Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.
Previously on Supernatural- "They're going home, Josh!" he called over his shoulder. "My boys are headed home!"
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Sammy happily packed more snow onto the top of the snowball he had made and sat back to inspect it. He glanced over at the enormous snowball that made up the bottom of their snowman and then looked back at the middle part in front of him. Deciding it needed to be bigger he reached down grabbing two more fistfuls of snow. Sammy piled them on and packed the snow down once more. Feeling a tickle in the back of his throat he quickly brought one hand over his mouth smothering the cough that burst out. After sneaking a peek at Dean to make sure he hadn't heard, Sammy went back to building the snowman's middle. He threw several more handfuls of snow onto the ever growing snowball and patted it down before rolling the ball to smooth it out. Leaning back on his heels he glanced from the bottom of the snowman in front of the cabin to his new, bigger snowball. Satisfied with the results Sammy stood, brushed the snow off his jeans, and hollered, "Hey, Dean! Is this big enough?"
Dean looked up from the snowball he was making and gazed over at his little brother. "That's great, Sammy." He called with a grin. "Roll it over here and we'll put it on top of the other one."
"Okay Dean" Sammy replied. Getting down on his knees in the snow he pushed the snowball rolling it to the front of the house where Dean was waiting. As soon as he made it to his brother Sammy stood up and brushed the bangs out of his eyes.
"Alright, Sammy help me lift it." Dean instructed bending down.
Sammy, however, had something more pressing to deal with. Yelling "I'll be right back, Dean! Wait for me!" over his shoulder he raced for the cabin as fast as his legs could go.
"Whoa! Hold on squirt!" Dean called out running after his little brother.
"I can't, Dean! I gotta go!" Sammy hollered back reaching for the door handle.
"Crap!" Dean thought as he made it to the top of the stairs. "Sorry kiddo, but you're gonna have to." Dean said taking a hold of one of Sammy's hands and leading him back down the steps. "Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is."
Sammy followed his brother around the side of the house and up to a small wooden building. He waited for Dean to open the door and then peered inside. "That's not a potty." He frowned making a face.
"Afraid that's all there is, Sammy." Dean informed his brother. "Now go on in and do your business before you have an accident."
"I can't go in there." Sammy whispered backing away from the outhouse. "What if there's spiders in there?"
Rolling his eyes Dean confidently stepped inside the doorway. "I'll make sure there aren't any spiders, okay, Sammy?" he offered. Seeing his little brother's attention elsewhere he added, "Sammy?"
"Dean, what's that door go to?" Sammy asked pointing to a door on the side of the house right beside the back porch.
Glancing over Dean ran a weary hand across his face. He couldn't believe it hadn't noticed that earlier. Grabbing Sammy's hand he walked back to the house and up to the newly discovered door. "Let's find out." Dean suggested. He slowly pushed open the door to reveal a…
"It's the bathroom!" Sammy hollered elbowing his way past his big brother. "Out, Dean! I gotta go!" he ordered pushing Dean out of the doorway and slamming the door.
Dean smiled as Sammy began to sing. He was glad he'd allowed his little brother to talk him into coming out. They'd had a blast catching snowflakes on their tongues and having a snowball fight. And best of all Sammy was back to his old energetic self. He had run and played and giggled just like he used to before he got sick.
"Okay Dean. I'm through. We can finish the snowman now." Sammy said as he exited the bathroom shutting the door behind him.
"Race ya!" Dean called dashing past Sammy.
Giggling Sammy ran around the side of the house after his brother catching up just as Dean made it to their snowman. Smiling he bent down and helped Dean lift the snowball and place it on top of the enormous snowball he and Dean had made earlier. Sammy held the ball still while Dean added some snow and patted it down to secure it to the bottom of their snowman.
"Alright, Sammy. That should hold it. You can let go now." Dean instructed. He stepped back from their half-built creation and threw his arm around his little brother. Feeling a shiver run through Sammy's small frame Dean turned. Sammy's rosy red nose and cheeks along with his shivering let Dean know that is was past time to go inside and warm up. Decision made he patted Sammy's shoulder and said, "Time to go inside for a little while, kiddo."
"But, we didn't finish the snowman yet, Dean?" Sammy argued not wanting to stop playing.
"We'll finish it later. Right now we're going inside to warm up and eat lunch." Dean replied taking his brother's hand and leading him toward the cabin.
"But" Sammy began as he slowly followed Dean up the porch stairs.
"No buts, squirt. You promised you wouldn't argue when it was time to go in, remember?" Dean pointed out opening the cabin door.
"Yeah, okay Dean." Sammy mumbled. "But can we go back outside and finish the snowman after we eat?"
