Summary: AU: Stanford Era: "Dean … Sammy's in trouble." A late night phone call sends Dean Winchester and long-time friend, Caelan Hagan in a desperate search to find Sam before the unthinkable happens; uncovering lies and secrets involving the youngest Winchester, that have been years in the making.
Warnings: Violence, swearing, physical abuse, torture, implied adult themes.
Disclaimer: I don't own the supernatural characters.
Author's Note: Just another possibility on why Sam left for Stanford. Hope you enjoy.
If there is anything I have left out or you are still unsure about, please feel free to message me. You never know, I may have left it unintentionally unresolved for a reason (possibly a sequel).
Special Note: Thanks to Pie Love Luci and Kas3y for your reviews and your kind words. Here's another chapter just for all you guys who have taken the time out to read this story and to all the people who have this story on their alerts or have put it on their favourite lists. Thanks. It means a lot. Thanks to everyone for their patience and continued interest.
DEMON SPAWN: THE PHONE CALL
CHAPTER FIFTY
Sam shook his head to clear his mind of these morbid thoughts. Things could have turned out a lot worse than what they had. At least his family was still alive, battered and bruised, but alive. And Sam was determined to keep them that way. They were not going to suffer anymore because of him.
Sam let out a long shaky breath, trying to steady his nerves, placing his note for Dean upon the pillow of his perfectly made bed, relieved beyond words that Caelan was now out of harm's way.
Even though Sam knew he had sounded like some crazy demented person, Caelan had heeded his warning and got out of his motel room. Sam didn't care if Caelan believed him or not, he didn't care that Caelan had left more out of worry and concern for Sam's mental state than because he believed what Sam had told him. All Sam cared about was that Caelan was out, and he was safe.
Caelan was the one who had suffered the worst because this organisation had targeted Sam Winchester. Caelan had lost his father – Connor Hagen – eleven years ago because he had seen Sicko kissing, touching and raping a drugged up, helpless eleven-year old Sam Winchester, whom Connor had considered a surrogate nephew.
And now, eleven years later, Caelan had lost the love of his life – Elizabeth Stewart Cox – because Roger Stewart – her father – had wanted to retrieve Sam and hand deliver him to the organisation, so that Roger could reclaim his position with the organisation's ranks.
Sam honestly couldn't blame the older Hunter for wanting to get as far away from Sam as he possibly could once Elizabeth had died. And Sam was sure that despite Dean's and Caelan's denials, that Caelan blamed Sam in some way for Elizabeth's death.
Sam had promised himself that he wouldn't annoy or disturb Caelan anymore, having no delusions that now, after everything that had happened and the truth about how his Dad had died had come to light, that the older man that he'd looked up to and admired for most of his life now hated and despised Sam with a passion.
After all, how could he not?
So, Sam was determined not to antagonize Caelan any further, but when the dreams had come … when Sam had … connected with Sicko once more, had seen the way both men – Sicko and Marc Ley-Lamp – had tracked Caelan down, beating him to within an inch of his life for information before pouring out litres of gasoline around Caelan's room; Caelan lying there, helpless, barely able to move or breath as Marc and Sicko left the room, but not before setting a match to the gasoline soaked duvet cover of the bed that Caelan lay upon and hearing the screams of excoriating pain as Caelan was consumed by fire all because of him, Sam knew that he'd had no choice but to break his promise to contact Caelan and warn him about the danger he was in.
And now that Caelan was safe, Sam knew that he had to disappear. He had to get out of his family's lives so that no one else suffered because of him. Sam wasn't being forced out this time – an ultimatum Marc Ley-Lamp had offered to Sam in order to keep his family save – this was his choice. This was the only choice, the only way that Sam could protect his brothers from the very real threat that Sicko, Marc and this organisation posed.
