He (for he didn't really have a name of his own) slowly paced around the tied-up hunter- Sam, he recalled after doing a bit of sifting through the plethora of thoughts and memories the elder Winchester brother had oh so thoughtfully shared with him during their moment of bonding. He felt very much like the hyena who had captured a tasty gazelle. He was the victorious one this time. He had proven his superiority over the inferior human species. He had won. He had proven he was the better hunter. The way he saw it? He could relish his victory. He could savor it. Play with his food a bit.

"Now, I don't know about you," he said conversationally. "But I am actually finding this whole situation to be just a bit funny."

No answer came from Sam. Disappointing but not unexpected. Losers were always spoilsports. And he could afford to be magnanimous.

"Hell, I even am finding myself able to empathize with poor, misunderstood and unloved Dean."

There was a small scoff and then Sam lifted his head to look at him with those soulful eyes. He could see the bruises creeping black over that perfect skin. Needle-thin rivulets of blood leaked out from dozens of small cuts on his forehead, cheek and by the corner of his right eye. There was a deep rip in his lower lip that dripped crimson caramel he just ached to taste.

"Yeah?" Sam's voice was deceptively soft. Yet he could hear the rage that simmered just below that calm. "And why's that?"

His lips — well, Dean's lips - kicked up at the corners. "Is it really that hard to understand, Sam?"

"Apparently, it is."

"Come, come now," he softly chided. "You and I both know your brother feels all alone. And that the reason for why he doesn't allow himself to get close to anyone is because he fears them leaving him." A small smirk twisted one corner of his lips. "Like you left him."

"That's not-"

"True?" He smiled fully now. "Well, we both know that is a lie, now, don't we?"

"No!" Sam denied in a heated tone. "It's not! You're wrong!"

"Lessee here, hm?" He bent down so they were eye-level. "First, dear ole mommy left. Then daddy left. Then you left. And you leaving hurt him the most."

"You're wrong!"

"Am I, Sammy? Am I really wrong?"

"Yes! You are!"

"You got to go to school. Have friends. A smokin' hot girlfriend. What did Dean get to do? Follow daddy around? Obey his every command? Hell, he did everything daddy asked him to, and he ditched him. Again!" He barked a laugh. "No explanation, nothin', just poof. Gone. Without a trace."

"No!"

"Yes." He slowly rose to his feet. "Poor little Dean had to run and get you from school just so he wouldn't be all alone in this cold world of ours."

"You're wrong!" Sam struggled against the ropes holding him to the beam he tied him too. "You don't know a damn thing about me or my brother!"

Oh, but Sammy was wrong about that. He did know all about Dean Winchester. He had access to all of Dean's thoughts and memories. To every one of his feelings. That's why he knew...

"All Dean wants is for someone to love him. But there isn't anybody who loves him, is there? There won't ever be anybody to love him. Because who can love a freak?" He tilted his head to the side, enjoying the pain that crossed Sam's face at those words. "Right?"

A/N: Hello, all! Hope things are well with you!

This is tagged to episode 1x06