THE STORY OF SAM WINCHESTER-POST SEASON 5- This is my first ever fic, I was going to write a multi-chapter story but I thought it might be too much for a first attempt. I've decided to write a series of one shots instead, off course that depends on whether anyone is interested in reading my story about Sam. So please review and be honest.

AND SO IT BEGINS

Sam Winchester didn't know what day it was. He'd been stood outside the Braeden residence for an unknown length of time watching his brother's face through the dinning room window. It felt like an eternity since he's seen Dean, but Dean's sad face tells him he's still grieving so Sam couldnt be sure how long its really been. When Dean went to hell 4 months passed for Sam topside, 40 years passed for Dean in the pit. He didn't even want to think about how long he was down there in Lucifer's cage having every kind of torture known to man/demon/angel and then some, inflicted upon him. He knew why Dean broke now, he never blamed him but now he understood why. Sam didn't break while he was down there, he was never given the option. Lucifer didn't torture his soul endlessly so that Sam would break, pick up the knife/whip/axe or any other tool he could inflict maximum pain with, and break a seal. For one thing Sam was not a righteous man, for another Lucifer was only interested in exacting his revenge on Sam for screwing with his plans and lastly Michael had informed him that the seals couldn't be re-broken until order had been restored. Apparently hell was a mess and heaven wasn't fearing much better. Sam remembered Michael's smug face well Adam's face actually, when he's let that one slip. Dean was right angels were dicks.

A breeze whipped through his hair bringing him back to the present and the image of his brother now laughing with Lisa's son Ben. They looked every bit the picture perfect family sitting around the dinner table, eating, talking, tossing bread rolls at each other. Dean finally had a home. SEE SAMMY DEAN'S MOVED ON, HE'S HAPPY. HE'S HAPPY WITHOUT YOU. HE CAN FINALLY HAVE THE LIFE HE'S ALWAYS WANTED WITHOUT YOU TO DRAG HIM DOWN. Sam froze as Adam's voice, distorted by Michael's cold, smugness filled his head. While Lucifer had been into the physical torture, Michael preferred the good old physiological kind. One particular favourite pass time Michael enjoyed was beaming images of the life Dean would have had if Sam had never been born. Their parents were alive and happy, living in Lawrence with Dean just a few blocks away, happily married with two kids and another on the way. John and Dean co-owned the family business, WINCHESTER & SON AUTO REPAIRS. Mary was a nurse and still as beautiful as she was in every picture Sam had ever seen of her, or the time he's encountered her spirit in their old house in Lawrence, even the distorted and warped version he's thought up in the panic room. Dean had been loved and happy and Sam had been non existent. He wanted that for Dean, he wanted Dean to have a home and a family and if he walked up to that door and announced his return he knew, he knew, Dean would pack his bags and hit the road with him again, leaving all his dreams behind. They'd go back to hunting and living out of the Impala and Dean would continue to pretend he was OK with it but Sam would know the truth. WALK AWAY SAMMY, HE DOESN'T NEED OR WANT YOU. JUST WALK AWAY. That time the voice sounded like his own but Sam couldn't be sure, he seemed to be hearing voices in his head a lot lately. He closed his eyes, ignoring the images that plagued his memories and took a calming breath. It was now or never, either march over there and tell Dean he was back and let Dean ruin his life or walk away and let his brother stay safe and happy.

"I've been looking for you, Sam Winchester" Sam startled at the familiar voice, eyes popping open and head swinging round only to come face to face, literally with Castiel. He reeled back a few steps almost tripping over his own feet. "Jeez Cas, don't do that!" he berated the friendly angel, who the last time he'd known had been blown to smithereens by Lucifer's hand, by his own hand. "Do what?" the angel gave him his patented confused look. "Never mind" Sam shook his head, regaining his composure and waited for the angel to continue. "Why are you standing out here?" "Why are you?" Sam countered. Cas looked past him to the window where Dean was now helping Lisa to clear the table, while Ben threw a baseball up in the air before catching it in a brown baseball mitt. The angel sighed and turned back to meet Sam's eyes. "God has work for you". "Why am I not surprised?" and really he wasn't, he figured there would be a catch to his sudden resurrection. "You were freed from Lucifer's cage by an unknown power and we don't know why", that surprised Sam. " No angel has the power to open the cage, if they did there would have been no need for the demons to break the seals. Lucifer had enough followers in heaven. We need you to find out who released you and why". "You think there's a new player in town?" Sam wondered who would want to release him from the cage, why would anyone want to release him? As far as he knew Sam Winchester wasn't very high on anyone's list of soul's worthy of being saved. No human could have done it, and other than Dean no human would want to. Demon's despised him, he's put Lucifer back in his cage and ruined their little apocalyptic party. Besides no demon he knew of had that kind of power, not even Crowley 'King Of Crossroads' would be powerful enough to make a deal to spring him. The angels thought him an abomination, even Cas had used that one on Sam, so that was a no go. "Someone or something very powerful freed you from the cage, no seals were broken and neither Lucifer or Michael were released. You need to find out who or what did and why as soon as possible. Are you going to inform Dean of your return?" Sam blinked at the sudden subject change. "He would want to know you are out and no longer suffering in hell for all eternity" Well when you put it like that… Sam looked back at the house and now darkened window. He needed to tell Dean he was back but the uncertainty of how and why had him doubting it would be a good idea. What if he lead danger right to the doorstep? What if who or whatever had freed him was waiting in the wings for him to lead it right to Dean, kill two birds with one stone? YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A CURSE SAMMY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET DEAN AND HIS FAMILY KILLED. He swallowed ignoring the slight blur of his vision. "He seems happy, he should be happy. If I go over there and tell him that I'm back he'll…" , "Leave his new life and return to the hunt? Yes he most likely will". "I cant be the reason he gives up his life again, I wont Cas" he swiped at the tears making their way down his cheeks. The angel looked at him with sadness, sympathy and resignation. "It's not your choice to make Sam, he needs to know. If Dean chooses to leave them to return to the hunt with you then it'll be his choice, you wont be responsible for his happiness or unhappiness". "I don't want him to be unhappy because he's with me and not them!" Castiel peered in to the eyes of the man in front of him and it broke his heart to see how lost and broken the soul behind them really was. While a part of him wanted to ease the young mans pain and have him reunited with his brother another part of him, the one that had come to understand the love between the Winchester brothers was resigned to the fact that neither brother could go on living the way they had. Dean had an out, he was lucky, and Cas didn't want to be any part of sucking Dean back into the gruelling, torturous existence that seemed par for the course for a Winchester. The cycle had to end here. "I understand Sam, I don't agree with leaving him in the dark about your return but you have work to do and until you know the truth of your re-appearance maybe it would be for the best to leave Dean here where he is safe". Sam nodded, wiping his eyes and giving the angel a thankful smile. "So what now, where do I start?" " We Sam, where do we start?" He gave Sam a smile, the youngest Winchester had become his friend in the short time he's known him and Castiel had no intention of leaving Sam to a life of inevitable danger and loneliness. He planned on helping Sam with his mission as much as he could, after all he still had the mess that was heaven to deal with.