As always thanks for the reviews my lovelies.

Cas's P.O.V

You'd have thought my mom had put something in the food for dinner with how out of it and exhausted Sam and I were for school the next morning. I guzzled two mugs of black coffee half asleep while Sam blearily slurped down a bowl of soggy cereal. Dean was still fast asleep and I warmed a little from the night before, my stomach did several summersaults just from the thought of kissing him, Jesus I was a girl.

Dean had left the Impala keys on the counter for me, he'd insisted I drive it to school and pick up Sam, my mom was dropping Dean off at the hospital.

It was in the middle of second period that my phone buzzed.

Dean: Doc says they've isolated that it's a natural toxin, so no car chemicals

He say if they have a clue about a cure?

Dean: No I think they still don't know what theyre dealing with. Doc does say he's not regressing though

That's good atleast this isn't turning into a battle against time

Dean:Thankfull for small miracles I guess. See ya later

Sam and I will be the hospital right after school

Dean: I know, watch after my baby ;)

It was a quick day. None of my teachers were assigning homework or assignments the day before fall break and most of us seniors slept through most of our classes. The final bell rang and Jo followed me out to the parking lot.

"But how is he doing really. You can read him better than anyone."

I leaned against the side of the Impala and sighed.

"It's hard to describe. You know how masochistic he is, it's as if he doesn't matter enough to be hurting right now. It's all about Sam and every other flipping person on this planet but him. I'd say he's dealing with it as well as you'd expect."

Jo sighed and nudged my shoulder with hers and smiled.

"And it really helps him with you being there."

I shrugged and she laughed knowingly walking away to her truck as I climbed into the Impala while the door shrieked at me. I drove to the middle school with the radio humming the station Dean had left it on gently. Most of the traffic had already cleared through and I pulled up to the curb and put Dean's baby in park. I watched idly as awkward young teenagers scrambled to get into parents' cars and load up on buses.

Ten minutes passed before I frowned at the clock and pulled my phone out to call his cell phone. It rang till his chipper voicemail sounded out and I frowned at the clock. He wasn't in any after school programs and he hadn't mentioned something going on last night. He was probably caught up in the hallway with friends or a girl. Another ten minutes passed and I called his cell a couple more times; worry now starting to creep into the back of my mind.

The parking lot and parent pickup area were now nearly deserted; the last couple of buses had picked up loan stragglers several minutes ago. I sat for another five minutes before peeping into the front office and awkwardly clearing my throat at the grumpy looking secretary.

"Excuse me, I'm supposed to be picking up Sam Winchester and he hasn't shown up. Do you know if there are any after school programs going on today?"

She squinted her eyes up and swiveled her chair around to pick up an old 90's house phone and punched in a couple of numbers.

"Mrs. Jenkins, was that Samuel Winchester that didn't show up to 6th period today?"

She nodded her head and hmmed several times before sliding the phone back in place.

"Sam didn't show up to 6th period today. Maybe he's out with some friends?"

A cold creeping anxiety was inching up my spine and I fought to keep my heart steady.

"I highly doubt it but thanks anyway."

I marched out to the car and dialed Dean's number hurriedly.

"Hey man, I figured you two would be here by now."

I slammed the Impala door and clutched the phone.

"Sam's not here Dean."

"…What?"

His voice went steely calm. I glanced about the parking lot, still hoping to catch a last glimpse of floppy brown hair.

"Well I've been waiting on him for a while and I went in to see if there were any after school programs and the office lady said he didn't show up to 6th period."

"Sam doesn't skip."

His voice had gone up a little now, not quite shrill but gaining a slight panicky twinge.

"I know, I've tried calling him several times and he's not answering."

I had been keeping my overreacting fears squashed firmly in place before but now sitting in the Impala hearing Dean's voice go panicked I could feel the dread and worry racketing back up.

"Drive around the school and blocks and see if he's walking somewhere, I'll try calling his cell and a couple of his friends."

We hung up and I began to scour the nearby neighborhoods and surrounding area of both the middle and high school. Half an hour later Eye of the Tiger rang out and I answered on the first ring.

"Did you get him?"

