Author's note: to those who have been following this story, please know that I had revised the prologue.

The darkness was more absolute on a highway void of other vehicles; there were not even any businesses or towns in the vicinity. 'Sam didn't tell me we'd be driving through Nowheres-ville, Ohio," Dean reflected in an attempt to lighten his mood.

With only the car's headlights and soft greenish glow from the dashboard to illuminate his world, Dean could easily imagine there was no one left on earth. Though eerie, the thought wasn't enough for him to feel the need to wake his dad or brother.

Dean purposely kept the music off not just for them; the deep, easy breathing of his small family mixed with the rumble of the engine was a symphony to his ears.

He looked to his right and saw Sam curled on his side facing the passenger door. 'Good to see Sammy's not in the grip of some nightmare,' Dean observed. Suddenly, that very same figure, silent a minute ago, let out a quiet moan and his arms started twitching. 'Dammit, I spoke too soon.'

"Sam! Hey!" Dean hissed. His brother roused just enough to turn toward his left and face him. He marveled at how Sam appeared to instantly calm down, tense features transformed into relaxed.

That scene sparked a well-known warmth; it flowed through him every time Sam indicated that Dean made him feel safe, that Dean was doing his job.

A smile formed as Dean recalled not only how Sam was more into hunting and training but that he recently started copying the way he moved or what he ate. It was the biggest form of flattery to the big brother inside him. 'Now if I could just get him to like my music,' he thought but his smile vanished when he glanced once again at Sam. 'I'd give it all up...would rather see him not having nightmares.'

Suddenly, Dean heard his father stirring in the back and knew a break was about to be ordered.

"Dean, pull over for a minute," John said.

Sam awoke with their deceleration and added mid-stretch, "I have to go, too."

Dean smirked at the way Sam quickly opened the door and jumped out. "Walk, don't run," he joked then quirked an eyebrow as Sam, without turning around, crooked his elbow and graced him with an extended middle finger.

Leaning against the hood, arms folded across his chest, Dean watched with amusement as his father and brother carefully plucked their way through the tall grasses, barely visible once they stopped. 'Wow...from the back it's almost impossible to tell them apart now that they're the same height...it would be virtually impossible if Sammy put on a little more weight.'

They returned promptly after relieving themselves, guided by the car's interior light. Though John immediately crawled into the back seat, Sam remained outside, walking around the car to stretch his body during the few seconds while Dean took his turn only a few yards away.

"Let me drive for a while," said Sam as soon as Dean approached him. Without waiting for an answer, Sam strode around to the left of the car. "I don't want to sleep anymore."

Dean understood the motivation and, without saying a word, got in on the passenger side.

As Sam guided the car onto the highway, Dean looked over his left shoulder to check for traffic out of habit and a quick glimpse down to the seat behind him showed his Dad was already back asleep.

Dean shifted to face the front and he held back a groan as soon as he noticed Sam had taken one hand off the wheel to search for a radio station.

Sam turned his eyes to Dean, which were practically sources of light themselves, brilliant and playful. As much as Sam didn't care for Dean's musical tastes, he knew Dean hated his choices more.

"So where are we exactly," asked Sam while still turning the dial. Dean could swear Sam was trying not to laugh at him.

"We're in Ohio."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I figured that. I mean, are we on route 71 yet?"

"Promise to keep the music down and I'll tell you."

"You're such a jerk!"

"Okay…jeez…we're on route 71 now. Happy?"

"Yeah. So just shut up about my music...get some sleep or something."

"Nothing else to do," muttered Dean as he turned onto his right, squeezing his eyes shut to the sounds of classical music.

After a minute, it was no longer funny. Sam decided to stop torturing them both and changed the dial, stopping at the only other clear sounding station; Is There Something I Should Know? was playing. Dean groaned this time but was finally able to sleep once Sam also adjusted the stereo to its lowest volume.

The nightmare Sam had just before they stopped a short time ago was still fresh in his mind - it had been the same one about Amy and her mother. 'What the fuck am I gonna do? I gotta stop having these nightmares...Dad and Dean are gonna get suspicious. Sooner or later, I'm going to end up letting something slip and they're gonna find out...then there will be hell to pay.'

He came to the unfortunate realization that the focus required of driving wasn't enough to prevent it all from flooding back. '"Sam, you are a freak...so am I."' He winced at hearing Amy's voice plague him once again.

Sam glanced to his right and verified that Dean had truly passed into the state of slumber. He really wished he didn't tell Dean to go to sleep; he did need his big brother for some things after all.

Suddenly the music emerged as static. He sighed and switched off the car stereo in frustration. 'It's just my luck,' Sam then thought bitterly. 'Of all the girls around, the one that I wanted to meet turned out to be a monster.'

'"Come with me, we can be freaks together,"' she said.

