When I came back in I just saw Sam disappearing up the stairs. The others stared after him but then turned towards me, expecting answers.

"He's calling his brother." I threw my coat in the corner followed by my boots. "He's leaving."

"What?" I had Andrea right in my face. "What did you say to him?" She demanded but included Cole and Brenda as well. Hell, they had all seen Sam stomping out on Cole.

I shook my head unsure of what to say. "Looks like we hassled him too much. Asking him to come back." I didn't tell them what had been the final straw. But it made me sick to know that Sam would go back to his brother.

Andrea glared at me and then at the others. Maybe Cole had been the one who had pestered Sam the most but we were all guilty of this. We squirmed under her glare and judging by the look on her face Andrea felt guilty as well.

"I'll talk to him." She said with a sigh and followed Sam.

While they were upstairs we others could only wait. I hoped Andrea could talk Sam out of it. To at least stay the rest of the weekend with us.

"Okay, what did you say to him?" Brenda cornered me in the kitchen. Vincent and Eric were talking to Cole probably asking him the same question but it was Brenda who had noticed that it had been me who had pushed Sam over the edge.

I cleared my throat not sure how to say what I suspected, what I knew.

"Sam had a rough childhood." I started. Maybe it was good to let somebody know, maybe together we could figure out a way to help Sam. "You know his family never supported him while he was at Stanford. He rarely talked about them, especially not about his father."

Brenda nodded, silently prompting me to continue.

"I think his father abused him." There I'd said it. Brenda's eyes went wide and she gasped but the way she looked at me she knew there was more. "He says his father died last summer and I believe him."

"But?"

"When he came out of the shower earlier." I swallowed against the lump in my throat. "Damn, he's covered in bruises."

"What did he say?" Brenda asked, her voice guarded.

I snorted. "That he fell down some stairs."

"You sure it's not just that?" Of course she had to ask but her tone told me she didn't believe that explanation.

"Only if stairs leave hand shaped bruises." I kept my voice low, I didn't want to drag the others into this.

"So you think his brother?" Her gaze flickered over to the door to make sure we were still alone.

"I wanted to help him." I sighed. "Offered my couch, told him that he didn't have to go back to his brother. That's when he flipped out."

"Shit." Brenda ran a hand through her hair. "What do we do now?"

I had no idea but it felt good to not be alone with this any longer. Together we would figure something out.

A minute later Andrea joined us with a sad look on her face.

"He's packing." She said. "His brother's on his way." She went over to Vincent and the others to tell them as well and Brenda and I shared a uncertain look.

When Sam didn't join us, I decided to go upstairs and use this last chance to talk once again to him. Not to convince him to stay, I was sure that would have made everything worse, but to let him know that I would be there for him if he needed me.

"Sam?"

He sat on his bed, packed duffel at his feet.

"Luis." He sighed. "I know you mean well but drop it, okay?"

I closed the door and stepped closer.

"I shouldn't have come." Sam sounded beyond tired. "I've been so stupid."

"No, it's been fun." I sat down next to him. "Okay, we've been pushy, I get that, but it's fun having you around. We missed you."

"You don't even know me." Sam said shaking his head. "You know nothing about me."

"I know you're my friend." I said because that was the thing I really knew about him, the one thing that was important. "And I want you to know that I'll be your friend no matter what. If you want to leave, okay, it's your decision. But you can call me anytime. If you need me I'll be there."I pointed at him and managed a small laugh. "My couch is waiting for your ass."

"It's not what you think." He said but didn't explain it. "Thanks for the offer but I don't need it."

"You have a place you can come to when ever you need it." I repeated my offer.

"I already have such a place."

He wanted to be alone and I gave him some privacy. The next three hours were one of longest I ever had. The weekend was ruined. We talked in quiet voices, glancing up the stairs now and then, but Sam didn't join us till the black car stopped outside. Dean was back to get his brother.

Sam came down the stairs, bag in hand and a determined look on his face.

"It was great seeing you all again. Thanks." He said and hugged us one by one.

From the porch we watched him dumping his bag in the trunk. His brother didn't even get out of the car. With one last apologizing glance at us Sam got in the car and out of our life.

It was still snowing and this was probably their last chance to get back to town before the road would be impassable. Couldn't Sam have waited an hour longer? Dean wouldn't have been able to pick him up. And maybe …

Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement at one of the trees next to the road. Just for a second I saw a person standing there but then the wind blasted snowflakes all over the figure and it was gone. If it had ever been there.

But the wind did something else. With a bursting sound the tree gave in and in slow motion it fell across the road. If it hit the car I couldn't tell but there was the horrible sound of wood against metal.