Already the moon was high in the sky and the shape shifter was still on the loose. Sam and Dean had been on the hunt for hours but each time it managed to get away. That was the tricky part about hunting a shape shifter.
They regrouped around the black '69 impala. « Ok. Dean, I think it's time to go to plan B. »
« I didn't know we had one. »
Sam leaned into the trunk of the car and pulled out a .45. « We don't » he replied checking the barrel « but obviously, plan A's not working. »
Dean couldn't argue with that. « Ok, so you just want to shoot the sucker? » he turned to face his brother.
« I'm not seeing another option here, » Sam handed a second .45 to his older brother, « Either we get it here or it goes off and kills someone else. »
Dean considered the options presented. Sam was right but the thought of opening fire in the middle of the streets made him feel uneasy even though the streets were silent; not a thing moved saved the rustling in the wind.
Out of nowhere, shots came at them. The two brothers ducked behind the car as they heard the bullets hit the body of the impala. Both brought out their guns, ready to use them. Sparks flew as the bullets pierced the sheet metal. « Ah man, my car! » Dean cried inspecting the damage when the fire had halted. Sam however aimed his gun in the direction of their assailant. With careful aim, he opened fire in return. Dean circled around to give his younger brother cover.
As the two moved in closer, the shape shifter continuously fired round after round in Sam's direction. As he took cover behind another parked car, it allowed Dean to get closer without being noticed. Clouds covered the moon and everything became slightly darker.
Sam watched carefully as his brother creped closer and closer. The roles were now reversed; Sam was giving Dean cover. The shots ceased and the silence grew again. Sam was hidden from both the attacker and Dean. « Alrigth Buddy! That's far enough! » He heard his brother shout. More shots pierced the night and Sam sprang from his position to offer backup for his brother. A single shot rang in his ears before he could aim his pistol; the pain immediately followed.
« SAM! » Dean cried and then fired towards the shape shifter who was now moving away. But the momentary lapse gave it the few seconds needed to makes it's escape. Sam fell to his knees, unable to support himself. « SAM! SAMMY! Are you alright! » Dean came running to his brother's side. Sam dropped the gun and brought his hands to his side; blood began to stain the front of his shirt as Dean knelt beside him.
Hands covered in blood, Dean helped Sam in the passenger seat of his shot up car. « Sam, stay with me. » he screamed putting pressure on his brothers wound. He started to impala and tore down the street. Everything was a blur to Sam; he lost all track of time and began feeling a kind of numbness throughout his body. It was getting harder and harder to breathe and he could just vaguely hear his brother's words. He drifted in and out of consciousness. « Sam don't you dare give up on me now! »
It was only seconds between the time the impala pulled up to the emergency ward and Sam was surrounded by nurses and doctors. Dean was forced to wait in the family room. He watched anxiously as staff members worked feverishly to save his brother. Finding himself unable to sit still, he contented himself with pacing the length of the room; his shaking hands confined to his pockets.
Presently, a middle aged doctor crossed the sitting room towards him. « Mr. Winchester? »
« Yes, how's my brother? » Dean was at the end of his capacity. It had been almost an hour since they had arrived.
The doctor allowed him a second to relax « He's lost a lot of blood and the bullet penetrated deeper than we first thought. » Dean took a deep breathe as the doctor continued « We're going to have to operate but he's too weak for us to move at the moment, we have to wait until he stabilizes »
The fear of losing another family member shot through Dean. He was almost unable to find his voice. « Can I see him? »
« Yes but is there anyone else we can contact; a parent perhaps? »
Dean eyed the doctor. « No, not at the moment. »
The doctor took the hint and silently led the elder Winchester down the hall to the ER room where Sam was being held. He lay motionless on the bed in the middle of the room, surrounded by various beeping machines. Blood stained a bandage covering his stomach and a tube ran under his nose.
« His breathing was weak and so we put a tube to make sure his brain received enough oxygen. » the doctor explained as he checked the stats and the pressures on one of the machines. Dean's heart skipped a beat; Sam looked so helpless and so pale. He worked to suppress tears; he had always been the stronger of the two. The doctor silently took his leave from the two siblings.
Dean approached his younger brother and took his motionless hand in his. « I'm so sorry Sam. I should have protected you better. » Sam made no mouvment. « Come on man, we still need to find dad » his voice choked as tears flowed down his face « and the thing that killed Jess… I still need you Sammy, I can't do this alone. »
The room was dead silent save the constant beeping from the machines. « ….dean…. » Dean looked up to face his brother. The rhythmic beeping was just as quickly replaced by a dead flat sound.
« SAM? » Dean shook his brother's arm. « SAMMY! »
Sam woke with a jolt, drenched in a cold sweat. Another nightmare; a really bad one this time. He sat in bed, completely disoriented, and he worked to calm his heart and breathing. Movement could be heard somewhere in an adjacent room. « Sam? Is everything alright? » Sam looked up to face a very beautiful young woman. Her smile was more reassuring than ever.
