Sam was sitting on his bed. He had his back propped up against the wall behind his bed and his knees raised to support the laptop he was using. He was looking for any signs to help them find the other horsemen.
Sam looked up as he heard the door open to find his brother. "Hey. I thought you were going to the bar."
"Oh, trust me, I will be," Dean said. He had no doubt that after this, he was going to spend the rest of the night drowning in alcohol. He was about to do the hardest thing he'd ever done. Let his brother go. Sure, it wouldn't be the first time he'd said goodbye to Sam. He did it when Sam went to Stanford and when they decided to go their separate ways after Lucifer was released, but this was different. Every other time, he could always tell himself he'd see his brother again, and so far, that had happened. This time would be different. Gabriel had made it clear that he intended to literally drop off the planet with his brother. And even on the off chance that Dean did see Sam again, he wouldn't be who he was now. He would be a child who had a whole different life. There was no telling what he would even remember.
A large part of Dean really wanted to run. He wanted to try to get his brother out of there and away from the archangel who wanted to take him away. It was a selfish thought, but it was there. He couldn't let the selfish part of him win though. He had to do this for Sammy. He had to let him go for his own good. Besides, he knew he wouldn't get far. Like Gabriel said, he'd know and he'd stop them.
"Did you forget something?" Sam asked.
Dean went over and sat down on the bed opposite his brother. He just stared at him for several seconds. He didn't know how to even begin to do this. How did he say goodbye to his brother. Sammy had been the one constant his entire life. The one thing that would never be taken from him. But now he was being taken from him. The worst part was that Dean couldn't even hate Gabriel for doing it.
Sam started to get uneasy. His brother was just staring at him without saying a single word, and he looked like his entire world was coming to an end. Something had happened. "Dean, what's wrong?"
"I love you, Sammy. You know that," Dean said.
Sam closed his laptop and put it aside. Then he sat up straight and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Now he was sure something was seriously wrong. Dean didn't tell him he loved him unless something seriously bad was going down. And, yeah, no one could argue that the end of the world fit that category, but they weren't close enough for that yet. This was more of a conversation they'd have right before going into battle with Lucifer. "Dean, you're scaring me. What happened?"
"This thing with Lucifer isn't going to end well," Dean said.
"Dean, we already know what we're going to do. We're going to put him back in the cage," Sam said.
"Yeah? How? By you jumping in with him inside you?" Dean asked.
Sam was caught off guard by his brother's question. How had he known that Sam had been thinking about that. He had yet to voice it to his brother. He hadn't even said it out loud. Then again, Dean knew him and how he thought. "Dean, it's the best way. We both knew we can't just push him in, and he certainly won't jump in. Hell, he's an archangel. He knows a lot. He probably knows about the key. That's going to make it even harder. The only way to pull it off is to try to gain control and jump in with him inside me."
"Then what? You go to Hell?" Dean asked.
"Yes. And you will go on. You can have a life. You can go to Lisa and have a life with her and Ben. I know you love her," Sam said.
"That's not in the cards for me." 'But it is for you,' Dean added to himself. It was the only thing that was getting him through this. Sam was going to have a good life, a childhood. He was going to have what he should've had the first time around. Dean couldn't say he totally trusted Gabriel with his brother, but that was because he didn't trust anyone, aside from maybe Bobby, with him. But he knew this was Sam's best shot, and he did believe that Gabriel was sincere about wanting to give Sam a better life.
"It can be, Dean. Look, this is for the best. I know you realize that because you're so calm," Sam said. He was actually surprised by how calm Dean was. He could tell that his brother was far from happy, but usually Dean would be screaming and ordering Sam against even thinking about this for another second, but he wasn't. He hadn't even raised his voice. He had to realize this was the right thing.
"You think that's why I'm calm. You're wrong. I'm calm because it doesn't matter. I'm not gonna let it happen," Dean said before standing up and going to the fridge. He took out a beer and opened it. He was starting his pity party a bit early.
"Dean, there's no other way to stop it," Sam said.
"You're right. You jumping into the cage probably is the only way to stop Michael and Lucifer from killing thousands of people while doing the same to each other. You may be surprised to find that I don't care. If it has to happen for you to live, so be it," Dean said firmly before taking a sip of his beer.
