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The Sounds of Silence Part 12

The last few days had been weird as Sam adapted to his new ability. He decided to stop going to class. Sam felt he had had enough instruction and the rest would just take practice. This left his morning open, and he had used the time to hone his new ability.

Sam had been quick to promise Bobby and Dean that he would never invade their thoughts without permission.

Day two with the new ability had Dean taking Sam out for lunch and Sam was able to read everyone's thoughts in the dinner. It was kind of scary but Dean thought it was cool.

Things were somewhat better between Sam and his brother now that he had an easier way to communicate with Dean.

Sam was feeling more useful- it was like he now had a purpose. With his new ability he felt he could help with the demon war, and maybe even find away to save his brother. Bobby had been positive when Sam had talked with him about it. Bobby felt that it just might work in their favor. The next time Ruby showed up they would have to put it to a test.

Sam just wished that Dean felt the same way. Dean was pissed when he suggested using his new ability to help in the fight against demons. He flat out told Sam that he wasn't to meet with Ruby ever again. Sam understood that Dean had a need to protect him but he hoped that Dean would come around in time.

oooOOOooo

Dean had mixed feelings about his brother's new ability. On one hand, it made communicating so much easier once they had gotten over the weird factor, but on the other hand, he was afraid that Sam would want to hunt again, and that would put him back in danger.

On day four of dealing with his brother's new ability, Dean received a call from Joshua. He didn't have any news on Ralph's location, but he had found out that Ralph had a daughter named Lisa. She was 23 and attending a community college in Lincoln, Nebraska. Joshua had an address and had found out that Ralph had some contact with his daughter.

Dean felt a plan coming together.

oooOOOooo

Dean approached Sam with his plan that night.

They had just finished dinner and had settled on the couch with Bobby upstairs when Dean decided to let Sam in on his plan.

"Sam, I have a lead on Ralph." Dean sent the thought to Sam trying to gage his brother's reaction.

He watched his brother tense. "So you are going after him?" Sam spoke in such a soft voice it was hard to Dean to hear him.

"Not exactly. He has a daughter in Lincoln, Nebraska. I thought you and I could go and talk to her, see if we could get some leads." Dean gave Sam a hopeful look as his brother took in his thoughts.

"Dean, she probably has no clue. If he's like Dad was, then he keeps her in the dark to keep her safe!" Sam's voice was growing in volume. Dean could tell he had hit a nerve.

"You know Sam, you're right, we might need to use her to get to him." Dean had this planned as the backup but Sam was probably right, to get to Ralph he'd have to use the daughter.

"Are you crazy? Dean, no way! We aren't involving an innocent scarring her for life, just so we might find a cure for me. I couldn't live with myself. Besides Dean, I don't want a cure, not now, not with the

chance my new ability might help us!" Sam was shouting now. Dean could tell he had pushed his brother too far. There would be no convincing Sam.

"Calm down, okay? We'll find another way. We're going to find a cure. You're not sacrificing your hearing just so we might have an upper hand with your new ability in battling the demon side. You got that Sam!" Dean was sure if thoughts could shout, that his were shouting back at Sam.

"Just no more talk about the daughter okay Dean?" Dean could see that his brother was calming down.

"Sure Sammy, no problem." Dean hated lying to his brother but it had to be done.

oooOOooo

Dean had a plan, one that his brother would hate, but it had to be done. He was still going to go after Ralph's daughter. Dean decided that he needed to take Sam with him, so that if things went well, he could get Ralph to reverse the ritual on Sam.

Dean knew that Sam wouldn't be willing and Bobby wouldn't like it either so he had to bide his time.

Two days after Dean got his lead from Joshua, Bobby left for town to get supplies. That left Dean a couple of hours to get things ready to leave and to drug his brother.

Dean had lifted the sedative Ralph had used on Sam at a hospital not too long ago. Dean thought they might need it in the reversal ritual. He was glad he had it because drugging Sam would be easier than fighting Sam.

Sam was sitting in the easy chair in the living room reading. Dean made a point to blank out his mind as he

approached the chair, if he thought too hard on drugging his brother he might back out. With Sam being deaf, Dean could see that he was totally unaware of his brother until he felt the prick of the needle in his neck, and then it was too late.

Sam looked up at Dean with confusion, and got out "D-deean?" before he lost consciousness. The confused look on Sam's face would haunt Dean for a long time, but he knew that in the end he had no choice.

