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The Blood That Binds Them, Part II

To: email address Sam Winchester

From: email address Jack McKenzie

Subject: Need your expertise . . .

Date: June 30, 2007

Hey Samwise,

I've got a situation and maybe that freakishly large brain of yours can figure this out cause I have to admit, man, I'm a little worried. I'm just going to spit it out. OK, I think maybe I'm going insane. I don't mean "I met a girl and she's driving me crazy" insane or "the end of the semester is coming and I don't know how I'm going to get everything done" insane. This is more of a "carrying on a conversation with a mailbox, they're coming to take me away, ha, ha" insane.

Do you know what a paranoid schizophrenic is? Our family has had some experience with it. It's the same thing that guy in "A Beautiful Mind" had – did you see that? Basically, it's when your mind makes up people and they seem real but they aren't. I'm not quite there yet but I think maybe I am heading that way.

A couple of weeks ago, I started getting these killer headaches. Then the other day, I'm sitting in the student union and I hear this voice talking but when I look around there is no one there. I don't suppose you know of a supernatural thing like this, do you? Maybe I'm being haunted or something. I gotta tell you, it would be so much better than the alternative.

Anyway, think on it and let me know. Tell Deano I said hey and take care.

Jack

P.S. Let's just keep this between us for now – at least till we can figure it out.

Sam snapped his laptop closed and thought for a minute. If Jack was worried enough to ask for Sam's help then he must be freaked.

After Sam and Dean had left Kentucky, he and Jack had been emailing back and forth and had talked a couple of times on the phone. Sam looked forward to hearing from Jack - it gave him a sense of normalcy in the chaos that was his life. It was soothing to hear Jack go on about classes and girls and his mom – everything always seemed good with him. Sam could pretend for a few minutes that Dean hadn't sold his soul to save him. Sam could pretend he was normal too.

The fact that something was going on with Jack that could have supernatural origins brought Sam's protective instinct rushing to the surface. He was already in danger of losing Dean. Sam was determined to do whatever he needed to save him. Knowing Jack could be in danger too, was just too much. An anger whirled up in Sam. He was damn well going to protect Jack – and he was going to save Dean. He wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Looking at the bathroom door, Sam stood and began packing his duffel. He and Dean had luckily just finished a hunt so they could leave for Kentucky this morning. Sam frowned. He wasn't sure how Dean would take this. Dean didn't talk about Jack much. In fact, Dean hadn't mentioned Jack in the last couple of months. Of course, they had been busy tracking down the demons that had come out of the Devil's Gate. But every time Sam brought Jack up, Dean would just nod and then change the subject. It was weird.

Dean came out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, saying, "Wow, there's nothing like a twenty minute hot shower – not that you're going to find out cause I just used . . . are we going someplace?" Dean asked taking in his brother's tense frame and hurried packing.

"Louisville."

Dean's face lost its usual smirk and grew serious. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, right now he is. He doesn't want me to tell anyone but I think he's having some trouble – our kind of trouble."

Dean swore under his breath. Grabbing some boxers and his jeans, he began to calculate how long it would take to get to Kentucky.