Disclaimer: I do not own anything Supernatural, it is all property of the CW11 Network, and whatnot, so don't sue me, please.

Chapter 7

When Dean and John came back into Sam's room, they found him still sound asleep.

The two elder Winchester's had gone to the Impala for a change of clothes, John had previously left a pair of jeans and a shirt in the trunk amidst Dean and Sam's clothes.

The both of them had stopped dead when they saw the dried bloodstains that seemed painted across the back seat of the Impala.

John had had to tug Dean away, the younger man had stood pale and stony as his greenish-hazel eyes stared at the remnants of a night from hell.

They'd stayed outside, John making calls to some of his associates while John called Bobby.

Now, they resumed their vigil over Sam, oblivious to what had transpired in the world of dreams.

Oblivious to the fact that there world would once again be turned upside down, in a matter of hours.

Meanwhile, in Sam's slumbering mind...

" No. No way, I won't put the both of them through that. I won't." Said Sam vehemently his eyes having once again turned back to their normal moss-green. He stared defiantly at Alkaya.

" Well that's the only option you get, direct orders from the guys upstairs." Said Alkaya

" How do you expect me to do that to Dean, to Dad? They already had to watch me die once, now you want me to put them through that again? Forget it, there has to be another way." Seethed Sam, apalled by what Alkaya had propposed.

" Samuel, it is the only way to ensure their safety, if you stay with to them now, the three of you will one giant target. You'd stand out like a beacon for the forces of darkness. You must go into hiding until you are fully trained and ready to take them on." Said Alkaya, she paused to pin Sam with a hard stare before continuing.

" In order to live, you have to die."

Sam stared at her in disbelief.

Just what the hell was going on?

" The beauty of it is, you won't actually be dead. It's all an elaborate illusion designed to fool your family and the rest of the world, mainly the Demon's forces. It's all smoke and mirrors. And afterwards, after you've 'died', you'll end up in the place that I spoke of earlier, the place where the Demon won't be able to reach you no matter what he tries to do." Explained Alkaya.

" What about the Demon?" Asked Sam.

He felt like was being torn in two as he was faced with this near impossible decision. Choosing the path of Light had been easy, this on the other hand, was by far the hardest thing he'd ever had to do in his whole life.

" The Demon on the other hand, isn't as easily fooled. He'll know that you're still alive but, he won't be able to find you. Not where you're going." Said Alkaya.

" Sam, you made the choice, now you gotta deal with all that comes with it."

Sam felt his eyes begin to burn with tears of sheer anguish and self-hatred for what he was about to do.

With a thick swallow, he single word, a single word that was the hardest thing he'd ever had to say in all his life.

" A-Alright."

Alkaya nodded silently, watching as a few tears escaped Sam's eyes. She stepped forward and slowly reached out towards the very agitated and scared young man before her.

Sam flinched away from her, at the moment, he just wanted to be alone, to just sink to the ground and let his misery drown him. But, when he gazed at Alkaya's understanding eyes, he relented, letting her cup his cheek. For reasons he had yet to understand, he felt comforted by her warm touch.

Alkaya let out a small sigh before she spoke.

" You have an hour with your family. Then it's be time to go."

" One hour? That's crazy, can't I have more time? Can't I have at least one more day? " Asked Sam, his voice a desperate, teary whisper.

Alkaya shook her head sadly.

Sam's looked at her with tearful, loss-green eyes as he spoke.

" What's gonna happen, how am I going to...?" Sam trailed off as he thought of the many possibilities of what he didn't say.

" You'll see, you'll know. For now, wake up and be with your family." Said Alkaya, then, she paused a moment before she stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and shoulder in a gentle embrace.

Sam was stunned for a second, but he found himself wrapping his arms around this mysterious woman who'd dropped a bombshell on him, but in doing so, given him some much needed answers.

" Don't be afraid Samuel, everything will be alright. Don't think of it as goodbye forever, you will see them again. Dean and John will both be protected while you're gone, they just won't know it." Said Alkaya softly.

She pulled away but came to hold Sam's face in her hands, thumbing away a stray tear as she spoke.

" Stay strong Samuel. I'll be seeing you, after it's done."

Sam nodded and sniffled a little.

Alkaya smiled sadly at him before she leaned up and pressed her lips to his forehead.

The instant her lips touched his skin, Sam felt a jolt of energy go through his whole body.

Then everything went white and he knew nothing.

In the real world...

Dean and John looked up when they noticed Sam was rousing from his slumber.

