The following week had become an intricate dance between researching the deal and keeping little Dee from finding out what Daddy really did with his time, not an easy task seeing that the little girl was as curious as Sam and as tenacious as Dean. Bobby smirked more than once as Sam tried to distract his little girl from the books that were on the table. Finally, they arranged a system that the books would only come out during naps and after bedtime, shrinking the amount of time for their search, but they all agreed that it was the right thing to do.
"Sam, have you talked to that witch to find out what spell she used? Maybe it'll give us some insight as to where we need to be looking." Bobby said while trying another dusty volume.
Pausing only for a moment, Sam answered honestly, "No, and I'm not sure I want to. The last time I talked to her I wanted to reached through the phone and strangle her."
Bobby stopped what he was doing and looked at Sam in surprise, that wasn't the reaction he expected from the kid; then again he hadn't had to go through what he had either, so it evened out. "How about I give her a call? I don't have any problem with her at the moment and I'm sure she can answer a few of our questions."
Nodding, Sam handed Bobby his cell phone and told him which number it was before turning back to his laptop and continuing a translation of a ancient Syrian text forwarded to him by an archaeologist in that region.
Looking at Sam, Bobby shook his head wondering what had got stuck in the boy's craw. Suddenly his attention was turned back to the phone.
"Hello."
"Uh, yes, is this the lady who helped out my… uh, nephew and great … niece?" he asked hesitantly, remembering belatedly that he hadn't gotten her name.
"How are Sam and his little girl? Are they well?" Lillian asked, hoping that something unforeseen hadn't happened.
Bobby looked at Sam and wasn't exactly sure how to answer that, but settled for, "Yeah, they seem to be."
Lillian laughed on the other end. "I take it that Sam cannot let go of the worry that somehow the spell will not work, and is still researching the deal?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. How did…"
"I would have done the exact same thing. Rest assured, the spell is sound, those who hold the contract cannot make a move until the terms of the agreement have come to pass, and that will only be when the year is up. They cannot say that Dean or Sam reneged on the deal since they knew nothing of it."
"So, that's it; everything's tied up in a nice neat bow, why don't I believe that?" he asked quietly, not wanting to alarm Sam.
"Don't get me wrong. What I did was sound. The spell will only reverse when the terms are fulfilled and the deal is nullified, they cannot collect a debt from an innocent child, and the child will stay that way until the debt is cleared."
"In other words, they'll have to release him from his deal free and clear." Bobby said, starting to gain an appreciation for the woman on the phone. "My only concern is the backlash."
Lillian smiled, "I will be honest with you, I used a spell from a book that I normally don't dare to touch, however it was what was needed. I am confident that there will be no consequences to your nephews… or great niece." She said laughing slightly. "You need to get Sam out of the house, let him have some time to himself; he's starting to feel caged and is feeling guilty about it. Good night, Mr. Singer."
Bobby stood there holding the phone wondering why he had a feeling that the woman was definitely more than just a witch. Looking over at Sam he saw someone who was aging while he watched, there were the dark circles under his eyes, and an ashen tone to his complexion. The stress of the situation was starting to take a toll on the kid, and he was going to have to step in and take things in his own hands.
"Alright, we've got our answer. The spell is sound, we wait it out and when the deal is completed then Dee goes back to being your jackass of a brother." Bobby said, watching for some sign that Sam heard him. "Sam, take a break, you're killing yourself. You're not going to do that little girl much good if you're dead on your feet. Now I'm not as young as I used to be and chasing after a three year old isn't exactly what I had in mind for my golden years."
Pausing, Sam looked up at Bobby and smiled slightly, "Golden years huh? So you finally admit to getting old."
"Don't start, pup. I tell you what, you go for a drive, I'll stay here with Dee in case she wakes up, and when you get back we can figure out what really needs to be done. Alright?" Bobby hoped that this would word, otherwise he wasn't sure that Sam could last another week and a half.
Sam thought about it and wondered if maybe Bobby was right, they weren't getting anywhere, and he felt like he was beating his head against the wall. He didn't want to leave Dee alone, she sometimes had bad dreams and they had been sleeping in the same bed since that first night, but at the moment the idea of being still for any length of time made his skin crawl. "A drive huh?" he asked, wondering if Bobby had him confused with his brother. Then again, the only home he'd actually ever known was the Impala. "Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can. If she wakes up…"
"Sam, I got it. Go and get your head on straight, we'll be here when you get back."
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Sam had been driving around for the last hour and he wasn't sure if he felt better or not. He was used to being able to find a solution, and this time he hadn't, it had been up to someone who wasn't fully vested in the situation. Now he had a daughter who he loved deeply, and a brother who would be back soon leaving him with… what?
He had been serious that he would die for Dean, and he knew that he would rip his beating heart out of his own chest if he needed to for Dee, so how was he supposed to accept the trade off of one over the other? Shaking his head he berated himself for being selfish, and continued driving listening to the song on the radio Wish You Were Here by Incubus and thought how appropriate it was, he wished Dean was there with him, but he also wished that Dee was too.
Turning the truck around, he started his journey back to the house that held his heart, back to his little girl. He may not have her for long, but he was going to make the most of it while he did.
Finally reaching the road towards the house, he carefully checked the area and although he didn't see anything decided to pass it by. Driving into town wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he had a feeling that he was being followed and he wasn't going to let Hendrickson take Dee from him.
