-1It's all coming together now, and ready to wrap up, but I did want to let you all know that I am already in the works of another story…. So yeah after this one is over there will be more. Anyway Thank you so much for your responses and the wonderful feedback.

-Part 7-Lullaby Conclusion part 2

Sam could feel the relief wash over him like a comforting blanket as slowly Dean's body relaxed, his eyes closing, the trembling of his flesh subsiding…. He was asleep, finally from the appearance on his face, Sam knew that this was a mind numbing rest, and that his suffering was over for the time being. He watched Dean's chest rise and fall easily, picking up a slow steady rhythm… "Good" He whispered to himself…. "Very… good."

John stood in the doorway that lead from the bathroom into the small hotel room, leaning against it he let a silent breath escape him, a general relief surging through his body as well… Eyes glued to his son he began to thank the stars and the heaven above for the few moments, even if that's all they were going to get, of mercy on Dean's soul.

Noticing his fathers presence, Sam managed a little half smile looking toward him trying to mask everything that was already rebuilding below the surface, trying to put up a front like his brother always did, play the strong one, the hero…. But that of course was Dean's department and Sam as well as his father knew he was not succeeding in his attempt.

"He's asleep." His whisper was nearly as silent as the air surrounding them as he carefully climbed out of the bed, moving slower than a snail to keep from disturbing his brothers much awaited rest.

After resituating the blankets around Dean, his knees wobbling, his body wavering, Sam made his way across the room and slowly sat down in one of the small wooden chairs placed there.

"For now." His father added, as he took the seat next to him and placed a strong comforting hand on his knee, "I don't know how much more of this any of us can handle."

"Dad?"

John let his eyes study his son, "hm?"

"If- If we do fight this off… He's gonna be okay right? I mean you know, he'll be normal again won't he?"

It took a minute for john to respond his words, his voice filled with hesitation. "I don't know son."

Sam didn't like that answer as he nodded mechanically, as if he were no more than a machine, before wiping his hand over his face hard, in a tired and stress filled motion…. "I-I have to go back to him." He whispered clearing his throat, no matter how not fond he was of the idea, he needed to check on him, see for himself what kind of condition he was in after the latest ravaging attack on his mind and soul…. "I have to… We have to know he's okay." His eyes traveled from where they were resting on the sleeping form of his brother in bed, toward his father, catching sight of the small white bottle of sedatives in the process…

Reaching for it his fingers grasped the bottle and wrapped around it tightly, only to be stopped by a slightly bigger hand his….

His fathers, skin warm, hold firm. "You be careful in there…" He didn't even try to mask the fear in his voice as he spoke his eyes nearly pleading with his youngest, "The last thing we need right now is for both of you to end up slaves to her powers and fighting to hang on…. Do you hear me, you get in there, you scope it out, you check on your brother and you get the hell out so we can work on this…. That's an order."

Sam popped two of the small red pills into his mouth without so much as another word, washing them down with what remained of a cup of cold stale coffee, causing his face to go sour in expression.

Making his way to the bed he knew it wouldn't take long for the drugs to kick in, he had seen the power they had over Dean, and he had only taken one of them.

Resting his head on the pillow he sighed and slowly, moments later his brother's face the only thing he could find to concentrate on, he could feel sleep over taking him his eye lids drifting to a close.


"DEAN!" He called out as loud as he could the minute his eyes opened again and he found himself once more wading his way through the heaven like white fog of what he assumed to be his brothers mind. His eyes trying as best they could to see through the clouds of it surrounding him. "DE-" He began again but quickly silenced himself….

A soft song could be heard floating through the air, That voice, Sam knew that voice, vaguely, but he could remember it somehow…

The melody filled his ears and a chill ran down his spine. "What the hell?" He paused for a minute to listen, He knew he knew that voice as it enveloped him… He could feel it inside himself somewhere….

And then it hit him….

Breaking into a sprint he followed the direction he believed it to be coming from, which is no easy task when all you have surrounding you for miles and miles is thick dense white shit.

Running, running and running, yet never growing breathless… Searching and searching , the music slowly growing louder.

