Author's note: Whew… okay… so writing five stories and a novel at the same time is exhausting….but totally fun. (Wish me extra luck with the novel. Dang it! I wish I could quit my job and do this stuff full-time) Anyway, enough of my whine and on with the story. Here is a quick chapter. Can't leave Dean on his own for too long! Enjoy.

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And my words will be here when I'm gone
As I'm fading away against the wind
And the words you left me linger on
As I'm failing again now, never to change this

And I'm sympathetic,
never letting on I feel the way I do
As I'm falling apart again at the seam

Sympathetic- Seether

.

"I love you, Dean. Never doubt that." John whispered. "You were a light in the darkest of times for me- always. You healed two very broken people before you even knew what the word broken meant. I know you hate everything right now… me…yourself…."

"Don't…" Dean forced out.

"I have to. Dean, you're my son. FOREVER. It's okay to hate me, but it's okay to have some love for me too. Stop thinking I am more than just a human being. I messed up more times than I can count. You know how they say life flashes before your eyes when you die. Lies….you don't see your life… you just see your regrets. Like how I never told you how proud I am of the man you are or all the times I should have said thank you. You know why I gave you my guns, my car, my jacket? Cause I wanted so much to be a part of who you were. I wanted to give you anything that showed you…" John faltered, his faced drawn with love and sadness. "I wanted you to have tokens. I loved those things so much and thought… thought it showed you how much you meant. But, it didn't…and I missed that you needed more than a car. You needed a kind word from me. And when I died it was the biggest cosmic karma bitch smack. I should have done more, said things, but…I didn't… I have a multitude of reasons for being closed off…but not one is good enough. I've done so much wrong…. And I can't fix that now. I wish I could. Just know I'll always be a part of you. "

"But you're not!" Dean cried and his voice cracked with all the emotions he had inside of him. A tear streamed down his face. When he sucked in a breath, it pulled in as if the air itself was crawling out of his throat. He grew quiet, whether it was the thin air or his sorrow, he couldn't scream anymore. Instead, he just moaned out the next words. "And… and I want you to be." He cried now, just a few tears, begging John to make it true.

"You are mine. You hear me. You may not have got some genetic code in your body or some strand, but you are MINE! You hear me. You don't have to claim to me. You're old enough to decide on your own. I know what I would like to hear, but I don't expect it from you. You may not claim to have part of me, but I have a part of you. I carry my love for you…." John cracked. I carried it for so long…" John wept now. "My precious boy….I wish I could give you the life you needed. Just one day… I carried the hope you gave me every day of my life. You were always a part of me… the better part."

Dean tried to speak, but his lungs ached. The pain from his wound seemed more acute. "Dad? Dad, something's wrong…I feel."

"Shh... okay… just breathe for me. "

When Dean tried to comply, his lungs couldn't grasp what was almost scarce. He was running out of time. "Dad?" He mumbled weakly.

"Thanks for that."

"What…..wwh?"

"For calling me Dad. Can you hold on for me? I have to leave you for a bit…"

"Dd…Don't…"

"Just for a minute, but I'll be back. You just have to stay awake. Then, I'll stay until this is all over."

"Dad? Sam….he's going to be okay? ….. he's…"

"He'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

"If I die… and they…they take…me…they…"

"You're not dying now. You hear me. And if they even get you into hell, I'll come for you. I'll crawl back into whatever pit I have to. You got it."

"You…you can't stop deal... Sam...welch..."

""You think I still don't break the rules? Never followed many in life, won't stop now. Relax and just breathe easy. I'll be back before you know it."

"No…no…"

"I have to… its getting too close now. You need help. Going to break a few rules right now."

Before Dean could protest anymore, the crypt returned to darkness. The light that his father heralded into the crypt was gone. Dean sucked in a hard breath, trying to keep his air intake calm and even. "Hurry, Dad… I don't… want to die alone…." His fingers tapped out a beat to some rock song in an attempt to ward off sleep.

