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A Means of Protection

"No Sam," Dean shouted at his brother. "This is silly! I'm not going to do it."

"No it's not," Sam patiently explained to his brother. "It's actually a very good idea."

They were sitting in the Impala parked in the dark corner of a downtown parking lot. "If it's such a good idea then you do it! If it works for you then I'll think about it," Dean said.

Sam's eyes widened, "And how do you supposed we're going to test it to see how well it works? The only way we'll ever know whether or not it will is if one of us actually needs it and by then it will be too late for you to get it done! We both need to do. Think of it as just another means of protection."

"Come on Sammy," Dean pleaded. "We don't need this we've done fine so far without it."

Sam was taken aback by his brothers' comment. His eyes widened and he looked at Dean. "You aren't serious? Fine?" Sam said his voice rising with his emotions. "Fine? How is dad being possessed by the demon fine?"

"Sammy…" Dean warned his brother.

"No Dean, look… if dad had gotten this done… if he'd had one maybe… maybe it wouldn't have been able to possess him."

"Yeah," Dean told him. "Maybe if he did have it then the demon would have just killed him. We have no way of knowing Sam."

"Yeah, you're right," Sam said. "We don't, but Dean if it can protect us then why not take the chance? I mean it can't hurt can it?"

"You're kidding right?" Dean asked incredulously. "Of course it hurts!"

Sam grinned at his brother. "Oh, what?" he said. "Are you afraid of a little pain?"

"No," Dean denied sarcastically. "I'm afraid of catching some horrid disease like aids or something."

"Oh come on," Sam replied. "I've check this place out. It's clean, totally safe."

Dean looked around the parking lot. There were several motorcycles and some sports cars in the parking lot along with a couple of old beat up pickup trucks. Somehow he didn't think this was going to be the safest place in town.

"Come on Dean," Sam said opening the car door. "The least you can do it check it out."

Dean sighed knowing his brother had won the argument. Dean would never allow Sam to go through this alone. He'd have to do it too, if for no other reason then to prove to his younger brother that he could. "Fine," he told Sam unable to believe they were about to do this. "But I'm going first."

Sam smiled knowing he'd won and Dean would be protected. He led the way into the small shop and walked up to the counter. Several chairs behind the counter were already occupied and a constant buzzing could be heard above the conversations in the store.

A young woman in a slim black dress with long wavy hair that matched the dress stood on the other side of the counter. She was dressed to the hilt in gothic attire including a studded dog collar around her neck, six diamond ear rings… in one ear and a nose stud. She was certainly pretty, but far from Sam's type.

She looked Sam up and down blatantly ogling him. A smile shone on her face as she asked, "How can I help you gorgeous?"

Sam blushed profusely as Dean shouldered him from behind grinning. "Um… yeah," Sam said pulling a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "We… ah…" He heard his brother smirking behind him and sent an elbow back into his brothers' ribs. "Can you do this?" he asked handing her the paper.

She studied it briefly then looked up at Sam and asked, "Do you know this is a Devils Trap?"

Both brothers were taken back at her knowledge of what the design was. "Yes, how do you know what it is?"

"Please," she said. "I see stuff like this all the time. It always amazes me what people want done. Anyway," she told them. "It's a good choice… strong protection against evil."

Sam turned to his brother with a grin but didn't say anything then he turned back to the girl and said, "Can you do it?"

"Sure," she said. "It'll cost a hundred and twenty each. Where do you want it?"

Sam had been thinking about that and decided Dean would not want anything marring his chest and truth be told neither did he. "How about on the back, up on the left shoulder?"

"That's a good place instead of having it too much to the left if you center it over the heart and it will work better… stronger protection that way."

"Fine," Dean said. "I'll go first."

After both brothers signed the release papers the girl had Dean remove his jacket and shirt. "Whoa," she said. "No wonder you didn't want it on your chest! It's perfect enough."

Dean gave her his most beguiling smile, wiggled his eyebrows at her and replied, "It would be even better if you were laying on it."

She laughed at him and directed him to sit backwards in the chair she provided. She'd taken the paper Sam had given to her and made a copy of it with a specially designed printer. Then donning a pair of rubber gloves she used alcohol to clean Dean's back and placed the copy on the place she deemed best for the design. After rubbing on the paper then allowing it to sit for a minute she peeled it off leaving a perfect copy of the devils trap on Dean's back.

"How is the positioning?" she asked.

It was Sam who answered. "That's perfect," he told her. Dean looked in the mirror and nodded.

"You're sure about this?" Dean asked his brother secretly hoping for a last minute reprieve.

Sam didn't answer he just gave his brother a look that said it all.

The girl picked up her specially designed gun dipped it in the black ink and began her task.

Sam was watching Dean's face when the girl began her work. The only indication of discomfort he gave was the way his face was immediately schooled into a stoic look of concentration and after one quickly inhaled breath his breathing returned to a steady and rhythmic inhale then exhale. Twenty five minutes passed as the girl worked and with Dean not speaking a single word. Sam decided that it couldn't hurt that bad if Dean was able to stay still for her.

Wiping away the blood and ink one final time the girl applied some A&D ointment to Dean's back. "All done," she said with a smile. "You did good honey, is this your first time?"

"First and last," Dean told her. Then he looked at his brother and grinned. "Your turn Sammy," he said with a smirk as he got up from the chair and put his shirt and jacket back on.

Sammy removed his shirt and jacket and sat down. "Oh dear God," the girl said with a sigh. "How did I get this lucky? A perfect twelve pack for me today!"

Sam blushed again and Dean laughed as she prepared his back the same way she'd done for his brother. The tip of the gun was replaced with a new one and new ink was tipped into the small dish for use on Sam. The girl dipped the tip of the gun in the ink and pressed it gently onto Sam's back.

"Holy Crap!" Sam said through clenched teeth as she began working. He jerked slightly and looked over at his brother who was laughing hysterically at him.

"If you don't sit still this is going to look like shit," the girl told him.

"Come on Sammy," Dean said with a grin. "How much can it hurt?"

It took Sam a few more minutes to reach the point where he was able to sit quiet and allow the girl to work. How the hell had Dean been able to hide the real pain of this from him? It felt like someone was taking a very dull knife and scraping the point across his skin in a constant burning scratch. Oh, and it felt even better when she began working directly over the bone!

Sam let out a sigh of relief when the girl indicated that she was done and applied the cool ointment to his burning skin. He looked in the mirror at the fresh tattoo of the Devils Trap that he now sported on his back.

"Well," he told Dean. "If it works it'll be worth it." He put his shirt and jacket back on and paid the girl leaving her with a good tip.

"Come on Sammy," Dean said clapping his brother on his back right where his new tattoo was located causing his brother to cringe in pain. "I saw a bar a few blocks up the road, let's go get a drink."

A/N – Okay… so I had one of those silly Plot Bunnies running around in my head ever since I saw Devils Trap. I remember watching the show and thinking wow! They need to get that symbol tattooed onto their bodies!

p.s. I love tattoos and have three of my own. Not fond of body piercing though except of course for ear rings. (What do you think should the boys get an ear pierced?)

Thanks for reading please review and let me know what you think.