This is just a two-shot to stem the creative juices...still working on my other fic "The Hell Woods", but occasionally I get a bit tired of writing the same plot – just felt like writing a nice little angsty two-shot! One of those "write as you go with nothing but an idea in the head" things...so as a result of that lack of organization, it'll very likely be jumbled and rambling. The next and final chapter will ideally be updated within the next couple of days…I'm trying to improve on that! Oh well...here goes…
Disclaimer: Oh, don't we all wish that we owned them? It would make life so much more enjoyable...but alas, nope. Not mine. *sigh* Just borrowing them for a bit! I'll return them in good condition, although maybe a bit battered. *cue evil laugh*
Set mid season 3, during Sam's obsessive and Dean's reckless phases. Because that's just oh so much fun to work with! (aka, before DALDoM - when Dean admitted he didn't want to go to hell).
"You sure you don't want to come?" Dean Winchester raised his eyebrows at his younger brother, a sort of last-ditch attempt to gain some company for the night. Upon receiving simply a grunt and a slight shake of Sam's shaggy head in return, Dean sighed. He took a few steps toward his younger brother, eyes wide and disbelieving.
"Seriously dude? You're really not going?"
The younger Winchester looked up at his brother, brow furrowed and face etched with confusion. "No Dean, I'm not. And you want to know why?" His voice was laced with sarcasm, and held an obvious tone – as if Dean should know automatically what his reasons were.
Dean gave a slight nervous laugh, raising his arms in a gesture of defeat. "I don't know, Sammy. Why?"
Sam shook his head, laughing with disbelief. "You just don't get it, Dean." He slammed the large volume he was reading shut, abruptly pushing back his chair and standing up straight. "You're dying in less than 6 months now and you just want to go out drinking like nothing's wrong."
"Dude, that's kind of why I'm drinking. You know, the whole 'have fun, live it up before I die' thing. Sam, I'm sorry but I'm not spending my last days locked up in a motel room. I've had enough of that for a lifetime."
"Yeah, well while you 'live it up', I'm trying to save your life, man. So excuse me for choosing to stay in instead of hitting the bar." His tone, though full of anger and frustration, was more indicative of pain and sadness. His breath began to hitch, Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped - staring with large and expressive eyes at his brother.
Dean's face softened, the corners of his mouth twitching. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Sam, I told you to let up on that friggin' research. I mean Jesus, you told me you were just reading some insignificant book. You're torturing yourself with this! You can't be staying up all night, poring over meaningless medieval ritualistic lore or whatever crap that is." He walked over to the table, confiscating Sam's ancient hardcover before the younger brother could stop him.
"Faust? What the hell is that?" Dean skimmed through the thin and dusty pages, face scrunched up in confusion.
Sam stormed over, grabbing the volume from Dean's hand and throwing it on the nearest bed. "It's about deal making. Crossroads. Could be a way to save you, if you'd let me try! I mean come on, do you seriously want to die? You're ready to just give up, to go to hell?"
"Yeah Sam, I am. It was my decision. I made the deal, it's set in stone, and that's the way it is. And I'm not letting you drop dead trying to break the damned thing, so stop trying to interfere, alright? Just – stop. You have to let me go, Sammy."
Sam just stared at his brother, mouth open as if to say something, and eyes widened with pain. Unwanted tears were welling up, and he blinked furiously; breaking his Dean's gaze and looking away. "Fine, Dean. Okay? Fine. Just...go."
"Sam, I–"
"–Go," he repeated, teeth clenched. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the puke-green carpeting with blank eyes.
Dean shook his head side to side, looking up at the ceiling and running his hands over his face. "Okay," he said quietly. "Fine. But you can bet your ass that we're talking about this later."
"Can't wait," said Sam sarcastically.
Sighing, Dean turned and left, shutting the door a little louder than was perhaps necessary behind him.
Sam listened for the creak of the front door and the roar of the Impala's engine, and once he was sure that his brother had left he collapsed back on the bed, letting a few pent-up tears flow. Suddenly completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, he shut his eyes; hoping sleep would find him.
He would apologize to Dean in the morning. They would talk about this rationally; Sam couldn't afford to alienate his brother at this point. As if the looming threat of Dean's doomsday wasn't enough of an emotional burden, going through that slow torture without an honest an open relationship with him would be completely unbearable. They got through things together. Separate, they were incomplete.
oo00O00oo
Jasper Mantigo paced the darkened motel room, pulling at his short dark hair in impatience. Turning suddenly on his heel, he turned toward his partners.
"Well, is he gone yet?"
"Yeah! Yeah, he's driving away now boss," said the shorter man peering out the drapes.
"Great Silva, that's great. It'll be time soon." Jasper rubbed his hands together in excitement, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his body. "Adrean? Lenny? You guys set?"
