Revelations 2: Lost and Found Chapter 9, a supernatural fanfic

-1Regan frowned looking over at Dean. "Please tell me you didn't start it." She said as she looked at his face. A bruise forming around his busted lip."How many witnesses were there?"

She didn't like this. Not one bit. Dean shouldn't have been able to be harmed on death row. That was why they had him there in the first place. "Yeah, I started it. Threw the first punch." Dean said honestly. "Decked Hendrickson right across his yappy little mouth. Don't know how he got in, but I watched him disappear." He shook his head as he reached into the ice pitcher on the table provided for the lawyers and dug out a piece of ice to hold to his lip. "Literally disappear, into thin fucking air."

"Fine." She said in a whispered growl. "Don't say a word about Hendrickson until I check a few things out. Looks like you aren't rid of me once this is over after all." She was being optimistic. It had looked good until the jury had taken so long to deliberate. Which meant that they weren't convinced of his innocence. It took a unanimous vote for the death penalty. She hoped that wasn't what they were holding out so long for. It would be a shame to lose Ben as a client when they disappeared.

"All rise." The bailiff said as the judge entered the room. Dean felt himself break into a cold sweat as he stood up, watching the jury file into the jury box. The judge came in, and everyone sat down. Dean was so focused on the jury, trying to figure out what they were thinking, Regan had to tug on his sleeve so he'd sit down. He looked back at Jack, sitting behind him and exhaled. This was it.
The bailiff brought the piece of paper to the judge who looked it over and nodded, sending it back to the foreman, then asked Dean to stand to hear the verdict.

"On the charge of murder in the first, Not guilty." The foreman said, and read down the list, naming each crime, and the verdict. "Not guilty." Dean's head snapped around at the first not guilty, and he exhaled with each following not guilty. Then, the stress was over. The stress he'd been living under ever since a drawing of him first popped up on the news. That was incredible stress he hoped no one else ever had to go through. At the last not guilty, his knees finally gave out and he sank into the chair, stunned, elated, free. Nothing like a taste of true freedom to remember what it was like.

Jack reached over the banister between him and his brother and lay his hand on Dean's shoulder. "It's over man... really over." He told him, tears of relief welling in his even if not falling.

SNSNSNSN

"Yes!" Sam yelled out, let out the breath he had been holding through out the reading of the verdict. "Yes." He repeated, hands trembling as he picked up the phone and called Bobby Singer. "He's free." He said without preamble.

"I'm watching it." Bobby said. "Maybe now that this trial is over I can cancel this cable shit." He wasn't a big TV watcher, and had gotten one, with Court TV, just for Dean's trial. "But he's free. It's finally over. You did good, kid."

"Can you let him know... you know... " Sam said, nearly choking up. It was so hard to be so far away from him now. When he was sure Dean needed him. But going back would only get him killed and he couldn't risk that.

"Sam, if I tell him what happened, maybe he can find a loophole." Bobby said gently. "He's good at that, you know."

"NO!" Sam said quickly. "Look... if he found out that I did this to keep him alive, he wouldn't bother looking for the loop hole before showing up." He sighed. "I almost went too far when I cleared his name. The demon went nuts. If Dean and I were to ever be in the same place at the same time... no... it would come back and finish what it started. I couldn't live with that. " He swallowed. "Besides... he doesn't need to be back on the road with me... he has a chance at a life now. I don't want to screw that up for him."

"Sam, your brother has always been on the road, long before he became a wanted man." Bobby pointed out. "The only thing he gained now was the ability to take highways and go through checkpoints. That's it. Sam, you're his brother."

"I know... and it's my turn to look out for his best interests for a change. No matter how much it hurts not to see him... it's not worth watching him die for."

"He's looking for you, you know." Bobby said. "I don't know if he's getting close at all, he won't tell me, because he knows you keep in contact with me."

"I know." Sam said. "He wouldn't be Dean if he wasn't looking. But thankfully there is no telling where I will be when. I don't even know that much. So I think he is safe for now."

"Father Pavel's keeping you pretty busy then? That's good. You boys get in less trouble when you're kept busy." Bobby said with a sigh, feeling like he was letting John down somehow.

"Yeah... I ahm... was baptized last week. It didn't hurt as much as it could have but ... I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. Before long I will be done with my training and can head out on my own."

"That's good, Sam, real good." Bobby said, but couldn't help but fixate on the fact that John's boys were torn apart, never to see each other again, until Sam had become his brother's worst nightmare. "Your dad was a closet Catholic I think. Deep down."

"Almost have to be, being a hunter." Sam said " I wish he had told us sooner Bobby... might have had a choice if I had known sooner." He didn't blame his father. It wasnt Johns fault what he was, he just ... wished things were different.

"Well, he wanted you boys well balanced. How often have you used more pagan symbology for example?" Bobby said. "Don't think he was ever baptized as anything, or if he was, he never told me."

He hadn't meant about religion... but he was happy to let Bobby think otherwise. "Anyway... let Dean know that I was watching and I'm happy for him. And... I wouldn't have let them... execute him." It was important for him that Dean know that just because he was gone, he hadn't really abandoned him. "But I need to catch up with Father Pavel. I haven't been at this exorcism cause I wanted to see what happened with Dean. "

"Your father loved you, Sam. You were his son." Bobby said quickly. "Just as much as Dean was."

