Authors note: I don't know if this chapter will make any sense at all since it is written while I am extremely sleep deprived. Real life is really starting to mess with one of the few pleasure I have. I know…. the trick is to not let it. When someone finds out how that works will you kindly let me know. I apologize ahead of time if I confuse anybody but I don't think I'm up to rewriting the whole chapter. Thanks for bearing with me.

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John was floating yet he had the distinct feeling he weighed a ton at the same time. He felt numb but could feel the energy around him. He couldn't see in the darkness yet there was light surrounding the periphery. He sensed he wasn't alone. He didn't have a voice but in the expanse and closeness of where he was he could hear voices. His, Sam's, Dean's ….Mary's. Mary's voice surprised him. He strained to hear what she was saying but her words would not echo in his ears, instead they seemed to reverberate in the opposite direction. He was drawn to the sound of her voice but try as he did he could not draw closer to it.

Suddenly he could hear Sam almost right on top of him. He turned and saw Sam or what he believed was Sam next to him. An outline filled with the energy of his essence, his unique Samness. He was immediately filled with a strange wonder about his youngest son. He reached out to touch him and instantly felt a strong agonizing pain. John knew this was the same pain Sam felt when he was having one of his visions only 100x's worse. Being inside Sam's mind only amplified it and John tried desperately to concentrate. Refocusing he could see another in the darkness with them, but this person was vastly different. He knew it was Dean but his energy, his Deaness was gone, and in its place was only an absence of his being combined with a great sense of evil. John felt fear grip his soul as he felt the nothingness that was now his oldest son. Sam's voice echoed inside and beside him as he tried to reach out his brother. As Sam tried to pull away, John held tighter fearing that if he let go he might not ever get his youngest son back. He could hear Sam's pleads for Dean to hear him, to see him, to recognize him. The creature that had become Dean simply laughed at Sam's attempts to save his brother.

Suddenly he felt Sam yanked away from him. The creature that was Dean pulled Sam to him as was trying to, John could only guess because that's what it looked to him, absorb him. It surrounded him trying to meld with him. As it touched Sam, John could feel the creature's power and for a moment almost pulled away from his youngest son. Having accomplished its goal with Dean it bridged itself into Sam's mind and attempted to do the same to him. Sam's mind screamed as flashes of his life exploded all around them. Images and feelings of fail hunts and destroyed dreams. Past visions and horrifying nightmares all rolled up into one terrifying ball of Sam's subconciousness and all of them replaying in John's mind as well. John could feel the creature begin to drain his youngest sons mind. He felt Sam's mind try to throw up emergency defenses but it was already too late. Drawing on his remaining strength he pulled Sam back and as was rewarded when he felt the creature recoil from Sam's mind.

Abruptly he felt a sense of calm as they disengaged and was surprised to see both he and Sam surrounded by a strange aura. An aura that felt loving and peaceful to them and John immediately knew who it was….it was Mary. Mary was now protecting them. As John pulled Sam further back he could hear her voice inside him.

"Save him…save him…save him…." Her words echoed over, and over in his head.

"I'm trying Mary." He answered desperately clutching Sam tighter. Dean tried to attack them repeating, and again they were protected by Mary's aura. Inside the aura parts of John and Sam began to merge, and yet they remaining separate. The creature began to scream as it realized it had failed. Finally, the battle that had seemed to last forever was suddenly over in a second and only John Sam and Mary's aura remained. As she pulled away they both felt an incredible sense of loss mixed with her feelings of love.

John wanted to touch her again, to feel her again but in a flash she was gone. Now alone with Sam, John had no idea how to get back to himself. It was then he heard another voice calling his name. This one was equally familiar. They moved towards it, and as they clung to it without fear they allowed the voice to pull them back through.

