tigriswolf | Five ways "Swap Meat" could have gone - SN fic

Title: Five ways “Swap Meat” could have gone
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: AU for 5.12; character death; spoilers for aired season 5
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG13
Point of view: third
Wordcount: 1390
Notes: I know that Gary saying yes wouldn’t actually let Lucifer into Sam’s body. That’s why this is AU.

“You’re not Sam,” Satan says.

He shakes his head. “No, I, uh, I’m Gary,” he stutters, mouth dry. “But I—I caught Dean Winchester for you.”

Satan casts a contemptuous glance at the unconscious man on the floor. “What do you request as payment for your services?”

Gary looks at him. He’s really not that scary—of middling build, blondish hair, bruised skin. Kind of a let down, actually.

“I want power,” Gary says, standing tall in stolen skin. “I want to be handsome and fit, and I want every woman to want me.”

“As you wish, Gary,” Satan says, smirking, turning to face him. “But first, do you swear to do everything I command, to be my vessel on Earth?”

Without even pausing to consider, thinking only of what he’ll do when his wish has come true, Gary says, “Sure, man.”

Bright light, white-hot and burning, fills Gary’s soul and he dies screaming.

(Gary doesn’t see Satan smile with Sam’s lips or flex his fingers. Gary doesn’t know that Dean Winchester wakes up and whispers a broken yes to a question only he hears. Gary is not witness to the desolation that results from the two most powerful angels battling across the world.

Gary isn’t around after the war ends, after Lucifer and Michael destroy each other and most of life with them. Gary isn’t there when Sam Winchester, in Gary’s body, leads the survivors, the few he can find, to a speck of land in South Dakota, and shows them how to live. It’s a hard life and some of them die, and soon there’s no one left at all.

But Gary has no idea about any of that, though, because he burns up in Lucifer’s fire, and he takes most of the world with him.)

“You’re not Sam,” Dean says, cocking his Colt. “Who the fuck are you and where’s my brother?”

“Hey, whoa, dude, I’m me,” the imposter says, widening his eyes and spreading his hands. “I just—I hit my head last night and something must’ve gotten confused.”

Without looking away, Dean grabs a silver knife out of his bag and tosses it to NotSam. “Slice yourself,” he commands.

NotSam gulps, but cuts the back of his arm after a fumbling catch where he almost takes off a couple fingers. It clearly hurts, but not enough for him to be a ’shifter.

“Drop the knife,” Dean commands now, and NotSam throws it into the corner.

Dean tosses him a flask of holy water. “Drink.”

They cycle through half a dozen tests before NotSam finally says, “I switched our bodies! That’s all. I did a spell and now I’m in this body and Sam’s in mine. I’m Gary.”

Dean growls, “And where is your body?”

NotSam-Gary shrugs. “At home, I guess.”

Stalking forward, Dean palms a set of handcuffs and tells NotSam-Gary, “Put ’em on. We’re goin’ get my brother.”

(After he’s back in his own body, Sam takes great delight in destroying Gary’s spellbook. Dean explains to Gary why meddling in dark forces is a terrible idea.

Gary never does another spell, but that’s because the demon Trevor summons is angry it was so close to the Winchesters and missed them, so it kills everyone in a three-block radius.

The Winchesters come back and destroy it, but that doesn’t really matter to Gary.)

“Hmm,” the demon murmurs, sniffing at Sam’s neck. “You’re not so impressive in this skin, Sammy. Why, I could just eat you right up, couldn’t I?” It giggles, licking down his jugular. “If I bit right here,” it croons softly, “you’d bleed out in seconds. Would your soul go home to your body, you think? Or would you just poof out of existence?”

It steps back. “Better not risk it. I’ll leave you here while I kill your bother of a brother, but don’t worry—after my king takes his vessel, I’m sure he’ll want to pay you a visit.”

With a wave, the demon skips out, laughing again.

Sam casts about for even an inkling of an idea; after a moment, he screams, “Castiel! Castiel, please!”

The angel appears, inquisitive expression already in place. “Sam Winchester?” he asks. “What—”

“No time!” Sam interrupts. “You need to save Dean!” He rattles off the location and Castiel departs.

(Sam only finds out he was too late when his own body smirks at him and leaves him there, still bound to a chair in the wrong skin, going to blight the world.)

Gary doesn’t want to kill him—Dean’s a good guy, and if Hell wants him dead, he’s clearly doing something right, right? So maybe the world needs him.

But Gary is tired of being a wuss, of being pushed around by everyone, of being mocked and misunderstood. And there’s a bounty on Dean’s head. Hell will owe him if he kills Dean. He’ll be powerful if he pulls this trigger.

Gary takes a deep, steadying breath and kills his first human.

(Later, when he faces Sam and Castiel and Zachariah’s army, trapped in Hell with Lucifer’s pets, Gary knows he made the completely wrong choice.)

They’re going to kill his brother. While he’s trapped in Gary’s weak, useless body, they’re going to kill his brother. Hand him over to Hell.

No.

Trevor summons a demon, the foolish brat, and Sam’s trapped and Dean’s going to die, going back to Hell—

No no no.

Sam doesn’t have any weapons and he burned up his powers killing Lilith and Dean Dean Dean—

The demon possesses Nora and taunts Trevor, and Sam barely hears, trying to free himself because Dean’s in danger, might already be dead, and—can he call Castiel? No, Castiel can’t destroy demons anymore. But could he take Sam to Dean, get them both out of town? No, no, the demon would track them, that’s what it does and fuck, a baby wanna-be Satanic witch caught the Winchesters? In what world is that fair, or right, or—

No no no no no.

The demon kills Trevor and smirks at Sam and says, “I’ll be back for you, Sammy. Your body is waiting for His High Unholiness and your brother—ooh, such a nice welcome home present, dontcha think?”

And Sam, stuck in a weak, useless body, glares at it and snarls, “No.”

It’s like the first time he used telekinesis all over again. No finesse, no plan, just instinct and will: Nora’s head is thrown back and she screams as the demon billows out of her mouth.

Sam doesn’t pause—he closes his eyes and reaches for his body, demanding to be back home, and he opens his eyes to Dean in his face, demanding, “Where is my brother?!”

He laughs in relief, the ropes untying so he can pull Dean into a hug.

“Sam?” Dean asks hesitantly.

“Yeah,” he says. “Dean, I—it’s—damn.”

Dean pulls away, looking at him. “Sammy, what is it?"

Even when he was high on the placebo of Ruby’s blood, Sam never felt this strong. “It’s all back, Dean. The… the demon abilities. It’s how I got my body back from Gary.”

Dean stares at him for a long moment before asking, “Sammy?”

Sam can’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Sighing, Dean pats his shoulder. “Let’s shag ass out of town. We can worry once we’re safe.”

“Okay,” Sam agrees.

But he’s not sorry. This time, he’ll use the powers right, and he won’t hide it from Dean. This isn’t about vengeance anymore. It’s not about being cursed by Azazel, or made for Lucifer.

Hell gave him these powers, but he’s using them for his purposes now. He’ll keep Dean and himself safe from angels and from demons, from the hunters trying to do the right thing, from Fate and Destiny and Meant to Be.

He can do anything. And he’s not afraid, not shying away, not anymore.

(On the other side of the world, Lucifer lifts his head. “Well now,” he says softly. “How intriguing.”

In Heaven, Zachariah feels a cold wind blow through his wings, and he shivers.

Flying through the cosmos, seeking his father, Castiel does not realize that anything has changed, and the small amulet remains cool in his grasp.

Standing beside his father, Michael asks, “Are we done waiting?”

And his father says, “Not quite yet.”)