Summary: Dean forced Sam to get his soul back, but he never let himself think about how bad the fallout could be. Cas and Bobby try to help the brothers through it.

During the Flood

Dean stroked his thumb over the heavy circles under his brother's closed eyelids before going back to carding through his hair. He scoffed bitterly.

"God, he's really bad, isn't he?"

Dean didn't take his eyes off his brother so he couldn't see the genuinely tortured look in Castiel's eyes.

"…I told you that he would-"

"Yeah." Dean cuts him off because he knows Cas had warned him that this could happen. That Sam would come back too damaged, that he would only be hurting his brother more. Dean went ahead with it anyway.

The hunter held back tears and nodded.

"Yeah…"

"I was selfish." Dean's voice was whiskey heavy, but not drunk. Cas was watching his brother, but he had to be alert in case Sam needed him. In case Sam could suddenly recognize him.

Bobby watched and let Dean get out what he needed to.

"I was selfish when I made that deal and I was selfish again." He shook his head. "Cas warned me, you warned me, but I-"

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face.

"I didn't wanna be alone. I didn't want to be without my brother." Dean hung his head and bit his lip to keep back a cry. "I wanted to protect him…and I damned him instead."

Bobby knew this was a delicate situation, but he's never be anything more than straight-forward with his boys. He laid a hand on the kid's hunched shoulder.

"…You're both selfish, Dean." Bobby felt muscles tense under his hand and, not for the first time, wished he was better with words. "But not in a bad way, not really. You just…need each other."

Bobby crouched down so he could see Dean's eyes, looking at him hopefully.

"I've watched you two grow up, grow apart, grow back together…Dean, Sam couldn't handle you dying any better than you did when he died. The only difference is that no demon would deal with him. You boys can't function apart. You just self-destruct."

Bobby huffed, hoping this was coming out right.

"I don't know about the grand scheme of things or the greater good and all that nonsense, but…I know what you two have is rare and you should never second guess doing everything you can to hold onto that."

Dean looked like he wanted to believe Bobby so badly. He wanted absolution, for him and his brother and Bobby was the only one he would accept it from; the only one that meant anywhere near what Sam did to him.

"He can't even function, Bobby. He won't eat, won't talk, he can't even walk. He falls all the time-"

"Then you pick him up."

Dean gave him a confused look and the hunter sighed.

"You two are halves of each other, right? Soul mates?" Dean ducked his head a bit, automatically embarrassed a bit by the term and it's usual connotations. Bobby rolled his eyes and kept on.

"My point is, you balance out together. When one of you sinks down under it all, the other stands up taller to pull you up. If you're depressed, Sam's more earnest. If Sam loses focus, you see sharper. And if Sam's broken…you be more sure than anyone that you can fix him."

Dean searched the older man's eyes appraisingly, then nodded.

"Yeah…" Dean smiled shortly, but genuinely. "Yeah, I can do that."

Bobby patted Dean's shoulder and stood up, turning back to his study.

"Thank you, Bobby."

"Oh, I'm sure we're gonna have a lot more Steel Magnolia moments before this is all said and done, so just save up the thank you's for now, alright? Now go see your brother."

Dean smirked and started off toward the bedroom, reinvested in the promise that he'd made to Sam a lifetime ago. If it was the last thing he did, he'd save Sam.