Wisdom Reigns … Denial Remains

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the CW or the producers, cast and crew of Supernatural nor do any monies pass hands. I do however love to play with two certain brothers and return them in relatively good health.

Author's Note: This fic will contain very dark themes and violence, if it offends then don't read. Dean is 27 and Sam is 23 this story is set around season 2 but probably will not follow canon to the letter, so can be classed as AU if you like.

S—D

What happens when the brother you can see is not the brother you know?

Chapter Three: We see what we want to see not what we can

Dreams are the doorway to the psyche.

Then:

'Sam was never a troubled young man,' Dean snarled using air quotes for "troubled young man", 'how can you have him tied down like that?'

'He's a dangerous prisoner, insane or not he is dangerous and has to be restrained.'

'Sam couldn't hurt anyone, his hand is broken, he's been beaten to high heaven and back again what about that screams how is it dangerous?'

'You are out of order Mister Singer I suggest that you leave, it's up to the courts to commit your brother to this prison his case is set for next week.'

'What kind of place is this? What you're guilty before proven innocent?' Dean's anger got the better of him, he wanted to scream blue murder, to undo the restraints and to carry his brother out of there but they were deep within the bowels of a maximum security prison and no way out. 'Speaking of which … what's keeping Sam's lawyer he should've finished with the Warden by now?'

'We want Mister Reeves in here now Doctor Zazel…' Bobby said as he struggled to keep a poker face, the name and the face finally registered in his shell-shocked mind, 'it's time for this boy to come home.'

'I'm sorry Mister Singer that I cannot allow.'

'Christo,' Bobby said and smirked coldly when he saw the eyes of the doctor change, his smirk fading when he saw the colour that they had changed to. 'Holy Fuck!'

Now:

Caleb was ready to punch someone or something it was only a matter of moments left for him to attack the warden. The stench of a cover up filled his senses along with something else, something that was altogether too familiar.

'Look Warden obviously these are trumped up charges against my client, he is need of help not incarceration.'

'And for the last time I can't do a thing about it until he sees the judge.'

'And the papers I have from Judge Wade are all I need to take my client from here.'

'You and what army?'

'I am this close…' Caleb snarled moving menacingly closer to the now pale and shaking warden. Although, before he could do anything the phone rang shrilly breaking the uneasy silence.

'What is it?' Warden Longsteer snarled into the phone, he listened for a moment his demeanour changing with each word spoken; he glanced nervously at Caleb and then stared back down at the phone. 'Yes Sir, I understand Sir … yes … yes … thank you Sir.' He hung the phone up and turned back to Caleb. 'It seems that you have the all clear to go and join Singer and his family, I'll get the guard to take you.'

'What's going on Warden?'

'Nothing yet Reeves but don't push me.'

S—D

The shadow moved across the ceiling, a slight flutter of the fleshy dull grey wings was the only sound in the painfully silent caged medical room. Sam moaned as he felt the suckling of the beast as it returned to hover over them.

'Dean look at Sam's leg.' Bobby whispered pointing to the top of Sam's thigh, where a large blood stain was forming.

'What the fuck?' Dean muttered trying his hardest not to upset his brother, carefully he pulled the sheets back to reveal a jagged bite mark in the taut skin and muscle. 'What the hell is going on here?'

'Tr-tribute … m-made n-noise,' Sam said his voice barely audible, 's-save De-Dean.'

'Sammy you with me dude?' Dean asked moving back to his brother's side, 'I need you to focus kiddo.'

'Moth-man … g-g-gotta f-f-find De-Dean … no … no won't d-d-do it.' Sam rambled his uninjured fingers picked at the threadbare sheet, 'who am … who am I?'

'We're gonna get ya outta here Sammy I promise.' Dean said looking up at Sam he managed to catch his gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to Bobby giving him his most imploring please fix this look.

'De?' Sam gripped Dean's fingers weakly, wanting no needing his attention, 'De?'

'Sammy? Hey how you doing there bud?'

'De … no … t-time,' Sam pushed the words out; he knew that the blackness was going to come back and he wouldn't be able to let his protector know what went wrong. Strangers' voices startled him and for a second Sam blanked out.

'No, no Sammy hey come back to me … it's gonna be okay bro I'm right here,' Dean whispered the words directly into Sam's ear as he sent a lethal glare to the new arrivals easily silencing them.

