Avalanche – Cave In 2

Disclaimer: Nothing pertaining to Supernatural and affiliations can be found in my possession unless you count my boxed seats.

Author's Note: Sequel to Cave In, I am picking the storyline up fairly soon after the original story finished.

Dean is seventeen and Sam is thirteen

Author's Note 2: Okay I'm back on track, I have just completed my 3rd year double major in Bachelor of Arts, phew honours next year but for now I have a 4 months break, and can get back to something close to my heart, or should I say someones close to my heart. The boys!! and Updating like mad. Please forgive me for taking so long and hope that this makes up for the wait.

CHAPTER TEN – So From the Beginning Again

John stared up at the doctor hovering over him; he refused to speak, to acknowledge the man. This was the one, the man who was keeping him from his sons and for that he would receive nothing but silent disdain from the Winchester patriarch.

'Silence becomes you Mister Winchester,' Payne sneered, 'in fact seeing that you are behaving yourself, I might tell you a few things, to help put it all in perspective.'

John frowned as he stared and wondered if this was all a set up yet again?

'Ah yes I see I have piqued your curiosity.' Payne smiled but it was a cold lifeless smile that rested lightly on his thin lips, 'you want to know why don't you I can see it in your eyes you don't have to say a word. Perhaps it is best that I keep you silent for a while longer.'

Before John could respond to the cryptic comment, Payne plunged a needle into the side of his patient's throat, 'this is an interesting little drug we have been trialling here. You see it paralyses muscles, nerves and leaves the patient aware and feeling everything. So you see Mister Winchester, you can see, feel and hear everything but you cannot open your mouth and speak, I have effectively frozen your vocal cords and jaw.'

Furious John tried desperately to open his mouth but nothing happened, he sucked desperate breathes in through his clenched teeth, and tried to calm down but felt like he was losing the battle.

'So now I have your undivided attention, let me tell you a story of a Hunter and his two sons who tracked hmm let's say a supernatural entity into caves in the Colorado State Park. Insensitive to her plight, you never stopped to think that she might be a mother did you? Then those brats of yours trap themselves in the cave with her, and she tasted the little one's tears.'

John felt his breath hitch in his chest as he remembered that hunt.

John glared at the park ranger, making the younger man take a deep breath and unconsciously stepped back. 'My sons are trapped in this cave.'

'I know Sir but until we get help then there is nothing I can do.' The ranger repeated, 'help is on the way you just have to be patient.'

'Patient? Patient? You expect me to be patient when my sons, my only children, are trapped in a cave and I have no idea if they are ... hurt.'

'Mister Winchester, Sir I understand your concern I do but ...'

'But nothing, how old are you anyway?'

'I am twenty-two Sir.' The young ranger replied indignantly.

'Do you have any children?'

'N-no Sir I don't but ...'

'Then until you do don't you dare tell me that you understand my concern.' John snarled turning to face the cave entrance, 'my babies are in there, trapped and possibly hurt you have no freaking clue Ranger Morris.'

'Mister Winchester we will have a search and rescue team here in the next half hour, they are on their way, unfortunately this is one of the more remote hiking trails and it is harder to...'

'We got through fine Ranger Morris.' John snarled returning his sole attention back on the younger man. 'Now you can either come with me or you can wait for your search and rescue team I am going in.'

'Mister Winchester I cannot guarantee your safety.' Martin Morris called after John watching him disappear into the cave, swearing under his breath the ranger picked up his pack and hurried after the distraught father and angry hunter. Halfway into the cave they found the cave in, the dirt, rocks and rubble packed firmly into the opening.

'Dean! Sam!' John called scrambling at the rocks, trying to pull them away, 'Dean! Sam!' He hesitated when he felt someone next to him, glancing over he saw the pale but determined face of the young park ranger, nodding silently John returned to the laborious task of digging through the blockage.

'Dean! Sam!' John yelled again, his voice hoarse and cracked, dust coated his mouth and throat making him feel queasy and thirsty. Stopping suddenly he turned to the packs and pulled out two bottles of water, tossing one at Morris, John gulped down the cool liquid before returning to his task. 'Dean!'

'Dad?' the reply was faint but clear and John nearly sobbed for joy, 'hang on son we're coming.'

'Mister Winchester ... John!' Morris pointed to a gaseous presence hovering above them, 'what is it?'

'Fuck.' John grumbled reaching around for his pack he pulled out the shotgun loaded with rock salt and aimed at the ghost, 'what did you do to my boys.' He snarled as he fired hitting the spectre directly. The blast shook the loose rocks slightly but that was all, the ghost for now had disappeared giving them time to finish their digging.

