Gone but not forgotten

Disclaimer: ok guys we all know the drill, I don't own them, don't make any money from this … blah blah woof woof

Summary: Four months after Dean dies Sam finds something to live for.

Authors Note: this is a stand alone story and is not a sequel to my fic "sacrifice" I just had this idea in my head and I had to write it.

"Sacrifice" sequel will hopefully be up soon.

It had been four months since he had last seen his brother.

Four months since he had last spoken to him.

Four months since their last argument.

Four months since he had last rolled his eyes at once of Dean's crude comments or habit.

Four months since he last heard Dean laugh.

Four months since seen Dean smile.

Four months since he had last since Dean's hazel eyes.

Four months since he had lit the match and placed it on Dean fuel and salt covered body.

Four months since he had last felt he was truly alive.

He was driving the impala down a dark nameless stretch of road. His left arm cradled to his chest blood seeping through the cloth rapped tightly around it. His last hunt had been relatively simple a routine salt and burn, however just as he was about to light the match the spirit had decided to give him an impromptu flying lesson and had thrown him into an wardrobe.

He carefully parked in the motels parking lot grabbed his duffle from the trunk and slowly made his way to his room. Once entering he turned the light on and quickly scanned the room checking that his wards were still in place. He made his way over to the lone bed and sat down and rested his head in his hands.

God he was tired he was so god damned tired. For the last three months he had barely stopped, moving from town to town from hunt to hunt. Stopping briefly to tend his wounds before moving onto the next town.

Dad would have been proud of the amount of supernatural bastards he had sent back to hell. The irony of that statement was not lost on him. It only took the deaths of his entire family for him to finally become the man his father always wanted. The perfect solider. The perfect killing machine. He had managed to get the colt back from the bastard that Bella had sold it to shortly after Dean had died which meant that was nothing that he couldn't kill.

He quickly stood and walked over to the bathroom sink were he had left the first aid kit. He carefully peeled away the shirt flinching as it pulled the drying blood. Once the fabric was removed he grabbed a towel and wetted and started wash away the darkening flaking blood.

There was a long deep gash starting at his wrist finishing almost at his elbow. He opened the battered metal tin that contained their medical supplies and took out two small bottles. One containing holly water and the other containing peroxide he spread each liquid on the deep cut both liquids causing his skin to sizzle and hiss. He then took out a little packet containing clean sterile needles and thread and began to stitch the gapping wound back together. His mind barely even acknowledged the pain it caused.

His body and mind where functioning on autopilot as he took care of his tired and battered body and showered. Once he had finished cleansing his body of blood and filth he drew swallowed a couple of aspirin and fell into his nightly routine; checking salt lines, charms and weapons. When he had finished he went to bed. He didn't bother to pray anymore, he used to when he was younger, when he was naïve and believed that there was more than just plain evil in the world.

He was woken by the sound of his phone ringing. It took him a couple of minute to register that the ring tone did not belong to his phone. The AC/DC track belonged to his brother's cell the one that he insured had a constant charge in it.

He quickly scrambled out of the solidarity bed and opened up his duffle searching for the source of the noise. His hand finally found it as it drew silent. He swore loudly and waited hopefully for the bleeping sound that indicated that the caller had left a voice message. This phone this collection of metals and plastics was one of the few connections he had left of his brother.

The phone made a bleeped and an icon flashed up on the screen. He pressed the required buttons and listened. He was greeted with a soft female voice, something he expected to find on the phone. His brother's phone book was filled with names and towns of various women he had hooked up with.

He had expected that the soft tones of a woman's voice with the promise of a romantic interlude or the harsh rough voice belonging to a hunter with the details of a potential hunt for him to throw himself into. The sound of the woman's fear filled voice drew him out of his sleepy haze.

"Hey Dean…Um I don't know if you remember me…It's Abby for Ohio…We err …Hooked up last year…Something's happened… I don't know if you will believe me it sounds so crazy. I need your help… please Dean it's really important. I need you to meet me… I'm scared Dean I'm really scared."

She finished the message with details of where to meet him. He replayed the message scribbling down the details. He looked over at the clock the glowing numbers telling him that it was it was almost five. He was planning on getting up at 6 anyway so there was little point in going back to sleep so he gathered his things and set out to meet Abby.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He arrived in Ohio in the late afternoon. He drove through streets of perfectly manicured lawns and pristine houses, through the commercial areas until he found the motel that Abby had mentioned. He got out of the car the colt stowed in the back of his jeans, a flask of holly water in his jackets pocket. He didn't bother heading for the motel office he would get a room later, at the moment he was more concerned about Abby.

