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 may or may not be the final chapter... I haven't decided yet. It really depends on what you guys want. I can always add on an epilogue if you want one, but it probably won't be up until some time next week. Or, I could just end it here. I'll let you guys decide.

Also, I make a small reference to Lost in here. Sorry--I had just watched that particular episode when I wrote this chapter. Man, that was a long time ago. Anyway, if you don't get it, don't worry about it. I don't know why I threw it in there, but I didn't want to take it out.

I hope you have all enjoyed the journey that Dean has gone through and all the realizations he has come to. I have enjoyed writing it.

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 7

"NO!" Dean shouted as Sam was slammed up against the cave wall by the giant werewolf and someone slid a knife into his stomach. It was pulled out with a sickening squelch and Sam let out a whimper of pain.

Two of the four people that were possessed with demons looked toward him and he realized half a second too late that he was supposed to be in hiding. But how the hell was he supposed to stay quiet with Sam going to Hell?

Wait. Sam wasn't going to Hell. Sam wasn't going to Hell. Dean was back in his own time. The time with the stranger impersonating his brother… or maybe it really was his brother. Maybe Sam was searching for the old Dean as much as Dean was searching for the old Sam. The realization hit him suddenly. It was still his Sam, just tougher.

The two demons who had noticed him were now coming toward him. The other two were dealing with Sam, who even with a knife wound was putting up a huge fight.

"Watch out Dean!" Sam yelled as he was once again thrown up against the cave wall by the werewolf.

Dean barely had time to glance up before a knife sailed out of the blue and embedded itself in the cave wall next to Dean's head.

"Hang on, Sam!" Dean yelled as he landed a punch on the nose of a demon that was attacking him. He pulled out his gun loaded with silver bullets and shot it, knowing it wouldn't work. He was stunned when the bullet connected with the demon and sent the person crashing to the ground, dead. Black smoke surrounded the body and disappeared through the cave entrance, leaving three more possessed people in the cave.

Dean heard Sam groan in pain as he ducked and aimed for the werewolf pinning his brother to the wall. Dean knew he couldn't miss or he would risk killing Sam. The werewolf paused for a brief second and Dean took his chance, tightening his finger on the trigger and let the bullet fly.

The demons fled when the werewolf hit the ground, dead. They had obviously been counting on the wolf to keep Sam distracted while they slowly killed him. Without the wolf and even injured, Sam was still a formidable opponent. Dean felt a sudden burst of pride as he realized it. They were scared of his brother because of the things he could do.

"Dean?"

Sam's injured voice broke Dean out of his thoughts. He turned to his brother, his heart sinking as he laid eyes on him. Blood was everywhere, pouring steadily from the knife wound in his stomach. He was favoring his left side, showing all the signs of broken ribs. And his left shoulder hung lower then his left one. It was dislocated.

"It's going to be okay, Sam," he said softly as he pulled his brother into his arms. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're going to be okay."

Dean opened his eyes again and found himself in a hospital bed, surrounded by blinking machines. A familiar pair of blue eyes met his and Dean didn't feel the usual intense hatred as he saw them.

"For once, I can say I'm glad to see you, Cass," Dean croaked wincing as the effort tore at his vocal chords. "What happened?"

"You went into shock," Castiel said calmly. "You broke your wrist and had a concussion."

Dean vaguely remembered stumbling down a rocky hillside and using his hand as a brace to stop his fall in a vain attempt to get to Sam. Sam had been taken into the forest near the beginning of the hunt by the werewolf they had been hunting to that cave where they had met the demons.

"Sam?" Dean asked bolting upright as he remembered the flat-lining heart machine. Fear shot through him. He couldn't lose his Sam. Not again. Not for a third time.

"Saumel is going to be just fine," Castiel said. "The knife wound finally stopped bleeding and the doctors were able to perform the necessary surgery needed to save your brother's life."

He's lying, Dean realized. The angel had healed Sam to the point where he wasn't in danger of dying.

"Thanks," Dean said quietly. "You didn't have to do what you did. But thanks."

"I meant what I said Dean when I said that you were brought back to save your brother," the angel said. "I just wanted to give you a fighting chance. You can't save him if he's dead. And going to Hell won't help anyone at this point."

"I understand what you meant about all of it now," Dean said meaning the whole Sam dying bit. He realized now that saving Sam from Jake would have never solved anything. A Winchester still would have died that night and another Winchester would have ended up in Hell. Dean, for once, was grateful for the forty years he spent in Hell. He was okay with it being him that started the apocalypse. As long as it wasn't his brother, then it was okay.

"Then my mission here is complete," the angel said with a nod of his head. "You and your brother have a lot of things you need to discuss before rejoining this war."

Dean nodded. Even if it meant the infamous, dreaded chick-flick moments, he was going to have a long talk with Sam about everything that had happened since he had gone to Hell.

The angel disappeared.

"Dean?" Bobby asked poking his head in the door. "The doctor said you were awake."

"Hey, Bobby," Dean said with a small smile. "Is Sam okay?"

"He woke up about an hour ago," Bobby said with relief visible in his eyes. "He's going to be just fine."

"Thank god," Dean said and meaning it both literally and figuratively.

Some things were meant to happen. Castiel had said that all roads would lead to the same destination. Despite what Daniel Faraday said, the constants would always remain just that, despite what the variables did to influence them. Destiny wasn't just a bunch of hocus pocus, despite what Dean wanted so badly to believe.

Sam was meant to die. Dean was meant to go to Hell to start the Apocalypse. The two of them together were meant to stop Lucifer together. It was the way things were meant to be. It was the Winchesters' destiny. Granted, it wouldn't be easy and it would more than likely result in someone getting hurt, but they were supposed to do it. The two of them. Together. No demons, no family friends, just Sam and Dean the way their father had taught them.

Looking at Sam's sleeping form in the hospital bed from the hospital chair where Dean sat; he realized the truth in his thoughts. He also felt ashamed of himself for not realizing it sooner. Sam, despite all the things he had done when Dean had gone to Hell, was still the Sam from two years ago; the Sam Dean had died to save. He was just a little tougher then he was before, less likely to get caught by demons or any other supernatural entity that was out to get them. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing in Dean's mind. His little brother could look out for himself, but that didn't mean he wasn't still the same Sam as before.

It was sad that it took Sam nearly dying for Dean to realize that. He should have known it all along; he should have had more faith in his brother. Things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand if he had. But it was too late to do anything about that now. Dean had made his mistakes, realized them, and now it was time for him to correct them. He knew Sam would be more than willing to cooperate—he missed Dean almost as much as Dean missed him. Dean was certain of that fact. All that was missing now was his brother, who was currently snoring away, completely unaware of what was going on around him. Dean bet that he could play ACDC full blast from the Impala's stereo right here in the room and Sam wouldn't stir. But that was okay—Sam was alive. They would have plenty of time to rectify their mistakes.

Until next chapter or the next story,

~Scott Winchester, 22 3