Alright, I guess I've held you all in suspense for long enough! Here is the next chapter. Will Dean get to Sam? Will Sam defeat the demons? Will Bobby find love? Huh? Where the heck did that come from? LOL Must be my lame attempt at humor. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Cindy.

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"SAMMY!!"

Dean turned panic stricken eyes onto Bobby as he frantically pulled on the basement door. The shaking of the house stopped again, but the rumble from below them continued. Bobby reached out a hand and firmly grasped Dean's arm.

"Dean…stop," he coaxed even though he knew it was futile to try and stop the younger man from trying to reach his brother.

Dean shrugged Bobby's hand off and glared menacingly at his friend. "We have to get him out Bobby! Help me!" he cried, his panic rising up a notch.

"Dean…you won't get it open that way. Besides, I'm not so sure we'd be helping Sam by going down there," Bobby said, his own fear ratcheting up at the continued rumble and sporatic screams coming from behind the closed door.

"If you think for one fucking second I'm leaving him down there to fight them on his own, well…you're out of your fucking mind, Bobby!" Dean screamed as he beat on the door.

Bobby sighed, resigned to the fact that they were indeed going into the snake pit. He held a finger up to Dean then hurried to the back porch of the house. A few minutes later he returned, a large axe in hand. Dean smiled appreciatively as he took the axe then immediately began to swing it, cracking through the wooden door with each hit.

Bobby left Dean to his task, the younger man never even slowing his swings to acknowledge the man's retreat. Bobby returned a few minutes later, his arms laden with holy water and other religious offerings that could be helpful against the demons that Sam battled. Dean finally broke through the door enough to allow him to reach through and lift the iron bar. He turned when Bobby nudged him and smiled briefly as Bobby handed him Ruby's knife and a bottle filled with holy water. Bobby had his own water bottle, a book on exorcisms and a large cross clutched tightly in his hands. He nodded and Dean pulled the door open. The two men wasted no time in rushing through the door and down the stairs to join the raging battle below.

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Dean hit the basement floor first, his eyes instantly seeking out his brother. The sight that met him nearly had him crashing to his knees. Sam and the demons were in a standoff and Dean truly could not determine who was winning. One thing was clear though. Alastair , once fierce and fearless, was faring the worst out of the three. He lay on his side and it appeared as he had blood oozing from his very pores. His hand was held out before him as he assisted Lilith in her attack on Sam.

Lilith was on her feet, but her body shook with the power aimed at her from Sam's hand. Blood spilled from her eyes as she was slammed with wave after wave of psychic energy. Dean's eyes shifted to the ceiling, his gaze falling onto a crack that ran through the devil's trap. He had the answer to his unspoken question. Dean's gaze trailed to Sam and his heart filled with dread and terror.

Sam was on his knees, one hand out before him and one clutched tightly to his forehead. To Dean's horror, he realized that Sam was bleeding from his nose, his eyes and his ears. The rumble from the combined powers being volleyed between the adversaries nearly drowned out the screams that Sam let loose as he was struck by the invisible blows, but it wasn't enough to drown them out completely.

Dean nearly jumped out of his skin when he was grabbed by his shoulders and spun around. He eased his stance slightly when Bobby's face loomed before him. Bobby was shouting, but Dean was having a hard time hearing him over the rumble and Sam's screams.

"What!?" he hollered back before glancing over his shoulder at his struggling brother.

"I said…we need to even out the playing field!" Bobby shouted back.

Dean returned his gaze to Bobby. "How!?" he screamed.

"We take out Alastair! Shouldn't be too hard…Sam's weakened him…"

"You're right! Let's take the son of a bitch out for good!" Dean cried.

Both men started toward the downed demon, but staggered as another tremor shook the foundation. Both Lilith and Sam screamed this time, and Bobby and Dean could see Alastair's mouth wide open, but no sound came out, his ruined throat not allowing it.

"Bobby…we gotta hurry! Sam can't last much longer!" Dean shouted.

Bobby nodded and started for the demon again, Dean hot on his heels. Alastair was so engrossed in keeping his sights on Sam that he didn't even realize the two hunters were in the basement until they were on top of him. He screeched out furiously and tried to throw them off, but between the torture he had endured with Dean and the psychic beating he had taken from Sam, the demon was no match for the seriously pissed off hunters.

Bobby quickly doused Alastair with holy water then grabbed his head and pulled him around until his chest was opened up for Dean. Dean wasted no time in burying Ruby's knife deep into the demon's chest. He pulled the knife out as Alastair's body began to jerk. Crackling sparks shot from his host's eyes and mouth as the demon within was destroyed. Finally, in a blinding flash of orange yellow light, the body dropped limply to the concrete floor, eyes and mouth smoking from the burning damage within. Dean toed the shoulder of the dead host, his face a mask of coldness. Dean was thankful that this time, the knife worked.

"That's for my Sammy you piece of shit!" he growled before turning to the frightening scene behind him.

Both Sam and Lilith were on their knees now, each sending out everything they had at the other. Suddenly, Sam was lifted from the floor and thrown through the air. He connected with sickening force against the wall behind him and slid bonelessly to the floor. Lilith stood on shaky legs and started toward him, intent on claiming her prize.

Dean lunged forward and buried the demon killing knife in the hosts shoulder. Lilith spun, a shrill shriek tearing from her lips as the house once more began to shake. Both Dean and Bobby were flung back to the far wall, their bodies pressed tightly against the concrete. They struggled valiantly to free themselves, but they nary gained even a fraction of an inch. Lilith laughed as she turned back toward Sam, but her triumph was short lived as she realized Sam had regained his bearings and was glaring at her with such intense hatred and fury it made her take a step back.

