Author's note: Dear friends in Fanfic land, I'm soooo sorry this is late in coming to you. I have been begging the Fan Fic Fairy to let me post for the past 5 days! The bad news is that you had to wait and I had to load it as text and reformat the whole thing. The good news is that it gave me lots of extra time to refine this chapter. I sure hope it was worth the wait! I really tried to make it worth your while. Enjoy Rachelly
Chapter 3
It had been almost nine hours since Dean began his stake out across the street from the Lake Front Motel, waiting for his runaway brother to emerge from one of the many closed doors he suspected he was hiding behind. His wait had been frustratingly unfruitful and his patience and hopefulness were starting to wane.
Boredom had clearly over taken the eldest Winchester as he'd spent the day stuck inside his head and his beloved, though totally trashed Impala, slowly baking to death. He had already memorized the names of the small shops that dotted the street to his right and was even starting to recognize the faces of the shoppers as they came and went from each store.
With nothing else to do, he began giving the passers by names of car models based on their appearances, the way they moved, or overall physical demeanors. A rather striking person of the female persuasion walked casually by with a tight skirt, high heels, and an extremely low cut sleeveless shirt. Diamond jewelry fashionably decorated both of her slender wrists and dangled from her almost perfect earlobes. "Cuda….definitely Cuda", he labeled her, forming a crooked smile across his almost drooling lips as he remembered the car's attractive and rather stylish front with partially hidden headlights.
Renaming people was a mindless game he and Sam had played as kids when they were bored, stuck in their dad's car for hours on end, waiting for him to finish whatever it was that he was doing. In the game, Dean always got to pick the category of names to choose from, claiming it was his God given right as the oldest, much to Sam's dismay. Dean smiled to himself as he began to remember one game in particular...
Flashback
"The category is..."
Sammy waited eagerly for Dean's choice, hoping it would be something easy so he could maybe win.
"…….cars!" Dean declared with a Cheshire cat grin, knowing full well what his little brother's reaction would be. He constantly beat Sam when it came to cars. The youngest Winchester had absolutely no interest in car makes or models, much to Dean's horror and so he truly felt it was his calling to torture his little brother about it.
"Cars…. again? Dean, you know I don't do so good with cars" the kindergartener complained. "Can't we do dogs or candy?" he pleaded, looking hopefully up at his big brother.
Sammy's sappy look almost made Dean surrender, but, as big brothers often do, he just couldn't resist getting one up on his smart little brother and hoped to push the kid into learning them even if he had to use his pride to get him to
"Cars" Dean stated flatly with a glint in his eyes.
"Ah, maaaaan" Sam whined checking to see if it really was Dean's final word on the subject.
Dean just smiled smuggly back.
Sam knew he had only two choices: quit or play. He was too stubborn to quit so, as he saw it, his only option was to play. "Okay" he exhaled frustratingly.
"Tell ya what. I'll let you go first" Dean offered pretending to be generous, but clearly setting his younger brother up. "And you can't say Imala, Sammy. Nobody looks like an Impala... I don't care what you say"
Sammy frowned and began looking out the window. His interested eyes flashed right and left while his mind tried desperately to remember one of the names Dean had used the last time they had "played"…if you could call it that. Sam had lost on his first turn. It began with a "D"…. or was it a "P". He just couldn't remember.
Finally, a tall, graceful woman with a floppy hat and lots of packages passed in front of the car window on her way to somewhere important. Her hat and skirt were white and her shirt was yellow with a pretty flower on the front of it. Sam thought she was absolutely bea-utiful.
Sam looked hesitatingly at Dean and tried to recall the name his brother had used to describe another woman Dean had thought was absolutely amazing, though Sam clearly preferred this woman. She looked like a nice mom to him.
"P…Por…" he began as he slowly started to recall part of the name he had heard his brother use. He blinked and glanced up, looking to Dean for a little help.
None came as Dean teasingly cocked his head and raised his eyebrows watching his little brother struggle to form the word in his little mouth.
"….Por-ch?" he fearfully put forward, then quickly added an "a" on the end to make it sound more like a girls name.
Dean laughed out loud and began rolling around in the back seat hooting and howling. " Porch-a????!!!" he repeated amused as all get out that his little brother had actually come close to a car name and yet still managed to completely slaughter it.
Sam regretted he had ever agreed to the stupid game in the first place as he watched his brother tease him mercilessly.
