Sam Says Goodbye

Summary: 1-shot. Dean wakes up to find Sam's taken Kevin's car to go say goodbye to someone. Not wanting his brother to face anything alone, Dean follows and finds that this goodbye will hit harder than he expected it to. *Limp/sad!Sam & Frustrated/protective!Dean* Set after 8x23 Sacrifice.

Warnings/Spoilers: Minor for language as usual but on this one I'll toss in a full tissue warning. Also, anyone who has lost a pet this may be a little upsetting so just be aware of this. /There are minor spoilers for the finale and maybe for a little for the beginning of Season 9 even though those are few and far between but may be in here.

Tags:No.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is written for enjoyment of the fans.

Author Note: A little piece of sappy emotional fluff. Yes, it made me cry so I put in a tissue alert.

SPN SPN SPN SPN

"Excuse me? Sam is where?"

Dean Winchester's head ached like he'd been on a week long hiatus with Jack Daniels instead of sleeping for more than sixteen hours straight. Now he wished he'd stayed asleep.

"He got an e-mail, got really freaked out, took my car and said to tell you he'd be back after he took care of this," Kevin Tran was peeking around a bookshelf of heavy and dusty books since he figured he wanted something between himself and what he already knew would be an angry hunter. "He said he didn't want to wake you up because you'd been hovering over him and…"

"I've been hovering over him because he still looks like the walking dead," Dean snorted, rolling his eyes and swearing he was finding a way to lock down his younger brother. "It's only been a week or so since whatever the hell happened upstairs to kick most if not all the Angels to the curb. I've literally got the goddamn King of Hell on lockdown. Sam's bad days still outweigh his good and now you tell me he's taken your car and gone…where?" he demanded, eyeing the offending laptop before yanking it closer to him.

As the latest Prophet of the Lord, Kevin had really hoped his job would be over only to find himself in deeper but right at this moment he figured it safe enough to stick his head out. "Well, he said he didn't want to take the Impala and…"

"Uhh, no, because the last time he swiped my car I punched him in the face," Dean snorted, seeing that his brother had been in such a hurry that he hadn't closed out of his e-mail account and looked over what had sent his still not feeling well younger brother off on his own. "Shit."

"'Sam. It's been a long time but you once said you wanted to know when that time was coming close. He's been getting slower in the past few years but an accident to his leg caused us to take him to the doctor and he said that it was getting close so I wanted to let you know. I've sent the address as well. Hope you are well. Tonya.'"

"Shit, shit, shit," Dean sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes after jotting down the address before closing the e-mail down and going to another page. "Whatever the hell this is Sammy so does not need it."

Dean had always known his little brother wore his heart on his sleeve but it was even more so after the events in the church between them and something told Dean that whatever this e-mail was about would push Sam up against a wall of emotion.

"I am so grounding him as soon as I find him," he muttered sourly, pulling up the app he wanted to type in some details while feeling the presence behind him. "You're coming with me to drive your car back if you want it."

Kevin debated on that idea and shrugged. "I can get another one. That one's about had it and I doubt if I'll be driving much until this gets fixed and…you lojacked your own brother?" he stared at the screen with wide eyes as it hit him what he was looking at.

"It's not something I'm proud of and if he knew Sam would kill me but since my little brother had a habit of either vanishing on me or getting grabbed this was a lot easier than trying to track his damn cellphone all the time," Dean replied without looking up as he sent the directions to his own phone. "Stay here, stay away from the dungeon and don't touch anything," he ordered.

"Dean, why would Sam take off like this?" Kevin called as the question came out. "Is someone he knows sick or…"

"Something like that," Dean suspected it was more along the lines of what was sick and not a who but Sam wouldn't think of it like that and he felt a burning need to be with Sam as his brother faced this. "We'll be back."

Leaving Kevin alone at the bunker wasn't a move that Dean liked right now but when he had to choose between that he should do and what needed to be done then he'd pick Sam before anything else. Nothing else was coming between them again if he could help it.

The drive from Kansas to Arizona didn't take Dean nearly as long as he thought it would though he decided to overlook the times he'd gone far faster than the legal speed limit and used short cuts he hadn't thought of since he and Sam were kids.

It was still closing in on the sun just breaking as he pulled up in front of the address he'd been following to see that it was a modest Adobe style house with a nice yard and fence surrounding it.

Slightly doubting his choice to follow Sam or perhaps thinking he'd gotten the wrong address, a look down the street showed him Kevin's car parked carefully. "Damn it, what's this about, Sammy?" he tossed his jacket back into the Impala before eyeing the house warily and making a choice.

