AN: Thanks for everyone who had read and reviewed...especially to OldGirl-NoraArlani and Guest. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Sam had been lying on the motel bed for most of the night trying to sleep, but it was pointless. His eyes drifted for what felt like the thousandth time to Dean's empty bed. Sam's anxiety for his brother was like a constant thrum running throughout his body, making sleep elusive, especially this night. Today was the day that the portal was supposed to reopen and bring his brother back to him. It had been a very long five days. All week, worry had gnawed at his gut, making eating a chore he often ignored. Sam was living on coffee and willpower. Despite days of research, Sam hadn't learned much about interdimensional portals except that they required incredible amounts of power to produce. He had thought briefly of driving the 9 hours back to the bunker to consult some of the books there, but he couldn't bring himself to leave town without Dean. He'd have called Cas, but with the angel so sick, he couldn't bring himself to worry their friend yet. Besides there was nothing Cas could do right now. Assuming everything went well today, Dean could tell Cas about his adventure himself.
Despite the fact that it was well before dawn, Sam finally gave up on sleeping. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Scrubbing his hands over his gritty eyes, he got up and headed to the shower. He knew what he was going to do. He was going to spend the entire day waiting in that classroom, and when that portal opened, if Dean didn't emerge from it then Sam was going to step through and find him.
Before the sun rose fully above the horizon, Sam was slipping back into the school. Earlier in the week he had hacked into the city database and filed a fake report about asbestos which should ensure that no one official ventured into the building for quite some time. He made his way down the corridor to classroom 14. The remains of the pool of blood beneath the two chairs had dried to rusty brown. Sam had tried to clean up the mess the night Christopher had died, but needed to leave before sunrise in order to take care of the man's body.
Moving one of the chairs out of the way, Sam sat down. He uncapped the thermos of coffee that he'd brought and settled in for a long wait. He didn't know if the portal would open at the exact time it had before, or sometime during the next 24 hours, but he was prepared to wait as long as it took. Sam was a strong, confident, dangerous hunter, and he could do this. But he admitted to himself, if not out loud, that right now he just needed to see his brother back safe and sound in order to feel whole.
Sam had long finished the coffee and was nodding off, chin against his chest. He had watched as the disheveled room glowed with the colours of dawn, had marveled at the way the dust motes had swirled in the heat and light of the afternoon sun, and fought to stay awake as the purple fingers of twilight cast the room into gloomy shadow. Despite his drowsiness, Sam felt the change in the air before actually heard it. A low hum resonated against his eardrums jolting him to high alert. He stood, grabbing his gear, ready to either welcome back his brother or join him in the alternative world once the portal fully formed. With a loud pop, a thin wavering blue circle formed in the air about waist high. Sam expected it swell and grow into the large oval portal that Dean had been pulled through 5 days ago, but instead a small object fell through the glowing circle with a hiss. Then another pop and the tiny portal disappeared leaving a phantom hum echoing in the now silent and dark classroom.
Stunned, it took a minute for Sam to look at the object that had landed on the dusty floor. Remembering the imp, he cautiously nudged the cloth wrapped bundle. When nothing happened, he picked it up and carefully unwrapped it. The first thing he saw was a folded envelope. "Sam" was written on the front in Dean's handwriting. The thick envelope was wrapped around Dean's Colt, the one he had tucked into the back of his jeans when he was taken. Sam's blood ran cold as he looked at his brother's gun sitting in his palm. His stomach heaved and he couldn't breathe. He had to get out of the quiet room that suddenly seemed airless. Clutching the contents of the bundle to his chest, Sam ran blindly out of the building and staggered to the comfort of the Impala.
Climbing into the passenger seat, Sam tried to catch his breath. He longed to open the envelope and the rest of the package, but once he had calmed down, Sam felt ashamed that he had lost control and acted like a panicked child instead of an experienced hunter. As much as he wanted to sit there and read by the dome light of the car, whatever his brother had written, the youngest Winchester knew he had a job to finish. Forcing himself to tuck the contents of the package into the trunk, Sam went back into the school to gather the gear he had left behind and to clear all signs of the blood and his presence.
An hour later, Sam was sitting at the small formica table back in the motel room with the contents of the bundle spread out before him. In addition to the envelope with his name on it and Dean's gun, there was another letter, addressed to Christopher. It had been tied around a small stuffy of a tiger. The children's toy was obviously well loved, it's fur worn thin, and it's joints loose. A tag was tied around the floppy neck. On one side the tag read "To Daddy, From Melody" in a scrawl of purple crayon. On the other side an adult hand had written "Mel insisted that I send you Tiggy for luck. We miss you." Sam blinked away the tears that threatened. Loss was something every hunter or soldier dealt with, but it was always painful to think of the children whose parents would never come home. Sam reverently gave the little tiger a gentle pat and then put the items for the dead man to one side.
Turning Dean's gun over in his hand, Sam imagined Dean putting it into the package before tossing it into the portal. If Dean had ever had a beloved stuffy, it had been long gone by the time Sam was old enough to remember. But for his brother, perhaps his favorite gun was equivalent to a stuffed tiger. Pushing a long finger into the flap of the envelop, Sam finally opened and unfolded the letter.
Sam,
So, I'm not going to be getting home this time. We got hit and three of the witches that open the portal got injured. The rest of the coven isn't strong enough without them. But don't worry, we'll try again. Time works differently over here, but apparently our worlds align on a regular schedule, so I'll make it back next time they can open the door. Imagine - me protecting witches! It's weird, but a lot is weird over here. I have so much to tell you when I get back.
In this world, the apocalypse happened, and Lucifer won. It's war between Heaven and Hell, and the remaining humans are getting crushed between the two armies. I was pretty pissed at getting snatched, but I'm working with the people here, now that I see the situation. They're good people, but most of them were civilians before the apocalypse, so I'm trying to bring them up to speed. This version of Lucifer is kicking our asses pretty hard and I'm doing what I can to help. It hasn't been going well Sam.
Another weird thing, Castiel is one of the angels we're working with, but over here, he doesn't know me. And he's in a different vessel, so he doesn't look like himself. He's Michael's right hand halo, so he's leading the angels against the demon forces. Now that the angels are back in the game, and we have a plan we think might work - well, this could turn the tide. I hope so anyway.
Part of me wishes you were here to watch my six, but I'm glad you are not in the middle of this war. You're probably freaking out right now, but don't Sam, I'll be fine. Take care of yourself, Sammy, lay low, stay safe, and don't forget to eat once in awhile. I'll be back soon.
Dean
P.S. Try not to give Christopher too much crap over all this. He sounds like a solid guy.
The tall hunter had to smile, even as his eyes misted over with tears. It was so like Dean to downplay what he was dealing with and worry about Sam. Dean was basically facing a post-apocalyptic world full of Lucifer's forces and armies of avenging angels. And here he was trying to make sure that Sam was eating. No matter what, Dean would never stop taking care of him. It warmed Sam's heart even as it ached for his brother. The next moment, the smile slid from Sam's face as he thought about the war Dean has so casually described. His brother was fighting through the very situation that Sam had literally gone to Hell to try and protect Dean from. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to help from this world, Sam buried his head in his hands and tried not to imagine the worst.