I seem to have somewhat distressed everyone by pushing Sam off a bridge... I set fire to him in my last fan fic and no-one seemed too upset... Oh well, at least I've not turned Dean into a girl in this one... (Shameless self-promotion for Better Luck Next Time...!)

Sorry about leaving you all - and Sam - dangling... This bit's quite short but I think it clears up some questions... Big Last Chapter to come tomorrow...

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Dean's ears were buzzing.

Run or you'll die! Run or you'll die!

He looked down at the swirling waters beneath him, the jagged rocks jutting upwards into the unnaturally fast-flowing river; the pieces of tree and other flotsam speeding beneath the bridge.

Into the terrified eyes of his kid brother.

Dean lay flat on his stomach, his unflinching grip on Sam's arm the only thing between the kid and a decidedly watery death.

Sam tried to grab Dean's wrist with his other hand, but his kicking and struggling only succeeded in causing the grip his brother already had on him to slip further down his arm.

Sam glanced down, his feet mere inches from the riotous river, fingers of water reaching up to grab at his ankles as he looked back up into his brother's unreadable eyes.

For the first time in his life, Sam wasn't sure what Dean was going to do.

"Dean – !" he cried out, trying not to sound too much like a whiny kid; he knew they had to get the bone. He just didn't think this was the way to do it.

Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated the scene, reflecting ominously in Dean's eyes, and Sam felt terror rise in his throat like bile: the terror that his brother might actually let go of him in order to make some suicidal attempt at getting to Bradshaw's cave.

"Dean?"

"You understand now?"

Sam craned his neck, following the direction of the scratchy voice beyond his brother, to where the old woman stood over him, positioning herself between the Winchesters and the Bradshaws.

Nathan shook his head suddenly, as if to dislodge a ringing in his ears, and Sonia took the opportunity to drag him away from the precipice.

"Mom?" Nathan said, looking down at his mother as she clung to his arm with the superhuman strength reserved only for women desperate to protect their offspring. Nathan's eyes moved to his sister, still clutching a fistful of his sweatshirt. "Lexie? Where am I?"

Sonia promptly burst into tears of relief, pulling her son into a hug and not letting go. "You're safe, honey," she sobbed. "You're safe now."

Alex glanced over at the old woman who had appeared from nowhere right in front of her, and at the two brothers clinging tenuously to the edge of the bridge. She'd just known there was something odd about those two…

"Dean!" she cried out, taking a hesitant step towards him, eyes flitting to the old woman standing between them. "Have you got Sam?" She tried to move another step closer, to offer any help she could, but the old woman turned her jet black eyes on her, and suddenly she couldn't move. Eyes widening in fear, she cried out, "Dean! I can't…", biting off the rest of her words as the old woman turned her attention back to Dean. Alex sucked in a breath as her feet started to move backwards of their own accord until she was standing with her back pressed against her brother.

The old woman bent slightly towards Dean's position, ignoring the look of consternation on the young girl's face. "You understand now?" she asked him. "You understand?"

It was all Dean could hear, the old woman's voice and the roar of the river.

"You understand now? He must be restored!"

"Dean?"

There was another voice.

In the back of his addled brain, Dean thought he recognised it, but all he could see was the water; all he could hear was the other voice.

Let go. Let go.

His head hurt. His arms hurt. What was this dead weight pulling him down, down towards the water?

He had to get to the water.

Let go. Just let go. Go to the water.

He felt his hand slip on something, something slick and wet. And then the second voice was back.

"Don't let go, Dean!"

There was something there, something besides the water. A dark shape, struggling. That boy. The one he'd seen before. On the clifftop.

"Dean, there has to be another way!"

Sam.

Another flash of lightning, and Dean looked up, away from the boy's pleading eyes. The whole horizon was lit up white and scarlet, and for a brief instant, Dean saw something.

Dean saw everything.

"You understand now?"

Sam.

"Sammy?"

"Dean, don't – !"

Dean pulled with every bit of strength he had left in him and more besides, fingers slipping on Sam's sodden jacket, but finding purchase around his wrist where they gripped like crocodile teeth.

