Pain that was the first thing he was aware of, a fucking lot amount of pain. His whole body felt like it had been on a ten looped spin cycle within the world's fastest washing machine. Either that or been ten rounds with a seriously caffeinated kangaroo. He could feel the bruises throbbing upon his skin as consciousness crept up on him once more.

He allowed a small groan to escape his lips while he eyes fluttered open slightly. The first thing he noticed was a minimal amount of light streaming in through a hole within the roof a couple of metres in front of him. This light chased away the darkness of his unconsciousness and the previous night, now he was able to determine just where he was.

He was shackled to a wall within what appeared to be an old dilapidated attic of some form. All around boxes were piled up high and several fridges were dotted around the place, some were tipped on their side with others standing tall. What they were doing here, the hunter had no clue...hopefully he wouldn't have the chance to find out.

On further inspection he noticed a cage concealed by the shadows and tucked away in the corner of the room. This cage appeared big enough to fit a normal sized human within and a shiver ran down the hunter's spine at the mere thought of what or who it could be used for. Once again he was filling this under never want to find out.

His chains rattled while he attempted to find a more comfortable position, he winced as pain shot through his ribcage making him even more aware of the beating he had received not so long ago, courtesy of Kyle and his vampire cronies. Through the pain he guessed he had at least three bruised ribs and several bruises littering his chest. That was just awesome...

Suddenly in front of him a door opened allowing a bout of light to flood the room instantly. Dean squinted as the light assaulted his eyes while he watched a lone figure stalk into the room with what he could only describe as an arrogant swagger. The man clapped his hands together in glee and walked towards the chained hunter. The hunter hated this newcomer already...

"Glad to see you awake kiddo, I was starting to worry you will miss all of the fun I have planned," the man taunted stopping when he was a couple of inches in front of Dean. He towered over the hunter who realised then that he was still sitting on the floor. "Oh well better late than never."

"Let me guess your Master sent your sorry ass down here to check on me..." Dean spat out attempting to shift his bruised body slightly, well as much as his restraints would allow him to. With this simple movement pain flowed through his torso and the hunter had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop the grimace from crossing his lips. There was no way in hell was he giving these sons of bitches satisfaction from seeing his pain.

Slowly and painfully he managed to pull his body up into standing position, he could feel his legs tremble with the almost dead weight they supported. It was taking all of Dean's stubbornness to remain standing, despite the pain that made its way through his chest. If there was one thing Winchester's was known for then it would be there unlimited amount of stubbornness and resilience, Dean was no exception to this trait.

"I have no Master," the newcomer muttered crossing his arms against his chest while raising one eyebrow in amusement. A smirk danced across his lips and that fact just irritated the already furious hunter further.

"Freelancer? I bet the Master loves you," Dean scoffed unable to stop the smart assed comments from escaping his lips. He had faced the consequences before with that vampiric douche yet that still didn't deter him. No amount of beating will make him bend to their will at least that was what he tried to tell himself.

"That would be called vanity kiddo."

"Huh?" Dean replied furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, either this man was a serious nutcase or the hunter was sporting a serious concussion because he was as sure as hell confused right now. Or maybe a mixture of the two...yeah that sounded about right.

"To love thyself too much is known as vanity..."

"So that would make you the Master of this shithole?" Dean interrupted narrowing his eyes at the slightly shorter man in front of him.

"Oh give the boy a bone; he got it in one...Yes...welcome to my domain..."

"Am I meant to be impressed? Because seriously dude this is an attic and a shit one at that, not something to be bragging about grandpa."

The man standing in front of the hunter uncrossed his arms while a deep hearty chuckle escaped his lips, his blue eyes shined with amusement. He clapped his hands together once more as he took a step closer to the bound hunter. "Oh you do amuse me kiddo, it will be so entertaining to watch you lose that attitude of yours, how I can't wait, the anticipation could almost kill me but you know what they say..." The man took another step closer and cupped Dean's chin in one of his hands "Patience is a virtue, I've waited twenty two years, and I'm sure another couple of days won't hurt me..."

