Parting Gift
By Montez
Disclaimer: Winchesters are Kirpke's, Brotherhood characters are Ridley's. Plot bunny planted by L. Burke (see authors note below)

Authors Note: First let me say, it would be helpful to read L. Burke's story "Of Earth" to see where the idea for this story came from. I've been given permission to attempt this story and hope it lives up to her writings. She also has another story called "Of Water" that is the first of the three she's planning on writing that is really worth the read.

This can probably be read without reading the above stories but you'd miss a couple awesome works. This takes place after the confrontation with Lucifer as it happened in Ridley's and Tidia's five-part season five finale, so their will be some spoilers if you haven't read those wonderful stories as well.

Okay enough of my rambling, I'll thank you in advance and wish me luck as I work through this.-Montez

Chapter 1

The confrontation with Lucifer had shaken them all. The frightening forty-eight hours that Caleb had lost the connection to the two men he viewed as brothers were still giving him nightmares. When Sam had said yes to the Devil himself a darkness tore through Caleb's consciousness like nothing he had ever felt, it had been worse than when he felt Dean die as his deal had come due and the Hellhounds had torn through his flesh to reach his soul. It was the knowing that Sam had been consumed by pure evil that terrified the Psychic.

Then when Dean had agreed to Michael, again the connection was lost to his little brother, but over the two days that he and Bobby had desperately tried to track the Winchester's/Angel's Caleb had left his connections wide open, continuously searching for a feeling from his lost family members. Dean's returned first as he fought Michael for control standing in the cemetery in Lawrence. It wasn't until Lucifer/Sam had been pushed into the open pit back to Hell that Sam's fragile connection came back, giving the Knight enough to latch onto to perform the Triad spell to recall a lost brother, thus returning Sam to them while Lucifer was successfully trapped back in the bowels of Hell.

Returning to the farm after the battle to save the world, each man withdrew for a while, coming to terms with what they had experienced, what they had done. Dean had spent every waking moment at the pond; water being the Guardian's element, the calming influence was the only thing that could quiet the Hunter's soul, the lingering effects of Michael's presence still ever present.

Caleb would find solace in the barn, years ago when he was still a teenager visiting the farm with his father, Caleb had walled off a small area in the loft, it was joked back then that it was his own 'fortress of solitude' for when the young psychic's abilities or memories of his past were more than the teen felt he could handle. But it also became a studio type area, someplace he could go to draw or paint while at the farm that was only his. It was someplace he guarded, never allowing his father, Jim, John or the boys access. It was understood by his family that, just like Dean's need to be on or near the water, this place was sacred to Caleb and his family respected that.

Sam had become the most withdrawn of the three; his forty-eight hours with pure evil trapped within his body, within his soul had changed the normally talkative man. The Scholar had tried to come to terms with what Lucifer had done while he inhabited Sam's body, but the young man still had the memories of what such evil was capable of, the death's that had been caused by his hand. Sam would wake in the night to the echoes of the Devil's laughter inside his head. He tried to hide this from his brother, but Dean could always tell when something was wrong with his little brother, however having to deal with his own issues of being used by an Arch-Angel when Sam would mumble he was fine, Dean didn't push. So in silence Sam dealt with the guilt, the fear and the voice that wouldn't go away.

It had been nearly two months since the dark day in Kansas that stopped the Apocalypse, but had taken a part of the Triads soul. During that time they did have cause to celebrate as Joshua and Carolyn were married at the farm, their original venue having been burnt to the ground just weeks before the Lucifer ordeal when the Triad had to face the powerful Demon Caleb had unleashed in his attempt to save Dean from his deal, Malachi Harris, that episode nearly killing the entire Triad, as well as their Advisor.

It was on the night of the wedding that the spirit of Jim Murphy visited the boys, trying to give them the peace they so needed after all they had been through, it was that feeling that Caleb and Dean had latched onto as they started to work their way back into what was normal by Brotherhood standards. Dean stepping into his position of Guardian with a newfound purpose, Caleb, having been the interim Knight since John's death, taking on the job of starting to train newer members of the Brotherhood, but Sam had continued to distance himself from his family. Disappearing for hours at a time into the wooded area that surrounded the farm, only Caleb's link with the Scholar letting them know that Sam had not wondered from the protected property.

"He's struggling with his blocks, I don't know if he's trying to keep something out or something in." Caleb spoke one morning as they had just watched Sam walk, wordlessly, through the kitchen and out the back door.

