What I can do - Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine so don't sue

Warnings: AU set between ELAC and Bloodlust,

A/N: Here we are second to last chapter. Thanks to everyone for reviewing the story and letting me know you enjoyed it. The ending is coming up soon. Thanks again to carocali, the wonderful woman who manages to put up with my horrible comma problem. Hope you enjoy!! Now on with the story!

Dean skidded to a stop as he neared the rear of the Impala, moving slowly in the fading light. The yard was quiet and Dean couldn't help but notice that the new dog Bobby was training was sleeping on the ground just in front of rear tire well. As he moved closer, the dog picked up his head and growled lowly at Dean, watching him closely. The hunter stilled his movements and remembered how all of Bobby's dogs seemed to take a liking to Sam over the years. He held his hands out toward the dog as he came to his feet and nuzzled Dean briefly before returning to its spot in guarding the car.

"You've been keeping an eye on him this whole time haven't you?" Dean stated quietly to the dog, amazed that the animal had been able to sense what he hadn't. He thought over the last several days realizing the dog had never been out of the sight of the car for more than a few moments at a time. "Here I thought it was me you liked. But you've been making sure that Sam's been safe even when we couldn't see him."

Dean inched to the frame of the car, careful not to make any sudden movements and startle his new friend, peering inside the mostly missing interior of the car. The only thing there at this point was the rear bench seat; the first piece he'd reinstalled in the car once he'd unbent the frame.

Seeing nothing but a long expanse of black leather, Dean felt his heart drop. He'd wanted Sam to be here, needed him to be. Dean turned to flag off his father so they could start hunting elsewhere when a flicker of motion caught his eye.

The bench seat was no longer empty; he could make out the faint image of his brother curled up on his side, hands wrapped protectively around himself. Dean reached a hand out to touch him but the image flickered out and was gone and Dean could feel nothing but air beneath his hands.

"Sam!" Dean yelled as the image died away. "NO! Come on, come on, let me see you again little bro," he sobbed out his plea again "I need to see you Sammy…Please"

John and Bobby arrived moments later, "Anything?"

"Just for a second he was there, and then he was gone again," Dean said hopelessly.

"He's still there, Dean. If you managed to see him it means that the spell has weakened some. We can break it," Bobby said confidently. "Just focus and see Sam. The spell should collapse, like the one on the letter. It's designed to hide what you don't know is there, but you've seen him so you can break it."

Dean took Bobby at his word and looked back inside the car and willed himself to see his brother. "Come on, come on, be there," He chanted under his breath

To John it looked like a mirage in the desert. He watched, stunned, as a wave of energy appeared across the back seat of the car and then receded like a curtain, leaving his younger son's shivering form huddled on the seat.

Without a thought both of the elder Winchesters climbed into the hulking frame of the car; John crouched near Sam's bent head, Dean near his curled legs. Sam had attempted to make himself as small as possible on the seat. Small tremors wracked his body continuously, sweat standing out on his skin even in the cooling air. Dean could see the sickly grey-green color of his skin and was scared they were already too late. Reaching out a shaking hand to gently brush Sam's arm, he was surprised when Sam whimpered.

"Sam?" John asked quietly brushing the hair out of his son's face feeling the heat radiating off of him.

Sam opened his eyes and looked back and forth between his brother and father. A wild light flared in his eyes. "No, no, no, you aren't supposed to remember, they promised you wouldn't see. Don't see, please just let me go…it's a good trade, a good trade," Sam said curling into a tighter ball trying to hide, John felt the words cut him to the core as his son unknowingly repeated the same words John had used in making the deal with the demon.

Dean left his hand resting on his brother's trembling arm, he felt like he was flying to pieces. He was ecstatic that they'd found Sam, angry with his brother at scaring him this way and terrified that this was still far from over and that he still might lose Sam.

He gave his fear a voice asking the question he needed to know the answer to. "Why Sam, why'd you do this?"

Sam looked up locking tired scared eyes on Dean's. "You need him more than me," Sam whispered swallowing convulsively, "It's almost done, just let me go Dean, please." Sam turned away from his brother's touch, feeling, again, the hurt that drove him to make the deal. "I've watched you with him for the last 4 days. He's what you need. He can keep you safe," Sam paused, a hitch in his breath, "safe from me." A tear fell down the broken man's face as his reality was unveiled to Dean. "I'm cursed. Everyone around me dies…can't watch you or him die again, I can't." Sam closed his eyes, not wanting to see the hazel orbs staring back at him. "Let me do this, for you, just take him and walk away."

John sucked in a harsh breath, hearing it mirrored by Bobby who was hovering just outside the car. Dean appeared to be in shock at his brother's request to leave him to die. He suddenly drew in a deep breath and the heat and rage in his voice took everyone by surprise. "You think it'd be easier without you Sam? You bastard, you're the only reason I'm still walking around and you don't get to decide what I need Sammy, I need you here with me…you can't leave…" his voice broke his anger giving way to hot tears. "You don't get to leave me again."

