Chapter 6.

Sam looks down into Dean's face with eyes made blurry by tears. He knows the wolf is right. The wound on his brother's leg had been screwed up since the beginning. It had immediately knocked Dean on his ass, Sam had known something was wrong he just didn't know what. Now looking at Dean resting against him, barely conscious, body burning with fever, eyes slitting open every few minutes just to make sure he was still there with him he knows Dean is going down.

When Dean had disappeared into purgatory it had been unexpected, the pain had been unreal. Sam had been dazed, shocked, blindsided. He dropped everything and he ran, because he didn't know how to do anything worth doing without his brother. He couldn't anticipate doing anything worth doing without Dean.

Now as Sam holds his brother's limp body close looking ahead and knowing what is in store for him is millions of millions of times worse. Looking ahead and knowing the pain, and hurt and guilt and the loneliness, God, the loneliness that crushes Sam's soul. That swallows every other thing. He has to choke back the panicked sob in his throat as he clutches Dean closer to him.

Dean would never want to be werewolf. And Sam can't ask him to do that just so they can be together. Can't ask him to become one of the things they hunt just because he can't live without his big brother. Maybe the wolf is wrong, maybe Dean will survive. His brother is strong, his brother is a fighter.

He looks back up into the sapphire eyes of the wolf, his own wet and shining, but reflecting the strength of decision.

"I can't...he wouldn't want that." He stammers out.

The feeling of defeat that crashes into him is nauseating. The ache in his chest is taking his breath away. He forgets about the wolf, safety doesn't really matter anymore. She won't harm a fading Dean and Sam no longer cares for his own safety. He slides down the wall so he can sit against it, pulling Dean fully into his arms. His brother goes with him. Little reaction other than a soft whimper and a faster breath with the pain of being shifted.

His hands are unconsciously loosening their grip from Sam's jacket as he slips down into deeper oblivion. Sam doubts he'll be awake again before the time comes. Biting the side of his mouth to keep in the angry sobs that want to escape, he lets a scalding tear lose and determines he'll be with Dean until Dean can't be with him anymore.

He turns his head towards Dean and the wall, away from the wolf, and rests his cheek in his brother's hair. Closing his eyes, letting more hot tears fall quietly into the soft brown spikes. He wasn't ready, this wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. After purgatory had been their own little miracle. Their chance at 'again', Sam had been determined they wouldn't die like this. That they would have time to say goodbye to one another, to learn to live without the other constantly there. As it was it was just ripping a ragged, gaping hole in his heart all over again.

Right next to the scars from the uncountable times before.

...

The wolf stands rooted to the spot a few feet away from them. A glowing softness settles over her sharp features, recognition fills her eyes. She knows this feeling, she knows the heart crushing feeling of losing someone you love. Losing family. Losing someone who was loyal to you, and you loyal to them.

She sees how the hunter before her will stand by his decision. He is too loyal to his friend, too loyal to turn him into something he hates, even though it breaks his own heart into a thousand pieces. The wolf knows this, understands this, love hurts, loyalty costs you.

She knows the man turns his head into the hair of his friend to hide the tears from her. To feel and be close to him until the very last possible moment. She finds her heart going out to this man who seems to know and understand what it is to be a werewolf without realizing it. For the first time in her very long life, she learns humans are in fact capable of, deep abiding love and loyalty. It warms her cold heart like only her pack usually can.

She kneels down next to them, though still giving them their own space.

"Perhaps I can sweeten the deal?" She questions, voice soft, but rumbling more than previously.

Sam turns a wet face towards her, her breath momentarily taken away by the utter pain and misery reflected in his eyes. "There is no possible way for you to make the deal sweeter. He's my brother, my only family left. He practically raised me, he's saved my life more times than I care to count, he's died for me...not even you and all your wolves will ever understand that."

She purses her lips, but doesn't respond. The hunter is right. She can't even begin to fathom the bond she sees and senses between these two men.

"Same deal, you forget about us, never return, and...I save your brother."

She thinks for a moment he doesn't hear her. But slowly the hunter turns to look at her again. Hair sticking to his tear soaked skin, eyes wild. She can see his mind swirling millions of miles an hour, she sees the haunted hope he's barely allowing himself to entertain.

"What do you mean?" He questions slowly, arms still tight around his brother. A hand over his head, keeping him pressed close. She knows he feels the shivers wracking through the man's body, even as she can feel the waves of fever coming off him from her place a few feet away.

"I think I can heal your brother, at least kill the infection, in return you honor the former conditions of our deal." She watches emotions fly over the man's haunted face. She sees the hope, the joy, the crushing doubt that fills him when she says, 'I think.' She prays she's right, that she can heal the wolf-based infection currently tearing the hunter's brother's body to pieces.

"You think?" The hunter questions hoarsely, eyes brows raised ironically.

She smiles, trying to sooth the man's warring emotions, trying not to become the object of his wrath and frustration. "The infection started with us wolves, as alpha I may be able to stop it, may be able to cleanse your brother."

...