His heart seized to beat as he pulled in close enough, discovering what he was looking for, his feet stopping in their tracks, when they…. When she came into view.

Dean lay there, his head in her lap, and even from where he stood Sam could see the pain still burning across his relaxed features... his facial muscles twitching endlessly as his lips moved quickly forming words that for the moment could not be heard, his knuckles white as he gripped her robe between his fingers… His eyes, his eyes though, were relaxed, calmed as he looked up at her, with a child like gaze praying for her to stay there with him, to help him through this even if he couldn't ask for it…

Her face was soothing as she returned his gaze, looking down at him, her bright eyes filled with compassion and comfort as her fingers worked their way through his hair… The song of an angel flowing from her lips.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word… Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird… and if that mocking bird don't-"

"Y-YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM….." Sam's voice shook uncontrollably through gritted teeth as he inhaled sharply… Be strong he kept telling himself… be strong as he took a step in closer.

"Sammy…." Her face tilted up a little, her hand continuing to run through Dean's hair. "Oh Sammy…" Her tone was laced with happiness as she studied him her lip quivering only a little.

Fighting against his own emotions, Sam shut his eyes as tightly as he could breaking the gaze between mother and son….. "This is just a trick…." He mumbled to himself.

"It's no trick son…" She tried to reassure him.

"You Are NOT my mother, my mother is dead…."

"Yes Sammy, she is…. " Dean's words were soft and Sam knew it was taking more than a little effort for him to speak his body growing listless, his voice weak… "She is…"

"Y-you don't know what you're saying." Sam retorted his voice unsure as he dropped down to his knees trying to ignore the eyes of this thing as he could feel them watching him, looking through him... and into him… "The witch has you…."

"Sammy…" She whispered

"YOU SHUT UP!" He snapped back quickly, his eyes growing wide as he watched Dean's expression change, in what could have been quicker than a flash of light, the relaxed calmness that was found in his eyes was now gone as they moved from side to side along with his head, his knuckles now gripping so tight to their mothers robe that Sam swore had this been the real word blood would seep from them…. His whole body was now ridged and tight

"Trees are opening….." He snapped his neck toward his brother locking eyes with him, "Hell is coming….to the earth…. There is no safety now… The light will take us she will take us all, and we will be useless against her power… strong…. So strong….. No one can defeat her…. Hell is coming, coming for me…. Hell is coming to swallow the earth, and the earth will then travel to the stars…. The stars…. No peace to be found there,….. Eternal damnation … it burns…"

His eyes were so vacant, his expression lifeless as he babbled softly blinking heavily face contorting into pain, "Thoughts…. Thoughts so many thoughts swimming through the fires of hell inside my head…." It was as though he didn't even know that his brother was there anymore…. As though he were spouting from some mythological book….

"Shhhhhhh…." Mary rested her hand on both sides of his face tilting his head back to look at her as she spoke to him in that same calm and soothing tone letting her finger run across his cheek gently. "It's okay Dean mommy is here with you, you just relax my son…" Her tone was warm and welcoming to his ears as he still continued to babble the volume lowering to below a whisper. She began stroking his head again trying to massage the madness from his brain, taking her free hand and lacing her fingers with his.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing to him!"

"Sammy….Please.."

"Don't call me that!" He growled, he was confused himself, so confused as he tried and tried to keep his eyes from hers, she sounded like his mother, she looked like his mother,... from what he could remember anyway…. And Dean, Dean trusted her,…. But Dean…Dean's sick he doesn't know the difference between reality and madness the lines of his world are blurred…

Sam blinked rapidly swallowing, "This cannot be"

"Son…." Mary cooed soothingly, that word wrapping around Sam comfortingly as he felt himself giving into her only in the slightest, but still he would not look at her…. "Son listen to me, if this were one of her tricks…. You would not be able to see me. She cannot create images in the minds of those who have never laid eyes no her…."

"How-How do I know you are telling me the truth? How am I supposed to know exactly who you are?"

"Look into your heart Sam…."

