Author's Chapter Notes:

What happened after Sam broke the seal and let Lucy out to play? And where do we go from here?

Some brother moments and a little bit of light heartedness.

My take. Enjoy

Well it left us hanging didn't it? Lucy was on the rise and the brother's were at the sharp end as usually. But at least they were together and Ruby bought the big one!

Wrote this at work, it was a quiet night! Can't write for my multi chapters there though 'cos I loose track to easily.

Band of Brothers

The light was blinding, covering them in it's almost ethereal glow. Dean instinctively pulled his brother down and to him, covering him, shielding him from harm. He could smell it, the scent of sulphur, ash and the unforgettable stench of rotten, burning flesh and for a heartbeat he was back.

It was the smell of the pit.

Except this time he hadn't fallen down into it, this time Hell was rising up to meet him.

The bright light cleared and he sat up, trying to wipe the smell from his nose and letting his eyes adjust slowly to the little light that there now was; a short exhale of breath escaping him as the devastation around him was revealed. Hot air and ash billowed from the opening in the floor mere inches from where their feet lay and Dean pushed back, trying to get some distance between them and the edge of the abyss.

It went dark then, as a shadow rose in front of them, spreading slowly out to cover the room that they cowered in.

"It's him, Dean. He's coming…….he's coming…….he's coming." Repeating the words like a chant Sam rocked in his brother's arms, the tremble in his voice clear. Looking up Sam gripped Dean's sleeve. "I did this Dean, I didn't listen, I thought I was helping…..I did this."

Dean shook his brother hard, gripping his arms in a way the he knew must hurt. "Look at me." Sam flicked his eyes up to Dean's own. "We did this…..and we can stop it, but we need to get out of here Sam…..we need to get out of here right now."

"My fault." Sam was staring past his brother again at the gaping chasm in the floor. The chasm that Lillith's blood had opened. The blood that he had spilled.

"Sam!" Dean grabbed his brother's jacket collar and yanked him to his feet, pushing him towards what was left of the door. "Let's bitch about whose fault it was later, for now let's get the……"…….he stopped himself using THAT word……. "……heck out of here!"

"Win-chest-er." It was nothing more than a gentle whisper on the breeze.

The voice and the word halted them in the doorway. Dean turned. He could feel the presence in the air all around them, heavy and oppressive.

And it was coming for them.

"Move!" He shoved Sam through the door and into the passageway as he felt the weight land on him, a huge invisible pressure slamming him into the wall and starting to force the life from him.

A chuckle sounded.

"Do you think that you can stop me? You're what they're pinning their hopes on?" The voice was a low menacing growl.

"Dean!" Sam was swimming in front of him as he fought for the air that was being pushed from his lungs.

"S….m." He tried to concentrate on his brother's face, tried not to let the darkness on the outside seep inside him, but he was failing.

"You leave him alone you sonuvabitch!" Sam screamed at everything and yet nothing in particular and raised his hands in front of himself, hoping that what little power he had left inside would be enough to shelter them. The pressure eased slightly, changed as it seemed to pull back and consider him. The shape formed in front of him, a gathering of air as opposed to any actual corporeal form.

"It was you?" Something brushed his face and he let out a little cry of shock. "You were the one……chosen."

"Leave us alone!" Sam tried to push back harder. The sudden light burned into his retinas, blinding him temporarily and causing him to raise his hand in front of his face. A hand gripped him and he tried to fight it off.

"Sam." His brother. Dean was beside him now. The hold was his. "It's Cas."

Blinking to clear his vision Sam looked into the faces of the angel and Chuck.

"We need to go, I cannot hold him for long and the others are on their way. We cannot fight them all." Sam felt the feathers brushed his face lightly and he knew that the angel had enfolded them all in his wings. There was a rushing sensation in his head and then he heard a voice that sounded so good that he thought he would cry.

"I think you boys'll need to redefine your version of raising a little hell!"

Bobby.

They were at Bobby's. He didn't know how that could possibly equated to safe in his head, especially now, at the start of the apocalypse, he only knew it did.

"I figured you boys would come calling at some point." He threw the hex bags at the angel, Chuck and the two Winchesters and spoke to Sam as he threw his at him. "See, your hell bitch was useful for somethin' after all."

