Time, Tattoos and Trouble.

Third in the Decebal Trilogy

Disclaimer: Not mine never was and never will be...sigh just my own fevered imagination and the odd original character.

Author's Note: I have loosely based this small town on Sleepy Eye Minnesota, now I have never been there, or for that matter, I have never left Australia. So after researching the town etc, I have created one of my own based on it. If there is a Sleepyville in Minnesota or anywhere else that sounds remotely like what I describe then I humbly apologise.

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Chapter 6 Lust Hurts

The pain-filled screams echoed through the quiet house waking all of the occupants simultaneously. 'Sammy, Sammy wake up, come on dude wake up for me.' Dean shook his brother lightly mindful of his injuries. 'Wake up dude.'

'No, no more please let me be.' Sam wept trying to pull away from the hands holding him so tightly his eyes squeezed shut and sweat mingled with his tears covering his brutalised face.

'Dean?' Bobby's gruff sleep-filled voice came from the doorway, 'you need help?'

'Thanks Bobby, but I think ... hell I dunno what to think.' Dean admitted turning his attention back to his distraught sibling.

'Call if ya need me, I'm gonna make coffee.'

'Kay.' Dean nodded his head and tried to rouse Sam once again.

'Dean?' his name came out with a soul-shuddering sob, 'Dean help me.'

'I'm here dude I'm right here.'

'Help ... Dean please where are you?'

'Oh God, Sammy I'm right here, just open your eyes for me.' Dean tried to stay calm but his own heart shattered a little more with each pain-filled scream and cry for help.

'Dean?' Sam yelled his name and shot upright, startling Dean for a moment, wildly Sam searched the room with his stare, confused at his new surroundings, 'Dean have to help Dean.'

'Sammy, hey Sammy I'm right here,' Dean said softly not wanting to startle his already skittish brother, 'Sammy look at me.'

Sam blinked and turned his head to the familiar voice at his side, 'Dean?'

'Yeah dude it's me, fuck man you gave me a fright.'

'Where?'

'Bobby's place.'

'Decebal?'

'Gone for now.' Dean admitted grudgingly, 'we got you back Sammy.'

'Tattoo?'

Dean frowned slightly at Sam's one word questions and clear confusion; brushing a hand over Sam's forehead, he felt the telltale heat of a fever working itself up. 'Damn it Sam you're burning up there dude.'

'Tattoo?' Sam persisted fumbling at Dean's chest with his heavily bandaged hands.

'Still there Sammy, don't worry bout it.'

'Dean?'

'It's okay Sam, hey; hey look at me you're going to be alright.'

'Sorry.'

'For what?'

'Going.' Sam mumbled staring at his bandaged hands as though he had only just realised they were injured. 'Hurts.'

'I'll get you some painkillers Sammy ...' Dean went to get up when Sam startled and tried to follow him, 'hey Sammy you have to stay in bed.'

'No lone.'

'Sammy?'

'No ... lone.' Sam pushed the words out, his green eyes so dark they looked black, confusion played across his face as he tried to formulate some sense of the jumbled words in his mind.

'I won't leave you, it's okay you don't have to be alone.' Dean said his tone low and soothing, he watched Sam visibly relax as he reassured him. 'Bobby's making coffee I'll just call him up to get some meds for ya.'

'Owkay.' Sam replied sniffling he laid back on the pillows and watched Dean's every move warily, terrified that if he blinked Dean would be gone and he would be back with Decebal.

'Bobby can you bring the first aid kit and some pain relief when you come up?' Dean yelled from the door, making sure that Sam could see him at all times.

'Yeah okay.' Bobby's gruff voice floated up the stairs, Dean smiled weakly and turned back to his brother, as he took a step closer to the bed, he clutched at his chest and moaned.

'Dean?' Sam cried out, watching wide-eyed as Dean dropped to his knees gasping for breath, 'Dean don't die.'

'Sammy.' Dean gasped out as the crushing of his lungs expelled his last breath, he could see the dots swimming in his vision and the blackness encroaching on his peripheral vision.

'No Dean.' Sam sobbed, his abused body and mind could no longer accept anything or any more pain, he felt himself shutting down and could do nothing to stop it. In the distance he could see Bobby helping Dean, his brother will be fine ... time for Sam to rest, to shut the door and retreat into the darkness for a while.

'No, no you don't Sam you come back here.' The gruff order startled him, a whimper escaped from his mouth as Sam fought to open his eyes and look at the one who won't let him be. 'Dammit Sam, I won't have you checking out on us not now ... Dean needs you.'

'Dean?' at the mention of his brother's name, Sam opened his eyes and stared up at the bearded face of Bobby hovering over him. 'Dean?'

'He's okay, he's resting.' Bobby said moving slightly so Sam could see the sleeping form on the bed next to him.

'Sleeping?'

'Yes he is, now Sam I need you to be strong for Dean okay can you do that?'

'Y-yes.'

'Good, that's good, now I know you can't take tablets just yet so I have an injection for pain relief for ya ... is it okay?'

