A/N: This is the last chapter and it's very long since it didn't feel right to have two separate ones. Feedback is appreciated! :)

The smell of blood was overwhelming. In fact, it clouded Sam's senses. The metal smell filled his nostrils, it was so real. But it couldn't be. He knew he was dreaming, he had to be. Despite his attempts, he couldn't force himself awake. The pounding in his head increased with every breath he took. As he dared to peer his eyes open red was all he saw. That would explain the smell of blood. He took a step further into the room, his heart hammering away. Swallowing thickly, he forced himself to look again.

"Dean!"

"Sam!" His brother's hand on his shoulder startled him awake. Blinking in confusion he took in his surroundings. Right. They had crashed in Dean's room. The dresser was still blocking the door. The recollection of what had happened just a few hours ago dawned on him. With a sigh he met his brother's concerned eyes.

"Nightmare?" Dean asked warily.

"Yeah. I must have dozed off." Dean chuckled and sat down on his bed.

"At least one of us has gotten some sleep." Dean eyed the door with hard eyes. Sam shifted on his mattress on the floor.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Just waiting the night out here?" Even with the salt line and the gun under Dean's pillow, Sam wasn't so sure that they were safe.

"We can't go out there looking for her in the middle of the night, we're only vulnerable that way. Besides, she could be coming back." Sam frowned, staring up at his brother.

"What? She'd just leave us without a word like that? Mom would never do that Dean- "Dean's glower shut him up.

"There was also no sign of struggle, Sam. We know mom would do anything to protect us but when it comes to her old life… we don't know that person." Feeling Sam's incredulous stare, Dean sighed. "Listen, all I'm saying is that she might have a plan. One she didn't want us to have anything to do with."

"But what about Kate and the demon?" Sam protested. Dean tensed for a second before looking down at him.

"She could have gone after them. Or…worst case is they found her." Sam ran a hand through his hair restlessly.

"Which is why we're staying here doing nothing? Genius plan." Sam muttered.

"Well we do need an actual plan before we go out don't we?" Dean spat which caught Sam off guard. "For all we know there could be demons lurking around the apartment. Kate did threaten you so we have to take every precaution. So while I'm thinking about what to do next, quit being a bitch alright?" Dean said, venom in his tone. Sam looked down at his mattress and swallowed. He knew that his brother was under pressure but his words still stung. Dean sighed after a minute.

"I'm sorry Sammy. I just…I'm worried, okay? And pissed. If they hurt her…" The anger made his voice slightly unsteady. "When the sun comes up, we'll leave." The resolute tone made Sam settle for a nod.

A sudden loud thud startled Dean in the early hours of the morning. Sam was asleep again and had seemingly not been bothered by the sound. Dean sat up sharply, listening as intently as he could until his rapid heartbeat was deafening. He wasn't sure that it came from inside the apartment, it could've come from the outside. The hours dragged by and what little sleep he got was clouded by agitated dreams. Looking down at his brother, he smiled. His tall figure was draped along the mattress in a position that couldn't be comfortable and he was slightly drooling. Even though he was fifteen he managed to look ten years old sometimes. When the sunlight seeping in from the window met his eye he decided that it was time. Nudging Sam awake with his foot stirred him awake.

"Huh?" Dean chuckled at the sight of his brother's hair, living a life of its own.

"Morning, princess. Let's go." Sam yawned until his jaw cracked lightly and got to his feet. Together they moved the dresser, the sound without a doubt waking the neighbors living below them. Dean opened the door warily, watching the salt line break. Everything was in its place, just like they'd left it. They breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at each other briefly. The relief didn't last very long when they saw that the front door was wide open. Sam swallowed audibly. Dean looked around, trying to ignore the shiver going down his spine.

"Guess that bitch couldn't stay away." Dean walked out and pressed the button for the elevator. He frowned when he saw that Sam hadn't followed. Hearing a grunt of pain, he hurried back inside. His instincts immediately told him that something was wrong.

"Sammy?" His brother was crouched over, hands rubbing his temples and eyes screwed shut. He rushed to his brother's side. It wasn't like him to get any migraine attacks or anything.

"Sammy! What's wrong?" Dean asked, voice growing more anxious by the second. "Come on, you have to talk to me." Instead his brother fell to his knees, a wheezing breath escaping him. Dean crouched next to him in panic. How things could possibly have gotten any worse at this point was beyond him.

