Phew, it's been ages since the last update! Sorry everyone! I kept getting distracted with other stories, and a couple of trades I was doing on deviantART. Anyway, it's finally here!

BTW, thought I'd mention that I don't have anyone read these over before I post. Any and all mistakes are mine. And I'll take the opportunity to remind you that unfortunately, I don't own Supernatural. If I did, who knows? Maybe this would be a real plotline... XD LOL

Enjoy the latest chapter! Read and review, I love them!

Two days passed without a word from Mary or Dean. John and Bobby waited, the former anxiously, for any news whatsoever. The waiting was sending him crazy, especially as Sam didn't wake up. He stayed unconscious, his only movement his breathing. John sat by his side for most of the day, talking to him. Mostly he talked about nothing in particular.

"John?"

John turned to see Bobby in the doorway, watching him. He let go of his son's hand and stood up.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

John scoffed sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm fine. I mean, my kids hate me and are the target of a psychotic ghost, but other than that, I'm just fine."

Bobby sighed, "Don't. You need to step back and realise what's going on."

"I know exactly what's going on."

"Dean and Sam don't hate you, for a start. You know that."

John sighed, resting his weight against the wall and glancing at Sam for a moment. He didn't speak. Bobby waited until he was ready. It was a few minutes before John sighed again, ran a hand through his hair, and spoke.

"I lied to Dean, and because of that Sam nearly died. You know how protective Dean is of him. In his eyes, I'm the one who separated them and then almost caused Sam's death. And Sam's found out
that his true father gave him up when he was a baby and took Dean instead. If he doesn't hate me, then I'm honestly surprised."

Bobby opened his mouth to say something. John stopped him with a slight wave of his hand. He moved away from the wall and towards his old friend. They stood, looking each other in the eye.

"Then be surprised."

John and Bobby jumped at the third voice, and they looked to Sam. He was rubbing his eyes, trying to sit up. John rushed to his side, helping him.

"Sam, are you..."

Sam cut his father off, "I don't hate you. I didn't think you thought that."

John was silent as he looked down. Sam stared at him, brushing hair out of his face. He winced for a moment as he touched the bandaged wounds.

"You made mistakes, but that's what they are. Mistakes. And I'm still here, so you haven't done that bad a job. Jason told me that you hated me, and that's why you gave me up. He said that you wanted Dean and not me, and I was a disappointment to you."

"I don't..."

"I know. And I never did hate you. Maybe a little bit, when I found out I actually had a dad. I forgave you for that a long time ago, though."

John stared at his son. Sam was so mature, acting far beyond his years. Here he was, forgiving him. For everything he'd done, he was being forgiven. John smiled and hugged his son. Sam hugged him back.

In the doorway, Bobby smiled. It was certainly a step in the right direction. Sam and John let go, and Sam looked around curiously.

"Where's Dean?"

John explained. He deliberately left out the part about Dean wanting to go because he felt guilty about what he'd kept from Sam. Sam nodded once John had finished.

"Does he..." he trailed off for a moment "Is he upset?"

John and Bobby exchanged glances, wondering whether to tell Sam the truth. When John realised what he was doing – contemplating lying to Sam again – he shook his head and looked at his son.

"He...feels guilty."

"He thinks I hate him. He thinks I hate him for lying to me and not telling me."

John nodded. Sam looked his father in the eye, and John could see the hidden hurt swirling in their depths. The teenager hung his head dejectedly.

"Is it really true?"

John sighed and nodded, "Yeah."

"They're all real? Vampires, ghosts..."

"Every last one of them," Bobby said.

Sam looked up in surprise, then shrugged, "I suppose I should have guessed you'd be one of them too."

The ensuing silence was broken by the sharp ringing of the phone in the hallway. Bobby went to get it, and John helped Sam stand up, albeit shakily. The teenager hadn't walked for days, and combined with the savage head wound, he was unsteady on his feet.

"It's Dean!" Bobby called.

John and Sam rushed to the phone – Sam a little slower than usual. John took the receiver from his friend.

"Dean? What's going on?"

"We've found out where the guy's buried. Mary and I are headed out to torch him tonight."

"Good," John said, relieved. By the end of the night, this nightmare would all be over.

"Is Sam alright?"

John glanced down at Sam, who had only just made it to the phone. He handed him the receiver, and Sam smiled.

"Dean?"

/\/\

Dean quickly dialled the right number as Mary headed out to the Impala to pack everything in. He waited as it rang. Finally, Bobby picked up.

"Hello?"

"Bobby? It's Dean."

He heard Bobby call out to John. A moment later, his father was on the other end of the line, sounding breathless.

"Dean? What's going on?"

"We've found out where the guy's buried. Mary and I are headed out to torch him tonight," Dean said, glancing at the door for a second.

"Good."

Dean bit his lip as he asked his next question, the one he'd been burning to know for the last two days.

"Is Sam alright?"

There was silence for a moment, and Dean's heart sank like a brick. Silence never boded well.

"Dean?"

The voice on the other end nearly made Dean drop the receiver in shock. He quickly recovered and managed to reply.

"Sammy? You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just woke up. You found him yet?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna burn the son of a bitch tonight."

"Look, Dean..."

Dean cut him off, dreading what his little brother was going to say, "Sammy, I am so sorry. I swear to God I was going to tell you. I just didn't want you to be involved because I didn't want you to get hurt. I've seen Dad come back from hunting with his back torn to shred by a werewolf, and I thought he was going to die. He's still got the scars. I don't want you to end up like that."

"Dean..."

"And how was I supposed to tell you that there were scarier monsters out there? How was I supposed to say that everything wasn't as safe as you thought it was? You were so happy, Sam, and I didn't want to ruin that for you. If I could, I would go back and never know about all this crap. But I can't, and I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have to be like me. That you didn't have to grow up wondering if you were going to come home that night," Dean continued on, rambling, his voice starting to crack and break, his eyes starting to water.

"Listen..."

"I am so sorry Sammy. I hope to God that you can forgive me lying to you. I never meant to hurt you."

Dean slammed the phone down, choking back tears. He was not going to cry. Not here, not now.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

Dean looked up and saw Mary in the doorway, concerned. He shook his head and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

He leaned against the toilet, head in his hands. He hoped Sam could forgive him. He knew he would always feel guilty, no matter what Sam said, but there was a part of him that wished Sam would be able to understand why he had done it.

/\/\

Sam moved the phone away from his ear, confused. John looked at him questioningly.

"He blames himself. He really thinks I hate him. He didn't even let me say anything."

"He didn't want to hear you say that," Bobby said quietly, ever the voice of reason in an increasingly chaotic situation.

"But I wasn't. I was going to tell him I didn't hate him. But..."

"Come on," Bobby said, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder "You've been asleep for two days. You're damn well going to eat something."

Bobby led Sam away to the kitchen. John watched as Sam walked slowly away, his head down and arms folded tightly across his chest. He sighed sadly. He let his mind wander to Dean and the upcoming hunt. He wondered if Dean would be able to concentrate on the hunt. If he made a mistake, he could die. Jason would make sure of that.

He shook his head and made his way to the kitchen. Bobby's words had made him realise he was starving.