A/N - Thanks to my beta Andrea and to those who reviewed. This should've been the last chapter but it was so long I had to split it up in two. Due to some mail trouble, I will post the last part as soon as possible - that means few hours later. So enjoy the ride and don't forget to comment.

Brother's Role

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 12

Where is my boy?

Dean couldn't stop the shiver, just as Calum couldn't stop the terrified yelp. What confused Dean though was when he heard Calum's voice whispering in his ear.

''I'm sorry. I must go.''

"Yeah, don't we both" Dean thought but didn't say it, because suddenly he was surrounded by sharp light. He grunted and instinctively shielded his eyes, nearly blinded by the glare. His eyes watered, and he blinked, trying to adjust his vision as quickly as he could, feeling the threat approaching, hearing the ridiculously happy whistling. Backing away he bumped into something and turned, thinking it was Calum, but instead was surprised to see it was a white sparking wall. As his eyes became used to the light, he could take his first good look at his surroundings.

The sight made him gasp in awe. The room was huge. It could've been as high as forty feet but Dean couldn't even guess how wide it was. There were pillars of rock salt supporting the roof, crisscrossing the whole room so it looked much like a 3D checkerboard.

For a moment he wondered where the light coming from, then he noticed the small reflectors spaced out on the floor, one illuminating several pillars. He was about to point out that the salt looked much like ice, when he realised that Calum was gone. The ghost of the boy probably decided to skip town, Dean thought bitterly.

''Shit!'' he cursed and started when he heard his own voice echo through the hall. Cringing, he listened as the whistling momentarily stopped, only to be replaced with a loud chuckle.

''Ah, aren't you a dirty mouth?'' resounded through the mines in a scolding tone and Dean jumped at how close it sounded. ''Time to teach you a lesson, boy." The whistling resumed, announcing the nearing threat, but Dean didn't wait, he bolted, suddenly quite aware of the need to leave.

He didn't know which way was out, there were too many corners. All he could do was to get away from the whistling. He turned to his right and took off at the fastest speed his wobbly legs allowed him.

xxx

Sam knew he couldn't panic. After five minutes of vainly searching he also knew that Dean wasn't just pushing his buttons and playing hide and seek. Dean was missing and in all probability didn't take off on his own. Just to make sure, Sam looked into the trunk where they kept their guns. Nope, nothing was missing, not even the extra ammunition, so whatever Dean was dealing with, he had only his knife and the 9mm he insisted on wearing…and his cell phone. Sam belatedly remembered the phone and pushed back the urge to smack himself. He quickly took out his own cell and dialled Dean's number. The hope quickly faded though when the operator's message announced that he was unreachable, probably out of the signal's range.

''I'm such an idiot!'' Sam couldn't stop the curse. He ignored the curious glances he got from the passers-by and reached into the carpicking up a handful of assorted maps. Finding the right one, his finger traced the trail he would have to take. Not hesitating another moment, Sam got into the car, started the engine and set off.

xxx

Dean wasn't used to being afraid. Sure he feared for Sam, for his dad, even for the innocents that they met on their way, but he wasn't used to being afraid for himself. He was now in a nine-year-body, being chased through the labyrinth of an underground mine, dodging between the room wide pillars of rock salt, trying to run from some crazy ghost, and feeling the fear eating at him. He couldn't in all honesty even call what he was doing so pitifully slowly 'running'.

Dean was never more pissed at his own body's limitations than now. The muscles in his side protested heavily and his right knee was about to give up. He was holding himself at a steady pace by pure will and he wasn't sure if he could keep it going long enough. The whistling had stopped a while ago and however quiet Dean tried to be, the only thing he heard was his own ragged breathing and his feet clunking on the floor with nerve wrecking noise. There were no sounds indicating another presence. Dean let himself hope that Hannings had lost interest in him and had decided to go and haunt some poor people in the forest, but even he realised it was just wishful thinking.

He was lost. Even though he could see a fair distance along the corridors between the pillars, all he saw was white walls that made him feel trapped. The only consolation he had was the fact that it was salt and not ice, otherwise he would've already frozen to death. Not that he felt warm right now. He ducked behind another pillar, taking a chance that he would run straight into Hannings, but was frustrated to still see no sight of an exit…was there one?

