![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Broken: Battles, Part 6 -- Supernatural, NC-17
Fandom: Supernatural
Title: Battles, Part Six; A Broken Sequel (all Broken here)
Pairings/Characters: Sam/Dean, Gabe (OMC)/Caleb, Pastor Jim, John/Ellen, Bobby
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: (this part) 3490
Summary: The final showdown.
A/Ns & Warnings: This is the sixth and final part for this arc. This is Broken, so there will be memory of rape and torture, these characters are far from whole, though progress has been made. Brother/Brother incest.
“Dean. Dean.” Sam’s voice and hands were desperate, pulling Dean up from sleep.
“Shh…Sam, right here.” Dean rolled onto his back as Sam moved on top of him, his mouth moving over bare skin and up to Dean’s lips, hungry, insatiable.
“Need.”
Fingers, lubed and insistent pressed in, even before Dean could move to make room. Sam’s face loomed over his as he sank into Dean. “Mine.”
“Yours Sam.” Dean didn’t understand the sudden need. They hadn’t been able to do much since picking up Jim, but this was far more than stored up horny.
Sam’s fingers sought out the scar, tracing the “S” on Dean’s chest. “Mine.”
Dean lifted his fingers to the “D” on Sam’s skin. “Mine,” he echoed back. He spread his legs, lifting and tilting and shoving a pillow under him to make Sam’s thrusting something more pleasurable for both of them.
Sam’s kiss was claiming, hard. “Need you to trust me.”
“I trust you Sam.”
“Need you to close your eyes Dean and trust me.” Sam thrust in and held himself inside Dean as Dean closed his eyes. Images sparked as Sam’s hand covered the “S”…the marking, the knife. Memories of brutality, torture, rape…Dean squirmed, then slowly became aware that he was seeing Sam’s memory, not his own. He saw himself kneeling, saw himself in the cage waiting for Sam to buy him.
“Sam?”
“Trust me.”
Dean was panting as the images raced backward, through Sam’s leaving, through their first time together, their first kiss, fights with their father, pranks and food fights, training…then they were looking up into the soot streaked face of their father, racing down the stairs, flames and their father screaming…blood. Dean could taste the blood.
Then Dean wasn’t sure what he was seeing…lights and shadows, the sound of a heart. Sam was moving again, his body pressed against Dean’s. The light burst through Dean’s head, colors and brilliance…he was coming and on fire and he could taste…life and Sam and he didn’t know what the fuck was going on but it kind of felt like being born, or what he imagined being born felt like, bursting out of something and dragging in a lung full of air.
He could see the room without opening his eyes. Feel the air in his lungs. Hear the stars. Sam sighed and the sound came out of Dean’s mouth.
“What the fuck did you just do?”
Dean opened his eyes and Sam grinned down at him, sliding off slowly and collapsing to the bed. “Need you. Needed them to know…”
Dean sat up. There was no denying he was changed. Even his skin seemed to glow. “One.” Sam reached for him, pulling him close. “One…Me…” Dean could hear the words, but Sam wasn’t talking. “You…together. Only way. Together. Sleep.”
Sam was already close to sleep, his eyes closed as Dean lay beside him. He could feel every breath Sam took, his heart beating, his exhaustion. If he was still, he could hear Bobby in the room next door, snoring lightly. Ellen and his father down the hall, softly whispering. Gabe and Caleb downstairs—nope.
Dean didn’t dwell on that. There were things he never wanted to know about Gabe and Caleb. Dean could see inside Sam…see his doubts and fears, his gifts, twining around each other like strings of gold and white and silver, the tender little boy and the strong man. Dean lifted up to kiss his lips. He’d never understand what made his father fear this.
His brother was beautiful.
John supervised the last of the loading. His truck was weighed down with drums of water blessed by Jim and hooked into the water canon strapped to the roof. Able’s truck was nearly finished, he and Bobby were bolting the guns down.
He felt better than he had in ages, his hand still went to the spot on the back of his neck where the wires and chips had been, but he no longer could feel the remnants of them or the demon and bear they had helped control. The sleep had helped, and for a change he had really slept.
He looked up as Sam and Dean appeared. Sam still looked tired, but his eyes scanned over things quickly. He said something softly to Dean and Dean nodded before heading off to relay whatever it was to Sonny and his partner.
Sam looked up at John and offered a smile. John jumped down beside him. “We’re nearly ready.”
Sam nodded. “I see that. Thanks for heading things up. I wasn’t expecting that attack.”
“He isn’t going to let you just waltz in there.” John was worried for his boys, for all of Sam’s power.
