Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!

Heart of the Protector

Chapter 16 – New Hauntings

Dean had just finished cleaning up the dinner dishes and was getting ready to help Sam get into bed. He knew that Sam was tired, but he also knew that Sam had been having nightmares again and was probably afraid to go to sleep. "So, have you figured out a way we can help the nymph yet Sammy?" Dean asked as he sat on the bed watching his brother read an article on the computer.

Sam rubbed his hand through his hair. He couldn't find anything on the internet or in his father's journal that would help them out with their current problem. He was exhausted, but he wasn't looking forward to sleeping again. Lately his dreams had been filled with his failures…beginning with Jessica. Sam sighed, he thought he had put his feelings regarding Jessica to rest, but the encounter he had when he thought he was dying, had brought all the feeling back. God, he missed her!

"Ok, well we can work on her problem again in the morning. For now, you need to get your beauty rest…doctor's orders." Dean handed Sam the pills the hospital had sent home with him. One of which was a pain pill to help him sleep through the night…the bullet wound and the wounds from the bear, although healing, were still painful.

"Ah, Dean…can we just skip the pain pills tonight…I think I can get by without them."

"Now Sammy, you know that the doctor's want you to get a good night's sleep…unless of course there is a reason that you don't want to sleep?" Dean figured that it was time they start getting whatever was bothering Sam out on the table.

"Dean…look, I know you're worried about me…I get it, but I just don't want to talk about it right now…I just need some time." Sam resorted to the puppy dog look to get his way, knowing that Dean wouldn't push him.

"Fine, but you still take the pain pills…your body needs the rest Sam. I don't want to have to haul your ass back to the hospital…no arguments!" Dean watched as Sam reluctantly took the pills. He hated to see the resignation on Sam's face. In fact, he was kind of hoping that Sam would fight him…but lately Sam seemed to be missing the spark that made him Sam.

"Good night Dean" Sam sighed as he closed his eyes, getting ready to once more relive his failures as a hunter and as a man.

It only took 30 minutes before Sam started moaning on the bed. "Aw Sammy…why won't you let me help you?" Dean asked as he went to comfort his brother once again.

Sam was in his apartment at Stanford, as he opened his eyes, he saw Jessica on the ceiling burning. "Why Sam? Why couldn't you protect me?"

"Jessica…I'm sorry…I didn't know, please forgive me!"

Sam turned his head, only to be met by his father's baleful stare. "Sammy…I thought we were in this together…I thought you wanted the Demon killed as much as I did. Why couldn't you finish the job Sammy?" John looked at his son with disgust in his eyes.

"I couldn't kill you Dad, it would have destroyed Dean…I'll try harder next time Dad, please don't hate me!"

Sam tried to close his eyes against the pain, but once again he felt compelled to open his eyes. This time he was back at the asylum, Dean was lying on the floor rubbing his chest after Sam shot him with the rock salt.

"Man, what's with you? All I have tried to do is protect your sorry ass and this is the thanks I get. The doctor couldn't have gotten to you if you didn't feel this way…you should have been able to resist him Sam!" Dean's eyes reflected anger and disappointment.

"God Dean, I never would have shot you if I could've stopped it…he was just too strong for me!"

Finally, Sam was standing in front of the bear with yellow eyes. He could feel the bear tearing into his flesh, and could smell the copper scent of his blood filling the great bear's jaws. He saw Dean taking on the bear with nothing more than his canine teeth, giving Sam the chance to complete the job.

"Jeez Sam, what would you have done if I weren't here to protect your sorry ass…you can't do anything without me can you?"

"Dean, I'm sorry…I tried…I don't know why I can't do anything on my own…everything I do gets messed up and people get killed…Oh God, I don't want to hunt any more Dean…please, I can't handle more people getting hurt because I can't do things as well as you."

Sam's eyes finally popped open to find Dean wiping the tears and sweat from his face. "Ok little brother, spill it…all of it. It's time we had a talk!"

Sam realized that he couldn't hold it in any longer, he told Dean everything and then closed his eyes, waiting for the condemnation he knew that he deserved. He wanted to be an equal partner on this team, but he just couldn't keep up with his father and Dean.

Dean sat back for a moment and thought about what Sam had said. He could understand it in a way, he could even see where keeping Sam on the side lines for so long would have made him doubt his own abilities. The question was, how could Dean make him see it?

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Dean opened the door and let the nymph in. "Dean, I'm sorry to intrude, but there is a poacher in the woods and he is getting ready to strike…did you think of a plan?"

Sam sat up in the bed and looked at Dean. "I may have an idea…I'm not sure…"

Dean looked at Sam. "Spill it bro'…we don't have time if we are going to stop the poacher."

Sam looked at the nymph. "Can you warn the animal to hide?"

"Yes Sam, but the poacher will just continue to track the bear."

"That's ok, we just need to buy time for you to get in position. But first, Dean said you can transform into an animal…if you are in animal form, can you be killed by a bullet?"

