Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. I also do not own the title--it belongs to Jimmy Eat World.

Author's Note: This chapter is almost as short as the last one and as a result, the emotions are kind of rushed. I'm sorry about that. I promise the next chapter will be longer.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story and put it on story alert. I am really glad that you guys are enjoying this so much. Feel free to check out some of my other Supernatural stories if you want to.

This is the last chapter spent in the alternate timeline. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. The next chapter we go back to real time.

Also... I never actually decided where in season four this ended up. It could be really anywhere after Sam starts drinking demon blood and tells Dean about it--so pretty much in the last four episodes or during season 5. It's really not that important to the story, though. I don't give away any spoilers except for Sam's addiction to demon blood, which pretty much everyone knows about.

Okay... sorry that I'm rambling. I know you guys really want to read the chapter. So read and enjoy. Reviews are welcome!!

Summary: A hunt goes wrong, landing both Winchesters in the hospital, one within an inch of death, the other regretting all the choices he has made. With help from an angel, Dean gets to see what would have happened if Jake hadn't killed Sam all those years ago in Cold Oak.

Polaris

Chapter 6

Or so he thought. Dean woke with a start and a gasp in a familiar room, by himself. He was at Bobby's house, though how he got there from the graveyard, he had no idea. Dean moved to get off the bed when a blinding pain in his lower ribs stopped him in his tracks.

He lifted his shirt, wondering what had happened. There was a small white scar just below his ribcage, right where the bullet had gone in. Dean tried moving again, wincing when the pain returned, though it wasn't as bad as it was the first time. It was more bearable.

"Dean?"

At the sound of Sam's exhausted, pained whisper coming from the doorway, Dean turned and dropped his shirt. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw how awful Sam looked. His baby brother was as pale as a ghost, with dark circles underneath red rimmed, blood-shot eyes. His shaggy brown hair was unkempt and oily, showing nights without showering. He was wearing the same jacket as he had been when Dean had last seen him in that was rumpled and worse for wear.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked his big brother instincts kicking in. Something wasn't right here. The way Sam was avoiding his eyes… the way Sam looked… Sam was hiding something. But what Dean thought.

"I should be asking you that," Sam attempted to retort. It fell flat. "You were the one who lost 30% of his blood, not me."

A shadow crossed those familiar brown eyes, one of doubt. Suspicion flared inside of Dean. What was going on?

"What happened?" Dean asked yawning. He was suddenly tired, as if he hadn't slept in a month.

"You were hurt pretty badly," Sam said looking anywhere but at Dean. "Bobby had a hell of a time patching you up. You've been out of it for a few days."

The words struck a trigger in Dean's exhausted mind. They were the exact same words, or close enough, to the ones Dean had told Sam the night he was brought back with the deal.

No, Dean told himself fiercely. Sam's not that stupid. There's no way he would have made a deal. Would he?

"You look like hell, Sammy," Dean said.

"You nearly died, Dean," Sam snapped. "Quit focusing on me and focus on yourself for once."

Dean was taken aback by the harshness in his brother's voice. And then he saw Sam's face.

"I died, didn't I?" Dean whispered. He couldn't believe it. There was no way that the positions from that night had been reversed and Sam was the one going to Hell. No. That wasn't possible. NO!

"No!" Sam protested but his face gave him away. Dean wondered if Sam had the same thoughts of anger and horror going through him that night when he found out that Dean had made a deal for him. And was going to Hell.

"How long did you get?"

This conversation was too scary. Dean couldn't be facing life without his brother. Not again. Coming back here had been a mistake, he realized.

"Dean-."

"How long?" Dean demanded fiercely, pain marring his voice. He already knew the answer, but he was going to make Sam say it anyway.

"One year," Sam said glancing away.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dean said shaking his head.

"Dean," Sam whispered.

"No! You should have just let me die. You shouldn't have made that damn deal. You're going to go to Hell Sam. Hell! Do you realize what that means? The torture you're going to go through?" Dean demanded. He couldn't stop himself. He wanted it to get through to Sam just how dumb of a choice he had made.

Dean had never regretted going to Hell for Sam. Never once in the time had he been there or the time he had gotten back. At least, he didn't regret bringing Sam back. He regretted the fact that he left his brother alone without any one to watch his back. He regretted the choices Sam had made when Dean had been in Hell. But there was nothing he could do about that.

"I couldn't have you dead, Dean," Sam whispered. "You're my brother. I couldn't just let you die."

"Oh yes you could!" Dean shouted. "You should have! I'm not worth going to Hell over!"

"Why the hell not?" Sam shouted back. "You would have done it for me!"

I have done it for you.

"No I wouldn't have!"

I started the … oh no! No. NO!

Sam was going to be the one who broke the first seal while in Hell. He was the one who was going to be the start of the apocalypse. And Dean couldn't let that happen. It was one thing for him to start it. He could handle it. He was strong enough. He had been trained for it his entire life. But Sammy? Sam was his geeky, gentle brother. He was the brother that everyone fell in love with. He couldn't be the start of the apocalypse. That would be like Tweety Bird starting the apocalypse. It was unthinkable.

"It's too late, Dean! I can't go back on the deal or you drop dead!"

"Don't you ever say it's too late!" Dean shouted. "I'm going to get you out of this if it's the last thing I do. You're not going to Hell!"

"Dean…"

"NO!"