Previously

Dean surveyed the parking lot looking for any signs of the old hunter and was relieved that he was no where in sight. He hoped his threat to Sam was idle and that the bent hunter would give it up and move on. Right now, Dean had something bigger to worry about-Sammy's vision and keeping his little brother safe. He started the engine, turned the music off to give Sam a bit of quiet to rest, and drove off heading back towards the motel.

The Impala's tires crunched the gravel beneath them as Dean skidded her onto the street; in clear hearing distance rose a rough old hunter who had now determined his next prey.

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Chapter 3

Sam awoke early the next morning to find Dean still sitting in the rusty velvet swivel chair from the night before. It was amusing to Sam to see how in the course of the night the chair had conformed to Dean's body, almost swallowing him whole. He was obviously tired and uncomfortable but had, nevertheless, kept a constant vigil over Sam. Dean's care had not gone unnoticed and Sam smiled appreciatively at him.

"Sleep well?" Dean sarcastically questioned his little brother through blurry eyes. He picked up on Sam's smile. "What?" he questioned.

"Better than you, apparently," Sammy replied wondering how long his brother could have remained in the chair without disappearing altogether leaving no trace.

Sam stretched across the double bed practically dwarfing it as his long arms and legs reached beyond its edges. He brushed his soft brown bangs out of his line of vision. The truth was, Sam hadn't slept well at all. Both he and Dean knew it and the condition of the bed covers boldly testified to it as well. The top sheet was in a rumpled heap on the floor to the left, the blanket was balled up on Sam's right and the large oversized bedspread was lost somewhere between the bottom of the bed and the rusted bed frame.

"How's the headache?" Dean questioned as his eyes checked Sam's for any signs of distress.

"Better, " Sam replied and as if he could read Dean's mind, he added, "and no, no more visions or nightmares for that matter."

The slight smile that had swept across Sam's young face moments earlier suddenly vanished. His eyes began to bare witness to the fear that was beginning to bubble up to the surface of his consciousness as he remembered the reason for Dean's vigil. His eyes connected to Dean's as if searching for some reason not to drown in the fear that was rising from deep within him.

Sam's despairing search tugged on his protective older sibling. Dean sat up leaning forward on his knees wanting to reassure Sammy, offering him hope where hope was desperately needed. " I've given this a lot of thought, Sam, so hear me out." Dean waited for a brief second expecting an argument, but none came. Instead, Sam sat staring at Dean waiting to hear the plan, gosh, they needed a plan.

"First, let's go over the vision or what you remember of it and write it down. Second, let's establish some rules. You are NOT, I repeat, NOT to go anywhere ALONE. You got that?"

Sam smiled, pleased with his brother's concern, "Yeah, I got that."

"Second, if we get into a "situation" or trouble of any kind, you high tail it out and protect yourself…no matter what…"

Sam began to move his lips in protest.

"No matter what! I mean it, Sam! I don't care what's going on around you, you get yourself safe."

Sam feared that would be Dean's plan and he knew if it came down to it, he couldn't do it if it meant leaving Dean in trouble.

"Dean, I can't…"

Dean interrupted, "Yes, Sam, you can and you will or so help me I will personally kill you myself. You got that?"

Sam didn't answer.

"You got that, Sam?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sam replied in a typical teen-parent brush off kind of way.

"Promise me."

"Dean."

"Promise!"

"Okay, but it won't come to that, alright?"

"Alright."

Dean relaxed a little bit with Sam's promise. Sammy's track record for promises was excellent, probably the only benefit of having such a morally upright brother.

"Get yourself dressed. We need to grab a bite to eat, go over your vision, and look into local properties to see if we can find anything on a remote home, farmhouse, barn, whatever, that is no longer occupied. If we can clarify your vision, we can figure out how to stop it.

Sam appreciated his brothers concern and dedication. Inside, he knew, however, that Dean would die if it came to that to protect him, and Sam secretly vowed that, promise or not, he would never let that happen. He arose quietly to shower and began trying to recover the details of his vision so that he and Dean could record them before they began their search.

Showered, dressed, and fed, the boys began to go over the details of Sam's vision as they sat in the corner of the local diner away from the listening ears of the waitresses and busboys. Dean was on complete alert summing up each and every person in the diner who even glanced in Sam's direction. It was beginning to make Sam nervous.

"Dean"

"Yeah?"

"You're creeping me out."

"Just lookin' around, Sammy, lookin' around."

"Yeah," Sam exhaled. Well, could you be a little less obvious? You look like you just robbed a bank and you're trying to avoid the sheriff."

With a wounded face Dean declared, "Dude, I'm just checking out the lovely ladies of this fine establishment," he replied trying to cover his intent and put Sam's mind at ease. Truth was, he was scared to death and ready to go out guns blazing to protect his brother from whatever it was that was going to try to hurt him.

"Yeah, sure." Sam half laughed and then glanced back to the notes he was writing about the vision.

They finished breakfast and headed off to investigate the community's properties especially focusing on the outlying areas. After gaining a few possibilities, they decided to take a drive to check them out.

A tired, scruffy older man drifted into the county records office later that afternoon and requested information on any outlying properties that were no longer occupied. The clerk behind the desk would have laughed at the request if it hadn't already been made only a few hours before. The newness of the request was no longer there and she thought it quite odd that there would be such interest in such worthless land.