How Long Ago Did It Happen?

Disclaimer: No money has passed hands; only naughty thoughts have passed in imagination.

(See first chapter for details on the challenge)

Dedicated to: MysteryMadchen, and Skag Trendy (happy belated birthday)

S—D

Chapter Eleven

Then:

'Your mom would be so proud of you Sam,' John said thickly, choking on the Symbiotes assault on his throat and chest, 'you've become such a wonderful and brave young man.'

'Nah I'm scared dad, scared and well not that I can do much.'

'Sam ... hey Sam don't let me hear you talk like that.' John said a little sharper than he intended and felt the surge inside of him, he had to contain it for Sam's sake, his son, his blind son needed him. 'Dean was funny when ... when we took you home ... he ahh ... he ahh ...' John's back arched as the pain overwhelmed him completely.

'Dad? Dad? What is it?' Sam cried out his free hand flailing in an attempt to find his father's face, 'breath through it dad please breathe through it.'

Through the red haze of his pain and blood lust, John heard his son begging him to breathe through it, to hang on, 'too hard Sam-my' John bit out but still tried to calm himself down for the sake of his baby boy.

Letting his mind go blank, John concentrated on the love of his life Mary, of his two baby boys and their life together before it all went to hell. He felt a white warmth cover him like a blanket as he slowly calmed down and became still, he could feel Mary's touch on his cheek, hear her soft laugh in his ears, her smile reflected in Sam's, her eyes in Dean's green ones and felt the all-consuming rage start to dissolve in him.

'Dad? Daddy?' Terrified Sam turned until he was kneeling next to his father's inert form, 'dad please you're scaring me.' His hands ghosted over his father's face and chest, 'don't leave me please dad please you can't leave us not now.'

Khan's ears pricked up and he started to growl low and nastily, 'what is it Khan?' Sam reached for his guide dog when he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer, 'who is it Khan? Who's there?'

Sam knelt next to his father, intent on protecting him to the best of his ability as he listened and tried to recognise the scents swirling around him, but the cloying over-powering stench of blood around his father made it impossible. 'Who's there?' He asked loudly but internally winced when he heard the tremor in his own voice, 'who are you?'

Now:

'It's alright Sammy it's just me.' Dean's voice broke through the racing thoughts in Sam's mind, startled the teen tilted his head slightly and tried to work out exactly where the voice was coming from.

'D-Dean?' Sam stuttered slightly something felt so wrong, why was Dean hanging back and not with him checking for injuries? Coz he's not Dean.

'Come on Sammy we gotta get you outta here ...'

'No, no I can't go with you ... I gotta stay with dad, he's hurt.'

'Dammit Sam don't you disobey me.'

'It's not you ... not Dean.' Sam shuffled back placing himself between his father and his now possessed brother. 'That's why I couldn't work out your scent, the Symbiotes change it.'

'Don't make me hurt you Sam ... Sammmeeee.' As he moved closer to his intended victim Dean dragged the tyre iron he carried along the side of a wrecked car, the metal on metal screeched in the stillness of the night, 'I just wanna play with ya.'

'Dude we haven't played together for years,' Sam fought to keep his voice light and calm but the white-knuckled grip on Khan's harness dictated otherwise. 'Dean please I – I need your help, you have to stay calm and think of happy...' Sam cried out as he felt the brush of Dean's hand on his shoulder, disorientated he fought to get his breathing under control but all he felt was an onrush of pure panic and fear.

'Get away from him.' John ground out, with his strength waning he managed to sit up and to drag himself closer to his youngest, for the first time he realised the devastation these Symbiotes cause, not just the blood lust and hunger but the torment and horrors permanently etched on the psyche of their 'meat-suits' and of their victims. Squinting he looked up at the face of his eldest son, twisted into a mask of hatred and something so dark he couldn't put a name to it, the closest he could come up with was animalistic or feral. 'Dean listen to me, Sam helped me get control again ... he can help you.'

'Who says I want your help?' Dean spat out the spittle glistening on his dry lips, 'dad, dad, dad how could you give this up?' Dean held his arms out to his sides at shoulder height with palms up, 'so much power, so much ... hunger ... so freaking hungry.'

'Dean have you fed yet?' John asked his large hand settling on Sam's shoulder in support, there was the smallest of glimmers of hope flickering in the dark, 'it's important son have you fed yet?'

'You have no right to call me that ... you destroyed them, they're weak now and need you ... but I – we decided to taste the ultimate ... to make this one truly ours forever.' The voice coming from Dean's mouth deepened with an almost Japanese sounding accent. 'You are no longer required.' Before the injured man could react, Dean's fist pulled back and with an inhuman strength smashed it against John's jaw, sending the man sprawling unconscious against the fence before turning to find Sam and the dog gone. 'Come out, come out where ever you are Sammy.' Dean started to drag the tyre iron along the cars setting sparks flying in his wake, the screeching increasing in volume as he searched for his little brother, 'olly, olly oxen free.' He called out in a singsong voice. 'Ya know Sammy this is making me really angry and you don't want me to get angry!'

