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Ch3 – The Search Begins

Dean stretched out on the bed. It felt like one of those lazy days. If the creature was a werewolf they had nearly a week before it struck again. He rolled over, looking for a more comfortable position. Wait a minute. "Rae?"

No answer. Dean cracked an eye open. Nothing was moving. "Rae!"

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Sammie Rae! Front and center!" Normally that was more than enough to bring her shooting out from wherever she was hiding. Concerned, Dean stood to survey their motel room. It wasn't large enough to hide much of anything. He threw a pillow at Sam's head before heading over to the bathroom.

"What? What? I'm up!"

Dean pounded on the bathroom door. "Sammie Rae? You in there?" He opened the door cautiously. The bathroom was empty too. Dean raced to his duffel and pulled on a pair of jeans over his boxers. He threw his boots on, sockless, before racing out the door. "Rae! Rae!"

Dean raced around the parking lot, calling her name. He tried searching the hallways outside the motel. It was very early and no one was out, certainly not a six year old. By the time he ran back to their room, Dean was in full-blown panic mode. Sam was talking to the people in the next room. When they were sure Rae was not inside, they moved to the next door. No one answered. Dean lifted his foot to kick the door in.

"Dean!" Sam stood between Dean and the door. "You can't just search every room!"

"Watch me," he growled. "Either help or get the hell out of my way." He lifted his foot again when another idea occurred to him. Dean took out his cell phone. "Hello? Police? Yes, I have an emergency. My six year old is missing." He relayed all the pertinent information before thumbing off his cell. Then he kicked open the next door. The room was empty. As was the next room.

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Dean rented a computer terminal at the closest copy store to download pictures off his and Sam's cameras. As he printed paper copies, Sam cleared his throat.

"What?"

"Dean, I don't think it's a good idea to involve the police." Sam hovered over the monitor, Dean knew it was so Sam could gauge his reaction. Dean scowled at him.

"Why the hell not?"

Sam leaned closer. "Because you're wanted?"

Dean waved a hand, brushing away those pesky murder warrants. "This isn't about me, Sam. It's about her."

"You won't be any good to her if you're in jail!" Sam hissed.

Dean snagged the pictures off the printer. "I think these should work nicely for our crack police experts." He headed out of the store before Sam could say anything else. His heart had not stopped pounding since he realized Rae was gone. How could Sam possibly worry about him being wanted at a time like this? As long as his face didn't wind up on the news but Rae's did, everything should be fine.

He felt rather than saw Sam fall in step beside him. Dean kept his eyes forward, not inviting any conversation.

"I'm sure she's fine," Sam said. Dean chanced a glance up. Sam was looking down the street, not willing to look him in the eye either. "She probably just got lost or something."

Dean felt the growl in his throat. "No, Sam. Rae wouldn't do that. Someone, or something, took her."

Sam stopped cold. He was still staring down the street. "There is no evidence of that." His voice was soft.

Dean took a deep breath. The thoughts that had been racing around and careening off one another in his head all morning had finally settled down and it all added up to one thing. "Sammy. Rae doesn't go anywhere by herself. She starts screaming if one of us isn't in sight. Remember last week when you were looking for a toy under the bed and she thought you left?"

"She screamed for ten minutes," Sam replied, staring at the horizon.

"She was taken," Dean repeated. He had to keep saying it; it was the only way to make himself believe it. And when he found who did it he was going to make him, or it, regret ever laying eyes on that little girl. "And we're going to find them."

A heavy hand was on his shoulder. Dean looked up into those damned puppy dog eyes. "We will find her Dean. She's going to be fine."

"She better be." Dean looked away, not trusting his brother's shiny eyes. If that boy started crying, he was going to knock Sam out and leave him on the sidewalk. He wrenched open his car door to sit behind the wheel and slammed it shut a little harder than necessary. He sat breathing for a moment, trying to regain control while Sam got in the car.

"Dean, I -"

"Shut up." Dean started the car. He could not handle any more emotional Sammy right now. Not now. "I gotta get these pictures to the cops."

"Yeah, okay."

Sam's voice sounded strained. Dean started the car, but something kept him from pulling out. He knew he would regret it, but he chanced a look at Sam.

Sam's face was a mask of pain. One hand was pressed against his forehead and beads of sweat trickled down his face. His teeth were gritted together as another wave of pain hit.

"Sam!" Dean jumped out and ran around to the other side of the car. "Sam! What is it?" He threw the door open to grab his brother by the shoulders. "Sam!"

Usually physical contact made it possible for Sam to at least speak; sometimes it even broke the vision. But this time Sam's eyes rolled up, showing only the whites. His body shook and shuddered violently.

"Shit!" Dean stabbed the buttons on his cell. "I need an ambulance, outside the Quick Copy. Now! It's my brother, he's having convulsions."

Dean tossed his cell on the seat, desperately trying to keep Sam pinned in the car. His little brother was still convulsing when the ambulance arrived. It felt like hours but the ambulance had arrived within minutes. The paramedics shoved him aside to care for Sam. Dean stood by, feeling completely helpless and useless. Sam was strapped down to a gurney and wheeled into the back of the ambulance. They started an IV and were pumping some kind of drugs into him.

When they asked Dean to ride in the ambulance with Sam, Sam's eyes opened briefly. "No, Dean. Find Rae. She's with bad people." Sam's eyes rolled back again and his body shook viciously.

Dean stood there, torn. Should he go with his brother, make sure Sam was going to be okay, or look for Rae? With the way his heart was pounding against his ribs, it could not take much more. He felt like it might shatter, and take him with it. At least then he would not have to make an impossible decision.

TBC…

(Wonder what Dean's going to do?)