"You mean Porsche, Sammy. A porch is definitely not a car… with or without the extra… a….added!" Dean continued his hysterical laughter to the point of tears. "You lose…a-gain" he couldn't help but point out. "Better luck next time, squirt"
Sam stiffened his lips and began arguing in his own defense. "S'what I meant!" he hollered. "Porsche…I meant Porsche!"
Dean's smile softened as he realized he had carried it a bit too far and hurt his little brother's feelings. Somehow the thrill of besting the kid had suddenly lost its appeal.
"She does look like she would enjoy sitting on a porch sipping lemonade, Sammy," he added looking over to see if his brother was receiving his gesture of kindness and apology. Sam nodded his head, growing hopeful that his brother was starting to see things his way. Dean truly tried to be nice, but Sam was such an easy target... he just couldn't resist, "…but you definitely can't drive a porch" he added as laughter consumed him once again. "Porch-a! You crack me up, Sammy" he snickered and snorted for what seemed like forever.
Dean remembered his father's return to the car shortly after. He had glanced at the two boys, surprised to see Sammy sulking in the back and Dean smiling devilishly, looking like the cat that ate the canary. What Dean didn't realize was that Sam was not really sulking; he was plotting.
The very next day, the little geek had snaked a book of car makes and models from the school library, unbeknownst to Dean, and lured him into a match. Needless to say, Sam beat Dean at his own game, much to Sam's delight and Dean's regret. How the hell the kid remembered the Caballero was an American Motors car from 1980 to 1987 was beyond him.
Even though he lost, Dean was partially pleased that Sam had finally entered his world of cars. As a reward, Dean decided Sam had earned the right to pick the categories….every once in a while…for a day or two. He retook his right to rule when Sam picked the elements of the Periodic Table as his category.
Dean remembered thinking he would never give the kid another choice as long as they were brothers, which was basically for the rest of his little brother's life.
….a choice…the words hung heavily in his mind as he glanced over towards the motel checking to see if anything had happened since his last look a few minutes earlier. Sam had a right to make this choice, to go off on his own, separate from his older brother, but Dean had a choice too, which was exactly why he was sitting outside the crappy little motel in this shitty little town on the hottest freakin' day of the year in the first place. He was choosing to undo Sam's choice. It was that simple.
oooOOOooo
The sound of an opening door caught Dean's attention and he immediately turned to check out the motel sitting across the street opposite him. One of the doors on the far end had been opened. His eyes strained to see inside the unlit room, to see if it was his brother who was just behind the door. A van breezed by temporarily blocking his vision and Dean craned his neck to see past it. His great anticipation was dashed as he saw a woman and man emerge from the room, turn to lock the door, and head on down to the office or hotel restaurant probably for a late lunch.
Disappointed, Dean sunk back down in his seat and looked forward. He was tired of waiting, sick of head games, and growing worried about his brother. The thought of trying to figure out which person on the street would be renamed DeLoreon depressed him…no one in this God forsaken town even looked scientific or inventive. If they had, they probably would have packed their bags and left years ago.
The pressure of the leather seat on his injured back caused a wave of pain to travel through him. He winced slightly and readjusted his position. The memory of getting the injuries which prompted his little brother to leave flashed through his mind...
Flashback
They had been on a hunt in northern Nebraska. Ethan Holmes, the beloved and only son of Ethel Homes, had died unexpectedly of a heart attack less than a week earlier. The grieving mother decided it was better to bring back her dearly departed son rather than deal with his passing and had rationalized necromancy as the way to do it.
The once kind hearted, gentle philanthropist had returned vengeful upon discovering that his "heart attack" had been orchestrated by his wife and older brother, a cardiologist at the local community hospital. Ethan discovered, less than a week after his death, his wife had turned to his older brother and best friend in more than a familial way. Having found them in the bedroom of his newly purchased dream home, Ethan realized they had been together prior and ,in fact, had planned his demise so that they would be free to pursue a more permanent relationship as husband and wife once the dust had settled……….on his grave, that is. The betrayal had morphed mild mannered Ethan into a spiteful and murderous Zombie.
Dean smiled for a moment as his thoughts returned to the present. Why did he and his brother always get the zombies that were avenging a stolen love? If it wasn't the adulterous husband or wife, it was the cheating girlfriend or boyfriend. He hated those cases…their stories almost seemed like they belonged on daytime TV and he hated daytime TV. He could think of so many more interesting revenge stories that would provoke the kindest undead person to become a wacked out murderous zombie, but no, it was always the relationship triangle crap.