This was the way that Sam kept his family safe and alive. Although Sam feared being by himself, and especially since he knew he wasn't one hundred percent recovered either physically or mentally – he was still having nightmares, the odd panic attacks creeping up on him without warning – but now that Sicko and Marc had closed in on Sam's location, Sam knew that it was his time to move, time for him to fend for himself once more.
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"Say wha …. Come again?" Dean's heart clenched painfully in his chest, his heart beating faster in fear and panic, Caelan's dire warning sending adrenaline coursing throughout Dean's system.
"Sammy … I think the kid's in trouble," Caelan repeated, his voice sounding almost apologetic.
Oh God, please no, not again! Dean had barely survived his Sammy being in trouble two weeks ago. Dean wasn't too confident he had the strength or the stamina to survive another round.
"No, he's not. I just … he was sleeping when I left. I've only been gone for half an hour Caelan, there's no way that Sam's in trouble." Dean denied vehemently, his voice rising sharply.
"Sorry Dean, I just spoke to the kid not more than ten minutes ago. And from the way he was talking … he's either getting ready to take off by himself because he thinks he's protecting us and that he's a bad omen or something … or, he's going to do something incredibly stupid."
Dean wanted to bombard Caelan with questions, but he also knew that time might not be a luxury Dean had. Sam could have woken up from a nightmare, or he might not have been asleep at all. Sam's head space … wasn't exactly in a stable state at the moment. Half an hour … there's no telling how much trouble Sam could get into in that time!
"Shit!" Dean was off the bar stool so fast that the people around him looked up at him in surprise. "I'm heading back to the motel right now. Meet me there Caelan and we can formulate a plan."
Dean ended the call and sprinted back to the Impala, his hands shaking as he extracted the keys from his pocket.
Sam had played him.
Dean had thought that Sam had kicked him out because Dean was starting to get on Sam's nerves – which would further indicate that Sam was getting back to good health, both mentally and physically – but the damn kid had kicked him out with the intentions of making his own stupid, reckless plans which didn't involve Dean.
Dean could have kicked himself for not seeing it earlier. Sam had been cagey, nervous and restless the whole night. Dean had assumed that it was because Dean was hovering too much and Sam was worried about Caelan – and maybe that was true; maybe Sam had been worried about Caelan and becoming more frustrated because of Dean's increased hovering – but Dean realized that the majority of Sam's unorthodox jumpy and restless behaviour was because the kid had already planned on leaving.
Dean would have been impressed by his brother's manipulative skills if he wasn't so worried about him.
What if Sam suffered an anxiety or panic attack and Dean wasn't there to help coach Sam through it? What if Sam had a nightmare so intense that he ended up hurting himself because Dean wasn't there to reassure Sam that he was safe? What if something – a noise, a person, a memory – spooked Sam so much that he was reduced to huddling in a corner, too terrified to move, drowning in his own self-doubt, or memories and Dean wasn't there to help coax his brother out of it?
Although Sam had come a long way in the two weeks since they'd escaped the hospital – the bathroom light no longer had to be on all night, just until Sam fell asleep. And if he woke up to darkness, he didn't immediately freak out and think he was trapped. He no longer needed to have eyes on Dean twenty-four-seven in order to feel safe, or fall apart if Dean had to leave the room – but he was still nowhere near well enough or stable enough to be on his own for any length of time.
Dean wasn't stupid. He knew that Sam blamed himself for everything that had happened – which was dumb, because how in the world could Sam have known that someone would abduct him from Stanford, of all places … especially when he was out of the hunting life – and Dean had planned on setting his brother straight on that, plus a few other things that Sam had mentioned at the hospital – like being responsible for their Mum's death – when Sam's emotions had settled down into a relatively normal state.
But now … if Sammy had taken off on his own, Dean would so be kicking his brother's ass all the way back as well as enforcing some truths into his baby brother's stubborn head!
"You better be all right Sammy," Dean growled through gritted teeth. "You better be at the motel room, fast asleep, perfectly safe … or I will be tying a leash around your ass!"
