Chapter 4:

Panic began to build up in Sam. He didn't have a flashlight. He heard rustling noises. "Dean!" He screamed.

A beam of light came on "Right here." Dean replied. He made a slow circle looking around the room. Then for some reason he turned his flashlight to the ceiling and stared. Sam looked up trying to see what he was seeing.

"What is it?" He asked.

Dean started laughing.

"What! Why are you laughing!" Sam was utterly confused.

"You should have seen the look on your face you little girl." When Sam didn't respond because he was still confused Dean said, "The lightbulb burned out Sammy. That's all."

Sam released the breath he was holding and shook his head. "Whatever. Let's get the hell outta here and figure out what we're dealing with."

Dean nodded but began walking towards the alter. "First, I say lets trash this." He placed his flashlight on the ground and put his hands under the table intending to tip it when Sam grabbed him.

"Wait!"

"Now what Sam." Dean was getting frustrated.

"Maybe we should hold off until we know what's going on. I mean, who knows what if destroying this thing does the opposite of what we want."

Dean stopped and raked his hand through his hair. His head hurt, he was frustrated, pissed, tired, and everything else in between. But Sam was right. And Dean sure didn't want to lead them into anything else blindly.

Sam turned and headed to the stairs with Dean's flashlight. "Let's go Dean. Well park it outside for a minute and let me do some thinking."

Sam walked ahead of Dean. Before going up the stairs Dean paused once more to look a the room, well what he could see of it now that his brother took his flashlight. Who had sent them there? Maybe he should take Sam's advice and think things through once in a while. His lips curled up in a sly smile. "Yeah right, Sam's the geek boy, I'm the cowboy." he said to himself.

Sam was out of the house now and noticed a building towards the right. He began walking over to it. He didn't even realize his brother wasn't behind him. His head was too clouded with questions to pay attention. He just kept walking, wondering what mysteries this little building was holding. Slowly he opened the door and stepped inside, leaving one foot against the door to keep it from closing. He shone the flashlight inside. Relieved, he found it was nothing more than a mere wood shed. He left and let the door slam behind him. He suddenly realized that Dean was no where near him. "Dammit Dean." He mumbled. But as he headed back to the cabin a flash of light caught his eye and he headed up the small incline towards a tree in the back.

Dean finally made his way up the dark stairs. Leave it to his little brother to get ahead of him and not bother to light his way up. He was ready to give him a good tongue lashing when he emerged from the basement, but he wasn't there. Panic set in and he ran out of the house screaming Sam's name. "Sam! Sammy where are you!" He ran outside the cabin and screamed some more "Sammy!" Screaming was killing his head, but he didn't care. "Where the fuck are you!"
Suddenly he heard foot steps coming up behind him. He spun around, bringing the gun up with him.

Once again Sam came to a screeching halt because once again his brother had a shotgun pointed at him. "I'm right here!"

Dean dropped the gun and walked up to his brother grabbing him by both arms, "Don't fucking do that again. Got it! You stay in my sight! Don't pull that shit again or I will kick your ass!"

Sam was a little shell shocked. "Dean, man...I'm sorry. I got a little carried away thinking, and then I was looking around. I'm...I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say, except to ask if his brother was okay because he looked a little flushed and his eyes seemed to be unfocused. "You okay Dean?"

Dean released him and stepped back. "I'm fine Sam. Just don't do that to me again." He said softly.

"Okay Dean. I'm sorry." Sam was a little confused. His brother had the right to be mad, but he was acting differently. This was getting too carried away. They needed to leave this place. "Dean, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you so paniced right now. I was right here. I didn't go anywhere."

"You did go somewhere. You left my sight."

"Okay, since when is that a crime."

"Forget it Sam, let's just figure out what's going on here." He began to walk away, but Sam saw something in his eyes, and he needed to press on.

"No Dean. This is beyond your big brother worry. What's going on? And don't lie. You know I can tell if you do. I want the truth."

Dean looked at Sam. Hadn't he already given him his chick flick moment for the day? Why did his little brother always have to push? He obviously must've inherited his pansy genes from their mother, cause Dean just did not understand it. "Sam, drop it. Now."

"No Dean. I'm a little tired of all this no mushy moment shit. I need to know what's going on with you. And I want to know why you won't tell me that you saw Mom last night!"

Dean stood perfectly still, jaw clenched. How did he know?

As if reading his mind Sam said "You talked in your sleep."

It had to be the concussion talking talking, but Dean finally gave in and said, "Fine Sam, have it your way." He told him everything that had happened the night before, not leaving anything out. He watched as Sam's eyes widened and his face went a little paler.

"Jesus Dean. What do you think this means? What do you think she wanted to tell you?"

Dean shook his head, he didn't want to say it but he was sure he knew. "I think she wanted to remind me of something."

"What?" Sam asked.

"I think maybe she thought I needed to be reminded of my promise." His voice lowered and softened. "I've been careless lately and I'm sorry Sammy."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. "Dean, I'd really appreciate it if you would elaborate. I'm a little confused."

