A/N: I always like patch-up scenes between Sam and Dean, but 12x04 didn't have one. So, I decided to fill in the gap between when Magda chose not to kill her mother and when Dean and Sam were standing outside. I used some lines from the show to give reference to when this takes place, and I obviously do not own those lines. Sam and Dean, along with those lines and the show itself, belong to the CW. I own nothing.

"Magda, stop! You don't have to do this; you can control it! Nobody else has to die!" Sam desperately pleaded. He pulled at his restraints with all his might, but his efforts were in vain. Sam was beginning to really worry that Magda would make the mistake of killing another person. Little did she know that Sam and Dean would be forced to "take care of the problem" if she did not demonstrate any control over her powers. However, Sam did know this, and he also knew that it wasn't fair to Magda.

"Please!" Sam frantically begged. The thought of not giving this young girl a second shot at life just seemed too unbearable. He felt the ropes cut deeper into his wrists as he tried to pull free of the chair.

Finally, a small sob escaped Magda. The knife clattered to the ground, no longer being held by the unseen force. Magda moved to turn away from her mother, and Sam felt the residual effects of being absolutely terrified. He was breathless from the exertion, but he knew he should be calming Magda down.

"YOU DEVIL!" Mrs. Peterson suddenly shouted, once more lunging at her daughter. Sam had not thought that she would make another move after brushing so close to death, but before he could warn Magda, her hands were around her daughter's neck.

…

Dean knew he was driving considerably faster than he should have, but he couldn't help but feel responsible for the whole situation. If he hadn't been so caught up in his problems, maybe he would have seen Sam's logic. And then, to make matters worse, he had gotten that dreaded phone call.

"Sam?" Dean questions.

"Don't move," some voice commands.

"Sammy?" Dean asks again, more concerned now.

"Okay, you listen to me. I can help your sister, okay? I just need you to trust me here," Sam reasons.

*sounds of struggle*

"Sam?... Sammy?"

"Cut the call."

click.

That call had been replaying in his mind since he had been disconnected. Dean had continued to call Sam's cell, hoping that he might hear his brother pick up. Now, he was screeching to a halt outside of the gate. He opened the door of the Impala before it had even stopped, and he began to sprint towards the house.

…

Before Sam could even think about doing anything, a vase full of sunflowers crashed down on Mrs. Peterson's head, effectively knocking her out. Magda shot him a terrified look before collapsing into a chair at the table, stunned. Silent tears were rolling down her face, but she made no movement. After several minutes, Sam spoke.

"Magda, I know you have been through a lot, but I am going to need you to untie me now, before my brother gets here," Sam calmly explained. However, Magda gave no indication that she had heard him and continued to stare blankly at the wall.

"Magda?" Sam prodded, not knowing whether or not she had heard him. This time she flinched at her name, but she made no move to help Sam. Sam had blood flowing down his hands and dripping onto the floor. He had tried so hard to free himself that he had inadvertently cut deep into his wrist.

…

Dean burst through the front door, holding his gun aloft. As he turned the corner to the kitchen, a strange sight met his eyes. Abraham Peterson was dead at the head of the table, his face still in his dinner. Elijah was dead due to a stab wound, and Gail Peterson appeared to be unconscious. Magda was perched awkwardly in a chair, tears streaming down her face. And finally, his brother, who was looking at him with panic-stricken eyes, was tied to the chair opposite of him. Dean raised his gun.

…

"NO, DEAN, DON'T!" Sam yelled as he watched Dean aim his gun at Magda. Sam was aware that it looked like Magda was holding him captive, and he did not want his brother to accidentally shoot an innocent girl.

"What? Why?" Dean demanded, clearly conflicted. Sam had looked scared, but Magda had still not moved from her seat, never having acknowledged Dean's presence.

"She's just in shock, it's not her fault," Sam hurriedly explained. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. There had been too many close calls already. As the terror receded, his wrists began to burn. He had strained at the ropes again when Dean had entered the room, cutting into the skin even more.

"Is she a threat?" Dean asked, completely unsure at this point.

