Chapter 7: Foreshadowing

A/N: Well, here is that more exciting chapter that I promised. Enjoy!

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Sam was listening to Dean explain that Bobby would be happy to help when suddenly a blinding pain ripped through his forehead. For a second he actually thought that his head my split open. Never had a vision hurt this intensely. He could hear Dean calling him but he couldn't respond. Someone grabbed him and he knew instantly it was Dean but he was unable to even open his eyes. He felt his body being pulled from the inside as if he were suddenly traveling through space and time.

Two men were standing inside what looked to be a run down cabin. Sam suddenly recognized the run down cabin. It was the very one where they had faced the demon the night they had almost died.

One man was large and wore a black t-shirt with a black leather vest. He looked very much like a biker with his black curly hair and scruffy bread. The other man was smaller and wore clothes that were more fashionable and professional.

"Master, why do you insist on being in here?" the young professional asked.

"Because!" the biker bellowed. "This is where it happened! This is where those insignificant fools bested me. BESTED ME!"

The other man instantly back tracked and lowered his head in submission. "But Master, surely this place is upsetting for you to be in."

"On the contrary, I can still feel the young one's power here. Even the remnants of it strengthen me. If it weren't for that hovering and interfering brother, Sam would be ready for me. I should have taken Maxwell when I had the chance. Instead I waited for his rage to finish consuming him but by then it was too late. Never would I have dreamed Samuel would interfere. Never would I have imagined that Maxwell would take his own life because of Samuel."

"What of the others?"

"They are not ready! I am not ready. It disgusts me to be in this body but the previous owner was a drunken fool and is in no way capable of being a threat to me. I admit that damned colt weakened me considerably. Damn Samuel. For the first time in three thousand years..."

As much as Sam wanted the vision to end to ease the pain he was enduring he fought to hold on to it. He knew something important was about to be gained but the vision drifted away. Sam opened his eyes and sure enough Dean was mere inches from his face.

"Sammy, talk to me. What did you see?"

"Dean…call Dad." Sam fought to stay awake but the vision had taken too much out of him. Not only did he have the migraine from hell but he felt a level of exhaustion that he had never experienced before from a vision. Against his will his eyes closed and he surrendered.

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"Sammy, damn it, don't do this," Dean begged as his brother passed out against him. Dean kept an arm wrapped around him tightly so Sam didn't fall out of the bench. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and pressed the speed dial that would connect him to his father.

"Come on, Dad, pick up!"

John did after several rings. "Hey, Dean. How's the research going?"

"Dad, I need your help. Sam had a vision and he passed out. We are sitting on a bench in the park at Crooks and…uh…" he looked around quickly for a street sign, "and Jackson."

"Okay, hang tight. I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't move!"

"Dad, I've got a cast on my leg. Trust me, I'm not going to just pick Sam up and toss him over my shoulder. We'll be here."

John hung up without saying another word. Dean closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. He looked at Sam's resting face.

"Little brother, you sure know how to keep life interesting." He sat back in the bench keeping an arm around Sam. Sam's head was lying on Dean's shoulder. Two girls walked past and looked at Dean funny. He suddenly realized just how gay he and Sam looked. "Shit Sam, you owe me for this one. I ought ta' throw your ass on the grass and pretend I don't know you."

Sam was completely unaware of their awkward position or the mild threat Dean tossed his way.

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"Chuck, I'm gonna take my lunch break now," John called as he was already walking towards the door. "My son just called and something is wrong with Sammy. He's having some kind of complication."

"No problem. Just try to be back in an hour. I hope your boy is okay."

"Thanks, so do I."

John jumped into his truck and raced from the parking lot onto the road. He had to admit that Dean's call had freaked him out. The last time Sam had a vision it was to tell them that the demon was coming. As much as John wanted to end this damn thing he had to admit that they weren't ready to confront it right now. Sam and Dean were still injured. They were down to a single bullet for the colt and there was no back up plan in place. No, they definitely were not ready to face that son of a bitch again.

