Chapter 26

The drive to the area by the woods was quiet.

It felt damn good to be in the Impala with Sam sitting in the passenger seat again. As long as he didn't glance over toward him, he could even mostly pretend things were back to what they'd been before his deal came due and before all this ugly body swapping business.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop sneaking glances in Sam's direction. Just like when he kept getting shocked at the fact Sammy was dead, he was now having the same thing happening to him in reverse. He just couldn't help feeling that at any moment, any second, Sammy would disappear as if he'd never been. Dean wasn't going to let his brother get out of his sight for more than two minutes no matter where they were or what they were doing. He had a second shot at doing his old job and no way no how was he going to botch it up again. He'd keep Sammy safe!

His cell phone rang and after yet another glance in Sam's direction he pulled it out and answered it. "Yeah, Bobby."

Sam's head snapped to face in his direction.

"You all up there yet?"

"Yeah. About to check out a couple of places brought to my attention. Uh, Bobby?" How the heck was he supposed to say this over the phone? Hell, would his friend even believe him? "I think you should get up here. There's been, some developments…" He sent a half glance in Sam's direction. His brother was sitting stiffly in the seat, his hands bunched fists on his lap, his whole attention on Dean and the phone he was holding.

"Good news or bad news?"

"Good news, Bobby. Unbelievably good news." He sent a big smile in Sam's direction.

He watched his brother try to give him one back but it was fragmented. Dean set his gaze back on the road before Sam could see the frown itching to form on his face. No friggin' way Sammy didn't remember things from down below. He'd have to call him on it and soon, but not right now. Dammit, when it rained, it poured.

"What is it?" Bobby's voice rang with eagerness. Good news had been scarce for quite a while.

"I'll tell you all about it once you get your ass up here. So hurry up!" He tried to sound as excited as before, but was having a hard time of it. "I'll text where we'll be staying a while later. Trying to figure out a thing or two still before deciding where to hole up."

"All right, be that way, you idjit. Be up there in seven plus hours or so."

"See ya." Dean flipped the phone closed and put it away. He couldn't help throwing another glance in Sam's direction.

His brother had turned away, seemingly staring out the side window, his forehead against the glass. From what little Dean could see reflected in it, his brother didn't look happy. So he was a little surprised when the question floated on over to him.

"Is Bobby okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Shouldn't he be?"

He got a shrug for an answer.

"Sam?"

A deep sigh echoed in the car's interior. "I, I didn't…I didn't say good-bye before I left." Another sigh followed. "I was afraid he'd try and stop me."

"No shit, Sherlock!" The rebuttal came clipped and hard and he was sorry the moment it left his mouth, but it was too late. Sam should have never done what he did, though. No way. "But he's okay." Then in a much softer voice, he added, "We helped each other through stuff."

Sam said nothing else.

A squad car was at the gas station, lights flashing. Dean drove up and parked, keeping the engine on. He threw a veiled look Sammy's way. "You wanna come with?"

"I'd rather not, if that's okay."

Having expected the reply, Dean shrugged and grabbed the EMF reader and tucked it into a pocket before climbing out of the car. The station was a green trimmed white building with one enclosed service bay and two old style red pumps in front. He noticed there was one old clunker in the small lot and a lone phone booth. Guess the car Sammy stole was the better pick of the two, though neither was pretty. Lima bean green was just not right…

The large window in the front, the ones on the garage door, and the glass on the front door were gone. There was little to no glass outside though. The moment he stepped into the doorway he saw why, every window had imploded coating the floor inside with broken shards.

"Hey you! What are you doing here?"

A deputy sheriff trundled from the back of the snack area, glass crunching underfoot.

Dean spotted the TV set and radio Sam had also mentioned. He made himself look back at the officer putting on a lost puppy look. "Sorry. I think I made a wrong turn and saw the gas station and thought I'd ask for directions. What in the world happened here?" With a bit of practice, he'd found he could tap into Sammy's mundane powers by just asking himself WWSD – What Would Sammy Do – then react and school his face accordingly. It scarily worked more times than not. "Was anyone hurt?"

The deputy studied him over with a raised brow then indicated they should step outside. "Place was closed, so everyone's fine. Looks like some vandals had at the place. Emptied the cash register and swiped some goods. Mr. Harrison won't be happy. Has never had a problem in thirty years."

"Oh wow, sorry to hear that." Dean made his brow frown with oodles of concern.

The deputy put his hat on. "Where you headed anyway?"

"Comell? My brother had us following 23, but I think we got off too soon." He jerked a thumb in the rumbling Impala's direction. Sam was looking their way from the inside of the car.

