-1Okay dudes and dudettes, last chapter, I had fun with this one and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for all my reviewers and don't worry, this wont be the last you hear of me!

Back to what… Dean in the lake was it?

Cheers, enjoy!

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The first thing Sam was aware of was a dull ache all over his body. The second thing he became aware of was the feeling of an immense burden that had been lifted from his shoulders and the third thing he became aware of… was seeing Dean get hurtled like a bale of hay from the cabin window.

'Dean!' Sam forced his tired eyes opened and looked around at the people and Sprites around him. Though it seemed everyone was for the most part alright, they were all still in a state of confusion and had yet to notice the missing Winchester.

"Dean!" Sam wailed. He tried to stand but suddenly became aware of the binds that held him sturdily to the chair. "Dean!" he wailed again. Finally from the far side of the room Sam spotted his father getting to his feet, rubbing his side. "Dad!" Sam tried.

John was immediately alert as he snapped his head up toward his son. His stance was defensive but his eyes were curious and wary.

"Sam?" he asked getting closer.

"Dad! Dean!" was all Sam could manage. The truth was the more awake Sam became the more he realized something was definitely wrong. The last thing he could clearly remember doing was hiking into the woods back in Kansas to stop the powers from destroying the Sprite's home. Judging by the foreign cabin around him and the surprising amount of strangers around him, Sam was sure there was something he'd missed.

John came up to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder looking intensely into his eyes.

"How do you feel son?" he asked. Sam shook his head, clearing the cobwebs and trying to find his voice again to make his father realize what was going on. His mind seemed jumbled however and confused. It was almost like the words and sentences were in his head but refused to come out right. Like he hadn't used his lips in connection with his brain in a long time.

"Dean," he moaned. Thankfully John looked around, his eyebrows nearly jumped off his forehead as he quickly stood up and scanned the area.

"Dean!" he called. The two other men in the room, strangers to Sam, stood up and he was able to see the two men, although dressed differently, were identical twins. One man bore a soar sneer while the other man looked concerned.

"John where's Dean?" the concerned twin asked.

"I don't know," John replied. "He was hear one second and gone the next. Almost like he vanished." Sam was starting to get a bit agitated. God knows what kind of injuries Dean was in and all these idiots could do was sit around with their thumbs up their bums.

Sam struggled to free himself drawing everyone's attention, exactly what Sam hadn't wanted.

"Untie… me…" he slurred. They all closed in around him before John reached out tentatively.

"Son we need to make sure it's really you before…"

"DEAN!" Sam hollered. The three men looked at one another quizzically.

'How can you be this stupid dad? Are you that freaking blind? Look at the smashed window!' Sam's thoughts screamed. 'Dean… god Dean why can't I get this right?' After a few more seconds of struggling Sam opened his eyes and was shocked to find Bryson climbing onto his lap with the help of two other Sprites.

"Bryson?" he managed incredulously. Looking closer he was horrified to find the small Sprite's wing was badly damaged, how or when that had happened, he had no idea.

The small Sprite carefully inspected him almost as if searching for something in his eyes. Even more confusing was the fact that the three men, John and the twins, seemed to be waiting intently for the little Sprite's final word.

"Bryson?" the concerned twin asked. "Is he okay?" Sam realized if he panicked the little Sprite would take longer to decide what was what. So instead, Sam remained perfectly still, silently pleading with the Sprite to release him.

Bryson turned to the three men and the other Sprites.

"He's fine," he replied solemnly.

"I hear a 'but' in there," said the other twin. It was the first time Sam had heard the not so friendly looking twin speak.

"But he doesn't remember a thing," Bryson replied. Sam was more then concerned when all those in the room, human and Sprite alike, took a step back in shock.

"Nothing?" John asked. Whether he was asking Sam or Bryson it was unclear but one thing was clear…

"DEAN!" Sam yelled again.

"Yeah, where is Pretty anyway?" the darker twin asked. John went to untie Sam from his binds while shrugging.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "But I think Sam does." No sooner had John released Sam from his binds did the youngest Winchester leap to his feet…

… and come crashing down to the hardwood floor. Momentarily stunned, Sam looked incredulously at his body as if it were some strange foreign element he'd never seen before.

"You're still weak Sam," Bryson said, suddenly appearing next to him. "Your body, your mind, your spirit, it all needs time to pull itself together again. You haven't been yourself for a while now." Sam looked at the Sprite blinking as though he didn't understand what was going on but he knew what was going on. Although he didn't have specifics, he knew he'd done something to warrant being tied down and Dean was not at his side being Mr. Big Brother.