Voices filled the cavern as the rescue team arrived and wanted to take over, one look from both men stopped them and silenced their voices. John and Martin were too close now to give up on the boys.

'Dean!' John yelled and waited but this time there was no reply. 'No, no, no.' He muttered digging faster, 'they are not dead.'

'John ... John your hands.' Martin pointed at John's bleeding and torn hands, 'here use this.' He passed him a small shovel and smiled grimly, 'we'll get em out.'

An hour later the rocks shifted and fell away exposing a small hole in the blockage, heartened by it, the rescue workers helped John and Martin finish shoring the gap and waited with baited breath as the determined father went in search of his missing children.

'Dean? Sam?' John called as he crawled through the opening.

'Daddy?' Sam's weak whisper reached his father's ears, 'Daddy ... D-Dean's ...' Sam started coughing stopping the words in his throat.

'Easy Sammy I've got you.' John said reaching his sons' sides.

'C-cold D-Daddy.' Sam whispered 'm-my l-legs d-don't.'

'Sh it's okay I'm gonna get you out of here.'

'N-no ... Dean, help Dean.' Sam protested coughing up more blood.

John focused on his eldest son's face, his dirty and tear-streaked cheeks, dried blood caked on his forehead and snaking down his neck in a semi-dry stream, the awkward angle of his left arm and the swelling but it was the sight of his son's clutching each other's hands tightly.

'John?' Martin Morris laid a gentle hand on John's shoulder, 'we're ready.' John nodded numbly as he shook himself out of his reverie and gently lifted his baby out of his eldest son's arms.

'Sam's complaining of his legs he said that they don't?'

Martin nodded and carefully took the child from him passing him through the opening to where the rescue team waited with stretchers then he turned back to watch John with his eldest son.

'Dean?' John tapped Dean's cheek and tried to rouse the teenager, 'son?'

'Hey Dad ... what time is it?'

'You okay Son?'

'Yeah ... Sammy? Where's Sammy?' Dean sat up and stared around panicking.

'He's fine we got him Dean, now it's your turn.' John said gently, 'ready?'

'Always Dad ... hey Dad?'

'Yeah Dean?'

'Ya know you look like Goofy?' Dean giggled before he slumped against his father unconscious but alive.

John blinked as his head snapped to the side, Payne glared at him, he knew he had been struck but his face was numb and he never felt a thing. 'Do not ignore me Winchester.' Payne snarled before he continued, 'did you ever consider who you were hunting? You hunters are so arrogant it is unbelievable she was our mother. You and your cohorts, you killed my mother. Yes even demons have mothers you son of a bitch.' Payne struck John again, he took a perverse pleasure in seeing the confusion on his so-called patient's face as he repeatedly punched and slapped him. 'Now where was I?' He asked absently as he wiped the blood from his knuckles, 'oh yes, mother she was so beautiful, so tragic, see she gathered sad children to her and made them her own. Mother rescued my brothers and me; she claimed us and recreated us. Then you and your sons come along and next thing I know is that my mother is dead and you are to blame. All she wanted was to save your sad child, make him whole and happy again.'

John blinked slowly, his confusion mounting, she was a ghost not a demon, how could she possibly resurrect children as her own, she was a ghost. As though he had read John's thoughts, Payne laughed and leant in close, 'the ghost was only the lure, humans are so pathetic she knew that a haunted cave would attract those she could claim; she created the ghost, so no one would know her true countenance.'

John's eyes darkened, his pupils dilating as the realisation hit him, the possession; the voice mocking him as she took over his body.

'Such anger against children John, you do not deserve them.'

'Who are you?'

'I am She who saves the innocence.'

'That is not an answer.'

'Tis all you will receive from me John. Repeatedly you have tried to stop the taking of your innocents now I am here to make sure that this time I will succeed.'

'You? But you were dusted...'

'Tis only my projections as I cannot exist in the material realm.'

'The tears.'

'They are the connection, I save innocence.'

'And what do you do with them?'

'They become my children they become me,' her laughter once again sent shivers down his spine. 'Now your anger and resentment will ensure your loss.'

'I have no idea what you are talking about.'

'Ah I hear and see the deep-seated resentment you have towards your youngest, the reason your beloved died, I hear and see your anger directed at the demon but channelled through your baby son. Mm so delicious.'

'Leave my children alone.'

