When Angels Fall

Author's Note

Another chapter for you Kaly – hope you are still enjoying this! Fond thanks to Sifi, Beist and Geminigirl...beta extraordinaires!

Huge hug and sincere gratitude to everyone who has reviewed so far - I was really worried about that last chapter, so glad that most of you liked it. And thank you for the kind words and encouragement. Gave me the courage to keep posting!

Summary

One brother makes a bargain that may ultimately cost the Winchesters more than they are willing to pay. This will be slightly AU as will eventually include John, Caleb and Pastor Jim.

Disclaimer

Nope, still not mine…damn…

Warning

Lots of naughty words in this chapter - oh and Caleb is still based on Ridley's creation...

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Chapter 9

Dean trudged towards the church; he hoped to god his father had some news. Inside, he heard the unusual sound of Jim's voice raised in anger.

"You're a bloody fool, John. What were you thinking?"

Dean and Caleb hesitated at the door of the kitchen as the Pastor continued.

"You bring the Colt here, now? And just when were you planning on telling me about the Reaper? You think I don't know a dark altar when I see one? At least have the good sense to clear it away afterwards."

"It's the Demon, Jim."

"Isn't it always? That doesn't give you the right to do whatever the hell you like! It's about time you started putting that family of yours first!"

"We were told he had Sammy's soul, Jim. What would you have me do?"

"Oh, John. I'm so sorry." The pastor's voice softened momentarily in acknowledgment of the other man's pain, but then hardened once more. "But that doesn't excuse the Colt."

"If we get him back, we don't know what will come back with him."

"And you would kill your own boy, just to get your Demon?" The other man's voice was incredulous and disappointed.

"You're planning to shoot Sammy?" A broken whisper from the doorway caused both men to turn in surprise. "Dad?" Dean's eyes were clouded with confusion, his face reflecting deep betrayal and disgust.

"It's just a precaution, son."

"We haven't even got him back yet and already you're planning to kill him. Jesus, what kind of father are you?"

"Dean, please, you have to understand."

"I understand that our own Dad is so obsessed in getting the demon, he is prepared to sacrifice his own son – what are we fighting for if not for each other?" Dean's voice rose along with his anger.

They were stopped mid flow by a knock at the front door. Caleb quickly took position on one side of the door and Dean stood protectively behind the Pastor as he opened the door.

Three guns pointed at the head of Nicholas Howard, who was standing stiffly knowing he would be less than welcome. Laurel stood standing close to his left shoulder.

"How dare you come here, you son of a bitch?" Dean cocked his gun, his aim steady despite the red mist of rage that was descending. He had an urge to shoot the bastard right where he stood. Talk about shit timing…

"I want to help."

"Sure you do, Nick. That's why you took Sam's soul to give to a demon." Dean's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Dean. Don't." The soft voice of the Reaper held his fire as she moved to stand in front of Nick. "We can save Sam. But we don't have a lot of time."

Dean looked at Caleb who nodded. He studiously ignored his father. By his own actions, John had forgone any say in his sons' lives.

Dean roughly gestured for them to enter, making sure it was with the hand that still held the gun. John led them to the kitchen, where Sam's body still lay. The Reaper approached his corpse and gently laid one hand across his brow.

"There is still time." She murmured in relief.

"Time for what? Last time I looked, my brother was dead. And it was the two of you who killed him." Unfamiliar bitterness laced Dean's words.

"Dean." John admonished.

"Don't even say a word, John." Dean stressed the use of his Dad's name and shock widened his father's eyes. "You have no say in this."

"He's my son!"

"Who you would happily shoot, so back off! He's my responsibility. Then again, he always has been, hasn't he?"

"This isn't achieving anything, Deuce. The pissing contest can wait till later." Caleb interjected, ignoring Dean's glare. First things first, Deuce. We can kick John's ass later.

Dean nodded, sensing Caleb's unspoken words. "How can we save Sam?" After all, that was all that really mattered. "And what about his injuries? His body is dead."

"Not completely."

"What?"

Nick sighed wearily as he entered into the conversation. "Sam's soul was taken too early. Laurel took his soul before he was dead, and that is not allowed. Nature has to take its course. And as it was torn from him instead of passing naturally, there is still a spark of life there, a piece of the soul remaining. Keeping the home fires burning as it were, well, smouldering…all we need to do is kindle it…"

"But there is no heart beat, he's not breathing. He has been dead for, Christ, twenty hours now! What about brain damage?" Dean's frantic thoughts came tumbling from his lips.

"The removal of the soul just before death may give the appearance of death, however the body actually slips into a form of suspended animation. Like his body, his brain is basically ticking over." Laurel smiled reassuring.

"But his injuries…"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Dean. If the person is wounded and the wounds are fatal, it will only delay the end; injuries will continue to affect the body as normal, just at a much slower rate. If the soul is not returned quickly, even a healthy body withers and dies. "

"How long?" Pastor Jim piped up, looking worriedly at the severity of the youngest hunters injuries.

"24 to 48 hours depending on the strength of the body and the strength of will of the soul."

"So what can we do, I take it you have a plan?" Please, god, have a plan. I sure as hell am fast running out of ideas, Dean thought desperately.

"Shamanic resurrection." Nick informed, cryptically. At their confused looks, he continued. "In Shamanic healing, a shaman can locate and restore the lost soul. Also a shamanic resurrection has the added advantage that the person is basically 'reborn' – well, their energies are. Whether you like it or not, Sam was 'tagged' by the Demon when he was six months old. It was how it could find him at Stanford and how Meg found him on that abandoned stretch of road. This will remove the 'tag'. It won't stop the Demon from searching for Sam but it should conceal Sam for a time."

