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 21

Sam's Revelation about Dean

Sam watched from a distance as the ritual was completed, he saw his brother lying quietly on the large stone alter table. Dean was wearing only a pair of jeans and nothing else, his bare chest was covered in black sigils drawn in charcoal and his feet were stretched out and bare of any socks or shoes. His eyelids were closed and he was breathing in steady even breaths…but it was the lifeless look to his body that scared Sam. The witch placed a dagger just above Dean's heart and traced a pattern in blood into the pale skin. A bright green glowing light started at Dean's toes and worked its way up through his legs, Sam watched with rapt attention as Dean's leg muscles filled out and were repaired of the atrophy that had happened over the last year and his back arched upwards as the pale green light spun under his lower back and then twisted like a snake around his torso.

Sam couldn't seem to pull his eyes from the sight of the healing energies as they repaired what was broken over a year ago. Dean's face never changed, he didn't even seem to be aware of what was happening on any significant level…at least not that Sam could see. But the witch seemed pleased with his work and eventually stopped tracing the blood sigils into Dean's now bloody chest and abdomen. The small green lights continued to wash up over the sigils healing them as well, leaving only the scars of the artwork and not the actual wounds inflicted by the knife itself. The pain lashed through Sam's head as he continued to watch the ritual, and then his breathing stuttered as he saw himself walk up next to Dean…he was carrying an odd curved blade, a dragon on one end and a double edged bronze blade curving around the dragon creating a circular tail…it was beautiful…intoxicating to look at…and deadly. Sam swallowed hard as he saw himself step forward, the blade positioned above his brother's heart.

He could see the fear and the anticipation on his own face as his eyes darted between the witch and something in the corner of the room. Sam squinted as he tried to see what was hiding in the shadows…eventually he was able to make out another figure… 'Oh Hell….' He thought as he recognized his father's shadow. What was John doing there…? He watched as his father rushed from the darkened corner and tackled the witch, his own curved blade sinking deep into the black heart of the man as he screamed his denial on his dying breath.

Sam's blade sank into the alter, so close to Dean's chest that Sam winced from where he was frozen…the alter cracked beneath the curved dragon and Dean moaned as his eyelids fluttered and Sam finally saw the brilliant green of his brother's eyes peek through. "Sammy…?" The deep gravelly voice penetrated the stillness in Sam's heart and he finally smiled as he looked down at his brother. He never saw the demon that was sneaking up behind him…nor did he see his father's eyes go wide as just as he screamed a warning.

"SAM!" Dean's eyes flickered to the man with the yellow eyes as he slipped up behind his little brother and the smile that slipped across his lips as he held up a blade not that dissimilar to the one that Sam held. "No!" John cried as he rushed forward…his fingers grasping the shoulder of the demon just as the blade reached Sam's exposed neck…

XXXX

Sam's head snapped up and his eyes opened slowly as he tried to focus around the pain that was still pulsating through his skull. His own pained expression was immediately met by the worried green eyes of his older brother. Wait, how did he get to the back of the…Oh…he must have crawled. Sam realized as he felt the guilt washing through his system as he finally understood just how badly he must have scared his brother to cause him to drag his injured body across the gravel to check on him. Sometimes the things that Dean was willing to do for him...well they scared the shit out of Sam.

"I'm okay Dean…it was a dream...or a vision…whatever they are..." He stammered as he sat up straighter and looked his worried older brother directly in the inquisitive emerald colored eyes. "Sorry…can't exactly control them."

Dean huffed and then leaned against the trunk of the car as the pain from his injuries refused to be ignored any longer. "I know that Sam…just scared me…that's all." He brushed his hand through his blonde hair and then turned to look at his exhausted looking little brother. "What did you see this time Sam?"

Sam snorted…his eyelids falling shut as he tried to think around the pounding headache. "This plan…the one Bobby called with…it'll work. But we need dad." He nearly choked on the request. Sam couldn't believe that he was saying this…but Dean needed to know and it was imperative that they find John since he seemed to be the key to Dean making in through the ritual alive and then finally being healed as well.

Dean wasn't sure that he'd heard Sam right…find their father? But hadn't he wanted to stay away from John at all costs? Okay, so now Dean was really and truly confused…was their father with them…or against them? "I don't understand Sam." He said evenly as he shifted his weight to alleviate some pain in his side...exactly where his burns were starting to pull painfully against the newly healed flesh.

