Ash to Ash
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Even if Sam had no time to spare if he wanted to get Dean out of his deal…but Andy didn't deserve to rot there.
Disclaimer; Don't own them.
"We have to go back," Sam said softly.
"What? Where?"
"Cold Oak…We need to go back," Sam said.
Dean nearly drove off the road and hit a fucking tree. He smacked on the brakes so hard that he could smell the rubber. He said a soft sorry to his baby and turned to his brother. His brother was staring out the window with an unreadable look.
Once an upon, he could read his brother like a book. That was once an upon ago…now, it was like reading Romeo and Juliet. It was unreadable and unbreakable. A word burned out of his throat. He didn't want to say it out loud.
"Why?"
"Andy…he didn't deserve to just rot there. He deserves some sort of peace. I own him that much."
He had an idea what his brother owe from Andy.
Sam told him the story of course with the other "special" children. It sucked for Andy and Lily. He didn't meet Lily but he can by his brother's description. She was just scared and angry girl. Andy…He liked Andy. He remembered his brother's phone call to his maybe girlfriend.
He could hear her cries and screams from a few feet away. It wasn't fair.
"There isn't enough salt in the world to cleanse that place," He said softly
"I don't need to burn it all down…even if I wanted too. No, just one place."
His hands tightened around the wheel. He could feel the bile rise from his throat. He didn't want to go back to that place. He could feel the memory after memory rose from his mind. It was still too fresh and too new. Hell, it gave him nightmares.
"…You don't have to go back there. I can do it myself."
"Hell, no, Sammy. Just…no…If you are going…I am going. There are no solo trips especially there."
"Okay then."
"Okay…lets go then."
He wished that it was just okay. It was just a regular hunt. But it wasn't that.
It wasn't okay.
-SPNSPN-
Cold Oak was the same….just like the day he died.
It was cold and wet. Water puddles still covered the ground. Sam could smell the rotting of wood. He could hear the scream of the wind against the trees…or perhaps, it was screams of ghosts of the past and present. He wasn't quite sure. The sun wasn't quite bright. The air wasn't quite clean.
This place wasn't quite right.
Sometimes, he wondered if he didn't come back right either.
His skin felt tight…uncomfortable. His muscles were unresponsive.
He didn't tell Dean that.
He could feel his brother on his heels. It gave him a sense of comfort. If he doesn't get out of Dean's deal, he wouldn't have that comfort anymore.
So, he didn't think about it at this moment. He would press on. He knew later that he would have his nose pressed in a book somewhere.
To find something…anything. His footsteps stopped at a familiar house. He stared at it for a moment. The first impression was so strong. Maybe, he knew then…maybe, he just knew.
"Sam…?" Dean said from behind him.
"This is where we met."
"Doing a trip down memory lane?"
"Maybe…it just has me wondering."
"What?"
"If I killed them first…would that have stopped the yellow eyed demon?"
The silence between them answered his question.
-SPNSPN-
When they reached the spot, Sam commented that no one touched the body. He was kind of surprised that they haven't been attacked by any ghosts. Hell, he didn't want to jinx themselves. That would be their luck. He just focused on the now. He stared at Andy. According to Sam, he was the same spot that he died. The cold weather seemed to preserve him. The smell wasn't quite as bad and rot hasn't set in much. He looked down at Andy's chest and the horrify expression still etched into his face.
Poor bastard.
Sam kneed down and started wrapping Andy's body. He started to kneed down as well to help.
"No…I got it."
His hands froze by his side. He watched his brother wrapped Andy in a large grey blanket. He just wished that Sam's face would show something…anything or better yet…say what is on his mind.
Hell, he would do a chick flick moment if he gave him some insight into his brother's head.
His brother's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Help me."
He leaned over and picked up Andy's wrapped feet and Sam at his shoulders. On the count of three, they picked him up and set him on the table.
"So…are we going do it here?" He asked.
"No…I know where. I remembered passing on my way to the old general store to get the salt," Sam said.
It took them about an hour to set him up in an old library…or someone who once own a lot of books. They buried the place in lighter fluid and salt.
Then they watched the place burn.
Still wished that they could burn the whole place down.
-SPNSPN-
Sam watched as the fire danced off the burning wood.
"He had faith in me to get him out of there. We talked about what we are going to do when we got out of there. He talked about swearing off weed and I laughed. He asked me…I told him about you and your damn pie. He made a comment about pie would be a good idea and he would possible steal a piece. I…I failed him," He said softly.
"You tried…the odds weren't in your favor. You tried to save them…more than anyone else could ask you to do," Dean said.
"I still failed."
"…You can't save them all, Sam."
He watched the ash dance into the air.
Maybe, not…but he wasn't going to fail to save the life he most valued.
He wasn't.
End
A/N: Another fic that has been sitting on my hard drive for many years. Yay for finishing it. Read and review if you wish.