Two Hunters and a Baby.

Disclaimer: Sigh no matter how hard I try I just don't own anything to do with Supernatural or the characters of the show. Although anything that comes from my fevered imagination is ... kind of ... that's my excuse anyway!

CHAPTER 23

Dean sat on his bed staring at Sam, he took in each and every bruise, cut and swelling that he inflicted on his baby brother, desperately he wanted to take it back, but he couldn't the triggers were still fresh in his mind.

'Dean?' Sam sobbed 'no more Dean please no more,' he thrashed about raising his hands in front of his face defensively, 'no more.'

'Ah fuck Sammy how can I make this up to you?' Dean mumbled unaware of the hot tears dropping down his cheeks, 'I gotta get outta here before I kill you.' Dean stood up, swayed unsteadily for a few heartbeats and then he staggered almost drunkenly towards the cabin's door.

'Dean? Don't go,' Sam whispered behind him, 'please don't leave me.'

Dean turned to stare down at his battered brother watching him with a hurt and confused look on his face. 'I have to Sam; I could kill you next time.'

'Is there going to be a next time?'

'Sam I ...'

'No Dean we work this out together no more splitting up,' Sam insisted 'no more being apart.'

'Fuck Sammy look what I did to you,' Dean said his voice cracking with his pent up emotions, 'what if I don't snap out of it next time?'

'What did make you stop?' Sam asked unsure if he wanted to go back down the track of talking about the beatings and the real cause but he had to ask.

'When you say it's me Sammy.' Dean admitted going to sit back down on his recently abandoned bed.

Sam slowly pulled himself up until he sat flush against the headboard his forehead creased as he thought about the last two days, 'so there is a trigger he uses to control you and your nickname for me ... Cornase doesn't know about Sammy.' Chewing his lower lip he tossed a few thoughts in his head then he lifted his head and smiled at Dean.

'What now?' Dean asked miserably when he saw Sam smile, 'you in pain?'

'Dean do you trust me?'

'Can you trust me Sammy?'

'Nope didn't ask that, I asked if you trust me.'

'You know ... yes I do Sammy always.'

'The handcuffs in our weapons bag can you umm?'

'Yeah sure no problems Sammy but what are you?' Dean hurried to the bag and grabbed the silver handcuffs returning to his bed he slipped one cuff around his left wrist passed the other one around the bed end before snapping it shut over his right wrist.

'Dean ... fuck this is ...'

'Sammy please, it's okay man I deserve a helluva lot more.' Dean gave Sam a wan smile, 'so Sherlock what theory have you come up with?'

'Isabelle,' Sam said watching Dean carefully he saw the change come over his brother, the way he sat, the stiffness in his neck but it was the look on Dean's face and in his eyes that caught Sam's breath in his throat.

'Let me loose.' Dean snarled pulling hard on the handcuffs, 'let me loose now!'

Sam blinked and had to mentally shake himself it wasn't Dean growling and writhing against the restraining handcuffs, 'Dean it's me, it's Sammy your Sammy.'

Dean's shoulders slumped and his head fell forward, his muscular frame shaking with silent sobs, 'kill me Sammy put a bullet in me coz I can't be trusted with you or with ... my baby.'

'Dean listen to me, he used some sort of drug to make you susceptible and then he brainwashed you, using a name that he knew would make you react. Sam said excitedly, 'but he didn't know about your nickname for me, that breaks through everything Dean ... Dean no matter what that mother does to us he can't break our family.'

Dean rolled his eyes up to look at the hopeful look in Sam's eyes, 'yeah but Sammy we can't avoid saying her name forever and I can't ... what if someone says it unknowingly and it triggers the violence again?'

'The world is full of what-ifs Dean.'

'Oh you're a philosopher as well now are you?' Dean shot back angrily, 'don't Sam please ... hate me, hit me do something but don't look at me like that.'

'Like what Dean?' Sam asked innocently raising his eyebrows as he scrunched his forehead slightly, giving Dean his trademark puppy dog look.

'That, God Sam how can you stand to even look at me?'

'Easy you're my brother Dean,' Sam grinned wickedly 'and I love you.'

'No Sam that's cruel a chick flick moment when I am as guilty as sin,' Dean's eyes widened as he saw his brother try to push himself off the bed, 'hey, hey no hugs while I am handcuffed Samuel.'

Sam chuckled and eased himself to a standing position, once he felt steady, enough he made his way to the other bed and sat down directly behind Dean. He watched his older brother stiffen and that made him giggle out loud, wrapping his long arms around Dean he hugged him tightly, 'yeah but I do love ... being able to do this without retribution!' he whispered in Dean's ear before pushing away laughing.

'Low man, that was lower than low.' Dean snapped.

'Okay so now we need to workout what to do about Cornase and Merci,' Sam said clearing his throat and swallowing the last rising giggle, he retrieved the key for the cuffs and started to free Dean.

'Do you think that's wise Sam?'

'What?'

'Letting me lose?'

'Dude as long as no one mentions bubby's name we're right,' Sam said with a reassuring smile.

'Nope not talking about that,' Dean grinned maliciously 'I'm talking about your chick flick stint.'

Sam paused, stared at Dean his hand hovering over the handcuff lock before shaking his head, and finished his task, 'do you see any spots without a bruise?'

