Choose or Lose

Summary: Things are getting back to normal for the Winchesters or so Dean thought before he gets a call that reminds him that breaking ties isn't always easy & will end up forcing him to make a choice that will place Sam in danger either way.*Hurt/limp/sick!Sam & Limp/furious/big brother!Dean* Evil!Benny (See author note for more) Set between 08x13 Everybody Hates Hitler and 08x14 Trial and Error

Warnings/Spoilers: I'll warn for language and also for violence for while it may be pushing the line I'll give it an M warning even though it may not need one. I'll feel safer with one. Nothing too extreme but there will be mention of some vampire feeding that isn't altogether agreed upon. Doesn't show it, just mentions it but I put the warning up to be safe.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is written for the enjoyment of others.

Author Note: Okay, so now I'm on the track of Evil!Benny so fans of Benny may want to avoid this one since he's a bit OOC from the show. Also, while I don't usually bring reoccurring characters back unless it's from my sub-series, this one will have a return guest shot by someone who I introduced in my previous story Desperately Seeking Sam. That one isn't really needed to read to understand this one since I'll try to keep any mentions of that plot brief and that one had an OOC Amelia just too be safe.

This one probably will only have two or three chapters so I hope you guys enjoy it and feel free to look me up on Facebook under morgana07.

Chapter One

The sound of AC/DC could be heard blaring out open windows of the black 1967 Chevy Impala while it rolled down a nearly deserted highway towards Sioux Falls, South Dakota with its driver keeping a light beat to the music by tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

Dean Winchester was never happier than when he was driving his baby as he liked to refer to the car as and as he drove her now he had to admit that this was the most relaxed he'd felt in a long time.

Certainly the most relaxed he could remember being since his return from Purgatory a few months earlier and picked up hunting again.

A glance at the empty seat beside him reminded him of why he was returning to Sioux Falls and he gave a silent little grin at the thought of the names his little brother was probably calling him after getting left at the old salvage yard that had belonged to Bobby Singer to pack up what stuff they'd be taking with them to the Men of Letters base while Dean went to check on Kevin Tran.

The young Prophet of the Lord had been hidden away on Garth's houseboat for safekeeping while he tried to decipher their half of the demon tablet and every once and awhile the Winchesters would go check on him.

It was usually Dean who got that job though and he was fairly certain it was because Sam liked the fact that Garth was a hugger and he always had to hug Dean before he let him leave.

Taking a deep breath even if the air was hot and humid coming in the Impala's windows, he let it out slowly with an honest smile.

It felt good to be able to be relaxed even after all that he and Sam had been going through and he wasn't sure what had flipped the switch to make the change but Dean had to admit it felt good and he hadn't felt like this in a long time, even before the year in Purgatory.

Since his return, the strain between him and Sam had been back thick enough to cut with a knife and Dean knew he'd been laying a lot of crap on his brother that Sam really didn't deserve but it was hard to admit that without letting other walls fall and that was not something the elder hunter was ready to do yet.

Purgatory had left Dean raw in ways that he'd sworn never to speak of, especially to his younger brother because in his mind talking about the nightmares, the things he'd seen and done or that he'd allowed to happen went against every 'shield and protect Sammy' rule he'd ever made for himself.

Even fighting, even tossing crap at Sam for dropping out of hunting for whatever reason he had since Dean had his doubts that the line about hitting a dog and meeting a girl even came close to what really made his brother not look for him, that still didn't mean he stopped trying to shield Sam from things.

More recently though he and Sam seemed to have come to an agreement and that was when Dean began to notice the change.

He'd offered Sam the chance to leave, leave hunting…leave him to go back to the so-called normal life he'd started in Texas and had honestly expected his brother to be gone before he'd even finished the sentence but Sam had surprised him by staying and that had been it.

Or it had been until last month when the truth behind Sam's time in Kermit, Texas came out in a way that Dean knew he'd be eighty and still having nightmares about.

Neither of them mentioned Sam's leaving or the missing year again and while Dean understood his brother would always desire settling down to normal he couldn't deny the relief in his heart that Sammy had stayed because while he didn't talk about Purgatory it was still a help to know Sam was always there.

Of course it hadn't just been Sam who'd made a choice recently to cut ties to other things. Dean had to make that choice as well and it was something that he still thought about during the dark times when the nightmares would come and he'd have to go check on Sam to be sure his brother was still there and safe.

It hadn't just been Sam's so-called fake life with Amelia that had caused strife between the brothers and again Dean understood that had been mostly his fault because if he understood anything about Sam it was that his brother didn't like surprises being dropped on him and no matter how old the kid got or how much he denied it, Sam was a jealous kid. Especially if he feared another wedge was coming between them.

Benny was a vampire and that normally made him prime enemy number one to any hunter, including Dean but he wouldn't have gotten out of Purgatory without him so that left him a debt to pay.

He'd brought Benny out with him, got him to his bones and let the spell do the rest and thought that would be the end of it.

Dean hadn't wanted Sam to know about Benny for a number of reasons. The main one being he didn't want his brother close to anything that came from Purgatory and that included the vampire that had saved his life but had also been the cause of a lot of his darker memories of that time.

