Being a Winchester, knowing all about what's really out in the world means that most of the things in your life will get twisted one way or another at some point. Things that the rest of the people always do completely ignorant of the "other side" of the semblance. Like gazing upon the night sky, watching the millions of stars and making wishes when they're shooting. That was something that both Sam and Dean enjoyed doing from time to time. Whenever they had the chance, they would park the Impala in an open field, get some beer and relax on the hood of the car doing what other "normal" people would do; relish in the beauty of the night and the peace of the moment. But not tonight, not ever again. The brothers would never look at the sky the same. Because tonight, while everyone else who witnessed what seemed to be a meteor shower, a glorious sight of shooting stars, Sam and Dean were facing the ugly and cruel truth. Those were not stars but Angels. Every single Angel, every soldier, protector of Heaven was crushing onto Earth with the speed of sound. Thousands of them, literally like flaming balls, ripped from their graces, ripped from their Home, forever stranded in the land of the Humans, powerless and helpless. Sam and Dean couldn't take their eyes from the sky. They watched in awe and terror. During the past few years, after discovering the existence of Angels, they had both fought against and beside them. Sure, most of the times they were at odds but seeing them like that saddened them to the bone. Their hearts ached at the sight. There was no one left to protect and defend the world from the true evil. No one to listen to the prayers they will never admit saying every now and then. They just sat there, backs on the side of the black Chevrolet, one's shoulder next to the other's, one's hand gripping the other's shirt so tight as if letting go meant falling off the world.

Dean still had his eyes fixed on the impossible yet real happening when his attention was drawn by the loud gasps of his little brother who was struggling in effort to get some air into his lungs. Sam was violently shivering, sweat streaming down his face, his body temperature dropping and leaving him cold to the touch. It took less than a second for Dean to turn to the younger man, placing one hand on his cheek and another and the other on his chest.

"Sam! Sammy! Come on! Breathe, brother, breathe! Just, breathe!

"I ca-can't-ca…hurts! Guhhhh!" Sam's eyes were open wide, pupils dilated. Dean changed his position, kneeling right before Sam, facing him.

"Sam, listen to me. Focus on me. In and out, Sammy, in and out. Remember?"

Dean felt a pit in his stomach. He was watching his baby brother suffer in front of his eyes by something he couldn't reach out and destroy. He had stopped Sam from finishing the trials which would lead to his death but how was this any different? Sam was slipping away from him once again and there was no miracle waiting to happen, no Angel to heal him. Sam's previously convulsive movements were now slowing down, the struggle against the pain wearing off, the effort of filling his lungs with precious oxygen abandoned. His face features were free of the tension and his eyes were swimming, trying to meet his brother's.

"Dean…" was the last word to come out of his mouth, more like a whisper really, before blinking twice and weakly shutting his eyes, drifting into unconsciousness. He would have fallen to his side if Dean wasn't keeping him straight. Panic was very discrete on Dean's face. His eyes were scanning every inch of his brother.

"No… No, no, no, no! Sammy? You're not doing this to me. You're not doing this to me, you hear?" Dean shaked his brother again and again but got no response in return. His heart climbed on in his mouth. He thought he could hear it breaking. He put his hands on Sam's forehead and cheeks, gently stroking them and repeatedly calling his name. He placed two fingers of his right hand on Sam's neck and full of fear checked for a pulse which if was absent would have sent Dean riding his car and jumping with it from a cliff. Fortunately, the pulse was there. A wave of relief washed over Dean, especially when he realized Sam was taking in small though shallow breaths. Well, yes, he wasn't very happy about his brother's state but Sam was alive and Dean was determined to not let that change.

"Thank God…" Dean let out a sigh and for a short moment he pondered that this sentence no longer bears the same meaning as it did before.

"Come on, Sam. I'm taking you home. I'll take care of you. I'll keep you safe and I'll find a way to get you better even if I have to check under every single stone" he promised his unconscious brother.

Then, he got up to his feet and quickly opened the passenger door. Turning back to Sam, he put his hands under Sam's armpits and lifted him as straight as possible. While he was moving, Sam's face was buried in Dean's chest and his arms were hanging limply above Dean's. Dean sat him carefully inside, looking out for the head of his too tall body and raced to the trunk to get a warm blanket regarding which he made the right call stuffing it in there, weeks before. He unfolded it and wrapped it around Sam who was getting colder by the minute, then made his way to the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition. He gave a quick glance over at the church where Crowley was still tied up and turned half-human but he shoved away the idea of going back to get him because his only worry and priority was getting Sam to safety; he'd return for him later when Sam was good to be left alone (whenever that was…) Starting the engine, he raised his eyes towards the sky which was not blazed by the light of the falling Angels anymore. He wondered if Cas had fallen like the rest of them as well and hoped that his friend had survived and that he could somehow make his way back to them in one piece, with or without wings.

Luckily enough, the bunker was only a couple of hours away and Dean, driving as fast as he could, made the trip even shorter. The whole time he'd turn his head to the right to check on Sam's breathing whose face was lolled to the left side of his seat making it easier on the one hand for Dean to keep an eye on him but on the other turning Dean's stomach who hated seeing his little brother like that: pale, red circles under his eyes, obviously thinner from not being able to eat anything other than soup whenever he was able to actually eat that alone without having to throw it all up shortly after.

When they arrived at the Man Of Letters bunker, Dean ran towards the door and knocked on it, yelling for Kevin to come out and help him carry Sam inside.

