Sam groaned as he came back to his senses. His head pounded as he felt the icy cool of glass pressed against his cheek. He could hear the sound of rain falling around him mixed with the soft comforting noise of classic rock playing low in the background. Sam slowly opened his eyes to find himself sitting shotgun in the Impala.

"Hey, there sleeping beauty, nice to see you join the land of the living!"

Sam's head whipped around to find Dean driving with a teasing look on his face. His brother looked healthy. Dean's skin was flushed with a tan, his hair held a healthy glow, and his clothing clung to muscles gained from years of hunting. Best of all his eyes held the sparkle of life and mischief.

Relief surged through Sam and he sagged against his seat. "Dean! I'm so glad I found you!"

Dean smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know I was missing."

Sam gaped at his brother briefly before shaking his head. They didn't have time to mess around. "Dean you don't understand, Rowena said I needed to save you!"

Dean snorted and passed a slightly worried look to his brother before returning his gaze to the road. "Sammy how hard did you hit your head? If you have a concussion dad is going to kill me!"

Sam couldn't believe it! Dean was acting as if nothing was wrong. Could he not remember that he was sick? "Concussion? I don't have a concussion! Dean, we really need to talk!"

"Sam, calm down…" Dean eyes widened at his brother's apparent panic.

Sam shook his head and continued over his brother. "Dean this isn't real! I need you to listen to me! A witch gave me a potion, and this is all in your head!"

Dean's eyes widened further before he schooled his features and he reached over placing a hand on Sam's forehead. "Nope, no fever. Definitely a concussion."

Sam growled and slapped his brother's hand away. "Dean knock it off, I'm serious! You are dying in the real world!"

Dean shifted in his seat, a scowl on his face. "Oh, come on Sammy! I'm sitting right here, clearly not dying!"

Sam reached out and gripped his brother's arm. Dean needed to believe him. Sam had come all this way and he would be damned if he wasn't going to save Dean. "Dean, please, you have to remember the cancer. You have to come back!"

Dean shoved Sam's hand off. His hands clenched the steering wheel tight. "Sam, stop it! Let it go ok!"

Sam's gaze narrowed. He could tell Dean was uncomfortable and he was avoiding Sam's eyes. He sucked in a breath. Dean knew! Then why was he lying?

"You know!"

Dean's eyes cut to Sam. Anger pooled into the green irises before he closed them with a heavy sigh. Sam stared at Dean as his brother brought the Impala to a stop.

"You never did know when to leave well enough alone." Dean mumbled as he put the vehicle in park.

Sam took a few deep breaths to try and calm his rapidly rising anger. "You knew, and yet you're still trying to talk me out of this! Why?!"

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes there are battles that we just can't win, little brother."

Before Sam could answer Dean unhooked his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He buried his hands deep in his leather jacket and headed down the black top without looking back.

"Dean, wait, comeback!" Sam scrambled to unhook his own seatbelt and follow his brother but before he could his vision swam, and the scene changed.

"Son of a bitch!" Sam cursed as he swallowed his nausea and blinked to clear his spinning vision. As his world cleared Sam noticed that this time, he was in a rundown hotel room. He looked cautiously around the space and wondered why Dean's mind had brought him here. It was like so many rooms they had stayed in as children. There was the familiar draft that ran through the room stirring up the must and mold of uncleaned carpets and leaking ceiling tiles. He could hear the dripping of leaking bathroom faucets and feel the scratchy fabric of the bedding beneath his hands. The only thing missing was his brother.

Sam stood from his chair and moved to the window. Pulling the curtain aside his stomach clenched as he took in the surroundings. The outside world was nothing but pure blackness. It was like staring into an endless abyss. The sound of a door creaking pulled Sam from his shock.

Sam turned to see Dean exit the bathroom with a red stained towel in his hands. "Huh, I shouldn't be surprised to see you here." Dean finished drying his hands and tossed the towel onto the bed.

Sam stepped towards his brother and crossed his arms. "Dean what the hell is going on? Let's get out of this place."

Dean shook his head and sat down on the bed. "You're wrong Sam. You are leaving, I am not going anywhere. My ride stops here."

Sam's blood went cold, and he dropped his arms. "What are you talking about? You aren't seriously giving up, are you?" His strong, bigger than life brother couldn't possibly be calling it quits now. Dean was always the one to keep pushing ahead. He was like a Superman in flannel.