'Y-yes.' Sam nodded his head his gaze moving to the small syringe in Bobby's hands, 'please.' He rolled his eyes back up to Bobby, the older man stifling a gasp when he saw the raw pain and despair in the boy's already expressive eyes. With innate gentleness that belied his gruff exterior, Bobby gave Sam the small injection of morphine and then helped him get comfortable on his side, both hands resting on the pillow in front of him.

'Th-thanks B-Bobby.' Sam slurred as the relief flooded through his abused body, easing the tension and agony.

Bobby sat back and scrubbed at his face with the heels of his hands, silently cursing John Winchester for his lack of commitment to these boys preferring to hunt the demon instead of fighting for his sons. A shudder passed through Bobby, he was not equipped to deal with any type of parenting role, and now with the brothers both suffering, with both physical and emotional pain needing someone to comfort them and he wasn't sure that he could do it enough.

'Fuck it.' He breathed standing up he strode downstairs to the phone, John Winchester was going to be a father to these two boys even if Bobby has to drag him back kicking and screaming.

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Sam watched Dean sleep, the morphine now completely working dulled the pain to soreness in the back recesses of his mind. Dean laid on his stomach after restlessly tossing, trying to find a comfortable spot. In the moonlight Sam could see the tattoo clearly, the giant dragon encircled his chest completely, the tip of the tail curled under its snout. The scales shone in the silvery light, giving them an ethereal quality to them, the detail was unbelievable, it looked just like a real dragon had taken up residence on his brother's body. The front legs grew as Sam watched, snaking downwards covering Dean's lower back, soon the demonic artwork will cover his torso entirely.

'Hey why aren't you asleep?' Dean asked smothering a yawn, with his eyes still closed he sensed Sam's steady gaze.

'Can't.' Came the whispered reply.

Opening his eyes reluctantly Dean waited until could see his brother clearly before he spoke again, 'you okay?'

'No pain.' Sam acknowledged with a small shrug, 'hurt ... no pain.'

'Sammy ... dude you okay?' Dean asked pulling himself up to a seated position giving Sam a full view of the tattoo on his chest. A large amethyst eye stared at him nestled in the green luminous scales, sending shudders through Sam. 'Sammy?'

'Dean ... hurt.'

'No, no fine now.' Dean managed a warm smile quickly pulling on a crumpled T-shirt and covering the offending tattoo. 'Why aren't you sleeping Sammy?'

'Can't ... see too much.' Sam admitted sadly, lowering his gaze suddenly ashamed, he could meet Dean's steady one.

'Talk to me Sammy please.' Dean asked not wanting to enter into an epic chick flick moment but saw no other option.

Sam took a deep breath and pushed himself up, wincing at the pressure on his damaged hands, but managed to scoot up into a sitting position that didn't hurt too much.

Dean blinked at Sam and tried not to let his distress at his brother's appearance show on his face. Black, purple, and blue bruises started to form across Sam's cheekbones, his left eye swollen and blood shot. His nose reset and tapped though still swollen and covered in spongy looking bruises. His lower lip split and sore-looking still had dried blood encrusted on it. The Winchester siblings sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each taking in the various injuries and causes of pain on the other. Dean's gaze finally rested on Sam's torn chest, a large gauze square covered the worst of the welts, protecting the newly stitched skin, but the implication was still there.

The worst for Dean to see was Sam's hands; he thought that the first time was bad enough for Sam but ... for him to have to go through it again, impaled with nails in his palms for a second time... Dean had to wonder if Sam was ever going to recover this time.

Sam fidgeted slightly under Dean's scrutiny but said nothing, he kept his own gaze fixed on Dean's tattoo, and he could see the staring eye, even with Dean wearing a T-shirt. He knew that Dean would sit and wait for him to talk and he appreciated it but Sam also knew that Dean's patience only ever lasted for so-long before the questions erupt from him in quick-fire succession.

Swallowing down on the utter helplessness and shame he felt Sam lifted his head slightly, tears threatened to spill over as he saw the look on Dean's face.

'I – I ... wanted ... to.' Sam stopped clearly frustrated with his own ineptitude in getting his words to string together in a coherent manner.

'Hey Sammy, take your time ... we're not going anywhere.'

'Wanted to help you,' Sam started stare at the window, not wanting to see the pity and loathing that will surely appear on Dean's face after he hears everything. 'R-Ruby d-drugged me.'

Dean opened his mouth to chide Sam about being so gullible but the look Sam wore silenced his words and stay quiet waiting for him to continue on his own terms.

'Sh-she w-was a ... d-dominat...trix.' Sam stumbled over the word, heaving a sigh of relief when he eventually got it out. 'D-Deci g-gave m-me to her.'

'He what?'

'Tol-told her to d-do wh-what she wanted.' Sam whispered so softly that Dean had to lean forward to hear him properly. 'Sh-she did things to me Dean ... but I d-didn't give in, d-didn't submit.'

'That's my boy.' Dean breathed trying to ease the tension in the room, it was so palpable that a knife could slice through it easily.

