The rain continued to batter the ground with slow thunder rolling through the sky. The road above was clear and there was no other sound apart from the broken rumble of a stuttering and barely holding on engine. It spluttered a few times, desperately trying to hold onto life even though its body was mangled and torn. The light flickered with the back headlight being the only one that had survived, like a blood red eye staring into the dark abyss, a demon peering onto the road from the depths of the desolate woodlands.
There was no movement coming from the inside of the wreckage, glass was strewn across the ground with pieces of metal lying beside it and smoke billowed out of the car. The car itself was upside down and the front bumper was twisted around a thick tree trunk with the windscreen smashed inwards. However there seemed to be a thick white blanket covering the occupants where the glass had once been.
On the road all that was left that indicated that the other car had even been there was a set of tire tracks peeling away from the side of the road. Thick black marks that were being rinsed away from the severe weather which ironically was the only thing that was stopping the car from bursting into flames.
…
Sam groaned, rolling his head as consciousness crept back on him. He squeezed his eyes shut not understanding what had happened. The last thing he remembered was Dean forcing his head down and shouting at him. Then came the sound of crushing metal and breaking glass along with the feeling of being thrown around like he had been on an intense roller coaster ride.
Horror settled in the pit of his stomach, as well as nausea when realisation hit him. Instantly his eyes flew open, regretting the quick movement when his stomach rolled, he peered down which was now up. His eyes widened realising that he was currently hanging upside down in the Impala, the only thing that was keeping him in his seat was Dean's seatbelt thrown around his waist. Speaking of…
Sam turned his head towards the driver seat where Dean had once sat which was now empty. Fighting back the feeling of panic he leaned forward slightly so he could get a better view. He noticed that there was glass littered everywhere, why was it when glass shatters there is always more than it looks like there should be? Dean's leather jacket was wrapped around the back of the driver's seat, the material was torn with at least twenty glass pieces sticking out of it. The jacket that had lasted thirty years, many hunts and injuries was now ruined in one car crash. The steering wheel was buckled like something had hit it at full force and the gear stick was crushed where a weight had seemingly fallen onto it. However it wasn't any of this that caught the young hunter's attention, no it was the dead weight lying on the floor where the windscreen had once been.
"DEAN!" Sam shouted reaching up to grasp at the seatbelt that was tighter than it should have been. "DEAN!" he yelled once more panic bubbling to the surface as he got no response from the angel.
Dean was lying on his back, his head was lolled to the side and his left arm was stretched out beside him at an unnatural angle. His face was littered with cuts and there were several pieces of glass imbedded in his arms and his torso, behind him an impressive seat of wings covered the space where the windscreen had once been. The feathers were bloodied and bent, with glass splintered across them like Dean had used his wings to block the shattering of the glass, as usual putting himself in danger to protect Sam. His chest was slowly rising giving the only indication that there was life still present. After hearing the story of how Dean had died and come back Sam couldn't help but realise that even though his lover was part angel he was still only human too. Dean might think he was indestructible but he could still be killed.
Blood pooled beneath the angel's still form and Sam sucked in a deep shaky breath upon finding the source. Dean's angel blade was imbedded deep into the angel's right knee, white light glowed around the wound with thick blood dripping out of him. Sam had no idea what kind of damage Dean's own blade could do to his angel side, the only thing he knew was that he had to remove it as soon as he could. He had seen that blade kill a fallen angel with one strike…
Pushing his fears aside he gripped onto the seatbelt with his own bloodied hands. Not caring about his possible injuries he forced the belt apart and braced himself as he fell to his knees on the roof of the car. He gritted his teeth as intense pain shot up his left shoulder and blinding white light flashed in front of his eyes. Not willing to hesitate he pushed back the vile that had slipped up the back of his throat and forced his body to crawl towards Dean.
"Dean?" he called out gently his shaking hands reaching out towards the angel's face. He cupped the man's cheek and without turning him too much he used his spare hand to check for a pulse. It was there but not as steady as it should have been. His thumb rubbed small circles into Dean's cheek hoping to rouse some sort of response however the angel continued to just lay there. "Come on baby don't do this," Sam whispered feeling tears slip down his cheek.
His eyes scanned his lover's body, apart from the broken / dislocated arm, the glass, superficial cuts and the knife wound there didn't seem to be any other major injuries. He moved his hands away from the angel's face and moved them down his body feeling for any other breaks or disguised injuries. Feeling nothing else there he nodded his head. "We need to get out of here," he murmured to himself needing to hear his own voice instead of the empty silence. "I don't know how to get you out," he added desperately looking around him. Windscreen was a no go seeing as there was a massive tree out there waiting for them, the passenger door was buckled and the driver's door wasn't in a much better condition. So all that left was the window. "Your wings won't fit through there," Sam said feeling tears continue to run down his face. Not seeing any other choice the hunter grit his teeth and manoeuvred his body so that his back was against the window. He knew he had to go first, more so to make sure that any left-over glass attacks him rather than the already battered angel.