'No, no they are the reason I am here John, you have not listened to the warnings and now you are to be punished. The innocents will come with me and be free of your rage and jealousy.'

'You have no idea what you are talking about.'

'I have heard you in the dead of night, asking why Mary and not Sam? I have felt the anger in your heart when you reject him. He is an innocent John and you are corrupting him.'

'I would never harm my children.'

'Then why do you repeatedly reject Samuel? You have harmed your eldest by making him into the parent so you do not have to deal with the fact that Sam is special. That he is his mother's son, in more than just looks.'

'I love my sons.'

'It is not enough John.'

'So they are to be punished for my mistakes?'

'They are innocents.'

'What does that mean?'

'I was prepared to just take Sam, but you have trained your eldest too well, he is your well-trained guard dog is he not.'

'That is disgusting.'

'I control you now John, your movements, your thoughts, your actions.'

'Never.'

'I am going to show you the results of your inability to let go of the rage and then I will exact your punishment as I see fit.'

'Go to hell.'

'No John but you probably will. Your children will suffer by your hands John Winchester; they will suffer for your pride, arrogance and jealousy.'

'I will never hurt my children.'

'We shall see John Winchester, we shall see.'

'I will fight you until I draw my last breath, I will never inflict pain onto my sons.'

'What have you already done to Sam then John?'

'Bastard.' John pushed the word out as he felt the drug slowly wear off he felt the last punch as unconsciousness claimed him. He finally understood what happened earlier, she was no reaper, she was no ghost, and she was a pure demon, malevolent and destructive. 'Fucking … bastard!'

S—D

Dean opened his eyes and tried to workout where he was, he remembered watching TV with Sam and falling asleep next to his brother. He could remember getting up at some time to go to the bathroom and then the noise, he had heard a noise just outside, everyone was inside asleep, resting before the trip tomorrow, first stop the hospital for Sam's test and then on to start looking for their father following Sam's information.

He groaned and tried to sit up but found himself bound hand and foot, he was lying on his side with his hands tied behind his back and his ankles felt like they had chains wrapped around them.

He lifted his head slightly and instantly regretted it when he felt a sharp pain spike through his skull, his head feeling as though it was splitting in half.

'What the?' He squinted as a pair of legs appeared in his line of sight, slowly and dizzily he let his gaze roam upwards, 'you're dead!'

S—D

Sam cried out and reached out blindly for his brother, his cries became louder as he realised that Dean was no longer with him.

'Sam what is it son?' Jim appeared in the doorway, his eyes still gritty and puffy with sleep, his clothes in disarray.

'They got Dean.' Sam sobbed he had finally reached his breaking point, 'they got Dean, what's the point of fighting Pastor Jim? They got Dad and now they got Dean.'

'Slow down Sam and just breath, you're going to have a panic attack,' Jim said as he came to sit on the bed next to Sam, 'okay that's good now talk to me Sam.'

'Dean, he's gone I think that the demons got him.' Sam panted out as he desperately tried to calm his breathing down.

'He might just be outside, stay in bed Sam and I'll go and check.' Jim said trying to sound confident but that was the last thing he felt, deep down he knew that Sam was right, they managed to lure Dean out from the protections in the house.

A few minutes later he returned to Sam's side a grim look on his face, 'I'm sorry Sam, there's sign of a struggle …'

'Deanie?' Sam sobbed softly, 'both Deanie and Daddy gone, I'm on my own Pastor Jim, the demon won he said that I would be left alone.'

'No Sam, demons lie anyway you're not alone, I'm here and I'm ringing Caleb and Bobby right now. We are going to find your father and brother and bring them home.'

'Pastor Jim?'

'Yes Sam?'

'I – I don't want to go to the hospital tomorrow, I'll be okay, I just wanna find em.'

'I know Sam but …' Jim hesitated when he saw the kicked puppy look in Sam's eyes and the chalky-white colour of his face, 'we'll see when Micah gets here how's that?'

'Okay I guess.' Sam whispered he turned his head and stared at the blank TV screen, 'm'tired.'

'Get some sleep Sam, I'm gonna be right here.' Jim said as he rang Bobby's number, his heart heavy in his chest, he felt bone-weary and suddenly very old. As he waited for Bobby to answer Jim glanced over at his young charge and his heart broke completely. He could see the frail shoulders shaking as the boy sobbed silently into his pillow, in pain both physically and emotionally and Pastor Jim Murphy didn't know how to bring him any comfort, other than promising to bring the Winchester family back together, and God help John Winchester if he did not mend his ways after all this is done.

TBC