Supernatural – Broken

Disclaimer: Nothing new, just the usual I love to hurt, torture, kiss and caress the guys before I send em back.

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An Adaptation: from Sade Lyrate's Broken, Chapter 53 of Shards, Shreds, Scraps.

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He tried to ignore the burn in his back, and-

don'tthinkaboutthat

His legs wouldn't cooperate, his whole body ached, his cell could have been on the Moon instead of mere feet away.

The afterimage of a supernova flared within his skull as he crawled, the gravel biting into the palm of his left hand. A move, another, the pain aggravated by each pull. Short bursts of breath, his head swimming, the siren song of sleep ever stronger.

The familiar form under his fingers sent a quick praise tumbling through his sluggish mind, past bruised lips.

He flopped against the wall on his side, teeth clenching at the spikes the tiles' roughness drove into his nerves, hand clutching the little device like the straw it was. A deep breath, sea urchins within his lungs, and he flipped open the cell, slick fingers slipping over the speed dial.

"This is Dean Winchester. If this is an emergency-"

No.

He sucked in a breath that felt too much like a sob, waited for the recorded message to play out. Prayed Dean'd pick up the damn phone!
Unmistakable beep, mocking him just like his body, lips unfamiliar as he sought to form words, eyes closing as he concentrated on what he knew, what he needed, what he had to do.

Somewhere along the line, he forgot to open them again.

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Time is an illusion, where nothing is real...

Sam turned to face the demon wearing John Winchester's face, 'where have you taken him?'

'We need to talk Samuel and I am afraid that your big brother was too much of a distraction for you.'

'Where is he?' Sam demanded again.

'Calm down and talk to me and then if you are really good I will return your brother to you, if he means that much.'

'Fuck you.'

'Ooohh now there's a thought.' The demon licked its lips, lasciviously staring down at Sam, 'get up boy and sit on the bed.' But before Sam could answer him the demon flicked his wrist and suddenly Sam felt himself moving, and dropping unceremoniously onto the bed, the jolt causing him to start coughing. The bullet wound may have been healed, but the effects of the shot remained, including the injury to Sam's lung.

'That wasn't very nice.' Sam wheezed trying to regain his breath yet again.

'I don't feel like playing nice,' the demon pouted, 'so here's the thing, I did make a deal with Dean but I am willing to forgo on it if you do something for me.'

'Which is?'

'Well aside from the obvious I want you to perform a few little tricks for me if you can prove your worth then I will relinquish Dean from his vow.'

'And if I don't?'

'Hmm you do remember your vision don't you?'

'What do you know of that?'

'I know everything that goes on around here Samuel, now time is ticking...'

'How do I know that you will keep your word? You haven't done a particularly great job of it so far.'

'Touché, however I will give you ... certain assurances... if you agree to my terms.'

'Bring Dean back now; I want him to hear this.' Sam demanded, 'before we go any further with the discussion.'

'Hmm, you are a little bossy boots aren't you Sammy boy.' The demon sneered at him, and for a split second, Sam saw the façade start to slip on the creature's face.' It must be taking a helluva lot of energy to keep the pretence up, using dad's body, and face. At least it's not a possession.' Sam thought as he waited for the demon to make his mind up.

With a furious hiss, the demon waved his hand and Dean reappeared on the floor at Sam's feet. 'Dean?' Sam whispered dropping awkwardly to his knees next to his brother's prone body.

Dean lay quietly staring up at Sam with wide open but empty eyes. 'What have you done to him?' Sam asked gently stroking his brother's face; Dean moved his head slightly pressing against the contact with Sam's hand.

'Nothing that an agreement won't fix.' The demon smirked, but again the face started to flicker and slide away for the briefest second Sam caught a glimpse of what lay beneath the mask. 'So I will leave you to alone ... to get hmm reacquainted. I will be back in fifteen minutes for your decision Samuel.'

'What exactly do you want me to do?' Sam sighed cradling Dean closer to him.

'Just perform a couple of simple feats, prove to me why you are so ... valuable.'

'Believe me it's all hype I have no value whatsoever.' Sam said with as much conviction as he could muster. His breath rattled wetly in his lungs, his head hurt and eyes stung. He could no more perform than fly.

'We shall see Samuel Winchester, we shall see.' The demon chuckled before vanishing, not even bothering to use the door and to keep up the charade.

'Dean?' Sam turned his attention straight back to his older brother. 'Dean hey man talk to me.'

Dean stared blankly up at Sam, he felt the love and trust emanating from the younger man, but he was so confused. Was Dean his name? What happened to him? He did know however, that he craved the younger man's touch, deriving strength from it.