Mac and Bobby were sitting at the table with their coffee, Dean moving about making breakfast as Caleb started the second pot of brew for the day. Dean looked out the window as he watched his brother walk toward the woods. "He's not eating, I thought he was getting better after the wedding and seeing Jim, but he still isn't talking to me. I don't know what to do for him." Dean answered sitting the pancakes he had been working on in the middle of the table.

"I must say I've never seen Sam looking so lost. I thought we would have started working together so he would better understand what his responsibilities of being the Scholar would involve, but it seems he's avoiding me as well." Mac replied, taking a couple of the pancakes, but feeling anything but hungry. The Doctor had watched as the man he had known since Sam was a baby seemed to be withering away before them and none of them seemed able to penetrate the barriers the younger man had put in place.

Bobby took a bite of his breakfast, then commented, "I don't think having absolute evil riding your ass for two days is something you could just wake up one morning and decide wasn't a big deal and move on. We've got no idea what went on during that time and if Sam ain't talk'in we have no idea what demons he's still dealing with, no pun intended."

Dean looked at his family before him; before his eye's drifted toward the door, worry for his brother clear on his face. "We've got to come up with something soon; I can't lose him now, not after everything we've been through, not when we have this chance to start over. I'm about ready to haul him back to Bobby's and throw him back in that panic room until he talks. At least I'd know where the hell he is, he may not be leaving the property but I don't like him out there by himself so much." Dean ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he pushed his half eaten breakfast away.

"We're not going to lose him Deuce, we'll figure something out, we always do." Caleb tried to give his friend a small smile, but they were all feeling the frustration of not being able to bring their youngest member out of the dark place he seemed to be trapped.

Dean stood as he heard a vehicle pull up near the house, "Eli and Ethan are here." Dean moved his plate to the sink and started on the second batch of pancakes, figuring the twins were hungry.

Everyone turned toward the door when the Hunter's entered, Ethan bumping his brother's shoulder, "Told you I smelt pancakes, God I'm starving." Ethan made his way toward the table as Dean put a couple empty plates on it, the vice-cop wasting no time getting a stack of hotcakes onto his plate.

Caleb watched the man a moment before turning toward Eli, "Damn Eli, don't you ever feed him? You'd think he hadn't seen food in weeks." The Professor took the chair next to the Knight as he watched his twin brother woof down the food.

"You see how he eats, I'm afraid to take him out in public." Eli smiled at his brother when Ethan gestured just what he thought of his twin's statement.

Mac cleared his throat before speaking, "It's nice to see you boys, I hope all is well."

Ethan took a drink of the coffee that Dean had set beside him, then looked sheepishly toward Mac, "Sorry Mac," The longer-hair man glanced at his brother, "Somebody wouldn't stop for breakfast this morning." Wiping his face Ethan continued, "We're doing good; just thought we'd touch base, see how everything's been going."

Eli piped up, "Plus I was hoping to check out some of the old journals in the Tomb, I'm researching something and thought I remembered Jim mentioning something about it in one of the books."

"What are you researching?" Caleb spoke up as Ethan nearly choked on his next bite.

"Good luck with that, he won't even tell me, just drug me alone so he wouldn't be bored on the drive." Ethan commented.

"Like you had anything better to do, you're on leave for the next month; I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble." Eli answered, his brother sending a death-glare across the table.

Worry crossed everyone's face at the Hunter's words, there were usually only two reason's a cop was put on leave, he was under investigation or he had been hurt. "Ethan?" It was Mac's worried voice that broke the tension.

Dean had taken a seat at the other end of the table, watching as the older Hunter sat his fork down glancing around the table. "It's nothing, I'm fine, it's standard procedure, a few weeks off after the accident."

"Nothing?" Eli spoke up; fear and a hint of anger could be made out in his calmly controlled voice. "You were unconscious for twelve hours. Do you have any idea what it was like for me to get 'that' phone call?"

Confusion and concern was on everyone's face, "What do you mean unconscious for twelve hours? What happened? Why weren't we called?" Dean looked at the short-haired twin. He knew what it was like to be in fear for your brother's life, dreading that phone call, or trip to the hospital, Dean had lived the horror of losing his brother and was not ready to start losing extended members of his family now.

