Supernatural does not belong to me, although I wish it did. I am simply playing in Kripke's sandbox for a bit. All rights and ownership are the property of Kripke and the CW network. I am not making any money from this; it is for my own personal pleasure.

Synopsis: Set at the start of Season One, Dean had been in a wheelchair since his father disappeared more than a year ago and he finally has to tell Sam… There'd been an accident that night and Dean had paid a very high price…one he still doesn't understand. The story will have some hunts from season one and possibly into season two…the brothers will continue their search for their father…there will be alterations to the hunts to accommodate Dean's new situation. I have every intention of returning Dean to good health before this ends…but getting there is going to be bumpy.

Please keep in mind that I do not have a Beta, so all grammatical errors are my own. Not Slash. Brotherly love and Angst only…

Please Review: They keep me motivated. Also thank you to any reviewers that are 'guests' since I cannot PM and you guys personally.

Chapter 20

A Willing Sacrifice

Sam shot a confused look in his brother's direction as he listened to the second hand conversation. Dean wasn't really prone to outbursts like that, so whatever Bobby had told him…it'd surprised the crap out his older brother…and that never boded well for either of them. 'What?' he mouthed when Dean's green eyes flickered up and met his worried gaze. Dean shook his head and head up his hand while he listened to the rest of what the older hunter had to say. And he wasn't liking it…there really wasn't a way around what the damn demons had done to him…not without the completion of the spell. All would revert to its previous state just before the actual sacrifice of the 'victim'…or him as the victim was also known as. He looked over at Sam and the mounting worry he saw on his brother's expressive face didn't make him feel any better. Sam would never agree to this…he would never go along with the idea of turning Dean over to the witches and then allow himself to be part of the actual ceremony…and that was if they could find the bastards in the first place.

But the problem was…that it was this or nothing. There was no other way to reverse what those bastards had done to him…what his father had done to him. His heart clenched painfully as his thoughts drifted momentarily to his dad…he'd already made his decision. John certainly was willing to sacrifice his boys for the revenge he so badly wanted….particularly Dean…that thought hurt more than almost anything else…that their father would willingly let Dean go to hell…for his own ends. Reasons that Dean didn't understand and would probably never even know.

"Dean! Are you even listening to me boy?" Bobby shouted through the phone. Dean's shoulder jumped at the sudden increase in volume and swallowed his feelings as he turned his attention back to the man on the phone. The fingers of his other hand twisting into his jeans as his mind flitted from thought to thought.

"Yeah…yeah Bobby I'm listening. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Dean added as he tried to lighten the situation. He heard the old man sigh loudly, like it was such a concession for him to let that type of comment go.

"I don't wear panties kid…more of boxer type of guy." Bobby answer gruffly, Dean groaned at unfortunate mental image that elicited from his over active brain. "Now, I want you to hand the phone to that little brother of yours so that I can tell him about this…because I don't think that you will." The older man inhaled slowly before Dean could blow up at him over the phone. "Look Dean, I get it…it would be to protect him from having to make this type of decision. But he deserves to know the truth…and he needs to hear it from someone other than you." Bobby's voice softened as he tried to explain his reasoning to the middle Winchester, before the kid could have a 'hissy-fit' over the phone.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows and ran his left hand through his blonde spiky hair in frustration as he considered what the other man was saying. He knew that Bobby was right…Sam deserved the truth, but it was his job to protect Sam from this type of crap damn-it! And he was doing a piss poor job of that lately. "Fine." He grumbled as he handed the phone to a surprised Sam. "You should probably pull over for this Sammy." Dean added as he dropped the phone into Sam's out-stretched hand.

"Hang on Bobby." Sam said as he took his brothers advice and pulled off to the side of the road…because whatever the older hunter had told Dean…it had put that look on his brother's face…and that was never a good thing…or healthy. "What's going on Bobby?" he said as he turned off the car and leaned against the back of the bench seat. The color drained from Sam's face a moment later and he threw a furious glance in Dean's direction. "There has to be another way…." He was cut off by something the other man said and his face went stony as he listened to the rest of the explanation. His cheek jumping with the tension of his teeth as they were clenching and unclenching and he tried to wrap his head around this plan. If that's what they could call 'using his brother as bait to lure the witches from hiding and then agreeing to sacrifice said brother in a ritual, only to change his mind at the last minute…after they'd healed Dean and were ready to send his older brother's ass directly to hell, do not pass go, do not collect $200.00…for eternity'. Because that was the worst plan that he'd ever heard…like ever!