« Jess? »
She stood in the doorway and stared back at him. « Yes? » she looked him over « Did you just wake up? » she asked placing her hands on her hips.
Sam looked down at his pajamas. « umm….. yeah. » she rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hall.
« Well you better hurry up and get dressed, we're meeting your mother for lunch, remember? » He sat in bed a few seconds longer, taking in his surroundings; a simple room with a door leading to a bathroom and another towards the hall. Opposite him, a small door opening to a closet. Obediently though, he swung his feet off the side of the bed and standing up, a strange feeling washed over him. His feet and legs were numb but somehow still supported his weight; something wasn't right. He tried to make sense of it but shrugged it off; 'maybe I'm just not awake.' The rest of the morning was the same; nothing was right but nothing seemed to be wrong either. And Jess wasn't able to give him any answers.
On his way to the kitchen, he stopped to observe pictures that had been framed and mounted on the wall. There were four in all; the first was of himself and Jess by a river, the next of her and her parents, and another of him and his mother. The last was of a young boy of eight and a man sitting on the gate of a truck. « … Dean… » flashes of a black impala crossed his mind. He stared at the young boy in the photograph. « Jess, why don't we have any recent pictures of my brother? »
Jess stopped adjusting her scarf and looked long at her boyfriend. Feeling her stare, Sam turned to face her. « Are you sure you're feeling alright? Maybe you're still dreaming? » She smiled as she walked up to him and felt his forehead.
He smiled. « I'm fine, why? »
Jess took a few minutes before answering; trying to figure out if he was joking. « Sam, your brother and your father were killed in a house fire when you were still a baby. Your mother barely escaped with you. » he turned his attention backed to the photograph. « You know we can always get a rain check. » she eyed him skeptically.
A heavy silence filled the apartment. « No, it's alright. I'm fine. » he reassured her, putting on his coat.
Jess drove to the restaurant where they were to meet his mother, but the entire drive down, Sam had this feeling that she wouldn't be there. He didn't know why he thought that. They pulled up to the parking lot just as an impala was pulling out. Again, flashes of a black impala crossed his mind; this time with a brown haired man at the wheel.
« Sam? Are you going to sit in the car all day or come have lunch? » He was snapped back to reality; Jess was waiting for him on the curb of the sidewalk. He slowly got out of the car and followed the tall blonde into the small dinner. His wayward gaze fell on a familiar face, Mary Winchester. She didn't look a day older than she did last time he saw her, although he couldn't remember to what he was comparing her too; or when was the last time he had seen her. A burning image filled his mind as he watched her hug Jess then him. Sam remained silent as they ordered their meals and drinks. Something wasn't right but he didn't know what.
« So have you decided what kind of flowers you want for the tables at the reception? »
Sam once again was brought back to earth. « …reception? » Both Jess and Mary turned to face him.
« You know, the one that comes after the wedding. » Jess explained mockingly. Sam's confusion was growing with every minute. One look at Jess's left hand revealed a gold ring with a small diamond affixed at the top. By this time, his 'fiancée' was regarding him with a more worried look.
« ..oh yeah right, » he decided to go along. Fortunately, Jess took up the rest of the conversion for the remainder of the lunch date. Sam was left to wander in and out of his imagination, trying to grasp on reality. He really had no idea how long they had stayed there, discussing various things; he lost all track of time. He was getting a head ache just thinking about it all.
Finally, it seemed that all matters were settled and Mary took her leave from them, saying she had another appointment but that she would call tomorrow about supper. She kissed Sam on the cheek then looked him in the eye. « Follow your heart. You'll know what's right. » She bade Jess goodbye. « oh and Sam, tell Dean to slow down a little when he's driving that car of his. » she smiled warmly and then strolled out the dinner, leaving her son further more confused, and her daughter-in-law ignorant of any of her last words.
« Sam, maybe you should get some sleep. You don't look so well. » Jess was looking at him worryingly from the driver's side. Her concern for him was growing at an alarming rate.
He rested his head against the glass window. « I'm fine. »
« No you're not fine. » she shot back. « You've been a little loopy all day and you didn't even seem at all concerned about our wedding arrangements. Not to mention almost completely ignoring your own mother. »
Sam listened intently but began to loose focus. He was having that strange feeling again; his body was starting to go numb, spreading from his feet. They had reached their apartment before the feeling had past. Not wanting to alarm Jess, he did his best to hide it. Unfolding himself from the car, a terrible pain shot through him. He instinctively brought his hands to his side in an attempt to ease the pain. Looking down, he found them covered with blood, as was the front of his shirt. His body began to feel cold and his heart beat grew louder and louder.
« Sam? » a firm hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his panicked state. Jess was standing before him, half supporting him. He looked back down at his hands and found them this time clean, the same with the front of his shirt but his heart was still pounding. « Alright, I think that's enough fresh air for you today sparky. » Jess helped him back into their apartment.
