Chapter 2:

Sam woke up Saturday morning when the sun began to shine brightly through the thin curtains on the bedroom window. He squinted his eyes and turned towards Dean's side of the room. His brother was sprawled out over the bed snoring quietly, Dean always slept in on Saturdays when they weren't on a hunt, he didn't ask for much and he did so much for his family so John and Sam always let him have that little bit of extra sleep, they owed him that. Sam picked up a t-shirt off the floor and through it on before tiptoeing past Dean's bed and out into the hallway. His dad was sitting in the kitchen with some papers and his journal sprawled out in front of him.

"Hey Dad."

"Morning Sam. Dean still asleep?"

"Yes sir." John nodded and returned to his work in front of him. Sam poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down across from his father. John was scribbling down notes and going through police files, his journal was opened up to the page marked shapeshifters.

"Damn it…" John muttered under his breath. Sam placed his bowl back in the sink.

"Do you want some help?" John looked at Sam with a shocked expression on his face.

"Are you offering to help me research?" Sam shrugged.

"Well, if you want my help. Researching is the part I am actually good at." Sam said. John laughed, but didn't correct him. Sam was hoping for John to tell him that he was good at hunting too, maybe give him some kind of praise, but he didn't.

"You can take a look at these police files, see if you can find any kind of pattern with the victims." Sam took the files from his father and sat down at the table. He opened them up and looked at the grizzly photos in front of him. Looking at innocent people mauled by monsters was something Sam didn't ever think he would get used to. All the victims were missing their hearts, but none of the attacks had happened on or during the days leading up to the full moon. Other then the way they died the victims didn't seem to have anything in common, but he could feel John watching him, so he kept on searching, there had to be something. Sam didn't look up from the pages until he heard Dean walk into the kitchen. He looked up at his brother whose hair was sticking up in all direction and he was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning Dean." John said without looking up.

"Morning Dad, what you guys doing?"

"Research, hunt a few towns away. I think it is a shapeshifter but I need to figure out who it is. Sam is looking over the police reports." Dean looked at his brother. Sam was researching on a Saturday? Normally that would have caused a huge fight.

"What have you found?"

"Nothing so far." John muttered. Sam suddenly jumped from his chair and flipped all the reports to the same page.

"Hey Dad, do you know what the population of this town is?"

"Uhhh yeah…" John shuffled the papers in front of him around until he found the page of town statistics. "35, 000 people, it isn't a small town." Sam smiled.

"Okay, so get this, in a town of 35, 000 people, what are the odds that every case has the same police officer as a first responder?" Sam turned the police reports towards his Dad, and Dean came around to look at them. "John Thomas Cole was the first officer at every crime scene. Not only that, he transferred here seven months ago from a precinct in Baltimore three weeks before the first attack."

"Huh, I can't believe I missed that. Looks like I may be heading out a few days early."

"How early Dad?" Dean asked.

"Tuesday probably, can't wait too long, people are dying." John got up from the table and put his coffee cup in the sink. "I'm going to shower." He walked out of the room.

"Good job Sammy." Dean said.

"Thanks…" Sam said, but Dean wasn't the person he wanted to hear that from.

"So any particular reason you volunteered to research?"

"No, I just didn't have anything better to do."

"What about homework?"

"Finished my rough copy last night, I'll do my good copy tomorrow." Dean nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but the phone behind him rang so he turned to answer it.

"This is Dean." Dean listened to the other end then smiled wryly at Sam. "Yeah he is right here, hang on a second. Oh Sammy, Quinn's on the phone." Sam jumped out of the chair and grabbed the phone from his brother.

"Hey, Quinn."

"Hey Sammy." Sam groaned.

"God don't you start, I already got an older brother who won't stop that."

"Alright Sam, what's up?"

"Uhh… nothing really, just chilling out with my dad and brother. It's nice to hear from you but… how did you get this number?"

"My aunt works in the admissions office at the school, I got it off your records." Sam laughed.

"You hacked my records? That's a trick." Quinn giggled.

"Oh I am full of surprises. Anyway, back to why I called, what are you doing tonight?"

"I don't really know, depends on if my Dad has made plans with us or anything, why what's going on?"

"Well everyone is going to Patrick's place, to watch some movies and just hang out, what do you think? You wanna come?"

Ummm… I have to ask, hang on a second." Sam put the phone down on the counter and walked back into the living room. Dean was sitting on the couch attempting to watch TV and read an auto magazine at the same time.

"Hey Dean, Dad still in the shower?"

"Yep, what's up Sam?"

"Well Quinn asked if I wanted to hang out at our friend Patrick's place, do you think I'd be allowed?"

"Well… what are you guys gonna be doing?"