Missouri hovered over John and Sam's prone bodies. Already she had been in their motel room for 3 hours. At the sight of her unconscious friends she immediately took action. She burned candles scented with sage, waved mustard weed under their noses, and got no response from either of them. Standing next to them she could feel the waves of emotions rolling off their bodies. Hesitant to read their minds for fear of becoming trapped herself, she sensed rather than felt the ongoing battle. Even so she knew they were in trouble. She was about to go in after them when she was surprised by another presence. Instead of being alarmed she felt immediate peace with this new entity. Right away Missouri could tell who it was for only someone who loved them as much as Mary had could have had the strength to protect them from a memory demon. Missouri was immensely grateful for the woman she had never met. She could only imagine what it was like for her though to be able to save her youngest son but unable to reach her oldest.

As soon as Missouri felt Mary 'leave' she started calling to John and Sam. Calling with every breath in her body. She held both their hands and said their names over and over again. It was Sam who came back first much to her surprise; she had been expecting John first. She touched his forehead lightly letting him know it was okay to open his eyes, and was rewarded by grateful smile. Moments passed and still John had not come back. She placed on hand on his forehead and threw her head back in pain as she felt John retreat inside his own mind.

"Damn you John Winchester." She said as she started to see what he was seeing. He was edging back toward the darkness but this time without the protection of Mary's aura. Suddenly all she could feel was pain as waves and waves of emotion pored through John to her. She dropped her hand and pulled her mind back immediately. Sam sat up in his bed as he heard her gasp. Jumping up he was able to catch her as she began to fall backwards towards his bed. He sat her down and put his arm around her to steady her as the psychic closed her eyes and silently prayed.

"What..did…he..do?" Sam asked alarmed when he saw her face.

"He went to go fight for your brother."

"No Missouri get him back." Sam pleaded with her.

"I'm trying child." Missouri's face was strained as she forced her mind into John's subconciousness. This was not what she felt as she called the duo back the first time. Before Mary and Sam's psychic abilities were some protection but now John was wide open to the demon.

"John listen to me this is not the time to be going after this thing." Her mind screamed at him and still he did not responded. "John Winchester you give me no choice."

She looked around until she came across the small wooden box she had given Sam back at her house. Pulling out the silver charmed chain she placed it around John's neck and started to recite an old witch's incantation. Sam watched his father for signs of returning as Missouri spoke a strange language in a muted voice. Several times he thought he heard her say his name and his fathers and was amazed when John suddenly and abruptly woke up.

"Easy John easy." Missouri said as John bolted up from the bed.

"What the hell did you do Missouri?" John's anger erupting as he realized what his friend had done.

"I just saved your life." She told him just grateful that her gamble had worked and said nothing more.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Meg had watched with delight as the memory demon attacked Sam through Dean's mind. She watched Dean writhe on the floor and contemplated what it was she felt just before the demon gave up his assault. The feeling seemed so familiar. Through Dean's mind she had been able to watch Sam make a futile attempt at saving his brother and for a short time she thought she might have had him as well. The agony Dean felt, as the memory demon tried to capture his brother, was far more than she had ever hoped for. Her happiness was tempered though.

"Damn her. Damn her to hell." Meg thought when she realized who took away her prize. "The late great Mary Winchester."

For a moment she felt dejected at her failure. Dean suddenly screamed out in pain again as the demon ripped through his mind in its attempt to get at John's returning consciousness. Meg instantly was elated as she watched the demon attack the elder Winchesters unprotected mind.

"Finally I will destroy you John Winchester. Finally I will get my revenge." She said knowing he was no match for the demon. Abruptly, in a flash he was gone.

"No! No!" She screamed as she realized she was thwarted again.

"You just doomed your son Johnny boy." She watched the demon wrap around Dean tighter and smiled as she came up with a new plan.

"Release him!" She commanded it. The demon immediately dropped Dean from its grasp and retreated to the dark confines of the cell. Dean rolled on the floor moaning holding his head. Tears rolled down his face as pain racked every inch of his body. Meg opened the door, took one last look at her captive, and walked out the door satisfied she had caused him maximum pain. Curling back into the corner, and away from Meg's ears, Dean rocked and began to mutter to himself.

"Dad Sammy Dad Sammy Dad Sammy Dad Sammy Dad Sammy……"

tbc