"Yeah." Sam said tightly. "I know... I have a lot of memories that say he loved me. That didn't mean he believed in me or trusted me. Didn't even want to say good bye. " Sam shook his head. "It's... it's water under the bridge."

"He didn't believe in saying good bye to anyone." Bobby pointed out gently. "But water under the bridge it is, but he was proud of you Sam. Couldn't stop talking about you when you were gone. Just thought you should know, again, before you go into another exorcism."

"Thanks... like I said... tell Dean I ... you know." He said, feeling it needed to be said, even though it wasn't in either of them to say it or hear it directly. "Thanks Bobby. For everything."

He hung up the phone and headed out to the rental car. The exorcism was taking place out in the country. Farm house. Which suited Sam fine usually. That meant fewer questions from neighbors, fewer visits from the police when things got wild. But something about this felt off the moment he arrived at the scene. It wasn't anything he could put his finger on but it was definitely not right.

Father Pavel was coming outside for a breather, looking pale from strain, when Sam pulled up. "I take it your brother is fine?" He asked in his gentle way. "Good." It was obvious, or Sam wouldn't be here. He'd be figuring a way to get Dean off death row without breaking his deal with his demon. "The exorcism is...not progressing." Father Pavel looked up at the sky. "And forces are moving in. Can you feel it?"

Sam nodded, frowning. "These people the sort to have weapons? Because I have a feeling I am going to need them." He could go get his gear easily, but he didn't like the idea of leaving them here in the mean time.

"There are rifles and hunting gear." Father Pavel said. "Along with farm equipment. You'd be amazed what a good thresher could do." He shook his head. "I hate it when they delay in contacting us. The demon within has had time to call in reinforcements."

"Well you take care of the demon and I'll take care of the reinforcements." Sam said with a grin. This was something he had been needing for a while, not that he would ever admit it... he needed a good fight. Something to get the adrenaline pumping and his blood racing in his veins.

He entered the farm house and let the priest make introductions before he started asking about the weapons and such things as Salt and hopefully rocksalt. "Well, we're on a low salt diet." The wife said. It was their teenage son who needed the exorcism.

Her husband scratched his balding head. "I've got some salt I put out on the driveway if you think that will help. All stocked up for winter, plus a surplus from last winter." He said. "That might work." They thought their son was mentally ill, that's why they had delayed. Only when the treatments failed to work, and really only made things worse, had they sought help from the Church. "It's in the tool shed out back."

Sam headed out to the tool shed and came back with a bag of course salt, and a few other implements. He paused to line the front porch with salt then did the same as he came in the front door. "I need someone to line salt along all the window sills." He said as he gathered the rest of the weapons available to him. "Is there a daylight basement or an attic here?"

"There's an attic and a storm cellar." The wife said as Father Pavel's voice could be heard reciting the ritual,and her son, but not her son's voice, fighting it. Every foul word causing her to physically wince. "Attic's at the end of the hall, cellar can't be reached from inside the house."

"Okay. I need everyone to stay away from the windows as much as possible, I know this is ... a horrific experience for you... and I wish I could make it easier for you ... but the demon has managed to call for reinforcements. The best thing you can do, is stay as calm as possible, and don't go outside or anywhere else alone for now."

The husband nodded. "I think we'll go into the closet." He said, where he'd be less likely to hear the obscenities his son was screaming, where his wife wouldn't have to see whatever else was coming.

"What did we do? What did we do to deserve this?" The wife wailed.

Sam paused in his preparations. "You didn't do anything to deserve this. " He told her gently. "This isn't a punishment from God or anyone else. No matter what the demon possessing your son has said to you... this isn't your fault. " He said then resumed his work wanting to make sure the place was as secure as possible.

He headed up to the attic first, figuring he could slide down to the basement from up there. One demon had already gotten in, before Sam could salt it down.

"Well, well." It said in a silky voice, neither male nor female. Body black as night and disjointed as it moved. "So it lives and breathes, the exorcizing demon." A yellow tongue came between its lips and licked the dry flesh, sounding like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. "Have you come to stop us?"

Sam ignored the demon comment. He wasn't a demon ... yet... and he knew it. "I'll be living and breathing a hell of a lot longer than you if you don't get the hell out of here." He said pouring salt along the threshold and closing the door, the demon wouldnt get past him to the house below.

"Now you're hardly playing fair." The demon said, approaching him with its disjointed, painful to watch gait. "What do these mortals mean to you? How can they mean much? Soon they'll be playthings for you. How can you deny me the basest instinct of mine...and yours? Can't you feel it? Humming along your bones? And all you have is salt. You can still cross the salt, imagine what you could do."

"I would rather do it to you." He said darkly, eyes flashing strangely in the darkness. Not that he had truly noticed it was dark. Night and Day were slowly becoming one in that respect. He reached out with his mind and shoved the demon against the wall. It had been a long time since he had truly let the darkness out to play, and that had been Meg.

He tried so hard to be the old Sam. The sensitive, Sam who loved to laugh and enjoy the moments in life. But he didnt know if that Sam existed any longer. If all there was left of him was a veneer like skin that hung over the darkness inside him.

"Then bring it." The demon said, leering at the flashing eyes. "So far gone and you don't even know it! Your presence alone is undermining the exorcism. It's so delightful!" It took a swipe at Sam with its hands...more like claws with razor sharp talons for fingers.

"Oh come on." Sam said drawing the knife he had carried up with him, as he jumped away from her claws. "Is that the best you can do? With my life, the best you can throw at me is the exorcism bit? " He said kicking out at her, wanting to keep those claws away from the soft chewy bits. " That's pretty sad."

