Alternate Life, or Real Life?

Disclaimer: as per chapter 1

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CHAPTER 17

Sam paced the living room of their small rented apartment like a caged animal. He felt like his brother and father was watching him constantly, he couldn't do a thing without them hovering to make sure he didn't hurt himself or get sick again.

The doctors said that he is strong enough for the bone marrow transplant and have scheduled it for the next morning. Another stop at the hospital - that cursed place Sam started to hate with a passion.

He lost his friends, his health, and perhaps even his sanity but it was the never-ending fussing of his family getting to him the most. He had finally realised the meaning of being a cotton-wool child.

With a heavy sigh, he set his shoulders determinably and grabbed his backpack and jacket, slipping out the front door without making a noise he headed straight for the stairs. Panting heavily by the time he got to the first floor, he stopped and waited for his breath to catch up with him, another thing to chalk up to his hate list, being so weak all of the time.

Straightening up he glanced around and then stepped through the door out into the fresh air, the small apartment building set in the backstreets of Trinity, was secluded but cheap, clean and serviceable. Also it was close to the hospital, another fact that Sam added to his list, the proximity of the cursed place.

Smiling tentatively, he looked up at the blue sky; small puffy white clouds scattered across the horizon and the sun warm and bright made him feel a little more human once again.

'Okay where to now Sam?' He muttered to himself as he set off down the street, breathing in the clean clear air and absorbing the warmth of the sun he ignored the shadow following him.

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'Hey Sammy want to choose the DVD to watch?' Dean asked trying to sound cheerful for his brother's sake, 'Sam? Hey Sammy where are you?' He dropped the movies onto the couch and went to check the bedrooms and bathroom; worried he went back to the living room when he noticed his brother's backpack and jacket were missing. 'Ah fuck Sammy what were you thinking?'

'Boys, got groceries some help would be good.' John called from the front door as he juggled the bags filled with healthy food, following Sam's strict regime laid down by the doctors. John stared at the look on Dean's face as his son opened the door, 'where's Sam?'

'I was in the kitchen he was getting ready to watch a movie and when I came back he was gone.'

'Dean can't you even look after your brother for ten minutes?' John thundered pushing past his eldest roughly. 'Can't you do at least that for me?'

'Dad, look I know your upset,' Dean started trying to keep his own temper in check, 'but we're not kids anymore, Sammy is over twenty-one and doesn't need me to hold his hand every fucking minute of the day.'

John's hand struck Dean before he had a chance to register what happened; his head snapped back with the force of the stinging slap, shocked he stared at his father with wide eyes, his hand straying to the already bruising cheek.

'Dean I ...' John stammered shocked at his own reaction he swore that he would never strike his sons again. 'Son I am so sorry.'

'Save it Dad.' Dean said, 'I need to get outta here for a while.'

Dean grabbed his leather jacket and fled the room slamming the door behind him, leaving his father standing in the middle of spilled groceries staring at his hand, the last time he had struck either of his children in sheer anger and frustration was when Dean was only ten years old and Sammy a tiny six year old,. They had ignored his instructions and went off on their own to play in the woods; from the female demon who roamed the area stalked them and targeted Sam, the weakest of the two. John had saved them in time but after vanquishing the demon, he struck out at his sons, berating them for leaving the motel room when he specifically told them to stay put. They knowingly placed themselves at risk for nothing but a bit of fun. Dean had suffered the most under his hand, even then protecting Sam without a thought. He stood between his father and brother and took the brunt of the blows dealt in a white rage.

John couldn't look at his ten year old after that, and sent the boys to stay with their mother's family for six months while he hunted and purged his anger and frustration on the supernatural creatures instead.

Now, seventeen years later he had lifted his hand in anger once again to Dean, instead of working with him to go and find Sam, now he stood alone in the living room, both of his sons gone off.

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Sam sat down heavily on the park bench and closed his eyes, he was so tired he must have walked further than he realised. Yawning he stretched and opened his eyes, the sun now low in the sky was losing its heat, he must have fallen asleep.

'Are you alright young man?' A strange voice came from directly in front of him, blinking furiously Sam tried to focus on the person.

'Ah yeah, fine thanks.' He mumbled.

'Should be careful around here, dunno who might be around.' The man said as he moved away, 'kids these days got no stamina.'

Sam chuckled to himself, stood up waited for the dizziness to ease, and then started walking back towards the apartment building. A sudden chilling wind picked up making him shiver, great now I'm gonna catch a cold and cop it off everyone. He thought miserably as he zipped up his jacket and huddled into himself to keep warm. He started to stretch out his long stride even further to cover the distance quickly.

