As soon as they were in the motel Dean collapsed onto his bed. He was half asleep when Sam reminded him to take his shoes off. Dean reluctantly got out of bed and took his boots off. After stripping down to his boxers, he dove under the covers and was asleep within five minutes.

Sam wished it were that easy for him. Instead he lay in bed puzzling over what Elliott had told him. I think that I would remember if I had a dream that came true he thought. After about an hour Sam eventually drifted off to sleep.

Begin Nightmare

John felt bad that he couldn't make it back to Pastor Jim's at the time he said he would. He could hear the disappointment in his youngest son's voice, but what could he do? With a broken fan belt he couldn't drive the Impala and the auto supply store didn't open until the morning. However, John's growling stomach let him know that it couldn't wait until morning.

"Josh, I'm going to go to that mini-mart across the street. Do you want anything?" asked John.

"Um Yeah. Could you get me a couple of burritos and a Coke," said Josh handing John some money.

"I'll be back soon," said John as he headed out the door.

There was no traffic in sight as John crossed the street. Of course it was quarter to one in the morning. John hoped the store was still open. Thank god he thought when he saw that the store was open until one. In this podunk town he knew there would be nothing else open this late. As he opened the door John could hear a bell tinkling above him. There was no one in the store except for the clerk, who according to his nametag was named Jeff, behind the counter.

"Can I help you?" asked the clerk. He glanced at the clock nervously. Probably can't wait to close up John thought.

"Just grabbing some burritos and sodas," replied John.

"Okay if you need any help just let me know," said Jeff.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," replied John. He couldn't help but notice the clerk look at the clock again. He must really want to close up.

John walked passed the display of hot dogs and stopped for a second. One look at the hot dogs turning back on forth on the warmer and he knew he didn't want one. They were all wrinkled and look like they had been cooked the day before. I guess I'll be having burritos too. John walked to the freezer case and selected four burritos. He then grabbed two cans of soda. Then he headed over to the microwaves, which were in a back corner of the store shielded from the register by a large display of chips. He put two burritos in each of the microwaves. The sound of the tinkling bell let him know another customer had arrived. I bet that clerk going to love having another customer this late. I might as well pay now while the burritos are still cooking he thought.

John could hear what sounded like hushed arguing going on as he walked up to the register.

"You said this place would be empty," hissed the man.

"How was I supposed to know that somebody was going to come in. We never get any customers this late. Danny please just put the gun away. I'm sure he'll be leaving soon," said Jeff.

"Don't use my name you idiot," growled Danny.

"Just wait until he leaves he shouldn't be here much longer," said Jeff.

John walked around a display and saw the new customer had gun in his hand. Great just what my night needs, some punk, probably hopped up on drugs, robbing the place. He hoped the clerk would just hand over the money and not play the hero because somebody could get killed.

"Just stay where you are man. Don't do anything stupid," said Danny as he now pointed the gun at John.

"Danny, just put the gun down," pleaded Jeff.

"Nice going, Jeff. Now he knows my name," growled Danny.

"Look, Danny is it, I don't know what's going on, but I think you should put the gun down," said John calmly as he tried to diffuse the situation.

Hearing John speak his name, something snapped in Danny. Without hesitating he pulled the trigger and shot John in the side. As John fell to the dirty linoleum floor he hit his head on the corner of a display. He now lay unconscious on the floor blood spilling out of his side.

"What the hell are you thinking man?" shouted Jeff.

"He saw my face and knew my name. He could identify me. With my rap sheet I could go away for a long time. That ain't happening." No way was he going back to jail.

"What about him?" asked Jeff as he pointed to John. "We need to call him an ambulance."

"No we are going to stick to the plan. Besides he'll be dead soon," Danny coldly spoke he began pulling some rope out of a bag he had with him.

"Man, you are coldhearted, but I guess you're right. If I call an ambulance the police will show up." Jeff started emptying the register.

"Don't forget the lotto register. With the big drawing tomorrow it should be overflowing with cash now shouldn't it." Danny smiled at that.

Danny quickly emptied both registers, putting the cash into a plastic bag. There was about three thousand dollars in there. He handed the money over to Danny.

"I still think I should knock you out," said Danny as he tightened the ropes around Jeff's ankles.

"Hey, not too tight," whined Jeff.

Danny finished tying up Jeff and then walked out of the store without even glancing at John.

After a few minutes John started coming around. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his side stopped him. He put his had to his side and pulled it away. His fingers were stained crimson. He remembered a man with a gun. John realized he had been shot.

"Help me," cried John weakly. He called out several times, but got no response.

John felt his body grow colder. I'm dying he realized. This can't be happening. I can't leave my boys. He tried sitting up, but it was too much for him and he couldn't do it.

"Oh Mary. I'm so sorry. I promised I would look out for our boys," said John sadly.

John didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave his boys all alone and yet he knew he was going to. John used what little strength he had remaining to pull out his wallet. He opened it up and took out a picture of Sam and Dean taken three months earlier. If John was going to die he wanted the last thing he saw to be his boys.

"I'm so sorry, boys. I love you Dean and Sammy," said John weakly.

John died forty-five minutes later still clutching the picture. The last thing John saw before he died was the beautiful faces of his boys.

