A/N We're having a two for the price of one sale today on chapters. Alas it also means we are coming to the end of this particular story. For those of you that have followed our boys through "Revelations" and now "Lost and Found" There is one more story to be told in our AU. "In the name of the father" will be posting shortly. Thank you to everyone that has followed the story this far, and a special thank you to everyone who has reviewed.
spn spn spn
"Well, that's that." Father Pavel said as he packed the rest of his belongings. He was being recalled to Rome. It happened occasionally. Being as experienced and aged as he was, he was in the higher hierarchy of the church. It's the way things worked. He snapped his battered suitcase closed and looked at Sam. "You are going to stay out of trouble, right child?"
Sam smiled at him. "I'm good. I'll stay out of trouble." He told him. He had spent the last couple months learning everything he could, he figured he could handle it on his own. What choice was there? Rome beckoned and the priest had to go. "It looks to be a simple case, not even sure that there is actually anything going on with the subject. Might just be a simple case of reassuring the family that it's not demonic and moving on from the looks of it. I'll write you once I have it dealt with."
"And if it is too much to handle, you must back off and call Rome for assistance." Father Pavel said, again, as he walked with Sam to the taxi that would take the priest to the airport. "I'm sure it's nothing there too important, in Rome that is. Usually just a bunch of old men talking about the good old days."
"I will be careful, and yes I will call for assistance if it's something I cant handle." Sam had come to love the aging priest. He hoped that this wasn't good bye but it was hard to say. If it was it wasn't anything either of them had any control over. "Thanks...for everything."
"You are quite welcome, my boy." Father Pavel said. He was going to the Vatican because his request for access to the Archives had finally been granted. He was looking forward to digging through documents older than even the Church for a time, in hopes of finding new information to help his young friend here. "Well, I'm off. Good journeys to you, Samuel."
"You as well, Father. I will talk to you soon." He promised and helped the priest with his bags whether he needed it or not. He saw the man onto the church's plane and then left the air field before stepping into the shadows.
It was getting easier to travel this way, and Sam was finding that it troubled him less. In fact the only ability he had recently gained that troubled him was fire, and that one he refused to deal with, or even really acknowledge, and that was because of what had happened to Jess.
He checked into a hotel room, reserving it for a week with the credit card then took a taxi to the home where he was supposed to meet the family of the possessed.
The mother, pale with a pinched expression, elderly, showed Sam in. Where a deep voice could be heard bellowing obscenities. "He's up there." She said softly, hopelessly, vaguely waving her hand up the stairs. Her husband, also elderly, was cleaning his shot gun. The message clear, if Sam could not help his boy (a grown man in his own right) then he was going to be put down like a dog.
Sam frowned a moment then went to sit down across from the parents. "I know this is... all but unbearable." He said "But if your son is genuinely possessed... that won't help him. Sometimes, these things take time, a lot of time. So don't give up hope, please. Sometimes hope and a prayer is all that gets us through."
"We've been praying." The father said, but put his shot gun away in favor of his revolver, which he then cleaned carefully and deliberately. "We're good, God fearing people. Go to church every Sunday, give to the collection plate...our son was always a wild one. When he was younger it was women and drugs. Later women and booze. Now this." He shook his head as his wife sighed.
"Just do what you can." The wife said.
"I will." Sam said, still not sure this was an actual possession. It was one of those circumstances where it read like a possession, but something about it was off. He wrote it off to nerves at flying solo. If it wasn't kosher he would know soon enough. "You might hear some things... ignore them. What ever you do... don't interfere. " He said as he rose to make his way up the stairs to the subject.
"Good afternoon." He said as he opened the door, and set his back to the side.
"This the best the Church could send? You're not even a priest." Then the restrained man started cackling. "You're a demon. They sent a demon! How poetic! So, shall we burn each other with holy water for a bit?"
"You guys really need to come up with a better opening line. It's too predictable." Sam said as he set things up. "Shall we begin?" He made the sign of the cross on the man's forehead as he started the ritual.
"Don't you want to talk? See into my soul? Share our feelings?" The man snipped. "Or I could tell you how your brother is doing. You'd like that, wouldn't you? That we know more about him than you do."
Sam ignored him, at least outwardly. He knew the demon couldn't hurt his brother, that would negate the deal, what they knew didn't matter if they couldn't touch him. It did however make him miss Dean desperately in that moment.
So instead of comment, he flicked the holy water and pressed onward.
The man howled at the holy water touching his skin. "Idiot." He said. "You and your priest, so stupid. You're still clinging to your humanity, you should know better. People get hurt when you pretend you're human."
SNSNSN
"Where are you headed off to?" Chavi asked, expecting him to tell her about some death or another that needed to be investigated in the next county.
She went into the kitchen to make him something to take with him on the road to eat.
"Outside Baton Rouge." Dean said as he packed his bag. "Ash called, and his program got a hit on the name I told him to follow. I said it was cause he owed me money." He said with a chuckle. "And, yeah, he does." He moved through the house packing various weapons. Still blew his mind, his house. As in he owned it. Four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a deck, two bathrooms, a basement, an attic, a garage. Got for a song because it was haunted. Not that he didn't take care of it right away, leaving him with a ridiculously underpriced, unhaunted house. With plenty of money from his first stipend from the government to buy out a garage near by. Because he could only do one legit thing to make legit money, and that was fix cars.
"He?" She asked then the realization dawned. "You have a lead on Sam?" She hoped it paid off. She knew that was the cause for the sadness behind his eyes.
"That's the theory." Dean said. Had taken a while, and a lot of back tracking, but he thought he came up with an alias that Sam was using a lot. And had it traced. Sure enough, 'Sean Talbot' had been living in Salt Lake City when Sam was, and had disappeared the same time Sam did, the same time Dean saw Sam last. It was just a matter of following it from there. He'd been a step behind, three steps behind, but now he might have caught up with him. "Won't know for sure until I get there."
"Okay, well... I hope everything works out how you want it to." She had her doubts though. For what ever reason, Sam had run, and had stayed on the run. She didn't think it would miraculously end just because they came in contact with each other once more. But Dean needed that hope, so she couldn't bring herself to burst that bubble of hope.
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled at her less than hopeful statement. "Everything will be fine." Dean said with a nod as he took out his store of cash. Small bills, ones and fives, and change. Great for vending machines and drive through. Usually whatever was left in his pocket at the end of the day got automatically dumped into this box and put on a shelf.
