Title: Invisible line

Summary: Cole's first mistake was going after Dean. His second mistake- the one that would cost him his life- was hurting Sammy. Season 10, Hurt!Sam, Protective!Dean

Warning: M for language and violence

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not making money with my stories either ;)

"I know what you are."

It takes a second for Dean to recognize the voice, but when he does the world around him comes to a screeching halt.

"Cole," he breathes, grip tightening around his phone as he stops dead in his tracks. "What do you want?"

The menacing chuckle emanating from his opponent's throat sends a shiver down his spine.

"Your head on a platter, you demonic son of a bitch" Cole snorts into the earpiece, the slight wavering of his voice betraying his cool exterior. "But since I can't have that, I figured I'd make do with something else instead."

Dean takes a hasty look around, pushing through the crowds of bustling police officers in his urge to leave the crime scene. He had been in the middle of an investigation, when his private phone suddenly went off, an unidentified number flashing on the display.

"You better get this over with quick, Cole. I don't have the time for this eye-for-an-eye bullshit..."

Another deep chuckle and Dean narrows his eyes at Cole's sardonic amusement. "Something funny?"

"Well yeah," Cole agrees. "It's just... when your brother told me about Vampires and Werewolves, I thought he was off his rocker. Wouldn't be the first guy I have driven over the edge after a little quality time together."

Dean closes his eyes, balling his hand into a fist and desperately wishing he could wipe the smug smile from Cole's face.

"But now I see that he was right. And that you are even worse of a monster than I could have possibly imagined."

"Are you done?" Dean shoots back, unwilling to listen to Cole's angry rant for one more second. "Because there is one thing I can guarantee you for fucking sure- you ever go anywhere near my brother again and I will show you what it means to have 'quality time'. And believe you me, when I say I learned from the best..."

His voice is low and dangerously quiet, every word laced with an undeniable fury that comes from somewhere deep within him.

Dean thinks back to Sam's quiet admission about having been overpowered, abducted and tortured by Cole and it's about all he can do to keep himself from tracking the fucker down and making him suffer.

"You know Dean... I must admit, at first I was disappointed to hear that you cared so little about Sammy's well-being. I mean after all, people in the community kept telling me about your glorious brotherly bond- surpassing heaven and hell and even death itself."

Cole chuckles again, dark and amused as if their brotherhood is nothing but a twisted joke to him.

Dean clenches his teeth in anger.

"It's Sam to you, asshole," he corrects, unwilling to allow the bastard the privilege of using his brother's nickname. "And you don't know shit about us, so shut your trap."

"No can do, Dean. Hate to break it to ya' but that brother of yours? Well he's right here with me as we speak... staring at me with these huge pleading eyes of his."

Cole pauses for dramatic effect, knowing exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction out of Dean.

And he certainly isn't disappointed.

Dean's heart skips a beat as dread starts to settle in the pit of his stomach.

He hasn't spoken to Sam in almost 4 hours, at least not since they decided to pick up different trails and split up on the job.

Dean's system gets flooded by an all-consuming anger; a fierce protectiveness blazing through every fibre of his being.

"Cole I swear to fucking god–"

"Swear to god?" Cole exclaims cockily, not giving Dean time to finish. "That's rich coming from a demon, don't you think?"

Dean freezes, trying to calm his raging pulse when he hears the metallic 'Click' on the other end of the line.

He has heard the sound of a cocked gun too many times to mistake it for anything else.

In his mind's eye he can see Cole point an automatic at his defenseless brother's head.

"Woah, woah, woah, let's think about this for a second, huh? Your beef is with me, Cole. Sam's got nothing to do with it, you hear me?"

"I'm not so sure about that, man. Something's telling me that you aren't as indifferent towards your little brother as you pretend to be."

"I'm not indifferent." Dean snarls, huffing at the mere assumption that the floppy haired, dimpled, sweet kid he had raised, was anything less than the center of his whole life.

"Believe me, you don't wanna find out how much I care about him. Because if you hurt him again, I will end you. And that's a fucking promise."

"That true?" Cole asks, sounding amused by Dean's empty threat. "Huh... well what if I told you I already hurt him? What if I told you I hurt him so bad, he wouldn't stop screaming your name, like the pathetic little bitch he is–"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Dean snarls, throwing caution to the wind.

A few bystanders shoot him wide-eyed looks but Dean doesn't care. His whole world is narrowed down to the tiny piece of technology in the sweaty palm of his hand; the cell phone having turned into a lifeline now that it is his only connection to Sam.

"See that's what I've been looking for, Dean-o" Cole laughs in that smug, arrogant way that makes Dean's skin crawl. "That anger right there- the pain? That's what people meant when they told me to stay away from you..."

"What do you want from me, you son of a bitch?" Dean pressed out through clenched teeth, slamming the palm of his hand against the hood of the Impala for emphasis.

"I want you to suffer," Cole states matter-of-factly and Dean doesn't doubt his words for a second. "I want you to feel the same fucking pain I felt when you murdered my dad in cold blood and walked away as if nothing happened."

Dean's entire body is shaking with tremors as he waits for Cole to get down to business.

"So here's how we're gonna do this... I'm in a warehouse at the outskirt of town, 257 Melrose Lane. My GPS tracker tells me you're just over 70 miles out, so I'll expect you here in half an hour."

Dean doesn't waste any time.

As soon as the words have left Cole's lips, Dean is sitting in the driver's seat of his baby, foot pressing down on the accelerator, door slammed shut and tires screeching against tarmac as the vehicle roars away.

"Wait, how do I know you're not lying?" Dean bites out, not willing to run straight into a trap, unless he knows for sure that his brother's life is on the line.

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot," Cole laughs into the phone and that's all the warning Dean gets before a deafening shot rings out from the distance.

"NO!" Dean's heart is hammering against his chest, his eyes widened in shock as he hits the brakes in the middle of the road.

His ears are ringing with the metallic echo of a bullet getting fired.

"Sam!"

He can't fucking breathe. His mind is reeling with pictures of Sam falling to the ground in a puddle of his own blood and he can't breath.

Please...god, no.

"Sam?! SAMMY!"

His hand is throttling the steering wheel and he's about 2 seconds away from completely losing his shit when he hears a wet, agonized gurgle in the background- a voice he would recognize anywhere, even if it was muffled and pained like this.

Relief and white hot rage crush over him like a tidal wave and Dean closes his eyes against the familiar sting of tears.

"You sick bastard! Where did you hit him?! What the fuck did you do?!"

"See you soon, Dean."

"No, Cole- wait–"

But it's already too late. Cole is no longer listening; the line disconnected.

"Sonofabitch!" Dean screams, slamming his hand against the dashboard of his car.

He starts the Impala up again, pushes the gas as far as it would go, breaking speed limits and traffic laws alike and not giving a single fuck.

An hour ago, Cole had been nothing more than a dark memory in his muddled head.

Apart from the fact that the guy had messed with his brother, Dean wouldn't have given him a second thought.

But this?! This is his fucking death sentence.

Going after Dean Winchester is a mistake on itself. But going after Sammy? That's one mistake you don't get to walk away from alive. Especially not if you are stupid enough to make it twice.

Dean locks his jaw, eyes narrowed in steely determination.

Just because he is no longer a demon, doesn't mean he's less dangerous to the outside world.

In fact, it means the exact opposite.

The END... (or is it?) ;)

So I don't know about you guys, but I am pretty curious about this Cole character! :) I figured that the 'real' Dean would have something to say about some dude putting a hammer to Sam's kneecap, so here we go ;) As always, reviews are very much appreciated! Please, tell me what you thought! :)