Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Sam and Dean. I only have the rights to their sister Ally in this story.
- DOUBLE BROTHERS -
Just a little further…
A little further…
Her feet thundered against the ground as she sprinted through the forest. The wind whipped her hair behind her and branches snapped against her face. She took no notice of the numerous scratches that adorned her body; her attention solely focussed on the pair of footsteps nipping at her heels.
A branch jutted out into the path in front of her. She gripped it with both hands as she flew past, the end of it splintering as it broke off. The impact as the branch snapped loose was enough to make her footsteps falter. She quickly regained her speed as the sound of her pursuers' harsh breathing reached her ears. They were close. Too close.
She pummeled her feet against the earth in an attempt to gain more speed. With a swing of her arms and a cry on her lips she threw the branch behind her. She was rewarded when she heard it connect with something solid and grunt escaped one of their lips.
That's one down for now.
There was some distance now between her and her pursuers. Yet, the other didn't stop.
She ran for a while longer until each step sent sharp pain shooting up her calves. Her lungs ached, her heart burned and the trees swum before her eyes.
Just a little further. She repeated the mantra in her mind until it was the only thing keeping her going. She knew her footsteps were faltering but she no longer had the energy to care.
Finally the trees broke before her, the abandoned factory came into sight. With an adrenaline burst giving her newfound energy, she bolted towards the open gate. In her haste, she failed to notice the familiar tall figure sprinting up beside her before it disappeared into the back entrance of the building. She threw herself through the open roller door onto the factory floor and slipped behind one of the tall abandoned crates.
Her chest heaving, she willed the room to stop spinning by closing her eyes for a moment. The factory was eerily silent, her own shuddering breaths the only thing that she could hear. Her eyes snapped open at the sound of a pair of approaching footsteps. The steps were slow, calculated. There was no hint of the marathon they had completed before. She swallowed and took deep breaths, knowing that her heavy breathing would give away her position. Slowly she reached for the gun pressed in her back pocket, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot from her shoulder at the movement. She checked the barrel, three silver bullets left.
The footsteps suddenly slowed to a stop next to her crate. She held her breath, her teeth worrying her bottom lip.
"Ally?" A voice whispered.
Dean. No… Not Dean. Can't be Dean… Could it be Dean?
Despite her internal argument, Ally steeled herself and spun out from behind the crate, gun raised before her. It shook in her grip as she took in the shocked expressions of her brothers. Shock quickly morphed into worry on both their faces as they raised their hands in a placating manner.
"Al-" Dean (or not-Dean, she still couldn't tell) took a half step towards her and she quickly cut him off by cocking the gun.
"Don't take another step." Her voice came out shakily, and was riddled with heaving breaths. He froze and a pained expression filled his face.
"Ally, it's us," Sam (or not-Sam) said carefully but he made no move towards her.
"No. I- I don't know that for sure." She blinked away the fog from her eyes, now was not the time to cry.
"Ally get away from them!" A second Sam entered the room running, followed closely by a second Dean.
"Ally…" The Dean closest to her said, warning in his tone. She ignored his outstretched hand and flicked her gun onto the oncoming pair.
"Don't come any closer!" They immediately skidded to a stop, panic filling their eyes. The second Sam was the first to raise his hands and Dean followed. From the corner of her eye, Ally detected movement and flicked her gun around to face the first pair.
Sam had taken a few small steps closer but stopped immediately as she shouted, "I said don't move!" Ally backed up a few steps until both pairs were the same distance away from her.
The factory floor was silent except for heavy breathing coming from the pair that had run in and a few hitched breaths from Ally as she fought to keep her tears at bay. She flicked the gun between the four men but couldn't discern who was real and who wasn't. The relentless pain in her shoulder continued to throb. She grit her teeth as it spasmed but apparently her grimace didn't go unnoticed.
"You're hurt." As soon as the words had left the second Sam's lips, the other three quickly came to attention and tried to determine how bad it was. Almost like it was an unconscious action, the Dean's began to move closer to her.
Ally stumbled back a step and screamed at them, "DON'T MOVE!" There was nothing stopping the tears anymore as sobs wracked her body. The Dean's expressions of concern mirrored each other and Ally, for the life of her, couldn't find any differences.
"Ally, it's ok, I'm here princess," One of the Dean's said. A look of incredulity settled on the other Dean's face.
"You don't get the right to call her princess, you bastard," He sneered, a look of fire in his eyes. The other's fists clenched unconsciously at his sides.
"Don't call me a bastard you bastard," He spat. Sam gripped the Dean's clenched fist.