“I know. That’s why Dean and I will go ahead of you. Keep him distracted.”
“What kind of plan is that?” John crossed his arms and stared at Sam. “You’ll be exhausted before the battle starts.”
“I’ll be fine.” Sam insisted.
John wanted to smack some sense into him. “You don’t have to do everything on your own.”
Sam’s eyes snapped back to him from where they’d been following Dean. “You sound like Dean.” He smiled, a deep, honest smile. “He’s been saying the same thing.”
“Then maybe you ought to listen.”
To his surprise, Sam nodded. “Okay. What would you do instead?”
John shifted, not really expecting him to give in that easily. “Well. For starters, do something he wouldn’t expect.” Sam waited and John licked his lips. Anything they did was going to be risky. “You ride with me. Send Dean with Bobby. He’ll be looking for you together.”
Sam’s face clouded over. “We belong together.”
John nodded. “Exactly.” John looked around them. Everyone was done and waiting. “Look. Nothing we do is going to confuse him for long. He knows where we’re going. There’s only so many ways to get there.”
Sam seemed to think about it, then turned to the group of men standing in the center of the Roadhouse parking lot. “Okay.” Sam jumped up onto the back of the truck and raised his hands for attention. “This is it. We’re going to make a straight run for Laramie. We’re going to have to move fast and stick close. Two men to a vehicle, one to drive, one to watch for trouble. Dean, you’re with Bobby.”
Dean approached, his face pinched. “What?”
Sam shook his head and jumped down. “Take point, I’ll ride with Dad, see if I can keep them off our ass.”
“You sure?” Dean was obviously concerned, but Sam nodded.
“Dad’s right.” Dean didn’t question what John was right about, and it almost seemed like they were still talking to one another, only without words. Dean pulled Sam into a hug, then turned to John.
John thumped his back and stepped back. “You take care of him.” Dean said, his voice low. “And remember what I said.”
John nodded.
“Here we go.” Sam turned to Caleb and Gabe who were standing in the doorway now. “Keep your eyes open. Just because we’re gone, doesn’t mean you’re safe here.”
“Good luck.” Caleb shook his hand, then Sam was heading for the truck.
“Lets hit it.”
Dean wasn’t sure about this separation idea, but even with nearly a mile between him and Sam, he could feel his brother, almost hear his thoughts, and through Sam, he could feel his father. He was strong, solid. He still had his doubts, but they were pushed back and away. There was love there, love for his boys, for the job.
Beside him, Bobby drove, his eyes scanning the horizon. Bobby felt even more solid than his father, resolved, determined. Ready to fight to the death if he had to. The others were varied in their devotion to the cause, but strong and ready for the fight.
“There.” Dean pointed just west of the road. There was something burning.
“What is it?”
Dean shook his head. “Speed up.” Whatever it was, it was moving, a column of flame that filled the road in front of them. “Faster.”
Bobby stood on the gas pedal and they roared forward, slamming into the wall of fire and out the other side. Dean turned to watch as the others came through it too. “That wasn’t too bad.”
He only hoped Sam knew what he was doing…and that what they were racing toward wasn’t the bloodbath he’d dreamed about the night before. Sam said he had called them and Dean wasn’t sure what that meant, only that Sam seemed to think it was going to save them.
Gabe looked up as his computer chirped at him. “Huh. That’s weird.”
“What?” Caleb turned from the dart board.
“It’s the controller program.” Gabe pulled the computer to him and opened the program.
“The technoserker thing?” Caleb asked.
Gabe nodded. He frowned at the screen. “I think I know why Sam wanted us to stay.”
Jo’s scream from the back brought Gabe to his feet. She came running in from the door to the back. Ellen cocked her shotgun. Gabe and Caleb moved around Jo who was pointing.
The low growl was chilling and the hair on the back of Gabe’s neck stood up.
“Gordon?” Caleb asked, looking briefly at Gabe before pulling his gun and leveling it at the doorway. Gabe shrugged and pulled his own gun.
Gordon looked like hell, his face torn up, his clothes in tatters, the skin tied to his body matted and torn. His eyes were red as he came into the room, skimming over Jo and Ellen before finding Caleb. He sniffed the air and inched closer.
“Are you telling me he tracked us?” Caleb asked.
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean…not really.”
Gordon cocked his head, sniffing the air more. He stiffened, blinked. “Caleb.” His voice was scratchy and hoarse.
“Do you think he came looking for you?” Gabe asked.
Caleb shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What should we do?” Ellen asked, still tracking Gordon with the end of her shotgun.
