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: So I know there's still interest

Previous Chapter:

"How much can you actually see, Dean?" He asked.

Dean shrugged and then winced. "Not much…your outline…some changes in the light. But that's about it."

Sam pulled his eyebrows together. "What's it look like?"

"What? You?" Dean scrubbed a hand across his face and inhaled slowly before answering.

"Yeah…what do I look like to you?"

"Kinda shimmery…like a bunch of glitter in Sam shape." It wasn't the best description he'd ever come up with, but it was accurate. His brother was darker toward the center and then it lightened as the shimmer extended outward toward the edges of his unnaturally large form.

"Sam shaped glitter?" His brother questioned. Sam shook his head, incredulous and then smiled as he stood to get his phone. As he picked it up the small device started to ring. He didn't recognize the number, but it wasn't unusual for Bobby to call from a blocked or unknown number. He chuckled at Dean's shrug.

He flipped the phone open. "Hello?"

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…you took something that wasn't yours." Ruby's voice echoed through the phone and Sam paled. "That angel can't protect you all the time…our time's coming." She hung up and Sam stared at Dean in shock.

"What is it, Sam?" Dean was forcing himself up as he heard the change in Sam's breathing.

"An angel…he was an angel…"

Dean's mouth dropped open. "What?"

A knock at the door had each of the brother's swinging their head in that direction. No one but that angel knew they were here…another knock followed the first and then the door blew open. As the light settled Sam blinked in surprise. The man staring at him had dark hair and piercing blue eyes…and he was wearing a trench coat…to be honest, he looked like a door to door salesman…or maybe a tax accountant.

"Who are you?" Sam was getting tired of asking that question. He reached behind him for anything that might work as a weapon. Dean was on his feet, he swayed as his balance adjusted. He looked in the direction of the sound and he blinked several times when all he saw was brilliant white prism shaped person. He reached up and covered his eyes. It was like looking at the sun for too long.

"What's going on Sam?"

"We have a visitor."

The man's gaze travelled between the two brothers. "My name is Castiel…and I am an angel of the lord." His deep voice reverberated through the small motel room like a megaphone was amplifying it.

Dean's face scrunched like he'd eaten something very sour and he shook his head. "There's no such thing."

"And yet you are walking because there is." Castiel answered as he stepped into the room. The door flew shut behind him and he stared at Sam before his gaze swung over to Dean.

XXXX

Chapter 48

Sed Parabis Seperant

Dean stared at the ground. He couldn't look at this Castiel character for too long. It was giving him a raging headache. He reached out and felt Sam move within arms length, the course canvas fabric of his jacket letting Dean know that it was his brother. "Walking…and blind." He growled.

He felt the air shift around him and he knew that the door had been pushed shut…and that was before he heard the click of the lock. "What the hell are you guys?" An intake of breath from across the room had him pressing his lips to together in frustration. There are angels? And what? These dicks just hang around and watch as the world burns in monsters and demons? The thoughts were racing through his head in a montage of images. Anger at his father. Anger at God and this angels.

"It is not my place to interfere in mankind's destiny." The angel said. Dean could tell he was moving because his voice was shifting locations so the eldest Winchester was twisting his head in an effort to try and follow it.

Sam's head shot up at that. "Not your place? The world is drowning in evil you son of bitch…and it's not your place?" He stepped in front of his brother in an effort to keep the angel from having a clear line of sight on him. "Do you have any idea what we've been through? What we've lost?"

Castiel's face didn't change. He was listening, but these two humans weren't swaying him. "That was all done through the use of freewill. It is not heaven's place to alter your choices." He turned and leaned a bit to the right, getting a better look at Dean. This human intrigued him. Dean Winchester should have given up a long time ago. But instead he had continued to fight, like a true soldier. He was brave and selfless and beneath all the bravado he was the most human person that Castiel had run into. He shifted his gaze to the younger brother and narrowed his eyes as he assessed Sam.

Sam was very similar to his big brother, but with some key differences. He was absolutely brave and he could be selfless…but his entire life everyone around him had centered their desires on him. What was best for little Sammy…protect him at all cost. So there was a selfishness about him that wasn't entirely his fault. And a need to be viewed as an equal member of the team that was Sam and Dean. But he loved his brother…and that was very clear to the angel as he gauged these two mortals. All of heaven was aware of their intertwined destinies and how one would kill the other. It was an ongoing debate as to which brother would come out on top.

