Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, Dean or Sam, I'm just borrowing them and I give them back when I have finished

Thank you for your reviews they are very much appreciated.

THE LONG HOT SUMMER OF 95

Virginia, Summer of 95

Chapter Twelve

John slowed the impala to a stop just before reaching the wooden bridge. Leaning forward in his seat he peered out through the windscreen at the bridge, it looked deserted. Switching off the headlights John climbed out and started towards the big wooden structure on foot. All around him he could hear the sounds of the night, the insects, the swaying of the long grass on the banks of the stream, the trickle of the water under the bridge. Even thought it was open and isolated John felt safe in the knowledge that the caller hadn't lured him out here to kill him, for some reason he hadn't yet worked out the caller wanted him to suffer first. As his feet came into contact the wooden bridge John's caught sight of something at the far end, he didn't know why he hadn't seen the swaying figure before now. After that his first thought was his gun strapped to his ankle, releasing it he quicken his pace as he crossed the length of the bridge. Now as he was at least a foot away from the swinging figure it wasn't what he first thought it was just a manikin dummy dressed in...Oh god, over a week ago some of their clothing went missing. Pulling off the brown envelope pinned to Sam's missing T-shirt, he found inside a photograph of their motel and more importantly their room door turning the photograph over in his now sweating hand he saw there was written in what looked like blood, the words "Bang, bang, their dead"

John took a step back, dropping the photograph as he realised he had been lured out here into the middle of nowhere, leaving his sons unprotected from this monster. Turning back towards the impala and started to run he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Dean's cell number. When there was no answer and it went to voicemail John barked out "god damn it Dean answer your god damn phone"

By the time he reached the impala he was in full blown panic mode, it wasn't like Dean not to answer, which could only meant one thing, Dean couldn't.

XXXX

Scared of losing contact with his brother Sam shouted out into the darkness that surrounded him in his nightmare "Dean, don't go"

"He's coming" there was a low tremble to Dean's voice

"Who Dean?" Sam asked but he saw for himself, from out of the darkness the Halloween masked man appeared in front of him

"Run Sammy before he hurts you" Dean's voice echoed faintly in the distance

Sam wanted to run but he was frozen to the spot, his eyes fixed on the Halloween mask as it was removed in front of him to reveal the face behind it. Sam woke covered in sweat, his heart pounding into his chest, it was still dark but he could see his brother's empty bed, he managed to squeeze out "Dean, Dean" before the air was sucked from his lungs as he started to hyperventilate

Josh Sheridan had slipped quietly back into the motel room and headed straight for the bathroom where he had stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers. Opened the bathroom door he heard Sam cried out for him. "I'm here Sammy" he knew what to do, grabbing a paper bag from the kitchen cupboard Josh rushed over to the bed "Take it steady, just breathe"

Sam took a couple of deep breathes into the bag before wrapping his arms around his brother waist; he had seen the Halloween masked man's true face. Not wanting to believe it he squeezed his eyes shut and he tried to get the image out of his mind, it was just a nightmare nothing more he told himself repeatedly

"It's ok Sammy, I'm here I've got you" the feel of Sam's warm arms around him made Josh hug him back he was envious of what Dean Winchester had, this small show of affection was more than he had felt in the last five years "You want to talk about it?" he asked softy

"No" Sam whimpered shaking his head against his brother's chest "it was just a stupid dream"

Lost in the moment Josh held on to Sam not wanting to break the contact between them "Then why are you so upset?"

Sam remained silent he didn't know what to say he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet, not until he had thought it through.