Sam blinked and tried to focus on the face so close to his own, 'Dean?'

'Hey dude, just concentrate on me and forget the others … can you do that for me?'

'N-no t-t-time … s-sacrifice … t-t-tribute k-k-keeper,' Sam fumbled over the words as he desperately tried to get Dean to understand his warning.

S—D

'You are strong tribute, you will many make fine meals,' the insipid voice lisped in Sam's mind. He tried so hard to keep his thoughts on track, he prayed that Dean would come and save him but the creature was already inside him. There was nothing anyone could do; Sam knew that now. Whatever had bitten him had laid its larvae deep into the tissue at the base of his skull.

'Tribute was chosen first.' The voice continued slithering through his mind while it fed greedily from Sam's throat. 'Sacrifice chosen next.'

'No, no! Gah!' Sam cried out, 'Dean.'

'No speak tribute.' The voice bellowed in his mind making Sam scream in agony. He felt the fangs sink deep into his shoulder as his body started to convulse.

S—D

'What is it Sammy?' Dean crouched down next to the bed so he could keep their gazes locked; gently he framed Sam's face with his hands and started to tenderly rub the pads of his thumbs on Sam's temples.

'M-moth … t-t-tribute k-k-keeper … f-f-finds … s-s-sacrifice …m-m-must p-p-protect D-D-Dean.' Stammering badly Sam finally got the words out and then looked up at his brother's face fading into the darkness. 'N-no d-d-don't g-g-go.'

'Not going anywhere Sammy, I'm right here,' Dean kept one hand on his brother's face and moved his other hand to wrap his fingers around Sam's. 'Ahh you're so cold Sammy.'

'G-g-gotta s-s-save D-Dean.' Sam said as he once again became lost in the random thoughts and misdirections swirling in his mind.

'Stay with me Sammy,' Dean called out desperately as he watched Sam once again slip away from him. 'Sammy … Sam show me where is the moth man.'

Sam blinked sluggishly and then rolled his eyes in the direction of the ceiling corner just above the door his body starting to convulse again as the larvae started to crystallise in Sam's brain.

'Sammy? Sam?' Dean cried out in horror as he watched his brother's body became wracked with convulsions, blood trickled from his nose and ears as the muscle spasms became more violent.

'Doctor damn it do something.' Bobby turned to the man standing next to him, 'that is if you're really a doctor.'

The doctor snarled and backed away from Bobby, he knew that his cover had been blown already by the older hunter but with Sam's predicament he thought that he could still move on with his plans. 'I'll be back for my boy.' He hissed before throwing the meat-suit's head back and in a flurry of oily black smoke disappeared before anyone could really react.

'Sonovabitch,' Dean cursed, 'it was here the whole freaking time.' He stood staring at the spot where the smoke disappeared, almost as if he was waiting for it to reappear.

'Dean snap out of it boy, we've gotta get Sam outta here now.' Bobby said as he shook Dean slightly, although he felt like he was shaking himself out of his own shock. Dammit why didn't I do something when I saw its fucking eyes?

S—D

Caleb and the prison warder had just arrived inside the psych ward and the lockdown cell of Sam Singer when the young inpatient started to convulse violently, and then smoke erupted from the corpse of the prison's psychiatrist.

'What is going on?' Warden Longsteer demanded not willing to believe what he had seen with his own eyes.

'Welcome to the real world Warden,' Caleb smirked before sobering as he turned to look at the young "prisoner", 'how's Sam doing?'

'Not good, we need to get him out of here immediately.' Bobby said turning his stare to the warden, 'no arguments either if he stays here … just say that ya'll be charged with murder if Sam dies.'

'Now wait just a minute … I demand to know what is going on, how do I know that you just didn't kill Doctor Collins yourself?'

'Hells bells you saw what happened … wait a minute who did you say that was?' Bobby turned to look down at the body at his feet.

'Doctor Al Collins why?'

'He told me his name was Al Zazel,' Bobby muttered scratching his beard he crouched down next to the corpse and studied it closely. 'Azazel!' He ground out the demon's name in disgust; disgust with the demon's presence but also with himself for not recognising the name to begin with.

