Hey all! Here's the next chapter! Just one more to go after this! Enjoy and please review! :)

Sam took a careful step forward, the howling wind hiding their footsteps in the dead leaves covering the ground. A storm was brewing, lightning flashing above their heads. A perfect night for a battle to the death. Sam thought darkly. Just our luck. The wind died down.

A man stood in the middle of the cemetery, placing the powerful Colt in the key hole it belonged in. Right before he turned it, he stiffened, pausing in his movements. The man they saw wasn't the one they expected. The dark-skinned, dark-haired man turned at the sound of their footsteps, eyes widening at the sight of them.

Sam was the only one of the hunters that didn't seem surprised.

"Who are you?" Dean couldn't resist asking.

"Who are you?" the man returned, sounding suspicious. Then he paused, looking closer at Sam. "Oh my...You're Sam Winchester."

Sam did look surprised now. "Yeah." he responded shortly, a feeling of dread welling up in his chest.

A flick of the man's hand had all of the hunters suddenly frozen in their tracks. All except Sam. The man looked shocked at first, then anger filled his face. "So it's true. You are the angel's pet."

"Like you have room to talk. You're the slave of a harsher master than mine."

"I have powers beyond any you could imagine."

"That are totally useless against me. I'm afraid neither of us have the power to destroy the other, Jake."

"How do you know my name?" Jake asked, outraged.

Sam gave a humorless grin. "Visions."

Jake snorted. "So you know my name. What good does that do you? I served in the marines, there's no way you could match me in a man-to-man fight. Sorry, kid, but you're dead unless you leave right now."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "See, there's one nice thing about these visions. They warn me about things to avoid, like, say, a falling tree?"

Jake wheeled around, leaping to the side as lightning struck the tree next to him and it fell, narrowly missing him.

"Clever, Sam." he snarled.

Jake looked up at the storm above them, then a nasty grin spread across his face. Closing his eyes, Sam could feel the air shift around them, could feel Jake using his powers and he suddenly knew what was going to happen. Crap.

An explosion of light just in front of him threw him backwards, slamming him hard into the ground. Stupid lightning.

Sam was moving before he could really think about it, reaching for the knife tucked in his boot and yanking it out, scrambling to his feet and running forward. I know how this is going to end. I just have to follow what I saw. Even though... Don't think about that.

Jake was already moving towards the door, his hand touching the colt and, sending a jolt of fear through Sam's gut, turning it.

It was too late for Jake though. Sam was there a second later, his knife buried up to the hilt in Jake's chest. Jake gave him a wide-eyed look, the life draining from his eyes. Sam didn't have time to dwell on how he felt or the horror that was already welling up in his chest. I killed him. Oh, gosh, I killed him. Later. Later, I can do this later.

Casting Jake's body aside, Sam felt a powerful, dark force pushing against him. He ground his heels into the ground, slowing down his slide backwards until he finally stopped, his hands outhrown.

The gate was slowly opening before him, awful screams, like Sam had never heard before, resounding through, a terrible heat following the sounds. A black cloud was racing from inside towards the door. Demons. Sam took a deep breath. This is it.

"SAMMY!"

Dean. Now that Jake was dead, the others had been freed from the frozen state Jake had left them in and he could hear them running towards him, but it wouldn't be fast enough.

The black cloud reached the door, but froze in their stampede forward, impacting a sudden invisible barrier over the gate's opening.

Sam grunted in pain with the impact, his entire body jerking, though his concentration remained strong. I can do this. I can do this.

"Sammy? Sammy, what are you doing? Holy crap...Sammy." Dean's voice sounded right next to him now, panic underlying in his tone, a gentle hand placed on his shoulder.

"Dean..." Sam finally managed. He had never been in this much pain. Not all of the visions combined could compare with the agony flowing through his veins, the fire that tore through him with every impact the demons made against his barrier. Something...his own strength, God's help, or perhaps just plain old Winchester stubbornness...refused to let him give in to it. The strain showed in his voice, in each syllable that was spoken. "Door...close...the door..." As much as Sam didn't want to seem weak, he couldn't help the last final word. "...please..."

Dean was silent for only an instant, taking in the strain in each of Sam's words, the tenseness of every single muscle in his baby brother's body, before he finally squeezed Sam's shoulder gently and nodded. "Just hold on, Sam. We'll close it. It'll be okay."

John, Pastor Jim, and Bobby were already heading towards the doors, Dean catching up with them a moment later. John and Dean took one side, Pastor Jim and Bobby taking another and the four men pushed as hard as they could, straining and grunting with exertion.

"Come on. Come on. Come on." Dean grunted, his mind dwelling on his baby brother that was suffering nearby, struggling to keep back the forces of ****. Alone. Crap. Come ON!

Meanwhile, Sam wasn't sure how much longer he could last. The demons were massing against the barrier now, thousands of them pushing and slamming against it, and it was taking its toll. He could feel blood pouring from his nose, mouth, and ears, coating his skin. Another wave of pain slammed into him and he became aware of a vague redness across his vision now and with horror realized that his eyes were bleeding too. Strained whimpers were pulling from him now and he knew he was almost at his end. Dean...gosh, Dean, I need help.

Dean felt panic build in his chest, struggling to ignore it, but unable to banish it completely from his mind. He could hear the strained whimpers behind him and his knuckles turned ghost white as he pushed even harder. Hold on, Sammy. Hold on. Come on, kiddo. Dean groaned visciously as he tried harder to get the door to move, but nothing was budging. Dang it!

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he twisted his head in surprise. Castiel.

"Go to your brother, Dean."

He didn't need any more encouragement. He let Castiel take his place and ran towards his baby brother, skidding to a halt beside him. He stiffened as he laid eyes on him. "Oh... Oh my... Sam. Sammy. Kiddo." Blood. There's blood everywhere. Dean finally moved forward, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist to support him, the other one coming up and ever so gently trying to get some of the blood out of Sam's eyes. "Hey kiddo. I'm here. I'm here. Just hold on."

Dean. Oh gosh. Dean. Sam easily could have burst into tears at the sudden arm around his waist, at the gentle soothing words.

With his brother at his side, Sam knew he had to hold on. He had a reminder now, something that could push past his agony and show him why he was doing this. He had a reason to fight. Dean.

With a mighty groan, the doors finally swung shut and Sam, finally, slumped backwards, releasing the barrier. Dean was barely fast enough to catch him, grabbing onto him with a hurried, "Whoa. Take it easy, Sammy. It's okay. It's over. It's over."

I wish it was. Sam thought. His head rested against Dean's chest, Dean quietly straining to hold his heavy brother up, without complaining. He could feel the blood's flow beginning to slow down his face, but the feeling of it coating his skin made him feel utterly sick. Probably a good thing I have a strong stomach.

Sam glanced around suddenly, sure he had heard Castiel, but the angel was nowhere to be seen. A light touch to his shoulder by an invisible hand told him what he needed to know. Thanks Cas. The angel had moved on, but at least he had been there when it counted. It's up to me to finish this now. Please let me have the strength.

Dean frowned down at his baby brother, at the clear weakness, exhaustion, pain, that he saw there. Before he could even open his mouth to ask Sam if he was okay, he felt a sudden jerk to his body and he was flying backwards. Not again.

Sam crumpled to the ground instantly without his brother holding him up and in an instant he knew. He's here.

"Well, well. Look who it is. Long time no see, Sammy." Yellow eyes flashed, a false smile spreading across an all too familiar face.

It's time.