A/N: I hope this is still holding ya'all interest. I am trying to get a chapter to ya once a week.
Chapter 4
The rhythmic sounds of Dean's steady breathing filtered throughout the motel room and the bluish glow of Sam's computer screen lit the walls. Sam couldn't sleep after the message that was left on the mirror. 'Will Not Leave, He Is Mine' haunted Sam's eyes as he searched for answers on his computer's screen. He wasn't going to loss Dean after all he went through to get him back. Sam briefly looked up to check on his brother. Sam was afraid and it showed on his face. Dean mumbles softly only to turn in his sleep. A breath escapes Sam before he turns to the research again.
Several hours had past before something catches Sam's eye. He moved in closer to the screen. His research came up dry on the fog much less survivors. He did find a lot information on gates to hell, but nothing like what he and Dean encountered. Even the priest was a bust. Yet, Sam could not get that picture of the church he saw in the shack of Father Michael's. The number of churches he searched through would have driven a sane man crazy. Finally, Sam was looking at a photograph, a picture of the very same church. He remembered how the vines and ivy formed the stain glass windows. The ornate patterns of the windows were exactly like the natural ones. Sam reads the caption. 'St. Michael's Church of God. Built 1862.' With a few clicks of the keys, Sam found more info on the church and the first priest of say church. When the picture of this priest from later years came up, Sam could feel the blood rush from his head. Father Michael died in 1947. Sam had pulled up the obituary of the priest and there was a photograph. It was of the priest. Sam set back in the chair staring at the screen. Something deep inside Sam told him he had to get Dean to the church. Even though he didn't know if it was still standing or was long gone. He read more to learn that they had to go to Bowman, North Dakota.
Sam started to search for the quick route when he sensed movement to the left of him. He turned his head to come face to face with Dean. Sam jumps. He never heard him get out of bed, much less move over so close to him before he knew it. Dean with this cold stare, stood only a foot away from Sam. There was something in Dean's mannerism, Sam almost felt that he wasn't looking at his brother. He could see something catching the light from the computer screen in Dean's hand. Looking down at it, Sam saw Dean's Bowie knife in his brother's hand. Dean was turning it like he was trying to get a better hold or feel of the weapon. Sam's eyes trailed back up to his brother's eyes.
"Dean?" Sam was unsure about saying anything but the words softly came out.
" Sit Mei." Dean said with a strangeness in his voice. There been only a few times in their lives that his brother scared him. This time topped them all. Sam could feel the cold scare not giving way.
"Dean?" Sam said with a little more force behind it. He was now looking into Dean's eyes. "What are you doing?"
Dean's expression changed. He looked bewildered. Turning his eyes to the knife wrapped in his fingers. His head came back up to show the lost look on his face. "Sammy." His voice was shaking. Tears were forming in his eyes. His body started to shake. "Sammy?" His voice now was that of a lost child.
"It's ok, Dean." Sam begins to stand up. Seeing this, Dean steps back away from him still repeating his brother's name. Dean drops the knife as the back of his legs hit the bed and his knees give way, sitting on the edge of the bed. The knife that was once in his hand laid forgotten on the floor. Sam quickly moved to his brother's side setting beside him. Sam looked closely at his brother trying to find a hint of the old Dean in the shattered expression that is now worn hard on Dean's face. Sam places a hand on Dean's shoulder. He could feel his brother shiver to his touch. "It's ok, Dean. I'm here." Sam felt himself at a lost of words on trying to make Dean feel some what better.
Dean stared at the floor. Tears running freely down his face. "What's", his breathing was rapid. "Happening to me?" Sam couldn't say anything. Dean could sense his little brother's loss for words. Dean slowly turned his head to his brother. Both set staring at the person that one wish he could be and the other one wishing he was.
Sam was the one who broke the silence. "We'll fix it, Dean. We'll find a way. I'll find a way." Sam said this more for himself than his brother's sake. He knew he had to find a way to get Dean completely back.
He remembered something the priest had said. "Most are not able to escape its evil and those that do; well, they are never the same." This fate was not going to happen to his brother. Dean was strong. He can fight this, this thing. They both will fight it.
Sam suddenly got that hidden courage. Sounding more like his father than he ever imagined, Sam took charge of the situation and suggested. "Why don't you lay back down." His brother looked deep into his soul, Sam felt. "It's ok. I'll be here."
Dean nodded. He started to move back onto the bed to get under the covers with Sam's help. Once he was in bed, Dean turned to his side and drew his knees up to his chest. Getting into the fetal position. Sam set at the edge of the bed with his hand on Dean's back gently massaging. The contact helped Dean to fall asleep. This person laying next to Sam was only a shell of the brother he knew. His Dean would have called him a girl and started swinging fist at him for this 'touchy, feelly moment'. But the Dean that was with him now was lost and confused.
