Chapter 6

AN: SURPRISE. I owed y'all a chapter, so here ya go :)

Men of Letters bunker, United States

Dean's Bedroom

Lebanon, Kansas

7:20 am

Dean gasps, drinking in the air like it's going out of style. He stares up at the familiar ceiling, watching the ceiling fan go around as he tries to calm his pounding heart.

"Dean?" Mary asks, hesitantly, putting a hand on his arm, "Are you okay? Is he okay?"

She directs the last question to Castiel, who's standing on the other side of him. Castiel places two fingers on Dean's forehead, calming him. Dean sighs as he relaxes onto the bed.

"Thanks, Cas." Dean sits up, rubbing his forehead. He swallows, fighting back the sick feeling he has at the memory of seeing his brother like that. Bleeding out, in his arms. Again.

"So?" Mary asks, eagerly, "What happened?"

"I saw Sam," Dean gives his mother a slight smile, "it was great…"

"until?" Castiel asks, "Dean, what happened?"

"We were just talking, he told me he's in a…a basement. In fucking England." Dean barks out a bitter laugh, "As if there aren't a thousand of those in the damn country. And then, then just before he's going to tell me the bitch's name, he passes out. In my arms."

"He technically was just waking up," Castiel mends, "he's fine, Dean."

"yeah, okay," Dean says sarcastically, looking away as he moves to the side of the bed, putting his feet on the ground. "If you call bleeding from a gunshot wound in the middle of the dream, fine."

Gunshot wound?! Mary, wonders, but doesn't say out loud. That bitch is dead.

"Are you sure you should be up so soon after that?" Mary questions, worriedly, "You don't look so great."

"Of course, I don't look so great, mom!" Dean explodes, glaring at her, "My little brother's missing, bleeding out and tortured probably for God knows what and we still don't even really know where he is! I'm a fucking mess, but talking about being said fucking mess isn't going to help Sam."

He stands up, storming out of his room. He instantly feels regret at blowing up at his mother as soon as he enters the hallway, but he keeps going. Sam needs him.

Men of Letters, London Chapterhouse

Basement

London, England

1:20 pm

"Daddy?" a hesitant voice calls out, panicked. "What the-who did this to you?"

The voice rouses Sam from his slumber, causing him to groan in pain. He looks up, watching as Maggie, the girl who had brought him water earlier runs toward Timothy. She crouches down next to him, looking at him, worriedly.

"It's nothing to worry about, dear. Your sister and I are just having a little spat-"

"A little-?! Dad, this isn't a little spat! She's got you tied up like you're an animal! I'm getting you out of here."

"And what about Sam? Hmm? You planning on leaving him down here, too?"

"Dad-" Maggie says hesitantly, looking briefly from her father to where Sam is still chained up.

"Maggie, if you're going to get me out, you have to get him out as well." Timothy says, determinedly, "I'm not leaving here without him."

"I don't know-"

"Listen to me," Timothy interrupts, looking his daughter straight in the eye, "I don't know what your sister has told you, but the elders are not on board with this…this plan of hers. You'll be kicked out of the institute before you've even really begun. This all boils down to a matter of trust." He pauses before adding, "do you trust me?

"Of course I do, daddy."

"Brilliant. Now, untie me, before your sister comes back. Then, we'll get to work on freeing Sam."

For the first time, Sam feels something resembling hope bubbling up in his chest.

Men of Letters bunker, United States

Library

Lebanon, Kansas

8:35 am

"Bullshit. I know you know, Kenny," Dean's saying as Mary and Castiel walk into the library. "oh, screw you."

He hangs up the phone, sighing as he runs a hand down his face.

Castiel and Mary exchange a look.

"Dean, maybe it would be best if you got some rest-"

Dean merely glowers before picking up his phone and dialing again.

"I don't think Sam's getting any rest in that basement in a foreign country. I'm not resting until he can."

Mary feels a swell of love so deep…so fierce it nearly bursts out of her. These were her boys. She hadn't been around to raise them or teach them the importance of family, but it seems that John had managed just fine on his own.

Mary walks over to Dean, snatching the cellphone out of his hands. He starts to protest, but she merely throws it on the table before reaching up and wrapping her arms around him.

"We'll find him. We will. But we won't do it with you collapsing from exhaustion." She kisses his cheek before pulling away, "Please, Dean."

Dean looks at her before sighing, "One of these days, that's not going to work."

Mary smirks, "Your father used to say the same thing."

Dean begrudgingly goes to lay down while Castiel and Mary get to work on finding the youngest Winchester.

Men of Letters, London Chapterhouse

Entryway

London, England

2:35 pm

Toni opens the door, smiling.

