AN: I love you guys so much and I'm NOT giving up on this story! I promise you! Here's an update at last. Starbo might be in for a bit of a shock. XD I needed a break from RCW and I opened this started document. Well, here ya go guys. I hope you like it!

"What?!" Dean snapped. "You went demon hunting without me?"

"Well…" Sam said, feeling suddenly awkward. "Yeah… It wasn't a big deal…"

"Wasn't a big deal?!" He shouted. "You could have been killed Sammy! These aren't even the types of demons we normally go after. These guys are some serious shit! They sound like they could kill you so much as look at you!"

"I'm not helpless Dean!" Sam shouted back. "And besides, I was with Piper, Phoebe, and Cole! I was perfectly fine!"

"Wait," Dean snapped, turning to Piper. "You let him go!?"

Piper glared at him. "He's not a baby. He can make his own decisions without his brother for once. He doesn't need you!"

"Like hell he doesn't!" Dean said, turning to glare heatedly at her.

"You back off!" Piper growled at him.

"No, YOU back off!" Dean retorted with just as much ferocity. "And stay away from my brother!"

"Dean!" Sam shouted. "If I want to spend time with my sister, then you need to accept that."

Suddenly, the expression in Dean's face changed. The anger became suddenly tainted with fear and hurt. "How could you…" Dean said, the words quiet, before stopping as he abruptly looked away from Sam.

Sam's eyes softened at the expression on Deans' face, lightening with sudden understanding. "How could I what?" he asked and reached out to touch Dean's arm.

Dean jerked away from him, the pain in his eyes suddenly as clear as day. "Nothing!"

Sam turned him around and forced Dean to look at him. "What's wrong Dean?"

"It's just… How could you leave me like that?" Dean asked, looking ashamed and afraid of the question leaving his lips as he refused to meet Sam's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked softly.

"You're never around anymore Sam… Ever since your new…" Dean said and trailed off, unable to finish voicing the thought. "It's like you don't care about me anymore Sammy… I barely ever see you unless you're already going to sleep and I… I can't be without you Sam. Ever since… I-I just need you, okay?" After he finished, the remaining anger in his eyes faded completely and gave way to fear.

Sam sighed, realizing that all the time he'd spent away from Dean was starting to make Dean feel abandoned. He grabbed Dean's face in his hands and forced him to look into his eyes, hoping the eye contact would help get things through to him. "Hey, I'm not going to leave you, okay? I've just… been spending time with the sisters…"

Dean leaned into his touch almost subconsciously, but desperately, looking like a frightened wounded animal. "Did I do something wrong Sammy?" he asked, his voice slightly shaking.

Sam bit his lip and pulled Dean into a tight embrace. "No no, of course not. Listen, my absence has nothing to do with you, trust me...."

"Then why Sammy?" Dean asked, hugging Sam back just as tightly. "Why are you leaving so much?"

Sam sighed and looked down at the top of Dean's head, thinking that maybe he should tell him the truth, or at least a part. Even if it did show Sam in a light his brother might never want to see him in, exposing his problems and revealing just how fucked up Sam really was, at least… at least Dean wouldn't blame himself. It had nothing to do with Dean, it was all Sam. It was because of Sam's fucked up problems. Dean was everything to him and if anything, he helped keep Sam together. Sam couldn't stand the thought of Dean feeling guilty…

"I-" Sam started, trying to think of something to say to make it clear to Dean that he was not to blame at all, even if it meant showing a side to Dean Sam desperately wanted kept in the dark.

"Maybe," Piper hissed out, interrupting anything Sam might have said. "He wants to spend some time with his new sisters! Did you ever stop to think about that Dean?!"

"Piper, please…" Sam said, trying to reason with her.

He could tell by looking at her that she didn't understand exactly what was going on. She was probably trying to stand up for Sam because she thought that Dean was being accusatory or pushy, but that wasn't really the case. Dean was just worried. He always was, ever since… Dad and what happened to Sam, he's been so scared and afraid for him, as well as afraid of Sam's departure. Dad's death, especially the way it happened, had brought the boys so much closer together. They now depended on each other so much it was probably unhealthy.

