Sacrifice - S.N. fic

by: sifi

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Disclaimer: Firmly in place…

Love: Deeply embedded.

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"Sam! Down!" Dean hollered running at his younger brother who dropped out of the line of fire a mere pair of heartbeats before two shells worth of rock salt sped through the space he'd just vacated.

A wrenching metal scream that was worthy of any classic monster movie twisted through the air as the furious apparition swirled into nothingness, evading the hunters once more.

"Damnit!" Dean cursed drawing to a halt at Sam's side. He looked between his baby brother and the young boy he was shielding with his own body, "You guys okay?" he asked breathless.

Sam looked at Martin who nodded with big brown watery eyes that betrayed his fear.

"Yeah…did you get it?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head.

"Martin… what exactly was it that you were thinking?... do you think you can remember it exactly?" Sam asked in his best 'sharing and caring' voice.

The little boy stood safely encircled in his arms, his eyes still shining with fear as he nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged helplessly.

Sam threw his older brother a look and Dean shrugged, "How's about we get somewhere safe and try to remember it once we can take a breath okay?" he suggested and felt the little hand slide into his, hot and just a little damp. "Okay Martin… where were you when all this happened?" Dean asked and felt the young boy pull him toward the stairs with surprising strength and determination.

Sam grinned, keeping his eyes open as he drew up the rear, One kid to another… he thought, never ceasing to be amused by Dean's ready ease with children. When they'd met Andrea and Lucas in Wisconsin, Sam had been more than just skeptical. He held a chuckle remembering his big brother's horrible, awkward attempt at a pick up line, and Andrea's subsequent nudge. She could've been cruel but she hadn't been and that's what had impressed Sam. I don't know why it still surprises me… I mean he raised me and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him…it's just… other kids… who knew? I wonder when he's going to wind up a father? Sam felt his mental brakes screech to a halt, I wonder if he already IS and maybe doesn't know it? He can't have used protection EVERY time…he shook his head, I don't want to think about that…still… and he saw a mental image of all of his big brothers' hope shining right through those windowpane eyes of his when he'd thought for those few seconds, while on their way to rescue Laura, that she might've been targeted because she was pregnant. Of course she hadn't been, but the fact that Dean had so obviously wanted and hoped for it kinda shook Sam a bit.

Martin pulled the two Winchester boys up the stairs and hurriedly through the kitchen into the dining room, where the rest of his family remained, possibly forever, in their chairs. Each of them turned to stone.

"Sam?" Dean asked feeling the air 'whump' to and fro behind him as the door to the kitchen swung on its hinge.

"I don't know… maybe it has something to do with the vessel…" Sam shrugged.

Dean met the little boy's eyes. Martin pointed to the head of the table where a box lay opened, the festive blue satin ribbon so stark against the aged mahogany of the wood beneath it. God… growing up in a place like this… so cold! Dean thought, Freakin' window dressing man…we may not have had much stuff but at least we knew we were loved! he felt his belly crawl as he yet again took in the physical trappings of the statues and the manor around him. Pursing his lips together and shaking his head he looked down and met Martin's eyes then grinned and tussled his hair playfully. Yeah, well no matter what I think about it… this kid needs his family back…

"Sam salt…" Dean tossed one of the canisters to his little brother while he moved to the door that led into the main hall. With the doorways as prepared as they could get for the time being the Winchester brothers looked at each other, Dean's arm was protectively around Martin and Sam was already moving to the table and pulling out John's journal.

Martin looked nervously at the doors then deep into Dean's eyes, his fear and question all too evident.

"Don't worry Martin… I think we're okay for now…" he nodded making sure the boy was seated before he went to the head of the table and brought the box back to the little grouping the three of them made. He lifted the 'present' out of the box and inspected it.

Damn it's heavy for such a small thing…who gives a kid something like this? he shook his head internally and scowled, a kid this age… a Playstation, X-Box, hell buy the kid a freakin' polo pony! What the hell's a kid gonna do with a bell? he thought angrily, cupping his hand around the bell itself as he flipped it over to see if there was any kind of inscription or anything on the inside.

The look on his face said all that needed to be said as he met eyes first with Sam, then with Martin, who cocked an eyebrow, shrugged and nodded, "Yeah… I didn't get it either…" the kid admitted smiling wanly.

"So what happened?" Dean asked.

Martin shook his head, "I took it out of the box, shook it, thought about how dorky it was and figured Aunt Mildred had finally flipped her nut… I mean… I'm nine! What the hell… uh… heck am I gonna do with something like that? Ring for Stephens when mom and dad aren't home? Puhleeze!" he scoffed and actually drew a grin and a chuckle from both brothers at the same time.

"Aunt Mildred huh?" Dean asked and smirked when Martin nodded, "Lemme guess she's got a mole and more than just a few whiskers stickin out of her chin right?" he asked lightly making the boy laugh and nod.

Dean looked up, "Anything in the journal Sam?" he asked.

Sam shook his head, "Nothing… whatever it is it's been off the radar a while…"

"Okay… first things first…" Dean nodded curtly and looked at his new young friend, "… was there anything anyone said or wrote or any warning labels attached to this thing that might give us an idea of just… what… or where… or…?" he started to ask and saw the boy's eyes light up as he cupped his hand around the metal of the bell and moved to stand between the brothers showing them the red, white, blue and green stone inlays around the apex.

"Well you can tell by the stones and the patterns that it's from Israel… some of the characters look to be Hebrew in origin… but there are some differentiations that could be dialectic depending on the region in which it was found… but I don't read Hebrew… I just know enough to recognize it y'know?" he stopped abruptly and looked at Dean almost questioningly and with more than just a little embarrassment.

