A/N: Just another gentle reminder I don't write death fic.

With What Life Remains

Chapter Two

Thou seest thy dying brother

Stabb'd at his heart, and all besmear'd with blood

--Joseph Addison

"SAM!" Dean shouted into the phone, he was answered by silence. "Sam, I'm coming, I'm coming," he said. He flipped the phone closed and called Galen. "Something's happened. I need to find them," he said without preamble when the professor answered the phone.

"What is it?" The older man said, concern coloring his voice.

"Sam called, something's wrong. Do you know where they were going?"

"To Luciano's just outside of town." Galen stopped in horror.

"Which way? How would they go?" Dean was out the door and at the Impala before Galen answered.

"Probably up the highway, it's faster than running along the valley," he said.

"I'm on my way, can you…"

"Yes, I'll call the police."

"Thanks," Dean said breaking the connection and starting the car. He called Sam's phone, no answer. He tried again, no answer. Come on Sammy, come on. He pushed the car, he could hear the engine purring at a higher tone than usual. It was starting to rain in earnest and the road was slick, oily black. How long ago did this happen? How long has Sam been trying to call? The car started climbing up the steep road, winding up the mountain. Dean could just see the top of the cliff soaring over the road.

The bottom of the hill was marked with four crosses, victims of the road. Dean slowed down, looking for skid marks anything that would help him locate his brother. At fifteen miles an hour this is going to take a long time. He drove slowly, keeping his eyes focused on the edge of the road. Nothing. No guard rails showing damage. In fact no guard rails at all, which is just smart.

As the car wound up the road he drove past cross after cross. Another small cluster of them beside the road. College kids, alcohol and mountain roads, always a good mix, if you like bodies. The road was beginning to level off. He had reached the top, there was a parking area on the side of the road, with a trail up to the overlook on top of the cliff. Come on Sammy. Where the hell are you? There were nine crosses carved into the cliff face. That's the most I've seen in one place. He slowed the car, creeping at less than ten miles and hour. "Dean!" He thought he heard his brother. "Sam?" He drove the car another few feet and stopped. Something tells me I need to stop here, I need to find Sam, but I need to stop here.

He pulled the car off the road, into the pullout. There were no skid marks, nothing to mark the scene of an accident, but still that overwhelming urge to stop. Maybe I just know I can see better from the overlook? The tops of the trees touched the edge of the road. There was nothing moving, Dean could hear the buzz of insects and the call of a bird far below him by the river snaking through the valley. He looked over the edge, he couldn't see anything but trees. Ok, up the hill, I can see better from up there. He turned and crossed the highway. There was a steep path that led up to the top of the cliff, to the overlook. He headed up the hill.

There was a 360 view of the countryside from the overlook. Hell on a clear day I could probably see Denmark from here. He looked over the edge, down where the road wrapped around the side of the mountain. Just down from the apex of the road he could see. Oh, no. Skid marks, the remains of a tire and a terrible scar in the landscape, witnessing the violent passage of something plunging off the road. SAM! NO!

He turned and ran down the hill. His phone was ringing, he pulled it out, his heart started racing. "Sam?"

"Dean?" He was coughing. "Susanna…"

"Sam, it's ok, I think I've found you, Sam, I'm coming!" I'll find you Sam, you know that, I will, I promise.

"Susanna's dead."

Oh my god, Sam. How bad is it? SAM! "Sam, how are you?" Dean said, calm, trying to still the voice screaming in his head. I have to get to him, I have to find him. Calm down, you can't do him any good in a blind panic!

"I…not good…you need to…fast, Dean," his brother said.

"I'm coming Sam, just hang on." Panicking a little Sam, trying to stay calm for you, but starting to panic.

"My chest…she…Dean…" Sam trailed off with a moan of pain.

"Sam? You with me? Sam?" Sammy? What's going on? SAM! Ok, panicked. Completely panicked. The line was silent. "Sam, I'll stay on, you just wait for me. You hear me?"

He raced down to the car, got in and started the engine. Faster to run. He got out of the car and started running around the large bend in the road. He could hear sirens now, coming up from town, the plaintive sound bouncing around the valley.