Sometimes Dean would get paranoid that Sam would leave him, whether it was due to a hunt by death or the irrational thought that Sam would just up and leave. For no reason at all, Dean would get the thought in his head that Sam would one day leave for whatever reason and simply forget and stop caring about him. At times, it took a hell of a lot of convincing to get him to think otherwise. It didn't make sense, but then again it didn't have to. Dad's sudden departure had just… done that to him. It was a thing that couldn't be explained, and to try to explain it to this… stranger… when Sam could barely even explain in a sensible way himself…there was just no way. How could he even start? So Sam just begged her with his eyes, hoping that she would simply drop it, but she didn't.

"No Sam!" She shouted. "How could you just let him boss you around like that?!" She snapped and then broke off into a coughing fit.

Sam sighed and pulled Dean closer to him. It wasn't like that. Dean didn't wasn't trying to be bossy at all. He was just… scared. Dean touched Sam's arm and leaned into him, desperate for the smallest touch, for reassurance that Sam was really there. Sam looked at him sadly. Dean was so torn by what had happened, so changed, so… shattered. Dad had left both the brothers broken like glass, slicing into their hands to punish them if they attempted to grab hold of the pieces and put themselves back together. Although both were smashed and shattered, ruined in different ways, both were still hurt. Both cut and bled at the feet each time they so much as thought of taking a step anywhere, torn into by the remains of what they once were.

Phoebe looked at the two and recognized what Piper either refused to see or simply ignored, though not to its full or even nearly, but she could see the clear tortured pain in Dean's eyes as he tried to hold back from outright clinging to Sam for dear life. She saw Sam, looking down at him in concern, agony, and worry. She knew by simply watching them stand that they knew grief, pain, and internal torture intimately. Piper shouldn't be making such harsh comments to Dean. The pain was so clear, so easy to see, yet perhaps Piper was completely blinded to it by her own pain, her own agony, but there was another thing too, something about Piper besides the grief and agony, something that…

"Piper," Phoebe said, "What's the matter with you? You aren't acting like yourself."

"Oh YES Phoebe." Piper snapped, coughing. "Every time I act just a liiiittle bit different, I'm not acting like myself. Have you ever thought that just maybe Prue's DEATH might cause me to act a bit different?!"

"Piper!" Phoebe said, staring her sister straight in the eye with slight anger. "She was my sister too."

"Uhuh, well YOU ran off to New York, so it's safe to say that you and Prue didn't get along very well."

"Piper!" Sam said finally, a bit shocked at her attitude. "What's the matter with you?!"

Piper turned to him and glared. "Don't you dare ask me that Sam. Not YOU! LEO!"

Leo orbed in behind a wall and walked up to them. "Piper, what's wrong?"

"Take Sam and I back to the manor along with HIM!" she said and froze the mob of girls and the man they were attacking.

"Piper," Phoebe said. "You could have just blown up a whole bunch of people!"

"I took a chance!" she snapped. "Leo, take us home. Dean and Phoebe will escort Paige back to the house."

"You mean… you and Sam?" he asked.

"YES! And don't forget that slime ball!" she growled, pointing to the balding man.

Leo looked at the frozen crowd and sighed. It was clear Piper wasn't taking Prue's death very well. No, she wasn't taking it well at all. She'd been upset before, but when Paige and the boys had entered their lives, things had gotten even worse. Piper was barely ever around her newest sister or Dean. Instead, she took Sam, Phoebe, and Cole to go out on these self-destructive quests of hers. He was worried that if this didn't stop soon, someone was going to get seriously hurt, or killed. The last thing they needed was another death in the family.

Sam went with Piper, seemingly understanding of this self-destructive rage of hers, and because of that, Piper seemed closer to him then anyone else as of late. Leo wished he could support his wife as well, but he couldn't… he just couldn't support this behavior. It would be like opening his arms to the thought of her grave with the way things were going. The four of them, Piper, Phoebe, Cole, and Sam, were simply alive out of sheer luck rather then any actual talent or teamwork. Perhaps somehow Sam could get through to her? He seemed to be the only one she really seemed to pay full attention to in the last few weeks. The rest of them could barely even talk to her.