Castiel's vote had always been cast in Dean's favor, while his brother, Gabriel? Well, the archangel had a soft spot for the younger brother. But he wasn't ready into intervene more than he already had. And judging by how much these two seemed to get into more trouble than they could handle lately…it seemed that heaven needed to guide them out a bit. And because he'd taken a keen interest in the eldest Winchester, he'd been sent to provide that guidance. Certain things needed to happen for the brother's to win this offensive. But they were on the wrong track and if he didn't steer them back onto the correct road? It would be disastrous.

"You have been told about Sed Paribus Seperant?" Castiel said as he stared at the brothers.

Dean's head snapped up at that and he stared at the painful white figure of the angel. "The whole soul-mate thing? Yeah, we've heard of it." He was learning that nothing in their lives was, as it seemed. Some angelic scribe somewhere had decided that this was going to be their life and they had no choice in it. And it blew! Sucked out loud!

The angel continued as though he hadn't been interrupted. "Not soul-mate...soul-bound...Then you should know that there are certain aspects of that destiny that cannot be altered." His blue gaze drifted between the brothers.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam questioned. He was getting sick and tired of feeling like a pawn in some cosmic game of chess.

Castiel's head tilted to the side and he raised an eyebrow. "It means that you cannot stop Dean's time in Hell any more than he can stop your self destructive path."

"What?!" Both brothers exclaimed, shock registering across their faces.

Sam was the first to recover. "That's not gonna happen!" Okay, I've heard enough. He wanted the angel dick out of their room and away from Dean. He moved closer to his brother, the instinct too strong to ignore. And as to his 'self destructive path'? He wasn't doing anything self destructive!

Dean just looked confused…and a little terrified. He blinked several times and stared at the floor as he sank onto the chair at the table. "Why?" It was the only thing he could think of. There had to be a reason why his destiny couldn't be altered.

The angel took a step closer, only to be cut off as Sam's large form blocked him. "I will not hurt him, Sam."

"Right…cuz telling him that he is going to Hell isn't hurting him." Sam was angry. No, he was more than angry, he was horrified, and pissed, and feeling homicidal as he stared at the angelic bearer of the worst message in the history of man.

"As I said…destiny cannot be altered."

"That's bullshit!" Sam cried. "You always have a choice!"

Dean's breathing was coming in soft pants as he leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. "I asked why?" He repeated, but he didn't look up. Dean didn't think that he could look either of them in the face. The white of the angel was nearly blinding and the shimmer around Sam was darkening the angrier his brother got.

"Doesn't matter why, Dean! That ain't happening." Sam's words were so convincing that Dean could almost believe him...almost. But when presented with an angel's words and an angry opinion from his brother? He was going with the angel at this point. He and Sam had been playing catch up since they went looking for their father. And they'd learned more about themselves and John's involvement with the demon than Dean had ever imagined. He knew that there was something big coming down the pipes…and he'd been waiting for the hammer to drop. As long as it hit him and not Sam he could deal with it. Somehow their souls had been earmarked for things out of their control...and he wanted to know why.

"Sam, I am afraid that it has to." Castiel knew what was in store for these two and he regretted it. He'd spent the last millennium tracking down the descendants of Cain and Abel…and this was the only way to save future generations.

Dean inhaled and forced himself to look at the angel. "I need to know why." He raised his hand in Sam's direction when he heard his brother start to protest again. "Sam…please."

Sam had rarely heard his brother say 'please' and it silenced him. He continued to stare angrily at the angel, his arms folded across his broad chest and his forehead furrowed in worry. He knew Dean well enough to know that this was seriously fucking with his brother's head…and he didn't seem to be able to stop it.

"It is the only way to save your brother, Dean. Sam's soul has been marked…just as yours has been marked."

That had Dean surging to unsteady feet and taking several steps toward Castiel. "Marked? Save Sam from what?"

"His destiny." The answer was simple and to the point, but all it did was piss off Dean.

"Cram it with the cryptic talk feathers…save my brother from what?" Dean's rough voice hissed through his clenched teeth.

