Chapter Twenty-One – Gain One, Lose One
John and Sam sat quietly in the Impala. The father drove in silence while his future son continued to stare blankly out the window. It was close to eight o'clock now. John Winchester couldn't bring himself to look or even talk to Sam. The pain was just too much.
Sam kept his eyes on the highway. Soon they would be home and then they could devise another rescue plan.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
Neither teenager was allowed to drive the mustang. Younger Amy continued to cry on Younger Dean's shoulder. He held her close to him while they sat in the backseat. His chin rested on her head as he tried to comfort her. "Sshhh" and "It'll be okay" didn't seem to work.
Dean drove the car with one hand while the other was clasped with Amy's.
Words had not been able to describe his joy in having her back. He would pull his eyes off the road and stare at her – as if she were to disappear at any moment. Realizing that she was safe in the passenger seat, her fingers entwined with his, Dean turned back to the highway.
Amy turned in her seat slightly to stare at the saddened teenagers. It had been hard to get Younger Dean into the car. He had put up a fight. It was his idea to take both vehicles out and try and follow the other Impala. But it was no use. The Impala with Younger Sam was long gone.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
The Impala and the green mustang pulled side-by-side into the driveway.
Immediately, the front porch light of the Winchester home turned on and Missouri and Rod were seen running out the front door in a desperate rush.
She placed a hand over her chest as Missouri watched all who got out of the cars.
The mind-reader sighed in relief to see Amy get out. But the look on her face told Missouri everything: Young Sam Winchester had been taken.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
Amy wore Dean's brown leather jacket as everyone came back in the house again. She limped slightly and Dean escorted her inside as if she had lost both her legs. He didn't like the cut found beneath her eye.
Dean helped Amy sit down at the dining room table. He leaned down and touched her face.
She gave him a small smile. Dean flashed that smile of his – the debonair, James Bond grin. He ran his hand through her hair and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead.
"I'll be back – I'll get the First Aid to help with that," he touched the scratch near her eye.
Before he left, Amy tugged at the sleeve of his black suit coat. "Dean…"
"Yeah?" he asked quickly.
"I'm okay…" she whispered comfortingly. "I was only gone for a few hours…everything is going to be okay…we'll get Sammy back…"
Dean nodded slowly. He was unsure of what to say. He moved quickly toward her and he bent down to kiss her. Amy accepted so willingly Dean could feel his lips being pulled to her. She touched his face and the two pulled apart slowly to just stare at each other. He touched her chin and left for the First Aid.
At this point, everyone else was getting into the house and resting on the couch. Younger Dean held Younger Amy as they sat down on the couch. John and Sam went to the kitchen while Missouri and Rod went to the young teens.
Younger Dean looked at the ceiling and asked the room, "So what do we do now?" He was fighting back all anger. "Wait for another phone call?"
Amy, lost deep into Dean's jacket, bit her lip as she tried to stand.
"They won't hurt him…" Amy whispered.
"How are you so sure?" Younger Dean snapped.
"Look…" Amy fought back. "Tobias untied me. He was helping me."
"What?" Dean asked from the kitchen. He came out carrying the First Aid. Sam was close behind him.
John followed and brought out a glass of water. He came to the two teenagers and handed the glass to Younger Amy.
Amy stared at everyone and sighed. "I got through to Tobias. He was helping me. He let me go. He was trying to help." She stared at Dean sadly. "I'm glad you came to my rescue…but you could have handled it differently."
"He had you TIED to a bed," Dean dropped the First Aid on the floor, "and they kidnapped you. Sorry…I should have knocked. Maybe bring a pizza over?"
"Dean…" she gave him that look that said 'I don't want to fight'. Dean ignored it.
"I'm glad Tobias came around, Amy," Dean explained, "but he got into that car with that bitch and Sammy. I'm sorry. Either way…no matter what happens…Tobias is going to die."
"Let's focus now on where Sammy could be," Sam interrupted. He stared back and forth at Dean and Amy. "What we do about the Tempters is irrelevant. We have to find Sam."
