Yay, another 316 ficcy

Dean’s dead.

Dean’s dead and Sam knows what to do.

The house seems to tremble in fear as Sam lets go. He doesn’t feel it happen but judging from Bobby’s reaction, his eyes have changed. Suddenly, everything’s sharper, colors more defined. There are lines of power, like barriers, surrounding the house, and Bobby glows with a dull white light.

Dead is darkened, he’s empty. He shouldn’t be empty. It’s perverse and Sam fights the urge to turn away. Bobby’s yelling at him, probably exorcism rites. The water feels nice, which must be unexpected because Bobby stops.

Sam has a plan, it’s crazy and will possibly kill him, but he has to do it, he has to try. Bobby’s efforts to stop him are desperate and touching, and Sam thinks Bobby would have made a good father if he had had the chance.

In a flash, Sam is in the Impala, and Dean’s body is in the passenger’s seat. The blood will be hard to wash out, and Dean will yell at him for it, but this is the only place that will work.

Spirits are sometimes bound by a location; where they lived, where they died; because of the emotional connection. Dean’s blood, sweat and tears have gone into this car over the past twenty four years and Sam can use that connection.

There’s power in this car and it’s enough to make Dean’s body glow dully. A small cut is all it takes to break the protection sigil and suddenly Sam expands enough to pull on that power, and feels something pull back. Hell doesn’t want to let their prize go. They hold him and bury him deeper. It’s pointless, Dean’s soul shines like a beacon and Sam pulls harder.

Dean’s screaming, or maybe they both are. The transit is painful and Hell is fighting back. Finally the tension breaks and Sam thinks he would have whiplash were he corporeal.

His brother’s spirit is fragile, so he cocoons it within himself until it’s mended. Together, he forces them both into his own body, keeping Dean asleep for now. The easy parts done, it’s the next part he’s not so sure about.

Convincing Bobby took less time than he thought it would. They drive to his house in silence, as Sam works to heal Dean’s spirit from all the wounds it sustained in Hell.

Sitting on the bed beside his brother’s body he wonders if he should leave a letter or something. No, that’s too impersonal, he’ll just have to trust Bobby will be able to explain it to Dean later. Dean’s wounds have been sutured and bandaged, but he’s still just a corpse and Sam is very scared but he’s not going to let that stop him.

All that’s left is for Bobby to finish re-warding the house. They’ve had to remove Dean’s sigils for this to work, and he doesn’t want either of them to be possessed while this is happening.

At Bobby’s signal, Sam relaxes and lets himself expand. He pours out of himself and sinks into coldness and pain.

Dean was cold, after being in Hell, the first thing he noticed was how cold he was. Opening his eyes, he saw the ceiling of Bobby’s guest room. Safe, he was safe; it didn’t make sense, and he felt different but he was so tired.

The next time he opened his eyes, he found Bobby watching over him with the strangest expression.

“Bobby,” his voice had suffered from all the screaming he had done.

Bobby helped him to a glass of water. “That you, Dean?”

“Who else would have my handsome face?” he answered, trying to sound like his normal self and failing miserably.

The joke fell flat when Bobby looked away awkwardly. Something was wrong and with a sinking feeling Dean knew what it was.

“What did he do? Where’s Sam!?”

Bobby sighed and moved to the side, revealing Dean’s battered, injured body lying on the other bed. “He’s in your body and you’re in his.”

Dean woke suddenly from instincts borne of raising Sam. Though the voice was different, Dean recognized the noises Sam made when he was waking up in pain.

Dean watched as Sam, still in Dean’s body, opened his eyes for the first time since starting this process. He walked over to Sam’s side. Sam’s eyes focused on his and he grinned sheepishly.

“So I guess you’re pissed, huh?”

Dean nodded. “As soon as you’re in your own body, I am going to kick your ass.”

Sam looked ecstatic. “Good, that’s good.”

end