Again the angel was surprised at the reaction of the eldest brother. These humans were so confusing. He'd just told Dean why this had to happen. "Sam has demon blood in him, Dean. You are aware of that?"

A grunt was the only answer. Sam's face however, shifted from angry to horrified. He'd been told about the blood, so it wasn't a surprise. But he'd never been told that to cure him, his brother would have to suffer in Hell…nope that was definitely news to both of them…and it was a non-option as far as Sam was concerned. He'd learn to deal with the cards that destiny had dealt him, but not at the expense of his brother's soul. He wished that they'd been given some kind of instruction manual, because he had no idea how to keep this house of cards from tumbling down and crushing them both.

"Because you share two parts of one soul, if Dean can survive his time in Hell...intact, Sam...your soul will be washed clean. You will be saved…and can ascend to Heaven upon your death. Just as Abel did." Castiel watched as the brother's both absorbed the information differently.

Sam was terrified by what the angel had just told them. Did that mean that he couldn't make it to Heaven otherwise? That he was destined to spend eternity in Hell because of the choices their father had made? Or because three thousand years ago two brothers had one hell of an argument and one killed the other? The questions were swirling through his brain like a hurricane…until he looked over at Dean…all those thoughts were wiped away in one second.

Dean's face was blank. "Cain killed his brother." he mumbled.

"To save him...yes."

The raw pain on Dean's face was heart breaking as Sam turned toward his brother. He looked up and his blank gaze was slightly to the left of Sam's eyes and he cringed internally. "I can't kill Sammy…" He sank back into the seat and his face dropped into his hands.

Castiel's face softened. "That is why Hell is the only option."

"No…" Sam whispered. "There has to be another way."

The angel looked at the younger Winchester. "If there is…I do not know of it."

Dean honed in on their one shot out of this shitty deal. "But there might be? Another way?"

"As I said, I do not know of any."

"Well, can you find out?" Dean said breathily as he turned to look at the white light. He blinked several times as his eyes tried to adjust to the stimulus travelling along his destroyed optic nerves.

"I will look into it." Castiel conceded.

"How long?" Sam asked before the angel could disappear like the last one.

"How long what?"

Sam inhaled to stop the angry retort. "How long until all this goes down?"

The angel shook his head. "It has already started. You have already met that which will destroy your bond with your brother."

Sam's mouth dropped open, but his throat was suddenly closed. He couldn't think of a single response to that. I am going to destroy the bond with Dean?

The big brother radar inside of Dean went off like a bell in a Fire House. He struggled back to his feet and moved to where Sam's shape was at. Reaching out he grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him into a hug. Sam's limp muscles allowed him to be moved like a puppet. "That ain't gonna happen, Sam. There is nothing in Heaven or Hell strong enough to break us apart." He felt his little brother's breathing hitch as emotion flooded through him.

Castiel watched the whole thing and a part of him wondered if maybe Dean was right…could they beat this destiny thing? Was it possible? It had never happened in the history of the world…two humans beating what the scribe had written for them. He swallowed as he thought of the tender words between the two Winchesters. Dean was right about one thing…nothing in Heaven or Hell would be their destruction. Only the brothers had the power to destroy each other…or to keep each other human…but he kept that piece of information to himself as he disappeared from the room. He would try and help them…he would try and help Dean.

XXXX

Dean could smell the whiskey before Sam had even set the glass in front of him. He couldn't help but wonder who the hell he'd pissed off to get the shittiest destiny in history. Okay, well maybe there were a few that had been worse than his…but none were coming to mind. Him and Sam had been dealt a crappy hand from the beginning. He just hadn't realized how bad the hand had been until now.

Sam gently took his hand and placed it around the drink when he smacked it and almost spilled the liquid in his attempt to pick it up. He clenched his teeth at the further proof of his inability to function without his brother. And it was worse now. He couldn't drive anymore…that hurt on a level that he wouldn't be discussing with anyone…and he could barely deal with the turn their lives were taking.

At least when he'd been in a wheelchair, he'd been able to hunt. If nothing else it had kept his mind off the whole falling out with Sam. His thoughts shifted to one particular fourth of July that he'd taken Sam out for some good old-fashioned fireworks. He hadn't told their father where he was going, he'd simply taken Sam and left. It had been awesome. Standing near the Impala and watching his little brother light as many of the Roman Candles and other small fireworks in absolute joy.

