Augustine's Ring

Disclaimer: So okay I didn't do it so you can't blame me ... oh wait sorry umm yeah I don't own any of the Supernatural characters or the show and it's not my fault that the boys are temporarily MIA ... umm I didn't do it I swear!!

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CHAPTER 21

'Chambre de la Mort'

Winchester's House

Dresden, Kansas

February 1878

Sam stood staring out of his bedroom window, his days consisted of short walks around the room, sleeping and trying to eat which was not as easy as it sounds. Dean spent the afternoons and early evenings with him, talking of general things, of their respective childhoods and siblings but nothing that could change history forever.

Physically Sam was improving everyday, his injuries healing and bruises fading things that brought happiness and relief to Jonas and Dean but Sam felt himself drawn into a deep depression.

He tried so hard to be cheerful for Dean and to show that he held little animosity towards the elder Winchester but when he was, alone he let the melancholy take hold. He missed his brother, his Dean, the verbal sparring, the constant rock music blaring in the car, the impala he missed that sleek piece of machinery that Dean so tenderly called his 'baby'.

'Samuel?' Dean spoke softly as he came into the bedroom carrying a tray filled with food, a dish of fresh vegetable broth, crusty warm bread and a large mug of steaming milk. 'Dear heart do you feel like something warm to eat?'

'Dean? Oh ah sorry I didn't hear you.' Sam said softly a slight grin played on his face as he stared down at the amount of food on the tray. 'Thanks.'

'How are you feeling Samuel ... Sam?'

'Better thanks; sit down please Dean I hate eating alone.' Sam picked up the spoon and stirred his soup with a distracted air.

'Sam? Is there something wrong? I can get you something else if you like.'

'No, no thanks Dean it's great, I guess I'm still get my appetite back.' Sam said as he took a sip of the soup, 'have you eaten?'

'Yes, I had some earlier,' Dean smiled pleased to see the younger man starting to respond to him a little more.

After Sam finished nearly half of his soup, he sat back and looked warily at yet another mug of milk, 'coffee would be good?' he suggested with a wry grin.

'And it will be once you are a little stronger.' Dean replied, 'you are doing so well, the doctor can't get over how fast you are healing.'

'Good Winchester genes I guess.' Sam shrugged; he gulped down the cooled boiled milk with a grimace and then pushed himself away from the small table. 'Dean I ...'

But before he could finish what he was saying Sam gripped his head and screwed his eyes shut, 'argh.' Stumbling tried to push the pain aside but it was coming in full force.

'Samuel? Sam what is it?' Dean jumped from his seat and tried to get a hold on Sam's arms when his hands went straight through the semi-transparent younger man. 'What is going on?'

'Dean?' Sam cried out as the world around him started to blur, everything became indistinct images morphing into weird shapes and then his vision cleared and he saw the older version of himself lying lifelessly on the floor. 'Leave him alone.' He called out from inside the bright light, 'Samuel you can't die.' Sam cried out in horror.

'Sammy?' Dean croaked out, 'Sammy is that you?'

Sam turned and grinned at his brother before returning his attention to the older version of himself. 'Breathe Samuel.' He crouched over his older counterpart and gently rolled Samuel over onto his back bracing his neck back. 'It is not time yet.' He said breathing life into the still man. 'Breathe.' Kneeling next to his older counterpart Sam tried to rouse him, filled with terror he started CPR again.

'Sammy?' He could hear Dean calling him but his attention remained riveted on Samuel he had to breathe, he couldn't die, not now. Sam felt himself pulled backwards, 'No Sammy!' Was all he heard before he opened his eyes and found himself lying on the floor with the nineteenth century Dean crouching over him.

'Samuel are you alright?' Dean asked his frown deepening at the pallor of the younger Sam's skin and dark ringed eyes, 'Samuel talk to me please?'

'It's Sam.' Sam managed to get out, trying to sit up he fought a bout of dizziness and squeezed his eyes shut, each time it happened he felt himself growing weaker, the flickering seconds sucked the energy directly from his life source.

Easing the younger man up Dean helped him to stand and with a supportive arm was able to get Sam to the bed. Wearily Sam lay down and sighed deeply, he ached from head to foot, 'Dean?'

'Yes Dear One?'