Dean clenched his hands and bowed his head to avoid his brother's gaze. "Sam we've seen the worst that this world has. I'm not exactly sure where but somehow, we lost ourselves along the path." He raised his head and met Sam's eyes, fire burning within his own. "But what I do know is that you found your way out and I refuse to drag you back into it!"

"That's what this is about?" Sam gave a humorless laugh. Leave it to Dean to always put someone else in front of himself. "You seriously are willing to die just so I don't have to get back into hunting?!"

"Of course, I am!" Dean surged to his feet and the scene in the room changed. The floor of the room was littered with broken glass, furniture, and smears of blood. Guns, knives, and bandages were scattered about the room. Dean's face and arms split open with cuts and bruises; blood blossomed over his clothes and dripped to the floor. Sam gasped and took in his own appearance tears and burns peppered his clothing. He watched as his own arms split themselves open and tiny rivers of blood flowed over his skin and cascaded to the floor.

Dean spread his arms wide. "Is this what you want because this is what you will get. You will get a life of pain and violence. You will never have a stable home or career. You will have to forget about Jessica or ever having a family of your own because this life is not safe for them." A single tear slipped down the hunter's face. "I can't possibly ask you to give all that up for me Sammy. It's the life you fought so hard for; I'm not going to be the reason you give it all up! I am not worth all that."

Sam looked about the room and sighed, he would be lying if he didn't hate the sight of all the blood and monster remains that decorated the walls and floor. He would be lying if he said he didn't hate all the moving and lack of stability. Still Dean was missing the point and Sam was determined to make him see it. Stalking forward Sam reeled back and punched Dean square in the face. "You stupid self-sacrificing bastard! How do you know what I want!?"

Dean cursed as he pinched his bleeding nose. "Damnit Sammy!?"

Sam ignored his brother and pushed him roughly in the chest. Dean cursed again and was about to throw his own punch when he noticed the tears in his brother's eyes. "You think dying would make my life better? You think if you are not around, I would be happy! Clearly you don't understand how much you mean to me, that wound would cut so deep I don't think it would ever heal!"

Dean hated to see his brother cry, but he stood firm. "But you would be safe!"

Sam scoffed and kicked an empty shell casing. "Dean I was never completely safe. I would try my best, but I couldn't hide all the blood on my hands. I'm a Winchester, after all the monsters we killed I will always be on their hit list."

Dean scowled. "What are you saying? Did monsters come after you at school?"

Sam nodded. "So, if you decide to kick the can on me, they will still come."

Dean cursed again and sank to the floor with his head in his hands. Sam watched his brother sadly and his heart clenched painfully when he heard Dean's sobs.

"I failed you Sammy."

Sinking to his knees Sam wrapped an arm around his brother. "Don't say that Dean, you've never failed me."

Dean nodded and sniffed. "Yes, I have. I failed to protect you all your life and I failed to beat this cancer. I just wanted you to have the life you always wanted. Even if that meant I couldn't be in it."

Sam gripped his brother's shoulders and gave him a slight shake. Looking up with watery eyes Dean met his brother's gaze. "Listen to me Dean, I pick you." Sam shook his head when Dean tried to interrupt. "This life has done a lot to kick us down, but we've always gotten back up. We still got fight and I need you to believe that."

Sam could see that Dean was starting to lower his walls and hear what he was saying but there was still a hint of doubt in his eyes. "I will always love Jessica, but Rowena confirmed something I had been wondering for some time."

"And what's that?"

"There is a destiny waiting for us and that means she's not safe with me." That was the first time he had admitted that truth out load. It hurt immensely but he couldn't ignore the fact that he would rather leave her than bury her. Sam gripped his brother tighter as a tear slipped down his cheek. "Please Dean, please don't make me lose you too!"

Dean froze at his brother's words. Leave it to Sam to know how to kick his stupid ass back to clarity. He was positive the only way to save Sam from hunting was to die but he had stupidly never considered the possibility that the monsters would come for him anyway.

No matter how hard he tried Dean could never refuse Sam. All he ever wanted was for Sam to be happy and healthy. Dean closed his eyes and lifted his head. "Ok Sammy, we will do it your way." Dean opened his eyes and gave his brother a small watery smile.

