Disclaimer: Seriously... I'm going to stop saying no soon and nobody will even notice...

A/N: Alright, much to the differ of yesterday's, I'm posting this one shot early. Mainly because I'm going back to my parent's today and so I'm going to be SUPER busy the whole day, and then (hurrah!!) the new episode is on tonight... so instead of trying to fit a time in when I can do this, I'm posting it now-- early in the morning. So... today's one shot is, again, a what if that I'd wrote. Don't worry, it's the last one I have of the sorts. And since I'll be away from my computer and at my parents, all one shots that will be posted are going to be spur of the moment never seen before, ones.
So along with this one shot, I really want to ask a favour for everyone that is reading these one shots. I was wondering which one, so far, is your favorite. Review wise, people like Funkytown best, but I want your opinion. Just stick it in a review (even if that's all you put). Thanks so much! Now enjoy...
ok... just a quick note... i'm running late right now-- haha, bus' don't wait for people... so i'm posting this story without reading through and proff reading it again. so i sincerely apologize for all mistakes!! thank you!

Title: In The Blaze
Genre: Angst... not that I do much else...
Summary: A dear old what if... What if in 'Salvation' at the end, Dean wasn't able to stop Sam from running into the house to try and get the demon...

In the Blaze

"He's still in there!" Sam shouted out; spotting the dark figure lurking in the window of the upstairs nursery.

"Sam, no!" Dean cried out as his brother rushed past him to the door.

For a brief moment Dean felt the tip of his fingers come in contact with Sam's shirt. For just a moment he thought he'd be able to stop him. That moment passed though, and next thing Dean knew Sam was charging at the house.

"Sam!" Dean screamed making a break for him.

"No!" Dean was vaguely aware of the shouts of fear from the family they'd just saved as they watched the Winchesters head towards their house that was almost completely engulfed in flames.

But there was more important things on Dean's mind as just as Sam walked through the door, a loud burst of fire shot out through it; causing a large part of the structure to securely block the front door from Dean going in. Or Sam coming out.

"Sammy!" Dean bellowed; a large, cold feeling filling the pit of his stomach, "Sammy!!"

Suddenly Dean found himself frozen; unable to move or even think of a way to save his precious little brother. His mind screamed at him to find a way in; to save Sam. But his body refused to work. Instead it replayed the memories from over twenty years ago. Sam had almost been killed in a fire then; and now it was going to happen again.

"Sam…" Dean's feeble whisper came out as he stared with tear-filled eyes at the house; flames shooting out of the windows…

If Sam had been even an inch closer to the door, he knew that he would have surely been killed as the fiery wall collapsed in. Fear raced through him for Dean's safety, though when he heard his name being called out, relief washed through him.

"He's here," the memory of the demon standing in the window flashed back into Sam's head and he covered his mouth with the edge of his sleeve; working his way to the stairs.

Fire licked around Sam as he worked his way up the stairs as quickly as possible; the colt still clutched in his left hand. The noise was unbelievable and the young Winchester could feel the hairs being burnt on his exposed skin. But he didn't care. Sam was going to kill it; he was finally going to get the thing that had tormented their families life.

The demon.

A loud, gagging cough escaped Sam's mouth as he finally reached the top of the stairs. The smoke stopped him from seeing much, though the bright orange light that flooded out of the farthest room indicated where it was he had to go. He quickly gave up on holding his shirt over his face as dizzy washed over him, and he was forced to use the wall to support his stumbling body.

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard," Sam gagged as he got closer and closer to the room; vaguely aware of more cries and screams of his name outside.

Finally he made it, and, his face burning from the fire, he looked in the room. There, standing idly in the centre of the fire, was the demon. His world spun as sounds and visions combined, but Sam cocked the gun and pointed it at the demon; his body slumping limply against the doorframe as the fire inched closer and closer.

Yellow eyes shimmered behind the darkened face, "It starts where it begins."

"I'm going… to… kill you…" Sam gasped between strangled breaths.

A low, hissing laugh entered Sam's ears as the demon spoke one last time before it disappeared into the smoky abyss, "Not this time Sammy."

Sam collapsed to the ground just as he heard someone come up behind him…

Dean's heart lurched into his throat as he saw Sam fall to the ground; the flames licking dangerously at his little brothers body.

"Sammy!" Dean cried rushing over, "Sam!"