Sam felt tears of exertion welling up in his eyes as he tried again to get to his feet only succeeding in tangling the two limbs and tripping yet again. Angrily he pounded the floor with his fist as his father's comforting arm came over him.

"Well find Dean," John said soothingly. "But let's take care of you first okay?"

"NO!" Sam cried, his words were slowly coming back to him. "Dean… danger… window!" he pleaded.

When John first saw Sam looking at him with big confused eyes he was worried his son didn't remember anything at all. Then Bryson had confirmed that although Sam didn't remember anything since Kansas, he was going to be okay. And for a brief moment John allowed his old tired soul to be relieved for a second. But then he'd seen the struggle Sam was having, the tears welling up in the boys eyes and immediately knew, Sam knew something the rest of them didn't.

Then Sam had managed three words that send John straight back into the panicked loss he'd felt before the incantation to free his youngest.

His heart stopped, then exploded as he looked away from his floundering son to the window that had been broken by the large tree branch. It wasn't possible that Dean could have gotten thrown that far, no one else had gone farther then a few feet. Even the Sprite's had remained in the room, it wasn't possible… was it?

"Stay with Sam," John said immediately. He knew if nothing else, Jonas would respect his request.

John gave Sam a stern nod then leapt to his feet and headed for the back deck. Outside everything seemed still and peaceful, the drops of rain were now tripping gently from the tree branches. Nothing at all seemed to be greatly disturbed.

"Dean!" John yelled. There was no response so he opened his mouth to yell again but stopped short. He was a trained hunter, he saw the slid marks, he saw the ripples in the water, and he knew, he just knew… "Tucker get out here and help me!" he yelled. Just as Tucker appeared from the back door, John took off toward the lake.

With a perfect dive from the short dock leading to the water John was instantly struck with the icy waters. It was such a shock to the system that it took a few seconds before he realized he was wasting valuable time.

After a few moments of blind searching, John felt his lungs plead for air so he surfaced. Tucker was standing on the dock looking on curiously and had John really been looking he would have seen a slight sparkle of concern.

"Anything?" Tucker asked.

"Not yet," John panted. "Get lots of warm blankets ready!" He sucked in a deep breath and dove back underneath the murky surface. As John searched, he could feel his heart aching with fear and sadness. If ever there was a time to believe in prayer, now was it, now was the time, he knew, to ask for one more day, one more hour, one more chance with his eldest son that he'd failed so badly thus far.

Dean was a king among men and it had taken John much to long to realize that. The eldest had always done what was asked of him, no matter how big the task and he'd always looked after Sam when John had been to revenge consumed and grief ridden to do it himself.

There were many times recently that John had realized he didn't deserve his two sons that Mary had honored him with. The two boys were gifts, rays of sunshine in the dark life of a bitter, lonely man and he had neglected that. Sure he'd loved the boys and had only wanted to protect them and have them protect themselves but they didn't always need a drill sergeant, they needed a father as well.

John's lungs were starting to yearn for more air but he refused to give up. He knew that if he surfaced, it would be the last seconds he'd have to find his son and be able to help him.

'Please Mary, please help me find him. Come on Dean, give me something… anything!' John's mind begged. Then suddenly John felt strange, his lungs felt like they'd been refilled with air and the murky waters became clear. It was an odd feeling but John was sure of one thing, he was being guided and somehow he knew, his sons were leading him. He could feel both Sam and Dean, though considerably weaker on the latter, urging him onward. To reach out just a little farther and to grab on, grab hold…

… Dean's hand was there, and for a moment, John was so surprised he'd found it that he almost didn't react. But he did, he grabbed hold and he pulled for all he was worth.

Breaking the surface of the water John immediately sucked in a deep breath and began swimming toward shore. Out of the water on land again, John had a new found strength as he lifted his sons body into his arms and ran him back up toward the house.

The moment he was inside the house he lay Dean on the floor and went to start CPR.

"John you don't have the air," Jonas and Tucker said almost at the same time. Before John could comprehend what was going on, he was being pushed out of the way so Satanist and priest could perform the live saving procedure. John fell back onto his heels and ran his hands through his wet hair. He couldn't loose another family member because he knew his heart just wouldn't be able to take the strain any longer.

Something he'd never told his boys was that soon after Mary's death, he'd suffered a minor heart attack that had left him in the hospital for a few days. Thankfully Sam was to young to remember and Dean was to busy taking care of Sam to realize they'd suddenly been taken in by Pastor Jim.