"I know." She said, certain that Dean would be fine no matter how things turned out at the end of the day. But Fine didn't mean well, and it didn't mean happy, it meant functional. "Any idea how long you will be gone ?"
"Ah...I don't know. A week at most." Dean said. New concept for him, couldn't cut and run. He had a garage with cars to fix, he had Jack, and he liked to think he had Chavi. Definitely not a cut and run atmosphere. "I'll know more when I get there. You know, if he'll even talk to me. If I'll talk to him." He was toying with the idea of just getting a visual on his brother, to just assure himself Sam was all right.
"Call me... let me know you're okay. You knowing you are fine and me knowing you are fine... two different things."
Dean grinned. "You and Jack are going to tag team me if I don't, aren't you?" He asked. Somehow people thought he was someone who needed to be fussed over. "Fine, fine, I give. I'll call and let you know that I'm fine by all definitions of the word."
She smiled at him. "You know it's only because we care." She told him. "Okay, we got road munchies, a couple bottles of iced coffee, and high octane soda." She said, indicating the bag she had put together. "Everything else I am sure you took care of... be careful... not just physically."
"Always." He said. And with the exception of his brother, he was a fairly guarded person. ANd despite what people honestly thought, he didn't really have a death wish and he wasn't suicidal. "See you when I get home."
SNSNSN
"I'm not human... but I am no demon yet either." He said matter of factly. "And the only reason people get hurt is when little demons think they can undo a bargain. Now be a good boy an leave the nice young man." He said as he took a drink of water and started once more.
"Your inexperience is showing." The man sneered as he broke free of the bonds. "Nice young man. Such naivete. How do you go through life like that?" He asked as the windows slammed shut, and the door locked.
Sam attempted to hold the possessed down with his telekinesis but it didnt work "What he hell?" He demanded. Under normal circumstances his abilities not working would be a god send for him. A sign that he was doing something right, climbing out of the abyss, but now it spelled trouble, and that was something he didnt need.
"Wrap yourself in a faith not your own and you expect it to protect you?" The man taunted as he stood up. "When that faith thinks of you as a most reviled creature? Thought you were the smart one, out of the Winchesters. Obviously there was a miscalculation somewhere. Then again, you might not be the dumbest one either."
"You're not up on the times... it actually is my faith." He said and resorted to the ritual once more. Even if he wasn't the right sort of demon it would hurt. God knew it hurt him. Might distract it long enough to let go of the hold on the windows and door.
The man screamed and tried a different track. "Sam Winchester." He said. "That's not the name you checked into your hotel with. And I know someone else who knows that name." He said in a sing song voice as he bobbed about the room like a hyperactive child.
"Who?" Sam demanded as he grabbed the demon and slammed it against the wall, his arm over his throat. "Who knows?"
"I can't tell you." He said, laughing. "It's a secret. A big top secret. And I keep secrets better than you do, that's for sure. This'll be good. Worth the exorcism."
"Yeah? You haven't spoken to Meg recently, have you?" He said and started canting once more, pausing then asking once more. "Who knows I am here?"
The demon laughed again. And knocked Sam across the room. "So impatient." He said as he shook off the effects of the canting and holy water. This was nearly as much fun as actual torture. The taunting. Sure, there was some physicality thrown in, because that was also fun.
Sam groaned as he hit the wall and slid down it. "So didn't miss this part of normal." He groaned as he got to his feet. Then realization dawned. "No." He said. "No no no you did not make sure Dean ... no! "
SNSNSN
Dean had crossed the border into Louisiana. He had this feeling like he was being followed, and kept checking his mirrors. No one was ever there, so he figured he was just majorly paranoid because now he was free to travel wherever, however. Strange concept he was still adjusting to.
But he pulled over just across the border to a greasy spoon diner, he was hungry. He was saving most of the snacks Chavi packed for those long stretches without rest stops.
"What can I get you?" The waitress asked, a 30 something brunette whose name tag (improbably) read Samantha. She filled the upturned coffee mug while she waited.
Dean glanced over at the specials menu written on a dry erase board in red marker. "Um...I'll take the chicken fried steak and fries." He said. That should hold him over for a while. And what were the chances that his waitress' name would be Samantha? If he wasn't creeped out already, he was well on his way.
"Coming right up." She said as she disappeared into the kitchen. There were a hand full of customers in the diner, most of them looking over at Dean as though he were a curiosity.
Dean looked around uneasily, feeling the eyes upon him. He rubbed the back of his neck and hunched over his coffee. He should have gotten this to go. But there was construction along the major highway, leaving him with rutted detour roads, the car needed a bit of a break. So did he. Having to swerve around pot holes the size of Montana and cows just loitering in the middle of the road...and he didn't even know what he was driving into. Maybe if he ignored them, they'd all go away or something. That theory worked when he was three after all.
The waitress brought his food out to him 10 minutes later. "Here you are. Anything else I can get you?" She asked with a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Thanks, I'm good." Dean said and turned his attention to his food. Now Samantha the waitress was giving him the creeps. He'd been around tired fed up waitresses enough to know when something was off. Her too sweet smile and cold hard eyes. But he cut his steak, tougher than shoe leather, and ate his fries, limp with grease, andn wondered why he had stopped here in the first place.
Samantha brought him his check. "There's a storm brewing." She said. "You don't want to get caught in it."
"Weather looks fine to me." He said carefully as he put out money for the check plus the expected tip. "I don't scare easily."
"Things change in a heart beat around here." She said as she pocketed the money with the ticket. "Sometimes you just gotta realize things are out of your control... and way bigger than you are. Anyway... drive careful." She started to walk away. "Talbot." She said looking over her shoulder. "Such a funny name... makes me think of those old werewolf movies. You know the ones with the whiney boy turning into a monster... killing the gypsy girl... funny name." She said, heading into the kitchen.
Dean's blood ran cold as he stared after her and rushed out of the diner, pulling out his cell phone. He called Chavi's place,and got the answering machine. "Crap." He said and waited for the tone. "Hey, it's me. Listen, anyone strange come around, don't let them in. Actually, yell for Ben."
Samantha stood at the window watching as the man made his way to the car. He wouldn't be going anywhere soon.
Dean hung up his cell phone and groaned when he saw his precious car. Four flats. How the hell did that happen? He examined one of the tires and saw the tell tale slash mark in the rubber. "Dammit!" He yelled, kicking at a parking space ledge. He went back into the diner. "Where's the nearest garage?" He asked. Even if he had to walk and roll back the tires himself.
