So hello everyone! This is my first fanfic ever! You can imagine this happening during the first half of season 8,just before Sam takes on the responsibility of the trials .It's a stand-alone story, kinda like MOTW, but it focuses more on Sam and Dean. This features worrying/protective Dean, hurt/limp!Sam and a small flashback to the Wee!chester years. I hope you like it!Reviews are much appreciated :)

Sam and Dean were driving in the Impala, it's 2 a. m in the morning. The radio's playing "Black Ice" from AC/DC.

"My life, black ice, my life black ice yeaaaahh!"

"Dude! Can you keep it down for a little? My ears will start bleeding soon."

"Sammy, don't be such a buzz kill. It's a great song and I'm in a good mood!"

"Yeah well, sure you are. You hadn't been working your ass off on research all evening long, I had!

"I was busy alright?"

"You mean with that bartender you met last night at the bar. Wow that must have been exhausting, Dean!"
"What can I say? I can never leave a lady unsatisfied. And you've got to admit she was hot! Girl was a Greek Goddess!"

"Ok, ok. Whatever. Just turn that down, will you?"

"FINE! Grinch. So, tell me. You found anything strange in that newspaper?

"I think so. The Police found a 29-year old man dead in an alley in Wichita Falls, North Central Texas. According to his family, he was healthy as a horse, he had no previous health problems and he was a football player. He disappeared three days before his corpse was found. He was last seen at a bowling center where he'd gone with his friends. He left alone and no one saw him alive ever since"

"Ah…So why is this our thing again?"

"Guess what the cause of death was. Hypothermia."

"What? We are in the middle of July and we're talking Texas here!"

"Exactly. It sounds like a case to me."

"Yeah it definitely seems so. Alright I'm toast. Let's find a motel to crash for the night and we'll look into it first thing in the morning. We're only 40 miles away from the case"

"Dean wake up! We're late."

"Okay, okay! Damn I had a nice dream. There was this chick and…"

"DEAN!"

"I'm up man!" Dean walked staggering into the bathroom to take a quick shower while Sam was packing the things. Half an hour later they were ready and loading their stuff in the trunk of the Impala.

When they got in the car, Dean turned on the radio and they heard about a second male corpse that came to the surface with the details being almost identical with the previous deceased.

"What the hell? So soon? " Sam said seeming surprised and annoyed.

"It's barely been a day since the last one. Let's go Sam. Something's really off about these deaths."

By the time the brothers got to Wichita Falls, the bodies of the two people who were found dead were taken to the hospital for the autopsy. Sam and Dean suited up and visited the Morgue pretending to be FBI agents.

"How come the FBI grew interested in our town's matters? You people show up only to mess things worse" the doctor said in a very criticizing manner.

"Sir, all due respect, but we always have our hands full. We are here now and we are going to do our job the best way we can. Will you please show us to the bodies now so we can make our observations?" Sam said seriously.

"Be my guest. Well since you boys are here let me tell you that I've never seen anything like this before in my life. People dying of hypothermia with a heat wave like this? It's crazy. I can't explain it. The only thing I can think of is that they were held up somewhere and they were frozen to death. But it didn't happen very fast. It must have taken about 15 hours for them to die. They must have been in extreme agony. Also there are these marks. See, they both bare some evident signs of struggle and have wounded flesh around their wrists. I found some fibers in the wounds, possibly coming from a rope, which tells me that they were probably tied up and hung causing their body weight to focus on the wrists. One thing is for sure. These two young men didn't just die. Someone did this to them. They were good kids, I knew them. You better find those responsible agents"

Or something…Sam and Dean instantly thought.

"What do you make of this? I don't think we've come across something like it in the past."

"I've got jack Sam. There's always a first time for everything. For some reason, I don't like it when it happens to us."

"Okay, let's find ourselves a nearby motel and start digging"

"Dude! It's been 4 hours! I am tired and I am freakin starving! I've got nada here." Dean protested making a fussy face.