Against the voices screaming and pleading for him not to in his head, Sam let his eyes wander up to meet hers once more, locking them there ….. Her gaze so concentrated in love, he could see the purity of her heart, he could remember the love she had given him…. And he wish he could stay there looking at her, with her forever…..

"Mom…" He choked out in a whisper, tears forming in his eyes and spilling over as if everything were moving in slow motion….

She nodded a little a small smile, a gentle smile pressing at the corners of her mouth now, as she looked at her baby boy…..

But then it faded, and Sam could see the worry behind her eyes, the pain and the uncertainty . "I need you to listen to me…."

"Tell me how to help him…. Please give me the answers we have been searching for" He pleaded with her trying to drowned out the sounds of his brother's senseless babble by raising his voice a little,

"You have to be the one Sammy, You're running out of time…." Sam swore he saw one single tear fall from her eye, "I was sent here to protect your brother, to watch over him… and pull him through this, his suffering became too great…. But even now son, even now she leaks through to him, I cannot hold her off forever…."

"Tell me how to save him." Sam brought his hand up resting it on Dean's arm and rubbing it lightly forcing himself to take a long look at him, to truly see him, and see what this bitch had done, give him a reassurance of what he was fighting for….

He breathed out lightly when he heard the babbles from his lips growing louder, he began to shush him quietly "Sh, it's okay… You're okay now, mom is here with you, and dad and I are going to find a way to help you…."

"Fire….. Fire of hell, protect us Sammy…. Fires bring us to an end…." Dean shifted a little.

"I cannot tell you anymore than I already have son." Mary's heart was pained he could feel it as she spoke pulling her hand from Dean's hair and cupping it around Sam's cheek lightly. "My baby boy…. Such a warriors heart you possess inside of you, let it be your guide…. You will find your answers…. If you only look beyond what you see…."

With her hand pressed up against his cheek it was as though a power was sent rushing through his body, he felt strong again,... reassured... closing his eyes against her palm….. Relaxing into her…

Leaning over he could feel her lips against his forehead as one final whisper came into his ear….. "The eye of the protected Sam… remember…."

Sam's eyes flew open with a start his breath hitching in his throat his cheek still warm from his mother's palm as he sat up…..

"Well?…." His father's voice cut through his memory as it replayed the events that had just taken place….

"He's--- He's okay…." Sam swallowed allowing his glassy eyes to look up toward his father offering him a soft smile,

"What is it Sammy?"

"She's…. she's there with him dad, he's okay….."

"She who… Who is there with him Sam?"

"Mom,…." Sam cleared his throat and stood up from the bed making his way back to his brothers side… "Mom is there, protecting him…."

"Are you sure?" John's face shifted a little as he rose to go and stand next to his sons', "Are you sure this wasn't just one of her mirages?"

"No dad, trust me, this was mom, I could feel it, she's there with him…. She's protecting him, buying us time….."

John felt the air fall from his lungs at the thought of it, his wife, their mother and he were working together to fend this thing off… to protect their boys, and that gave John a whole new level of comfort,…. "How is he?"

Sam frowned a little and set his palm on top of his brothers hand grasping it lightly…. "He's- He's…."

"Sam…How is he?"

"He's nearly gone now, nothing he was saying to me made any sense dad, and half the time it was as though he didn't even know I was there….. I mean he did, and then he didn't…. It was just weird seeing him like that…."

"What did your mother say?"

"She uh…" Sam swallowed rubbing his thumb along his brothers still chilled flesh and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand…. "She says that this is up to me….. That I will find the answer if I know where to look……She says that…. That we don't have much time and to remember the eye of the protector….."

Protector…..Sam froze giving his brothers hand a gentle squeeze as everything flashed before his eyes, the pieces falling together like a 2000 piece puzzle…. Flashes and words mixing and melding in his mind Sam drew in a deep breath…..

"Not all is as it seems under the eye of the protected…" He whispered to himself, flashing back to when he found his brother in the cave, and then to the first motel, then the second, then Denny's…. And then the thrashing inside the bed…. Calm…. Seizures, calm…. His eyes the whole time traveling back to the same spot…. The same small insignificant piece of metal that was resting on his brothers chest….