Sam threw himself on the couch. His mind was spinning and he wasn't able to get any answers. Once again, his entire body was drenched in a cold sweat and he was shacking uncontrollably. A blanket fell over his shoulders and Jess wrapped her arms around him. « What's wrong with me. » he asks with a shaky voice
Jess brushed the hair from his face. « Sam, maybe it's not you that's wrong. » She held him closer. « There are lots of things that still need to be dealt with. It's a choice you have to make. » Her voice faded further and further away. Unable to hold his eyes open any longer, Sam fell asleep.
« What can I get for you? » Sam looked up to a beautiful young waitress, a tray in her hand and coffee stains on her apron. Dean looked her over but Sam was faster with an answer. « umm… just a cup of coffee, please. »
She smiled at them both « Sure thing. » Dean watched in disappear as she walked away.
« You know, just because we're looking for dad doesn't mean we can't have any fun. » Dean stared at his brother from across the small table, and then nodded towards the young waitress. « That's fun. » Sam rolled his eyes. They had been on the road together for weeks, and he was still adjusting to his brother's personality.
Sam's eyes flew open; he was short of breathe and his heart was pounding in his ears. He was back on his living room couch, a blanket wrapped tightly around him. The lights were dim and the sun was setting as he made his way towards the kitchen hopping to find Jess. He was still feeling a chill and so he brought the blanket with him, wrapping it around his shoulders. A hand written note was left on the table. «Gone to get some supper. Be back soon, love Jess. » He made his way towards the bathroom, thinking a hot shower would warm him up.
He felt better as he let the warm water hit his face and by the time he was out of the shower, he was sure the entire reservoir of hot water had been used. He quickly dried his hair with a towel and then wiped the mist from the mirror with his forearm. As he looked into it, the reflection of a pale young girl with long dark hair stared back at him. His heart jumped a beat as he spun around, expecting to face the figure. No one other than himself was in the room. He turned back to the mirror only to find his own reflection staring back at him. Feeling a little uneasy, he grabbed his clothes and moved to the bedroom.
The house was still silent as Jess had not yet returned. He threw on a clean pair of jeans and then a shirt. Sam turned to leave only to come face to face with the closet door. New flashes crossed his mind; a closet door slowly opening on its own and revealing a fiery figure. Sam blinked to erase the image. Pain once more shot through his body but in a instant it had passed.
Sam returned to the washroom the replace the towels. Still a little startled, he was happy to see the mirror had misted over again; though a bubbling noise caught his attention. He looked over the side of the tube to discover that water was coming back up the drain. Higher and higher water rose, turning from its normal transparency to a dark greenish-black.
A door slammed somewhere in the house; causing Sam to almost jump out of his skin. « Sam, I got us some chinese tonight. » he looked down the hall to see Jess placing a brown paper bag on the table while unzipping her coat. He looked back to the tub and found it empty, not a mark of any black water; his side began to hurt once more.
He slowly made his way back to the kitchen. Jess looked at him with pity; as you would a lost dog. « Sam, what is it that you're looking for. » He met her eyes; the pain was starting to fade. New memories where coming back to him but not like the frightening visions from before. This time they were more complete. « Is this really what you want? »
Sam looked at his girlfriend and for the first time, saw her for what she really was; a spirit. « They still need you Sam. Dean still needs you. » He stood silent as memories of that night and the hunt came back to him.
He was remembering everything from his life; everything that he had chosen to ignore. Tears ran down his face. « I don't want to loose you again. »
She smiled patiently at him. « You never lost me; I'm always looking over you, your mother and I both. » she let out a small laugh. « Even when you're brother's speeding. » Sam smiled. She threw her arms around him and held him closely. « It's time for you to go home. » He hadn't realized just how much he had missed the warmth of her body.
She broke away and wiped the tears from his cheeks. Sam leaned in and kissed her one last time; the love of his life. « I miss you. »
She smiled back, her face washing away all of his burden. « Me too. » She stepped back « Stay out of trouble.» she warned. Then he turned and walked out the door, pausing only once to wave goodbye.
Sam's eyes flew open as he drew in a deep breathe. Pain shot through his body and he tasted a salty liquid in his mouth. He could feel someone tightly holding his hand. « SAMMY! » Everything was a blur; he could only see shapes hovering around him and incoherent noise filled his ears.
He looked to his left and his gaze fell on a familiar face; his heart beat was returning to normal. « Dean… »
Dean wiped a few tears from his own eyes and held tighter to his younger brother's hand. « Shit man, I thought I lost you. » his voice was still shaking.
Sam smiled. « Mom says to slow down a little. » Dean let out a small laugh. A heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders; his brother had been saved.
The operation was a success and Sam was expected to make a full recovery. He now lay asleep in a hospital bed on the fourth floor, Dean always at his side. Though the sun was begging to rise, the nurses had allowed the elder brother to stay the night; Dean had made himself perfectly comfortable in a bedside chair. As they both slept, a dark figure stood just outside in the hall.
The man watched over the two boys as tears ran down his unshaven face. « Thank you Mary. Thanks for watching over them. » He wiped the tears from his face and made his way back towards the exit, leaving an envelope wedged between the glass and the wooden frame, « Sam and Dean Winchester. » written in bold black letter across its middle.