Although "When All Dogs Go To Heaven" wasn't the most perfect episode of SPN, I loved the first scene with the boys and Crowley so I dabbled a little in it.

Great news about SPN's eighth season being confirmed! I'm so happy about that !

Dean was making his way precariously towards the exit when his cell went off. He cursed at the inopportune moment, for his hands were laden with the heavy tray of food he'd just lifted from the diner's counter.

Managing in some way to balance it awkwardly in one hand, he answered the call.

:

"Hey, Bobby…" he paused as the older hunter launched into a string of questions. "Yeah, just when you think that things can't get any worse, they do. That's the good ol' Winchester luck for you. However if Crowley thinks we're just gonna…..!

:

"If Crowley thinks we're just gonna, what…?"

Had Dean been a jittery kind of guy, he would've jumped on hearing the smarmy voice of the demon as he materialised unheard beside him, but he certainly wasn't going to give Crowley that kind of satisfaction, so he stilled his body to ramrod stiffness and closed the communication with Bobby.

:

Turning on his heel, Crowley made his way towards the roadside table where Dean's little brother was seated, eating breakfast and plopped himself uninvited down beside the younger hunter.

"I've got a job for you, boys," he cheerily exclaimed.

Dean felt the fury build; he was damned fed up of being ordered about by just about everyone lately.

"You can take your job and stuff it up your ass!" Dean mouthed angrily as he sat down, while Sam observed the exchange in the now habitually impassive way he had.

:

"Well, and just what do you think you've been doing up till now, eh, especially little Sammy here," Crowley nodded to his left, "who's been supplying me with, shall we say, "selected articles", since the moment I dragged him out of the pit and I have to say, very efficiently too!

You getting back together with him has actually ruined his record and softened him up a bit. You're a bad influence on your brother, Deano, and to think he'd sell you out for a dollar in a minute, if he saw any advantage to it."

Dean's eyes strayed to his brother, his heart torn between not wanting to believe the demon's words and fear that they were true, but he answered Crowley with solid conviction, nonetheless.

"I am NOT going to work for you Crowley, no way!"

"Well now, Mr high and mighty Dean Winchester, care to place a little bet on that? I'd just like to remind you that I own your brother!"

:

So saying, Crowley elongated a finger and lightly brushed the back of Sam's right hand, causing Sam to pull it away with a howl of pain.

Dean's horrified eyes travelled instantly from Crowley's face to his brother who was covering his hand in agony where a miniature Hellfire had appeared, burning merrily away on a two-inch circle of skin.

Dean felt his heart fall. He'd never been able to suffer his brother's pain and he needed no reminder of how agonising Hell-pain was. He remembered it well.

He'd tried to push the memories down into the depths of his mind but no amount of ignoring could ever eliminate what he'd suffered there.

The nightmares were there to prove it, especially since he'd been living with Lisa, where they'd worsened ten-fold.

:

Sam had suffered all that pain too, for far longer than him, and the knowledge made him feel even worse. He swore his little brother was not going to go through another instant of that pain; not by any fault of Dean's anyway.

He knew that Crowley, like a multitude of others in their shadowy world, was well aware that Dean Winchester had only one weakness and that the demon would have no problem in exploiting it.

Crowley knew that hurting Sam was a potent inducement to bring his big brother to heel; to make him do anything to keep Sam safe.

Added to the mix was that Crowley had promised to give Sam back his soul if they did as they were told.

Dean was utterly and completely defenceless!

Perhaps Crowley spoke the truth when he said Sam would sell him for a dollar, because even if it wasn't one hundred percent Sammy sitting across from him, HE was still one hundred percent Dean, Sam's protector and big brother.

:

The demon had won for now.

Dean silently added this to the scores to settle in the future, bowed his head and accepted Crowley's orders, but the war was not yet finished and when Sam had his soul back, there would be Hell to pay for all those who'd thought they could manipulate the Winchesters, both of them.

The End