Dean handcuffed his brother's hands and bound his feet and loaded him in the back of the Impala. He tried to make Sam as comfortable as possible with a pillow and blanket. He quickly loaded their supplies and was off in less than an hour. Leaving a short note for Bobby on the door explaining that a small hunt had come up and that he and Sam would be in contact soon.

Dean hoped that his brother would forgive him, he hated doing this, but the need to fix his brother was over riding all other thoughts.

oooOOOooo

Sam awoke to the familiar feeling of the Impala rumbling down the road. His head felt heavy, and he realized that he was in the back seat of the car. He tried to remember why he was here. His head was foggy, and then he realized the last thing he remembered was a sharp prick and his brother standing over him in the living room. Dean drugged me. Why?

As his senses started to return to him, he realized that his hands and feet were bound. At least his hands were handcuffed in the front. He decided that he needed to question his brother, and let Dean know that he was awake.

"Dean? What the hell are you doing with me? Have you lost your mind?" Sam was able to rasp out of his dry mouth.

Sam watched as Dean glanced over his shoulder at him. Dean turned back around reaching for something up front. His brother turned back around with a bottle of water in his hand. He handed it to Sam.

Sam took the bottle but concentrated on his brother waiting for him to answer.

"I'm sorry Sam, but we are heading to Lincoln. As much as I'd like to leave Ralph's daughter out of it, he dragged her in when he hurt you. I knew you wouldn't willingly go along, so I drugged you. Sorry about that. Are you hungry?" Sam could see the concern in Dean's eyes from the reflection in the rearview mirror.

Sam sighed as he opened the bottle of water and took a drink. "No Dean, water is good. My stomach is actually a bit upset." Sam replied. He knew he should be challenging his brother, but he just didn't feel like fighting.

"Sam are you okay? I expect you to be laying into me right now, and that's not happening. How are you feeling?" Sam could see his brother tense up in worry. Sam watched as Dean pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road and turned around to face him.

"Well, part of me wanted to yell Christo, and part of me wondered if maybe you were a shape shifter, but I finally decided that you've just lost your mind obsessing over catching Ralph. I figured there was no way for me to talk sense into a crazy person, especially not one as stubborn as you! As for how I feel, well I feel like I've been drugged, but otherwise I'm just peachy." Sam could see his brother cringe at the last statement.

"Sam, I'm really sorry about the drugging part." Dean's thoughts were coming in calming waves.

"I know. Could you pull over and take these cuffs off and untie my ankles?" Sam asked, knowing he sounded like the pouty younger brother which at the moment he was.

"Uh, Sam, does that mean you are on board with the plan, and won't interfere?" Dean's thoughts had taken on a sarcastic tone.

"No." Sam sighed.

"Sorry dude, this will be over soon. Why don't you try to get some rest? We have a few more hours before we reach our destination." Dean was back to using his big brother tone that came through in his thoughts.

Sam could only think of one thing to say, "Jerk!"

Of course his brother's corresponding thought was "Bitch."

Sam was in a battle with his emotions, on one hand he felt betrayed and angry with Dean over the actions that he had taken against him. On the other hand, he totally understood why Dean had taken this action, and Sam knew it was because Dean cared so much about him.

Sam didn't want to sleep anymore. He wanted to use this time in the car, to come up with his own plan, but the pull of the drugs were too strong, and soon all he knew was darkness.

oooOOOooo

Dean had just found them a motel for the night, and pondered the best way to get his resistant brother in the room. He mulled it over for a bit, and started to wake his brother.

Dean started gently nudging Sam, trying not to startle him. Sam slowly started to wake.

"Where are we Dean?" Sam voice was quiet and soft.

"We are at the motel that we're staying for the night. I need you to listen up, sorry, bad choice of words." Dean gave Sam a sympathetic smile as Sam looked up at him with a sad look.

"Dean, you've got my total attention." Sam said as he continued the hurt puppy look.

"I'm going to leave you here in the car while I check us in. When I get back, I will untie your ankles and give you a jacket to put in front of the handcuffs. I want you to remember if you try anything you'll bring unwanted attention to us. I know you don't agree with my plan, but the last thing either of us need is for the law to be brought in because you're acting suspicious. Do you understand?" Dean tried not to be too harsh with his thoughts, but he wanted Sam to know how serious this was.

