A/N- I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I really wanted to get my most recent one-shot story out before I did this one. For those who haven't read it yet, please take the time if you want to read and review "Words Not Spoken". Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 21

"It's been a long time, Sam."

Sam closed his hazel eyes as he held his cell phone in between his ear and his shoulder and nodded his head, even though he knew Sarah couldn't see it,

"Yeah…"

"How are you doing?" Sarah's voice was gentle and soft, just like it was all those years ago when Sam had last seen her. An awkward silence passed in between the two, the younger Winchester unsure of how to answer that particular question,

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm alright, Sarah," Sam replied quietly, his heart hammering in his chest once again. When he first decided to make this call, to finally talk with her, Sam knew he would have to be completely honest with her; Sarah never took any crap from him and she always knew when he wasn't telling the truth. Now wouldn't be any different, would it?

"No you're not," Sarah replied and Sam could just imagine the look on her face as she said those words,

"I can tell you're not…"

Silence.

"Listen, Sam, I know we haven't seen one another in years, but you can tell me anything," Sarah continued as gently as possible, not wanting to scare him away, but also able to tell that he needed a friend right no,

"Anything at all."

Sam lowered his head to the table that he had taken to leaning against and went over her words in his mind. Sarah was willing to listen to everything he had to say; she had never judged him before, not even after he had confided in her about his life, how death seemed to follow him everywhere he went. She didn't even push him away when he told her that he thought he was cursed. And she was lending a listening ear now…now when he was more broken then he was back then. Now when he had literally been to Hell and back with life-changing effects…

"Sam?" Sarah's voice spoke in his ear, causing the younger Winchester to shift and lift his head,

"You're awfully quiet. Look, the last thing I want to do is stick my nose in where it doesn't belong and if you want me to mind my own business, I will, Sam, but-"

"I've been to Hell, S-Sarah…" Sam finally blurted out, blinking his eyes rapidly to hold back the few tears that were threatening,

"I w-was in Hell for a year and a half our time…"

If there was one thing Sarah was expecting to hear from him, if there was one thing she expected to be told…it was not this. Never this. Hell? As in the devil himself and Hell? The younger woman felt her heart palpitating and she blinked her eyes to hide any tears that were trying to make themselves known. She would not break down. Not in front of Sam. He needed her to remain strong for him,

"Oh my God, Sam…"

"I know it's hard t-to believe, S-S-Sarah-"

"No, Sam," Sarah gently interrupted, lifting a hand and wiping away the tears that stubbornly started to fall,

"I believe you, I do. And it's not your fault, alright? So don't even allow yourself to think that." She was greeted with a silence, but she would have sworn she heard the sound of a quiet sob on the other end of the line,

"Sam, where are you right now?"

"What?" Sam lifted his head again, eyebrows furrowing together.

"This kind of conversation shouldn't be done over the phone, my friend," Sarah hoped with everything in her that Sam wouldn't shut her out now; he desperately needed a friend and although Dean was there, thank God, he also needed a friend's listening ear, despite what he may think,

"I will come to you. I would like to see you, Sam…please."

"Sarah-"

"If you think I'm going to judge you in any way, shape or form, it's not true," She interrupted in as gentle a voice as possible, feeling like she was treading on thin ice at the moment. Any time, Sam could just hang up on her and never call her back; she had to be extremely careful with this,

"You know that, Sam."

Sam closed his hazel eyes again and nodded his head silently before replying,

"I-I know…"

"Where are you?"

0000

Dean couldn't remember the last time he felt this good; he couldn't remember the last time he allowed himself to finally smile…a real smile, one that told him that he was going to be okay. It was almost foreign to the older Winchester, but at the same time, it was one he welcomed with open arms. The last thing he had expected on his walk him from that interview was to have some hot chick flirting with him. He knew that she wouldn't have done that if he didn't look good.

And there was no denying it anymore. He DID look good. Self-righteousness be damned, he enjoyed feeling that good!

His leg was starting to hurt a little, even with the brace that he was still wearing, but Dean ignored the little bit of pain as he neared Bobby's. His leg was not used to something like this, walking to and from a store; he would have to get used to it, especially since he couldn't drive the Impala while he was constantly drinking.

As he walked into Singer Salvage and got closer to the older hunter's home, he couldn't wait to tell Sam about everything that had happened. He couldn't wait to see his little brother's face light up and smile at him. He couldn't wait to tell him and Bobby that he had been hired and for the first time in too long, he could honestly say that he felt good. As Bobby's house came into view, Dean smiled to himself as he saw his brother and Bobby sitting on the front porch, talking and even from a distance, the older Winchester could see the worry and fear on Sam's face.