"Me neither. I just ca… Wait!"

"What?"

"Listen to this. According to the Greek mythology, there's this goddess called Chione. Chione in English means Snow. She was the daughter of Boreas, the great God of Wind. According to the myth Chione was a very cruel and merciless goddess. Whenever she got angry, people would suffer from cold weather, they would die, their animals would die and their crops would be destroyed. So, in order for them to placate her, they had to offer her once a year some of their best men, the most handsome and healthy so she would spare the lives of the rest and protect them during the winter."

"So, if this Chione bitch is the one to blame for this, why is this happening at this time of the year?"

"The offerings took place during the summer, when the goddess was weak and needed the cold to sustain herself. She would take the men to her lair and freeze them gradually so she could feed on their energy"

"Yikes…Well if she was weak during the summer why didn't people just ditch the offerings? The Snow Queen would literally melt away."

"I don't know Dean. I guess people back in the ancient times were too ignorant and afraid of the unknown and supernatural forces so they would do whatever they were asked to do. Good thing we know better, right?"

"Damn straight. We should check out for deserted areas. Warehouses, old factories, wherever this Greek chick could do her thing to those poor bastards."

"Yeah. I'll pack the car."

"Wait dude! I can't go with an empty stomach! Let me grab something to eat from the 'Burger Land' down the street. I'll be back in a few and we'll go, ok?"

"Oh, come on, can't it wait until after we get this done, Dean?"

"I am a warrior Sam! You can't send a warrior to the war with his belly rumbling! I'll be quick. Want me to get you anything?"

"Fine…No I'm good. Just hurry."

Dean grabbed some dollar bills from his wallet and left the room. It was dark outside. Sam was getting the duffels ready when thirst hit him. He was starting to regret that he didn't tell Dean to grab a soda for him but then he recalled having seen a vendor machine just outside the reception. Since he was going to be back at the room in a minute, he thought he wouldn't need his phone. That was not going to happen though. Sam stood before the vendor machine and was about to press the button for the soda when he felt a bump on the back of his head and everything went black.

"Sammy, I'm back. Sam? Are you in the bathroom? "Dean shouted. He knocked on the bathroom's door but the door was not properly closed and opened, revealing no one inside. Dean walked in the room again and started wondering why Sam would leave when he was the one who insisted they hurried in the first place.

"Where the hell is he?" Dean grabbed his phone and dialed Sam's number but it was to no good since Sam had left it on his bed. Dean started to worry. He stepped out and looked around the parking lot. When he found himself in front of the vendor machine where Sam was attacked, he noticed Sam's watch on the ground. He picked it up and his eyes opened wide. He knew his little brother was in trouble. His heart started beating fast and his mind went crazy, making the worst of thoughts.

"He's fine. Sam is fine. He can't be… NO! I will not allow it." Dean mattered. When he looked at the vendor machine he saw the most concerning thing." The glass was frozen. He tried to wipe it with his hand but his mere touch broke the whole thing. Everything inside had become a piece of ice. Dean realized Sam got jumped by Chione. He had to do something fast or his brother wouldn't last long. The doctor had said that the victims had lasted more or less 15 hours. The very thought made Dean sick. He felt a pit in his stomach and his hands started shaking. He raised them above his head in desperation and then closed his eyes. He quickly opened them giving the vendor machine a furious and strong punch, destroying it a little more. Then, he pulled himself together and run back to the motel room. He grabbed his duffel and car keys and went to the parking lot to take his car. He checked for the flamethrower he had recently acquired from a friend of Bobby's. He owed Bobby one and since Bobby was not around anymore he gave the flamethrower to the boys as a gift. It seemed that it would come in handy now. Dean figured that since they were facing the goddess of ice, some hot flame would torch her up and melt her for good. He then got in the Impala, started the engine and drove off towards the police station to ask about the deserted places where Chione could be possibly keeping Sam.

