Holy water = check

Silver knives = check

Guns with silver bullets = check

John Winchester's journal = check

Sass and hell of an attitude = check

Dean was all packed up and ready, waiting inside his beloved '67 Chevy Impala, listening to AC/DC while Bobby was inside his house getting his stuff. They were going to go demon hunting. They'd been planning this hunt for the last couple of days; their sources from the Harvelle's Roadhouse had talked about a demon nest where rumor had it those black eyed bastards help captives, people with special abilities they used for their own evil purposes. Dean and Bobby had agreed to go after the demons, waste them and free the poor, tortured humans. They were wise enough though not to go right into the battlefield alone. Mike and Rufus, old buddies and huting partners of Bobby were going to join them. They had arranged to meet two miles from the nest and continue together on foot in order to draw less attention.

"What took you so long?" Dean whined when Bobby emerged from the front door, carrying a duffle bag.

"I was getting ready for prom night. What do you think ya idjit? You can't rush these things. Gotta be thorough" Bobby retorted.

"Alright, alright, old man! Let's get a move on before you have another bitch fit. Rufus just called. He said they're on their way."

"Good. Let's go."

Tossing his duffle on the backseat, Bobby sat shotgun and Dean started the engine. Two and a half hours later, they reached their destination. Mike and Rufus had arrived first and they were waiting by their truck. Dean and Bobby grabbed their things and made their way to the men.

"Hey, guys! It's been a long time!" Bobby greeted his friends.

"Nice to see you, Bobby! We're finally back in the game together, huh? Ready to gank those evil bitches?" Mike asked with much enthusiasm.

"As ever! Rufus, Mike, this is Dean Winchester. He might be young but he's one of the sharpest tools in the shed."

Dean smiled at the guys and shook their hands firmly.

"It's good to finally meet you two. Bobby's been going on and on about you." he said.

"You don't say!" Rufus said laughing, making Bobby roll his eyes.

"We've heard a lot about you too, boy. We knew your father. Great man and even greater hunter. Bet he'd be really proud of you." Mike responded.

Dean smiled sadly at the mention of his father but he shoved the sad thought away. He had more pressing issues to focus on right now than his own feelings.

"Alright. Enough with the introductions. Let's do this." Bobby said.

They all nodded in agreement and started walking the two mile distance to the nest.

Once they got close enough to check the place out which happened to be a farm, they hid behind some trees to speak before setting their plan into action.

"Okay, the place is huge. Seems like we'll have to split. Rufus and I will take the house and you two take the barn. We'll cover more ground this way." Mike suggested.

"That's fine, but ..." Dean spoke sounding troubled.

"But what?" Rufus asked.

"Am I the only one who's worried about how quiet everything seems? Like TOO quiet?"

Bobby, Rufus and Mike, all followed Dean's gaze and scanned the area for any sign of movement. No one seemed to be inside the two buildings. No light came from the house or the barn and there was practically no other sound than the crickets chirping and the soughing of the wind in the dead of the night.

"Ok, that's weird." Bobby admitted.

"It could be a trap." Miked added.

"Well, do we have another choice now that we're here? We need to be certain. No backing down now." Rufus announced.

"Yeah, we have to go in either way. Can't turn around without at least making sure noone's in danger." Dean agreed.

"Alright, we're going. If you're finished checking the barn, come find us. If we're done before you, we'll come to you. Everybody on the same page?" Mike asked.

"Yes" they all said in unison.

"We should move. Good luck and watch your backs." Bobby advised.

"You too" Rufus replied.

Everyone headed towards their targets. Mike and Rufus disappeared into the house while Dean and Bobby began checking the barn from the outside. They circled it but came up with nothing, especially since they couldn't see anything through the windows; they were covered with what seemed like big thick cloths making it impossible to take a peek. They saw no other option but to get inside even without knowing what they had to expect. Dean got the lockpick from the pocket of his jacket but it appeared useless as the entrance door was unlocked. He shared a look of suspicion with the older man.