“For starters, no sudden movement.” Caleb slowly lowered his gun. He took a tentative step closer to Gordon. “I don’t know if you can understand me, Gordon, but we’re going to try to help you.”
Gordon’s eyes flicked to Gabe, then back to Caleb. “Help.”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, help.” He kept his voice in a nice, neutral tone. “Ellen, if you had some tranquilizers or something, that might help.”
Gordon growled as Caleb got closer, his eyes going dark. “Nice kitty.” Gabe murmured, his gun trained on Gordon. Help or no, if Gordon moved to attack Caleb, Gabe was going to put him down.
Two shots rang out and Gordon lurched, falling over with two darts dangling from his back. Ellen put the gun down and Jo ran toward her. “Good thing I keep that thing loaded.”
“I’ll say.” Gabe crossed to look down at the former hunter. “Now what?”
“Well, Sam managed to exorcise the demon and the bear out of John. Maybe he can do Gordon too?” He looked up at Ellen. “We’ll need to keep him tranquilized and locked up.”
“Basement.”
The town of Laramie was quiet, but Sam knew it wouldn’t stay that way. He got out of the truck and felt around him. The hunters were mostly in place. They’d lost one of the trucks on the last stretch into town when Azazel sent more of his minions to get in the way.
Dean was already in the center of the town square, calm, ready.
Sam turned to his father. “This is it. It ends here.”
John nodded. “Watch your back.”
“You too.”
There was gunfire to the north. Sam could feel the ones that slipped in past defenses. Night was falling and in the dark and shadows moved creatures that no one had seen for thousands of years.
Sammy.
Sam closed the distance between him and Dean. Dean stood. He was already surrounded.
I can take him away and you’ll never see him again.
There was temptation, to use what he had now, to save Dean. Dean’s eyes met his. “Sam. I’m okay.”
Sam nodded. He kept moving.
I can bleed him out, right here.
“You can, but you won’t.” Sam responded.
You know your destiny is with me.
“Show yourself you fucking coward.”
“Ah, Sammy, is that anyway to talk to your father?” It was his father’s voice. Sam froze, watching as Dean flinched.
Sam felt for his father, the strong solid wall of him, with the amulet that protected him. Satisfied, Sam reached for Dean, for the connection they’d built. Stronger together.
“You aren’t my father.”
“Maybe not. Maybe I’m someone else.” His voice transformed into that of James. “You belong on your knees, slave.”
Dean shook, his mind flooding with memory.
Nothing. No one. Alone.
Sam moved closer, blanketing Dean in a wave of comfort.
“You will learn to be obedient. You will learn to serve your master.” The voice was closer now, the voice of the man who had broken Dean, who had broken them both. “Have you prepared yourself for me?”
Dean shivered. Sam echoed the motion. He could feel the fingers on his skin as if they were right back there. “Dean.”
“My poor baby,” The voice changed again. Robert. “I wish there were some other way.”
Sam tried to focus on the voice, tried to find the bastard in the dark.
“Why are you fighting so hard? Don’t you want it to be over?” Sam’s mind flashed on that moment, at his lowest point, craving the gentle touch, even though it had been Robert that had betrayed them, even though Robert was begging him to lose himself forever.
Sam swallowed hard.
“It can all be over. I promise I’ll be so good to you. No more guilt, no more decisions…just let go. Come to me and I’ll give you everything you ever dreamed.”
There. Sam found him finally. He grabbed for him, pulling him between him and Dean. He fought and Sam’s control of the barrier was stretched. All around them he could feel the others…demons, angels, Fae. All of them come to witness this battle, and to claim whichever of them managed to win.
A wall of memory crashed over them, and Sam held on, not sure which memory belonged to him and which ones were Dean’s. Rape, torture, blood, bruises, cold, fear, anger. A lot of anger. It flooded them both, that same fury that Sam had unleashed at Pastor Jim’s.
“This is mine, Sammy. Mine.”
Another memory surfaced, Dean’s memory. His little face pressed to their mother’s swollen belly. Mother. Love. It swelled between them. Kisses and touches, the ring that she first gave to their father, who gave it to Dean, who gave it to Sam.
“I gave you this. I made you.” The demon was rising up, shedding the human body, filling the air between him and Dean. Sam was losing control of the barrier that kept the three of them contained.
“I think they might disagree.” Sam said through clenched teeth. Outside the barrier six of them stood, huge, shimmering, powerful beyond anything Sam had ever known. Somehow he knew these were the first, the primordial forces that went beyond the petty demons and angels that interfered in human affairs. Brothers, sisters. Bound by blood, created from the beginning of all things.