Of course, Sam found out and things went downhill from there because there was no way that Dean could see to explain things to Sam without his brother possibly getting hurt and so he buried it the only way he knew how and that was by lashing back to hurt Sam, to push him away.

Protecting Sam often meant hurting his brother himself or so Dean had learned early on in his life and to protect Sam this time he reluctantly said the cruelest things he could think of and it worked only too well.

Sam stopped asking about Purgatory and he stopped asking too many things about Benny which suited Dean just fine even if it also meant Sam shied away from Dean as well because he believed his brother hated him and didn't trust him.

He'd assured Sam once his brother had made the choice not to return to Texas that he'd do the same and end his contact with the Louisiana vampire.

The call a couple weeks ago that allowed Dean to break that connection had gone better than he was actually expecting since Benny had been the one to call him earlier asking him to come meet him.

Dean didn't expect the vampire to take his refusal well or handle it when he said he wouldn't help him out anymore but Benny had surprised him by simply agreeing and wishing him well.

A part of Dean still held himself on guard, constantly on edge as if expecting an attack or some type of retribution because while the vampire appeared laid back and easy going and didn't drink from humans as a rule the hunter had seen the other side of his friend and knew how dark Benny could be.

Once the first week passed without any calls or anything happening, he began to relax until now today as he drove back to South Dakota to grab Sam and whatever stuff they were taking with them Dean was actually good enough that he thought he may begin to let Sam understood the truth wasn't exactly what he thought it was.

Dean was debating with himself on grabbing some food to take back to the burned out husk of a house and starting fresh in the morning or just packing up little brother and stuff to get back on the road when his cellphone ringing caught him off guard.

It was Sam's ringtone which was a surprise since he'd been trying to get ahold of Sam since he left Garth and Kevin but had assumed his brother had his head buried in a box or maybe the weather shifted to block the signal again which was Dean's biggest gripe about the old place…it had the shoddiest reception at times.

"Hey, good news Kevin's still alive. The bad news is that I think he and Garth are bonding so I'm pretty sure we should be terrified of that," he chuckled, surprised at how easy it came out since he'd felt like he was on a constant battle edge for months. "You want me to grab burgers, pizza or salad for you? Sam?"

Dean frowned a little when he didn't get the expected response or any response for a couple seconds of dead air until he thought he heard something that sounded like a muffled noise or something that caused a trickle of unease start to build in his belly. "Sam?"

"Hey there, brother. Been awhile, Dean. You still remember my voice?"

Tires and brakes made various sounds of disagreement when the Impala suddenly was swerved onto the side of the road so Dean could shove it into park before his fist clenched around his phone. "Benny?" he knew the voice well since it was one of only about four in all of his life that Dean knew he'd never forget no matter how hard he tried. "What the hell? What're you doing on Sam's phone and…"

A suddenly sick feeling was now welling up more and Dean felt his breathing nearly stop before the building anger began to take hold. "Where's my brother?" he demanded harshly, swearing viciously under his breath at the low laugh that would've sounded like pure honey coated whiskey if the hunter didn't know it for what it was.

"Oh, your little brother's here with me, Dean," Benny assured him, the slow smile couldn't be seen but it was heard as was the low amused chuckle. "He just ain't where you left him is all."

"What? What the hell is this, Benny?" Dean feared he knew and was kicking himself for not seeing it coming, not being better prepared and especially for leaving Sam alone. "Let me talk to him."

Chuckling as he shook his head as if he could be seen, the vampire looked down into heated and hateful hazel eyes before moving a hand, amused that the boy thought it would be so easy. "Why would I do that?" he countered. "Don't you wanna know what this is about or if your boy's alive or…"

"If you were going to kill Sam you would've done it so I'd find his body when I got back," Dean gritted, shoving that image away because he could only too easily see it in his mind. "Fine. What the hell do you want, Benny? I told you the last time that it was over, that I wouldn't help you anymore…is that what this is about?"

"Right the first try, brother," Benny shifted the phone to his other hand so he could grab a hand full of soft shaggy hair in order to yank the younger Winchester's head back around. "Y'see, I thought we had an arrangement."

"I did my part when I carried your undead ass outta Purgatory, Benny. I went those other times because I felt it was still part of the debt I owed you for getting me back topside but that was it. You're a vampire, I'm a hunter and we're on two different ends of the spectrum," Dean hoped he sounded reasonable and not desperate but right then he really didn't care. "We've been back a few months so you should've adjusted. You don't need me and…"

"And you don't need me anymore since you have baby brother back under your wing," Benny nodded, tightening his grip and having to admit that he was impressed by Sam when the boy fought back the muffled cry of pain as his hair was twisted. "Ain't that simple, Dean."

That had been what the hunter was afraid of from the start but had foolishly allowed himself to think it would be. "This is between us then, not Sammy. He's got nothing to do with this or us. Let him go," Dean knew that wouldn't happen but he was quickly trying to figure out a way to buy the time he'd need to get his brother out of this mess.