'"I can't. I'm sorry,"' he had replied.

"You can leave your family, that just wasn't the right time," a voice whispered. "As for your nightmares, those two yahoos at that saloon gave me an idea."

Sam whipped his head to look at Dean who hadn't moved; then with sweaty hands slipping slightly on the wheel, Sam nervously looked up at the rearview mirror but saw his father was asleep as well, lying peacefully on the back seat. There was nothing there.

Sam shook his head. 'All this guilt must be making me hear things.'

Amy's face, just after he said he couldn't go with her, reappeared in his mind once again. It was her eyes he would always remember the most; they expressed a profound level of sadness.

It was then he knew why she stood out to him at the very beginning; it was because of her eyes. They had expressed such loneliness with which he was able to empathize.

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Policy was that Sam drove only at night, in isolated places or in an emergency situation. Though he was taller than most men, a closer look by some at the fifteen year old sitting behind the wheel may elicit suspicions the Winchesters didn't want to risk; a pull over was to be avoided at all costs. Despite the authentic look of Sam's license, scrutiny of it by an officer would reveal it had been tampered with, not to mention the fact that they had no insurance and, above all else, the arsenal in the trunk was best kept a secret.

They were now in Indiana about the time when the sun started to peak over the distant hills somewhere behind him. Sam pulled into a deserted rest stop effectively waking his father and brother. They didn't speak, simply moaned and groaned with each stretch.

"I'm hungry and we need some more water," Sam said just before Dean got out and stumbled around to the driver's side.

Dean peered at the dashboard. "And the fuel take is running low," he added in a raspy voice for not having been used in a few hours.

"First suitable place you see, you can stop," John replied. "You should know that this may be the last stop for food before we reach Henderson. What money we have left after will cover the gas for our car to get us there."

"What about the credit card stops in Illinois, Colorado?"

"There's no guarantee…there's never a guarantee," John shot back. "Besides, it won't be that much longer 'til we get to Caleb's."

The sky was overcast; low lying clouds hid the sun that was completely clear of the horizon when they spotted a sign with the McDonald's logo. A couple of minutes later, Dean took the next exit and easily found the fast food restaurant. When he pulled into the parking lot, it was peppered with a few other cars mostly being guided to the drive through.

John handed Dean a ten dollar bill. "I'll take the car to the gas station across the street and call Caleb," said John while they all got out of the car. "I'll meet you back here."

Once John got behind the wheel and drove off, the brothers went inside.

"How much did he give you?" asked Sam.

"Just enough."

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John found his boys standing on the curb - each had a bag in one hand while his oldest son juggled two of the three cups of coffee. Dean presented one of the coffee cups to him then made his way around the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat. Sam got in back, inadvertently kicking at the empty bottle of whisky in the process, and thought, 'Dad pretty much can't sleep anymore without drinking first.'

"So, did Caleb say anything?" asked Dean with a mouthful.

"He didn't answer...I left a message. Sam, when you are done eating, you should sleep," said John after a sip of coffee.

"I'm okay."

Dean turned with a glare that conveyed, 'don't piss Dad off...he's out of whiskey.'

Sam modified his opinion and grudgingly said, "Yes sir." He then handed over a piece of paper to his brother. "We should be in Illinois soon...while Dean was driving just now, I wrote the directions that will take us to Springfield then onto Denver then to Henderson...you remember which post offices they were and how to get there once we reach the cities, right?"

"Yeah."

'Remember...there is nothing to remember,' Dean speculated at Sam's use of the word. He swallowed his last bite and cleared his throat. "Now I know what is bothering me. Dad, if it is a demon we're hunting, maybe we shouldn't involve Sam...this is something new...we've never faced a demon before and he has the least experience of all of us..."

"Dean, it's okay," Sam said with exasperation. "You don't need to worry about me...remember what I said?"

'Of course, I do...don't you remember I never promised anything?' Dean thought in response.

Sam shrugged off his brother's distressed expression then faced his father. "Besides, I've been thinking...we might have a witch doing this."

"Boys, let's not get ahead of ourselves," replied John as he put in a cassette and reached for the on switch. Rolling Stones music burst out of the speakers with a palpable force.

'The king has spoken...I guess there's no more to talk about, then,' thought Sam irritably before closing his eyes.

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Dean leaned over to the back seat and tousled his brother's hair. "Sammy, wake up...we're gonna stop soon."

Sam opened his eyes to see rain hitting the windows heavily. "I wasn't really asleep...Post office?"

"Yeah."

A few minutes later, John parked the car, held the car keys up and turned to Sam. "Go to the trunk and in my black bag, front pocket are a set of keys. Bring them to me."