Before Dean could open his mouth as he neared them, however, he watched as Bobby rose to his feet and smiled over at him,

"How'd it go?"

Raising an eyebrow in the older hunter's direction, Dean smirked back,

"I take it you already know, Bobby?"

"Yeah, I do; so how'd it go already?" Bobby demanded, crossing his arms in front of him.

Grinning over at Sam as he stepped forward, his large hazel eyes wide, Dean spread his arms out in front of him and grinned,

"I got the job, Sammy."

A smile spreading a mile wide over his face, Sam allowed his fear of meeting up with Sarah in a few days vanish as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around his big brother tightly,

"I knew y-you'd get it, Dean." Squeezing Dean tightly for a moment, Sam then pulled away and met his brother's eyes,

"They would've b-been a fool not to hire you."

"I think this calls for a little celebration, don't you, boys?" Bobby arched an eyebrow at each of his beloved idjits,

"Things seem to have been going quite well with both of you boys," Here, he turned his gaze to the youngest Winchester and his eyes grew serious,

"What'dya think, Sam?"

Silent fear for going out in public and exposing himself to ridicule flooded Sam's being, but he shoved it down as deep as it would go. He would be going out in public in a few days, so he might as well take the first step right now, get his feet wet so to speak. Plus, Dean deserved this. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen such pride on his older brother's face and if Dean could take that step, so could he. His heart hammered loudly in his chest as he forced the smile back on his face as he turned to face Bobby and then Dean, who's own smile had faded and worry had taken its place,

"Let's do it."

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Dean piped up, his eyes never leaving his baby brother,

"Because we don't have to if you're not ready-"

"Have to do it sometime, r-right?" Sam's smile was shaky as he turned to face Bobby again,

"I'll be fine, Bobby."

Although still a little concerned about Sam's state and the way he was still trembling, Bobby nodded his head and smiled back at his friend. The boy had to start somewhere,

"All right then," He reached over and gently squeezed Sam's upper arm,

"You're gonna do great, son." Turning back to Dean, he added,

"Just lemme finish some stuff up in the house and we can be outta here in about 20 minutes."

As their family friend walked back into the house, leaving the door open partway, Dean turned back to his little brother in concern,

"Sammy-"

"I'm m-meeting up with Sarah in a few days, Dean," Sam interrupted, stepping back to the front porch and grabbing a bottle of beer out of the cooler, handing it to his brother,

"I have to start somewhere…"

"Sarah Sarah?" Dean grinned mischievously as he accepted the bottle from Sam,

"You two are finally meeting up, Sam?"

"I called her while you were gone," The younger brother smiled slightly as his face turned a bright shade of pink,

"It was good to hear f-from her again, Dean…"

"I told you she wouldn't judge you, little brother," Dean turned serious as he saw the fear return to his little brother's eyes,

"What'd you tell her?"

"She-" Before Sam could finish his sentence however, a loud, obnoxious voice sounded from the entrance of Singer Salvage and both brothers nearly jumped in surprise.

"See, I told you it was the town drunk!"

"What the hell?" Dean growled as two teenage boys who looked to be no older then 16 or 17 crossed into Bobby's yard. Clenching his beer in his hand, all the while feeling both of his hands starting to shake, Dean stood in front of his little brother as the two boys came even closer,

"Goddamnit, when did I stop paying attention if I was being followed…?"

Sam frowned in concern,

"What are you talking about?"

Shaking his head as anger towards himself crept into his heart, Dean narrowed his eyes at the two boys as they got closer to hearing range,

"Walking home, Sam; I wasn't even paying any attention to what was going on around me-"

"It is him!" The tallest of the two ribbed his friend and shook his head,

"Oh my God, I never thought I would actually see that drunken idiot again…"

"I told you, Billy!" The shorter of the two smirked as they neared the brothers,

"It's that drunk who barged into my dad's convenience store that one day, remember, and was so drunk, he nearly fell over!"

"Who the hell are you boys?" Dean finally spoke up, folding his arms across his chest as he finally came face to face with these two idiots,

"This is private property-"

"I don't see a sign," The taller of the two-Billy-interrupted as he looked in between Sam and Dean,

"It's a free country-"

"What the hell are you doing on my friend's property, I probably should ask then?" Dean snapped back, still attempting to shield his brother from view even though he could tell that his Sam was starting to stiffen up and was starting to tremble,

"You might want to get off-"

"My God, I never thought I'd see the day when he could make two sentences without stuttering!" Billy snorted as he ribbed his friend beside him and they both tilted their heads back laughing,

"Or falling over!" Turning to his friend beside him, he smirked as he nodded over at Sam,

"That your boyfriend?"