' 9-1-1 what's your emergency?' John was snapped from his thoughts as a cell phone was jammed up against his ear.

"Dad please," Sam breathed. John looked at the middle Winchester who seemed to be regaining himself, at least enough so that he could dial a phone.

'Is anyone there? What is the emergency?' said the operator. John coughed and nearly choked on his own fear but he quickly grabbed the phone from Sam.

"My son, he nearly drown in that freak storm, we need an ambulance, please he'd not breathing…"

'Okay sir, just give me an address and we'll send someone right away.' John quickly rattled off the details and hung up to panicked to think he should leave the line open in case something worse happened.

"Come on Dean," he whispered quietly. At some point during the emergency phone call Sam's hand and slipped into John's. But John wasn't sure who the hand was more comfort for.

Sam paced back and forth, back and forth. His legs still tingled slightly and his head was swimming but after six hours of waiting, he'd regained most of his footing and all of his speech. Not that it was doing him any good at the moment.

"Sam please," John sighed. "Sit down." Sam looked at his father and stopped pacing, the older man's face showed almost as much fatigue as Sam was sure the man was feeling.

"Sorry," he replied. He took a seat in the hospital waiting room next to his father. Seconds after his father had made the call to the ambulance dispatcher had Dean's body arched to life and started spluttering out lake water. Though Dean hadn't regained consciousness fully, it was enough at the moment, to see his chest breath air.

But after seeing Dean wrapped up in a few dozen blankets and realizing just how pale he was, Sam knew the danger was far from over. Now, hours later, there'd been little word of his brother's condition and he was starting to get antsy.

That and the fact that he still couldn't believe what had transpired over the past several months as his father had explained it. Everything was just too much to comprehend. Things from what Sam had done to Bryson, right up to Dean being a mechanical engineer and having powers of his own.

"What you've told me… Dad I… I just don't know what to make of it all," Sam said honestly. "I mean, to think that I was capable of doing so many… horrible things. I… what kind of person am I?" John looked up at Sam and surprisingly he smiled a warm smile.

"You're a gentle soul with strong will power Sammy," John replied. "I've taken both you boys for granted and nearly lost you and Dean. You couldn't control those powers because they weren't meant entirely for you. Bryson and his friends know that, they're just glad you're you again." Sam shook his head, he'd never be able to forgive himself even if everyone around him did.

"I've caused so much trouble in my families life… and everyone around me," Sam said quietly. "I don't deserve you and Dean, dad. I'm sorry." The two men sat next to one another, watching nurses, orderlies and doctors walk passed. The hospital smells and sounds had almost become a second ambiance to the Winchesters. They no longer heard or smelt anything but rather waited for the man or woman in scrubs or lab coat to come out and tell them that yet again, the Winchester family had averted death.

And with each and every time, Sam wasn't sure if that was such a good thing. He sat back and sighed, running his hands through his hair. It was longer again, physical evidence that time had passed without his knowing. He's missed so much, and apparently, from what he'd heard, wasn't sure how Dean was going to react once they were reunited… if they were reunited.

"This is my fault dad," Sam said breaking the few minutes of silence. "Our lives, the way we are, it's my fault. You wouldn't have had to be a General instead of a dad if I had never been born."

"Sam." John's voice was low, like a warning tone with no oomph behind it. Sam looked at his father, curious to know what the man was going to say. How he was going to have to justify what was happening or how he was going to honestly with all seriousness say no one was to blame. "This isn't your fault…" the man began. Sam rolled his eyes and slouched,

"Dad…"

"It's your mothers." There was one other time Sam had been shocked and horrified as much as he was at that moment. It was the day of his six years old and saw his very first, very real, very scary 'bogey monster' or as Dean would later explain, a poltergeist. Sam remembered the day quite clearly. He was in a school play, one that he'd learned his lines for and had practiced for weeks.

Stunningly, his father and Dean both sat in the front row as little six year old Sammy marched onto the stage guised as an apple and announced to the audience, 'I am an apple. I am part of the four food groups. I taste good and make a good healthy snack.' Dean had beamed even John had let his weathered face crinkle into a smile.

It was a good memory, right up until Sam had gone behind stage and got turned around in the new school. Soon he was lost and in an old storage basement. Then the temperature in the room had dropped and an unearthly wail caused little Sammy to shiver to his little apple core.

He had turned and behind him was the most gruesome, transparent, semi-headless, ghost boy that Sam had ever seen. His scream could have woken even more dead but it was cut short by the loud blast of a shot gun and his father screaming, 'Sammy get down!'

