ON TIME'S DOORSTEP – sequel to Augustine's Ring

Disclaimer: Still the same, I don't own any rights to them, I make no money and do this only coz I love em. The boys that is. Supernatural, the characters and plots all belong to Kripke Enterprises. The only ones I own are the original characters.

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Chapter Ten

Jonas' Cabin

The Plains just outside St Augustine

Florida

1626

'Well hell son if it wasn't Augustine, then who was it?' Jonas looked up at Dean in shock, 'and why here and now?'

'Perhaps we're here to stop Augustine in the first place.' Dean suggested as he tenderly washed Sam's face with a damp rag, 'but I don't understand something.'

'What? Aside from everything else that is confusing.' Jonas quipped.

'Why let Sam still suffer?' Dean muttered as he undid Sam's shirt and washed his chest, wincing when as he ran his fingers over the exposed ribs idly counting them as he did so. 'I mean we got new clothes, aside from feeling a little stiff I don't feel too bad at all, actually probably the best I've felt in a long time. You don't look too bad either Jonas and yet Sammy...'

'I know it's almost as if ...' Jonas stopped himself as the realisation hit him. 'Ah Dean I think I have worked out what has just happened and it was Augustine who sent us here.'

'What are you on about Jonas? God stop talking in riddles.'

'Augustine escaped from his father and grandfather to find his mother,' Jonas recounted Augustine's childhood, 'he had been raised to be a demon, a leader amongst all demons, although he was half-human.'

'Yeah go on.' Dean said as he continued to wash Sam, and then he made his brother more comfortable before he gave Jonas his full attention, he knew the basics of Augustine's origins but wanted to be finished with his ministrations before Jonas got to his main point.

'Augustine had a minor conflict of consciousness he wanted to reconnect with his human side before he committed to his father completely. When he arrived he found his adored mother, although he had never known her, he was only a baby when taken from her. But then he met his step-father, his human step-father who was probably more sadistic than any demon he grew up with.'

Dean looked up at Jonas with a strange look on his face as he thought of what Jonas had said but then he shook himself and nodded for the older man to continue as he finished making Sam more comfortable, though he did wish that he had some Tylenol with them. He wiped his hands dry tugged the blanket around Sam's shoulders and then sat down on the wooden chair opposite Jonas.

'He met his two half-sisters, Josephina was the youngest and just as bad as her father but Lucia admired Augustine from the start. Then he met his Samuel...'

'He would have only been young then wouldn't he?'

'Yes, yes he was fourteen when he first saw him he was practicing his swordsmanship. Though apparently nothing Samuel did was good enough for his father.'

'Huh.' Dean grimaced and took a quick glance over at his Sam; the freaky connections still keep piling up. 'So ah what happened?'

'The step-father completely rejected Augustine he did not want demon-spawn in his house, he told Anna-Maria that she could keep him but he did not want anything to do with him or to see him, but one day Augustine came to Samuel's room eager to practice the sword again and found Jacob abusing his son, sodomising him.' Jonas finished unable to look at Dean he stared at the fire as he finished the story, 'Augustine slaughtered his mother and step-father, he called upon his father's minions who took Samuel and Lucia to safety and he burnt their house and the bodies including Josephina the youngest. He had two bodies brought in to replace Samuel and Lucia but decided to remove the boy, he wanted all to know that he kept his brother who he loved more than life itself.'

'So he took them and they all became demonic?'

'No, as far as I know Samuel never did really embrace ... he was given demon's blood to help save his life his injuries were grievous and though in your time not life threatening in this time the infection alone would have been a death sentence. Lucia on the other hand she adored her brothers and took to her demonic life with all she had.'

'She was the one appearing as Jessica?'

'Yes, the one with the impostor of myself when you first became involved.'

'God it seems like years...' Dean mused as he mulled over the life of Augustine and Samuel.

'Over the years Augustine became more corrupt, though if it wasn't for Samuel's influence I think that he would have ended up giving Lucifer a run for his money.'

'What about the cursed ring and cane?' Dean asked unable to curb his curiosity for the ancestor who was making their lives a living hell.

'I'm not sure of the origins of the stone that was made into the ring and cane head, all I know is that the power it harnesses ... well you have tasted the power yourself first hand.'

'And I nearly killed my own brother and Samuel in the process.'

'There is nothing to be guilty about Dean, this has been going on for longer than anyone has ever really known.'