'Your Samuel ... was dying in my time.' Sam started before starting to cough violently, losing his breath in the process. Minutes later, he still panted and tried to catch his breath, it hurt so much. 'I – I don't know what happened but I managed to get him breathing again before...'

'Dear Heart?' Dean breathed out in shock, he sank down on the bed next to Sam and pinched the bridge of his nose, 'this is all of my fault, this should never have happened.'

'Dean please don't, someone or something is playing with the timeline and trying to stop our family before my Dean and I are born.'

'Why?'

'In my time ... in my time the demon that has hounded my family wants to start a demonic war. He was the one who killed my Mom in my nursery when I was only six months old, the one my Dad bargained with to save Dean's life, the one who wants me.' Sam paused and tried to calm his breathing down feeling another coughing spell coming on, 'he says that he wants me and children like me, with psychic abilities so far Dean and I have managed to put a dampener on his plans so I have a feeling that he has managed to manipulate time ... What is it Dean?'

'You, you said that you have abilities ... when you first came here I thought that you were possessed by demons, talking of the future, of visions and such but ... I have done you such a grave injustice Sam, how can you even bear to look at me?'

'Dean none of this is your fault.' Sam started before another powerful fit of coughs took his breath away leaving him gasping for oxygen.

'Sam look at me and try to slow your breathing down, that's it Dear One, that's it nice and slow.' Dean soothed Sam as he tried desperately to get his erratic breathing under control again. Picking up the glass of chilled water Dean held it to Sam's dry and cracked lips with one hand the other cupped around Sam's neck holding him upright while he sipped cautiously at the fluid.

'Thanks.' Sam wheezed managing a weak grin. 'Honestly Dean none of this is your fault, the demon can manipulate ... it was the effects of the cursed ring.'

'Ah yes the ring, what did you do with it Sam?'

'Why?'

'Just curious.'

'I ah mailed it to you in the future ... don't ask me how or anything coz I am not sure that I understand myself but it can't hurt you anymore.' Sam said then after he managed a few more sips of water he laid his head back on the pillows and stared squinty-eyed up at his older brother's predecessor, 'where did the ring come from Dean?'

'Augustine's ring?' Dean asked slightly shocked, 'do you know after everything that has happened I haven't thought about it for so long.' Settling onto a large comfortable chair by Sam's bed, Dean thought for a moment and then smiled at the younger Winchester, 'well to start with, I received the ring by courier for my birthday ... all it had in the box was a label written in a lady's handwriting, Augustine's Ring.'

'What about your cane?'

'I received it as part of an inheritance from my mother's estate, it was her father's.' Dean said a slight cloud forming over his eyes as the memory assaulted him, 'I received the cane and a few other pieces of personal items, and Samuel received all of the family books. We both received the house and whatever was left in the family trust fund, we never really went without.'

'What kind of books?' Sam asked his eyes brightening a little.

'Oh Dear One,' Dean started to laugh, 'I thought my Samuel was the only bookworm!'

'My Dean calls me a geek.' Sam chuckled. 'Was there any books on ...'

'Demonology and the supernatural ... yes many as well as other tomes on the family I have never had much time for such stuff but Samuel would spend hours pouring over the text.'

'Could I see them?' Sam yawned widely and blinked at Dean, 'please?'

'Yes of course Dear Heart but first you must rest, I mean it Samuel you can barely keep your eyes open. Sleep for a while and then I will take you to the library myself.'

'S'okay,' Sam muffled as his eyes shut and a soft sigh escaped from his lips, 'just for a few minutes.'

Dean watched the pale young man sleeping soundly in the large bed, tall and thin he had a youthful grace about him that made Dean's heart twitch and clench. He was truly pretty, not handsome, not rugged but pretty and young. Shaking his head Dean pushed the thoughts from his mind; he had to remain vigilant with his young charge until he got his own Samuel back.

Pacing the room Dean tried to remember the sequence of events of the last few months, he remembered a time of wanting to go out and drink, to find any wanton woman or boy to satisfy his carnal urges. His needs and lusts deepening after he received the ring, but it never bothered him. It was as if he wanted to go out and hunt a different prey from usual. Instead of hunting the supernatural and evil he hunted a sexual prey, male or female it did not matter, often he never found out their names, he used them and then left them without uttering a sound. The punishment he dealt Samuel or rather Sam he knew was inhuman but it felt so good wielding the cane, the sound of wood striking bare flesh, made him feel alive and also very aroused. The power was intoxicating. Sending his brother to that hellhole, he knew what kind of place it was, what they did to the patients there but it did not matter, with Samuel gone, he could do as he wished and feed the carnal desires flaming inside of him.