Dean attempted to break the man's grip on his face by thrashing his head side to side, all this managed to do was make the man's grasp tighten to the point that the hunter could feel blood welling up under the other man's fingernails. "What the hell are you blabbering about?"

"All in good time kiddo, all in good time..." the man replied releasing the young man's face but maintaining the close proximity. "Everything will soon fall into place and you Deano; you will be one of the stars of the show."

"Don't call me that!" Dean spat out through clenched teeth.

"You don't like Deano? Well how about Ace, we all know how dear you hold that nickname to your heart..."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Ooh, touch a nerve did we kiddo, someone have unresolved Daddy issues?"

"Shut the fuck up or I swear..." Dean never managed to finish that sentence as his throat suddenly closed up of its own accord. His eyes widened while he panted attempting to allow air into his instantly deprived lungs. His head filled up with a sudden fog linked to oxygen deprivation and he felt his knees buckle beneath him, no longer able to find the strength to support his abused body.

"One thing I have to make clear now Deano is that I'm the one to make the orders around here and not you!" as the man paused the pressure upon the hunter's throat loosened, leaving the young man kneeling on the floor desperately panting for the much needed oxygen. "Now let's start as we mean to go on..."

"What *pant* Are *cough* You?" Dean sputtered out breathlessly.

The man cackled once more, he bent down so that he was at the hunter's level and he reached out one of his hands to grasp firmly at the young man's hair. He lifted Dean's head so that his green eyes bored into the man's blue and tightened his grip to keep him in this position.

"I think your question should have been who not what because I think you know deep down what I am, come on kiddo, what are you oh so reliable hunter's instincts telling you? Impress me, show me the hunter that supernatural entities fear the very name of, and show me the hunter you have become. So tell me boy, what am I?" the man whispered softly with his lips remaining curled up in a sadistic smirk. "What am I?" he repeated once more while tugging at the hair in his grip.

"A bastard," Dean retorted through clenched teeth, he was suppressing the need to grimace in pain at the short sharp tugs of his head. "A fucking bastard!"

"Oh nice retort," the man tugged at the hair harder causing the hunter to wince with the pain shooting through his scalp and chest. "But try again without the smart assed attitude this time, well that is if you like having your hair on your head, if not I'm sure I can make arrangements otherwise..." with those words he added another sharp pull of his hand.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean hissed bringing his head forward so that it connected with the man in front of him. The man instantly released his grip and staggered back slightly; this technique always seemed to work in the hunter's favour well...apart from the bitching headache that follows afterwards. At least it stopped the constant tugging at his hair; it takes a while to get it looking this good.

The man regained his composure quickly and strode over towards the hunter. He gripped the young man underneath both of his armpits and lifted him up off of the floor onto his feet. He removed one of his hands and placed this on the man's throat in a threateningly manner. A little amount of pressure...that would be all it would take to crush the man's windpipe for good. "Still got some fight in you kiddo, I like that but don't get too cocky. This act will wear thin fast and I am slowly running out of patience so I would play like a nice little boy with me."

"Go. To. Hell!" Dean spat out attempting to break out of the man's grasp to no avail.

"Been there done that," the man replied smugly.

The man chuckled as he lowered the hunter's feet to the ground. He chuckled menacingly breaking the eye contact away from the man briefly before allowing his eyes to connect with the emeralds of the hunter once more.

Dean's eyes widened in response. He stared into the deep yellow pools that bore sadistically on his face. He could feel hatred welling up in his gut, twisting its way through his body yet he had no reason why...well it could be put down to his hunter's instincts but he knew it was more than that. "Demon?" he whispered.

"Don't sound too sure there Deano, tut tut I guess old Johnny really did keep you in the dark..."

"You don't know shit about my Dad!" Dean yelled feeling the anger boil even more.

