Five Seconds Later

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Pain

**note to reader**

This chapter contains scenes that may upset, disturb, and frighten readers. If you would like to skip the chapter entirely, there is a safe summary of it in the next "part" of the novel.

**note end**

**

The initial shock of it all wasn't the worst. Seeing that barbed bat smash down against Sam's head while he mouthed some unreadable sentence to Dean and Cas wasn't the most terrible, either. It was watching Negan slam the bat again and again and again until nothing was left except blood and disgusting, indescribable pieces of Sam that would never be able to be reassembled.

When the first swing had met with Sam, Dean lunged forward, reaching for Negan. Cas only realized what was happening moments before it was too late. He had to physically restrain Dean in order to prevent further trouble. They had been told not to move or show emotion – it was what had to be done if no one else was to die.

After the second swing, Charlie let out a scream, but Logan tapped the back of her head with his gun and she quickly silenced herself. She sat there, her head in her hands as her shoulders racked back and forth with sobs.

During the third, Jess nearly fainted in shock as Sam's blood splattered again across her nightgown, drenching it in red. She had been right next to him – whatever hadn't been strewn across the bloodied grass was on her and Lacey, who was on the other side of Sam.

On the fourth blow, Dean finally spoke. He looked like he was suffocating as he struggled relentlessly to get free of Cas. He was gasping for every weak, barely audible breath, but Cas couldn't let him go, for fear he would be killed as well. "Cas..."

Cas waited until the fifth blow to reply, hoping that it would cover up the sound of them talking. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he was still kneeling there trying to sort through them all as he held Dean tightly in his arms. Sadness evidently prevailed as he stayed there with dumbfounded misery spreading throughout his body, causing his limbs to fall uselessly at his side. "Shh, Dean. I can't have it be you..."

They were six swings in when Dean replied. "Can you bring him back?" He was crying, trying to hold his misery back with little success. He bent over on the grass, shaking with some mixture of frustration and fear. He reached for Cas' hand, finding only the angel's oversized sleeve. "Please..."

Was it the seventh now? Cas had lost track... "I used the last of my power to bring Jess home." Cas whispered, shifting his sleeve higher up his shoulder so that Dean could more easily find his hand. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Dean. There's nothing we can-"

"Alright." Negan straightened his shoulders and flicked the bat slightly, blood trickling down and staining the wood. "Is it safe to say all of you have learned your lesson?" Everyone gave hushed, cursory nods, followed by Negan crossing his arms in disapproval.

"SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO!" He shouted, and this was met with the appropriate response. Dean didn't say anything, his eyes trained on Sam's body, but gratefully, Negan didn't notice. It took a minute or so of silence in the clearing for the Saviors to begin filing out, taking Tyler with them as they left. Charlie, Bobby, and the rest of them were all in too much shock to do anything other than stay still, trying to pace their breathing.

"You killed my brother." Dean cried out suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he stared up at Negan's back. The latter had already begun to leave the circle, dragging his bloodstained bat behind them. Charlie looked up in panic, and Bobby began shaking his head in surprise. Cas squeezed Dean's hand, concern replacing the place in his heart where there had once been sadness.

Negan flipped the bat onto his shoulder and shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, kid. Like I said, shit's gotta be done, and-"

"You killed my BROTHER." Dean repeated, struggling to get up off of the grass and stand to face Negan. Cas kept tugging at his sleeve, trying to convince him to stay kneeling, but his attempts were futile. The Saviors were all turned around now, amusement across their faces as they watched.