Secret Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural

Dean squints, his face pinched into an expression of distaste as loud carnival music played annoyingly in his ears. He shifted his eyes down to the carnival games and sighed through his nose. Dean had stationed himself on the large Ferris wheel, keeping an eye out for any sign of the ghost that his father had been hunting. Dean had been sky viewing for a while now, looking out for the signs, lights flickering, rides going haywire, or games suddenly com busting. If dean were to spot one, he had his trusty walkie talkie next to him to tell his brother, Sam who was with their dad. John and Sam were walking around the carnival, to not too suspicious, but Dean knew that his father was armed to the teeth if the ghost were to show up. Dean glanced down at his watch, it had been at least half an hour since he had talked to Sam, and the youngest hadn't made an effort to contact him yet, not that Sam was very talkative anyway, Sam only spoke a few words, and kept to himself most of the time. Dean knew that Sam liked to express himself through actions, and only answered when their father talked to him with a "Yes sir" or "No, sir", it was never "Yes dad" but a "Yes sir". This had always concerned Dean, when he had asked Sam why he had never called John dad, after all Sam only called John Dad when they were posing as a perfect family,, he responded with:

"I know that before I was born, John was a father, a dad, but one day he stopped, and I know that I have never known what a real father was like, but you did. So I have no right to call him father, since I am just a labeled son. I should be calling you dad… after all you're the one that truly raised me."

After Sam's small speech, Dean had sat there in the dark, and dirty motel room, pondering about what Sam had meant. Dean remembered a time where John was happy, played with him and raised him like any normal father would. John had once tucked him into bed and gave him a night light telling him that, the light would protect him from the monster in his closet. But after his mother died, Dean remembered when Sam had told John that he was scared of the monster in the hotel closet, and John had replied by giving his four year old son, a 45 and told him that if he shot the monster, it wouldn't hurt him. John never tucked Sam in, never comforted him when Sam confronted him with his fear of monsters, just replied that Sam had to learn to grow up, and be mature. At least at the beginning of his life, Dean was loved like a normal child, but Sam, Sam knew he wouldn't be loved like that, that the John, Dean once knew was gone forever. Somehow Sam had spotted the inevitable before he could talk. Sam never told Dean, but deep down inside, Dean had always known that too. Though Sam would rarely speak, Sam knew certain things before anyone else would, John wouldn't notice, but Dean did, he knew his kid like the back off his hand, deep down inside, Dean knew that Sam was a little more than a normal child.

Dean looked back at his watch, shaking away old memories, and back at the walkie talkie. Dean picked up the walkie talkie and pressed the talk button as he let his eyes stray back to the crowd below again.

"How's it going Sammy?"

There was static on the other side of the walkie talkie for a brief moment before Sam's soft voice flowed through it.

"Fine, just the regular haunted house of horror, nothing authentic yet…"

Dean wasn't surprised by Sam's response, after all the damn object or person that tethered the ghost could be anywhere. Dean sighed again and leaned back against the weird smelling carnival seat, wincing at the hard bumpy bar that poked at his back.

"Let me know if you find or see anything."

Static filled the walkie talkie and Dean returned to his post, weary green eyes once more scanning the happy go lucky scene below.

/

John stole a glance at his youngest son, watching the boys carefully trained movements. Normally during a dangerous hunt like this, he would have left Sam at home, but this particular hunt involved kids around Sam's age. Apparently the ghost showed himself to children, scaring those who didn't behave, and rewarded those who behaved. John looked down at Sam, who was scanning their surroundings, just like John had taught him. John knew that even Sam didn't like what he was asked to do, Sam never questioned it, just soothed his emotions and nodded, no mattered how dangerous it was, Sam shut his mouth and did it anyway, blindly trusting John with his life. Sam was a good kid, but John never told him. The only reason he had brought Sam along was because all the victims had only one parent, was around Sam's age and had brown hair. To John, Sam had fit that Category perfectly. Sam wasn't told about this, though unbeknownst to John Sam was extremely smart. Sam was only told that they were hunting a ghost of a former employee. Sam knew he was bait, but he played innocent for his father, John knew that Sam would lead him to the remains. He lead Sam to a water ride to see if the ghost would show up. John let his mind wander as he watched Sam walk towards the small line. As John was thinking about his plan, zoning into his own world, he didn't notice a man approached Sam.

"Hey there Champ!"

Sam started, jumping a bit in the place he was standing in, wide coffee eyes zapping up to the tall man beside him. The man had brown hair, stubble on his face and sharp white teeth that glinted in the carnival lights as he smiled. Sam shifted awkwardly moving his arms and legs, eyes darting anywhere but at the strange man.

"Not much of a talker are you?" The man questioned with the quirk of an eyebrow.

Sam turned away to glance at his father, who clearly wasn't paying attention to the situation in front of him, he looked up at the strange man and shook his head a bit shyly. The man's smile seemed to reach his eyes and knelt down to Sam's height, he motioned towards John.

"That your father?"

Sam nodded.

"Where's your mom?"

Sam frowned and looked at John once more, then at his feet, then back at the strange man in front of him.

"Why should I tell you?"

The man laughed and reached down to ruffle his hair, Sam made a noise of discomfort and pushed the hand away fixing his hair with his free hand. The strange man chuckled.

"So it's just you and your father?"

Sam stared at the man's, eyes narrowed and he kept his mouth shut. The strange man smile, noticing that the small boy was on to him. The man stood up, lifting a hand towards a shady looking tent, hazel eye glinting.

"If you don't wanna talk out here we could talk in my tent, I got some toys."

Sam's eyes narrowed and he place a hand in his large brown hoodie pockets.

"I have to ask my dad."

The man's smile melted into a smirk, Sam could tell that the man was having trouble keeping up his facade.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind kiddo."

As soon as the man had uttered those words, Sam turned around and took off towards John, a shout already on his lips. Sam felt a hand wrap around his mouth and a large hand pin his arms to hips. His feet left ground and he bit the man's hand as hard as he could. The man shouted in pain, using this as an advantage Sam elbowed the man under his ribs as hard as he could and screamed.

"DAD!"

`John immediately snapped out of his daze when he heard Sam call for him, to say John had never heard Sam scream was an understatement. His eyes searched for his youngest son. The Strange man laughed and Grabbed Sam's fighting body as if it was nothing and threw him over his shoulder. John's eyes landed on Sam who was prying and pounding against the stranger who man handling him.

"Sam!"

The strange man smiled at John, and even though the crowd was noisy, John still heard the man's words loud and clear.

"How about we play a game Winchester?"

The man posed a hand in the air, eyes blinking black for a second, and John felt his heart drop, fear settling in his gut.

"You find your son and I won't kill him, you don't...well you know, you have 24 hours starting now."

John's heart stopped for a beat, Sam's eyes met his, a look of desperation upon his features. They disappeared with a snap, leaving a flustered father, and a clueless brother behind.

"SAM!"

/

Sam's eyes caught his father's, he didn't have the time to yell for help before he felt reality twist and spin around him. He couldn't open his mouth in fear of vomiting all over his attacker, there was a persisting pressure behind his eyelids and he groaned in pain. He felt himself get jostled for a moment, then felt the softness of a pillow under his head. He snapped his eyes open and stared at the man in front of him with surprise.

"Don't look at me like that kid."

Sam just stayed silent and continued to stare, even though the walls of the room seemed to shrink towards him. The demon sighed, and place a hand against Sam's head, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Goodnight kid."