Azazel squealed and dove at Sam. Let me inside you Sammy. We can rule the world, we can fuck the world.
Thunder shook the ground as Sam fell under the onslaught. Dean yelled and moved toward them, pushing against the demon.
“Enough.”
Suddenly Sam was suspended in air, held inches from the ground by an invisible hand. Dean and the smoky blackness of Azazel were likewise floating in the air.
As one the six looked at them, heads turning in unison. “We are not amused.”
Their mouths didn’t move, but their voices made the earth quake.
“You are no longer necessary.” And just like that, the blackness disappeared. Gone. Sam couldn’t even feel him.
“You.” Sam and Dean were pushed together. Sam grabbed for his hand.
They were lifted and brought closer. Six faces surrounded them. There was whispering, odd sounds that shivered over his skin.
“You are as one of us. And yet you are human. We are uncertain what to do with you.”
“I vote for putting us down.” Dean said.
They were lowered until the ground was under their feet. There was an explosion to the south. Gunfire to the north and east.
Sam could feel the ripples as the demons and angels and Fae turned on each other with the hunters caught in the crossfire. He felt every wound, every drop of blood. “We have to stop it.” He looked up at them. “It has to stop.”
One of them leaned down, her eye looking into Sam. “And if stopping it means taking your lives?”
Sam squeezed Dean’s hand. “We’re ready.”
“We are?” Dean asked, pressing in close. She looked at Dean and Dean’s face paled. “I mean, yeah. What he said.”
“You would die to end this battle? Knowing that it will not end the war?”
Sam looked to Dean. After everything it came down to them. The two of them. “Yours.” Dean said softly.
“Yours.” Sam echoed, leaning in to kiss him. Their lips met, and Sam wrapped all of his power, all that they were around them. Fire and thunder and ice slammed into them. The heavens exploded and darkness rained down onto them.
Dawn came creeping over the town. John picked himself up from where he’d fallen when the wave of sound had knocked him over. The town was still. Quiet.
The rain had washed the streets clean. He picked his way over fallen trees and debris. It looked like nothing more than a bad storm had blown through. “Sam! Dean!”
He found them in the center of town, arms and legs entwined, foreheads pressed together. For a long moment he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. They didn’t move. Slowly the other hunters were coming, stopping and staring.
John licked his lips. He stepped closer, not really wanting to have his worst fear realized. His boys were dead. Gone. After everything, he’d lost them and he didn’t even understand why.
He reached their feet and squatted, blinking at tears as he reached out to touch their legs. Dean coughed, his whole body shaking. Sam’s eyes popped open.
John jumped back, relief flooding through him.
“Dean?” Sam’s voice was shattered, barely a whisper.
Dean’s eyes opened. He nodded slowly. “Sam.”
They looked up at John. “Dad.” They said it in unison.
“Holy shit, I thought you were dead.”
“Me too.” They said it together, then looked at one another. “Okay, that’s weird.” They sat up slowly, their movements exact mirror images. Something seemed to pass between them.
“It’s over.” Sam said, his arm sliding around Dean.
“Really over?”
They both nodded. “Really over.”
That was going to get old fast. John shook his head, then pulled them both to them to hug. “I don’t know what happened, and right now I don’t care. I’m just glad you two are okay.”
“I’m hungry.” Dean said.
“Pancakes,” they said together, then laughed.
“Pancakes?” John shook his head. “All that, and you want pancakes?” He laughed and turned them toward his truck. “Lets go eat pancakes.”
Epilogue
Sam opened the door to the basement. Gordon’s growl was low, deep. The demon inside him was afraid. He smiled. It had reason to be. He got to the bottom of the stairs and looked into the dank dark shadows. He could see the whites of his eyes.
“Hello Gordon.”
Dean moved above him. In the days since waking up in Laramie they’d managed to not quite live inside each others skins except at night, when they melted together physically and mentally until morning.
The power that bound them lived there with them, in their skin, and together they were finding their way back to something that resembled being whole…complete. Something they hadn’t been since Sam left for Stanford.
Sam reached into the dark, found Gordon’s throat. He murmured the words, ripped the cat and the demon out of him, extinguished them both. Gordon passed out. Sam reached in for the metal bits, urging healing into his body.
It would take a long time for Gordon to be himself again, but at least Sam could give him the opportunity. Dean told Caleb he could come down, and he and Allen were coming down the stairs to bring Gordon up. They would clean him up, get him out of the skins and tattered clothes.
Sam followed them up the stairs, closing his eyes as Dean stepped to his side. Whole. Together. One. Their father was waiting at the door. Sam nodded. Dean’s hand closed around his and they moved together to the door. It was time to move on.
