Chapter Seven

Sam was glad that he hadn't been born into a family of spies. Hunting and learning about the supernatural he could do, but spying was a whole different story. He was finding this out the hard way as he tried to blend in with people who all knew each other by name. It was proving to be rather difficult and he suddenly wished that he hadn't suggested that Dean go talk to the Sheriff by himself. Dean was good at this kind of stuff, he was not.

So, as Sam sat on a freezing metal bench with the snow falling lightly around him, he watched as the older woman he'd been following met up with a few other townspeople and began putting up Christmas decorations along the railing that separated the sidewalk from the river. It was slow going and Sam could tell he'd be there for a while. He thought about giving up and heading back to the motel room to rethink this plan of theirs. But that was just it, this was their only plan. If he gave up now, there was nothing else they could do aside from waiting for the Mothman to show himself again. And, considering the last time the Mothman showed his face had resulted with Dean in the hospital, Sam wasn't so sure he wanted to take that route.

Dean was on his way, but it would take him a few minutes to get down to the river path. Sam was glad that he had decided to stop and buy them some winter clothes. He had a hat pulled down over his head, with some of his straggly hair sticking out from underneath it. But even with all the winter clothing on, Sam still felt cold. He decided he needed something to keep himself busy until Dean arrived, so he began thinking about the next clue and what it could mean.

Save my baby. There were so many possibilities. When Sam had first gotten the phone call, this part of the message had stuck out at him. It had made him think of the life that he could have possibly had with Jess. A life that had been so crudely taken away from him. Sam had been planning on marrying Jess. Maybe not any time soon, but he had it in his mind to make it happen. He had dreamt so many times of what it would be like to call Jess his wife. To move into a real house together and start a family. To have children. That's why when he'd heard Jess talk about what he thought was "her baby," it had hit him hard.

A part of him couldn't even imagine what being a father would be like. Probably because his own hadn't exactly been father of the year. Sam didn't hate John. There were times when he thought he did, when he could actually convince himself that he could care less what happened to the man. But in the end, Sam knew that he'd never hate the man. John Winchester wasn't perfect, but then again, who was? He was still the man who had raised him. Still his flesh and blood, still his father. Sam had never understood why a man would devote his entire life to such a dangerous cause. Why he would raise his sons to fight for the same thing, why he would risk their lives on a daily basis. Sam still didn't agree with most of it, but after Jess died, he began to see what was driving their father to devote his life to such a cause. It was the same thing that was now driving Sam.

But Sam didn't know if he'd continue with it all if he had a son of his own. If Jess placed a baby in his arms and Sam knew it was his, he didn't know if he could continue to fight the evils in the world. Not when he had so much to lose. And that's the part of Sam that would never understand. How could a man put his children in the line of fire like that? How could a man open up his children to such horrors? It didn't make sense to Sam, and he supposed now he would never truly find out, because Jess was never going to put a baby into his arms, she was never going to scream and cry in delight as he got down on one knee and showed her a diamond, she was never going to stand by his side one last time and tell him that everything would be okay. The opportunity for that life had come and gone, too quickly for Sam to get a grasp on what it really felt like.

Though, Sam could still almost picture the son he'd never have. He could almost see himself driving his son to Little League, or letting his son crawl into bed when he had a nightmare, or watching him go off to his first day of school, get his heart broken by his first crush, graduate and be successful and live and love. Sam could almost see all of these things, but every day, the images were fading slowly as he realized day and day again that Jess was gone, and with her, all hope of the family of his dreams.

Sam took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. His thoughts were drifting down a dangerous path and he didn't want to go there now. There was no use imagining everything that could have been. It was better to remember what was. Those were always the happier memories.

"You just had to pick the coldest fucking bench in the park," came Dean's voice. Sam turned his head and watched his brother approach him, hands stuffed into his pocket and collar turned up, shielding himself from the wind. Dean wasn't wearing the hat Sam bought for him, but Sam understood why when he saw the bruises again.

As Dean sat down, Sam thought about something else that would never be. Dean would never be an uncle. The thought of Dean as an uncle almost made Sam chuckle. He could picture his brother showing his little nephew all the tricks of the trade. How to sneak snacks after bedtime, how to weasel your way out of situations, how to stab a monster in the heart so it stays good and dead. Sam wondered what would have happened if he hadn't come along with Dean on this hunt to find their father and if Jess hadn't died. He wondered if he would have even thought to invite Dean to the wedding or if he would even introduce him to his nephew. Sam had tried to shut himself off from his family for four years. Would he have changed all that when he had a growing family of his own? Sam couldn't find the answer. He wanted to think that he would have called on Dean and would have told him everything, that he would have put his grudge against his father to the side and would have invited Dean back into his life. But Sam didn't know if that would have ever happened. Before he went to college, Sam never thought that he'd spend four years of his life trying to forget he even had a family.

