Desperate Measures

[garnet-words.livejournal.com]

Title: Desperate Measures
Author: garnet_words
Fandom: Supernatural
Spoilers: AHBL 1 and 2 (Major AU for AHBL 2)
Summary: All he could think about was what he should've done.
Disclaimer: Not mine.


Dean woke up to soft light streaming through the window. He was sacked out on the couch, still in his clothes, and for one glorious moment, he couldn’t remember how he’d come to be there.

But then he caught the distinct smell, one he’d always associated with rushing to greet Dad when he came home from a hunt.

Smoke always did get into everything.

He struggled to his feet and barely made it to the bathroom before he threw up what felt like every meal for the last week.

When he finally stumbled into the kitchen, Bobby was making a pot of coffee. Dean shook his head wordlessly at Bobby's look, and went to go take a shower and grab new clothes.

He wanted to shut his mind off, stop thinking, but it didn't work that way. All he could think about was what he should've done.

It ran in an endless litany till every breath felt like it was torn out of his chest.

When he finished, he repacked the duffel he'd brought from the car. Bobby was waiting for him when he got out to the porch; asked him to stay, to fight. But Dean couldn’t think about anything but running, as far and as fast as he could.

The car was actually comforting, at first. Dean turned off his cellphone, turned up Metallica, and focused on the yellow lines.

It was somewhere around half an hour after he left Bobby’s that he turned to the passenger seat, absently wondering why Sam hadn't bitched at him yet about the music.

As he pulled back onto the pavement almost an hour later, he figured he’d been lucky to get off the road safely.

He drove until he couldn't keep his eyes open and had to pull off to the shoulder. It was a cycle that repeated for nearly a week.

On the sixth night, he stopped at a bar, utterly exhausted but not willing to give in to sleep just yet. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant Sam. Then again, everything meant Sam.

He was halfway through his second round when he was joined by an older man, who took one glance at him and ordered two of what Dean was having.

"Howdy."

Dean nodded, but didn’t say anything. Couldn't think of anything to talk about anyway.

"You okay, son?"

Dean sighed. Stopping had obviously been a big mistake. He didn’t need this, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready for it.

He felt the man's hand on his arm as he turned to leave, and froze, fists clenched tight. But when he spun around, he found himself looking straight into the man’s pale yellow eyes.

"Don't make a scene. Wouldn't want to have to kill all these nice people."

Dean froze, for an entirely different reason, then angrily wrenched his arm out of the demon’s grasp, feeling almost dizzy as everything seemed to implode on him at once. "What the hell do you want from me?"

The demon regarded him for a moment, cocked its head toward the door, and motioned Dean ahead of it. Dean walked slowly, one hand poised to grab the gun at his waistband, trying to figure out how he could get to the trunk. Wondering if it would make any difference if he did.

He tried to make a break for it once he got outside, but the demon pulled him back sharply and pinned him against the side of the building with an invisible hand.

He struggled uselessly, slumped back against the wall. "Son of a bitch."

"You need some new material, kiddo." The demon's tone was almost conversational, and Dean ached for the Colt. "Good job, by the way. I had a hell of a time finding you.

"Now, I know what you're thinking, and you’re wrong. I didn’t kill your brother. In fact, I was rooting for him." The demon shook its head. "Of course, now, with all that fun in Wyoming…"

Dean didn't want to give away anything, but his confusion must’ve showed because the demon smirked, reached into Dean’s pocket and pulled out his still powered-off cellphone. "I almost forgot. You've been incommunicado. Suffice it to say I'm now short one general and I'd really appreciate your help."

Dean glared. "Go to hell."

"I wouldn’t be so hasty. I promise I've got better terms for you than your last offer."

Dean felt both sick to his stomach and profoundly relieved. "You’re talking about a deal?"

"And they say Sam’s the smart one."

Dean shook his head, perplexed. "Why?"

The demon sighed. "Because this little production isn’t going quite the way I directed it. Because demons can’t resurrect people otherwise." It smiled, and Dean’s stomach clenched. "Because Sammy was always my favorite."

There was no way in hell that could be a good thing. Dean seriously considered just refusing outright.

For about two whole seconds.

"I'm listening."

The demon grinned. "You get Sam back, and I throw in an hour's head start. That's the deal."

He really should say no. It was scary good, way too ridiculously good not to have an insane catch attached. He should do as he promised Dad, promised Sammy.

Dean took a deep breath. "He shows up right here, exactly as he was before Cold Oak. No tricks."

"Whatever you want." It planted a hand on either side of Dean's head. "Do we have a deal? Or would you prefer I leave you here to wallow?"

Dean swallowed down the bile that climbed up his throat. He shut his eyes, breathed. "It’s a deal."

The demon patted his cheek. "That’s a good boy."

Dean felt the pressure ease off of his chest and watched, stunned, as the demon walked out of sight.

Between one blink and the next, Sam was lying in front of him.

"Dean? What happened?"

Dean ran to him. "I'll explain later, Sammy." He pulled Sam up from the ground and shakily squeezed his brother’s shoulder.

"Right now, we gotta run."

Comments

[serrico.livejournal.com]

I have a fondness for AUs that take a slightly different route to get to the same canonical result; they're good for examining the fundamentals of characters. And this one is chock full of oh, *Dean*. :)

[garnet-words.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I figured Dean pretty much threw himself at the CRD, doubt he'd refuse if the YED was offering, even if he knew there could be serious, as yet unforeseen consequences.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

oh, dean, honey, sam really is the brighter brother, isn't he. dean taking the yed's deal to get sam back without asking outright what the price is seems like such a dean thing to do. and i love that he wonders why sam hasn't complained about the music in the car, until he turns in his seat and... yeah.

[garnet-words.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Dean just can't bring himself to care too much about the price, and the YED was counting on that.

(Sorry if this shows up twice)