"See now, that's another point where we disagree on cause I happen to think Sammy has a lot to do with us," Benny gave another hard jerk when the head under his hand tried to pull away at the use of the name only Dean had ever been allowed to use for his brother and he also heard the way the older man drew in a sharp breath at its use.

"You and me went through a lot down there, Dean. We fought through Hell and survived but now you seem to think it's okay to ditch me for a boy who couldn't defend himself from me," Benny released the grip on Sam's hair to switch to squeezing the boy's shoulder until finally the pain became too much and a cry of pain escaped. "I don't think it's gonna be that simple."

Dean's other hand clenched when he heard the small cry and his anger mixed with fear now. "Damn it, Benny! If you touch my brother I'll…"

"Kill me, Dean?" Benny smiled, amused by the threat since he understand as Dean did that right then he had the upper hand. "You won't make a move so long as I have Sam under lock and key and…it's been a day or so since I paid him a visit and truth be told…he ain't lookin' so good, brother."

Benny's habit of calling Dean 'brother' had been a source of friction between the Winchesters since it was further proof to Sam that something else was coming too close to replacing him in his older brother's life again, much like Castiel had done once.

Dean had never once corrected the vampire but neither had he admitted to his little brother how much the name bothered the hell out of him if he'd been honest with himself…especially now when he knew that Benny was using it to strike out on Sam on a different level.

"Put him on the phone," his voice had gone low and husky as he tried to keep it level so neither former friend or little brother would know how much Dean wanted to shake. "Benny, put Sam on the damn phone because I'm not going anywhere until I talk to him. Now!"

Pausing because he knew the wait would only piss the hunter off more, Benny finally yanked the gag out of Sam's mouth before pulled his head up. "Big brother wants to talk to you," he informed the boy, holding the phone down. "I think he wants to make sure you're alive and not…well, can't go there now can we?"

Dean was pissed and practically vibrating with emotions he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years and probably only because he was afraid his legs wouldn't hold him did he stay sitting in the Impala rather than get out to stalk the roadside.

"…De'n?"

The whisper soft, hoarse voice went straight through Dean, the anger fading for the moment as he pressed his fingertips to his closed eyelids while trying to control his voice before he spoke.

"Sammy," the simple use of his brother's nickname and Dean heard the soft breath hitch. "You okay, little brother?" he had doubts but needed to hear it from Sam in some form. "Sammy?"

There was a long pause as if Sam was trying to find his voice or decide how to answer and when he did it was so quiet and ragged that if Dean wouldn't have had his phone pressed right up to his ear he would've missed it. "No…hurts…"

"Okay then," Dean let out a breath while bottling up the rest of what he could and wanted to say right then because he knew if his brother willingly admitted to being hurt, saying that he was in some form of pain and not trying to cover it then the situation was worse than even he feared. "I'm coming for you, Sammy," he assured the younger man. "It's gonna be okay and…Sam? I'm…sorry."

Sam heard the quiet unspoken guilt in his brother's voice and wanted to say more, to try to warn him not to come, to just let him go but the unexpected pain on his neck made him scream until something was shoved deep into his mouth.

"Sam!" Dean felt the blood rush to his head at the agony in his brother's voice and he slammed a fist onto the dash in helpless rage. "Leave him alone, Benny!"

"That depends on how quickly you get here, brother," Benny replied, wiping his mouth with a finger with a slow smile as the cursing man on the phone. "See, ever since your hunter buddy pushed my buttons a bit too far it's not quite as easy to go back on the bag stuff but it isn't just me that's a threat to your precious little brother, Dean. Boy burns easily doesn't he?"

The casual question caused his already twisting heart and gut to stop, not understanding and not liking it. "Where are you, you bastard?" he demanded tightly, having a hard time getting Sam's voice and the pain of that scream out of his head because he was only too aware of what might have caused it. "Tell me and I'll be there but Benny, I'm telling you right now…if you hurt my brother too badly…if you touch him all bets are off and it might kill be but I'll see you dead before I die."

"Guess we'll just have to see about that, brother," Benny replied smoothly, waiting a beat to add. "You remember the dock where you met me that one night? You come to last warehouse on the dock and well hopefully Sam'll still be breathing…if he ain't cooked. You hurry on up now, Dean. I don't have the most patience these days and your brother…well, let's just say I'm getting really interested in seeing if he tastes as good as his blood smells."

"Benny!" Dean yelled but heard the click of the phone disconnecting and was left with his heart pounding like a jackhammer in his chest and the combined emotions swirling in his stomach until he finally had to twist to wrench open the Impala's door to loose what food had been on his stomach.

There was no question in Dean's mind what had happened and it didn't involve his brother not being able to protect himself. No, it involved Sam trying not to upset Dean more by attacking his 'friend' and leaving himself wide open without realizing it.

By not telling Sam the truth, by allowing his brother to think that he would willingly choose a vampire over the boy he'd grown up looking after, Dean had left Sam wide open for this to happen because his brother wouldn't have had any clue that the smooth talking, charming vampire could, when the need suited him, be a cold blooded bastard.

