---Well, it took awhile, but the next chapter is finally up. It's a bit on the short side, I know, but it gets the points across. Thank you so much for the awesome reviews, they help so much.

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still do not own Supernatural or its characters. And the song belongs to the ever talented classic rock band, The Cure.

Note: I realized that I'd made a mistake in dates. This actually takes place eleven months after the deal. So sorry for any confusion.

"I went away alone, with nothing left but faith." -The Cure

Chapter 3

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It was dark again. He felt something wet and hard-the place he was before. It was far too cold.

He turned his head to look-pain. All he felt now was a white hot pain shooting through him. He cried out and then heard a voice; a comforting voice. Everything would be okay, even though clearly, nothing was.

"Sammy!"

"What the hell?" Sam said drearily as he opened his eyes and was welcomed by the out-of-date pattern of Bobby's ancient couch.

"You're asking me?" Dean replied. Sam looked as his brother. His face was already showing a collection of cuts and dark bruises and there was a small gash appearing along his hairline. "You're the one who had the freaky-ass demon in you."

Sam was reminded now. The images of what he did and what he said while playing host to the unwanted guest flooded his mind. He remembered hurting Dean. It reminded him about the last time he was possessed. The two events had been far too alike.

"Damn," he said, giving Dean a knowing look. First a possession, now another vision. "I had another vision."

Dean frowned. "Of what?" he asked as Bobby handed him an icepack.

Sam's face changed to match his brother's distraught emotions. "I'm not sure. It started out the same as the last one…only more intense." Sam paused, trying to recall the details. "Someone's in trouble." Sam remembered the pain he felt. "They were hurt."

"Well, right now I'm a little more worried about you being possessed," Dean said. "Again."

Bobby, who had been silent so far, spoke up now. "What scares me is that the demon being here- it has something to do with you boys."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, even though he knew exactly what Bobby was talking about.

"Well, don't you think it's a little strange that there're all these disappearances and murders, and then a demon shows up with a message for you?"

"Son of a bitch," Dean said, his voice laced with anger and, although he would never admit it, fear. It was there fault. The demon killed all of those people, just to have a face-to-face chat with him.

Sam didn't miss the tone of Dean's voice, or the look that his face now held. "It could be a coincidence," he lied, knowing all too well that it was their fault.

"C'mon Sammy, you don't believe that." Dean sighed. "No, those people are dead because the demon wanted us here; knew we'd come to check things out." He took the icepack off of his head and winced at the movement. Four people were dead because of him; because of his carelessness. He had to make this right. The problem was he had no idea how. "See, I told you, Sam,"

"Told me what?"

"We shouldn't have been messing around with this deal."

Sam was silent. This was bad. Up until now, Sam didn't think that the demons knew about him trying to save Dean. "Dean, I don't care what the thing said. Demons lie."

"But sometimes they tell the truth."

Sam sighed. "C'mon, I mean, if it was serious about what it said, wouldn't it have come to us before? I mean, we've been trying to find a way out of this deal for eleven months and it hasn't come until now. It's just afraid we'll actually find a way out."

"I can't take that risk Sam." Dean replied. Nothing made sense anymore. The whole damn world was more confusing then ever.

Sam wanted to tell him what a load of crap that was, but chose not to. "So what do we do now?"

"Now, we find the damn thing before it kills anyone else."

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It was cold and dark again. He felt the hard ground and the uncomforting wetness. The pain shot through him and the comforting words were back. Sam looked around. He could see the outline of somebody there next to him. His vision cleared just a bit and he could see more of where he was.

Sam awoke from the passenger seat of the Impala, head against the cool window. It was dark now and rain was lightly coming down, rain drops racing down the window. The radio was on, a classic rock song that Dean no doubt had chosen to play. They were headed towards a small town about one hundred and fifty miles away to meet an old friend-Missouri.

