Title: Fade to Black
Author: LaueHime
Characters: Sam, Dean
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family
Pairing: None (Gen)
Word Count: +/- 5,200
Warnings: Violence (non graphic)
Summary: Sam and Dean are caught digging a grave and have to explain themselves to the police. Unfortunately Dean loses it and Sam is stuck between them, taking the hits when punches replace words. It wouldn't have been too bad if Sam hadn't been recovering from a recent severe head injury.

Author's Note: So I've decided to join Livejournal and check out this other way of posting fanfictions. It's pretty cool and I hope to take part in more writing for prompts and challenges in the future! With this being said, you understand that this was written for a prompt on LJ's OhSam community.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show Supernatural nor any of its characters. They belong to the amazing Kripke.

XXX

The sun was already gone when they started digging. Nighttime was the best moment to wander the cemeteries because it was the only time they didn't fear getting caught as much as they did during the day. Digging up graves wasn't exactly something they bragged about. Especially not in front of law enforcement. That's one of the first things their father had taught them and still today, they stuck with that principle.

But as much as those activities were unusual, they came in handy and were even necessary in their line of work. They were back in Missouri chasing a ghost that had been terrorizing the people in town. It was supposed to be just another mundane hunt but nothing was ever that simple when your family name was Winchester. The boys had learned that quickly.

Sam was busy digging up the dirt while Dean was standing guard. It had taken just a second. The eldest had needed to leave his post for hardly longer than a minute. He had important personal business to attend to. When he'd expressed his need, Sam had just snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Dean. Just make it quick" he said.

He'd seen the way his brother was almost dancing on his spot. Dean let out a sigh of relief and disappeared for what couldn't have been more than a minute. When he came back it was too late. They heard voices coming closer accompanied with beams of unnatural light.

"Shit! Sam, get out!" he pressed, squinting his eyes at the unfamiliar light.

Sam didn't have time to react. He threw the shovel out of the hole but he wasn't fast enough.

"Don't move!" they heard.

Sam froze when he realized that they weren't alone. Dean felt the blood boil inside his veins and wanted to dart away from where he was standing. He broke into a run but hardly made it ten feet away from the tombstone they'd been digging up when he was tackled to the ground.

"I said don't move. You're under arrest for sepulture profanation" the voice announced.

Dean's cheek was pressed into the dirt while the bulky cop that was pinning him to the ground grabbed both his wrists and cuffed them behind his back. Dean tried to move but the weight on his back only increased. He cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes. They'd been caught.

The cop finally pulled him to his feet with no such thing as gentleness. Dean closed his eyes before saying something he could regret. He breathed deeply.

"You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish" the policeman was stating, reading the boys their rights while pushing Dean back to the open grave.

Sam was standing there with a cop behind him as well. His brother hadn't fought, Dean could tell. Sam had remained passive while he was being arrested but Dean could see just how unnerved his brother was just by the look in his eyes. Sam had been given the same lecture of his rights too. But they knew the drill. It wasn't their first time after all.

Both cops smiled at each other before dragging the boys back to the patrol cars. Dean was furious that he'd let that happen. Sam was angry too but he wasn't showing it as much as his brother was. Still, he was counting on Dean to get them out of this mess. So far they had managed to stay away from the police or to run whenever they'd been caught. They both wished they'd have the same luck again this time.

They were forced into the back of the patrol car. When they reached the police station, the cops didn't show any more mercy when they pulled them out of the car. Sam's too long legs were cramped from the lack of space and confinement. Dean's wrists were swelling from trying so hard to fight against the cuffs.

Dean didn't think it could get any worse but it did. They were separated into different interrogation rooms. They had hardly had any time to figure out a cover story before the hunt. Actually, Sam had been rather moody for a change and Dean hadn't been too soft when he'd brought that up. The atmosphere between the brothers had been somewhat tensed after that.

Dean was pushed into an uncomfortable wooden chair in a gray room with a single table, another chair and a large mirror. Dean wasn't stupid, he knew that people could watch them from behind that mirror. Whatever they wanted with him, they wouldn't get the whole story. He was a born Winchester and he would die a Winchester. Fierce but loyal. He didn't doubt that he could count on Sam too. The kid was smart. They'd pulled themselves out of worse situations before.