'Damn Dean what did he do to you?' Sam muttered helping his brother to stand, wearily swaying as dizziness struck. Lurching forward Sam fell into Dean's arms, the two of them falling in a tangled heap on the bed.

'So this is awkward.' Sam sighed as he carefully extricated himself from Dean and flopped on the bed next to him. Dean panicked as soon as the contact was lost and turned to search for Sam. His hand immediately reaching out to clutch at his brother. Sam frowned and stared at Dean, unsure of what to do, his brother was shaking with fear, silent and lost. 'Dean it's okay.' Sam whispered gathering the older man into his arms and holding him as close as possible. He felt Dean bunch his fist into the waist band of his pants.

'Hey, hey its okay Dean, it's gonna be okay.' Sam soothed him, as a coughing fit assailed him; desperately he tried to catch his breath and to keep Dean from panicking even more.

Weakly he slumped back on the bed, the coughs becoming less harsh but took their toll on Sam's stamina. Tiny spots of blood covered his lips and hands, making him feel worse. The hole may be gone but the damaged already done to his lungs was now beyond a surface healing.

'S-Sam hurt?' Dean whispered tentatively reaching out to touch Sam's cheek with his free hand.

'Be okay ... in a minute.' Sam panted, 'just need to get ... my breath.' He wheezed, another stab of guilt mixed with worry filled him when he looked at the innocent trusting look on Dean's face.

'S-Sam hurt,' Dean repeated his anger rising uncontrollably in him, 'Sammy hurt.' He cried again, his cries raw and primal. He didn't understand the rage he felt or why, just that the one whose strength keeps him warm and keeps him going is hurting.

'Hey Dean its okay, I'm okay.' Sam sat up and tried to soothe his older sibling, 'look at me dude.' He cupped his hands around Dean's face and forced him to calm down and meet gazes. 'I'm okay, we're gonna be okay.'

'Sammy hurt,' Dean ground out trying to pull away from Sam's large hands, 'they hurt you.'

'Please Dean you have to calm down for me, can you do that?' Sam asked, 'how bout we have a nap?'

'Nap?' Dean cocked his head to one side and regarded Sam carefully, 'Sammy tired?'

'Yeah Dean, Sammy's tired, very tired.' Sam said as he shifted slightly so he could stretch his long frame out on the bed, his head propped up with pillows to ease the strain on his chest. Dean laid down next to him, one hand still clutching at Sam like a lifeline, his face turned so he could watch Sam with an unblinking stare.

'Oh how cute, two little angels tucked up in bed, what devilish pursuits will ensue after lights out?' The demon taunted them as it reappeared.

'Leave Sammy alone.' Dean growled crouching over Sam; he barred his teeth and snarled at the creature. 'Sammy hurt, leave him alone.'

'My, my Sam it seems that you have your own watchdog.'

What do you want?' Sam asked sitting up he managed to ease Dean back to sit at his side.

'Your decision, what will it be?'

'You will return Dean back to his normal self?' Sam asked carefully, watching the demon carefully.

'Oh if I must.' It pouted, 'though don't you love him as he is, so primitive, so innocent, so animalistic?'

'You must.' Sam said not trusting himself to add what he wanted to, he had to play this game carefully, the demon has already made deals with Dean and broken them, he needed assurances that the demon was going to stay true to his word and return Dean to his usual cocky self. 'Okay return Dean back and I will perform for you, but ... but you have to help him first.'

'Ah now that is playing dirty!' the demon exclaimed,' I love it.'

'So what do you?' before Sam could finish another coughing fit took his voice from him, this time with each cough he brought up large blood clots, dizzy he fell backwards and started to choke on the blood and phlegm coming up from his lungs. Determinably Sam pulled himself up and managed to cough up the blockage, the pain too much for him to bear and he fell backwards again his eyes rolling upward to show only the whites.

'Sammy?' Dean cried out distraught, the rage consuming him again, he raged at the demon, pouncing on him with blinding fast agility. Ripping the face away Dean gouged at the creature's neck, until the body started to dissipate, only the skin shell remaining in a sizzling heap. 'Sammy? Please Sammy?' Dean cried covered in the blood and bodily fluids of the scrambling back to his brother, 'wake up Sammy.'

'D-Dean?' Sam gasped unable to catch his breath, 'can't...'

'No Sammy, no.' Dean whimpered, he had to be strong for his brother; he had to remember what he was like before. 'No Sammy stay with Dean.'

'Demon ... where?'

'Gone.' Dean shrugged but then he let out an anguished cry, 'stay with Dean Sammy.'

TBC