Late that night they drove up to Bobby's house, Dean shaking Sam awake, and were awarded with a minor ass chewing from Bobby. Not as bad as Dean had figured it would be, but it was bad enough. Sam had finally went to take a shower leaving Dean and Bobby sitting on the front porch drinking a beer.
"Some other force is at work in his head and we don't know what it is. Cas is working on looking for Michael so I guess we have to trust that Sam will work with us on whatever this Pieces of Eight thing is." Dean looked up at night sky as he spoke, fingers fiddling with the bottle cap to his beer.
"So then Cas confirmed that Michael is out of the cage as well?" Bobby asked. For the first time Dean looked over at Bobby.
"Huh?" He cocked his head, mouth open in shock. Bobby nodded.
"Thought so, "he sighed." Wasn't sure if you had caught on to that or not."
"He knows more about this than he's telling either me or Sam. Son of a bitch." he just couldn't work up enough steam to get too bent over it at the moment. Sam was down in the kitchen now getting a beer and heading to the porch.
"Hey." he said as he sat down beside Dean.
"Hey." Bobby looked at the two boys and shook his head ruefully.
"Sam, anyway you can break that melon open long enough to help us figure out what this Pieces of Eight means?" Bobby asked.
"It's tied to whoever the blue eyes belong to that's about all I know. She told me though that I would start remembering things and so far, I don't know how to even do that. It's as if every time I try, I forget why I'm trying and move on. Really weird." Sam shrugs.
"Boy you're going to have to give us more than that and try a bit harder to remember this shit or we have nothing to go on." Bobby said a bit frustrated with Sam's cavalier attitude. Dean gives Bobby an "I told so look" and stands up.
"I'm hitting the shower next." And Dean walks back into the house.
"He's trying Sam but you have to give something back or you're going to lose your brother forever." Sam looks at him. Bobby shivers, the deadpan expressions on Sam's face are so alien to him.
"I can't give what I don't feel anymore Bobby." he looked away from him and resumed drinking his beer.
"I never thought I'd see a Winchester give up. It's not a pretty sight." Sam looks at him angrily.
"I didn't ask for this you know. I didn't ask to be let out damit!" Sam stopped and sniffed. Apples and plumeria drifted up to him and a soft breeze ruffled his hair. Bobby's eyes widened as he felt a chill run up his arms.
"What the hell is that ..." Sam looked at him.
"Are you here?" he asked.
"I told you I'm always here," she said.
"Then why can't you just show yourself?" Sam let her scent wash over him.
"I told you, all in good time Sam. It's time you remembered a few things and I'm going to help you manage it."
"Oh shit, get Dean." Sam immediately blacked out from the pain in his head.
On the other hand, was it the pain of the fall? One minute he was standing at Stulls Cemetery looking at Dean then he was falling backwards, Michael/Adam's hand on one shoulder the other on his chest. Oh god no! Not Adam... not Adam too! He thought as he fell, the pain excruciating. And just a brief moment he thought he smelled apples.
"Sam! C'mon Sam wake up, "Dean shook his brother hard. He was still damp from the shower, dressed only in a pair of jeans, when Bobby had yelled for him to come running, that Sam was having another seizure." C'mon Sam damit wake up!"
"I fell with Michael or Adam, whatever, and he had his hand on my chest and one on my shoulder. The pain was more than I could bare and I screamed and screamed and it was so cold and black. But I smelled apples and that made it ok. Oh shit Dean", he opened his eyes and looked up at Dean's concerned face.
"I think the other person helped him take my soul." Sam frowned.
"Why did you do it?" he asked.
"Because you asked him to."
"What other person Sam? The one with the eyes? You're ..."
"NO! NO!" Sam jumped to his feet and immediately regretted it. Suddenly memories came flashing at him and he waved his arms trying to ward them off. He was completely caught up in the rush of pain and memories that it blinded him and he stumbled into the side of the house, his arm smashing through the window.
