Well, here it is everyone, the final chapter of Twilight. Thank you all so much for sticking with it and for the great reviews, i am glad you have all enjoyed this as much as me. As always, let me know what you think!

TWILIGHT

Chapter 18

Dean's body finally began to give out, the icy water numbing his arms and legs, his muscles seizing as he tried to swim. Dark spots were slowly beginning to cloud his vision as he felt his head dip below the freezing water once more. He could hear voices as the currents that had been swirling around him began to die down, but his dulling mind couldn't focus on what was being said. His lungs burned, his aching body crying out for oxygen, but his limbs still refused to move. He had managed to stop the watcher but now he was going to drown in the deep mountain lake. His father would still come home to find him gone, would still come home to find Sam unprotected, but there just wasn't anything he could do about it anymore.

But, just as he began to drift away, just as he started to let the darkness claim his tired mind, he felt something grab at his collar, pulling him back to the world above him. His starving lungs pulled in as much air as they could, the eleven year old's energy quickly waning as he felt the abyss beneath him pulling at him once more. He knew he had to stay above the water, knew he had to get back to the shore, but he was just so tired. Everything, all the worry, all the loss, it was all becoming too much for him. The darkness a comfort to him, a place where he didn't have to think, didn't have to feel, didn't have to be a disappointment.

"Come on, Dean, you gotta swim." Sam's voice was surprisingly strong in his ear, the little boy barely keeping his own head above the water as he tired to pull his older brother to safety.

But Dean's freezing mind still didn't fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. All he wanted to do was rest, just for a little bit.

"Dean. Please."

"I'm cold, Sammy."

"Just kick your legs."

"I don't think I can."

"They're moving a little bit, just try harder." Sam commanded as he continued to drag his brother towards the nearby bank, Evelyn waiting with Kerri in her arms. Dean kicked as hard as his tired body could, his legs barely even making a ripple as he tried to help his little brother.

"That's good, Dean. We're almost there."

"Thanks for coming to get me, Sammy." Dean slurred, his mind shutting down.

"I'll always come to get you, Dean." Was Sam's only response as he pulled his big brother up the muddy banks, the seven year olds leading their broken and battered siblings back to the house in the slowly dying storms.

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If anyone was ever to ask Dean what the days between killing the watcher and his father's return were like he would never be able to truthfully say. Yes, he would make something up, tell everyone that he was fine, that everything was and always would be alright. But that would be nothing more than a lie. Because, the only thing he could remember about those days was a freezing pain, a half-conscious existence. He had barely made it back from the lake alive, his body shaking so violently that it was become almost impossible for Sam to maintain a firm grip on him. But somehow, they had made it home, back into the warm and safe walls of the house.

And then, the days had passed. It was like a blur, the fear of what had transpired, of what could have been lost, plaguing him in both the waking world and in dreams. He had almost lost them, all of them, and the idea of that every happening again was beyond terrifying. He needed his family, needed his friends, he couldn't be left alone in this world. There was just too much waiting for him in the shadows, too much weighing down on his soul. He needed people around him to help keep him above the torrent that was his life, to pull him back from the edge when it had became to dark to see. He needed them to save him.

And his dad, what would his dad say when he found out what had happened, when he learned just how much danger he had put Sammy in, again. He had disobeyed an order before and his little brother was nearly killed by a soul sucking witch, and he had disobeyed an order now, and the same thing almost happened again. And he was afraid of what his father would do. The eleven year old knew that, whatever trust John had left in his abilities would be gone when he learned of the watcher, and Dean just wasn't sure that he could handle that.

And so, he made the others promise, told them that this was between them and the forest and no one else. The children that had died there had been missing for generations, their names long since forgotten. No, no one, especially not John or Tom, needed to know what had been out there, what had been whispered on the winds. It was Dean's job to protect them, and in the end he had done that, end of story. Whatever else went on in those two long weeks was not of the elder hunters' concern.

But, keeping the secret would be easier said than done, and Dean knew that. The weather had cleared tremendously in the days after the watcher, the young boy sitting on the sun-baked front porch, watching the dusty trail rise up behind the distant impala. His heart was beating hard again his chest, his small body far too tense for a child. It was the moment of truth, everything that he needed in life, everything that he held dear, hinging on the outcome of a single conversation.

He let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding when both men emerged from the car, unharmed, and smiling. It was obvious to the child that the hunt had gone well, possibly better than expected, and that meant that his dad wouldn't be in one of his sullen, overly pessimistic moods. It didn't mean that the older man wouldn't be able to weasel the truth out of his eldest son, it just meant that the odds were tipping slightly in Dean's favor.

"Hey, slugger." John smiled, stomping up the stairs. "Anything to report?"

"No, Sir. Everything's fine."

"Where're the others?"

"Sam and Ev are eating lunch inside and Kerri's laying down."

"Why?" Tom asked, following his friend up the stairs. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's got an ear ache. There were really bad thunderstorms here, and she was standing near a window when the lightning hit just outside. Her ears have been hurting ever since."

