Pieces – Chapter Four: Jo

A/N: I am so sorry, writer's block is a bitch (writer's block: JERK!). Spoilers in the next chapter for season 2's episodes No Exit and Born under a Bad Sign. Also I disclaim all rights to Supernatural and all it's characters.

"He's gonna be alright, right?" I asked Bobby as he flipped through a book on entering a person's subconscious. Yeah, that'll help; put more things into Sam's brain.

"Sam will bounce back, sure thing . . . but that's not who you're talkin' about, is it?"

I shot him a sideways look from my book on the effects of mass-hypnosis on psyche patients, which was yet another "useful" book.

"Dean will be ok once Sam's ok." Bobby continued. "That's all there is to it."

"Alright. There's nothing in this book that'll help Sam." I shut it and tossed it onto the table in front of me just as my mom walked out of the panic room, a tired look on her face. "Hey mom, what's going on?"

"He's asking for you sweetie. Dean's trying to talk him out of it, but he's so far gone. . ." Mom trailed off.

"I'll go." I didn't know why on god's green earth Dean thought I wouldn't want to see Sam, and I was ready to tear him a new one because of it. I don't blame Sam for being possessed, or for what happened in Philadelphia.

"C'mon Ellen, I'll grab you some whiskey and you can pick up where Jo here left off."

Mom just nodded.

I stood up, brushing off my faded blue jeans and headed down to the panic room. I felt Bobby's and my mom's eyes staring at my back as I went.

As I approached the iron door, I heard voices; one pleading and angry, the other pathetic and miserable.

"Sammy, I'm just saying that you should hold off until you're out of your funk before you talk to Jo."

"I need to apologize Dean! I said horrible things to her back in Duluth and…"

Dean cut him off angrily. "You told me you didn't remember anything!"

"I lied. It was awful. Meg did awful things, to Jo and that hunter, and you, almost Bobby too." Sam let out an awful sob and Dean sighed.

"Sammy, please don't-"Something crashed to the floor as I stopped just outside the huge door and peeked through the little window. Dean had grabbed his brother's wrists and the two of them were standing over a broken lamp. "Sam, that was the only spare lamp Bobby had."

"Sorry." Sam looked at the ground.

I knocked tentatively on the door. "Dean?"

"Come in Jo." He didn't sound exactly happy to know I was here.

"Hi." I tried not to show the entirely inappropriate way my heart fluttered when he said my name, no matter how cranky, and spared me a glance. "Hey Sam."

"Hello." Sam was glumly staring at the floor before half-glaring at his brother. "Can you leave now Dean?"

Dean was clearly in no hurry to leave me alone with his damaged brother.

"It's ok Dean, I won't bite." He smiled a little. That was progress.

"Fine." Dean relented with a heaving sigh.

Sam and I smiled at him in unison . . . oddly child-like unison.

Dean left the room and I opened up my mouth to speak, only to have Sam put up his hand to stop me.

"One second." He said scowling and walked over to the door he inhaled and: "DEAN!!!! Get out of here!"

I must have jumped ten feet in the air.

"Sorry." Dean grumbled from behind the door and Jo smirked.

"Sam. . . He's just looking out for you." I tried explaining.

"I know, because I'm Sammy, the younger brother." Sam sighed and sat down on his cot. "Be careful, there's a lot of broken glass."

"I see." I replied looking around at the broken glass. "I'm not mad at you Sam."

"You should be."

"Why? Because you were tricked by a demon?" I shrugged. "Shit happens."

Sam released a wry chuckle.

"Listen Sam, I'm still . . . on edge about the Minnesota thing, but not about you. I forgave you a year ago." I sighed, I hated bringing this up. "Now, you need to forgive yourself."

We sat there in an awkward silence for a few moments before Sam nodded. "Ok, if you do."

"I do." I nodded firmly. "Demons suck, they're tricky bastards. That's the first thing my mom taught me."

Sam smiled slightly and I knew I had broken through at least somewhat.

"Really? You don't blame me for this apocalypse thing?"

"Not entirely. You made the decision to do some of the stuff that lead to this, you're gonna have to live with that. But the blame doesn't all fall on you. Those angels, Lilith, Ruby, Dean . . ."

"No!" He yelled, standing quickly, and I felt myself recoiled. "It's not Dean's fault."

"Ok." I put my hands up in surrender. "Fine, I was just going to say that Dean couldn't stop them either."

"It's entirely my fault. I drank, I killed, and I did it." He repeated the last part twice more before sitting back down.

I sighed hopelessly, one step foreword and three steps back. "It's not."

"Liar." He seemed to hiss at me. This must be the unstable side of Sam. "You're a liar."

"I'm not a liar." I said firmly. "I promise you."

"A liar's promise is just another lie." He frowned and I couldn't help but notice the way the dark circles under his eyes were emphasized when he pouted.

"Dean trusted me to come see you." I reminded him gently.

"Dean doesn't care anymore." He looked like a kicked puppy.

I frowned. "Now who's a liar?" I questioned him. He blinked in surprise. "Dean is a wreck, because of you. He needs you to be your self again. He's like a-a zombie or a . . . no, zombie pretty much covers it."

"He seems fine." Sam crossed his arms.

"Because, he's with you." I said stubbornly. God, this boy was damaged. "He puts up a mask when he is around you. To protect you." I scowled. "But its time to grow up Sam."

"What?" He seemed surprised. Well, too bad, I tried the other approach.

"You need to take responsibility for what happened, without relying on everyone else's pity for support. You can't do that." I crossed my arms. "I tried that after my dad, and then my mom told me to grow up."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be, but remember that you aren't the only one to blame." I walked over to touch his shoulder. "There are plenty of others who share it."

I decided it was time to go, and made my exit.

My mom and Dean were talking in the library while Bobby seemed to be waiting for me to come out.

"I'm done." I went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. Dean followed.

"Is he ok?"

"He'll be fine. . . I think."

"Good." He nodded and then descended into Bobby's panic room.

I hope it will be.