"Something's definitely off" Bobby said.

Getting their guns out and steadying their flashlights properly, the duo prepared to enter. Dean opened the door with his right foot causing it to make a creaking noise which made him curse internally. At first, they couldn't make out much. Hay was scattered all over the place while farming tools and machines were found here and there. But then ...

"Watch it!" Dean yelled and grabbed Bobby by the arm, the older hunter stopping on his tracks and glaring at the younger for his sudden reaction.

"What the -" Bobby started to say but Dean threw light on the ground revealing a large pool of blood.

"Crap..." Bobby talked under his breath.

They were about to take a step forward when suddenly the lights inside the barn got turned on.

"We found nada in the house but we managed to find the electricity box and - OH MY GOD!" Rufus exclaimed and everyone was left with open mouths and wide-eyed at the horrific scene unfolded before them. The hunters' heads were turned upwards: the bodies of two men and two women were suspended from the ceiling. Each of them were in a spread eagle position, thick ropes around their wrists and ankles holding them still. They wore nothing but underwear which was mostly ripped and faded, barely detected due to all the blood covering them from head to toe. The blood made an uneasy sound as it dropped on the ground, inside the numerous and already formed pools of blood, one of which Dean had spotted in the dark some mere seconds ago. Dean swallowed hard trying to fight the urge to throw up, bile already rising in his throat. His insides were spinning by the awful sight. Mike was less lucky, kneeling down and heaving painfully.

"We were too late. Dammit!" Dean thundered, inwardly blaiming himself for not getting there sooner and saving the unfortunate people.

Bobby closed his eyes and sighed sadly. Always the voice of reason, he told the others they had to get the humans down, check them for any signs of life which would be pointless but necessary nevertheless, then give the deceased a proper burial. They agreed to follow his lead and got to work. Rufus and Bobby used the wooden elevator to get to a higher level, cut the ropes and lower the bodies down to Mike and Dean who stood right underneath, ready to catch them and lay them on the ground. The women were lowered first and the men next. Once flat, the hunters began examining them. They all seemed to be in their early twenties, no more than 25. Their bodies were abused to the point of deformation. But apart from the countless cuts and bruises found on every inch of their skin, they also bore a few long and deep gashes that formed strange symbols: the women on their bellies and the men on their chests. None hunter recongized the symbols but they sure as hell memorized them for later research. Those were certainly the source of the majority of the blood.

"Fucking monsters! They used these poor souls for some damn ritual!" Mike fumed, disgusted.

"Guys ... Let's see if anyone's alive by any miracle" Bobby said trying to stay as calm as possible.

Everyone picked a body and started checking for signs of life. Dean was checking one of the two men. He was tall, taller than him and very thin. Who knows if those bastards ever cared to give him some food. His hair was long, brown and shaggy, almost reaching his shoulders. His wavy locks stuck on his face because of dry blood. Putting two fingers on the young man's neck, Dean searched for a pulse he knew he wouldn't find. The others had already announced the rest of the people were gone. He was about to give up when he felt it. A tiny flutter under his fignertips. A pulse so slow and weak he was surprised he actually caught it.

"HELP! This one's still alive!" Dean screamed causing everyone to run towards him.

"How's this possible? Are you sure?" Mike asked confused.

"No, I thought it was a good time to joke. Yes, I'm sure! We need to get him out of here now! He won't last much longer. His pulse is barely there."

"Alright, so. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna head outside, take one of the abandoned cars, get to the Impala and bring her here. I'll be quick. Rufus and Mike, you two take care of the bodies, ok?" Bobby ordered.

"Hurry, Bobby!" Dean pled.

Bobby didn't waste more time and ran outside while the others sprang into action.

Dean took his jacket off and laid it over the unconscious's man bare chest. He was cold as ice and his lips fashioned a slightly blue tint under the crimson layer of blood.