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Aching, splitting fingers dripped crimson, but he didn't care if every nail he had ripped off in the debris and dirt. More rips slashed into his red, blistered, and bloody fingertips when he dug into shards of glass, but there was a hand sticking out from the debris. "BOBBY! ALLY! I have someone…hurry." Sam dug furiously, letting his bare hands take abuse to get to the trapped man. It was a man…a man's hand. Dean's hand he told himself. This was it. He was so close, he could feel it.

Ally and Bobby joined on either side of Sam. Bobby began to evacuate the new found tornado victim, while Ally uncovered more of the hand to get to the wrist to evaluate the man's condition.

"HOLD ON, DEAN!" Sam screamed, digging almost blindly now.

When Ally freed most of the arm, she found no pulse, but worse the hand was stiff and rigid. "Sam, stop. He's dead. Rigor Mortis."

"No, he's not DEAD!" Sam worked harder, more frantic.

"Son, stop it! You're just hurting yourself." Bobby grabbed one of Sam's arms and he was rewarded with a shove.

"STOP IT!" Ally screamed, grabbing Sam now. For a second, Bobby thought Sam would shove her off too, but Sam's respect for the woman stopped that idea. Besides, Sam didn't get much choice in the matter, as Ally hugged Sam so tightly the next second. She held the young man tightly, trying to absorb some of the emotion exploding from him.

Sam grabbed Ally's shirt so tightly and pulled her to him, trying to release the pent up rage and pain. Bobby let the doctor comfort his friend as he continued to dig. As he unburied the face, he couldn't help to feel happiness when an older face stared blankly at him and then a smidge of guilt filled him for being relieved at another's death. "It's not Dean. We'll keep looking."

"Too long now! He could be anywhere…. Could be..." Sam startled when Ally pushed back and grabbed his face to look into hers.

Bobby felt a strange vibe growing "I'm going back to that section. There seems to be a basement in that building… "

Sam wasn't listening. Neither was Ally. All he could do was beg for help with his eyes and all she could do was reassure him with hers. They stayed like that for a while. Sam anchored to her calm and tried to be rational, but Dean's time was so short, how could he be reasonable. Before he could respond or think anymore, he felt a sensation on his lips. It took him a moment to realize Ally was kissing him. He wanted to push her away, but he couldn't. Damn, he needed it-now more than ever. He let go and his lips followed hers. Yeah, he had liked her, but this was the furthest things from his mind. For a good minute nothing but the sensation of soft lips caressing occurred. Sam let himself get lost in that relief, happy to let it go on forever. There was not pain in this, not worries.

It was Ally who finally pulled away. "OH GOD! Sorry, I … stupid…stupid… I have the worse timing… I'm sorry…I just… damn it… I'm…." She got up and fled as if she had committed the worse sin ever.

Bewildered by Ally's sudden kiss and her now obvious awkwardness, Sam stared off blankly. Sam's frustration still bubbled at the surface, but the occurrence held him in confusion for a moment.

When Bobby heard Ally kick her tire, cursing her stupidity and morbid sense of timing, he chuckled. When he glanced at the perplexed state on Sam's face, he almost laughed. He crossed over to his young hunter friend, thinking of words of reassurance.

"What…just happened?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Don't look at me, kid. I don't know why any women would like either of you knucklehead brothers. Don't ask me to explain it."

"Bobby…." Sam said in a guilty tone.

"OH... don't even feel bad about that happening. She's liked you since she met you in that tent. And given how we stressed all are…"

"But, I can't lose focus… not now."

"Hell! The one thing I'm sure of… no matter where Dean is right now…. He's damn proud of you for that one."

Sam snorted a laughed and managed a smile. "Yeah…. He would…"

"So, you ready to keep going…"

"Yeah…may need to get us some flashlights to keep searching but I am not giving up. Dean has to be…" Sam stopped, noticing a figure standing a league away at the turn of a gravel path. For a moment, he told himself that it couldn't be who he thought. He was seeing things- surely he was. But the image was so clear and it was beckoning him. "Dad?" He had just spoken when the image disappeared.

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