Well, I didn't quite make the Sunday deadline I place upon myself, but I'm not too far off. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Cindy

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Dean glanced up from his brother's face and smiled at his father. He lowered his gaze once again and stared into the soft hazel he'd been missing so much. "Sammy, you…"

"Dean…y-you're alive," Sam whispered, his hand reaching for his brother's, which Dean offered without hesitation.

"Yeah…thanks to you, kiddo," Dean answered as he gave his brother's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" Sam asked with confusion.

John leaned forward and took Sam's other hand. Sam flinched then rolled his head the other way. John smiled warmly and cleared his throat. "Sammy, what's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

Sam shuddered and closed his eyes, the boy swallowing heavily before he opened his eyes again. "I…I remember the harpy. It…it hurt Dean. He…he was…d-dying. It was my fault," Sam answered softly, his voice filled with tears.

"No, Sammy…it wasn't your fault," Dean said as he gave Sam's hand another squeeze.

"It was…I…"

"Sam, if it was anybody's fault, it was mine," John started. "I shouldn't have made you come on the hunt. None of this would have happened if I had just left you at the motel…or in the car," he continued.

"But if I weren't so useless…always needing protection…"

"Stop right there, Sammy. You aren't useless…"

"She came right for me, Dean…'cause she knew I was the weak one."

"Not because you're weak," John said, knowing that it was much more than that. He knew that Sam had some sort of homing beacon on him. Supernatural beings had always been attracted to him, like moths to flames.

"Sammy, the fact that I'm here proves that you're not weak. What you did…as stupid as it was, it took courage," Dean said as he helped his brother sit up then drew him to his side.

"What…what did I do?" Sam asked sheepishly.

"You found a crossroads and you made a deal with a demon, Sam…to save your brother's life," John answered softly.

Sam jerked his head toward his father, his hazel eyes wide. "I…I did? But…"

"Sam," Dean said, and smiled when Sam turned to squint up into his face.

Dean frowned as he stared down into Sam's eyes. "Sam, why're you squinting?" he asked.

"'cause you got the lights, off. I can hardly see you," Sam answered.

Dean sucked in a startled breath and looked up into this father's eyes.

"Sam…what do you see?" John asked nervously.

"What?" Sam replied, his brows knitted together in confusion.

"Sam…it isn't dark in here," Dean said softly.

Sam cocked his head to the side and frowned. "That isn't funny, Dean. It is dark. I can barely see you."

John pushed up from the floor then sat on the bed next to his youngest son. "Sammy…it isn't dark. It's your eyes…we thought because…we…" he stammered, voice filled with emotion.

Sam turned to face his father. "What's going on, Dad? What's wrong with me?"

John reached up to brush the hair from Sam's eyes and frowned when Sam jerked at the unexpected touch. "When you made the deal for Dean's life, the demon didn't take your soul, Sammy," John said.

Sam collapsed back against the headboard of his bed and lifted a hand to his eyes. "My sight…the demon took my sight," he whispered.

Dean glanced at his father with sad, green eyes then turned to face his brother. "Yeah, Sammy…she took your sight and…" he started, his voice trembling with emotion.

Sam closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "And there's more, right?" he finally said.

"Sammy, I think you should rest right now…we'll talk more in the morning," John started, but his youngest son leaned forward and cut him off.

"I'm blind, Dad! I can't rest. I need to know what's going on…please!" Sam cried.

Dean looked over at his father and sighed. "Dad…tell him everything," he finally said.

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Sam wiped at his eyes, embarrassed by the tears he'd been unable to hold in as his father recounted the past few days. How he'd disappeared from the hospital, only to show up again after Dean had miraculously woken up. How neither John nor Dean had put two and two together until it was too late and Sam had been left sightless and without any memories of his family. He felt Dean pull him tighter to his side and relished the feeling of safety he found there. He laid his head back on Dean's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"So…why do I remember now?" Sam asked in an exhausted voice.

"We don't know. The demon must have done it, but we have no idea why," John answered.

"Sammy, do you remember anything about what she said to you?" Dean asked.

"No. I…I don't remember anything past leaving the hospital when I…," Sam answered, his voice trailing off as the memory invaded his mind.

"When you what, Sam?" John prodded gently.

Sam lifted his head and opened his eyes. "You…you sounded so lost, Dad. You said you were losing your son and I couldn't let you…I just couldn't. Me, you could live without, but not Dean and…"

"Sam…I could no more live without you than I could live without oxygen. You're my son and I couldn't imagine my life without you," John said as he took his youngest's hand.

Sam's lips quirk up into a sad smile then he sighed. "If it came right down to it…if you could only have one of us, Dean would be the obvious choice, Dad. He's the soldier…he's not a screw up like me…"

"Sammy…stop it! Just…shut up!" Dean cried.

"It's true, Dean and that's why I did it. Dad needed you…he wouldn't have made it if you would've died. I knew what I had to do. I remember leaving the room, telling Dad I'd fix it, but nothing after that…not until I woke up here," Sam said, his voice curiously void of emotion.

"Dad needs you too, Sam," Dean replied.

"I need you both. What do you think it would've done to me…to Dean if the demon had taken your soul, Sam?" John queried tiredly as he brushed a shaky hand over his face.

Sam sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sorry I did it. Dean's alive and…"

"And you're blind," Dean said with frustration.

Sam shut his eyes and turned his head away from his brother. "It doesn't matter," he whispered sadly.

Dean shot up and stared incredulously at his brother. "What did you just say! It doesn't matter? Are you f****** crazy?" he snapped furiously.

"Dean…easy," John said as he reached out and pried his eldest son's hand from Sam's arm.

