His dreams for as long as he could remember had been in color, but tonight they were in black and white. They flashed little things, like old family dinners, building a tree house, riding old bikes. The faces were fuzzy as if it was old film reel.
He never got a good glimpse at the boys' faces, but he knew one of them had to be L.A.W.
"Wake up." Sam tells him, this time without the pillow.
It was later than it was yesterday when they woke them up. Caden blinked and smiled in delight when he found no Ruby. Sam was up and typing away at his computer, but when Caden walked towards, he slammed it shut.
"Whoa porn?" he asks.
Sam sighs, "do you just wake up and try to bust my balls?"
"Whoa, pick a different vernacular."
"Vernacular?" Sam repeats, "who are you Shakespeare?"
"Food?" asks Caden.
He moved across to the table; taking the salad out of it. Salad wasn't one of his favorite meals, but he hadn't exactly told what he could and couldn't eat. He decided he'd write a list later.
Sam looked up, "I think it's time we go shopping."
"Shopping?" Caden repeats.
"You need some of your own clothes, you can't keep borrowing mine."
Caden stared down at Sam's shirt which was hanging loosely from his limbs. It bunched heavily in the middle. He hadn't thought of his own clothes and going to a mall sounded like torture.
SPNSPN
"Come on." Sam called.
Caden groaned climbing out of the passenger seat. He stared at the mall, for the first time in months he'd see normalcy. It made his gut hurt.
"The faster we go, the faster this is over."
The mall wasn't very crowded. There was a group of gothic teenagers standing in a circle by a pole, they cast him a dirty look. Caden looked away.
"Is Kohl's okay?" asks Sam.
Caden nodded, not giving an answer.
"Does your rib hurt?"
"No. Can we just please hurry? I hate the mall."
A couple of mothers stared at him, giving him sympathetic looks. He could basically hear them 'poor baby'. He stuck his tongue out at them, they hurried away. Sam stared at him questioningly but Caden walked ahead of him, walking to the juniors' department.
"Sam?" a voice calls.
Both Caden and Sam turn; standing a few feet away is Jo Harvelle. She looks at Sam and then to Caden.
"Whose the kid?" she asks.
"A long story," Sam mutters hurriedly taking the shirts come Caden, "these are the ones you want?"
"I guess."
"Are you here for the case?" she asks and then she looks behind him, "where's Dean?"
Sam licked his lips. Jo was the last person he expected to see, none the less wanted to explain what happened to his brother. Caden looked at him; jerking his head in her direction.
"He's dead." Caden murmured quietly, figuring Sam wasn't exactly up to it.
Sam looks at him. Jo blinks and gulps.
"Oh god." She gasps.
There's dead silence between them. Jo took a few deep breathes before lowering herself onto the bench. Sam stood frozen in his spot and for the first time seeing someone else mourning for Dean other than Bobby.
Tears starting to form in Jo's eyes, but none fell.
"I never imagined your brother would get killed, he was so damn confident," she wipes the tears forming at her eyes, "I'm so sorry Sam."
Another dead silence; both lingering in Dean's memory. Caden shuffling from foot to foot, wondering exactly what to say next, or what to do.
"I'm Caden by the way." He decides lamely.
Jo looked up, sniffling, "are you a cousin or something?"
"No just a stranger." Caden answered.
Jo looked at Sam, "if you need anything, I'm staying at a motel not too far away, called The Star."
"I'm all right, really promise."
"Okay, I'm just gonna call my Mom; tell her the news."
And she waves good bye awkwardly and Sam takes a deep breathe.
"Was she Dean's girlfriend?"
"More like lust or something," Sam responded, "they never got past flirting, as far as I know."
Caden nodded, "are you gonna be okay man?"
"Every time I think I will be something or someone reminds me of Dean. Whether it's a song he used to like or someone saying something. Dean used to order burgers with unions all the time and every time I go up to the counter I go to order one still."
"I know what you mean, like they're everywhere."
"Let's just go pay for this."
SPNSPN
Ellen was rambling on, Sam had stopped listening, tired of the sympathy he knew she meant well, but there was nothing in the world that would make him feel better but having Dean back.
"Hey Ellen?" he asks turning to look at Caden who was drifting off to sleep, "do you know any hunters by the initials of L.A.W.?"
There was a pause, "I'm real sorry Sam, that's not ringing any bells. Why?"
"Just wondering, thanks Ellen."
"Keep in touch boy you hear?"
"Yes ma'am."
He pressed end. He stared at Caden and could hear the soft sounds of snoring. Deciding not to stop he looped the motel room. There was one other person he could call, though Bobby might bite his head off. He grabbed the phone, his hand resting over Bobby's highlighted nameā¦. before pressing the call button.
"Hello?"
And then he pressed the end button and shut the phone off. It was a coward thing to do. But he couldn't tell Bobby what had been going on, he wouldn't understand.
A/N: reviews and suggestions are loved.