The cop cuffed him to the table. There were no more options other than get the man angry enough so he would leave and Dean could finally put his plan into action. The officer retrieved the objects that had been found on Dean when he'd been arrested. That included his wallet, cell phone, lighter and fluids as well as the duffel with the rock salt and weapons that they had carried with them. The shovel was theirs as well. Dean was only ashamed that they had been caught. For the rest, he knew he had only been helping. But what could he tell those monkeys? That they had been hunting a ghost? In the best case scenario, they'd end up in the psych ward.

The policeman completed his lecture of Dean's rights. "If you decide to answer any questions now, without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?", while he inspected the numerous IDs that Dean carried with him. He frowned after eyeing a few cards.

"We'll see about that" Dean mumbled under his breath. He was ready to buy himself some time to figure out a plan. The cop was still looking at his cards.

"Dean Bonham, Dean Page, Dean Hetfield…" he read, looking at Dean over the cards with an accusing look.

"At least I can tell without the shadow of a doubt that your name is Dean… but credit card and insurance fraud? And grave digging? I hope you understand how serious your situation is. I hope you have a good attorney" he continued.

Dean gave him his best cocky smile. "No but I've got my great looks" he chimed. The officer didn't look amused.

"This isn't a joke. I know you. Did you really think that we wouldn't recognize you and your brother? The Winchesters! The boys who are supposed to be dead but always come back kicking. With your fame and criminal history, you won't get the jury's mercy"

His eyes were cold and Dean swallowed. They'd been there before. They just needed to escape. But at the moment, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do that.

"But maybe there are some other things I can do to get their mercy" Dean suddenly proposed with a wink.

If possible, the cop's look darkened.

"You could confess for what you're accused of. Murder, vandalism and fraud are only in the header but we didn't get to the fine prints just yet" the officer threatened. He couldn't wait to tell his chief that he'd caught the Winchesters. He'd be worthy of an award. A promotion even.

"Then I want to see Sam!"

"You can't see him! You two are under arrest! What part of that do you not understand?" the officer spat. He definitely led a personal Vendetta against Dean.

"I'll confess if you just let me talk to him!" Dean tried. He was improvising but he didn't know what else to do. The cop sat in the chair in front of him and leaned until he rested against the back of it. He raised a finger under his chin and seemed to think for a second. He finally sighed.

"And why exactly would I do that?"

"You said I had the right to an attorney. Sam has studied law. I want to ask him a few questions" Dean explained.

The man shook his head. "I said an attorney not a drop-out student" he recalled.

"Just give us five minutes" Dean pleaded. He could see that the officer was beginning to soften.

"So you can escape?" he snapped suddenly.

Dean showed both his hands in surrender.

"How exactly would I do that?" he asked, motioning to the chains around his wrists.

The hunter saw the fight that went inside the cop's mind before he assumed that his victory was just one step away. The officer let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright, you've got five minutes. Not one more"

Dean smiled triumphantly. "Thank you" he said.

The cop mumbled something that resembled him thinking he'd regret this. He then left Dean alone in the room. Dean lowered his hands as much as he could and picked at a nail that was sticking out from the table. His fingers were scratched and bloody when finally managed to pull the small thing out. He started picking at the cuffs and managed to unlock them. He hid the nail in his pocket and pretended that he was still tied up. He'd have to move fast when the time would come though.

Not more than a few minutes later, Sam was pushed inside the room. He had a cop with him and the one that had been interrogating him was following behind. The latter was a bulky man with graying hair and a moustache. Dean could tell that he'd been in the job for a long time. The other one was much younger and less experimented. Sam had gotten the easy one. He wasn't surprised.

"Can we have our five minutes now?" Dean asked, eyeing the door intensely.

The old cop shook his head. "Oh but they've started already" he replied triumphantly.

"Can't you leave?" Dean pressed.

