Inspired by Woodland59's, "The Road less traveled" on AO3 (Archive of our own). After reading her fantastic ( 2 chapters at the moment) story I was very inspired to write my own take on the idea of Sam going back to demon blood. And I just love DarkSam so much! And I'm a big Samifer shipper! And it's kind of rare to find a good story where there's a loving Lucifer and a Sam who will actually love the devil back. But I Hope you like and if you haven't please read hers! And just to reiterate - this is inspired by Woodland59's story, some parts may look identical but I promise it will be different.

~Blood and Grace~

By: Bella4evr3

Chapter One

No. Dean couldn't have? He'd said "yes" to Michael. To the son of a bitch who had promised to exterminate humankind.

After Dean gave the killing blow to Lucifer. His eyes focused on the limp form of Nick. The second vessel who was able to hold the archangel besides him. Lucifer's 'one true vessel'.

Torture.

Agony.

Love.

Flashes of the cage. The hallucinations. And his very recent resurrection from death. He closed his eyes and opened them once more - the Devil himself had been defeated. Still the memories would linger.

Dean. It was too much to keep a sore sob from escaping his lips. Michael was strong. Stronger than Lucifer. Stronger than…Dean. He needed to find some way to help his brother. But what?

A movement beside him reminded Sam he wasn't alone. Jack fell on his knees beside Sam. Jack had protected him from Lucifer. He was beat up and blood was still oozing out from a major wound. Sam's eyes widened and instantly knelt next Jack.

His son.

Castiel, if you can hear me please come! Jack needs healing. I don't want to lose him too!

Sam prayed and in an instant Castiel appeared. Acting quickly Cas moved and set his hand on top of Jack's wound. Castiel radiated light too bright for Sam's eyes, closing them only for a blink of a moment before Sam opened them once again.

Jack had been healed. His heart however didn't do an upbeat. Dean took precedence, his attention, and determination. Sam already concluded Dean would be hard to reach. He remembered what it was like to be possessed by an archangel. It was like he was held in deep water unable to force his way out, it felt like a million and a million more caresses of comfort and warmth - the feeling of being completely whole; yet overall, it felt like being dead. It felt like many years in the cage and many more when he'd said "yes" to Lucifer. Everything about his life - the friends he had made, the teachers who've teached him in school, to the random strangers (demons) who've kept eyes on him his whole life, Azazel's gang - everything he did no matter the decisions he made had led him to Lucifer.

Sam said "No" many times to Satan. The Devil's only response was torture. But deep within Sam he still loved him and it made his broken heart ache more. The only archangel that had been strong enough to battle against Michael was no more. Although it made his mind flip. Remembering he still had one more secret up his sleeve that Michael knew not.

His powers.

He was able to predict deaths, to move stuff with his mind, and he had been quite successful on pulling out demons from their hosts, who have remained alive and unharmed, and sending their demonic asses back to Hell. He was even able to kill, even. He was Lucifer's vessel, no matter how he kept on denying that part of himself, he was more alike with Lucifer then the hunter wanted to admit. Could he pull an angel out like he could demons? He needed to test the theory. But how?

A touch on his shoulder popped his mind out of his thoughts - to see Mary, Bobby, Castiel, Rowena, and Jack staring at him. He hadn't moved from Lucifer's vessel Nick. "Sam." He heard his mom. Mary walked over to him. "Sam. We will figure out a way to get Dean back. I promise. But we need to leave."

Sam got up. His mind reeling from the sudden realization that he could get Dean back in one piece. That flicker of hope was what made him stand and follow after his mom and the others. His thoughts should of been focused on Jack and Mary and everyone else - but he couldn't forget Dean.

His heart turned an upbeat even if he had to abandon his family once more he would do it.

It was all for Dean.

Sam returned to the men of letters bunker. The bunker whom Dean had dubbed, "home" for the both of them when their grandfather had time travelled and fought with all his might to defeat Abaddon, a Knight of Hell. Leaving them his most prized possession - a key to a magical land mine. The bunker.

Everyone seemed to split apart. Mary and Bobby.

Rowena by herself flipping through pages of the Book of the Damned. And Castiel has steered Jack to talk to him. Sam went to his room.

Once there and closing the door. He was allowed to think once more. If he gathered up some demon blood how could he make it possible to gank out an angel and even an archangel to boot? Grace? An Angel's Grace was their source of life and power. He flashed back to when he realized Gabriel was alive. How tortured and pained the trickster angel had been fairing. Asmodeus, the fourth Prince of Hell, had locked Gabriel up and made him his own energy drink - consuming Gabriel's grace one slurp at a time. He couldn't vision himself stealing and ending an angel's life force to see if his plan could work.

Then that led Sam to think of something else. To find the source of an Angel's Grace. If he could remake it he wouldn't have to kill an angel. But he didn't have the time to do it. He intertwined his hands in his hair - there has to be something he remembered that could help him. Something a memory of some kind?

"Night Sam. Honey, I know that Dean is still here. We will get him back. We have to believe that there is hope." Mary's voice peaks through Sam's door. Mary was right.

Dean was still alive.

There was hope.

Repeating circles of his thoughts wouldn't help the hunter figure out what he should do. The easiest way to unlock memories was to sleep. Within sleep it became easier to relax the body and to let the mind wander. And that was what Sam did. And by early morning, before the sun had its chance to rise in the sky. Sam had left without a good-bye.

Intending on putting his idea to test. Thereby being one step closer to rescuing his brother.