"Dean, we need to move him," Bobby interrupted quietly. "I need you to help me. I don't know what too much contact with John will do with the spell and all."

Dean looked at John and then out the car to Bobby, nodding his understanding. "I've got him."

Sam's eyes opened again as Dean and Bobby slipped their arms under Sam to pull him from the car. Sam started to struggle weakly, trying to bat the arms away. "No, please, just let it be done, it's a good trade."

It didn't take much to subdue Sam his energy fading rapidly. "John, clear off the couch in the front room. We'll be right behind you," Bobby instructed the eldest Winchester who ran off ahead. He then turned his attention to Dean. "We need to move fast. I don't know how he's going to handle the move."

Dean didn't answer Bobby but leaned over his brother, whispering into Sam's ear. "You hang on for me Sammy, just don't let go."

He received no response.

By the time they got Sam situated on the sofa he was gray and barely breathing. John was waiting, quickly draping a blanket over his son's shivering form, before turning to look at his old friend. "What now?"

"Well according to this, we've bought ourselves a little extra time," Bobby stated as he looked over the ailing man on the couch and the pained men beside him. He picked up the ancient text, paging through it for the next steps. "We need to feed Sam the counter potion and that should set the reversal into motion. Then we need to return the three of you to the circle. John you'll need to deny the gift Sam is offering you, giving your essence back to Sam and then time should reset to when Sam attempted this little trick, everything back to the way it should be."

"I don't like it, Bobby. Something's too easy about this. If time resets how do we keep him from doing this again?" Dean asked, still hovering at the end of the sofa watching Sam.

"You just need to trust me, Dean," Bobby stated, patting the man on the shoulder. "I need the knife Sam used in his offering for the potion as well as the letter. Can you go those for me?" Dean glared at Bobby and then his father but moved out of the room swiftly without a word.

John turned as soon as Dean left "So what aren't you telling Dean, Bobby? It's not that easy and why does Dean need to be in the circle. He wasn't created by the spell."

"No, he wasn't, but he was the recipient of it," Bobby began, trying to explain the complicated spell. "You were the gift but it was being given to Dean and all the pieces have to be returned to their original state. Since I'll be on the outside, I'll be able to keep my memory when time resets itself," he continued, holding the book in his hands, "and I'll be there to make sure it doesn't happen again."

John knew that Dean would be back in moments but needed to know for sure. "Even if we do all this, it doesn't mean that Sam's going to survive does it? I mean the demon, reaper thing has been feeding on him for nearly 5 days now. Even if I give him back his energy he's still going to be sick as hell from that won't he?"

"Yeah, he will John, we could still lose him. Would you rather stay than take the risk?" Bobby asked looking hard at John

John's face lost all color at that thought, "No, god no, Bobby I made my choice to save Dean and I would've done the same to save Sam in a heartbeat," John answered, feeling his heart break at all his boys had been through. "I know I don't belong here, but it's so hard to leave them again, especially knowing that they're hurting…I mean I never thought Sam'd do something like this."

Bobby looked at the man standing before him. This was not the man he knew from years past. This was a man who loved his children; sacrificed for them. Did what he thought was best. He smiled.

"They'll work through it, Johnny, I'm just going to make sure that there are no more easy outs. That they deal with each other."

"Thanks," John said quickly clapping Bobby on the back as Dean returned to the room with the requested items, wondering at the conversation that had just occurred.

An hour later found the foursome back in the small guestroom, John and Dean supporting Sam between them; his breathing having become ragged and shallow after swallowing the second potion. John helped Dean lower Sam to the floor inside the circle Dean supporting him from behind.

John kneeled in front of his sons; tears clear in his eyes. He ruffled Sam's hair with his hand calling to him quietly. "Sammy, open your eyes for me."

"D-dddad?"

"Yeah, Sammy, it's me," John began, finding the words he needed to make Sam understand. The words he should have said all along. "I need you to know that no matter how much we fought I still love you. Don't ever doubt that."

Sam's eyes filled with tears, looking to the man above him, feeling a swell in his pained heart. "I love you too, Dad," he said weakly as his eyes rolled up in his head, before his body went lax in Dean's grip.

"Sam!" Both Dean and John shouted.

"Bobby what the hell?"

"Calm down, He's still breathing," Bobby assured, looking again at the text. "It's the circle. All of you being in it is drawing from his energy. We just need to finish this John."

"Dean."

"I know, Dad, I know. I'll take care of Sam."

"Let him take care of you too, Dean, you both need to heal. One day I hope you'll forgive me for all of this."

Before Dean could respond, John recited the spell Bobby had handed him and Dean's vision filled with white and then everything went black.

A/N: I promise the last chapter is on it's way!!