'I still did that to my brother and to Samuel...'

'Under the influence of the stone and Augustine, you have nothing to be guilty about.'

'Jonas is right Dean.' Sam's voice sounded weak and barely audible but he still startled both of them when he spoke.

'Sammy...'

'No listen to him, I know that you would never have done those things to me if you were not ... well possessed and the same with Samuel, there is nothing in you to do those things without outside influences.' Sam stopped speaking when he felt the now familiar tickle in his throat and the coughing fit exploded from deep within his lungs.

Dean moved on pure instinct had his brother sitting up against him supporting his back against his own chest. Jonas passed a glass of water straight from a well in Dean's hand and then watched as Sam tried to sip from it.

'You boys ... I am so sorry that you have been involved in all of this, it should never have happened.'

'Jonas, no, no it's not your fault either.' Sam rasped weakly as he rested his head against Dean's shoulder, relishing the physical contact. 'The pair of you can just quit your pity-parties now.' He tried to put as much force as he could behind his voice but only ended up coughing violently again only stopping when he passed out and slumped against Dean.

'What do we do Jonas?' Dean asked as he threaded his fingers through Sam's hair absently and with his other hand he rubbed circles on his brother's back, though he was unsure if he was comforting Sam or himself.

'Rest, the pair of you rest, though I am sorry that you will have to share the bunk.'

'No probs at all,' Dean mumbled the adrenaline spike gone as quickly as it came and left him feeling totally wrung out. He pulled his legs up on the bed and adjusted the pillows behind them, so he could lean back and brace Sam against him in a position that made it easier for Sam to breath aside from the fact that he was not willing to let him go just yet.

'I am going to get a few supplies and see what I can find out in town about Augustine's arrival.'

'Be careful Jonas.' Dean said, 'please.'

'Sleep Dean, that's an order son.' Jonas grinned as he slammed the door behind him.

Dean shook his head in amazement at that statement before letting his eyes slide shut, though he knew that it was not going to be a restful sleep. His own guilt, worry, and current level of self-loathing would take care of that and insure that his sleep was not going to be restful at all.

S—D

Room 112

Memorial Hospital

Dresden Kansas

May 2007

Doctor Michael Fin stared at the empty bed in shock and then at the pale faces of Bobby and Heather, 'what the ... what happened?'

'I don't know Doctor, Sam was here, he arched his back and screamed as though he was going into convulsions and then he...he...'

'He vanished.' Bobby finished for the distraught young woman, 'I gotta get outta here, git home to find a way to bring em back.'

'Bobby I don't understand...' Michael stammered slightly but then his professional mask slid back into place as he watched the older man sway unsteadily as he took a step towards the door, moving quickly he deftly caught Bobby as he collapsed shock and exhaustion finally gaining control of the stubborn hunter.

He eased him into the large leather chair while Heather swiftly changed the sheets on Sam's no vacant bed. When it was ready Michael hauled Bobby upright and then guided him to the bed and laid him down; while he took Bobby's blood pressure and temperature Heather busied herself by removing his boots and socks, slid his worn leather belt off and undid the top button of his jeans and then his shirt.

'What the hell is going on Heather?' Michael asked with a confused look on his face, 'Bobby's blood pressure is sky high, Lord knows how he hasn't stroked already, and now Sam is missing along with his brother, Sam is barely alive and well I have no idea about Dean.' He ranted as he ran his hand through his hair, 'What have we done to get involved in all of this?'

'Been a friend Michael, when they needed it the most.' Heather said with a ghost of a smile on her beautiful face, 'are you going to admit Bobby?'

'Yes, I want him on an intra-venous feed, he needs fluids and meds to bring that blood pressure down, gonna give him a sedative as well. I have no idea the last time he had a good night's sleep. Anyway the longer he's down and out the better for him in the long run.'

'Yes doctor.' Heather resumed her own professionalism and hurried off to get what was needed to make Bobby comfortable and feeling better. Hopefully.

The only thing that weighed on her mind and heart was that if they never found the brothers what would it do to the older man? Hell what would it to do her if she never got to see Dean again?

Jonas' Cabin

The Plains just outside St Augustine

Florida

1626

Dean woke with a start and stared around the cabin confused and disorientated until he felt the warmth and weight of someone lying against him. 'Sam?' He croaked out, his own throat dry and scratchy. 'Sammy?'

