Notes: For non-Supernatural watchers. At the end of season 5 Sam deliberately fell into a cage carrying Lucifer (to trap the devil and save the world). He also took his illegitimate half-brother, Adam (processed by the Arch-Angel Michael) with him.
Also, I did some tinkering after beta so if you find any gramma-like duhs they are my fault and so not that of my beautiful beta.

Chapter 3

Dean stared, immobile, at the sight before him. He couldn't move. There were too many things going through his head. He couldn't think. The pain was too much. The memories were crushing him, shredding him alive.

Lisa gasped behind him but Dean barely registered it until she shoved him aside and grabbed the specter standing in the doorway, yanking it into the area of the devil's trap hidden under the rug.

"How dare you come here?" Lisa's voice carried such a tone of pained outrage that it shook Dean from his stupor.

"Dean's my brother!"

"Sam Winchester is dead." The anger in those words was punctuated with the slamming of the door. Thankfully Lisa remembered to stay out of the devil's trap and used the iron poker they kept behind the half wall to swing the door shut. "He took Lucifer back to hell." Lisa backed up and raised the poker for optimum swing; she had played softball as a kid.

"I can't believe you told her," the specter stared at Dean.

"Who are you and where do you get off coming here?" Lisa snapped.

"I am Sam Winchester. I don't know how I'm not in the cage or why, I just never was."

"Never?"

Lisa heard the raw pain in Dean's voice and wanted to scream, "All this time …"

"Why didn't you call?" Dean demanded painfully. "Why didn't you come here sooner?"

"You were out. You were going to settle down and have a normal life."

It looked and sounded so much like Sam. It, he, looked drained and emotionally leary. It was so easy to see all those fights again in his head; Dean couldn't stop it. All the fights, all the quiet words, all the painful revelations. But a Demon could tap those same memories in Sam. And use it against him.

Sam, the image of him, the facsimile, sagged and sat on the floor and leaned against the half wall. "I did come here. I watched you for a couple of days but … I couldn't ruin your chances at a normal life. I couldn't do that to you … not after everything else."

Leaning against the half wall actually placed most of his body outside the devil's trap and Dean sagged to his knees. Sammy? But Lucifer wouldn't be contained by a devil's trap.

"Why now?" Lisa asked after the men were silent a long moment.

Sam looked at Dean but then turned to Lisa, "I heard he'd started hunting again. I've been hunting but keeping a low profile. The word would get out eventually, but it would stay in the hunter community. Dean wasn't answering his phone so hunters wouldn't ... most hunters would respect that. With Dean back … I didn't want him to find out from someone else." He looked at Dean, "I'm sorry."

Dean didn't say anything. He was recovering from his shock, his brain was working again, and he was dialing his phone and silently praying this worked. "I need you to come to Lisa's house. I'm looking at Sam. He's sitting right in …"

Castiel appeared in a massive gust of wind, sword in hand, but he froze as he looked at the creature, man, Sam sitting in the foyer.

"Cas?"

"I don't understand."

"Is that Lucifer playing head games or my brother?" Dean demanded. "Does he have his own soul or someone else's? We talkin' on loan, stolen, time shares, what?"

"He is Sam Winchester." Castiel stated in awe. "His soul is in tact and there are no claims against it."

Sam let his head fall back against the wall behind him and smiled a little. "I was worried there might be a price tag somewhere."

"I don't understand how this is possible," Castiel stated. "I checked the cage, Lucifer and Micheal are inside and the seals are closed tight."

Dean didn't care. It didn't matter right then as he half crawled, half staggered across the space of the living room and knelt beside his brother. "Sam?" He pulled him into a hug and Sam crumpled. "My god, Sammy."

Sam wrapped his arms around Dean and held on like his was five years old again. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I thought I could handle it. Control him just long enough …"

"Shut up," Dean smiled through his tears.

"I couldn't stop him. I could only watch. He beat you so badly."

Lisa sagged down the wall to sit on the floor as Castiel found a place on the couch, both stunned.

"It's okay," Dean stroked Sam's hair gently.

"I was screaming so hard for him to stop but he just ignored me," Sam sobbed into Dean's chest. "And then I had him. I don't know. All of a sudden I was stronger, in control. I don't know why. And he was screaming but …"

"Sammy …"

"We went into the hole. We were falling and … and then I woke up in St. Louis."

Dean leaned back, bewildered. "St. Louis? What the hell's in St. Louis?"

"A cemetery?" Sam shrugged. "Adam wasn't there. I looked. I've been looking."

Dean nodded and looked at Castiel. "Zachariah brought Adam back to use as bait. Is he in heaven?"

"I'll have to look," Castiel nodded, still a little stunned. "The signets I burned into your ribs are still in tact. Adam's might be as well, he could be hidden somewhat."

Sam wiped his face and sniffled making Dean grin and look at Lisa.

But Lisa was watching him very carefully. "What'd I miss?"

"I don't know," Lisa almost pouted. "I'd have to get the notebook to remember all the creatures."

Dean grinned. Lisa knew this was Sam; Castiel wouldn't lie about that. She was giving him time to pull it together. He sat back from Sam and pointed to the rug taking up most of the door way, "Not a demon," Dean stated.

Sam lifted the edge of the rug and nodded at the devil's trap. "I didn't even think of that. Still," he looked at Lisa, "you shouldn't have risked grabbing me like you did."

"We have neighbors," she stated.

"A skinwalker?"

"They can make themselves look like anyone. Skin peels off and then feels like slimy clay," Lisa stated as Sam used his sleeve to dry his face.

Dean tugged on Sam's ear and grinned. "A Revenant would be next." Dean raised a brow at her.

"Oh, damn it. No! They're like zombies but independent."

"Right."

"I can't believe you're teaching her this stuff."

"You check with silver."

"Good."

Sam pulled a silver knife out of his boot and drew it gently cross his arm. It only drew a little blood but that was enough. "Why are you teaching …"

"They have to know how to protect themselves when I'm not here," Dean grunted as he stood and moved to help Lisa to her feet. "Do you mind …"

"If you ask if I mind your brother being alive and a guest in this house I will squirt you with holy water," Lisa warned and aimed a water bottle at him.

"I can't stay and …"

Lisa glared at Sam and ordered, "You're staying … at least for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am."

Dean almost bounced on his toes and kissed Lisa softly before offering Sam a hand up.

Castiel stood from the couch, back in command of all his Angelness. "Have you suffered any withdrawal from the demon blood?"

"I woke up soaked in sweat, but no withdrawal, no." He almost couldn't look at Dean but made himself do it. "I think I really hit bottom. I haven't touched it. No cravings either."

Dean clamped a hand around the back of Sam's neck and smiled. "You think God did this, Cas?"

"It's the only thing that could have happened." Castiel nodded and then looked at Sam and grinned. "Welcome back, Sam."

"Thanks, Cas," Sam sighed tiredly.

"I need to get back, but I will find Adam."

"Castiel," Lisa spoke up, "come to Sunday dinner. This week is shaping up to be extra special."

"I will try," Castiel smiled and vanished.

"You invite Cas to dinner?"

"I try to catch him at least once a month," Lisa nodded and then sighed. "I'm exhausted and there wasn't even a fight. Come into the kitchen and I'll make coffee."

"We need to call Bobby," Dean sighed and grinned at Sam again as they followed her.

Lisa frowned slightly in confusion, "He'll be here in few hours."

"Its better he has warning or there will be a fight."