S—D

Sam huddled in the front of a wrecked car, he couldn't stop shaking and it took all of his waning strength to fight back the tears and panic attack. 'Khan ... Khan go get help, find Bobby anyone ... get help Khan.' He commanded the dog slipping the heavy and awkward harness off him, 'go get Bobby.'

Khan snuffled against Sam's hand and then slunk away into the shadows, his ears upright and twitching as he sought the help his little pack brother needed.

'Olly, olly oxen free.' Dean's voice floated around him as he taunted Sam. 'Ya know Sammy this is making me really angry and you don't want me to get angry!'

'Not Dean, it's not Dean.' Sam kept the mantra going as he listened to every sound around him, trying to discern between them, for the first time in a long time he hated his blindness with a passion, it had him feeling weak and incompetent against his brother. Especially when Dean needs him at his best.

A vice-like grip around his bicep made Sam yelp and suddenly he found himself bodily lifted from the car and tossed in the air like a rag-doll. His stomach twisted and cramped with nausea from the unnatural movement, disorientated with not being able to see what was happening or where he was heading Sam gulped and prayed that he would survive this long enough to convince Dean it wasn't him who was doing this, it wasn't Dean killing him.

Landing heavily on his side, Sam panted and swallowed frantically trying to keep the vomit down when he felt that hand on his shoulder again. This time he was flipped over and pulled onto his feet, two fists twisted in his shirt and he could feel Dean's acrid breath on his face, 'dude breath mints would help.' His breath reeked of sulphur, blood and something else that Sam couldn't make out and it was his undoing. Opening his mouth to warn his brother only sealed the deal and all that came out was projectile vomit sprayed all over Dean's chest. 'You little bastard.' Before Sam could stop himself, he felt a stinging slap on his cheek, his lip splitting adding blood to the already foul spew.

The spilled blood stopped Dean from delivering another crushing blow, it vibrated and sung to him, Sam's blood was unique and the insipid creatures inside him were working themselves into a frenzy. Dean blinked and through a red haze he could see once again, horrified at what he had done he dropped Sam to the ground and stumbled backwards, 'get outta here now Sam.' He pushed the words out knowing already that it was too late. With a roar the Symbiotes took control and launched one brother against the other. Saliva dripped from Dean's mouth as he straddled his brother's body, 'I'm so gonna enjoy this.'

'Dean please ... don't let them win,' Sam whispered straining against his attacker, the smell of blood, sulphur and vomit made his stomach roil harder, 'Dean please ... member when ... when I gave you your amulet?'

The swinging talisman caught Dean's eye and for a second he broke contact with Sam, the internal struggle played out on Dean's face, though the only witness was oblivious to it. Dean let out a primal roar before his eyes started to glaze over and he hovered just above Sam's jugular savouring the sound of each beat, thud, thud, thud, he watched with detached amusement and inner horror as Sam gulped for oxygen an air of despondency and surrender about him. 'So tasty!'

S—D

Bobby staggered over to where Jim still lay unmoving, cursing silently he checked to make sure that the cleric was still alive before going over to check his other unconscious friend. Biting back the want to kick his ass from here to kingdom come and back again, he checked Josh's vitals and then double checked the ropes binding him.

It all happened so fast that Bobby barely remembered just what happened, one minute they were trying to get Sam to safety and then Dean was out for the count, both himself and Jim were walking wounded, John was somewhere and Josh ... well the only good thing was that Josh was trussed up better than a turkey on Thanksgiving.

'Bobby? Was that ... did he ...?' Jim shook his head and winced immediately regretting the action, 'that was Dean then wasn't it?'

'Damn it Jim Josh must've gotten him, now he's out there and Sam ...'

'We'll find em Bobby.'

'Yeah well 'he aint goin' anywhere.' Bobby glanced down once more at Josh before hurrying back to Jim, 'dammit all to hell Jim, aint right tying Josh up like this.'

'I know but it's the only way for now Bobby,' Jim looked down at their fallen friend and then up to his fellow hunter, 'let's go and find our boys.'

'And their danged blasted father.' Bobby shifted his cap and scratched his scalp before returning it to position, 'stupid, moron, stubborn, idjit of a Winchester.' He continued as they weaponed up and hurried outside.

Although, before they could get off the veranda, Khan burst out of the shadows and came to a skidding halt in front of them. 'Khan?' Bobby crouched down and gave the dog a quick check over, noticing the missing harness, 'where's Sam? Take me to Sam.' before he had the last word out Khan was off the veranda and waiting impatiently for them, taking off as soon as he was sure that they were following him.

