Chapter 21
"Careful there, Sammy, watch your step," Dean urged as he guided his brother through the door, Sam's arm draped over his shoulder as they walked. Stopping as they came to a balcony, the entire room pitch black around them, the older brother moved out from under Sam's arm and released him,
"Wait here." With his brother's nod, Dean moved around until he found a power switch on the wall,
"Hmm," He mumbled to himself, lifting each lever one by one until the entire room brightened up. Looking around, his jaw nearly dropped at the sight that he saw in front of him.
The room was huge, it looked like it went on endlessly. From where he stood, Dean took in the main room and what looked like a library connected to it. The entire room appeared completely old-fashioned, like nobody had even set foot in here in years, probably decades. A small smile formed on his lips as he moved back over to his brother who was still standing in the same spot he left him,
"Huh…"
"What is it?"
Dean moved his little brother's arm back over his shoulders and gripped Sam around the waist once more as he began moving them towards the staircase which led to the main floor,
"We're coming to a staircase, Sam, so be careful," He softly guided, patiently guiding his brother until they finally reached the landing,
"I dunno what this place is, but…I think we might have found a batcave, Sammy."
A small, short laugh escaped Sam at his brother's words as he felt Dean come to a halt,
"Where are we?"
"We're back in Kansas, Sam, but I don't know..." Dean stopped as he continued to look around what appeared to be a massive library. Books lined every inch of the walls and a large desk sat in the middle of the room with a fireplace on the other side,
"Mom and dad directed us here, but I honestly don't know what 'here' means…"
Sam frowned slightly, wishing more then anything that his sight was back, so that he could at least for once take in what his brother was explaining to him. It was all so confusing, how did their deceased family know to bring them here, and more importantly, was it even safe?
Before either brother could even comprehend what was going on, the lights began to flicker around them and Dean growled under his breath,
"Son of a bitch, not now…"
Sam was about to question what exactly was happening, when suddenly that same blackness that he had seen that previous night when he had come in contact with the ghosts once more came upon him. A harsh gasp escaped his lips as he moved his arm from Dean,
"What the hell is going on…?" Ignoring his brother calling his name, Sam looked around him and once again, felt his eyes underneath his eyelids and he blinked rapidly,
"Dean…" He moved his head to the left to look his brother directly in the eye,
"I can see you…"
Dean's breath caught in his throat as he ignored the fact that all the lights in the building went out just then. None of that mattered right now, it didn't matter that this was probably going to be because of another ghostly appearance; all that mattered was that for the time being, his little brother was able to see him for the first time in over a year. Blinking back tears that threatened to fall from his eyes, Dean moved his hands and reached up to cup Sam's face,
"You can see me right now?" He watched as Sam nodded his head jerkily, an unexplained expression forming on his face. Not sure of what else to do, as he knew this was not going to last long, the older brother reached forward and pulled his brother close, his arms folding around Sam tightly. No words were spoken between the two for a few minutes as Dean gently rocked his brother back and forth until another voice suddenly came from behind them. Another familiar voice.
"Sam. Dean."
Sam hesitantly pulled back from his brother and wiped a hand over his face to smear away the tears that had started falling against his will. His heart thudded rapidly in his chest as he lifted his head and saw the same three ghostly figures of their loved ones standing off to the side,
"This is only temporary, isn't it?" He whispered, wanting to take advantage of this final opportunity to see his brother again. To see all four of them again. This was not something that happened on a regular basis, in fact, he couldn't remember a time when this had ever happened.
"Unfortunately, it is, boy," Bobby replied, looking between both of his idjits,
"But we needed you to see us, to see your brother, one more time. What we have to say to you two is important, Sam." He nodded over to Mary Winchester and watched as she stepped towards their boys.
"We've sent you two here because it's the safest place on earth," She spoke softly, lifting her hand and stretching out her palm to hand something to Dean,
"We made sure this place was unlocked when you arrived, but from here on out, this is the only way anyone, supernatural or not, can get in here."
Sam glanced down at what his mother handed to Dean and saw a strange looking key now resting in his brother's hand,
"What is this place, mom?"
"It's a bunker, more specifically it's the Men of Letters bunker. It's a safe place that has been passed down from my family and your father's family, one that has been inherited to you boys," Mary replied, turning towards John as he stepped forward.
