Title: The Field
AUTHOR: Obi the Kid
Rating: PG
SUMMARY: Sam recalls his last clear memories before diving into Hell.
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Sam and Dean Winchester and the world of Supernatural do not belong to me, nor do I make any profit from this story. I'm just here to have fun.
"Another nightmare." Dean said as Sam came awake and moved to the edge of his bed. It wasn't a question.
"The field."
"Ah." Grimacing, Dean knew those were the last clear memories Sam's mind held of the past year and a half. Dean remembered the field all too well. "You okay? Need to talk about it?"
Sam sucked in the deepest of deep breaths and pushed it out loudly. "I…he…was beating you to death. You were seconds from…I tried to...and then…I felt him about to put you down, and then…" There was a short pause, long enough only for Sam to utter a disbelieving huffed laugh before he continued. "And then…in the back of the Impala…that stupid plastic army man…"
"Been there since you were five."
"Only because you would never let me touch it, even after you rebuilt the Impala. You stuffed that thing right back in the ashtray in the exact same position."
"We spent our childhood in that car, Sam. It was…still is, the only home we've ever had. Dad always thought it was important to keep her running and part of the family. I guess I just never realized - never completely understood how important…until the field."
There was another deep breath as Sam considered his brother's words. After several stagnant minutes, he said, "I felt Lucifer hurting you. I tried, Dean, to regain control. I put every ounce of everything into it, but I couldn't stop him. Your face…another few punches and…but no. You kept talking, as you tend to do, annoying him with your insistence that you could still save me. You know he slammed you down harder each time you tried to break through to me. If you hadn't been so damned stubborn and come to that field with the Impala and that stupid plastic army man and started rambling on trying to comfort me…everything would have ended there. You. Me. The world. All of it."
Dean shrugged and blinked slowly. "I wasn't going to let you die alone, Sammy."
For another few minutes Sam remained silent, thinking back on his last seconds before falling – diving - into the pit. His last thought was for Dean. His last sight was of Dean. Then he fell and it all went black.
When Sam finally spoke again, there was moisture in his eyes. "Thanks for that. For being there when I fell."
"You'd have done the same for me."
"Yeah."
"That was the nightmare then, your memories of the field?"
"I felt him snap Bobby's neck. Explode Cas into nothing. I remember it all with such clarity. But I remember your face and your insistence that you could save me, Dean. But you were half dead…and…your face was…I…I couldn't do a damn thing about it."
"Except grab control of the Devil and selfishly toss yourself into Hell taking him with you and saving the entire planet. That's just a little thing though."
Sam sighed at his brother. "You know what I mean."
"Sam, that's in the past. We – you - took that bastard down. He messed with the Winchesters. He should have known better."
"We took him down."
"That'll look good on our resume, ya think?" A wink and another smile, and Dean walked over to where Sam was on the edge of the bed and sat down next to him.
Sam leaned a shoulder heavily into his brother's and grinned a short laugh.
"Yeah, I think it will, Dean."
Dean leaned into the touch and they sat in companionable silence for a long quiet moment.
Eventually, they broke the contact and Dean stood.
"You ready to move out? I think I found us a job in Ohio."
Sam didn't stand, but he grabbed eye contact with Dean and replied with a bit of uncertainty, "Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm ready now."
Picking up on the emotion of his little brother, Dean tried to put the memories away. "The field was our battleground, Sammy. You remember it when you have to, but see past it when you can. Lucifer is locked away. It's just you and me again, as it should be. Well…you, me…and that stupid plastic army man."
This time, Sam snorted an honest to goodness laugh as he stood, grabbed his backpack, tossed in his belongings and followed his brother out the door.
The end.