Sam had told Dean that Missouri happened to have been in the area, after Bobby had mentioned that one of there options for finding the loose demon was to have a psychic mentally search for it. The truth was, Sam had called Missouri and asked her to meet them in the town not only to help find the demon, but to help Dean as well. Dean would have never agreed to go if he knew that Sam had called Missouri, so the only way to get him to go was to lie.

Sam lifted his head up and Dean looked over at him, the bruises on his face looking even darker than before. "Mornin' sunshine."

Sam said nothing. He sat there in silence, not choosing to tell his brother about the newest installment of his vision. Instead, Sam leaned his head back and listened to the music that his brother loved so much.

'Your voice is dead and old...'

"Dean, you know we've gotta talk."

'And always empty...'

Dean was completely silent. He wasn't going to do this. Not now. He didn't know if he had the strength.

'Trust in me through closing years, perfect moments wait…'

Sam was getting angry. It discomforted him how easily his brother would accept his fate. No, Sam thought. Hell would not be his fate. "Why won't you let me help you?" Sam said, louder than he'd meant to.

'If only we could stay…'

Again, Dean was quiet. He heard his brother, but was unwilling to answer back.

Sam's frustration rose. Didn't Dean understand? He was going to die. He was going to leave Sam all alone. What kind of brother was he? "A fucking demon is gonna come take your soul, and you're gonna let a little threat from some messenger stop us from trying to save you!"

'Say the right words…'

"Sam…" was all that Dean said.

"NO!" Sam said, almost yelling now and his voice was harsh. "Damn it, Dean, why don't you believe I can save you? You have no faith in me, no belief that maybe somebody can help you! What the hell's your problem?"

'or cry like the stone white clown and stand lost forever in a happy crowd…'

Dean had had enough. "You wanna know what the hell my problem is?" he asked as he pulled the car over to the side of the road, voice as loud as Sam's now. "My problem is, I'm not gonna watch you die Sam! I had to do it once, don't make me do it again!"

Sam was almost at a loss for words. He lowered his tone. "I should have stayed dead."

'Justified with empty words, the party just gets better and better…'

Sam didn't miss the look of hurt in Dean's eyes. His voice was quieter as well. "Well, Sammy, I should have too."

They were both silent for a minute. "Dean, I just want you to know…" he paused, not missing the usual rolling of Dean's eyes. He rarely had moments like these with his brother. Moments when the timing was perfect to say what needed to be said. "I want you to know, that even if you don't believe me, even if you don't have faith in me, there is a way to save you and I sure as hell and gonna find it."

Dean didn't know what to say. So, as usual, he said nothing at all. Maybe the demon was lying and really was just afraid that they would find some loophole. But maybe it wasn't. Dean couldn't take that chance. Still, they were on their way to Missouri, and maybe she would have the answers they needed. Dean pulled the Impala back onto the road.

'I went away alone, with nothing left but faith.'

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After driving for what seemed to be hours in the now awkward atmosphere of the car, Sam began to feel completely helpless. He watched the drops of water on the window run down the glass. He felt the rumble of the car beneath him. He closed his eyes.

It was colder than before. He felt hand wrap around his. Sam couldn't even feel the hard ground anymore or the wetness in whatever it was that he was laying in. He just felt cold.

The blurriness from before was fading. Then again, it felt like everything was fading. The pain; the world.

And then everything went blank. There was a flash of light and he could feel that he was in his own body. He was almost relieved. Almost relieved that the vision was over and he wouldn't feel that way anymore. But then he looked down and realized that his vision wasn't over.

Sam felt a melting in the pit of his stomach as he looked down and saw Dean lying there, in a pool of his own blood, eyes open, but not really seeing.

"I went away alone, with nothing left but faith."

---Well, what do you think? It looks like things are about to get even worse for our boys. Sigh As for the song lyrics throughout part of the chapter, I just couldn't resist. The words just seemed to fit the situation perfectly.

Well, reviews are always welcome and help a TON. I hope you enjoyed. New chapter coming as soon as I can get it up, as well as a oneshot I'm working on.