Dean dropped the bag into his pocket. "Yeah she was, but don't worry, I thanked her good and proper for all her help, just like my daddy taught me too."

"Hope you were polite?" They grinned at one another.

"Killed her dead with my charm." Dean waved Ruby's bloody knife at Bobby.

"Now that's what I like to hear. Should always treat a lady how she deserves."

Dean brought Sam over to the couch, sat him down and started to examine his brother's cuts and bruises trying not to think that some of them where made by his own hand. "You alright? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

Sam laughed at the concern in his brother's eyes. Concern that he never thought that he would see again. "I'm fine." Monster. He looked at Dean just to make sure that his brother's voice was only in his head.

"What?" Dean was staring at him.

"Nothing." Sam wiped both hands across his face. "So what do we do now?"

"What do we do now? We're gonna get our asses handed to us, that's what's gonna happen now!" Bobby smiled at Dean and resisted the urge to step back as the older Winchester death glared him. "What?! Isn't that what always happens?"

"Cute. What was that? Motivation 101, Singer style?" Dean walked over to Chuck. "So I got a plan." Bobby groaned and Dean shot him a look causing the elder hunter to shrug his shoulders almost apologetically. Dean carried on. "Zachariah told me that it was still me that was going to stop Lucifer, so…..", he picked up Bobby's best bottle of whisky from the bookcase behind Chuck's head, "….we are going to get Chuck here drunk and he's gonna tell us how I go about doing that."

Chuck looked horrified. "I don't know, I'm mean you guys just brought on the apocalypse. I kind of had other plans for my last days on Earth other than waking up with a blinding headache. I've got over twenty thousand dollars worth of fun lined up and waiting on me, so if you don't mind." He tried to side step Dean but couldn't, so he tried bribery. "We could share the girls? Half to you, half to me?"

Dean looked almost swayed, but only for a moment. "Chuck? You wrote me, you know that I don't have to pay…..not ever." Dean raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Worth a try." the prophet raised his hands in an 'I had to ask' gesture.

"Remember what I told you about the gun and what I'd do if you didn't help me?" Tilting his head, Dean moved his hand to the back of his jeans.

"You're meaner in real life." Chuck grabbed a glass, filled it to the top with the whisky and downed it in one fluid motion.

Dean tried not to look impressed. He turned to the others and clapped his hands together. "Ok. So we get Chuck plastered and then he tells me how I save the world."

Sam and Cas exchanged looks and Bobby rolled his eyes. "That's your plan?" He walked over to the cabinet and grabbed another four glasses.

"I think we'll all have t' be drunk for that one."

Both boys laughed and reached for their glasses, which Bobby filled. Cas just shook his head but Bobby thrust the glass at him. "It ain't polite to refuse a drink in my house. Beside you could do with loosing up a little."

"A drunken angel, now this I gotta see." Dean lent over and whispered the words in his brother's ear causing Sam to laugh. They missed the little smile Bobby aimed their way.

Taking their glasses they moved into a circle, Cas joining them with a quizzical look on his face.

"Slainte Mohr!" Bobby made the toast and chuckled at the blank faces around him. "It's a Scottish Gaelic toast means…….here's to life."

"Then why didn't you just say that then?" Dean rolled his eyes at the older hunter.

"Because just like you, I love being a smart ass!" Bobby smiled sweetly at Dean.

"To kicking Lucifer's ass back into Hell." They all turned to stare open-mouthed at the angel who was now standing with his own glass raised. "What?"

"You've been hanging around him too long." Bobby jerked a thumb at an offended looking Dean and touched Cas on the shoulder. "But that is one toast that I will definitely drink to."

"Kicking ass!" Dean said the toast as they joined glasses and downed their drinks all hoping that somehow, between them, they'd manage to do just that.

Chapter End Notes:

Slainte Mohr is prenounced Slan-jay-veh is a good old Scottish phrase - means Here's to life, All the best, cheers, that sort of thing.

Kicking ass is of course a little nod to Kim, the finale was good but I think it missed his touch a little.

I might take this one on later but at the moment it'll stay a one shot 'cos I have too much on the go already.

Thanks for reading, Mary x