The old officer smirked. "Clock is ticking mister Winchester"

Dean's anger started to boil inside his stomach. The old geezer was ruining his plan and he was eager to get the hell out of Dodge. His temptation was growing when he looked at his wrists. It would be so easy to pull himself out of the cuffs and knock the cops out. But he had to think rationally. Right? At least for Sam's sake. He wasn't alone in this after all.

"Come on! We had a deal!" Dean growled, growing agitated.

"We got your brother here, now do what you have to do!" the old cop said seriously. Dean could see that he meant nothing but business.

Sam had been looking at the ball court ever since he had gotten inside the room. He saw the fight escalate and he knew Dean wouldn't last much longer before he did something stupid. He had to do something.

"Dean, it's fine. I'm here, it's all that matters" Sam tried.

Dean turned to his brother and saw the pleading look in his brother's eyes. Please don't lose it and do something stupid.

"See, if there's still any common sense into you, listen to your brother" the old cop shot out suddenly. Dean's fists clenched.

"What's that supposed to mean, asshat?" Dean snapped. Sam's eyes widened.

"Dean" Sam said through gritted teeth. His brother's eyes said shut the hell up but Dean ignored them. The cop smirked.

"Didn't your father tell you to respect authority? I thought he would have drilled you to be more obedient"

Dean's nails almost dug the skin of his palms.

"What the hell do you know about my father?" he spat.

"Dean, stop!" Sam pleaded, realizing that the argument was heading towards a blood bath.

The cop started laughing coldly. The sound ran chills under Dean's skin and down his back. The cop's eyes finally turned pitch black.

"I've met him"

The younger cop was unaware and confused at the scene. He was looking at Dean when the older cop's eyes turned black. He hadn't seen that one. What he saw though was an angry Dean who jumped out of his chair and threw himself at the older officer. He reacted instantly, running to get Dean off his coworker.

Sam was left alone at the table when he spotted the nail that Dean had probably used to free himself. His brother must have left it there when he rose from his chair. Sam grabbed it and pulled out of his own cuffs. He hadn't seen the black eyes either. To him, Dean was beating up an officer.

"Dean! Calm down" he tried. In front of him, the young cop was struggling to hold Dean and the old cop was rubbing a trickle of blood away from his chin.

"Demon, Sam!" Dean shouted, still debating in the cop's arms. Before Sam could process the information, the older cop was right in front of him. The youngest Winchester wanted to react. He wanted to get out of the way but he wasn't fast enough. He felt the fist connect with his cheek. The impact sent him on his back. He tripped against a chair and fell to the ground, colliding with the cold floor. The air was pushed out of his lungs for agonizingly long seconds.

"Leave my brother alone, you son of a bitch!" Dean shouted as he debated inside the younger cop's grip. Said officer tried to cuff Dean again but Dean spun around and punched him. The officer was winded for a few seconds, which had Dean running to Sam. The older cop was punching his brother repeatedly. Sam's face was bleeding and already starting to bruise.

Dean grabbed the demon and shoved him off his brother. He only had time to pronounce the first words to exorcise the demon when the cop's mouth gaped and a thick black veil of smoke escaped his body and ventured through the vents. The empty vessel fell limply to the floor.

"Sammy?" Dean asked worriedly when he heard a clicking sound.

"Don't move, hands where I can see them" the younger cop ordered, his gun pointed at Dean.

One look at his brother – Sam was laying flat on his back with a dazed look – had him up and at the guy. He grabbed the cop's wrists and twisted it so that the painful jab parted the man's fingers, forcing him to drop his gun in the process. It didn't take too long for Dean to beat the guy into unconsciousness. "Sorry" he added quickly before running back to his brother's side.

The older cop was growing a sickly shade of blue. Dean didn't stop to wonder if he was dead. Sam was his main concern. Either way, nobody messed with his brother and got to get away with it.

Sam was unnaturally tolerant when it came to pain. Unfortunately, he had been hurt on their last hunt. The kid had been thrown headfirst into a wall by an angry demon and had suffered a severe concussion afterwards. Dean wasn't stupid. He knew head injuries were serious. He was also aware that any little hit could turn fatal while recovering from a head injury. Their line of work was risky of course but he hadn't expected for Sam to hit his head again so soon.