"Oh I could say someone other than who you think has his eyes on your older brother. And the ability to do it." It said, flipping out of the way, appendages seeming to grate against each other audibly as it landed. "And your younger brother is in a whole heap of trouble. His girlfriend is such an easy target. But if you cared, you'd be there, right?"

"Except that caring is why I am here. Not there. I'm not as vulnerable as I used to be. At least not to the likes of you." He said and then began to cant Saint Michael's prayer. It stung a little, but nothing he couldn't handle. Life was pain after all. It collapsed to what could be its knees. "Do you feel the burning?" It cried, its voice harsher and rougher as it keened. "You will soon. You'll burn like the rest of us."

"That's what I'm counting on." He said and started anew, focusing on the words, on thier meaning... on the being he was calling to his aid.

The demon was disappointed. It had counted on batting Winchester around like a rag doll at least. It was also in pain as the holy flames engulfed it, the crackling of its flesh soon drowning out the screams.

Sam watched as the creature died, no remorse in its passing. Only curiosity. Had it once been like him?

He salted the attic windows and slid through the shadows to the basement.

SNSNSNSN

Jack looked at his brother, beaming broadly at him. "Okay, what does the newly free and clear man want for dinner tonight? We have got to celebrate."

"You mean they don't make cards for fugitives that get off of death row with not only an acquittal but a government apology?" Dean said, smirking as he stood in the waiting room of the prison. Getting all his stuff back. Sure, he'd been arrested in a hospital gown, so Jack had to bring over clothes, but there was his protection amulet, the talisman he wore around his wrists, and his thumb ring. Weaponry to pad himself with were outside he knew. "You know what we should do. We should have a cook out on the beach." He was over walls right now. The last few hours, before Hendrickson showed up, he could feel them pressing in on him. And he wasn't normally claustrophobic. "Get some steaks, some beer, couple of friends with their own liquor, girls in bikinis...could be fun."

"Sounds like a plan." He said. "And while we are putting all of this together, I can tell you all about the excitement that happened while waiting for the jury to come back."

"Excitement?" Dean said with a lifted eyebrow as he shrugged his jacket on and handed Jack one of the boxes of peanut M&Ms he'd recieved from strangers while in prison. "There wasn't supposed to be excitement while I was locked up." That didn't sound good at all.

"Would have definitely been my preference to have no excitement." He said as they started walking out. He waited until they got to the parking lot and over to Dean's Baby (Jack had brought his car for him, figuring he had missed it as much as he had missed sunshine right then.) to begin explaining about Maggie's family and Kaylie's abduction.

"Son a bitch." Dean said, shaking his head. "Can't go to prison in peace, can I? Okay, Kaylie's back." There was that, at least. And hearing Maggie's name, well, that didn't exactly make his day. Though it was brightened by a circular inspection of his baby. "Aww, I missed you too sweetheart." He said to the car before looking back at Jack. "Okay, so where does that leave us?"

"Having Sunday dinner with the psycho family. They say they want to get to know me. You're going with me." He said tossing Dean the keys and getting into the passenger's seat.

Dean caught the keys. "You're kidding me. We have to go break bread with the family that abandoned you and probably had a good deal to do with the creation of the thing that tortured me?" Dean said as he slid behind the wheel. "And my acquittal is a good thing...why?"

"Because then you don't have to make a fiery exit from death row with a put out fire demon."Jack said. "He likes Corpus Christi, and really didn't want to relocate the whole family. "

"You know, why do you have to be so logical?" Dean said with a chuckle as he started the car, listening to the engine rumble then idle down to a purr with contentment. "Fine, we'll go have dinner. You so owe me though."

Jack laughed. "We'll see." He said, figuring Dean had given him enough stress and worry for the last few weeks that it was even... but things were never even in family. Not really.

"No, there's no we'll see. You owe me. Which means you can buy my share of the beer for the beach." Dean said. He wasn't big on actual favors and debts. He knew when it would count, Jack would have his back. Didn't mean he wouldn't extort for a little free beer though.

Jack laughed then. "Like you have money right now anyway." He said. "And don't worry, the beach party will definitely be funded. And Kaylie will probably take over the prep anyway. She is good at that sort of thing... although I will probably go with her. Doubt Ben will want to go shopping." He didn't let Kaylie go anywhere alone right now. He didn't trust his mother's family, didn't trust Hendrickson not to retaliate.

Dean laughed. Wondering how long Kaylie was going to take being hovered over. Oh well, better her than him, right? "You're a good brother." He said. "Sorry I put you through, you know, hell and everything."

"It's alright. Not your fault... although I could say that if you had taken care of that flu before it got so bad, we wouldn't have come to this point to begin wth... but then you would still be hiding out, so it's just as well."

"Dude, it was all Ben's idea to bring me to the hospital. So we'll blame him. He's old, he can take it." Dean joked as he pulled out of the prison parking lot, flipping up his rearview mirror and adjusting the side mirrors so he didn't see it. This definitely counted as a 'don't look back' moment.

"Yeah but then you have to thank him for saving your life... and then for hiring that barracuda to defend you...wow she was something else, wasn't she... "

"You have no idea. Try being in a locked room with her as she lectures you on how to sit up straight." Dean said. "That woman is scary. And I don't scare easy." He joked. Or maybe he was joking! "So Kaylie's all right?"

