They all awoke in some sort of room, the air was dense. Sherlock moved his fingers trying to identify the substance, as thick as water but completely breathable, and every movement left behind golden glittering streaks. The room looked endless, infinite in every direction. It was impossible to tell if they were even standing on a solid floor, it felt like it was just wishful thinking and willpower that was holding them up. Above them was innumerable amounts of golden trails, like music lines, simmering trails dancing in every direction, some merged with each other and became brighter. Some swept down and round the men vibrating with energy before whisking back up and glowing off in to the distance.

"Where are we?" Sam asked but everyone else's mouths were occupied, gaping, unable to fathom the ultimate beauty of the place. The colours and movements could make a man weep. They just stood in wonder at the magnificence of this odd firework display.

A scraping of a dragged chair brought the 4 back to attention. The Doctor set a chair down and sat, legs crossed and hands folded over his knees. Dean and Sherlock were the first to spring in to action. Sherlock punched him in the face while Dean pointed his gun. "Ow, that really hurt...Better?" The Doctor rubbed his red cheek but didn't move from his seat.

"Much."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you in the head?" Dean barked. The Doctor lifted his eyes slowly to Dean, glowing bright blue eyes. "I wouldn't advise it. Because this..." He flapped both arms open: "Is me."

Sam and John had caught up by this point; John caught his breath while Sam asked: "How is this you?"

"And what's wrong with your eyes?" John pointed out.

"This is my head, you're in me." He gave a cheeky wink; "And this, my friends." He gestured to his eyes: "Is what freedom looks like."

"No we're just going to wake up in the Tardis again."

"Afraid not, not this time. You're all here, part of me now, amongst my thoughts."

John turned to Sherlock: "Is this what it's like for you?"

Sherlock smiled down at John: "Not as...colourful or chaotic, but yes."

"Oh Mind Palace over there, can only think in black and white. Shows how stunted he really is. Oh except for you John, you're all colour in his mind."

Sherlock punched him again: "Fight back!"

The Doctor realigned his jaw: "No."

"Why not?"

"Those are not my orders."

"Orders, whose orders, I thought you were 'the most important being in the universe,' but you take orders, oh how enlightening." Sherlock smirked.

A man stepped into the light. A secondary Doctor. But his eyes weren't glowing. He stood next to the first Doctor; John took aim on him so both men were covered. "Now I know why my brother favoured you apes so much, so entertaining, why hunt you when you find very creative ways of destroying yourselves on your own. I just have to set the scenes."

"There's two of you, how can there be two?" Dean exacerbated.

"Not exactly." His form melted away replaced by a slender tall man with long black hair and a gleaming gold and green suit. "I am Loki, your God. And you will kneel for me."

"We should have known this was you! This had Trickster written all over it!"

"Dean, Sam, we haven't met yet, I am the one true Loki."

"As in Loki God of Mischief? From those messed up Norse myths?" Another piece of useless knowledge John had acquired from school that Sherlock had deleted.

"Oh, oh my boys. I am so much more than that now."

Dean smiled insincerely: "You still look like a dick to me."

"Silence you insolent child. I am the universe and you will show me some respect."

"Why do you keep saying that what do you mean the universe?" Enquired Sam still pointing his gun.

"When I fought my brother on Asgard, the rainbow bridge was damaged." Dean giggled. "I fell, and I fell in to the crack. I should have been wiped from existence, but instead the crack embraced me." More giggling. "We became one. I absorbed its power and I became all knowing. Infinite. I became the God of all Gods. The one true ruler. I deserved nothing less. I punished my home and its people, nothing but dust and stone now. But as all great minds do, I got bored. So I started opening more cracks all across the universe, all worlds, all of time. I acquire people, collect them. And I watch them in my mazes."

"You're sick." Spewed John.

Sam interjected fuming: "You've been sending those, those monsters to our world? Through the crack? Just to get us here?!"

"Indeed. Aliens. I sent you creatures you didn't know how to fight and with no other option your path would eventually lure you here."

Dean stepped in: "All those people, dead. Wasted lives just because you were bored?"

"Yep! Well it got you here didn't it?" He sneered and then turned to Sherlock: "Your world was a little bit harder. I had to go way back and make sure that John Riddell and The Doctor would cross paths. Riddell would then go on to eventually have children and then grand children and great grand children, you get the picture, where the man's amazing stories of The Doctor would journey down generations of blood. And when you are brought up with those stories, you may start noticing a blue box in the occasional newspaper." John and Sherlock had stopped breathing. "And the lack of crime? Yep, me too. Just picked them up and threw them across the Milky-way. And here you all are, offering your minds for my amusement."

