Title: The Heart of Everything
Author: LethargicSeal
Rating: M for language and sexual content
Status: In Progress
Type: Slash
Summary: Sequel to Insomnia. Sam fights a loosing battle for a way to save an unwilling Dean from the flames of hell. Wincest
Disclaimer: I do not own either Sam or Dean. They belong to the CW.
A/N: I felt like writing something darker. This story has a pretty dark start that I'm pretty proud of. It's not like most of my work, but hopefully it will pick up and become more like the atmosphere of Insomnia. I hope you enjoy.
Set me free, your heavens a lie… Set me free with your love, set me free.
Lacuna Coil
Sam awoke from his dreams, feeling his body groan with dull aches. He attempted to crawl out of bed but collapsed heavily back to the mattress, the aches in his body preventing him from moving. He let his now refreshed mind wander to the foggy events that happened early that day.
The dog had bit into Dean's shoulder, as Dean let out a bloody scream. Sam dug through the piles of fast food wrappers and cassette tapes searching for the only weapon that would save his brother. He glanced quickly at his bloody brother fighting desperately with the enormous beast.'What was that?' He saw a metallic shine out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see his brother's gun lying off to the side. He glanced at the dog ripping at Dean's chest with its front claws. 'You have to get to that gun.'
Sam made a run towards the gun, but the black dog caught on. It made a rush for Sam, leaving a bloody motionless Dean on the ground. Sam reached the gun but was tackled by the giant animal. He wrestled with the creature, its strength overpowering his own. 'Dean, I can't let him die.' He looked at Dean, who lay motionless on the road, before grasping the hilt of his gun and pushing it against the dog's chest. He closed his eyes before pulling the trigger. The dog seemed to sense the power shift and moved to free itself. The ringing blast of the shot echoed through the morning sky, followed by fierce growling.
'Dean?'
"Dean?" Sam practically shouted. He jolted up in bed, feeling his aching muscles will themselves to life. His gaze shot to the bed next to him, which was neatly made up and unoccupied. "Dean?" He asked more softly this time, voice rasped with worry.
"Whhaat…" came the tired reply of Dean as he rolled over. The shift in the mattress shocked him back. The memories Sam had of the night before where foggy. His lack of sleep making him work literally on impulse rather than ration thought, but none-the-less the acts they made earlier that day came back to him.
"Never mind." Sam answered, letting himself fall back to the bed, feeling his brother roll in close. He slipped into Dean's embrace before letting himself drift back to the sleep he needed.
"Dean?" Sam spoke, feeling the temperature in the room rise.
"Don't worry Sam. It's okay." Dean spoke. He was across the room, his face held no emotion, only a trace of happiness mixed with relief.
"What's going on?" Sam asked, feeling panic sweep over his body.
"I don't want you to worry about me. I want you to know that I love you." Dean spoke. Sam could feel sweat start to bead at the top of his forehead. The heat in the room was still increasing.
"I sacrificed myself for you, and I'll die knowing you love me." Dean spoke, flames starting to billow around his feet.
"No Dean!" Sam shouted, trying to climb out of his bed, but his arms and legs where chained to the mattress.
"Goodbye Sam." Dean spoke, a tear slipping down his cheek as he turned his back from Sam. The look on his brother's face to much to see, knowing it would only torture him more than anything hell could throw at him.
"Dammit Dean. You can't do this to me, not now." Sam shouted, watching as the fire licked its way across the room. Soon the entire room was ablaze, the heat unbearable but still Sam struggled against his restraints. He felt no physical pain, only the pain in his heart as his brother's form was blanketed by the intense flames.
The room was filled with cries of pain and screaming as the floor opened up. More flames rose from the hole in the floor, but what was more agonizing where the cries of desperation that were heard.
The cracks of whips, the snaps of bones, the smell of sulfur and burning flesh. Sam covered his nostrils, trying to prevent the repulsive smell. He could hear the wicked laughter of demons as they ripped their victims apart. The blood curdling screams of the tortured pierced the heart.
Dean turned to look at Sam, "I'm sorry." He spoke, barely above a whisper, the tears he cried where unnoticeable as the heat dried them away. Sam pulled harder on his restraints, he swore he could feel them digging into his skin as he screamed to hold his brother one last time, only to say goodbye one last time. He could feel the tears falling down his cheeks as they dried.
Dean pulled himself together, forcing himself to grin. "Don't forget about me, Sammy." He said, his voice cracking like the flames that surround him. He let out a sigh, only moments before Hell Hounds broke out of the ground and ripped and pulled at Dean's flesh.
"DEAN!" Sam shouted, hearing the agonized screams of his brother adding to those already filling the room. He finally broke from his restraints and rushed to his older brother's aid.
The hounds ripped and pulled at Dean's flesh, his blood painting the floor before boiling into small dried pools. Sam's heart broke at the sight of his brother's broken body before him. He reached out to comfort Dean, but the hell hounds pulled him out of reach. Pulling him closer and closer to the flame filled hell hole.