"Sam, open your eyes, alright?"

"Sam!" Sam could hear Dean but it felt…remote somehow. The pain was almost too much to bear but he could barely get any sound out. It was the dream again; it was all he could see. The blood was everywhere and he didn't know where it came from. Slowly but surely it began to dissolve and the pain lessened to some extent. Trees. He knew where it was and he didn't want to see it again. The cabin where he'd last seen the demon came into view. Someone was approaching it. Sam tried to force his eyes to focus but the pain came back with full force. He felt something warm trickling down his nose. Blond hair. It was their mom. She turned around, her features slightly blurred but Sam could still make out her expression. She was scared and it wasn't very often he'd seen her scared. The vision was slipping away, the feel of Dean's hand on his back now more real than whatever he was seeing.

"Sam!" Sam jumped at his brother's shout as he was brought back to reality. He drew a couple of shaky breaths, looking around wildly to ensure himself of his surroundings.

"What the hell man?" Dean demanded. Sam was helped to his feet and realized that he was almost drenched in his own sweat. He wiped the small trail of blood away from his nose.

"I don't know. I guess it was like a vision but I've dreamt parts of it before…" Dean's brows raised in confusion, shaking in his head in defeat.

"Sam, you're not making any sense here. What did you see?" Sam rubbed a hand over his forehead, feeling the ground underneath him sway a bit.

"Blood. And then mom." Dean froze, taking in what he'd just said. After a minute, he nodded with a hard set to his eyes.

"Fantastic. We need to find her. Now." Sam hummed in agreement, following his brother out the door and shutting it.

"Dean, I think I know where she might be." Dean turned around hesitantly. "In the cabin where I met the demon. She must have had some kind contact with him or else…"

"Sam. Let's just focus on getting there, alright? You'll have to give me directions." Sam nodded, focusing his gaze on the elevator door. The descent had never felt so slow. Sam swallowed as they made their way to the impala. They had no idea what they were walking into.

The trail didn't allow them to go much further with the impala. Dean reluctantly realized that the only choice was to walk to the cabin. They had barely spoken, the nervous tension tangible. He knew that it was stupid, heading into an unknown situation with a gun as their only weapon. The cabin was partly concealed by trees and greenery, like someone had forgotten the small building or simply left it to be swallowed by the woods. Dean turned to his brother as they neared the door.

"Sammy. I need you to be careful. Stay behind me, okay?" Sam gave a short nod, his attention on the door. In the corner of his eye he saw his brother fiddling with something behind him as he opened the door. The stale air filled his lungs and he had to suppress a cough. Here goes nothing.

The second the door shut behind them Sam felt the air being knocked out of him. He registered the pain after he heard the thud of his head hitting the wall. To his right, Dean was struggling, forced against the wall. Just like he was. It didn't matter how much he tried, he still couldn't move. He met his brother's eyes panickily.

"Sammy- "

"What took you so long?" Sam had wished that he'd never hear that voice again but as his eyes met the yellow ones from across the room he knew that it had been inevitable.

"Where's our mom?" Dean snapped, managing to separate himself from the wall briefly but was pushed back by some force with a groan. The demon chuckled, stepping out from the shadows that had kept him hidden.

"Right here of course." Mary came into view from behind him, stumbling forward like someone had pushed her. The subsequent snicker confirmed Kate's presence. Sam cursed under his breath, why hadn't he seen this coming?

"I'm proud of you Sam. You made it all the way out here. For me." The demon said smugly. Dean snorted in disgust.

"We came here for our mother you son of a- "Dean was abruptly cut off, gasping for breath.

"You never seem to shut up, do you?" The demon mused disapprovingly. Sam met his mother's eyes, seeing the fear reflect in them. Once again he tried to move but all he managed was to wiggle his fingers.

"However, I was a bit taken aback by the change of events. Your mother came here, desperate to make a deal with me to leave the two of you alone. Guess she couldn't wait to repeat her mistake from the past." Mary's glower seemingly only made things more amusing to the demon who gave an elated smile. "I won't have that happening of course. Instead…" The demon grabbed Mary by her collar, away from Kate's grasp, and pushed her onto the floor in front of him. Dean growled next to Sam. "I thought we could liven things up a little." He motioned to Kate who sauntered over to stand in front of Sam and Dean, her features completely placid.