Sam inhaled deeply and then shifted so he was able to grab Dean's wheelchair and open it, helping his brother up off the hard cold ground. A grunt escaped his brother's lips as he settled himself into the chair and then he turned grateful eyes up at his little brother. "I know you don't Dean. Can you just trust me? We need dad for this plan to be successful…and it will be successful Dean. You will heal and the witch's responsible will die." Sam didn't want to get into it any further, because he couldn't guarantee that he would make it through this scenario alive. But Dean would…and for him…that was what mattered the most. His brother deserved a chance at a normal life…or at least as normal as a Winchester could have. So the last part of that vision…well...he wouldn't exactly be sharing that with his over-protective big brother.

Dean exhaled loudly and narrowed his eyes, he knew that Sam wasn't telling him something…but he couldn't exactly beat it out of him…so he was stuck with trying to convince him to tell him. While that might not happen tonight…it by no means meant that this conversation was over. "Okay Sammy…how about we go get a room and then discuss how we go about finding dad… I also think that we should get a hold of Bobby and have him on hand to help us with this…what'cha think?"

Sam smiled slightly as he focused around the pulsating headache bouncing around inside his skull. "I think that's a good plan Dean." He placed his hands on the handles of Dean's chair and pushed him across the gravel toward the office. "Wait here Dean, I'll get us a room and be right back." He said as he disappeared inside of the room…Dean looked off into the distance as lightning caught his attention. He counted in his head as he waited for the thunder…the storm was still several miles off, but he didn't want to be sitting outside when it hit. The storms moved quickly in this part of the country…luckily so did Sam. He strolled out of the office a few moments later with a key and pushed Dean toward the left. Room 17, was just a few doors down from the managers own room. Sam pushed the key into the lock and then reached past Dean to flip on the light.

Dean managed to push himself through the door and then looked around the rustic looking little cabin type of room. The two beds were full-sized with wooden frames and patchwork quilts; there was a small television in the corner and an even smaller kitchenette opposite the beds. He and Sam had stayed in a room similar to this when their father had taken them on a hunt in Yellowstone National Forest when he was about fourteen. Some ghost of a park ranger had been terrorizing the tourists, so they'd gone to stop it. Sam had insisted on seeing the park and the refuges for the wolves and the bears…Dean shuttered as he thought of the large animals and their steely gazes as they watched the tourists every bit as closely as the tourists watched them...intelligence evident in their dark brown eyes.

"I grabbed your bag too." Sam said as he walked in, interrupting Dean's thoughts as he shut the door behind himself just as the first raindrops hit his shoulders. "That storm is moving fast Dean." He said as he dropped his bag on the bed nearest the door…Dean glared at him and he huffed and then moved his bag to the bed by the bathroom. "You know at some point I'm going to take care of you…" he mumbled.

"You already do Sammy…" Dean answered as he rifled through his bag looking for a clean pair of sweatpants and boxers. "Mind if I take a quick shower before we change my bandages?" His burns and the slices on his hands were really throbbing at this point, and he just wanted to get them under the hot water before Sammy started playing nurse.

Sam narrowed his eyes and then shook his head. He was careful not to move too much since the throbbing ache was still there behind his eyes and between his ears. The soft ringing of his cell phone caught him off guard...Sam grabbed the phone as he heard the water turn on and Dean closed the bathroom door. The water muffled the phone call as Sam answered. "Hello?"

"Sam? Is that you…" Sam's throat closed at the sound of his father's voice and he gritted his teeth as he bit back the things that he wanted to say. "You know it is…what do you want dad?" He sank onto the bed and leaned his elbows against his knees as he waited for his father to answer.

"I know where the witches are Sam…and I know how to kill them." The deep voice of his father caused Sam to close his eyes and focus on breathing deeply as he heard the thunder roll outside their room.

"A bronze dragon blade…right?" Sam said tiredly.

"How did you know that Sam?" The surprise was evident in his father's voice as it jumped an octave.

"Don't worry about that...I just do…so where do we find them?" This was all going a little too easily as far as he was concerned. How had John found them just when he'd discovered that he needed his father's help to defeat the witches and save Dean? He heard the water shut off and he shifted away from the bathroom door hoping that Dean wouldn't overhear this part of the conversation. Sam wasn't ready to tell both his father and his brother the true extent of the sacrifice needed to reverse this spell. "Dad, why? Why did you let that demon in the first time?"

"Sam…" John said evenly.