"We'll see" Dean promised walking inside the cabin and shutting the door. He walked over to the coat rack he had set by the fireplace and started taking off his coat. "Go ahead and get out of those wet clothes, Sammy. I already laid a change of clothes on the mattress for you. Just put your wet stuff by the fire when you're done changing."
"Alright" Sammy said as he began peeling off his wet socks and jeans. He quickly changed into dry clothes, laid his wet ones by the fire, and then climbed under their blanket to get warm. Pulling Dean's book bag closer he unzipped the top and dug around inside for a few minutes before pulling out two juice boxes and several bags of chips. He placed a bag of Doritos on the mattress for Dean knowing they were his big brother's favorite. After carefully looking over the other bags, Sammy grabbed a bag of Sour Cream & Onion chips. He tossed the remaining bags back into Dean's pack and ripped open his chips.
"Looks like someone was hungry" Dean teased as he dropped down to sit beside Sammy. He snatched up the Doritos Sammy had set out and squeezed until it burst open with a loud "POP!" Crawling under the blanket he enthusiastically dug into his lunch.
At Bobby's
Jim looked up as Caleb walked into the living room carrying a huge box. He quickly cleared the coffee table and motioned for the young hunter to set the box down. "Is that all of it?" he asked.
"Nope, there's one more box." Caleb replied heading back to the kitchen. He returned minutes later with another slightly smaller box. He set it down next to the first one and then plopped down on the couch. "Somebody really needs to talk to Bobby about organizing that mess. I had to open every box just to find the Christmas stuff."
"I imagine Bobby knows exactly where everything is down there." Jim commented opening the first box. Pulling out two stockings and hangers he walked over to the fireplace and carefully set them up.
"Did you get a hold of Bobby and John?" Caleb asked leaning back.
"Yes, I did. They're checking it out." Pastor Jim informed the young man. Picking up the next item in the box, a wreath, he headed for the front door. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get busy. The boys will be here soon."
"Alright, alright" Caleb grumbled getting to his feet once more. He grabbed two small boxes out and carefully opened them. Taking the ornaments out he turned to hang them up and stopped. "Uhh, Jim? Where's the tree?" he questioned.
"Oh dear. I guess we'll be making a trip into town." Jim sighed reaching for his coat.
At the motel
"Bobby! We gotta go! The boys are on their way to your place." John called as he rushed into the room. He quickly threw his few belongings into his duffle and headed back out the door with Bobby on his tail.
Bobby threw his bag into the backseat and climbed into his car. Getting a signal from Joshua he started the car and slowly backed out of the parking space. He drove out of the parking lot and turned right following John's directions.
They had barely gone a block when they heard the screech of brakes coming from behind them. Before they could turn around they were rammed from behind causing them to slam forward into the car in front of them!
At the cabin
Dean angrily watched the snow rapidly falling outside the window once more. Resigning himself to spending another night cooped up in the cabin he sighed and turned back to his brother. He grabbed the deck of cards out of his duffle and sat down on the mattress with Sammy. "Wanna play go fish, kiddo?" he asked holding up the deck.
Sammy shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so." He whispered.
"Come on Sammy. Cheer up. We'll get to Bobby's tomorrow." Dean stated with a confidence he didn't feel.
"Promise?" Sammy asked wide eyes staring up at Dean.
"Sure, Sammy. I promise." Dean replied praying he'd be able to keep his word. "Now come on. Let's play."
December 24
Dean awoke to a new blanket of snow on the ground and more snow falling. Glancing at his watch he wasn't shocked to see that it was already noon. Sammy's cries had woken him several times during the previous night. Nightmares of spiders and closed in spaces had haunted the youngest Winchester's dreams making it almost impossible for either boy to get much sleep. Dean turned to glance at his younger brother smiling when he noticed that Sammy was peacefully sleeping. Yawning Dean eased himself out of bed and trudged to the fireplace. He tossed a couple more logs on the fire before going over to his book bag to retrieve breakfast or maybe lunch. He pulled out two juices and the last two snack cakes and made his way back over to the bed. He tore the wrapper on his cake and began eating while he waited for his little brother to wake up.
At Bobby's
Jim poured himself another cup of coffee and walked into the living room. Staring out the front window he wondered what was keeping the others. They had to have found the boys by now. Sighing he dropped into the nearby chair. "Nothing's wrong. They probably just didn't want to risk driving in that storm." He told himself. "After all Caleb and I couldn't even get into town. I'm sure once the snow slacks off, they start home."
At the motel
"Alright, Johnny. My car's ready to go." Bobby called out as he walked into the motel room. "Let's go get Josh from the hospital and get the hell outta here before something else happens."
John grabbed the bags and followed Bobby out the door and to the car. He climbed in the passenger side and glanced over at his old friend. "You think the boys made it to your place alright, Bobby?" he quietly asked.