"So, Mary. We're going to play a little game and the rules are very simple. You get to decide which one of your sons who will survive. It's up to you since I'm pretty biased." The demon sighed but carried on with a shrug. Sam's blood had turned to ice. "Lucky for me, there are more children like Sam out there. Unfortunately for you, you pissed me off. Now choose."

"I will do no such thing." Mary said through clenched teeth, panic sweeping across her features before she composed herself. The demon looked down at her with interest and then rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Mary. You know I'm not kidding here. Just pick one. Will Sam live to see another day or will it be Dean?" Mary looked up at him with hatred.

"You sick son of a- "She cursed but was cut off.

"I guess your oldest son takes after you." The demon said, annoyance clear. He sighed dramatically.

"Play along here, it's not that hard. I mean surely it must be difficult, looking out after two boys. You'll spare yourself some trouble." He said with a shrug.

"Just take me instead." She spat. Dean struggled against the wall.

"Mom, no- "Sam began but stopped once Kate took a step closer.

"Choose." The demon knelt down next to her, yellow eyes piercing.

"No." Mary said, enunciating it with fervor.

"Choose!" The demon hissed, yanking her head back by her hair.

"Mom, pick Sam. It's okay- "Dean called and Sam glared at him incredulously.

"What the hell Dean! You don't get to sacrifice yourself for me! "Sam yelled at him, desperately struggling to reach his back pocket. Just a few more inches and he would be able to reach-

"For the love of god, shut the hell up!" The demon called out exasperatedly. A few seconds passed in absolute silence before the demon made up his mind. He ran a hand down his face.

"Fine. I'll play instead. Hope you're okay with my decision, Mary." Just as Sam's hand met with the metal the demon had already beckoned to Kate. It was just a few seconds to late. By the time Sam had managed to get the gun out of his pocket and aim the long barrel at the demon, Kate had stuck a knife into his brother's side. The loud bang ricocheted through the small space. That was all it took for Mary to spring into action. Charging Kate, she grabbed the bloody knife from her hands, slicing her throat with one clean sweep. Sam's shocked eyes were focused on the demon, looking equally shocked with a bullet through his skull. When he tumbled to the ground with a sparking sound Sam dropped the gun. He was dead. He had shot him. Sam blinked, not grasping what had just happened.

"No!" Mary's panicked scream got through to Sam in his dazed state. There was a ringing in his ears as he felt himself rush to Dean's side. The red was overwhelming, blood everywhere. Turning to his right he saw that some of it was from Kate, her lifeless blue eyes staring into nothing and brown hair plastered to the fresh cut on her throat. The puddle next to Dean was growing by the second. He heard Mary shout something at him but the ringing was too loud. He saw his hands shake in front of him but he couldn't make them stop. When green eyes met his frantically he felt himself snap back. Dean was gasping for breath, hands getting in the way of Mary's attempts at stopping the bleeding.

"Mom- "Sam managed to croak out. Her head snapped up to his, eyes hard as steel.

"Get it together. You have to help me, alright? Keep pressure here and I'll call an ambulance." She said, replacing her hands with Sam's on the makeshift band aid on Dean's side. It was her flannel shirt, he realized. It used to be blue. Mary rushed away and Sam increased the pressure on the wound as he saw more blood seeping out. He couldn't tell how deep it was.

"Sam-Sammy…" Dean stuttered out, teeth clattering together. Sam held his brother's arm down with his free hand.

"Dean, you'll be fine. I promise. Just don't try to talk anymore. Mom's- mom is- she is calling an ambulance." Sam babbled, his attempts as sounding reassuring failing. Dean grunted in response but stubbornly opened his mouth again.

"You- you okay?" He managed, wincing as Sam's once again pressed harder on the wound. The blood warmed his hands now. He looked around desperately for something to use as a new band aid and at the same time cursing at his brother's poor perception of his own well-being.

"I'm fine, Dean. You're the one with a hole in your side." He feigned a small smile, swallowing thickly. Dean snorted which he instantly regretted, eyes rolling back in pain.

"This s-sucks." He muttered, shifting around slightly. Sam tried to hold him down, eyes searching for their mother who was just on their way back to them. She put the phone down in her pocket and crouched down next to Dean, eyes roaming over his figure. She put a hand on his cheek, willing him to stay still.