"Nothing, just watching movies and stuff."

"Tell her you'll be there."

"Shouldn't I ask Dad first?"

"Sammy, you did a bunch of research today, you broke the case, you need to have a life outside of us, I'll cover you with Dad." Sam was lucky to have Dean as a brother, he was also glad that Dean had practically raised him, so John rarely questioned Dean's decision when it came to Sam.

"Thanks Dean." Sam raced back to the phone. "Quinn? You still there?"

"Yep, what did he say?"

"I can come, where's Patrick's house?"

"611 Acton Avenue. Do you need a ride?"

"No thanks, I don't leave far from there I can walk, what time do you want to meet?"

"Well, I am gonna go over there in half an hour."

"Okay, see you soon."

"See you soon Sam." Sam hung up the phone and ran back into his bedroom and grabbed some clean clothes and out them on then grabbed his keys off the table.

"See you later Dean!"

"Sam wait, take my cell phone, just in case. And be home by eleven okay?"

"Okay."

"Have fun." Sam walked out of the house and bounded down the stairs heading toward Patrick's house. It was probably close to a twenty minute walk, but Sam enjoyed it, he couldn't wait to hang out with his friends. He saw Quinn getting out a van as he walked up the street and she saw him waved and walked towards him and gave him a hug.

"I am so glad you decided to come."

"Yeah me too." Quinn grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him along the sidewalk and into the house. "Patrick! Where are you?"

"We're in the basement!" Patrick called up the stairs. Sam made his way downstairs behind Quinn where there was a big screen TV and some leather couches. There was a bedroom off to the side, which he assumed was Patrick's room.

"Hey Sam, glad you could make it." Patrick said. Ren and Blair were sitting on the couch that was against the wall whispering to each other about something. Bryan came down the stairs and gave Sam a nod and held up two six packs.

"Who wants a beer?" Everyone grabbed one and Quinn handed one to Sam.

"Do you drink?"

"Uhmmm yeah occasionally with my brother and my Dad."

"Your Dad lets you drink?" Ren asked.

"Well, he doesn't mind if we have a few beers now and again, he's a Vietnam War veteran, drinking is kind of in his DNA." Everyone laughed, and Sam smiled awkwardly.

"Alright, what do we want to watch?"

"Put on a horror movie!" Blair said. Everyone agreed on Poltergeist and Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes. If only His friends new what poltergeists were really like, this is the type of movie Dean and him would spend hours laughing about the mistakes that were made in the movie. But with Quinn leaning against his chest, he felt completely at ease, he reached his hand up and stoked her hair and she leaned into his touch. He missed most of the movie, but he didn't care. By the time the movie was over it was eight o'clock and everyone went out back to get some air and have a smoke. Quinn tapped Sam on the shoulder and handed him an unopened pack of cigarettes and a plastic green light.

"I brought you your own so you won't have to bum off of us anymore." Quinn said.

"Thanks." Sam smiled and pulled the cellophane off the outside of the pack and took out a cigarette. He lit it and inhaled the smoke and felt himself relax into a haze of smoke and alcohol.

"Hey, Bryan are you staying here tonight?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah, I don't feel like going home."

"Alright, Quinn's mom is picking up you girls at midnight right?"

"Yeah, is that too late?"

"No, it's fine, Sam? What time you gotta leave?"

"I have to be home by eleven, so I gotta leave here by 1030… next time hopefully I can stay later."

"No big Sam, it was kinda last minute. We got an hour and half anyone interested in a little green?" Patrick held up a baggy, and Sam saw what appeared to be joints in the bag.

"Drinking a couple beers is one thing, but won't your parents freak if they catch us doing that?" Sam asked. Patrick laughed.

"My parents are in Florida for the next two weeks, they ain't gonna find nothing out." Patrick passed the joints around the group and Sam held it in his hands. It was just weed, what's the worst that could happen? Sam lit it and took a drag from the joint; it was different then smoking a cigarette he didn't feel anything at first, but then he started to feel like he was kind of floating, he was overcome with an instant calm.

"You okay Sam?" Quinn asked. Sam smiled down at her and grabbed her gently by the hips and pulled her close.

"I'm great Quinn." Sam leaned down and kissed her on the lips, and after a second she kissed back opening her mouth slightly and Sam slipped his tongue inside her mouth. They savored in the kiss for a moment before they heard a whistling and laughing from their friends that brought them back to reality.

"And you guys all complain about me and Patrick kissing, we have

never gotten that hot and bothered." Blair said. The six friends sat out back

for awhile until 10:30 rolled around and Sam sighed.

"I gotta get going." Sam said. "I'll see you guys on Monday alright?"