"No, just put the gun away before you walk behind her. I need you to free my hands," Sam directed. Dean nodded in compliance and returned the gun to his waistband. He crouched down behind Sam, never taking his eyes off of Magda. As he pulled out his knife, he looked away from Magda and down at Sam's bindings.

"Shit, Sam. What were you thinking?" Dean quietly breathed. The skin was rubbed raw, and the ropes had been soaked with blood. Some places were cut deeper than others, but either way, Sam's wrists were not looking great. Dean sawed at the ropes as gently as possible, but he still felt Sam tense when he got close to the skin. The ropes came free, and Sam brought his hands in front of him.

"Well, I've had worse," Sam ruefully admitted, examining the wound.

Dean chuckled, and replied, "I'll go grab the first aid kit from the car."

"Get the big one," Sam commanded.

"Why?" Dean concernedly asked, moving back to his brother's side and scanning him up and down, "Are you hurt somewhere else?"

"No, no, take a look at her back," Sam said, gesturing to Magda. Dean looked at Magda and then back at Sam before moving around behind her. Her clothes exposed her back, so he was clearly able to see all of the wounds inflicted by the whip over the years. Her back was ripped and mangled, and it was a wonder that she could even bare to have her hair touching it. Dean nodded in understanding and hurried to grab the larger first aid kit.

When Dean returned, Sam had managed to guide Magda to the couch. She had resumed staring into space whilst perched on the edge. Inwardly, Dean wondered if she had ever sat there before. Dean went to kneel in front of Sam, but Sam quickly refused.

"Treat her first," Sam stubbornly declared. Dean gave him a pointed look, but went to look at her injuries anyways.

"Magda?" Dean began, "I am going to take a look at these, okay? I'm not going to hurt you, but it might sting." She distantly nodded, and Dean took that as her approval. However, as he began to investigate the cuts further, it was clear that Magda needed expertise. The skin was ripped in too many places for Dean to use his rudimentary first aid training, so he used his phone to call the police and inform them of what happened. After the call, Dean moved back around to Sam.

"We don't need them taking you to the hospital for a couple of cut wrists, so let's fix it up now," Dean suggested. Dean then took Sam's left hand and brought it closer so he could look at his wrist. They had antiseptic in the first aid kit, so Dean poured a bit of that over it. Sam hissed at the stinging sensation, but Dean had quickly wrapped gauze around the wound. Luckily, they had recently "acquired" the kind of gauze that didn't stick to open wounds. After finishing the left wrist, Dean repeated the process with the right. Once Dean had finished with his ministrations, he packed the kit up and began to help Sam with his coat. As he held the jacket for his brother so Sam could awkwardly stuff his arms in his sleeves, Dean noticed dried blood in Sam's hair.

"What is that?" Dean asked sharply.

"What is what?" Sam responded, puzzled.

"Were you hit on the head?" Dean inquired, concerned.

"Maybe. I remember talking to you on the phone, and then I woke up in the basement with Magda," Sam related while bringing a hand up to rub over the back of his head. However, Dean grabbed Sam's hand away before he could reach the cut.

"Let's just get the blood out of your hair. I think the cut is closed now anyways. All of this is dry," Dean clarified. He then went to the kitchen, wet a wash cloth and used it to gently wipe out the blood. Sam, with his slightly wet hair and bedraggled appearance, now resembled a puppy who had just gotten his first bath. Dean couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Sam sourly questioned.

"You look like shit," Dean grinned.

"Thanks," Sam expressed. Dean just gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before taking the kit back out to the car. While Dean was gone, Sam attempted to straighten his coat and dry his hair. It was a good thing he had because when Dean came back, there were cops and paramedics with him. The two brothers answered questions and eventually made their way to the end of the driveway. By this time, Mrs. Peterson had woken up and was shouting about how Magda was the devil. The cops had her restrained, and they led her away to an officer's car.

"Sorry I missed all the psycho," Dean offered. Although it was disguised with humor, Sam knew Dean actually felt guilty for leaving him.

"And you thought our family was crazy," Sam responded. Sam phrased it seriously, but it was enough to reassure Dean that Sam wasn't upset with him.

"Yeah," Dean reluctantly admitted.