Chapter 12 ~ The End of The Road

It was almost as dark inside the house as it was outside. Candlelight flickered when he entered, painting the rooms in a soft orange-red, as if it were shortly before sunset. Everything was in the exact same place as in Bobby's house. Just the mess was different - books, some whole, some torn apart, lay scattered all over the place. Dean had to take care not to stumble over anything on his way to the basement.

The door stood wide open, and he hesitated in front of the stairs. What was he supposed to do?

The older sibling scanned the small rooms and corners of the basement until he found himself in front of the panic room. The heavy door was locked from the outside and smeared with blood - fresh blood.

A cold shiver ran down Dean's spine when he slid the latch back. He hesitated again, unsure of what he would find. What was he supposed to say when he found his little brother? But no matter whether he wanted to do this, he had to handle it - and fast. Before Sam made a decision he couldn't undo.

The heavy door opened with a creak. Inside, it looked the way it had years ago, when they were fighting the witnesses during the breaking seals. It looked like Sam's withdrawal from the demon blood had never happened in there.

Dozens of candles bathed the room in a warm glow, but despite them, it was ice cold. When Dean exhaled in the air it steamed, and his lungs stung with each deep breath.

He looked around, searching for a familiar shape. Then his gaze fell on a part of the room that seemed like it wasn't meant to be lit by the candlelight. It was dark there, almost like the night outside - like an endless darkness that swallowed everything that came near it.

"Sam?" Dean asked warily. "Sammy? Come out... I know you're here."

"You shouldn't be here." The voice that emanated from that darkest of all shadows sounded broken and sad. "Dean, please... go away."

"I can't, Sam." Dean tried to sound steady, even though his voice broke. Something told him to just go in there and pull his little brother out, whether he wanted it or not - to just grab him and drag him out of there, out of this damn house, and kick his ass for putting them both in this situation.

But he couldn't.

It would be wrong, all sorts of wrong. His little brother was damaged and hurt in ways he probably couldn't even imagine.

Dean Winchester knew pain. He knew what it meant to be torn and tortured; he'd been in Hell. But he also knew that the pain in Hell felt different, all sorts of different, so in some ways, he couldn't imagine what Sam felt right now, and he knew that, too.

"You won't like what you see," his brother said sadly.

"I don't care, Sam." Dean was on the verge of crying. "All I wanna see is my little brother. No matter how broken, torn and hurtin' you are." His eyes filled with tears and he swallowed down a sob. "You're all I have left, Sammy. I'm not giving up that easily."

Seconds passed, and then something moved in the darkness. Finally, a shape emerged. Dean's little brother.

Bloodied. Bruised. Broken.

It was like all the wounds those bastards had caused had never healed, and worse. Raw flesh and blood glistened in the candles' flickering light. Deep cuts ran from his elbows down to his wrists. His clothes were torn and dirty, and there was blood on his bare feet. Veiled hazel-green eyes flashed under his unkempt dark hair.

Dean swallowed hard as he forced himself to look at his brother. "I can't let you go like this, Sam. I can't. What happened was all sorts of wrong. What I said to you was all sorts of wrong." Dean held up a hand, stopping Sam before he could say something. "Just listen, okay?"

Sam nodded, fresh blood dripping down from his fingertips onto the floor.

"I was so wrong when I was mad at you, man. Deep down, I was mad at myself. I was so damn angry at everything, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I love you, Sam. You're my brother, and I won't just let you go. I won't leave you here all on your own."

The older Winchester gestured at the room. "You deserve better than this, Sammy. You did good, you know? I don't know if I would've made it this far after all you'd been through... I honestly don't."

Dean took a deep breath. "I just want you to know - I'm begging you, don't give up this easily, because I can't-I can't do this without you. I don't want to do this without you. I need you, Sam. We're keeping each other human. You're what's keeping me human."

He swallowed another sob. "I can't face what's out there when you're not around, Sam. I'll be waiting for you - whenever you're ready, whenever you decide to come back, I'll be there for you no matter what. No matter how long it takes. No matter what it takes. I need you out there, with me, Sammy."

In a few fast steps, the older Winchester stood in front of his brother and enclosed him in a tight hug. Sam responded to it hesitantly.

"There ain't no me if there ain't no you," Dean whispered gently and backed away, leaving Bobby's house and Sam's mind, and finding himself once again in the armchair beside his brother's bed.

"Dean, are you all right?" The angel stood behind him, concerned.

Dean shook his head. "Thank you, Cas." Tears stung in his eyes, but only a single tear rolled down his cheek and chin, ending in an eternal fall...

Minutes passed away. Hours. Days.

Dean hadn't left his little brother's side. He'd promised him to be there when he came back - if he decided to come back - and he wasn't going to let him down. Never again...

The angel had "left" Dean days ago, only to remain in the corner of the small room, invisible to human senses, watching over both Winchesters like a guardian angel. Maybe it was because he was worried. Or maybe... maybe it was because he'd started to understand what it meant to be human.

Dean had almost given up on the smallest glimpse of hope in him when he looked up one day and saw Sam's green-hazel eyes looking back at him, lips curled up in a smile.

This was it. Itwas the beginning of a long journey, but they would take it together. They would face every creature formed by Heaven or Hell, because together they were stronger... stronger than they'd ever know.

~ The End ~