"When's the hunt?" Alec asked, settling his chin on his fist. He and Ben were lying on their stomachs on the floor in their room, holding the phone between them as they talked to their big brothers. He imagined Sam and Dean were sitting the same way talking to them. He missed his brothers; he liked getting to talk to them, but he wanted to see them again.
"Not until tonight," Dean answered.
"And then you'll come back to get us?" Alec asked. He didn't want to sound desperate, he loved being at Bobby's, but Sam and Dean should be there too or they should be with them.
"I don't know kiddo," Dean replied. "It depends if this is the only one."
"Will we get to go on the next hunt?" Ben asked.
Alec scooted closer to his brother so their arms were touching. Ben was taking this even harder than he was. He barely left their room unless it was to sneak out at night, and he still wouldn't talk about what he was doing. He didn't push his brother to talk about it since he didn't want to admit where he was going every night either.
"Ben, we're gonna come back as soon as we can, ok?" Dean tried to reassure.
"Ok," Ben said.
"What're you guys doing?" Sam asked. He sounded like he didn't like being away from them either.
"I read a lot and Alec rides his bike everywhere," Ben said. "Sometimes we go to the creek to play if it's nice out, but it's been storming a lot."
"Alec, don't ride your bike when it's raining, ok? I know you say you don't get sick, but let's not chance it, ok?" Dean said. He was miles away, but his big brother still worried about them and it made him feel good.
"Ok," Alec easily replied.
"Sam! C'mere and help me with this," Dad's voice said. He sounded like he was across the room, but they could still hear him.
"I'll call you guys again tonight after the hunt so you know what's goin' on," Dean reassured. "And I'll try to talk Dad into comin' back and getting you guys sooner. We miss having our rotten little brothers with us."
"We're not rotten," Alec said petulantly. "We're perfect little angels."
Dean snorted and sarcastically said, "Yeah ok."
"But you promise you'll call tonight?" Ben asked before he could argue with Dean. "What time will you call?"
"I promise. It'll be pretty late, but I'll call," Dean said.
Ben watched as his brother paced back and forth across their room. His eyes would dart to the phone every few seconds, but he was being uncharacteristically quiet. Dean hadn't called yet and Alec was worried. He was worried too, but Dean had never broken a promise to them so he knew his older brother would come through.
He remained on his bed though and just watched his brother. Their room wasn't really big enough for him to pace very far, but he didn't seem to notice.
Bobby had tried to convince them to stay in separate rooms so they could both have more space, but they had refused. They both had nightmares and they needed each other to get through them. So, the three of them had shoved two small beds into the room, leaving very little space for anything else. They didn't care though.
"Alec, Dean said he would call. He's going to call," Ben tried to reassure. "The hunt is probably just going longer than he thought."
"Something's wrong. We should be there with them," Alec stressed.
"Just try to relax," Ben said. "You pacing back and forth across this room isn't going to help them."
"It's helping me," Alec growled very unconvincingly.
"How 'bout we spar? That'll take your mind off things," Ben said. He wanted to help calm his brother down and Alec loved fighting.
"We can't spar in here, it's too small," Alec argued.
"Then we go downstairs. I'm sure Bobby won't mind and we'll still be near the phone," Ben said. "C'mon, you like fighting and this will make you feel better."
"Aren't you worried? It's past 4 in the morning…they should've been done by now…" Alec muttered.
"I am worried about them, but right now I'm more worried about you," Ben said. "And since I can actually help you where I can't help them, I'm going to focus on you."
Alec rolled his eyes and grumbled, "You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes…"
"Back at ya, bro," Ben replied with a small smirk.
Alec sighed dramatically before he walked towards the door and looked back at him, "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
He followed his brother downstairs and together they quickly moved the furniture out of the way in the living room. Alec didn't waste any time getting into a fighting stance and throwing the first punch. His brother was seriously freaking out. He usually joked around before he started sparring. He'd have to watch out for Alec taking this too far. He knew his brother wouldn't actually hurt him, but Alec would feel guilty if he left any marks on him even though he wouldn't actually mean it.
He blocked Alec's punch and started his counterattack. Alec was focused though and wouldn't let him get by. He and Alec excelled at nearly everything they did, but they still had their own strengths. He was actually a little bit better at hand-to-hand than Alec was, but Alec was better at shooting. Alec always tried to beat him when they were sparring, but he was usually the one that ended up on the floor.
But since Alec was focused this time he was harder to beat, and it seemed like he'd learned some new tricks. He had no idea where Alec had learned new tricks since he, Sam, and Dean were the only ones he sparred with.
Ben froze when he figured it out; Alec was learning new tricks because he was fighting with new people. Wherever he was going when he snuck out at night, he was fighting and that seriously pissed him off. He'd noticed Alec had been hurting a few times after sneaking out, but he didn't want to tell his brother what he'd been doing so he hadn't pushed for answers.
He swept Alec's feet out from under him, and he fell to the ground hard on his back. He heard the air whoosh out of him, but he moved before Alec could get his bearings again. He held Alec down with his forearm pressed across his chest, holding his dominant arm down with his free hand, and keeping his legs down with his knee pressed firmly against his thigh.
