Augustine's Ring

Disclaimer: So okay I didn't do it so you can't blame me ... oh wait sorry umm yeah I don't own any of the Supernatural characters or the show and it's not my fault that the boys are temporarily MIA ... umm I didn't do it I swear!!

CHAPTER 11

Cabin 12

Plains Cabin Motel

Dresden, Kansas

February 2006

Dean sat watching over the older Sam as he slept, he could see the lines of pain clearly etched on the man's face. Over the last few days since the arrival of the ring, he has watched Samuel slowly start to deteriorate both physically and emotionally.

He thought his Sam was moody but this one is more than moody, he's downright morose.

He fingered the ring idly turning it in his fingertips traced the dragon and glanced down at it every so often. The ring was the key but how and why, now it was becoming a dead weight dragging them all down.

Then there is Jonas regularly popping in to check up on them, Dean shook his head and made a decision. Pocketing the ring he glanced down at the still sleeping Samuel before he made a salt ring around the bed and then made a salt line across the doors and windows before he slipped out, locking the cabin's front door behind him.

Taking a deep breath in the cool morning air Dean limped across the camping area to where he knew Jonas stayed, for the first time he realised just what a good view the old man had of their cabin. But, he couldn't leave the cabin it was the only link between him and his lost brother.

Frowning he straightened his shoulders and knocked on the door, 'Jonas you in there?' he called knocking a little harder the next time, his patience long gone.

'Dean? My boy is something wrong?' Jonas asked hurrying towards him from the rear of the cabin.

'No, no Sam is asleep and ah I was ah bored just wanted to chat.' Dean stumbled a little over his words, surprised at the man's sudden appearance.

'Fine then, how about some coffee? I was about to go in and make a pot.' Jonas grinned, trying to hide his initial shock at seeing the hunter standing on his doorstep.

'Thanks, I ah need to keep an eye on the cabin though,' Dean said glancing back at the small building where Samuel slept.

'Well how about you sit right down here and I'll go fetch the coffee and we can have it here.' The old man's grin grew as he disappeared inside the cabin before Dean could argue.

'Get rid of him Jonas.' Jessica hissed when Jonas closed the door behind him, 'he can't know about me.'

'Shush you mouth girly and let me do my job.' Jonas hissed. 'I got everything under control.'

'What? What can you do here that you couldn't do back in your own time?'

'Stop the murder suicide for a start and then, then we can work on getting the ring and Augustine's scroll.'

'Scroll? What scroll? I thought that we only had to get the ring.'

'The ring is the key to the scroll, Augustine was a cagey old fool, but I worked it out.'

Jonas poured the coffee and then tipped a vial of liquid into one of the mugs, 'just a little insurance.' He grinned. Piling cookies on a plate, he carried the tray laden with drink and food back out to the porch and his impromptu guest.

Dean listened to the conversation intently, chewing his lip he tried to work out where he had heard that woman's voice before and the name Jessica. Surely a coincidence because Sam's Jess died two years ago.

The rest made him shiver uncontrollably, a murder suicide, a mysterious scroll and that cursed ring ... Dean heard Jonas coming back, struggling with the tray he banged it against the door as he went to open it, so Dean sat back down on the porch couch and watched his cabin. His thoughts scattered now, wanting to protect both Sam's against this curse and against a homicidal version of himself. When he reaches the same age would he become a murderer as well?

'Dean are you alright son?' Jonas broke through Dean's thoughts as he placed the tray down on a small folding table.

'Huh? Oh sorry just daydreaming,' Dean grinned, 'ah can I give you a hand?'

'Nope all under control, there's your coffee, cream, and sugar if you need it.'

'Thanks but the only way to drink coffee is black, pure, and unadulterated,' Dean's grin widened, 'nectar of the Gods.'

'Amen to that son,' Jonas nodded in agreement, 'cookie?'

'Ah thanks coffee is fine,' Dean took a sip and coughed as the slightly sour coffee tickled his throat. 'Whoa different.'

'My own blend of coffee beans, gives it a bit of a kick doesn't it.' Jonas chuckled.

'Yeah, yeah it does.' Dean took another mouthful and politely drank it, swearing silently not to be so gullible again.

'So Dean what brings you over here?'

