While Bobby was trying to contemplate how best to tell Dean that Caleb's appeal had been shot down, another positive was making its presence known: Until that point, Caleb hadn't been allowed access to the phone in the jail to call people, due to his status as a maximum security inmate, but finally the jail had started allowing its inmates privileges like that, and had started letting them make calls to their friends and family Bobby was grateful for that. It gave him a chance to talk to Caleb without having to travel all that distance to Minnesota where he had been transported after his arrest, and it gave him a chance to update him on the boys.

It was still surreal that he had to resort to those means to speak with his friend; it was still unbelievable that Caleb was in jail again, and for something he didn't do, but at least they now had the option of speaking more freely. The first call he made, was right after they had gotten back to the safe house. Dawn had told him that Caleb had been allowed phone rights, but until then, he hadn't had the chance to call.

"Hey," Bobby said, once he had accepted the stupid automated message the jail left, before allowing Caleb the chance to talk. "Long time no talk."

Yeah, Caleb said with a laugh. I know the feeling. How is everything going there?

"Can't complain," Bobby said carefully. "Dawn said your appeal was turned down?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Bobby knew that Caleb was trying to regain control over his fractured emotions the best he could.

The new judge said that he agreed with the old one, that I was a flight risk. I mean it, I can't make a move without that choice coming back to bite me.

It was hard for Bobby to hear the utter hopelessness in Caleb's voice. It had been a choice they both recognized as one that Caleb had no choice but to make, and yet it was the choice that had doomed him to spend an immeasurable amount of time behind bars.

"You know," Bobby said, "that it was the right choice to make." He was trying to insert as much self-confidence into Caleb as he possibly could, as he could feel his friend's pain and self-doubt even on the other end of the line.

I know it was. I know that I couldn't let them go to CPS. Not when the YED was still out there, still waiting to make a move against Sammy.

"And so that's what you need to remember, Caleb."

I know, but when you're stuck behind bars all day, it starts to wear on you a little.

"I can understand," Bobby said. "How often do you get to call us now?"

As often as I want, actually, as long as I'm not hogging the phone from other people in here.

That was one bright spot in a world that had become so dark and unclear to him: as long as he didn't hoard the phone in the jail, he was allowed to use it as often as he wanted to call people, and he planned on taking full advantage of that power, too.

"Well, that's good."

Yeah, I know. I'll need this.

If he was expected to wait another six weeks for another chance at freedom, he needed all the distractions that he could possibly get. It was only because he had kept his head down and had followed the rules inside the jail that he had been allowed the chance to reconnect again with the outside world, even if it was just a phone call.

"So we just got back from Nebraska."

Oh, yeah? How did it go?

"It was...interesting," Bobby finally said, settling on the one word that could best accurately describe the eventful turn their trip had taken. He was still on the fence about telling Caleb about the hunt, knowing how upsetting it would be for him to hear of Dean's injury, and not be able to do anything about it from where he was.

That sounds promising, Caleb said with a rare laugh. Did Bill rope you into a job?

"You could say that," Bobby said with a roll of his eyes, as he kept an eye on the food he was cooking. "Do you want to talk to the boys?" He had suddenly realized that Caleb could now do that.

Are you kidding? Caleb said, his voice cracked. Of course I do.

It had been a few weeks since he had last spoken with the boys, and he had missed it dearly. It had been one of the hardest parts of his imprisonment, being cut off from being a part of their lives, especially with how much they had lost recently with the death of Jim, and Sam being kidnapped by YED.

"Okay," Bobby said. "Dean," he said, holding the phone away from his ear.

"Yeah?" Dean said, as he took a seat at the counter. "Who are you talking to?"

"Caleb," Bobby said with a small smile, as he looked closely at Dean for his reaction to that surprising news.

"Are you serious?" Dean whispered, not even believing what he was being told.

"Yeah. He wants to talk to you."

"He...does?"

"Of course."

Taking the phone with trembling fingers, not even believing the fact that he would finally be allowed to speak with Caleb after so many weeks of being separated from him, he tried to take control of his overwrought emotions, as he prepared to talk.

"Hey," he said, trying to talk to him like he normally would have, even though there was nothing normal about their situation, and the fact that he had to talk to Caleb while he was stuck in jail.

Hey, stranger, Caleb said with a laugh. How are you doing, bud?