"Kevin! Kev! Come on out! I need your help!"

Dean continued knocking and yelling for a good five minutes while giving worried glances back at the car in which Sam was still passed out. When Kevin finally showed up he was welcomed by an angry glare and two hands on the collar of his jacket. He looked both surprised and terrified.

"What the hell took you so long, huh?" Dean furiously asked him.

"I'm s-sorry. I-uh… Everything went crazy inside. Lights were going on and off, some strange activity on all the machines. What happened? Is it done? Where's Sam?"

"Short version: Metatron is a lying bastard. All Heaven broke loose, the Angels fell on Earth, yes all of them, had Sam completed the trials he would have died but apparently walking away from them did a number on him as well."

"Wha-what?!" Kevin said shocked.

"I'll fill you in later but now we have to get Sam inside, see what we can do to help him, alright?"

Kevin, still processing the revelations that Dean gave him was lost in thought when he was snapped out of it by a slap on his cheek, courtesy of the really freaked-put, worried to death about his brother Dean Winchester.

"Kid, you with me? Don't have time for this!"

"I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah. Let's go"

They walked towards the Impala which was only a few feet away and Dean opened the passenger door. Sam hadn't even stirred and he was in the very same position Dean had left him.

"I'll take his upper body, you take the legs" Dean ordered the young prophet.

Kevin nodded. Dean dragged Sam carefully out of the car and when his whole body was out, Kevin took his long legs. The carry was not as hard as Dean initially thought, since he wasn't sure about how much Kevin could take on, the little guy that he is. It was a bit tricky when they reached the staircase but they managed and made it to Sam's room ok.

Placing Sam down on his bed, Dean thanked Kevin and asked him to fetch the First-Aid kit from the kitchen. He took of his jacket and sat next to Sam. Once again, he checked his pulse and breathing and he reckoned it was the same as before. Both he and Sam had been down on the mud and their clothes were filthy and soaked from the rain that was pouring down earlier so Dean figured it'd be wise to change his brother into some dry and clean ones which hopefully warming him up a bit. Before doing that, he checked for wounds or bruises. The lower part of his body was intact but Sam had an unexplainable bite mark on his left arm that needed to be get disinfected, a long scratch line on his right cheek and some moderate, purple bruises on his back. None of those were life-threatening but they needed to be taken care of. Dean realized he'd be of better help if he changed himself into clean clothes first so he decided to go to his room and do so.

"Hold on, Sammy. I'll be back in just a minute" Dean said and he was precise, actually coming back in less than that. Just as he reentered Sam's room, Kevin came back with the First-Aid kit and handed it to Dean.

"What else can I do?" Kevin asked in a soft and kind tone.

"Try to find something in that damn Demon tablet which might help us understand what's going on with my brother" Dean retorted. "Be thorough kid, ok? A little something is more than nothing. I'm counting on you"

Kevin nodded understandably, promised to do his best and headed for the library.

"Alright, let's get you changed and warmed up".

Dean took Sam's boots off and helped him out of his mud-stained jeans and plaid shirt into his favorite long-sleeve grey shirt and clean pants. He took two towels from Sam's bathroom, wetting the one with water to wipe the sweat and dirt off his brother's face and used the other to dry his hair. After he finished with these, he turned to the bite mark that Crowley had given Sam.

"How in the world did you get this?" he wondered.

If he knew the truth about the way he got that mark he would probably go back to the church and throttle the son of a bitch. He cleaned the wound with some disinfectant and bandaged it carefully. He also cleaned the wound on Sam's cheek which was not in need of stitches.

"All done. You're golden, Sammy"

Dean smiled sadly and put his right hand on Sam's shoulder.

"You're safe now. You're going to be just fine. I won't leave you. So, don't you think about checking out on me, deal?"

He wished Sam could hear him, hear his promise and request and try hard to pull through. Dean thought that it would also be good to insert an IV in Sam so that he doesn't get dehydrated until he wakes up. Dean already knew how to do it. He had previously done it when Death put Sam's soul back in his body and when Cas brought down his wall. It wasn't a difficult procedure anyway. He pulled the skin taut on Sam's right arm to make the veins more distinguishable and inserted the needle gently. After settling the IV bag on the top of the bed's headboard he straightened his body and looked down on his little brother. He looked so young and innocent but so hurt and broken at the same time. Dean let his fury sink when he remembered how they got to this point in the first place. This was a suicide mission from the jump and he kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. He was watching Sam get sicker and sicker but he wanted so bad to convince himself that when everything was over he would be healed somehow. Apparently God had other plans…

"As I said, Sam, we're gonna figure this out. Together. No more angels, no more demons, no more sacrifices or anything else will come between us. This time we'll do it our own way. Cause despite everything, it's still the two of us against the world. Rest, now. You need to get your strength back and soon we'll find a way to put an end to all of this. Hold on for me, Sammy. Fight this, tooth and nail. I know you can."

Dean gently rubbed Sam's chest and covered him with a blanket. Walking towards the door he gave one more glance at Sam and went to join Kevin in the library in order to speed things up with the research.

To be continued…

I hope you guys liked my story! I know there are many stories about what happens after 8x23 but I wanted to write my own take as well. This was the beginning of my story. There will be more chapters soon so wait for them! Your reviews are much appreciated! Leave in the comments what you would like to see happening and I might write it in my story ;) Peace!