"Look," Amy announced again. "I thought about this…after all, I did have some time to…" Her voice was directed to everyone. "The time loop brought the three of us here for a reason. To see something. To view something differently than we would have as teenagers. I think we actually can make a difference here…"
"Amy," Sam sighed, "we go through that portal…everything plays out as it should. Jezebel will get hit by the car and Tobias will die as well."
"I know," Amy closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath as she looked back at everyone. "Maybe…just maybe…maybe 1997 us can remember something. Yes, everything will play out as it should…but maybe a part of you…" she stared at everyone who was a part of 1997, "maybe you all do remember this. Maybe this sticks with you…deep down…otherwise there would be no point in coming here…"
Amy turned and stared at Younger Dean and Amy. "Maybe Dean here has to realize for once in his teen life that hunting does come at a price. The opportunity of losing a loved one…" she stared at her Younger self. "Maybe for once you're supposed to realize and see how real the world can be…" She turned to John. "Maybe for once in your life…you have to know what it's like to be truly proud of your sons. To not see them as hunters or warriors…"
She turned to Sam and Dean and then everyone else. "I'm not sure what it is that we're all supposed to learn from this…but I think we do make a slight difference…I'm sure you'll all remember this in some way…" She sighed. "I think Tobias and Jezebel can be helped."
"You want to help them?" Dean barked.
"Yes!" Amy fought back. "Tobias helped me…he did something against his sister's orders…for once…the way things play out originally is that John chases Jezebel into the street and she dies and thus Tobias dies too…maybe for once in Tobias' existence he is supposed to defy his sister's orders completely and help someone…even if it means losing someone he loves…" Amy licked her lips. "Tobias won't hurt Sam. I know it."
O.O.O.O.O.O.
Younger Sam fell with his hands hitting the floor first. He rolled onto his side and once again tried to break free of the handcuffs around his wrists and ankles.
Jezebel stared at the teenager with a small smile. Tobias joined her side and warned, "We shouldn't hurt him."
She smiled and stared up at her brother. "Don't you see, dear Tobias? We have our heart now…" She turned back to Younger Sam who had now backed away into a corner. "And our way of getting our loves back."
O.O.O.O.O.O.
"Amy, I'm trying to understand what you're getting at," Sam tried. He sat beside Amy at the dining room table. His hand rested on hers.
"I'm not sure how I understand this," Amy admitted slowly. "It's my gut telling me this. I know that a difference can be made. Tobias is afraid of what lies behind the other side…of what will happen to him when he dies…maybe this is what we're supposed to fix…" She closed her eyes hard and opened them again. "Maybe we can help give Tobias a chance at a better afterlife. Heaven."
Dean had his arms crossed over his chest. He stood there in his black dress pants, white shirt and black tie. He turned away and shook his head.
Missouri rose from the couch and said, "I feel Amy is right." The whole room looked at her. "Maybe you three are here not only to help yourselves…but something bigger…"
The older woman turned to John who was sitting quietly on the couch with his face buried in his hands. "Maybe now you realize the dangers you've put your sons in. Yes, you can't change it now. It's too late. But it's an idea that you have to understand." Missouri turned back to Amy. "I believe your theory is right. When you three return to 2005, we'll think of everything that happened as some weird dream…some type of déjà vu…what happens cannot be changed…we can forget…but not completely…" She sighed. "There is something about this that we all must learn from. And I trust that no matter what happens, none of us shall forget."
"I'm tired of this," Dean rubbed the area in-between his eyes. He sighed and turned to the couch. "Amy," he whispered nicely to the Younger one, "you should probably get home."
"What?" the young teen snapped. "I can't leave – Sam is still out there."
"Your parents can't know of Sam's kidnapping," Dean explained to the young girl. "Get home. Come back in the morning. Get some sleep."
Younger Dean stood up quickly and demanded, "We need to take action now. We have to get weapons together again and head out there-"
"And go where?" Dean snapped. "I want to find him too – trust me…but we don't know where to look."
"Then we should start before they leave town-"
"No," Sam intervened. "They're going to want to keep Sam – alive." He stared at everyone. "They'll use him as leverage."