A heavy, dark, and thunderous cloud gathered over the town and surrounding area bathing everything in a gloomy half-light. The wind picked up even more until it virtually blew Sam along the footpath. Stumbling he fell heavily, splitting his knee open on a jagged rock, hissing at the sudden pain he stood up and limped as fast as he could towards home. He could see the outline of the building and the rising panic subsided a little, he could just make out Dean's form heading towards him fighting against the wind as well.

'Where the fuck have you been?' Dean bellowed as he saw Sam coming closer, 'what happened? Why are you limping?'

Sam glared at his brother and went to cross the road not waiting for Dean to catch up with him, 'get inside Dean.'

Once they were safe inside the building Sam stopped and turned an angry stare to his elder sibling but stopped his prepared tirade when he saw the bruise, raw and angry looking on Dean's cheek. 'What happened Dean?'

'Nothing don't worry bout it Sammy.' Dean said dodging his brother's stare, 'why are you limping and what the fuck did you think you were doing running out like that without telling me?'

'Dad ... Dad did this didn't he?' Sam demanded ignoring Dean's questions and the pain in his knee.

'Forget it Sammy and tell me what happened to you, why did you run out like that?'

'Nothing Dean, forget it.' Sam dismissed the questions growing angry with himself, he left Dean to answer their father. Flashes of the last time their Dad had hit them came back to him without warning. 'How could he hit you Dean?'

'Sam I told you to forget it, I stuffed up end of story.'

'No you didn't, damn it Dean you're twenty-seven you're no kid anymore.'

'Neither are you Sam and I guess we forget that, me and Dad,' Dean mumbled turning away from the soft look forming in Sam's eyes. 'Let's get you upstairs and changed into something a bit warmer, you get a cold and the doctors can't do the transplant.'

'Dean, dunno if I want to go ahead with the transplant.'

'What?' Dean thundered, his patience and temper frayed to the point of snapping, 'of course you're going to have the transplant, you got no say in it.'

'It's my body Dean!'

'It's my bone marrow Sam!'

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John stared at the demon standing in front of him, 'thought we got rid of you.'

'Tsk, tsk John do you really think that any human could imprison me?' Grayson laughed the air filling with a choking sulphuric stench.

'What do you want Grayson ... that is if its your name.'

'Grayson will suffice, I want your son ... I want to absorb his strength and his power. I want him as my own son.'

'Sorry you can't have him; he already has a father ... me.'

'Shame you feel like that John I was hoping that we could negotiate some terms make it civilised.'

'I didn't think you would know what civilised means.'

'I'm not the one who strikes my children in anger John Winchester.'

'That should never have happened.'

'You do know that he would be well ... looked after during the process don't you.'

'You are not laying one hand on my son, either of them.'

'Now why don't I let him decide on that?' Grayson asked his smile cold and shining with an evil intent, 'after all he is over twenty one.'

'Well sorry to disappoint you but the boys are gone and not coming back.'

'Oh really? And that is why they are coming up in the lift as we speak.'

'Leave them be Grayson.' John warned producing the colt from behind his back, 'time to send you back.'

Grayson laughed and waved his hand in front of John, the man stumbled and shook his head as everything started to spin around him dizzyingly, gasping he clawed at an invisible hand squeezing his neck, cutting off his air. 'With the right bait and amazing what you can catch.'

'They will never fall for it.' John gasped. His eyes bulged and he tried to stay conscious but it was useless as the blackness encroached on his peripheral vision he saw Dean and Sam burst into the room.

'Dad.' The two boys cried out in unison as they watched Grayson, with his hand around John's neck, laugh at them and vanish taking their father with him.

'Dad?' Sam whispered, 'it's happening again, and it's my fault.'

'Quit it Sam it's no one's fault ... well except for that freaking demon who won't die.' Dean ground out, 'look at me Sammy it's not your fault!'

'Yes it is coz if it wasn't for me and those stupid visions and stuff we wouldn't be here and Dad would be alright.'

'Bullshit Sammy, that's bullshit and you know it.' Dean said, and then, before he could finish with his litany Sam shuddered and dropped to the floor, his fingers twisting in his long hair and his eyes squeezed shut.

Dean crouched down in front of Sam and made sure that his brother didn't collapse and hurt himself while the vision held him in its unforgiving grip. Blood trickled from Sam's eyes, ears and both nostrils staining his face dark red. 'Sammy? Come one snap outta this one, Sam come back to me Dude.'

Sam let out a hissing sigh and tumbled forward into Dean's arms, unconscious and barely breathing he lay in a crumpled heap in his brother's arms.

'Sammy? Come on Sam open those puppy dog eyes of yours for me.' Dean wept, his voice cracking as he finally released his pent up emotions and rage, heavy diamond shaped tears fell down his face and mingled with Sam's blood.

TBC