"Sam? Sammy?" he asked, kneeling next to his brother. Sam's silence was disconcerting. He sported a frown of pain and his eyes were glassy.

"D'n" he said, turning unfocused eyes to his brother.

"Yeah, I'm right here. Are you okay?" Dean asked, his concern still rising. Sam squinted.

"M' head hur's" he slurred. Dean frowned. Okay, definitely not good.

"Yeah that old man did a number on you! Since when do you let gramps beat the hell out of you?" Dean joked, trying to enlighten the atmosphere and abate his own uneasiness.

"When did that happen?" Sam asked. He looked slightly confused.

"About a few minutes ago" Dean replied with concern in his voice.

"'kay" the youngest said, his lids heavy. Dean frowned. They had to get out of there quickly. All that noise had probably alarmed people already.

"Are you okay to walk? Sam?"

"Mhmmmm"

Dean's eyebrows knit. "That a yes?"

"Wha's going on?" Sam asked, looking around at the two unconscious cops.

"We gotta get outta here like yesterday!"

"Yesterday? What day is it? Have we been here for a day?"

Dean closed his eyes. Sam was definitely showing signs of a concussion but he didn't know just how bad it could get considering he'd had one such a short time ago.

"No we haven't. We just got here like an hour ago. We need to leave now though" Dean pressed, putting emphasis on the urgency of the situation.

"'kay" Sam slurred again. He was trusting his big brother completely. Dean felt comforted but alarmed at the same time. Sam wasn't all that dependable unless he was hurt or really out of it. In his current case, Dean voted for both.

"Alright Sasquatch. Let's get you up and moving" Dean announced, pulling his brother into a sitting position. The motion was already enough to make Sam's head spin. Dean only had time to grab the garbage can before Sam keeled over and puked inside the can. Dean scrunched his nose and turned his head away from the mess.

"It's okay. Let it all out, Sammy" he instructed.

When Sam was done dry heaving, Dean was more than ready to start moving again.

"You gonna be okay now? Because we really need to move"

"Wha' happened, Dean?" Sam asked, eyeing the two unconscious cops. Dean closed his eyes and breathed out noisily.

"We knocked two cops out and now we need to get the hell out of here" Dean stated.

Sam frowned. "Where're we?" he asked, searching the place for clues.

"Police station"

"Oh"

"Yeah, let's get the hell out of dodge before we get caught"

Sam nodded. Dean helped him to his feet and Sam swayed. The youngest closed his eyes at the wave of dizziness that assaulted him. Dean had to hold him but being a pillar for a few hundred pounds of gigantic brothers wasn't as easy as it sounded. Especially when aforementioned brothers were practically walking deadweights.

"You're doing good. Just follow my lead" Dean encouraged.

"Where're we goin'" Sam asked, trying to keep his balance while Dean walked him out of the interrogation room.

"Let's start by getting to the sidewalk and then we'll figure something out" Dean announced when he remembered that the Impala was still parked behind the cemetery. He didn't think the cops had found it and had it towed. Still, it was too far to get to on foot.

He maneuvered Sam through the police station, hiding every now and then when someone came their way. They finally made it to the sidewalk as Dean had aimed for.

"Where're we D'n?" Sam asked, his eyes drooping and his legs wobbling.

"We're on the sidewalk in front of the police station. I just need a minute to figure out what to do next" Dean informed his brother. Sam nodded and closed his eyes when it made his head spin dangerously.

"What're we doin'?"

"I'm thinking Sam" Dean replied as he guided Sam over to the back of the police station. He was expecting to find a parking where seized cars were towed. He'd just have to pick one and hotwire it.

"Where're we"

"In the parking lot"

"Why?"

"To get a car to get you home"

"'Pala?"

"We had to leave it behind"

There was silence for a few seconds after that and it unsettled Dean. Sam hadn't been too silent from the beginning up until now.

"'M head hur's" Sam suddenly complained just as he had done numerous times before.

"I know it does Sammy" Dean admitted, scanning the area for a car he could easily steal. He found just the thing. The doors had remained unlocked to his biggest luck.

