Disclaimer: I do not own these characters- they belong to Eric Kripke and I wouldn't have it any other way! This story was requested by Emerald-Water.

Summary: Sequel to Sacrificial Son. It's been ten years since Sarina, but a new hunt involving the bodies of teenage boys lined up on a river's edge is bringing back horrible memories for Dean; just what he needs after losing his father.

Tag to Bloodlust. WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE!

Dean is 27 and Sam is 23.

"Get his jacket off, Sam. I need to know what I'm dealin' with," Ellen directed as she bustled about the room gathering first aid supplies.

Sam moved forward instantly as did Jo who was eager to help. Not wanting to overcrowd Dean and complicate the situation needlessly, Bobby retreated to the far wall where he could keep an eye on things without getting in the way.

Sliding behind his brother on the bed, Sam gently propped Dean up against his chest, making it easier for Jo to ease the jacket off of Dean's arms. She gasped as his injuries were slowly revealed.

Dean was coated in blood splatters, but luckily, it didn't all seem to be from him. Deep purple bruising covered the majority of his body including his left side which was clearly concealing broken ribs, his right shoulder which more than likely had been dislocated recently, his left wrist which seemed to still be dislocated or possibly broken, his throat was a mottled mess of reds, greens, and yellows as the less severe bruising had already begun the healing process, and the side of his jaw had definitely taken a hit or two.

As if that weren't enough, a jagged cut in his left bicep appeared to be a bullet graze and when Jo's hand "accidentally" made contact with Dean's skin, she could feel the intense heat coming off of him from a raging fever. All these injuries, and she hadn't even seen his back or legs yet. "Oh God…" she whispered, wishing she had gone with Sam to give Dean's captors a piece of her mind.

Dean was shaking with a growing intensity and he was drifting in and out of lucidness. Now that the drugs had fully left his system, the pain had taken over and all he wanted to do was pass the hell out or get another dose of the magic medicine.

But the unrelenting hands that were jostling his body were keeping him from returning to the blissful darkness and the injustice of it all made him want to break down and sob his heart out. That's not the Winchester way though.

What little warmth he had gained from the jacket was taken from him as he was manhandled out of it. A hundred colorful insults flooded Dean's mind and he longed to barrage his assailants with them but the best he could manage was a muffled protest. Nevertheless, it seemed to achieve his desired goal.

The jostling stopped immediately and he wanted to sigh in relief. Dean cracked his eyes open and the blurry outline of a blonde woman sitting before him made his heart sink.

He thought he was safe. He thought he had been rescued, but it must have all been a delusion from the drugs because as far as he could tell, Maggie had him right where she wanted him and he no longer had the strength to stop her.

The blonde leaned towards him, reaching out for his face and he recoiled, gasping in pain as the agony flared through his body once more.

"Dean?" a soft male voice called. It seemed distant, and yet… a warm breath ghosted over his right ear.

Oh god… This is a three-some I want no part of…

Dean realized there was a pair of strong arms wrapped around his upper torso and he was leaning against a broad chest. Uh uh. This ain't gonna happen, freaks.

"Dean, can you hear me?" the voice spoke up again but now Dean could tell it was coming from the man behind him. He just had to keep clawing his way back towards full consciousness.

Another blurry form appeared on the left side of the bed. His heavy eyelids were lifted individually and a blinding light flashed by them. He tried to lift his left arm to brush the intrusive hand away but his forearm was quickly encircled and he didn't have the strength to break the grip.

"He's comin' around, Sam," the voice stated and it sounded vaguely familiar. Why couldn't he place it? Was it Sarina?

"He needs pain relievers, Ellen. Can we give him anything?"

A finger ghosted over the inside of Dean's elbow and his breath caught in his chest. Maybe he was going to get his medicine after all…

"I don't think we can risk it. They were clearly keepin' him doped up on somethin', and until Ash analyzes that sample you brought back, Dean's gonna have to do this cold turkey."

The new arrival's hand patted his cheek lightly and Dean groaned, trying to turn away from it.

"Dean, Sweetie? Come on now. Time to open those pretty green eyes of yours."

Sam shifted Dean slightly in his arms so he could see the side of his face. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted his big brother to wake up. Admittedly though, he also knew it would be best for Dean to just pass out until the withdrawal was over. But luck had never been that good to Dean.

As fire raced through his veins once again, Dean gasped and started to writhe on the bed, desperate to escape the agony.

"Bobby, can you grab some ice from behind the bar?" Ellen requested and Bobby immediately left the room, grateful to have something to do.

"Easy, kiddo…" Ellen soothed, running her fingers through Dean's hair while waiting the cramp out. Once he started to slump, gasping in ragged breaths again, she got right back to business.

