Chapter 2: Hurt and Alone

Sam fought to keep the tears in his eyes from falling as he watched Dean walk away from him. Sam honestly couldn't remember a time he had felt more vulnerable and alone then he did right then. He pulled his thin blanket more tightly around him as he shivered not from cold but from fear and pain.

How had his life come to this? Homeless and alone on Christmas Eve, not even his brother to keep him company? He tried to remind himself that Dean wasn't actually abandoning him but with as miserable as he felt it was hard to take comfort in the knowledge. Dean had left him alone in this horrible place.

He could hear the two men who had been fighting over the five dollars getting louder and louder as the fight progressed and punches were thrown. Several other men started to yell and shout. Sam shut his eyes tight and pulled his blanket over his head trying to pretend that he was invisible.

He heard several of the cots get knocked over and then the noise grew louder as the fighters began to move around and more people joined in. The lights were turned on by someone and just as Sam lifted the blanket to see what was happening he saw a tall man get punched in the face and fall towards him.

Sam rolled off his bed and dropped to the floor to avoid getting squashed but his actions were in vain. He hit the floor on his side which caused his back to scream in pain and then the man that landed on his cot hit it so hard the cot flipped and both the bed and the large man landed on Sam.

"Ahhh!" Sam gasped.

"WHAT"S GOING ON IN HERE?" the security guard shouted. "ALL OF YOU, OUT RIGHT NOW!"

"Man, that's bull! Why should I get kicked out? It was all his fault!" someone yelled.

"Like hell it was!"

Sam groaned as the person lying on him pulled himself off but no one came to help push the bed off of him so Sam laid in the floor not moving, not caring if the bed stayed on him or not.

"Come on, son, you have to go too," a gruff voice ordered.

Sam didn't move. He didn't even realize that the gruff voice was talking to him. He felt someone finally pick up the bed and put it right side up. Then the mattress was picked up as well. Again, Sam didn't move. He felt a new wetness on his back which told him his injuries had reopened and were bleeding freely again.

"Come on, boy. You have to go. We don't allow fighting here." The gruff voice was a bit softer this time but still commanding. Sam felt someone grab his arm and hoist him to his feet.

"I…I wasn't fighting," Sam mumbled. "Some one fell on me." He was swaying slightly as he stood before the guard trying to focus on the stern face in front of him. "Please, just let me lay down. I just need to lay down."

The guard felt bad for the kid but rules were rules. He mistook Sam's swaying for drunkenness and said, "I'm sorry kid, but you're going to have to find some place else to sleep it off."

The guard took Sam by the arm and led him to the back door. He pushed it open and Sam stepped out into the alley behind the church. The door shut behind him with a resounding click and suddenly Sam found himself out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sam didn't know what to do. He was alone, had no money, no car, and no where to go.

He slid down the wall of the church and curled up into a tight ball on the ground. He stopped fighting the need to hide his tears and let them flow freely.

"Dean…God…anyone…I could use a little help here," Sam choked out between sobs. Sam spent the next thirty minutes slowly crying him self to sleep. In the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't let himself fall asleep while out in the cold, and yet he was powerless to stop it.

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"SAM!" Dean called loudly. He ran into the bathroom to see if Sam was in there but all he found was two drunks. He ran back to Sam's cot and looked around frantically. Maybe Sam had gone to a different bed, but he couldn't see him anywhere.

"SAM!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to sleep here!" someone shouted at Dean.

Dean kneeled down next to Sam's bed and touched his fingers to a spot on the floor. Blood! Oh god, where was Sam? What had happened? He took off running to the security desk.

"Hey, I brought my brother in here earlier. He was sleeping in the back. He's gone. Do you know where he is?"

"Was he a tall skinny kid?" the guard asked.

"Yes! Yeah that's Sammy! Where is he?"

"I made him leave. Several people got in a fight and he was involved. We have strict rules here and we enforce them."

"You kicked him out! He was hurt! Where is he now? Where did he go?"

"I don't know. I shoved him out the back door and haven't seen him since," the guard told him.

"Where's the back door?" Dean asked.

"In the back. Where do you think it would be?" the guard smarted off.

Dean hurried to the back and saw the door. He shoved it open and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sam curled up on the ground next to the door. His relief was short lived though when he realized Sam was asleep. Dean dropped to his knees and tried to wake his brother.

"Sammy! Sammy, wake up," Dean begged. He pulled Sam into his arms and shook him over an over.

"Dean…help…me," Sam moaned but didn't open his eyes.

"Sammy, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you here," Dean choked out. He struggled to get his arms under Sam. He couldn't lift him though.

"Sam, you have to help me. Wrap your arms around my neck," Dean ordered. Sam continued to lay there limp in Dean's arms. Dean hated to do it but he slapped Sam across the face. Sam's eyes popped open and he stared at his brother.

"You came back," Sam whispered.

"Of course I came back," Dean told him. "I'll always come back for you. Sam, wrap your arms around my neck. Hold on tight."

Sam did as ordered and Dean was able to get a better hold on Sam and he lifted his larger brother into his arms and stumbled back to the car. Once at the car Dean found that he couldn't get his car keys out of his pocket and hold Sam. As gently as possible he dropped Sam's legs but made sure to hold him tightly lest he fall. He got out his keys and unlocked the door.

He lowered Sam into the seat and put his seat belt on him before finally shutting the door. Dean got in the car and went in search of a motel.

He didn't see any in the neighborhood they were in so he drove back up Willis to the middle class neighborhood where he had earned some money. He spotted a motel but the sign read NO VACANCY.

He kept driving and was now in the classier neighborhood when he saw the next motel. He pulled into the parking lot and let out a growl of frustration. The place was closed for Christmas.

Before he knew it he was back on Main Street looking out at the bay. He saw a large hotel that was literally right on the water. Dean didn't even bother to go in the parking lot. They didn't have enough money to stay there, not even in one of the cheap rooms.

"This isn't happening," Dean groaned. He dropped his head onto the steering wheel and resisted the urge to scream. Okay, they wouldn't be staying in a hotel tonight. They were still okay. Dean had some money now. He'd fill the gas tank and they would just sleep in the car like originally planned. Maybe they could find a McDonalds or some place with a bathroom so he could at least clean Sam's back. If it wasn't taken care of soon infection would set in for sure.

Sam stared out the window of the car looking at the beautiful decorations that were hung everywhere. The seaside little shops were all closed now but they had all left on their Christmas lights making a picture perfect scene before them.

The next moment large fluffy snowflakes began to softly fall making the world look like a giant snow globe. It was awe inspiring. Sam turned his head to look at Dean. His brother's face wore a frown and he was deep in thought.

"Dean," Sam called softly.

"Yeah?" Dean turned and checked on Sam, thinking something was wrong. "What is it?"

"Merry Christmas," Sam said with a pained smile.

"What?" Dean gasped; sure that Sam was now delusional.

"I said, Merry Christmas. It's our first one together since, well, in a long time."

Dean gave Sam a serious look and then said, "Bah, humbug." Honestly, here he was worrying about how they were going to survive the night and Sam was sitting there wishing him a Merry Christmas. His baby brother might have been the family brainiac, but at the moment he was talking nonsense.

Dean's thoughts were interrupted by a tapping on the window. His head whipped around and he found himself suddenly staring at Santa Claus. "What the hell?"

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Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short but it was the best I could do on Christmas Eve. I have mass quantities of food that I have to start cooking ASAP. I hope you enjoy it. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!