When Sam came to, he felt his head spinning from the blow but he couldn't really move. His hands were tied up tight with a rope which was hanging by a large hook and his feet where far from the ground. The pressure on his wrists brought him intense pain. He always laughed at Dean's jokes when he was calling him a giant but right now he wished he was shorter, smaller. He felt his skin burning and the more he was struggling to get free the more damage he was doing to his wrists. Blood started coming out and soon Sam got tired and abandoned his efforts. He knew it was vain. The only useful thing he was carrying with him was his pocket knife but unfortunately he would never reach it; it was in his right sock. Of course he knew it was Chione who attacked him. The chilling air was getting under his skin and the whole place was death itself. There were hooks all over the place. Some of them had pieces of rotten meat on. The smell was awful and Sam was barely holding it together so as to not throw up. There were also blades of all kinds and lengths .What once used to be blood was now brown rust on the counters. Sam reckoned the place must have been a butcher warehouse, obviously abandoned for a long time. Soon, he started feeling his whole body numb. He thought of Dean. He knew he was his only hope. He wondered if he had found out already. He guessed he'd be worried sick. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming his way. It was a beautiful young woman. She had long, curly, red hair and big, blue eyes. Her lips were deep red and her skin white as snow. She was wearing a white suit, black shoes and a snowflake necklace covered in diamonds. She came close to Sam and gave him a sardonic smile.

"Hello stranger!" she said sneeringly.

"Let me guess. Chione?"

The woman nodded, maintaining that fake smile which Sam found extremely annoying.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want to prove?" Sam asked.

"Why? You dare ask why? People used to worship me. They depended on me. I used to get hundreds of offerings a year. And I protected them from the cold and destruction. Now I get nothing. All those blasphemers forgot about me. I am getting what is mine. You people, you have hurt Mother Nature so massively that my lovely winter is shorter and this hellish summer has become unbearably longer. You will get what you deserve. I am starting with taking back my power. I will freeze your body, nice and slow and I will absorb your energy until there is no life in you left."

With these words, Chione lowered the hook that Sam was hanging from and charged him. She put her right hand on Sam's chest and her left hand on his cheek. Sam was swinging back and forth, trying to fight back but he knew he didn't stand a chance.

"You're a brave one! I like it…Such a beautiful face" she quipped.

Sam didn't even manage to show his disgust before she opened his mouth and her own and started draining Sam's life force. Sam felt like he was drifting away, he was freezing cold and every inch of his body was now stiff. As unconsciousness neared, the last thing that came across his mind was his big brother. A voice inside him spoke his name: "Dean…" When Chione was done, she gazed upon Sam's face which was now leaning forward and said "I think I'll keep some for dessert. I'll be back later, charming."

Dean had already checked the abandoned factory and the so called "haunted" house on Ferley Street. He was told by the police officers that kids used to go there and fool around but after an accident the entrance was strictly forbidden and no one was allowed anywhere near. Sam was in neither of those places. Time was passing by quickly and Dean became more and more angry and scared. "I'm gonna tear this bitch apart!" He screamed to himself. Sam's abduction happened around 22:00 and it was already 8 in the morning. Sam had 5 to 6 hours left at the most if he wasn't already…But he can't be. Dean can't bear the thought. That moment, he didn't care about any trials, about closing the gates of hell or anything else. His priority was his little brother. Without him nothing mattered. Dean always found the meaning of life in his family and Sam was the only one left. He even prayed to Cas, begged him to help him find Sam but the son of a bitch wouldn't answer the phone. There was only one place left, the old butcher warehouse. Sam was there but Dean didn't know for sure. He hoped he would be there because if he wasn't Dean would literally lose his marbles. The place looked quiet on the outside. But the moment Dean got out of the Impala he felt it. The cold was there and Chione had to be around. Sam was there! Dean felt it in his gut. He wanted to run inside and start yelling Sam's name but he knew it would be too risky. He had to be cautious and smart about it. He walked around the building trying to found a way in but all the doors were jammed. Then he saw that one of the walls had collapsed; he could get in through there. The place was enormous which made things even more difficult but Dean wouldn't give up. Not now. His brother was in there somewhere, waiting for help, waiting for his only hope, his only chance.