All of Benny's lines of he drank blood and not people worked well except Dean knew that wasn't always true. Sure, the monsters in Purgatory hadn't been people or not all of them had been but Dean had the scars to prove that the vampire wasn't always so choosy and he feared this for Sam worst of all.

Finally able to straighten up, he slammed the door while considering the route and the time it would take him to get from South Dakota to the damn dock in Louisiana where he'd first been called by Benny shortly after getting out of Purgatory…the first time his brother had learned about the vampire and the first time Dean had started to lie to Sam this time.

Even if he pushed himself and the Impala to the limit it would still take him well over a day, closer to two before he could get there and then that meant walking straight into the trap he was fairly certain Benny had planned for him.

Dean had been a hunter since his Dad first put a gun in his head and told him to shoot first and ask questions later so he wasn't stupid enough not to know the vampire was using Sam merely as bait to pull him in because Benny was pissed that Dean had ended the so-called friendship.

A year trapped in Hell's backyard had given Dean an idea of how the vampire thought, how he'd probably react but it also gave Benny the same advantage because he knew how Dean would react, especially if Sam was placed in the middle.

Rage, fury, uncaring mayhem was fine and dandy while trying to stay alive in Purgatory but it wouldn't work quite the same when the monster in Dean's sights was holding his little brother hostage because while Dean's concern for himself still wasn't high, his concern for Sam's safety would always top out at a hundred percent.

Starting the Impala again and shoving back into drive, a quick look and Dean was squealing tires with a silent apology to the car as he made a tight U-turn to send him back down highway.

Thoughts of Sam, the pain he sounded like he was in and Benny's cryptic words caused Dean's fists to clench on the wheel as his mind spun in several directions, trying to think of a plan…any plan, that might get him an upper hand until he could at least free Sam or get his brother safe before he had to deal with Benny.

Vampires weren't anything new to the Winchester brothers. Dean had fought them, killed them…hell, for a short time he'd been one. Though that was a time that he still tried to ignore for obvious reasons but it was the thought of Sam being turned that caused him to driver a little faster.

Sam being in danger, being hurt seriously or even drained for blood were all worries for Dean but it wasn't his biggest one because he knew that Benny was well aware of how important Sam was to him.

He'd made the mistake while in Purgatory of telling Benny about Sam, of their lives and what each had given up for the other so he knew the vampire wouldn't be above using that against him now and that meant he wouldn't hesitate to turn Sam into a damn vampire just to torture Dean because it would kill the elder Winchester if he was forced to kill Sam if he couldn't cure him.

Dean was aware that he had miles of open road to plan but he also knew he wouldn't be able to carry an obvious weapon into the warehouse.

Benny wasn't stupid. He'd expect Dean to come in with anything he could carry and if he did then he wouldn't stand a chance of even getting close to Sam but the thought of walking into an obvious trap literally naked didn't sit right with him either.

Going in alone also didn't feel right and that's what bothered him. He and Sam had been covering each other's backs for as long back as Dean could remember. Even if they were fighting, he still know Sam would be there even if Sam thought he no longer believed that now.

The problem was, aside from the fact that Benny would never allow someone else even close to the warehouse, with Bobby dead there were so few hunters that Dean trusted to have his back in something as important as this job.

A scroll through his phone hade him snarling. Except for Garth, there wasn't a single person still alive that Dean would trust to have his back or that he'd possibly trust to save Sam if this went bad for him.

Dean and Sam had few people in their circle that they ever trusted in that way and the ones that they did have were all long since dead…except for…

A name and face flashed through the hunter's grasping mind and before he could even begin to tell himself how stupid this plan was or that he'd probably get turned down flat he was hitting speed dial of a number he never thought he'd have use for when it was put in his phone last month.

Hearing the phone ring twice before it was picked up with a clearly unhappy growl, Dean blew out a breath and took a leap of faith that his once strong friendship, something that he'd thought long gone until last month, would hold true one more time.

"Sam's been grabbed by a vampire pissed at me. I'm on my way to get him back come hell or high water and I…I need help. I'm shooting you the coordinates by text. It's in Louisiana. I'll understand if you don't want to help but if you don't hear from me again…just get Sammy out for me," he disconnected before the sputtering voice could agree or not.

Dean knew the man and knew he'd at least agree to help Sam and in the end that was all Dean truly wanted from this.

No, that wasn't quite true. Dean wanted Sam out of this safe and healthy but he also wanted to make sure he corrected the mistake he'd made when he ever agreed to bring Benny back out to begin with.

Though Dean also planned to make the vampire pay for every damn ounce of pain his little brother has been put through. "Hang on, Sammy," he whispered to the now silent car while hoping his brother could do just that.

Louisiana, a dock somewhere at the same time:

Disconnecting the phone, Benny considered stepping on it to break it but held off as he suddenly decided he could use it later on much more effectively.

"Figure Dean'll be here sometime late night or early tomorrow since he's got a ways to come," the vampire commented casually like he was having a normal type of conversation. "Think you'll make it 'til then, Sammy?"