"His B-BROTHER," Sam finally spoke up, unable to take hearing Dean getting trashed in front of these two morons.

"B-B-B-Brother?" Billy mocked, stepping closer just as Sam stepped out from behind Dean,

"Oh you p-p-p-poor little st-st-st-stutterer!"

"We don't want any problems, so t-take your f-friend here and get outta here," Sam attempted to ignore the ridicule that was being hurled in his direction. Feeling his brother's hand on his arm and taking strength from Dean's touch, Sam glared angrily at the two teenagers,

"W-We're warning you-"

"YOU are warning US?" Billy snorted again, lowering his head and seeing the younger Winchester's damaged hands,

"With those hands of yours? Hey Johnny, do you really think this cripple here could do any damage to US?"

His face turning red with fury, Dean stepped forward and attempted to shield his brother again as he saw the tears threatening his eyes,

"This is your final warning, you idiots-" Before Dean had time to even continue speaking however, he felt a sharp pain going up and down as his leg as he felt himself being kicked in the knee. Gasping for breath, Dean was unable to hold himself upright anymore and he felt himself falling to the gravel,

"Sonuvabitch!"

All feelings of inadequacy and self-consciousness flying out the window as he witnessed Billy kicking his brother right in bad leg, Sam balled his hand up in a fist and although his hand was screaming in pain, he threw a punch right into the teenager's jaw, causing him to stumble backwards,

"That's for m-messing w-with my brother! If you E-EVER-" Before he had time to get into Johnny's face next, he felt another sharp pain going through his hands as Johnny grabbed a hold of them and squeezed them tightly. A loud cry escaped Sam's lips, the pain jolting through him like wildfire.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted as he clutched his bad leg, biting his lip as pain flowed through him all over again,

"Get away from him, you sick son of a bitch!"

"That's for hitting him, you freak!" Johnny's face took on a look of complete and utter hatred just as Billy got a hold of himself and turned towards Dean, who was attempting to pull himself back up,

"Kick him again, Billy!" He grinned from ear to ear as Billy laid one more kick to Dean's bad leg and smiled broadly at the cry that escaped. Turning back to Sam, he tightened his grip on the younger brother's hands, digging his nails into them until he saw blood form,

"Aw, is the poor cripple in pain?" He smirked as he saw the tears forming in Sam's eyes and rolling down his cheeks,

"Do you want me to stop?"

"G-Get away from my brother, you son of a bitch!" Sam shouted through his own pain, ignoring the tears as he looked down at his brother,

"I'll kill you, I swear to God I'll kill you-" He was cut off as he felt the hands holding his own damaged hands tighten and just when he thought it couldn't get anymore painful, he felt Johnny twist his right hand hard and he screamed as he felt bones break.

Dean gasped in agony as he felt the next kick come to his leg and he shook his head just as he saw the familiar figure appear right in front of him, standing right behind Johnny and Billy, arms folded and a look of mock sympathy on his face,

"I'm telling you, Dean, this all goes back to you. Am I right? None of this would have happened if you had just ended it like I told you to. If you had just put a bullet into your brain and then one into your brother's. Neither of you would be dealing with these two punks if you had just listened to me," The hallucination rolled its eyes and shook his head again,

"You never learn, do you?"

"No…no…" Dean closed his eyes, mumbling to himself, his anger taking a hold of him and not letting go. Making sure to keep his voice low, he mumbled once again, never once opening his eyes,

"No…I did learn my lesson…I did. This isn't real, you're not real…"

"What if I am real?"

"You're not," Dean hissed back, opening his eyes just in time to see Billy and Johnny send his brother to the ground next to him, who was now holding his right arm tightly to his body. Meeting the hallucination right in the eye, Dean glared angrily and shouted,

"GO AWAY!"

As the hallucination flickered for a few moments and died, Dean pushed himself up painfully, his eyes now turning to his monsters who had just dared to hurt his brother. Pushing aside the long lost memory of when he and Sam had been fit enough and able to take on situations like this; back when they were hunters and a normal day was salting and burning a corpse. That was then. This was now. They were weaker, true; but at the same time, they were still strong in their own way and right now, Dean was pissed and when he was pissed, watch out,

"You are so dead…"

"I'd say you are."

Before Dean had time to even get a full standing position, the next thing he heard was the sound of a gun cocking and he lifted his head to see Bobby standing right beside them, his shotgun pointed directly at the two teenagers threateningly,

"Bobby…thank God…"

Glancing in between his two favorite idjits, Bobby moved the shotgun from Billy to Johnny and back, satisfaction flowing through him as he finally saw fear on their faces,

"That's right. Step away from them right now or so help me God, I will put a bullet through each of your heads."

0000

TBC