Samantha smiled sweetly, this time the barest twinkle in her eyes. "Here ya go, sugar." She said and drew out a little map for him that would take him 6 blocks from the diner if he cut across a field and through an alleyway.
"Thanks, sweetheart." He said, slapping a grin he didn't even get close to feeling on his face. And started across the parkinglot, across the field. Oh sam was going to owe him big for this one if he were in any sort of trouble. Even if it was only in Dean's mind.
SNSNSN
"You want to ruin the surprise? Shame on you!" The demon said, keeping up with his assault. "Go ahead and try to leave. Dare ya." That would be more pain than what the demon could do to Sam right now.
Sam narrowed his eyes at the demon and dove for his bag. Some things Sam always carried with him. He pulled out the canister of salt and the cell phone. If the demon wanted him to leave, then he was going to stay put. He circled himself with it and after a moment's deliberation dialed Dean's cell phone number. It was a trap... that changed the rules.
The phone rang, then a pleasant female voice spoke. "We're sorry, the cellular phone you are trying to reach is out of area at this time. Please try back at a later time when the recipient may be in a zoned area. As always, we appreciate your business and we are doing all that we can to ensure coverage across the continental United States. Thank you, and have a pleasant day."
Sam swore in ways that would have made a sailor blush, then dialed Bobby's number hoping against all hope that the man would answer the damned phone.
Bobby answered on the fourth ring, he was buried beneath a wreck someone thought was salvagable. "Hey Sam. What's up?" He asked as he cleaned off a tool.
Sam's eyes never left the demon as he lay on the floor to catch his breath, and talk to Bobby. "You have to get hold of Dean and warn him off... He ... he's on his way here and it's a trap. Son of a bitch is trying to force me to break the deal... You gotta stop Dean."
Stop Dean? Did Sam forget that part of his brother that was a juggernaut? Especially when it involved Sam? "Sam, I'll do my best. I'll talk him out of it as best I can. Can you get out of there and skedaddle before Dean gets there?"
"No... he's blocking my abilities and it's locked down tighter than a drum." Sam said wincing a little at the pain. "Bobby if he shows up... the bastard's going to undo everything he did in Chicago... he'll make him relive the torture and die. You've gotta stop him."
"Sam, I'll do my best." Bobby said. And he'd definitely do his best. He couldn't let both of John's Boys lose themselves to the same demon that did in their parents. There was a symmetry there he didn't appreciate and would stand in the way of if he could.
Sam closed the cell phone and pushed himself into an upright position. "He's... not gonna ... be that easy to kill." He said as he got onto the bed. He just needed to rest. All he needed was a chance to rest... then he could fight back...
"All humans think that. All humans say that. But your flesh gives just as easily as a snail under boots." The demon taunted. "Crushed like a bug far too easily. Yet you still retain your arrogance, it's amazing. No wonder the other one is so obsessed with humans." Meaning the yellow eyed demon.
"Listen pal, first rule of hunting, don't care if it's animals, monsters, or man... is know your target. You obviously don't know shit about my brother. " Sam said laying his head down on the pillow, willing the pain to subside.
"Hunting? We're not hunting. He is. And he doesn't know his target." The demon said with a chuckle. "And we know a lot about your brother, more than you do probably. Do you want to see him before we kill him, or would you rather hide up here like a scared child?"
"You can't kill him unless I see him. A deal's a deal after all." Sam said. "A deal that you are breaking just with this trap alone. Daddy's not gonna be happy."
"Actually, the letter of the deal is that you can't seek out your brother." He pointed out. "And that your real father won't kill him. The rest of us, he's fair game. And it's wonderful. Because he's going to fall for the trap, and you can watch him die."
Sam sat up in the bed and looked at the demon, the fact that he was barely conscious was pushed to the side once more. He forced himself into a standing position, holding onto the bedpost. "Touch him, and I will kill you. You can't keep me trapped like this forever. "
"I could knock you over with a feather right now." He said. "And you threaten me? You are such a naive creature."
"You kill me, and you have someone else breathing down your neck." Sam said. "So yeah... I'm threatening you. It's not naive... it's arrogant." He said, then began to pray, not only for his own strength and Dean's safety, but because he knew it would hurt the demon. Might not get rid of him but it would sure as hell hurt.
Sam got backhanded for his trouble. "Shut up!" The demon hissed at him. "Shut your mouth." The prayers coming from Sam's mouth were vile and disgusting to him. Like unpleasantness crawling and scorching across his skin.
He smiled instead and wiped his mouth continuing :
"Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malignant enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me. And bid me to come to Thee. That with Thy Saints I may praise Thee Forever and ever. Amen."
"I told you to shut up!" The demon screeched and started hitting Sam, over and over. Anything to stop the stream of pain coming from Sam's lips.
Sam kept getting up. Kept praying for as long as there was consciousness in him. He wanted the thing to kill him. Wanted the son of a bitch to end it. Dean could take this thing, but he couldn't take the yellow eyed demon. And if Sam had to be dead to keep his end of the deal, then so be it.
The demon stopped with a growl of frustration. Because killing Sam Winchester was against the rules. Dammit, he couldn't do it. Not if he wanted to live himself. So, satisfied he'd done enough damage for the time being, he slammed out of the room.
Sam pulled himself back onto the bed, and dialed Bobby's number, hoping against hope that the man had gotten through to Dean.
"Dean?!" Bobby said into the phone, not even checking the caller ID, because he'd left messages with Dean every five minutes to call. Hopefully he'd finally gotten through to the oldest Winchester son. "Oh, Sam." He said in disappointment. "I'm waiting for Dean, I got call waiting, don't worry. How are you holding up?"
"Not... not so good." Sam said honestly. "But you - you can't tell Dean that. They won't kill me. The bastard won't let them." Sam wasn't stupid. He had just underestimated the thing's self control.
Bobby sighed heavily. "Fine." He agreed. "Your brother is going to kill both of us when this is all over though." Whether here or in some sort of afterlife, Dean was definitely going to have his payback on them.
"Yeah well... if .. we give him what he wants... he won't have the chance to kill us." Sam said. "I'm tired, Bobby...I'm tired of fighting."
"Sam, giving up is the worst thing you could do." Bobby said, heatedly. Knowing if he did, Sam would go straight for Dean.
"I know... not giving up...just so tired, Bobby. I thought I had a chance.. but I don't. Really starting to regret that conversion." He said only part in jest.
"You do have a chance." Bobby said. "We're still working on it. Dean's spending every spare moment, and some that he can't, to try and figure this out. You should tell him about the deal." Bobby wouldn't, wasn't his place. And from him, Dean might think it was only a theory anyway.
