A/N:
Thank you Guest for the review!
Scar let go of Sam once they were on the floor and turned warily towards the door. It loomed higher above their heads than ever, especially with the threat waiting somewhere beyond it. A human who would be angry with them could come wandering back in at any time, and he already had it out for Sam.
Scar's heart pounded. If it was the last thing he ever did, he'd make sure Sam had a chance.
Underneath the desk was an appealing option to hide, but Bobby would likely search there first. Their other options required a run across open floor, and they didn't have the time to be picky. Scar grabbed Sam's arm and pulled him into a run towards the nearest wall. There was some kind of cabinet there, next to a bookshelf.
They had to hope there was somewhere to hide that would put them out of reach while they came up with a more focused plan. For now, they needed to run.
Five minutes ago…
Dean rocked back on his heels impatiently after he pressed the doorbell. The tranquil chimes filled the air, cutting through the tension between him and the others.
Bowman was once more squirreled away in his sling. Dean didn't like leaving the little guy on his own any more than Bowman liked being in the Impala without them. It was a completely alien environment for the sprite, one that had no camouflage for him at all. Sam would likely be the same, at least while he had clothing that fit the colors of the forest like the other knights.
No matter what, once they found him and Scar, Dean was determined to make him comfortable wherever he was. Size didn't matter, upbringing didn't matter. His little brother belonged in the Impala just as much as Dean or John.
The reason for the tension was the feeling of not knowing Sam's fate. Until they got back to the forest, the sprites that were searching for the others had no way of contacting the humans. It made Dean wish he'd left a cell phone with them. The battery would last at least a day, giving them a connection to Cerul's search and rescue party. Dean was getting antsy the longer they were out of the forest checking on Bobby.
He couldn't just ignore the kid, especially if Bobby needed help after the demon. Sam would expect him to stick with the case. It was his job, after all, and the sprites had theirs.
Sam just needed to focus on his. Survival.
Dean was starting to consider hitting the doorbell again. Impatience was practically brimming over the edge of his emotions.
Jacob waited with Dean at the door, refraining from walking right into his friend's house. He'd been invited there so many times over the years that he was practically a member of the family, but he waited until he could hear footsteps approaching the door. With Dean, a complete stranger, along to check on Bobby, they could easily overwhelm him.
Before the footsteps reached the door, Jacob shot one glance at the sling on Dean's arm to check on Bowman. The sprite was tucked away in hiding, his wings folded close. He was so well hidden by the sling that Jacob could barely see him even standing at the correct angle. Bobby definitely wouldn't notice him there.
He had to look up a moment later when the door pulled open partway and his friend's face appeared. Bobby looked surprisingly well-rested despite his time as a possessee. He'd probably gotten home and zoned out for the entire night. He hadn't gotten as knocked around as Jacob had.
His blue eyes shifted from a frown of confusion to a look of surprise. "Jake! Dude, what ... ah," he trailed off, looking up at Dean. "What's up?"
"Hi, Bobby Loran?" Dean took charge instantly. Technically, Jacob was 'assisting' him in the case, so the teen wouldn't be the one expected to ask any questions. With the way Dean's life was ruled by secrecy and subterfuge, it was important to keep up appearances on all fronts.
"My name's Jimmy Page." Dean dug in his jacket to pull out the familiar ID he'd used during the entire case. At least, up until he needed to check into the hospital. It was flashed in front of Bobby's icy blue eyes. During the entire movement and as Dean tucked it back into his leather jacket, he could feel the slight motions of the sprite against his arm. It was definitely one of the strangest sensations he'd ever felt, especially knowing that the little tickle down there was someone's entire body.
"Jacob's been helping me out with the case ever since you clocked him one in the forest." Unlike the other adults, Dean knew the entire story. There was no way Jacob had lied about it. He was good at reading people, in poker or real life, and every instinct told him that Bobby was the one twisting the truth. They were going to get to the bottom of Bobby's lie if he had to drag it out of the kid himself. That way they could get back to the forest. "Everyone's worried about you since you booked it after the attack. I'm afraid I'll need to ask you some questions before we can call it case closed."
Bobby's confused frown returned without missing a beat. He hid his shock flawlessly, and if Jacob hadn't already given his story it was possible he could have convinced them. "But I ... that wasn't me," he said, sounding perplexed and worried. "I-I already said, there was a guy ..."
Jacob pursed his lips as Bobby trailed off. His friend kept glancing at Dean, looking like he worried he might be in trouble. Considering he'd never done anything against the law before, finding an FBI agent on his front steps so soon after what he went through was probably quite a shock. Jacob resisted the urge to tell him that it was fine, they knew what really happened and took care of it.
Bobby sighed, still keeping the door mostly closed as he spoke again. "Look, guys, it was all really crazy and stressful and stuff ... I'm sorry for running off. Am I in trouble?"
Dean was shaking his head. "We just need to find out what happened out there. No one's in any trouble here, but you ran off in the middle of a difficult investigation, and that makes you look… suspicious. Especially since both of your friends got hurt. So I'm here to clear everything up before it gets muddled. You can call me a… specialist for this kind of case."
