With The Coming of the Dawn
Summary
The hunters become the hunted when a creature stalks a remote community, and one of the brothers has a choice to make. Will both brothers survive the hunt and the decision of the other?
Disclaimer- hmmm, no radical change in the ownership of all things Supernatural. It's a shocker I know – I really expected the brothers to be mine by now….sighs. Oh well…
Author's Note
Well, here goes…have written up to Chapter 14 so will put a chapter up each day. Please let me know what you think…I depend on you to let me know if it is all going horribly wrong. Lol!
Special thanks to Sarah for reading through these and providing much needed encouragement! Thanks to all who have reviewed so far – you guys keep me going!
Chapter 11
"Sammy?" Dean called out quietly
Sam quickly turned from the window. "It's snowing De" he said softly, still caught up in the memory, a small smile still on his face.
"You want to make snow angels again?" Dean responded with a tired grin, remembering that Sam had pestered him all Christmas and Boxing Day until he had eventually relented and they had lain on the ground waving arms and legs like lunatics to make snow angels until they were virtually blue with the cold. He would never admit it but it had been nice to hear his brother use his old nickname and nicer to see him smile again.
Sam smirked, "You make an angel? I don't think so Dean!"
"What with this heavenly face and body? – just call me Gabriel"
"You are always my Guardian Angel De" Sam said before he thought and then grimaced, - there was no way his brother would let that blatant chick flick comment slide.
"You need one. You fight like a girl, - look like one too, you need a haircut like yesterday Samantha"
"It's Sam"
"Samantha suits you better"
"Jerk"
"Bitch"
"Poser"
"Geek boy"
"Neanderthal"
"Freak"
The two boys were grinning widely now but before things could degenerate any further Elsie walked in.
"Samuel, could I have a word?" Dean nodded for him to go and Sam followed her out to the hall. "I was expecting Missouri to arrive this morning" she started.
"Missouri? Why?" Elsie explained most of what Missouri had told her and about the leech stone with the exception of the lighthouse comment and she advised him of how Missouri had explained about the stone drawing on his abilities. The older woman hesitated about telling the young hunter about her suspicions about John. I'll tell him when I get back, she thought, hopefully with Missouri. There's no need to add any further tension to a family already under tremendous strain. And she could also tell that this young man's nerves were already on a knife edge as it was. He was steadier than earlier but she knew that the longer the leech stone continued to draw on Sam and the more Dean's condition deteriorated, this wouldn't last long.
Sam stilled before her, his attention pulled from Elsie to the window overlooking the garden. "Elsie, turn around slowly and look at the bottom of the garden" Elsie turned to look and through the falling snow a figure stood out starkly. It was the creature. The young hunter tensed as an overwhelming sense of anger roared through him but before he could think of what he was going to do the creature snarled, let out one of those bark like yelps before turning and sauntering away. It's body language clearly stating "I'm coming back and there's nothing you can do to stop me"
The worst thing was Sam knew it was probably right. He had not come across anything in his research so far that worked against such creatures and their weapon choices were limited. The silver bullets which would have been their best option at least to start with, were locked securely in the Impala which was god knows where. Normal bullets had no effect, Sam paused. His knife bade was made of consecrated steel but was inlaid with silver. With a few alterations perhaps that would have an effect, though he would have to get very close to the creature to use it.
All this flashed through Sam's mind as he watched the creature walk slowly away. Elsie too had gone very quiet next to him.
"Elsie - are you ok?"
"I'm fine Samuel, but I will have to leave soon"
"Leave, but that creatures still out there!"
"I have no choice Sam. We need Missouri; she may be able to help Dean more than we. She will also be able to help us protect this house from whomever or whatever is controlling that thing" and she can tell us if the John Winchester who is here, is indeed your father, or whether he too has been lost. Elsie left that last thought unspoken for now. At least John was not here and given his and Sam's last parting, considered that a blessing. Though she was wondering at the coincidence of John leaving and Missouri failing to appear.