"She cursed it…" He whispered to himself, "She knew he would never go anywhere without it, she knew that we would never suspect it…. And she cursed it…."

"Son…. What are you talking about…."

"The fires of hell will save me…." He repeated the one single phrase that seemed to make sense spilling from his brothers lips…. "She knew she couldn't keep him there, she knew that he would eventually wonder from her grasp, out of her reach…. So she cursed it….."

"Cursed what son… What the hell are you talking about…"

His eye catching the small metal pendant as it gleamed Sam reached over and ran his fingers along it, "The source of her control… is something that they already possess…. So that even they don't suspect it……" Gently he lifted his brother's head up bracing it against his chest as he slid off the scarab necklace holding it out toward his father.. "The eye of the protected…"

John nodded a little…. "It fell off, and that was when he started to feel better….."

Sam nodded and then gripped tighter to his brothers form holding him against his body as he felt him draw in a deep chest filling breath and then exhale with a gag as though he was returning to his own body…..

"Easy…" He whispered laying him back on the bed…..

"Sammy?" Dean's voice was horse but already sounded stronger than it had before as he spoke, "Sammy?"

"I'm here Dean….I'm right here…" He set the necklace down on the bedside table and took his brother's hand in his bringing the other to his face…..

"Am-Am I back?"

"You're back….. Thanks to your brother over here…" John sat opposite Sam on the other side of the bed placing a hand on his son's forehead….

"Way to go Sammy…." Dean grinned, "I knew you had it in you…."

"Of course I do I'm your brother aren't I?… but Seriously, it was what mom told me…. That really brought you back…"

"Mom?"

"Don't you remember?"

"No…" Dean drew his lip into his mouth….. "The last thing I remember was running… running as fast as I freakin could to get away from that hag after you had come to me…., there was some sort of dense fog….then nothing…."

"You don't remember where you went? What happened?"

"I just said no Sammy."

"Mom- She was there, with you…. She was protecting you….."

"She was?"

Sam nodded before realizing his brother could not see him, "Yeah, dude, she was."

"Wow…. So if I'm feeling all well again, how come I still can't see a damn thing?"

"She cursed your scarab, that was how she held power over you…. Draining your sanity and controlling your thoughts….."

"The eye of the protected…." Dean nodded a slight memory coming back to him, from where he had no idea as he whispered it lightly…. "The fires of hell…." His brows rose a little, "The fires of hell can save me…. You- you have to destroy is Sam…."

"I know…. You told me, mixed in with a lot of nonsense of course, but you told me…. She takes your eyes, but everything else, locking you inside your mind, making you believe the images….. That was all a continuous effort…… a curse, to weaken you so that you would not have the strength to come for her on the sixth night of her feeding cycle…"

"Oh yeah… Well there was one thing she didn't count on…"

"What's that?"

"My geeky younger brother…."

Sam laughed a little and looked toward his father who was now lost in the pages of his jounal in search of the summoning spell for the flames of hell….

"So what do we do now?" He asked softly breaking hs fathers attention away from the book….

"I'm going to destroy this things to make sure it is a permanent memory of the past…."

Dean felt a pang of sadness at those words swallowing hard… "I'm gonna have so much fun killing this bitch… I can't believe she cursed my necklace…"

"Let it go Dean, we can get you another one…."

"I don't want another one, I just want her dead."

"You're going to kill her…" John reassured him, "the swing of a blade from your blood is the only way she will die and everything will be set right again…"..

"How…How am I going to swing a blade if I can't see the damn target?"

"Latin binding spell…. And a whole lot of luck…." His father nodded,

" We just have to find her first…."

"I'd imagine she knows by now that the necklace has been removed, she will come for you….. And you have to be ready."

"Oh…Oh I am so ready…." Even though the color was gone from them, and only white remained, both men could see fire burning there in Dean's eyes, determination and they knew he was serious.


Coming up next…. The final part to the conclusion, so please stay tuned.