Sam put a jacket on around his shoulders and took the keys. With a huff, he pushed open his door, which creaked louder in the wet weather, and made his way quickly to the trunk. Once he got it open, Sam found the black bag easily, thankful his dad was an organized person and found the keys where John said they would be. Sam slammed the trunk then ran back and leapt inside, shaking out his wet hair. "Here," he said as he placed the both sets of keys into John's waiting hand.

"Alright," said John. "Wait for me." He departed and sped up the stairs.

After seeing John disappear into the building, Dean turned toward Sam. "Sure is pouring out," he quipped.

"No shit...thanks for making sure I woke up in time to have to get Dad's keys."

Dean grinned. "Hey it was your 'run out into the rain to get Dad's keys' turn."

"It's amazing how good your memory is, Dean."

Dean merely shrugged. They each wordlessly looked out the window, watched the rain falling and random people scurrying about.

As the minutes went by, the rain's intensity started to lessen. Dean squirmed nervously. "It's been fifteen minutes, what's keeping Dad?"

"Looks like Dad got his credit card, Dean...he probably walked to an ATM and withdrew some cash."

No sooner had Sam finished his sentence than they spotted John making his way toward them with a pleasant expression on his face. "Okay, we're in luck," he said once inside the car. "We're not going to need to stop in Boulder after all. Next time I'll show you how do these applications."

"Dad, do you want me to drive a while?" asked Dean.

"You know what? I changed my mind...there's a diner just up ahead. You boys will grab something to eat...get me a cheeseburger. While you're doing that, I'll go fill up the car." John handed Dean and Sam each a twenty dollar bill as they got out. Just before driving off, he said, "I'll be back in thirty."

"Thirty minutes?" Sam said as they began to walk. "To gas up the car? We didn't stop that long ago."

"I'm sure Dad has more on his mind than just getting gas," answered Dean.

"Yeah, he needs time to find a liquor store...at least he's in a better mood," Sam grumbled which earned a jab to his side from Dean.

Sam held up his money. "Having this doesn't feel right"

Dean sighed then swiped it from his hand. "I'll take it then...lunch is on me."

Together, they crossed the street to enter what turned out to be a cafeteria style restaurant and shook of the rain. There were only two other women inside, seated at a corner table, in the middle of some heated discussion.

Dean strode toward the right, picked up a tray and proceeded down the line. Sam followed every one of his moves, down to mimicking Dean's choices, including reaching for a slice of blueberry pie. Next, they found a table easily and started to eat.

Sam swallowed his first bite. "Dad is acting like something might happen to him."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, he just told us he was gonna show us how to fill out an application for the cards. Maybe whatever happened in Amherst got him nervous."

"Sam, Dad's gonna be fine...there's nothing to worry about."

"If he ever goes off again like that, I won't wait around...I'll go out myself and figure out where he went on my own." Sam flashed a glare to Dean who was calmly taking a bite of his sandwich. "You're okay with not knowing what happened?"

"He doesn't want us to know, Sam...end of story. Now, shut up and eat."

"Dean, you were scared...I knew it all along, even though you tried to hide it. We both were. What if Dad was hurt somewhere? I know if I were missing, you'd come looking...we'd do the same for you, too."

Dean took a bite of his pie. "Yeah, 'coz we'd know you probably fell in a ditch or something. Dad and me, we're more careful...we know what we're doing."

"Maybe I'll disappear myself for a few days, see how he likes it," countered Sam.

"Goddammit! You just can't let it go, can you? Me? I would never take off on purpose to prove a point...I know how to move on with my life."

Sam stabbed a couple of fries with his fork. "He could have at least called."

"Just eat, Sam. Dad will be here soon. I'll go and get his food now."

"I am eating," grumbled Sam to Dean's now empty seat.

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The rain had ended but the clouds lingered as they drove out of Illinois. John stayed behind the wheel and his sons, both with moods reflecting the weather, remained quiet as well. It was three cassette tapes later when they stopped at a rest stop on the Missouri border.

After navigating to a parking area, John turned to his right and handed Dean some more money. He looked at Dean and Sam alternately as he gave his instructions. "I want to make sure the tank is full before going into Kansas and I'm also gonna try to reach Caleb. There's plenty of people around so there shouldn't be any trouble. So you boys do what you need to do...walk around, get enough food and water to take us to Henderson...I want to only stop for gas and mother nature from now on."

"Yes, sir," they replied simultaneously then proceeded to get out of the car.

Dean led the way into the massive structure crowded to capacity and was taken aback once he stepped past the entrance. "Wow! I knew these kinds of places existed but never actually saw one before."

"Yeah. We've never actually been to a mall before either," Sam agreed.

"A new experience along with driving non-stop, enjoy it while you can."

"Enjoy this? I'd rather we did our routine of driving no more than eight hours, spending the night in a hotel. I could really use a shower."

"Yeah, you could."

"I know what I would enjoy. We should go to Las Vegas when we're done, Dean…see what there is out there besides hotels and crappy restaurants."

