Ok here's the next chapter. Please R&R. Thanks for all the reviews so far. It's getting good now, promise :)
Chapter 12: - Visions.
Sam had stormed straight out to the library after leaving Dean. Seeing what the demon could do, he wasn't going to go into that psychologist's office unprepared. His normal nightmares and visions were intense enough without having some demon mixing up everything else in his life.
Having sat for hours thumbing through every book he could lay his hands on, his anger and frustration venting remorselessly, he'd ended up in a dank grimy bar, just the type Dean liked.
Knocking back several bottles of beer in quick succession, his anger began to dissipate, the steady influence of alcohol slowly softening the edges of his emotion, a calmness washing over him.
Resting his head in his hands, he racked his brains not knowing what to do. He couldn't find anything remotely useful in the books he'd scoured or on the internet. All the information he had found was to do with specific demons, he wasn't even sure what they were dealing with having not even seen the darn thing. He'd only seen its influence through Dean's disturbing reactions. He was at a complete loss as to how to tackle their current situation. Dean couldn't see which made him totally dependent on himself, yet he didn't have the answers. How could he help his brother if they didn't have a clue as to what they were dealing with?
Stumbling down off the bar stool, feeling the excesses of alcohol on his rebelling limbs, he headed towards the restroom. Getting drunk wasn't going to solve his problems this time. He'd left his brother alone all day, anything could have happened to him. He cursed himself for being so stubborn as he leant over the wash basin, splashing cold water over his face, and looked at his drawn tired reflection in the grimy mirror.
His head began to ache. 'Too much alcohol and not enough to eat,' he thought, as he winced, the pain rapidly intensifying. Letting out a gasp of pain, he doubled over, leaning heavily on the sink as a powerful vision seized control of him.
FLASH:
Sam, dressed in a smart black suit, stood inside a small white-washed church. Looking round, he saw his brother seated in a pew also dressed in black.
FLASH:
Sam stood beside his seated brother looking in horror as he saw Dean was crying.
FLASH:
He stood before the altar, staring at a coffin mounted on the raised platform, flowers carefully displayed around the casket.
FLASH:
Looking down, he saw his own ashen-faced body staring back up at him from the coffin.
FLASH:
He saw himself screaming at his brother that he was okay, but Dean couldn't seem to see or hear him.
FLASH:
It was dark outside. Dean was sitting on the floor of their pink vile motel room, tears running down his cheeks, a gun lying in his lap.
FLASH:
A gun shot rang out piercing the silence.
FLASH:
Dean lay at his feet, blood running freely down his face from his temple.
FLASH:
Sam was sat in a church next to his father, his face white and grim, his body hunched over with grief. Looking down, he held in his hands the photo he kept in his wallet, a picture of himself and Dean hugging each other roughly, grinning insanely at the camera, behind which, their father had stood.
Sam crouched by the sink, clutching his head in his hands as tears carved their way down his cheeks.
"Oww," he groaned, his stomach lurching with nausea. He leant his throbbing head against the cold wash basin as the vision slowly relinquished its hold, the sound of the gun shot still ringing in his ears.
Panic overtook him as he realised what was going to happen.
'I've got to draw this demon away from him,' he choked inwardly. 'He can't die because of me. I won't let it happen again.'
He crumpled to the floor, shaking violently as wave after wave of fear-induced sickness racked his tall slender frame.
Dean sat alone waiting for his brother to return as darkness approached. He'd made several attempts to go after him, but hadn't got as far as the front door before finding intolerable difficulty.
He'd got as far as trying to find his shoes before smashing his fists against the door in total frustration. He was useless to his brother and useless to himself like this and it was driving him crazy.
He'd only just started to get his bearings in the room, and he couldn't think of how he'd cope if he left it. Sam would kill him if he'd gone out and got himself lost and he wasn't in the mood for a fight. He just prayed Alex wouldn't take much longer. He needed someone to talk to before he lost his mind completely.
Contemplating what he would do for dinner, his stomach groaning with hunger at the very thought, he heard a knock at the door. Fumbling across the room, using the walls and furniture to guide him, he turned the handle cautiously, drawing a gun out of his back pocket.
"Hi," Alex's voice said, after a prolonged pause.
"Oh hi," he said in relief, discreetly sliding the gun back into the belt at the back of his jeans.