"Sam?" Dean's voice said softly. Sam snapped out of it and looked at his brother, seeing the way Dean was watching him closely. "You all right?"

Pushing away the bad thoughts altogether, Sam smiled, a genuine smile that came easily. "Yeah," he said, more honestly than the answer had been in a while. Dean would never ask and Sam would never tell, but in a way, in some far corner hidden underneath all the grief and despair he felt over losing Jess, one good thing had come from it all. And that good thing was sitting on the bench next to him, looking at him as though he had sprouted wings. "I'm fine," Sam said.

"Yeah okay," Dean said, letting Sam know that he didn't believe him but moving on anyway. "Where's our girl?"

Sam's eyes stayed on the side of Dean's face for a moment, the lingering appreciation making Sam almost want to reach out and hug his brother. But he swallowed whatever emotions he was feeling and remembered that right now, they had a job to do. He nodded his head towards where the older woman was. "Right there," he said. Dean turned to look. "You get anything out of the Sheriff?" Sam asked.

Dean snorted and leaned back against the bench, snuggling into his coat some more. "He was a regular Dudley Do Right," Dean said bitterly. "I told him we were writing a book on his quiet little town and he forked over everything we need to know."

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised. They weren't normally that lucky when it came to lawmen.

"Yeah," Dean nodded, his eyes still on the older woman down the sidewalk. "He's making us a list of everything weird that's been reported. I got the feeling it's been going on for a while."

Sam sighed and leaned back, eyes drifting to the river. "In Point Pleasant, the sightings went on for over a year."

Dean shook his head, irritated. "Well then, maybe we should look into settling down for a bit. Get that white picket fence you always wanted. Hell, we could even get a blue collar job to pass the days by, how does that sound?" Sam frowned but decided he would ignore that comment. He wanted to cherish the rekindled brotherly love he felt for a moment more before Dean managed to stomp it out yet again. "Maybe we're doing this all wrong," Dean said. Sam shot him a look and Dean continued before his brother could say anything. "I mean, nothings happening. Maybe we missed something."

"Be patient," Sam smiled and watched as Dean slouched in his chair and seemingly started pouting the way a teenager would. It was a technique both of them had used against their father many times when they were kids. It hadn't worked then, and it wouldn't work now. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Dean turned and scowled at his brother. "No, but Rome didn't have evil demons to be hunting. I don't do the waiting thing, Sam."

Chuckling, Sam stood and patted his brother on the shoulder. "Well, do it for five minutes while I go get some coffee. I'm freezing and you look like you're about to drop."

"Oh, that's right," Dean grumbled. "Leave me on Grandma duty."

Sam just rolled his eyes and started up the path to the diner that was at the edge of the park. He went inside and was instantly relieved from the cold. Rubbing his hands together, he stepped up to the counter and smiled at the waitress there. "Is it possible to just get two coffees to go?" Sam asked.

The waitress eyes him but turned and barked an order at a teenager who was leaning against a table doing nothing. The teenager grumbled something back but began filling up two cups anyway. Sam accepted the coffee, paid, and then headed back towards Dean. His brother was still slouched on the bench but when Sam held out the coffee to him, he perked up and accepted it like he was a child accepting a cookie. Sam grinned and went to sit down when he was interrupted by a voice from behind him.

"Sam?" Both brothers turned towards the voice, Dean tensing slightly. Kate, the girl from the bookstore, stood just down the sidewalk a bit. She wore a white parka and carried a backpack over her shoulders. She didn't look happy to see him, but she didn't look upset either, so Sam figured that was a plus.

"Kate," Sam acknowledged, nodding his head. Kate looked from him to Dean, who was still seated on the bench, looking between the two as if he'd missed something grand. Sam turned to Dean and held out his hand. "Um, this is my brother, Dean."

On cue, Dean stood and gave one of his most flirtatious grins. "Well hello Kate," he said, holding out his hand.

Kate didn't take it. Dean lowered his hand slowly to his side and Sam couldn't help but smile a bit at the obvious rejection of his brother's flirtation. Kate walked up and stood in front of Sam. "I didn't expect to see you here…" she seemed at a loss for a second before correcting herself, "I mean, I thought you'd be out doing your silly Mothman research by now."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, well, I got a warmer coat so I thought I'd try to fit in with the natives," Sam said smartly. He waited for a reaction out of the woman and after a moment, she gave him a lopsided smile. He chuckled himself, showing her that he was joking. "Hey, I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier, for the book."

For a moment, it looked as if he'd spooked her again and Sam wanted to smack himself. He'd wanted to talk to Kate about all the Mothman hype in town, but he knew he had to ease her into that conversation. She didn't seem that willing at all to talk about it. But, after a moment she nodded her head. "I thought you could use it." Her eyes drifted to Dean for a moment and in an obvious attempt to change the subject, she frowned at him and said, "Is your head okay?"