"Bobby, there are too many variables…we could lose Dean too easily with this." He said quietly as he refused to look at his brother as he talked to the older hunter. He heard the loud cough from the passenger seat, alerting him that Dean didn't appreciate being talked about like he wasn't in the car too. "Shh." Sam said as he shot his brother's irritated face a glance before quickly turning his attention back to the man on the phone. "This isn't an option Bobby…we have to find a safer way." Sam said the last part in a strong steady voice that told Dean that he wasn't changing his mind anytime soon and they would need to continue searching…or he would have to convince Sam that this was the only course of action they had left. This one act would restore the use of his legs and get the demons off Sam's and his trail…for good. And if not…well then at least he'd have the satisfaction that Sam was safe, because without Dean…the witches couldn't complete the ritual…so either way it was a win/win as far as Dean was concerned.

He also understood that Sam wouldn't feel that same way…that he wouldn't be willing to take the risk…at least not yet. But Dean would get him there…he just needed time. And that was something that they had precious little of at the moment.

Dean watched as Sam huffed and clicked the phone shut and then swore as he pounded his fist against the steering wheel of the car. "Hey! Don't take it out on baby! She's got nothing to do with this man." Dean cried as he stared daggers at his brother for the offensive action to his precious car. Sam shrugged non-commitally and mumbled a quick 'Sorry.' And then he was opening his door and climbing out of the car, he walked to the front of the Impala and leaned against the hood for a moment…he just needed a moment…to clear his head. Because Bobby had just asked him to be okay with potentially sending Dean to Hell…not the idea of hell, but the actual place with demons and brimstone all surrounded in fire…and Sam sooooo wasn't okay with that.

Dean watched with worried eyes as Sam just 'sat' there…leaning against the hot metal of the Chevy. His hands resting on his knees as he leaned forward and tried to collect his thoughts. Dean knew this tactic…he'd seen Sam employ it over the years when he didn't want to talk about something and he needed some time to 'process'. But that didn't make watching his little brother struggle with the enormity of this decision any easier. Dean knew that this had to be Sam's decision, as much as he would like to take that pressure off his little brother's shoulders…if things went South, and Dean wasn't 'rescued' then Sam would have to live with that guilt. He sighed as he watched Sam shift his weight and finally pull himself to his long legs and walk slowly back to the driver's door. He crawled inside the car, settling his weight before finally turning to look Dean full in the face, his blue-green eyes heavy with the weight of this choice.

"Before I'll ever consider this…we have to exhaust all other avenues Dean…because I can't stand the thought of losing you…" The last part came out in a whisper before Sam looked away and started the engine. He put the car in drive and pulled back out onto the highway, the blacktop flying beneath the powerful muscle car as it ate up the miles.

Dean didn't have an answer to that…he knew that if there had been any other option Bobby would have already found it…that was what he did…research through the piles and piles of musty old books that he had strewn across his old house. But even he hadn't been able to find a damn thing that would help either Sam or Dean out of this mess that their father had gotten them into. The only thing that Dean knew was that whatever the cost was…he wasn't going to lose Sam over this. Not to something evil and certainly not to their father's piss-poor planning.

XXXX

Dean was rattled awake by the wheels of the car as it came to a stop…he glanced tiredly out the passenger window to see that Sam had decided to stop for the night. The Evergreen Motel was pretty the same as their usual haunts. But the parking lot of this place wasn't even paved, it was just gravel over dirt, which explained the bumping awakening. He sighed and ran his fingers over his weary eyes and then turned to look at Sam.

His brother was just sitting there…staring out the dark window into the distance. It was pretty obvious to Dean that he was thinking and that he wasn't paying much attention to what was going on inside the car. "Earth to Sam…you turning the car off or what?" Dean said in amusement when Sam jumped at the sound of his gravelly voice breaking the silence inside the Impala.

