A/N: Buckle in, we are pulling into the station as this story comes to an end. I hope you have enjoyed this AU I created for the brothers. Stay tuned because I will have another story up in a few days. I do like reviews/comments. NC

Chapter 24

Bobby slipped into the hospital room and took in the scene in front of him. He saw Dean was awake and Sam was asleep in the recliner.

"It's good to have you back," Bobby whispered to Dean as he sat Sam's food on the rolling table and went to sit on the other side of him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Dean admitted.

"I brought Sam something to eat."

"Let him sleep, I don't think he's had much, has he?"

"No, he's not left your side except to run to the motel room to shower and change clothes."

"How long have I been here?"

"Over a week now. Has Sam told you anything?" Bobby asked cautiously.

"I know about Dad," Dean sadden voice replied. "I didn't think either of us were getting out of there alive."

"Sam was determined to find you, whatever it took. He's changed, Dean. He's not the same young man that went off to college. You'll see when you talk to him."

"How did he do it? Do you know what happened?"

"No, he's not talked about it since he found you and your daddy. I do know he called on some Marine buddies to help him."

"De…" Sam slurred as he pulled himself out of sleep. He yawned and sat up not seeing Bobby at first until he spoke.

"I brought you some food and coffee," Bobby told him.

"Good, I need something to wake me up," Sam grunted. "I'll go somewhere else to eat it."

"Stay Sammy, it won't bother me. I don't think I could eat if they gave me something," Dean told him. He really didn't want him out of his sight. He was what anchored him to reality and kept the demons at bay.

"You sure? I don't mind."

"Naw, keep me company. Hopefully the doctor will be around soon and will give me some good news."

Sam moved over to the window away from Dean and Bobby and opened the bag to see what he had. He hadn't eaten much because he didn't have an appetite for food. He only ate enough to appease Bobby. He half listened to them talking in low voices as he unwrapped a breakfast sandwich.

They all looked toward the door when it opened, and the doctor walked in.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted the three men. "How are you today Mr. Winchester?"

"I feel like I was run over by a freight train not once but twice," Dean tried to joke.

"That's to be expected young man. You were in bad shape when you got here. Let me check your incision and vitals." The doctor moved to Dean's side and pulled his stethoscope out of his pocket and listened to Dean's heart and lungs. He pulled the hospital gown out of the way and peeled the bandages out of the way. He examined the incision and pressed gently around it, checking for infection. "It's looking good and your lungs sound clear. How's the pain level between one and ten."

"I'd say maybe a six or seven, it goes up and down. Any chance I can get up and move around?"

"Not yet, but I will leave instructions to start you on a liquid diet and see how you do. If you're still doing okay, I'll have the catheter removed and the IV. I'll leave directions for pain meds as needed. You need to start slowly and don't overdo it trying to do too much."

"I'll be sure he follows your orders," Sam said looking at Dean with a stern look. He knew his brother didn't like hospitals and always wormed, sneaked, misled, and disappeared before he could be released. He gave him a bitch face when Dean sneered at him.

"Do you have any questions Mr. Winchester?"

"How long do you think I'll need to be here?"

"If you keep improving, we'll see how you do once you're up moving around and can keep solid foods down. You still might have some side effects from all the drugs you were given. You need to let the staff know if you start feeling anxious, fretful, feverish, or feel like you are craving drugs. The detox we put you through, cleaned your system of the drugs but you might feel slight withdrawals symptoms so let us know and we can give you something for it."

"I will Doc," Dean answered giving Sam the evil eye to not say anything.

"I will see you in the morning. If there's any problems have the nurse page me."

"Okay. Thanks Doc."

Dean waited until the doctor had left and turned to his brother before speaking.

"Okay bro, talk to me," Dean stated as he settled back on the mattress.

"What?" Sam replied a little confused.

"Well first I gotta say, I almost didn't recognize you without your princess hair and what's with the bush on your face? I didn't think you'd ever get it cut. Did you feel naked when it was shaved off? I'm surprised you didn't save it to make a wig for when you got out," Dean teased him. "Are you compensating by growing a beard?"

"I didn't have much choice," Sam snipped giving him his best bitch face. "Besides it'll grow back and sometimes I wasn't able to shave, so I let it grow."

"Okay, enough on the hair. Give me a low down on what happened. I don't remember anything after a day or so. They kept me drugged, but I do know they were torturing Dad and using me to mentally tear him down. The boss wanted to make our torture last as long as he could for what Dad did to his organization over the years. So, what happened to the sonovabitch?"

"Well," Sam started looking from Dean to Bobby. "The cops contacted me overseas and told me about you and Dad being missing and I took an early discharge with the leave I had built up. Bobby picked me up at the airport and he gave me all the info he had. I did a little searching on my own and got Ash to do a little hacking for me."

"Gotta love that weirdo," Dean commented.

"I contacted some Marine buddies for help, and we used Ash's data to find the compound. We did what we were trained to do and rescued you."

"What about the boss?"

"He won't be bothering anyone anymore," Sam spat out in a growl.

Dean and Bobby looked at each other for a moment but didn't say anything. Neither thought Sam would explain any further about what he did and didn't pursue it.

"I didn't get there soon enough to save Dad," Sam whispered looking down at his hands as he worried with his fingers.

"Sammy, it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. We're lucky you found us at all," Dean tried to convince him.

"Dean's right Sam, you did your best. I think your daddy would be very proud of you. You saved your brother's life," Bobby added.

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat as his lips trembled and tears slipped from his eyes.

"Come here," Dean told him holding out his arm to pull him into a brotherly hug. "Bobby's right, Dad would have been proud of you. You're a hero to me and to your country. Sammy, I'm so proud of you too." He rubbed his back as Sam finally let himself feel the grief and loss of their father. He sobbed into Dean's shoulder as he clung to him like a lifeline. "I got you bro," Dean cooed letting his own tears fall unabated. He looked at Bobby as he wiped his eyes.

Sam could feel Dean's arms around him and felt like a little kid again and he was comforting him from an injury or broken heart or some upsetting incident. He couldn't hold the tears back any longer and let them freely fall, wetting Dean's hospital gown. He heard Dean mumbling to him but didn't hear what he was saying except that he was proud of him. Deep down, Sam thought Dean might blame him for their father's death. He felt relief and grief at the same time.

Spn

The air was cool as the group made their way to the tent in the cemetery. Sam and Dean were dressed in dark suits as they walked side by side to the grave site. When Dean was able to travel, they drove back to Lawrence and had their father's body brought back to be buried next to their mother.

The brothers planned a small graveside service with only close friends invited. There were chairs grouped around the flower draped casket for everyone. A friend of John's, Pastor Jim, performed the service and they laid their father to rest.

Afterwards, Sam's team, Bobby, Dean, and Pastor Jim gathered at a local bar to pay tribute to John and his life. Sam introduced his old team to them, and they socialized for a while before breaking up and heading out.

Sam was going to use the money he had taken to start a private security business with Dean as his partner. He offered jobs to all his team members when he got it up and running. He was going to call it Winchester Private Security.

It took Dean a while to get over all the effects of being drugged and was diagnosed with PTSD. Sam made him see a counselor and even saw one himself. He would visit his father's grave and talk to him from time to time. The brothers worked together to make their father proud of them.

Life went on for them and they would build their business into a large company employing veterans from all branches of the service. Dean and Sam were sure their parents were looking down on them from Heaven and watching over them hoping they were proud of their sons.

Carry On…

The End