A soft moaning sound made Jim hang back a little, he cocked his head and heard it again, sounding a lot like John's voice, 'Bobby I'm gonna check something out, go find Sam.'

Bobby waved his hand in response as he disappeared into the shadows of the salvage yard, his footsteps confident. At least here he was on home ground, he knew his way around the yard as well as he knew his way around the house giving him a smaller edge than he first thought. Anything was a bonus at this stage.

S—D

Jim knelt next to John and checked the large man for major injuries; he was sporting a large bruised lump just under his left ear, a long thin cut down his jaw line and a very vivid black eye. 'You're a mess John Winchester.'

'Yeah well you aint no oil painting yerself Preacher.' John mumbled as he slowly re-entered the world known as Pain. 'Ah shit.'

'One way to put it, is this you or ...?'

'Me ... sorry sonovabitch that I am it's all me, Sam ... Sam did ... he knows how to get rid of the Symbiotes.'

'Are they really gone?'

'Nah he said something bout a ritual to finally get rid of em but ... I got control back just gotta stay ... believe it or not calm and happy.'

'We do need a miracle then.' Jim grinned cheekily as he helped John to sit up.

'Where's ... oh God Dean he's infected ...'

'We know about Dean ... has ... did he?' Jim frowned he hated not being able to get words out properly but the shock and pain he was in coupled with the worry for the Winchesters was just too much. The elderly cleric dropped to the ground next to John and clapped his hand on his friend's uninjured shoulder, 'we will find them John, perhaps Sam has been able to help Dean the way he helped you.'

John stared at his friend for a second before looking away, 'sure hope so Preacher, I sure hope so.'

S—D

Khan slowed down his pace and slowly crouched down into an attack position, he could hear the human behind him but all of his focus was on the scene in front of him. The stench of blood was the first thing to affect him, it was everywhere and the dog felt disorientated for a few beats, slinking lower to the ground he moved with the stealth and grace of a wild predator closing in on its prey.

Bobby watched as the dog dropped and took on the hunter's stance, cocking his sawn-off shotgun and palming the hilt of his hunting knife snug against his hip, changing hands with his gun he stopped and scoped the area when he saw Khan stop, his fangs bared in a silent snarl. Hurrying he caught up with the dog and crouched down next to him, his heart breaking in two when he saw the scene unfolding in front of him.

S—D

Dean had Sam's wrists pinned under his knees as he straddled his chest, an ugly twisted smirk fixed on his normally handsome face as blood and spittle covered his lips and teeth. 'Mm knew you would taste so good Sammmeeee.'

'Dean ... please ... please remember the soccer game when we won the finals, you helped me ... you ...'

'S-Soccer?' Dean tilted his head to the left and chewed on his lower lip as the memory finally escaped from the Symbiotes and flooded Dean's mind. A tiny Sam with his thick glasses and an oversized uniform jumping excitedly when he kicked his first goal in the soccer final. 'You, you won ...'

'Hurts ...' Sam whimpered, he knew that he didn't have the strength left to work with Dean to get through the hold, 's-sorry Dean ... love you bro.' Sam whispered so softly that Dean barely heard it and finally succumbed to the numbness and the ever-present blackness.

'Sam?' Dean shook his head and scrubbed at his eyes, wildly he looked around before letting his gaze fall on Sam's face, the horror of what he had done dawning on him had Dean dry-retching but unmoving from atop his brother.

The Symbiotes filled with rage over their meat-suit's apparent bout of regret, this was not supposed to happen, they had never come across such anger and such love in one human before. All of the others that they had inhabited over the millennium all thrived on the power, on the rage and on the hunger. But now, now this one and the other connected to them were too weak and too easily swayed for them to stay.

Bobby approached the boys carefully, his shotgun aimed directly at Dean's chest, Khan ran straight to his new young human and hunkered down near his head, whining softly trying to rouse Sam.

'Dean son are you alright?'

'Shoot me Bobby, shoot me please,' Dean begged his friend, wild-eyed he launched himself at Bobby, 'please Bobby shoot me, kill them.'

'No, no aint gonna do that,' Bobby shook his head but kept his gun aimed at Dean as the younger man with a feral light lit his eyes staggered closer to Bobby, 'dammit I can feel em inside me Bobby ... shoot ... I can't ... look what I did to Sam ... shoot me dammit.'

S—D

Just as the first rays of the sunrise appeared on the horizon breaking the solid blackness of the sky, a gunshot echoed from somewhere in the area closely followed by the singing of the birds heralding in the new day.

TBC

Yes I am beyond mean! Mmmmwhahahahaha