He started to rub his finger where the ring had resided until so recently, he felt its loss keenly, almost like having a finger amputated, it was gone but still felt like it was there. His appetite did abate a little but the desire was still there, he had to wrestle with it every waking moment.

Sam started to thrash about in the bed, his long limbs entangling in the sheets as he let out a sob, his fingers twisting the bedding, clawing at it he appeared to be fighting an invisible enemy. Large tears coursed down his face as he twisted in the bed. A hoarse scream echoed through the room. Hurrying to the bed Dean gripped Sam's shoulders and tried to waken him but it only solicited more screams of terror from Sam as he fought the hands with a renewed strength. 'No more Dean please.' Sam begged, 'no more please I promise I'll be good.'

Dean sat back and stared in horror, the young man was dreaming of the beatings, reliving them in his night terrors. 'Samuel please you have to wake up now.' Dean called out not wanting to touch him now. Sam's eyes snapped open and he stared up at the face hovering over him, whimpering he lifted one hand and tried to protect his face, 'please Dean no more.'

'It's alright Samuel it was just a dream,' Dean said in a soothing voice doing his best to stay calm, 'Sam please look at me.'

'Dean?' Sam husked blinking rapidly.

'Samuel it was only a dream I promise.'

'Ah fuck.' Sam sighed running a shaking hand through his hair, 'sorry Dean.'

'What are you apologising for Samuel?'

'Everything, if I hadn't ... I am sorry Dean.'

'No Samuel, don't you dare try to apologise to me, I get that enough from my Samuel no if anyone should hang his head in shame and beg for forgiveness it is myself not you, never you.'

'Dean ...'

'Sam please hear me out, I am the one who willingly put the ring on. I was well aware of what I did while I wore it, it was like watching myself from a distance but I knew what I did, the pain I caused you, no Samuel I know what I did and for that I beg that one day you may find it in your heart to think better of me.'

'Where are those books you told me about earlier?' Sam asked desperately trying to change the subject, not used to seeing such an emotional Dean.

'Do you feel up to it?' Dean asked letting his gaze wander over Sam's face and body.

'Yeah I think so,' Sam grinned and then moving slowly sat up and let Dean fuss a little with the robe and slippers. Leaning heavily on the proffered arm, Sam let Dean lead him to a second library on the same floor as Samuel's bedroom. 'We had this spare room converted for him when he received the books, it is also where he loved to conduct his research and studies. Sitting by the window at the desk he could spend hours up here.' Dean finished turning an encouraging grin to Sam, which started to turn into a full smile when he saw that look on the younger man's face. The same look of wonderment and excitement as his Samuel wore the first time he entered the converted room.

'Wow, this is ... awesome.' Sam breathed running his hands over the leather bound books reverently.

'Sam?' Dean said laughing softly, 'Sam?'

'Oh sorry ... did you say something Dean?'

'I have to go out for a short while; will you be alright up here?'

'Yes thanks Dean I'll be fine, anyway Jonas is around somewhere isn't he?' Sam asked absently as he pulled one thick book out and made his way to the desk, 'I'll see you later Dean.'

'Yes, yes fine ... alright enjoy yourself Dear Heart.' Dean said as he closed the door behind him. Sam waved good-bye absently as he started running his finger down the table of contents. The legends in this book were in such detail and beautifully presented they took his breath away, some he had never heard of, he fed off the information like a starving man with his last meal.

'Ah Samuel I thought that I might find you here.' Jonas said as he closed the door quietly behind him. 'Did you think you could hide from me?'

'Jonas is there something wrong?' Sam asked without looking up from the volume.

'I have been waiting a long time for this Sammy.' Jonas' voice sounded different, cold and filled with contempt. Looking up Sam stared in horror at the smaller man.

'What is it Jonas?'

'How arrogant you are Sammy, even in this time and place you still think that you can stop me.'

'What have you done to Jonas?'

'Nothing why do you want me to do something?' Jonas laughed and moved closer to Sam, who caught a glimpse of the green flames flaring in Jonas' eyes.

'Who are you?'

'Oh now you are just insulting me Sammy ... wanna play Sammmmy?'

TBC