"It won't stop the process." Sam said as he tried to find the least uncomfortable position possible. "It would just make him refuse to leave... he was so freaked out after Dad... "
"Yeah, he's got this concept that everyone else trading their life for his, and him not being allowed to reciprocate...he thinks it's a tad bit unfair." Bobby said.
"I'm the ... little brother. It's... in the job description to be selfish like that." Sam said and laughed breathily.
"Sam, don't pull that reasoning. He's the oldest brother, it's in his job description to protect you." Bobby said worriedly. "Sam, you're not all right. You need to get out of there somehow and get some help." Since he was steadfast against accepting it from Dean.
"Locked in." Sam said. "Won't kill me... just gotta stop Dean before he sees me... I can't lose him... at least the way things are, I know he's alive and as safe as he will let himself be."
"Which we all know isn't very safe at all." Bobby said with a sigh. "Kiddo, this isn't going to end well."
"I know." Sam said sounding very much like the child he used to be in that moment. "He doesn't deserve this Bobby. There has to be a way to stop him... something... anything... " he said, groaning as he forced himself to his feet again and going to the door to try opening it again.
"I'll try his phone again and see what I can do." Bobby said, tiredly. Who knew that a chance meeting with John Winchester all those years ago would put him in this spot right now?
"Thank you." Sam said then growled in frustration at the door. "I appreciate everything you've done." He said as he closed the cell phone.
Dean had had a bad day so far. Had to roll the tires back to the Impala, and four tires is never an easy chore. Some hoodlum tried to jump him, and he learned that wasn't the thing to do when Dean was in a bad mood. But he'd wasted time dealing with him when he could have been driving. Then he had to get the tires on the Impala But finally he arrived at the house outside Baton Rouge.
The door was locked. Big deal. Most doors fell easily enough with a hard enough kick and this one wasn't an exception. He knew, somehow he knew, his brother was upstairs so he ran up the stairs and started throwing open doors, opening one and nearly knocking his brother over.
His brother.
And he was a mess as Dean caught him. "Jesus, Sammy..." He said. His brother was one big bruised mess. And that was just what he could see. "Come on, let's get you out of here. You can yell at me later."
"Dean... it's a trap." Sam said clutching at Dean's jacket to steady himself, to actually feel his brother. He was here... he had come... and he was going to die because of it. He needed Dean, needed to feel that steady rock that his brother was in his life, but he had never been so afraid or full of despair in his life. "You have to go."
"Absolutely." Dean said. "So let's go. Shut up and concentrate on walking." Dean said as he supported most of his brother's weight. "Yeah, well, I told you in Chicago it was a trap, you came anyway. We're both kinda incapable of listening. I knew it was a trap, weird waitress I ran into." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, Sammy, we gotta move."
"He's gonna kill you." Sam said as he let Dean lead him down the stairs. "I'm sorry, Dean." He said. "I tried." He would go... what difference would it make now? The demon would come for Dean, because the deal was broken... and in some ways, so was Sam. If ole yellow eyes killed Dean, there was no reason for him to fight anymore.
"Sam, don't worry about that now." Dean said. "There's nothing to be sorry for, come on, I'm gonna need some help getting you down the stairs, that's it, grab onto the railing." Dean said as he guided Sam slowly down the stairs. "Almost there. How many times have I told you to duck? I know you're freakishly tall and all, but dude, someone's punching you? Duck."
"He cheated. Used the wall... and the floor a lot. Hard to dodge those." Sam said. "Dean... I don't know where we can hide from him... " He couldn't just let it happen. He couldn't lose his brother.
"Sam, let me worry about that, okay?" Dean said. "Let's just get you down the stairs." They seemed a whole lot longer on the way down than they did on the way up, Dean mused to himself as he adjusted his grip on his brother. "Well, at least I know you've been eating okay."
Sam couldn't help but laugh at that, but there was an edge of hysteria to it. "Yeah, well, don't have you around stealing all my food." He attempted to tease. His eyes darted around, looking for any sign of the demon. He had to make this right some how. Had to find a way that that bastard wouldn't kill Dean. Sam wasn't the one that broke the deal. "Someone set us up Dean."
"Someone's always setting us up." Dean said. "You think we'd be used to this." He got to the final landing of the stairs, back on normal ground. "Come on, let's get out of here. I leave my car unattended for too long and the tires get slashed."
Sam stood at the base of the stairs and stared at his brother, wanting to say so much but unable to get the words past the lump in his throat. "If... if you go I might be able to talk him down." Sam said hating the weakness that welled in his eyes in the form of tears. Some demon he was going to be. Demon of girlish weeping.
"Hell no." Dean said. "Sam, let's go. Now. I'm not leaving you here in the hopes you can talk him down or whatever. Who knows what he'll do. Let's go."
Sam let Dean move him toward the door. "He's going to kill you." Sam said, pausing by the door once more. "I'll be alright. He doesn't want me dead."
"No, he wants you worse than dead." Dean said as he grabbed his brother's arm. "Don't argue, I'm tired, I'm hungry and I'm a little pissed right now. We're going."
Sam couldn't argue with that comment. It was true. Losing his soul would be worse than death. "Yeah but that's not what I'm worried about at the moment. Dean... " He said as he went out the door with his brother.
"You always worry too much." Dean said with a shake of his head as they headed out the door to the Impala. Ma and Pa Demon were waiting for them, no longer having the neutral but benevolent expressions on their faces as they raised guns at Sam.
Dean didn't think. He just acted on instinct, what he would always do in this situation. It would always happen like this, whether it was a bullet or spitball. The gun went off. At Sam. And Dean threw himself in the path, knocking Sam over, and getting winged himself. Well, he'd call it getting winged anyway.
"No!" Sam screamed out, rage, fear and something darker he couldn't put a name to erupted to the surface and through what ever was blocking his abilities. The demons were flung backwards, as Sam scrambled to his feet, the role reversing suddenly as it so often had in the past as he pulled his brother to the Impala. "Dean, talk to me."
"Okay. Get off me." Dean said as he shrugged his brother off and made it into the driver's seat of the Impala. Exhaling raggedly and holding his left side under his jacket with his right hand. "Okay, well, we got out of the farm house." He said.
"Head for town. I have a motel room there. I'll take a look at that wound when we get there. " Sam told him, Dean's health being foremost in his mind at the moment. "How bad is it?"
