All I Need Is You.
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Demon Dean's eyes flashed black.
Sam shivered but continued his preparations. The shiver wasn't caused by fear, at least not fear of his brother but fear for him, that perhaps his blood-cure might not work on a Mark of Cain demon, and Sam needed this to work, needed Dean back.
From the moment Dean had been pulled into Purgatory two years ago, their lives and relationship had changed for the worse, Sam didn't really understand why.
Perhaps Chuck was hidden away somewhere still writing his prophetic Winchester Gospel, adding on a new punitive chapter to make sure the Winchesters would keep on suffering until they and their souls were permanently torn apart, effectively separating them not just on Earth but also in the after-life!
Sam hadn't looked for Dean when he was in purgatory. He had no logical explanation for his actions, his memories of those months increasingly fuzzy.
He sighed as he continued drawing out his blood with the syringe. All that mattered was the here and now. Dwelling on the past was counter-productive.
:
He tapped his ears, shutting out the painful words Dean was spewing; how Sam was an albatross around Dean's neck, always had been; how he'd killed his mother; been the worst thing to happen to him; how he was a freak, a monster!
The logical part of Sam understood most of the accusations were unjust; the helpless baby he'd been wasn't to blame for the deals made by his mother, by Azazel, or the angels who'd wanted him as Lucifer's meat suit to jump-start the Apocalypse.
God knows he'd paid for any mistakes he'd made since Stanford by his years in the Cage, but the part that was the little brother cried unshed tears at his big brother's words.
A smirking Demon Dean merrily continued his litany of his baby brother's presumed sins, turning a sharp blade in the rawness of Sam's emotional wounds, enough of Dean's remaining big brother senses understanding the success of his onslaught by the trembling of Sam's shoulders.
:
The syringe was full. Sam turned and began to transfer his blood to his brother, trying to zone out the hurtful words.
He had to save Dean, if for no other reason than to cancel the last two years of reciprocal accusations and misunderstandings.
Sam loved his brother, there was nothing he wouldn't do for him. He'd said those words to Dean more than once and they were as true now as they'd been back then.
Strangely enough, Dean seemed to have exhausted his vocal repertoire and was limiting himself to staring up at Sam, waiting for something.
The change in his Dean's attitude flustered him, his hands shaking as one phial after the other of his blood began to flow though Dean's veins and arteries, each platelet fighting a microscopic battle with its demonic counterpart, breaching Dean's heart and soul to bring Sam's big brother back to him.
Sam leaned back against the table, exhausted by the weeks it had taken him to track Dean down and by the blood loss needed to liberate his brother. All he could do now was wait.
:
"Sam...?" Dean's voice was no longer that of a demon but of his big brother. The voice that had alternately praised, scolded, joked and reassured him since he was old enough to understand the words.
"Dean..."
Dean quickly took stock of his situation.
"You gave me your blood, Sammy?"
Sam nodded, the lump in his throat too massive to allow him an easy answer.
"Huh. Does that mean I'm gonna turn into a Disney princess like you, Samantha. I'll kick your ass if it does!" Dean joked.
Sam forced his lips into a watery smile. He was too emotionally exhausted to rise to the bait, something that registered with his re-born big brother.
"So. You gonna keep me trussed up here like a trophy or are you gonna cut me free?"
:
"I just... gotta... make ..sure," Sam said tiredly, dousing Dean in holy water, relief illuminating his eyes as Dean remained wet but unmoving under the bombardment of the blessed liquid.
Sam stepped into the demon trap and cut his bonds. If Dean was truly cured he'd have no problem strolling out of it.
But Dean didn't bother moving, he pulled his little brother into his arms and held on tight, concerned by his sibling's thinness. He was holding on to a breathing bag of bones.
:
The tears came unbidden to Dean's eyes. Sam didn't deserve this, they didn't deserve this.
He could remember every moment of his time as a demon, and worst of all, he recalled the harsh words he'd just thrown at his baby brother.
He closed his eyes, pulled Sam even closer.
"You know I didn't mean any of it, don't you, Sammy? What I said back in the church, that there was nothing or no-one I'd ever put before you. It was the truth. You're my little brother. I don't blame you for anything. This life that's been forced on us, we didn't deserve it, Sammy! Neither of us did, but it's what we've got and if it means I get you as my brother, well it's been worth it all."
:
He felt Sam's tears dampening his shirt from where his face was tucked firmly into the space between Dean's head and shoulder.
Dean had no intention of pushing him away; Sam's tears mixed with the holy water already soaking him, baptizing them both into new life.
He held onto the most important person in the entire universe. The only one he cared a shit about.
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"Shh, Sammy. I'm here and I'm never gonna leave you, little brother."
"Dean..." Sam whispered, the word muffled by Dean's shoulder into which he was still vainly trying to burrow himself.
"Listen, dude. I've said a lot to you these past months, some good and a lot bad. I've always meant every word of the good and nothing of the bad.
Now I'm gonna tell you something I never have, though it's been true since the first time mom put you in my arms when you were a tiny tyke. I love you Sam. There's nobody I've ever loved like you, not our parents, not anyone."
:
Sam stilled,, his body tense. What was Dean saying?
:
"You're all I need Sam, all I ever have, but if it's not the same for you, if you need more that hanging out with your over-protective big brother, just tell me.
I'll go with whatever makes you happy. College, the white picket fence, two kids and a girly Prius. Just no more secrets, okay. When you want to kick my ass, do it and when the feeling's reciprocal I'll kick yours. No more hurting each other."
Dean tried to pry off his clingy octopus of a little brother.
"Now that I've just had my biggest chick-flick moment, are you gonna get your skinny, but still heavy ass offa me, Sammy?"
But Sam had no intention of letting go. He'd never let go again and for all his posturing Dean's arms tightened even more.
They stood entwined together, the passing of time unimportant, in their own little world as it had always been.
:
:
When Dean had eventually tucked up in bed his exhausted little brother, he pushed up his sleeve to examine his arm. Sam's blood hadn't removed the Mark, it was still there, pulsing evilly.
A cold chill came over him.
Whatever the Mark was touted as, it was still the Mark of Cain and Cain had killed his brother Abel.
Dean studied his sleeping brother, curled towards him, trusting and innocent as a baby.
It was time to get rid of it! He was never going to kill Sam and the brand's association with Cain was an anathema for Dean to carry on his body.
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He glanced around the room, remembering how he and Sam had been awed to have had the bunker left to them, but it's windowless walls had gradually taken on the aspect of a prison.
It was time to leave this part of their life behind them.
They would close the place up, take the Impala and get back on the road.
Where that road would lead he'd no idea. But from now on it would be only him and Sam.
Crowley, Castiel, the angels and demons would be forgotten, cancelled from their lives for ever. The suffering they'd caused him and Sam stopped now.
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The Winchester brothers would never again be pawns on the universe's chess-board, Dean would see to that! Word of big brother.
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The End