"Well you gonna let me in or am I spending the night on the porch," she said jokingly as he continued to stare at her.
"Course, come in," he said, stepping back hoping he'd left enough room for her to pass.
Alex ducked thankfully into the room, shrugging off her jacket. Looking round at him smiling, she asked, "Why are you sitting in the dark?"
"No reason," Dean said, trying to act normal as he moved his hands across the wall, feeling for the light switch. "That better?"
"Yeah, I guess," Alex replied quizzically. "You okay?"
"Umm that depends on how you look at things," Dean smiled, letting out a hollow laugh as he closed the door and followed her by the sound of her voice. Forgetting the position of the table and chairs, he collided with them. Losing his balance, he stumbled.
Alex lunged forwards, arms outstretched, catching him in mid-fall. "What's wrong?" she said, concern choking her voice.
"I'm fine, I've got it, I don't need any help," Dean said stubbornly, brushing her off as he regained his balance and used the table to guide him towards the bed.
Alex watched in shock, not daring to believe this was the same cheeky-assed guy she had met two months ago. Hesitantly, she waved a hand in front of his face, her mouth dropping open as he showed no reaction and no recognition.
"What the hell happened in Chicago," she gasped before she could stop herself.
Dean moved his hand up towards his right eyelid. "You not gonna do your freaky ass mind reading," he said, an ill attempt at humour.
"No," Alex muttered, averting her eyes. "I'd rather hear the truth from you if that's alright."
"I guess we got a little cut up," Dean continued, tracing the healing cuts with his finger.
"But-" Alex said, gesturing towards his eyes, struggling for words.
Dean cut across her, not liking the concern seeping from her voice. "I need your help. Sam's gonna go after this demon we've been hunting alone, and I'm not in any position to stop him."
Alex, sitting down on the bed opposite him, listened in silence.
"You there?" Dean said nervously.
"Yeah," Alex whispered, tears creeping into her eyes, which she desperately tried to blink away.
Dean reached his hands out to touch her, making sure it wasn't all in his imagination like so many other things of late. His hands felt their way across her face, taking in the smooth skin, the defined cheekbones, her glistening eyes and full mouth, framed by her curly hair. Alex bit back tears, sitting still as his hands painted their own picture of her face.
"So how come you found my father, when I couldn't?" Dean joked, trying to break the tension filling the room.
Alex grinned, forcing herself to make the effort. "You men can't find anything, even when the thing you're looking for is right under your nose.
Dean smiled that old cheeky smile she remembered, her body relaxing for the first time since her arrival as memories flooded back to her.
"Hey that's not true," he said indignantly.
Alex raised her eyebrow, snorting "Yeah whatever!" Looking at him, she asked, "So what happened?"
"When? You talking about recently or in Chicago?"
"Umm both I guess," she said with embarrassment.
"Well Sam felt like some female company. His 'girlfriend' turned out to be a bitch. Tied us up."
Alex raised her eyebrow with a smirk.
Dean sensing it grinned, saying, "Nothing kinky, honest."
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
Dean laughed. "Nah, seriously she was a Class A bitch. Had a thing for Sammy though, just didn't like me or our father. She used us to get to him; I guess that's why he left you in Missouri."
"Sounds about right," she said. "So where are they?"
Dean glanced at the floor. "Dad's god knows where as per usual and Sam … well I haven't a clue.
"Then how-" Alex started in confusion, not knowing where she fitted into this whole situation.
"We had a fight," he said cutting in.
"Oh. So umm … what happened to your … eyes?" Alex asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Dean shifted uncomfortably. "I dunno. One minute I could see, the next I couldn't, the doctor said there's nothing wrong with them but-"
Before Dean could finish, the door handle twisted and Sam flew through the door and into the room.
"Dean, I have to talk to you," he half-shouted breathlessly, having raced back to the motel as soon as his vision had passed and his strength had returned. "Alex!" he started, in shock, as his eyes fell on her sitting next to his brother.
"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, as he looked between the pair.
Alex glanced at Dean, waiting for him to answer. He flushed as an awkward silence fell between them.
"You called her!" Sam said incredulously.
"I needed someone to back your ass up," said Dean, jokingly, though all could sense an edge of bitterness in his voice, knowing it was usually his job to back his brother up.
