This is the final chapter. Thanks again for the nice reviews.

The Innkeeper

Chapter seven

The Innkeeper reached down and grabbed Dean then tossed him like a rag doll across the room away from his brother. He hit the ground hard and yelped in pain. He watched as the spirit turned back toward Sam.

"You son of a bitch leave him alone!" Dean once more tried to make his way over to Sam, his knife wound now bleeding profusely.

Sam knew neither he nor Dean could take much more. He looked up at the Innkeeper.

"You want me you bastard? Then take me!" Sam knew if he was killed, maybe the spirit would be destroyed with him and Dean at least might survive.

"Sam no!"

"Come on you son of a bitch take me!"

Dean watched as Sam lay back on the floor exhausted both from the smoke and his injuries. He knew if the spirit attacked him again this time it would most likely kill him.

Dean began coughing as the smoke filled his lungs. He knew if he didn't get out soon he was going to die along with Sam. But he also knew he wasn't about to leave his brother. He began repeating the Latin prayer that their dad had taught them, the same one Sam had been saying. The Innkeeper turned back toward him, his face full of rage. It was then that the fire's glow caused the cross on the floor to shine. Dean tried to make his way toward it and had just reached it when the spirit once more grabbed him. The crucifix flew from his hand and landed next to Sam who watched as his brother threw back his head his face filled with pain as the spirit began to crush the life out of him. Summoning all the strength he had left Sam picked up the cross and slowly crawled toward them. Then struggling to his feet he threw himself through the spirit holding onto the cross and collapsed next to Dean. The spirit began to scream and spin around wildly as it burst into flames. Sam had passed out from the exertion but Dean watched as tiny white orbs began to appear as the Innkeepers spirit slowly disappeared. They floated in front of him for a short while then went up through the roof and disappeared, free at last from the Innkeeper's hold over them. Dean grabbed Sam by his shirt and drug him over to the nearest window. The house was now beginning to crumble around them. Tears stung Dean's eyes as he felt himself getting weaker and weaker. He knew if he left go of Sam he could make it on his own but he'd rather die then leave his brother behind. With one last burst of energy he pulled Sam over to the window, lifted him up, and pushed him through. He then began to crawl through and felt someone pulling him from outside the house. It was Marge. She pulled him away from the structure then went back and pulled Sam away with strength she didn't know she had.

"Look at you two!" She said as she knelt down beside them. Both of them were covered in blood. Dean's shirt was completely saturated with blood from his wound which had ripped open and Sam's face and body were covered with blood and bruises, his arm hung useless at his side, a large lump appearing over the break. "I got to get you two boys to the hospital."

"We did it Marge… We destroyed the Innkeeper's spirit...the other spirits are free." Dean looked over at his brother and winced when he saw his battered face. "How's Sammy?"

"He's alive….But it looks like his arm could be broken and he's taken quite a beating. How 'bout you?" She said, worried seeing all the blood.

"Just popped a few stitches. I'll be fine."

"Thank God. You boys had me worried."

"We'll be fine Marge." Dean gave her a smile, grateful that both he and Sam were alive.

Sam began to moan slightly, his eyelids fluttered then opened.

"Hey Bro." Dean said as he gently pulled Sam into his arms.

"Are we dead?" Sam said as he looked into Dean's face.

Dean laughed.

"No, but the Innkeeper is back in hell where he belongs."

"What about the others?"

"I saw them floating off….I think you freed them Sammy."

"You shouldn't have come back Dean, I had it all under control." Sam gave a little smile.

"Yeah, it looked like you did."

"Hey, I had him right where I wanted him."

"What, ready to bash your face in?"

Sam gave a little laugh.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For coming after me."

"Well I couldn't let you take all the glory now could I?"

It was then Sam saw all the blood on Dean's shirt.

"You're hurt!"

"I'm fine, just popped a few stitches."

Sam shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what."

"For trying to kill you dummy."

"That's twice now Sammy, once in that asylum and now here. Don't make a habit of it."

"I'll try not to. You know what they say…threes the charm."

"Don't remind me." Dean gently raised Sam's face and examined the bruises. "Boy he really did a number on you. How's the arm?"

"Hurts."

"Can you boys make it to the car? I need to get you to the hospital." Marge asked.

"I think so." Dean stood up wobbly, and then he and Marge reached down and gently helped Sam up. He cried out as they touched his arm which hung at his side. "Easy Bro." Dean said as he helped Sam walk toward the car.

"What about your car? We can't just leave it here." Sam asked.

"Yeah, how 'bout next time you borrow it you ask first?"

"Yeah, like you would have left me take it.… I did park it far enough away so the fire didn't reach it."

"Yeah, I noticed, thanks." As much as he loved the car it wouldn't have meant a thing to him if Sammy hadn't made it out alive. "How are we going to explain this to the cops?"

"I don't know….a knife wound, now a fire…. I say we jump in the car and get as far away from this town as we can."

"Sam your arm's broken, it needs to be set."