Pushing himself into position he placed his hands on Dean's arm, careful not to jar the broken one too much, he gritted his teeth and began to pull the angel's body. Slowly he managed to push his own body through the window and with some adjustments he helped his lover out, though it meant folding in the already broken and sad looking wings. His own shoulder felt like it was on fire but he ignored this pain, he wasn't the one who needed the help. As soon as Dean was free from the wreckage, without a second thought to himself, Sam scooped the unconscious angel into his arms and forced his shaking body to a standing position.
Feeling himself lurch to the right violently he took a deep breath and made sure he was steady. His worried hazel eyes peered down at the still limp form of the man he loved, Dean's usually tanned skin was now a sickly white and Sam knew that he needed to get him to safe place…he needed to get that damned knife out.
Without thinking he made sure he had a tight hold on his precious cargo and turned his back on the Impala, he knew that when Dean was better he would want to tow the car to Bobby's and make her as good as new. It always amazed Sam just how skilled his lover was when it came to the Impala, he knew that if anyone could rebuild her it would be Dean. He scanned the area and in the dark he could make out a silhouette of what looked like a barn. With no hesitation he began to walk towards it, risking the fact that it could be occupied, the need to tend to Dean outweighed the hunter inside of him screaming out to him.
…
Sam kicked in the barn doors and practically threw his body inside, his clothes were drenched and he knew that Dean was too. Carefully his eyes gazed around the room, the place seemed to be deserted but he would make a thorough check as soon as Dean was safe. He strode over towards an empty camp bed that was set up in the corner of the room, again the hunter was begging him to think about this, and ignoring this thought he slowly lowered the angel onto the bed.
He pressed a gentle kiss to Dean's forehead before he straightened to his full height, he needed light if he was going to attempt to fix the angel up. Sam walked over towards the side of the room, trying to find something he could use, he was about to give up when he noticed a single flashlight sitting on a table. Grinning to himself he grabbed the light and switched it up. It would do. Determinedly he strode over to Dean's side, he lowered himself to the ground and shone the light on the stab wound. He winced at the amount of the blood that Dean must have lost.
He lay the light on Dean's leg so that he could get a closer look, his right hand grasped hold of the hilt of the blade while his left, with minimal movement so not to jar his shoulder anymore, poked at the wound. He dug his index finger into the hole and half expected Dean to make some sound or some movement to show his pain but the angel lay there deathly still. From what the hunter could tell the blade had torn through muscle but no veins or bone. It was a deep cut but not enough to cause surgery concern.
"Sorry Dean," Sam murmured his left hand joined his right on the hilt. He drew in a deep breath before pulling the blade free from the angel's knee. Dean's body convulsed as soon as the angel blade was free and his eyes snapped open. His body convulsed once more with the light being thrown off of him, luckily Sam managed to catch it before their only light source smashed, and then the angel fell back onto the camp bed as still as he had been before. However this time some colour had returned to his cheek which Sam took as a good sign.
Sam wiped Dean's blood off of the blade and then placed it into the waist band of his jeans just in case. He placed the flashlight on the floor by the bed knowing that it wasn't enough light to treat the angel's other wounds, namely the thousands of pieces of glass that was imbedded in his skin. He would have to wait the few hours till sunrise.
He pulled off his bloodied over shirt and twirled it until it was like a tight piece of rope. He tied this around Dean's knee to try and stop the blood flow and to attempt to stop any kind of bacteria from entering it, the last thing they needed right now was for Dean to get an infection. Satisfied he wiped his once again blood soaked hands onto his jeans. He climbed onto the camp bed as well, knowing full well that it wasn't meant to hold both their weight but he didn't care. He needed to be close to Dean, the fact that the angel hadn't woken up yet worried the hunter. Not dwelling on the thought he carefully cut Dean free from his shirt, which had tattered anyway due to his wings from sprouting, he used this fabric to fashion a makeshift sling to hold Dean's damaged arm in place. He could feel the break in the forearm, something only a hospital would be able to fix even if it meant Dean having to have a cast which the angel would hate.
Satisfied Sam manipulated Dean's wings so that they lay on top of him rather than the other way round and the hunter wrapped his good arm around the angel bringing him into his chest. Dean's wings tickled his nose and partially covered his face but he didn't care. If this was the price he had to pay just to hold him close then he would willing pay it. He buried his face into the angel's neck and allowed his own tears to fall once more. He had no idea just who tried to run them off of the road but he knew that they had targeted his side of the car for a reason. Once again he had been used as bait to get to Dean, they knew that Dean would so something stupid like give Sam his seatbelt and then end up stabbing himself with his own knife. He knew that every creature, good or evil realised that the Winchesters were each other's weaknesses. How long would it take before it went too far? Before they realised that they were indeed more than brothers?
Pushing those thoughts aside he knew he couldn't think like that, there was no way he was going to regret what he has with Dean. He had fought to get to where they were now, he had given up the normal life he thought he wanted to be with his man and nothing could tear him apart from the angel now.