Sam chuckled at his own reaction and then nodded with a slight smile as he turned the ignition off. "Sorry…just got caught up thinking."

Dean shook his head with a slight smile as he watched Sam. "I knew that brainiac…but we were wasting gas and that stuff ain't cheap." He narrowed his eyes and the smile slipped from his lips as he continued to watch his little brother. "Sam…what's going on in that giant brain of yours?" He leaned down and shifted his legs so he was facing Sam, all the better to watch you Sammy. He thought as Sam shot him an irritated look before sighing himself and rubbing his thighs in frustration.

"I don't want to do this Dean." There, he'd said it. Sam didn't want to use his big brother as bait to hunt down these demons and their witchy counterparts. He wanted Dean as far from those bastards as he could get them…and he didn't their father anywhere near either one of them. He didn't trust the man…not after what he'd learned and what he'd seen in his dreams or visions…or whatever they were calling the things now.

Dean groaned and dropped his head onto his chest in resignation. He wasn't going to push this issue with his brother. It wasn't his place to make Sam choose to use him as a way to get to these asshats. But that didn't mean that he couldn't still try and convince Sam to change his mind. His head shot up and he looked Sam in the eyes before playing his last card…his ace in the hole. "Sammy…there isn't another way to fix me…" he whispered as watched at his little brother's face shifted. Sam looked as though Dean had physically punched him in the gut.

"Dean…that's a low blow." Sam said around the lump in his throat. Because he knew that his brother was right…there wasn't another way to help him. And Dean didn't deserve to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

"I know Sam…but it also happens to be true." Dean answered in a stronger voice, his green eyes never leaving his little brother's face as he studied him for his reaction. Sam's lips thinned and he looked down at his lap and his fingers twisted into the denim of his jeans as he ran through the massive amounts of knowledge that he had…looking for anyway to argue with Dean's logic…he didn't find one.

"This isn't fair Dean…" Sam whispered, looking up at Dean through the fringe of his long bangs. His ocean colored eyes glistening in the moonlight with the unshed tears and the one overhead parking lot light illuminating his wounded gaze.

"I know it isn't…but since when have our lives been fair Sam?"

"For the record…I really hate this." Sam huffed as he opened the door and climbed out of the car. He walked to the trunk and pulled out Dean's wheelchair, as he was setting it on the ground he felt the first wave of pain crash through his skull…sending him to his knees as he dropped the chair and his hands flew to his head; images flashing through his head faster than he could comprehend them.

Dean heard the crash of the chair as it hit the gravel and the back of the car; he twisted his upper body, looking for the tall frame of his brother behind him. When he didn't immediately see Sam, his fear started to rise steadily in his chest. "Sammy?!" He called out as he continued to try and maneuver his body so that he could see what the hell had happened to his little brother.

"Arrgghh…"

That was the only sound that Dean heard and it had him scrambling around and throwing open the door to the passenger side as he gritted his teeth against the pain and leaned out, placing his palms flat on the dirt and pulling his body. He cried out in pain as his legs folding over each other and gravity took them to the ground, his knuckles burning with pain as he ignored the agony shooting through his shoulder and pulled his body across the dirt toward the back of the car. He saw Sam's knees almost immediately, his brother was hunched over them, his palms flat against his skull and his eyes squeezed shut as tears poured through clenched eyelids.

"SAM!" Dean yelled as he slowly closed the distance between them. His bit his through lower lip on accident as he pulled himself the last few feet so that he was directly in front of Sam, reaching up and placing one hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Sam… come on man…you're really scaring me here." He said as he leaned down a little, so that he could look up into the pained face in front of him.

Sam just kept shaking head and calling Dean's name…he didn't react to the fact that his brother was sitting right in front of him. Dean watched the fear and anguish washing through his brother in waves…and was honestly scared to ask Sam what this vision had been of…because he wasn't really sure he wanted to know.

TBC…

Author's Note: So…sorry another 'sorta' cliffy here. But there are only a few more chapters and then this story will be done and I wanted to dive right into the confrontation in the next chapter…after I reveal what Sam saw.

Please Review: The more I get the faster I'll post…greedy I know. J