So… last part of our story

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-anna-

Sam ran a hand through his hair. Opening the devil's trap would mean that the gnome would heal their friend, but escape again. He shot Dean a glance, searching for help, Dean always knew what to do.

But this time it was about Bobby's life. His older brother looked just as lost as Sam.

"It seems like you don't know how serious I am…" Bobby/the gnome lifted the knife again.

"Stop", Sam shouted. "I'll let you out."

"Wait Sam." Dean got a tight grip on his brother's arm. When Sam turned around he could see the agony and the pain in his brother's eyes. "It can only get worse… it will hunt us and it's gonna track us down."

"Dean… it's Bobby." Sam gazed into his brother's eyes, wishing him to fix all this.

"I know it's Bobby…" Dean countered, voice rising. Sam saw something in Dean's eyes that gave him a little strength. He nodded, heading over to the prepared altar where the body was laying.

With trembling hands and a last glance at his friend, the brothers went to work, ignoring the words of the gnome. Sam recited the spell that would transfer the gnome into the body.

"Boys… please… you're gonna kill me." Bobby suddenly pleaded, making both Winchesters wince slightly.

"Dean…" Sam looked up, stopping the reciting.

"He's tricking us… don't stop Sam", Dean ordered.

"Sammy", he urged, his voice harder, when his brother didn't obey. "Finish it."

Gathering all his courage Sam covered his ears, closing his eyes and began to recite again. Bobby would somehow make it. They would kill the gnome and bring Bobby into a hospital. He would survive. He would.

Ending the incantation, Sam couldn't possible ignore the cry of pain Bobby let out, when the gnome left his body. "Dean..." Sam looked at his brother, who was staring at the corpse they had prepared. It began to move as if in pain. The thing was dying.

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-tanne-

Dean seemed to have difficulties tearing his gaze of the convulsing body on the table, but when it finally laid still he joined Sam at Bobby's side instantly. "Bobby?", Dean croaked, reaching out for the older hunter's pulse point. Bobby's eyes fluttered open before Dean could touch him.

Wheezing the man managed a weak smile. "I knew you two would be the death of me", he whispered.

Sam saw his brother's jaw clench in worry. "Save you strength", he ordered. "We'll get you to the hospital. You'll be fine."

Sam grasped reflexively at Bobby's hand when his friend's face got even whiter than before, his eyes losing their focus. Bobby was barely holding on to consciousness. "Stay with us, Bobby."

"We've got to stem the blood flow", Dean muttered urgently, taking off his own flannel shirt and pressing it against the wound. That evoked a groan from Bobby and cursing from Dean when his hands came back red with blood. "Shit!"

"'S it dead?", Bobby slurred.

Sam followed Dean's gaze, looking at the body they had transferred the gnome in. It was blackening quickly as if charring. The sickening smell of burning flesh spread quickly in the small room. Sam felt nauseous, unable to speak. "Yeah it's dead", Dean finally answered returning to his work quickly.

"That's good", Bobby muttered, eyes beginning to drift closed again. "You… did well, boys."

"No… no! Don't you do this", Dean snarled, patting Bobby's cheek in a not so gentle manner. "Look at me, Bobby! You'll be fine, don't you say otherwise. Because if you… if you… it would be my fault! Dammit, open your eyes!"

"…not your fault… did well…"

Bobby didn't open his eyes again.

"Dean… is he…?"

"No!"

Frantically Dean looked for a pulse and seemed only slightly relieved when he found one. "He's fading, Sam", he whispered, "we've got to get him into a hospital. Now!"

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-anna-

"Call 911", Dean urged, but Sam was in a frozen stupor, looking at Bobby, squeezing the older man's hand tightly. "Sam!"

"Okay." Sam nodded, laying Bobby's hand down at the ground. His hands were shaking when he tried to get his phone out of his jeans pocket.

"Sammy." Dean lifted the hand he had on Bobby's cheek and deposited it on Sam's shoulder. "Stay calm… please… Bobby needs us." Sam took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, searching comfort in his brother's green eyes, before he regained his compose and grabbed for the cell again before realizing that he had gotten rid of it before. Without another word, Sam fetched Bobby's cell out of the older hunter's pocket instead, dialing quickly. He was running on auto-pilot when he talked to the woman on the other end of the line. They would send somebody.