Sam was slowly regaining consciousness. He couldn't move any part of his body though. He felt like he was already dead. Like he was trapped inside a frozen, uninhabited shell and he knew; he was fading. He felt his own heartbeat slowing down. It wouldn't be long now. He tried to open his eyes but the simplest of movements were too damn hard. His hair, eyelids and eyebrows were full of little ice pieces. He only managed to blink a few times. Chione would soon be back and she was gonna be his end. The only reason he was still holding on was Dean. He was certain he was out looking for him and the only way to give him time was to have faith in his big brother and try his fullest to stay alive. And then, a memory crossed his mind:

It was Christmas, 1989. John was on a hunt and he didn't make it back to the boys in time. Sam and Dean were at Bobby's house. Bobby was cooking dinner in the kitchen while little Sammy was sitting in front of the fireplace. He was sad that dad wasn't home and he was thinking about his mom. How he never met her, never felt her touch, never heard her kind words. He knew how much John loved him but he was not around much. The only person who always stood by him was Dean. He looked up to him. Always had. He knew whatever would happen, there was that one person he could rely on. Dean came down the stairs and sat next to Sam.

"Ok. I know dad isn't here but I don't want you to be like this. It's Christmas! It's snowing outside. Wanna go make a snowman or something?"

"No. I want to stay inside. I hate cold. And snowmen are creepy." Sad said, eyes staring on the flames.

"Ok. Let's watch some TV. Uncle Bobby is cooking up something good. It smells great. But I want to do something first. Here. Take this. I thought you might like it." Dean handed a small package to Sam.

"What is it Dean?" Sam said curiously.

"Open it up and see!"

Sam tore the wrapper and saw a book inside. He looked so surprised and his face brightened up. The book's title was "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Sam opened the book and he saw his name written on the first page in capital letters.

SAM WINCHESTER

"A BOOK? For me?" Sam exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. It was the first book that actually belonged to him.

"Yes bro. It's all yours. Merry Christmas!"

"Thanks Dean! I love it!" Sam's smile couldn't get any wider. And Dean was more than satisfied to see Sammy's blue mood go away. Dad had given him some money in case he needed something but he couldn't leave his little brother without a present on Christmas. Sam had just started to read and he was a quick learner. Dean made sure of that.

Sam's heart warmed up by this memory. If only this could happen to his body as well. He was fighting tooth and nail to stay awake because Dean would get to him. He always did. And then, she came.

"I have to tell you, stranger. Your energy is so…so rejuvenating. I just can't help myself."

Sam wanted to tell her to go to hell but he couldn't speak a word in his state.

"It will be over before you know it. Goodbye" she told Sam and proceeded to her feast. She had just started draining Sam when she heard steady footsteps behind her. It was Dean.

"Get away from my brother you cold blooded bitch!" Dean yelled and pointed the flamethrower at her. She turned around to face Dean, leaving a lifeless Sam hanging from the hook. She didn't even manage to utter a word or make a move before Dean unleashed the flames on her. She screamed in pain and anguish as she was melting down. When Dean was done all that was left of her was a pool of water, blood and ashes.

"Sam! Sammy!" Dean shouted in a very concerned tone. He rushed to Sam and lowered the hook he was hanging from. He took out his knife and cut the rope. Sam's wrists were really hurt but they were not bleeding anymore because the wounds were frozen. Dean held Sam's unconscious body and put it gently on the floor. His skin was pale and his lips had turned almost purple.

"Come on man! Wake up! Open your eyes for me. Please, Sam!" Dean was pleading his little brother to respond. He checked his neck for a pulse but there was none.

