TICK TOCK Grandfather's clock

Disclaimer: as per chapter 1, the usual stuff.

ooo0000ooo

CHAPTER 10

'Sammy?' Dean whispered as he tossed restlessly in his sleep, he could hear his baby brother's voice as clear as if he was standing right next to him ... hang on a minute, Dean opened his eyes slowly and waited until his sight settled and came into focus. He stared up in shock when he saw the lanky frame of Sam standing next to the bed, 'nah must be still dreaming.' Dean muttered, but then he heard a voice that made his blood go cold.

'Step away from your brother Sam, there is nothing you can do for him now.' Ellen said her voice chillingly calm, 'I suggest that you take the detective and get out of here now. Forget you ever had a brother, because I am sure he is going to forget you very soon.'

'When hell freezes over bitch.' Dean said as forcefully as he could. 'Get outta here Sammy, she's one psycho bitch.'

'It's okay Dean, we're getting you out of here.' Sam said keeping his eyes fixed on Ellen's face, 'she's not going to do anything to stop us.'

'Dude, she ...' Dean started to speak but then he started to cough violently, long harsh coughs that rattled in his chest.

'Drop the knife.' Sam said trying to sound in control even though his heart was beating so hard it nearly burst through his chest, he tried to ignore the sound of Dean's tortured coughs he had to concentrate on getting them out alive. 'I don't want to hurt you so please drop the knife.'

'You don't want to hurt me and yet I am the one with the knife?' Ellen giggled and aimed it at Sam, flicking it with blinding speed and accuracy.

The tip of the knife hovered at Sam's neck and then it dropped to the floor without even touching him.

'How? How did you do that?' Ellen gasped her eyes wide in shock.

'Ah not really sure myself, but it's pretty cool.' Sam grinned, 'now I am taking Mike and Dean and we're leaving here.'

'You really think that I am going to let you walk out of here?'

'I don't want to hurt you Ellen; I can see that you need help we can get you help.' Sam tried to coax the woman into surrendering peacefully and letting them get out of there alive. Although there was something in her eyes that made him shiver and step back, a small sly grin formed as she stepped closer to the young man.

'Perhaps we were too quick in choosing which brother to take.' Ellen said her gaze raking over Sam appreciatively. 'Maybe you would have been the tastier one.'

'Karen? Please you have to stop this.' Mike moaned as he struggled to sit up, his hands pressing the stab wound in his stomach tightly trying to staunch the bleeding, his own blood flooding from his body, it felt so surreal, he had no pain just a numbness and a feeling of tiredness.

'Karen? Ha Karen is hiding she is so weak, thought that she could better me by letting my prize go!' Ellen laughed, 'honestly between her and that sissy-girl Hattie it's a wonder I can keep it all together.'

'You don't have to anymore Ellen; we can get help for you so you don't have to worry about Karen or Hattie anymore.' Sam said holding his hands up in an almost submissive gesture.

'Stop it; you're trying to confuse me!' Ellen cried, 'no it's not going to work.'

'Karen please you are a nurse, look at Mike ... look at Dean they both need to get to hospital they are going to die if we don't get them help.'

'Stop it, Karen is staying put.' Ellen screamed her hand moving faster than Sam could realise her third throwing knife hidden until she flicked it at the last moment the tip of the blade puncturing Sam's shoulder just above his heart. Gasping in pain, he stared down at the offending weapon protruding from his left shoulder, and then he rolled his eyes up and fixed Ellen with a deadly glare.

'You are not going to hurt them anymore.' Sam said his voice low and even, 'this ends and it ends now Ellen.'

'Never, it will never finish and you will never be rid of me.' Ellen laughed hysterically 'you may think you have won and freed your brother and friend but this is only the beginning.'

'Enough Ellen, the police are on their way and you are going to jail where you belong.' Sam said as he walked towards the woman, the only visible sign of his pain was the shaking in his left arm.

Ellen stared up at the determined look on Sam's face, indecision flashed across her face as Karen and Hattie tried to fight for dominance.

'Karen, come on I know you're in there.' Sam caught a glimpse of the nurse's caring gaze, 'I can see the nurse who helped me in hospital, who helped me get my memory back. The nurse that got help for Dean, fight Karen, fight her.'

'You are really delusional aren't you Winchester!' Ellen screamed stepping back her hand brushed the handle of her favourite weapon. 'Shame we don't have more time to get to know each other, I bet you're a better fuck than your brother.' She snarled, with a strength belying her petite build she swung the mallet up and out connecting with the side of Sam's head, he dropped lifelessly to the floor, blood seeping from the cut on his temple.