Amy nodded slowly.
Younger Dean gritted his teeth.
Amy said to the Younger one, "Dean, take Amy home…"
He didn't like the order, but he obeyed anyway. Younger Dean took Younger Amy's hand. The teens said nothing as they walked toward the front door.
"We better go," Missouri said softly. Rod joined her side. "We'll think of this later. The morning will be better. We all need rest."
John rose from the couch and nodded toward his psychic friend and ex-Tempter.
Missouri and Rod gave Dean, Sam, and Amy a hopeful smile before they left.
Sam turned to his father as he heard the door close behind the four who left.
"Dad," Sam suggested, "get some sleep. We'll stay by the phone, just in case…"
"They have my boy…" John whispered slowly. "I want my boy back…"
Dean and Sam stared sadly at their father. John walked away and disappeared into the darkness of his bedroom.
Sam sighed as he turned back to Amy. Dean sat down at the table with them.
Amy reached across the table and placed each hand on Dean and Sam's.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
Younger Sam was asleep on the white blanket. A flat pillow rested beneath his head and he had a large yellow comforter keeping him warm. The fourteen-year-old slept with his chest rising and falling slowly.
Jezebel was asleep on a small cot Tobias had brought to the basement.
The Tempter didn't watch his sister as she slept. His eyes were on the young boy.
Amy's voice stuck with him: "You're never alone, Tobias."
"It'll be okay, Tobias…I promise…"
"Things will work out better this way…"
He shook his head. Tobias felt sick now staring at the sleeping teenager before him. He leaned his back up against the wall. The night was not his night for sleeping. The Tempter wondered if he had done the right thing. But then again, Young Sam was sleeping in a dark basement – wrists and ankles bound by stolen handcuffs.
Amy…
Jezebel was furious. Her infatuation with Sam turned into something greater. A sick obsession.
Tobias felt it inside of him. Jezebel was willing to do so much more damage. She didn't care who died in this case – except for herself.
He could feel her emotions even while she slept. Jezebel still wanted Sam. One way or the other, she would have him.
Tobias shook his head angrily. He was so disappointed with himself. He had actually done something good. It had been a long time since he had done something for others. Over the past years, Jezebel had turned him into something he hated: the very evil that made Jezebel the way she is.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
Amy was in the shower while Dean and Sam were out on the back porch.
The two brothers stared into the night sky in silence.
"Dean…this is complicated…even for us…" Sam shook his head as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "They have Young me…"
"Amy is sure they won't hurt him…" Dean noted. "I think we can trust her on that."
"It's good we have her back."
"But to gain one, lose one…not the way I wanted the plan to work out," Dean sighed. He annoyingly removed the tie from around his neck.
Sam shook his head. "I wish I knew how to control these visions. I wish we could find him tonight and have been back here so Young Amy can come back and see him here…"
"You can't take responsibility…"
"Dean…" Sam laughed mockingly. "I've been able to use these psychic abilities to save people…and now…when I need them…not helping…"
He sighed. Dean put his hands on the back of his head as he stretched his arms.
"We need to get some sleep…" Dean suggested. "I know Young Sammy will be okay for the night. In the morning we'll figure this out. I trust Amy…they won't hurt him…"
"I'm terrified of that phone call we may get in the morning…" Sam remembered. "They better not hurt him. Dad and Young Dean…even Young Amy won't be able to handle it."
"The sooner we can get this crap over with, the sooner we can get home, and the sooner everything is the way it should be."
Sam nodded and smiled. "You think Amy is right…" He licked his lips. "We're all still here because there's something we can learn from this?"
"Maybe."
The Winchester brothers sighed once more. They ceased talking and stared up at the starless sky. The moon was fully out. Neither of them made a move to get to bed.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
A/N: Just a quick chapter-update. My next update will be tomorrow. Hope you're all enjoying! Reviews/Feedback appreciated. "Time Loop" is ALMOST complete! And the Fourth Part of the Meant To Be series is just around the corner. Have an awesome week, everyone!
