Dark Side

Story by Meilean

Gifted to Sensue

Beta: Churchlady

A/N: Thank you so much Churchlady for reading through. :-)

Rated: T

Disclaimer: Everything from Supernatural is owned by Erik Kripke, the Brotherhood AU is owned by Ridley C. James and Tidia.

A/N: This story is in my head for a long time, I think it is over a year. But when I re-read Sensue's story The Trip (from the wonderful collection Suitcase Of Memories) it finally all clicked into place. So I hope this turns out as powerful as I imagined it. Have fun!

I recommend reading The Trip if you like. It is such a great story. It is full of funny, scary and h/c moment. Thank you so much for your wonderful works, Sensue. I wish we had more writers for stories with Caleb. If you feel like it, write one. We would love to read it!

For all who haven't seen it, we have a new Triad Homepage (check it out on my or Sensue's profile page for the link). The site Hunterstomb by Ridley is still online and a great collection of Brotherhood mainline stories. Check it out, too.

Ok, enough: For all who haven't read The Trip and want to go on here, a short summary about it.

*** Summary of The Trip by Sensue ***

Caleb is at a party with friends. He is getting drugged with LSD and has a bad Trip. His friends don't know what to do with him when he freaks out and screams about demons throwing salt at his friends with a knife in his hands rather than tie him up, gag him, and put him into the wardrobe. An absolute horror trip for Caleb begins. He reaches out mentally to Mac. He and his father Cullen Ames come to help and crash the party, calling the cops. Mac has to deal with his drugged son at home and Cullen finds out about the supernatural his son and grandson are involved in. The next day Caleb wakes and realizes what has happened yesterday. He can't believe his so-called friends did this to him, and from all of them his own girlfriend Jenny.

*** Brotherhood AU ***

Chapter 1 - After The Party

CALEB

Caleb didn't find sleep. So much was going on in his head. How could he ever face his friends again with Cullen pressing charges against them? And Jenny? Why - why had she done this to him? She had been the one who handed him the drink with the sugar cube. He was sure it had all started as a joke. But your girlfriend shouldn't do such things to you - no matter the joke. Maybe she hadn't ever really loved him. It hurt. He felt all alone - a feeling he was way too used to. Sure Mac and even Cullen made him understand, they were on his side. But for a teenager school was a horror without any friends. Especially when your family sued theirs. He would have to face them in school tomorrow and even the thought nearly turned his stomach. At some point in his brooding, sleep must have found him because now a careful knock on the door woke him.

The muffled voice of Mackland was at the door. "Caleb? Time to get ready for school." There was a short pause. Caleb didn't answer. He didn't feel ready to meet any of his 'friends'.

"Caleb, are you okay?" Mac's voice asked, now full of concern as he carefully opened the door.

The nearly sixteen-year-old sighed heavily. He knew if he asked Mac to let him stay at home, the doctor would do anything to make him feel comfortable. He'd love to ask him but what good would it do? It would be even worse if he didn't show up at school at all. He had to face this day.

He heard Mac enter, approaching his bed. "Son, are you okay?" Mac brought a hand to his son's forehead out of habit like so often.

Turning away, Caleb answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well."

"Do you want to stay home today? It's no big deal," Mac offered.

The chance to escape school was in his grasp but he couldn't just hide here. "No, I'll be up in a minute," he answered.

"Okay, I already have your breakfast ready, Son," Mac smiled at him, patting his shoulder, and got up.

When Caleb heard the door close he let out a long breath. This would be a long day. He felt it hanging over him like the sword of Damocles.

*** Brotherhood ***

Mac insisted on Caleb being driven to school. He would be in meetings the whole day but assured Caleb he could call there anytime if anything happened.

Caleb closed the door of the dark limousine and watched his last chance to escape school vanishing in the city traffic of NYC.

He turned to the school building and prepared himself for anything possible. What would he do or say when he met Jenny or Pietro? He was lost in thought on his way through the school corridors. It took him some time until he registered the nosy glances and mumbling behind his back when he passed the groups of students.

The psychic tried his best not to read their thoughts til he made it to the classroom, but it was hard not to hear their mumbling.

"I've heard, Reaves freaked totally out on Saturday."

"He's in some cult, I heard. I mean it fits, look at the black clothes he wears every day."

"Yeah, and Darlean told me he screamed weird things in Latin at Pietro's"

"Have you seen what he draws in his notepad?"

Things like this reached him without him even wanting to hear them. The worst thing he heard was, "I'm sure he sacrificed his family to Satan or something."

"No, you're kidding."