'Sh-she put a noose around my neck, she had me on my knees next to the bed but stretched ... me out so my, my arms were tied on ... then she tied ropes to my ankles and pulled them apart. I – I couldn't move. Sh-she took me from behind ... I – I was gagged and couldn't ... then – then she – she ... got out nails and a – a – a hammer.' Sam's words tumbled over each other as he finally managed to string them together but he found them still nonsensical to his ear.

'Sammy...'

'Sh-she was going to ... I couldn't Dean, I remembered everything from before an' – and no, no, no more please no more.' Sam sobbed his long frame shook violently from head to toe, ignoring the pain Sam started to pound his head against the wall, his tears, shame and fears came back haunting him in tidal waves of emotion.

'Sammy, hey Sammy look at me.' Dean appeared next to him, cradling Sam's face in his hands he made him stop and look at Dean, 'what she did, what Decebal did or implied ... Sam listen to me.' Dean snapped a little angrier than he intended a flash of guilt died as quickly as it appeared, he had to get through to Sam now before he lost his brother forever. 'Sam listen to me, you are not at fault. None of this is your fault. Decebal is a fucked up demonic psychopath who gets off on sexual torture and mind games. You are his victim nothing else ... you did not cause any of this.'

'I'm dirty Dean, look at me, I'm stained.' Sam wept refusing to accept the truth.

'Sam, listen to me ... there is nothing there.'

'Dean?'

'Yeah Sam?'

'You mean that?'

'Yeah you know I do why?'

'You called me Sam.' Sam breathed out; the shock of not being called Sammy calmed him considerably. 'You called me Sam.'

'Yeah well don't get used to it.' Dean answered gruffly, but deep inside he heaved a sigh of relief and swallowed down on the threatening tears. 'So we do have one problem.'

'What?' Sam hiccuped relieved that the tension between them for now anyway.

'How you gonna have a shower dude?' Dean raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously at Sam. 'You look like King Tut's Mummy.'

'Gee thanks for the visual Dean,' Sam winced when he saw his bandaged hands and chest, almost as if it was for the first time.

'Okay so we need to truss you up a bit more so you don't get your hands wet, I can take the big one off ya chest coz Bobby used some of that second skin crap over your stitches and cuts, the stitches are dissolvable ones ... it's waterproof.'

'Ah okay ... Dean?'

'Yeah dude?'

'Thanks.'

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Bobby paced the living room his muscles wound up too tightly for him to sit down, 'your sons need you John just how much plainer do you need it?'

'I can't come Bobby ... I just can't.'

'Why the fuck not?' Bobby all-but screamed the question out, 'John ... Dean's tattoo is killing him bit by bit, it's growing and crushing his lungs, I have no idea on how much longer he'll last.'

'Sammy can...'

'John we just rescued Sam, now I aint gonna gloss anything over, you just listen to me John Winchester. That freak of a demon he gave Sam to a dominatrix who ... who did these things to him that no sane man should experience ... she broke him John and then that Decebal got him back ... he beat him up really badly, sliced his chest and stomach up with a whip, broke his nose and I think fractured a cheekbone.' Bobby paused waiting for his words to sink in before finishing the litany of Sam's injuries. The only indication he had of John still listening was his ragged breathing coming through the phone connection. 'John he nailed Sam to the bedhead, he smashed him up and then broke him all over again.'

'Sammy?' John whispered, Bobby could hear the heavy emotion brimming over in that one word John uttered.

'Dammit John, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, but I can't do this, they are your sons they need you.'

'I'm ... ah, I'm about a day away, tell ... tell my boys I'm coming back.' John said before breaking the connection. Tears ran unbidden down his rugged face as he saw the injuries Sam endured last time and now ... originally he didn't want to come back and have Decebal use him against his sons again like he did last time but now it didn't matter. 'Get a grip Winchester.' He ordered himself, swiping at his tears he started to pack, intending on going via the roadhouse to see if Ash had any information about the tattoo. He hadn't been back since ... since Jo got herself mixed up in the mess, time to mend a lot more fences that John Winchester would ever admit need fixing.

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'Are Sam and Dean with you?' Jo asked when she saw the hunter walk through into the bar. Her voice catching on Sam's name.

'No, no they're at Bobby's place.' John said avoiding Jo's intense gaze, 'your mom around?'

'Here John.' Ellen said coming around the bar, she took one look at the man and hugged him tightly, not caring at how embarrassed he was at the open affection.

Jo chewed her lip and then slunk back into the living quarters at the back she called home, seeing John was too much as the memories came rushing back in full technicolour.

She listened leaning against the wall, hidden by the shadows, of how that monster had gotten to Sam again, did all of those horrible things to him. And then, what he did to Dean, a living tattoo? Jo felt the tears stinging the backs of her eyes; she knew that she should feel something, something for Dean especially. But she was numb, inside and out, she couldn't get warm now, the only thing that came close to thawing her icy interior was a drink. Her head picked up as John started to talk about Sam again, Sam it was all his fault. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been raped, she wouldn't have been abused, and she wouldn't feel like the true ice queen now.

Swallowing the rising bile at the mention of his name, Jo moved closer to the bar door, listening intently waiting for John to say where the boys were.

TBC