"Elder Cambridge," she begins, "how lovely to finally meet you in person."

The man standing before her rolls his eyes, no longer faking the British accent, "okay, you know what? I'm over this whole roleplay situation." He lifts his hand, flinging her across the room. She crashes into the coffee table in the parlor room. The tea set digs into her back and leaves her gasping for air. He steps over the broken demon trap underneath the carpet and into the home. The door slams shut behind him.

"Nice digs," He says, watching as she tries to pick herself up, "Of course, Hell has better lighting, but whatever."

Toni looks up from the floor, unable to get her legs underneath her to hold her up, just as his appearance suddenly changes from elderly gentleman to a young boy with blonde hair and eyes that immediately flicker to black.

Demon. Oh, God. What did she do?

Then, she pictures her little boy upstairs, curled in his tiny bed.

"You're considering it still, aren't you?" He walks towards her, "I can tell by your facial expression. You're still considering working with me even though I'm something you and those like you have hunted for years."

Toni swallows, saying nothing.

"Man, you don't even know who I am, do you?" He continues, squatting down next to her. He lifts a hand to fix her hair but she flinches away, "There it is. I almost forgot what it was like to be human. To be so…morally compromised when it comes to saving those I love." Then, he shudders, "Thank Lucifer I'm not like that anymore." He reaches down, pulling at her hair. She winces as he pulls her up so she's standing. "Take me to him. Now."

He pushes her in front of him, "And no funny business. I can snap your neck anytime I want."

She nods, shakily walking towards the basement door. She does her thing, before turning to him.

"There are sigils on the walls-demon traps on the floor- I'm not sure you can-"

The man rolls his eyes, "Lady, I've been a demon for well over a century. I got this."

They start walking down the stairs, Toni feeling a looming sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. She can't help but think of her father, tied to a pole, defenseless. Sam Winchester, she needs, but she can live without, in the long run. Her father, however…

They make it to the end of the stairs and Toni reaches to the wall to turn on the lights. When she does, her eyes widen in shock, leaving her gasping. It's empty. The entire fucking basement is empty. The chains that once held Sam Winchester are on the floor.

The demon walks ahead of her, looking the entire length of the basement before slowly turning back towards her. Toni swallows out of fear, frozen in place.

"Where," he says slowly, his black eyes staring right into her, "is my brother?" He says the last word with such disgust, it sends shivers down Toni's spine.

Who the hell knows?

London, England

2:45 pm

Sam stumbles along the street, Timothy on one side of him with Maggie on the other.

"Just have to…just have to get far enough away so Cas…Castiel can…can hear me," he mumbles.

"Almost there," Timothy responds, grasping onto the back of Sam's shirt again, despite his old age, the dude is freaking strong. "Almost there…"

They stop in an alleyway and lean Sam up against the wall. Sam's breathing is erratic, he feels discombobulated from his limbs.

"You'll have to pray here, Sam," Timothy says, "inside will be too protected."

"Okay," Sam nods, but when he does he doesn't have the energy to lift his head back up. He closes his eyes, sending up a prayer.

"Is this going to work?" Maggie asks her father, "he's really-"

"shh," Timothy says softly, "let him pray in silence."

Sam opens his eyes a few moments later, summoning the energy to lift his head. Within seconds, there's another person standing beside them.

In a trench coat.

And a tie.

In the middle of May.

Maggie couldn't help the surprised giggle that escaped. Her father shot her an exasperated look, but it was worth it.

"Hello, you must be-" Timothy speaks first.

"Sam," Castiel says, leaning down and placing a hand on Sam's head. Sam shivers and light pours from Castiel's hand to the wound in Sam's gut. When the light fades, the wound is still there. Much to everyone's surprise.

"Oh God," Timothy says, "she must have used-"

"anti-healing bullets," Maggie interrupts, eyes wide, "those are meant for-"

"I know," Timothy says, looking at her and silently telling her to shut up.

"Dean," Sam says, looking at Castiel with wide, bloodshot eyes, "Is he-"

"Dean's fine, Sam," Castiel says, but he looks worried, "You, however-"

"I'll be fine. Just get me to my brother." Sam says, standing up a little straighter, even as his world tilts.

Castiel catches him before either Timothy or Maggie can make a move.

"Goodbye, Sam Winchester," Timothy says, smiling sadly, "it's been an honor-"

"They have to come, too," Sam interrupts, breathing heavily and looking seconds away from passing out, "you have to come too. Toni…she'll…uh, something. I don't know. You have to come."

Maggie exchanges a look with Timothy.

"We have to go. Now." Castiel says, speaking hurriedly. He looks at Timothy and Maggie.

Timothy nods and then, they're gone.