WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND

AN: This is from Season 6 where Castiel wiped Lisa's mind, and she and Ben don't remember Dean. Seeing Dean wiping his eyes when he left the hospital was heartbreaking.

Sam did not miss the fact that Dean was wiping his eyes when he exited the hospital. He had, wisely, not questioned Dean on what he had seen. But he knew it hadn't been good.

They got a few miles down the road before Dean said anything. "Lisa is going to be fine."

"But?" Sam asked, looking at his brother.

"That felt like a 'but'?"

"What aren't you telling me?" Sam asked.

Dean looked at Sam and sighed. "Castiel made her better. In return she had to…lose some memories."

Sam just looked at Dean.

"She…Ben asked me who I was when I walked into the room." Dean said, staring straight ahead at the road. "I just…I lied. I said it had been in a car accident, and I was the one who hit her. And I had just stopped by to make sure she was okay."

"Dean…I'm so…." Sam said. "Maybe if you asked Cass to…."

Dean shook his head. "No Sam …just…no…."

They rode on in silence for a moment.

"Dean…."

"No Sam, she's better off this way. She…she and Ben deserve a normal life. That could never happen with me around. It's…it's just not possible."

Sam shook his head. "Maybe Cass could reverse this, at least give her her memories of you back."

Dean shook his head. "That was the tradeoff, Sam. I agreed to it. There's nothing anybody can say, or do, that's going to make this better." He hurriedly wiped away a stray tear.

THE END