"You're finished Lilith," Sam hissed, his breathing irregular and obviously painful. "Alastair's dead and you can't beat me on your own."

"You should look at yourself Sammy," Lilith mocked, even as the fear blossomed inside her. "Even if you do win, you probably won't survive."

"As long as y-you're dead and c-can't harm my family anymore…it'll b-be worth it," Sam spat, clearly in agony, but refusing to give in.

Sam cast a quick glance to his brother and friend and offered a small smile before once again turning hate filled eyes onto Lilith. He thrust his hand out before him and Lilith screamed in agony as she was blasted over and over again. She sent out her own pulsating shock waves and Sam cried out, but he never eased his assault. In one final blast of energy that nearly shook the old house off it's foundation, Lilith was ripped from her host, a deafening scream tearing from the poor woman's mouth as the demon smoke poured from her.

The body collapsed as the last of the smoke was pulled from it. In a brilliant flash of blinding light, the demon smoke that was Lilith burst into white flames before disappearing all together. Dean and Bobby were released from the wall and they staggered as their feet hit the floor. The rumbling stopped and both men turned awed eyes onto the youngest hunter. Sam stared back, his mouth hanging open in shock as realization that Lilith was dead dawned on him.

"You did it, Sammy," Dean said, his eyes moving to the still body of the woman host before turning back to Sam.

Sam remained speechless as he watched Bobby drop down next to the woman and press his fingers to her neck. Bobby looked up and shook his head sadly. Sam swallowed against the emotions raging inside him. Bobby stood and stepped next to Dean and the two men started toward Sam. Sam's sudden gasp froze the men where they stood and they watched as the younger man's eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped like a rock to the cold cement floor. Dean sprang forward and dropped next to his brother, gently grasping his shoulders and rolling him onto his back. Bobby was there a second later and he kneeled on the other side of the unconscious man.

"Sam…Sammy, wake up!" Dean pled as he softly tapped Sam's cheek.

Bobby sucked in a shocked breath as he noticed that more blood had begun to ooze from Sam's ears and nose. Dean noticed too and reached his arms around his baby brother, pulling the stricken young man up from the floor and to his chest. He brushed his fingers through Sam's sweat soaked hair and stared down upon his lax face. Tears spilled from his eyes as the fear that his brother could die overwhelmed him.

"No Sammy…don't leave me. Not again. You can't…not after all of this. You won Sam. You beat her. You can't die…you can't leave me," Dean cried as he rocked Sam softly.

Bobby watched on sadly as Dean rocked his brother. He glanced around at the destruction in his basement, but found he couldn't care less. A very important member of his family could be dying and nothing else mattered at the moment. A heartbroken sob brought his attention back to the brothers just in time to see Dean lift his eyes upward, anger simmering in their green depths.

"Castiel! Come on you son of a bitch! The fight is over…you can show yourself!" Dean screamed, all the anguish and sorrow he felt spilling forth in his voice. "Save him Castiel. You owe him. Save him…please."

A sudden fluttering, much like the sound of birds wings filled the air around them and in an instant, Castiel stood over them, his eyes gazing intently at the dying hunter in Dean's arms. He kneeled gracefully beside Sam and laid his hand tenderly on the young man's head. He closed his eyes and began to pray, his voice soft and barely audible. After several minutes he opened his eyes and glanced up at the expectant faces of Dean and Bobby.

"Cas…is he…will he…" Dean started, his voice hitching.

"I've done what I can Dean. It is up to our Father now. Sam's life is in His hands," the angel answered softly.

Dean lowered his eyes to Sam's face, noting that at least the bleeding had stopped and Sam's breathing sounded less labored. He tenderly brushed his fingers over Sam's cheek and smiled warmly.

"You're gonna be fine Sam. I know you are," he whispered as he softly kissed Sam's hair.

Dean looked up and smiled at Bobby's shocked expression. "If you ever mention this to Sammy old man, I'll hunt you down," he warned with a chuckle.

Bobby shook his head and slowly pushed to his feet, his joints cracking with the movement. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he muttered as he straightened. "Come on kiddo, let's get your brother up into bed."

With Bobby's and Castiel's help, Dean stood from the floor, bringing Sam up with him and clutching him to his chest. Despite Sam's size, Dean had little difficulty carrying him. The kid had lost weight somehow and Dean vowed that once Sam was back on his feet, he would fatten the stubborn little geek up. The two hunters and the angel ascended the stairs, their attention fully on the unconscious man in Dean's arms. Finally, they were back in Sam's room and Sam was quickly, but gently tucked into bed. Dean immediately took up residency on the chair next to the bed, refusing to leave Sam alone.

Castiel moved to stand against the wall near the doorway, intent on watching over both Winchesters. Bobby stood behind Dean for several minutes before he turned to leave the room. He nodded at Castiel as he stepped through the doorway. He cast one more glance toward the brothers, smiling warmly as he watched Dean take Sam's hand. He could hear Dean whisper softly to his brother, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Bobby sent up a silent prayer to bring Sam back to them then turned away, leaving Dean and the angel to watch over their beloved family member.

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So, that's it for now. At least there's no evil cliffy...well, maybe a little bit of one. Please let me know what you think. More tomorrow.

Cindy.