"G-good," Dean said shakily, trying to insert as much happiness and confidence into his tone as possible. "You?"

He knew that would be questionable. He couldn't imagine spending so much time in jail for something he didn't even do, but talking to him now, Dean could almost see the smile on his face as they talked to each other.

I-I can't complain. Some days are better than others.

"Yeah," Dean admitted, as he let his body fall back against the counter. "Sometimes I have days where it's still really hard with the separation, but it's not in my face like most other days are."

I know the feeling. Some days I wake up and I know that I'll be okay and I can handle it, and then there are other days where I'm feeling it, and it's bad.

Dean nodded, as a single tear slid down his face. Caleb sounded happy, sounded glad to talk to him finally, but he knew that was most likely an act that Caleb was putting on so he wouldn't freak out anymore than he already had. "Yeah," he said shakily, "it's the same for me. I just...I just miss you a lot."

It was hard to put into words how much he missed Caleb. He missed their incredible bond with each other, he missed the talks they had, he missed how Caleb seemed to know him so well, and could use that to his advantage when they had their heart to hearts with each other.

Well, I would hope you would know that I miss you and Sammy more than I could even put into words. You don't really think of what will happen when you're not with each other, and then when it's right there, it hits you like a ton of bricks.

Dean nodded, as he brought his shirt up to his eyes to muffle a quiet sob, as a single tear slid down his face. "Yeah, I know."

Bobby said that you guys went to see Ellen and Bill, Caleb said, trying to switch Dean's mind away from the fact that he wasn't there, and on to something positive and happy. How did that go?

"It was good. Bill had us helping him on a job."

Of course the job had turned out to be a nightmare one, that had almost resulted in him losing his life, but he didn't know if Bobby had broached that topic with him yet or not.

That's what I heard; how did it go?

"Well," Dean said, shaking his head in disbelief, as he found himself relaxing in just the slightest, as he prepared to divulge what happened on the hunt. "I almost got killed," he said with a small laugh.

Excuse me?

"It was a poltergeist, and we had cleared the bottom half of the house, and when we went upstairs where most of the attacks had happened, the poltergeist flung this knife at me, and it got me in the side."

Are you kidding me? Caleb said incredulously. Are you okay?

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I had to have surgery and crap like that, but I'm mostly okay now. I just have some broken ribs that are healing, and that's pretty much it."

It was a close call, but he had been lucky to escape from serious harm, and he fully realized that, too.

You're lucky, and I'm sure you learned your lesson about offering Bill any help, he said with a laugh.

"Hell yeah. So uh, Bobby mentioned something about Dawn maybe getting you bail on appeal or something?" Bobby hadn't mentioned anything else about the status of the motion she had filed, and he was wondering what, if anything, had transpired.

Yeah, Caleb said, choosing his words carefully, as he tried to figure out a way to break Dean's heart gently, as if there was even a way to do that. The hearing happened already.

"And?" Dean pressed expectantly.

And there was a new judge who heard it, and he denied it.

"They denied it?" he demanded weakly, feeling tears burn the corners of his eyes.

Unfortunately, Caleb said, allowing just a little bit of bitterness to seep into his tone. And that was my last chance to get out before the prelim happens, and with the way my luck has continually screwed me over, I'm sure I'll be headed to trial before too long.

"When," Dean said, closing his eyes as he took a deep, comforting breath. "When is the prelim supposed to happen?"

Not...not for another six weeks or so. The courts are backlogged with cases, and it wouldn't be fair to put the ones who are going first, behind me, and so Dawn is trying to fast track it but that's the soonest we can get in.

Dean shook his head, as he tried to keep a grip on his fractured emotions, as he tried to remind himself that he was lucky enough to at least be talking to Caleb, even though he missed actually seeing him more than anything in the world.

"Then what happens?"

Then the judge determines if there's enough evidence to send me all the way to trial or not.

Caleb wasn't feeling too confident about his chances; there had just been too many letdowns for him to have full and complete faith in the system like he used to have.

"Can I-can I ask you something?" Dean said, as he pinched the bridge between his nose and eyes with two fingers.

Shoot.

"I just have this feeling," Dean said, "and just tell me that I'm acting stupid, okay? But I feel like all this is my fault." When he had confided in Bobby what he was really feeling, Bobby had told him in no uncertain terms that it was ridiculous to feel that way, but it was the way his brain was hardwired into thinking that was the problem.