Sam stood up from the bed and eyed his brother carefully. "You don't mean that. You don't want the world to end."
"No, I don't, but I'd let it burn to the ground for you," Dean swore.
"No! I don't want that! You don't either! This is the whole reason neither of us said yes! We didn't want to see the end of the world! This is our job, Dean! We protect the world, even at our own risk!" Sam yelled. He knew his brother was scared, but didn't he realize this was best for everyone? They had to stop the apocalypse no matter the cost. And if Sam going to Hell was the cost, well, he only saw it has fitting. He was the reason Lucifer was free.
Dean put his beer on the table and walked over to his brother until they were only about a foot apart. "Sammy, I'm so sorry. I failed you."
"Dean, no, you didn't fail me," Sam protested. He could see the pain in his brother's eyes and he hated it. He was glad that he seemed to finally realize what needed to happen, but he hated that his brother somehow felt he was responsible. "You have been the best big brother in the world. There is no one in this world that I love more than you. You were everything to me, both my brother and my father. I didn't count on Dad. I counted on you. And you always came though. You made sure I had everything that I ever needed."
"But now I can't give you what you need. I can't protect you," Dean said as he fought to hold back the tears. Actually, that fact was probably even worse than knowing he could never see his brother again. It was was the knowledge that he didn't have the ability to protect Sam anymore. He had to let someone else do it.
"No, you can't. But it's okay. None of it is your fault, and I'm okay with it," Sam said.
Dean pulled his brother into his arms and held him close. "I love you, Sammy. Please don't hate me for this."
"Dean, I could never hate you. It's not your fault. Don't feel bad about what happens to me. One way or another, you were going to have to let me go eventually," Sam said as he continued to hug his brother.
"Yeah, maybe," Dean said before pulling away. "I can't protect you, Sammy, but I can make sure you are protected."
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked both in confusion and trepidation.
"You can come in now," Dean said in a slightly raised tone, knowing Gabriel would hear him.
"What?" San asked in confusion.
Just a second later, Gabriel appeared.
Sam was shocked. It hadn't been long ago that they'd thought the archangel had died trying to kill Lucifer. It had been another death he had on his conscience and another reason to end all of this. "Gabriel?!"
Gabriel smiled at him.
"But Lucifer killed you," Sam said, still awestruck.
"Afraid not. He killed a copy," Gabriel said.
Dean looked at the archangel. "You'll take care of him, right? You promise me!"
Sam looked at his brother in confusion. What was his brother talking about? Who did he want Gabriel to protect? It couldn't be him, could it? It was then that he remembered Dean saying just a minute ago that he had someone who could protect Sam. He meant Gabriel?
"I swear on my father. Coming from an archangel, there is no greater promise," Gabriel said.
"Do it then," Dean said before taking several steps back.
Gabriel approached Sam and placed his hands on his shoulders. He needed to be touching him for this to work.
Sam started to get worried as Gabriel laid his hands on him. He tried to pull away from him, but he found that he couldn't mover a single muscle. The only thing mobile was his head. "What are you doing, Gabriel? Let me go."
"Shh. It's gonna be okay," Gabriel soothed before he began to chant in a language only known by Pagan gods.
"Gabriel, no! Let go of me!" Sam demanded. He didn't know what was happening, but the archangel was chanting in a language he'd never heard. That couldn't be good. He looked over at his brother, who was just standing there. "Dean, get him off me!"
The only thing Dean did was put his hand over his eyes and begin to cry freely at the knowledge that his brother would be changed and taken from him forever.
"Dean help me!" Sam begged.
"I am, Sammy," Dean cried.
Sam attempted to move his body, but it was still futile, and he soon felt a weird sensation. It didn't hurt, but it was something Sam had never felt in his life. Before he knew it, everything around him began to get bigger. Dean, and even Gabriel weren't shorter than him anymore. They were both at least twice his size.
Dean opened his eyes when Gabriel stopped chanting. He was astonished by the results, even though he knew what was going to happen. It was like he'd gone back in time. His brother looked no older than five. And it was permanent. There was no going back now.