Sam looked over at the computer and spotted his cell phone setting by it. It dawned on him. He had a call to make. He wasn't ready to brake contact with his brother, but couldn't reach his phone. Dean's bag was setting on the floor by his feet. Sam reached down with his other hand and found the cell phone in question. Sam looked over toward Dean whose breathing had even out. A good sign that he was asleep.
He quickly thumbed the phonebook and got the number he wanted. He settled back against the headboard of the bed still having his hand on Dean's back. A voice message came on than a beep. Sam took a breath. "Dad, I need your help." Sam whispered hoping not to wake Dean. "It's Dean. Call me back as soon as you can. Please call." Sam hung up the phone and tossed it back into Dean's bag. He knew down deep that he would not hear from his father. After leaving the hospital, their father was set on getting the demon and didn't want his boys in the way. He didn't want Sam in the way. After all, Sam had a chance to kill it when it was in their father, but didn't.
A whisper could be heard. "What's wrong with me, Sammy?" Dean softly said.
Sam could have been straddled, but unconsciously, Sam noticed Dean's breathing change. "I don't know, Dean. I don't know." An idea returned to Sam as he looked over at the computer again. He remembered the church. "I do know where we need to go." Sam wanted to leave right then, but he couldn't pull himself from Dean's side. "Tomorrow. We'll go tomorrow." Sometime after that both brothers fell asleep, Dean on his side with his little brother leaning against the headboard with his hand still on his back.
Later that morning as the sun cuts its way through the thin drapes, both brothers started moving. Sam was already up and dressed. He had loaded the Impala up with their bags except Dean's. He even found a mechanic to come out to the motel and repair the flat tire though the man couldn't understand why the tall young man wouldn't let him replace the spare in the trunk. Sam let Dean sleep as long as he could before he woke him but even that, he didn't have to. Dean started stirring on his own.
When Dean finally set up in the bed, Sam moved over to him with a change of clothes for him. "Here," He told him. "Get dress." Dean nods and starts to dress himself. Sam, keeping Dean's bag close to him because that morning when he got up, replaced Dean's knife to the bag. Sam watched Dean's slow movements as he dressed himself. It was almost like he wasn't sure of himself. Once Dean had changed into his jeans and t-shirt, Sam took his night clothes and shoved them into the bag.
Sam removed Dean's toiletry bag and handed it to his brother. Dean looked intensely at it before looking back at Sam. "Brush your teeth, dude." Sam said. Dean didn't move. Sam gentle grabbed Dean's arm, lead him to the sink, removed the toothbrush, and after squeezing out toothpaste on it handed it to Dean. Dean took the brush and for a moment, held it in his hand before he started to brush his teeth. Sam hid his relief for he was fearful that he would have to brush his brother's teeth. After this was done, Sam packed the toiletry bag and replaced it to Dean's bag. Again Sam had Dean sitting on the bed to help him with his boots.
"Now, we leave." Sam said as he motioned his brother to the door. Dean followed Sam out to the car. Sam had already opened the passenger's door motioning Dean to get in. Dean does as his brother asked. After closing the door, Sam walked around back and opened the trunk to toss Dean's bag in. Once the trunk was closed, Sam also climbed in getting behind the wheel. He looked over at Dean only to find his brother's blank stare out the side window. Sam wanted to say something, but to the life of him, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. Instead, Sam starts the car and drive out of the parking lot toward the road.
Sam had been driving for about thirty minutes when he finally looked back at his brother. Dean hadn't moved from his previous position. Sam slowly reached for the radio and pushed a tape that was sticking out. Soon the sounds of AC/DC filled the interior of the Impala. The volume was still set at a level where the brothers could speak to each other from a previous time. Dean turned his head toward the tape player. Looking down at the radio, Dean slowly rotated his eyes toward Sam. A grin slowly slid across his face. "Driver picks the music." He said a little louder then a whisper.
Sam turned his own eyes toward his brother and smiled. "Shotgun shuts his cakehole." Sam briefly saw the old Dean. But it was only briefly. Dean's face changed back to an expressionless feature and his head turned back to the side window again. Sam had his Dean and lost him again. Looking back to the road, Sam wrapped his fingers around the wheel tighter in his frustration.
Sam pulled into a gas station and stopped the Impala at a pump. "Hungry?" Sam asked but Dean never responded. Sam starts to get out saying, "We need gas and I'm going to get something for us to eat. You wait here, Dean." Sam was now leaning in to see his brother as he talked. He thought he saw Dean's head nod. Sam closes the door and starts to pump gas. Once the tank was filled, he went inside to get food and pay. A few minutes later, Sam was coming out with a bag of chips, cookies, and waters.
Settling back down in the driver seat, Sam digs through the bag and pulls out the water bottles. He hands one to Dean. Dean doesn't move. "Here." Sam finally says. Dean looks at the bottle in his hand. A hand reaches up to take it from Sam's hand. Dean looks at the bottle. Almost like he didn't know what to do with it. Sam takes it back and opens it before returning the bottle back to Dean. With a sigh, Sam says, "Drink." Dean does as he was told taking a few sips. Sam again takes the bottle from his brother and replaces the cap only to hand it back to Dean. Dean only scared at the bottle in his hand. Sam could feel his heart sunk deeper in his chest. He so wanted his brother back. Smart ass that he is, Sam missed his brother.