"Sam, I'm still here, I'm coming," he said into the phone. He listened, he thought he could hear something. Oh god, don't let that noise be Sam. He was looking off to the side, down into the black valley below.He was staring down the long gash in the hillside. Oh god, that doesn't look good. He thought he saw the tiniest flash of light blue at the bottom of the hill. Oh, no.

He plunged off the edge, heading down the hill towards that small patch of blue, he tripped and tumbled, ending up against a large rock. He groaned a little. I hope Sam didn't hear that. "I'm coming, Sam," he said into the phone again.

XXX

Sam opened his eyes. The pain was now extreme. The odd pressure in his chest was accompanied by a funny sucking noise. He looked over at Susanna. Her eyes were open, looking at him.

"Susanna? It's ok, Dean is coming," forcing the words out, it was taking more and more to get the sound out.

"S'k, Sam," she smiled a little. Sam slid his hand across the seat and put it over hers. "Thanks." She said softly. "Sorry."

"No, hang on, Dean's coming," he said desperately. She's dying oh, god, she's dying, I can't help her. Dean hurry, please hurry, I don't know what to do. I can't do anything.

"Couldn't stop the car, sorry."

"It's ok, hang on." She's dying, she's dying.

"Thanks for holding my hand," she said, her eyes were starting to glass over. "You're sweet." She smiled again and Sam watched the light go out, watched as she let go and slid away from him. Her last breath sighing out of her into the cold.

No, no. No, don't be dead. No. Please don't be dead. He could feel tears in his eyes. No, not again. Don't be dead. He sobbed a little, it was agony. The pressure in his chest combined with the ache that had started when he watched the life slip from her eyes. Off in the distance, away from his world of unending pain, of misery and grief he thought he heard a familiar and comforting sound. The soft rumble of the Impala. Dean! Dean thank god! Dean! Is that you? It sounded like the car had stopped moving. Dean? He slid his hand away from Susanna's already cooling body. Reaching for the phone where it lay on the seat, he bumped it, it scooted nearly out of reach, he finally got it so he could dial.

"Sam?" Dean's voice, frantic.

"Dean?" It was hard to talk loud enough to carry to the phone, he was coughing again, the blood congealed on his chin, fresh blood welling over. "Susanna…" Dean, she's dead, I couldn't stop it.

"Sam, it's ok, I think I've found you, Sam, I'm coming!" His brother said.

I know you will, Dean, but I don't think you are going to make it in time. That sucking noise can't be good. "Susanna's dead."

There was a small pause on the line, then Dean spoke again. It was his "everything is ok, Sammy, there's no monster in the closet" voice. "Sam, how are you?"

I'm pretty sure I'm going to die soon, Dean. "I…not good…you need to…fast, Dean."

"I'm coming Sam, just hang on," his brother's voice still sounded calm, or at least would have to anyone but Sam. He could hear panic there, fear.

Dean, I'm not in good shape, you need to get to me. I couldn't save her. Dean, I want to say goodbye. He tried to get all out that out. "My chest…she…Dean…" The effort of speaking was finally too much. He could still hear his brother through the phone, but he couldn't muster the strength to speak.

"Sam? You with me? Sam?" Dean said. Sorry, Dean. I can't answer you. It's nice to hear your voice, though. Makes it easier, you know? "Sam, I'll stay on, you just wait for me. You hear me?"

Sam thought he could hear sirens in the distance. Dean? Are you up there? "Sam, I'm still here, I'm coming." Dean's voice came through the phone.

"I'm coming Sam," his brother said again. I'm glad you're there Dean. His eyes had closed. It's nice to know you're there. He heard something that made him worry. Dean? Are you ok? Dean?

"Sam, I'm still here, I'm coming," Dean's voice, shaky, but there, on the other end of the phone. Hurry Dean, I want to….I'll try and wait, but hurry.

XXX

Dean had pulled himself up and was leaning against the rock when he heard the sirens getting close. I need to get to Sam. I have to let them know where I think he is. He looked down the hill, then back up at the road. I have to let them know. He started up the hill, making it to the blacktop just as EMTs tore around the corner. He waved them down, frantically shouting until they stopped.