"Hang on, Sammy!" Dean cried, pulling as hard as he could, inching Sam's arm up towards the edge of the bridge until he was finally able to grab on to it for himself, first with that hand, and then with the other, bringing his elbows up onto the concrete and, with Dean's help, lifting himself back up over the edge, pulling first one leg and then the other back onto terra firma.

For a second, Sam just lay there panting, eyes closed tightly against the rain, still able to see the white flashes of the lightning even through his eyelids.

"Sammy?"

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, pulling him up into a sitting position, and then he opened his eyes to stare into Dean's. They'd lost that glassy, unfocussed look Sam had seen in them when he was hanging off the bridge, but Sam still wasn't sure what was going on in his brother's head.

"I – I thought you were going to drop me," Sam panted, only just realising he was still clinging to Dean's hand. He didn't let go, and neither did Dean.

"I was," Dean replied flatly, meeting his brother's gaze. "At least, I think I was." He tried to flash a grin, but didn't quite get there. "But I think I was planning on jumping in after you, if it's any consolation…"

"It's not," Sam replied truthfully.

"You understand now?"

The batty old woman was still there, and Dean tore his gaze away from his brother to look at her. "Yeah," he said at length, struggling to his feet with a groan. "Yeah I do." He pulled Sam up after him, finally letting go of his hand.

"You do?" Sam did a double take.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the horizon.

"Yeah," Dean replied, staring off downstream as Sam followed the direction of his gaze.

To where a decrepit building way off in the distance was silhouetted starkly against the unnaturally bright sky.

A building with a cross affixed to the roof.

Sam drew in a startled breath. "God will show you the way," he mumbled.

The old crone smiled, showing pointy teeth. "You understand now."

She'd found it.

Dean turned and looked at her. "I understand," he said.

"Forty days and forty nights," the woman reiterated. "Now. Run or you'll die!"

Dean recognised the truth in those words now more than ever, as another blast from the reservoir's flood alert sounded hollowly across the valley.

"Alex!" Dean barked, the girl running towards him just as the old woman again did her disappearing act. Alex pulled up short in surprise, but Dean waved her forward. "That church!" he said, pointing off towards the horizon.

Alex followed the direction of Dean's finger, just as another crack of lightning conveniently illuminated the area where he was indicating. "St Agnes'?" Alex clarified. "That's not really a church any more," she said. "My Dad told me it got flooded when the river changed its course – it's part of the swamp now."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So your Dad knew that place?"

Alex shrugged. "Yeah," she said. "Like I told you – he knew pretty much all of the waterways around here."

Dean glanced at Sam, who had caught his drift.

"The bone was never in the cave."

Dean shook his head. "I don't think so."

Sam frowned. "So why did Alex's Dad jump into the water here?"

Dean spared an apologetic look for the girl. "He didn't understand, Sam," he said. "None of them did. All they saw was the water because all she saw was the water. That's all she could show them. All they knew was that they had to run to the water or they'd die."

"But Tom Bradshaw knew…"

"…Where the bone was hidden, yes," Dean agreed. "He knew what was causing all of this. But he didn't understand what Grandma wanted him to do to stop it. He thought she wanted him to sacrifice himself to save the town… Maybe he thought she was a water wraith, too. That's what they do, isn't it? Lure people to their deaths? Maybe he thought it would appease her – appease the Bishop – appease whatever spirit he'd offended…"

"By sacrificing his life," Sam finished thoughtfully, eyes drawn to the edge of the bridge where he'd almost gone over.

"My Dad didn't commit suicide?" Alex put in suddenly, an almost incongruous glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Dean sidestepped the question. "He was trying to save the town," he said, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder. "That's all he ever wanted to do."

Alex nodded, satisfied for now.

"We have to get to that church," Dean added. "What's the quickest way?"

Alex surveyed the near side bank of the river, thoughtfully. It was almost totally under water. "The road's gone that could have taken you there," she said. "The only other way is towards town. Head for Willow Point. St Agnes' is maybe a five minute walk – swim – " she smiled apologetically, " – from there."

Dean nodded, squeezing Alex's shoulder. "Get your Mom and your brother home," he instructed her. "That's probably the safest place for you right now."

When Alex didn't move, Dean realised she was still looking up at him, waiting for something else.

"And don't worry," he added. "It's going to be OK. I understand now."

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I hope everyone else does too! Until we meet again...