Sorry I was MIA. Was in Florida for a week, then swamped with work when I returned. This weekend is the first change I had to breathe.

Q. if this is in season 4 why isn't Sam trying to use his powers?

A. Good Question. I actually realized that myself while writing chapter 3, and I couldn't really write the story with it, and I felt like it was cheating to go back and change what I had originally written about it being season 4. So, I'm going to go with the binding link that prevents regular exorcisms, also blocks Sam's powers. The actual writers never answered this question, so I feel I'm entitled to make that fact up to work how I want it to… writer's privilege or, as Souless666 suggested, "Well, it could be explained that he is so messed up about what's happening to Dean he's not thinking straight, or, just go with him not wanting to use it around Dean, seeing as he knows how Dean feels about it, and he hates the way Dean looks at him after he uses it...I mean, each time Dean would give him this 'OMG! What are you?' look; like when he took out Famine".

Disclaimer: I still don't own them. If you need a reason why, please see Q and A above.

With the demon back in the room Sam found himself flying, ungracefully, back to his corner. He left out a soft oof as he slid to the floor. No matter how accustomed one became to slamming into walls, concrete never got any softer. And no matter how accustomed one became to watching their brother at the mercy of a monster, it never got any less gut-wrenching.

"Sam" the demon started, "I expected better behavior out of you. Did you really think you could help your brother? Make it better?"

Sam refused to appease him with an answer, and struggled to his feet. As soon as he was upright, the demon slammed him back to the wall where he was pinned. Again.

"You persistence is admirable Sam, but as long as I'm standing here, I don't think you're very useful," the demon smirked.

Sam was in the process of figuring out how to best plead Dean's case to this bastard to ease the torture, when Liam's cackle mixed with Dean's scream.

"Dean!"

"Please" he begged.

"Please what?" the demon rolled his eyes

"Stop torturing Dean"

"You didn't say please"

Sam could not believe they were having this ridiculous childish conversation while his brother was barely hanging on merely feet away. He took a deep breath, bared his teeth, and repeated, "Please stop torturing Dean"

"Ah very good. But, uh, no. sorry"

"Fuck you."

He ground his teeth together and tried to block out the hideous sounds Dean was making.

It was stupid really, but when the demon had walked past him without sparing him a glance and went straight for the other younger brother, Liam was jealous. He grabbed the taser off the table – if his own older brother wouldn't acknowledge his presence in the room, at least the one in front of him wouldn't be able to ignore him.

He paused for a second when he saw the demon and Sam engaged in conversation.

"please what?" he heard, and his stomach churned. He remembered when his brother would push him to the edge with that stupid parley, and his jealousy surged again. What a stupid thing to be jealous of!

He upped the voltage on the taser and hit again.

Dean's body had reached new levels of pain and shock, and no longer knew how to respond to the barrage of torture that continued to assault him. He couldn't think straight, or see straight, but he was pretty sure his body was alternating between dangerous convulsions, hanging like a limp ragdoll, and stiffening every muscle in his body. He had no control over any of it.

He longed for oblivion, but it seemed that delicacy was long past something his body was able to provide him.

The demon had to repeat himself 4 times before Dean was able to recognize that the demon was addressing him. He had to repeat himself twice more before Dean was able to consciously focus on the voice coming out of the mouth uncomfortably close to him, and even then they were kind of hazy. Just shut up already you freak, he thought, you're already torturing me. i don't want to listen to you too.

Apparently his inability to answer was freaking out his brother because after the 7th repetition of what Dean was starting to think must have been a really easy question, Sam's yells joined the conversation. He focused all his will power on the words he was supposed to be hearing, and got the gist of what the demon was saying. He was proud of him? Oh, and was he still glad he made the decision he did?

Speaking didn't seem like it was going to happen, so Dean satisfied himself by spitting with as much force as he could muster directly into the demon's face.

"that wasn't very nice. I was only looking after your well-being", the demon tried to sound insulted.

The act of spitting had dislodged a lot of what was preventing Dean from speaking. "Fuck you" he countered.

"so eloquent"

"Fuck you"

"oh look Sammy, your brother is stuck on repeat"

Fuck You, Dean thought again, but instead responded with, "Is the party over already? The light show from your right hand man over here was just getting started."

"Well that's up to you Dean."

"What?" against his better judgment, hope rose in his heart. Could he actually be getting out of this?

"Same offer as before."

And just as quickly all the hope in his chest turned sour. Twisting in his gut and making him feel worse, if possible, than before. The demon continued, "I can go back to Mark or Mike or Marvin or whatever that man's name is in the other room if you prefer. Even keep it at half of what you're getting. Just like before"

"Fuck you" It was all he could say to keep the tears at bay. He knew he couldn't live through saying yes, but he wasn't entirely sure he could survive through saying no either.

"oh, we're back to that I see. Well, you know, I don't speak Dean Winchester and that could mean a whole variety of things…"

"Fuck you. It means No" he managed to snarl.

"Dean"

no Sam, no no no no no, don't you weigh in here, oh god please, you don't understand how much worse it could get. "Yeah Sam?"

"you, you can't take much more of this" he started hesitantly, "maybe…"

"No Sam", he whispered, expelling any remaining fight he had in his weary body. Emotional decisions always had that effect on him.

"Share the pain Dean"

Dean was on the verge of tears. "You can't ask me to do that"

Sam heard the pleading in Dean's voice; he also heard the defeat, the self-loathing, and the weariness that was coming from someplace deeper, some place more permanent, and for the first time, Sam understood.

And as he understood, he wanted to kick himself for asking, for not recognizing what this was sooner. He wanted to rip the demon and his henchman apart for putting Dean back in this situation and making him watch it. He wanted to hold Dean and put the pieces back together and tell him not to hate himself. He wanted to do all those things, but he could not do any of them. So he did what he could.

"it's okay Dean. You're right. I trust your decision"

Seconds later Liam stood side by side his own brother, taser in hand, ready to inflict pain along with the one being on this earth he would follow without limits. He raised his hand, mirroring his brother, and released a stream of electricity as Derek released a torture uniquely his own. In that moment, Liam was happy. He realized that made him crazy. He smiled.

A loud crack broke through his inner turmoil. His world turned on itself. The sound repeated.

In perfect symmetry two brothers fell to the floor.

I'm thinking one more chapter after this one. Maybe two. As always, I love your comments, questions, criticisms, and encouragement.