Chapter 25

The sounds and smells of the woods after so long in captivity were almost enough to make Sam feel drunk.

Running at that easy ground eating lope, half a step behind and to the left of his brother through the dark, it was entirely muscle memory. A feeling of bone deep rightness. A repeat of a thousand other nights.

But this wasn't a thousand other nights.

This was the last night.

At midnight one of them would die for good and their soul would go to the empty.

So many times, Dean had sacrificed himself for Sam, this once Sam was determined to repay the favour.

Once would have to pay for everything.

"Dean!" He's panting more than he usually would, talking and running wasn't going to work. Talking at all was going to be an uphill battle with Dean, who he knows, is trying to avoid this discussion indefinitely. "Dean stop." Sam leans against a tree putting effort into looking done-in.

"Sam?" His brother stops and walks back, his face a pale oval in the darkness "Sam?" There's that hesitant quality in Deans voice that he gets when he's worried about his little brother but also thinks he might get ambushed.

Sam stifles a smile.

"Sam, you hurt?"

"Nah, just two months in a box. The adrenalin crash after the soldiers, maybe." Sam slides down the trunk to sit, long limbs bent in an ungainly sprawl.

"Sasquatch jack in a box. Terror of soldiers" Dean rumbles in an attempt at humour settling beside him.

"Dean, we gotta talk about this."

"Nothin' to discuss Sammy, my deal, I pay the dues."

Sam grunted "It was Our deal, Dean." He held up the palm he'd raked the bolt across to prove his point. "It doesn't have to be you Dean. I..." he finds himself faltering "I don't want it to be you. Not, not again."

"Sammy" god, Deans voice contains a world of love and tiredness in one word, it makes a lump form in his throat "Sam, I can't do it without you... "

"And you think I can?" The angry words ripped themselves out.

"Sam." His brother's voice held no anger in return, face turned away in the darkness Dean reached out blindly, resting his hand on the back of his brothers neck he squeezed gently once before letting his arm fall away bonelessly "you gotta think about it logically" Deans voice was a gravel soaked whisper, full of tears he'd never admit to. "It's about which one of us can keep fighting bro, which one the world needs. You're the best of us Sammy, always were."

"No!" Angry tears spill and he reaches out grabbing his brother arm.

"Yeah you are, you're smarter, you've got more heart 'n' you're a survivor Sammy. Me, not so much so. I can't... I don' ..." a broken sigh "You're the best part of me Sammy."

"no..."

"Yeah, Buddy it's gotta be me, use that big brain, run the numbers."

"NO! You're wrong, you're the better hunter, people like you and need you more! Can't you see that?! Why can't you see that? Damn it Dean! I make crap decisions, especially when you leave me. Demon blood, Ruby... Releasing the darkness..."

"Sam, you didn't mean..."

"I never do, that's my point!"

"We gotta move Sam."

"No, not till this is decided."

"Seems, neither one of us is gonna give." Frustration was beginning to creep into Deans voice "I'm fresh outta coins to toss."

"Paper scissors rock, best of three."

Dean snorted at the suggestion, then he smiled, teeth white in the darkness. "No take backs Sammy, no pitching a bitch-fit. The person that wins, goes?" Dean stood and pulled Sam to his feet.

Sam eyed his brother in the darkness barely daring to believe his brother would agree.

"No take backs, Dean. The person who wins, goes." He knew Dean so well, he always threw scissors, it was almost too easy.

...

"No!"

Dean chuckled "Actually, yes, Sammy."

"But..."

"No bitch-fits, Bitch, I won. Deals a deal."

"Dean..." then a sickening thought occurred "You hustled me, fuck!"

"A person only gets hustled if they're cocky about a sure thing, Sammy."

"You fucking Jerk. You've been hustling me for years."

Deans rumble of laughter lit the darkness "Bitch, only when it mattered. This matters. You'll get over it 'n' find some way to haul my ass outta the empty." With that Dean turned and began loping into the darkness.

Sam followed as he'd done all his life.

Constrained from arguing, every step and heartbeat carrying him towards an end he couldn't see a way past.