" Hey Sammy, glad you decided to rejoin the land of the living." Smiled Dean from where he sat by the head of Sam's bed.

" Hey guys." Sighed Sam his voice rough and his eyes watery in what Dean and John both assumed was sleep. In truth, it was sheer misery that Sam was using all of his will to battle back.

" Did I miss anything?" He asked once he'd successfully battled down the urge to start screaming and crying till his lungs burst.

" Nah, nothing earth-shattering happened while you were gettin' your beauty sleep." Answered Dean.

Sam let a small, sad smile grace his lips at just how wrong Dean was in saying that.

" Hey, you alright there son?" Asked John as he noticed the pained look that passed across his youngest's face.

Sam turned his head to stare at his father and shook his head.

" I'm okay, just a little sore, that's all. What time is it?" Asked Sam. He had to act as normal as he could so that his family didn't get suspicious.

" It's 2:00 in the afternoon." Answered John.

Sam nodded, this was his final hour with his family. He'd spend it, just being.

" So Dean, did you manage to get on the nurses bad side yet?" Asked Sam.

He felt himself smile widely as Dean chuckled at the question.

" I'm workin on it."

And so, for the hour, Sam talked and laughed with his family. It was the happiest he'd been in a long time, and he would cherish each word spoken, each smile, each laugh, it made him feel all the more worse for what would happen in just a few minutes.

When he asked what time it was again, Dean told him it was fifteen minutes to three.

" You guys should go have lunch." Said Sam, he didn't want his family to witness what would happen once time ran out.

Dean and John were both about to protest when Sam cut them off.

" Guys, don't worry about me, I'm just gonna go back to sleep for a little while."

" But you just woke up." Countered Dean.

" Still pretty beat man, sorry." Sighed Sam, stifling a faux yawn and letting his eyes droop a little to be convincing.

" Hey, it's okay Sammy, just rest if you still feel tired." Assured John before he turned to Dean.

" C'mon, we should let him rest. Hopefully they got sandwiches or something up here in the lounge." Said John as he began ushering Dean out of the room.

Dean felt a part of him telling him to stay by his brother's side but, the majority won out though as he let his father lead the way.

" Hey guys." Called Sam.

John and Dean both paused at the door and turned to their youngest.

" Yeah Sam?" Asked Dean.

" I don't want to sound Chick-Flicky or anything but, I just want you to know, you guys are awesome." Said Sam with a small, albeit sad smile.

Both Dean and John felt a warmth spread through them at them at these words. Dean felt tears well in his eyes and battled them back before he spoke.

" Well yeah, of course I'm awesome, you on the other hand, are just a total girl."

This caused all three men to chuckle in earnest. Sam was the first to sober though and he gave his father and brother a heartfelt smile.

" I'll see you guys later." He sighed as he sank into the pillows, nowing that this was goodbye.

" See ya in a few little brother." Said Dean with a smile, unaware that this would be the last time he would speak to Sam, as just his Sammy.

" Just rest Son, we'll be nearby." Said John with a smile of his own, tears welling in his own eyes.

Sam gave them both a small wave and watched with burning eyes as his father and big brother walked out the door and disappeared down the hall, the both of them bathed in the afternoon sunlight that seeped in through the window adjacent to Sam's room.

" I love you." Whispered Sam to the now empty space at the door where his family had been standing.

It was then that Sam finally let the dam break, tears fell in torrents from moss-green eyes as he cried silently, tiny sobs wracking through his body as he turned away from the door and curled in on himself the best he could.

As he cried, the final minute of the hour was spent.

His hour was up.

It was 3:OO.

Suddenly, Sam felt an invisible force wrap itself around his throat, collapsing his vocal cords.

Taking away his ability to make a single sound.

He was given a moment of confusion as he clutched at his throat with a hand.

" It's gonna be alright Samuel. Don't fight it." A disembodied voice filled Sam's ear. Alkaya.

Then, a jolt of unseen energy passed clean through Sam's body, the youngest Winchester felt his whole body go completely numb.

And then, everything went still for a moment. Sam lay there on the hospital bed, body stark still save for the soundless gasps of breath Sam.

Out of nowhere, yet another invisible force wrapped itself around Sam, this time his body was the target.

Sam felt his paralyzed body being yanked upwards.

A terrified and helpless Sam Winchester found himself suspended in the mid-air. He hung limply above the bed for what seemed an eternity before the force visciously spun him over before it shoved him upwards.

" Oh God... No." Thought Sam in absolute despair and terror as he found himself staring down at his empty bed, from where he was eagle spread...

Pinned to the ceiling.