"But Deeeeee" Sam whined breathlessly. Dean's head snapped in his brother's direction. Sam never whined. The youngest was clutching his head and his face was contorted in pain.

"Sammy?" Dean's voice was a breathy retort away from cracking. His concern had reached a climax.

"It hur's… real… bad" Sam gasped.

Dean's eyes widened in fear. Before he could do anything, Sam's whole body seemed to shut down at once and his brother slumped over. Fortunately, Dean was fast enough to catch him before he hit the ground. When he turned Sam over to study him, his brother's eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. Dean's panic meter was ready to explode.

"Sam? Sam! Wake up! Come on, damn it!" he pleaded as he taped his brother's cheek lightly, not wanting to hurt him more than his brother already was. Sam's face was turning into a mess of purple and blue. But his brother didn't even stir.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed. He pulled six feet of lanky little brothers inside the stolen car and didn't waste any time getting it started. Dean could take care of a concussion at home but there was only so much he could do and when his brother failed to arouse, he knew it was out of his league. Luckily for him, the hospital was just a few blocks down the road. He tried to shake Sam again but his little brother was completely oblivious to the world.

"Hold on Sammy. I'm gonna take care of you" he assured, gunning the engine and losing no time to reach the road. They were by the ER bay within no time and Dean stumbled into the hospital screaming for help. It didn't take any time for them to take Sam away. They had many questions too and he didn't have all the answers. He told them about the previous concussion – the one he had cared for himself – and how Sam had been beaten earlier. Of course he didn't mention that Sam had been beaten by a demon wearing a cop's meat suit. He'd have his own bed waiting for him in psychiatry.

From what they told him, aggressive treatment had been initiated. The CT scan had revealed cerebral edema. At Dean's puzzled expression, the physician had to explain that it was common with secondary head injuries. The first concussion had left Sam's brain fragile to further aggression. The beating – which Dean had reported as a mugging – had caused his brother's brain to swell quickly to dangerous levels. Swelling could mean oxygen deprivation, cell death and eventually brain damage if not brain death. The words fell inside Dean's stomach like pounds of rocks. He didn't know if he could handle his brother waking up different or worse: his brother not waking up at all.

The physician still wanted to sound hopeful. He assured Dean that he'd came in rather quickly considering the circumstances and that there was always a chance that Sam would be fine once the swelling went down. Being the big brother he was, he wouldn't feel better until he saw his brother. But seeing Sam didn't make it any easier.

Dean reached the bed shakily as he took in how pale and vulnerable his brother looked. Sam was so unusually still that it distraught him. He knew the tubes were only there to save his brother but the sight of them was still hard to take in. He just had to wait for the swelling to go down. It almost sounded easy. But when you were a Winchester, nothing was ever too easy.

The first time he knew Sam would be waking up soon was when his brother's fingers twitched as he was talking to him. Dean had gotten a little bored all by himself so he'd been talking a lot to his oblivious brother. The first change was when his voice triggered a reaction. He'd pleaded with Sam to follow his voice and come back to him but the only reply he'd gotten was the clicking of the ventilator. That had also been the first time Sam's physician had deemed him ready to be weaned off of it.

At least Sam wouldn't wake up intubated. Dean remembered the feeling and it was a terrible memory. The next thing that clued him in on Sam's waking up was the increasing amount of twitching and moving. Dean knew Sam wouldn't be able to remain still for that long. He'd been waiting long enough after all.

Finally, Dean knew the exact time when he would see his brother's hazel eyes. It was when Sam's head followed his brother's voice. Dean had tried to pull a hand out to cup his brother's face and found said brother leaning into his touch.

"Sammy? Come on buddy, open your eyes for me" he guided.

Soon enough, dewy hazels were trying to focus on him. Dean couldn't hold his smile any longer. It spread across his face like a beam of light after a week of darkness. Sam blinked sluggishly, trying to figure something out. He'd settle for anything at that point. He couldn't remember what happened but his head hurt and then he noticed the feel of an IV in his arm and of a tube under his nose. And were those tears glistening in his brother's eyes? It couldn't be; Dean never cried. Not for him anyway.

"Welcome back kiddo" Dean greeted.