Title: Battles, Part Six; A Broken Sequel (all Broken here)
Pairings/Characters: Sam/Dean, Gabe (OMC)/Caleb, Pastor Jim, John/Ellen, Bobby
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: (this part) 3490
Summary: The final showdown.
A/Ns & Warnings: This is the sixth and final part for this arc. This is Broken, so there will be memory of rape and torture, these characters are far from whole, though progress has been made. Brother/Brother incest.
“Dean. Dean.” Sam’s voice and hands were desperate, pulling Dean up from sleep.
“Shh…Sam, right here.” Dean rolled onto his back as Sam moved on top of him, his mouth moving over bare skin and up to Dean’s lips, hungry, insatiable.
“Need.”
Fingers, lubed and insistent pressed in, even before Dean could move to make room. Sam’s face loomed over his as he sank into Dean. “Mine.”
“Yours Sam.” Dean didn’t understand the sudden need. They hadn’t been able to do much since picking up Jim, but this was far more than stored up horny.
Sam’s fingers sought out the scar, tracing the “S” on Dean’s chest. “Mine.”
Dean lifted his fingers to the “D” on Sam’s skin. “Mine,” he echoed back. He spread his legs, lifting and tilting and shoving a pillow under him to make Sam’s thrusting something more pleasurable for both of them.
Sam’s kiss was claiming, hard. “Need you to trust me.”
“I trust you Sam.”
“Need you to close your eyes Dean and trust me.” Sam thrust in and held himself inside Dean as Dean closed his eyes. Images sparked as Sam’s hand covered the “S”…the marking, the knife. Memories of brutality, torture, rape…Dean squirmed, then slowly became aware that he was seeing Sam’s memory, not his own. He saw himself kneeling, saw himself in the cage waiting for Sam to buy him.
“Sam?”
“Trust me.”
Dean was panting as the images raced backward, through Sam’s leaving, through their first time together, their first kiss, fights with their father, pranks and food fights, training…then they were looking up into the soot streaked face of their father, racing down the stairs, flames and their father screaming…blood. Dean could taste the blood.
Then Dean wasn’t sure what he was seeing…lights and shadows, the sound of a heart. Sam was moving again, his body pressed against Dean’s. The light burst through Dean’s head, colors and brilliance…he was coming and on fire and he could taste…life and Sam and he didn’t know what the fuck was going on but it kind of felt like being born, or what he imagined being born felt like, bursting out of something and dragging in a lung full of air.
He could see the room without opening his eyes. Feel the air in his lungs. Hear the stars. Sam sighed and the sound came out of Dean’s mouth.
“What the fuck did you just do?”
Dean opened his eyes and Sam grinned down at him, sliding off slowly and collapsing to the bed. “Need you. Needed them to know…”
Dean sat up. There was no denying he was changed. Even his skin seemed to glow. “One.” Sam reached for him, pulling him close. “One…Me…” Dean could hear the words, but Sam wasn’t talking. “You…together. Only way. Together. Sleep.”
Sam was already close to sleep, his eyes closed as Dean lay beside him. He could feel every breath Sam took, his heart beating, his exhaustion. If he was still, he could hear Bobby in the room next door, snoring lightly. Ellen and his father down the hall, softly whispering. Gabe and Caleb downstairs—nope.
Dean didn’t dwell on that. There were things he never wanted to know about Gabe and Caleb. Dean could see inside Sam…see his doubts and fears, his gifts, twining around each other like strings of gold and white and silver, the tender little boy and the strong man. Dean lifted up to kiss his lips. He’d never understand what made his father fear this.
His brother was beautiful.
John supervised the last of the loading. His truck was weighed down with drums of water blessed by Jim and hooked into the water canon strapped to the roof. Able’s truck was nearly finished, he and Bobby were bolting the guns down.
He felt better than he had in ages, his hand still went to the spot on the back of his neck where the wires and chips had been, but he no longer could feel the remnants of them or the demon and bear they had helped control. The sleep had helped, and for a change he had really slept.
He looked up as Sam and Dean appeared. Sam still looked tired, but his eyes scanned over things quickly. He said something softly to Dean and Dean nodded before heading off to relay whatever it was to Sonny and his partner.
Sam looked up at John and offered a smile. John jumped down beside him. “We’re nearly ready.”
Sam nodded. “I see that. Thanks for heading things up. I wasn’t expecting that attack.”
“He isn’t going to let you just waltz in there.” John was worried for his boys, for all of Sam’s power.
“I know. That’s why Dean and I will go ahead of you. Keep him distracted.”