Dean, I made a choice, Caleb said, trying to make him see that it was in no way shape or form his fault for what had happened to him. This is not on you. You did not force me into that car, you did not do anything that made this happen. I don't want you blaming yourself, because it's not true, Dean. There is no way I believe that, and you shouldn't either.

"It's just how I think-"

Then you need to tell your brain to shut up, because the kind of crap you put on yourself, Dean, isn't right. It's not anything anyone could have helped. I made a choice to protect you and your brother, and whatever happened after that, is on me completely.

"What if you get convicted? What if that judge gives you a life sentence?"

Then-then we will deal with it if and when it comes. Right now, we need to, as much as we possibly can, look on the bright side of things, alright? We need to imagine the best possible outcome for this.

Dean nodded. "Yeah. At least this time I can talk to you."

Last time he had been in jail for murder, he had been cut off completely from Caleb. No phone calls, no anything, and he had had to wait three entire months before seeing him again.

That's right; that's one big improvement, isn't it?

"Yeah. How often can you call?"

There's no limit, actually. As long as I'm not hoarding the phone, I can call every day if I want to.

"Can you?"

Sure.

"Okay."

Do you mind if I talk to Sammy before I have to hang up?

"Well," Dean said, trying to reclaim the teasing attitude he had had when they had first started talking. "I could but then that'd be too nice."

Give him the phone, Caleb said in a mock-serious voice.

"Fine," Dean said, with a roll of his eyes, even though Caleb couldn't see it from where he was. "I love you."

I love you too, dude.


As Sam got on the phone with him, Caleb tried to reign in his emotions as best he could. Even though he knew that Sam knew where he was, he didn't want to let his voice betray just how hard the last two or three weeks had been on him, and he wanted to enjoy a really good conversation with the energetic nine-year-old.

"Hi", Sam said, as he finally got on the other end of the line.

Caleb smiled, even though he could feel his heart break that he couldn't be there physically with them. At least not yet, but being able to finally have the chance to, at least, somewhat be a part of their lives again, was incomparable to him.

Hey, Sammy boy, he said softly, using his nickname for him. How are you doing?

"Good. I miss you, though."

He could almost see the way Sam pouted as he talked to him, and he missed it. He missed everything about those boys, and that was what was so hard about not being able to see them. It was the little things as much as it was the big things.

I miss you more, Caleb said teasingly, as his hand absently wiped away a tear.

"Uh-uh. I miss you more than all the ice cream and cookies in the world."

Wow, Caleb said. "I feel so honored. I mean more than all the treats in the

universe, huh?"

Yup. I decided.

Well, I miss you more than all the cakes and cookies and ice creams in the planet.

Sam giggled. "When are you going to come back?"

I don't know. A judge has to agree to let me out first.

"When is that going to be?"

It might be a little while, Sammy, he said, speaking quietly.

How long? Sam pressed.

Well, Caleb said, I have to go before a judge in about six weeks, and see if the evidence in this case, clears me or not. If it doesn't, I have to go to trial so a jury can decide if I'm guilty or not.

"But you're not guilty", Sam said, struggling to understand why no one else could understand that, as he spoke with the loving, kind Caleb that he had known almost his entire life.

"I know that," Caleb said, closing his eyes against the pain that he felt, as he tried to speak consciously for himself and for Sam. "And you know that, and so does Dean and Bobby, but it's the opinions of the people that have the power of keeping me in eternal boredom that matters."

"I hate this", Sam said, and Caleb could hear him sniffling. "Dean and Bobby said that I couldn't come and see you because there are things I might see that would upset me."

Caleb nodded. Yeah, there would be probably be a few things, buddy.

"I know, but I still want to see you. You're my buddy."

Caleb shook his head, as he scrubbed his fingers through his eyes, trying to keep himself under control long enough to finish the conversation. And you're my buddy, Sammy, he said, as tears leaked down his face, as he struggled to keep his voice under control.

"Then why-"

There are rules that you may not understand, and I don't want you to see me in that position.

"What rules?"

You can't touch me, you can't hug me in any way.

The no physical contact rule was hard. It wasn't enough that he had to be in jail, but then he was denied the right to hug his family and friends when they came to see him. It just got crueler and crueler by the minute, and he was powerless to stop it. As he said goodbye and that he loved Sam, he felt confident that he would finally be able to be part of the boy's lives again. Even if it was only through the phone.