Chapter 38

"Okay, so we know the husband was a sonovabitch." Dean stated as they headed to the cemetery to find the graves. "So we need to salt and burn his bones."

"Yes and then find Cammie's remains and put them with her son so she can be at rest." Sam added looking around the area they were going through.

"We'll come back tonight and get this done. When we get back to the house we'll check out where Jordan was digging and see if we can find her bones."

"I'll see if she'll show me where she's at." Sam suggested.

"I don't know Sammy, last night took a lot out of you and I don't know if I want you doing that again. What if something goes wrong?" Dean told him.

"It'll be okay; I know she won't hurt me."

"You think doing that is what Missouri was talking about when she said you had more abilities?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and looked away not wanting Dean to see the look on his face. He didn't know for sure, but he had a feeling there were other things just waiting to pop out and it scared him more than he wanted to admit. He didn't know why he could do these things or what made him special. All these questions weighted heavy on his mind and he wasn't ready to discuss them with Dean yet. He wanted to figure this out, he needed to figure this out. It was just how his mind worked. A problem had to be solved to his satisfaction before he could really move on. He needed to come to terms with everything, but knew Dean sensed his worry.

Dean didn't question his brother again when he didn't answer his question. He could feel Sam's uneasiness and decided to wait until after this hunt was over before trying to get him to talk. Sam could shut down in a heartbeat and he didn't want to push him too hard or too fast for fear of him completely closing him out. He pulled through the gates of the cemetery and slowly steered the car around the gravel road. He looked at all the tombstones hoping they weren't gonna have to check each one out.

"Pull over; I'll go ask the guy cutting grass if he knows where the graves are." Sam told him pointing to a grounds keeper.

"Good idea." Dean said stopping the car so Sam could get out. He watched him amble toward the guy mowing grass and waited as Sam got directions. He saw the guy pointing toward the back of the cemetery which was a break for them, less likely to be seen if it was located away from the main traffic.

Sam slid back into the passenger seat bringing Dean back to reality. He was saying something but Dean didn't catch all of it only the part about in the back and to follow this road around. He put the car back into gear and worked his way on around.

"Stop. The guy said it was near the angel." Sam said pointing to a statue of an angel in the middle of a group of tombstones.

"Okay then...Let's get this done, grab some lunch an' head back to the house." Dean said parking and getting out. He didn't wait for Sam as he headed for the angel and began to look at the tombstones searching for the right one.

spn

"We good with salt and gas?" Dean asked Sam as they walked toward the Impala from the diner.

"Figured we'd get the gas on the way back to the house." Sam replied absently, his mind on other things. "Salts good." he added before getting into the car never once really looking at his brother.

"Okay." Dean said frowning since he knew that look on his brother's face. He had seen that far away, lost inside himself many times over the years. Sam was lost in his own thoughts trying to figure something out. It wouldn't do any good to try and talk to him when he was like this; he'd more or less ignore you until he resolved whatever was bothering him. He had seen Sam like this for days and learned how to deal with it. He wouldn't engage in conversation but would answer questions with one or two words. That was just one of his quirks Dean had come to accept about his brother. Sometimes he wondered if he was too smart for his own good. And he wasn't even going to think about his OCD.

spn

Dean stopped at a convenience store and filled their gas can, the car and grabbed a six pack of beer. He headed back to the house and pulled in the driveway, stopping the car in front of the garage. He grabbed the six pack from the back seat and looked over at his brother wondering what he was doing. Sam was fiddling with his fingers like he was making designs or counting or something nerdy and his lips moved slightly like he was reciting something.

"Hey geek boy, we're here, you gonna get out?" Dean inquired before getting out.

Sam looked up from his thoughts and saw they were back at the farmhouse. He got out of the car but didn't follow Dean inside. Instead, he went around to the back looking for where Jordan had been digging. He found the broken ground and a mound of dirt out near the edge of the yard. He walked slowly around the disturbed soil trying to sense her spirit.

"Did you find..." Dean started, looking behind him for his brother who wasn't anywhere in sight. "Sam?" Dean called searching to see if he headed for the kitchen or bedrooms. "Need to put a damn leash on that kid!" Dean grumbled wondering where he had wandered to now. He dropped the beer in the fridge and went in search of his absent brother. Dean didn't see him in the front, so he headed to the back and spotted him out near the edge of the yard kneeling down looking at something. Dean started walking toward him but faltered for a second when suddenly Sam lurched forward now on his hands and knees, his head hanging down. He quickened his steps to find out what was wrong with his brother.