Running his hand through his long hair, Ethan looked again toward his brother; he could remember the look of worry and fear on Eli's face when he finally woke up in the hospital. It was a look he never wanted to see again on his twin's face. "We were chasing this suspect in a residential neighborhood, he turned down this one road, I was at the other end trying to block his exit. He hit me broad side doing almost seventy, flipping my truck." Again the cop could pick up the worry from his friends looking at him, "It's nothing, couple cracked ribs, concussion, that's all. I'm off on medical for the next month, but seriously I'm fine."

"Twelve hours is a long time, are you sure you're doing okay? When did this happen?" Mac asked looking between the twins.

"four days ago, he was discharged the next day and I know how mule-headed my brother can be so I thought I'd better bring him with me instead of leaving him to his own devices." Eli stared at Ethan, daring him to argue again. At first it had been just that, an argument, but when Ethan realized just how much he had scared his 'little' brother he relented on the trip. "The doctors just told him to take it easy, try to avoid any more blows to his head and he should be fine. I tried to talk him into wearing his motorcycle helmet for the next few days, but…"

Caleb and Dean laughed; it was a running joke about Ethan and his obsession with his 'flowing mane of hair'. "He's lucky they didn't have to shave his head for anything, his ego would have taken a hell of a hit." Caleb continued to laugh at look he was given by the cop.

"Tell me about it." Eli laughed, the tension finally breaking for the moment.

The twins sat eating for a few minutes, Dean again moving about, glancing out the window, hoping to see his brother. Caleb easily picking up on his friend's anxiety, closing his eye's a moment, the older man looked at the Guardian, "He's still on the farm Deuce."

A sad smile crossed Dean's face as he leaned against the counter, staring at the floor. "Is something wrong?" Eli asked, finally seeming to notice they were missing someone, "Where's Sam?"

Bobby cleared his throat as he pushed his chair back, "I think I'm gonna head out to the barn for a bit, give you guys some time to bring the wonder twins up to speed on things." Putting his plate in the sink Bobby gave Dean's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before heading out the door.

Mac looked toward Dean, meeting the worried gaze of the Guardian who gave him a nod to let the other two hunters in on what was going on with Sam. "Sam is having a harder time than we had hoped in recovering from his ordeal with Lucifer."

"He seemed fine at the wedding." Eli remarked, remembering that his friend appeared fine, though a little quieter than he had normally been.

"It appears that is what he wanted us to think, but the last few weeks have been extremely hard." Mac finished as Dean returned to his seat.

Dean looked at the Professor, "Maybe you can help with that, you said you were researching something? You could ask him to help, maybe distract him from whatever is going on in that head of his, he's not talking to me and I don't know what to do to help him."

Eli started nodding his head, "Sure, whatever you need me to do to help."

Caleb's phone beeped at that moment as a text was received, "Looks like Josh is finally back from his honeymoon." A mischievous grin crossed the Knight's face, "He just landed in Louisville and is headed this way to check in."

Catching the meaning in Caleb's look, Dean gave a hint of a smile, bobbing his eyebrows at the next question. "You think we can get him to share any details?"

Mac shook his head as the four men laughed, "Please leave Joshua alone, they got back in yesterday and Carolyn and Esme have been going through the wedding photos, I just think he needed an escape." Mac loved his wife, but her enthusiasm over the photographs, as beautiful as they were, was even more than the poor Doctor himself could deal with.

Caleb laughed louder as he looked at his father, "Now I know why you decided to show up here yesterday."

Mac stood looking at the bachelors that were setting at the table, "You boys will understand one day, wedding photos bring out a side of women that no man really needs to see." The Doctor headed toward the library as the younger men continued discussing how they were going to needle Joshua once he arrived.

Walking past the fireplace in the living room Mac's attention was brought to a couple pictures; one of his lost brothers, a picture of him, Jim and John, in a rare moment when they were able to get John to stop for a photo, even rarer that he was smiling. The second picture was one of Caleb, Dean, Sam and Joshua taken the Christmas after Dean's return, for a time a moment of peace was felt before the seals, before Lucifer and the Apocalypse. Looking at Sam Mac's heart ached to see the happier look again grace the face of the young man he was worried they would lose into a darkness none of them seemed to be able to bring him back from.

A/N: This was my setting up to why everyone would be at the farm; I threw Bobby into the mix just because I couldn't leave him out. I'm setting us up for the 'Bomb' that was referenced in L. Burke's story. Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you guys on what you think.-Montez