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Caelan pulled up to the motel where the Winchester siblings were staying to see Dean leaning against the rear bumper of the Impala, hands running through his dark blonde hair, a dismayed, distraught, anxious expression upon his face and Caelan felt his heart sink, knowing, just by the look upon his brother's face that the youngest Winchester was missing once more.
Caelan parked beside the Impala and schooled his expression before he emerged from the car and approached Dean, quickly but cautiously, finding it hard to read the exact expression upon Dean's face. Was he going to lash out, start yelling, swinging his fists or was he going to run off half-cocked, desperately searching for his missing little brother, taking unnecessary risks along the way, self-destructing right before Caelan's eyes?
Caelan found it ironic how he would prefer it if Dean started swinging instead of spiralling down into the dark self-destructive mode that Caelan knew only too well. After all, wasn't that what Caelan had been doing for the past week? Slowly self-destructing?
There was nothing like a crisis to bring everything back into blindingly clarity and perspective. There was more to life than wallowing in your self-despair, grief and guilt. His father and the love of his life may have died, but Caelan suddenly realized that there were things much worse than death.
Caelan would always miss his Dad and Elizabeth, and he would give anything to have them back in his life, alive, happy and safe; but since Caelan couldn't bring the dead back to life, Caelan realized that he had to hold onto what he did have; the family he had left … his brothers.
He had to find Sammy before Dean started down the dark path of self-doubt and guilt, wallowing much like Caelan had, hiding, trying to drink his sorrows away. Caelan couldn't watch Dean go down the path that would lead to nothing but misery and heart ache.
Caelan had been pulled back from the brink of that path by the youngest Winchester's phone call, fear and panic bring everything Caelan had been doing to himself, distancing himself, cutting himself off from not only the people who loved him, but himself as well, to the forefront of his mind and into perspective.
Because Caelan had cut himself off from everyone he had failed to see that his brothers were falling apart.
Caelan swallowed a large lump in his throat, vowing that he would fix this, he would make this better and he'd be damned if he'd watch Dean Winchester follow in his footsteps down the dark path into destruction.
"Dean," Caelan laid a hand upon the young Hunter's shoulder, squeezing gently.
"He's gone Cal," Dean said in a broken voice, eyes fixed upon a piece of paper in his hand. "He left me a damned good bye note and just … took off." Dean's hands began to shake, but Caelan wasn't sure if it was because of fear or anger.
"I don't know where he's gone or how long he's been gone." Dean finally raised his eyes to Caelan and Caelan almost gasped at the desperate anguish within his brother's green eyes. "I don't know what to do Cal," Dean admitted, bitting upon his bottom lip – much like the kid would do when nervous or extremely worried – in indecision, a vulnerability Caelan had never seen before crossing Dean's features.
Caelan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, never seeing Dean as brokenly devastated as he was right now. "It's okay Dean," Caelan replied as he instinctively pulled Dean into his arms, wanting to take the stark terror and confusion from his brother's face. "We'll find Sammy, I promise."
Caelan pulled back from Dean, trying to grin light heartedly, but knew the moment his lips trembled that he couldn't keep the grin in place. "At least no one's taken him this time, right?"
Dean shook his head, rolling his eyes, his trademark scowl making an appearance at Caelan's warped attempt of trying to make him feel better.
"Hey," Caelan squeezed Dean's shoulder tighter, ducking down to meet Dean's eyes. "Sammy's taken off by himself in some warped guilt-ridden delusion that he's doing this in order to keep us safe. But Dean … you know that kid better than he knows himself. If anyone can find Sammy and bring him back, you can."
Caelan smiled confidently, pleased when the smile stayed upon his lips this time, because what Caelan spoke was the truth. Between the two of them, Caelan was confident that Sam would be back with them within the hour.
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Sam exited the motel room with the clear cut intention of stealing a car and getting as far away from this town as possible, finding a nice secluded place to hole up in while he set his trap and waited to see if Sicko and Marc found him because of some weird tracking ability that Sicko had acquired – hell, if he could bring back the dead, there was no telling what else he could do! – but Sam found himself being steered toward the motel where Caelan had been staying instead.