Sam wouldn't give an answer even if he wasn't gagged at the moment. He wouldn't give the vampire the satisfaction even if it meant more pain coming because he'd learned early on in this mess that Benny didn't like to be ignored, especially when he was intentionally causing pain to get a reaction.

He was already in more pain than he'd ever willingly admit to and he hated having to give that little bit to Dean when he'd spoken to him but he'll blame the pain and shock for that lapse in judgment.

The pain he was in now was low compared to what he figured would be coming soon and since he was in agony that was saying a lot.

Sam knew he was in shock but was glad for that in some way since being in shock took some of the edge off every new injury inflicted. It didn't, right then, keep him from hating himself for letting this happen.

The younger man had been distracted. This would be one of the first times since the Leviathans burned the place down that either he or Dean had been back.

The yard with the cars still mostly remained the same except that it was more overgrown with weeds. The house still stood and Sam had been surprised to have found it sturdy enough that a good section of the front half survived the fire.

He'd allowed his mind to get distracted by memories of spending a lot of his childhood here or of thinking of this place as home for him and Dean these past few years.

Most of the books had been lost to the fire but after a lot of searching, as well as a lot of cursing Dean for leaving this to him Sam had forgotten the first rule he'd been taught…never ignore the senses that always could warn him of trouble.

Benny's appearance at the former front door had been a shock and he hadn't gone with his first instinct of grabbing a blade since Sam was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The vampire was Dean's friend. He'd been what had kept his brother alive in Purgatory and Sam knew he'd been giving Dean an extra hard time over it but it was more Sam's own dislike of Benny, his concern at how easy Dean seemed to accept him that truly bothered him.

Dean had agreed to cut the ties with Benny and Sam knew his brother had done so. He also thought that Dean was more than a little relieved to have stopped it but he hadn't wanted to ask since that might've started a fight and lately he and his older brother had been getting more at ease with one another again.

It was because he didn't want to upset Dean by refusing his friend entrance that Sam had ignored the tugs of warning that were playing in the back of his skull.

However it only took a couple innocent statements and a much larger burst of hunter warning to tell him that he'd made a huge mistake but before Sam could react or go for a weapon he was slammed through the burned up remains of the old heavy desk.

Sam had a height advantage but he didn't have the vampire's strength or speed. He'd been able to break the hold once but a burning in his side prevent him from getting to his feet as quickly as he normally would have and soon lost consciousness with the smooth voice calmly explaining what was happening.

Bait. He was being used as bait to lure Dean in because it seems like Benny hadn't been as agreeable to losing his 'friend' as he'd let on and planned on forcing his brother's hand in a choice that made Sam a little uneasy.

The first bite had come as a shock since Sam had nearly been convinced by his brother that Benny really didn't drink living blood.

It hadn't been a lot but enough to force his already shocked body deeper and before Sam could fight more his head had been slammed into the fireplace mantle with such force that he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, Sam wasn't sure of much except he knew he was no longer at the junkyard and he was in trouble.

Waking up with a headache bad enough that the smallest movement nearly made his stomach revolt told him he had a concussion and probably if he went with the way a thin line of blood trailed down the side of his face he had more than just a bump.

Hearing Benny tell Dean they were in Louisiana startled him because Sam hadn't thought he'd been unconscious that long and figured he'd been drugged or something to keep him out so the vampire could get him from South Dakota to somewhere in Louisiana.

Sam also knew he would've needed to be drugged to keep him unable to fight while Benny got him inside the nearly empty warehouse, stripped to the waist and tied completely to the metal chair that was secured into the concrete floor.

A quick flex of his arms told Sam that he wasn't freeing himself anytime soon because not only had single ropes been tied to his upper arms then ran through the chair back to draw them back further than normal but then the ropes had been wrapped around his arms so tight he was slowly losing the feeling in them before finally binding his wrists together.

"Don't think you can get out of these ropes but just in case, let's take one more precaution to keepin' you where I want you, Sammy," Benny had seen the slight movement as he reached into a small bag he had tossed to the floor to hold up what he removed, smiling at the way shock blown pupils widened slightly. "I picked up a few things before I paid you a visit."

The vampire had removed his usual dark blue peacoat due to the stifling heat of the warehouse as he bent behind the chair to use more force than necessary to force Sam's thumbs apart so he could attach the thumbcuffs to each one,

"Now unless you're plannin' on breakin' more than a few bones even if you could get those ropes loose, I think that'll hold you still," he stood to cuff the younger man roughly on the back of his head, hearing the small moan and smelling fresh blood start to trickle through Sam's hairline. "You wondering why I'm doin' this?"

Refusing to look up from here he was letting his chin rest on his chest, Sam's eyes suddenly went wide in pain as fingers gripped the barely healed over bite mark on his neck that had been reopened recently.

Sam suspected he knew why even if it didn't make sense fully to him. He assumed that Benny and Dean were good enough friends that the vampire would understand his brother's desire to make a clean break since it was obvious how on edge Dean had been since returning from Purgatory.

Dean had assured him that Benny had taken the news that he'd no longer help him well enough even if it seemed a little odd to Sam that for the next week his older brother had been more watchful, more on guard as if expecting some form of attack and he's hardly let Sam out of his sight either.