"Dad…" Dean started, but Bobby's sudden presence at the door halted his tirade. John followed Dean's gaze then rose to his feet and moved toward his friend.

"How's the kid?" Bobby whispered, his eyes sweeping over the brother's, Dean's scowl not going unnoticed by the older man.

John shook his head then turned back to look at his sons. "Keep an eye on your brother, Dean…and be nice," he said before moving out into the hallway, Bobby following right after.

Bobby pulled the door to the bedroom shut then looked at his friend. "Sam okay?" he asked.

"He remembers us, Bobby, but…"

"But what?" Bobby asked when his friend failed to finish what he was saying.

John looked up at Bobby with forlorn eyes sighed. "He's still blind," John finally said before turning and heading for the stairs.

"Sh*t," Bobby hissed as he followed his friend down the stairs.

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"What happened, Bobby?" John asked before lifting a bottle to his mouth and taking a long swig.

"I think it's my fault, Johnny," Bobby answered guiltily.

John looked up and eyed his friend. "What? How could this possible be your fault?"

Bobby shook his head and took long drag from his bottle. He glanced over the table at John then dropped his eyes. "I exorcised her, Johnny. She said she wasn't finished, but I still kept going. She was giving it all back and I stopped her," Bobby muttered miserably.

"Crap, Bobby," John said as he leaned back in his chair. "It ain't your fault. She told me I ruined everything. I stopped her before you ever got there," he continued.

Bobby removed his cap and scratched nervously at his head. He pulled his cap back on and glanced over at his friend. "What do you think happened out there, Johnny?" he asked.

John shook his head and shrugged. "Hell if I know. One thing's for sure…for what ever reason, that demon bitch gave Sam his memory back and by the looks of it, she was giving him his eyesight too, but I stopped her."

Bobby leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table and eyed his friend intensely. "You didn't know…we didn't know. All we knew was Sam was in trouble, John. That's it. We did what we thought we had to," he said.

"God, Bobby…what if he's blind for the rest of his life? That demon is the only one who can give him his sight back and we just banished the bitch to Hell. We can't summon her back…not now!"

Bobby dropped his eyes to the table, guilt weighing heavy on the older hunter. He's the one who exorcised the demon. He's the one who sent her to the pit and now the youngest Winchester could be blind for the rest of his life because of him.

"I'm sorry, John…I'm so sorry," Bobby whispered hoarsely as he lifted his gaze to his friend's tired face.

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Dean waited until the door shut behind Bobby before he turned to his brother, his anger still simmering at what Sam had said. Sam was blind and he didn't think it mattered. Dean didn't understand how his brother could think like that, how he could think his eyesight didn't matter. What they did? Eyesight was everything. Without it, Sam was more vulnerable than he'd ever been before. How were they supposed to keep him safe? They couldn't leave him alone and defenseless, but they couldn't take him on hunts either. Dean was pulled from his thoughts when Sam's soft, tired voice suddenly sounded.

"Dean, I can hear you thinking, dude…"

Dean stared down at his brother and shook his head. "Sammy…"

"Look," Sam interrupted as he lifted his face up, his blank eyes staring just past Dean's shoulder. "I know this isn't good, Dean, but…but you're alive and I'm sorry, but that's what matters."

"Sam, do you realize how much more dangerous life just became for you? Huh? We're hunters dammit! We use our senses more than anything and you can't see! How do I keep you safe now? I don't know what to do!" Dean cried.

Sam sighed and turned his head away, the boy murmuring something Dean couldn't hear. Dean leaned forward and craned his neck so he could see his brother's face. "What'd you say?" he asked.

Sam turned toward his brother's voice and shrugged. "I…I said you could leave me here with Bobby," Sam finally answered.

"What? Are you out of your mind?" Dean cried incredulously.

"Or Pastor Jim's," Sam continued, ignoring his brother's outburst. "Dean, Dad's not gonna give up hunting and you know it…and you said it yourself, how am I supposed to hunt now? The best thing to do is to leave me here or with someone else."

"Best thing for who, Sammy?" Dean asked, voice shaking with anger and fear.

"For you…for Dad," Sam answered softly.

"For me and Dad. Well, what about you Sam? You can just let us leave you behind?"

"I have to. I don't want to, but I have to."

"Sam…"

"Dean…if I were to stay with you guys, you're both gonna be distracted worrying about me. I was the weak link before and now…"

"Dammit, Sammy! Stop cutting yourself down!" Dean suddenly shouted as he jumped up from the bed. He turned and rammed his fist into the wall then pulled his hand to his chest and turned to face his brother. "Sam…how can you say that you're weak? After what you did for me?"

"I couldn't live without you…I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't bear to see Dad falling apart," Sam whispered as he dropped his chin to his chest.

Dean dropped down on the bed next to his brother and draped his arm over Sam's thin shoulders. "Sam, that doesn't make you weak…"

"You would never do what I did, Dean. You're stronger than me."

"What? You think I could just watch you die, Sammy? Just move on?" Dean asked with a shake of his head. "You're crazy if you think that."

"I think…I think it'd be hard, but you and Dad…you'd get through it," Sam said in reply.

"You're wrong, Sammy. I wouldn't get through it and neither would Dad. What you did was stupid…we would've fallen apart without you. But, it took courage too."

Sam bit at his bottom lip and leaned over to rest against his brother's side. He rested his head on Dean's shoulder when the older boy pulled him closer to his side and sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Dean?"

Dean looked down at the mop of brown hair that rested on his shoulder. "Yeah, Sammy?"

"I don't want to be like this. I don't want to be left behind," Sam said, his voice thick with the tears he tried to keep at bay.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his little brother impossibly closer. "I'll never leave you behind, Sammy," he whispered. "Never."

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Well, that's it for now. Please let me know what you think.

Cindy