"Hey, Dad taught us how to set broken bones in case we were out in the field and there was no nearby help. You can do it Dean. You did it before."

When Sammy was twelve they had been hunting with their dad and Sam had broken his arm. It was then their dad had taught them how to set a bone. It had been extremely painful but it had worked. Dean swallowed the lump in his throat as he remembered how Sam had screamed in pain as they pulled the bones back together.

"Sam I don't know if I can do that again."

Off in the distance they could hear the fire engine's sirens getting closer and knew they had to get out of there.

"Dean we don't have time to argue we got to get out of here."

"Look, both you boys need medical help. I'm not letting you two just ride off into the sunset." Marge looked back and forth between them.

"Sam's right Marge, we go to the hospital busted up like this and smelling of smoke they're going to hold us for arson. We'll be fine. I have medical supplies in the trunk and I can patch us up."

"What about Sam? He looks pretty bad. He could be busted up inside."

"Marge we can't be arrested. If they look in my car and see all the stuff in there we'll never get out of jail. We need to get out of here now. I'll take care of Sam and if I can't I'll get him to another hospital."

Marge didn't like it but she understood. She hugged Dean and gave Sam a small kiss on his cheek.

"You boys take care of each other." She put her hand on Sam's face. "And Sam….your girlfriend's death is not your fault. You need to let go of all those feelings of guilt boy."

Sam nodded sadly.

"I'll try."

The sirens were getting closer and soon the fire trucks would be there.

"We got to go Marge. You better get out of here yourself."

"Take care boys and keep in touch." She said as she got into her car and pulled away.

Dean walked Sam over to his car and helped him in the passenger's seat, then got in the driver's seat and quickly pulled away.

Later

When they had finally left the county Dean pulled over on a back road and had Sam lay down on the back seat. He got a towel out of the trunk.

"This is going to hurt like hell Sam. You'll need to bite down on this."

"Just get it over with." Sam said as he put the towel in his mouth.

Dean gently ran his hand over Sam's arm and could tell it was a simple break and shouldn't cause a problem. He took a few deep breaths to ready himself. He hated hurting his brother but knew the arm needed to be set. He took hold of Sam's arm, then held his breath and pulled. Sam's scream was muffled by the towel as his body jerked in reaction to the pain. His head flew back and then his body went limp as he passed out.

"Sorry Sammy." Dean said as he made sure the bone was back in place. He then got out two pieces of wood from the truck and tightly tied Sam's arm to it and then fashioned a makeshift sling. Once they got a motel room he would make a cast for him out of the plaster in the trunk. He covered his brother with a blanket and then got back in the driver's seat and drove.

Motel room

When Sam finally woke up he was lying on a bed in a motel room, his arm now in a cast, his burned leg also bandaged. He pushed the blanket that had been put over him off and slowly sat up and hung his feet over the edge of the bed. When the room stopped spinning he stood up and walked into the bathroom where he could hear the water running. He glanced in the mirror and noticed that his face had been cleaned of the blood, but winced when he saw the black and blue marks that marred it.

"Dean?" He said quietly as he leaned against the wall.

The shower door slid slightly open and Dean popped his head out.

"It's about time you woke up."

"Where are we?"

"I have no idea but it's about fifty miles from where we were. I think we should hold up here for a few days. How's the arm?"

"Hurts a little, but its fine. How about you?"

"I'll be fine. Can you hand me a towel?'

Sam handed him a towel and he ducked back into the shower before coming out with the towel wrapped around his waist.

"Is that what I did?" Sam said when he saw the deep inch long cut on Dean's side.

"Yeah, you're going to owe me one Bro."

"I'm sorry Dean….I couldn't stop him from taking over. I tried….But he was too strong. You know I could have killed you …."

"Yeah, but you didn't. So don't worry about it, it's over."

Sam shook his head.

"That's twice now I let something possess me…. I should be stronger; I should be able to fight it." Sam looked over at Dean. "One day I might end up killing you."

"One day I might end up killing you too. It's a chance we take Sam. The line of work we're in….who knows what can happen."

"Is it worth it Dean? Is it really worth dying for?"

Sam shook his head sadly and looked away.

Dean looked at Sam's bruised and beaten face and felt a little ache in his heart. Why couldn't he tell his brother he loved him he wondered. It just wasn't something he could do, too girlie. Instead he punched him lightly on his good arm.

"Don't you go getting all drama queen on me Sam. Now get out of here while I get dressed."

Sam walked back into the bedroom and turned on the TV. He was randomly switching channels when he came to a news report about the fire.

"….the fire was determined to be of a suspicious nature. No injuries were reported and the fire marshal is investigating… now onto the weather…."

Dean walked into the bedroom just in time to see Sam grab a tissue as a thin trickle of blood ran out of is nose. He shook his head sadly as he watched Sam quickly try to dab it away before he saw it. One day he'd find a way to help Sam deal with the guilt he felt. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he remembered Marge's words to him. If he didn't get rid of the guilt it could eventually kill him.

The End