When The Past Returns To Haunt You.

Summary. . . . . . . . . What if the rabbits foot wasn't the only thing taken from John's Storage unit? What if something that haunted Sam so long ago was taken also? Something with a lust for revenge, and a need to finish what he started all those years ago. An AU sequel to The Nutcracker.

Disclaimer. . . . . . . . Still only borrowing from the genius that is Kripke.

A.N. . . . . . . . . . Still no change in my not so great real life, I'm still hanging in a bit of limbo at the moment, unable to work and completely bored out of my mind at home, but I'm putting a brave face on things and trying to have a great Christmas anyway, and writing is helping even if it is still a slow process. Here's chapter 12 of When The Past Returns To Haunt You, enjoy. Peanut x

He didn't bother with an alter this time, making do with the rough hewn patchy carpet, and a thread bare sheet placed upon it. He'd demanded his puppet retrieve all the ingredients he needed for the ritual before his demise, the bags of candles, herbs and chalices placed in the dark corner of the room. He wanted to start now before he ran the risk of being caught, desperate to feel human once again, to start reeking havoc upon those he deemed responsible for the life he had been given, he had after all been an upstanding member of the community, in his eyes never doing anything wrong; those children after all had deserved the punishments he had inflicted upon them, to be treated as he had was a travesty, to have had to have lived the life they had forced upon him was a cruel and unreasonable retribution.

He knew though, that to rush would run it's own risks, his half wooden body needed to be rested, needed to gather strength for the task he was about to undertake, if he didn't he ran the risk of faltering mid ritual and that was something that he couldn't afford to do. Making his way over to his Prize, he ran a hand across the still life, trembling in anticipation at what that life held for him. Ensuring that he was weak enough to stay under whilst he reposed, the Nutcracker made his way to the other side of the room and backed silently into the shadows.

Dean woke slowly, his mind a jumbled mess, what had he had to drink last night? Where had he even been last night? And who the hell had he gone home with, cause this room was freakin' freezing? He risked opening an eye, slamming it back closed again as sunlight slammed harshly into him, setting off a crescendo of banging within his skull. Once the nausea, that had started to churn, had settled he risked another look, his mind put a little at ease as he recognized the rough carpet and the cheap, floral bedspreads of their latest motel room.

"Sammy? Get me some coffee and painkillers, I think I must have downed a whole bar last night. And turn up the god damn heating will ya, it's freezing in here." He didn't worry at first, thinking that Sam could have been in the bathroom, but when the minutes continued to pass and no movement was to be heard, he decided to risk moving and see if Sam had ventured out. It was the feel of the carpet beneath his fingers that first aroused his suspicions. "What the hell am I doing on the floor?" He asked of himself, his supposed hangover disappearing the more he became aware of just where he was, he wasn't just on the floor, he was on the floor by the side of his brother's bed.

"Sammy?" He inquired again, forcing his body to move from off the floor. "Sammy!?" He shouted louder as he caught sight of the empty bed. Looking towards the bathroom he prayed that the light was on, that Sam was just going through his morning routine, but the door was open. He looked towards the table where he remembered Sam leaving his coat, wondering if he had stepped out, only to see his brother's coat still resting there and no note, that he always insisted they leave. It was then he noticed the sheets pulled off the bed as though someone had been dragged from it, and the door that stood open, the source of the chill he had been feeling.

He rushed for the door but could see nothing, his mind a whirlwind of emotions, just what the hell had happened here? He forced his mind to come under control, forced the memories to come back. Sam's sudden illness, the hunt for the Wraith, their success or so he thought, Sam's continuing failing health, the news reports that turned out to be bogus, his flight back to his brother, and his feelings that every thing was okay, so what had happened. He sat down in the rooms only chair turning his memories over in his mind, he was missing something he could feel it, but what? When it finally hit, it had him rushing for the bathroom. The Nutcracker. The wooden nightmare from his brother's past had come back to return, but how? He reached for his phone after expelling what little remained of his lunch, only to get no answer from his first call, trying another number he was thankful when after a few rings it was answered.

"Bobby, what happened to the Nutcracker?" Dean asked, not wasting time with hello's.

"Dean? Is that you? What are you going on about? And hello to you too."

"I don't have time to mess around Bobby, I just need to know what you and Dad and Caleb did with the Nutcracker."

"What?"

"Bobby, don't mess around. Sam's missing and I'm positive it was that freakin' Nutcracker. I told you me and Sam had been thinking about it, well it seems he's back. Now what did you do with it? And don't give me the same old story that you gave me all those years ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ." He was about to rant on further, missing the sudden silence from Bobby, only stopping as his friend finally spoke up.

"Shit Dean, I'm so sorry I completely forgot. Your Daddy told you we had destroyed it because we couldn't find away at the time to destroy it. We locked it up, and stored it somewhere safe."

"Where Bobby? Where did you store it?"

"In your Daddy's lock up."

"Son of a bitch! God damn it! The same lock up that was just broken in to?"

"The same one." Bobby answered, ignoring the burst of particularly bad language the younger man produced at his words.

"Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he warn me that that thing was still out there? That it was still a threat?"

"He did what he thought was best Dean, he didn't want you, or Sam to be constantly looking over your shoulders wondering when it would return."

"I would have taken that burden on Bobby. I should have been told, it's my responsibility to look after Sam, he should have warned me, you should have warned me."

"Maybe, but what's done is done, and there aint nothing we can do to change that now. What I don't get though is how it's been released? That was some serious mojo I stuck on that box. Are you sure it's been released?"

"I'm sure, and I have the bump and bruise on my head to prove it." Dean paused and took a deep breath before adding. "I don't know what to do Bobby. I don't know where to start. I nearly lost him last time and we had Dad and Caleb helping."

"Dean, we'll get him back, and this time we'll make no mistakes. This time I know a way. This time we'll kill it. I'm on my way to you, I should be there within a few hours."

"Bobby we're in Buffalo, that's more than a few hours away."

"I know my geography boy, I left earlier. Got a bit worried after your last call and wanted to check to see if you boys were okay. I'm glad I did now. Start looking for any warehouses, or abandoned locations that are dark, it's what he went for last time, maybe he'll stick to his old habits. Dean, I'll be there soon. We'll get him back I promise."

To Be Continued. . . . . . . . . . . . .

A.N. . . . . . . . . As always thanks for taking time out to read, will be back soon with more, Peanut x