"Yes he is an orphan I heard."

"Who told you this?"

"Jenny did ..."

Caleb wanted to throw up. He had confided in Jenny that his parents had died but never mentioned how. The rest was cheap street talk or maybe a good guess but it came damn close to the truth - and it hurt.

They had three classes together today. Usually, he looked forward to Mondays even though they had English. They usually wrote little letters and secretly exchanged them when the teacher wasn't looking. Caleb sometimes had cheated and read her mind, but it had spoiled the fun of the message. So he had stopped reading Jenny. He hadn't read her or Pietro on Saturday either. He wished he had done it. It would have prevented everything from happening. But it was too late for regret. The damage was done. He had felt safe with his friends, though he knew they all did drugs there, he had never thought Jenny would betray his trust like this.

Sighing, he entered. The classroom was filled with nearly the whole class. They all talked in groups at various desks.

A weird uncomfortable silence laid over the room when he entered. You would have heard a pin fall.

Caleb swallowed thickly and started moving to his seat. The whispering started when he passed. He tried not to show how uncomfortable he felt.

He sat down, took out his notepad, and started drawing to calm his nerves or at least keep himself occupied. The teacher entered not long after him and he had never been so glad to see Mr. Pratchett. Though it didn't last long until he side-glanced at Jenny. She quickly turned her head to hide that she had been staring at him.

Caleb couldn't resist reading her this time. Her thoughts were back at the party. She was scared of him. He had went totally crazy after they had drugged him. At least she felt guilty too. He needed to talk to her. He tried his best to concentrate on the English lesson until the bell for break rang.

Jenny quickly left the classroom. Caleb hurried to follow her. "Jenny! Hey, wait a second. Can I talk to you?"

She stopped and squeezed her book a bit tighter to her midsection - a protection move. "Look, Caleb. I'm sorry for what happened at the party but I think it's better if we don't see each other anymore. I … I saw a side of you that I never knew and it really scared me." She turned to leave.

Caleb needed a second to understand that she had just broken up with him officially. "Jenny, wait..." He grabbed her arm with more force than he had the intention to. She looked at him wide-eyed. This was fear. She was really scared of him. He had planned to ask her if she had known about the drink - if she had done it intentionally. But her scared gaze stung his heart and he let her go. Confused, he looked after her while she hurried into the girls bathroom.

His heart ached more than he had thought possible. He knew their relationship was over but to hear it like this was bad. Caleb considered calling Mac but decided against it. Instead, he fled up to the rooftop of the school. With a bit of luck, no teachers would notice his absence. The first two classes were over and Mr. Pratchett had already checked attendance. He couldn't go back to class at the moment - he just couldn't.

On top of the school building, he hid behind the tower with the small weather station on top. "Fucking shit! She just broke up with me!" He felt anger, disappointment, and heartache of the evil kind - all at once. Caleb didn't smoke often. He tried it before but only did it at parties in the company of friends but today he felt the urge for a cigarette. It was said it calms the nerves. He had never felt anything like it but he needed to do something to distract him at the moment. Grabbing into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, he fumbled for the package of Marlborough he had stored there for emergencies and lit one. Eying the Zippo John had gifted him on his birthday, he had to think of The Knight. What would Johnny tell him right now? Caleb let out a short crazy laugh and shook his head. Probably he would tell him never to trust a woman. He drew another time at the cigarette, inhaling deeply. He instantly felt the dizzy feeling it caused though it was gone nearly as fast as it had come. The tears fought their way to his eyes and by closing his eyelids they ran over his cheeks. Sniffling he brushed them away but they just didn't stop running down.

An hour later he had himself under control again and felt able to climb down into the school building. He had skipped the third class he had with Jenny and would get through the rest of the day.

*** Brotherhood ***

MACKLAND

Dr. Ames heard the lock in the door and sensed his son. He closed the magazine he was reading and walked into the hallway to greet Caleb. He had been concerned about sending him to school today, only two days after the incident at Pietro's house party. The wave of different emotions that hit him now wasn't easy to read. Sadness, anger, concern, and self-doubt were the strongest.

Caleb looked up, surprised to see his father. "Oh, you are home. I thought you had meetings all day," he said with a depressed voice.

"Yes, son. I thought you'd maybe need me here when you came from school. You know - to talk or something. How was your day? Any problems?"

Caleb just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not much I hadn't expected. I'm going to my room."

Mackland had planned to eat a late lunch with his son and talk about everything at school but the teen seemed to have other plans. "How about we eat something first and talk?"

"I'm not hungry, Dad," Caleb stated and vanished into his room leaving his bag in the hallway.