Things are about to fly out of control when her voice is back and talking to him softly. Sam jerks his head around to her, wants to express to her how could she, or anyone ever understand this thing that is he and his brother. They would never know the man Dean Winchester, and so they would never know the hurt and torture it was or have that man ripped away from you. To have that brother taken from you. To say goodbye to that warm, safe love forever and ever.

Then she's saying she can heal Dean, can save him. Saying SHE THINKS it will work. She thinks? Does Sam trust her? Can he trust her? Can he trust her for Dean? The hell, this is Dean he's talking about here...anything for Dean. Anything to save him, anything to keep him right where he belongs. With Sam.

Suddenly he's nodding.

"Okay," he says, a little breathlessly. "You can try."

She nods gently and motions for him to help her move Dean back into the glow of the fire. Sam wraps his arms around Dean's chest and pulls him from the corner, he stills once Dean is stretched out before the fire again, they manage to get his body back on the wrinkled sleeping bag. Sam pulls Dean within the v of his legs and let's his head rest on his thigh. From here he feels like he could hold his brother down if things got rough, if this worked.

It was a hard thing to face. Helping Dean was going to hurt him more, but, God please, anything other than losing him again. Dean barely shifts while being moved all over creation. His body is still burning up and being rocked with shivers. Sam keeps his arms around him, a hand laying his chest, over his heart where he can feel the frantic beating.

"I've only ever seen this done once," the wolf says with a frown as she unwraps the white bandages from around the wound and glances to Sam.

"Just try it, anything for Dean."

She nods understandingly. "Name's Sapphire, but the way." She says.

Sam raises his eyebrows. "Original."

She rolls her eyes and then drops the blanket from around her. It's just a flash of ivory skin before black fur is covering her and her body is doing its strange dance in becoming the wolf. The next heart beat the wolf is standing before them, panting slightly.

Sam meets her piercing blue eyes unflinchingly and the magnificent black creature takes it as the go ahead.

She pads silently over to Dean and lowers her head towards the bright red, oozing hole in his leg. Her soft pink tongue makes an appearance and slides over the wound. Sam grimaces. Ew. More for the wolf or for Dean he's not sure, but yeah, ew. There's no immediately reaction from either Dean or the wolf. She licks again, and Sam notices a difference in the wound. More liquids were oozing from the open wound, less blood and more...puss it looked like. Sapphire kept licking, much to Sam's stomach's dismay. It wasn't until about a minute later Dean shifted.

His first sign of life in over thirty minutes.

At first he just shifts his body on the sleeping bag, a grimace passing over his face. Sam feeling elated at the soft, barely perceptible movements. Next he tosses his head restlessly to the side on Sam's thigh, a soft moan escaping his dry, parted lips. Sam shushes him, pressing a hand onto his chest to keep him still for Sapphire.

The wolf patiently licks and Sam is nauseated by knowing THAT STUFF was flowing through his brother's veins. The creamy liquid has become thicker with a dark tint to it. He has to look away and whisper to Dean 'it's alright' to calm himself again. It's when Dean clenches his hands into fists that Sam knows things are about to get worse.

"It's alright Dean," he soothes, grabbing one of his hands and threading his fingers through his brother's so Dean could clench his hand tight. "It's alright, it's going to be okay. We're fixing it, big brother, just hold on."

Dean tosses his head restlessly again accompanied by a groan that's sounded a whole lot like 'Sam'. When the wolf licks over the wound the next time Dean's fingers close like vices over Sam's and his body goes rigid, all muscles straining. Sam looks up quickly to Sapphire, the 'is this the way it's supposed to be' question dying on his lips.

Her glowing blue eyes are fixed on Dean's face, she looks at Sam and nods. It's working.

She bends her majestic head again and licks over the seeping wound. Sam swallows thickly at the amount of dark liquid now oozing from the wound. He guesses correctly that this is the very essence of the infection. It's nearly black and gloppy. When Sapphire licks this time Dean's eyes shoot open and fly down to his leg.

His wide pupils light upon the huge wolf but his reaction isn't startled, but rather like he expected to find her there. His eyes seek out Sam directly after, his panting breaths heaving in his chest, his fingers still holding on to Sam for dear life. As the wolf licks again drawing the infection out. Dean lets out a groan from between clenched teeth that would have been a scream otherwise. He breathes deep and fast, Sam can see he's trying to compose himself, trying to calm down. Sam realizes this is the most Dean's been present since he was wounded.

He smooths a hand through his brother's hair and comforts his, whispering to him. "Almost done Dean, doing so good, brother. Almost over."

Dean gazes up at him with wide eyes, still glassy with fever, but Sam thinks he doesn't feel so hot anymore. Sapphire speeds up, and Dean grinds his teeth and groans out between them through the pain. Sam holds onto him tight, afraid Dean might have an aneurism or something his brother looks to be straining so hard.

Dean knows the pain is helping him, so he's trying not to fight and he's trying not to scream bloody-murder, but it doesn't fool Sam as to how terrible the agony his brother is going through truly is. Dean's leg is less swollen. The sleeping bag underneath it is swimming with the liquids from the wound. Sam is glad to see hardly any blood at all.