"It's ok Sammy; it's ok; you don't have to talk about it" Josh wasn't going to push him he knew Sam would confide in him sooner or later, he always did. Neither one of them heard the impala pull up outside, it took John bursting through the door to make them realise he was back "dad" they both said together

Driving back John had gone through hell; he had gone through several horrifying scenarios of what he might find when he arrived back at the motel but now as he burst through the door he was surprised, relieved, grateful that someone upstairs had heard his prayers and that they were alright, but his relieve soon turned to anger "Why the hell didn't you answer your phone Dean?" he barked out "I've told you never to switch it off"

"Phone" Josh answered in puzzlement; then he remembered it was in his duffel bag, he hadn't taken it with him

"The one I've been calling for the last 30 minutes" John angry shouted out

Josh jumped slightly at the anger in John's voice; he had been on the receiving end of a few of Michael Sheridan's angry outbreaks with painful consequences

"Dad" Sam was unnerved by his father's anger

John wasn't in the mood for an argument with Sam "Not now Sam. I'm talking to your brother" John turned on his eldest son "what the hell as got into you lately; first you let your brother wonder off on his own and almost let him get abducted and now this" he thought he had brought Dean up to be more responsible than this

"I'm sorry" Josh looked across the room at his duffel bag; to get to it he had to pass John. The memories he had downloaded from Dean Winchester told him, his father had a temper but he had never hit him, but there was always a first time and after the initial I'm sorry, it won't happen again speech it did, every time Michael Sheridan needed a punch bag to take out his grieve on. He wasn't going to take the risk of being John Winchester's first.

"Have you any idea what I've gone through, thinking that you and your brother were dead and all you can say is I'm sorry" John took a step forward "Maybe I should discipline you..."

"No, I won't let you hurt him" Sam shouted out as he jumped off the bed to stand protectively in front of his brother

"Sam" John was shocked to see the defiant look on Sam's face and a mix of fear and determination in Dean's eyes as he stepped in front of his brother. Turning John headed outside to cool down. What the hell had just happened in there he was angry yes, he had a right to be and when they needed to be disciplined but he meant the marine way, with drills and chores not with his fist, they know that or he thought they did. The sound of his phone broke the silence "hello" he said tiredly, suddenly he felt drained

"How did it feel Johnny boy, that feeling in the pit of your stomach that you couldn't get there in time; that you couldn't save them" Michael Sheridan quickly sobered up at thought of how he felt that night in the woods, hearing the sound of gunshots in the distance coming from the direction of their camp.

"You bastard, what are you, werewolf, vampire, shape shifter, revenant?" the not knowing was weighing on him. He swore to himself that after Mary's death he would never be in the dark again, he would protect his sons but he felt like he was failing them.

"We are a lot alike you and I, we both want revenge for a lost one" Michael Sheridan was on the move heading down the stairs and then towards the back of the old building

"I'm nothing like you" John spat out in anger

"I think otherwise, you would do the same as I to get your revenge" Michael Sheridan opened the door to the attached workshop. His brother had stopped his soldering work and was now stood admiring the quality of his craftsmanship.

There was venom in his voice "I don't kill innocent children?"

Michael Sheridan wanted to shout out you killed my innocent son but instead he swallowed his anger and replied "We both know that's not true"

Confusion replaced his anger as John whispered back "I killed your son?" it was definitely a question because he didn't remember; there was a long pause before the line went dead. John took one last look towards the motel room door and his sons before he headed for the boot of the impala and his journal securely hidden inside

Ending his call Michael Sheridan starred at the iron cage that James was building in the centre of the workshop floor, time was running out and he still had two more kills before the finale of his revenge.

"I like to see him escape from this" James's voice broke through his thoughts

"It's your job to make sure he doesn't" Michael Sheridan admired the kid, he had the same inner strength and spirit as his Tommy; it was ashamed that they both had to die so young. He turned to leave he had seen what he needed to, now it was time for him to take his next victim, sixteen year old Syed Adams "It's time we were moving, we've stayed here too long"

James thought about the place they were going, he never did like the place or the name, Dismal Swamp, it was infested with bug and insects "I'll load the cage onto the van ready for when we go"

XXX

John woke to the morning sunshine and a creak in his neck due to the fact that his head was resting at an odd angle on the bench seat back. He closed his journal which was still lying open across his lap before his stretched out his muscles and climbed out of the impala. Rubbing his chin he realised he need a shave as he starred at the motel room that currently housed the reason for living on after Mary. He found himself talking to her "My Sweet Mary, I wish you were here, you'd know what to do; you always did" he didn't know how or when it started but his boys were slowly slipping away from him.

TBC