"Dean, an ambulance is on its way, they'll be here in a few minutes." Dean looked at her for a second, gaze dimming over. She grabbed his shoulders, growing panic on her face.

"Dean?" Sam said, feeling his brother's body go limp. He felt his heart skip a beat and looked up at their mother in pure horror. She was shaking him lightly now. In the distance Sam thought he heard sirens. He looked at his brother's lifeless face, praying that it wouldn't end this way.

"Dean!"

Dean wasn't exactly a morning person, but he would still manage to force his eyes open and drag himself out of bed. Now, his eyelids had never felt so heavy. His groggy brain couldn't execute this simple action. Why was there a numb sensation on his side? Realizing that he didn't have the energy to care, he drifted off again.

"Dean, please wake up." The words echoed through his confused mind.

When he came to the first thing he registered was the telltale sound of bad day-time TV. It wasn't loud but enough to make him frown, eyelids fluttering lightly. The white light was momentarily blinding and he had to blink a few times before he could focus on anything.

"Dean?" There was a slight flow of air hitting his face as his brother rushed to the bed. He grunted in response, still out of it. In front of him were two faces, two Sams. No. Dean blinked, squinting. Now there's was just one Sam. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked down in confusion. Sam was talking to him, words coming out a too fast pace for him to process. Dean tried to sit up, the horizontal position not exactly helping his grogginess. He regretted it as a searing pain shot through his side.

"Son of a bitch. "He hissed, laying back down.

"Dean, you can't move, you'll rip the stitches. How are you feeling?" Sam asked, eyes meeting his worriedly. Dean noticed the bags underneath his eyes, the streaks on his cheeks. Had he been crying? Sam looked at him expectantly. Dean cleared his throat.

"Never been better." He replied hoarsely. Sam rolled his eyes, handing a glass of water over. Dean took a few careful sips. "Seriously though, when can I get out of here?" He asked restlessly.

"You've just been stabbed, Dean. You were out for two days and we were worried as hell. For now, you're staying here, got it?" Sam said, voice wavering slightly with emotion which caught Dean off guard.

"Alright, bossy." Sam's mouth twitched as he looked down at his hands. None of them knew what to say for a minute. Dean looked around the room. On one of uncomfortable-looking chairs was their mother's bag.

"Where's mom?" Dean asked as Sam sat down next to the bed. Sam ran a hand through his messy hair. Dean realized that he probably hadn't taken a shower after everything. He hadn't slept either, from the looks of it.

"She went back to the cabin to clean everything up. Before someone finds…" Sam trailed off. Memories passed by in flashes of what had happened, making him wince.

"Is he dead?" Dean asked quietly. Sam met his gaze for a second before nodding.

"Yes. Kate too." Dean hummed.

"Good." He replied shortly. Sam opened his mouth briefly, as if there was something he wanted to say but he shut it again.

"Don't do that again, Dean." He murmured at last. Dean searched his brother's face for any clue of what he was talking about.

"What did I do now?" He said, brows raised. Sam glared at him accusingly.

"Don't try to sacrifice yourself like that again. And…don't do this again. You're not supposed to be here." Sam said quietly with big eyes, gesturing to the bed. Dean scoffed.

"I'll try not to get stabbed again, Sammy. And you're sure as hell not supposed to be here instead of me, I'll take this over that any day." Dean said firmly.

"Dean!" Neither of them had noticed Mary returning. She rushed to the other side of the bed, gathering Dean in a smothering hug. He couldn't help but smile but was still mindful of not moving too much.

"Thank god you're okay. When did you wake up?" She demanded, pulling her jacket off, glancing at Sam quizzically.

"Not too long ago." She nodded and then frowned, looking around.

"Sam, did you not call a nurse?" She asked in a stressed tone. Sam's eyed widened, hand scratching at his neck. Mary pressed a button by the bed and sat down with a sigh.

"They said to tell them immediately when he woke up, Sam. He's been comatose for two- "Dean held his hand up, seeing Sam shifting a bit in his chair.

"Mom, I'm fine. Sammy was busy scolding me for almost dying so we were preoccupied." Sam huffed but gave him a brief grateful glance. Quick steps approached the room, a male doctor followed by a nurse entering.

"Mr. Winchester, nice to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I don't have to stay here for much longer. When can I get out?" Mary nudged him in warning. The doctor chuckled.