"Course they did John. Dean and Sammy are probably driving Jim and Caleb nuts by now." Bobby assured his friend. Driving out of the motel parking lot once more he slowly headed for the hospital. "If that dang idgit hadn't knocked out the telephone pole, Jim would have been able to call."
"How can you be so sure, Bobby?" John asked.
"Easy" Bobby replied with a twinkle in his eye, "They're Winchesters."
At the cabin
Dean drove the snowmobile around to the front of the cabin and shut off the engine. Glancing down at his watch he noted the time; four o'clock. With any luck they could make it to Bobby's before supper. Hopping off he raced up the steps, grabbed their bags, and stowed them in the storage compartment. He then went back up the stairs and opened the cabin door. "Okay, Sammy, let's go!" he called.
"Coming Dean!" Sammy answered snatching up the blanket and wrapping it around himself. He waddled out the door stopping on the porch.
Dean walked inside and checked the room making sure they hadn't left anything and that the fire was completely out. Shutting the door he helped Sammy walk down the stairs and climb on the back of the snowmobile. Once his little brother was settled Dean took a minute to adjust their snowman's arms to let his dad know where they were headed. Clue left Dean climbed onto the snowmobile, fastened his and Sammy's helmets and secured Sammy's blanket around him once more. Turning the key he started the engine and drove away from the cabin.
At Bobby's
"Caleb! Hurry up before it starts snowing again!" Jim yelled up the stairs. "We need to get a tree and get back!"
"Let's go." Caleb replied bounding down the stairs. He snatched the keys out of Jim's hand and quickly made his way to the door. "Well, what are you waiting for, old man? Shake a leg!"
Shaking his head in amusement Pastor Jim zipped up his coat and followed Caleb out the door.
On the service road
They had only been on the road for about ten minutes when the snowmobile's engine began to sputter. "Not now!" Dean groaned as the engine cut out completely. He turned the key trying desperately to restart the vehicle but with no more gas it refused to budge. Sighing Dean unfastened the blanket, climbed off the snowmobile, and took off his helmet. "Guess we're walking from here, Sammy." He said helping his little brother climb down. Once Sammy was clear Dean opened the storage compartment and removed their bags. Slamming the lid shut he set the helmets on top and then reached into the side pocket of his book bag for their hats. Coming up empty handed he turned to Sammy. "What happened to our hats, Sammy?" he asked.
"You put them in that pocket, Dean. I saw you." Sammy told him pointing to the pocket Dean had just checked.
"Great! They must have blown out while we were riding." Dean huffed. Turning to the road he shouldered both bags, took Sammy by the hand, and started the long walk to Bobby's house.
With the hunters
Bobby climbed back into the car and shook his head. "No sign of the boys here." He informed the others as he started the car and turned around. Driving down the pothole filled dirt road he winced. "Sorry Josh" he apologized.
Seeing John open his mouth Joshua quickly growled out, "I'm fine."
"Right. So I guess the doc was wrong about you having a concussion and cracked ribs." Bobby threw back.
"Shut up and drive" Josh replied. "We've got more important things to worry about then me."
"Alright but you tell me if it gets to be too much." Bobby advised. He caught Josh's eyes in the rearview mirror for a second before returning his gaze to the road.
With the boys
Dean and Sammy were trudging through the snow in silence when they heard voices up ahead. Picking up their pace a driveway suddenly came into view. Hiding behind a nearby tree they watched as a young mother and her two children walked over to a pickup truck.
"Alice, you and Jack get in the truck. I'm going back to get the casserole and then we have to go." Nancy ordered placing a covered dish in the back floorboard of the truck.
"Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom!" Jack whined shifting from foot to foot.
"I've got him, mom. You go ahead and get the food." Alice said taking her little brother by the hand.
"Thanks honey" Nancy replied. "Try to hurry. We're supposed to be at Vonnie's in five minutes."
"Okay mom" Alice called as she herded her brother inside.
"Did you hear that Sammy? They're going to Nurse Vonnie's. Come on, let's catch a ride." Dean whispered. He quickly led Sammy to the back of the truck and let down the tailgate careful not to disturb the tarp covering the truck bed. After helping Sammy get up in the truck, Dean climbed in and slammed the tailgate shut. Lying in the truck bed the boys listened as the woman and children came back, got in the vehicle, and drove out of the driveway.
In town
"What about this one?" Caleb asked pointing to a 6 ft. tree that was leaning to one side.
"No, that won't do." Jim firmly stated glancing around the lot.
"Come on Jim. Pick one already." Caleb grumbled. "It's just a tree."
Ignoring Caleb's grumbling Pastor Jim continued to study each tree looking for just the right one to decorate for their special Christmas. Spotting a beautiful 7 ft. tree over in a corner he smiled. "That's the one, Caleb." He called out pointing. "It'll be perfect."