"I think they're down there, my brother's hurt, I think," he said, hearing the panic in his voice. He was trying to keep his voice level, trying to not let them hear the screaming fear for his brother.

"Thank you, we'll handle it from here, son," one of them said to him.

"But it's my brother's down there," Dean said, panicked, trying to stay focused on getting help to him. Sam, I'm coming. "I have to go, I have to," he said. He pulled away from the hand on his arm and plunged back over the edge of the road, down the steep hill, down where he had seen that flash of a light blue car. He tripped again on the way down. Take it easy, you can't get to him if you kill yourself on the way down.

He kept going, forcing his way through the undergrowth when that looked like a faster way down the hill. And nice, rose bushes. This place just keeps getting better. The wild rose caught in his jacket as he pushed his way through them. I might be panicking and not thinking as clearly as I should. "Sam, I'm coming!" He said into the phone, there was no sound on the other end, nothing at all. He looked down at the phone, the connection had been broken. Sam, I'm coming, hold on.

He pushed through a small thicket and on the other side found what he had been looking for so frantically. There was a smashed tree and a rock with blue paint on it. "THIS WAY!" he shouted up the hill, hoping they would hear him and followed the path of the car down.

It was resting against a huge tree. Oh god, oh god, no, Sammy. Dean ran around the car to the passenger seat. He pulled the door open. "Sam?" Oh god. Oh no, no, no.

"Dean? What took you so long?" The voice was forced out of his brother, pink froth bubbled against Sam's lips.

"Sorry, Sam," he said quietly. Tears had started running down his cheeks. He couldn't turn his eyes away from his brother, from the large piece of metal that had come out of the engine compartment, through the dashboard and had pinned Sam to the seat. There was blood seeping around where the bar was shoved into his brother's chest. Dean could hear a sucking sound as his brother tried to breathe. Oh, god. "Hold still Sam, they are on their way."

"Susanna?"

"Sammy…"

"Check, please."

Dean moved reluctantly away from his brother to the other side of the car. He pulled the door open and put his hand against her. She was cold, stiffening. "I'm sorry, she's dead, Sammy."

"Me, too," his brother said, the words just an exhalation of breath.

"No, Sam." Dean walked back to his brother and knelt down beside the car. "They're coming, Sam, you'll be fine."

"Goodbye, Dean."

"No, Sam, it's going to be ok," he had his hand on his brother's arm. Sam, hang on, they're almost here.

"No, I'm sorry" Sam's eyes were starting to close.

"Sam, come on they are almost here, just hang on for a minute more." Sam, you can't leave me. Please Sam, stay for me.

"I can't…sorry…Bye."

"SAM!" No, Sammy, no. Please come back. Dean could hear the rescuers getting closer, he could feel his brother's eyes on him. "Sam, hang on. Hang on!" He could hear the air, a sucking noise, as his brother drew a straining breath. There was an odd flopping noise, too. Not good, not good, oh god, Sam, not like this.

The EMTs were there, pulling Dean away so they could get to Sam. "Be careful," Dean said as he watched, helpless, as they tried to free his impaled brother. "Please, be careful." He stood, watching, listening as they spoke to each other. They pulled Susanna's body out and put in on the ground. Oh, god, Sammy, she was so beautiful. I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time to save her. Oh, please let me have gotten here in time to save you. Please let me not have been too late.

The man who had spoken to him earlier walked over. "We need to get that out of him."

"Yes?" Uh, no shit. You think? He looked at Dean with the calm compassion that he had seen a thousand times in his life. "Oh, god, he's dead if you do, dead if you don't, isn't he?" Oh god, it's pulling it out that causes more damage, the sword going in might kill you, pulling it out does kill you. But this can't be like that, can it? Please say no, please say he'll be ok. Please.

"Pretty much."

Oh, Sam, I'm sorry, what do I do? Oh god. "Do it."

"I'm so sorry, son."

Oh, god Sammy, no. NO! I'm so sorry. A soft sound escaped from Dean, his brother would have recognized it as a sob. No.

To Be Continued