"Let me up," Alec breathed out, still catching his breath from his fall.
"What the Hell have you been doing?" Ben growled. Alec's eyes widened slightly at his tone; he was typically calm and collected, but if something happened to his brother he wouldn't be able to handle it. And Alec was not thinking about what he was doing and he could get seriously hurt or even draw unwanted attention and bring Manticore down on them again.
"What're you talking about? Let me up," Alec said, struggling against his hold.
"Answer the question," Ben demanded. "What are you doing when you sneak out?"
"I thought we had an agreement? I wouldn't ask you what you're doing and you wouldn't ask me," Alec said, still avoiding his question.
"I didn't think you were doing something this stupid though," Ben said. He released his brother, but left him on the ground. He was mad and he didn't want to do something he regretted so he walked away. He needed to get himself back under control.
"Ben, wait," Alec called out, getting up and running after him. "Hey, I'm sorry, ok? I'll tell you and we can talk and whatever."
He sighed, but he stopped and turned back to his brother. "You better tell me everything."
"I will," Alec said. "Just don't freak out, ok?"
"You fighting is more than enough of a reason to freak out," Ben argued.
"How'd you figure it out?" Alec asked.
"You knew tricks that I didn't," Ben admitted. "And since you mostly fight with me, I kinda figured it out."
"This guy saw me stopping a fight two weeks ago and told me I could make some good money. I thought it wouldn't hurt to have some extra money hidden in case we ever needed it, but I also like fighting," Alec said. "Besides, the worst injury I got from it was bruised ribs. Most guys couldn't even lay a finger on me so what's the big deal?"
"Alec, you could've gotten seriously hurt and I had no idea where you were. Not only that, but do you even realize how suspicious it is to see an 11-year-old, who actually looks like a 9-year-old, beat up a grown man? I'm surprised Manticore isn't busting down our door as we speak!" Ben lectured, his voice rising as he went until he was practically yelling at his brother.
"Ben, I don't think you understand how much this helps me," Alec said seriously. "It helps me keep my mind off things. I know it's dangerous, but I don't know what else to do…"
He didn't know how to help his brother, but he'd find a way. "You can't do this by yourself," he finally said. "I don't know a way to help yet, but I'll find one. I don't want you to fight alone though. If this really is the only way that helps, then I've gotta go with you. No matter what, ok?"
"Ok," Alec replied.
"Ok good," Ben said with a small nod.
Alec took a deep breath before he walked over to the sofa and collapsed against the cushions. "What're you doing when you sneak out?" He asked quietly.
Ben still didn't want to tell his brother what he'd been doing. Alec didn't believe in the Blue Lady and he wouldn't like what he was doing to get their family back together. He slowly sat down next to Alec and tried to think of the best way to explain what he was doing.
He took a breath to start explaining, but then he heard footsteps walking around upstairs. Bobby was up and he was probably looking for them.
"Boys?" Bobby called out after looking in their empty room.
"We're down here, Bobby," Alec yelled back.
Bobby walked down the stairs, but Ben immediately knew something was wrong by the look on his face. "Boys, um, somethin's happened," Bobby said. "Grab your things…we've gotta go for a ride."
"What? What happened?" Alec asked, getting back up.
"Dean's hurt. He's at the hospital and it's not lookin' too good," Bobby said.
Alec swayed; he jumped up and steadied his brother with his hands on his arms. "Alec, c'mon, let's go pack. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll get to Dean."
Bobby couldn't believe John could ever separate the boys. Sam was bruised and bloody, but the haunted look in his eyes briefly lifted when he saw his brothers. Sam got up and ran over to them, instantly grabbing Alec for a tight hug, which Alec returned without question. Sam needed that comfort and Alec was happy to give it to him.
He could see a change in the twins too. Alec was calm now instead of fidgeting in his seat or bouncing his leg, and Ben seemed to be the optimistic one and actually kept his brothers' spirits up as they waited. They needed their brothers. They all needed each other.
"How's he doin'?" Bobby asked, sitting down next to John. The man was a mess, covered in blood like Sam was, and his eyes were blank. It was like he didn't even know what was going on anymore. He barely acknowledged his twin boys, but Bobby would try to get him to snap out of it and take charge once he knew what was going on with Dean. "Have they said anything?"
"He's still in surgery. Nobody's come to talk to us for a while," John said with his head down.
"What happened?" Bobby prodded. John hadn't told him much over the phone, just that he needed to bring the boys in case this was it for Dean.
"There was more than one spirit. We found the bones, but they attacked before we could take them out. Dean was thrown through the wall and he landed on some rebar that was sticking outta the ground. Went straight through him…his blood was everywhere…I thought we were gonna lose him before the paramedics finally got there," John said.
"Dean's a tough kid, John, he's gonna pull through," Bobby reassured.
"Bobby, you didn't see all the blood he lost…He was barely breathing…that rebar went through his chest," John said, defeat clear in his voice.