"Why didn't you call someone?" John asked, sharp eyes boring into his son.

"The phones are out. She said she was ok."

"Alright, Dean, I'll go have a look."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Harrison." Dean began, suddenly feeling a little more than ashamed that he hadn't tried to get a hold of someone. Yes, the phones were down, but he still could have ridden his bike into town to get some help for her.

"It's ok, Dean. It's not your fault."

"How about Sammy and Ev?" John asked, placing a large hand on Dean's shoulder as he guided the boy back into the house.

"They're fine."

"Are you alright, kiddo?" John asked, kneeling down in front of his eldest, running the back of his hand over Dean's forehead.

In that instant Dean wanted to tell his father everything, to fall into the older man's arms, listen to his gruff voice telling him that he did good, that everything would be ok. But he was just to afraid to face the events of the last two weeks again, too afraid to think about just how close he had come to loosing everything.

"I just think I caught a bug or something."

"Well, why don't you go rest up a bit, and I'll get you something to eat."

"I'm ok."

"Dean." John looked sternly at his son, telling him that it wasn't up for debate. "You lay down, and let me get everything around here settled."

"Yes, Sir." Dean sighed, dropping down on one of the sofas just as Sam bolted in from the kitchen.

"Daddy!" Sam yelled, throwing himself into his father's arms, hugging the man for all he was worth.

"Hey, Sammy. How're you doing, dude?"

"I'm good."

"Have fun while I was gone?"

"We were stuck inside most of the time, it rained a lot."

"Yeah, I see that. But everything else was good?"

"Yeah." Sam lied, shooting a glance at his brother. "Dean had to go out in the rain though. I think he's sick."

Sam shrank beneath Dean's death glare, the older boy silently cursing his little brother. Ever since he had pulled him from the lake, Sammy had been hovering over him like a mother hen. He knew Sam would keep his promise, knew the little boy would never again mention the watcher, but he also knew that what Sammy wanted Sammy got. And at that moment, he wanted his brother to get better.

Dean couldn't deny it though, he still felt awful. His skin was still pale, body still plagued by intense chills and tremors, and his appetite was nearly gone. And it was obvious that his father noticed it, too. But still, Dean didn't like people dotting over him, didn't like feeling helpless, and his brother knew that.

"Yeah, I'd have to say that you're right, Sammy. There's some groceries in the car, why don't you and Ev go bring them in."

"Alright." Sam smiled, squirming out of his father's hold. "Hey, Ev!" He bellowed as soon as his feet hit the floor.

"What!" Evelyn shouted from the kitchen.

"We have to get the groceries."

"Ok. Hi, John." Evelyn smiled at John as she rounded the corner, both she and Sam taking off out the front door.

Tom and John just smiled at the two small children before leaving the room, Dean falling back against the pillows the minute they were gone. In all seriousness he was beyond tired, his body aching, lungs still tight. But he was a Winchester, and he wasn't about to start complaining because he was a little uncomfortable. That would just never happened.

His father returned a few minutes later, throwing a large blanket over Dean as he sat on the coffee table. "Are you sure you're feeling alright, Dean?" He asked again, taking his temperature as he checked the eleven year old's pulse and breathing.

"Yeah."

"Sure, buddy. Listen, if you're not feeling better in another day or two I'm gonna bring you into town."

"Dad, I'm fine."

"Humor me."

"John." Tom's voice echoed down the stairs, breaking through the conversation. The other hunter appeared in the room a few moments later, Kerri held tightly in his arms, a hoodie still pulled up over her head.

"Is she ok?" John was on guard in an instant, moving to look over the young girl, alarmed to see her tear stained face.

"No, she's got a little fever, and her ears are really hurting her. I'm gonna bring her into town."

"Can you take Dean in with you, too? No sense making two trips."

"Dad, I'm fine."

"Yeah, no problem. And, John."

"Yeah?"

"This is the last time we ever leave them alone."

Dean couldn't help but be amazed, Tom Harrison being one of the only people he had ever met that could put his father in his place. But, even though he knew that this wasn't the last time he would be left to fend for himself, secretly he was happy that Tom had voiced when he would never be able to. He didn't want to be left alone again, the terror of the last two weeks still haunting his dreams, still forcing him awake in the middle of the night. In that moment, all he wanted to be was a child, safe and happy with his family.

"Hey, Mr. Harrison?" Dean asked as he followed the hunter through the basement towards the firebird.

"Yeah, Dean?"

"That bracelet on the work bench. Where'd you get it?"

"Someone I know found it on a hunt, brought it to me."

"What is it?"

"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it. My friend Bobby's coming by next month, I was gonna ask him about it. He's the demon expert. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I was just wondering." Dean answered absently, the small silver bracelet catching his eyes as it shinned in the dim light.

END NOTE:

for anyone wondering why Dean didnt tell john what happened. this story was originally mentioned in 'Something Lost' and it was stated there in ch 14 that he never told john. the real reason why he is also stated in that chapter.