All for men stared unable to form a feasible sentence.

"You people are so obsessed with individuality and satisfying the self that you spend your lives destroying your humanity. Each of you, so emotionally damaged, so weak that neither could live without the other. That dependency is your downfall, sentiment is not an advantage, it will only lead to your inevitable demise. So because I'm such a merciful God, I'm going to do a gracious thing for you. You are going to fix that desperation for each other by leaving one of you behind. I will give you The Doctor, in exchange for one of you. I will return you to your worlds, and return your worlds to what they should be."

"We don't know a thing about each him. We don't even know his real name, why should we help him. Why should we, why should we consider him so much more than any one of us?" Sherlock looked at John in disbelief that John could consider a life less worthy than another, not that he didn't agree just that it wasn't like John. Loki's tricks must still be hitting him hard.

"Because he is. All worlds need this man; he is the only man who would actually be able to defeat me."

Dean eyed him suspiciously: "Then why would you bargain him."

"To save you from yourselves, but also he is the only other thing the laws of the universe can't touch, I can't predict him, I only acquired him because of his blind compassion and curiosity, next time he won't be as naive. But I need a challenge now, I need a worthy opponent. What is existence without the struggle?"

"And what would happen if we agreed to stay." Sam asked.

"Well you would sport these stunning blue eyes." He flaunted The Doctor like a car salesman. "You will experience the bliss of never having to make a decision, no morals, no conscience, and absolute freedom in your heart. You would be completely under my control, but with full consciousness. Full awareness during torture, during the heinous things I will set you to do, and you will enjoy it."

"So Hell." Dean's breath had become shallower.

"In essence but with a little bit more creativity."

The group was silent, lost in their own thoughts.

"So, who's going to volunteer?"

In turn each of the four men raised their arm, even Sherlock. "Well this is interesting, but it can only be one, how about I let you boys discuss it for a minute."

Sam stepped forward to the group first: "I'll do it, I know what it is like not to have a soul, I can handle going back. I am a danger in our world, I'm losing my mind and if I can be the one to save The Doctor, someone who could actually stop this maniac then perhaps I could find some peace. Dean, I know you can carry on without me. I want to do this."

"Sam, maybe you're right, you do make a good argument but wait what's that over there?" He pointed behind Sam who turned to look, Dean pulled out his gun and whacked Sam on the back of the head, the younger brother landed on the floor out cold. "Never gets old. Now anyone else going to step forward." Dean was pointing the gun at Sherlock and John ready to shoot shoulders or legs, John slid his hand to reach for his but Dean fired a warning shot. "Don't you dare Watson, listen, Sammy will have a better life without me, you two need each other and I've been to Hell, I can handle Reindeer Games."

John put his hands in front of him to calm Dean: "Dean, think about what you're doing, are you really going to abandon your brother, let me do it. You two sound like heroes so your world must need you. I'm useless, just a broken solider. Let me do this last thing."

"John, how could you even think that? You're the most important man in any universe; you've still got Loki messing about in your head. It wasn't real we would never do that to you, I would never do that to you. My world needs you." He turned to Dean his voice barely a whisper: "Please, please let me do this..." It sounded like he was going to say more but he stopped himself. "I have my reasons, don't waste your life. Please."

Dean had lowered his gun slightly, out of direct range of Sherlock and John, Sherlock took this opportunity to run. He ran towards the chair but John had caught the tail of his coat. "Sherlock don't do this!" Dean then had the lead, forced The Doctor out the chair and took his seat. Loki placed a hand on Dean's shoulder locking him in place. "Not my favourite choice I have to admit, but you can't question his heart." Sam was rising on all fours rubbing the back of his head; he turned to see Dean on the chair. "Say goodbye to your friends Dean, you have saved them."

"Dean...Dean NO!"

"Bye Sammy. Take care of Bobby for me." Dean forced a weak smile, as his brother faded back to his world. He was left alone with an egomaniac with horns. "What are you gonna to do to me?" Dean asked calmly.

"First as promised." Images floated in front of Dean, one of Sherlock and John waking up in their London flat, one of The Doctor in the Tardis frantically pressing buttons and one of Sam waking up at Bobby's. Bobby heaved him up. Sam pushed him away desperately looking for Dean. Dean watched him still as he came to terms with where Dean was and what he had just done. "Happy, all safe and sound. Now." Loki's staff flashed the same glowing blue. "Once you accept my offering, you will have fulfilled man kind's destiny, you will feel what it is like to be lead, you need this control." The point of the spear was closing in on his chest when the floating screens all flashed to a picture of Cas.

"LOKI!" Cas roared from the screen.