"Dean, I get it. I won't try anything in public. I'm not stupid." Sam replied with a sigh.

"Okay then, I'll be right back." Dean said as he exited the car.

It was early evening but luckily the motel was having a slow night. Dean grabbed them a room and asked where the best place to order food from was and headed back to the car.

Sam hadn't moved. He had the same hurt look on his face. Dean felt like he was dealing with a teenage Sam all over again. He didn't look forward to the night he was about to spend with a pouty Sam.

He opened the driver's side door and started the car, pulling it into the back of the motel near their room. Dean got out and went around to where Sam's feet rested against the passenger door and untied him. He grabbed Sam's jacket from the front seat and helped Sam place it over the cuffs. Dean grabbed his duffel bag from the front seat and they walked towards the motel room.

Just as Dean was closing the door to the motel room, Sam whipped around knocking Dean to the ground. It would normally be a close fight, but Dean knew from Sam's movements that the sedative was still in his system. It only took a moment to subdue his brother and move him to the bed.

"Damn it Sam, what were you thinking? I could have accidentally hurt you!" Dean didn't get a response just a glare.

Dean pulled out a long chain from his duffel bag and clicked it to the headboard and then clicked the other end to the handcuffs.

Sam sat on the bed scowling at Dean. Dean decided to Sam proof the room. He removed anything that Sam could use to pick the lock on the cuffs or anything that Sam could use as a weapon and then sat down on his own bed, catching his breath.

"You can't do this Dean." Sam finally said in a quiet defeated voice.

"Sam, I'm sorry but I have too. This will all just be a bad memory soon. " Dean wished that he could just make his brother understand.

"Dean, even if you get what you want from Ralph, I don't want to change this. I need to use this new ability, to try to save you. I have to try. Don't you understand? Are you going to be just like Ralph and force me to have the reversal ritual?" Sam's voice was soft and broken. It broke Dean's heart.

"Sam, I'm going to do what I need to do to keep you safe. You being deaf isn't safe in our world and going up against demons to read their minds to try to save me is not an option! I'm going to do what I have to do. End of story." Dean hated that they were at odds with each other.

"Dean you know what? We're both a couple of stubborn assholes. We each want to save the other. Basically we're butting heads because we love each other." Sam sighed and lay down on the bed.

"Dude, you're such a girl. You totally just turned this into a chick flick moment." Dean thought with no real attitude towards his brother. Dean knew Sam was right, and he was just glad that he had the upper hand.

"Want something to eat Sam? The desk clerk said there was a good pizza joint nearby that delivers." Dean hoped that a little food might make his brother less moody.

"No, I'm just tired. I think you gave me enough drugs to sedate an elephant." Sam replied with a snort.

"Well you are a freaking giant!" Dean replied and noticed that his brother had closed his eyes.

"Save me a piece and I might eat when I wake up. Not that I want to know but when are you planning on picking up Ralph's daughter?" Sam asked as he yawned.

"If things go according to plan, I should have her by this time tomorrow night. I hacked into her school schedule and I plan on trying to nab her after her last class tomorrow. I'll need to scout things out first, maybe take out a security camera." Dean realized that he no longer needed to continue his train of thought, because Sam was out for the count.

Dean grabbed a blanket off his bed and covered his brother. He hoped that in two days time, he would have his baby brother back to normal or what was normal for his brother.

oooOOOooo

Bobby wasn't a happy man. He had returned home from his supply trip with a note taped to his door. Dean had left it, saying that he and Sam left on a sudden hunting trip. Bobby knew that was a bunch of bull. Dean would never drag his brother on a hunt with his disability.

Bobby wasn't stupid. He knew what was going on. Sam had confided in him and told him of Dean's stupid plan. Bobby had reassured Sam at the time that Dean would never do something like that, but deep down Bobby feared that he was wrong. Now his gut was telling him that he was right.

Bobby knew that the information on Ralph's daughter had come from Joshua. Bobby immediately called the hunter. Joshua wasn't willing at first to give up his information, until Bobby told him what he suspected Dean had used it for. Joshua had quickly told Bobby everything he knew.

As soon as Bobby had the information, he packed up his truck and headed out. He had tried to call Sam and Dean a few times but just got their voice mail.

Bobby knew they weren't too far out, and hoped he could catch up with Dean before he did something stupid.