Disclaimer: Still not mine... (sigh) I try really hard to play nice... (holds hands behind back, shrugging and shuffling feet, cutting eyes up shared with a wicked grin) but what's the fun in that?

NOTE: Stupid freakin' internet! Had this all edited and ready to post and then... it quit working and I lost all the changes! ****, ***** and ****! UGH! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! They keep me going even with writer's block (next story, not this one, but just as important)... Thanks as well to favs and alerts. This is an amazing experience!

Chapter 26

Dean started to feel an overwhelming sense of unease accompanied by goose bumps that slammed into him as he turned and ran for the house. He rushed past startled movers and an even more interested Bobby as he scrambled down the stairs. Please, let him be here… he muttered in his head. But just as the rising anxiety had warned; he wasn't in the panic room.

He stumbled as he turned sharply to race back up the stairs. Where was his little brother? He wondered as he tripped into the living room he yelled at Bobby, "Have you seen Sammy?"

Bobby who surrounded by stacks and rows of boxes looked up from his clipboard; startled by the panic in Dean's voice as he told him, "No, not since last night. Why?"

"He's not downstairs and the cat is…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence and raced outside to the impala. He immediately spotted the driver's door had been left ajar. Someone had been in the car and he just knew that someone had been Sammy. As he yanked the door open he stood staring into his baby while he tried to absorb an answer to what was going on just by looking at her interior.

The cat jumped in and went straight for under the driver's seat. He made a grab for her as he told her angrily. "I don't have time for this. You…" He stopped as he felt or more accurately didn't feel his nine under the seat where he'd left it. "Fuck!" he snarled as he felt around again just to be sure. Nope it was gone. He pulled his hand back out from under the seat to raise it up to rub vigorously at his temple as he tried to think. Where would he go?

He was surprised to find the cat sitting in his seat as she stared at him. "Fuck… you need a bell." Dean moved his hand from his temple through his hair as he asked the cat with a little bit sarcasm mixed with a hint of panic, "Alright, Lassie… where is he?"

She tilted her head and meowed as she jumped down. She looked back like she was waiting on him. They were going to laugh their asses off when they found out about this… he thought as he chased after the cat. He had a fleeting thought that he didn't remember if he shut the impala's door.

The cat streaked across the yard as she dodged past the dog and dashed behind the house.

Dean chased after the cat as he tried to keep it in sight while it raced to the back fence; it didn't stop but continued on past the fence and through the trees. He followed as he trusted it to take him to Sammy. He would worry about how idiototic that sounded later now he had to get to Sammy. He wasn't sure how he knew this; he just did. It was as simple as breathing. He'd missed that closeness of knowing when they needed each other. They continued on for what seemed like hours before a clearing came into view.

"Oh, shit…" Dean muttered; he remembered this place. The used to play target… He skidded to a halt and looked frantically around.

Way across on the other side of the meadow he spotted Sammy.

Sammy stood facing him as he held Dean's nine as he just stared down at it.

Dean began to run not daring to call out because he was too far away to get to Sammy if he tried to use the gun…

What the hell had happened between last night and this morning? It felt like one of those slow motion cartoons where you run and run and never get anywhere. When he was less than twenty feet away Sammy must have heard the rustling of the grass because he looked up.

Sammy held up a hand to tell Dean to stop as he said firmly. "Just stay back, D."

Dean slowed down and stopped at about ten feet away. "You want to tell me why the cat felt it was necessary to drag my ass out here? Tell me… no, convince me that you're not about to do something stupid…" He demanded as his panic took full control when he stared his younger brother down.

Sammy looked down at the gun as he whispered, "It has to be done." He shook his head sadly as he told Dean, "I'm not asking you to do it this time." Then he looked Dean in the eye as he told him firmly, "I'll handle it." Then he dropped his gaze back to the gun.

"You'll handle…" Dean repeated with a confused frown. His breath caught in his throat as he realized just what Sammy was saying, "No, you won't have me do it… you'll just use my gun." Dean finally snapped as he took one step forward.

Sammy looked up startled as he replied, " I couldn't ask you for mine, it was in the trunk and you had the keys."

Dean frowned and took another step closer.

Sammy took a step back as he told his brother, "Dean… I'm not letting you or Bobby have the guilt of taking care of this… just go."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sammy?" Dean asked as he stated, "Bobby and I are working on something to fix this once an for all." Dean was still overwhelmed with confusion as to where this was coming from even as his panic was edging towards anger.