'No!' Dean cried out as he struggled to sit up, horror shining on his face, 'Sam ... Sammy come on wake up!'

'Gee lover now why couldn't you give me as much attention.' Ellen purred as she sauntered over to Dean, effortlessly stepping over Sam's prone body. Bending down she placed a bruising and crushing kiss on his lips biting viciously at his lips, pulling away she licked his taste from her lips and then went to stare down at Mike and then finally at Sam, 'such a waste of perfect male meat.' She sighed turning back to Dean she blew him a kiss, 'bye lover I will be seeing you very soon!'

ooo0000ooo

Dean stood leaning against his crutches and gazed around the motel room sighing heavily, he had been out of hospital for two days and spent most of that time sleeping, now he was restless and itching to get out of the place.

Sam still had his arm in a sling, the throwing knife having nicked a nerve caused more damage than first thought, making it impossible for him to drive so they were stuck here for a while longer.

'Where do you think you are going?' Sam asked as he walked in balancing two take away coffees in a cardboard tray.

'Just stretching the body.' Dean sighed, 'Dude where have you been?'

'Just got us some coffee oh I rang the hospital Mike is getting out tomorrow.'

'That's great news; he ah helped you a lot didn't he.' Dean asked hating the insecure note he had recently acquired in his voice.

'Yeah he was, he kept me from totally losing it while I couldn't remember anything.' Sam said quietly passing a cup to Dean, 'Dude sit down before you fall down.'

'Doc said I had to keep moving and not...'

'He also said not to push yourself, I was there remember.'

'Fuck it Sam, I'm going stir crazy in this place.'

Sam stared at his older brother for a moment, weighing what his reaction will be to the rest of Sam's news, 'Mike asked if we would like to stay with him until we are well enough to leave.'

'Stay with him?' Dean frowned and looked up at Sam, 'do you want to?'

'Well he has a house and it's a lot bigger than this room.' Sam ventured carefully gauging Dean's reactions, 'but if you don't want to, it's cool we can stay here.'

'A house?'

'Yeah and a game station.' Sam grinned.

'Dude why didn't you say so.' Dean grinned and then wincing with pain he sat down on the bed and dropped the suddenly offending crutches.

'Dean? You okay?' Sam asked quickly moving to his brother's side.

'Get off me.' Dean mumbled, 'I'm fine just tired.'

'Dean ... do you ... I mean if you...'

'Spit it Sam.'

'If you want to talk ...'

'Dude you're breaking the rules ... no chick flick moments.'

'I've heard you cry out in your sleep.' Sam pressed on, not sure why but suddenly it seemed to be very important. 'I watched you in the hospital every time one of the nurses came close to you. Dude you were the king of flirts now you flinch whenever a woman comes near you.'

'Dude I said no chick flicks.' Dean snapped, 'gotta go to the bathroom pass me the crutches.'

'Dean we have to talk about this.'

'I am gonna have more to talk about if I don't get to the bathroom.'

Sam picked the crutches up one by one and passed them to his brother, 'Dean this is important.'

'So is my full bladder.' Dean said over his shoulder as he slowly made his way to the bathroom.

'Dean we ... what happens if you can't bear being touched by or near a woman.' Sam said watching his brother's back stiffen. 'What are you going to do if we have to help a woman in our line of work that happens a lot, we have to deal with women all of the time.'

Dean kept going until he could slam the door behind him, Sam stared at the shut door and kicked the end of the bed angrily this wasn't going as well as he had planned. The telephone on the nightstand rang startling Sam, it wasn't their mobiles as usual, and no one knew that they were staying at this particular motel. They had changed motel rooms three times since their run-in with Ellen.

'Yes?'

'Sam, Sam, Sam did you really think that you could hide from me forever?'

'Who is this?'

'Why Sam I am hurt but then again I did get to know your brother better than you.' The woman mocked Sam.

'Ellen?' Sam breathed turning he stared at the still shut bathroom door.

'Very good Sam, now I think we need to talk.'

'There's nothing to talk about Ellen, except for the fact that you should just give yourself up and make it easier for yourself.'

'Shut it and listen Sam, we need to talk I want my prize back.'

'You can't have him.'

'In one hour Sam, come alone, I will be waiting for you in the park across the road from your motel. Remember Sam I want to speak to you alone, bring anyone or call the police and I will make sure that Dean will never look at women the same way again, or even look at anything at all again.'

Sam hung the phone up and sank down on the edge of the bed absently rubbing his aching shoulder as Dean hobbled back in.

TBC