"It's fine." Dean said tightly as he drove into town. "I could make it back to Corpus easily." He said. "Small caliber." It wasn't gushing blood at least. That was always a good sign.
"Dean... go to the hotel. I have my stuff there if nothing else. And I want to look at that thing before we even think about getting into a road trip."
"Fine." Dean said, not arguing. He got his brother into the car, after all. "Dude, you gotta start hanging out with better people though." He teased as he followed his brother's instructions to the hotel.
Sam actually laughed at that. "I came here to perform an exorcism, but it was ... well... a trap. Oh crap, Bobby!" He said and fished in his pocket for his cell phone. "I've had him trying to stop you from the moment I realized they were trying to kill you." He dialed Bobby's number and waited.
"Yeah, trying to kill me. That's why I'm the one driving." Dean said with a roll of his eyes as Bobby answered.
"I've left more messages for that bastard in one day than I've ever left for any one else combined." Bobby grumbled. "He's not answering, Sam."
"He's here... driving." Sam said, and all the worry he felt was in his voice. "They shot him and he is driving."
"That sounds exactly like your brother." Bobby said. "Okay, well, get him somewhere to patch him up if you can't talk him into going to a hospital. He's no longer wanted after all."
"Dude, I can hear you." Dean said as he drove. "No hospitals. They have to report gun shot wounds."
"I'll get him patched up... It's gonna get ugly, Bobby. In case we don't... well... thanks for everything, man." He didn't see how the demon was going to let this slip but he would die fighting if he had to, in order to keep him off of his brother as long as possible.
"I'll see you both soon." Bobby said as he hung up.
"Dude, those freaks were shooting at you, not me." Dean pointed out as he got to the hotel and put the car in park. "I know you're paranoid and all, but they weren't trying to kill me. They were trying to off you."
"They aren't the ones I am worried about. Come on. You're not driving if you don't come in and let me look you over. So turn off the car and come on." He said getting out of the car and moving to wait at the front of the car for signs of Dean moving.
Dean sighed. He had finally found a comfortable spot and now he had to give it up. But he turned off the car and pocketed the keys as he carefully got out. "It's a flesh wound, Sammy." He said. "But fine. Let's go."
"Last time you had a flesh wound you wound up in the hospital." Given Dean's definition of fine and flesh wound, Sam had a right to worry. He unlocked his hotel room door and looked around inside before letting his brother into the room. He went straight for the first aid kit he carried with him still and set it on the bed, opening it. "Go ahead and get out of that shirt."
"You're a pain in my ass." Dean said with a scowl as he shrugged off his jacket, throwing it onto a nearby chair. Followed with the flannel. And finally, carefully, pulled his tshirt off over his head and grabbed a handful of gauze, pressing it to his side. "See, hardly bleeding. Ruined the shirt though. I liked that shirt."
Sam looked at the jacket and the shirt and frowned, pausing in his salting of the doorway. "Turn around." He said, not seeing an exit hole in the clothing. "Dean... turn around."
"Fine, Sam, it's still in there." Dean said, knowing what Sam was going at. "Happy?" He said as he went through the mini fridge. "I'm fine. I got a while to figure out what to do about it. Not like this is the first time I've ever been shot."
"What to do about it? We get you to a frigging hospital and get it out of there, tha'ts what we do about it." Sam said emphatically.
"Dude, they're required to report gunshot wounds to the police." Dean said as he cleaned out the wound. It hurt like hell, and he wanted to lay down and go to sleep, so he sat down instead. "You want to explain how I got shot? And even if we made up a story, it would still be investigated. No go."
"Then we get you medicated and I go in and get it out myself because you can't carry that thing around inside you." He started looking through his first aid kit, taking out what he would need. "The one in the impala stocked? I haven't been needing anything this serious for a while now. " He looked over at Dean worriedly. There were too many ways this could go wrong.
"Yeah, it's stocked." Dean said, getting up and tossing Sam the keys. "In the trunk where it always is. So how out of practice with the serious stuff are you? I mean, Jack's an EMT, you could drive back with me and have him give you a refresher course."
"EMT huh, thought he was a business major... but yeah... we could make it to Corpus easily enough, but I am driving." He said. "Go get cleaned up while I get the kit. We'll get it patched up for now and you medicated then get out of here." He said as he headed out the door quickly.
Sam didn't know how long they had before the Demon would make his appearance, and he needed his brother in the best health possible for that fight. They had only escaped him once before and they had the colt then. Now they might as well be completely unarmed.
Dean was surprised his brother had agreed so readily, but he wasn't going to argue as he brought the peroxide into the bathroom with him, getting a head start on cleaning the wound so they could get out of there quicker.
When Sam returned, Dean was still in the bathroom, but the room wasn't empty.
"I warned you." The demon said, wearing a desk clerk for the moment.
Sam's blood ran cold. "You set this up. I didn't go looking for him. You're people made it so that I couldn't get out of there before he got there. This isn't my fault... I didn't break our agreement." He said, his voice tinged with fear, not its usual arrogant John impersonation that he saved for the demon.
"Sam?" Dean said, rattling the door knob. He couldn't get out, and he heard two voices out there. One of which was scaring his brother, he could tell that from his voice. "Sam! Get out of here."
"Yes, Sam. Get out of here. Leave your brother to me. It will be painless." The demon said, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"No." Sam said. "You... no you can't kill him, I won't let you. This isn't his fault. I didn't mean for this to happen. Leave him alone." Sam said as he moved toward the bathroom door, having no intention of letting the demon get past him to his brother.
"Sam, get out of here, dammit!" Dean shouted through the door.
"Are you asking to renew our deal?" The demon asked, eyes glimmering with satisfaction.
"No... I'm asking my father, not to kill my brother." Sam said in a haunted, resigned tone. "Please... I'm going to change no matter what... please don't kill him."
A thud could be heard as Dean sat down hard on the tiled floor at that one. "Sam! Dammit no!" He said through the door. Like the wind had been knocked out of him and someone was pouring salt into the hole in his gut.
The demon's face split into a wide smile at that. "Very well." He agreed. "But we both leave. Now."
Sam turned to face the door, knowing his brother was right there on the other side. "I ahm... love you, man. I'm alright... I'll be alright... just.." tears filled his eyes, "we can't do this again... No matter what we want." He walked away from the door and grabbed his bags as yet unpacked. "I'm going." Sam said looking up at the demon. "But I'm not going with you." He indicated the door. "You first."
"Such distrust." The demon said with a smirk as he tried not to laugh at the increased pounding and shouting from Dean. "You first. You can go where you can see him drive away, if you must. As long as there is no contact. But I'm the one ensuring that door doesn't open too soon. Or we can go together."