"It may escape your notice but we are a little lacking in the Shaman department. It's not like you can pick one up at Wal-Mart." Dean started with mounting hope. It sounded ludicrous and fanciful, but he didn't care. He would happily dance by the light of the moon, with flowers in his hair as the ball dropped in front of millions of spectators on New Years Eve in New York, if it brought his brother back.

"Actually, my boy, I wouldn't rule it out entirely. I have studied enough of Shamanic rituals to be able to carry out one – I just need to know where the soul is and which ritual to use." Pastor Jim offered.

"The soul never went far." Nick spoke softly.

"What?"

"I had it in my keeping for a while, but I underestimated the strength of your brother's will and he escaped."

"That's my boy…but for fu-, I mean Pete's sake, why couldn't he for once have stayed in one place? Do you know where he went?"

"He went home, Dean." Nick smiled, a mixture of envy and sadness at the oldest Winchester.

"Lawrence? Palo Alto?"

"No. He went to the one place he trusted and felt safe; to the one person he needs to be close to. He went to you, Dean. You are his home - you are all that Sam has ever really needed." Laurel spoke gently.

Dean's heart stuttered. He hadn't realised just how much he had needed to hear that Sam still needed him, that he still had a place in his brother's life.

"So where the hell is he?" Dean looked around the room, half expecting to see his brother stepping out with some goofy grin on his face.

Nick pointed to the amulet around Dean's neck. "Where else but in plain sight?"

Caleb snorted, "You never could get shot of the runt when you were younger, Deuce, why should anything be different now?"

"Dean looked down at the amulet in shock. "But Sam's so big." He muttered. Caleb snorted. "Shut the fuck up, Reaves."

"What's he doing in the amulet?"

"Surviving. He was fighting to keep his soul from moving on. He was in a great deal of pain, and needed a place to rest."

"So we can't see him?" Dean couldn't hide his disappointment completely. However, the expression on his face gravitated towards concern when the Reaper's face reflected her confusion, and a little worry.

"There's something wrong."

"There's a lot wrong with this situation, lady."

"No, Dean. I could read Sam up until he entered the amulet. But now, well it's almost like he has barricaded himself in there. "

"What do you mean?"

"He won't communicate. He's thrown up barriers I cannot get through, not without hurting him further. And if he is pained any further, he may let go entirely."

"He can be such an antisocial son of a bitch at times." Dean sighed. He should have known it wouldn't be straightforward – it wasn't exactly the Winchester way. But there was a plan, and there was no way in hell that Dean was giving up now. "Does he even know we can possibly save him?"

"I think so, but all I can pick up are emotions." The Reaper concentrated. Suddenly, she whirled towards John. "You fool." She hissed.

"Amazing how everyone's coming to that conclusion tonight, Johnny." Caleb spoke with rancour.

"What did you do?"

"I told him the truth." John stood firm in his decision. His sons were strong and deserved to know what they were fighting, no matter how frightening or painful it may be. It was better than them being ill-prepared and vulnerable.

"Sammy was here?" For the first time he took note of the room, the mess and damage…is that ice? Dean was beginning to put the pieces together now, what might have happened between his father and brother. The thought chilled him to the core.

"The truth as you see it!" Laurel couldn't believe John's single-mindedness.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, fear once more unfurling.

"I have to protect both my sons!" I won't lose both. I can't.

"Get out." The Reaper spoke firmly.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Dean's voice was rising, as was his terror. He did not like where this was going at all.

"That is my boy. I am not leaving him." Or Dean. He is too vulnerable right now.

"You will do as you are told Winchester, or your 'boy' won't come back at all!"

Everyone flinched when a shot rang out and bits of plaster fell from the ceiling, giving everyone in the room a dusting.

Dean glared around, brandishing the weapon he had just fired. "That's it – unless someone tells me what the fuck is going on, the next shot won't be at the ceiling!"

"I may not be able to read Sam's thoughts, but I can sense his emotions. And he is terrified. And a great deal of that fear is aimed at your father." Laurel explained with quiet anger.

"Dad, what did you say to Sam?" At John's expression, Caleb swore, thought screw propriety; he simply took what was needed from John. And was left with his jaw gaping as he saw what had happened.

"You stupid son of a bitch." The psychic muttered.

"Dad?"

"Sam saw the Colt, Dean." Caleb advised Dean.

"You're fucking kidding me." And Sam being his overly brain box self would have put two and two together, and had gotten four.

"He knew you were preparing to shoot him?"

"I explained to him, Dean." John turned to Caleb, who had tensed in anger, his hands clenched into fists that desperately wanted to beat some sense into the older hunter.

"You both know the dangers of bringing a soul back! You know as well as I do that sometimes they don't return alone. What if the Demon got to Sammy first, what if he was overtaken by the Demon?"

John lightly fingered the gun he still held in his hands. The Colt. Would he be able to shoot his youngest son if it was the only way? "And it would not be like a simple possession where we might be able to exorcise the demon. No, in a recovery such as this, souls can become irretrievably entwined, and it is impossible to distinguish one soul from the other."

Would he be able to face his eldest, knowing that he had killed his brother?

"And you told Sam this?"

"He even agreed to it!"

"Of course he would. Jesus, Dad, Sam would accept the blame for every supernatural death in a five mile radius of him if you give him half the chance!"

Laurel grasped Dean's arm urgently. "There's no point in doing a Shamanic Resurrection Ritual if the soul will not return. It won't work. The soul has to be willing to come back, and from what I can read from Sam, he's decided not to."

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A/N…Dum, dum, duhhhhh

Hehehe…evil cliffie…sorry but really, how could I resist ending there? Seriously though, I hope I have not let you guys down.

Hoping you are still enjoying this, but the only way I know is if you review…so…press the button…pretty please?

Thanks to all who are reading this - you'll never know how much I appreciate it!

Dream