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If there was one thing Dean absolutely hated, it was seeing Sammy beat up, looking like crap. Double if there was blood involved. Triple if there was nothing he could fight to take out his frustration.
Blood dripped down from Sam’s nose and there was a nice purple bruise blooming on his cheek. No monster, not even the human kind like Sam used to deal with back in school. He’d had one of his visions and fallen and landed on his face. The vision was intense, more so than usual, and when Sam came out of it, there was a look of fear in his eyes as Dean approached.
Okay, if there was one thing Dean absolutely hated, it was seeing Sammy afraid of him.
“Talk to me, Sam. What did you see?”
Sam shook his head. “You. You were… there were these… and you…”
“Complete sentences, man. At least complete thoughts.” Dean got a tissue and wiped the blood from Sam’s face. “Come on, how are we supposed to prevent it if you can’t tell me what we’re lookin’ for?”
“You were hanging from meat hooks. There were chains everywhere, like a giant web. You were screaming for me, even though you knew I couldn’t hear you. It looked… it felt like Hell, Dean.”
“C’mon, Sammy. I’m not going to Hell. I know better than to make a deal, you know that.”
Sammy shook his head. “We gotta stop it, Dean. When have my visions ever not been true? Jess, Jenny and her kids, the Millers… we gotta do something!”
“Something like figuring out what the he…ck could make me dumb enough to sell my soul, after what Dad did to me?”
“Exactly! Because I keep coming back to the only thing I can think of that could make you go that stupid, and that’s to save me!” Sam forced his way to his feet, still shaking and covered in sweat. “Dean, you gotta promise me. If things go bad, if you can’t save me without selling your soul to Hell… just kill me. Let me go. I couldn’t live knowing you went to Hell for me. Or were going to go to Hell for me. I’m not worth it, man.”
“Don’t say that.” Dean choked up. “Don’t you say that. You’re worth any price, Sammy. Whatever I gotta do to keep you safe, I will do it with a smile.”
“And you’ll end up in Hell! You think I wouldn’t do the same to protect you? I don’t need you just as much as you need me? Who knows what I’d break getting you out? There’s gotta be a reason I’m getting these visions, and the only thing I can think of is to stop you from being an idiot!”
“Okay, all right. I won’t sell my soul, okay? No deals.” Dean was lying, of course, as he pulled Sam into a hug. The way he figured it, it was just removing any doubt about what happened to his soul. Hell was already the most likely option. And, well, if Sammy died? If selling his soul was the only way to keep Sam from going dark side? No question. One soul, barely used, in exchange for Sam’s beautiful, perfect soul? Sam was nuts if he thought there was any other option.