"Unfortunately Samuel as long as Dean is here, the creature will be focusing solely on him. It can sense his pain - both physical and psychic. In the past the creature has always concentrated on the one victim to the exclusion of all others until they-" Elsie stopped
"Until they died, right?" Sam spat out bitterly.
Elsie nodded, knowing to voice the words would only upset the younger brother even further.
"Sam, I had a phone call from a friend at Mercy hospital, a few hours drive from here. I had asked her to keep an eye out for anyone matching Missouri's description being brought in, just on the off chance. Apparently she was brought in a short while ago"
"Is she badly hurt? What happened?" Sam asked urgently, he had a soft spot for the older psychic.
"It looks as though there was a collision. The other driver didn't stop and she was found several hours later by another driver and taken to hospital. She did not appear to be seriously injured. She had been knocked unconscious and was badly battered and bruised, but there was no swelling or pressure on her brain and no indication of internal injury. She just won't wake up."
"And you think that maybe you can help?" Sam asked without rancour.
"You never know. Knowing Missouri, by the time I get there she will probably be awake and will be threatening the doctors with that wooden spoon of hers to get released"
Sam smiled at that, remembering when Dean had been threatened with being "whacked" himself.
"Nobody bosses Missouri" He smiled fondly. "With the exception of Dad I think she is probably the most strong willed person I know" With the mention of his father, the younger man's face darkened.
"Samuel – about your father" Elsie started, unsure as to whether she should continue and if she did, how to go about it. "Pay no heed to what he says, but keep an eye on him" Sam looked at her surprised. "He is under a great deal of pressure" coward Elsie thought to herself. "Keep him away from Dean too, just in case he causes any more upset. We need to keep Dean as calm as possible."
There was a knock at the front door and both Elsie and Sam jumped.
"One second Sam" Elsie opened the door.
"Oh John, it's you" John could see his youngest son flinch at his name over Elsie's shoulder.
"Elsie" he nodded, he simply ignored Sam. "How's Dean?", again he addressed this solely to Elsie.
"He's awake. At least he was a short while ago. He's still fighting John so you mustn't give up hope." John's face looked genuinely concerned and Elsie could sense nothing but genuine concern for his son from the eldest Winchester. Perhaps she had been wrong, she thought.
The Other could sense the woman trying to read him. "You are nowhere near strong enough Witch", he thought but let some of John's worry seep through. He could see Elsie start to relax.
"I'll just look in on him" and walked past his other son without saying a word.
"Dean" John spoke softly as he entered the room. Dean looked better than he had any right to given how long he had been exposed to the poison coursing through him. The Other could sense the youngest through his link with Dean and knew its plan was working; Sam's emotional balance was teetering. The Other frowned. Dean, it always came down to Dean. The elder brother protected the younger in many ways, not just from physical harm, and it appeared that even unconscious Dean had managed to keep John's words to Sam from pushing him over the edge completely.
I could simply kill Dean here and now, it thought, then smiled, no, there is a better way…It had already managed with some success to push into Dean's mind earlier, eroding his absolute faith in his younger sibling, at least in the one area where Dean was weakest – his insecurity at where he fit in or was needed within this family. It had been applying pressure to the blind loyalty he felt towards his brother. In Dean's confused and feverish state, it was starting to work. If he could turn Dean against Sam, or at least convince Sam that Dean would be better off without him, that should take away the young brothers last emotional reserves and leave him wide open for the Other.
"Dad?" Dean asked, confused by the expression on his father's normally serious face. It had been almost gleeful and that unnerved the elder son. He focused his eyes and his father's face looked serious once more, I must have imagined it.
"Hey Son, how are you feeling?" John settled himself on the side of his son's bed, again ignoring his youngest son who was hovering in the doorway.