He grumbled to himself and glanced over to the hotel for the seemingly hundredth time, checked his watch and decided he'd wait one more hour and then approach the hotel manager. At least if he found out what room his brother was hiding out in, he could be more specific in his watching. His thoughts returned to why his brother was hiding in the first place…the hunt.
Ethan had already killed his wife and was soon to kill his brother when Sam and Dean planned his return to death, where he'd been summoned from. The plan was simple and familiar having been executed successfully over a handful of times before: lure the zombie into the graveyard and stake him to his coffin. The lure had been established, the grave was dug, the coffin open. Dean was the bait this time, much to Sam's delight, since his older brother had always made him the bait in the past, although he couldn't help but wonder if breaking his wrist last time hadn't factored in to Dean's decision to switch roles. Either way, Sam was the one to stake it, and Dean was the bait.
Dean had his gun readied. Sam had the stake tightly grasped in one hand, his weapon in the other. They waited in the darkness as the cool morning mist lay heavily across the graveyard. A noise was heard off in the distance and Dean moved out. Sam crouched ready behind a grove of bushes near the tomb just as planned. It almost felt like a well rehearsed play where the curtain had just gone up. Dean would soon pass in front of Sam and dive to the ground leaving an open path for Sam to shoot the thing into its grave and stake it.
It wasn't long before Dean came bolting out of the woods heading straight for the open casket with Ethan full speed behind him. He dropped to the ground just short of the rectangular hole and the zombie pounced on him from behind. Dean felt strong hands begin to pummel him as he waited for the shots…… that never came.
Not wanting to reveal his brother's presence nor give his position away to make him become zombie food, Dean refused to call out and instead, attempted to roll over, hoping to toss the vicious creature aside making it an easier target for Sam. But it was impossible. Ethan, fully enraged, was far too powerful and continued his savage attack on his captured prey.
Dean finally hollered out in pain for his brother to make his move regardless of whether his shot might clip his older sibling in the process. If Sam didn't do something soon, it wouldn't matter anyways. He again waited for the shot, but got no response. It was then that panic struck him full force.
Something was wrong. He was in serious trouble, of that he was convinced, but his fear turned towards his younger brother… maybe Sam was in trouble, too. Dean attempted to roll over again, but the full weight of the infuriated man was upon him. He was trapped receiving blow after blow, mercilessly and relentlessly. A snap sent shooting pains across his back and around his side as one of his ribs gave way. His head was cruelly grabbed and slammed against the unforgiving ground. A wave of dizziness assaulted him and he feared his world would soon go dark. All Dean could think about was Sam, and if he was alright and how he would be able to defend himself when the damn thing finished pummeling him into unconsciousness or death.
Suddenly, the long awaited shot rang out, then another and another. The zombie's body jerked and rose to face its attacker. Dean scrambled to the side and stumbled to his feet. Another shot rang out. The zombie was forced back by the impact of the bullets towards the coffin now only a few feet away.
Dean's eyes went immediately to Sam and he took in his brother's plight. Sam was swaying curled into himself, stumbling like a drunkard, trying desperately to steady his hand enough to get off another shot. His left hand, fisted around the stake, was rubbing against his pain filled temple as he gasped and fought to draw in air and work through the excruciating pain that was assaulting him. Sam's expression was so intense, his suffering so extreme, it gripped Dean's heart and forced him into an utter panic. If he didn't do something soon, his little brother might fall and never get up.
The tortured hunter, unaware of his brother's anxious gaze, struggled on to get another well placed shot off to save his older brother's life.
Somehow, a bullet managed to escape the chamber of his gun and meet its mark. The zombie, once again forced backwards by the impact, began to teeter on the edge of the rectangular pit that lay behind it. Knowing that it wouldn't be long before Sam would totally lose his ability to function, let alone complete the hunt, Dean lunged for the stake and yanked it from his sibling's trembling grasp. He was desperate to finish the hunt and aid his agonized brother. He quickly turned just in time to see the deceased corpse fall backwards into the coffin and he threw himself in after it. Moments later, Ethan Holmes was staked and resting in peace…permanently.
oooOOOooo
Dean immediately looked up.
"Sammy? You alright?" the worried hunter called out from inside the tomb as he frantically scrambled to get out of it.
