Ok...here is the second chapter...hope you guys like it. Slightly different format from Chapter 1 - more conversation in this one. Thank you tomygirl, Gertrude-04 and KatieMalfoy19 for your reviews, I really appreciate the feedback. I am working on the last chapter...should be up before the new episode airs.

Standard Disclaimers Apply
Sam had closed his eyes, but was unable to get any sleep. His kept seeing images of the asylum, and what would have happened if the gun Dean had given him had been loaded. Finally giving up on any hope of sleep he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his brother's phone. Unwilling to deal with whoever was at the other end, he called out tiredly, hoping to wake his brother, "Dean…"

With the phone continuing to ring and his brother showing no signs of waking up, Sam reached over and looked at the caller id "410-555-8432". He flipped open the phone and was about to say hello, when he heard the caller speak,

"Dean?"

Sam shot upright, recognizing instantly the voice he had not heard for more than four years.

"DAD?"

"Sam?"

"Dad, where are you? Are you ok? Dean and I have been looking for you all over! Why haven't you called? Where have you been?"

"…am fine…talk…Dean…he ok?"

He could not hear what his father was saying,the static on the on the line was terrible, but Sam had to tell his father what had happened at Stanford.

"Jess was killed, Dad, just like Mom, I need you to tell me what is going on"

"This…bigger…you think…eed time…figure…"

"Dad? Please tell me where you are."

Sam's voice broke as pleaded with his father and all the emotions that he had held inside for the last six months came flooding out. As he caved in on himself, Sam felt the phone being taken away from him.

Dean had awoken with a start when he had heard Sam yelling. At first he had thought that perhaps Sam had had another nightmare, but it was not Jess' name he had heard him yell. As the conversation Sam was having registered, he rose quickly from his bed,adrenaline rushing through his veins. When he saw the tears start to fall and Sam lean over, losing his grip on the phone, Dean dreaded the worst and reached over to take the phone away from his baby brother.

"Dad? It's Dean. Are you ok? Where are you?"

"…ean…m all right…don't worry…need time…listen…want you…go to…Waldorn, Arkansas…amiliar…deaths…"

"Dad? Dad?"

But the line had gone dead. The only thing he could hear was static. He tried to call the number back, desperate to hear his father's voice again, but it would not connect. He figured the call had come from a phone booth and figured he would try his father's cell phone. After a couple of rings, he shut the phone in frustration when he heard the familiar message come on. At least now he knew his father was ok, though still unwilling to reveal anything about what he was hunting. Dean looked over at his baby brother, who had finally gotten control of his tears. As Sam looked up, Dean could see the anger mingled with the hurt in his brother's eyes.

"Dean, did he tell you where he was?"

"He wants us to go to Waldorn, Arkansas."

"But that is not where he is, is it? That call came from Maryland. He is sending us on another job, isn't he?"

Sam practically spat the last few words out. He could not believe after not talking to them for six months, six months spent worrying if he was hurt or worse, dead, that their father had called to send them on another hunt.

"Sammy, maybe…"

"Maybe what? Dad is going to meet us there? Just like you thought he was going to meet us here? You know he isn't going to be there, Dean."

Dean knew that Sam was right. That their father was sending them on another hunt, by themselves.He had realized that the only reason his dad had called was to let them know he was ok, so that they would not worry. But he also understood that his father did not want to be found. And when John Winchester wanted to disappear, he left no trail to follow. Even for his sons. Dean only hoped that he would still be around when his dad finally decided to see them again. For now, the only thing Dean could do to get his mind off thinking about his current situation was to continue hunting. Try to find and destroy the witch and her familiar that were killing people in Waldron.

He sighed and looked up at his brother.

"Sam, I know he might not be there.But, right now I have nothing else to go now…and I am not driving to Maryland to roam the streets calling his name. I just got out of one asylum, I'll be damned if someone locks me up in another one. At least in Waldorn, I might...be able to save some lives."

Even if I can't save my own, he thought silently.

Sam stared at his brother. Saw the outline of the gauze against his t-shirt and was reminded of what happened on the last hunt their father sent them on. He also remembered following the co-ordinates to Blackwater Ridge and the scars that left on Dean. He was not going to watch his brother get hurt again.

"NO. No, I am not going."

Dean heard the defiance in Sam's voice. He had realized the previous night, after all that his brother had said to him in the asylum, that this moment was coming. When Sam would want to leave. And he would not be able to keep him. He had just not expected it to be so soon. And he had already decided that he would not fight him, would not try to keep Sam tied to him and the dangers of hunting. He had had his chance to repair their relationship, but had driven his little brother away. Again.

"Fine, but I am still going to go."

Sam looked up at his brother, shocked that he would be so willing to leave him. But what else could he expect,he had shot Dean in the chest last night. And maybe, it would be safer for Dean without Sam and his evil attracting "shining". Sam could not bear to say anything more to his brother, so he sat there silently and stared down at his hands. He knew he could not fix this, he had hurt his brother too badly.

When Sam did not protest his leaving, Dean got up, pulled on his jeans, and walked over to grab his duffel bag from next to Sam's backpack on the table. As he picked up his keys from the desk, he said, "I'm going to take off", and wished that Sam would stop him.

But Sam's only reply was, "That's what I want you to do."

And with that, Dean turned to the door, and walked out to his car.