Authors note: It was my intention to get this chapter up days ago but forces of evil stood in my way (namely my employer). Thank god I finally have a day off to get back to work on this story. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

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John was still seething hours later. Missouri and Sam sat talking and comparing notes while John stole glances at them from across the room.

"John don't you dare use that kind of language around me" Missouri spoke as she shot him an evil look. Sam looked at the two of them surprised at the sudden outburst from the psychic. John shot a look back at her.

"Then I guess you know how I really feel about you right now." He voice tense as he replied to her admonishment.

"John you know you had no business going after that demon. It's bad enough you went after Sam here. What the hell were you thinking?" Missouri stood up and walked over the table where John was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and took a deep breath releasing it slowly.

"I was so close….." the disappointment clearly in his voice. That monster was hurting his son. He would have driven to hell if he could have. Missouri sat down across from him and took his hand and John didn't need to say anything else. Silence filled the room as the trio reflected on the day's events. Finally Sam broke the silence.

"Dad it's all my fault…" Sam said as he dropped his head into his hands. This whole mess was all his doing. If he weren't some sort of failed psychic then he and Dean never would have been connected in the first place. It was only because he was a freak that his father had to get inside his head and save him from the demon. He couldn't look at his father anymore. He could feel how disappointed he was with him.

"Sam that is just nonsense. It's no more your fault than it is the Easter bunny's." Missouri scolded Sam immediately after picking up on his thoughts. Sam's head snapped up as he heard her yelling at him.

"But…." He tried to defend himself.

"No buts Sam. You and your brother have always had a connection. It's only fitting that he would try to contact you. What ever was happening to him, part of him knew you were a 'safe place' for him and he instinctively sought out that safety. Unfortunately the demon was right there to follow him back to you and if your father hadn't done what he did today you both would have been his victims. Now on the other hand, John you know you shouldn't stayed as long as you did and most certainly shouldn't have tried to go back by yourself. What if Sam needed you to get back all the way? What if I hadn't showed up to pull you back? This demon could have just as easily gotten all three of you today, do you realize that John Winchester?" Her voice raised up an octave as she reproached John's attempted rescue. Johns face showed his smoldering anger as he digested her words.

"Thank you." He said swallowing his anger quietly tilting his head as he over at up at her.

"You're welcome" she answered giving him a sad smile. She knew her friend would have done anything to save his sons. Unfortunately Dean was out of his reach for the time being and she knew it was killing him. She looked over at Sam and saw the quiet determination that replaced the desperation that had just been there.

"We still can get him back, can't we Missouri. I mean I felt him….it still felt like Dean, only different….like he was covered with layers of shellac. We just have to remove all the crap Meg and this demon have been doing to him and then we can bring him home, right?" Sam's voice sounded so hopeful. Missouri looked him straight in the eye and then lied to him.

"Sam if there is one thing I know is that your brother is the most stubborn person I have ever met besides your father." She shot John a look and continued. "If there is anyone who can take on a demon and win it's gonna be that brother of yours." She saw the hope rise in his eyes. She wished she actually believed her own words. Sam nodded and stood up from the bed.

"I'm gonna go take a walk. It might help me clear my head a bit."

"Don't go far son. Meg and this demon might have ways to trace us here. We can't take any chances of any one of us being unprotected." John looked over at Sam as he headed to the motel room door. Sam nodded back at him.

"I'll stay within sight of the motel Dad I promise." And with that he opened the door and headed out.

Turning back from the door John looked over at the two empty beds. Memories of his sons sharing a bed as small children, both sound asleep safe from life's monsters, invaded his mind momentarily. Sam's words blaming himself hit him hard. Missouri was right; it was never Sam's fault. Only John was to blame for ever putting his sons in this position in the first place. Every decision he made in the last twenty years brought him to this place and regret was threatening to overwhelm him. He said a quick prayer to the powers that be that he still had a chance to mend fences with his boys. Yes both his boys, he thought to himself. Missouri was right on that account too. Dean was a survivor and when this was all through, the three of them would be together again. John took a quick glance at Missouri and saw the faint signs of doubt on her face.

"You don't think we're gonna get Dean back do you?" he asked feeling his old sense of dread returning again. Missouri quickly changed her expression but told her friend the truth.

"John, your son is being held by a woman who has a whole host of demons at her disposal. I know you want to think Dean is strong enough to hold off anything evil but reality being what it is; I don't think any human being could hold off against such a force, I'm sorry. That being said most human beings don't have the resources that we do against such forces of evil. When you were inside Sam's mind did you not feel another presence helping to protect you two?" with that she quickly replaced his dread with some hope.

