Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!

Dean's Song

Chapter 21– Exorcism

Dean started to walk towards his brother, but stopped just short of the barrier. He looked at Matthew who silently shook his head as he continued to read the exorcism rite. "Sammy…I can't, you just need to hold on a little longer!"

"Dean you promised…you promised that nothing bad would happen to me…why Dean…why are you doing this to me?" Sam groaned and shook his head as if trying to clear it.

"Sam…I'm sorry." Dean knew that it wasn't Sam speaking, but it still hurt. He knew that he had failed his brother in so many ways lately. He remembered when he yelled at Sam earlier and wished he could take the words back.

Dean's head snapped up as Sam shouted again. "NO! Dean…not safe! Don't listen…not me!"

Sam could hear what the Siren was saying to his brother…he had to make sure that Dean knew it wasn't him. After the incident in the asylum, Sam didn't want Dean to think that what he was being forced to say was true. He could see the hurt look in his brother's eyes and would have given anything to remove that look from his brother's face.

Sam turned towards the Siren in his mind. "You said that you wanted to stop, why do you continue to fight…just stop and your torment will be over."

"The curse cannot be lifted…there is nothing I can do…I must continue." The Siren said quietly, looking closer at Sam with sad eyes.

"The curse is already broken Alex…you are no longer bound to this house, your spirit can leave…you can finally rest in peace…isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I want is to be with my first true love…but he will not be waiting for me. Don't you understand Sam? I don't want to die if I can't join him."

"Alex, soon you will not have any choice but to move on. You can't use me in the way that you want…please Alex, I sensed that you hated doing what you did to Dean…to me. If you continue you will only destroy both of us. I will die before I let you take over!"

Sam watched as Alex turned to look off into the distance. He hoped that he could reach her, convince her to move on without doing any further damage. But his hopes were soon dashed when she turned to face him again. "You are lying to me Sam…I sense a strong desire to live within you. You will not let either of us die if I am joined to you….and I will win because unlike you, I now have nothing left to lose!"

Sam screamed as the pain hit him once again. He felt his body shaking with the effort he was exerting to repel the Siren. As he watched, the Siren's figure was becoming more solid…she was starting to wear him down and he knew it. Sam retreated to the last area of his mind, an area where he normally felt safe. He couldn't face the pain anymore…he just hoped that when it was over; he could find his way back. However, just before he shut the door in his mind…he heard his brother's voice. Dean sounded panicked and worried. Sam knew that he couldn't leave his brother like this…he had to try one last time.

Dean watched as his brother's body began to convulse on the bed. His eyes were closed and his breathing was becoming shallow. Suddenly, the rope holding Sam's wrist broke. Dean watched in horror as Sam reached over and began to untie the other ropes binding him to the bed. He sat up and stared at Dean with a look of triumph in his eyes…eyes that no longer reflected the brother he knew.

Matthew stopped reading for a moment and looked at Dean. "Dean…if he makes it across the salt line, we will not be able to contain the spirit in one place…I am almost done with the ritual…you need to keep him in the circle for just a few more minutes!" Matthew reached into his waist band and pulling out a pistol, handed it to Dean. Without waiting to see if Dean understood, Matthew continued, trusting in the young hunter to know what to do.

Dean watched as Sam slowly rose from the bed, smiling as if he didn't have a care in the world. "At last, I am free…If you don't want to die, stay away from me. I promised Sam I wouldn't hurt you…but I will if you try to stop me Dean."

"You are not leaving here…Sam and I will stop you!" Dean said menacingly. He aimed the gun at Sam and removed the safety.

"You won't shoot Dean…this is your baby brother…the one you swore to protect. Move aside and let me leave!" Sam began to move towards Dean.

"God, I'm sorry Sammy!" Dean said as he took aim and fired.

Sam stopped and looked down at the blood stain that was spreading in his right thigh. He fell to the ground groaning and holding his leg. "You bastard, this will not stop me. You are only making it worse for your brother…He can still feel what is being done to him…he knows that you shot him Dean."

Dean felt like gagging, but he kept his aim steady as he continued to watch his brother. He had aimed where he knew that there would be the least amount of damage. But he also knew that it would cause his brother pain. "Sammy…listen to me, I know that you are still in there somewhere…I know that you are tired, but you got to help me here bro'. I can't do this by myself."

Sam looked up at Dean and said quietly. "Yes, you can Dean."

"I know Sam, but I don't want to…please, fight her…do it for me Sam…I can't lose you too!" Dean could feel the tears threatening to fall. He watched as Sam's head fell to his chest for a brief moment. Dean watched again as Sam struggled to stand. Once again he started towards the line of salt. Dean threw the gun into the corner of the room and did the only thing he could think of to stop his brother. He tackled his brother, trying to push him back towards the bed.

The moment that Dean crossed the barrier, he felt the change in the air. He swore that his hair was standing straight up from the power that he could feel surging around him. "Sammy…help me…you can stop her…I know you can!" Dean cried frantically as he felt Sam struggling beneath him. The eyes looking up at him were not those of his brother…they were filled with anger and hate.

"You fool…I will kill you!"

Dean felt a wooden slat from the bed slam into his back. He groaned, but continued to hold Sam. Sam slammed him back against the bed, causing Dean to hit his injured ribs. Once again Dean gasped as the pain assaulted him, but he put the pain aside and concentrated on holding onto his brother. He looked briefly at Matthew who nodded at him in encouragement…he could tell from some of the words, that the ritual was almost at the end. He just needed to keep Sam here for a few more minutes.

But while Dean was holding onto Sam, he never noticed the rope from the bed moving towards him. He was too busy trying to duck the flying pieces of the bed that kept pelting him and trying to protect Sam, who by this time was also getting pelted by the same flying debris. The silent struggle continued between the two brothers. Dean using only as much force as needed to confine his brother. However, Sam was not pulling his punches. He jammed his elbow into Dean's ribs, knowing that it would cause him pain.

"Damn it Sammy…if you hear me, how about giving me a hand here…we just have to hold on for another minute or two…Sam…argh!"

Suddenly, Dean felt something curl around his throat and tighten, making it impossible for Dean to breathe. "Sam, NO!" Dean said in a gargled tone as he felt the rope tighten around his throat. He had no choice, he had to let Sam go in order to try to loosen the rope. But he couldn't do it…any moment nowhe would slip into darkness.

Sam stood and looked at his brother lying at his feet, a smile curling his lips as he watched his brother being strangled by the rope. "I told you I would kill you!"

TBC