Dean raised his hand to knock when the door opened before he could to show him an older Spanish lady with greying black hair and sharp dark eyes that were appraising him shrewdly before nodding. "You're his brother."

Giving a slight nod, Dean waited as he was once again look over before the woman stepped aside to open the screen door. "I take it that you know Sam?" he wasn't sure how his brother knew the woman or what was exactly going on but since he didn't feel like getting hit with the pan she was holding he kept his questions to himself.

"I saw him when your Dad brought the dog here that day years ago," she acknowledged, leading him through the house without asking why he was there or knew to come. "Sam's kept in touch since he was old enough and always asked us to contact him if anything happened to Bones. My daughter contacted him the other night when it became pretty plain his time was coming."

Names and dates were flashing through Dean's head and it finally clicked. The time Sam had run away to Phoenix he'd picked up a stray young dog. Neither Sam nor their Dad had said what happened to the dog after John went to drag his youngest son back and he hadn't asked since it had become pretty plain to Dean that his brother had loved the dog.

Sam's love for animals was another thing that Dean could always count on to pull at his brother's heartstrings and it had been the one thing that no matter what Dean had never been able to give Sam growing up. Now he was wondering how the bunker would stand up under a puppy.

Right then he needed to focus on what the woman was saying as his heart got closer to being stuck in his throat. "The dog is…"

"Bones is old and a recent fall hurt his leg," the older woman stopped by a door to a back room to look at him with obvious tears not falling. "The vet said to put him down but I've a good hand with animals and can tell that he'll pass on his own. We thought Sam would want to be here but if I'd known how bad that boy was I never would have let Angie call him."

"Yeah, Sammy's been through a lot lately," Dean had known this would be emotional but this was even worse than he'd considered as he looked down at the hand on his arm. "That's why I came after him."

"He said you might," she offered a smile while closing her hands over both of his. "This will hurt him but he needs to let go of it. Bones had a long life of making people and children happy and now it's time for him to rest."

Dean closed his eyes to try to blink away the burning he could feel coming as he turned the knob to step into a cozily decorated bedroom to hear his brother's low soft and breaking voice coming from the other side of the bed.

Sam was sitting on the floor, back bowed as he pressed his face into the soft fur of the dog laying over his legs. The hard shudders going through broad shoulders told Dean that his brother was close to sobbing and a look down explained to him why.

The dog looked peaceful as Dean slowly sat down on the floor to meet its eyes and to the older Winchester it was like the yellow dog was watching him as if judging before deciding Dean was who Sam needed.

Understanding, Dean merely nodded as if to reassure the treasured pet that it was alright to go, that he'd take care of Sam and slowly he watched as Bones moved a little closer in Sam's trembling arms before closing his eyes and finding peace.

"You're a good boy. You can go home now," Sam was whispering through sobs and tears as he buried his face tighter into the fur. "I won't forget you. I know you had a good home and I'm sorry I left you but…"

"Sammy," Dean slid an arm around his brother's shaking shoulders while using his hand to lift Sam's tear streaked face up and felt his heart break at the amount of pain and loss reflected in those huge hazel eyes. "He had the best home you could give him right here. I know you loved him but we moved around too much to take care of a pet.

"You came to be here with him and he knew that. He knew you were here and that you loved him but for him to really be at peace…you need to let him go," holding Sam's eyes, Dean gave a shaky smile while nodding. "He knew you'd be okay too and he's gone but you have to let go, Sammy. Just let go."

Whether Dean meant to let go of his ties to Bones or to let go of any leftover buried guilt or emotions he'd been covering Sam wasn't sure but the feel of his brother's arm tightening over his shoulders and the huskiness in Dean's voice had Sam breaking and he turned to grab on to the sense of security his brother always seemed to give in times like this.

"Hey…it's okay, Sammy," Dean had suspected and prepared for Sam's arms to go around him as he buried his face against Dean's chest. "It's going to be okay now. I'm here and you did what you had to for him now just let go. I've got'cha."

Dean sat still to just hold his sobbing little brother, keeping his arm around him while making certain to keep his other hand constantly moving to card his shaking fingers back through Sam's hair.

He wasn't sure how long he talked to Sam before the heavy body shaking sobs slowly began to ease off to just little ones and then finally just sniffles as Sam's muscles relaxed as grief and exhaustion took him under.

"I'm going to take care of everything, Sammy," Dean promised softly, lightly running his hand over soft fur as he added. "If dogs go to Heaven take a chunk out of a crazy sweater wearing Angel and look out for an old guy wearing a trucker cap. I'll look out for this one."