"Yeah. She has no memory of any of it. Slept through the whole ordeal thank god. They said the son of a bitch was going to be punished but I don't believe them. I think they are probably patting him on the back right now."

"He'll get his." Dean said. "I don't think he's human. He disappeared from my cell. In front of my eyes. Means if he's not human, I can take care of him. I owe the son of a bitch some pay back anyway. If the family is nice and above board, they'll make it easy for me to find him."

"They abandoned my mother and kidnapped my girlfriend. Not counting on nice and above board. And once they are out of time, I am going to find a way to shut down what ever it is they are trying to wake up in me. I don't want that life, I like the one I have."

Dean nodded his agreement. "There's always ways, we'll find them." It was Jack's choice after all. "So is Ben on Kaylie watch? Poor guy. She likes to talk while he watches TV."

He laughed. "Yeah but it's too early in the day for Alias so she isn't going to annoy him too much." He shook his head in amazement as Dean's cell phone rang. "It's like someone has radar. You are not going out of town on a hunt... I don't care who is on that phone." He said with a laugh.

"Dude, it could be a girl looking for a hook up. After a few weeks of solitary, I am so there." He said as he fished out his cellphone. He didn't recognize the number as he answered it. "Yeah." He said, with a chuckle. His spirits were still high, not every day you got to walk off death row after all.

"Dean, it's Bobby. Figured this would be about long enough for you to be out of your cage. How ya doin'?" He asked, he had worried about Dean. He had never handled being trapped well.

"I'm good. Got my car, got my freedom, no jail sentence, avoided the needle, can't exactly complain." Dean said. "What's up, Bobby? You're not one for social calls or small talk, and Jack said if I went on a hunt right now he'd attempt to kick my ass."

"I just wanted to check up on you... all things being equal... and to let you know Sam's alright. I got a call from him right after the verdict was read. He was watching. Said to tell you... you know... what ever that means."

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Next time you talk to him, tell him, you know right back atcha, bitch. Word for word, Bobby. Especially the bitch part." He said with a laugh. "That's the most important part, okay?"

"Okay... will do." Bobby said. "You know he was the one that took care of all the evidence, right? He's still trying to look out for you... has been all along." He wished he could tell Dean out right what Sam had done, but he couldn't.

"Yeah, well, I still owe him a beat down." Dean said. "And I plan to give it to him too...if I can find the guy." That was the main problem. "I had a feeling, when all that hardcore evidence disappeared and Ballard didn't remember me. I like to think I'm pretty memorable you know."

"I am sure she remembered you." Bobby said. "I thought the girl from St Louis was going to break on the stand though."

"Whoa, Bobby...you got a TV? Now? Not back when, say, I was a kid and really wanted to watch it?" Dean said with a laugh. "So it takes me in a federal murder trial to catch you up to at least the mid twentieth century? Nice."

"Don't get too excited, it's a rental. It and the cable are going away as soon as I can get 'em out here to get it." Bobby said. "So you're doing okay? You need anything?"

"Well, I need my brother to pay me back the beer money he owes me. And I'd like him to buy a round as I celebrate getting off death row, but gee, you won't tell me where he is, remember?" Dean said pointedly.

"Right now I don't know where he is, Dean. When he calls, I try and talk sense into him. I promise. He had plans to get you out of there if things didn't go your way. If that tells you how far things have progressed."

Dean ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I get that." He said. "Ben had an idea also, involved a tropical island, Victoria Secret models and all the rum he could possibly drink. I'm actually pretty glad no one had to do anything to break me out of federal prison." In the eyes of the law, that would have sealed his guilt. No, things had to play out as they had. "Bobby...how is he?"

"He is doing well on the surface. Holding on to his humanity with both hands, but it's taking its toll. He misses you. It's obvious whenever I talk to him. The priest says he is doing well, coming along quickly in his studies... kicking demons out of little girls..."

"That's Sammy, knight in shining armor." Dean said with a dry laugh. "I've been tracking the exorcisms, haven't found a path yet, but I will." He believed that too. "I'm going to get drunk tonight, probably relax for a couple of days, then it's back to work on that."

"I'd help but ... if he found out, we'd lose the one connection we have with him right now. " Bobby needed to keep a monitor on Sam's mental state... the state of his humanity really. Cause once the boy went dark someone had to watch out for Dean.

"I know, I know. Watching out for both of John's boys." Dean said with a roll of his eyes. "Listen, Bobby, I'll call you when I'm hung over, okay?" He said and hung up the phone before he said something he might regret. Like that he knew what Bobby was doing, but it was so stupid! If Sam went dark, the first person he'd come after would probably be Dean. And if Dean wasn't near Sam to watch the fall, he'd have no idea it was coming. But he sighed and looked at Jack as he drove. "We stayed with Bobby a lot when we were growing up. I swear he didn't know we had individual names until AFTER Sammy was in college. Until then we were just 'John's boys.'"

Jack laughed. "Guess thats the hazard of having siblings." He said as they pulled into the driveway. "So unless you want Kaylie making all the decisions about tonight's get away to the beach.. probably time to speak now for preferences."

"Steak. Beer. Chips. Girls in bikinis. Nice huge bonfire, maybe we can put some M&Ms on the s'mores." Dean said with a laugh. "Not like I don't have enough M&Ms, right?" He put the Impala in park and got out, stretching. Even the air felt good right now.

Kaylie came out and gave Dean a hug. "Welcome home." She said. Then she smacked him.