Sam lay on the ground in the fetal position, rocking with clenched fists pressed against both sides of his head.
"SAM!" Dean shouted as he threw himself to the ground beside his fallen brother.
Sam was shaking uncontrollably and there seemed to be no sign of a reprieve. He didn't respond to his name, nor did he make any comments as he had in the past.
"Damn it Sam, talk to me"
"ahhhhh…" Sam cried out, continuing to curl in on himself gasping and wincing.
The pain was clearly getting worse and Sam began banging his head on the ground as if trying desperately to relieve it. Dean cradled his brother's head in his hands trying to keep him from hurting himself and attempted to uncurl his little brother's body to see what was wrong.
"Is it a vision?" he questioned frantically, overwhelmed by the degree of its intensity if it were.
"Sammy?"
Dean desperately tried to steady his brother and help him ride out the pain.
Sam cried out again and blood began dripping from his nose.
"Shit… Sam, what can I do?" Dean begged as he swept his hand across his face. "Tell me, please! How can I help?"
His bloodied brother remained curled and unresponsive, writhing on the ground in utter anguish.
Not knowing what else to do, Dean began lifting his little brother up onto his legs, pulling Sam's back up against his chest. He tried to wrap his arms around his suffering sibling and steady his shaking.
The pain continued to escalate and Sam began to convulse.
Dean placed the palm of his hand against Sam's forehead and gently pulled his brother's head against his shoulder, attempting to brace him and keep him from further injury. He rested his own head on top. Sam jerked violently beneath his brother's firm grip. No sound escaped his lips, not even a cry.
Dean felt each shock as it passed through his little brother's body as if it were his own. His cracked ribs complained, but he struggled to maintain his focus so he could continue to help his suffering sibling. A panic like he'd never known before overwhelmed him as he held his brother's life in his hands, not knowing if it was slipping away or going to be recovered.
Tears began to make their way down the sides of his cheeks. Dean looked up to the starlit sky. "Please…..God…. let this be over" Dean begged to anyone who might be listening and have a kind heart for his little brother. "Please" his cracked voice pleaded as he held his brother tightly and began rocking with him. His tears dripped down on to his brother's brown hair.
He looked back down at his anguished sibling, rested his head once again on his hair, and helplessly, waited for the seizure or whatever the hell it was to end.
Dean remained in the dark on the graveyard floor for what seemed like an eternity, holding tightly on to his suffering sibling. Tremor after tremor he waited, wondering if it might be Sam's last, whether this would end well or just end.
Whether it was a miracle or simply an answer to his heart's plea, Dean felt Sam's convulsions begin to slow. The rapid, uncontrollable jerking gave way to tremors which were much less intense.
"Easy, Sammy, shhhhh" Dean cooed hoping that maybe the sound of his voice might somehow help his brother find his way back.
The tremors slowly dissolved into mild shaking. Dean began to relax his hold allowing his little brother the ability to feel more comfortable in his gentle grasp.
"Sammy, ya with me?" he whispered in his brother's ear. " Huh? You with me?" Dean questioned, desperate to get some kind of response, anything to indicate his brother was coming around.
Sam's mild shaking slowly surrendered to a gentle shiver.
"C'mon, man, please... give me a sign, little brother..." he pleaded gently rubbing his brother's arm hoping that the warmth it produced would further quiet Sam's shudders.
His younger brother continued to quiver and remain unresponsive. A wet sheen covered his face as if fevered. Dean worried that his sibling's stilling might not be the reprieve he had hoped for, but the foretelling of the final outcome of a war Sam was losing, in his battle with whatever it was that had been claiming him.
"Sam? You hearin' me?" he begged with tears in eyes waiting, wondering and fearing the worst.
Sam stirred slightly.
Dean lifted his chin from the top of his sibling's head and his hand from Sam's forehead and tried to get a look at him.
"Sammy?"
Sam attempted to speak, but his words were jumbled. It scared the shit out of Dean.
"What? I-I didn't get that, Sammy. Tell me again. What did you say?"
Sam moaned, but no words followed.
Dean felt his brother's shivering body suddenly relax… and then go limp.
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tbc…
A cliffy…I know…sorry….I'll have the next one up soon if the Fan Fic Fairy will smile on me! So…..the big question……..was it worth the wait? Please let me know! I'd love your input!
Keep reading and reviewing! Rachelly