"I'll walk you out." Quinn said. Sam said his goodbyes to the rest of

his friends, and walked up the stairs and out the front door with Quinn. Before

he left he turned around and faced her and give her a quick kiss. She smiled up

at him.

"Sam what does all this mean?"

"I don't know…"

"Do you like me?"

"More then even know. Do you like me?"

"Yes. So does that mean this is official?"

"Absolutely." Quinn giggled and kissed Sam again.

"I'll see you on Monday." She turned and walked back into the house Sam began the trek home. He felt like he was walking on air, and he wasn't sure if it was the drugs or it was because he was feeling amazing about his new girlfriend. Either way, he was spacey and he almost missed the ringing of the cellphone in his pocket. He almost dropped it whipping it out of his pocket and caught it on the last ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sam, just wanted to make sure you were on your way back."

"Uhhh yeah I am, I should be back in like ten minutes."

"You okay Sammy? You sound… off…"

"Yeah m'fine just tired. I'll be home soon."

"Alright, see you in bit." Dean hung up and Sam must have held the phone to his head for two minutes before he realized it, and by that point he was turning onto his street. He stumbled up the stairs of the house and unlocked the door. John was sitting at the tabled drinking a beer and didn't even look up as Sam walked in, so he walked past him and into the bedroom. Dean was sitting on his bed with his eyes closed, headphones in and his Walkman on, but his big brother sense went off as soon as Sam closed the door.

"How'd it go kid?"

"It was good. Had a good time. Here's your phone back." Sam tossed the phone in Dean's lap and walked over to his dresser to get changed. He took off his shirt and jeans and changed into some track pants and an old t-shirt he wasn't sure had originally belonged to his Dad or Dean. Living with two other guys, you learn there is no point of being embarrassed of getting changed around them when you were constantly living in each other's pockets. Dean was watching Sam as he moved around the room and it made his skin crawl.

"Can I help you with something Dean?" Sam said more snappily then he meant to. Dean noticed because he frowned and sat up in his bed.

"I thought you had a good night?"

"I did."

"Then why are you being a little bitch?" Sam groaned.

"I'm sorry okay? I'm just tired." Dean frowned again and stood up putting his arm against Sam's head, which Sam pushed away. "I'm not sick Dean." Dean's eyes narrowed.

"If you aren't sick, then why are your eyes red and glazed?" Sam felt panic building up inside of him.

"I'm just tired, I was up early, and then I researched, and then I went out. I'm fine." Sam wasn't sure that Dean believed him, he couldn't read that look that was on Dean's face, but after a minute Dean seemed to deflate and went back to sit on his bed, picking up his Walkman.

"Go to sleep Sam." Dean said, and put his headphones back in. He had suspicions that Sam was up to something, but he had no proof, and the big brother in him wanted to believe that is little brother would never do something stupid, and for now he let that part of him win, Sammy couldn't be up to something, and even a he looked at his brother who had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, he couldn't find it in himself to believe that Sam had gotten himself into trouble.

Sam did not want to wake up Sunday morning, it was 10 o'clock and he was still groggy, but he knew he couldn't sleep the day away. He sat up in his bad and rubbed at his eyes, he had a slight headache, but that was probably just from the weed since he had never done it before. Sam pushed himself out of bed and went to his dresser to grab some clothes. When he turned around he jumped and swore under his breath because Dean was sitting on his bed watching him.

"Jesus Christ, hasn't anyone ever told you it is creepy to watch people sleep?" Sam snarled.

"Dude, it took you five minutes to notice there was someone in the room with you, that's pathetic." Dean replied. "Your brain must not be firing on all cylinders today." Dean stood up and crossed the room until he was standing in front of Sam. "What did you do last night?"

"Nothing Dean, we watched some movies and we had a few beers, and then I came home."

"If you were drinking you should have told me. I would have come pick you up."

"I had like two beers, I wasn't drunk. You know if I needed a ride I would have called you." Dean couldn't deny that, Sam had always let him know if he needed help.

"Yeah you're right, I'm sorry, you just seemed out of it last night." Sam breathed a sigh of relief that Dean was dropping the subject.

"No big deal Dean. I need to finish my homework." Dean nodded and walked out of the room leaving Sam by himself. Sam spent the day rewriting his essay and thinking about the night before. He liked being high, it had been a long time since he had felt as calm as he did the night before. Some part of his brain told him what he was doing was wrong, and he felt guilty for lying to Dean, he had never lied to his brother before, but a bigger part of him loved he feeling, and didn't want to stop, and then there was Quinn. He really liked this girl, and he really liked hanging out with her and her friends. If they all smoked weed and they were fine, why couldn't he do it? At that moment Sam had no idea he had just started down a dark road, that would destroy his life.