“What kind of plan is that?” John crossed his arms and stared at Sam. “You’ll be exhausted before the battle starts.”
“I’ll be fine.” Sam insisted.
John wanted to smack some sense into him. “You don’t have to do everything on your own.”
Sam’s eyes snapped back to him from where they’d been following Dean. “You sound like Dean.” He smiled, a deep, honest smile. “He’s been saying the same thing.”
“Then maybe you ought to listen.”
To his surprise, Sam nodded. “Okay. What would you do instead?”
John shifted, not really expecting him to give in that easily. “Well. For starters, do something he wouldn’t expect.” Sam waited and John licked his lips. Anything they did was going to be risky. “You ride with me. Send Dean with Bobby. He’ll be looking for you together.”
Sam’s face clouded over. “We belong together.”
John nodded. “Exactly.” John looked around them. Everyone was done and waiting. “Look. Nothing we do is going to confuse him for long. He knows where we’re going. There’s only so many ways to get there.”
Sam seemed to think about it, then turned to the group of men standing in the center of the Roadhouse parking lot. “Okay.” Sam jumped up onto the back of the truck and raised his hands for attention. “This is it. We’re going to make a straight run for Laramie. We’re going to have to move fast and stick close. Two men to a vehicle, one to drive, one to watch for trouble. Dean, you’re with Bobby.”
Dean approached, his face pinched. “What?”
Sam shook his head and jumped down. “Take point, I’ll ride with Dad, see if I can keep them off our ass.”
“You sure?” Dean was obviously concerned, but Sam nodded.
“Dad’s right.” Dean didn’t question what John was right about, and it almost seemed like they were still talking to one another, only without words. Dean pulled Sam into a hug, then turned to John.
John thumped his back and stepped back. “You take care of him.” Dean said, his voice low. “And remember what I said.”
John nodded.
“Here we go.” Sam turned to Caleb and Gabe who were standing in the doorway now. “Keep your eyes open. Just because we’re gone, doesn’t mean you’re safe here.”
“Good luck.” Caleb shook his hand, then Sam was heading for the truck.
“Lets hit it.”
Dean wasn’t sure about this separation idea, but even with nearly a mile between him and Sam, he could feel his brother, almost hear his thoughts, and through Sam, he could feel his father. He was strong, solid. He still had his doubts, but they were pushed back and away. There was love there, love for his boys, for the job.
Beside him, Bobby drove, his eyes scanning the horizon. Bobby felt even more solid than his father, resolved, determined. Ready to fight to the death if he had to. The others were varied in their devotion to the cause, but strong and ready for the fight.
“There.” Dean pointed just west of the road. There was something burning.
“What is it?”
Dean shook his head. “Speed up.” Whatever it was, it was moving, a column of flame that filled the road in front of them. “Faster.”
Bobby stood on the gas pedal and they roared forward, slamming into the wall of fire and out the other side. Dean turned to watch as the others came through it too. “That wasn’t too bad.”
He only hoped Sam knew what he was doing…and that what they were racing toward wasn’t the bloodbath he’d dreamed about the night before. Sam said he had called them and Dean wasn’t sure what that meant, only that Sam seemed to think it was going to save them.
Gabe looked up as his computer chirped at him. “Huh. That’s weird.”
“What?” Caleb turned from the dart board.
“It’s the controller program.” Gabe pulled the computer to him and opened the program.
“The technoserker thing?” Caleb asked.
Gabe nodded. He frowned at the screen. “I think I know why Sam wanted us to stay.”
Jo’s scream from the back brought Gabe to his feet. She came running in from the door to the back. Ellen cocked her shotgun. Gabe and Caleb moved around Jo who was pointing.
The low growl was chilling and the hair on the back of Gabe’s neck stood up.
“Gordon?” Caleb asked, looking briefly at Gabe before pulling his gun and leveling it at the doorway. Gabe shrugged and pulled his own gun.
Gordon looked like hell, his face torn up, his clothes in tatters, the skin tied to his body matted and torn. His eyes were red as he came into the room, skimming over Jo and Ellen before finding Caleb. He sniffed the air and inched closer.
“Are you telling me he tracked us?” Caleb asked.
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean…not really.”
Gordon cocked his head, sniffing the air more. He stiffened, blinked. “Caleb.” His voice was scratchy and hoarse.
“Do you think he came looking for you?” Gabe asked.
Caleb shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What should we do?” Ellen asked, still tracking Gordon with the end of her shotgun.
“For starters, no sudden movement.” Caleb slowly lowered his gun. He took a tentative step closer to Gordon. “I don’t know if you can understand me, Gordon, but we’re going to try to help you.”