It took three days before Sammy would speak, two days before he'd listen to reason and another week before he actually accepted the truth from his brother. His first sighting of the Supernatural, the first time his father let him down for being somewhere not because it was the right thing to do but because it was a job and the first time he'd believed Dean was Mr. Big Brother, Captain Awesome was essentially, Sam's safety net.

Sam had been that shocked, that stunned, that completely blinded to anything else but what had occurred…

… similar to how he felt now. John Winchester loved his Mary with every fiber of his being. He loved the woman so much he forfeit his relationship with sons, he devoted his life to hunting the supernatural and gave up any chance of ever being remotely close to normal. And now, he was blaming that one woman, his be all end all, for everything they'd every suffered through.

"Buh?" was all Sam managed. He'd been staring at his father for a few seconds and knew he needed to say something but nothing intelligent would come out. John gave a sad smile and shook his head.

"I know," he sighed. "What kind of jerk am I that I blame our tortured lives on the one woman I swore to avenge? But the truth is Sammy, she knew about her family ancestry and undoubtedly, she knew mine too. Her grandparents would have told her. She knew our children would be… different, powerful and you know what? She took that chance and you know what that proves to me son?" Sam snapped his head back.

"That we are definitely not the Brady's?" he snorted. John laughed but then shook his head again.

"It proves to me that your mother loved me that much. She had that much faith in me that I'd be able to take care of you boys no matter what the odds against us. So none of this is your fault Sam, it's your mothers and I wouldn't have changed anything even if I had known the truth," John explained. Sam looked at his shoes and contemplated what his father had just told him. It was amazing to all of a sudden have an entirely new perspective on things.

It was as though this time, this time he finally believe that maybe, the worlds problems weren't all on him. Strange how all Sam's life he'd believed that Dean was his rock, the only thing grounding him to reality and keeping him safe and sane, while it was really the words of his father that he had needed all along to swage his guilt.

All at once the world was different for Sam and he'd never seen it coming, especially not from his father. Sam smiled sadly at his revelation.

"I wonder if the Emperor Honorious watching the Visigoths coming over the seventh hill could truly realize that the Roman Empire was about to fall. This is really just another page of history, isn't it? Will this be the end of our civilization? Turn the page," he said with a shrug.

"You really believe that's how life should be lived? Come what may?" John asked. Sam looked at his father and took in the curious look.

"We can't look back dad, the past is behind us," he sighed. "and we can't be sure of the future. All we can do is live for today and hope what we do, doesn't bring about the end of the world again tomorrow." Sam chanced a glance at the window of the waiting room, the sun was setting on the horizon. When he turned back to his father, John was smiling and shaking his head.

"Your mom would be so proud of you," John smiled wistfully. Then he laughed, "I can't believe you're my son." The Winchester looked at him with a smirk.

"Neither can I," Sam replied. "But hell, dad, we're stuck with each other anyway." John laughed and pulled his son into a hug. Sam felt tears of happiness and fatigue well up in his eyes, maybe life was still worth living.

"Family of Daniel Walker?" Sam snapped his head from his father's embrace and looked up at the woman in scrubs. He and John stood drawing the woman's attention. She smiled a genuine smile and somehow, that was enough for Sam.

Dean felt like every muscle in his body was on fire. He felt as weak as a new born kitten and half as useful. Upon opening his eyes he would have smiled had a tube not been forced down his throat. His brother sat next to him with his feet up on the edge of the bed chatting lively with his father who stood opposite him. Both men looked years younger then Dean had seen in a while and the wash of calm emotions instantly settled any and all pain that he was feeling. Dean let his eyes slip shut knowing his family was there to watch his back.

Two weeks later

"Hey Sam."

"What?"

"Catch!" Sam spun around just in time to see his duffle bag fly into his arms. The problem was, the duffle had been on the porch, while Dean had been standing next to his father's truck. Sam stumbled with the bag a but and ended up dropping it on the ground outside the cabin.

"Dean will you ever grow up?" Sam growled. It had taken them an entire week and a half to clean up and secure all that had been damaged or destroyed in the cabin due to the supernatural. Extensive damage that had shocked Sam to see first hand.

"With superpowers Sammy?" Dean said walking up to him with a smile. "Not on your bean stalk life." Sam rolled his eyes and then looked up to the front door of the cabin where Jonas and Tucker were emerging with there father.