Dean paused and leaned against the raw wall, taking a moment to rest and to listen. Everything was silent. No sign of Hannings or Calum and Dean gritted his teeth, trying to think. He couldn't be running around like a wild chicken forever. He needed to find the way out and the sooner the better. There was no way of telling how soon Sam would come to the rescue or if he would even be in time. It wasn't like Dean planned on waiting for his kid brother to rescue his ass…thanks, but no thanks. He just needed to find a way to get out; preferably before Hannings got tired of the hide and seek they were obviously playing.

Okay, time for a plan. Dean took the cell phone from his pocket and was dismayed to see that there was no signal, although if he stopped to think about it, it wasn't surprising. 'What else might be useful?' Dean thought and tapped at his pockets. A small pack of M&M's in his back pocket, by the feel of them already melted. Luckily the pack wasn't open and the chocolate didn't stain his pants. Well, he could still drop them one by one to make a trail marking his way…nah it would be a waste.

He touched the 9mm tucked in the back of his jeans but left it there. No sense in taking it out. The bullets didn't really work on the ghosts and it wasn't like he could load the automatic with rock salt. He wondered how Hannings could manage to hide in such a place as this…wasn't salt supposed to keep all creatures of the night outside?

With a sigh, Dean realised he was pretty much unarmed where Hannings was concerned. Better move then. He made it as far as twenty yards when he saw a shadow coming out from behind one of the pillars not so far ahead of him. Dean quickly turned and ducked into the next corridor, holding his breath as he waited for the shadow to come, followed by Hannings. He waited a full minute but there was nothing and he took a shallow breath, willing his heart to beat a little slower. With gritted teeth, he decided to take the passage he was in, instead of risking the one he came from. He pulled away from the wall, momentarily missing its support as his vision swam, but he quickly adjusted and his steps quickened. Dean wasn't outright running, but he was as close to it as he was capable, when he felt the warning sensation. It came too late.

A hand grabbed at his collar and suddenly he was in the air, his legs flailing uselessly, searching for the ground. He grunted and turned his head, trying to see who had snatched him, even though he already knew.

''Gotcha!'' came the satisfied shout from behind and Dean suddenly thought he knew how earthquake victims felt, when the tall ghost shook him in the air as if he was a misbehaving puppy. Dean knew that being smacked with newspaper wasn't really what Hannings had in mind when he said with a growl, ''It's not nice to hide from your Daddy, son. I need to teach you a lesson.''

And all Dean could think was 'God, Sammy, where are you?'

xxx

Sam was standing before the mine's main entry that was boarded up with several planks of wood. All of the boards were plastered with warning notices, attempting to dissuade anyone foolish enough to even think of trying to enter. Sam pointedly ignored them, already knowing he was going to go in. If he had read the plans correctly, the entry led straight to the main shaft, which went as deep as six hundred feet, though the tunnels and chambers were positioned some four hundred feet under the surface. To his knowledge, there was only one other exit and that was the outlet shaft, but the plans said that it was closed up a little more permanently than the entry. The guy at the land registry from where he had obtained the maps said that there was a landslide some ten years ago that buried it, so that meant there was only one way to go in and out. As he got out a charcoal stick and started drawing symbols on the wood, Sam was unsure if that was a good or bad thing. It would all depend on their luck.

With a sigh, Sam looked down into his father's journal and re-checked the symbols, knowing that even a slight slip could make a difference. He had found the symbols just last night when he couldn't sleepbut somehow had forgotten to mention them to Dean. They were supposed to bind a ghost to its current location, though it worked only if the place was closed and all the exits were covered. Sam thought it was worth trying it out,after all, what was more closed up than the underground mines?

Finishing the drawing he deftly scrambled under one of the planks and found himself in total darkness. Prepared for it, Sam turned on the flashlight and swept it from side to side to see what he was about to get himself into. There was nothing special, only a platform and of course the deep shaft below. Sam gulped when the light from the torch slid that way and showed him the darkness below. The elevator was nowhere to be seen and he was afraid to think about how short lived his rescue mission would be if the elevator wasn't working. There was no other way to get down, unless he decided to take the risk of trying to climb down, without any climbing gear, and little chance of help if he got stuck.