"I'm with you there, great minds think alike…come on, let's see what there is to eat."

The brothers ventured further inside and maneuvered their way around the great many people. Dean reached a relatively empty spot from where to scan the area better and halted suddenly which caused Sam to almost crash into him. "KFC...McDonald's...pizza. What do you feel like?"

"I think I lost my appetite. What do you feel like?"

"Pizza, I guess."

Sam followed his brother's line of sight. "It has the longest line, Dean."

"So what? You get in line, hold a place while I go to the bathroom then I'll be right back."

"Fine. Just hurry up...I have to go, too."

"Fine...don't pick up any girls while I'm gone."

Dean pushed through the door and his nose involuntarily wrinkled. 'Disgusting...even for us...the sooner I'm in, the sooner I'm out...Sam is going to get nauseous I bet!' Two men washing their hands at the sink looked up at him as he had appeared. He avoided making eye contact and made his way to a relatively clean looking stall.

Once inside, Dean detected approaching footsteps that stopped in the space next to his. There was movement along the floor and a glance downward showed it was a black sneaker poking under his partition. His suspicion that it was one of the men who had been at the sink when he entered was confirmed; he could tell it belonged to the man who had been wearing the brown leather jacket. 'Oh, that is just wrong,' Dean thought when the foot began to tap. Dean hurried back out and made his way to a toilet two spaces over.

Dean felt the man staring at his back while he washed his hands. 'Checking what you're missing out on, huh?' He looked up at the mirror and caught a glimpse of him peeking out behind the stall door.

Their eyes met, the man's were inquiring, and in answer Dean shook his head. He instantly grabbed a paper towel to quickly dry his hands and nearly collided with another man coming in while he was going out. Several paces later, Dean turned to catch sight of that man standing by the mens' room door.

He was reeling; having been propositioned for gay sex only once before, and that was by someone he knew, this unwelcome encounter took Dean off guard. 'Breathe…' Sam's voice echoed in his mind and so he slowed his stride to do just that—he took a couple of steadying breaths in and out. After, he felt slightly calmer—but he really wanted to be back with his brother. No matter how short a time he was apart from Sam, returning to his presence was like arriving back home after being gone for years.

Dean disregarded the sea of humanity around him and focused on where the pizza place was. Everyone else registered as just a blur when he scanned down the line until he caught sight of him. Sam was staring back and even from this distance, Dean could see his concerned look. 'I don't care,' he thought. He needed to tell Sam the truth about this.

Sam had hardly moved up much and that brought Dean back to the reality that he wasn't really gone that long—it actually took him longer to walk the distance between the line and the restroom.

Sam's face was puckered with worry. "Dean, what is it?"

"Nothing gets by you, huh? There's a guy in the bathroom that is cruising for sex," Dean said in a low voice.

"Is he still there?" Sam whispered.

Dean craned his neck around to scan through the crowds. "I saw him leave but then he just was standing by the door. I don't see him now...doesn't mean anything."

"What am I supposed to do? That's the nearest one."

"I'll tell you what you won't do..."

"Sorry, Dean...I have to go now. Just wait here…I'll be back soon," Sam interrupted before he set off in the direction of the restroom.

Dean threw up his arms in exasperation. "Dammit, Sam," he snapped, ignoring the looks of the people around him in line.

From his position in the line, he kept Sam in sight as he wove his way toward the rest room. When he was halfway there, that same man exited the bathroom again and stood by unobtrusively as the people went about their business around him. He took notice of Sam passing by and blatantly appraised him up and down. 'He's a criminal pedophile, too,' thought Dean, his blood boiling. But that man remained where he was, looked left to right, and reached inside his jacket to check something.

'He won't strike with other people inside,' Dean told himself with as much conviction he could muster and held his ground. Apparently this person had the same idea for he didn't re-enter the restroom.

Dean was starting to relax. However, the man was stopping anyone else from entering; based on his gestures, it seemed he was telling them something was wrong with the facilities. Each time, no one questioned it and they walked away.

Man after man pushed through the door and Dean hoped in vain each time one of them would be Sam. 'Come on! Finish already. You don't have to spend friggin' ten minutes washing your hands!' Another person left - apparently it was the last one because the man in the leather jacket took one last look around then slipped back inside the mens' room. "Aw shit!" Dean raged as he took a step forward.

'Sam said to stop worrying...he can take care of himself...' his inner voice commanded '...stay where you are.'

Dean paused for a split second.

'Nope, can't do it...don't be too pissed at me, Sammy...I tried.' Dean couldn't ignore the image in his mind of Sam being threatened and molested; it spurred him to act. Dean kicked himself for having waited so long and started rushing over there, not caring if he bumped into people on the way. All he was afraid of was that he wouldn't make in time.