Sicko was there, right now, Sam had seen it and in amongst his conflicting emotions, Sam knew, with absolute certainty that now would be the perfect chance to end this once and for all.
Why should he have to live in fear, looking over his shoulder, fearing the ultimate showdown he was obviously destined to have with Sicko, when he could end this now?
Sicko wasn't expecting Sam to come to him, to confront him, to end him. Hell, Sam didn't usually operate on a half-cocked plan like this; walking into a dangerous situation with no back-up and no formulated plan in place, but his instincts were screaming at him that this was the right thing to do.
Find Sicko, confront Sicko, eliminate Sicko … before he had a chance to eliminate Sam, before Sicko had a chance to hurt his family. That was what he had to do instead of running, hiding and living in constant fear.
Sam gritted his teeth in determination, hands clasping the steering wheel tightly, his expression set in steely resolve.
You should wait for Dean; Sam's voice of reason counselled him.
No! Dean had already gotten hurt because of him. Sam refused to endanger his brother any more than he had already.
Fair enough. I get why you're doing this; to protect your family, to end it once and fall all so you don't have to be apart from your family, from Dean, but … this is reckless and dangerous.
It didn't matter how reckless or dangerous it was, this was Sam's chance to end it all; to find some closure, to be able to sleep at night without fearing that Sicko would abduct him again.
I get that. Sam's inner voice replied soothingly. I want it to be over too. But what exactly is your play here? You just going to burst into the room, guns blazing and hope you get your man? What if innocent people get hurt because of your rash actions?
Shut up! Sam told himself, a growl of annoyance leaving him at the compelling case his voice of reason was making.
The mission was clear. Find Sicko, confront Sicko, eliminate Sicko. That was all Sam had to worry about, competing the mission. He wasn't concerned with the how it was to get done or why, just that the mission needed to be completed.
What mission?! Sam's inner voice screamed at him. There is no mission! You sound like them. They were always talking about the mission. You don't have a mission. Your Dad has a mission – to destroy The Demon – Dean has a mission – to keep his pain in the ass little brother out of trouble – but you … You don't have a mission. You never have. You're just part of a family that has a mission.
Let's stop beating around the bush and call this plan for what it truly is … it's a suicide mission Sammy, that's what it is. You're going to go in there, guns blazing, without a plan, without back-up and Sicko … he's gonna kill you dead! Or he's gonna take you and you're going to wish that he'd killed you dead.
Sam shook his head, wanting to deny his voice of reason – which sounded an awfully lot like Dean's warped form of logic – but he couldn't help but see the logic of his inner voice's argument.
This plan of shooting first and asking questions later, of going in half-cocked and winging it, hoping that he completed the mission, not really caring if he got away unharmed or not … it wasn't how Sam operated. It wasn't how his Dad operated and it sure as hell wasn't how Dean operated.
Sam had been taught better than this.
So, if this wasn't how Sam would normally do things … why was something inside of him screaming at him to do it? To complete the mission no matter what, no matter what it took, no matter how it was done, but to complete it.
Sam gasped, slamming on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road, his head beginning to pound, his whole body beginning to shake and he had to fight the urge that willed him – compelled him – to complete the mission.
Complete the mission, damn it!
Oh God, something was wrong here. Something was very wrong.
"D … Deeaannn …" Sam's voice slurred as he fought to remain in control of his actions, as he fought the foreign voice in his head that was screaming at him to complete the mission!
Without knowing how it had happened, Sam found himself with his phone clutched to his ear, desperation, panic and fear rolling through him in waves, the shaking of his body continued to get worse the more he fought that voice in his head. All Sam knew for certain was that he needed Dean. Dean would be able to fix him. Whatever was wrong with him, Sam was confident that his big brother could fix it.