Though the younger man had brushed all that off to his brother still being on edge from Purgatory and he was still expecting Sam to walk away…now he began to wonder if maybe Dean hadn't been worried about this happening.

"Y'see, your big brother and I had a deal. Sure we had each other's back down in Purgatory because there were critters down there that would've loved to have gotten their claws into Dean and sure, I'll admit he came outta that a bit scarred in some places since on occasion he wasn't quite agreeable to holding still for when I needed him to but after a while he got used to it," Benny smiled, feeling the way Sam's shoulders had gone rigid as those words slowly sank in.

"See, down there in the depths of Purgatory I didn't always feel the need to feed like I do back up here but it's natural for a vamp to feed and down there it really didn't matter what I fed on…except those damn Leviathans. I had to be mighty desperate to show down on one of them," he went on, moving around so he could kneel in front to check the bindings on Sam's legs.

"The few humans we got down there didn't last long and I hadn't really fed on humans in a long time…until Dean showed up and one night after an especially hard fight with some kind of monster I decided to see if human tasted like I remembered," Benny looked up at the muffled sound, smirking at the look of disgusted hate shown on the hunter's bruised face.

"What? You shocked cause you think your brother let me fed from him? First few times there wasn't any letting about it. Dean fought me good and hard but he'd only human and was exhausted, so it wasn't much of a match and he learned after about the fourth time I nearly broke his arm to just stay still and let me feed from him," he removed heavy leather shackles from the bag to add to the ropes already holding Sam's ankles to the chair legs after removing the boots. "That's where the trouble started now."

Sam was trying not to hyperventilate since he could only breathe through his nose but it was hard as he listened to the damn vampire brag about attacking and forcing Dean to submit to letting him feed from him.

Dean had told him, hell Benny himself had said that he didn't drink humans so what the hell…of course no one said he didn't drink hunters and to most vampires or other monsters hunters weren't considered human any more than vampires were to a hunter.

Sick and furious, Sam tried to strain against the bonds holding him to the chair only to nearly gag at the hard fist that plowed into his already sore midsection.

"I want you alive when Dean gets here. Don't keep pissin' me off," Benny growled, that smooth voice not losing the smoothness but going edgier as he went back to what he was doing. "Dean thought carryin' me outta there, helpin' me a few times and the debt was paid. Technically it's true but I happen to think it comes in real handy havin' a hunter on speed dial or for fast food," he chuckled, amused by the boy's honest outrage. "Of course the few times he's done it since being back…it was to protect you."

Sam's whole body stilled, eyes already mostly pupil narrowed as his suddenly blurry thoughts recalled those few times after Dean had helped Benny that his brother had avoided him all together and he'd thought it was due to Dean's anger over what he'd believed was Sam's desertion.

"Dean ain't told you half about what really happened down there, Sam. He said it's because he didn't want you to know and I ain't decided if he's protectin' you from knowing what he did to survive or he don't want you knowin' what happened to him," Benny eased back to watch the glassy eyes. "He wants to protect you from the big bad world even if he thinks you ran out on him this time but I'm not quite ready to let go of him yet so your brother's got a choice to make and either way…it won't be good for you."

Flashes of recent memory hit Sam because being tied like he was to the chair was a bad thing since he was still recovering from injuries inflicted last month at the hands of the woman he'd allowed his brother to believe he stopped hunting for.

Sam had just gotten back to the point where he felt safe being without his brother's constant shadow and he was shoving those memories down with a passion when he grunted as something cold was slid under each of his bare feet.

"The one thing I learned about Dean early on was that he'd protect you regardless of what he had to give up. I mean, the boy sold his soul to for you so I figure agreeing to a few of my terms shouldn't be too bad, especially if he wants you to live," Benny stood up to glance at the ceiling where the sun could be seen just starting to raise through one of the many skylights in the roof.

"Of course, I ain't gonna make it easy on him since I didn't appreciate him thinking he could just say that was all and expect me to let him drop our agreement," he seemed to be examining something as he looked between the ceiling and Sam. "Oh, the agreement, I didn't mention what it was."

Benny walked over to the wall to begin to fiddle with some buttons and chains until he was satisfied and then he walked back over to stand in front of Sam, kneeling closer until he was right in the young man's face. "First time back, while he was helping me take care of my maker, I mentioned after you and I met that it be interesting to see what you tasted like and damn, I had that boy in my face just like the first day we met down there.

"Dean agreed to keep helping me out when I needed him to, just until I got used to being topside again, so long as I steered clear of you. That means, no hurting you or…feeding," he chuckled as he turned Sam's head to view the marks on his neck and shoulder. "Of course, he didn't say anything about sampling but I don't wanna drain you, Sam. See, I have something a bit more…interesting in mind for you while you wait for Dean to show up."

Stepping back after licking the newest trail of blood off of Sam's face, letting the boy jerk his head away and tempted to remove the gag since he didn't want him to choke if he threw up cause Sam's face was paling more by the minute and Benny wasn't sure if it was because of the shock, what he was saying or something else.

