Night was hard; the stillness gave Dean nothing but time to think about everything that had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. Usually, Caleb would be on this trip with them, and would brainstorm with Bill over the cases he had. Jim would be playing with Sam and talking to Ellen, and making sure the rest stayed out of trouble.

Everything had changed so quickly that it almost made his head spin. Sucking in a deep breath to keep the more unsavory emotions buried, he tried not to think about Jim and Bill talking about the hunts with him, and Caleb sitting in jail. It was too bizarre to contemplate, and so he tried not to. Shaking his head, he glanced over at his little brother. Sam was asleep, but only just. He had been spared the weight of knowing what exactly could happen if Caleb was convicted.

Not only would he be imprisoned for the rest of his life, they would lose yet another member of their family. Sam would lose his cuddle buddy, and Dean would lose the one person he felt as though he could open up to. It was too cruel to imagine something like that happening, but his mind would not stop giving him a front-row seat to the questions that would not stop coming.

Sighing deeply, he rolled over and grabbed his headphones and Walkman. The sun would be up soon, and he would have to face the reality that he would not be able to get on the phone and call his guardian. From what he had been told, Dawn had arranged for Caleb to turn himself in. It was definitely better than the alternative of being hauled off in cuffs. In the jail, Dean knew their access to him would be cut off, and that added yet another heart-punch that was hard to look past.

Allowing the soothing beat of Zeppelin to filter into his heart, it was not long before each beat of the song represented an image that Dean would have given anything not to witness. Caleb in shackles, Caleb in jail, Caleb being alone in a terrifying situation, and without his family to be there for him. Closing his eyes tight, he was finally able to organize his thoughts into a stable stream.

They were supposed to have fun that day. It was the last thing Dean felt like doing, but he knew his little brother needed him to be present for all the hiking, climbing, and water sports they would be getting their hands dirty with. Taking a deep breath when he felt the darkness slip away, he knew it would not be long before Sam was fully awake and ready to start the day. He was lucky to not have the images his older brother was wrestling with.

Letting the last track play, he tossed his player aside and tried to stay as still as he could. Sam's breathing was faster, indicating he was close to being conscious. In the next room, he could hear Bill and Ellen talking softly, and Jim in the other. He always woke early to pray, and read his Bible. Truth be told, Dean was not ready for the hustle and bustle of the day to start. Not even close.

Pretending not to notice when his mattress sagged under the weight of a new body, he peeked one eye open to glimpse Sam. As usual, he was up before the sun had fully come out, and was ready for the start of their adventure. However, when Dean took the time to analyze his little brother, he took in a sadness that he had never seen in Sam's eyes before. It was so unlike Sam that it took Dean aback, before he gathered his responses and moved over.

Immediately, Sam laid down beside him, and curled his hand into a fist around Dean's blanket. Arching his head down to take in Sam's face, it did not take a genius to know he had been crying in the dark. As much as Dean was in pain over what was happening with Caleb, he knew Sam had to be swimming in an ocean of grief and confusion. He was only seven, and was having to deal with things that no child should ever have to face. Laying his hand on Sam's back, Dean sat in silence while he listened to Sam's breathing.

The kid did not consider himself to be someone who harbored hatred in his heart, but in that moment, all he felt was a blind rage that was clawing its way around his heart like a tentacle. He hated the monster that had stolen Caleb from them, and he hated the prosecutor who was only doing his job. It was not just the accused who suffered, but the family even more so.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?" It took effort to keep his voice even.

"Why...why do I feel sad?" Sam whispered, laying his head on Dean's chest.

Dean shrugged. "Take your pick."

As it was, he could feel his heart torn over too many emotions to name. The most prominent, though, was how intensely he missed Caleb. With Sam, he could only guess at what he was experiencing.

"I miss Caleb. I wanted him to come here."

"So did I."

Taking a second to collect himself, he knew that he would not be able to fall back asleep, and so he decided not to even try. Flinging himself off the bed, he sorted through his bag of clothes, before finding something comfortable for the day. Glancing back at Sam, he opened his bag and threw some jeans and a shirt at him.

"Why is he going to jail? Is it because they don't know him like we do?"

Dean nodded, before glancing over at the door when he noticed Jim leaning against the wall. He had no clue how long he had been standing in that spot, but he was now slowly making his way into the room. His gentle eyes roamed over the room, before settling down on the bed with Sam. Hesitantly obeying when Jim gestured for him to come and sit, he was quickly engulfed in a brief hug.

