AN: Wow..this is a blast from the past, isn't it? Seriously though - sorry this took so long. My life has been one mess after another. Though I know none of you want to hear excuses right now, so I'll just let you get on with the chapter. Just let me say that this has been an awesome ride, and I'm proud of this story - even though it took so long to get done. Anyways, thanks for reading! Each and every one of you! 3

-in-silent-seas

"You talked with my father?" Castiel questioned in shock.

Sam nodded slowly, wincing slightly as he moved his head, "Yeah. Um.." He paused, his eyes gaining a far away look as he stared at something behind Castiel. His face twisted into a pained look and he lurched forward. Dean reached out to catch him before he could hit the ground.

"Whoa, whoa! Sam you are definitely far from okay!" Dean shouted, gripping Sam tightly as he struggled to sit back up.

"D-don't worry about it, Dean." Sam murmured, hands reaching out to the ground to gain some leverage as he tried to push himself back into a sitting position, "Like I said everything's all jumbled right now. I just gotta...give it some time to settle down." He grunted as another wave of pain shot through his skull. He could feel the grace moving around inside him, trying to tie together his fraying psyche.

Castiel impatiently stepped closer to the two, "You said you spoke with Father."

Sam met his gaze, "Yeah. When I woke up here I - " He winced, trying not to let the pained whimper escape his mouth. He was actually kind of glad that Dean was holding him up right now, "I was lying on my back and there was this light above me. Some part of me knew that it was God. I think it might of been the grace." He paused, swallowing and realizing just how dry his throat really was, "He spoke to me."

"I think we should get him home." Bobby interrupted, noticing how pale Sam was looking, "I don't think that grace got quite all of the injuries you had, Sam."

Sam shook his head, "I'm fine, I swear."

Shaking his head, Dean gripped Sam's arms and helped him to his feet, "No. You can tell the rest of your story later. Right now we're gonna get you into the car so you can pass out and then we're all gonna go back to Bobby's." Not giving anyone a moment to protest (though Castiel looked fairly upset at having to wait), Dean opened the passenger door to the impala and gently set Sam inside.

And like that they were on the road. Contrary to what Dean had said he was gonna do, Sam sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window. Occasionally he would grunt or whimper and try to curl in on himself, but Dean liked to pretend that it wasn't happening and that his brother wasn't falling apart in the seat next to him. Bobby and Cas stayed oddly silent, though Dean got the feeling that Castiel was slightly still upset about having to cut their conversation short.

Sam was having a hard time not letting it show that he felt like he was falling apart on the inside. What he had told Dean earlier had been true. There was too much going on in his mind, and the leftovers of Lucifer's grace wasn't nearly enough to manage it. Not with all that Hell balled up in there. Still, even if it killed him, Sam didn't want to let it show to Dean. With everything that's happened he's made his brother worry enough.

There was something important he had to tell them, before he fell apart completely, and it was the message that God had given him to pass on. He had to tell them quickly cause he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. He could almost hear the grace as it fluttered around in his mind, hastily trying it's best to keep them together long enough to get this across.

Sam had known the possibility that abosrbing the other parts of himself could cause him to lose his mind, he had just hoped that it wouldn't happen this fast.

Dean gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at Sam out of the corner of his eye. The younger wasn't looking good. With determination in his eyes, he pressed harder on the gas, speeding them faster down the highway.

It seemed like forever later that they finally arrived home. Sam whimpered as a migraine set in. He was wondering when that would happen. However, he forced himself to stand and get out of the car by himself. The fact that he even accomplished that almost brought a smile to his face.

Dean was at his side in an instant, throwing one of Sam's arms over his shoulders and helping him up the front steps. Castiel and Bobby followed close behind, holding the door as Dean practically carried Sam into the building.

Sam let Dean set him down on the couch, for now just trying to focus on keeping himself together enough to tell Castiel what he needed to know. He closed his eyes for a moment, colors splaying across the backs of his eyelids. The grace had told him that there would be some side effects to what it was trying to do while Sam carried on. Not that it mattered. There wouldn't be much Sam left in a moment.

"Okay." Sam stated, turning everyone's attention to him. Dean sat next to him, staring at him like he was going to disappear any second. Castiel still stood by the door and Bobby leaned against one of the nearby walls, "God had a message for you, Castiel."

"A message for me?" The angel questioned, face stoic.

"He wanted me to tell you that.." Sam trailed off, feeling himself slipping a little. He caught it, though, and managed to pull it back together, "That someone else escaped from Hell with me." Sam's eyes moved to Dean, who looked confused, "Samuel Campbell...Crowley brought him back and he's been gathering alphas."

"Wait, Crowley brought our grandfather back?" Dean's eyes narrowed as Sam seemed to wobble slightly, like he was going to fall over, "No offense, but why did God tell you all of this, Sammy?"

Sam shrugged, "I dunno...but he's - he's the one who got me out of the cage." He was losing it, he could feel it. The control overhimself was slipping and the grace wasn't moving nearly fast enough to stop it. It was okay though, because he'd gotten his message across. He'd told them what they needed to know. They could...they could stop...