"I'll be watching." Sam said as he stepped into the shadows, and moved to a place where he could make sure his brother left the hotel in the same condition he arrived in.
The demon disappeared shortly after, and the door Dean had been pounding on flew open, dumping him onto the floor with a stifled gasp of pain as he quickly rolled over onto his back and took a few deep, ragged breaths, holding his side. "Sam, no dammit. Why don't you ever listen?" He said to the ceiling. Then made himself get up. Sam was no where around, and his bags were gone. Just Dean's first aid kit. So he popped a painkiller and bandaged his side again and looked out the window. He couldn't see anything or anyone that he was looking for, and he kicked a chair across the room in response.
Then he got into the Impala and headed back to Corpus. Because the trail for Sam had gone cold, again. He was back to square one, again.
The drive back seemed a lot shorter than the drive to, but the Impala also didn't suffer from any mechanical difficulties either. He sat in his friveway for a moment and had to recenter himself. The note of finality in Sam's voice was ripping him apart. Along with calling that thing 'father.' That thing was not his father.
But he managed to get back out of the car, up his few short front steps and into his house. Badly needing a nap. He'd call Jack later. Maybe.
Chavi looked up as Dean came in and smiled brightly at him. "I came by to pick up your mail and your uncle was waiting outside for you. I didn't know you had an uncle." She said.
A man looking for all the world like John Winchester raised his head and smiled winningly, a dimpled smile so like Sam's. "Your girlfriend's a real charmer there, Dean."
"Neither did I." Dean said. He really didn't need this. At all. "Get out." He said to the man who looked like his father. Who looked like his father for the sole purpose of getting under Dean's skin. And you know what? It was working.
"No... not yet." He said as he got to his feet. "We have a few things to work out. My boy is worried about you. " The demon locked gazes with Dean, not caring that Chavi was in the room or what she might overhear. "Ironic don't ya think? You killed my son to save Sam... and now Sam is mine."
"Chavi, get out of here." Dean said, not taking his eyes off the demon as his face filled with cold rage. "And Sammy is not yours. Get that thought out of your head, and then leave my fucking house. I heard you, you're not supposed to hurt little old me, or you'll piss Sammy right off."
"I'm not here to hurt ya, Dean." He said. "I'm here to keep a promise." He said. "Finish something I started a while ago." He slammed Dean against the wall, large hand pressing against the wound in his side, slowly, intentionally so, pulling the bullet.
Dean screamed. It was like being shot in reverse, or having the wound vaccumed. Didn't tickle as he started chanting the prayer of St Michael Pastor Jim had taught him. Something that after his encounter with another priest called Reynolds that he remembered. The patron saint of demon hunters, at least as far as Dean was concerned.
Chavi looked around for a second, then grabbed the salt canister, saying a few words in her native language that her grandmother had taught her then moved quickly. The demon was distracted by the prayer, and she seized the opportunity to dump the contents down the thing's back. It wouldn't kill it, but it would get it off of Dean ... she hoped.
And was rewarded by a scream of pain and indignation as it whirled around to face her. "You don't want to get involved in this, little girl. In fact... you would be wise to run home to grandma and forget all about this loser. "
Dean slumped to the floor once the demon released him, but forced himself back up to his feet and stumbled to between the demon and Chavi. "Get out. This is my house, my life, and my girl. You've got my brother for the time being. That's enough."
"For the time being? He's mine just like your daddy was mine. All signed sealed and delivered by his own hand... just for you. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hell if I know what they see in you that makes you worth it. But what the hell, you don't want my help, not my problem." He said with a slow smile and faded away into nothingness.
"Dean? Are you alright? " Chavi asked. "What did he do to you?"
"That thing took my brother and killed my parents. No, I'm not all right." Dean said in frustration. Frustration at himself, that he was unable to stop any of this. "I'm gonna...I don't know. Take a shower, catch a nap. I can't believe this. That thing had the audacity to wear my father's form for this. God I wish I could kill him."
"Dean, you're bleeding." She said as she tried to direct him over toward the sofa. "You can take a nap after Jack has looked this over. What happened? " She asked grabbing the phone with her free hand.
Dean looked down. "Oh, that. It's not bad." He said. Because for once he just wanted to curl up in his bed and wallow. He'd work on Sam later. After he wallowed for a moment. Get the bullet dug out. After he wallowed for just a moment. "It's almost stopped." He lied. "Look, I'm fine, okay? I get that you're worried, but I am fine. See? Walking, talking, breathing. Fine."
She looked up at him sharply, grey eyes latching on to green ones. "That's an anagram, you know." She told him. "Now you listen to me, Dean Winchester, I am not putting up with this shit. I didn't let myself fall in love with you to just sit back and watch you commit suicide by demon."
"Fine. I took a bullet for Sam. Small caliber, left side three inches below my ribs. Happy? I sure ain't! Because the demon has my brother anyway." Dean said. "And I'm not committing suicide, I don't have time to deal with this," he said, gesturing to his side, "right now." Wouldn't be the first time he'd had a bullet wound and gone after his brother anyway. All thoughts of wallowing were gone.
"You don;t have time not to deal with this." She dialed Jack's number and waited for him to answer. "I'm sorry that Sam is still in the same danger he was when you left to go find him. I truly am. Especially seeing what was just here in your living room. But you aren't going to do him any good with an untreated bullet wound in your stomach."
"With a what??" Jack demanded having over heard that much of the conversation as he answered. "Are you at his place?"
"Huh? Yeah." Chavi said, momentarily derailed.
"On my way." Jack said and hung up.
"He is on his way. I want you to let him take care of you."
"Oh. Okay. That sounds like fun." Dean said. "Except for the part where, oh I don't know, this is MY house. Don't get that look on your face, I distinctly remember asking you to move in, only to get put off with the 'it's not the right time' spiel. So, this still makes this MY house. And I'm going to take a shower. Then I'm going to hit the books and the computer and find my fucking brother before he gets himself into another mess. So you can meet Jack at the front door. And you can tell him you freaked him out over nothing because I'm fine. I said I'm fine. Why does no one believe me when I say that?" He said, sitting down in front of his computer. Because, dammit, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he needed to sit as he grabbed a tshirt he'd left on the couch. Shook it out, it wasn't one of his favorites, so he balled it right back up and pressed it against his side, hard. Stifling a groan as he did so, waiting for his computer to boot up.