"So am I." Sammy said flatly still looking down at the gun.

Dean noticed Sammy's hand movements as his grip tightened on the grip and his index finger moved towards the trigger. Dean took a couple of quick steps forward.

Sammy raised the gun a couple of inches.

"Hey… whoa, Sammy." Dean tried again, "Come on, man. You'd do this in front of me?" Dean asked as he stared at Sammy watching as a pained expression crossed his face.

Sammy sighed as he looked at Dean with such sadness when he told Dean, "You weren't suppose to be here… Bobby's right, D."

Dean shook his head in confusion as he tried to comprehend the direction of the conversation while he questioned, "What? Bobby's right about what?"

"Taking me out before I hurt you. He's right to pick you." Sammy said softly as he looked down wishing the tears would go the fuck away.

Dean blinked before he worked out in his head just what Sammy could possibly be talking about. "No, Sammy…" Dean shook his head rapidly in denial before he continued, "You heard the conversation this morning? That's what this is?" He inquired.

Sammy nodded as he stepped back another step.

"Sammy, you misunderstood something… didn't hear all of it… I don't know." Dean shrugged helplessly as he said earnestly, "But I swear to you…" Dean held out his hand towards Sammy, "He was talking about Sam… not you." Dean finished softly as he stepped closer.

"Dean… this is a way I can guarantee he doesn't come back." Sammy said with a shake of his head as the gun inched up again.

Dean got mad, yeah, he was scared that he was about to loose… "Samuel Winchester. You give me that gun right now." He used his best imitation of John's voice that he could muster up in his panic as he held his hand out palm up. "We will fix this together… you gotta give me that, bro." Dean said his eyes bright with unshed tears.

Sammy stared at Dean as one hand went up to his temple he said, "I don't want to hur…" Sammy stopped as his other hand started to shake and the gun moved to point at Dean's chest, then jerked away and then back again.

Dean searchingly asked, "Sammy?" He stepped closer as he placed a hand on Sammy's arm.

"Dean…" Sam smiled as he drawled, "I think I'm definitely done with this game." He stated flatly as he jerked himself out of Dean's grasp.

"Sam. I thought you'd hightailed it for higher ground." Dean smirked as he stopped and held his hands up in surrender.

"No. It's called biding my time. But old Sammy was about to take us out and I can't have that." Sam stated emotionlessly with a shrug.

Dean smiled coldly at Sam as he replied firmly, "You can't beat us."

"Yeah? Cause from where I'm standing I already have. Even your Cas couldn't find me." Sam told Dean smugly.

"Yeah well, I will discuss that with him, but first you and I… we need to have that talk I promised you." Dean said as he took a step closer; pointing his index finger, wiggling it between them to emphasize his point.

Sam pulled the slide back to chamber a round.

Dean tried to sound unconcerned as smirked with a shrug. "He won't let you."

"Really? And why is that?" Sam asked interested in Dean's answer.

"Cause he has a soul… he's human and he gives a damn. He'll always win." Dean told Sam with evident belief in what he'd just said.

"That's what his track record says alright." Sam replied sargastically, "Wrong, Dean. It shows that he's weak." Sam waved the gun around as he talked, "He's a loser and it's about time someone gets the job done and does the world a favor by ridding it of one Sammy Winchester." He watched Dean with cold empty eyes, "I can take care of that." Sam said smugly.

"You son-of-a-bi…" Dean snarled only too be interrupted by Sam.

"Careful, that's your mother you're talking about too." Sam said with a smirk.

"I. Will. Kill. You." Dean growled infuriated as he glared at Sam.

"But can you do it before I kill him?" Sam asked smugly.

Dean started to lunge at Sam. He was going to take that gun and shove it… can't do that… Sammy. Dean shook his head to clear it. He needed to concentrate to beat him and then he could get rid of him once and for all. He stared at his feet as he clenched his fists at his side while he tried to control his anger and his breathing.

Sam went still for a brief moment and Dean heard a soft, " I'm sorry; love you jerk."

Dean jerked his head up to look at Sammy; he saw the love, sadness and regret in that split second before he launched himself at his little brother. "NO!" Dean screamed as he saw Sammy raise the gun towards his own temple; at the same time Dean reached for the hand that held the gun. He saw it jerk up just as it went off. Too little, too late he thought hysterically.

TBC