"There was a reason I chose this warehouse to bring you to," the vampire motioned up then waited for Sam's eyes to slowly focus on what he'd spent a week rigging up while planning his move on his friend.

While the warehouse had several skylights, it only had dead center and one a little more to the side. High up in the rafters, attached to a complex system of rigging and chains were four or five large mirrors that seemed to angled in a way that no matter how the sun rose and moved it would always hit a mirror and shine down to the center of the room…right where Sam's chair was secured.

"This sinking in yet?" Benny ran a finger down Sam's face to his chest while intentionally pushing on a fist size bruise in the middle of his sternum, enjoying the pain it caused the hunter.

Then he grabbed a handful of hair to pull Sam's head back to point up to better explain his now very dangerous position. "See, the sun is gonna reflect in those mirrors all day until it sets late tonight and those mirrors are rigged to shine and enhance the heat and light of the sun as it shines down on…you.

"This metal warehouse is gonna get as hot as a sauna in Hell, though I'm sure you know what that's like, in the middle of the day. Those mirrors are gonna be having the sun shining on you hot enough to burn and…those tiny mirrors I put under your feet…well, they're gonna give a whole new meaning to the term hotfoot," Benny smiled calmly, feeling Sam try to move and shook his head.

"Nope. That's why I tied you this way. You're gonna have to sit here on a metal chair that'll get hot as sin on your bare skin while the rest of you that's exposed will start to cook and by the time Dean gets here…you should be pretty well baked and broiled real nice like for him to find," Benny ran his fingers over the hunter's neck with a bite mark covered in dried blood. "Guess I should take a snack before you're too well done cause blood that's over hot don't taste so goof."

Mild panic forming at the description of what was going to happen the higher the sun rose in the clear, cloudless sky, Sam strained to find a way to free himself only to scream through the gag as searing pain came in his neck as Benny sank all his fangs in deep this time.

The fear building was huge as Sam understood that being drained of blood would also weaken his ability to withstand the heat and pain he'd be forced to endure in the coming hours but despite that he still wished Dean wouldn't come because it hurt him to think of what his brother was walking into.

He and Dean had been getting closer again, especially after Sam's kidnapping and assault by Amelia and her friends last month so the thought of his brother being lured into a trap with him as bait hurt Sam almost as much as the teeth gnawing on his neck at the moment were.

Pulling back before he took too much, Benny wiped his mouth on the back of his hand with a smile. "You should be grateful I'm not just turning you, Sammy. Think how much that would hurt Dean if he had to kill his own little brother," he cracked another fist into Sam's jaw before waving a hand in front of his face. "Damn, getting hot in here already. I think I'll go someplace cool while we wait for Dean. You don't go nowhere now, y'hear?"

Waiting until he heard the metal bang of the door, Sam slowly let his head fall until his chin was on his chest even though it made his now bleeding neck hurt more.

He tried once again to work at the ropes binding him but found that the more he struggled the tighter they became until he felt the ropes on his arms actually begin to cut into his skin but Sam understood that the hotter the warehouse and chair got the ropes would be the least of his worries.

His chest and arms were bare against metal that would heat up fast and he tried to see if his bare feet would move enough to at least allow him to avoid direct contact with the mirrors under them but moaned at the discovery that he couldn't move in the littlest bit.

Sam had survived the Cage but he feared that this heat would be much worse because he was helpless against it much like he'd been helpless in the Cage and helpless last month.

Dean had been able to save him but he feared that this time his brother would be too late or…the choice Benny would force Dean to make too much for him and Sam would rather be dead than to know he was the cause of his brother sacrificing himself in any way, but especially to a vampire.

The shock and injuries were making Sam sleepy and while he didn't want to lose consciousness again out of fear of what he'd face once waking up he found that he couldn't fight the urge to close his eyes and as blackness crept in, it was his brother's voice assuring him it would be fine that he slipped under too.

Twenty-some hours later:

Dean was swearing as he slowly pulled the Impala up to the warehouse Benny had mentioned. He didn't bother hiding it or pretending since he knew probably the vampire would know when he was close anyway.

The air, heat and humidity rolling off the water nearly choked him as he stepped out of the car to glance around, not surprised the area was deserted but wishing he could get rid of the uneasy feeling in the back of his head.

He'd gotten rid of the denim jacket hours ago while the flannel over shirt went as soon as he left the car leaving him only the black t-shirt.

Normally he'd have kept the jacket if for no other reason than to hold weapons or something but he wasn't stupid enough to think his 'friend' wouldn't try to search him and the less time the vampire would have his hands on Dean the better it was with the hunter.

Not that Dean would walk into an obvious trap without anything. He had his switchblade in his hip pocket while a knife was stuck in the sheath in his boot while his other boot held the one ace card he'd take in with him.

Surprised that he hadn't been greeted by the honey and whiskey voice of the Cajun vampire, Dean squared his shoulders as he headed for the door to the warehouse he'd been directed to.

Pulling open the door, wincing at the noise the damn thing made, the hunter stepped inside and wasn't sure if he wanted to step back out or choke right there.