"Dean grab him!" Sam was bleeding badly and Dean started to rush over to him but a bright flash of light lit Sam's entire head up from the inside and he dropped to the porch, his body convulsing, wounds healing immediately. Bobby and Dean both gawked but stirred into action quickly.
"We have to get him to the hospital! He's convulsing." Bobby made a grab for Sam's legs.
"No! Oh god no! Please make it stop, make it stop!" Sam yelled out in a hoarse voice, screaming a bloodcurdling scream that sent Dean to his knees.
"Fuck! He's not convulsing he's remembering!" Suddenly the smell of apples and plumeria got stronger and gust of wind knocked Dean backwards.
"DEAN! HELP ME .. oh god Dean help me!" Sam cried out, tears of blood streaking down the sides of his face, eyes still shut. Then suddenly Sam stopped, and became still. The scent of apples still hung in the air and Dean and Bobby watched as Sam's hair slowly ruffled as if someone was brushing his hair away from his face.
"What the fuck is going on Dean." Bobby slowly moved towards Sam's body and waved his hand in the air around Sam. He felt a cold spot on his wrist and felt calmer, lifting it to his nose he smelled apples.
"What?" Dean went to his brother and checked his pulse. Letting out a pent up breath, his brother was still breathing.
"Every time you came in to smelling apples, something weird was going on with Sam right?"
"Yeah," Dean looked at Bobby, "Why?"
"Whatever this thing is that he's hearing in his head happens when you smell apples." Dean nods.
"Yeah. You think it's a demon or spirit or something?"
"Maybe. We need to get Sam into the panic room." Dean looked at Bobby like he was insane.
"A cage? Are fucking kidding me Bobby? You want me to cage my brother ... AGAIN?" Dean yells at him.
"Dean damit if this thing is in Sam's head it may or may not be a good thing. The only way I know of to keep Sam safe is to put him in that damn room. I don't like it, but what choice do we have?" Bobby gets Sam's legs and Dean slides his hand under Sam and lifts. His brother's body feeling cold through his clothes and against Dean's naked chest.
"What the hell has this kid been eating?" Bobby grunts as he lifts.
"Shut up. You have the lighter end of things and he feels like a chunk of ice." he says between gritted teeth.
They got Sam settled comfortably on the fold out in the panic room and Dean kneels beside him. Bobby, standing just inside the door, looks at Dean with concern.
"He screamed for me to save him. Christ Bobby, he needed me to save him and I was playing freaking house!" Dean slid his head in his hands, his body shaking with tears and pain. Bobby walked to Dean and put a hand on his shoulder.
"There isn't anything that you could have done Dean. And you know his memories are going to be bad and some of it is going to be hard to hear, if you hear it all. You boys aren't much for show and tell." Bobby was at a loss, tears in his own eyes. Dean looked up, gaze fixed on something on the wall in front of him.
"You know that all you ever have to do is ask me Bobby and I'll tell you what I can because I have nothing to hide anymore, not secrets to keep. But Sam, he never deserved this. Never deserved anything that he got out of this miserable fucking life."
"Neither of you did Dean. Hell, no one deserves this life. You think your mom and dad woke up one day and said lets have boys so we can train them to be killers? Hell no. But it is what it is and we do ..."
"What we do best?" Dean answered, blearily looking over his shoulder at Bobby.
Sam's body began to convulse again, shaking so badly that Bobby ran forward and grabbed his legs as Dean held onto his arms and chest. Sam began screaming and mumbling and suddenly he began a choking sound, so hard that foam began forming on his lips. His screams became gargling sounds even though he had nothing to be choking on.
"Bobby!" Dean yelled.
"Damit Sam hold on boy!" Dean knew this was it.. Sam was going to die .. the overwhelming scent of apples permeated the air around them. This time Bobby and Dean were tossed away from Sam's body and another explosion of light lit up Sam's head from the inside. The vague outline of a form began to solidify on the floor beside Sam.