He approached the door and gave it a quick sharp knock. He had no idea what to expect when she opened the door, the woman was a link to his brothers past they had shared a moment in time, shared something physical possibly something emotional.

She was in her mid twenties, blonde and pretty very pretty and totally his brothers type. However she looked tired, her face was completely void of all make up, her clothes hung limply from her shapely body.

"Hello?" She asked nervously.

"Hello are you Abby" He asked politely.

"Yes?" She said her nervousness replaced with fear.

"Hi I'm Dean's brother Sam, You rang him this morning asking for help"

"Yes where is he?" She said her voice brightening instantly.

"Can I come in?" He asked wanting to get inside away from prying eyes and any possible danger.

"Yeah sure" she stood aside letting him into the motel room.

He closed the door behind him and quickly took note of the room. A few clothes were thrown around; the bed had been quickly made its sheets wrinkled. What drew his attention however were the baby toys on the bed and the car seat in the corner. She sat at the table by the window and motioned him to sit as well.

"So where's Dean?" She asked quickly looking to the car seat then back to Dean.

"I don't know how to tell you this, I don't know how close you were to my brother but Dean passed away four months ago"

"Ohh my god I'm so sorry" she said her voice hitching slightly with emotion. Again she looked at the car seat in the corner. The baby in the corner started to stir.

"Thanks … Is the baby … Is it Deans?" He asked blush creeping into his cheeks.

"Yes she is" She stood up and wiped a tear from her cheek. Sam got up and followed her to the car seat which contained his niece. Abby bent over and deftly swooped her up.

"Would you like to hold her?"

He nodded not being able to form words as she passed him the pink bundle. She fitted perfectly into the crook of his arm slightly unsure what to do. Abby stood close by and gently moved the blanket that had fallen over the little girls face.

"She beautiful" He gasped as he took in his nieces features.

"Thank you"

"What's her name" He said feeling like a fool for not asking earlier.

"Isabel"

"That's a pretty name it suits her" she merely nodded at his complement. Isabel started to stir and whine slightly so Sam handed her back to her mother.

"The voicemail you left you sounded scared, you said that you needed help. I know I'm not Dean but I want to help"

"You won't believe me"

"You would be surprised" he said not liking the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. She still looked hesitant.

"Why are you staying in this motel?" He asked try a different approach to coax the answers out of her.

"It's the same one where me and Dean…" She trailed off. "I didn't know where else to go and I couldn't go back home"

"What happened?"

"Last night I was putting Issy down for the night and then all the lights began to flicker. I hear something behind me and I turn around and this man standing behind me, the door slams shut and suddenly he's standing in front of me. He reaches for Issy who's inside the crib so I quickly pick her up and make a run for it"

"Did he say anything to you? Anything at all?"

"Yes that's what really frightened me; I think he was there to kill her!" She sobbed.

"What did he say?" he coaxed.

"He said 'She will never become her father's daughter' Why did he say that? What did he want?"

Sam had a very good idea why and what it wanted but he didn't want to get into too much detail with Abby, he didn't want to scare her further. Dean obviously hadn't made the same mistake with her as he had with Cassie and she was still blissfully ignorant to the world of the supernatural.

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Not really the lights kept flickering, I did see his eyes though the where strange"

"What do you mean by strange?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"They where black"

"Did he say anything else?"

"No that was all he said. His eyes… he wasn't normal was he? Wasn't human?"

"No he wasn't"

"What was he then?"

"He was a demon" he said simply, there was no tip toeing around the issue there was no point.

"A Demon? But that can't be possible, why would a Demon come after us?"

"Did Dean tell you about his job? What we do?"

"No, we were only together for one night and we really didn't do much talking"

"My family we hunt demons, monsters anything supernatural that's harming people and we kill it, and we have made a lot of enemies over the years because of this" He paused for a moment to gage her reactions. "My father and brother were killed by them. However this demon is it's trying to get back at Dean through you"

"You cannot be serious"

"I'm sorry Abby I'm really am, I wish it wasn't rue I really do, I wish I could spare you and Isabel from this but I can't"

Suddenly there was a crash coming from behind them as the front door crashed into the wall and a man entered the room.

"Ohh isn't this touching and heart warming scene seriously I'm welling up"

"You!" Abby muttered.

"Yes me! Who else where you expecting the tooth fairy" the man replied coolly his grin spreading wide across his face.