The entire time, Dean's voice was gruff, a no-nonsense demeanor falling over him that he saved for difficult talks. "Now, the night of the attack, Jacob and Chase both ended up in the hospital. Can you tell me everything that you remember happening up until you ran into the forest? What exactly happened out there?"
Bobby pursed his lips and glanced at Jacob, his ice blue gaze lingering on the deep bruise on the side of his face. It looked especially dark with the sunlight glaring on it, and for a moment it looked like Bobby was speechless over what had happened. He looked ashamed.
"I got up 'cause Chase tossed a soda can and I missed catching it, so I went to pick it up," he began. "I was coming back when this guy just blew past me from somewhere in the trees and hit Jacob and then Chase, and then when I ran forward to ask that the fuck was wrong with him he turned on me, too."
Jacob glanced aside at Dean, wishing he could read his stoic face and tell what he thought of Bobby's lie. It was convincing, but Jacob had known Bobby to mess with the truth a lot before.
Bobby finished off with "The guy must have been on drugs or something, I dunno ... I ran my ass off 'cause I seriously thought he was about to kill me."
Dean nodded, following along with the story up until it deviated completely from Jacob and Chase's. He might be inclined to believe Bobby over Chase, considering the other teen's asthma attack. Something like that would override other factors, like who was around during the attack.
"And after the 'attack,' you didn't want to come back and check on your friends?" Dean asked dubiously. This story didn't come close to lining up. Victims of demons talked about lost periods of time where they didn't remember anything, or being forced to watch their body do things that they had no control over. Not this. "Or even the next day? This campground is on your family's property, and you're telling me you just kept running."
Dean's voice changed, growing more clipped. "Bobby, let me cut to the chase and save your breath. We know there wasn't anyone else out there. So how 'bout you tell me what really happened that night?"
Bobby huffed and couldn't resist sending the FBI agent a brief glare. His story had worked well for the cops before, and of course his parents would believe any word he said. He'd even heard that Chase begrudgingly admitted he might have been wrong about things. But this guy was persistent, and with Jacob there not backing Bobby up at all, he didn't have many options.
"Look, dude, you'll just think I'm crazy," he said dubiously. "It wasn't me, I swear. Jacob, you know I wouldn't just attack you guys!"
He fixed Jacob with a look, and the taller teen frowned. Bobby looked so determined, and Jacob finally took a chance to speak up. "Was it like you had no control over your own body?" he asked.
Bobby glanced back at Dean before staring at Jacob again. "What the fuck is actually going on here?" he asked. "How did you know? Is this some X-Files shit?"
"No, the X-Files is a TV show," Dean pointed out dryly. He heard that all the time from victims, considering the crazy shit he had to dig them out of. Gods, shapeshifters, werewolves… everything the world said didn't exist. "This is real. All you need to know is no matter what you say, I won't think you're crazy. Jacob won't think you're crazy." He took a step forward, giving Bobby his best understanding look. Being himself, it didn't change much from his standard intensity.
"What really happened out there?" Dean asked gently.
Bobby kept a wary eye on Dean with him closer to the door. He nearly wanted to shut the door in his face at this point. Instead, he took a slow breath. "It's like Jacob said. I couldn't control my own body. So it was ... like, me, sure, but I was just watching. I swear. I would never do that to my friends."
He glanced at Jacob again, staring at the bruise. Jacob offered him a faint smile, but Bobby didn't return it. It looked like the visit had weirded him out thoroughly, especially coming so soon after he managed to cook up an alibi for everyone else.
Dean nodded, suspicions rising at Bobby's fast turnaround. It raised every red flag he had in his mind. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that Bobby was still possessed and pull out the holy water. But they knew the demon was gone. He'd seen the exorcism finish it off thanks to Bobby Singer's clear recitation.
Instead of accusing Bobby, Dean reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card. It had his fake name on it along with the number to one of his burner phones. It served as a useful way to keep an eye on victims on the off chance that the case was still open. "Look, give me a ring if anything else weird happens. I'm always on call."
Before leaving, Dean paused. "When you were out in the forest, did you happen to see anyone else around? My… partner was giving Jacob a hand and now he's vanished."
Bobby looked up from reading the card and tilted his head. He absently braced a hand on the edge of the door to drum his fingers, revealing a small but nasty cut near his thumb as he did. The card slipped into his back pocket before he finally shook his head. "I don't remember seeing anyone else," he said.
Jacob sighed. If Bobby had seen a sprite or someone like Sam, he might have written it off as a hallucination. He was still acting kind of odd, but then again he had been possessed.
Bobby spoke again, pointing at Dean with the hand braced on the door. "Hey, you got a map of the forest? I can probably grab you an extra one if you need it, if it'll help."
Dean stiffened at the sight of that hand, his eyes landing on a fresh cut. It could be from a briar patch or a fall. Yet an image of Sam rose to mind, holding out his knife to prove to Dean who he was.
A tiny knife just big enough to cause a cut like that if Bobby snatched at him.