"The police...they have evidence they think is rock solid," Jim said, wiping a stray tear from Sam's eyes. "When they find something like this, it doesn't take long for them to pounce."

"So...so what's next?" Dean voiced, surprised his voice even worked.

"I, uh, I talked to Dawn this morning. He...turned himself in last night. Right now, his first court appearance is his arraignment."

Dean nodded, feeling numb at the thought of Caleb being made to sleep in a cold cell. If there was anyone who did not deserve it, it was the kind man who had become like a father to him. Aware that he had to be strong for his brother, Dean arranged his face into an unassuming expression.

"Is he getting bail? Or is he crap outta luck?"

"Well," Jim replied thoughtfully, laying back against the headboard, and dragging Sam and Dean with him. "With everything going on, it's very unlikely he'll be getting out anytime soon."

Dean had been prepared for that answer, but it did not lessen the stinging arrow that hit his heart. Swallowing convulsively, he pulled away from Jim and Sam, and finished getting ready. Suddenly, it did not seem like such a bad idea to busy himself with the activities planned.

"Caleb sounded good," Sam remarked. "He sounded happy."

"He just didn't want us to be scared," Dean murmured, clenching his eyes shut to stop the tears from making an appearance.

In an effort to keep his mind off the obvious turmoil that was happening in his heart, Jim had planned a day full of activities for the boys that started with a morning on the lake. It had been awhile since they had had the chance to peruse the lake, and take full advantage of the tubing and swimming, but Dean knew Sam would have no issue getting reacquainted with it.

Stepping onto the shore, his arms weighed down with Sam's water gear and his own, he set the things down long enough to grab his squirmy brother and attach his water wings. Sam resisted at first, but calmed down when he took notice of the pontoon Bill had rented for them. Stepping on the unsteady contraption, Sam clung to him as they headed off.

Even though Dean wanted to be near a phone in case Dawn or Caleb called, he had to admit that it felt nice to have the wind pelt his face, and the water drown out any other noise. Jo was sitting near Sam, her pink life jacket covering nearly her entire body. Dean was glad Sam had her; he would need someone who was not an emotional wreck. Pulling his arms around himself to ward off the cold, he stepped close to the edge when Jim waved him over.

The tube was rigged behind the pontoon, begging someone to try it out. Hardly someone who was shy about trying new things, Dean was the first one to agree to go on the tube. Not to his surprise, Sam wanted to do whatever his big brother was doing. Unsure if that was the best idea or not, Dean threw a quick glance to Jim, who hesitated before he offered a brief nod. It seemed as though the pastor could not deny the boys the chance to do something they never got to do, even if it went against everything he believed in in terms of safety.

"Are you sure you want to do it, Sammy?" Dean checked, as he prepared to slip onto the tube.

"Y-yeah," Sam nodded, his teeth chattering, and his entire body trembling in the cold.

"Alrighty, better hang on tight. Bill's a friggin' monster with this thing."

Helping Sam onto the tube and directing him where to place his hands to hold on, Dean braced himself for the impact of the tube. It had been awhile since he had last tried it, and back then, Sam had been too young to go on. Now that he was old enough, Dean wondered how he would respond to it. When Bill started up the boat again, and did his very best to throw them off, Dean felt lighter than he had the entire twenty-four hours they had been there. It was a challenge to hang on, and that was what Dean thrived off of. The grin that graced his face was foreign to him, but he did not fight it. Sam was equally as enthralled, and shouted things to Dean that he could not hear above the roar of the boat.

Ignoring the waves that splashed him in the face, he gripped so hard his fingers turned purple as Bill weaved the boat from side to side. Sam was just as determined to hang on, and did so until he decided he would rather not. Shaking his head in amusement when Sam willingly let go, he hung on for another second before joining his brother in the water. The high from going tubing was not easy to forgo, and it stabilized Dean in a way that he had not been anticipating before. After the pontoon was done with, the group moved on to dry land. This was Dean's least favorite, but he tolerated it for Sam's benefit.

Losing his freedom was one thing. It was a concept that did not bother Caleb nearly as much as the other part of it did. What nearly broke him the first night, was the idea that he was away from the two precious boys he had raised for so long. The phone call to Sam and Dean, a goodbye call, had been harder than he ever thought it would be. Especially when Dean had begged him not to do what he had done right after he got off the phone. Being in jail was not the hard part, it was knowing that unless there was a miracle, it would be a very long time before he got to see the kids again. With being behind bars, there was nothing else to do but dwell on what had gone down on the hunt, and where things stood.