"Fine, Dad. Did you manage to find anything out? Sam said you were chasing some leads" Dean had noticed the new tension between his father and brother and tried to draw Sam into the conversation.
"What's this?" John tapped the pendant around Dean's neck –
"Oh it's a leech stone" At John's puzzled expression Dean told him all that Sam had explained previously.
"I'm sure I have heard of something similar" John muttered. "I need to give Joshua a ring; I'll just be a minute Dean"
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The Other went outside and made a phone call, Danny answered.
"Sir"
The Other continued in the pretence that he was calling Joshua, knowing full well that Sam had followed and was listening intently. He wasn't close enough to hear both sides of the conversation but at least would be able to hear that there was someone else on the other end of the phone.
"Joshua? It's John Winchester" He began. "Dean's in trouble and I need some help." A pause and a question. "Yeah Sam's here, about as much good as usual" He laughed harshly. "Damned poor bargain Josh, Dean for Sam" Another question. "Yeah it was Sam's fault but that's nothing new is it? Mary's death, his girlfriend's death, hell mine and Dean's life and now this? God, that kid is a one man disaster area. He thinks our family is cursed, you would think that a supposedly bright kid like that would realise that it was just him!" The sound of laughter on the other end of the phone followed by another comment, damn, Danny is good at this, the Other thought in amusement. "Yeah, Jim and Caleb were right. I should have palmed the kid off on Mary's relatives years ago, but Dean wouldn't have any of it – he dotes on him for some reason, God knows why, the kid's more trouble than he is worth. I swear that if I didn't know Mary was completely faithful I'd be worried. You couldn't get two more completely different people. Dean is strong, courageous, loyal, a tremendous hunter and Sam, well Sam is a weak, selfish, ungrateful brat. I thought we were well shot of him when he left for college – I didn't count on Dean bringing him back. Maybe Dean will realise this time"
Sam stood horrified at his father's words, his entire world crashing down around him. Inside the Other, John Winchester's heart was breaking at the utter devastation he could feel through the Other. This bastard will burn
The Other continued. "Joshua, Dean's being kept alive by a leech stone. I'm assuming the woman here must have activated it – it has to be a psychic right?" The Other paused listening to something on the other end, "So blood magic might work? Well, it's worth a shot. Missouri? No I haven't heard from her in a while. On her way here? Will have a word with Elsie; see if anyone has heard from her yet. Thanks Josh, I appreciate it. Will speak to you later"
The Other's eyes were glowing a deep crimson as it tried to conceal its mirth. John was almost incandescent in his rage, Missouri was completely distraught, and Sam, well Sammy was just about ready to fall to pieces. All that was needed was one final push and Dean was the one to do that. The Other had never had such a feast in its entire lifetime, and I'm going to end up with a nice powerful, young host too!
John re-entered the house. "Elsie?" "I've just spoken to Josh Howard – he just told me that Missouri is on her way here" as if I didn't know already. Elsie explained what she had told Sam. "I'll come with you" John said with a small smile. "I owe Missouri that much, and the quicker we can get help for Dean the better."
Elsie gathered her things together. She could see Sam propped against the doorway leading to his brother's room, his face pale and breathing unevenly. "Samuel?" She queried tentatively; he looked as though his brother had…"Sam, is Dean ok?"
"He's fine – just please hurry and bring Missouri". He spoke softly sounding almost close to tears.
John and Elsie left the house and headed for John's truck and Elsie could see the front of John's truck has been damaged.
"Did you have an accident John?"
"Oh, it was no accident Elsie." John grinned, Elsie realised she had made a mistake and turned to run back to the house, but John grabbed her by the arm; and she could see the creature coming around the side of the house. Night was drawing in and there was no-one around to help her. And she certainly wasn't going to shout out for Sam – at least in the house he was somewhat safer than out here.
"Get in the car Witch" John had opened the door and shoved her in roughly, Elsie climbed in knowing that really, she had no choice.
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TBC.