"Whoa, what the hell was that for?" "For nearly getting my boyfriend arrested. For making him practice medicine without a license, for worry, I don't know, pick one." She said, but smiled.

"Dude, she's psycho." Dean said.

"Yeah well count yourself lucky that she likes you. If she didn't you wouldn't believe how miserable she could make you."

"You know, I believe it." Dean said.

"Oh please, you owe me this big huge thank you. Who do you think helped move that wreck of yours into the garage before our last storm? And your baby?" Kaylie said. "Jack helped a little." She said with a grin to Jack. Jack had pushed, Kaylie had steered.

"Yeah she was steering. I was just the guy at the back of the car straining his back." He said with a laugh. "I hardly did anything at all."

"I'm going to let you make it up to her. You know, that whole not being helpful thing." Dean said with a laugh as he grabbed a box of M&Ms to bring up to his place above the garage. "Oh, Kaylie. Mission for you. Cook out on the beach. Gonna need supplies."

Kaylie grinned. "And it's supposed to be warm out tonight too." Not that it ever got frigid. "I'll see what I can come up with."

"Thanks honey." Jack said. "Your car or mine?" He said, waggling his eyebrows playfully. He wasn't letting her go off alone. Not so soon after what had happened.

"I don't know. You know, Dean's car has a nice big back seat..." Kaylie teased.

"People! I just got out of prison! You're not supposed to be talking about sex because I've gone, like, a month without it." Dean said. "That's just cruel and inhumane."

Jack laughed. "Yeah ... well I will just leave you to wonder if we have or haven't already explored the depths of your cars back seat. While I go and help her get the stuff for your get out of jail free party."

"Free?" Kaylie said with a giggle. "Might have to ask Ben that." She said as she looped her arm through Jack's. "We'll take your car. Mine's full of crap."

"Have fun you kids, while I take Lysol to my friend here. You know, just in case." Dean said.

SNSNSNSN

Sam finished up salting the openings in the attic and then stepped into the shadows to appear in the basement below. They might not be able to get into the house from the basement but they could cause all sorts of trouble down there. or rip their way up through the floor.

There were a few demons and other spirits down there, waiting to rip through the floor. They might not be able to access the house, but they could tear through and cause trouble that way. Either way they were getting into that house. One of them smirked (kinda) at Sam as he appeared. "Come to join the party? Oh wait, you think you're good. I forgot."

"Yeah, well, never said you were a bright race. That's what I'm going to miss the most when I shift over. My intelligence."

"Shift over? You don't have that far to go exorcist." The demon sneered. "You know that. You feel the burn, the pain,with every word that crosses your lips." He backhanded Sam across the basement. "You'd be wise to just disappear now."
"Not while I still have a soul." Sam said as he rose, wiping the blood from his face, then strode in to fight the demon the old fashioned way. He was surprised by how much his strength had increased.

The demon laughed with what could be considered glee as he traded blows with Sam. Taunting and teasing and mocking with every blocked shot. Sam was strong, certainly. But he was stronger.

He didn't know if he would have the strength to take them all on, but he would give it his best, even if it was his last. Pushing himself and the demon before finally giving in and speaking the holy words.

"Traitor!" The demon screeched as he covered his ears, as the demons around him started to screech and keen. "This will be done to you. Just remember what it feels like..."

Sam didn't stop. He didn't care that it hurt, that it seemed to burn through him like fire. It was what he had to do... it was the only way he knew to hang onto his own soul, his own humanity.

The demons attacked Sam in full force with whatever they had left in them as they were attacked with the vile holy ritual. Screeching in pain, writhing in agony as they attacked with whatever they had.

Sam struggled to maintain the ritual, his soul ached with each word. Not from the pain but from the sure and certain knowledge that this was the way he would meet his own end.

He sank to the floor as the battle was done. The throbbing burning pain dissipated, until he was left with only the physical pain. He held his ribs with one hand and pushed himself up with the other, moving to secure the basement entrance before sliding back to the attic and walking down. The mundanes didn't need to know what he could do. It would only scare them at this point.

Hell it scared him.

Father Pavel came out, into the kitchen, wiping his face with a handkerchief. He saw Sam and smiled wearily. "It is finished. The boy is free." He said as he went to rap on the door to the closet where his parents were hiding in.

"Thank God." Sam said and settled to the floor once more. He was pretty sure his ribs were bruised at the very least, broken more likely, and he didn't want to think what could be causing the pain in his abdomen. Right now he just didn't want to think.

Father Pavel moved over to Sam's side, after assuring the frightened parents that their boy would be all right, with time. "Child, perhaps our next stop should be to a hospital?" He suggested.

"I'm fine." Sam said, trying to imitate Dean's confidence when delivering that particular lie, trying and failing. "Just... just a little bruising is all."

"Just a little bruising that will be checked out at the hospital. Good Catholic hospital, the nuns there know that an exorcism is taking place here. They will be very discreet in their dealings with us." Father Pavel said, standing up. "Do you require more help? Because I'll have to call them." He was an old man, and a whole lot shorter than Sam, after all.

"I ... I can make it back to the car I think." Sam said, wincing as he got to his feet. "I think." He said as he reached out to steady himself with the furniture.

Father Pavel supported Sam as much as he could back to the car. Then he called one of the sisters at the hospital and made arrangements to come in to have Sam looked at. "The demons came out in full force, didn't they? In support of the possessing one." He observed as Sam held his side.

