up, leaving no room for discussion.

"Okay then." Bobby got to his feet as well, gesturing to the door. "I'll be right back"

As he moved to leave, Dean got up as well, him and Lizzie stepping around the follow Bobby. Lizzie left, but before Dean could get far, I stopped him.

"Hey, wait." Standing, I reached into my shirt. "You probably want this back." Pulling out the necklace I was wearing, I showed Dean that it was the necklace I'd given to him years ago.

He looked down at it as I placed it in the palm of his hand. "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it." I shrugged, watching as he put it on. "Hey Dean, what was it like?"

"What, Hell?" He looked up at me. "I don't know, I- I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing."

"Well, thank God for that."

"Yeah."

DPOV

"She's about four hours down the Interstate." Bobby told us as he led us down some stairs to the parking lot before moving to his car. "Try to keep up."

I gave him a simple nod as Sam, Liz and I moved further down the lot.

"I assume you'll want to drive." Sam pulled keys out of his pocket and tossed them at me.

I caught them effortlessly, chuckling. "Oh, I almost forgot!" As we reached Baby, I ran my hand over her lovingly. "Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?"

Getting into the driver's seat, I was just about to settle in when I spotted something plugged into the stereo. Pausing, I gave it a look as Sam and Liz got in the car- Sam next to me and Liz in the back.

"What the hell is that?" I glared at my brother.

"That's an iPod jack."

"You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up."

"Dean, I thought it was my car."

I sneered and sighed, turning the ignition on. As the car roared to life Vision by Jason Manns began to play. Rolling my eyes, I glared at Sam again. "Really?"

He just shrugged as Liz chuckled lightly. Reaching forward, I ripped the iPod out of the jack and tossed it in the back seat before I drove off, reminding myself to never leave my Baby with Sam again.

EPOV

Sitting in the back of the Impala, feeling her vibrate under me as she roared, looking out the window at the starry night sky, turning to the brothers in the front seat. I felt good. I felt amazing. You have no idea how good I felt, how happy I was. My life was finally looking bright. I had friends, family, Dean. Everything was falling into place.

"There's still one thing that's bothering me," Dean spoke up.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, the night that I bit it. Or... got bit." Dean chuckled at his own joke. "How'd the two of you make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you both."

"Well, she tried," Sam admitted. "She couldn't."

His answer had Dean frowning. "What do you mean, she couldn't?"

Sam shrugged. "She fired this, like, burning light at us, and... didn't leave a scratch. Like we were immune or something."

"Immune?"

"Mm-hmm," I chimed in. "You should have seen her face."

"Yeah." Sam grinned lightly. "I don't know who was more surprised, her or us. She left pretty fast after that."

"Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?"

"Dead. For now," Sam lied.

There was a moment of hesitation before Dean spoke again. "So, you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?" he asked, looking to his brother and then to me briefly.

"No," another lie from Sam, but I wasn't going to say a thing.

"You sure about that?" Dean pressed. "Well, I mean, now that you've got... immunity, whatever the hell that is... just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on."

"Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish."

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way." Dean gave a short nod before looking to me through the rear-view mirror. "What about you? You still moving things with your mind?"

"Yes." I shrugged. "But that shouldn't be a surprise. I used it before."

The look on his face told me he didn't approve. I knew he wouldn't. But that didn't mean I was going to stop.

Bamby