'Mmm, De-Dean?' Sam's voice sounded thick with sleep, as though he was still dreaming. 'No Dean please no more...'

'Sammy hey it's okay, I'm here.'

'No, no Dean please don't ...' Sam begged as he struggled against his brother's arms, 'no please I'll be good please don't send me back...'

'Sammy wake up dude.' Dean cried out hating the terror in Sam's voice.

'De?' Sam stopped struggling and took a shuddering breath, 'my De?'

'Yeah dude your De.' Dean chuckled drawing his own breath he didn't realise he held.

'Where are we?' Sam sat up and stared around the cabin, 'we back at the cabin park?'

'Kind of...' Dean carefully extracted himself from behind Sam and eased his brother back onto the pillows, 'we're kind of in 1626, just before Augustine finds his human family.'

'Ah shit ... Bobby.' Sam sighed and rubbed his hand over his aching eyes, 'Bobby saw me disappear, him and Heather.'

'Heather?' Dean blinked, how could he have forgotten Heather. 'Is she ... was she?'

'She was fine Dean.' Sam gave him a small wan smile, 'how did we get here?'

'Jonas.' Dean grinned, 'he pops up just at the right times.'

'Yeah he does, doesn't he?' Sam frowned there was something he wanted to tell Dean about Jonas but he couldn't quite remember.

'Sam what is it?'

'Dunno, it's gone,' Sam tried for a smile but turned into a grimace, 'so I guess we can't get any good painkillers here then?'

'Nope don't even know what they used around now.' Dean tried to sound optimistic, 'Jonas said he'll be back with supplies soon.'

'Oh okay,' once again Sam felt the lost memory trying to push through, he needed to warn or tell Dean something about Jonas.

Just then, they heard the sounds of horses and a heavy cart just outside the log cabin, 'guess he's back.' Dean said, 'stay put Sammy please.'

'Yeah, yeah okay.' Sam closed his eyes and pretended to go to sleep while he probed his own memory trying to find that lost fragment. He knew it was too important to let go.

'Ah so the mouse has come out to play.' A voice mocked Sam as he hung limply from the ropes, 'poor little mousey all tied up.'

'What? What's going on?' Sam shook his head and immediately regretted it when fresh pain surged through him. 'Where am I?'

'You're in the pit Sam it's time for you to learn all that is required for you to finish the quest.'

'Who are you?'

'You will find out in time.'

'Where's Dean?'

'That is enough.' The voice snapped and Sam felt sharp pain sudden and agonising, he tried to scream but found he had no voice.

'I can do what I like here, this is my realm.' The voice laughed mocking Sam as another sharp pain flared across Sam's back. 'Now listen to me closely Sam, I do not want you to remember Jonas, and he is just a helper for you and Dean and nothing else.'

'Why?' Sam formed the word but no sound came out.

'I cannot have you mess things up for me now, I am the one who sent you back to 1626, I have done so for a reason. You will be my emissary.'

'No!' Sam cried out wordlessly as the pain increased, he felt the warm wetness of blood coursing down his back, 'p-please.'

'So the mouse wants to speak.' The voice laughed the sound reverberated through Sam's body.

'No more please.' Sam wept, 'I – I can't.'

'Oh yes you poor sick little mouse, I did take you from your hospital bed didn't I!' The mocking tone only added to Sam's misery.

'Why don't you just kill me?' He asked wearily.

'Why? This is just too much fun Dear Boy.'

'Let Dean go back to our time, you can do what you like to me just let Dean go.'

'Ah so we have come to the begging for the brother now have we?' The voice sneered, 'the stages a tortured soul goes through.'

'I – I don't understand.'

'You don't have to mouse.' Sam felt a hand grip his hair and yank his head back to almost breaking point, another hand caressed his suddenly bare chest making him gag violently.

'No, please don't do this.' Sam wept as the hand went lower.

'You have lost weight haven't you mouse, such a shame you were a fine specimen of a human male.'

'D-Don't please.' Sam felt the betrayal of his body begin, the now more than familiar burning of a forced erection. His cheeks burned with the heat of shame and embarrassment. 'Leave-leave me alone.'

'Listen to me mouse and listen well ... you are mine now, I have you exactly where I want you. You will not tell Dean anything about Jonas, you will continue to regain your health and ready to fight by your brother's side.'

'I don't understand why?'