Moving quicker than Dean thought possible, he pulled his brother up over his shoulder fireman style. His head spun as he burst through a wall of fire which had erupted part way down the hallway; burning the hair on his face. The distant sound of sirens entered Dean's head, and a horrible vision of the firemen finding him and Sam dead in the house flashed at him. Dean gripped the unconscious Sam even tighter as he headed further down the hall.

"Don't worry Sammy," Dean reassured; more for himself, "I'll get you out of here."

The smoke was thick and the fire was hot as Dean crashed down the stairs. The second stair to the bottom, however, was damaged too badly as Dean felt his foot smash through it; sending sharp pain radiating up his leg. A loud yelp escaped Dean's mouth, but he didn't care.

'Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Don't look back. Now Dean; go!'

His Dad's words from so long ago echoed through Dean's mind, and a cold feeling formed in the pit of his stomach as the realization of how painstakingly familiar the situation was. Slowly, with more determination than ever, Dean worked his way to the back door.

"Almost there," Dean choked on his own words.

Finally they burst through the door and out into the cool night. His head spun as firemen rushed over. Dean had just placed Sam down on the grass when a fireman grabbed his arm and pulled him away; not even giving the older brother a chance to see if Sam was alive.

"No!" Dean cried struggling against the man's strong grip, "Sammy!"

"One of the other men has him," the fireman dragging Dean away as he spoke, "I have to get you away from here."

"No!" Dean tried harder to get to his little brother, "He's my brother! I have to be with him! I have to know if he's ok!"

"They have him," the man pulled Dean further away and Dean struggled to see behind him where two firemen were moving Sam.

Only then did Dean notice that the man had dragged him to the front of the house. He looked around and saw nearly two dozen people standing around staring at what was happening. Two large fire trucks were pulled partway into the yard, shooting large streams of water at the almost completely engulfed house. An ambulance was parked at the side of the road and Dean's heart lurched; that's where they were bringing Sammy!

"I have to go," Dean tried to speak more calmly to the man that was still standing beside him, "That's my brother that they took. I have to go make sure that he's alright."

The fireman took a glance over at the ambulance then at Dean, "Alright son, you can go."

Dean barely had time to mutter 'thanks' to the man before bolting into a run towards the ambulance. The two large doors were opened at the back and Dean could see two paramedics sitting inside it talking to someone. Dean couldn't get there fast enough, but when he did, he was almost afraid to look in.

"Sam," Dean whispered barely loud enough for himself to hear as he peaked inside.

Dean let out a breath he never even realized he was holding and a large smile came to his dirty face. Sam was sitting up, fully awake, on a gurney with an oxygen mask covering his face.

"Sammy," tears danced in Dean's voice.

Sam pulled back the mask, "Hey Dean."

His little brothers voice broke from the effects of the smoke, but as Dean scanned him up and down he was relieved to see that there didn't appear to be anything seriously wrong.

"Hey Sammy…" Dean was startled to hear his own voice break; though not from the smoke, "You ok?"

The latest comment was more directed towards the paramedics, and Dean waited anxiously for an answer.

"He'll be alright," the one on the right spoke, "He inhaled a lot of smoke, which could effect his breathing for up to a week. He's got some bad second degree burns on his right arm and part of the right side oh his face, and first degree burns on much of the rest of him. But nothing too alarming. We'll just keep him here for around twenty minutes with the oxygen on, and then he should be alright to go home."

"Thank you," Dean smiled, and the two paramedics left the brothers alone.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, with the mask still off his face.

"Keep that thing on Sammy," Dean spoke firmly, "And yeah, I'm alright. You scared the fricken crap out of me."

"I saw him," though Sam had the oxygen mask on, Dean could still understand him, "But he left."

"We'll find him Sammy," Dean assured, placing a comforting hand on Sam's leg, "But burning to the ground isn't the way to do it, Dude."

Sam stared at Dean a moment and Dean was sure he saw tears in his eyes.

"Sorry," Sam's muffled voice came out.

Dean ran his hand through his spiked hair, "Listen to me little brother. Right now Dad is off with that bitch, and the last thing that I wanted to do was tell him that his son had died in a macho attempt to kill this demon. We will find this thing and kill it, but until then we have to stay together. I'm not going to bury you or Dad, or anyone else, so next time you decide to play your little game, let me know so I can lock you in the trunk."

Sam smiled, and spoke the words from his heart, "Thank you Dean."

The End