"Sammy! Where –"
"Deee …" Tears of relief sprung into Sam's eyes at the sound of his big brother's voice. "Some … thin' … wrong Dee …"
"It's okay Sammy, just tell me where you are and I'll come get you, okay?" Dean's strong, confident voice flowed over Sam, causing him to sob in gratitude and relief because his big brother was coming. Dean was coming and Dean could help, Dean could fix whatever was wrong with him. Dean could fix anything!
" … near Cal … Cael … Caelan m'tel … Dee … ple – please … help … help me!"
"Hang on Sammy, I'm coming okay? Stay where you are, I'm coming." Was the last thing Sam heard before the pain in his head intensified so much that it caused Sam to scream out in agony before the darkness overtook him.
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Dean searched Caelan's deep brown eyes for several long seconds before his despondent mood suddenly evaporated. "You're damn right, I know that kid. And hell yes, we will find him!"
Dean straightened up, flashing Caelan his trademark, cocky self-assured grin. "You look like crap by the way dude! You have a hard night last night?"
Caelan laughed; relieved that Dean's lost, vulnerable look had vanished. "Yeah, you could say that. Hell man, I think I'm still drunk!"
Dean raised his eyebrows slightly at that before he chuckled dryly. "Well, I guess that means I'm driving then." He said, digging the car keys from his pocket before indicating that Caelan should get in the passenger's seat.
"I've tried calling Sammy several times, but I think the damn kid turned his phone off," Dean explained to Caelan, partly exasperated and partly proud of the fact that his little brother had covered his tracks so well. "There's nothing in the note to indicate where he's going, but if I know that kid – and I know him very well – he's probably heading out of town as we speak, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible."
"Yeah, that sounds like typical Sammy logic," Caelan nodded in agreement to Dean's assessment as he climbed into the passenger's seat of Dean's beloved Impala.
Dean shot Caelan a cheeky grin and opened his mouth to say something as he was getting into his baby, when his cell phone chimed shrilly from within his pocket.
Dean immediately dug his phone out, relief beginning to flow through him as Sam's name popped up on the caller display. "Sammy!" Dean answered, frustrated and relieved at the same time. "Where –"
Dean's relief was short lived as he listened to his brother's broken sobbing, slurred voice. Oh God, what had happened to cause this kind of reaction from his kid brother where he couldn't even talk in complete sentences?
"It's okay Sammy," Dean quickly reassured his brother, big brother protective mode fully in effect. "Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you, okay?" Dean added, his tone soft, level and full of purpose.
Dean frowned; trying to make out Sam's stuttered, slurred words before he finally understood what the kid was telling him. Sam wasn't out of town as Dean had suspected he would be, instead he had gone back to where Caelan had been staying. Gone back to the motel where Dead Fucker was supposed to be – according to Sam and his dream – heading back toward danger instead of away from it.
Fuck!
"Hang on Sammy, I'm coming, okay? Stay where you are, I'm coming." Dean told his brother, voice serious and filled with deadly intent as he scrambled into the Impala, switching his baby to life.
If those bastards had hurt his brother …
Dean's vow of vengeance was cut off by an unearthly howl of agony. "Sam!" Dean yelled into the phone, suddenly terrified of what that could mean. "Sammy?" Dean's heart rate increased in fear when he was met with nothing but silence. "Damn it Sammy, answer me!" Dean demanded, pushing his baby's accelerator to floor, desperate to get to his brother as soon as possible.
"Caelan, what motel were you at?" Dean's gaze slid across to Caelan's serious, confused expression before returning his eyes back to the road once more. "That's where Sammy is."
"Oh shit," Caelan's complexion suddenly paled at the implications of Dean's words. That damn fool kid! What the hell was he thinking?
"Caelan, now!" Dean roared, no time for piss-arsing around. He had to get to Sam and he had to do it now!
TBC
Aten: One more to type up and go through and then I will post it ASAP.
Thanks for your continued patience and support, it really means a lot to me.