Feeling fatigue wash over him Sam allowed his eyes to slip close. Soon following Dean into the comfort of the dark oblivion…
…
Sam blinked awake, the feeling of Dean's feathers tickling at his nose rousing him. Carefully he lifted his head and slid out from underneath the angel so not to disturb him. He stretched his body out and looked over towards the door of the barn and realised that there was now light streaming in through the wood. Frowning he held up his arm to check the time and his eyes widened when he saw through the broken glass that it was almost midday. Meaning that he had been sleeping for at least eight hours or so.
Spinning on his heels he fell to his knees beside Dean. He placed a hand on his lover's cheek, "Dean?" he called out gently tapping the skin beneath his fingers. Still there was no response. Feeling terror grip at his heart he lowered his ear to the angel's chest and listened to the steady heartbeat just to reassure himself. So why was he still unconscious? "Dean come on baby wake up," he murmured lifting his head up so that he could peer down at the angel. He surveyed the man's body, there were bruises littering his skin and pieces of glass was still imbedded, the shirt closing the wound on his knee was now a rich red with dribble of blood running down his trouser leg. Internally Sam was debating whether or not to cut the angel free from his clothes but he thought against it, it wasn't like they had another set with them, all their belongings were in the back of the now ruined car.
Sam ran his hand through Dean's feathers feeling them flutter under his touch like they were welcoming him. He could feel lumps of glass throughout the blood soaked wings and he knew that he needed to get them all out before the angel retracted them, if…no when Dean woke up. His hand moved back up to Dean's face and he cupped the back of Dean's head and titled the angel's head up. Slowly he pressed his lips to his lovers, savouring the feel of the small puff of breath against his face, the only sign that there was still life. Not feeling Dean reciprocating he pulled back and gently laid Dean back onto the camp bed. He removed his hand and looked down at it when he felt a sticky substance covering his skin. Blood.
A head wound…he didn't even think to check…
Fear flooded his system, he knew that a head wound was bad and the loss of consciousness was the worse sign. He needed to wake Dean up and fast, the longer he was out the more chance he could slip into a coma or worse…
"Dean…" Sam said his voice rising in tone. "Come on sleeping beauty time to rise and shine," he goaded his hand moving back to the angel's face slapping it with more force this time around. "Dean I need you…" he shouted feeling tears and hopelessness wash over him, he had no idea what to do.
…
"…I need you…" the desperate words pierced through the clouded fog that plagued his brain. His whole body felt heavy and it was like he was being held under water. He tried to open his eyes but his lids felt tight and stuck shut. "…please…" the words continued beginning to sound more emotional with every silent moment that passed. Fighting the rolling waves of nausea he attempted to push himself out of the darkness, using the familiar voice as a guide.
Slowly as consciousness came back to him he could feel every inch of his body, like the fact that he seemed to be currently laying on his wings which felt like they were on fire, his arm throbbed which seemed to be restricted by some sort of sling he guessed, his head pounded, his stomach gurgled with bile but it was knee that was the worst. It felt like someone was constantly stabbing him over and over again just to see how much pain he could take. Stifling the urge to go back under he made a final push and awareness washed over him.
…
Dean groaned as he rolled his head to the side careful not to jar his injury, he could feel the hair on the back of his head sticking together, great a head wound they were always fun. His stomach lurched violently and before he knew it he was sticking his head over the side of whatever it was that he was laying on and emptying the contents of his stomach, all while his eyes remained closed.
"…hang on baby," he could hear the voice call to him but his ears felt like he was being dunked under water. He concentrated on extracting every piece of food he had eaten previously while a gentle hand supported his head and another rubbed small circles on his back…well between his shoulder blades of his wings. "…open your eyes….please Dean…" the voice called to him again. Mentally Dean swore can't he see he was busy?
Begrudgingly Dean pulled his head back and allowed the hand to guide him back down on what felt like a camp bed of some sort, meaning they had probably found themselves in some shitty motel. How had they ended up here? He cast his mind back to the last thing he had remembered…he had told Sam what had happened and then…then…the crash!
Suddenly Dean's eyes shot open and he began to panic, his gaze flickered around the room until they landed on the form that was hunched over by his side. Sam smiled down at him, tears were rolling down his cheeks. "Sammy?" he questioned his tongue felt heavy and he wasn't sure whether his voice sounded anything like he thought it did in his head. "What…?" he started to question before a finger on his lips stopped him.
"I thought I lost you," Sam declared the tears falling. "When are you going to stop being the hero?"
Dean smirked, though it was probably most likely a grimace. "You will always be my damsel in distress."
TBC (Had to cut that short there otherwise this would have been a long chapter! Hope you are enjoying this story, I decided that I wanted to take my time with this one so it will probably be the longest story I have written on this site so far! Thank you to all my awesome readers and those who review, hope to hear from you and see you all in Part 27!)