Sam nodded as he got back into the car "Oh yeah. in the attic and then in the cellar. " He groaned as he fastened the seat belt. He felt woozy and that was never good.

Father Pavel gave him a worried look, and drove a little faster. At the hospital, the car was surrounded by nuns and missionaries who were doing their service at the hospital. "He's been hurt." Father Pavel said, parking the car. "The ribs, maybe something in his stomach." He got that from what Sam would hold and bend over.

Sam let them ease him onto a gurney, and closed his eyes as they took him into the emergency room. He breathed through the pain in his abdomen, trying to pretend it wasnt as bad as it was.

They worked on him for a bit. They did a lavage, which came back positive for internal bleeding. Then they took him into surgery, knocking him out before he could argue.

Father Pavel prayed in the surgical waiting room as they worked on him.

SNSNSN

Sam opened his eyes and Dean shook his head. "Dude, you look like shit." He said.

"Dean." Sam said smiling weakly relieved to see his brother. God he had missed him so much, but the smile quickly faded as he tried to sit up. "Man, you have to get out of here. You can't be here."

Dean easily pushed him back down with a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Shut up. You're just going to make things worse, then the nurses will come in, kick me out, drug you up and try to have their way with you. And they're really not hot at all."

Dean said with a laugh. "So, as your big brother, I have to save you from that awful fate." He said, pulling a chair over to the bedside and sitting on it, propping his feet up on Sam's bed.

"How did you find me?" Sam asked looking around the room. "Block that door closed." They didn't need company. Dean was going to get himself killed. "If it was Bobby, I swear I will kill him."

"Dude, that's not very nice." Dean said. "Besides, I'm first in line to kill the son of a bitch, because he wouldn't tell me where you are. Ever. Even on threats of death. Come on, Sam. You really thought you could get yourself all banged up and I wouldn't come one way or another?"

"Then how did you find me?" Sam asked. "Dean... the demon... it's going to kill you if it finds out we were in the same room." He said, this time using the controls on the bed to sit up. "That's the only reason I've stayed away."

Dean waved Sam off. "Dude, you've got to relax. You're so anal retentive, sometimes I'm amazed we're related. I got it covered. When have you known me not to cover my own ass as often as I could. Winchesters, we're good at making deals, aren't we?"

"Dude, you never cover your own ass. " Sam said then groaned deeply at a sudden pain. "So... I watched the trial. That was pretty intense. Thought for a while there I was going to have to come save your ass."

"Nah, I had it covered. Really, come on. If it had started to go sour, do you really think any jail could have held me?" Dean pointed out. "I would have been long gone before the jury got to read its verdict. Hendrickson, he's not human though. Watch out."

"Not human? Doesn't that just figure?" He shook his head. "So... you know...this doesn't change anything... I'm losing it man...exorcisms hurt... praying ... hurts... holy water stings like a bitch... you can't stay."

"You worry too much. Like a girl, by the way." Dean said. "Just gotta hold on, man. I'll figure something out. Got all sorts of people working on it. But if it hurts so much, why do it? Still hung up on the good-bad ledger sheet or something?"

"Doing an exorcism... it costs a little bit of the soul." Sam said "I'd rather those little bits of my soul be upwardly mobile if you catch my meaning, cause its slipping away no matter what I do."

"And you still don't believe that I'll save you." Dean said and shook his head. "That makes you a pretty ungrateful little shit, you know that, right? M&M?" He said, offering the yellow bag.

"No... it makes me a realist. I'm grateful for everything you have sacrificed for me, Dean. I am... more than you could ever imagine. But you can't change what I am... what I ... how I was concieved. You can't turn back time and exorcise Dad before he goes home and... anyway... that's what it would take to save me, Dean. If there was anything that could be done, don't you think Dad would have done it?"

"I'm not Dad. Bobby says I'm actually more hard headed and stubborn than him." Dean said with a quirk of a smile. "I'll do it, Sammy. You staying away from me is not going to change that. You sacrificing bits of your soul for the greater good is not going to change that. Believe me, even if it kills me, I'm going to save you."

"Dean... you being here is going to get you killed. You will die trying to save me from something ... that there is no salvation for. It's just what I am."

Dean swung his feet off the bed and grabbed his brother by the front of his hospital gown. "Shut the hell up. Especially about that. You are MY brother. That's what you are. My brother. You are Sam Winchester, brother of Dean Winchester. The rest, it's just semantics." Dean said. "And I don't want you believing otherwise."

"Those semantics have me walking in the shadows, and throwing things around like rag dolls. Semantics burn like hell." Sam said angrily. " Being your brother doesn't make me immune, Dean. No matter how much you wish it did. I'm a monster. Dad knew it. That's why he told you to take care of it... cause no one else will be able to get close enough."

"Dad was a bastard. There I said it." Dean shot back, just as angry. "And he told me to SAVE you. And if I couldn't, then kill you. But I can, Sammy. And I will. You're not a monster. Being my brother does give you immunity to that. Because I know you, dude. No matter how dark you think you're getting, there will always be a flicker of light. And I need you to hold onto that."

Sams eyes welled with tears. "I'm trying Dean. But I am so damned tired." He didn't know if he could hold out if the demon kept his word and killed Dean because of this visit. Losing Dean, REALLY losing Dean, would destroy what was left of his will to hang on.

"I know, I know." Dean said and released Sam. And grabbed his hands instead. "But you are going to stay strong. And I will save you. Now I gotta go and you gotta wake up. 'kay?"

