A/N: I wrote this way back right after watching You Can't Handle The Truth - one reason for every one of Dean's punches I counted in the last scene, and one more that got him started. Needless to say, I was very upset at the time.

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He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he had practically raised him on his own, and this was not how he raised him to be.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he had always been there for his little brother, and his little brother had never been there for him.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he had lied to him time after time after time, despite the fact that Dean would have forgiven him for anything if he'd just owned up to it.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he had turned his back and walked away from Dean time after time, starting with Stanford, then Burkitsville and the list dragged on.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

For all the terrible things he said to and about Dean and, instead of apologizing, shuffled the blame off onto something or someone else.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though Sam had sent him out hunting a werewolf solo in order to save a girl he'd just met, because if she could be saved it meant he could too.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though after years of bitching about it, he picked up exactly where their father left off deciding what was best for Dean without consulting Dean first.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he did nothing to alleviate the emotional devastation wrought by his violent tumble into the pit.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he made sure their friends did nothing to alleviate that agony either.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he had gotten himself high on daemon blood in the honeymoon suite, beaten Dean so badly his breath rasped in his chest, choked him almost to death and then left him there to lose consciousness alone with nobody nearby to help.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he knew some part of Sam hated him enough to pull the trigger on the .45 in the asylum.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though Sam said he couldn't understand how Dean could possibly miss their mother as much as he missed Jess.

He knew if he started hitting him he wouldn't stop, so he didn't start.

Though he knew not hitting him wouldn't change anything either.

So he started hitting him. And he didn't stop.