AN: I hope you all enjoy this update...don't forget to let me know.

The scream continued until each of the hardened hunters thought their hearts would shatter at the terrified undertones that seemed to be ripped from the youngest of them. While Dean attempted to calm his brother, noticing how Sammy refused to look away from their dad, John worried at the look of betrayal in his youngest son's eyes.

Jim moved to answer the now ringing phone; sure that it was the front desk fielding complaints about the noise. He wasn't sure yet what he'd say, but at the moment that was the least of their worries.

While John and Dean tried hard to calm down Sammy, Caleb was searching for the new med kit in hopes of finding something to help the kid. Knowing he was taking too long but not able to find what he needed, he was just about to scream himself when suddenly it was quiet in the room. Terrified, he turned to see Dean rocking his unconscious brother and had to concentrate to see if the teen was even breathing. The terrified look on John's face amplified his worry, but it wasn't until Bobby pushed him out of the way that he remembered what the hell he'd been after.

"Here John, I think the kid needs this," Bobby said as he drew liquid into a syringe and handed it to the other hunter. Normally he'd do it himself, but he had the distinct feeling that the man before him wanted…no needed to do this – to be the one to help his son.

John barely glanced at Bobby before noticing the object in the older man's hand. Nodding, he gratefully took the syringe and administered it into his baby boy's arm. This was something that he'd learned to do in impossible conditions, after all war wasn't a place you ever really wanted to learn something, but he'd never been as terrified as he was now…watching to see if the medicine would help to calm his son's body even as his mind was still trapped inside whatever nightmare he'd just woken from.

"Dad, what the hell just happened? I mean… yeah, we have a spook on our ass, but really…what the hell?" Dean demanded, worried that it was taking longer for his brother to wake this time. He should have known not to leave Sammy's side even for a moment, the kid never did well waking up when he's already not feeling good. Seeing his dad shake his head, his worry escalated; his dad was never unsure – ever!

Sam began to wake slowly, unsure of exactly what happened, but knowing that Dean was close by due to the familiar arms around him. However, there was one presence that he knew was close and all it would take would be for him to open his eyes and he'd be face to face with his nightmare – his dad. Hoping not to worry his brother any more than necessary, he slowly opened his eyes and after looking at Dean and seeing the obvious relief there, he allowed his eyes to move to his dad and then follow a path down the arm, attached to the hand that was holding his burned wrist.

A.J. Trent couldn't believe that everything he'd worked so hard for was now in jeopardy. How the hell the higher ups couldn't see through the ruse the 'family' he'd been investigating was putting on, he'd never know, but he did know he was going to prove that Sam Winchester's father almost killed the boy. All he needed was five minutes with Sam, away from the brother, and he knew the kid would spill everything he knew and would make the case he'd been stonewalled at every turn to get. He knew he had one more chance to prove himself, one more chance to save his job as well as his reputation. That's all he needed though… just one…last…chance.

John saw the horrified look on his son's face and followed Sammy's gaze and then inwardly groaned at the obvious conclusion. Gently placing the frail hand on Sammy's lap, he smiled slightly and backed up away from the couch. He could see the devastation on his boy's face and knew that he wasn't going to be able to talk to him at the moment, so he wasn't going to make things worse for once by opening up his mouth. Seeing the dread on his eldest's face, he gave a slight nod and stepped back, allowing Dean to take over.

"Hey little brother, how about we look at that for you, huh?" Dean asked calmly, belying what was really going on inside of his head. He knew what his brother thought and if things weren't handled just right, he'd keep thinking it. "You know, Dad's the first one to notice what was going on," he said as he took the first aid kit and gently applied a silver based ointment that Joshua had given them after a horrendous hunt landed them all face to face with a pyromaniac. "So, what's the deal Sammy? You dreamt you left your curling iron on again?"

Puzzled, Sam looked from Dean to his dad, back to Dean before looking at the other hunters in the room. Everything he saw was concern, but why exactly he wasn't sure. He knew what he'd woken up to, he didn't imagine that, but why would everyone act as if nothing happened? Shaking his head, he watched his brother gently apply the ointment on sterile pads before placing them on the burn. He didn't know how to explain what happened, how to explain that he was someplace else with something that he didn't see. How do you explain to a bunch of hunters that you looked up to your whole life that something big, bad and scary happened and you have a pretty good idea that the one responsible is standing in front of you. Really…how do you explain that without sounding like a lunatic?

"Sammy, what do you remember?" Dean asked, hoping that his brother would trust him just a bit more for just a little longer otherwise there wasn't going to be any point in trying to keep their family together. "Sammy? C'mon man… what happened?"

Shrugging his shoulder, Sam looked down at his wrist and was relieved that he felt better. "Just a nightmare… a stupid freakishly real nightmare," he whispered, wishing he didn't have everyone staring at him like some oddity…like he was odd.

"Yeah, we got that part kiddo… I meant what was it exactly?" Dean asked gently. He knew that right now his little brother was trying hard to downplay what happened, even going so far as rationalizing that it was somehow his fault. "You know I'm not going to stop asking until you tell, so what happened?"

"I was someplace nice… quiet and peaceful, you know? I thought I was alone… but I wasn't. One second everything's fine… I can breathe, I don't hurt, and I can even walk without feeling out of sorts… but then…" he paused; he didn't dare look at his dad, not right now. "Then I heard someone. He said it could be permanent, but all I could think of was how I wanted you there with me. That's when everything changed. He laughed at me and said that next time he'd bring you with me, and then my wrist started burning."

John felt like something had just punched him hard in the gut. Something was in Sammy's dream and it didn't sound like a fairytale experience. Looking at Dean, he tried to convey what he wanted to ask, knowing that if he said a word or moved the wrong way his boy would most likely dive into his shell and not come back out until he was long gone.

"Ok, so what did this guy look like?" Dean asked, hoping they could get down to business and have this episode put far behind them.

"I didn't see anyone until my wrist started to burn. I felt a hand and when I looked down I was already starting to turn red and blister a little. The only one I saw was…"

"Was who Sammy…who did you see?" Dean asked, knowing that they had a room full of hunters already armed and ready to track down the bastard that hurt his little brother. "Please Sammy, who did you see?"

Looking up at his big brother, Sam couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He didn't want to say… it would make it too real. "Mom, Dean. I saw Mom."

AN: Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?