There was another concern as well. Why did Sam pass out from this vision? As far as John knew, that had never happened before. He was aware that the visions gave Sam terrible headaches, but losing consciousness? Crap, what if Sam had a vision in the middle of a hunt and passed out? The kid would be completely helpless. John was going to have to talk to Missouri about this. He didn't usually like to involve outsiders in family matters but this was different. He was willing to ask for help if it meant protecting his children.

After several minutes John turned onto Crooks and slowed down a bit to avoid getting pulled over. He wasn't entirely sure where Jackson was but he remembered vaguely passing the park one day and hoped he was heading in the right direction. He breathed a sigh of relief after going about eight blocks east and seeing the park. He carefully made a U-turn and parked his truck along the curb.

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Dean felt like he had been waiting for his father to show up forever. A second later he forgot all about his Dad when he finally heard a soft groan come from Sam.

"Hey little brother, are you planning on waking up any time soon?" Dean asked casually.

"Dean, god my head hurts."

"I would imagine so. You had a vision that knocked you flat on your ass," Dean pointed out.

"I passed out?" Sam asked groggily.

"Yeah, you did. How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, like shit, but I'll live." Sam pulled away from Dean and managed to sit up in the bench. He rested his elbows on his knees and then laid his head in his hands.

"Sam, what did you see? You've never passed out from a vision before."

"Did you call Dad?"

"Yeah, he's on his way. He should be here any second actually."

"Wait for Dad to get here. Then I'll tell you everything I saw."

No sooner were the words out of Sam's mouth they saw their Dad's pickup truck making an illegal U-turn and parking at the curb. John jumped from the vehicle and literally ran to where they were sitting.

"Sammy?" John asked kneeling down in front of Sam. "Are you okay? Dean said you passed out!"

"I'll be fine. It was a vision. I'd never had one that painful before."

John had a seat next to Sam and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Why was this one different? Why did it make you pass out?" John asked.

"I think it was because I was trying to hold on to it. Usually they come and go and I let them happen, but this time I didn't want it to end. I was trying to get more information. I guess it was too much for me."

John nodded in understanding. "What did you see?"

"I saw two men having a conversation, only they weren't men. They were possessed. Dad, one of them, a guy who looks like a biker, it was him…the demon."

"Who was the other?" John asked.

"I don't know. I'm guessing someone like Meg maybe."

"What were they talking about?" Dean asked.

"The demon, he was angry."

"About what?" Dean prodded.

"Me," Sam replied. "He was mad, furious, that I shot him, hurt him. Also, he was really pissed that I killed Max."

"Whoa, you didn't kill Max," Dean interjected. "Max killed himself. You tried to save him!"

Sam shook his head. "The demon doesn't see it that way. Max was almost ready for whatever the demon had planned. He said he was waiting for Max's rage to finish consuming him, but that he had waited too long because I came along and messed it up."

"Sammy, what does the demon want you for?" John asked. Sam could see the apprehension in his face.

"I'm not totally sure. I think he wants our bodies."

"So the demon is a pervert," Dean interrupted sarcastically to cover up the real fear that was flowing through his veins.

"Dean!" John warned.

"Not like that," Sam replied. "I think…I'm just guessing, but I think it is literally choosing at birth his future hosts. He's looking for children who have some type of power that will help to enhance his own when he possesses them."

"Sam, is he coming after you?" Dean asked.

"Not yet. He said I'm not ready. He said that you kept interfering."

"Fuck yeah! He's not going to get you Sam. I'll never let that happen!"

Sam just smiled at Dean's demonstration of love. "I think I learned something else. I think I know why it was impervious to holy water."

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"This thing said that it had been around for three thousand years. Dad, this demon predates Christianity. That's why it knew how to summon the Deva's. He is as old, if not older, than they are. Christian rules don't apply."

"Great, so that means no holy water or Latin. Hell, we can't even exorcise the thing."

"Maybe we can if we can find some older texts or older incantations to recite. Dean, the guy you called when we were Chicago, the one who knew what that weird symbol was that you made from duct tape with the blood splatters, you need to call him, find out what else he knows."

"Will do. Come on. We need to get you home," Dean said and started to stand up pulling Sam with him.

"Wait, there's one more thing."

"What?" John asked.

"I know where it is."