With the boys
Hearing the engine shut off Dean slowly inched forward and peered out the tarp at the front of the truck. He watched as a handsome young man with blond spiky hair came out of the house and waved at the truck's occupants.
"Hey, Jensen!" Nancy greeted as she stepped out of the truck. "Where's Vonnie?"
"She got stuck pulling a double shift at the hospital. She won't be back till tomorrow morning." Jensen explained as he walked up and took the covered dish. "She told me to give you her apologies."
"Poor Vonnie! She was really looking forward to tonight." Nancy said getting the other dish out of the truck and kicking the door shut.
"Yeah, I know. She always seems to miss out on the holidays. But don't worry. I'll find some way to make it up to her." Jensen replied. "You guys come on in. Everybody's already inside. We have just enough time to eat before we go to the Christmas Eve service."
Dean watched as Jensen, Nancy, and the two children hurried inside the house. Disappointed that his friend wasn't there Dean slid back over to Sammy.
"Who was that man, Dean?" Sammy asked.
"That's Vonnie's husband. Remember, Uncle Bobby told us she got married last summer." Dean told his little brother as he slowly let the tailgate down. He rolled out from under the tarp and jumped off the tailgate before turning around and helping Sammy get down. "Come on. We can stay in the basement till they leave. Vonnie showed me where the key was last time we came."
Nodding his head in agreement Sammy followed his brother as he crept around to the back of the house and down a couple of stairs. He watched as Dean lifted up a rock and grabbed the key that was underneath. In seconds Dean had the door unlocked and they both slipped inside.
With the hunters
"Look, Bobby! This is it!" John hollered leaping from the car before it even came to a full stop. He ran over to the smiling snowman while Bobby trudged inside and started calling for the boys. "They're not here, Bobby! They're headed to your house."
"How do you know, John?" Bobby asked coming up beside his friend.
"Look at the snowman Bobby. The arms and nose are all pointing toward your place." John pointed out as he hurried back to the car.
"Well, I'll be damned." Bobby exclaimed. "Way to go, Dean!" Bobby turned and raced to the car. Revving the engine he swiftly backed up and headed for the road.
At Vonnie's
Dean waited several minutes after he saw the last cars leave before he quietly climbed the basement stairs and opened the door that led to the kitchen. Dashing over to the phone he snatched up the receiver and punched in Uncle Bobby's number. He listened as it rang and rang and rang. After the tenth ring, Dean glumly hung up and walked into the dining room. Knowing they would be here a while he took two plates and piled them full of food. He carefully carried them downstairs and set them on the small card table and then went back up stairs to grab something for them to drink. Once the drinks were set on the table both boys eagerly dug into their food.
At Bobby's
Jim and Caleb had just finished putting the last of the decorations on the Christmas tree when the door burst open and John came charging inside.
"Where are the boys?" he demanded stomping past the stunned men.
"They're not here John. We thought they were with you." Jim replied.
"What? You mean they didn't make it here?" Bobby asked as he helped Joshua into the house and over to the couch. Hearing the phone ring he dashed to the kitchen to answer it.
"Weren't they at that Matt boy's house?" Caleb asked.
"No, they had already…" Joshua began stopping when a very pale Bobby came back into the room. "Bobby, what's wrong?"
"That was the sheriff." Bobby began. "He needs me to come to Lake Franklin with my tow truck. Said a, uh, snowmobile fell, fell through the ice."
"A snowmobile? Oh God! The boys!" Joshua exclaimed dropping his head into his hands.
"We don't know that." Jim firmly stated. "There are tons of people with snowmobiles around here."
"Jim's right." Caleb spoke up. "Don't count the boys out yet."
"Yeah" Bobby agreed walking to the door. "It's probably just some old fool that had a few too many."
"I'm going with you." John said.
"Me, too" the other three hunters echoed.
"Wait. Someone needs to be here in case the boys show up." Caleb pointed out.
"I'll stay" Jim volunteered.
"Thanks Jim" John whispered before walking out the door.
At the lake
Bobby and the others pulled up behind the sheriff's car and quickly climbed out. "Evening sheriff" Bobby greeted shaking the man's hand.
"Evening Bobby. Sorry to call you out so late." The sheriff apologized.
Caleb eyed the scene carefully before asking the question on everyone's mind, "Where's the driver?"
"Not sure. We think they're probably under the ice." The sheriff said.
"What do you mean they?" Joshua questioned trying to ignore the bad feeling in his gut.
"Well, we found two hats beside the crack in the ice." The sheriff informed them holding up the small hats.
"No!" John cried glancing from his boys' hats to the hole in the ice.
AN- Vonnie, I hope you don't mind being married to Jensen. :)