"I know, we found him." Sam gritted out as he fought to breathe, each breath feeling like ice as he pulled it into his lungs. He felt the extreme cold all around him and willed his mind to stay open and allow her to touch him again.

"Sammy, hey what's wrong?" Dean asked kneeling down beside him and laying a hand on his shoulder. He could feel his brother trembling hard under his hand and moved it to the back of his neck to squeeze it gently. "I'm here bro, talk to me."

Sam could hear his brother talking to him from far away like he was in a tunnel. He concentrated hard on drawing in another breath while trying to fend off the blackness that threatened to take him away. He felt a warm hand on the back of his cold, clammy neck and the brotherly squeeze from Dean. He'd tell him he was okay if he could talk but all he could manage at this moment was to draw in enough oxygen to not pass out. He crawled on unsteady hands and knees closer to the dug up, damp dirt and began to scratch at the loose soil. He dug his fingers into the soil feeling the coolest the deeper he was able to wiggle them in. Using both hands as a scoop, he started throwing dirt to the side hitting Dean with the offensive dirt. He had to get it off her...She was so cold...She only wanted to feel the sunlight one more time.

"What the hell Sam?" Dean growled trying to dodge the thrown dirt. "What are you digging for?"

"She's here, so cold." Sam gasped almost toppling forward into the hole he was making.

"Whoa there, let me get a shovel." Dean told him pulling him back so he was sitting on his legs. "Don't move!" he ordered before heading to a shed nearby to look for a shovel.

Sam sat there heaving heavily, has arms hanging to his side as his fingers seemed to twitched on their own. He could feel the sun beating down on him but felt none of its warmth penetrating his body. He kept his eyes closed as he hitched in breaths, trying to draw air into his burning lungs. All his senses were on overload sending his body almost into unconsciousness. He couldn't move because of the weight pressing down on him, darkness surrounded him making him blind, he could feel the cold, dampness pressing in on him, he could taste something gritty in his mouth, no sounds reached his ears even though he knew his brother was nearby, and then it took every thing he had to make his lungs work and to remember how to breath.

"Sammy, you with me?" Dean asked as he moved around him to begin digging where Sam had started a hole. "I've got this." Dean told him stamping a boot on the shovel to drive it deeper into the loose soil. He began to move shovels of dirt looking for whatever Sam had been digging for. He looked at his brother when he gurgled and moaned before falling over into the dirt twitching and gagging. "Hang on Sammy." Dean called to him as he dug deeper and faster. He stopped when the shovel hit something in the soil and fell to his knees to start raking the remaining dirt away from something wrapped in a tarp. He pulled his knife to cut the ties holding it shut and carefully unwrapped the tarp to find bones and shreds of clothing. Dean looked back to his brother as he sucked in a welcoming breath of warm air into his lungs and stared wide eyed at Dean like he couldn't comprehend why he was out here in the dirt. He struggled to get more air in as the senses he had been having dissipated once the bones were uncovered. "Sammy?" Dean asked dropping down beside his brother and helping him sit up. "You okay?" he asked looking him over for any injury.

Sam took in a few more breaths before he could answer him.

"Am now." he wheezed out looking over at the bones Dean had uncovered. "Its her." he got out leaning heavily on his brother as Dean pulled him to his feet. He tried to get his wobbly legs to hold him up as he stepped closer to the grave of Cooper's wife. "She was alive when he buried her." Sam said sadly as he looked beyond the bones to see Cammie hovering nearby looking down at what was left of her body. Sam swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes tight as tears ran from them for the woman and the suffering she had endured. She had been alone for so many years now, not allowed to move on or be with her son. She had lost all glimmer of hope until he had communicated with her and offered to help. He felt her pain and anguish wash over him with such force he doubled over and only stayed upright because Dean still had a firm grip on him.

"We found you; we'll get you to your son." Dean spoke boldly to the spirit. "Let my brother go."

She looked at Dean and then at Sam before fading away and breaking her contact with Sam.