"Salt! We need salt! That thing is not going to kill my brother!" Dean scrambles to get up and this time the corporeal form turns towards Dean. Blue eye's flash once and suddenly neither Dean nor Bobby can move.
"No .. "Sam gargles, "Stop! I won't .. NO!" The form on the floor touches Sam's forehead and a soft white light begins glowing at his temples. Sam's body stops shaking and he once again becomes peaceful.
"Akirra, how much more can they force from me?" He softly whispers.
"Only as much as you allow them Sam. This is your memories you are fighting, Shay'anon, and when you realize they are just that you will wake from this. For now I am here with you, as are your brother and his friend."
"Sss not here, n .. never b ... be here anymore." Sam stutters, shaking uncontrollably now. "Hhh .. he t ... t... told me he'd n .. never come b .. b .. back for me again."
"He's a master liar Sam; you know that you are not in the cage anymore. Dean is right here, next to me and you." Dean slides forward and stops beside the form, mouth open, dumbstruck in hearing the conversation between the form and Sam. He looks back at Bobby who nods encouragement to him.
"Sammy, I'm here, if you can hear me. I'm not leaving. I've been a bastard but I'm here little brother. I'm not leaving you again, ever, and you can even kick my ass if you'll just wake up man." He looked at the form, the woman, and the beautiful blue eye's glowing so close to his face. Sam's eyes fluttered once, twice, then blinked open and closed again. He slowly reached up an arm and the form grabbed his hand.
"Kir, you have to find Michael." Sam said, his voice scratchy and hoarse from yelling.
"Once you are able to take hold of your soul and accept it back Sam."
"Why can't I see you now that I remember your name?" he asked quietly.
"You think that means you remember me?" she asked huffily, a smile in her soft-spoken words.
"Dude, she's right in front of you. Open your damn eyes and see her." Dean said, trying to get his brother to wake up. "This is some chic Sam, why'd ya not introduce me earlier?" Sam immediately began struggling towards lucidness.
"Mine ... my wife ... j ... j ... jerk," he stammered, finally opening his eyes. Once he said it, Akirra's form solidified and Dean and Bobby were released from their hold.
"You are very impatient Sam." Kirra said.
Dean had never laid eyes on a more beautiful woman since rediscovering Lisa so many years ago. Kirra had mid-night black hair that curled all the way to the floor in soft waves. She had long legs curled under her, alabaster skin that seemed to glow with an ethereal light in the dim room. She smelled of apples and plumeria, with the odd cobalt blue glowing eyes that encased in long thick black lashes and plush full lips. She was dressed in folds of sheer black, soft as air when they brushed up against Dean's arms, silver bands adorned her wrists and ankles and one simple band across her forehead. Her long slender fingers brushed across Sam's face in a loving tender way. And that's all the resemblance to human that she had. Her ears were long and pointed, elven like, and her fingers ended in wicked looking curved claws that retracted when they were near Sam's body and Dean could swear he saw fangs when she talked. Shrinking back, he caught a glimpse of Bobby's shocked look and knew he wasn't the only one coming to terms with the supernatural woman who had ancient power rolling off her in waves so prominent that you could almost see them, and who had just been referred to as Sam's wife.
"Dean, I'd get up to kick your ass for making that comment but I truly feel as if climbed out the pit, AGAIN." Sam croaked, opening one eye and fixing Dean with his gaze. It was the best bitch face Sam could muster.
"No problem, Francis, I'm sure it'll keep." Dean snickered and looked at Kirra, who smiled softly back at Dean. Yep, friggin' fangs.
"Not vamp fangs, Fae fangs. Akirra de'Welchan Te'Enrassie ... Winchester ..." he frowned up at Kirra, who shrugged delicately"... yeah Winchester, Guardian of the Gates of Avalon, Queen of the Fae Daione tribes. Akirra, my brother Dean Winchester and the guy behind him is Bobby, the closest person to me other than Dean. Take care of her; I think I'm going to pass out now." Once said, he let the black void take him, passing smooth out, leaving them staring at Akirra in awe.