"No, Sam. I can't be killed even if I transform into the shape of an animal…I am still myself. That is why it doesn't drain my powers."

"Great…so here's the idea…how about we create a haunting for a change and scare the poachers away from the forest?" Sam looked at Dean, waiting for him to object.

"Dude…that's awesome…why didn't I think of that! What do you want me to do Sam?" Dean looked at Sam letting him run the show.

"Well, I'm thinking you could sort of talk to the poacher after the nymph scares him and tell him about the other hunter who ended up being bear food…I'm sure that it won't take long for the story to spread about the bear who couldn't be killed."

"Brilliant idea Sam!" Dean looked at the nymph in astonishment as she transformed into a spirit bear. Her blue eyes winking mischievously from the white face of the bear.

"Ok then let's go!" Dean looked at Sam giving him a thumbs up. He followed the nymph out into the forest.

Sam looked at the wheel chair and once again felt like he was the weak one in the mix. Maybe he should just go back to Stanford. But as Sam looked out into the night, he knew that his heart would always be with Dean…no matter where his brother was.

Sam sat back on the bed and tried to relax. He knew that when Dean returned, he would be in for one of their hated chick flick moments. Looking at the clock, Sam settled in for a long wait.

An hour had passed and still there was no sign of Dean. Sam began to worry that his plan may have gone wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Suddenly, Sam hear the sound of gun shots in the distance. He heard the roar of a bear and then more gun shots. But the scream he heard at the end of the gun shots sent Sam springing from the bed and running for the door. "Dean!"

Sam ran into the night, headless of his own peril. All he could think about was getting to his brother. The shots had come from the same clearing they had been in when the demon bear attacked him. Sam headed for the clearing, praying that Dean was ok.

In the clearing, he could make out the shimmering figure of the white spirit bear and he could see that it was standing in front of a man on the ground while another man was running in the opposite direction. Sam skirted the edge of the clearing, keeping into the trees. As he got closer, he could see the nymph shimmer back into her original form and turn to the man on the ground.

Sam ran towards the man, knowing that it was Dean. "Dean…Oh my God! Dean!" Sam came to a sudden hault when he heard his brother's laughter bubbling up from the ground.

"Dude…you should have been here…the look on his face when the white bear attacked me…Oh man…it was a sight to see. I bet he doesn't stop running until he reaches the border." Dean was laughing so hard, the tears were actually running down his face.

Sam just looked at his brother like he had lost his mind. "What happened?"

"Your brother suggested that after he talk to the poacher, I pretend to attack him…don't worry Sam, he is uninjured." The nymph couldn't understand what Dean found so funny. But she now understood that she could protect the forest using her limited powers. She turned to Dean and Sam. "Thank you for your help. I don't think I'll be needing you any longer. I wish both of you well." Before either brother could react, the nymph reverted into her bear form and faded back into the forest.

Sam looked at Dean and shrugged. "So, does that mean we're fired?"

Dean looked at Sam, suddenly realizing that his brother was standing in front of him. "Sammy…you walked!"

"Huh…thank you captain obvious!" Sam blushed as he saw the joy on his brother's face.

"But how? I mean, when?" Sam smiled…it wasn't often that his brother was speechless.

"Well Dean, I heard you scream and the next thing I knew, they worked!" Sam reached down and helped Dean to his feet.

"So, you mean all this time all I had to do was scream?" Dean looked at Sam like he had grown two heads. "Dude, if you've been pulling my leg this whole time…I swear you're going to regret it!" Dean looked at Sam as if he was trying to decide whether or not he had been played.

"Dude…do you really think I would do that to you…ok, so maybe after the Nair in my shampoo incident, I might have considered it…but I don't know how it happened. I'm just glad it happened!" Sam turned and began walking back towards the cabin.

Later that evening, both Sam and Dean were sitting quietly at the table, sipping their coffee. Dean looked up at Sam and decided to just jump in. "Sammy…look, I know that you think you aren't as good as Dad and I…and you would be right."

Sam looked at Dean with a shocked look on his face. Dean held up his hand and continued. "You are better at research than I am, but you don't see me quitting. Each of us have our roles to play…yours is to be the geek little brother and mine…well mine is to be the handsome and talented older brother. You are not weak…you are part of a team, a team that uses the strength of each of its members to get the job done. Sam, I would never want anyone else around to guard my back."

Sam looked at his big brother and suddenly he felt whole again. "So Dean, do you miss being a wolf? I mean, all you had to do was eat and sleep all day…sounds like a great gig!" Sam asked figuring Dean was ready to end the chick flick moment.

Dean smirked, "Well, all I have to say is it's a good thing she picked me to transform…you'd look awful funny as bunny rabbit!"

Sam walked over to his bed and threw the pillow at Dean and sighed as Dean caught it and walking over to his own bed, laid down and placed it under his own head. "Night Peter Cotton Tail!" Dean laughed.

"Jerk!"

"Bitch"

Things were finally back to normal.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, another one finished. Thanks to everyone who had taken the time to read and review the story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Till next time…See Ya!