And Sam… Sam was another mystery to solve. As Leo watched him more and more, he could see that the boy was clearly suffering with some problems of his own. He clearly wasn't getting much sleep or whatever sleep he did get didn't do much for him. There were dark circles under his eyes and he seemed to be even walking only due to sheer will power. Once, Leo caught his eyes drifting closed, as if to sleep, when suddenly they'd snapped open, wide with fear. Yes… something was definitely troubling him, but what? Whatever it was, it was clearly troubling his brother too from what he was seeing now.

Leo wanted to do something, to speak out against his wife, to try to reason with her, to hold her and beg her to see reason, but he knew that would probably only make things worse… He felt helpless, out of control. Somehow, some way, he was going to try to find a way to get through to her… but for now the only thing he could do was comply with what she asked of him and deliver Sam, the bolding man, and her to the house.

Leo walked over to them holding the bald man and Piper yanked on Sam's arm harshly, breaking the comforting embrace he held Dean in. Sam looked at her in surprise and then opened his mouth to speak, but she stepped between him and Dean, glaring harshly at the other. Sam tried to reach out to Dean again, but Piper stood in his way, turning to glare at him.

"We are going home!" Piper snapped. "They are driving, while we are orbing."

"Listen… Piper," Sam said. "I kind of want to stay behind with Dean. I need to talk to him about something."

"NO talking, you're coming with me dammit!"

"You'll be fine on your own," Sam said, walking around her to get to Dean. "This is kind of important…"

All rational thoughts were leaving Pipers mind and leaving fast. On a subconscious level, she knew this. She knew that these thoughts were so raw… irrational… wrong… but then again, she barely cared. Those whispers of wrong were suffocating and inhaling water, the water of her agony. Such horrible feelings were swelling within her heart, becoming unbearable, yet suddenly numb. At one hand, she was feeling… less, as if the agony of grief were seeping out of her like water seeping through cracks made in a wall. On the other hand, she felt even more, but instead of for Prue, for everything else. Such passion, such anger, it was controlling her. And in this state, who was she to care? She let these foreign things drown out her pain and replace it with sweet rage. It felt good and for the first time since Prue's death… she felt close to at peace.

New emotions, rage, filled her as she looked upon the brothers. First there was Dean, thinking he can simply take Sam and order him around… It was… not nice, uncivil. The words "not nice" rang in her head like a bell and with them attached a longing, an aching, and an unbearable thirst for justice. No, he couldn't have him, couldn't boss him. No, Sam… was… there? And he was there for her, just waiting, like she wanted. Did Dean want to take him? That wasn't… nice… It was called… stealing? Stealing Sam?

She let out a shriek of frustration as she grabbed her head with both hands in confusion. The others looked at her concerned. None of them were… nice…. Not nice. Mean, they wouldn't leave her alone… justice… must… teach them? Show them what should happen to mean… people… bad… people… Dear god, what was she thinking? What was going on? Her head, her thoughts… Not… right… The pain filled her again, suffocating her, and she coughed. Rage, agony, sorrow… choking… A thought came upon her. Who cared anymore? Prue was gone, things weren't right, why not change? Perhaps this was right and the wrong way got… damn her… Prue… killed… rage… choking… HURT! Who cared? This was… better… give in… So Piper let her thoughts control themselves and became someone new, perhaps better?

She glared at Dean as Sam put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to say something softly in his ear… with such love… SAM was nice! Nice to her… Dean was not nice… she should fix that. Nice people don't mix with the not nice. It wasn't right, not nice spread… spread like poison, might hurt or corrupt the niceness in Sam… Save him! She grabbed him, furious! How dare the not nice touch the nice person, be touched by the nice one? She pulled him away. The nice one looked at her, confused, affronted, POISONED! He was acting poisoned, as he was, hence the misunderstanding. It was happening. Yes… Save the nice one!

