Title: After the Danger
Summary: After all they'd been through, all the dangers, in the end, he couldn't protect him…
Disclaimer: I own a Winchester shotgun, but I don't own the Winchester boys (I can only hope Santa thinks I've been good this year… :D )
Author's Note: This is an idea that came to me while reading through one-shot fanfiction… it was written at 3.30am, so please forgive any mistakes you might find!
The rain fell heavily; thunder cracked overhead, lightning raced across the sky. Somehow, it seemed fitting, yet he still wished it was sunny, bright… during the day…. Sammy was the bright one, not him.
Dean still stood in front of the headstone, long after the other's had left. Cassie had been the last to go, letting a hand trail down his arm in a last attempt to coax him away from the cemetery. He couldn't leave. Not now. It would be deserting him again… and above all, it should have been him. Three people were gone because of him…. Jess… Sammy's girl, Sammy's love… if he hadn't waltzed back into his baby brother's life, Sammy would have been there to protect his girl.
His father… it still tore him to pieces to think about his father's sacrifice. Now Sammy was gone too.
The lightning flashed, briefly lighting up the fresh soil, the dark shadow of the man standing vigil at the foot of the grave, staring at the headstone. Samuel Winchester. Courage, strength, love. He didn't put a date, didn't want to remember how short his brother's life had been… Cassie had tried to change his mind, but eventually gave up, saying something about 'damned stubborn men'.
The thunder boomed across the cemetery, following the lightning. Dean sighed, and looked towards the heavens. The rain fell steadily, half-blinding him, but he didn't care. Another flash of lightning, and for a moment, he wished it had struck him. But then came the guilt of that thought… he'd promised Sammy he'd stay alive.
Two weeks earlier
"Dean? Dean, are you there?" Sam asked, looking up from the hospital bed. Dean, half-asleep in the uncomfortable hospital chair, became alert straight away, sitting up to the edge of the bed, leaning over his brother.
"Hey Sammy, I'm here. Don't worry, I'm here…" the words sounded flat, even to his ears. Sam nodded, and closed his eyes briefly. "Do you want me to get you something? Are you hurting again? What do you need, Sammy, I'll get it for you, I promise…."
Sam laughed, a hollow sound, but a laugh all the same. "What I need is for you to stop calling me 'Sammy'." Dean forced a laugh; what else could he do? Sam was slipping away, right in front of his eyes, and he was helpless. "Dean…" Sam started, before a coughing fit cut him off, "Dean, I'm dying, aren't I?"
Dean shook his head, and grabbed his brother's hand. "No, don't say stuff like that… you're gonna be fine; you'll outlive me – but, really, that's easy enough considering the circumstances…I'm always landing myself somewhere I shouldn't be!"
Sam looked away. He'd seen his brother's eyes, the lost helpless look Dean got when he felt he wasn't living up to his promise… the promise to take care of Sam. "Don't lie to me… I know what's happening… well, not the technicalities, but the basic picture… do you know what it is?"
Dean nodded, but couldn't meet Sam's eyes. "They're… they're saying-" Sam cut his brother off, "Don't tell me what it is, Dean. I don't want to know. It's not… it's not from our line of work…"
Dead hid a smile… his brother was always cautious about talking about the Supernatural….
"I'm glad you're my brother, Dean. Just… just promise me something…?" He trailed off, struggling to find the words. Dean broke the silence, "Anything… You know I'd do anything for you, Sammy…."
"Promise me you'll stay alive… after I'm gone… you were pretty bad, after Dad… I know what you'll be like after me…." Sam finished with a wry grin; he just wished Dean would look at him.
It took a minute for the words to sink in, and Dean snapped his head up. "Don't talk like that Sammy! You'll get through this; you always had better luck than anyone else I knew!"
Sam laughed, "All I want is your promise, Dean. If I come out ok, then it'll hold until the time comes…." Dean looked away again, and Sam gripped his brother's hand, hard. "Promise me, brother. Please."
Dean looked back at his brother, and nodded, "I promise."
Sam smiled, and it wasn't forced. "This wasn't your fault, bro… I love you." His grip faltered, before becoming completely limp. His eyes closed, and the monitor flat-lined. Dean jumped up, hitting the nurse's buzzer, calling for help.
They brought him back… but he didn't wake up. It took a week and a half before anyone could convince Dean that his brother was gone.
The lightning flashed again, intertwined with the thunder, and Dean felt the tears running silently down his cheeks, warm in contrast to the cold rain. Why? he wondered, why couldn't I save him this time?
Another flash, and there was a figure beside him, half shadow, half mist. Dean looked, and saw straight through him. It spoke, but the words were in his head, clear and concise. It wasn't your place to save him, Dean. It was his natural time… you protected him where you could. There is no shame in that.
Dean shook his head; the voice was his father's, but the face was… different. Softer, almost.
"Is… are you all… together?" he asked softly. His father, or whatever it was, nodded. Yes… in a way… it's not a physical thing, you understand?
Dean shook his head, "I still promised you I'd look after him… I'd protect him…" The figure nodded, You did. This was not something you could save him from. You protected him far better than I ever did… but you have someone else to protect. Cassie still waits for you; she's in the car park, asleep at the wheel of your car….
The thunder crashed again. Dean glanced towards the car park, as a bolt of lightning lit up the surrounding area. The black Impala still sat where he'd left it parked, and he could faintly see a figure slumped over the steering wheel, as he'd been told. He turned back to the figure, but it was gone.
He took a breath, and looked back at the grave. "Goodbye, Sammy. I'll miss you… I love you, bro."
He turned and walked away, going straight to the Impala, tears burning his eyes with every step. He opened the driver's side door, waking Cassie. She looked up at him, before silently stepping out and pulling Dean into a tight embrace. In the rain, he held her, and cried.
He glanced at the grave, and swore he saw Sammy once more, leaning on the headstone. Dean smiled, gently, and held Cassie to him tightly. The end of chapter… but not the end of a legacy… there was still one Winchester, and while he lived, the fight would continue. If only for Sammy's sake.
A/N: It's my first attempt with Supernatural fanfiction, so please be gentle with me! And see that little button that says review… it's not hard to move the mouse that little bit further LOL… reviews would be appreciated!