"Dad…I deserve to know…we deserve to know." Sam replied crisply. He heard the bathroom door open as a ball of steam rolled out of the small room and Dean rolled his wheelchair out and over toward his bed. He glanced at Sam with the question evident on his face as he grabbed his bag and pulled out the small first aid kit he kept there.

"The demon…he promised to bring back Mary…and cure you of the demon blood Sam. But the cost...it was this ritual…"

"And Dean's life? Was that part of the cost as well dad? Were you really willing to trade your oldest son for your wife?" Sam said loudly, causing his brother to throw his eyes in Sam's direction. Concern and surprise etched into his green gaze as he stopped what he was doing to stare opening at his brother.

"No Sam…that was never part of the deal…the life force that they took from Dean…it wasn't supposed to do anything more than take his ability to walk. I would never have agreed to send my own son to hell Sam…I wouldn't do that. But you and Dean...you were the only ones that could fulfill that prophecy...they whole twin parts of one soul thing..."

Sam cut off his father as his anger roared to the surface and he shot to his feet and started pacing the small room. "NO! But you were willing to relegate him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life dad…with no explanation and no help… for God's sake…who does something like that…? You took something from him that wasn't yours to take and then you just up and disappeared. What the hell? Do you really think that mom would have wanted that? That she would have forgiven you for that choice?!" He finished loudly as he glanced over sadly at the confused and heartbroken look on his brother's face...he'd pieced together the conversation. Dean knew that Sam was talking to their father…and that he'd just learned why Dean had been sacrificed to the witches…and apparently he didn't approve of the reasoning behind it. "Look dad. I don't want you near him…or me. But we need your help to correct this action…so where do we meet to find these witches?" Sam walked over to stare out the window at the now rapidly falling rain, the lightning flashing in the distance and lighting up the stony expression on Sam's angry face. "Fine. We'll be there in two days. Call Bobby and have him meet us there too. That's not negotiable dad. See you then." Sam clicked the phone closed and used all his self-control not to throw the thing at the wall as the anger rolled through him in waves.

Dean was watching Sam from his chair. He wasn't hiding the fact that he was beyond worried or that he was in pain as he shifted in the metal chair and then swallowed loudly. "It was for mom...wasn't it...the whole demon deal...and now he has a plan?" Dean asked as he shifted his body from the chair to the bed, his torso still bare from his shower…the burns and the long slash across his chest visible even in the dim light of their room. The soft light of their room doing nothing to hide the deep chasm of guilt flooding through his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I never wanted you to hear that...and yeah Dean, he has a plan…and it'll work too. I saw that much." He licked his lower lip and then winced when he saw the split in Dean's. "You bite that tonight?" Sam's face shifted from angry to concerned as he looked at the condition of his older brother.

Dean snorted derisively. "Yeah, well just add it to the number of things I wish I didn't know at this point...at least where dad's concerned. I really don't want to talk about it...and yeah I bit it when I was hauling my sorry ass over the ground to see what was up with you." A slight laugh bubbled up as he saw the apologetic look smear its way across Sam's face. "Sam…it's fine. I'll heal. Are you okay?" He watched as his brother looked down at his overly large toes and then twisted back so he was looking Dean in the face.

Sam looked at the wounds on his brother and he felt the guilt swell again as he stood and moved to kneel in front of Dean, grabbing the first aid kit. "I'm fine Dean. Let's look at those cuts…"

Dean huffed loudly. "So…where are we going Sam?" He moved so that Sam had a better view of the wound across his chest, the stitches hadn't popped, thank god…but it still needed to be treated and then smeared in antiseptic cream.

His little brother licked his lips as he gently pulled the antiseptic wipes across Dean's flushed skin. His brother hissed at the cold liquid and the strong sting as the cut on his chest protested the use of the cleanser. "Portland. The witches are in Portland."

Dean nodded and then took a deep breath as Sam started cleaning the burn on his shoulder and looked pointedly at Dean's sweats. "Those have to come off so I can look at those burns Dean." It wasn't that he wanted to make his brother more uncomfortable, but unfortunately x-ray vision wasn't one of his weird-ass powers.

Dean narrowed his eyes and his forehead furrowed as he bit back the smart-ass remark that popped immediately into his head. It was so inappropriate and he knew that he would be telling Sam the same thing if their positions were reversed…and they had been in the past. "Fine. Just don't get jealous Sammy." He couldn't resist and was rewarded with bitch-face number six, that caused a genuine smile to play at the corners of his lips.