"Wake up? Dean what are you talking about?" Sam asked, groaning a little as the pain started to filter through the haze. "You're not really here, are you?" He said, not sure if he was relieved or wanted to cry.

"I'm always here, Sam. You know that." Dean said as he got up and headed for the door. "You know that."

"Dean!" He called out, but his eyes opened to the light of the real world, not the dream, and he blinked back the tears, jaw held tight. But the sob escaped anyway.

Father Pavel put down his rosary and looked at Sam. "I can call a nurse in here and medicate you for the pain." He said softly, as he watched Sam carefully. "You just underwent surgery, they had to repair bleeding, but the doctors say you will be fine."

"I'm good." Sam said. He didn't want to sleep again. Waking up was too hard.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, feeling his brother's absence now more than ever.

"Eight hours." Father Pavel said. "Probably the best sleep you have gotten in a while. Though they were all worried, that you slept so long. But you are a fighter. You would not let demons get you down, how could anyone expect a little internal bleeding and a few fractured ribs to pull you under, correct?"

"I was enjoying the dreams." Sam said with a faint smile. "Although I think next time they delay in calling us in ... we'll start with the protections, then move on into the exorcism."

"That would probably be the best thing." Father Pavel agreed and offered Sam ice chips. All he could have, but the boy's mouth must be dry. "But I think they might have us on a bit of a sabbatical now. At least until we are sure that you are healed properly." Exorcisms were dangerous enough, it was foolhardy to do one when one was impaired in any way.

"I'm sorry." He said. He knew that it wasn't his fault, but he felt so ragged, that it was as good an excuse as any to put his feelings of guilt on. Guilt over his brother, guilt at wishing the dream had been real, even if it had meant having to fight the demon when neither of them could.

"There is nothing to apologize for. A rest is needed, for both of us." Father Pavel said. He was starting to admit, if only to himself, that he was no longer young enough to do the back to back exorcisms that he had done for his whole career.

Sam nodded. "Not used to being in this position. No wonder Dean is always trying to escape the hospital." He said as he adjusted uncomfortably in the bed.

"Just relax." Father Pavel soothed. "Once the doctors clear you, we will retire to a cottage the Church keeps for retreats. It's on a lake, and quite peaceful."

"I could use a bit of quiet and peaceful." He hadn't been at the trial but it had worn him thin as much as the long list of exorcisms had. He hated that the enemy would have a chance to gain ground while he retreated but there wasn't anything he could do about it. "And maybe more of that pain medication after all. "

"I will get the nurse." Father Pavel said, rising stiffly to his feet. He'd been seated, praying, for a long time waiting for Sam to come around.

"Thank you." Sam said. Meaning for more than just getting the nurse. Even though he wondered if it might not have been better to have just died of his wounds and had it done with before he could become the enemy.

SNSNSN

"Seriously, I'll be okay." Dean was saying to Jack and Kaylie as he walked them to Jack's car. "I just...I don't know, want to spend the night somewhere without walls, you know?" And the beach did not have walls.

"I'll come back once I get Kaylie home." Jack said. He didn't think it was a good idea for Dean to be out there alone with Hendrickson gunning for him.

"Dude, I'll be fine. Salt circle. Shot gun. Talismen. I'm good." Dean said with a chuckle. "Just go have wild crazy sex in places OTHER than my car, okay?"

"If you disappear on me, or something else happens to you... you know that I will have to hurt you later. Enough stress from you already, you got that?" Jack teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Got it, Mom." Dean said with a chuckle. "Better watch it, your hair's awful dark. It'll go gray so freaking fast. Now go, go have fun or whatever it is you do when you're not pestering me." He teased backed.

"Yeah... right... See you tomorrow morning." Because there was no way he wasn't going to come check on him, with Hendrickson still at large.

Dean laughed, but was gratified to see the car pull away. He really had to get working on the older Impala, Jack needed a new car, and soon he was going to need one badly! But he made his camp, which consisted of beer in close reach, junk food on the other side, and his sleeping bag. It was warm enough that he unzipped it and spread it out (because sleeping on rough sand was never as pleasant as it looked on TV), kicked off his boots, set his weaponry up in easy reach, and let the ocean air, unimpeded by prison walls, lull him to sleep.

"Hello, Boy." Came the familiar voice. His mother's voice, but it wasn't his mother who spoke. "We have a trip to make." The Bear said.

"Dude, a trip? I just got out of prison." Dean said with a chuckle as he stood up and pulled his boots back on. Sure, it was all in his head, but he liked his boots on. Last time showed so clearly why even here he might have to kick a little ass.

"The first part you cannot change... it has already happened." She said. "Merely looking at echoes. But it's important for you to see." She told him. "Climb on my back."

"You know, when I told my dad I wanted a pony when I was eight, this wasn't what I meant." Dean said as he got on the bear's back. This had to be the strangest thing his subconscious had ever done. Next thing he knew he was in basement of some house. Probably a storm cellar, because there was no stairs to the house itself. "Sammy, watch out!" He said, realizing belatedly that this was an echo, and Sam couldn't hear him.

"Come to join the party? Oh wait, you think you're good. I forgot."

"Yeah, well, never said you were a bright race. That's what I'm going to miss the most when I shift over. My intelligence."

"Not while I still have a soul." Sam said as he rose, wiping the blood from his face, then strode in to fight the demon the old fashioned way. He was surprised by how much his strength had increased.