"Fine Sam. Here's your whole mushy moment, your whole spill your guts, let out the inner child, whatever. Here it is. I'm saying this once, and there's no discussion. Got it?" Sam nodded, mostly from confusion. "The night Mom died, earlier that night, you had been crying for hours. Mom or Dad couldn't get you stop. I asked Mom if I could hold you. She let me rock you...and you stopped crying the minute you were in my arms. That night Mom sat next to me... and she told me that you were... special. That you were going to be different from the rest of us, and that I needed to always be there for you. That I always needed to be careful and protect you. She asked me to promise. I did. I promised her I would never let anything happen to you. And after she died, I promised Dad. And lately... I've been careless and angry and I've broken that promise. I almost got everyone killed in Chicago because I was careless and didn't see the trap. I've broken my promise to her and she knows it... and she's mad at me." He paused taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Sam had just stood in shock and let his brother ramble everything out. He didn't even know what to say, where to begin. "Dean...I...don't know what to say. You haven't broken any promise. You've saved my ass hundreds of times. You are always there for me. I don't think Mom's mad at you, if that's what you think. I'm serious. No one could ask for a better brother." He walked to Dean, wanting to give him a reassuring hand on the shoulder, but Dean turned and began to walk away.

"Dean wait." Sam started after him. But suddenly he heard a snap beneath his feet, and the fake wooded floor gave out from under him. "Dean!" He screamed as he fell.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed and he ran towards him. Dean dropped at the edge of the hole that had opened up, swallowing his brother. He grabbed his flashlight and shined it down into the darkness. His brother had fallen a long way. He was lying still on his back. "Sam! Can you hear me? Sammy!" Suddenly his brother gasped and starting coughing. "Sammy!"

"I'm.." coughing "okay." Sam paused for a moment taking a deep breath. "Just got the wind knocked out of me." He slowly sat up, rubbing his back.

"You hurt?" Dean asked.

"Nothing broken." Sam replied. Slowly he stood and gave himself a quick check. Nothing was majorly hurt. Although he was sure he'd be sore for a while. He tried to look around at where he was. But it was too dark to make out anything other than the wall in front and behind him. Although he could peer to his right and see a long tunnel. "Hey Dean, throw me the flashlight." With shaky hands he caught the flashlight and lit up the passage way.

"What do you see?" Dean asked.

"Looks like a tunnel."

"See the end?" Dean asked.

"No." Sam walked a little further in.

"Hey, don't go exploring on your own Sherlock!" Dean called down. "We need to get you outta there."

Sam stopped and looked up. "Got any rope?"

"Did you pack any?" Dean asked sarcastically. He was just so happy his brother wasn't hurt he didn't care how rude he was.

"Didn't really think we'd need it Dean. I mean I didn't really picture myself falling through a trap door!"

"So much for your psychic ability Haley Joel." Dean snapped. "Stay right there. I'll go see if there's some in the cabin." Dean stood but then peered back down. "And I mean it! Stand right there! Don't move another inch before I get back. Cause I sure the hell am not coming down there to look for you. Got it?"

Sam smiled slightly and gave a mock salute, "Yes sir sargent." Then he paused a worried look crossing his face. "Maybe you shouldn't go back in the cabin alone Dean."

Dean shook his head, "Get over it Samantha." and walked away.

Sam sighed. This has turned into the camping trip from hell, he thought. He pointed the flashlight and examined his surroundings. The floor was dirt and the walls were regular concrete, slightly curved. He took a few steps deeper into the tunnel. About ten steps in he noticed something along the walls. Stepping up closer he found that every so many feet there were symbols along the walls. They weren't any that he recognized. They looked similar to one that he had seen when he was younger. At that time his father was going after a demon that was taking people to torture them and then sacrifice them to his higher god. From what Sam could remember this demon took strong people. Physically and mentally strong and who did good deeds in the world. The demon would break them first then kill them. Sam couldn't remember all of the details. He was young and his father didn't fill him in on everything back then. But these symbols were similar to those. God, he hoped that wasn't what they were facing here. He remembered how Dean and his Father had reacted to that 'case'. They were emotionally the strongest people Sam knew, but they were both bothered by that one. Dean had later told Sam that they saw some of the dead bodies of the people who were sacrificed. Dean had only said that it wasn't a pretty sight and it hadn't been a pretty death. But he wouldn't say more. He also said the demon was strong and was able to find a way to get into your mind and find your weakness. He said that it knew things about the vicitm's lives and that's how it got to them. Dean had said that the demon had said something to Dad about his life, but he didn't know what. Just that it really got to him. And then Dean would say nothing else about the subject. After a while Sam dropped it. He didn't really want to know the details anyway. Now he thought, maybe I should have.

Sam looked at his watch. It had been at least eight minutes since Dean left. What was taking him so long? He walked back to the opening and looked up "Dean! You up there! What the hell's taking you so long!" He listened, but received no response. "Dammit Dean!" He said aloud. Frustrated Sam kicked at the dirt beneath him. "Five more minutes Dean, and then I see where this tunnel leads."

-TBC-

Thanks again to all those who have read and to all those who have reviewed! As always, it's appreciated. Hope you are still enjoying!