"Your house." She said. "Fine it's your house. It's your body. It's your life. But if you ever want to share any of those things with me again... you will damned well start to take care of yourself. Because I can't do this, Dean. I can't sit here and watch you bleed all over yourself when you don't have to. I can deal with you getting hurt, but I can't deal with... with this... with this attitude that you don't fucking matter because guess what, you big jerk, you matter. You have family right here that cares about you... and unless I misunderstood that little interaction there... Sam cares about you too. So get over the macho routine and start caring about yourself... because Damn it I love you and I don't want to walk away... but I will."
She had his attention. Chavi wasn't a big user of curse words, at least not the English ones. So he stood up and peeled off his ruined shirt and tossed it over a chair, flopping down on a couch to wait for Jack. "Fine." He said. "I'm fine, but whatever. Fine." He kept the tshirt pressed to his side so he wouldn't bleed all over his furniture. Truthfully, he wasn't big on furniture, but Chavi was the one that dragged him to a store to get actual furniture that actual people had. And it was a great, supportive couch, he'd give it that. Then he grinned at her, the Dean grin that most thought should really come with a warning label. "So you love me, huh?" He said. "Just remember I said it first." A month ago, completely slipped out unintentionally.
She returned the smile and sank down on the floor in front of him, relieved that he was going to let Jack take care of that wound, relieved that she wouldn't have to follow through on that threat of walking out on him.
"So you did" She said and rested her hand on his knee. She let the argument drop. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to change the only thing about him she wanted to change with one argument. You can't argue someone into caring about themselves. But he was at least going to let Jack help him. That was progress.
Jack opened the door and came in with out so much as a knock. "How the hell did you get shot?" He asked setting the massive trauma kit down on the floor next to Chavi.
"Hi Jack. How are you? How about them Knicks? The weather's been great too." Dean said as he carefully pulled away the tshirt from his side. "Uh...well, they were going to shoot Sam, so I tackled him and got winged." He said. "I drove for seven hours with this, so obviously nothing major has been hit. Guess it's my lucky day. You know, except for a demon inviting himself into my home wearing Dad. That part kinda sucked."
"So... where's Sam?" He asked as he started to examine the wound more closely. "Never mind, let me guess, he took off again" Jack opened the trauma kit and started to take out several tools. "Get me a few towels please." He asked Chavi who got up and headed toward the linen closet.
"Sam made a deal. The demon doesn't kill me, and Sam doesn't come near us." Dean said through clenched teeth. "So, again, another Winchester makes a deal with him for my life. Dad, my life for his. Sam, my life for his soul. Makes a guy feel really good." He said and winced as Jack prodded it. "But, hey, she loves me. Day can't be all bad, right?"
Jack checked Dean's vital signs and assured himself that Dean wasn't bleeding out internally, which was by all rights a small miracle. "Go ahead and lay down." He said. "I'm gonna have to get that bullet out of there." He said. "She loves you huh... you sure she's sane?"
"You sure? It's kinda warm and comfy in there." Dean said as he slowly brought his legs up and laid down with a grimace. "Yeah, she's insane. So am I, so I guess it's okay. You've been saying I'm insane for months now. I asked her to move in before I left to find Sam, like, a month ago. She said no. So that was weird."
"Love and moving in are two different things. I mean... Kaylie and I don't officially live together yet either." He said as Chavi brought the towels for Jack. He took out the morphine and prepared the syringe. "Here we go." He said as he injected the opiate subcutaneously, then broke open a iodine sponge and began to clean around the wound.
"Ow...easy there, cowboy." Dean said as Jack fished out the bullet. "Yeah, well, you two live with your parents." He said and shook his head. "Wow, I feel like I'm back in Chicago again." He said with a laugh. "So if I ask again, is this another one of those 'not a good time' times?" He asked Chavi.
"It's a good time." She said with a smile. "Unless it's the drugs talking, but it's too late now since you asked and I said yes."
"This thing wasn't as deep in as I thought it would be." He plopped the bullet down onto the lid of his case, the started work cleaning out the wound and then stitching it up. "Antibiotics, lortab, and rest. And if you don't rest I will come over and sit on you, which won't be pleasant."
"Dude, you need a new hobby." Dean said as his brother stitched him up. But he wasn't in a complaining mood. Sam still weighed heavily on his mind, so much so that it was nearly crushing.
But he was also completely high on morphine, and the woman he loved more than his own life had just agreeed to take another step with him. Tomorrow he could start on the path to Sam again. When he wasn't high and bleeding at any case.
It had been a few months, but Bobby finally found Sam's new number. During a brief conversation with Father Pavel, who was still in Rome. So he called Sam.
"Sam, can you come over to my place? I got something you should watch. I promise, Dean isn't here." Bobby said.
"Sure, I'll be right there." Sam said as he hung up. And within moments he was knocking on Bobby's door, a 12 pack of his favorite beer in hand.
Bobby opened the door with a genuine smile. "Didn't think you'd come." He said as he moved aside to let Sam in. "You're a hard man to get a hold of these days, you know. I've been trying to get a hold of you for a few months now."
"I was keeping a low profile for a while. Came too close to losing him last time I got careless." Sam said. It was good to hear a familiar voice. Something to remind him of who he used to be. "So what have you got to show me?"
"I've been holding onto this for months. Even rented a boob tube." Bobby said. "Then I couldn't get a hold of you, and the rental place made me buy the damn thing." He said as he led Sam into his living room, which he had cleared of any potentially uncomfortable material just for this visit. Then he found the one video tape he had and popped it into the VCR. "Your brother got married a few months ago. So we taped it so you could see it, since well, you know."
Sam looked at Bobby in shock. "Married?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Thats great!" He said sincerely. Dean was married. He was happy and settled into a real life. "What's she like?" He asked as he took a seat.
"Yup, married." Bobby said as the tape started to play. "She's a firecracker, no doubt. Not that your brother would actually settle down with anyone less than that. She's pretty, but you'll see. She makes her entrance about five minutes into the video. They had the wedding and reception at a hotel. He seems happy."
"Oh god he does... look at him, he can't stand still." Sam said grinning ear to ear to match his brother on the tape. Thinking he looked for all the world like Tigger in a tux.
Bobby chuckled. "I bet that thing itched." He said as he watched Dean pull a bit at the collar on the screen. "Here's the wedding processional. Flower girl, some daughter of a girl Chavi worked with. Cute little kid, absolute terror at the reception. Bridesmaids, for once safe from Dean, much to the delight of their boyfriends. Maid of honor, you remember Kaylie? Dean mentioned you met her once. She goes with your other brother. And that's Chavi."
