May the Circle... chp 2
Thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate it. This is my first fanfiction even though I've read thousands. If this seems to kind of wander, go with the flow. It'll all make sense in the end, I promise.
Sam let the warm water stream over his body. He didn't know what to feel when he heard Dean say Tommy's name or to actually see his other brother himself. While Dean had been the one to protect him and teach him things, it was Tommy that actually listened to him when he needed to talk about something. It was Tommy that showed him how to improve his aim with the crossbow, against their dad's orders, until he could hit the bullseye almost every time. So when Tommy had left when Sam was 15, he hadn't known what to think. Even Dean was silent about it for almost a week. It wasn't until they went on their first hunt without him that either one questioned their father about what had happened. He could still remember that night.
Flashback
John Winchester had taught his sons to never question his orders, to obey him without question. After the hunt was over and the hellhound taken care of, Sam had asked him why Tommy had left. It took all of his self control to not strike out at his youngest son. To him, his middle child's departure was nothing short of treason even if he had practically thrown the boy out.
He couldn't tell his other sons that he had sent their brother away because he was capable of doing things that were supposed to be impossible. No, if he told them that, then it would be like admitting he had a son that was different. So, he had done the 'respectable' thing and sent his middle child away. True, the boy hadn't gone without a fight, but he was gone, away from his brothers, especially Sammy. John was afraid that Sammy's dreams might force him to do the same thing with his youngest son, but Dean always stood up for his little brother, always. When Tommy had been younger, Dean stood up for both of his brothers, but Tommy was the one that drew away from that protection first. He had needed his own 'space', but still looked after Sam.
So when Sam asked him why Tommy had left, John had turned to the boy and glared at him a moment before answering.
"Because he's a freak, Sammy. And if he had stayed, he would have gotten us all hurt or maybe one of us killed." He had stalked away then, unable to look at either one of his remaining sons.
Sam had been confused that night about what their dad was talking about, but when he started having his own dreams, his own visions, that conversation had come back to slam him in the chest like a two by four. Turning the water off, he stepped out of the shower and dried off before standing in front of the mirror. Despite how he felt about not getting to tell his brother good-bye back then, Tommy had kept in touch with him by letters. At first, he'd kept them from Dean, but when Sam got one while he was in the hospital after a battle with a Wendigo, he'd told Dean about the rest of them. Shortly afterwards, Dean had written to his middle brother and told him about Sam going to Stanford. Neither of them knew that Tommy had been checking up on both of them while he was 'away'.
Shaking his head, Sam finished and went back out into the main part of the hotel room only to draw up short when he saw the scars criss-crossing Tommy's back along with the black and blue marks that seemed to envelope more of the area than they left alone.
"And I thought Dean looked like crap with his shirt off."
Dean snorted as he looked over at his youngest brother. "Impossible. I got all the looks in the family." He flinched, then glared at his middle brother, who had hit him in the back of the head. "Want me to just strangle you now?"
Tommy rolled his eyes at his oldest brother and looked over at Sam. "I got most of them before I--" He paused and knew the time had come for his brothers to know the real reason he had left. "I got most of them before dad sent me off to learn with Pastor Jim."
Sam frowned. " Pastor Jim? Why did dad send you to him? Dad's better at the hunting stuff. Pastor Jim just has--" He stopped. "Dad sent you away because you were having visions, like me."
It was Tommy's turn to frown as he looked at Sam. "Since when?" He looked from Sam to Dean.
Dean answered for his little brother. "Seems they started up shortly before Jess was killed." He started wrapping Tommy's ribs.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry about Jess, Sam. I tried to get there for the funeral, but it was a little tough at the time." Considering that he was in the middle of nowhere helping Caleb take care of a water wraith. "And actually, I don't have visions. I'm a telepath. Dad sent me to Pastor Jim to get control over it." He smirked. "Not that I went without a fight."
Sam snorted. "Now that, I can believe." He shook his head and took a seat on the bed. "Still doesn't explain why we haven't seen you in 8 years."
"Dad told me that if I ever tried to get in touch with either one of you, he'd kill me. Seems the idea of a son who was capable of entering someone's mind and reading their thoughts was a bit too close to evil for him to handle." He met Sam's eyes. "Me even writing you was a big risk Sam, but I couldn't just let you go and I knew that eventually you'd tell Dean." He chuckled softly. "Got to admit though, I didn't think it take almost six months for you to tell him."
"He only told me because I intercepted one of the letters when he was in the hospital." Dean taped the end of the ace wrap in place and stepped back a bit. "Three of those ribs are close to being broke, so you might want to take it easy for bit. Not that I think you'll really have a choice with your shoulder being screwed up, again."
"Yeah well, it's not the first time and I know it won't be the last." He let Dean help him get his arm into a sling to relieve some of the strain. "So, since you don't have to worry about the poltergeist, what are you going to do with all your-- free time." A smirk twisted at the corners of his mouth.
Dean snorted, but didn't say anything as he cleaned up the first aid supplies.
Sam rolled his eyes at their oldest brother, then frowned. "Why did you try to hit him Dean?"
The reaction to that question was far from what Sam had been expecting when Tommy busted out laughing. The glare Dean shot at him only made him laugh harder despite the pain it caused his ribs.
"Oh lord Sam. As much as he loves that car, you have to ask that question?"
Their youngest brother frowned. "Okay, so what am I missing here?"