Sam let out a whoosh of air that he didn't know he had been holding. Finally, he had gotten through to Dean. Deep down he knew his brother wouldn't let him down, but it still bothered Sam that Dean would think so little of himself. That he would rather die than be a burden to Sam. At least on the road Sam would have plenty of time to show Dean how much he mattered to Sam and to the world.

Sam held up a hand and looked directly at Dean a bright smile on his face. "You and me against the world?"

Dean laughed and clasped his brother's hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The blood and wreckage in the room faded. Sam watched as the cuts and bruises that mapped the brother's skin faded and stitched themselves back together. Dean squeezed Sam's hand as he felt his body fill with warmth. "This is it; I'll see you on the other side, brother."

The last thing Sam saw before the room flashed gold was Dean pass him a cheeky wink.

Sam gasped in shock. It felt like his entire spirit had been yanked from his body only to be slammed back inside with the force of a rocket. His heart was pounding so rapidly that Sam could hear the blood rushing through his veins. None of that mattered though. He had done it. Dean had agreed to return with him.

Dean!

Sam eyes flashed open and he yanked himself up right. Dean's face was still pale and shallow. His frail hand was still clutching onto Sam's like a lifeline. "Dean? Are you there?"

Panic gripped Sam when Dean did not respond. Had Rowena possibly tricked him? No, she had promised! There was the prophecy that they had to fulfill; Dean couldn't just die! Not now, not when Sam was finally coming to peace with who he was. He was a hunter, and his place was at Dean's side.

Tears filled his eyes as he gripped Dean's had tighter. "You promised."

A short cough interrupted Sam's praying. Gaze snapping to Dean, Sam could see his brother's chest heaving as he struggled to regain consciousness. "Easy Dean, I'm right here!"

Dean coughed again and squeezed his eyes before slowly opening them. "Sam?" When Sam nodded Dean gave a short sigh followed by a soft chuckle. "Huh, so it wasn't a dream. Your stubborn ass actually saved me."

Sam laughed at that before lightly punching Dean's arm. "You never should have doubted me."

Dean's eyes narrowed and a grunt was his only response. "Help me sit up will you."

Even though the witch said the cancer was gone Dean still looked like hell. Moving forward Sam griped Dean under the arms and helped maneuver him into a sitting position. Dean's hands shook and sweat peppered his brow. His breaths came fast but didn't appear to be labored.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked nervously.

Dean took a moment to evaluate himself. His body still ached but he didn't feel the familiar burn of fever. His lungs still felt heavy but for the first time in almost three years he could breath easy. Dean took a deep breath and relished the feeling of oxygen rejuvenating his body. He could feel that the organs had sickness to purge from them, but he no longer felt like he was drowning.

"I feel…alive." Dean answered slowly. "I feel like I was run over by a truck, but I don't know, something feels different."

Hope blossomed in the younger Winchester's chest. "A good different?"

Dean smiled. "A good different."

Sam surged forward and wrapped his brother in a hug that was long overdue. "Dude, no chick-flick moments." Dean chuckled even as he wrapped his arms around Sam.

Sam felt so warm and comforting. Even when Dean had given up Sam was there to pull his ass out of the fire. It took almost dying to figure out that no matter where they were Sam was his home.

Sam slowly pulled away and sank back into his chair. He huffed out a tired sigh and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "That's good, I'm beyond relieved."

Dean leaned back into his pillows as the brothers sat in silence; each seemingly lost in their own head. Dean fiddled with the IV in his hand; his eyes flicked to Sam. His little brother was clearly exhausted. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. Worry and doubt began to ebb its way into Dean's mind. He knew that his brother loved him, and he didn't regret that Sam saved him. However, now that he was saved could Sam live up to his earlier promise. Could Sam actually walk away from the life he built? Could he leave the woman he loved?

Dean fisted his bedsheet in his hands. "Sam, about earlier…"

"I meant it Dean." Sam beat his brother to the question. "Once we get you looked over, we are hitting the road. Maybe head to Bobby's so you can rest up."

Dean's shoulder's sagged in relief but then cringed when he thought of Jess. "Not that I'm not happy to hear that, but what do you plan on telling Jessica then?

To that Sam had no answer.

~Authors Notes: So this chapter ended up a lot longer than I had anticipated. I promise the next chapter will be the last! Please let me know what you all think! Stay safe and healthy!