"No Dean, I wouldn't. Same circumstances, I wouldn't" Sam had told Dean after being possessed by and angel. Now was the time for Sam to prove himself wrong. My take on what the end of season 9 could look like.
Sam paced in front of the church, remembering how he felt a year ago at this time. Only then, the demon trussed up inside, waiting for him to either heal or kill him, wasn't his brother. Sam had been there, just a few days ago, when Dean had succeeded in killing Abbadon. She had barely stood a chance against Dean once he had control of the First Blade. Unfortunately, killing Abbadon had sealed Dean's fate to become the next Knight of Hell, the terrible burden that Cain had mentioned.
Sam knew what he had to do before he could cure Dean. Purify himself first, confess to his sins. He didn't know where to start this time. Last time was easy; he had to make amends for abandoning his brother in purgatory for a year, for not trusting his brother's faith in the man who had saved him in purgatory, for not trusting his brother in general. This time, while Sam was still mad that Dean had tricked him, Sam was finally forgiving him for that. Most of all, Sam felt horrible for making Dean doubt himself and his value to his brother. Sam found it somewhat ironic that both times he's had to this, he was praying for forgiveness for what he had put his brother through. When Sam finished, he took a swig of holy water from his flask and walked through the doors.
Sam walked slowly down the aisle of the church, he saw Dean before him, chained to a chair with consecrated iron chains etched with spell work, sitting in the middle of a freshly painted devils trap. Dean started thrashing and screaming to be let loose before Sam even got near him. Sam knew that it was the Mark urging Dean to complete its inevitable historical destiny. When Sam finally stood before Dean, he knelt before his brother and looked him square in the eye, the once green eyes he'd known his whole life that were now turned black.
"I'm sorry Dean, I know this is gonna hurt, but I need to help you." Sam told Dean.
"Oh, really? Now you want to help me? Didn't you tell me only a few months ago that you would let me DIE!" Dean screamed in retort.
Sam took a deep, calming breath before replying. "Dean, this is hardly 'similar circumstances'. And I won't let you die a demon." Sam said, wincing as he plunged the needle into his vein and drew out some blood. Sam didn't bother to try to stop the small trickle of blood that followed the needle when he withdrew it; his only concern was starting this process. The sooner he started it, the sooner it would be over and Dean would be back.
"I'm sorry Dean." Sam told him again as he sank the needle into Dean's jugular vein. Dean hissed, screamed and thrashed more in the chair. Sam stood strong beside him, uttering what he hoped were calming words. As Dean calmed, Sam looked at his watch, only 50 minutes to go before the next injection.
Dean continued to breathe heavily in the chair; Sam placed a hand on Dean's neck and told him that he would be back in a little while. He turned and walked back down the aisle, away from Dean, and out the doors of the church.
Castiel stood at the base of the steps and looked up as Sam approached him.
"Do you think this'll work?" Sam asked, for what felt like the hundredth time. Sure they had seen the ritual work on a common demon, but a Knight of Hell?
"I truly don't know, but what choice do we have?" Cas answered.
Sam took a deep breath and sat on the steps of the church, took another sip of holy water from the flask and glanced at his watch, 45 more minutes.
Sam spent the time between injections sitting quietly outside. He could still hear Dean yell occasionally from within the church, screaming to be set free so he could tear Sam a new one. When it was time for the next injection, Sam stood and walked into the church again. The sight that was before was no different than the last, not that he had been expecting much of a change after just one injection, but he could hope.
"Sam, why don't you let me out of this trap and let's settle this like men? I promise I'll even let you get in a few hits before I kill you. That sound good?" Dean sneered from his spot in the chair.
"I know that's not you talking, Dean. Don't worry; it'll all be over soon." Sam said, once again drawing blood from his arm.
"That's just it Sam, it is me. I'm not possessed; I can just finally see what I'm supposed to be. What I was supposed to be before heaven's greatest screw up pulled me from the pit!" Dean replied, jutting his head towards Cas who had followed Sam into the church and stood at the far end of the aisle.
"I'm sorry, Dean." Sam muttered as he plunged the needle into his brother's neck again. Dean's reaction was just as violent as the time before and Sam remained by his side, whispering soothing words until Dean calmed.
When Sam turned to leave, he noticed Cas had left the church. Sam found the angel outside, looking somewhat dejected.
"You know he didn't mean that right?" Sam asked. The angel didn't respond so Sam continued. "You have always done you're best to do what you thought was right. You aren't a screw up, not any more than I am."
"Thank you, Sam" Castiel said, looking up with a half smile.
Sam sat on the steps again and waited for it to be time for the third injection.
