I Never Said Goodbye {Destiel/Sabriel}

Chapter One

I didn't find what I expected.

My brother could always take care of himself. He was a righteous, caring, go to kinda guy. I thought he'd be fine.

I got in touch with hunters I knew in Palo Alto. They said they'd heard of him, but shared nothing more than an address. It led me to a cafe, where I found him sitting in the back.

"Sammy?" I choked out, my eyes tearing up. I hadn't seen or heard from him in five years, and here he was, drinking coffee and eating a croissant at the back of a coffee shop, reading the newspaper. He looked up and almost choked on his drink.

"Dean?" He stumbled out of the booth, and took a moment, just looking me over, as though he couldn't believe I was actually there. Then he embraced me, falling into my shoulders, making himself small again, despite his moose-like height. "Oh my god, oh my god," he blubbered, starting to shake in my arms and I realized he was sobbing.

"Sam!" I said and helped him back to the stained booth, sitting down across from him. "Sammy! What's going on?" He wiped his running nose, sniffled and looked up at me.

"Dean.... where have you been?" His voice caught on the last words. It was then that I fully took him in. His flannel shirt was filthy, it looked as though it hadn't been washed in weeks. Sam's face was dirty and his hair was long and unkempt and his eyes were red-rimmed from crying. From the looks of it, before I showed up as well.

"I've been huntin' with Dad, Sammy," I nearly whispered, close to tears myself. "Sam...... what've you been doing?"

"Honestly? Looking for you." His voice was contained now, and he looked at me straight on. "I tried to call you Dean. About a week after I left. It was a bad move on my part, leaving. I never really meant it. But you didn't answer. You never did. I tried to find you, go back home, but you must have already moved on. I looked for you for three years Dean. But everyone I asked said you didn't want me back. So I gave up. I came here. I've been pretty much homeless ever since." He dropped his gaze.

Silence filled the booth.

"That was never true Sammy." I choked out. "Never!" I couldn't believe it. This whole time Sam had been looking for us? "Come on, you're coming with me." I got up from the table, my cheeks wet.

Yet again, I had failed the person most important to me.