The first step took him into something that reminded him of what an oven at five hundred degrees probably felt like it was that hot inside and that was with the sun going down so he'd hate to have been in here when it was at its hottest. The next thing that hit him was the smell.

Dean had been hunting a long time. He'd been to Hell for forty years…or four months and even Purgatory and he couldn't recall ever smelling anything like this except in Hell.

The combination of blood, sweat, body odors and more pungently…fear always made him sick and that was before his eyes adjusted to the change in light and he choked on his own spit.

"Sam!"

The second his eyes landed on the sight of his little brother tied to the metal chair in the middle of the room surrounded by mirrors that must have been used to direct the rays of the sun right down onto Sam, Dean broke into a run until he dropped to his knees on the hard concrete floor that he could still feel the heat from.

"Sammy?" cautiously, Dean reached out to gently lift his brother's slumped head and felt like matching the groan that came out soft and muffled from behind the gag and then he realized why Sam, not even conscious, had made the sound and he felt sick and angry.

Sam's bare skin looked blood red from being exposed to the sun like he'd been. His chest and face had clearly gotten the worst of it but as Dean went to reach back to find the ropes holding his brother's arms he clamped his eyes shut before looking to see why his fingers touched something wet and sticky. "Sonuvabitch."

The sun directed by the mirrors had burned Sam's skin but the superhot metal had literally burned and scalded his back and arms where any exposed skin had come into contact with the metal.

Not sure where he could touch without causing the burned skin, leather to the touch almost, to crack and bleed, Dean was reaching for his switchblade when he glanced down and snarled at the sight of the bleeding blistering burns on Sam's feet from where the heat of the mirrors under them must have felt like an inferno on his bare feet.

Throwing those mirrors across the room, Dean no longer cared if he was heard or not as he used one hand to gently lift Sam's face again, trying not to hurt his brother but wanting to get the damn gag out first.

"Sam? Sammy, hey?" keeping his voice at a lower tone than he honestly felt like, Dean didn't miss the dried tear tracks on his little brother's face or the dried blood on his mouth from where he must have bit his tongue and lips against the agony he had to have gone through for so long.

Keeping Sam's head supported, he began to carefully cut the ropes but soon realized he'd need both hands since the ropes had been tied so tight that many of them had actually cut into his brother's skin and that Dean didn't want to imagine taking care of right then.

A soft whimper had his eyes snapping back to the front just in time to see Sam's eyes begin to flutter under his lashes and Dean laid a gentle hand on the center of his chest but pulled back the moment the whimper turned into a choked off cry of pain.

"It's me, Sam," he spoke lowly, keeping his tone soft as to not scare the kid more than he probably was since Dean figured this would also have brought back memories of last month when his brother had been drugged to the point of numbness by a sociopathic bitch. "Hey, little brother. You're gonna be alright. You hear me, Sammy? You're going to be fine."

Dean kept speaking in a low soothing voice like he always did when needing to keep his brother calm but it also helped to keep him steady since he felt like exploding in a rage at even the slightest thought of what his brother had been going through.

Then he shifted to catch sight of the bite marks and his temper soared to new heights upon realizing Benny had fed on Sam, more than once from the looks of the bites and tried to hold his anger in until he could get Sam out of this oven.

"Hang on, Sammy," he had to take a deep breath to stop his hands from shaking when he once again heard Sam make a sound and watched as eyes, blown wide with shock, tried to open to his voice. "Sammy."

Burning pain brought Sam around again but it was the gentle touch and low husky voice that forced him awake as a hand touched his face with the barest touch but it still was like agony to Sam until he was slowly able to focus through blurry watery vision on his brother.

"… …" he lips moved but no sound could make it past his throat that had dried out hours ago from heat and screaming. "…"

"Shh, don't try to talk until I get some water in you," Dean had noticed what Sam was doing and cursed his own stupidity for not bringing even a bottle of water with him. "I'm going to get you loose and then I'll get you outta here before I deal with Benny."

Moving to begin cutting the multiple ropes loose on Sam's arms and wrists, he bit off the curse at the thumbcuffs and chose to start there in order to try to get the blood flowing back in his brother's hands slowly.

"I'm sorry this happened, Sammy," he spoke quietly, beginning to feel more uneasy the longer he didn't know where the vampire was hiding. "Sam? Where's Benny?" he asked, feeling more than seeing the rapid jerk at the name and chewed his lip while swearing to make the bastard pay for this. "It's going to be fine, little brother."

"You think he believes that now, Dean?"

Dean swore violently that he hadn't heard or sensed Benny's approach until Sam made a noise. Gripping the switchblade in his fist, the hunter was whirling on his knee to swing the blade to at least buy him time to get to his feet when something hard slashed across his head.

Seeing stars, feeling pain and hearing a ragged cry from Sam, Dean felt himself fall to the concrete but couldn't see anything but blurry images until it cleared up to show up a smiling Benny bringing a heavy pipe crashing down on his head again.

"Hey, brother," was the last thing Dean heard other than a muted, dry and choked scream from Sam as blackness reigned in on him.

TBC