"Mary…." John whispered his wife's name

"Yes John. I'm not sure how she did it but she was able to encircle you and protect you when the demon was attacking."

"It felt like Sam and I melted together Missouri, I don't know how else to describe it any better. Suddenly Mary was there surrounding us just as the demon started to pull us into him. For a second I could feel Dean, the real Dean, not what the demon has made him. It's was like we were all mixed up together and then suddenly Sam and I were pulled back and I could hear the demon screaming. Screaming Missouri, using Dean's voice. I couldn't leave him like that. Even if it killed me I had to try to do something to save him."

"I know you did John, I know you did. Mary helped you that time. We may be able to get her help again." Missouri suddenly had a wild thought.

"How so Missouri? I know I'm not ready to take another trip into Sam's mind again and I'm damn sure Sammy's not up to doing it." John gave his friend a puzzled look.

"You won't have to John. You said it felt like you, Sam, Dean and the demon were all mixed together. I'm hoping when Mary entered the mix enough of her combined with Dean to protect him when you two pulled away from him."

"God, you don't really think that Missouri?" John just couldn't believe it could be that simple.

"You said it yourself John, you felt Mary, and you felt her when she disappeared. Perhaps Dean felt her as well. It might just be enough to protect what ever is left of the real Dean to save him. I don't want to get your hopes up too much John but it may be all we have to hope for." Missouri felt John's thoughts begin to give way to a tiny piece of hope.

"Go ahead John, dream of your boys back again." She thought to herself as they each got lost in their thoughts.

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Sam wandered around the parking lot before heading to a small picnic area across the street. Finding an empty table away from the rest of the families using the park he sat and watched them quietly. The sounds of children running around having fun filled the air. Sam turned around and watched them play tag and listen to the sounds of their laughter.

Two boys, so obviously brothers, chased each other around with water pistols getting each other totally soaked. They dashed around picnic tables and bushes and Sam envied that they only shot water pistols at each other and didn't have to use real guns. Never in his life did he remember he and his brother having the chance to do what these two brothers were doing. It made him miss Dean even more. He dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes trying to remember if he ever had a chance to have any real fun with Dean. So much of their life revolved around hunting and so little of it revolved around actually living a "real" life. He vowed right there that if they ever got Dean back he was going to do something fun, something totally opposite of hunting, with his brother. Tears welled up in his eyes and he quickly brushed them away. Suddenly he heard a small voice next to him.

"You okay Mister?" One of the boys having fun with the water pistols had made his way by Sam and stopped when he saw Sam looking so sad. Sam looked over at him, guessing the boy to be about 7 or 8, and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm okay buddy, thanks for askin'" he reassured the young boy. He changed his expression right away so he wouldn't continue to worry the young boy.

"Did you lose your dog?" the young boy asked. To him the only reason why someone would be sad was if he had lost his dog. He knew how sad he was when his dachshund disappeared last year. He cried for days afterwards especially when his father had to tell him he had been hit by a car and went to doggy heaven. He scooted on the bench next to Sam, looked up at him, and gave him a sympathetic look. Sam looked down and saw the face of innocence. He marveled that there were still children in the world who's only fear in the world was a missing dog.

"I didn't lose my dog but I did lose something just as important." He said as he soaked in the boys openness and willingness to help.

"What happened Mister?" his blue eyes wide open totally opposite of the black eyes Sam had been used to seeing.

"I may have lost my brother." Sam looked down at the table and felt the tears come back as soon as he said the words.

"It's okay Mister. All you have to do is put up some pictures of your brother on a pole and I'm sure somebody will find him for you." The boys' innocent response was the shot to Sam's heavy heart that he needed. He started to smile and gave the young boy a quick tussle of his hair.

"Thanks buddy, I think I'll give that a try." He turned around just as the young boys older brother came into view.

"Tommy you get over here right now. I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad you were talking to strangers again." He ran up and grabbed the younger boys arm.

"But Craig, he lost his brother. I was just trying to make him feel better. I told him to put up signs on the telephone poles like you did when Maxi was missing." He tried to justify his time with Sam to his older and very protect brother.

"Well its time for us to be going, say goodbye to you new friend." Craig said leading Tommy away.

"Byeeeeeee." Tommy called out as he trudged behind his brother. "I hope you find your brother."

'Thanks Tommy and thanks for your help." Sam called back giving the boy a big smile. Feeling better he turned around and sat up against the picnic table. Facing the road he noticed a sweet looking 67 Mustang passing by the motel. He was so busy checking out the car, thinking of how much Dean would have loved to get his hands on this beauty even if it wasn't his Impala that he failed to notice who was driving the car. He got up and headed back to the motel room still looking at the car as it drove around the corner and disappeared.

Tbc

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