'Yours is not to understand I thought I had made that abundantly clear.' The voice hissed his Sam's ear as his pain flared throughout his entire body, his muscles cramped and became rigid as the agony became too much and he started to convulse.

'Sam damn it come back to me.' Dean called as he watched helplessly while Sam convulsed continuously, 'Sam please you were doing better, not now, please not now.'

'Dean?' Jonas appeared behind him with a steaming cup of foul smelling liquid, 'get him to have a few sips of this.'

'What is it?' Dean stared distrustfully at the cup, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the stench.

'Herbs and such, it will help stop the seizures.' Jonas said, 'please do it, your brother does not have much time.'

Dean carefully slid in behind Sam once again and grasped him against his chest, when he felt settled enough he held his hand out for the cup. Tentatively he tilted Sam's chin slightly and tipped a few drops into Sam's mouth, massaging his throat to help him swallow, he repeated the process two more times managing to get Sam to drink half of the potion. Finally, Sam calmed, his body relaxed and he seemed to be breathing better as the herbal concoction did its job and stopped the convulsions.

'Sammy?' Dean felt a warm stickiness between his chest and Sam's back, with innate gentleness he pushed Sam forward slightly a strangled sound came from Dean's throat as he took in the damage done to Sam's back while he slept. 'Oh God Sammy!'

'What is it Dean?'

'I – I don't ... how could this happen?' All colour drained from Dean's face as he stared at the blood staining both himself and his brother. 'Someone attacked Sam in his sleep, his back ... oh God.' He rolled Sam onto his stomach and then placed a pillow under his cheek so that Sam's face was facing him. 'Look.' He held a shaking bloodied hand out pointing to his brother's destroyed back, and then he ran from the cabin and retched violently outside. Dropping to his knees in the fading sunlight, he clawed at the dirt with his fingers trying for some sort of traction as another surge of vomit spurted from his mouth.

Jonas listened to the painful groans and retches coming from the outside before he turned his attention to Sam's back. He clicked his tongue as he fetched some cloths and a basin of water pouring in a little of the boiling water on the fire and then tossed two fistfuls of salt into it.

He removed the remnants of Sam's shirt from his unresponsive body and then dropped the garment to the floor with a look of disdain fixed on his craggy face. 'Let's see what's he done to ya boy.' He muttered softly. With the cloth, he roughly washed Sam's back with the salted water, once the blood was cleaned away the long welts became visible. Jonas continued cleaning the wounds with very little emotion showing until he heard Dean coming back inside. 'Ah dear boy, there you are, you feeling better?'

'Yeah whatever, what about Sammy?'

'Someone has whipped him, the poor, poor boy.' Jonas clicked his tongue as he shook his head, 'I've cleaned as best as I could, but my old eyes aint the best you're gonna have to sew him back up.'

'I would've anyway.' Dean said gruffly, 'why Sammy?'

'Who knows,' Jonas shrugged, 'I'll get cleaned up and make us some coffee think that we're gonna need it.'

'Yeah thanks Jonas.' Dean didn't look up as he started to sew small, neat stiches into the worst of the welts, his mind still reeling from the fact that someone could do this while Sam slept.

'De?' Sam slurred his childhood name for his brother and tried to open his gritty and unco-operative eyes. 'De?'

'Here Sammy.' Dean finished the stitching and washed his hands quickly before hurrying back to his brother's side, 'I'm right here Sammy.'

'Don' ... un-understand.' Sam whimpered, 'why?'

'Why what dude? What happened to ya?' Dean stroked the side of Sam's face, not sure if he was comforting himself or Sam.

'Voice ... c-c-couldn't see ... who ... was.' Sam slowly got his words out and continued to try and open his eyes, to focus on the face of his brother to anchor himself.

Dean took in the glassy unfocused look in Sam's sea-green eyes, the lines of pain etched around them and the thin, tightness of his lips, 'I wish to God I had some of the good stuff for ya.'

'I want to go home Dean,' Sam wept, 'don't wanna be here anymore.'

'Me too kiddo, me too.'

'Voice told me ... did things ... why, why, why?'

'Sammy?'

'Why me De?'

'I dunno but I'm gonna find out and then I'm gonna gank em all.'

'De-Dean I couldn't see em, but ...'

'Sammy what is it?'

'It wants me to do things for it,' Sam cried as he crumpled into Dean's arms and broke down. The long drawn out process of breaking him down with torture and illness worked finally: Sam Winchester was a broken man.

TBC