There was no way Sam would go down without a fight. Scar's sword had been found in the forest but not Sam's, leaving the small knight armed. If it wasn't for Bobby's suspicious behaviour, Dean might have brushed off the cut as an accident from the teen's time in the forest. As it was, this added to the rest was making Dean think there was a reason they'd found only a glider in the forest where Bobby was freed from the demon.
None of this showed on his face. Dean kept himself under tight control.
"That would be a huge help in my investigation," he said with an easy grin. "Thanks."
Bobby nodded and stood up straight again. "Hey, man, whatever's going on out there is freaky as hell. I'll do what I can. Wait here a sec," he said, some of his initial concern fading away as the conversation didn't lead him into trouble. He turned away from the door, and without him propping it open, it fell closed with a slam that made Bowman flinch in Dean's sling.
Jacob gave the closed door an odd look. "He is ... really different from usual," he commented, glancing at Dean.
"I'm not impressed," Bowman assessed, taking the chance to speak up now that it was just them on the front step, but he remained hidden in Dean's sling. "No offense but your friend is odd, Jacob."
"It's more than that," Dean said. His easygoing manner with Bobby dropped away like it never existed. A perpetual frown took its place on his face. "He's lying."
There it was, out in the air. Dean plowed through the tension with heedless disregard. "I've dealt with victims of possession before. He's not acting like them. Like, at all. And I got a good look at his hand. There's a cut on it, just big enough to be from Sam."
That was enough to prompt Bowman to poke his head out from his hiding place to peer up at Dean. "You think he knows what happened to Sam?" he asked hopefully, worry for Sam fraying his patience.
It dawned on Jacob even as Bowman asked. "He ... he might have Sam. There was blood on Scar's rapier when they brought it back."
Bowman's expression shifted into an outraged glare while his heart fluttered with fear for what might have become of Sam. "Well if they're here, we gotta go get 'em!"
"Don't worry," Dean reassured Bowman. His voice was shockingly calm, devoid of any emotion. "If Sam or Scar is in there, we're not leaving without them."
If he had to break down the door to get to them, he would.
Dean peered around the house, taking in the height and the second story windows. "Bowman, is there any way you can scout out the house?" he asked urgently, remembering Sam's assurance the day before about how Bowman was a patrolsprite. "If we know where they are, we can get to them faster. That way, I'm not just breaking into some kid's house in the middle of the day."
Bowman nodded and found his way to the end of the sling so that he stood briefly on Dean's wrist before his wings sprang to life and he leapt into the air. "Of course I can scout," he answered, flitting straight upwards before veering to the side. He dashed around the side of the huge, blocky house with silent wings, his gaze darting this way and that. In his rush to find the others, he didn't even look back at the only two giants around that would keep him safe.
Everything was unfamiliar here. Even the trees, though they had their inviting tufts of verdant leaves, were manicured and tended much more than the wild growth back home. The grass was shorter and flowers tended to grow only in the squares of earth allotted to them. All of that almost looked odder to Bowman than the human things all around.
He had to take his focus off the other houses and cars and indecipherable things in the area to check the windows he passed by. Bowman fluttered near the corners, peeking into each one cautiously in case a human might be looking out at him. Nothing.
In one room, he saw Bobby sifting through some papers on a wide, square (of course) table. The human was smaller than Jacob and Dean, but Bowman saw an annoyed look on his face that spoke volumes. He shuddered and moved on just as Bobby straightened with something in hand, most likely the map for Dean. Time was running out.
Bowman didn't sacrifice looking closely for finishing up his mission quickly. He still checked every window until one towards the back of the house held his attention and he stopped. There was, on a desk in the middle of the room, something that dropped ice into his stomach.
A cage.
Bowman's hands pressed to the glass and he stared at the floor of that cage, finding no sign of Sam or Scar. The door hung open. Bowman scanned the rest of the room, desperately hoping to find a splash of green somewhere.
There was no time. Bowman huffed in frustration, but the empty cage was enough confirmation for him. They would be fools not to at least check. He darted away from the window, determined to ensure that their escape wouldn't be in vain.
He reached a front corner of the house and peeked around it cautiously, clinging easily to a brick a foot or two higher than Dean's eye level. Bobby was back at the door, and Jacob was chatting with him carefully about the landmarks noted on the piece of paper between them. Bowman took a chance and flickered one wing to draw the hunter's sharp gaze, and when he met eyes with Dean, he nodded frantically and pointed towards the back of the house.
Dean's eyes narrowed, and he changed the direction of his stare towards Bobby. The kid who'd kidnapped his brother. With the blood on Scar's sword, there was no way the knights had gone willingly. Sam would never vanish without letting them know.
One arm might be broken, and it was even Dean's dominant arm, but that didn't matter. His father had stressed training with both hands. That way, if one arm got injured in a fight, he'd still be able to battle on. Otherwise an injury would turn crippling and could get him killed.
In one fluid motion Dean had his Colt drawn and cocked back, sidestepping in front of Jacob. The silver engravings on the side caught the sun and shone.
"Where's Sam?" he demanded, his eyes hard.
A/N:
Dean's not fooled.
Next: April 19th, 2020 at 9pm EST.
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