That was one of Dean's most treasured memories of his brother. And never in all that time as Sam had run back and forth between the stash of fireworks and Dean had he thought that is brother was evil. He'd wondered about his father on occasion, but never his little brother.

That night after they'd gotten back to the motel, he learned that he had to keep better track of when his father was supposed to return. John had been drunk, injured, and pissed as hell at Dean for 'putting Sammy in danger'. He'd sent a sleepy Sam off to bed and then headed back out to face the music. That had been the first time that he'd taken the full force of his father's wrath.

The first one had caught him off guard. Pain exploding in his nose as he felt it break under the pressure of his father's fist. Blood splattering down his chest with the second hit and he'd doubled over in pain, his palms cupping his bleeding nose and split lip. He'd looked up at his father through pain-filled eyes as a third punch landed across his cheek. He'd lost control of his legs at that point and landed in a heap on the floor as his knees folded like a cheap suit.

"How many times do I gotta tell you boy! You. Don't. Take. Sam. Without. Permission!" John's words punctured with pain as either a foot or a fist connected somewhere on Dean's body. He'd groaned and tried to crawl away, but his arms gave out as he collapsed onto the dirty brown motel carpet.

"It…was…just fireworks…" He'd moaned out as his vision swam in and out of focus. Dean had kept his cries to a minimal, since he didn't want Sammy to hear any of this. There was a lot about this life that he couldn't protect his little brother from…this wasn't one of those things.

"I don't care if it was Independence Day 1776, you can't protect him out there Dean! When are you going to get that through your thick skull! Are you that fucking STUPID?! You're not strong enough!" John spat the last words at his eldest son as he sank back onto the bed. He looked down at the mess he'd just made of Dean. "Go clean yourself up before Sam sees you."

Dean had swallowed his self-loathing as he'd literally crawled to the bathroom, pushing the door shut once he was inside. He sank back against the wood and let the tears fall. His lower lip was clenched between his teeth to keep the sobs quiet as he tried to deal with his own perceived failures. It had been such a good day and Dean had thought that he was doing something good for his brother.

John had had Sam on lock down for weeks and the kid was going stir crazy. He hadn't understood what was happening; just that suddenly he wasn't allowed to go to the library or anywhere else that involved leaving the smelly cheap motel.

His eyelids dropped closed and the image of Sam's grinning adolescent face materialized and Dean knew that it had been worth it. The beating from his father that had come after…well, that he could handle. Sammy had been happy, at least for those few hours.

Dean's thoughts snapped back to the present and he drained the glass of whiskey, setting it back on the table. His fingers were still loosely wrapped around it and he heard the 'glug' of liquid as Sam filled the glass again. A slow smile worked its way onto his face. If it took Hell to put that smile on Sam's face again…then he would gladly do time in the hot box.

As Sam stared at Dean he wished that he could read minds. Because there was no reason on earth why his big brother should be smiling. Unless…

"No, Dean."

His brother's strange gaze lifted and he frowned. "No what?"

"You are not going to Hell…especially not for me." Sam's voice broke and he set the bottle down and drained his own glass. "I don't care what those dicks think. You're not going to Hell. They said that dad's deal was fulfilled."

Dean inhaled slowly and his expression was stoic as he looked back toward the floor. "Apparently they lie, Sammy and if it gets you into Heaven…"

"No! I swear to God Dean…I'll find a crossroads Demon and meet you in Hell myself if you try this." Sam's voice was shaking. He'd never been this serious about anything…or this scared. The look on his brother's face was almost comical as he gaped in Sam's general direction. "We will find another way! Or I promise you, we are going down together."

TBC…

Author's Note: So this chapter kinda wrote itself. I was reading back over the story and I found that I need to close up some loops that I'd created…so this is the start of that effort. All of the open ended storylines will be dealt with before I complete this story. Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter and the entire story really. Special thanks to Tricia, reader, LeeMarieJack, babyreaper, BranchSuper, gr8read, nccupnatfan, mb64, and another Reader that I cannot thank otherwise.

PLEASE REVIEW: I just need to know that you guys are still reading this, even though it's long.