"Apparently neither did you boy, I bet I know more about your own family then you ever did. Beautiful Mary so desperate to protect her own, determined and violent Johnny lashing out at the only remaining member of his family and poor little Sammy caught in the cross fire, an innocent life that wasn't meant to be taken. So yeah, I know more about your family then you ever knew."

Silence fell over the pair, wrapping around them with a vice like grip. Dean felt the demon's words pierce through him and the anger grew to such an intense level inside him that it was barely contained. The mention of his mother had stirred up deep feelings he had kept bottled up for all these years but now...now the curiosity had grown. His dad had never told him about what happened that night; the onetime Dean had asked he received a broken arm for his troubles. So he had learned at a young age to never mention his mother in his father's presence again.

But what John hadn't known was that a four year old Dean had seen more than any child should have seen. As an infant he had seen his mother's body pinned to the ceiling with flames engulfing her body with no reason behind it. He had seen his mother die; he had seen that but for all those years he had no answer to the two questions that had bugged him. How and why. How did that fire start and why did he survive when his mother and brother lost their lives.

"Who are you?" Dean asked breaking the spell the silence had woven. "Who the fuck are you and what do you want from me?!"

"Me?" the demon chuckled, standing so that the two men were practically sharing the same breath. "How about I show you," with those words the demon waved his hand which sent the hunter crashing to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Sweet dreams Deano."

Dean slowly felt his consciousness creep up on him for the third time since he had been captured, it seemed as though he was sleeping more than he ever had in the whole of his life and this made him feel vulnerable.

His eyes opened and the first thing he was aware of was the complete lack of any pain. His chest felt free and loose, his head felt clear and his arms no longer felt like two dead weights. All this sent alarm bells ringing instantly, something wasn't right, there was no way he would be able to heal at this fast rate. It wasn't humanly possible.

Dean blinked a few times to allow his eyes time to adjust to the darkness around him and eventually he could make out the silhouettes of furniture around him. With this came the realisation that he was laying on the floor in a corner of a room in some strange house. Well...at least it was a change from the dreary attic. Yeah...anything would be a welcome change compared to that.

Groaning he pushed his body up until he had reached his full height. His eyes searched through the darkness around the room while he attempted to find any clues whatsoever about his current location. One thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't in Kansas anymore...Okay he had watched Wizard of Oz once...maybe twice but only because it used to send him to sleep. It had nothing to do with the fact that Dorothy was kinda hot in an annoying way and how he used to wish he could tap his heels together and go back home to Kansas to a life he had lost...no it had nothing to do with that.

From the wall on the far right a lonely light turned on and started to flicker. This light flooded the room with a soft glow and with it realisation and horror dawned on the young hunter. Dean could feel his knees start to buckle beneath him, all breath was stolen from his lungs and tears began to push at the corner of his eyes. It was taking all of his self control to remain standing. Maybe he was in Kansas after all.

"No," he whispered unable to believe what he was seeing. "No this isn't real, this can't be real...No," he muttered as his legs slowly made their way over to the crib situated in the middle of the room. His steps were small and forced and with each step he could feel twenty two years worth of sorrow flood through his veins. This was a moment that had haunted his nightmares for years, this was the moment that his life had changed forever and this was the moment that his family had been destroyed. "This is impossible," he muttered once more while he came to a stop beside the crib.

His emerald eyes peered down into it and he was met by a pair of big round hazel staring back. The baby cooed gently while he lifted his arms up towards Dean. He wore a round mouthed smile with drool snaking its way down his chin and he squealed playfully. The baby thrashed in the crib attempting to get closer to the elder hunter as if he recognised that the grown up man was in fact his elder brother. His elder brother who would have been only four at the current time.

"Sammy?" Dean stammered unable to believe what he was seeing. He slowly stretched a shaking hand down towards the baby and placed it gently on its head. He allowed a sob of happiness to escape his lips as he carded his fingers through his little brother's hair. He could feel the brown locks run through his fingers; he could feel the baby's body height and all this just added to the realism; however Dean knew it was nothing more than a memory. A memory of a life lost. "Sammy I'm so sorry...oh Sammy..." he sobbed quietly unable to keep his emotions suppressed for much longer.