"C'mon bro you need to get something hot in you." Dean told him steering Sam toward the house. He would get him settled inside and come back to get the bones so they could take them to the cemetery tonight. "I'll get a fresh pot of coffee started, how 'bout some soup?" Dean rattled on trying to fill the void of silence from Sam. "I saw some chicken noodle in the cabinet, first things first, ya need to wash your grimy hands." he grimaced looking at his brother's dirt covered, clenched hands. He stopped at the sink and leaned Sam up against the counter so he could turn on the water and get it warm. He took his brother's shaking, cold hands and held them under the water letting it wash the worse of the dirt from them. He squirted soap on his palm and began to rub them over his brothers limp hands soaping them before rinsing again. He turned them over and looked at them seeing the dirt under his nails and figured that could wait. Dean would let Sam deal with that. He got them as clean as he could before drying them and leading Sam to a chair at the kitchen table.

"Sit here, don't move." Dean ordered him before stepping into the living room for a throw. He wrapped that around Sam's hunched shoulders and turned to start the coffee and soup.

spn

Sam sat hunched over drawing the throw tightly around his cold body and watched his brother busy himself in the kitchen. He couldn't help but smile at him knowing this was what he did best, taking care of him. Ever since they had found each other, Dean made sure Sam stayed safe and taken care of, sometimes at little too much. Sam wanted to stretch his wings and fly, but Dean wanted to be sure he didn't fall which lead to a few heated arguments between the brothers. Sam still knew Dean meant well even if he was a mother hen sometimes. He knew some of it stemmed from their separation so many years ago.

"Here ya go Sammy, doctored with the crap you like. Be careful don't spill it." Dean told him sitting a cup of coffee in front of him. He only filled it about half full so it would be easier for him to drink. "Soup'll be ready in a minute."

Sam picked the cup up with both hands to steady it and brought it to his lips. It was hot but not enough that he couldn't drink the sweet liquid. He sipped it slowly feeling the warmth spread through his body. Dean sat a bowl of soup beside him with an open sleeve of crackers.

"I'm gonna go get her bones, you eat an' get warm and get your strength back." he told him giving him a quick once over to be sure he was ok. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah Dee, I'm okay." Sam nodded knowing he was now that they found her bones and could take her to her son.

"I'll be back in a bit, figured we'll shower and try to sleep a few hours, let it get dark before heading to the cemetery."

"Sounds good." Sam said picking up the spoon and scooping some noodles up. His hand shook slightly but he managed to get most of it to his mouth. He chewed slowly and savored the taste before taking another bite. Picking up a couple of crackers, he crumbled them into the soup like he did when he was young. The more he ate, the better he felt. His body was finally warming up now and he felt his adrenaline ebbing. His brother's suggestion of a hot shower and some sleep sounded good right now. He needed to let himself decompress after his last contact with Cammie. He hoped now that they had her bones he wouldn't have to do that again.

spn

Someone shaking him and a familiar voice brought him out of a deep sleep. Sam jerked and sat up from the couch searching for a weapon and trying to figure out where he was.

"Easy bro, it's me." Dean said. "Time to get ready."

Sam blinked several times before he could focus on his brother and watched him packing his stuff. He sat up and rubbed his eyes still feeling the heaviness of sleep. Dean held out a cup of coffee to him which he gladly accepted, blowing across the top before taking a tentative sip. He needed the caffeine to get his body going. He needed to be alert when they went to salt and burn Cooper's bones. Sam knew when the husband realized what they were going to do all hell was going to break loose.

"Go ahead and pack, figured we'd head out after we get this done. Once we salt and burn the husband's bones, the mom can be with her son. I'm thinking that should solve the haunting problem."

"Alright, let me go change clothes." Sam said pushing himself from the couch and heading for the bathroom.

"I'll leave a note thanking Jordan's wife for the food and for staying here." Dean called to him as he dropped his bag by the back door. He found a pad and pen and scribbled a note to the Jordans letting them know things were taken care of and for their hospitality. Dean decided there was no use staying around once the job was done. He wanted to talk to Sam about this thing he could do with spirits, but that would have to wait for now; he needed to focus on getting the job done and keeping Sam safe in the process. Dean looked up as Sam strolled back into the room carrying his dirty clothes and stuffed them in his duffle.

"I'm ready." he said looking around to be sure he had gotten everything before picking up his duffle and heading for the side door.

"Let's rock and roll." Dean said picking up his duffle and following Sam.

A/N: Thank you to all who are reading my creation and for all the support. Your enjoyment makes it worth writing. I will try and get the next chapter ready to post early since the action begins to pick up. Reviews and your thoughts are always welcome, if you have a moment please review. NC