Dean stared at the cabin, sipped the spiked hot drink, and gave his answer some thought, 'well like I said I was bored, watching Sam sleep is a little like watching paint dry. So I thought I might come over and get to know you a bit better, you know I never got a chance to thank you for all of the help you gave me and Sam when I got shot and stuff.'

'Glad I could be of some help, so what would you like to know?'

'Oh I dunno now, it was a good idea when I thought of it,' Dean admitted ruefully, 'so Jonas you been staying here for long? I mean um were you here for long before me and Sam arrived?'

'Oh a while yes, I'm a bit of a historian and have been researching a lot of local history and an old mystery has me intrigued.'

'Yeah?' Dean's interest piqued the moment a mystery was mentioned.

'Yeah, story goes that these two brothers lived in a manor house not far from here, they worked as private investigators in the late nineteenth century. Something happened and they disappeared, vanished no one knows where or why, or if they had met with foul play. Got the old imagination working overtime ya'll know.'

'Yeah, yeah I do, so what's their names?'

'Funny you should mention that, Dean and Samuel just like you and your brother.'

'Gee yeah what a coincidence,' Dean spluttered slightly, 'ah thanks for the coffee but I think I see movement, I had better get back to Samuel.'

'Anytime son, anytime I'm not far away.'

Dean stood up and felt a little light-headed; deciding it must have been because of his injured leg and sitting for too long in one position, he thought no more of it as he limped carefully back to Samuel. His mind filled with more what-if questions.

'Hey Samuel you up yet?' he called unlocking the front door.

'Deanie?' a frightened voice whispered from a corner behind the door, slamming it Dean let his eyes grow accustomed to the dull light after being outside and then he let his gaze roam to find the source of. 'Sammy?' he cried out seeing his brother hunched against the wall, his knees pulled up tight and long arms wrapped around them. 'Deanie? I want Deanie, I want my big brother.'

'Sammy, hey Sammy it's me ... it's Dean.' He crouched down in front of his brother and reached out to cup his hands around Sam's face forcing the distraught young man to look at him.

'Dean?' Sam whispered his voice choked with tears.

'Yeah Dude it's me,' Dean grinned happy to see the younger version of Sam once again.

'Deanie ... I'm scared.' Sam whispered, 'the other one is here and he's going to ...'

'To what Sammy? What is it?'

'He's coming Dean, please help me.' Sam cried not caring about his own pride anymore as the tears rolled down his face, 'I can't go back there Dean, I can't go back to Daimonledge. I'll kill myself first.'

'Sam don't you dare say things like that, I am going to work out a way to get you back. Just hang in there bro it's not for much longer.'

'I mean it Dean if they send me back I would rather die than ... no Dean please no don't...' Sam's form faded and flickered as the transformation took over replacing the two Sam's in their wrong times once again. The rip in time still gaping wide open, now festering and oozing with puss as the evil infection spreads.

'Dean?' Samuel blinked and stared up at the devastated look in Dean's eyes, 'it happened again didn't it?'

'Yeah, yeah it did,' Dean helped Samuel up and then disappeared into the bathroom, sounds of retching echoed through the silent cabin seconds later. Samuel sighed and wearily sat down on his bed, his entire body ached, but not just a tired ache, he could feel every injury the younger version of himself sustained. Including also the abuse that he would never tell Dean about. He found himself wondering if he could have survived the same treatment when he was twenty-four.

He looked up as he heard the bathroom door open and tried to give a reassuring smile to Dean but it died on his lips when he saw the look in his eyes. 'Are you alright Dean?' he asked standing awkwardly he moved to the younger version of his brother. 'What is it?'

'What? Nothing headache that's all,' Dean growled, 'what's wrong with you?'

'Dean?'

'Yeah that's my name don't wear it out,' Dean thundered as he pushed past Sam and went to the fridge, 'where's all the beer?'

'Where you left it, what is wrong Dean?'

'Nothing I told you just got a killer headache and don't need your whining to add to it.'

'Dean this is not ... where did you go before?'

'Out.'

'You went to see Jonas?'

'What you a psychic boy too are ya?'

'Dean he is dangerous, why would you?'

'How do you know that he's dangerous? What did he ever do to you?'

'He murdered me Dean.' Samuel said softly.

TBC