Dean had no idea how long he stood there, with silent tears running down his cheek and his hand caressing his baby brother's hair and cheeks but he knew it wasn't long enough. Eventually the door to the nursery sprung open making Dean leap back into the shadows of the room once more. Even though he was convinced he wasn't really there he didn't want to risk the chance of being seen by the newcomers.

The hunter watched with wide eyes as Mary Winchester entered the room carrying a four year old version of himself. His eyes became transfixed onto the sight of his mother; she looked so happy, so carefree and completely oblivious to the horrors that is about to unfold. She smiled down at the small boy in her arms then over towards her other son. "Come on, let's go say goodnight to your brother," she told the younger version of Dean Winchester while she set her eldest down on his feet.

The young boy bounded over to the crib, leaned over towards the baby and planted a kiss on the youngest Winchester's forehead. "Goodnight Sam," he whispered softly even at that young age the fondness and protectiveness was clear in the elder brother's voice. Mary smiled and pulled her eldest out of the way so she could get her turn to say goodnight to her son. "Goodnight love."

Dean watched all the events with the tears running forcefully down his face. This was exactly how he remembered that night but what he wanted to know was how the fuck he managed to get here and why? Why was he being forced to relive the events it had taken him so long to get over? Why was he being forced to watch the family he had once lost? Why? Why? Why?

"Hey Dean," John Winchester called out as he made his way into the room to join the rest of his family. Dean felt his heart twist violently in his chest as his attention was drawn towards his father. John looked younger, happier and less twisted then the father he had known growing up. The John that was standing in front of him now was the father he wished he had, was the father he had until he was cruelly taking away from him on this faithful night.

"Daddy!" the younger Dean called out with admiration as he ran into his father's arms. There used to be a time when Dean ran to his father but he spent most of his life trying to run from him not to him.

Resentment towards his younger version washed over him along with the urge to run into the light, scoop the two boys and his mother up into his arms and run as far away from this house as possible. Deep down he knew that wasn't possible but that didn't mean that he didn't want to any less. The urge to protect was almost killing him and there was nothing he could about it. There was nothing he could do to stop what was going to happen from happening. He was trapped, a mere shadow in his deepest darkest memory and there was no way out. No way to stop himself from reliving his mother's and brother's final moments.

"Hey buddy, what do you think? You think Sammy's ready to toss around a football yet?" Dean mouthed at the same time John Winchester spoke out. A small smile crossed the young hunter's lips as he watched himself telling his father off while burying his head into the crook of John's neck. His family all smiled down at the young boy in the crib before walking out of the nursery turning the lights off in the process.

Dean exhaled a deep breath he didn't realise he was holding and wiped a hand across his face to get rid of any stray tears that had broken through his defences. All the emotions he had suppressed related to his family had come flooding out of him upon reliving this certain moment in his life. He couldn't handle this, he couldn't handle seeing their deaths another time, hell...he couldn't even handle driving into Kansas at all! "You son of a bitch get me out of here!" Dean yelled to the ceiling not really knowing whether or not the demon could hear him.

All of a sudden the nightlight in the corner of the room started to flicker as the mobile above the crib revolved on its own accord. Dean's eyes searched around the room for the source as his hunter's instincts were on high alert, he knew what was coming was his mother's and brother's killer and this time he was going to make sure he memorised the son of a bitch who had destroyed his childhood, he was going to make sure that once he was free that the bastard will be torn limb from limb. That he would be made to suffer in the most horrific way possible. His whole life had been building up to this moment, the moment he would come face to face with his family's murderer and the moment when he would gain the desired vengeance.