They would send somebody.

"Dean, we need to get Bobby out of here… the authorities won't be too happy seeing that charred body." Sam gave his brother a pointed look.

"You're right… take his feet, I'm taking his arms." Dean gripped his friend's shoulders, gathering him up. "Sam." Sam just stood there, looking at Bobby. They couldn't just carry Bobby outside… It felt like defiling the man's pride.

"Sam… I need your help!", Dean urged and finally something snapped in Sam. He gripped Bobby's legs.

Outside Dean laid Bobby down on the pavement. "Sam… try to get him awake."

With that Dean stood, the knife the gnome had used before in his hands. "What are you doing?" Sam asked, kneeling down beside Bobby taking his head in his lap. His fingers reached automatically for his friend's pulse point.

"Getting rid of that… we're just gonna say that… some mugger's attacked him and we found him like that." Dean looked around, till he saw a drain on the side of the road. He let the dagger fall into it, letting out a sigh.

"Dean… his pulse is weak… I don't know if he's gonna make it." Sam looked up at his brother, who was standing over them.

"Don't say something like that." Dean glared at Sam.

"We just can't just cherish wrong hopes, he's…" The younger Winchester looked down at Bobby's face, his own twisting in pain.

"Shut up!"

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-tanne-

"Shut up…", Dean said again, much more quiet this time. "We can't just…" He shook his head fiercely. "Bobby will make it. Nothing can bring him down."

Except something just did, Sam thought but seeing the agony in his brother's eyes he kept to himself.

They could already hear the sirens in the distance. Dean quickly went to meet them, to show them the exact way. Because they couldn't lose any more time. They had too little already…

Sam again pressed Bobby's jugular, feeling the far too weak throbbing beneath his fingers. Taking a shaking breath he took Bobby's hand in his own again until Dean came up with the medics and they took him from them. Sam didn't understand much of medical lingo but he did get that Bobby's condition was serious.

They went after the ambulance car with the Impala, not wanting to leave the conspicuous car behind in case the police found the body. Sam watched his brother grip the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles went white. Every once in a while Sam heard him cuss but aside from that neither brother felt like talking. They waited for what seemed like hours until some doctor finally walked up to them. "Mr. Salomon?"

Dean rose quickly. "That's me… Doctor, how is my uncle?"

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-anna-

"He's fine… still unconscious after surgery, but he'll make it." The doctor smiled. "He's gonna be in bed for a while, but in some time he will be okay. Do you want to see him?"

Dean followed the doctor wordlessly; Sam stood quickly, following his brother's example, hurrying after them.

Entering the room, Dean clenched his fists, his jaw working. Sam bit his lip. Dean looked upset and Sam had the feeling that he wasn't angry at the gnome or at Bobby… but at himself. Dean would do that, getting utterly mad at himself without any forgiveness at all.

"I'm gonna leave you alone for a while." The doctor nodded goodbye and left.

Bobby looked terrible. He was pale and had the blanket tucked up to his chin. He looked small, old… dead.

"Hey Bobby." Sam moved to the bed first, his brother still near the door, frozen. "We're glad you're better", he said quietly to the sleeping man. "Now you just have to wake up for us."

"I'll be back soon. I'll get some coffee", Dean announced from the door. Sam shot him a look. Dean looked beaten. He needed sleep.

Sam huffed, sitting down on one of the chairs. "Hey Bobby, do me a favor, would you? Wake up and beat into Dean that this isn't his fault."

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-tanne-

"Dean!"

Sam jerked upwards at the harsh word, blinking rapidly at his white surroundings and the much too bright light. He must have fallen asleep, waiting for Bobby to come to. Bobby…! Remembering what had woken him in the first place, he turned his head instantly, confirming what he'd already suspected before. "Bobby! You're awake!"

The older man still looked a little pale but he managed to toss Sam a smirk, winking. "And I see you've finally decided to join the party, sleeping beauty."