"No"

Now his voice was shrill. I took a deep breath and made a highly illegal u-turn.

"I'll drive over to Bobby's and my place. Is there anywhere else me might go to?"

I could hear elevator doors beeping and distant chatter from Dean's end.

"I'd say his friend Jessica's but I called her and her parents. He's not over there, try checking over at the Southgreen Park, he likes to run out on the bike trail sometimes."

"Okay, keep trying to call his cell and call me if you get him."

"Cas" His voice broke slightly, going hoarse.

"Yeah Dean"

"Find him"

"Don't worry, I will"

I called Gabe immediately after, the moment he answered I rushed out.

"Are you at the house?"

"Yeahhhh…."

"Is Sam with you?"

Normally he'd be making quips or jokes, Gabe was insurable to talk with on the phone but he was strangely silent, I must have sounded more panicked than I supposed.

"No, what's wrong?"

I quickly caught him up on the current situation and he sighed.

"Cassy he's a teenager, he's probably just off having fun with friends, aren't you and Dean spazzing out a little?"

I was quickly clambering out of the Impala and jogging up the front porch steps of Bobby's old house.

"Gabe Sam and Dean live with Bobby because they're mom was killed by a serial killer and Sam got kidnapped when he was a kid, they never caught the sonabitch."

Gabe swore loudly and I heard a crash as I unlocked the door with Dean's keys.

"Sam are you here? SAM?"

"Why did you never tell me this before?!"

"It's private, plus how do you bring that up in a conversation? SAM?"

I checked in all of the bedrooms and upstairs before locking the house and jumping back in the Impala.

"Well he's not here and he's not with you, Dean told me to check Southgreen Park but after that I don't know where he could be."

"The kid have a girlfriend or something, he could be off screwing some chick in a car somewhere."

"Already called all his friends, he's not with anyone, hey Dean's beeping in let me call you back."

I swerved a little as I switched lines on the phone and lifted a little weight off the gas pedal when I read the speedometer.

"You get anything?"

"No, was he not at Bobby's"

"No and he's not at my house, I called Gabe, I'm heading over to Southgreen now, can you think of anything else?"

Dean huffed and his voice sounded tight.

"No"

"I'll call you after I search the park."

It was another hour before I had ran the entire bike trail and collapsed against the Impala sweating and gasping. I called Dean and huffed out dejectedly.

"He's not here…we…we should call the police Dean."

"He's not even been missing for five hours; they're not going to do a damn thing."

"Well I'll head to the hospital and get you, we can figure out where to go from there, sound good?"

Dean's P.O.V

Cas hung up the phone and I stared down at the cell in my hand a bit blankly. I sat on a bench in the walking garden behind the hospital; the only other person out there was an old veteran leaning on a cane and smoking. I stared at the phone a bit longer before bringing up the contacts list and scrolling as if on autopilot. I stopped over a number I hadn't used in two years and let my thumb press slowly.

I sat for a minute with the phone to my ear and listened to the trill of an automatic ring. My heart sank to my boots as I was beginning to realize the call would go unanswered when in the middle of the last ring a click sounded.

"Dean?"

"Dad? My voice wavered dangerously, I mentally shoved myself, I sounded like a terrified 4 year old all over again.

"What's wrong son?"

"It's Sammy…"

I could hear the background noise of an office.

"Give me the details."

His voice was just as I remembered, so solemn and serious, deep and gravely.

"He's only been gone near four hours. He didn't show up to 6th period and Cas and I, my friend, we've looked everywhere, called everyone, I've been calling and texting him constantly, can't get anything."

"Have you called the police?"

"Four hours dad, they're not going to do anything."

"I'll contact the police station, if he doesn't show up within 24 hours my team and I will be on the first flight in. We've been tracking a possible subject for yellow eyes near a month but there hasn't been any suspicious movement and nothing has alerted our programs or experts."

I scrubbed a hand over my face and snorted out a furious huff.

"And you didn't think to call me, to call Sam to be careful, that we could be in danger."

"I couldn't afford to possibly let the subject catch aware that we've been watching and…"

"Bullshit" I yelled furiously into the phone. The old smoking veteran gave me a startled glance.