S—D

'Dean son, that was The Demon.' Bobby said as he stood up and went to stand next to the younger man, 'it must have had something to do with what happened to Sam.'

'The Demon? The one that killed mom?'

And yer daddy too Bobby thought but stopped himself for saying it aloud. 'Yeah kiddo, it was.'

'Ah Bobby what's going on? This is all fucked everyway to Sunday.' Dean scrubbed his hand over his face; he was tired bone-tired. 'What do we do now?'

'Git you two outta here and then work out what's got into yer brother.' Bobby said as he settled his own tumultuous emotions and once again wore the mask of a hunter, 'now Warden you can either help us or you can stand down either way I'm taking my boys out of here now and that includes Sam.'

'Sam Singer still has to face court on murder charges I cannot let him just leave.'

'You won't have to,' Dean said softly as he gazed down at Sam 'my brother's dead.'

S—D

'What are you talking about?' Longsteer said as he pushed past a stunned Bobby and Caleb and stopped at Sam's bedside, 'he can't be dead.'

'Look at him Warden what did you expect him to do? Get well? Your men battered him and God only knows what else. I should be charging you with murder.' Dean said his voice pitched so low, the threat was emphasised without effort.

'Get him the hell outta here, get outta my town.' Longsteer said as he backed away from the bed and stared at the hunters as though they were all crazy. 'Just get that thing out of my prison.'

'What did you call my brother?' Dean yelled charging at the man, the words thrown at him were the last cut to the tenuous grip he had on his temper. 'You sonovabitch.'

It took the combined strength of both Bobby and Caleb to pull Dean off the man, 'get out of here Warden – now!' Caleb advised the man before turning to the distraught younger hunter, 'Dean get to your brother.'

'You're a dead man Longsteer!' Dean snapped, 'and then you'll be the thing!'

'You have twenty minutes to get out of my prison before I lock you all up and I'll make sure that none of you ever leave.' Longsteer said as he wiped his own blood from his chin and stalked out of the cell. 'Twenty minutes!'

'Dean?'

'I gotta get Sammy out of here Bobby,' Dean said softly, all of his anger gone and now he just seemed tired and wrung out.

'Dean … Sam's dea…'

'Nope he's not dead Bobby, Cal but he's not far from it,' Dean started to work on undoing the restraints around Sam's wrists. 'Can you help me?'

'Dean?'

'I ah I've seen Sam have a convulsion before, it takes a minute or so before he is visibly breathing as long as you don't check the pulse…'

'He appears dead?' Bobby shook his head, 'when did Sam have convulsions? I don't remember that.'

'A few years ago … Sam had a head injury and went into convulsions scary shit I can tell ya.'

'Why wouldn't John say anything about it? Especially when I've looked after you two,' Bobby asked his eyes narrowing as he raked his memory trying to think of a time when it could've happened but the only possibility he could think of was because John was involved.

'Look can we just get Sammy out of here and then we can talk about it?' Dean gathered his brother into his arms and with innate tenderness reserved only for his brother and babies Dean laid him down on a gurney and covered him with a sheet, 'well whatcha waiting for an engraved invitation?'

S—D

Six Hours Later:

Bobby and Caleb went into the motel and booked the rooms while Dean stayed with his still unconscious brother. They had made it to another county, to another small non-descript town but with a reasonable looking motel.

'We got two connecting rooms,' Bobby said as he joined Dean in the impala, 'Caleb and me will take the first one and you guys can have the one on the end of the block.'

'Thanks Bobby.'

'Don't sweat it kiddo, oh by the way as soon as we're settled we're going to have a talk about Sam's past convulsions.'

'Yeah sure Bobby,' Dean sighed, he could kick himself for saying something but he was just so tired of all the secrets and trying to keep them.

The three men managed to get Sam into the bed furtherest from the door, before Caleb went for a food and medical supplies run. Bobby made a pot of coffee and laced it with some whiskey while he waited for Dean to finish fussing around his brother.

'Did ya feel that?' Bobby asked as he stared around the room worriedly, 'like a breeze coming in.'

'Nah I didn't … you okay Bobby?' Dean turned to look at his friend and mentor he hated to see the exhausted and haggard look on the older man's face.

'Yeah, yeah just a bit tired I suppose,' Bobby rubbed the back of his neck, 'damn must've gotten a bug bite too.'