Sam could only blink. That simple movement seemed to be taking so much energy from him. His throat felt like sandpaper too. But even if he wanted to talk, he wasn't sure what he could say. The words were slow to form in his head. Dean seemed to have noticed because he reassured him quickly.

"You're okay, Sammy. You're in the hospital. And here I thought you were a hard-headed one. You got beat up pretty good by gramps, the grumpy cop. You're out of shape, man!" Dean teased, a grin forming on his face. Sam's lips curled upward slightly after a lot of exhausting efforts.

Sam's eyebrows knit afterwards and he found the strength to touch his throat with his fingertips. Dean understood and grabbed a pitcher of water and a cup that had been waiting for that exact purpose.

"You must be sore. They took the tube out a few hours ago. But here, have some water" he offered, helping to hold Sam's head while the youngest sipped on the water. When he was done drinking, Sam leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes. He was already exhausted.

"It's okay, Sammy. I'll be there when you wake up"

Sam nodded lightly and let himself drift off. As promised, Dean was there when he woke again. The haze in his head had cleared up enough to allow him to take in Dean's appearance. From the looks of it, Dean hadn't slept for days. His stubble was longer than his brother had ever let it get. Most of all, it was Dean's tired eyes that caught his attention the most. Dean looked so relieved to see him awake that Sam could only start to grasp how scared his brother had been.

"How long" he croaked, his voice raspy from lack of use. Dean cringed.

"Dude you sound awful" he stated. Sam knew how he sounded and he hated it too but he needed to know.

"Dean?"

Dean sighed. "It's been five days, Sam" he replied honestly.

Sam swallowed and closed his eyes. That bad? He could understand why his brother looked so awful. When he opened his eyes, Dean's look was fixated on him.

"What happened?" he asked. Dean couldn't help but remember that night when Sam had kept asking him that one question. His swelling brain couldn't retain any information at the time.

"In the interrogation room… one of the cops was possessed by a demon. You took a beating from him. You could've been fine if you hadn't had that concussion from our last hunt…" Dean explained but stopped himself when he got to that part. Sam could tell that Dean was feeling guilty for not being able to do more for his brother; or to even prevent what happened.

"How bad?" Sam asked again. Dean's face was transparent when it came to emotions. Sam could tell how his brother felt just by looking at him.

Dean swallowed and found a spot to stare at on the floor. "You were always a sucker for high scores… only this time you could've sat this one out…" he said on a sad tone.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked, trying to push his brother to say more.

"Your… your intracranial pressure spiked… I had to wait for the swelling to go down. They said you could be brain damaged or something" Dean admitted, his eyes avoiding his brother's.

Sam could tell that Dean had been through a lot and decided to stop pushing. After all, it had been bad enough to scare Dean out of his mind.

"'M sorry" Sam breathed out softly.

Dean finally looked up at his brother.

"What the hell are you apologizing for? It's not your fault Sam"

"But you… you had to wait here for me. You could've been doing something else… like saving people"

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Hey listen to me. I'm right where I want to be, alright? I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than by your side. Remember, it's my job to take care of my annoying little brother!" Dean recalled with a proud smile.

Sam finally smiled back. "Thank you, Dean"

Dean's eyes humidified. "What for?"

"For not letting me down. I can always count on you to have my back"

Dean looked down for a second before his face became serious again.

"Okay Samantha. How about you get some rest now before we start growing lady parts" Dean proposed seriously. Sam just rolled his eyes.

"I saw that, Bitch" Dean added.

"Dean you're such a jerk!" Sam whined playfully.

"Yeah I know, I missed you too. Come on!" he pressed, tugging the covers around his brother's gigantic form.

"I'm surprised they make beds in your size" Dean mumbled with a wide lopsided grin. Sam chuckled and closed his eyes; breathing deeply.

"Dean?"

His eyes were still closed but there was the shadow of a smile forming on his lips.

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Will you be there when I wake up?"

Dean grinned. "Promise"

"'kay" Sam replied softly, a large grin plastered on his face. That's how he let sleep claim him, confident that someone would be there to take care of him when he woke up.

THE END

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