Sam groaned when he saw the burns come into view as he helped Dean pull the sweats out of the way. His brother looked distinctly uncomfortable with the fact that he was now sitting there with his pants pooled around his ankles and only his boxer-briefs offering any sort of modesty. The burns were still red and angry looking as Sam handed the ointment to his brother and let him wipe the burn cream on, Dean looked away as his little brother treated the other wounds from the hillbilly's. He wondered what the point was in what they had been doing out there. Maybe someone should have told them that there were way better things out there to hunt than regular people. Monsters and other fugly bastards that go bump-in-the-night.

Sam sat back and surveyed his handiwork as he looked up into the grateful eyes of his older brother. "Uh…thanks Sammy." Dean said as he leaned forward to pull his pants back into place. Sam helped him settle the black sweats over his lean hips and then walked to the duffle bag, pulling out a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and handing it to Dean. He immediately pulled the material over his still damp hair and grinned at Sam. "Nice choice there dude." He said as he looked down at the logo on the shirt.

Sam couldn't restrain the smile that slipped onto his face as he nodded and grabbed his own bag, heading to the bathroom to check and see how much hot water his brother had left him.

"Don't worry Sammy…I left you enough water to clean that ginormous head of yours."

Sam turned and shot Dean the middle fingered solute and then pulled the door closed as he stepped inside the small rustic room. He glanced at the shower and then smiled to himself as he realized that his brother had managed to somehow take a shower...and since there wasn't a bathtub in this room...that had to have been a real trick indeed. Dean was more ingenious than Sam had ever really given him credit for before.

XXXX

They arrived in Portland nearly two days later. The rain seemed to be following them and Dean wondered if that was a good or a bad sign... It wasn't like they had all that much good luck really…not in any form it seemed. But the trip had been relatively quick and that was a nice surprise. Another notch in their favor was that his wounds didn't seem to be infected anymore. He was healing nicely and Sam wasn't coddling him like a child at the moment…and for that, he was intensely grateful. He glanced over at the sleeping form of his larger 'little' brother and he smiled as he saw Sam's lips fall open and a soft snore escaped. Dean shook his head and pulled into the motel parking lot. Sam wouldn't tell him where they were meeting their father, but he did know that Bobby would be meeting them here later that evening.

He reached over and gently nudged Sam awake. "Hey sasquatch…we're here." Sam moaned and then his eyelids flickered open revealing extremely tired eyes. He reached up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked out at the small motel that Dean had chosen to stop at.

"Not a sasquatch…jerk." Sam protested as he sat up.

"Whatever bitch…grab my chair." Dean shot back with a grin. It was only the addition of the grin that kept Sam from saying something snarky back to his older brother.

He and Dean checked into the motel and set up their salt lines and then ordered a pizza, since neither one of them wanted to chance running into the witches and alerting them to their presence in this place. They both figured that the element of surprise was probably their only card…so they needed to hold onto that particular card very tightly. Bobby called them an hour later, letting them know that he'd gotten a room a few doors down from theirs and that he would be over first thing in the morning and they could go ahead and get their plan together before they called John.

Sam and Dean watched tv that night, drinking beer and laughing at the old movies that Dean had picked on one of the limited channels that the motel offered. It was so relaxing that Dean didn't want to go to bed…but as Sam's eyes kept falling shut and knowing that the next day was going to be life-altering, he decided to call it a night and flipped off the small tv.

He looked over at the sleeping form of his little brother and smiled as he considered that maybe Sam would actually stay with him…when all this was done. Or maybe he could figure out a way to hunt in the same area where Sam was at…because, much to his dismay, he'd rediscovered why it was that he loved being around his younger brother. Things were just easier with Sam. And while they knew everything about each other; they were still so opposite…and yet, so much the same that it made being around him simple…and that was something that Dean hadn't had in a long time…simple.

The knock on the door several hours later woke Dean from a sound sleep and caused him to shift too quickly and some slight pain to flare in his chest as he did. He groaned as he pulled himself to his chair and then settled his legs on the metal pads and rolled to the door. He pulled it open, hiding his pistol in his lap under a bulky sweatshirt.

Bobby raised his eyebrows at Dean and laughed as he stepped across the salt line and leaned down to embrace the middle Winchester in a hug. "How you doing boy?" the older hunter asked as he released Dean and gently shut the door behind himself, when he saw that Sam wasn't awake yet. He handed Dean a cup of coffee from the tray he'd been carrying and a bag of, what Dean assumed, were donuts.