With a quick fingers-crossed prayer, he hit the call button for the elevator and waited. One second, then two. There was no sound, no motion. The mechanism looked dead.

''God-dammit!'' Sam cursed and with all his might thumped the call button, to no avail.

''That won't help,'' a small voice from behind said. Sam spun around, the flashlight in one hand and snatching up the loaded shotgun with the other.

''Dean?'' he exclaimed, blinking in the light, then shook his head. No, this wasn't his brother. The kid looked a lot like him, but the light from the torch revealed the shorter cut hair and the slightly taller figure and the more haunted eyes. Still, he knew this boy.

''Calum?'' this time he got a nod in reply and maybe a small smile. ''What... what are you doing here?''

''I thought I was hiding.''

''But he found you,'' Sam added with a frown, remembering his earlier vision. Calum gave him an appraising look, before nodding once again. ''Why was he chasing you?''

A shrug so much like Dean's that it made his stomach flinch was Calum's answer.

''I don't know anymore. It never mattered.''

''Why did you try to hide here of all places?'' Sam was incredulous about Calum's choice of hideout.

''I knew the mines. Before... before mom died, my father worked here. He used to bring me with him. Then they closed it up, to let the salt grow and the dome to restore.''

''What happened?''

''The water came. I was trying to run for the elevator, but I slipped and then I couldn't breathe and it was so cold... too cold,'' Calum whispered in a trembling voice.

''I'm sorry,'' Sam said but felt the urge to move, to find Dean. ''Did you... did you see my brother? His name's Dean and he looks just like you.''

''He's down in one of the chambers.''

''Is he okay?'' Sam quickly asked and felt his heart leap when he saw the downcast look and the nervous shuffling.

''My father's with him.''

''Shit!'' Sam once again hit the button for the elevator, startling Calum so much that he jumped.

''I... I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk with someone. I didn't mean to hurt him. I'm sorry.''

''No, it's not your fault,'' Sam said, trying to calm down though it was impossible. But scaring away his only chance to save Dean would be a stupid thing to do. ''Can you help me?''

''How?'' Calum asked eagerly.

''I need to get down, find Dean. Can you somehow make the elevator work? I mean, it must've worked for your father to get Dean down there. Or is there some other way?''

''No, this is the only one. I am not sure if I can though...''

''Please... just try,'' Sam pleaded and watched as the boy nodded, then vanished. He held his breath for a minute, until the small form reappeared, looking almost smug.

''I think I can do it,'' Calum said with a grin that quickly turned into grimace. ''But he will know about it.''

''That's okay. Maybe he will leave Dean alone. Can you get to him while I try and deal with your father?''

A hesitant shrug was all he needed.

''Tell him I'm coming and that he should try and get to the main shaft. And Calum?'' The boy looked at him, expectantly. ''Thanks.''

Sam was rewarded by another smile, when something behind him came to life and the elevator started moving. As Calum once again vanished, Sam prepared his gun.

xxx

''How many... times... did I tell you... not to run... from me?'' Hannings snarled, punctuating his words with an unseen fist. Dean couldn't stop the grunt of pain as one of the blows landed just a little close to his already bruised kidney. He tried to get away, to fight back, but Hannings effectively pinned his arms behind his back when he pushed him against the wall. Being kept in the air also insured that Dean didn't have any leverage for his legs. He didn't have any choice but to take it and hope that old Joe didn't escalate his 'lesson' into more than a average 'beat the crap out of you' type one.

''This is how you repay me for all the years I lost taking care of your dumb ass?'' This time the fists were thankfully replaced by open handed slaps, which weren't any less humiliating, but at least didn't cause so much physical damage. Dean still saw stars when the third slap landed on his left cheek. Whoever said turn the other cheek was obviously nuts. If Dean had any chance, he would repay every blow he got, not because he was harmed, but because he knew that Calum had had to take much more, and for most of his life. He needed to be avenged, even if it meant that Dean would have to take few hits of his own.

Finally, when the beating seemed to be subsiding, Dean managed to croak out a reply through his split lips.