"She's beautiful." Sam said watching as they all lined up, watching the look of terror, and overwhelming happiness that covered his brother's face as she started down the aisle, the look that settled into a peaceful look of nothing but love. The look that said in that moment, Dean was where he needed and wanted to be. Because his world was standing right before his eyes.
"Yeah, she is." Bobby said. "Course, she's also Roma, so you can imagine how well Dean went over with her parents. Which is why Ben gave her away, because her father told her she was dead. Nice guy. Thought Dean was going to shoot him there for a moment. Never thought I'd live to see the day when Dean of all men got married."
Sam laughed a little. "Isn't it usually the father of the girl wanting to shoot Dean, not the other way around?" He asked. "I knew if he could stay in one place long enough... after meeting Cassie I knew it was something he wanted even if he would never admit it. I'm glad he finally got the chance. He deserves it. "
"So what have you been up to? Haven't heard anything from you over the last few months." Bobby said as the ceremony played out. "You're a hard man to get a hold of."
"I've been keeping to myself, taking on the occasional exorcism, but mostly just moving. I keep moving. It's harder for him to track me down if I am always moving. "
It was ironic, really. All Sam had ever wanted was what his brother now had. Their lives had juxtaposed some where along the way and Sam was happy. No one deserved that dream more than Dean. He had sacrificed so much of himself so often.
"And how are you holding up?" Bobby asked. This video was proof that Dean had recovered from the last time he had seen his brother. The bullet was taken care of, and physically Dean was no worse for wear. Sam on the other hand, Bobby didn't know.
"I'm not." Sam said honestly. "I'm trying to hold it all together, but some days it's like I'm flying apart. Then I'm... okay for a while. I'm not giving up though." It was easier to say that, seeing his brother happy. Alive, well. "The demon is right... it's Dean holding me together. "
"Which is probably why he's always gone after Dean to get to you." Bobby said, shaking his head. He was afraid any reversal of this process that was happening to Sam would come too late. And that would kill them both. "Now we're headed to the reception. Jack got drunker than a skunk, I think he forgot his own name there for a while."
Sam laughed. "He always struck me as a bit of a light weight." But then few people packed away the booze like hunters. And fewer still could do it and stay functional enough to survive. "But they look like they've bonded." He said watching as his brothers teased each other, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, of loss and regret. No matter how much he wanted to see exactly what he was seeing between the two men on screen.
"Of course they did." Bobby said, casting a sidelong look at Sam. "You made sure of that, didn't you? But you're still his Sammy. He dropped everything when he got that lead on you to chase you down."
"I know. I'm glad that Dean has Jack. He'd... be lost with out a little brother to annoy... torment... scare the hell out of." Sam said. "I miss him." Sam admitted. "But not as much as I would if the demon... see...I'm a selfish bastard just like Dad. " He shook his head. "Hindsight, insight and understanding... seriously all a bitch."
"It usually is. So what do you now understand about your daddy in hindsight that you didn't before?" Bobby asked. Knowing the two Winchesters hadn't been on the best of terms when John had died.
"He knew..." Sam said simply, quietly. "He knew what was going to happen... did what he thought he had to do no matter how much it hurt him or us... he was trying to get that bastard before it came to this." He shook his head. "It wasn't vengeance, or grief for Mom... he was wanting to stop this from happening." He downed the beer thinking when he went home he was definitely going to need something stronger.
"And now, where does that leave you, Sam?" Bobby asked. Always able to point out the hard parts. "Now that the bastard has manipulated events in such a way to get you where he thinks he wants you...where does that leave you? A borderline sociopath like your Dad could be so easily and so well?"
"Most days, yeah." Sam admitted. "All I have left ... that I can touch... is the hunt. I saw a girl that I used to know, not long ago. Sarah... she was part of one of our hunts. Had to do with a painting." Sam said. "God I wanted to stay and pretend that I was the same man I used to be, but I couldn't. I'm not. I'm not really like Dad either. He would have handled this better... well... more successfully anyway. He had a gift for making people want to leave him the hell alone."
"And you can't even shake off your brother." Bobby said. "Or me or Pavel for that matter. You've got people on your side whether you want to see it or not."
"I see it. Don't think for a moment that I don't. But it scares me, Bobby. This isnt just any Demon... I had this vision once... while I was trying not to drown... and I think this is one of Lucifer's princes of hell. Literally. This isn't something any of us can stop... although Pavel gave it a moment or two of fear." He sighed and rubbed at his face. "Everyone that can turn me away from it... he kills or takes away from me. Being on my side isn't a safe place to be."
"But it's where we want to be." Bobby said with a nod as he watched the festivities on the screen. Even though this was undoubtably the happiest day of Dean's life, his eyes were still tinged with a bit of sadness that his brother wasn't there. No, there was no where else Dean would be than on Sam's side.
Sam wished he could be there, more than anything he wished he could have shared in his brother's happiness. But he took comfort in the fact that there would have been no happiness to be shared with anyone if he hadn't left. Even with out the demon intervention, they would have continued on the road, hunting down evil, and sacrificing any life they could have had for people that couldn't care less.
"I know... Just... don't do anything stupid for my sake. Pointless to tell Dean that, but you... you're smarter than the average Bear, Bobby. Don't get hurt fighting a battle that can't be won."
"Well, we have different definitions of win I think. You get to be my age, kid, and you start accepting the little victories. You and your brother, you're still thinking of the war as a battle." Bobby said. "But he's doing as well as he can. He sends me pictures, I think he knows I show them to you. This is the latest batch." He said, handing Sam an envelop of pictures.
Sam smiled and opened the envelope. "These are great." He said looking through them. Glimpses into his brother's life, his home, his work, his friends. Then there was one that took his breath away. "They're gonna have a baby." He said softly, eyes misting and smile broadening. "Dean's gonna be a daddy."
"That he is." Bobby agreed with a nod. "Which could be a sign of the apocalypse if you listen to Ellen. Me? I think he'll be good at it. Had enough practice on you. Now at least he knows that soda and cotton candy is NOT an appropriate dinner."
"no matter how hard I tried to convince him otherwise" sam said with a grin. "wow... Dean is gonna be a Dad... " He couldnt help but remember his childhood. Thoughts of Dean teaching him all the things his father couldn't or wouldnt take time for. All the nights he had sat and helped him with his homework, held him when he woke screaming with nightmares. "He's gonna be good at it. He always was."