"I'm doing okay Bobby…how about you?" Dean asked as he rolled to the table and settled in to drink his coffee as he dug into the bag of pastries. He pulled out a maple covered donut and hummed his appreciation as he bit into the sweet breakfast roll. "Thanks for these." He said through a mouth-full of donut and a grin.

"Don't talk with your mouth full boy." Bobby admonished and then smiled back at the subtle wriggle of Dean's eyebrows as he 'enjoyed' the donut way more than he should be allowed to. "I'm good. I'm not really looking forward to running into your old man though…but it sounds like we need him." He sighed and ran his hand over his bearded chin as he thought about the tentative phone call that he'd gotten from a worried John a couple of days ago. He hadn't wanted to answer that call, but as it turned out…it had been necessary to ensure that the boys would come out of this thing…alive. He'd gotten the lowdown on the conversation that John had had with Sam and then he'd called Sam later to verify what their father had told him. Turned out that John hadn't been lying…and that had actually surprised Bobby. Sam had explained the vision…Bobby knew there was something that Sam wasn't telling him…but he decided not to press…he'd been fully on board as long as Sam thought this was the best course of action. They decided that they would tell Dean about the plan together, since he'd already fallen asleep by the time Sam had finished with his shower and then the call from Bobby. Sam had feigned sleep after the movie…and Dean had taken the bait and gone to bed himself.

Dean looked over at the slowly moving lump of little brother in the bed and smiled, before turning back to Bobby. "I know Sam had a vision Bobby…and I know that he thinks that we can heal me without me dying as a result…but…" He sighed and ran his hand up over his face. "I think he's keeping something from me Bobby…and that has me worried."

"You're right Dean…" Sam's deep voice surprised Dean and his shoulders jumped as he spun his head around to look at Sam's worried and resigned expression. He was standing directly behind Dean…damn that kid can move silently. Dean thought.

"Okay…then what aren't you telling me?" He asked as his eyes flickered between Bobby and Sam.

"Well, you know that dad will be involved…"

Dean nodded silently. He didn't want to interrupt just as his brother started opening up about this particular vision. Bobby stayed silent as well as he watched the brother's try and read one another, without letting the other see what was going on. It was always interesting when he had a chance to watch these two interact…because as well as they knew one another…they sure did miss some vital 'tells'.

"Not only do you have to be involved…which you already know. But I have to agree to be the one that sacrifices you…which you also know. But in the vision, it was the addition of dad to that scenario that got you out alive…so that is the only way that this will work." Sam finished as he sank into the chair next to Dean, grabbing a cup of coffee as he did.

Dean narrowed his eyes, he couldn't have heard Sam correctly…Did Sam just that 'he' would make it out alive? If that's true…what about Sam? "Sam, what about you?" Dean couldn't help but ask the questions as they popped into his head. He wasn't willing to do this if it meant that he might lose Sam in the process...his legs...his ability to walk...it wasn't worth that...nothing was.

Sam swallowed quickly as he prepared to shove the biggest load of crap down Dean's throat that he'd ever had the unfortunate pleasure of shoveling. "I make it out too Dean…we all do. The only ones that die are the witches and the demons get a one ticket back to Hell." He managed to keep his gaze steady and his voice from shaking as he bold-faced-lied to his brother. Well, at least he was pretty sure it was a lie…because Sam hadn't seen his own death…he'd just assumed that was what had happened next. But he sure as hell wasn't telling his over protective and hero-driven older brother that.

Dean watched for any sign that Sam was lying to him…when he didn't immediately see anything that raised a red flag he nodded and relaxed slightly. "Okay…so when are we meeting with dad?" He wasn't sure that he wanted to see John Winchester again…he still hadn't worked out how he really felt about this whole 'deal'…and he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with their father yet. But it appeared that the universe didn't really give a rats ass what Dean wanted.

Bobby spoke up before Sam had a chance to swallow his coffee. "Tonight. 8pm at the docks near the Warf."

"Okay, then I guess we use the day to get our gear together and an escape plan…just in case everything goes to shit." Dean answered as he looked at Sam and then shifted his green gaze to Bobby's intense blue eyes.

"That sounds like a plan." Bobby said.

TBC…

Author's Note: So they have a plan…it'll heal Dean and perhaps restore some faith in John. But as with all good plans there are always flaws…was Sam's vision finished with them escaping? Or is there something else at work here. Next chapter will have those answers.

Please Review: They are all read and highly appreciated.