Even though Sam was trying his hardest to listen and concentrate on what Bobby was saying to them, all he could feel was Dean's eyes on him and the guilt that was piling up because of it.

He knew this day would come. He was staying with Bobby on and off since he found himself back. It was the next place he went to after Lisa's. Of course it was obvious Dean was going to turn up there one day for whatever reason and he wondered if deep down it was exactly what he had wanted. Why he had never ventured too far away. Did he want to be found? Was it his way of not pulling Dean back but getting him back anyway?

He was proud of his brother waiting this long. At least he tried with Lisa, that was all he could ask for and he was not done convincing him to go back there one day to live this life he wanted his brother to live, the life he deserved to live, the life he needed to live, but as of now, he fully understood where Dean was coming from and knew he would have reacted the exact same way if the tables were turned. Hell, knowing him he probably would have been even more pissed. Dean had taken it well considering, but in saying that, he wasn't sure the repercussions were over. Especially with the penetrating glares that were burning holes into him.

'Sam I said what about you?' Bobby's voice shook him out of his trance.

'Sorry what?'

The table they were sitting around felt suddenly smaller, as if it was going to close in on him.

'Okay look, tough day. Let's pick this up tomorrow okay? Bobby suggested standing up and moving towards the doorway, 'I'm going up to bed. Good to see you again boy.' He said to Dean before giving Sam a supportive smile.

'Night' Sam said.

Dean said nothing, just kept on looking right at Sam.

Once he took the deepest breath he could take, Sam finally found the courage to look his brother in the eyes. Instead of finding the anger he was expecting, it was more like Dean was just taking him in, like he was trying to work out if this was really happening, if Sam was really back.

'I can't believe it.' Dean finally spoke.

'I know you're mad.'

'Hell yeah I'm mad. That was the single most stupid thing you have ever done. Well, apart from jumping in that hole.'

'I had to do that Dean. I don't regret it. I would do it again tomorrow.' He always sounded stronger than he felt. He wondered if everyone else knew that.

'I don't doubt it.' Dean gave a wry smile.

'I mean it, we had to get him back in and that was the only way.'

Nodding, Dean didn't buy it. There would have been another way, surely. And never again, no matter what, would he ever let Sam sacrifice himself like that. Nothing was worth it and as selfish as he thought that sounded, he just didn't care.

'What was it like?' Dean asked after a moment of silence. After he had prepared himself.

"It wasn't that long ago I was asking you that.' Sam closed the book he had open at nothing that was helping, threw his pen down on the table and sat back. Running a hand through his hair, he shrugged and said as nonchalantly as he could, 'Different from you. I was alone – with him.'

'Trapped.'

'Trapped.'

'Trapped in the devil, in hell. I can only imagine what happened from there.'

With a raise of his eyebrows, Sam didn't tell him there was no way he could ever imagine what happened from there. It wasn't worse than what Dean went through, it wasn't better either, but it was different and going in, even he didn't anticipate what the deal was going to be.

Still, he believed he got off easy considering what could have been. He didn't do eternity like he had first thought he'd have to, didn't do the time Dean did, didn't have to endure the constant physical torture Dean had to and once again he felt himself feeling sick at the mere thought of his brother selling his soul for him and having to go through all of that. After what he had seen with his own two eyes…..God.

'How long?'

'A couple of days. That's all.'

'A lot can happen in a couple of days' And a lot did but Dean wasn't going to know about that. He didn't need to know. It wasn't Sam keeping secrets again, it was Sam saving Dean. Just like Dean would do for Sam.

'So we're thinking it has to be God.' Sam changed the subject. Dean understood.

'And what about the amulet?'

'Well maybe that was like the key to open the cage.'

'Why would that be the key when the rings were the key?'

"Maybe the rings were the key to get him in and the amulet was the key to get me out.'

Dean pulled a face. That didn't sound right.

'I know. I don't think so either but it's all we have.'

Suddenly a thought smashed Dean right over the head. 'Sam!' he exclaimed.

'What?'

'The promise. The deal.'

'What?'

'Remember you said to Lucifer, if you win, you live, I live, mum and dad are brought back-'

'No, no way. That's not it.'

'It could be.'

'It's not.'

'Why? How are you so sure? You won; he made that deal with you.'

'He's not bringing mum and dad back and he sure as hell didn't want me back. It wasn't him. Definitely not.'

'So he wanted revenge.'

'What do you think?'

That sounded downright nasty. In fact, Dean wasn't sure he could take the reality of the devil being the one dishing out any kind of vengeance and retribution on his younger brother. He couldn't even comprehend what that would mean. Alastair was probably a puppy compared to Lucifer himself. Enough, he couldn't go there just yet. 'I'm starting to think the end of the world would have been better.' Dean swallowed.

'Dean, you don't mean that.'

'You know I do.'

'Anyway, it's over now right? Maybe we shouldn't go poking around. Maybe we should just take it as it is and be happy with that.'

'And you can do that?'

'No but you can.'

"Sam, don't. Don't even try. I'm not going back to Lisa.'

He was so definite about it; Sam knew it wasn't the time to push.

'Have you spoken to Chuck?' Dean questioned once he was sure Sam had got the message.

'We can't get hold of him.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, it's like he's just vanished into thin air.'

'Chuck has left his house? That doesn't sound much like Chuck.'

'Maybe he's organized another convention.' Sam tried to joke to lighten the mood somewhat.

Dean didn't go with it, 'So we go there. To his place. Oh, son of a bitch!'

Son of a bitch!'

'What?'

'The car, its back…Cas zapped us here. Damnit!' Looking ceiling bound, Dean called 'Cas!'

Sam tilted his head bemused, his eyes following Dean's. 'You're kidding right?'

'What? All I had to do before was whisper his name and bam he was there, right next to me.'

'Really?' Sam was clearly taken back.

'Why? What do you do?'

'Dude that was the first time we'd seen him since that day.'

That too, didn't sound right, 'Huh?'

'Serious.'

'Sam, he knew practically everything.'

'So maybe he has been watching?' The thought of an Angel watching the moves Bobby and he had been making irked him a little but he wasn't surprised. In fact it made complete sense.

'When he was saying 'we' I assumed he meant you and him – or him and Bobby. Don't tell me other angels are involved in this.'

'They probably are.'

'If this is another whole 'we have work for you' thing, I swear I am going to punch them square in the face. All of them. Cas!'

'I don't think he's coming.'

'He has to, we need the damn car. I want my damn car!'