'Low Sam!'

'Just warn me if you want to take a swipe,' Sam said dangling the cuffs in front of Dean's eyes.

'So when are we gonna bust some demon butt?' Dean asked rubbing his wrists, glancing up he watched Sam pale and sway, 'Sammy?'

'Dude I ah...' Sam winced and pinched the bridge of his nose, immediately realising what was about to happen Dean managed to get Sam sitting down on the edge of the bed before the vision 'hit' Sam.

The bright flashes hurt Sam's eyes and he squeezed them shut but the flashes continued like bolts of lightening in his mind. The pain intensified as the images forced their way through to his line of psychic sight.

Sam saw Azuraus lying on the floor, translucent in substance, her eyes wide open but unseeing, her mouth dropped open in the form of an 'O'.

He could hear children crying, and distraught screams of a woman kneeling next to the fallen body of her husband.

Dean stood over them; breathing heavily a bloodied knife in his hand, he turned glowing eyes to Sam before he disappeared, only to reappear holding Isabelle in his arms. 'No one can stop me Sam, no one.' He said with a mocking laugh before disappearing with the infant.

The scene flickered in front of Sam, breaking the images up but he could see it clearly, like watching an old movie reel. The light flared again and he saw the same scene from the opposite side of the room, but something was different this time. As the images cleared and he could clearly see them, there was another body lying at his feet. Dean's lifeless eyes stared up at him, while the other Dean stood holding the bloodied knife in one hand and Isabelle in the other. 'No one can stop me Sam, no one.'

Sam crumpled to the floor, a hoarse sob forcing its way up his throat, he clutched Dean's arm close to him, using him like an anchor to his own sanity.

'Sam? Come on Dude, open your eyes, time to come back Sammy.'

'Dean?' Sam blinked up at his brother's face hovering in front of him, 'stop splitting into three Dude you're making me dizzy.'

'What was it Sam? In your vision?'

'We have to get going,' Sam said slowly pulling himself up to sit on the bed, swallowing down on the rising nausea resultant from the vision, 'Az, Issy they're in danger.'

'Sammy you're in no condition to go anywhere.' Dean said softly, his stomach tightening again as the self-loathing and guilt started to rear up again.

'Cornase he attacks them, using your body,' Sam grunted pinching his nose again.

'Cornase uses me to ...' Dean's voice trailed off as the implication of Sam's vision hit home. 'You sure it's not me?'

'Nope, coz there were two of you.' Sam said guardedly not wanting to elaborate but deep down he knew that Dean wouldn't stop asking until Sam told him everything.

'I saw the Az lying on the ground dead, or no longer whatever happens to her, Rachel kneeling over Danny's body ...'

'Rachel and Danny?' Dean looked confused at Sam, 'they the ones who are looking after ... Bubby?'

'Yeah, first I saw you but it wasn't you ... I could see it in the eyes and then the focus changed and I saw your body at my feet, and Cornase still in your body holding the bloody knife and Bubby. He said that no one can stop him.'

'I died?'

'Yeah dude, but it was strange it didn't feel like a normal vision.'

'How?'

'Well for one, it hurt like the crapper, but it was like watching a scratchy old movie reel, it kept flickering and breaking up. Normally they come in flashes until I see the scene in a solid image.'

'So what does that mean?'

'Not sure but I think we need Az here,' Sam sighed a wave of exhaustion washed over him, 'so tired all of a sudden,' he yawned. 'Az I need you here now, but whatever you do ... don't mention Isabelle's name in any form, we're calling her Bubby for now.'

'Why? What's wrong Sam?' Az's voice asked silently, a tiny tinkling in Sam's ears.

'Isabelle, when spoken is a trigger for Dean's rages and violence.' Sam sent back, 'please I need you here.'

When Sam opened his eyes he found Azuraus glaring at Dean, her body shimmering from solid to shadow.

'Az calm down, it's okay,' Sam said smothering another yawn, 'man am I tired.'

'Azuraus I promise I will behave myself,' Dean gave her a lopsided grin, 'just don't say...'

'Sam let me know when he summoned me,' Azuraus sniffed still suspicious but willing to believe Sam enough to back off, 'We're calling her Bubby for now.'

'Yep that's it, now can the two of you play nice while I have a sleep?' Sam asked lying down, unable to stay awake any longer. His eyes opened once more and he stared at Dean holding his hand up to his brother. Dean swallowed deeply and went to hold Sam's hand shuddering when he saw the raw welts on Sam's wrist from the plastic tie, 'you gonna be here when I wake up?'

'Not going anywhere Sammy,' he said brushing Sam's fringe out of his eyes, just like he used to do when they were children, 'I'll be right here.'

Sam nodded and let his eyes close again, seconds later his breathing evened out and deepened as sleep finally claimed another willing victim.

'So Dean what are you going to do to atone for hurting Sam?' Azuraus asked glaring at the man, 'have you really looked at Sam lately?'

'Damn it Az I don't need you to add to my guilt,' Dean mumbled unable to meet her stare, 'I hate myself and I don't understand why Sammy doesn't.'

'He loves you Dean no matter what.'

'I don't deserve that, I let the demon get to me.'

'We can do something about that,' Az said mysteriously.

TBC