Over his head Sam caught Dean's surprised and impressed look and figured it was pretty similar to the one he was wearing.

"Damn! You could give Professor Peabody over there a run for his money kiddo… I'm impressed…" Dean nodded smiling and thought perhaps he'd sensed an approval from his younger brother.

Poor kid's probably just like my boy… blows the bell curve for everyone in class, probably even gets pounded on more than his fair share… Hey kiddo… never be ashamed of being smart… Dean thought. "Where'd Aunt Mildred get it?" he asked.

Martin shrugged almost seeming to stand a little taller with Dean's praise, "Probably in Jerusalem… she went there last year… before it got too hot y'know?" he explained, "She said she'd always wanted to go to the Wailing Wall at least once before she died…"

Dean nodded and appraised the boy expectantly, something in his young face just wanting him to ask, "Oh yeah?"

"She's been there at least six times that I know of…" Martin punch-lined them and got a genuine chuckle from both brothers.

"Sounds about right…" Sam nodded smiling before nodding and scrubbing his face with his hands, "There's nothing in the journal… we either need a Rabbi, Synagogue, Library or the Internet and a digital camera…" he sighed cocking an eyebrow expectantly at their young and well heeled host.

Martin perked right up, "We're wireless of course… but my laptop and camera's in my room…"

Once more Martin watched the brothers exchange looks he couldn't quite read but thought he got the general idea about. Boy are they tight… they look out for each other… hard… course if this is how they spend their time… I guess they need someone… I wish I had someone… he thought briefly and looked at Dean first then at Sam, So he's 'Professor Peabody' huh? I bet you could give him a run for his money if you really wanted to… or do you just want everyone to think you're cool? he wondered.

"Alright then… lead on MacDuff…" Dean invited dropping his hand onto Martin's shoulder as he rose to his feet and checked his shotgun, "You know how to load one of these?" he asked.

Martin shook his head, "No… Grampa died before he could teach me how to shoot and dad's got crap for aim… hate's guns…" he divulged.

"Well then…" Dean smiled and proceeded to show him first how to open the chamber, then pulled two shells from his pockets, "…these are loaded with rock salt… it's good for deterring spirits and some other kinds of… not happy entities…"

"Rock salt?... we've got some sea salt… and some kosher salt that Emma likes to cook with…" Martin nodded, "She makes great chicken soup!"

Dean grinned, "Either one works…" he looked over Martin's head at Sam, "Hey Sammy… which was it you used on that turkey?" he asked.

"Kosher salt… worked like a charm…" Sam nodded remembering one of their ill fated attempts at a Thanksgiving dinner, when Sam had ordered the turkey from a local butcher who'd advertised on late night t.v…. what a fiasco that had turned out to be…

Dean nodded at Martin and shrugged, "Either way then…" he grinned and showed the boy how to load the shotgun. "Alright… you stick by my side, keep your eyes open and shoot anything I tell you to alright?" Dean admonished relinquishing possession of his sawed-off to the boy while cocking his pistol and making sure that there was a consecrated iron round in the chamber.

Martin nodded and held the gun tight into his shoulder as Dean had instructed.

"Be careful…" Sam admonished as they passed cautiously over the salt line and into the hallway while he inspected the bell the boy had received.

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"Turkey?" Martin asked softly, as they stepped into the ground floor hallway moving cautiously but quickly toward the central staircase that bowed to the left and the right on the second floor, each leading to a different corridor from a central veranda.

"Yeah… about eight or so years ago… damned thing tossed half my stuffing around the kitchen… that stuff's a bitch!" Dean snarled remembering how many different recipes he'd looked up and tested to find just the right one to help make the day something special for Sam.

Martin nodded smiling then huffed a chuckle, "I've watched Emma make it… cutting up the bread, toasting it… the dicing, and all that… I suggested she buy the boxed stuff but she just smiled and said she liked to do it…" he shrugged and cocked his head to the side eyeing Dean speculatively as he led him up the right hand bow of the stairs.

"What?" Dean asked. He could feel the kid just dying to say something and figured he probably didn't get much of a chance to talk to anyone like a normal person. I see a lot of Sam in him…

Martin stopped halfway up the curve and looked at Dean, "Can I ask you something?" he asked.

Dean shrugged, "Sure…"

"Would you do what you do… if you didn't have your brother?"

Dean's eyes popped wide, That's not the question I was expecting… I don't KNOW what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't that…and he gave the question genuine consideration before starting his slow but certain nod, "Yeah I would…"

Martin looked him deep in the eyes, nodded and led him to the landing then into the darkened hall. His hand was slick around the grip of the sawed off so he held it across his chest like he'd seen in movies and on his video games. He wondered as he moved down the darkened corridor if he'd have any of the courage he felt if Dean Winchester wasn't at his back.

Even without his brother he'd do it…I wonder if he ever gets scared? he thought as one of the half dozen doors on his right was thrown violently open with an ear splitting howl emanating from it, rolling out into the hall and straight at them in a cloud of mist. Martin backpedaled right into Dean's legs and shakily raised the shotgun like he'd seen in the movies and on t.v. Behind him, Dean knelt quickly, wrapped his arms around the boy to steady the sawed off, helped him sight and pulled the stock tight into the kid's shoulder.

"Squeeze the trigger, don't pull…" he said into his ear.

"Now?" Martin asked feeling his heart pound and his breath coming fast.

"Now," Dean nodded, his smile evident in his voice as the sound of both barrels unloading into the encroaching cloud echoed in the hallway.

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"Dean!" Sam called and bolted out of his chair, clutching the bell tightly in his hand.

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Okay… do y'all think I should continue?

Do you sense potential?

Please let sifi know… what you think?