The younger one of the group, blonde and well-built, spoke first. Lenny. "Just finishing filling the syringe. Dosage this big and we'll have the guy out in seconds." He glanced up at his boss and mentor, blue eyes glistening with anticipation.
"And Adrean?"
"Rope's cut, Jasp. Even pieces. I got the duct tape too. Ready when you are." Adrean, too, glanced at his leader, but rather than with eyes as eager and excited as Lenny's, his were dark, beady, and hardened. He had years of experience under his belt, with the scars to prove it.
"I'm ready too, boss," shouted the last member of the group. Silva. Scrawny and somewhat underwhelming in physical mass, he made up for it with is insatiable sadistic tendencies. He was staring intently at a chest full of implements, silver and metallic, obviously entranced by their mere presence in front of him. "They're all polished. All sharpened. Each and every one."
Jasper was really getting excited now. "Well let's get to it, gentlemen."
oo00O00oo
"Lemme have another one." Dean was beginning to slur his words, the room was starting to spin, but he didn't care. He had to forget about things. At least until tomorrow.
"I think you may have had enough, Casanova," smiled the bartender.
"Aww sweetheart, I know what my limit is. Not nearly there yet. Now another–" Dean raised his eyebrows seductively, leaning over the table and looking deep into the eyes of the beautiful woman in front of him, "–and I may get close." He grinned widely, alcohol lessening his already nearly nonexistent inhibitions.
His charms worked. As they always did. "Guess one or two wouldn't hurt then, gorgeous." The bartender grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the shelf, pouring a generous portion into the cup in front of her.
"Call me Dean," replied the eldest Winchester. "Though I'll go by 'gorgeous', if that's what you prefer." He smiled stupidly, completely in the moment.
"Linda," finished the blonde simply, a laugh on her lips. "Well you're quite the tool, Dean. I see there isn't an ounce of arrogance in your body."
Though it was obviously a sarcastic comment, Dean went along with the charade. "'Course not. Modesty is the best policy."
"Think you have that a bit mixed up there mister, it's supposed to go 'honesty is the best policy'." Giggling, Linda leaned in closer to Dean, exposing ample cleavage.
"Yeah, well honesty's a bit harder for me sometimes," muttered Dean. Linda quieted. Realizing he had changed the mood from playful to serious, Dean compensated. "But honestly, right now you are the most beautiful thing I've seen in weeks."
"Is that right?"
"That's right," verified Dean, wearing his signature cocky smirk.
"My shift ends in 5 minutes," whispered Linda in Dean's ear. "How about we go back to my place?"
Dean just grinned.
oo00O00oo
Jessica was running toward him, white nightgown rustling in the cool spring breeze. She was surrounded by flowers and sunshine, beauty radiating from her skin.
"Sam..." her voice was full of happiness, breathy with anticipation.
"Jess...oh God, Jess..." And Sam was running now, through the tall green grass and bed of wildflowers, running toward the love of his life. They were getting closer and closer, and Sam could feel his heart fluttering with the pure desire to hold her again in his arms. He could see her golden locks streaming over her shoulders, her beautiful eyes glistening in the sun, rosy cheeks alive with vitality.
But then she stopped. Her face, previously smiling, had fallen. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head, as if she didn't recognize him.
"You're...different," she stated dryly, slowly moving backwards.
"What? Jess...I-I–"
"–No," she finished sadly. "No. You're wrong now. Changed. You will not end up here with me, with us." And just then, figures appeared behind her, pearly and opalescent. His mother. His father. Caleb. Pastor Jim.
Sam felt the tears form. "No, but I didn't – I don't – I don't want–"
"-But you will, Sam. You're corrupted. You're evil. Dean's going to hell because of you, and it's not even worth it! You didn't deserve to be brought back, you're destined for an awful future...nobody can save you now." The kindness was gone from her voice, replaced by a vicious malice. She closed her eyes, and when they reopened, they were black. Demonic.
"Nooo! NOO!"
oo00O00oo
"Godamnit," cursed Jasper. "The kid's awake, he's screaming." He crouched down in front of the motel room door, placing a silencing finger over his lips and encouraging his buddies to do the same. "We've gotta rush him, guys – quick and dirty. We might not have much time till his idiot brother gets back."
He looked over at the three other men, gauging their preparedness. "Lenny? You got the syringe set?"
"Ready to go, boss," he answered with satisfaction. "Potent enough to take down an elephant."
"Good...good. Boys, get behind me, and for the love of God shut the hell up. You remember the plan?" All men nodded. "Alright, just follow behind me."