The young hunter braced himself as he felt the house literally shake with the force of the creature. Black smoke curled in through the window and began to form into a solid shape at the foot of Sam's crib. The six month old sobbed quietly but there was nothing the hunter could do to comfort his baby brother.

Dean clenched his hands into fists as he stealthily closed the gap between him and the figure that was slowly emerging from the black smoke. He stopped midstride while his eyes widened at recognition of the newcomer. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end while his hands shook with anger and hatred. His emerald eyes locked onto the sickening yellow of the demon in front of him.

"You?" Dean muttered through clenched teeth.

"Me," the demon's disembodied voice filtered in through the room however the figure near the crib made no sign of acknowledgement. "Surprise Deano it was me all along, I'm the one you have been searching for this whole time but I got to you first. It looks like the hunter finally became the hunter!"

"YOU BASTARD I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Dean yelled to the ceiling once more as the figure in front seems to be unable to both see him and hear him. His attention was brought back to the scene in front of him once more by a deep throaty chuckle coming from the demon in the room.

Yellow eyes now leaned over Sam's crib, he held out his left hand over the baby's head while his right brandished a small dagger. "Hush little baby," the demon whispered as he smirked showing off his vessel's full set of teeth. Goosebumps began to erupt over the hunter's skin while he could actually feel it begin to crawl. He watched the events with a film of red clouding over his vision as anger began to take control once more.

"What the fuck...?" he whispered.

Dean took a step closer to the crib before he managed to reach the demon's side the door to the nursery opened and in walked Mary. She looked around the room until her eyes locked onto the figure surrounded by shadows.

"John?" She questioned in a clearly sleepy voice. "John is he hungry?" the figure merely shushed her in response.

"Mum, don't listen to him! It's not Dad! It's not Dad!" Dean shouted attempting to somehow break through this memory and change the events. However once again no one acknowledged his presence, it was like he was a mere shadow and nothing more. "Mum please," he murmured watching Mary nod her head and leave the nursery.

Yellow eyes seemed to smirk as he moved his attention away from the door towards the baby in the crib. In one fluid motion the demon cut the palm of his hand, clenched it into a fist over Sam's head and allowed small droplets to fall into his mouth. "Hush little baby don't you cry..." he whispered gently.

Dean could feel the horror overwhelm him instantly and his legs locked in position unable to move any closer. What the hell...that demon was...he's...what!? He couldn't help but watch the demon blood stain his baby brother's lips all the while completely confused as to what it meant. What the hell was that demon doing to his Sammy?

All of a sudden the door flung upon with a clearly agitated Mary entering the room. Her eyes widened upon taking in the sight of the demon. "You!" she exclaimed attempting to move closer to yellow eyes and her youngest son.

"Mum?!" Dean questioned surprise filling in his tone. "Mum you know him?"

"That she did Dean; you see precious Mary here was a hunter like yourself. I killed her parents, possessed her father and killed John just to get her permission to enter your house on this very night. This is all her fault, it is her fault that she died, if she had just left me alone to do what I had to do you would be playing happy families right now," the demon's voice called out as Mary was slowly being dragged up the wall.

"No, that's not true, it can't be true," Dean stammered watching a blood stain blossom across Mary's stomach. He could hear her sobs mix in with those belonging to Sam's. Tears ran down the young hunter's face as he was forced to relive his childhood nightmare. "It can't be true."

"Oh but it is Deano, she didn't have to die, no one had to die this night..."

"But they did!" Dean shouted as the flames started to erupt out of Mary's body."THEY DID AND YOU KILLED THEM! YOU KILLED MY FAMILY! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"I killed your mother but your brother was meant to make it. His death isn't on my hands..." the demon cackled as John entered the room screaming "MARY!"

"You're lying you killed him! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" Dean yelled with the tears running down his face once more, his heart felt like it was shattering once more as his eyes were looked onto the sight of his father falling onto his knees in the middle of floor, he was staring up at the flames which were slowly consuming what was left of Mary. John let out a heart wrenching scream of pure agony, a sound that had haunted Dean every time his father used to get drunk.