"Come on, kid, hold on! We're getting you out of here. I'm gonna take care of you. I'm gonna keep you safe" Dean promised him and brought his body against his own, trying to provide the much needed warmth. After rubbing his arms for a bit, he checked his pulse again, sighing with relief when he found it there. Still weak and slow but existent anyway.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Dean asked the tortured man lying in his arms, capping his cheeks gently.

"Hey, come on, man ..."

Dean was not a man of had stopped believing in God or Angels when he was still a little child and his mother got murdered by a demon. His father dedicated his life in finding it and eventually died killing the son of a bitch. His hopes that someone was out there looking out for the good and innocent people were crashed. His mother used to say "Angels are watching over you". Apparently those Angels were too busy with their feathers to protect him or his loved ones. But this time, Dean actually prayed. He begged for the help of an absent God. He asked to spare the young man, give Dean time to save him. Dean closed his eyes and brought the dying man even closer, as if his tight hold would force some life back into him. All of a sudden, a soft moan was heard and Dean opened his eyes to find a pair of hazel-green orbs, glassy and unfocused staring back at him. In disbelief, Dean blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

"Hey! Stay with me! You're gonna be ok! They can't hurt you anymore. Just hold on!" Dean told the kid who kept staring at him with a mostly blank expression which soon turned into a sad one, a tear making its way down his bloody face. It took a huge effort but he finally managed to utter a few words:

"Pl - please ... D- don't kill m - me ..." he whispered, unable to speak any louder.

"No, no. Noone's going to do anything to you. I won't let 'em. I give you my word. I'm getting you some place safe. I'll fix you!" Dean repeated his promise, noticing more tears leaving the man's eyes.

"Can you tell me your name?" Dean asked. A few moments later, the boy gathering the last of his strength replied:

"S - Sa - Sam ..." and with that his eyes rolled back in his head and he was pulled down into the depths of unconsciousness.

"No, no! Sam! Dammit. Bobby, where the hell are you?" Dean said in a panicked voice.

Ten minutes later, Bobby arrived with the Impala and hurried inside to help Dean.

"Finally! Come on, help me get Sam to the car"

"Sam?"

"Yeah, that's his name. He briefly woke up. He thought I was going to finish him off but I told him I was only trying to help and he gave me his name before passing out again"

"Right, you take his torso, I take his legs. Careful, we don't want to cause him any more damage"

When they reached the car, Dean took Sam's full weight while Bobby opened the door to the backseat and then they helped the young man inside. After easing him down, Dean climbed in and placed Sam's head on his lap. Bobby handed him a military blanket from the trunk and he wrapped Sam with it.

"We can't take him to the hospital, Bobby. The demons might come after him if they realise he's still breathing"

"I know, son. We're taking him to Pastor Jim's. I've already called him. He's setting up a room for Sam with all the necessary equipement as we speak. He's also getting a doctor, someone who's familiar with what we do and has helped us many times before."

"Great, we need to go like yesterday!"

Bobby quickly got to the driver's seat and sprang the engine into life. Just before taking off, he waved at Mike and Rufus who came into sight, having just finished burying the bodies of the dead.

"We're taking the boy to Jim's. Meet us there" he shouted from the rolled down window before taking a turn and driving away from the farm.

During the drive to the Pastor, Dean kept vigil over Sam whose breaths were short and swallow. The young man was completely out of it and his time was growing short by the minute.

"Just for a little longer, Sam. You've got to hold on. I swear on my life, I'm going to save you. No matter what" Dean cooed.

Dean didn't know yet that those words would become his life mission. Sam didn't know that he was about to regain his humanity and freedom. Neither knew that their destinies were about to become one or that they were going to find something in each other they never truly had: a protector, a saviour, a friend, a brother.

TBC ...

So ... How did you guys like the first chapter? Would you like me to continue? :) Is there something you'd like to see in the future chapters? Let me know! Reviews are love :3

PS: I know I've neglected two of my previous stories but I PROMISE I will update really soon!