Dean grinned and Sam knew the answer before his brother even had to say it. "Oh, yeah, I always look this handsome."

Kate looked unimpressed as she nodded and then shook her head. "Right," she said. "Well, good luck with all of your…research and everything. I'm going to be late picking up my kids from daycare."

"Kids?" Dean huffed.

Kate gave him a condescending look. "Yes," she said. "Some people mature when they become adults and find husbands and have kids."

Dean snorted. "Well I ain't looking for a husband, sweetheart."

By the look Kate gave his brother, Sam was sure that there was about to be a butting of two heads. He decided to stop it before it got started. "Kate," he said, bringing the woman's attention to himself. "When I asked you earlier about the Mothman, you flinched." He watched her for a moment as her eyes searched his face for any possible retreat from the whole conversation. She reminded Sam of a cornered animal. "You know something."

With a shake of her head, Kate forced a smile and said, "No." She looked nervous. "The Mothman is a myth. IT was a movie that scared my kids. Nothing more."

"It was based off true events," Dean added. Sam gave him a sideways glance, hoping that his brother would catch on that Kate didn't like him so well. Dean didn't seem to notice.

Kate sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "So was the Amityville Horror."

"Exactly," Dean said, frowning like he didn't understand what the problem was. Sam sighed as he realized he probably didn't.

Sam took a step forward, blocking Dean off from Kate. He heard his brother give a gruff huff, but he ignored him for the moment. "Kate, please," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "If you know something, if you've seen anything or something strange happened, please just tell us. We're here to help."

For a moment, Sam thought that he'd gotten through to the woman. She stood looking terrified and hopeful all at once. Sam urged her with his eyes to tell him what she'd seen, because as he recognized the hope in her eyes, he knew that she had seen something. No one was hopeful unless they had something to be hopeless about. But finally, Kate shook her head and looked away, biting her lip.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "The Mothman is a scary kids tale, nothing more." She pushed past them, connecting her shoulder hard with Dean, who grunted. She muttered an apology as she walked off.

"You sure got a way with the ladies, Sammy," Dean said, clapping Sam on the shoulder. Sam only sighed as he watched Kate walk off down the sidewalk, following the river. He glanced back to where the older woman was still putting up decorations.

"The people in this town know something," Sam said absently. "No one but your Sheriff buddy will talk to us. They're all scared."

Dean shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, well, fear means the Mothman's doing his job. At least they'll be on guard."

Sam shook his head. "That's not going to stop it from happening." He sighed and put a foot up on the bench, remaining standing as Dean took a seat. Sam glanced down at his brother and saw Dean lift a hand to the still freshly stitched gash on his head. His brother's eyes were closed and Sam frowned. He'd promised to keep Dean from pushing himself. Dean hadn't even laid down after getting out of the hospital. He had to be running on fumes by now. "Maybe you should go back to the motel and get some rest," Sam suggested. "I can watch her for a while."

Dean glanced up at him, annoyance in his eyes. "If you suggest I rest one more time so help me God I'll snap you in half." Sam chuckled slightly but saw the way Dean leaned back against the bench tiredly.

"Maybe you should take one of those pain relievers," Sam tried again.

"Sammy, I'm fine," Dean started. Sam cut him off.

"Dean, you're not fine," Sam tried to protest, but was broken off by the sound of a high pitched laugh. Both the brothers turned to look at the source and saw a group of three kids playing by the railing. A woman was talking on her cell phone, her back turned to them. For some reason, Sam felt compelled to watch the kids. He couldn't explain why, but he just knew he had to.

As if watching a train wreck happen before his eyes, Sam knew that nothing good could come out in the end. One of the kids, a little boy about seven years old, jumped up onto the bottom rung of the railing. He was laughing and shouting and playing with the other two as they tried to joyfully pull him of. Sam felt his chest well with fear as he could practically see what was about to happen.

The little boy tried to climb up onto the next rung, the one closest to the top, but as he got one foot up, one of the kids made a grab for his wrist, taking away his support on the railing. The boy, with a scream of terror, tumbled head over heels into the freezing, rushing river below. Sam was on his feet and moving in an instant, Dean right behind him.

The woman on the cell phone turned and with wide eyes, let out a scream. She dropped the phone and ran to the railing. "Eric!" she screamed, terrified. Everyone that had been on the sidewalk had frozen, all of their attention on the now hysterical mother as she ran along the railing, following her son who was bobbing and screaming in the water below. "Oh God!" she screamed again. "Someone help him! Someone save him! Save my baby!"

Sam had his coat off in an instant. He turned and saw Dean doing the same. He knew he didn't have time to argue, but Sam really didn't want his brother with the head wound to go into the water. So it was time to use force. "No," he said firmly. Dean gave him a surprised look. "We'll need someone to pull us out," Sam said and without waiting for Dean to answer, he ran alongside the mother before grabbing the rail and launching himself off the sidewalk and into the freezing water below.