Cold hands were poking and prodding at Dean's body now and he squirmed, unappreciatively.

"Try to keep him still, Sam," Ellen requested as she continued her search for any internal damage.

Sam nodded, trying his best to stabilize his brother without putting too much pressure on his injuries. Ellen had already found at least two broken ribs, but luckily there didn't seem to be any other extensive internal injuries like bleeding or punctured organs. Switching focus, she began prodding around Dean's swollen shoulder.

Not one to be left out, Jo busied herself with wetting a washcloth and started to carefully clear the blood off of Dean's face, neck, and chest. Dean blinked weakly up at her, looking lost and scared.

She smiled softly, hoping to comfort him. "Hey, you."

Dean's brow furrowed in confusion. Now that the woman was starting to come into focus, she looked more like Jo than Maggie or Mary. "W-wha…?" he forced out passed bruised vocal cords. He needed some answers, damnit.

"You're safe now, Dean. You're at the Roadhouse. It's over."

Dean swallowed hard, not sure if he could allow himself to believe it. If this was another drug-induced vision and that last bit of hope was ever taken from him again, he didn't think he'd be able to survive it.

Jo gently dabbed the cloth over his forehead to wash away the sweat that was beading there. Whether it was from the pain or the fear, she didn't know.

"H-how?"

"Bobby and Sam found you. Edgar and his wife… They're dead, Dean. They won't ever hurt you again."

Dean's heart sank at the mere mention of Sam's name. He had blocked his death out for a while, but now it was all rushing back at him. Try as he might, he couldn't stifle the soft sob that burst from his wounded soul.

The arms that encircled his chest tightened ever so slightly and Dean's good hand rose immediately to clamp around the mysterious wrist. He tried to struggle against the constricting limbs, but he was too weak to put up much of a fight.

"Hey hey hey… Take it easy, man. I've got you."

Dean stilled instantly. That voice… That one he knew without a doubt. The one that had always demanded answers to questions that he couldn't give, the one that requested Lucky Charms when their food source was wearing thin, the one he could never deny at the best or the worst of times… The one he would die for without a second thought.

That familiar voice, those strong arms, that undeniably comforting smell of mint, soap, and… Sam.

Craning his neck to an uncomfortable angle, Dean glanced up at the face of the man who was cradling him like he was a prized possession. He glanced up into the face of the brother he was sure he had lost.

"Sam?" he whimpered out as all other pain and horrible memories bled away. Maybe they were both dead, but Dean couldn't care less if he was. They were together again and that's how it was supposed to be, whether it was in this realm or the next. "B-but… You're dead…?"

Sam sighed. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw, Dean, but it wasn't me. It was probably the drugs they were pumpin' into you, but I'm right here, man. Alive and well."

Sam could tell by the untrusting look in his brother's eyes that Dean was afraid to believe it. He reached across and placed his hand over the one Dean had encircled his other wrist with, grasping Dean's hand tightly. "You feel that, Dean? I'm real. I'm real, and I've got you."

Dean choked out another word that may have been Sam's name again, or it may have been something else. It didn't matter anymore because words couldn't express the rush of relief that flowed through Dean as the constricting dam around his heart burst free.

"Welcome back, big brother," Sam smiled sadly at him, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Ignoring the agony that flared through his shoulder and ribs, Dean twisted in Sam's arms and enveloped him in the tightest hug he could manage. Bravado forgotten, Dean finally allowed himself to break down and he sobbed against his brother's shoulder for the piece of his soul he had thought was lost forever. All it took was seeing Sam's smile to make him whole once more.

For some reason, he had been given another chance, and he was never going to take that granted. He was never going to let Sam out of his sight again, and he was never going to fail him again either.

Ellen silently grasped Jo's wrist and together they rose from the bed and made their way to the other side of the room where Bobby stood, a bowl of ice clenched in his grasp, and they watched the touching scene unfold, unwilling to break the magic of the moment.

"I've got you, Dean," Sam whispered as he slowly rocked his broken brother in his arms. "I've got you."

TBC

A/N: Sorry for the huge delay everyone, but a friend of mine has been missing in Colorado for over two weeks now so my mind has been a bit distracted lately!

I know it's a long shot, but if anyone out there has any information on George Aldrich (28), please contact the Aspen police at 970-315-2103 or even send me an anonymous message. Every little clue helps, so please come forward and help us put the puzzle pieces together!

We just want to get him home safely so he can spend Christmas with his family! Thank you all for your time and you can read updates on George by joining the Facebook page Find George Aldrich.

Happy holidays, and I'll try to get another post up by Christmas.