Chapter Two
The unanimous decision was to head to Bobby's. After a year without their surrogate father they really needed to see him, to hear him.
They needed to tell him the truth so that at least someone was on their side.
The thought of telling their true father never even crossed their minds. They loved John Winchester with all their hearts but after he'd made Dean promise to kill Sam and after finding out about Adam they couldn't bring themselves to face him yet.
Not yet.
Dean glanced at the slumbering form of his lover curled in the front seat and smiled at the sight. Sam hadn't been sleeping well since the fall of his wall and he could tell it was wearing the younger man thin. He was happy to see him resting for a change. He could only hope that the nightmares that had haunted him for so long would remain dormant.
As if he had spoke too soon, the younger man stiffened in his seat a silent near inaudible whimper leaving his lips and Dean felt his broken heart strain in his chest. Goddammit! Why couldn't they catch a break?! Tears burned his eyes as another whimper left the broken vessel of Lucifer and his hands tightened on the wheel of Baby until the knuckles were white.
"Just a little longer, Sammy." He whispered roughly, and unbidden a tear escaped his dark green eyes to trail soundlessly down his cheek.
"Just a little longer."
"Sam, please!"
Sam turned to him, his skin bloody and flayed, clothes tattered...and smiled. It was a true smile, a small simple curl of his lips but it both heartened and hurt him to see it. In the many years they'd been in the Cage, his brother never failed to smile at him, never failed to protect him.
He took majority of the torture Lucifer dished out, curling his body around Adam's when the Devil's attention turned to him. He took Michael's torture with soft gasps and inaudible whimpers, although he thanked the Archangel endlessly for protecting Adam and keeping him from Lucifer's attentions as well as he could.
"Please!" Adam pleaded again when the older Winchester wavered on him feet, Lucifer standing only a few paces away with a dark smile curling his thin lips.
"Time to play, Sammy." He purred, then he glanced behind the hunter to Adam's trembling form. "Unless Baby brother wants to play too."
Sam's expression turned fierce, lips curling into a snarl, and he stiffened as Adam took a step forward.
"I can handle it."
His brother, turned to him then looked at Michael.
"Please."
The archangel nodded subtly and placed a hand on his vessel's shoulder, only for the boy to try and jerk away from him.
He fought a sigh then placed his hand to his temple.
"Sleep." He intoned and Adam felt his eyes drooping. The last thing, he heard before slipping into the darkness was the rattling of chains, the now familiar sound of Lucifer's laughter, and Sam's ear piercing scream.
Something was approaching the Cage.
In the thousands of years since their Fall, nothing had even attempted to approach the Cage. Not after Castiel's failed attempt to free Sam from it. Adam shivered at the power of the approaching presence, feeling Sam curl tighter around him.
"I'm here." He whispered softly and the younger male felt something in him calm at the soothing voice of the man that had been his brother, his father, and his mother in various points in life. He knew without a doubt that Sam would protect him with his life and it broke his heart as much as it warmed it.
The Being entered the Cage and he closed his eyes, only to jerk as all three of the Cage's let out identical gasps of surprise.
"L-Lord Death." Michael greeted and Adam tried to turn and face the figure, but Sam's arms tightened around him, tension in every line of his battered frame.
"I have come for Samuel Winchester." Rumbled a deep voice and the younger man tensed, clutching his brother's jacket in his grip.
The two angels said nothing, but Sam shifted and Adam could tell he was looking directly at the Bei- Death.
"I'm not leaving without Adam." He stated adamantly and Adam tried to pull away, to protest. He wouldn't allow Sam to do this! Not when it could free his broken spirit from the torment of the two angels they were trapped with.
"Even if it means remaining in this Cage for eternity?" Death questioned and Sam took a shaky breath.
"Even then."
No! Go with him! Please, Sam!
"Sam-"
"Shut it, Addy." The older admonished softly, his gaze never leaving Death, who unbeknownst to the younger man, smiled a very small smile.
"Very well, Samuel. I shall free the son of your spirit as well, but be forewarned he will be in my care until the Time has come."
Sam tensed then relaxed while Adam reeled in shock.
"The- the time for what?"
"You will know when it is Time."
This said, a bright light filled the Cage and everything went dark.
-Beep
-Beep
-Be- smash!
Soulful moss green eyes slid open in confusion, heart clenching when he noticed that he was no longer in Hell. In fact, he sat up and glanced around wide-eyed. In fact, he was in his childhood bedroom, the one he'd had before his first death.
He looked down at himself, noting that he looked a bit younger than he had before the Cage, then he stood and stumbled into the bathroom, gasping in shock when he saw his reflection.
There, staring back at him was sixteen year old Adam Milligan. His eyes watered and he clenched his heart, wishing desperately for the warm presence that had protected him for so long, just to have something that made sense. However, when his eyes opened- when had he closed them?- he was still alone.
Sam, his mother, father, brother, protector, was gone.
And it was all he could do not to scream.
He swallowed thickly, then allowed his eyes to harden with determination.
He needed to find Sam.
But first, he glanced at his bedroom door, knowing his birth mother was downstairs alive and healthy. First, he would try to convince his mother to move somewhere safer...plus the enochian sigils and protective sigils that Sam had taught him would definitely help with that.
Almost six hundred miles away, Sam shot awake with a gasp, green eyes wide.
Then, to Dean's surprise, he smiled softly and wrapped his arms around himself.
"It Time." He whispered softly. "Its Time."
Dean blinked and stared at him worriedly.
"Time? Time for what, Sammy?"
Sam's smile grew.
"Adam."
Both of Dean's eyebrows shot up, then he smiled, figuring Sam would tell him when he was more lucid. For now, they were pulling into Babby's and he had to find a way to explain this to their father figure without seeming crazy.
Sam glanced at him, then out the window, but said nothing feeling content for the first time since the Fall.
'I'm coming, Addy. Just a little longer.'
TBC...