"You're coming with me!" she growled at him.

He had to get it. If he didn't, she would make him, he must, had to. She grabbed Leo and they orbed to the house. The new location brought… arguments. Sam wasn't acting very nice… but he was nice. It was… pollution! She ignored him. He knew no better. Something shone in his eyes… fear? Fear of her? Poison! It was the poison affecting him. She got him before it was too late… or so she thought? Would it spread?

The bald one awoke. Now HE wasn't very nice,… not at ALL! No, not nice, MEAN! Lessons must be taught! Yes… justice… carry it out. Yes. Hit. Why are these people talking? Who is this talking to her? Leo? Saying stop? She needed to hurt the not nice, he was in the way! Was he not nice too? There was a lot of not nice… It was everywhere. The nice one walked up to her and spoke too, talking of loosing something and gesturing to her fingers… He was acting NOT NICE! The poison! No, she had to save him, this ONE not nice person! Take him… somewhere safe… cleanse him… make him nice again… teach?

She barely knew the words she came up with in her mind as she spoke them, but they mattered not at all. The nice one now complied, was nice again. The not nice one was grabbing her… yelling… She yanked away. Suddenly… EVIL! NOT NICE AT ALL! In the room… it stank! Horrible, tainting her nice one with mere presence… saying a word… Was it Fury? The bald one… talking… needed to be taught… needed to HEAR! She needed to show him what he does, the things his not nice does to others! She was on him and breathed, breathed the smoke that showed him what he did, brought justice, JUSTICE! Show him, force him to know! YES! Suddenly, OUCH! She was stopped and hurt, a ball of light electric in her side…

"That wasn't very nice…" she said, staring into his eyes.

The other simply looked… This place… she wanted others. Yes, they who were of her kind. They who helped with this justice, helped with the not nice… but she wouldn't leave her nice with THEM! No, they would POISON him. Rage filled her. No poison will anymore touch the nice one. She grabbed him and… faded into somewhere new.

Dean road with the other girls the rest of the way home, numb. He wanted to talk to Sam. How could Piper take him away?! He left… left like he sometimes feared. It was… Did Piper want to take him away altogether? The two girls assured her that Piper usually didn't do things like that… but then what was up with her now? Why did she… take Sam away? Dammit! He was going to tell him something important too, he just knew it. He just… he just wanted to hold Sam again, to be in his arms. He wanted so much to see him, touch him, to reassure himself Sam was still alive. It sounded so stupid, he knew that, but… it didn't stop the need to do it.

He kept himself calm with thoughts of how he would be able to hold Sam as soon as they got home… soon he could just hug Sam and have him say whatever it was he needed to say, Piper be damned. Screw her! Screw the Halliwells! He just wanted a few minutes with Sam alone without him wanting to bolt out of the door. It hurt so much to think Sam might be avoiding him. He hadn't even managed to have one decent conversation with Sam since they decided to stay… not one! Like he was… scared. What was he scared of?

After what seemed like ages, his heart soared as they finally reached the house. He ran into it, to look for Sammy… but… he couldn't find him. Instead, Leo and Cole were standing there with solemn looks on their faces and the bald guy was on the couch passed out. Neither Piper nor Sam were anywhere to be seen… Dread overwhelmed Dean… Something was wrong…

"Listen…" Leo said.

"What happened to Sammy?" Dean asked. "Where is he!?"

"Piper is becoming a Fury. He cast a spell on Sam to basically make him her slave and left…," Cole said. "I'm… sorry. We'll get him back unharmed… I promise."

Dean froze in shock and horror. Sam was gone… He really WAS gone this time. His fears… supposedly irrational fears about any of the girls stealing Sam away were fucking true! Justified! Now Sam was gone, taken by one of them… Piper… Not only was he taken, but he was also in danger… SO… he wasn't crazy after all in his fears. Oh Sam! He needed to save him, right away. He wanted to scream, wanted to run, wanted to punch something, but the heart-wrenching fear gripped him so tightly he could barely even breathe…