Gordon’s eyes flicked to Gabe, then back to Caleb. “Help.”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, help.” He kept his voice in a nice, neutral tone. “Ellen, if you had some tranquilizers or something, that might help.”
Gordon growled as Caleb got closer, his eyes going dark. “Nice kitty.” Gabe murmured, his gun trained on Gordon. Help or no, if Gordon moved to attack Caleb, Gabe was going to put him down.
Two shots rang out and Gordon lurched, falling over with two darts dangling from his back. Ellen put the gun down and Jo ran toward her. “Good thing I keep that thing loaded.”
“I’ll say.” Gabe crossed to look down at the former hunter. “Now what?”
“Well, Sam managed to exorcise the demon and the bear out of John. Maybe he can do Gordon too?” He looked up at Ellen. “We’ll need to keep him tranquilized and locked up.”
“Basement.”
The town of Laramie was quiet, but Sam knew it wouldn’t stay that way. He got out of the truck and felt around him. The hunters were mostly in place. They’d lost one of the trucks on the last stretch into town when Azazel sent more of his minions to get in the way.
Dean was already in the center of the town square, calm, ready.
Sam turned to his father. “This is it. It ends here.”
John nodded. “Watch your back.”
“You too.”
There was gunfire to the north. Sam could feel the ones that slipped in past defenses. Night was falling and in the dark and shadows moved creatures that no one had seen for thousands of years.
Sammy.
Sam closed the distance between him and Dean. Dean stood. He was already surrounded.
I can take him away and you’ll never see him again.
There was temptation, to use what he had now, to save Dean. Dean’s eyes met his. “Sam. I’m okay.”
Sam nodded. He kept moving.
I can bleed him out, right here.
“You can, but you won’t.” Sam responded.
You know your destiny is with me.
“Show yourself you fucking coward.”
“Ah, Sammy, is that anyway to talk to your father?” It was his father’s voice. Sam froze, watching as Dean flinched.
Sam felt for his father, the strong solid wall of him, with the amulet that protected him. Satisfied, Sam reached for Dean, for the connection they’d built. Stronger together.
“You aren’t my father.”
“Maybe not. Maybe I’m someone else.” His voice transformed into that of James. “You belong on your knees, slave.”
Dean shook, his mind flooding with memory.
Nothing. No one. Alone.
Sam moved closer, blanketing Dean in a wave of comfort.
“You will learn to be obedient. You will learn to serve your master.” The voice was closer now, the voice of the man who had broken Dean, who had broken them both. “Have you prepared yourself for me?”
Dean shivered. Sam echoed the motion. He could feel the fingers on his skin as if they were right back there. “Dean.”
“My poor baby,” The voice changed again. Robert. “I wish there were some other way.”
Sam tried to focus on the voice, tried to find the bastard in the dark.
“Why are you fighting so hard? Don’t you want it to be over?” Sam’s mind flashed on that moment, at his lowest point, craving the gentle touch, even though it had been Robert that had betrayed them, even though Robert was begging him to lose himself forever.
Sam swallowed hard.
“It can all be over. I promise I’ll be so good to you. No more guilt, no more decisions…just let go. Come to me and I’ll give you everything you ever dreamed.”
There. Sam found him finally. He grabbed for him, pulling him between him and Dean. He fought and Sam’s control of the barrier was stretched. All around them he could feel the others…demons, angels, Fae. All of them come to witness this battle, and to claim whichever of them managed to win.
A wall of memory crashed over them, and Sam held on, not sure which memory belonged to him and which ones were Dean’s. Rape, torture, blood, bruises, cold, fear, anger. A lot of anger. It flooded them both, that same fury that Sam had unleashed at Pastor Jim’s.
“This is mine, Sammy. Mine.”
Another memory surfaced, Dean’s memory. His little face pressed to their mother’s swollen belly. Mother. Love. It swelled between them. Kisses and touches, the ring that she first gave to their father, who gave it to Dean, who gave it to Sam.
“I gave you this. I made you.” The demon was rising up, shedding the human body, filling the air between him and Dean. Sam was losing control of the barrier that kept the three of them contained.
“I think they might disagree.” Sam said through clenched teeth. Outside the barrier six of them stood, huge, shimmering, powerful beyond anything Sam had ever known. Somehow he knew these were the first, the primordial forces that went beyond the petty demons and angels that interfered in human affairs. Brothers, sisters. Bound by blood, created from the beginning of all things.
Azazel squealed and dove at Sam. Let me inside you Sammy. We can rule the world, we can fuck the world.