End Nightmare

Sam shot up in bed shaking all over. Air, I need air, thought Sam as he desperately tried to breathe. The air in the room was suddenly too hot and heavy. He glanced over at his brother. Dean was still sleeping soundly. Sam quickly and quietly exited the room. As soon as he was outside he took a big gulp of fresh air and sank to the ground. Sam felt tears fall and he didn't even bother to wipe them away.

Sam didn't think anything could be worse than hearing a doctor pronounce his father's time of death. He now knew he was wrong. Watching his father slowly die while lying alone on the dirty floor of a convenience store clutching a picture of his kids was immeasurably worse.

"That didn't really happen," said he quietly. He kept telling himself that, but a voice in the back of his head said it could have.

What the hell was that? It felt so real almost like he was there with his dad. That was Josh that dad had been with. Sam remembered that John used to hunt with Josh a lot when he was younger, but he didn't remember his dad ever getting shot during a robbery. Was this what Elliott was talking about? Did I have this vision when I was younger? Sam closed his eyes for a second trying to picture his what his dad looked like in the nightmare, so he could try to figure out how old he was, but the only image that came to him was one of his father lying on the floor bleeding to death. He felt sick to his stomach. He knew it would take a long time, if ever, before he forgot that mental image.

oooooOOOOooooo

After sitting outside a while longer Sam decided to head back into the room. Dean was walking out of the bathroom. When he woke up and saw Sam gone, he thought his brother had gone to get coffee, so he decided to get a shower and starting researching a hunt. Here was Sam standing before him empty handed and still in his pajamas. Just what's going on wondered Dean.

"Hey Sammy, don't tell me you forgot to get dressed when you went for coffee and then forgot to get the coffee," said Dean.

"I just went out for some fresh air," Sam was debating whether or not to tell Dean about his nightmare. He knew it would upset him, but then again he might be able to answer some of the questions swirling around in Sam's head.

"I guess I'll go get the coffee." Dean grabbed the car keys off the dresser and headed to the door.

It's now or never, Sam thought.

"Wait a second Dean I have to ask you something. Did Dad, um, did he ever get shot during a robbery a convenience store?" Sam regretted asking the question the moment he saw a look of pain flash across his brother's face.

Why was Sam bringing up one of the worst nights of his life up now? Dean had never forgotten Sam's screams that night nor had he forgotten how Pastor Jim had sat him down and told him his dad had been shot. He remembered the sheer terror that tore through his body at the thought that his dad could have died. Jim was quick to assure Dean that his dad was alive, but he didn't feel any better until he saw his dad at the hospital. How could Sam forget all of that?

"Sam, why are you asking about this now. Don't you remember?" asked Dean.

"No, I don't," replied Sam.

"When you were five, Dad got shot at a mini-mart and if his friend Josh hadn't found him he would have bled to death. Don't you remember waking up screaming at the top of your lungs?" Sam shook his head, so Dean continued. "That night that you woke up screaming for Dad. Nothing that Pastor Jim and I did would calm you down. You screamed and cried for hours. Pastor Jim tried calling Dad in the hopes that hearing his voice would help calm you down. He woke up Josh who said Dad was at the store. Josh decided to go to the store to see what was taking Dad so long and found him on the floor bleeding. I guess maybe it was a good thing that you screamed for Dad. Although at the time it was incredibly frustrating."

Dad was shot just like in my dream thought Sam except Josh found him in time. I must have dreamed about Dad getting shot and dying and that why I was so upset.

"Sam. what's going on? Why all of this sudden interest something that happened nearly twenty years ago?" asked Dean.

"Because I had a nightmare about it last night," said Sam.

"What do you mean you had a nightmare about it?" asked Dean.

"Remember what Elliott said about his first prophetic dream happening when he was seven and how it was the same for other psychics, well last night I dreamed about Dad getting shot, except in my dream Josh didn't find Dad. He bled to death on the floor holding a picture of us. The last thing he said was that he loved us." Sam voiced wavered slightly at the end. The pain of the nightmare was still too fresh.

"So, Elliott was right," said Dean more to himself. He was glad that his instincts about Elliott being a good guy seemed to be on the right track, especially since Elliott knew about Sam.

"Hey, what happened to the guy who shot Dad? He went to jail right?" asked Sam.

"They never caught him. Dad couldn't remember much of what happened, including what the shooter looked like. The store didn't have a security camera and the clerk said that he had never seen the guy before so …" Dean was interrupted before he could finish.

"Never seen him before! He knew the shooter. They planned the robbery together," hissed Sam.

"What?" shouted Dean.

Sam explained to Dean how Jeff and Danny must have planned the robbery together and John was shot so because Danny didn't want to go back to jail.

"Jeff wanted to call an ambulance for Dad, but Danny said not to. He said Dad would be dead soon." Sam shuddered as he remembered how cold Danny's voice was when he said that.

Dean was shaking with white hot anger when Sam finished. Those bastards had gotten away all these years with what they did. They had just left Dad there to die and went about their lives. Not anymore.

"Sam, I think I know what our next hunt is," said Dean. It's time to make those bastards pay.

More to Come

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