Sam rolled his eyes at that, then, not getting the teasing remark he expected from Dean, his eyes came to rest on his brother's rigid form, frowning. Dean watched him wearily out of the corners of his own, sighing when he noticed Sam's gaze, already knowing what was bound to come next. "I'm fine, Sam. I would've tried to get some shut-eye myself but someone had to watch over Bobby after all, since you were out like a light. But hey – that's why some smart guy invented coffee." Dean smiled slightly, still there was something to his eyes...but it was gone as soon as it had come. Sam wondered if he was seeing things but then he saw Bobby scowling at his brother. "Dean. Get a grip on yourself! I told you not to worry about it!" So Bobby had somehow heard his request after all.

"I'm not worrying about anything", Dean growled, a warning edge to his voice. Sam could tell how badly his brother wanted to drop the subject. But he knew too that Bobby wasn't going to. The older hunter just looked at Dean for a long time with his piercing blue eyes and surprisingly Dean caved.

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-anna-

"Okay… okay… don't look at me like this." Dean snarled, glaring at Bobby. Sam thought about leaving the room, feeling the tension between his brother and the older hunter. When he stood up, though, to head for the door, two strong voices urged him to sit down again. "Okay." Sam whispered, sitting back down on the chair.

"So… spit it out… what's up?" Bobby asked. "Why can't you accept that none of this was your fault?"

"Because it was my fault, Bobby." Dean hissed, his eyes pleading the others to understand.

"Well fine, it's due to you that I'm still alive and the gnome isn't", Bobby turned the tables. Dean titled his head and huffed. Sam could almost hear him curse under his breath. "Dean…" Bobby's voice was softer now. "What would have happened if you destroyed that devils trap?"

"Bobby… that's stupid. I'm not a kid, so don't talk to me like that." Dean ran a hand through his hair.

"Answer my question." Bobby ordered.

"I don't know… you would be without a scratch… we wouldn't be sitting in a hospital… we wouldn't have thought that you might DIE." Dean winced when he said it out loud. Sam looked at his older brother. He looked terrible… coffee wasn't helping as much as Dean said.

"But the gnome would be free", Bobby lectured and tried to sit up straighter.

"Take it easy, Bobby." Dean rushed to the older hunter's side, seeing that Bobby's movement took more effort than he let on.

"Thanks", Bobby breathed, when Dean helped lay down again. "Boy… everything worked out just fine… we're hunters… I had worse… and what doesn't kill us…"

"Don't feed me that crap… what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. Bobby… you nearly died… we could have killed that gnome a little later, without bringing you in danger."

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-tanne-

"We did take that chance though", Sam interrupted, "and it worked out fine, didn't it?"

Dean shot a glare at his brother that would have any other person wilted. "You don't know nothing, Sam! Know what happened in the ambulance car? Because I talked to his doctor. They had to reanimate him. And not just once but two times! They said if they had arrived just 5 minutes later he would have been beyond repair. Five friggin' minutes, Sam!"

Bobby lowered his eyes to the floor and Sam swallowed thickly. "But still…", he managed finally, "it isn't your fault…"

Bobby interrupted. "If anybody is at fault here it's myself, boy. Demons don't choose their vessels randomly, we all know that. It goes for the one distracted the most and that was me. I was still upset about the mistake I'd made before, thinking about what-ifs and other crap. I was being stupid and I paid the price, that's how the job works. And I'm glad you did what you did, Dean, because I'd never been able to forgive myself if you or Sam had been hurt because of me. It was going to track you down, you and Sam, and eventually…", Bobby winced slightly, "anyway, it was the right and most reasonable thing to do, so don't you go blaming anything on yourself."

Dean looked utterly stunned at that, seemingly not able to get out any other word.

"And now go get some sleep", Bobby continued, "you look like crap."

Dean opened his mouth to protest but then closed it again, looking at Sam, who nodded, telling his brother he would stay.

"I won't be long though", Dean said finally. He started for the door, turning one last time. "I'll go get something to eat when I'm back. Want anything particular? God I'm hungry."

Sam smiled at that. Things weren't back to normal just yet but with Bobby on the mend and his brother again thinking about food they soon would be.

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