The next few injections followed pretty much the same pattern. Sam would enter the church, Dean would start spewing profanities, threats and insults. Sam would apologize for having to do this, draws his own blood and inject his brother with it. Dean would scream in pain and rage while Sam feebly attempts to calm him and then Sam would walk away. On the fifth injection is when Sam finally started to notice a difference. As he approached his restrained brother, Dean didn't start yelling and cussing. Dean simply asked Sam to kill him and be done with it.
"It's not worth it Sam, just kill me. This will never work and you know it." Dean said, sounding a little less strong than the last time he had spoken.
"Do you hear yourself, Dean? It is working! Just hold on for a little longer." Sam said, drawing yet another syringe of blood from his arm.
"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you?" Dean said, looking up at Sam with those still ink black eyes. "You'd love to prove me wrong. Prove how useless I am!"
"I'm sorry Dean." Was Sam's only reply to Dean's outburst, as he sank the needle into Dean's neck for the fifth time that night. What followed was the usual for tonight, and as Dean calmed, Sam walked away. Once outside, Sam sat heavily on the steps of the church.
He thought back to only a few days before, when he had watched Dean slice into Abbadon. He had been overjoyed to know she was finally dead and gone, but that joy was very shirt lived. The primal scream that had followed sounded more like it had come from an animal than from his brother. When Dean turned around, murderous rage in his blackened eyes, Sam felt his stomach drop. He had tried to contain Dean that first night, but he was far too powerful. The bloody rampage that Dean had embarked on after was even worse, Dean had found and killed Cain, ensuring that he could never give up the Mark, and had killed dozens of innocent people along the way. Dean had also easily killed Crowley after killing Cain. It was only when he went after Cas that Dean was finally stopped, the angel and Sam teaming up to create a very strong trap for the now demonic brother. Glancing at his watch, Sam saw that it was three am, only three more hours to go.
The night seemed to drag on, each hour seeming to pass slower and slower than the one before. Sam guessed that it only felt that way because part of the real Dean was starting to leak through the demon that he now was, and it hurt Sam to have to cause his brother so much pain. It had been easy in the beginning to think that he was saving Dean, not hurting him. But now as Dean pleaded with Sam to kill him before each injection, with the more lucid moments lasting longer and longer, the fact that Sam was putting Dean through this was becoming inescapable.
At six o'clock in the morning, Sam walked into the church with his head held high for the first time that night. This would be the hour that Dean would finally be saved. The hour that all this pain would finally be over for both brothers. Sam carried a cup for the holy water and a knife to cut his hand into the church and laid them on the first pew. Dean sat before him, still breathing heavily from the stress of the last injection.
"Dean." Sam called. When his older brother glanced up, his eyes still black as the car he loved so much, Sam could almost see the sorrow in them.
"Sam, please. I know you want this to work, but promise me, if it doesn't that you'll kill me!" Dean pleaded. "Just end it, please."
"This will work Dean, I promise you." Was Sam's reply. As he drew the final syringe of blood needed from his arm, he could swear he noticed a finch when he approached his brother. Apologizing to him one more time, Sam sank the needle into Dean's skin. He watched as Dean writhed in his chains before stopping. Sam dropped to a knee before Dean, so he could see Dean's eyes and make sure that he was ready for the final step. Much to Sam's delight, he watched as Dean's eyes cleared, returning to the green shade that Sam had grown up with.
"Sammy." Dean whispered.
"We're almost there Dean, just a little bit more." Sam promised, splashing a cup of holy water onto Dean's face. He shuddered at the sizzling noise it made and the steam that rose from his brother's skin. Sam grabbed the knife he had brought; sliced open is hand, right over the scar that had kept him sane little more than a year and a half before.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus hanc animam redintegra lustratus! lustratus!" Sam chanted, slapping his bloodied hand over Dean's mouth. The room filled with a bright light, and as it faded Sam saw Dean slumped in the chair before him.
Sam placed two fingers to Dean's neck; relieved to feel a steady, albeit fast, pulse beneath his fingers.
"Dean, hey, Dean, wake up." Sam said, tapping his brother on the side of the head lightly. Dean stirred, opened his still clear eyes and looked right at Sam.
"Did it work?" He rasped.
"Yeah, it worked." Sam replied, smiling. He'd done it, he'd saved his brother. Dean suddenly started to weep from his place in the chair.
"Oh God, I killed all those people, Sam." Dean cried as Sam started to undo the chains holding his brother in place.
"You know it wasn't you Dean, it was the Mark." Sam placated. When he got to Deans right arm, he noticed the Mark was now little more than a healing scar. Sam only hoped that Dean could heal from this as well as his skin had. Helping Dean stand, the two walked slowly out of the church. The sun was just starting to come up. It really was a new day, for both of them.
Please don't kill me, lol.