"Who are you and what do you want with them?" Sam asked instinctively placing his body in front of Abby and the baby.

"What do you think I want Sammy-boy? Aren't you supposed to be the smart brother?" the demon taunted.

"I can take a good guess, but they're one thing I'm sure about is that you wont succeed." Sam shot back raising the colt so that is was level was the demons head.

He felt the gun being ripped away from his hand and both he and Abby flying across the room connecting with the surprisingly sturdy motel room walls. Out of the corner of his eye he say Abby make a frantic dash for Isabel. Just as she reached the car seat she was slammed backwards and pinned into the wall. He tried to move but found that he was also pinned.

"You leave them out of this!" He yelled struggling against his invisible bonds.

"Now why would I want to do that Sammy-boy? What are you going to do if I don't? Your not exactly in a position to threaten me are you?" He walked over to Isabel making sure that Sam had a good view as he stroked her cheek in a mockingly caring gesture.

Abby cried out for her baby her cries intertwining with Sams threats.

"It's a shame that Dean isn't still around to witness this but you will just have to do. I'm not planning on killing you till after I slowly rip out their hearts, so you can tell Dean when you see him in hell what it looked and heard like as they die cursing your names?"

"You son of a bitch"

"Now now Sam watch your language! There are women and children present"

"Let them go!"

The demon walked away from the baby and walked over to Abby and cupped her cheek.

"Now Abby because I like you I'm going to give you a choice. You can die first a slow painful death and precious Issy will be quick or you can die quick and painless and Issy's will be painful"

"Me first" Abby sobbed "please don't heart her!" she begged.

"So how do you want your death?" he taunted, his face mere millimetres away from hers.

"Slow and painful" she half sobbed half yelled.

"You son of a bitch! You hurt her and I swear to god I will hunt you down and kill you!"

"Gods not listening" he smirked us he plunged his hand in her chest. Her scream was muffled as her blood flowed out from her mouth. Sam screamed at him to stop as a struggled to get free from the demons grasp. Abby made a wet gasping noise before she went silent. He released her body and its slumped lifelessly down the wall landing in a heap on the carpet blood pooling around her.

He brought his hand up to his mouth and licked her blood off his hands, looking at Sam as he did so. Issy began to cry softly, drawing the demons attention back to her.

"Patience sweetheart you will join your mommy in a moment" he promised.

"You leave her alone!" he shouted desperately.

The demon merely smiled at him. Sam struggled desperately praying silently to anybody listening for them to help him. He focused his attention on the colt lying discarded at the other side of the room. The room was completely silent apart from Isabel's soft cries. He stared at the weapon willing it to move, begging it to move. Isabel's cries grew louder as the demon stood over her.

"Hush baby hush" he cooed.

The colt twitched slightly but remained in its place on the mottled carpet.

""come on come on" he muttered, the demon attention still on the baby.

The gun started to shake. His blood was roaring in his ears drowning out all other sounds. He felt a warm stream of blood dripping from his noise. Suddenly he felt his invisible bonds drop and the colt flew across the room towards him and landed in his hand.

His attention was brought back to Isabel's sobs he raised the gun at the back of the demon's head.

"Hey!" he yelled. As if in slow motion the demon turned around and looked at him, confusion obvious in his gaze.

Sam didn't even think as he pulled the trigger. The bullet connected with the demon's head. There were a few sparks from the entry wound before he collapsed to the ground.

Sam quickly stepped over the corpse and checked Issy's quickly drawing the crying bundle up into his arms.

"Shh shh its going to be ok, its going to be ok" he soothed.

"I'm sorry Isabel I'm so sorry" He glanced at Abby then back to the baby. In this moment he made a life altering decision. He was faced with a difficult choice: he could leave the baby with her grandparents and risk other demons coming after her which they would most certainly would, she would be helpless. Or he could raise her himself, protect her, keep her safe and teach her the family business.

Either way she would be in danger, he placed her back into the car seat and took in her mother's corpse. The decision made for him. This tiny bundle was a part of Dean. The last Winchester and he couldn't leave her defenceless.

It was four months and three days later that he saw Dean's smile again.

Four months and one day later he heard Dean's laugh.

Four months and one day later he saw Dean's eyes looking up at him.

Four months and one day later his heart felt whole again.

Four months and one day later he began to live again.

A/N: Hope everybody enjoyed this fic, reviews are always appreciated. I'm considering doing a series of one shot spin offs and make it into a series – thoughts anyone?