"You gotta pull yourself together. You got three boys who are worried 'bout their older brother and you're not helpin' them," Bobby said. "I don't care what you gotta do, but you better do it. I know you rely on Dean the most, but he's gonna need his brothers if he's gonna make it through this, so you best take care of them since there's nothin' else you can do for Dean right now."
"I don't need one of your lectures, Bobby," John growled, finally showing some life again.
Bobby sighed, "Just think about what I said, John. I'm gonna go find 'em some food. You stay here and wait for any updates."
John didn't say anything else to him, but he didn't care as long as it worked. He hoped what he'd said had gotten through to the other man, but he wasn't sure. John was stubborn and he didn't like being told how to raise his sons. The last time he'd tried to intervene, John had taken the boys far away from him and hadn't brought them around again for two years. He wanted what was best for the boys, but he wasn't their father.
But he could do something for them; they had been on the road for the entire day without stopping unless they needed gas. He hadn't been able to get the twins to eat much during their trip, but maybe now they would try to eat something. He'd need to find the cafeteria to get them something, and then maybe he could find some clothes for John and Sam. They shouldn't be sitting around covered in what he assumed was Dean's blood. He'd need to get Sam washed up if he would let him, and convince John to get some of the blood off of himself.
He was grateful now that the boys had been with him when this happened. He knew the boys had seen some terrible things in their short lives, but at least they were saved from seeing their older brother impaled by some rebar, watching his life slip away from them. He wished he could've saved Sam from that too, but he would do what he could now.
He brought some food back with him and went out again to get the clothes. Sam looked a lot better once he got him some new clothes, but the twins still picked at their food. John gave him a grateful nod once he sat down again, but he was giving him the cold shoulder. He still hadn't done anything to help his boys.
John seemed to understand since he stood up and walked over to them. He picked Alec up and sat down in between Sam and Ben, keeping Alec on his lap. He pulled Sam and Ben against his sides, and then held Alec against his chest.
They sat there for hours, with very little information from the doctors. The three boys finally fell asleep after a few hours, but it wasn't a restful sleep. The longer they went without any word on Dean, the more they worried. But there wasn't anything they could do but wait.
Alec woke up when Dad moved. He was standing up and going somewhere and it appeared that he was going with him. He turned slightly so he could see where they were going, but he still rested his head against Dad's chest. He was worn out even though he hadn't even done anything, but his worry for his older brother was stressing him out.
"Dad?" He breathed out when he still couldn't figure out what was going on.
"It's ok kiddo. The doctor just wants to talk to me," Dad reassured.
He woke up a little more; he needed to know what was going on with Dean so he could tell Sam and Ben.
"Mr. Henley, um, are you sure you want your son around for this?" The doctor asked.
Dad's arms tightened around him, "I need him to stay. I, uh, I just…he's helping keep me together…"
"Well, your son Dean is stable, but we don't know when or even if he'll ever wake up. If he makes it through the night, then I'll be more optimistic, but for now I'm very cautious," the doctor said.
"Can I see him?" Dad asked.
The doctor hesitated, "Mr. Henley, it's going to be a shock to see him like this. He could need to go back into surgery, so I don't think it would be a good idea to have his little brother see him just yet."
"The last thing Dean said to me was that I needed to call his brothers. He didn't want to break his promise to them and I know him. I know he hasn't stopped worrying about letting his brothers down," Dad said. "And Alec's here for me just as much as he's here for Dean."
"I just want to make sure he's ready to see his big brother like this. It's going to be hard on your whole family," he warned.
"Alec, are you ok with this?" Dad asked him.
"Yes sir," he instantly replied. He needed to see Dean. He didn't know why Dad had picked him, maybe it was because he was the closest or maybe Dad just had his reasons like he did with a lot of things, but he wasn't going to waste this chance.
"Ok, I'll take you to him," the doctor said.
He kept his arms around Dad's neck and buried his face against his neck. He hated hospitals and he didn't want to see what was around him. The smell alone made his stomach hurt, but he was just going to have to get over it. He knew he was going to be here for a long time.
Dad's arms tightened around him again, and he knew they were at Dean's room. He could hear Dean's heart monitor giving off a steady beep, air whoosh as a machine breathed for him, and other machines whirred as they kept his brother alive. He turned in Dad's arms and tears filled his eyes when he finally saw his brother. He had a tube down his throat, in is chest and in his arm. Electrodes were connected to his chest and on his head. His chest was wrapped with white bandages, which pretty much blended in with his skin since he was so pale. If it wasn't for Dean's heart monitor, he would've thought his big brother was already gone.
Dad seemed to be frozen; he didn't move or say anything and it seemed like he wasn't going to anytime soon. "Dad, can you put me down?"
"Sure thing kiddo," Dad said, setting him on the floor.
He slowly walked over to Dean and carefully put his hand over his brother's. "Dean…I'm sorry I was mad at you earlier for not calling, but you don't have to worry because I'm not mad at you anymore. I know you never break your promises, and I wish you could promise me that you're gonna be ok." He sniffled and tried to ignore the tear that streaked down his cheek. "Dean, please be ok," he whispered. "I don't know what we'd do without you."
More soon...