Back on the road they were again. The tape had run its tracks a long time ago, but Sam didn't have the heart to replace or flip the tape in the player. Only the sound of the muscle car driving down the highway broke the silence that haunted the interior of the Impala.
The bottle that had been in Dean's hand since Sam replaced it there slipped from Dean's grasp only to roll around on the floorboard. When Sam heard it, he turned to see that his brother hadn't changed in his expression. Dean was still staring out the window.
After a moment, Sam, catching the movement, noticed Dean's head turn to face him. Suddenly Dean punched Sam in the side of his head causing it to hit the driver side window. Before Sam knew what was going on, Dean grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it hard to the right, throwing both of them into the driver side door. The Impala's tires screamed loudly to the abuse. Sam tried to regain control of the wheel, but Dean was now hitting him again and again. Sam had removed his foot from the gas petal. The only thing Sam could think of doing, was slamming the brakes on. When he did, it thrown both him and Dean hard into the dash. The Impala skid to a stop turned almost at a ninety-degree angle to the road.
Dean was now climbing out the passenger side door, falling to the ground as he went. He was only on the ground briefly, for once he got to his feet, Dean started to run. Run away from the car and from Sam. Sam himself fell out of the door before he too was running after his brother. Sam could feel his right eye starting to swell with blood running down his busted lip. He didn't care. He had to get to his brother.
Dean kept falling as he was running away. Once he realized he was being followed, he turned with hatred in his eyes. "What did you do with Sammy, you son of a bitch?!" He yelled staring right at Sam. Sam stopped cold a few yards from Dean. Again Dean yelled, "Where is he?!" Dean's eyes were wild.
Sam held his hands up in a gesture of surrendering. "Dean. It's me, Sammy."
"You're lying, you son of bitch!" Dean had tears running down his face now. His emotions were working over duty. Dean reached down, not letting his eyes stray from Sam, and picked up a baseball bat size stick and started to swing it in Sam's direction. "You killed him! You killed my Sammy!" Dean was yelling again still swinging the stick.
Sam started to back up. "No, Dean! I am Sam. It's me. Can't you see?" Sam quickly found that his voice fell to deaf ears.
Sam continued to back away, but Dean was moving in quicker than he was moving back. Soon the stick connected to Sam's left side, causing Sam to drop to his knees. Dean's second swing would have hit Sam in the head if he hadn't raised his arm to block it. With Dean now standing over Sam, Sam did the only thing he could. He kicked Dean in the groin causing his brother to drop hard to the ground as he drops the stick. Sam tries to get up but Dean turned on his brother again and tackled Sam till they were rolling around on the earth. Soon Sam found himself on the bottom with Dean on top, but now his brother had his hands wrapped around his throat. Sam couldn't brake the hold Dean had. He tried to push at his brother, but nothing worked. Soon Sam's vision was starting to blacken as the oxygen was deprived of his body. He knew Dean was out for blood. His blood. He had to brake free or his own brother will kill him. Sam continued to try to brake free till one of his hands fell to the ground to find a rock within fingertip reach. Sam worked to get the rock and planted it hard into the side of Dean's head. His brother dropped like a rock. Just like the rock in Sam' hand fell from his fingers.
Sam laid there awhile before he rolled on his side to inspect his brother. The side of his brother's head was covered in blood, but Sam did find Dean was still breathing. Sam moved in closer to find the rock had put a gash along Dean's left side of head, but was breathing and had a pulse. Sam gathered up his brother and carried him back to the Impala. Once there, Sam laid Dean gentle in the back seat. He stood there looking at his brother. A thought came to mind, Sam went to the truck and returned to his brother with handcuffs and rope. Sam wasn't sure if Dean would wake up as himself or go postal on him again. Sam wasn't going to take any chances. He tied his brother up before taking the driver seat again.
Sam looked at himself in the mirror and saw the beating his brother gave him. His eye was now swollen shut. His lip had stopped bleeding but it was also swollen. Even the bruises on his neck were starting to show their ugly self. Sam looks back to his brother who was still unconscious. The Impala soon was straightened up and heading back on the road. Sam knew he had to get to this church. Why? He didn't know why, but he did know the answers would be there. Or at least he hoped they would be.
Once in Bowman, Sam started searching for the church. It didn't take long for him to find it down a back road. The church set close to the road with a hidden lot to the side. Sam turned in only to be meet by a older model black GMC truck parked next to a side door. Standing on the stoop with a man dressed in a black clergy uniform was a man in a brown coat with salt and pepper hair and several weeks of beard growth on his face. Sam pulled the Impala up next to the men. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car. "Dad."