Jasper shakily knelt in front of the doorknob, picking the old and rusted lock easily with a paperclip. Raising a cautionary hand back to his partners, he slowly turned the doorknob, opening the entrance to the room and stepping into a shroud of darkness. He motioned for the others to follow. Tiptoeing cautiously in, the four men set about implementing their plan.
oo00O00oo
Sam jolted awake, body covered in a cold sweat. Jesus Christ, these nightmares had to stop. Rubbing his tired eyes with a shaking hand, Sam stopped dead as he noticed 4 dark figures standing at the other end of the room. Heart climbing into his throat, he gulped down his fear – maybe it was just Dean, coming back with a few – buddies? Wait, no. Dean didn't make buddies. He wasn't one to make connections like that, not with his dark past and his issues with commitment. He always came back alone.
No. It wasn't Dean.
Sam sat bolt upright, throwing the covers off his legs and reaching for the light switch – damnit, where the hell was the thing? His hand fumbled in the dark, desperate and trying to cling to something. But the darkness was too absolute, he couldn't see anything at all, couldn't access his weapons on the other end of the room...
He heard the footsteps getting closer, becoming more rapid. The men were jogging toward him now, running – they were going to tackle him. Overpower him.
"Who are you?" he yelled into the darkness. "What the hell do you want?" He stood up, stumbling in the darkness but still ready to defend himself.
It was Jasper who answered. "We want something you have," he said with a sneer. "And boy, we're going to get it."
Sam wouldn't remember later what happened next. All he knew was that he was knocked to the floor by unseen assailants, held down by force, and stabbed with something sharp in his right arm.
And then everything went dark.
oo00O00oo
Dean was on a high. He knew it was wrong that he depended on one-night stands for fulfillment, for one night of love and affection without attachments, but old habits died hard.
And this one did have its...benefits. Linda was beautiful, intelligent, witty, and she liked him. He liked her too, he really did. But he could never have a relationship, for reasons too numerous to count.
"Are you leaving?" came a call from the bathroom.
"Um, yeah," he shouted back, buttoning up his shirt at the same time. "I've gotta get going." He looked up as Linda entered the room, brushing her hair. "You have my number, right Dean?"
He gave a fake smile. "Yep. Yep, I've got it."
"Good," she smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "You'd better call me, gorgeous."
"You've got it," he forced. God, he hated lying to nice girls. "See ya Linda, thanks for a great night." He turned and walked out the door, pulling on his leather jacket and not bothering to look back.
He had to get back to Sam. He hadn't been planning on staying out all night, but hell – it may have just given them both a chance to cool down. He reached for his keys, looking forward to the drive back to the motel. The roar of the Impala's engine never got old.
Humming along to the music, he pulled into the parking lot of the Days Inn about a half hour later, having stopped to get Sam and himself some donuts and coffee for breakfast. It was the closest thing to an apologetic gesture as Dean could get.
Grabbing the small white bags that held their breakfast, Dean shut the creaking metal door of the car and walked up to their door, opening it with his free hand.
Expecting to see Sam still sleeping, he was a bit thrown off when he found the sheets rustled yet the bed empty. No Sam.
"Sammy?" he called, placing the donuts and coffee on the small round table by the door. Kid must be in the bathroom or something.
Walking further into the room, Dean felt a jolt when he saw that the bathroom door was open and that the lights were off. If Sam wasn't in there, where the hell was he?
Maybe he went out to get breakfast too, had the same idea as Dean had. He'd just call and tell him to come back to the room, that there was no need.
Pulling out his cell, he dialed Sam's number and waited three rings for the line to pick up. There was silence on the other end, but he could hear breathing.
"Hello? Sam?"
"No, not Sam," replied the other voice scathingly.
Dean felt real fear burst through his chest. "Well then who the hell is it? Get me my brother, right now!"
"I'm not going to tell you who I am…or rather, who we are. You should know, though, that we have your brother – and he's not having fun at the moment. Here, listen for yourself."
Dean didn't breathe. He didn't move. He just gripped the phone with white knuckles, clenching his teeth and fighting back tears of fear.
There was a scream on the other end. Sam's scream.
"SAM! SAMMY!" Dean was panting out of terror and anger, fuming and seeing double. He heard a change over the line, and was suddenly aware that Sam's captor was again on the other end.
"You sonofabitch…you SONOFABITCH! I'm going to kill you, so help me God…let him go, right now, or you'll be wishing you were never born."
"I don't think you have that kind of leverage, Dean-o," replied the other voice calmly. You see, we can kill Sam much faster than you can kill us. And we will, if you're not willing to make a little bargain."
TBC
Wow, this type of story is really different for me. And honestly, I have absolutely no idea why I started writing it – I have no time with school and work to get into additional projects…I mean jeez, I waited months to update the Hell Woods! But this is only a two shot, written in the wee hours of night after some massive homework cramming sessions, and I already know the exact plot for the next chapter. So it'll hopefully be only a couple of days…and to all the readers of the Hell Woods, I'm not taking priority over that; I'm at a bit of a writer's block there and need a bit more time to think. This was just something I had to get out of my head. Reviews would be much appreciated!