"It's also a place for you two to heal," John replied in a tone neither brother could remember him using before. It was a soft tone, much different from the gruffness he had always used with them,
"To take care of each other." He met his eldest son's eyes right then as he moved closer,
"Take care of your brother, Dean, but also allow him to take care of you. You both went through hell this last year," He moved his eyes towards his youngest,
"This will be the final time you'll see us, Sammy, so I want you to remember this moment and remember everything that we told you."
Sam found himself unable to speak, unable to even open his mouth. This was all happening so fast, that taking it all in at once would cause him to have yet another breakdown. So instead, the youngest Winchester just nodded his head mutely, watching as Bobby now stepped closer to them.
"We know this is a lot to take in, boys, but you'll be safe here," He nodded down to the key in Dean's hand,
"And keep that key on a safe place, it's the only way to get in and out of here." His eyes softened as he looked in between the brothers,
"Remember that you have family watching over you, but you also have friends nearby who care about you, so you're never alone in this."
"Garth and Jody," Sam finally found his voice as he looked over at his brother, trying his damndest to remember his brother's face once this was all over with. The last time he had literally seen his brother's face was when he been zapped to Purgatory and now…now that he could finally see him again, he didn't want to forget it.
"You won't forget what he looks like, Sam," Mary whispered, reaching forward and caressing her youngest son's cheek,
"I promise." She moved her other hand towards Dean and laid a hand on his cheek,
"We love you boys so much, don't ever forget that."
"We won't, mom," Dean choked out and just as soon as he felt the hand on his face, the feather like touch was gone and the three figures had disappeared. He looked around him and sucked in a sharp breath as he saw that the lights to the bunker had flickered back on; it was like nothing had ever happened. He looked in between the key that was nestled in the palm of his hand and back to his brother. The sunglasses were still clenched in Sam's hand, nearly crushing them with his strength, and just like before, his brother was once again blind.
Laying a careful hand on Sam's arm to let him know he was still there, Dean uttered wearily,
"Sammy?"
Sam's heart rate started to slow down some at his brother's voice, it was thudding so loudly in his ears anymore. He turned his head to where he remembered his brother was and gulped,
"We'll be okay?"
"Yeah, I think we will, Sammy."
0000
If there was one thing Dean was sure of, even though he knew that they were completely safe where they were, it was that he was not going to allow his brother to have his own room just yet. The size of the bunker they were staying in was relatively large and there was countless amounts of bedrooms, but most of them were pretty far apart, and with his brother's condition the way it was, he wasn't going to allow his little brother to be far away from him just yet.
So although he was practically dead on his feet with exhaustion, Dean had found the strength within him to maneuver two beds into one room, to make sure there was enough room for the both of them. Sam didn't seem to mind any of this; in fact he even seemed relieved at the idea. So hours later, as the older Winchester lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling of their new room and attempting to fall asleep, it came as a silent comfort to hear his brother in the bed beside him.
"Dean?"
Turning his head in time to see Sam sit up in his own bed, Dean rose up on his elbows and wiped his hand over his face tiredly,
"Yeah, kiddo?"
He watched as his baby brother appeared to be going over something in his mind, as if he was debating with himself, before he finally reached a hand down to his shirt and pulled the amulet that he was still wearing out from underneath. Dean continued staring as Sam fingered the necklace in his fingers silently before he pulled it up and over his head,
"Sam, what are you doing?"
"I want you to have it back," Sam finally spoke, still fingering the amulet in his hands before he reached across the space between them,
"I want you to take it…:"
Dean was speechless as he stared at the amulet in his brother's fingers, debating with himself to even take it back. Sam had had that in his possession the entire time he had been caged by Missy Bender and even during the abuse; and he had not once taken it off ever since Dean had placed it back around his neck at the hospital, it was like it was his own silent comfort that Dean was nearby, so who was he to take that from him now?
"Sammy-"
"Please," Sam pleaded with him, still holding the amulet out to him,
"It's yours, so I want you to have it back."
Dean silently went over it in his mind, before he finally came to the conclusion that his brother really and truly wanted him to take it back,
"Why, Sam?" He hesitantly reached out and took back the amulet, staring down at it in the palm of his hand.
"Dad said to take care of each other," Sam whispered back, leaning back down until his head hit the pillow,
"And that includes you, Dean…" Silence then filled the room as the youngest Winchester finally allowed sleep to overtake him. Dean's eyes travelled back and forth between the treasured necklace and back to his brother, taking in those last words Sam had spoken.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Dean nodded his head in acceptance and unraveled the amulet to place it back around his neck where it belonged.
0000
TBC