"Don't egg him on Dean, he's standing really close to Ally." Sam had intended for only Dean to hear it but Ally heard it loud and clear.
"Ally trust me," the Dean without clenched fists started, "We're your real brothers." He worried his bottom lip as he waited for her reaction but she didn't have time to give him one when the other Dean piped up.
"Don't listen to him Al, you know who's real here."
"Oh would you shut up!" This was the first time she had heard this Sam speak since the second pair entered the room. "Look Al, we're real, they're not. Just shoot them and we can go home." The Dean paired with this Sam shot a look at his brother but after the moment of disbelief passed, he looked back at Ally seeming to agree. In the space of quiet that followed, the second Sam chose to speak.
"Ally," he waited until she was looking at him to continue, "just shoot us all in the arm with the silver bullets. It's gonna hurt like hell but two of us will feel it more than the others."
"Sam don't be stupid, she knows that we're the real ones so she just needs shoot the others and then we can all go home." Ally kept her gaze locked with Sam ignoring his Dean who had just spoken. It was a good idea but he didn't know that she only had three bullets left. She analysed his gaze and saw only trust there. There was a depth to his eyes that she could recognise in the dark. Noting her resolution, his shoulders slumped in relief and she knew she had chosen right.
Without letting herself have another moment's hesitation, she swung and shot the Sam on her left and the Dean on her right.
The Sam left standing shouted out, "Dean!" Before crouching next to the fallen Dean.
Meanwhile the Dean left standing crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes, "C'mon Sammy don't insult me by thinking that that thing is me." Sam looked between the two and upon seeing the amulet around the neck of alive Dean, breathed a sigh of relief.
Ally watched this all unfold and she was unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face. The adrenaline left her in whoosh and she had enough time to whisper, "Dean," before her knees gave way and she crumpled towards the ground. Dean caught her before her head hit the floor but in the process, gripped her shoulder. She couldn't stop herself from crying out at the intense pain that radiated from that spot and Dean retreated his hand as if burned. He gasped when it came away bloody. Deft fingers began to probe at the spot on her back and a whimper escaped her lips. She tried to pull away but found no energy to do so. So she settled for squirming in Dean's grip. Dean quickly shushed her and murmured soft promises in her ear as he combed through her hair. The action soothed her but when Sam's fingers hit a particularly tender spot, she cried out again and black spots encroached her vision. Dean was quick to sooth her again but the darkness continued to swarm.
...too much blood…
… could be infected...
…to motel…
...quickly…
The snippets of conversation passing above her lessened and lessened until she heard no more. Two panicked faces entered her fading vision, their mouths moved but there was no sound. She watched them until they too faded away as the darkness enveloped her.
It was the pain that hit her first. Radiating from her shoulder, it spread its tendrils of agony throughout her body. She groaned and squirmed in an attempt to get away from the pain but steady hands stilled her.
"It's ok Ally, it's ok."
Dean…
"Yeah it's me Princess." She hadn't realised she'd said his name out loud.
"Why don't you open those eyes for us Al?"
Sam…
Both her hands were held in iron grips and fingers combed through her hair. But it was the feather-light kiss that brought her through the veil of darkness and into bright light. She blinked a few times, her brother's encouragement in her ears, and when the world finally came into focus she heard sighs of relief on either side of her head.
"There she is." Ally rolled her heavy head towards the voice and found Sam smiling at her. The fingers brushing through her hair stilled and she let out a moan of protest. Sam chuckled and a chuckle sounded from her right. Dean rounded the bed and knelt next to Sam so she could see both of them. As soon as he was settled he began threading his fingers through her hair again. She leant into the touch resulting in another light laugh from Dean. Sam stroked her cheek and Ally was surprised to see his finger come away wet.
"Are you in pain?" His features were etched with concern.
"No, I just…" She trailed off, unable to keep floodgates closed and her brothers were quick to react. Dean lifted her up while Sam positioned himself behind Ally. Dean carefully leant her against Sam's chest and then slid in behind her on the other side. He resumed his stroking while Sam squeezed his arm around her.
"We know Princess, we know." No more words were needed as Sam pressed another kiss to her temple and lingered there with his chin on top of her head. Dean moved his hand to draw patterns up and down her arms with his fingers, the soothing motion causing her eyes to droop once more. She nestled into her brothers, and slowly drifted to sleep.
On the brink of oblivion she heard Dean mutter, "I hate shifters." Sam simply mumbled in agreement and Ally fell asleep with a smile on her face.
- END -