"Well, luckily the knife missed any vital organs. You did lose a lot of blood though and you need rest so I'd say a few more days." Dean reluctantly nodded.

After the nurse had done some tests Sam knew that Dean would ask about the demon dying. Sam didn't even understand it at this point. Dean was eating his unappetizing hospital dinner and gave Mary sideway glances every now and then.

"Mom. How did Sam kill the demon with that gun? I thought he was close to indestructible or something." Mary froze slightly in her seat, putting the magazine she had been reading down slowly.

"That's right. But that gun was the Colt." She stated, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Okay?" Dean prodded. Mary sighed.

"It can kill essentially any supernatural creature, with just a few exceptions. Now that you've brought it up…" She fixed her stare on Sam who looked down at his lap. "How did you find it Sam? I was very careful. I'm not angry, I'm glad he's finally dead." Sam cleared his throat and glanced at his brother quickly.

"It started as dreams a while back, I kept seeing it. They also told me where to find you today, I saw it. And then I sort of stumbled upon the gun- "

"You looked for it in my bedroom." Mary stated.

"Yes." Sam admitted sheepishly. "I didn't realize that it was that special though, trust me. I knew that Dean wouldn't approve of me bringing it so I grabbed it just before we left the apartment." They stayed in silence for a minute, trying to somewhat digest what had happened today. While Sam couldn't deny feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders there was also a numb feeling left.

"How do you have the Colt mom?" Dean asked suspiciously. Sam saw her tense again.

"Well, I haven't had it for very long. I was afraid that he would find us one day. Us moving around so much wasn't just to keep you safe." Sam met his brother's confused gaze for a second before Mary carried on. "I was looking for the Colt. With the demon killing John I… I had to find a way to kill him. I couldn't give up. But when he threatened you two the only way out I saw was to make a deal- "She put her head in her hands, sighing.

"But we stopped you in time." Sam said, trying to lift the mood. She smiled briefly before fixing them with a stern look.

"Thing would've gone very differently today had you not showed up, that's true. But the two of you will never put yourselves in danger like that again, is that understood?" Sam and his brother had the sense to nod.

In the early morning hours Dean stirred awake, for a minute unsure of his surroundings. He felt a weight at his feet and looking down he saw Sam passed out, sitting on his chair but resting by the foot of the bed. Dean chuckled, the sound rousing Mary who'd been asleep in her chair. She stretched with a yawn.

"Should he really be sleeping like that? Must be painful." Dean said in a hushed tone. Mary smiled and shrugged.

"He finally got some sleep after all of this so I don't think he minds." Dean hummed.

"Will everything go back to normal now mom?" He asked, sounding much younger than he intended. Mary put a comforting hand on his arm.

"With what we know, Dean, things will never be normal. If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that. Doesn't mean we can't try to be though." She mused with a shrug. Dean smiled, glancing down at his brother who was gone to the world.

"And it is really important not to engage in any straining physical activity. We preferably would've liked to keep you for another day but- "The doctor said as Dean was helped to his feet by Sam.

"Screw that. I'm going stir crazy in here." Sam cleared his throat, smiling at the doctor apologetically at Dean's attitude. It had been four days and Dean couldn't wait to get out of this sterile place.

"Come back if you start to feel any worse or if- "Dean nodded irritably, holding his hand up.

"Yeah, yeah. Sam, you're practically carrying me, I'm not an invalid." They were heading out the door with Mary close behind.

"You're acting like one, jerk." Sam huffed, not easing his grip.

"Bitch." Dean muttered, trying to hide the corners of his mouth twitching.

In the impala Dean reluctantly agreed to sit with Sam in the backseat. He felt uncomfortable not being the one behind the wheel. Mary cleared her throat as she drove, looking at them through the rearview mirror.

"So, I guess you're not exactly going to be heartbroken about this. I've decided it's for the best to sell the apartment. We should have a house, maybe not even in this city. I think we've had enough drama for a while." Dean looked at his brother with a growing smile.

"Finally. Where are we moving to mom?" Sam sat up straighter in eager interest. She smiled at them before quirking a brow.

"Who knows. Somewhere new." Dean liked the sound of that. The impala sped up, the road ahead putting space between them and the things that would always know how to keep up. For now, they were fading in the distance.