"The Angel? Vermin!"

"CAS!" Dean's face lit up. Cas stepped out of the screens.

"What, how are you doing that, stop it. Stop it now!" Cas was getting closer, Dean had never seen Cas so fierce and powerful. Loki stepped back momentarily uncertain.

"Cover your ears Dean." He almost didn't have enough time before Cas screeched, the noise was peaking to his Angelic voice and Dean's ears began to bleed. Cas stopped, he swayed a little. Dean turned to Loki who hadn't moved, he didn't even appear to be breathing.

"What did you do?"

"I've stopped him, for now."

"How, what, how did you do that?"

"The cracks Loki has been opening, I found one. I've been feeding off its power to be able to get here. I can stop time, he is time, and with the crack I had enough power to 'pause' him. For now. It won't last long." Cas' breathing was ragged and he hadn't moved.

"What are we waiting for then come on Cas let's get out of here...wait, Loki said this was The Doctor's mind, how can we still be here?"

"It is, he was never going to release The Doctor, he still has him, somewhere hidden from my sight."

"That son of a frost giant! Come on Cas' mind zap time."

"I can't Dean, I'm too weak. I only have enough power to send one of us back."

"...There must be something here that can juice you up?"

"No, Dean. You need to leave."

"I'm not leaving you Cas." Dean had walked over to stand in front of the Angel. Cas looked in to Dean. It was the first time Dean had ever seen Cas tear.

"How can you say that Dean, after what I..." His voice hitched and he couldn't continue.

"Cas. Cas look at me. I know. I understand, you Angels don't experience things the way we do, everything is more intense for you. It's ok, I've already forgiven you."

Cas was streaming with silent tears now. "Dean, I couldn't control myself. I've never felt love like this."

Dean was taken back, he didn't even think Cas was capable of pure love, he didn't even think he was, yet he knew he was in love with an Angel in a dirty trench coat. "I love you. And I'm not leaving you." He stepped in to Cas, embracing him and placing a chaste kiss on the corner of his lips, Cas held him, he ran his hand up to the back of his neck, caressing his cheek, he put two fingers on Dean's forehead and sent him back to Sam. He looked down at his feet; it had started, unable to move he waited for Loki to wake or to completely turn to stone. Whichever came first.

Sherlock and John woke on the floor of 221B, they stirred with heavy heads and aching muscles. They looked at each other realising it had all happened. They sat on the sofa not saying anything. Until: "I need to shower."

"Sherlock, don't you think we should talk about this."

"Of course John, but first please allow me this one request."

"...Ok. But Sherlock we really need to..."

"I know, five minutes that's all I need."

John stayed on that sofa. It had been 40 minutes since Sherlock had gone to take a shower. He could still hear it running, but that was a long shower even for John's standard. John walked to Sherlock's room, he knocked but didn't hear a reply, he walked in with the intentions to knock on the shower door but instead walked in to Sherlock lying on the bed, clean, showered, in a new suit, staring up at the ceiling. "Sherlock?"

He walked closer and the dying sun caught a glint of metal, a needle. John ran on to the bed. " No, NO SHERLOCK, NO!" The opposite sleeve had been rolled up and trails of red dots spoiled the pale skin.

"...John." It was weak but John heard it. He turned to look at Sherlock who had gone noticeably whiter. "I'm sorry John I couldn't..."

"Shh Sherlock don't say anything, you're going to be ok." John had pulled his phone from his pocket and began calling for an ambulance. Sherlock lifted a shaking arm and put a hand on the phone stopping John from putting it to his ear.

"No...not yet..." His voice was barely a murmur now. John pulled him on to his lap and raised his head nearer his ear. "John, I'm not as strong as you. I couldn't live with what we know. Nothing makes sense. I'm sorry...I can't." Sherlock was holding on to John's jumper.

"What about me, you selfish bastard. What am I supposed to do, do I not make sense?" Sherlock couldn't control himself any longer and tears began to leak down the side of his face.

"I've never been what you think I am John, I can't live with what you expect of me...I can't live up to you." Sherlock was finding it harder to speak. John recognized the sign and his anger was tearing down his face and pouring on to Sherlock.

"Don't you say that, not to me. You're not going to die."

"...I'm scared John."

"No, not today! We'll be fine." He felt like punching the man but instead he wiped away the tears off the angles of his face, this turned in to a caress and he wasn't sure who was more comforted by it. Sherlock lent in to the touch and closed his eyes.

"John, I am sorry. Forgive me." His body started to convulse, John held on to him tighter, he stroked his hair, easing him through, till it all stopped. Sherlock went still and his grip released from John's hand.

"Sherlock."