CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The Cat's Outta The Bag, Almost

"The hell you starin' at?" Dean muffled through a mouth full of his breakfast. He had to admit he was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable by the way Sam was watching him with an accusing glare.

"Do you have anything you'd like to get off your chest?" Sam questioned, his eyes narrowed as he waited for his brother to spill his guts, hopefully not literally.

Dean set down the spoon he had been using for his cereal, leaning back in his seat to get comfortable. Thankfully, Ellen and Jo were off on a case and Bobby and John were out back looking at cars, specifically the 67' Chevy Impala. The eldest demon looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to figure how he had screwed up and his brother somehow found out. "Not that I know of. What's gotten into you?" He lied, trying to stall for as long as possible.

Sam scoffed, the vision he had experienced two days ago still vivid in his head. "You didn't do anything stupid did you?"

Dean chuckled, not aware of the seriousness is brother was radiating. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific Sammy, I do stupid stuff all the ti-"

"Have you talked to Crowley lately?" The youngest demon cut in, Dean's eyes widening in shock. "You have, haven't you?" Sam accused, his voice rising.

"What the fucks the matter with you? Of course not. Did you get a stick shoved up your ass or somethin'?" The eldest demon questioned, his words harsh as his brother stood up quickly.

"I'm not the one keeping secrets Dean!" Sam yelled as he held his arms out to the side, glossing over the fact that he was keeping secrets.

The eldest son's eyes flashed black as he stood up, not caring how Sam took a careful step back. "Really Sam? Cause ever since we got back from the house, you've been acting different." Dean huffed in frustration, watching his brother start to look like a hurt puppy. Because the oldest demon was smarter then he looked, he put two and two together as he remembered something back to his childhood, eyes widening in recognition. "Azazel cornered you." Sam turned his gaze to the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with his brother. Dean took a step forward, grabbing a hold of the youngest demon's collar and shaking him forcefully. "Didn't he?!" He demanded, eyes still black orbs.

Sam shoved his agitated brother away, not really in the mood to deal with his temper. "It doesn't matter. I've got them under control."

"Them?" Dean asked roughly, eyeing the tall man in front of him with worry.

Sam's voice dropped to where it was barely above a whisper as he spoke. "I've been having visions. And… I had one of you Dean."

The eldest demon shook his head as he turned his back on his brother, pinching the bridge of his nose as he digested the information. Fucking visions?, He thought, Just one more thing to complicate our lives."What the hell, man?" He asked as he turned back to face the apparently physic demon before him.

Sam shook his head, not sure himself. "I don't know."

"No seriously, what the hell?" Dean demanded, pissed about the fact that this weirdo shit was happening to his brother. "What are the visions of?"

Sam exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "People dying. You getting dragged to Hell." He paused, trying gauge his brother's mask of emotions. "And I checked, the three people I've seen die, are really dead. So tell me Dean, why the hell am I seeing you get hauled by hellhounds downstairs?" Sam asked, his body starting to shake with anger.

"How the fuck am I suppose to know?" Dean didn't like lying to Sam, but the timing just wasn't right.

"Don't." The youngest demon said as he pointed a shaky finger at the eldest demon. "Don't lie to me. I deserve better."

Dean groaned as he rolled his eyes, really trying to sell it. "How would I know what Crowley has planned? That dick has cards up his sleeve all the time we don't know about."

Any further conversation was stopped, the heavy sound of footsteps approaching the back door.

"Boys." Bobby greeted with a nod of his head as he and John entered the kitchen with grease stained hands.

"Hi- Bobby-" Sam said through clenched teeth as he gripped the side of his head, an extremely painful throbbing starting at the center of it. The youngest demon fell to his knees, eyes flashing black. "Dean-"

"Sammy?!" The eldest son yelled, crouching down to his brother's level. Sam grunted, knowing what was coming next.

"Dean, do you remember our conversation two months ago?" Mary questioned, her tone soft as she eyed her eldest son.

Dean nodded, his features a solid rock as he faced his mother, this time not moving to close the three foot gap between them. "I've done all I can. But Sammy- he gave in to the stuff." He glanced, looking defeated, at his unconscious brother who was lying on the hardwood floor.

Before Mary could respond, Azazel stepped forward and rested a protective hand on her shoulder. "Mommy dearest knew he would." Yellow eyes purred, his cruel gaze never leaving Dean's. "But because I asked her not to tell you, she didn't."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion, the vision skipping ahead in the conversation.

"Mom? Why didn't you tell me? Back in our house, you could've said something!" Dean yelled back, pain lacing his words.

"I had no choice."

Just like that, the youngest demon was shot back to reality, blinking his eyes to clear them of the look of desperation on his mother's face.

Sam looked up at his brother from his position on the floor, fuming with anger. "You saw mom?"

Dean inhaled sharply, not even having a chance to respond before the taller of the two stood up and continued. "You talked to her when we were at our house?" He grabbed Dean's shoulders, shoving him into the wall with enough force to leave a crack the length of his torso. "You didn't think to mention that?!" Sam barked, his eyes becoming enveloped with black as he looked into his brother's sorrow-filled gaze.

Swallowing deeply, Dean glanced over at their father who was having the same reaction as Sam.

"Tell us everything." John demanded, his tone dangerous.

"She- she told me I had to save you Sammy." Dean began, he could feel bruises forming on his shoulders from his brother's hard grip but at the moment thought he deserved them. "She told me- I had to save you from Azazel."

…

"So she's still alive?" John asked, anger still evident in his tone.

"I don't know." Dean said softly, now sitting in one of the kitchen chairs while the three gathered around him.

"What?" Sam questioned, not trusting his brother.

"I don't know!" The eldest demon answered back harshly, eyes solid black orbs as his lip twitched with anger.

John shook his head, wishing he could just leave to go investigate Mary's condition himself. But, when he saw his two boys looking lost and afraid, he decided he'd stay.

For now.

There was no doubt in John's mind he would leave eventually, sooner than later, to go find his wife. He owed it to her and her son's to bring her back. But, he'd stay put for a little longer.

"Everybody needs to take a breather." Bobby ordered, trying to keep all the Winchester's calm. Noting the angst slowly receding from the room, the baseball capped hunter looked at the seated demon. "Now, Dean. Is there anything else you should tell us?"

"Nope."

….

Finally having enough of the caring and sharing downstairs, Sam made his way up the steps, planning on plopping down on his comfy bed and reading one of the many books from Bobby's library.

His hand was wrapped around the cool metal doorknob when he smelled it.

The sweet smell of crimson bombarded his senses, his eyes switching to black as he rushed into his room. His eyes fastening on the small glass vial on his pillow, the youngest demon rushed over to it, grasping it firmly as he untwisted the cap.

He downed the vial with no hesitations in one quick gulp, the sense of longing he had been feeling being washed away. He tossed it haphazardly on the floor beside him before his gaze caught a small slip of paper lying next to where the tube had been. His stomach flipped in anticipation as he read the black printed promise.

"Hope you enjoy. There'll be more where that came from."

….

TBC

I apologize for this chapter not being as long as the others as well as not as action-packed, but next chapter I'll pick up some story lines. I felt the brother's needed to have a conversation even though neither of them revealed everything. But, don't worry, they won't stay too pissed at each other when everything does get out in the open. Please continue to read and review, it motivates me to write! Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you're still enjoying it!