The deputy laughed. "Shoot, I'd say so. Should have just stayed on it. It curves around at the 170 split and takes you right in." He gave Dean some directions on how to get back to it.

"Thank you, officer. Appreciate it." He gave the guy a wide smile and took his leave.

Doing this before had oddly enough made him feel closer to his missing brother. Now with Sam back and in the car watching him, it just made the whole thing weird.

"Dean, what the hell was that?"

Guess he wasn't the only one that thought so either. "Nothing. Just using your sickeningly honest looking face to best advantage."

Sam shook his head. "You scare me sometimes."

Dean acted shocked and offended. "What? Only sometimes? Dude!"

For once, Sammy actually found what he said funny, and a glimmer of a grin made an appearance for a short lived second. It wasn't much, but Dean would take whatever he could get.

"Find anything?"

Dean shook his head. "No go on the EMF, not even a chirp. Didn't see or smell any sulfur either. Just lots and lots of blown out glass."

He put the Impala in reverse. Though he'd have to make a loop to get them back in the right direction, he acted as if he were following the deputy's instructions on how to get back to 23 in case the guy was watching. Once they were out of sight, he got them back on track.

Wild grass on the one side changed in the distance to a forest of trees. Dean rolled the window down to let in the fresh air filled with the scent of evergreens rather than turned earth and crops. It was hard to believe he was actually driving to the site of his grave and his brother's consequent resurrection.

Memories of other visits out here resurfaced as he came near so he was able to make the correct turn to the chained off road their father used to take when he brought them there. Sam stayed in the car while Dean picked the lock, drove the car in, then put it back not quite closed for when they were ready to leave.

There were no signs of other people out there, just them, Baby, and the wide open sky. When they ran out of road, Dean parked and turned the engine off. Sam hadn't said a word the entire time.

"Got your Taurus in the trunk. Want it?"

Sam nodded opening the door but didn't get out. Instead he stared off toward the interior of the woods as if there was something there only he could see.

"Here, take this as well." Dean pulled out the demon killing knife and handed it over.

Sam stared at it for a long moment as if he didn't recognize it then took it from his hand. His knuckles turned white he held onto it so hard.

Dean remembered what it felt like when he first got back. That horrid feeling that at any given moment someone was going to pop out and tell you there'd been a big mistake and your were going back down. Well, his brother wasn't going anywhere. "Big Bro's here, even if he's in little bro's gawky body. You're never going back down there, Sam. Never. I won't allow it."

His brother stared at him in surprise for a moment, then seemed to visibly relax. "I know. Thanks."

"Let's go take a peek and some readings then get out of here."

His brother nodded in agreement and finally got out of the car. Dean quickly followed suit and retrieved the promised PT99 and some flashlights, just in case, out of the trunk. "Now show me where you put me."

Not meeting his gaze, Sam started off into the woods.

The fast fleeting afternoon permeated the place with shadows. Birds sang in blissful contentment, squirrels and chipmunks darting around chattering as they competed for food before turning in for the night. Sam led the way, his back tense and stiff. Dean followed after him.

Unexpected sunlight cleared a path before them not too far in.

Sam spoke, though he didn't turn around to look at him. "This is the outer edge."

Dean looked up ahead and his mind couldn't quite process what he saw for a moment. Trees had toppled over into others, some held half up by their still standing comrades. What was odd, what he was having a hard time taking in was that from there all the trees for as far right or left as he could see were snapped over to the ground. As if something had blown with such force as to snap them then before they could go anywhere slapped them down onto the forest floor.

Following the fallen trees, it was simplicity itself to find the epicenter. Every single trunk was angled toward that direction, almost like a drain. Every single one. No more birds, or squirrels, or chipmunks here, not even a breeze. Almost as if the woods knew something paramount had occurred and was still holding its breath. It was as if he and Sam were the only two living things there.

Then the trees stopped and they were in what would have been a small clearing within the woods. Dean was sure he'd been here before. Hadn't he and Sam found such a place when they were kids? Tall prairie grass lay flattened in the space, totally ringed three hundred and sixty degrees by toppled trees falling away from the spot. Ground Zero. And there, in the middle, he spotted a simple wooden cross and a hole that looked to have burst from beneath.

Just thinking about waking up inside a box buried underground gave him the willies. But not only had that happened to Sam, he'd had to dig his way out or die. Dean shot a glance at his brother, bringing out the still silent EMF reader.

Sam just stood close to the center staring up at the red and orange suffused sky.

"Damn, Sam." Dean knelt down right by the hole, goose pimples racing across his body. "Not much of a welcome back, was it?"

He barely heard the answer when it came.

"No…"