"We have to leave," Sam stated, shaking off the shock of Alex's unexpected arrival as his head throbbed mildly, reminding him of his vision.
"What?" Dean exclaimed, at Sam's sudden outburst.
"NOW," Sam pressed, picking up the nearest duffle bag, and beginning to ram clothes into it. Dean listened to the sounds of packing in silence, not moving.
Alex looked between them in bewilderment. Neither spoke just continued what they were doing.
"What the hell is going on here? Would someone please mind filling me in!" she cried out in frustration finally, throwing her hands down on the bed in exasperation.
The last time she'd been in a motel room with them, the place had been shot to shit. Sam's insistent packing did nothing to settle the unease that was beginning to build inside her as an uneasy tension settled between the two brothers.
"Well!" she pushed.
Sam, finally throwing the bag aside frustrated by the lack of action in the other two, slumped down into the nearest chair. "Would you like to do the honours?" he said sarcastically, looking at Dean who was trying to find him by listening to his movements.
Dean groaned but said, "Okay. To cut a long story short, a demon is killing victims by using their darkest fears against them. The victims have all died from anxiety related heart attacks after being made to live their worst nightmares. We're trying to stop it."
"How?" Alex asked, dreading the answer.
There was a tense silence as Dean tried to figure out an easy way to answer her. "I used myself as bait," he said, deciding on blunt honesty. It wasn't the first time strange things had happened around Alex. She had had some experience with this kind of thing before and he just hoped she'd thank him for not being dishonest and vague.
"You used yourself as bait!" she exclaimed. "Are you mad?"
"Yes he is," Sam cut in, before Dean had a chance to open his mouth. "But this can wait. We have to go now!" he continued impatiently, desperation tingeing his voice.
"What's got you all freaked out?" Dean muttered, hearing the controlled panic in his brother's voice.
"We've got to get out of here. Move it!" Sam almost shouted, taking his brother by the arm forcibly.
"Get off me, I'm not a rag doll," Dean snapped, trying to shake Sam off. "I'm not going anywhere whilst people are dying, not without a good reason and not while I'm like this," he said, gesturing to his eyes.
"Just trust me okay," Sam almost cried, his body shaking with adrenaline, as his eyes scoured the room.
"Tell me," Dean muttered stubbornly, rising to his feet and looking to where he hoped was his brother.
Alex shifted uncomfortably also rising off the bed. "Shall I leave you guys to it?"
"NO!" Dean and Sam snapped, still looking at one another, the tension between them crackling.
Alex sank back down, turning her head away uncomfortably, wishing she was anywhere else. She didn't fancy having front row seats to a full scale argument.
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Sam snapped angrily.
"Why won't you tell me the truth!" Dean countered, the tension so thick between them, Alex thought she could have cut it with a knife.
"You don't need to know!" Sam exclaimed, whilst he inwardly screamed for his brother to just do what he asked.
"Just give me a straight answer," Dean said, drawing himself up to his full height as his temper flared up in his chest, making his blood boil.
Alex looked at the pair nervously, having never seen them so confrontational. The air was super charged with testosterone, making her tremble involuntarily. The pair stood barely an inch apart, their tall frames casting a long shadow over the room, a truly intimidating sight.
"I can't" Sam muttered earnestly, a weakness breaking into his voice as images of his vision overwhelmed him. 'I won't lose you,' he thought desperately. 'I don't want you to panic. Why can't you just trust me on this and do what I ask.'
Dean was silent. He didn't know what had spooked Sam, but he didn't like it. He just wished his brother wouldn't keep hiding these big secrets from him. He hated fighting with him.
Alex looked at Sam as anguish and deep hidden fear etched its way across his face, perspiration shining on his skin. She believed him, just by that look, but Dean couldn't see it. All he could sense was desperation in his voice.
Sam, seeing his brother wouldn't back down, turned away from him, his anger exhausting him. Shaking his head, he stormed towards the door, slamming it shut behind him as he threw himself down on the step, pounding his fists against his forehead.
Dean flinched as the door slammed hard against the frame, the wall shuddering with the force of Sam's anger.
"Go after him," Dean said turning to Alex. "Please, I need his ass in one piece."
Alex nodded and squeezed his arm in acknowledgement before following Sam out of the room, leaving Dean standing alone.