"No Dean!" Sam shouted, collapsing onto the charred remains of the floor, cupping his face in his hands. "You can't leave me!"
The only reply he got was bloody gargled cough as Dean lifted his hand to reach out for Sam. Sam looked up, catching the look of pain in his brother's eyes before completely breaking down.
The hounds pulled Dean into the abyss. Sam watched as his body disappeared into the sea of flames and the hole closed up behind him. The sounds of anguish and death were silenced, and the flames receded. Sam wept, feeling the tears slide down his face and drip onto his knees, the coldness creeping over him.
Sam awoke in a pool of his own sweat, feeling the air conditioning pushing cold air across his wet form. He shivered from the cold before rolling closer into Dean…. who wasn't there.
"DEAN?!" Sam shouted, thinking that his dream had been true. He glanced over the room, taking in the scenery that hadn't changed. Standing up, he made his way shakily to the window and looked out just as the Impala pulled up.
"Dean!" Sam screamed, running out the door in nothing but a pair of boxers.
"Sam?" Dean asked as Sam assaulted him, pulling him into a deep embrace.
"Thank god you are still alive." Sam sobbed into Dean's shoulder. "I thought you were really gone."
"I only went to burn that damn black dog's corpse." Dean answered, cupping the back of his older brother's head and letting Sam cry into his shoulder. "Everything's okay Sam. What happened?"
"I dreamed that your time was up. They dragged you into hell, all the torment and death." Sam babbled into Dean's shoulder.
"It's okay, I'm still here. I'm still alive. I'm not going anywhere for a while." Dean cooed. He tried to maneuver them back into the motel, but before they could Sam broke the hug and stepped back.
"I can't watch you die Dean." Sam spoke in a whisper. "There has to be a way to save you."
"You can't." Dean spoke. "If you try, you'll die. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
"And how can I live with myself after watching you dragged into Hell? Huh?" Sam shouted.
Dean's features softened. "I know your scared, but don't be. I'll be fine."
"It's Hell Dean. You won't be fine." Sam shouted.
Dean looked away, avoiding eye contact with Sam.
"I won't let you die." Sam shouted.
"Yes you will." Dean ordered. "Cause I won't sit back and watch you die if you intervene." Dean smashed his fist against the wall causing Sam to flinch. Sam wanted to reply but held his tongue.
"I'm going to go take a shower." Dean spoke, breaking the silence and disappearing behind the door. Sam was about to follow but heard a voice behind him.
"There is a way to save him, you know." A female voice stated.
"Who are you?" Sam spoke, turning to see a blonde woman with piercing eyes.
"Ruby." She answered, her voice was comforting but masked with mystery.
"What do you know about my brother?" Sam spoke, feeling himself calm down. There was no sense in attacking her if she did know something.
"That in about nine months your brother will be dragged into the bowels of hell because he sold his soul for his beloved brother." She spoke, spitting out the words in a mocking sort of way.
"How can you possibly know that? Are you a hunter or something?" Sam asked.
"No." Ruby said almost laughing. "Not at all."
"Then what are you?" Sam asked, feeling his anger rise.
Ruby glued her eyes to Sam before letting them glaze over with the darkness of her true self.
"A demon." Sam answered. He was trapped, with nothing to defend himself with. "DEAN!" he shouted hoping his brother would come to the rescue.
"I can help you." She answered.
"Why would you want to help us, you bitch." Sam swore, looking for anything to use as a weapon.
"Just hear me out." She started. "There is a way to save your brother from the flames of hell."
"And what is that?" Sam gritted through his teeth.
"First, you need to do something for me." She spoke, a hint of venom in her voice.
"Why should I trust you?" Sam threatened.
"What do you have to loose?" Ruby asked, "Your brother? Oh wait, you're going to loose him without my help anyway."
"You bitch." Sam swore.
"Name calling isn't going to help save your brother."
"What do you want me to do?" Sam reluctantly asked.
"I need you to trust me, and to gain that, I want you to see into your brother's soul. I know you know about the things he does, how he hates the person he sees in the mirror. I know about your relationship with him. How it has turned to more than just brothers. You know what I'm talking about. Can you tell the battle scars from self inflicted scars anymore?" She spoke.
Sam's gaze dropped to the asphalt, tears stinging his eyes. He knew his brother was hurting deep inside, he knew the things that he did, but he thought bringing them to the surface would only make things worse.
"I can't help you save your brother, unless he wants to be saved." Ruby spoke. "You need to convince him that his life still means something. That you still need him."
Sam looked up from the floor to see that Ruby had vanished. It seemed like a simple task, but he knew his brother all to well. This was going to be tough; he had been trying for some time now. Dean had given up on the world and Sam was struggling to keep his brother from falling apart.
He sighed. It was advice from a demon, but to gain her trust, all he had to do was continue what he was already trying to achieve. Sam turned to open the door, Ruby's words still echoing in his head giving him hope.
"There is a way to save your brother."