''I'm not your son, you sadistic bastard,'' and he spat a mouthful of blood into Hannings face. For a second the spectre looked positively surprised, so much so that his hold on Dean loosened. Now having some space to move his hands, Dean touched the butt of his gun and pulled it out. He didn't have much space to move, but he gathered his energy and in one swift motion twisted out of Hannings grasp, landing on his feet with a grunt. Before Hannings even realised it, Dean fired three rounds into his chest.

Even if bullets didn't hurt ghosts, it sure as hell wasn't a pleasant feeling for them Dean surmised, as he saw the grimace on Hannings face. He started backing away, slowly emptying the rest of the clip into the apparition, causing it to flicker momentarily. Every time the bullet hit the mark, Dean heard an angry hiss. Each time, he knew he was making the thing madder, but he didn't really care.

''You will pay for this, you little-'' Hannings growled once the gun clicked on empty. He started advancing on Dean with a murderous look, when he suddenly stopped, cocking his head like a dog listening to something. Narrowing his eyes he looked at Dean and with only a slight nod sent him flying several yards across the chamber. Dean landed in a heap and was close to blacking out, when Hannings leaned over him and whispered: ''Stay here. I need to take care of something before I can deal with you.'' And he was gone.

Dean let out a sigh and closed his eyes. When he opened them a second or an hour later, a small figure was leaning over him with a concerned gaze.

''You're back,'' Dean mumbled wearily and tried to get up, but wobbled and almost fell, panting and trying to control the pain that raged through his body. All he wanted was to lie down and sleep, but he knew that was the last thing he could do.

''Are you okay?'' Calum asked, his voice a mere whisper and Dean smirked in reply, his hand brushing the blood away from his lips, but managing to smear it over the rest of his face.

'Just peachy. Nice o' you ta stop by, Calum. I though' you a'ready skipped town,'' Dean smirked, sounding just a little drunk because of his mashed lips.

''I didn't mean to...'' Calum quickly replied, almost offended, but stopped when Dean waved him off.

''Hey, don't sweat it. Kinda got to wonder how you managed to survive so long though. You must've been a tough kid.''

Calum blushed.

''I was a coward. Should've said something. Should've stopped him.''

''Well, you still can stop him,'' Dean muttered and shook his head, trying to clear it of the fuzziness that Joe's 'lesson' had caused, only to wince when the move sent his surroundings into motion.

''How?'' Calum asked, sounding surprised.

''You have to... confront him.''

''I don't... I can't,'' the boy stuttered, shaking his head. ''I can't fight him. He's much stronger than me.''

''I didn't mean it that way,'' Dean huffed, feeling too tired and beat up to sugarcoat it. ''You were running from him your whole life, Calum. You died for Christ's sake, and that bastard continued with his sick game, killing a whole family. If you don't stop him now, he will kill someone else.'' He didn't need to add that it was probably going to be him.

''He's so much stronger,'' Calum said with fear, and for a second Dean couldn't help but feel the need to protect him like he did Sam. He almost said that it was okay, that he didn't have to do it if he didn't want to but Dean's training kicked in and he heard his own father telling him that he had to suck it up and do what needed to be done. It might be his homework or a dangerous gig; he just had to suck it up, for the family's sake…for Sammy.

''You have to do it, Calum. Now or later, it doesn't matter. But you will have to face him, or he'll haunt you forever.''

''I know,'' was the silent reply and Dean nodded, accepting it.

''Now can you tell me where the hell the exit is before Daddy dearest makes another appearance and finishes what he started?''

At that comment Calum's face blanched and Dean had a ridiculous thought, wondering if it was possible for a ghost to pass out. He hoped not.

''Oh shit,'' Calum cursed and threw Dean an apologetic glance. Dean didn't like it.

''What?''

''Your brother. He's in the elevator coming after you. He said you should try and get to the main shaft.''

''You're telling me this now?'' Dean shouted with wide eyes. Sam was here, he thought and didn't know if he should be happy or pissed as hell. Momentarily he was both. ''Where's the main shaft?''

''I'll show you. We must hurry though. I think my father already knows he's here.''

This time Dean knew how he felt. He was terrified and angry as hell. He had to get there in time. He needed Sam alive, even if it was only to kill him later for pulling such a stupid stunt.

TBC

Last chapter coming in the next few hours, I swear. Till then, review grin