Thunder shook the ground as Sam fell under the onslaught. Dean yelled and moved toward them, pushing against the demon.
“Enough.”
Suddenly Sam was suspended in air, held inches from the ground by an invisible hand. Dean and the smoky blackness of Azazel were likewise floating in the air.
As one the six looked at them, heads turning in unison. “We are not amused.”
Their mouths didn’t move, but their voices made the earth quake.
“You are no longer necessary.” And just like that, the blackness disappeared. Gone. Sam couldn’t even feel him.
“You.” Sam and Dean were pushed together. Sam grabbed for his hand.
They were lifted and brought closer. Six faces surrounded them. There was whispering, odd sounds that shivered over his skin.
“You are as one of us. And yet you are human. We are uncertain what to do with you.”
“I vote for putting us down.” Dean said.
They were lowered until the ground was under their feet. There was an explosion to the south. Gunfire to the north and east.
Sam could feel the ripples as the demons and angels and Fae turned on each other with the hunters caught in the crossfire. He felt every wound, every drop of blood. “We have to stop it.” He looked up at them. “It has to stop.”
One of them leaned down, her eye looking into Sam. “And if stopping it means taking your lives?”
Sam squeezed Dean’s hand. “We’re ready.”
“We are?” Dean asked, pressing in close. She looked at Dean and Dean’s face paled. “I mean, yeah. What he said.”
“You would die to end this battle? Knowing that it will not end the war?”
Sam looked to Dean. After everything it came down to them. The two of them. “Yours.” Dean said softly.
“Yours.” Sam echoed, leaning in to kiss him. Their lips met, and Sam wrapped all of his power, all that they were around them. Fire and thunder and ice slammed into them. The heavens exploded and darkness rained down onto them.
Dawn came creeping over the town. John picked himself up from where he’d fallen when the wave of sound had knocked him over. The town was still. Quiet.
The rain had washed the streets clean. He picked his way over fallen trees and debris. It looked like nothing more than a bad storm had blown through. “Sam! Dean!”
He found them in the center of town, arms and legs entwined, foreheads pressed together. For a long moment he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. They didn’t move. Slowly the other hunters were coming, stopping and staring.
John licked his lips. He stepped closer, not really wanting to have his worst fear realized. His boys were dead. Gone. After everything, he’d lost them and he didn’t even understand why.
He reached their feet and squatted, blinking at tears as he reached out to touch their legs. Dean coughed, his whole body shaking. Sam’s eyes popped open.
John jumped back, relief flooding through him.
“Dean?” Sam’s voice was shattered, barely a whisper.
Dean’s eyes opened. He nodded slowly. “Sam.”
They looked up at John. “Dad.” They said it in unison.
“Holy shit, I thought you were dead.”
“Me too.” They said it together, then looked at one another. “Okay, that’s weird.” They sat up slowly, their movements exact mirror images. Something seemed to pass between them.
“It’s over.” Sam said, his arm sliding around Dean.
“Really over?”
They both nodded. “Really over.”
That was going to get old fast. John shook his head, then pulled them both to them to hug. “I don’t know what happened, and right now I don’t care. I’m just glad you two are okay.”
“I’m hungry.” Dean said.
“Pancakes,” they said together, then laughed.
“Pancakes?” John shook his head. “All that, and you want pancakes?” He laughed and turned them toward his truck. “Lets go eat pancakes.”
Epilogue
Sam opened the door to the basement. Gordon’s growl was low, deep. The demon inside him was afraid. He smiled. It had reason to be. He got to the bottom of the stairs and looked into the dank dark shadows. He could see the whites of his eyes.
“Hello Gordon.”
Dean moved above him. In the days since waking up in Laramie they’d managed to not quite live inside each others skins except at night, when they melted together physically and mentally until morning.
The power that bound them lived there with them, in their skin, and together they were finding their way back to something that resembled being whole…complete. Something they hadn’t been since Sam left for Stanford.
Sam reached into the dark, found Gordon’s throat. He murmured the words, ripped the cat and the demon out of him, extinguished them both. Gordon passed out. Sam reached in for the metal bits, urging healing into his body.
It would take a long time for Gordon to be himself again, but at least Sam could give him the opportunity. Dean told Caleb he could come down, and he and Allen were coming down the stairs to bring Gordon up. They would clean him up, get him out of the skins and tattered clothes.
Sam followed them up the stairs, closing his eyes as Dean stepped to his side. Whole. Together. One. Their father was waiting at the door. Sam nodded. Dean’s hand closed around his and they moved together to the door. It was time to move on.