A/N: As requested, I've brought in some familiar names and they will be throughout the story. Thanks to those who have favored and are following the story and a special thank you to those who left reviews: EmilyAnnGibbs-McGarrett (EAGG), .777, Trucklady53, Janierkm, and DearHeart. I was very humbled by your kind words.
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Chapter 3
Sam settled into a routine on campus. He had classes all day, homework, study groups and research in the evening. It was a simpler time for him. He made some friends, but was cautious how close he let them get. He was shocked at how fast the time went by. The first couple of months were hard. He missed his big brother so much. He picked his phone up so many times to call him, but something stopped him. What if he didn't want to hear from him? What if he was on Dad's side? What if he was glad he was gone so he wouldn't have to look out for him? Too many what if's for him to gather the courage to do it.
Finals for the semester would be coming up in two weeks and Sam was working hard on completing several assignments before the weekend. He wanted to have a few hours of free time to unwind, maybe catch a movie or something. He had been invited to numerous parties, but that just wasn't his thing, hanging around while kids got wasted, nope, he would pass.
The weather was not cooperating as Dean pulled into a non descript motel in Stillwater, Oklahoma and parked. He turned the collar up on his jacket and made his way to the office to get a room for the night. He had just finished a hunt with Caleb a couple of towns over. They had both been tracking the same vampire nest and ended up combining their resources to take them out. He was glad too, there were more than he had thought and he couldn't have killed them all on his own.
Caleb commented that he saw John a month back while tracking a werewolf up north. He told Dean John had asked about him. Dean didn't even acknowledge the remark, knowing he couldn't talk about his father yet even though it had been nearly five months since he had last set eyes on him. Well not quiet true, he had seen him from a distance a couple of months back when passing through a small town several days south of where he was now.
Dean carried his bags into the room and tossed one on the bed and the other he sat on the table. He was trying to decide whether to shower before getting something to eat or after when his cell began to ring.
"Hello." he grunted.
"Dean, son how's it goin'?" Bobby Singer asked.
"Bobby, what's goin' on?"
"Was wondering if you could help me on a case?"
"Yeah, I'm free, just finished up hunt and taking a quick rest tonight, where you at?"
"Little town outside Amarillo, Texas, called Pampa on Highway 60."
"Ok, I'll head your way in the morning, where you staying?"
"Little motel called Silver Dollar Court Motel, room nine."
"See ya tomorrow then."
"You boys be careful." Bobby commented not knowing that Sam was not with Dean.
"Right." Dean said hanging up. He would have thought Bobby had heard by now that he was hunting on his own, maybe not, Dean had not been very sociable lately. He guessed his father hadn't seen Bobby either.
The morning dawned cool and clear as Dean pulled himself out of bed and grabbed a quick shower before hitting the diner for coffee and an egg sandwich to go. He was on the road in no time and rolling toward Pampa, Texas.
It was going on one pm when Dean pulled the Impala into the parking lot of the Silver Dollar Court Motel. He drove around the complex looking for room nine. He spotted Bobby's Chevelle parked at the end of the lot and pulled in beside it.
Bobby looked up when someone knocked on the door. With gun in hand he glanced out the peep-hole before opening the door.
"Dean good to see ya boy." Bobby smiled opening the door enough for Dean to enter. He glanced behind him for Sam and frowned when he saw he was by himself. "Where's that brother of yours at?"
"Sam's not with me anymore." Dean said bluntly as he dropped his bag on an empty bed.
"He with your Dad?" Bobby asked slowly sensing he was out of the loop. He knew how the youngest Winchester and his father butted heads and couldn't see Sam staying with him.
"No."
Bobby looked over at Dean and saw the dark expression on his face. He knew whatever happened needed to aired now if they were going to work together.
"Wanna tell me what happened?" Bobby asked pouring Dean a cup of coffee.
"Sam left, got a free ride to college, Dad freaked, told him don't come back." Dean blurred out sitting down at the table.
Bobby let this information sink in for a few minutes, sipping his coffee before responding.
"So where's your Dad?"
"No idea, I left. After how he treated Sammy, I left too. Dad was wrong." Dean explained with little emotion in his voice. "So what ya huntin'?" he asked closing the subject of his brother and father.
Bobby knew that expression and tone, he wasn't getting any more details from Dean. Maybe later, he could get more out of him. For now, he would fill the young hunter in on what his research had turned up.
"So you think there's a witch killing people?"
"My best guess, all the signs are pointing to it yeah."
"I hate witches." he grimaced. "Are there any connections between the victims?"
"All I could find was several of the vics went to a bar called Lone Star.""
"Good a place as any to start I guess." Dean commented getting up.
"Little early ain't it?" Bobby asked.
"It's never too early." Dean responded bluntly heading for the door.
Bobby started at the boy trying to size him up. He had not seen the Winchesters in a several years and this was not the boy he remembered. Something had changed in him and he didn't know when it happened. He needed to find Sam and see if he could get some answers.
He followed Dean out of the room and to the Impala settling himself in the passenger seat. Dean pulled out of the lot and headed toward the main part of the town knowing that was where all the bars and diners usually were located.
Dean walked into the bar and paused for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. After a quick glance around the room, he sauntered to the bar and took a stool.
"Hey good-looking, what can I get you?" a good-looking woman with a name tag of Joey asked Dean as she wiped the bar in front of him.
"Beer." he responded not picking up on her comment.
"Sure thing." she said drawing a draft and setting it on the bar.
Bobby joined him at the bar noticing the beer before him.
"What can I get you?" Joey asked.
"Coffee, black." Bobby replied.
"Sure thing hon." she answered setting a cup in front of him and pouring the coffee.
"You work in the evenings too?" Dean questioned.
"Part of the time."
"Have you seen either of these two in the past two weeks?" he asked laying down two pictures of two of the victims.
Joey picked up the photos and studied them closely. She then looked back at Dean sizing him up.
"Who's asking?"
"FBI, we're looking into their deaths." Dean told her pulling out his badge and showing her.
Joey checked his badge and looked back up at him. "Yes, I've seen them a few times in here."
"Did they have any problems with any one in the bar?"
"Nothing stands out, but you might want to talk to Mitch, he works night shift most of the time."
"What time does he come in?"
"Usually around six, he should be here tonight."
"Thanks." Dean said finishing his beer and laying money by the glass. He gave Joey a nod and headed back outside.
Dean waited for Bobby by the car as he decided their next move.
"Let's split up the victims and talk to family, see if they know anything."
"Drop me by the motel, I'll take the first two and you can have the last two."
"I'll meet you back at the diner down from the motel, we can go ahead and grab dinner."
"Sounds good."
The cool breeze blew gently through Sam's long hair as he turned his face to the sun. Even though it was the end of November, the weather was still pleasant. He had applied to stores near the campus for a part-time job to make money during the holiday break. With what money he had left and hopefully a job, he would be able to stay nearby until he could move back into the dorms.
Sam let his mind drift as he thought about the upcoming holiday. This would be the first Christmas he would be alone. All other ones he at least had Dean with him. A wave of sadness swept over him as tears pricked his eyes. He wondered how his big brother was doing. Sam had thought that he might have called or even stopped by. Deep down in his subconscious, places that didn't see the light of day, he was really hurt. He would never air these thoughts, but they skirted around the edges of his mind waiting to be let out.
His phone began to ring startling him out of his thoughts.
So who's on the phone, not who you expect. We'll see later on. Leave me a review of your thoughts and suggestions.
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