"Yeah but superpowers still wont protect you from that," Sam snickered pointing at Tucker. Dean's face instantly fell into a sneer of distaste while Tucker's face, grew into the biggest shit eating grin Sam had ever seen.

The whole thing had become the funniest thing Sam had ever experienced in his life. When Dean found out it was Tucker who had given him mouth to mouth, he was sick for an entire day. Since that moment and since the moment Dean returned to the cabin and found out Tucker was still hanging around, it had been none stop between the two. Tucker promised to never, ever let him live down the fact that he had saved Dean's life.

"So Pretty," Tucker said sauntering up to the two brothers. "You give me your car and I never mention the life saving thing again, deal?" Dean let out a slightly feral growl, the Impala turned on and the engine revved.

"I think she's quite happy where she is," he replied. "But…" The Impala shut off and Dean lowered his head pinching the bridge of his nose. "T, thank… you." Tucker's eyes grew wide as saucers and his grin got that much more wicked.

"We'll see each other again Pretty, I don't doubt that," the Satanist laughed. He headed over toward the minivan while Jonas walked passed the two boys with a smile on his face.

"Take care you two," he smiled. "And go easy on your dad huh? You're giving that man gray hairs." Dean and Sam laughed then waved as the two twins climbed into their vehicle and left.

When John came out of the house, Dean and Sam started laughing even harder. Bryson sat in the man's hand, Oryx and Lorne on his shoulders and Kat and Dewy sticking out of his pockets. John walked up to his sons and raised an eyebrow.

"They've done a lot for us," he said as if that was reason enough.

"Oh man," Dean snorted. He slapped Sam on the back and doubled over. Sam shook his head and smiled as the Sprite's flew from their posts and lifted Bryson. They flew in the open window of the Impala and into the back seat. Dean and Sam had agreed to drive the Sprites home, it was the very least they could do.

Once they were settled Sam moved away from his still laughing brother and annoyed father, to help the Sprite's put on their seatbelt. All the Sprite's looked up at him with big, curious eyes waiting for him to speak the first words. Sam sighed,

"I'd say that I'm sorry but I really don't think that would make up for the pain and trouble I've caused you. Especially you Brys," he said. He lowered his head, not really sure why he was saying anything but knowing it would take the rest of his life to make up for his actions. When he looked up again he took a deep breath, "I hope this hasn't soured you from humans on a whole, most of us are pretty decent if you give us a chance. Look at Dean and my dad… what I'm saying I guess is… well, keep watching Tv and having wild parties guys. Don't change because I screwed up so badly."

After a few seconds the four sprites turned to Bryson. Slowly but surely, Bryson's tired face grew into it's normal mischievous smirk.

"What happened was crappy but you haven't turned us of humans Sam," he smiled. "You guys make beer and pizza… how could we ever turn our backs on you?"

"Besides," Dewy shrugged. "Your not human."

"That too," Bryson snickered. The other Sprites let out there own snickers before Bryson went somber again and looked back to Sam. "My wing will grow back," he said. "Once I get back to my home and rest more. I forgive you Sam, hopefully one day you can forgive yourself." Deep in Sam's heart he took in the small Sprite's words hit home and he nodded.

"Sammy?" Sam stood up and turned to face his father and brother, smiling for once at his nickname.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Dad has a proposition for us and I think… I know you wouldn't believe it if you heard it from me," Dean smirked. Sam looked between the two curiously then focused on his father.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Once a month, three days, we all meet at Missouri's place," John said. "I know it's not much and it's not making up for the years of me not being there for you but…"

"…But it's enough dad," Sam cut him off. "Thanks."

"Sam, if you start a hug right now I swear I'm leaving your ass here," Dean scoffed. The Winchesters laughed but then moved toward their separate vehicles.

"End of the month boys, I'll see you then," John said as he climbed into his truck. Both waved and soon, there father was once again gone but this time… it wasn't bittersweet.

Sam and Dean stopped to say goodbye to Midge and thank her for her kindness. It was slightly hard for Sam to pretend like he knew what she was talking about when she said he was looking much healthier. He let it go however when Dean blushed slightly and shook his head.

Within minutes, they pulled onto the road and were on their way. They'd barely gone ten minutes when suddenly one of the Sprite's piped up.

"We leave this state without getting ice cream Winchester and I lunar dust your gas tank like there's no tomorrow," Oryx threatened. Dean rolled his eyes and Sam started laughing with the rest of the Sprites.

Ten minutes later, they pulled into a diner and got some chocolate ice cream.

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THE END

Thanks so much for reading this story, stay tuned for more WofOz stories a new one is in the works!