Dean shouted as Sam suddenly crashed to the ground, eyes going blank.

"Sam?! Sam can you hear me?!" His eyes flew to Castiel, "What the hell happened?!"

Castiel looked like he wanted to say something, but he shook his head. Sadness showed in his eyes as he murmured, "I'm sorry, Dean." And disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Dean growled but didn't have long to be angry because there was a light in front of him.

He looked up, but it was so bright and so hard to look at that he had to look away again. Before he had time to make a comment, the light spoke.

"Dean Winchester." Dean couldn't keep the look of shock off of his face because how the hell did some freaking light thing know his name?! "Your brother's actions have saved this world, and in doing so, have saved my children from furthering their own destruction." There was a pause, and for a moment the light almost looked like a person, "I will grant him one last gift."

There was another light that shined over Sam, and by the time that Dean looked back towards where the being had been, it was gone.

Bobby was suddenly there, kneeling down next to Sam and feeling for a pulse.

"He's fine Dean. He's just asleep." The ex-hunter murmured, watching Dean relax.

Dean (with the help of Bobby) got Sam back up onto the couch and sighed, tossing a blanket over the younger hunter. He looked back towards where the light had been, the only remnant that it had been there in the first place was a small burn mark on the ground. What the hell had that even been? An angel without a vessel? Could it have been God?

"So that was something." Bobby murmured as he came back into the living room, two beers in hand. He gave one to Dean and took a seat in a nearby armchair. The other followed suit, moving Sam's feet onto his lap so that he could sit down on the couch, "What do you think that light was? God?"

Dean gave a shrug, taking a swig of his beer. He honestly didn't know. Nothing was making sense right now, but honestly he didn't give a damn because Sam was back and in (hopefully) in one piece and that's all that mattered. Green eyes moved to look at the sleeping form on the couch, silently hoping that whatever had happened, Sam would be okay. Sam had to be okay.

Sam's eyes flew open, his last memories being of him passing out on the floor, knowing full well that he was going to disappear forever. And yet - by some reason or another - death had failed to get him once more. He was laying on the couch, the sun streaming through Bobby's dirty windows and landing on his face.

Blinking, he sat up and looked around the room. Dean was asleep in a nearby armchair, and Bobby was sitting at the kitchen table. They both looked terrible, and Sam wondered just how long he'd been out of it. What had it been? Days? Weeks? The thought brought a wave of sadness on him, because really he'd never expected to wake up from the last time he'd passed out.

"Sam?" A voice called.

The younger brother flinched, turning his gaze to Dean, "Dean." He responded, voice hoarse.

Smiling widely, Dean stood and moved to Sam, pulling the bigger male into his arms. There was a moment of silence, and Sam wondered once more just how long he'd been out 'cause Dean was never this touchy-feely and honestly it was starting to freak him out. When Dean pulled away, however, Sam couldn't help but feel bad as there were tear tracks lining his brother's cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy." Dean started, "I shouldn't have - I-"

"Dean. Shut up." Sam gave the older a smile, "It's all fine now, I promise. I'm better. Whatever happened after I passed out fixed it."

Dean shook his head, "You were dead - gone. But this freaky light show came down and brought you back. I'm still not even sure what it was." He sat back down in the armchair, breathing heavily and just in awe of the fact that Sam was here. Alive. In front of him. "And freaking Cas just disappeared, saying that he was sorry. You have no idea how freaked out I was."

Sam flinched again, flashes of Dean's body covered in gashes from hell hounds echoing in his mind. But still, Dean did look like he was honestly shook up. So instead of commenting, he let the subject drop, "The good news is, I remember everything." He let himself smile a little bit about that one, because he remembered what it had felt like when he'd been the amnesiac version of himself, "But I think the grace is completely gone."

"Honestly? Sam?" Dean said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat, "I'm just glad you're back."

Smiling, Sam nodded, "Yeah. Me too."

Epilogue:

Bobby stood on his front porch, watching as Sam and Dean packed their meager amount of things away in the back seat of the impala. There was a smile on his face, albeit a slightly sad one, but a smile none the less. The brothers were back, and mostly alright again, and so they were moving on - like they usually did.

"You boys sure you don't want to stay another week? I could use some help with the cars." Bobby said, already knowing their answer.

Dean walked up to the older man, hands in his pockets, "Nah. I think it's best we get a move on. Besides, we have to try and track down Cas again. Not to mention there's that whole Samuel Campbell thing to worry about, right Sammy?" The older brother looked towards his younger sibling, who was shutting one of the doors to the impala.

"I'd love to stay, Bobby, but you know..." Sam trailed off, looking slightly guilty.

Bobby nodded, "I know how you two are." The elder crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the two, "Now you listen here - either of you get's into trouble you call me, okay? You know you always have a home here."

The brothers nodded in unison, both grinning slightly.

"Good. Now get on out of here, ya idjits."

END