Dean suddenly sat back down and looked Sam in the face. It wasn't Dean who asked the next question though, it was John.

"Where is it?"

"It's at the cabin…the one where you…it…attacked us. It's there because it says that traces of my power remain there and it helps it feel better. It's weak, Dad. The colt really hurt it. It's vulnerable."

"It may be vulnerable, but we still don't know how to attack it," Dean pointed out.

"We have the last bullet," Sam said.

"No," John suddenly said.

"Dad?" Sam questioned.

"I said no. We aren't ready. You and Dean are still in casts. We have one bullet and no back up plan should the bullet miss. No, I'll not let it hurt you two again."

"But we may never be able to locate it ever again," Sam said. "This might be our one and only chance to get the drop on it."

"I don't think so. Sammy, this is now the second vision you've had about this demon. This demon may have selected you at birth for some purpose, but something else has also selected you too."

"What?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," John replied truthfully. "But somehow I think it is your destiny to kill this thing. You have some kind of link with this demon that lets you see where it is and what it is about to do. Something out there wants you to destroy it."

"No!" Dean snapped. "There is no way on earth I'm letting Sammy go after this thing by himself and don't you dare try and tell me this is his destiny, because even if it is, I'm not going to allow it. Hell, I'll book us a one way trip to the opposite side of the planet before I'll let that happen."

"Dean, I won't be facing it alone," Sam said knowingly. "You'll be there standing right beside me."

Suddenly Dean stood up from the bench and began to pace back and forth. Both Sam and John watched him. Each could see the anxiety simmering just beneath the surface. Finally Dean turned toward them, his voice a desperate plea.

"Why do we have to go after this thing again? Shit, can't we just admit that we failed this one? There are plenty of other things out there to hunt, to protect people from. I think it's time we give up this fucking quest before it gets us all killed. This demon…it's just too powerful."

"Dean, we can't give up," John said.

"Why?" Dean demanded. "It's not like we've actually been hired or ordered by God himself to take care of this thing."

"Dean we have to do it. There is no one else who will," John explained.

"Dad, finding this demon…it's not worth it. If the price for revenge is your or Sammy's life then the hell with it. It's just not worth it!"

"Dean, listen to me. I'm not going to do anything that puts you or your brother in jeopardy."

Dean actually laughed at those words.

"Damn it, Dean. This is a dangerous job. Any hunt has the potential to be a fatal hunt, but that's why we train. That's why we practice and drill. We watch each other's back and take care of each other. You said it yourself. We're stronger as a family."

"Dad, we were a family that night in the cabin. All three of us were there, remember? I sure do. Sam and I were pinned to the fucking wall. You were possessed and ripping me into pieces. All three of us were helpless. I was helpless to protect you or Sammy."

Suddenly Sam understood what Dean was really saying. Dean wasn't afraid to face the demon again. He was afraid that once more he wouldn't be in a position to protect his family. Sam placed a firm hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Then we wait."

"Huh?"

"We wait. We do more research. We find multiple ways to kill the thing, and when we're ready, and only when we're ready, we go after it."

"What if we're never ready, Sam?" Dean asked. "Can you wait that long to get the thing that killed Jessica?"

Sam gave Dean one of those sad smiles that never failed to wreak havoc on Dean's emotions.

"As long as I have you reminding me that it is more important to focus on the living than the dead, I can wait for as long as it takes," Sam said simply.

Dean gave Sam a small smile. "Glad to hear it."

"Now, can we go home," Sam said. "My head is still really hurting."

"Let's go boys," John said. He took hold of Sam's arm and helped him to stand up. He noticed that Sam still looked pale and a sheen of sweat glistened over his face. These visions were really draining on his body.

Dean picked up the two library books and followed behind. He felt a little better knowing that neither his father or his little brother were going to rush off and do something stupid. Part of him really wished they would abandon the hunt for the demon. Even with more research and more plans part of him still didn't feel confident about going after the damn thing again. Some part of his brain knew that Dad was right. Somehow, Sam's destiny had been intertwined with this abomination from hell, and he had no idea how he was going to protect Sam or what the end result would be when the final confrontation took place.