Lily felt numb all the way down to her toes. Even her mouth seemed to be broken as she finally choked out a single word:

"What?"

"He said—Are you okay?" Dean caught his sister at the elbow just in time to keep her from falling over. She was far too pale and her eyes were unfocused. "Hang on, Lil, sit down."

"No. No, I'm fine. What do you mean…Dad told you to…kill Sammy?" Dean's silence was answer enough, and then Lily was pushing away from him. "What? Why? When? How? He told you to kill Sam? That's it? No explanation, no nothing? Just—"

"I don't know any more than you, Lily! That's why I didn't tell you. I just…I dunno. But it doesn't matter. I'm not gonna have to kill him. I'm gonna save him."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Lily cried. "Dad told you to kill Sam!"

"Dammit, Lily, I don't know! All I do know is that it's not gonna matter. I'm gonna save him, alright? I'm gonna save Sammy. I promise. Okay?"

Lily was silent for a long minute. Then she said, "Not without me you won't."

Dean shook his head, ran a hand through his hair. "Lily, this isn't your job."

"God, Dean, stop it! Just stop it, okay! You are not an island unto yourself! I am your sister, Dean, and Sammy's your brother, and Dad was the one crazy enough to…to tell you that. I don't want Sammy to die, alright? But that doesn't mean I'm gonna sit back and let you do all the work. You need me, Dean. Like it or not, you're not going to save Sammy. We are."

Dean was shaking his head before she'd even finished. "No. No, Lily, I'm sorry, but if I lose you, too—"

"You never asked what else Dad wrote in my letter."

For a second time that night, Dean stopped, looked at his sister, confused and surprised. "What?"

"My letter. I only told you part of it. How do you think I knew Dad said anything at all?"

Dean blanched suddenly. "What did he tell you? Do you-?"

"No. No orders to murder my brothers. But he told me he told you something. Something bad. Something that could only be stopped if I stayed around to help. That's why I stayed, Dean. Yeah, I missed you guys, and yeah, I wanted to look out for you. But Dad made it sound like if I left…Sammy would die. I can't watch that, okay? I can't." She paused, eyes stinging with unshod tears, and Dean walked over awkwardly, but she pushed away again.

"Lily…"

"I don't remember Mom's death," she said, turning to gaze over the empty, darkening parking lot, "And I missed Dad's. Please, Dean. Please don't make me watch Sammy's." She laughed, though it was a bitter, tearful sound. "I wouldn't know how to handle it."

Dean watched his sister for a long minute, then shrugged. "Alright," he said. "Alright, I can't believe I'm saying this, but…yeah. I could use your help, Lil."

Lily looked up sharply, caught between distress and hope. "Help you, what, Dean?"

"We're gonna save Sammy, Lil. You and me. We're gonna do it, alright? You don't have to worry. Nothing is gonna happen. I promise. We're gonna save him."

"Hey, guys," came a voice suddenly, both weary and betrayed. "Gonna save me from what?"

And that's it! I know it's super short, but the next chapter will be up in no time. Thanks again for your patience, guys. Turn in soon for the next chapter! I'll give you a hint: more Weechesters!

Massive love,

CA