"Sammy! No, no, no! Don't do this to me! You can't just check out like that! Please!" Tears started streaming down Dean's face and falling on Sam's. He couldn't lose him again. He was blaming himself. For leaving him alone in the motel room, for taking too long to find him, for fighting with him the previous days about Sam not trying to get him out of Purgatory, for starting a new life with Amelia. Right now, he wished he was still stuck in Purgatory with all the Leviathans and the Vampires and the Werewolves and Sam was living an apple-pie life with Amelia in a house with a picket fence and a dog. He could never forgive himself if Sammy died. Dean wouldn't give up on him though. He began a CPR section. He placed his hands on Sam's breastbone and started performing compressions. Still nothing. Dean opened Sam's mouth carefully, took a long breathe and let it in. He toggled between compressions and rescue breathes for 5 minutes. Suddenly, Sam gasped for air and half-opened his eyes.

"Thank God Sam! I'm here, I'm here! You're okay. Everything's gonna be just fine."

"D-D-Dean…" Sam whispered. He was too weak to speak louder. He might have woken up but he was still in a very bad condition. He was violently shivering. His body was desperately trying to generate heat but unsuccessfully.

"We've got to take you to a hospital immediately. Let's get you up to your feet. I'll hold you."

Dean lifted Sam gently, though he could hardly stand. He leaned on Dean and he carried him to the Impala. The distance from the car was not very long but seemed too much to Sam. He was doing his best not to pass out on Dean. When they got to the car, Dean put Sam carefully on the back seat and rushed to the trunk to get the blankets. Good thing they always carried 2-3 of them along. He used them to cover Sam who was trembling and his breath was fast and heavy. Sam managed to get some words together.

"Th-thanks…D-Dean."

"That's what family is for right?" Dean gave him a smile but couldn't hide his concern. "Hospital's 10 minutes away. Hold on."

Sam took a strong grip of the blankets and Dean got to the front seat to start the engine. He talked to Sam during the whole trip in order to keep him conscious. When they arrived at the hospital, Dean got out of the car and called out for help. Two men of the hospital's staff got out right away carrying a stretcher, put Sam on and took him inside. Dean was still very worried though. Until he would see Sam up and around he wouldn't stop worrying. He still felt guilty over the whole thing but he knew Sam would get better. The kid was strong. Sometimes, stronger than him.

Sam stayed in the hospital for 3 days. The doctors did a good job with him. Other than the hypothermia, he had the wrist wounds which were now disinfected, clean and bandaged. He wouldn't be able to lift much weight for some time but he would be back to normal very soon. He was very lucky that he didn't suffer from frostbites. Dean stayed with him the whole time. He only left to take the rest of their stuff from the motel or take a shower. After him insisting on not leaving Sam's side, the doctors agreed to let him sleep in the bed next to Sam. The hospital didn't have many patients these days anyway.

"So, you ready to get the hell out of here?"

"As ever!" Sam said anxiously. He was going to grab his bag from the chair next to his bed when he saw Dean looking at him with an angry face.

"What?" Sam asked confused.

"Are you insane?! Don't you dare touch it. I'm taking that. The doctor said you shouldn't lift weights."

"It's a bag Dean. I think I can carry a bag. It's not like I am lifting a tone"

"NO. I am not taking any chances here!" Dean said and grabbed it first.

Sam seemed a bit annoyed but he hid a smile. As they were walking out of the room he stopped and looked at Dean. He wanted to tell him something.

"Hey, Dean."

"What is it?"

"I just…Thank you. For everything. For always."

Their eyes met. Both of their face expressions were soft and there were so many things they wanted to say but they knew words were needless. They had this special way of communicating even in silence. Dean nodded.

"You're welcome Sammy." Sam never really liked being called Sammy but whenever his brother called him that, it made him feel safe and loved. And he appreciated that.

"Now, are we done with the chick flick moments or do you wanna grow lady parts?

"Alright. Jerk."

"Bitch."

So here it is!I hope you enjoyed it!Tell me what you think in the reviews :)