Hearing a step, Dean didn't even care how long the older woman had been there as she nodded that he understood. "We will take care of…"

"I'll do it," Dean had made up his mind that he would do this because he knew it was what Sam would have done if his brother had collapsed. "Can he sleep?"

Patting the bed, the older woman used a lot more strength than it looked like she would have to help him get his brother out from under the dog's weight to the bed to sleep while Dean took care of what needed to be done now.

"You dig holes for a living?" she asked an hour later as she stood watching Dean fill back in the hole he'd dug for the wooden box that had already been prepared. "You seem to know what you're doing."

"A side job," Dean leaned on the shovel as he patted the dirt down as she covered it with some lye and hay to protect it until grass could grow. "You said my Dad brought the dog to you?"

"My husband served with John in Vietnam so when he came through Phoenix and found Bones he asked us to take care of him and we have," she glanced back to the house at the same time Dean did. "Sam tried to offer us money when he was in school for taking care of Bones but I just slapped him with my spoon at even the suggestion. Now you'll take care of him?"

Dean hid his smirk at that comment while nodding. "Yeah, taking care of my little brother is what I do," he caught and held Sam's eyes in the door. "I'll send someone back for that piece of crap he drove here in," he told her while putting the shovel away and knowing that Sam would be in the Impala by the time he got there. "Thank you for taking care of both of them."

"Looking after lost souls is what I do best," she assured him after handing him a sack of provisions for the drive back. "Make him eat. I tell him all the time he needs to eat more than lettuce."

"You're preaching to the choir but I'll do it," Dean accepted the hug and wasn't surprised to find Sam curled up on the passenger side of the Impala. "You're calling Garth to come get Kevin's car, dude," he remarked after twenty minutes of silence.

"Thanks for coming, Dean," Sam murmured, tired and wanting to sleep but needing to face this first. "I know you're busy and…"

Shooting a look across the seat, Dean's hand was on Sam's chin to tilt it up to eye level as he split his attention between the empty road and his brother. "I said nothing was more important to me than you and I wasn't letting you face anything like this alone…though next time wake me up before you swipe Kevin's car, okay?"

Sam nodded before peaking into the bag to see what had been packed, looking up at the feel of strong fingers gripping his neck. "I never forgot him."

"You never will, Sammy," Dean wished he had an easy fix for this but could only offer comfort as it was needed. "You'll always remember him but you were with him when it counted and I think he knew it. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," he wished his brother wouldn't have been alone for so long.

"I figured it would take you an hour or so once you activated the damn locator thing in my watch," Sam yawned, smiling behind his hand at the way his brother stilled. "I've known for a few years that you had me lojacked and since I knew it was your way of looking out for me I decided not to smash your face in for it."

"Smart ass," Dean muttered, feeling the small shivers go through Sam again and knew he'd be falling to sleep. "You okay, Sammy?" he asked, concerned that after everything else this might hit Sam too hard.

It was several minutes of silence before Sam flicked on the radio, bunched up Dean's jacket to use as a pillow against the door before he nodded slowly. "I think I will. Bones is with Bobby now and I know he's at peace. It's just sometimes I wish…"

Not wanting to finish that and embarrass himself or bring back the emotions he'd managed to cover for the moment, Sam started to curl his shoulder against the window to sleep when he paused at the sound of Dean's fingers tapping on the wheel.

"Y'know…so long as you puppy proof it…the bunker could probably stand another occupant," Dean remarked casually, not missing the sharp breath or the way his brother's eyes shot to his. "I mean, it'd give Kevin something to do when he's not translating that tablet and…you too."

Swallowing the lump that had just hit in his throat, Sam was nearly tempted to see of his brother was possessed. "You…hate dogs," he began carefully.

"No, I don't hate dogs…just Yorkies and Hellhounds but I don't happen to hate all dogs so if you want a puppy you'd have to choose one that isn't a Yorkie and won't grow bigger than Kevin or Garth," Dean returned, keeping his eyes on the road but ready for when Sam slid across the seat to hug him tightly but briefly. "You want to get the bunker a puppy, little brother?"

"Yeah but how about we wait to see where this latest crisis leads us and…then talk about it?" Sam didn't want to bring a puppy into their lives like this but now that he knew his brother wasn't against the idea he'd consider it more later. "Thanks again, Dean," he laid his head against his brother's jacket to close his eyes.

Dean kept the radio turned down low so it gave noise but wouldn't disturb his brother as he kept an arm stretched over the back of the seat so he'd have a hand ready in case Sam got restless in his sleep while hoping that dogs did get to go to a Heaven and that his brother's dog found his as he drove them home.

TBC

A/NII: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Look me up on Facebook under morgana07 for updates or to talk about stories.