The demon laughed with what could be considered glee as he traded blows with Sam. Taunting and teasing and mocking with every blocked shot. Sam was strong, certainly. But he was stronger.

"Traitor!" The demon screeched as he covered his ears, as the demons around him started to screech and keen. "This will be done to you. Just remember what it feels like..."

Sam didn't stop. He didn't care that it hurt, that it seemed to burn through him like fire. It was what he had to do... it was the only way he knew to hang onto his own soul, his own humanity.

The demons attacked Sam in full force with whatever they had left in him as they were attacked with the vile holy ritual. Screeching in pain, writhing in agony as they attacked with whatever they had.

Sam struggled to maintain the ritual, his soul ached with each word. Not from the pain but from the sure and certain knowledge that this was the way he would meet his own end.

The scene shifted once more, to Sam in an operating room, while the doctors worked to undo the damage done to him internally. Then they wheeled him into recovery, and later to his own small room, where the aging (ancient looking) priest sat in prayer.

"You can speak to him...he will hear you in his sleep. See you in his dreams." Dean swallowed. He had just seen more of his brother than he ever wanted to. Like internally inner organ type. But he stood at his brother's bedside, looking down at his pale face worriedly. "Dude, you look like shit."

"Dean... how did you find me?" Sam asked quietly, trying to sit up in the hospital bed and failing.

"Dude, it's a dream." Dean said and pulled a chair over. "I have a friend who works those kinds of tricks. But I guess I'm really here as far as you're concerned." He looked over his brother worriedly. "Had me going there for a bit. Thought you were going to leave me as the only Winchester left." Jack didn't count, not really. His last name was Hsiao.

"Nah... not yet. It's inevitable you know... one day there is only going to be one of us." He said as he adjusted in the bed.

"Sam, it was almost you." Dean finally admitted. "Even with the evidence gone...juries are funny things...I was nearly executed. I know it. Sometimes, I could almost feel it."

"I wouldn't have let that happen. You gotta believe that man."

"Sam...I was scared." He said softly. And it was true, Dean Winchester didn't scare easily. Sometimes, not at all. "All that time to think, I don't do well with time to think."

"Yeah... I can identify." Sam said with an attempted laugh. "But it's over now. You're safe. You get to go on about your life. You get to do what ever it is that YOU wanted. With out any of this over your head. Dude, you gotta grab that with both hands."

"You know, it's just really not the same. I've never had a plan for my life. Just kinda went from one job to the next and hoped I'd live through it." Dean said. "And now you're not there, and Jack tries, but he can't annoy me and piss me off and frustrate me as well as you can. Not to mention as easily as you can."

"Give him time. He'll figure out your buttons. He's a bright boy." Sam told him. "I do miss you."

"Sam, a part of me would have been fine with execution. A very small part, but a part." Dean said. "Everything's falling apart, I can't fix it. You tell me to do whatever it is that I want, but I don't even know what I want. I mean, I want my family as together as it can be, but I can't get that. Wish the yellow eyed demon contracts a painful nasty case of syphillis and herpes and dies in agony, doubt I'm going to get that."

"Maybe you should...I don't know... find YOU in all of this. You've always been about me and Dad. You would give, do, or sacrifice anything for us... maybe it's time to be a little selfish. Find out who Dean Winchester really is."

"Damn, that could be a scary answer. If you caught any of Gordon's testimony, I'm a nutcase waiting to explode." Dean said and shook his head. "I just don't know, Sam. The world made sense when it was me, you and Dad. Now Dad's gone, you won't come near me, and nothing makes sense."

"It's for your own good, Dean. I don't want to hurt you. I mean... really hurt you. You are not a nutcase. You are not waiting to explode. You're just a little lost is all. You'll find your way. You always do, Dean. "

"I've always had a destination. Find Dad. Find you. Find the demon. The next job, the next girl, the next drink." Dean said. He was a driven person, not in the way of ambition. But he always had something driving him. "You're really not coming back on your own, are you?"

"I can't, Dean. You won't do what needs to be done, and when I become like her... you know I won't hesitate. I have to stay away... have to let you, I don't know... learn things I don't, prepare, make it harder for me to hurt you... I don't want to be the last one standing, Dean. Especially not if it's because of my own hands."

"It won't be." Dean said. "We'll get through this. Just give us time, all right." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bear. "Time for me to go. Must be time for you to wake up, since we know I can sleep all day."

"Be careful out there, alright? I miss ya, man." "I'm always careful, dude." Dean said. Though he was really only habitually careful of Sam. Himself? Well, he was disposable, wasn't he?

"Liar." Sam said. "Don't be a jerk."

"Can't help it. Anymore than you can help being a bitch." Dean said with a smirk. He looked at the bear. "I have to go now, don't I?" He asked, sounding amazingly childlike with his very much grown up voice. But he didn't want to go.

"Yes." She said and the dream faded, leaving them standing in the room with the priest, as Sam came to calling out his brother's name. "We have to go. You will see him again." The bear promised. "Climb on my back."

It had been a risk, bringing the brothers together. They had each taken what they needed from the contact. Taken the comfort they needed from one another, even if it was only the phantoms of thier minds triggered by the close proximity. But it needed to be done. That bond needed to remain in tact no matter how long they were apart. With out it, everything was lost.

Dean climbed on, but man was it a bumpy ride. He thought he was going to get thrown off a couple of times, only to come to with Jack shaking his shoulders.