"No Ace, I killed your mother and your father but I never killed your brother that my son was all down to you."

Dean shook his head back and forth with the tears making their way down his face freely. By now his younger four year old self had entered the room, screaming out for his mother when he couldn't see her then crying out to his almost catatonic father. "Daddy! DADDY PLEASE I'M SCARED! DADDY SAMMY'S CRYING! DADDY DO SOMETHING!" Sam's wails could barely be heard over the roar of the flames and the shouts from the hysteric four year old.

The young hunter swallowed past the lump that had formed at the base of his throat as he squeezed his eyes shut unable to watch anymore. He had already lived through it once he wasn't sure he could survive watching Sam die a second time. "DADDY!" he heard his younger version scream and the hunter knew that it was with that last scream that his younger self ran over to crib and picked up his brother. "DADDY, DADDY SAMMY NEEDS YOU, I NEED YOU," Dean could remember that it was those words that had brought his father out of his funk. It was those words that caused John to be plunged back into his current situation and run over to scoop both him and Sam into his arms while they ran out of the house.

The fire roared around the hunter yet it never seemed to touch him. He could feel the intensity of the heat and the smoke float around his lungs but he could never feel the flames against his skin. Slowly Dean opened his eyes to watch the inferno burn through the home he had once known as a child. He scrubbed a hand across his face to wipe away the tears as he just stood there in the eye of the fire knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the past. Sighing deeply the hunter tilted his head up to glare at the ceiling; he could barely make out the blackened form that was now his mother. "I'm sorry Mum, I'm so sorry," he whispered to the air hoping that what she had told him when he was younger was true. He could do with those angels now but then again if they really were watching over him why didn't they stop John, why didn't they stop the demons? He probably was nothing but the pun of every joke in heaven, why would they bother with someone like him? He wasn't worth it.

Slowly the house around him started to fade away leaving shadows and darkness in its wake. Dean could still feel the smoke and ashes upon his skin with the familiar stench clinging to him like an unwelcome growth. Everything he had seen was replaying behind his closed eyelids while his brain attempted to make sense of everything.

"Why?" he called out to the demon as he opened his eyes. He watched the house he knew fade before his eyes and his heart twisted violently in his chest.

"Why? It was your mother's fault kiddo. She gave me access into your home. If she hadn't have interrupted me then she would have lived, little Sammy would be twenty three years old right now, oh what a handsome boy he would have been. He was my favourite did you know that?"

"Your favourite? What does that even mean?"

"That night I fed Sammy some of my precious blood as I did with many other families. He was special, he was going to be one of mine, and he was always destined to be the one to lead my demon army. It was always supposed to be him but you made sure it would never happen. He was going to be glorious and powerful, more powerful then you could even imagine but instead you killed him."

"No I didn't."

"Yes Dean, YOU killed little Sammy, YOU got him out too late, he died in YOUR arms..."

"SHUT UP JUST FUCKING SHUT UP!" Dean screamed as the darkness began to take over him once more. The urge to rip the demon limb from limb just increased with every second that passed, this bastard had killed his whole family. His mum, his Dad and his brother...

"If it wasn't for you then he will be alive so I'm merely trying to rebalance nature, you see kiddo Sammy wasn't meant to die that night, it was meant to be you. It was always meant to be you yet like a cockroach you always seem to survive but no longer. You're in my grasp and I have twenty two years worth of revenge planned for you boy," the demon cackled as the darkness engulfed Dean once more.

The young hunter's last thought before he lost unconsciousness for the thousandth time was that if it was the last thing he ever does he was going to make that bastard pay. If he was going down then he was dragging the demon along with him...

For Mum.

For Dad.

For Sammy...

TBC (Hey all, sorry for such a long time since an update but real life has been hectic, as an apology you get an extra long chapter instead. Hope you all had a very lovely Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget how awesome all your reviews are. Until part Twenty Six...)