"You haven't tried contacting either of us in two years! Now Sam's gone! Did you even know Bobby's in the hospital, in a coma, he could die and you didn't call!"

"Dean" His voice went a little softer, sounding slightly pained.

"Don't fuckin Dean me, he needed you, he's always needed you and you weren't there because you were too caught up in your own world to remember you have fuckin' kids that just wanted their dad. Now Sam's gone…" My voice broke and I choked back a hysterical panicked sob.

"Now Sam's gone…"

His voice went cold as steel.

"My team and I are flying in on the earliest flight; I'll contact the local police force. Go ahead and drive to the police station and put in your statement and the details so far, I'll call you when we get to Lawrence."

The line went dead and I dropped the phone and hung my head, clutching my hands over the back of my neck. I felt sick, my stomach rolled dangerously and bile stung the back of my throat. Jesus he hadn't wanted to go to school today. Fuck, I squeezed my eyes shut; I'd made him go to school today. Twice, twice I'd lost Sam.

Once, so many years ago, I'd stood huddled against a police cruiser, clutching Sammy to my chest as he screamed and yowled. Smoke had clogged my eyes and made my throat burn, a man stepped up to me wearing a filthy fire fighter's uniform. He's smiled and bent to one knee.

"You want me to hold him for a second buddy?"

His eyes were yellowed, a horrible murky mustard tinge from a failing liver and probably enough booze to kill an elephant. I'd clutched Sammy even tighter to my chest even as his screaming escalated to hysterical ear shattering wails. Dad had told me not to let Sammy go, I wasn't supposed to let him go. I shook my head and frowned.

"Hey it's ok, I won't hurt him, I can calm him down if you want."

Somehow his shrieking only grew louder and after all, at day care Miss Tessa said to always trust police and firefighters. I handed a screaming Sam over to him uncertainly and the firefighter smiled and Sam quieted almost instantly in his arms.

I still couldn't remember the next few minutes clearly. It had swirled together to form one confusing haze. Half the house had caved in and firefighters had swarmed everywhere, smoke billowing across the yard, ash and mist raining down everywhere. I'd searched and searched for hours, but I could never find the firefighter with yellow eyes holding my baby brother.

And now…Jesus, now it was happening all over again. And I'd promised dad to never let him go. I was supposed to take care of him, oh God.

I lurched to my feet and spewed up the meager breakfast I'd eaten into a scraggly Holly bush. I held myself upright against the side of the bench and my legs quaked dangerously. I was rattling like a tin can as I dry heaved before collapsing into the bench and shuddering.

My eyes flew open when a worried voice piped up near me.

"Son, you look like yer havin' one hell of a shitty day."

The old veteran eyed me perceptively over the cigarette he clutched in one gnarly spotted hand.

"It's kind of been one hell of a shitty week."

He hmphed and sagged down with the support of his cane beside me. The heavy reek of smoke made my empty stomach churn and I fought the urge to double over and dry heave some more.

We sat quietly for a minute before he silently offered the cigarette over. Despite my stomach I took it and inhaled deeply before passing it back over. He stared at it for a bit with a contemplative look on his face.

"Picked it up in the army, wasn't till Normandy that I got hooked on em' though."

I could hear a fast approaching ambulance in the distance, sirens wailing.

"As damn terrible as it got I was always grateful I didn't get my brother Leonard's lot, he got deployed to the South Pacific."

He heaved a very old and very weary sigh.

"He died after Germany surrendered, kamikaze pilot crashed into the aircraft carrier he was stationed on."

I frowned down at my boots.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not tellin' you for pity son. You go find that brother of yours."

And shit hit the fan folks! Sorry this chapter was mostly phone calls, we had to establish poor Sam's current situation and the detrimental phone call with John I've been planning for about 8 chapters ;)

The old veteran is actually kind of based off an old guy I met when I was at the hospital back in February (my sister was having a kid) and I was outside in the park. I sat and wound up talking to this old veteran who was something like 93 and had been smoking since WWII. Anyways kudos to the awesome veteran I randomly met, I have the biggest love and adoration for WWII soldiers …:)