Mackland eyed the bag. His son knew how he hated it when he left his things in the hallway. But he would accept it for today. Sighing he turned and returned to the living room area. He would give Caleb a bit more time to come down from today's events.

The hours passed and Mackland heard various bands playing from Caleb's room but his son didn't show up. At six o'clock he decided he had waited long enough. Walking to Caleb's room, he thought about how he could get Caleb to talk to him. He knocked. "Caleb?" Loud heavy metal music was gulping every try to get attention. He knocked harder and spoke louder. "CALEB! CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR PLEASE?"

The music stopped and Caleb opened the door, returning to the desk where he had been scribbling before.

"What are you doing, son?"

"Nothing." Caleb started playing with a pencil.

Mackland decided on the direct way before his chance to talk would pass. "You know you can trust me with everything, Son. Tell me what happened today, please. I wanna help."

Caleb sighed, laying the pencil away. "I talked to Jenny. She broke up with me. I already knew it was over but it hurt to hear it from her. That's all."

Mackland felt for his boy but was also angry about Jenny, that she had done this to him. In his opinion, she should've begged him for pardon, not broken up with him. Caleb should have broken up with her. Obviously, she had hurt Caleb even more. "She didn't apologize?"

"Dad, I told you she broke up with me. She said she was scared of me. Who cares if she has apologized, I don't want people to be scared of me - not like this. Maybe you were wrong and I am a threat like Daniel Elkins believed."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop this, you are no threat! These kids drugged you and they brought you into an unbelievable stress situation. This is in no way anything you caused. They scared you, not the other way around. They took advantage your trust! Of all your friends, Jennifer should have done something to prevent it but she even gave you the drink. I know it hurts now but you are better off without her. Trust me."

*** Brotherhood ***

CALEB

The teenager saw the logic his father tried to show him in all of this but the hurt and self-doubt didn't go away.

"How about we two go out for dinner? You'll see something else and maybe come to other thoughts. What do you think? You have to eat something. For me, Son?" Mackland tried.

Caleb didn't feel hungry at all though he hadn't eaten since breakfast. The headache he felt behind his forehead since lunch didn't fire up his appetite either. But he could hardly refuse Mac the request. "Ok, Dad," he answered without looking up.

Mac was satisfied with this. "Good. I'll wait for you in the hallway." He got up and carefully closed the door.

Caleb felt tired. How could everything go so out of control? Friday his life had seemed just fine and now he stood there alone and everyone looked at him like he was the freak. He hated it. He wasn't sure how to survive another school day like this. He took a deep breath and followed Mac.

They drove to the restaurant near the Manhattan Bridge. He liked coming here. He had good memories of this place. Caleb was sure Mac had not picked this restaurant by coincidence.

"Does Grandpa really have to press charges against Pietro's family and Jennifer? I mean it was a mean joke. But they couldn't have known what would happen." Much more silently he added, "That I would freak out that bad. Or how I would react if they tied me up and put me in the closet."

Mackland put a hand on his son's. "Caleb, it is right that they couldn't have known it but that is exactly the problem they have to realize. You can never foresee what will happen when you drug someone, not to mention that it is illegal. I haven't spoken to grandpa today, but we can call him later if you want."

The waitress came with their plates. Caleb ate one of his fries first, soon another, until his appetite finally came back and a warm feeling spread through his gut while he started eating properly.

He saw Mac smiling over his appetite. Caleb ended up eating the whole rump steak, vegetables, and fries until his plate was completely empty. "Do you want dessert? They have cherry pie on the menu today."

Caleb studied the Manhattan Bridge construction that was visible from their spot. At the word 'pie' he instantly had to think of his little friend Dean Winchester. Dean loved pie. He wished they could just fly to Kentucky and stay at Jim Murphy's farm for a few days. Maybe he should call the Winchesters. "Have you spoken to John lately?"

Mac looked up from the menu card. "It's been a week now. Why are you asking?"

Caleb smiled, it felt like the first smile of the day. "I just had to think of Dean when you mentioned pie. Let's have a piece."

Mac ordered their dessert, then turned to Caleb again. "John told me they'll drive to Jim's at the end of the month. How about we meet them there? I know it's still three weeks but it's something we could look forward to. Until then try to keep you head low and don't get into trouble, okay?"

"Sounds like a good plan. I miss the little rugrats." Mac had built him a bridge to look forward to something. Caleb had to smile again. Maybe he could survive a few more days in school by keeping his head low.

TBC

A/N: Thank you for reading. If you liked the story, leave a short comment. It would make my day.