Pulling into a small all night diner, he waited a moment before going in. He had just seated himself in between the front entrance and the back exit when the bell over the door chimed and simultaneously a voice came out of nowhere startling Sam.
"Oh my God, David O'Halloran, how are you? I'm so sorry to here about Meredith, how's that baby doing?" a young woman exclaimed at him with a small wink.
Sam lowered his head a little while cautiously watched Hendrickson out of the corner of his eye. "You know, she's like her mom, stronger than what we all think." He said wondering why someone out of the blue would jump into this situation.
The waitress Twyla shook her head sadly and patted his hand sympathetically. "David, you know we're all here for you, no matter what your sister says we know that Meri didn't do it on purpose, so you keep that close. Now, I know that you men don't have sense God gave a goat when it comes to little girls, so whenever you need a break or feel in over your head, you just come over and let me help, alright?"
Nodding, Sam almost smiled at the woman's performance as she continued to chatter as she got him coffee and a slice of pie, all the while promising Hendrickson that she'd be right there. Wondering how he was going to get himself out of this mess, Sam slowly ate his pie and worked on his coffee. 'Don't let them see your fear.' had been one of his dad's motto's and we was trying hard to live up to it, however it was a little difficult with a crazy armed federal agent staring a hole in you.
Hendrickson watched across the diner as the waitress doted on the man who looked a lot like Sam Winchester, in fact, he knew he was but how was he going to prove it? If he called in a false lead his head would be quickly detached from his shoulders, so he needed solid evidence before he made his call. Suddenly he had to answer annoying questions like if he wanted regular or decaf, and if he wanted anything else. Seeing an opportunity, he caught the waitress' attention. "Excuse me miss, but that man over there, do you know him?"
"David? Sure I do, went to school with his sister Mary Beth, used to be a nice girl but now… well, let's just say people change." Twyla said watching the man in front of her. She had a feeling all those acting lessons were about to pay off, there was no way anyone in town who knew the Winchester boys were going to believe the lies that were being spread, and this was just one way she could help out.
"I see, so you've known him for awhile? Does he have any family besides his… sister?" he asked, watching her intently.
Looking as if she was thinking, she finally said, "Well, his wife passed away, and now besides his little girl, he has an uncle somewhere. You know his parents came back and visited right after Casey was born, such nice people. They had an opportunity to retire early and decided to go to Washington, I heard that they had asked David to move back to Seattle with them but David wanted to stay here where everything was familiar. Anyway, anything else I can get for you?" she asked, watching and waiting patiently. When he motioned that he was good, she walked into the kitchen and had a short but informative talk with the owner and cook Mike.
As Hendrickson continued to watch Sam, Mike walked up to the agent and sat down. "I hear you're asking questions about David over there. Any particular reason why?"
"Thought he looked like someone I knew, that's all. Not that it's any of your business." The agent said brusquely.
"Actually, it is my business. See, that guy over there has a lot of friends in this town; he's a great guy who just lost his wife and now has a little girl to take care of. So, you can understand why people would be more than a little… offended if someone came and started causing trouble for him. Right?" Mike asked, looking the other man in the eye.
Putting his coffee down, Hendrickson returned the favor and didn't allow his gaze to wander. "Look, I'm after a couple of guys by the name Sam and Dean Winchester and…"
"… and you thought David was one of them? Man, you really have your signals crossed. David over there doesn't even go above the speed limit, he turns his library books in early, and don't even get me started about what he does at the church for Christmas. So, if you think that he's one of the Winchester boys… let me give you some advice – you're barking up the wrong tree, mister. Go back and rethink your theory, 'cause right now you're starting to make the wrong people nervous."
By the time Mike left the table and Hendrickson looked back to where the man called 'David' had been sitting, he was gone. 'Damn it!' he thought, wondering how he could have allowed himself to be duped like that.
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Bobby had been worried before, he hadn't expected Sam to be gone so long, but then again, when had the boy ever done what was expected. His worries didn't get any better when his phone rang and on the other end was Twyla telling him about what happened at the diner. He was about to call Sam when he heard the truck pull in, but any questions looked like they were going to have to wait.
As Sam walked in the door, Bobby could tell that everything had finally caught up with the boy and he watched as Sam smiled at him slightly before looking at the stack of books.
"I think I'll do a Scarlett O'Hara, Bobby. Good Night."
Wondering what had really occurred; Bobby only nodded and thought about what Twyla told him.
"Everyone in town is going to call him David O'Halloran, so don't be shocked."
Shocked wasn't exactly what he would have called it, but it was close enough. There had been a David O'Halloran who lived in town, but he had disappeared after his wife Meredith had killed herself leaving him and their baby Casey behind. If everyone was going to resurrect David for Sam, then who was he to complain, after all, the background would check out when Hendrickson checked, so maybe it would give Sam a little bit of time. He hoped it would give Sam a little bit of time, because at this rate, the kid would end up killing himself.
Sam had gently crawled into bed and curled up next the Dee enjoying her smell and feel of her hair. She was his little girl and he would protect her with everything he had, and when it was time for her to go, he would make sure that she knew he loves her more than anything else in the world. It was the one thing he could give her, and he was determined to make sure he did. With that last thought, he drifted to sleep content in knowing that for tonight, she was safe in his arms and everything was right with the world.
