Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. : )
A Brother's Love
Missouri Mosely knocked on the worn door to a dirty motel room and sighed. Sometimes she couldn't believe John Winchester. Leaving those babies alone with a striga on the loose? She shook her head and knocked again. While waiting she stuck her hand in her pocket, feeling the smooth cool silver amulet John had asked for. It wasn't easy to find a genuine Fraternus Adoratio meaning Brotherly Adoration. The medallion actually carried a brother's love inside of it, love that could be used in dire straits to save a life. After what happened John wanted one for the boys. To be perfectly honest he wanted it for Sammy. The striga incident had come too close for comfort, bringing distant fears and memories back to the surface.
The door flung open and Missouri was surprised, but on second thought not really that surprised to find herself staring down the barrel of a shotgun held by a little boy.
"Oh honey put that away." She put her hand on the gun and gently pushed it downward.
"My name is Mrs. Mosely, I'm looking for your Daddy. I've got something he wanted," she said holding up the amulet dangling on a leather string.
"Your name's Dean, right? Where's little Sammy?" Dean didn't reply, he simply pointed to a ragged couch that held a small dark haired child. Missouri could feel that she made Dean nervous and uncomfortable. He was trying to decide if he made the right choice by opening the door. She did her best to send calm, comforting thoughts to the boy. Such a little boy with such a large responsibility. She shook her head again thinking to herself, John Winchester is such a fool. She kneeled down the ground in front of Dean and undid the leather chain.
"Did your Daddy explain to you what this is?"
"No." Missouri smiled.
"This will keep your brother safe." She saw a glimmer of something in his hazel eyes. Hope? Disbelief? She wasn't sure.
"How does it work?" She tied the rough string around Dean's neck.
"You wear it and it fills with love. Did you know a brother's love can save someone?" A slight smile played at Dean's lips.
"Really? My love could save Sammy?"
"Oh, yes. Love is a powerful thing. Now you wear it until your brother's in real bad shape, in a real bad position…then you put it on him. The love will go right through to his heart." Dean was wide-eyed but Missouri could tell he believed her.
"The important thing to remember is that you never know when Sammy may need it. It could be years from now or it could be tomorrow. So always love your little brother. But I don't think that'll be hard for you will it?" She asked with a smile. Dean's cheeks spread with a light crimson and he replied "No, ma'am."
"Good then." Missouri left that afternoon after making the boys something to eat, something that didn't include greasy burgers or pancakes from all night diners. After she left, Dean lay awake. He couldn't believe he had something that would one day save Sammy. And it was something he had had all along. A brother's love.
"I see a bad moon rising…"
Dean gasped and coughed painfully, opening his eyes. His face twisted in fear and pain, he called out.
"Sam? Dad?" His eyes settled on his brother and all of his blood spilled on the leather seat.
"Sammy?" Dean's voice cracked. Sam's head was so bloody so painful looking. Dean pulled himself forward slowly and painfully to bring his shaking hand to Sam's neck. It was warm but there was no familiar thump beneath Dean's fingers. He pulled his hand away, now covered in dark blood and fearfully ripped the necklace from his neck. Quickly and shakily he tied the frayed ends in a sloppy knot around Sam's neck. He waited a moment then placed his hand back on his brother's neck. His heartbeat was faint and slow at first then began to pump more strongly and steadily. The silence of the car was broken as Sam inhaled wheezily and coughed.
"Dean?"
"I'm right here Sammy." Sam reached up, wrapping his blood slicked hand around his brother's.
"Hey, it's gonna be alright." Dean said softly.
"Is Dad…?"
"I don't know Sammy." And Dean really didn't know if his father or his beloved Impala were fixable. What he did know was that right now he and Sam were okay. As long as Sam was alright Dean knew he would be too. They would get through the aftermath of this together. He looked at the amulet around Sam's neck, glinting softly in the moonlight, thanking a God he wasn't sure he believed in that his father had thought to get a Fraternus Adoratio so long ago. Dean sighed and squeezed Sam's hand. He knew help would be along shortly, after all they were only ten minutes from the hospital. Sam would survive and in turn so would Dean. A brother's love is a powerful thing.
Please let me know your thoughts.