According to Dawn, his first court appearance would be his arraignment. It would be a formal hearing for him to either plead guilty or not guilty. Of course, he knew what his plea would be. After that, Dawn warned him that it would be a long-shot for a judge to agree to set bail. If he even did, it would be too expensive for him to bond out, anyway. With those thoughts circling his brain on an endless loop, sleep was a foregone impossibility. No amount of tossing and turning on the hard cot would lull him into unconsciousness. Even though it would have been preferable to facing his thoughts. Punching his pillow for the last time, he knew sleep was over when the lights in the main hall went on, and the guards appeared. Glancing up at the clock outside his cell, he knew the early wakeup call was for the inmates who had appearances.

Unfortunately for him, he was one of those people. The act of being shackled and cuffed was humiliating enough, but as he was led out to the prison van, he could not deny the incredible vulnerability he felt as he took a quick look around at his barren surroundings. If something were to attack him, he would be defenseless. If another inmate were to be possessed and take a swing, he would not be able to fight back. Succumbing himself to those very real fears, he tried to settle back in the van, but it was hard. His eyes felt like bricks were pushing on them from lack of sleep, and his once sharp reflexes had been reduced to nothing. Inhaling deeply, he knew he would get his answer one way or the other. Either he would be able to have some hope, or it would be dashed until his next hearing. Not counting on a good outcome, he let the guards lead him into the building once they arrived.

From there, they took him through the elevator and onto the floor where his hearing would be held. Once there, they placed him in a holding cell that was directly attached to the courtroom. Alone again with his thoughts, he tried not to let himself think too much. It would be too dangerous. Instead, he studied the new cell he had been placed in. It was bare, apart from the bench he was seated in, and a toilet and sink combination. Some inmates, who had been bored out of their minds, had scratched messages on the walls. Many of them were comments aimed at the corrections officers, and some pleading for help. Swallowing back the vomit that wanted to come out, he averted his eyes from that sight and sat back down. The hearing would be starting soon, and he felt ill.

Standing up when the guard came back, he did not speak as the guard brought him to the courtroom. Luckily, courtroom protocol dictated that restraints be taken off unless in special circumstances. Able to walk freely without chains pulling on his ankles was something he knew he would never take for granted again. Allowing the guard to lead him over to the defense table, he was relieved to see Dawn already seated there. Whereas he could feel panic mounting in his heart, she was as calm as ever, and ready to take on the world for him. Before her, she had stacks of papers and documents outlining the case, and a legal pad where she had written her strategy down.

"Hey," Caleb whispered, wanting to have as much of a private moment with her as he could.

"Hey back. How did you sleep?"

Caleb shrugged. "Like a princess."

Dawn rolled her eyes, but her expression took on a more sympathetic one when she really took the time to study her client. They had known each other long enough that they were able to suss out what the other was going through before they even had the chance to express it. "You look like crap, Caleb."

"No beating around the bush, huh?" Caleb could not help the smile that came across his face.

"Nope."

They did not have another chance to banter. The judge had entered the room, and as Caleb rose along with the rest of the courtroom, he felt as though his legs would give out underneath him. The prosecutor, once he was given the chance to lay out their case, wasted no time in painting him as a monster who had cozied up to Lexa Branch in order to murder her. And, the prosecutor claimed, not only had he befriended her, he had done so in such a cold way that it would be criminal not to convict him of murder. After that, he rattled off their evidence of fraud against him. Dawn warned him from the get-go that he would be found guilty of fraud, but they had a fighting chance of beating the most serious charge.

Once Dawn was given her chance to speak, Caleb found himself leaning in close to listen to her. It was captivating to watch her take command of the room, and weave a story that was entirely true of him. She spoke of the way he had raised two young children who depended on him, and the way his heart beat for them. Not only that, she reminded the courtroom of the conflicting witness statements from the elderly woman. None of that, however, seemed to phase the judge. Because of the nature of the crime, bail was denied. Now, the only thing to do was plead for his life. Standing up with Dawn, it felt as though he was hearing the charges being read as though they were coming through a tunnel.

"As to to the charge of murder in the first degree, how does the defendant wish to plead?"

"Not guilty."