Dean lets out a last terrifying moan as the wolf runs its tongue over the wound and down into the chasm of it. The blackish goo that surfaces and runs down Dean's calf and onto the sleeping bag seeming to be the most painful to get rid of. It's the last of the infection, the root of the evil.

Sam heaves a relieved sigh as Dean gasps huge breaths. Sapphire sits back on her haunches looking pleased with herself. Sam quickly pulls the sleeping bag out from under Dean and grabs a bottle of water and pours it over Dean's leg washing the fluids away from his skin, and making sure there was no way in hell infection was getting in the wound again.

Dean grits his teeth through the clear water pouring over his leg and the wound there, his hand still clasped in Sam's tightly. That could have gone so much worse.

...

Dean had been sleeping, and slipping deeper and deeper. After the woman's voice had washed over him a level of peace had filled him, and some of the pain had abated. He'd slipped off into oblivion once again. He still wasn't sure if it was a fever dream or not, but he was pretty sure the woman was the wolf and she had healed him. Which made sense as to why the voice had soothed him so.

He wakes in Sam's arms writhing with the pain once again. Only now it is magnified. He finds the wolf licking at his wound and he can feel the fire being pulled from his veins. And thank you God, but did it hurt? Yes, like hell. Sam takes his hands, giving him something to grab onto and Dean does. Because he's afraid he'll lose himself in the ocean of hurt and heat again.

He grits his teeth through the burning pain, promising himself because of Sam's promises that this was almost over, just a few more minutes, just a few more licks and his body would be his again. The pain would be gone. Sam would give him meds and let him sleep and then they would get off this damned mountain forever. And they weren't ever coming back not even for the other wolves, after all the alpha was saving him. That wouldn't be very good etiquette.

Then with a last lightening shot of agony it's over. He can feel it when the wolf no longer has any power over anything inside him. Knows the infection is gone. No more firebrands under his skin, no more calming effect from the wolf's presence. He gazes up to Sam with watering eyes and gives him a shaky smile.

"Am I okay, Sammy?" He asks in a hoarse voice.

He still feels a little out of it, still feels like he needs Sam to tell him before he lets go, before he lets himself be done, be exhausted.

"Yes," Sam answers, smiling, his own eyes wet. "Yes, you're okay, you're gonna be okay."

And Dean is tired, his body and brain drained from the fever, but he knows that look from Sam, the one that speaks of unspeakable fear and hope and relief. He knows all the time he can't recall while unconscious has been hell for his little brother.

Looking up at him he asks, "That bad, huh?"

Sam smiles weakly, "Nah, nothing to speak of, you pulled through."

And that was that.

...

Sam gazes down on his brother's very white face and watches as his eyes finally clear entirely. Feels the vicious heat leave his skin, Sam's got a feeling it's going to take a little bit for the shaking and shivering to subside. His brother is drained. He can tell that by the way Dean still lays against him, still depends upon Sam to handle the situation and the giant black werewolf in the cabin.

Dean looks up to him with glistening green eyes and says, "Am I okay, Sammy?" Almost like it was too good to be true, like he needs another eye witness. He needs Sam to assure him he's not just still delirious.

Sam smiles and runs fingers through his drying hair where his head is still on his lap. "Yes, you're okay, you're gonna be okay." He tries to hide the tremor in his voice, but doesn't quite succeed. Dean picks it up.

"That bad, huh?" Dean questions, eyes going soft for Sam, feeling his pain. Sam hates that, hates how Dean just nearly died, but is somehow already looking out for him again. But he loves it too.

"Nah," he says, smiling, "Nothing to speak of, you pulled through."

Like you always do. He realizes and gives his big brother a gentle smile. A smile that says, thank you for always pulling through for him. Thank you for coming ack to me.

Dean smiles back and let's his eyes float shut again. He is so tired. Like really, really tired. Like would sleep here on the cabin floor in Sam's lap for the rest of the night kind of tired. He's more than happy to let Sam to take over for once.

Sam props Dean up on the side of the fireplace and then goes back to the car for their first aide kit. He spreads some disinfectant cream over the wound and the skin around it. Then he wraps the wound for the third time. He coaxes Dean into eating some of the cheese crackers he had kept for him and drinking a bottle of water.

He shoves the pillows, sleeping bag and blanket into the fire where it crackles and sizzles. You couldn't have paid Sam to sleep on or let Dean sleep on that those again. He'd seen the stuff leaking out of Dean's leg.

With his arms around Dean's waist, and Dean's arm over his shoulder. He walks his brother out to the impala and helps him into the back seat where he shoves some of their clothes against the door as a pillow for his head. He cranks the car for her to warm up and turns the heat on all the way, hoping Dean wills top shaking soon, now that he's eaten and will hopefully be getting some rest.

He puts out the fire inside the cabin and shuts and locks the door. He goes down the steps and stops where Sapphire stands waiting. Her intense blue eyes meet his dead on. Sam nods.

"We'll keep our half of the deal. Thank you." He adds.

Sam turns and climbs into the impala, throws her in reverse and backs out from beside the cabin. He turns out onto the road leading back down the mountain, leaving the black wolf standing in the snow looking after the car in the coming daybreak.

He doesn't look back.

tbc...

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