Disclaimer: I do not own anything Supernatural, it is all property of the CW11 Network, and whatnot, so don't sue me, please.
Chapter 11
" Alkaya, where are you?" Asked Sam with his mind.
" I'm downstairs in the kitchen making breakfast." Was his answer.
" Why? I thought you'd be in here to explain things, that's what you're supposed to do, right?" Asked a slightly confused Sam.
" I will explain things... As soon as you get some clothes on." Was Alkaya's simple answer.
Sam had been rubbing at his still sleepy eyes when said eyes flew open in shock.
Then, Sam looked down and saw that the inescapable truth with his own eyes.
" OH MY GOD!" Shouted Sam, finally realizing that he was sitting buck naked with only the white bed sheets thankfully covering the lower and more private half of his body.
All at once, Sam blushed a furious neaon red and tried to get up off the bed as fast as he could. This resulted in his freakish long limbs tangleing themselves in the sheets. With a small yelp, Sam fell off the bed in a tangle of flailing limbs and fabric.
He hit the carpet covered floor with a small thud and an grunt.
" Oh Man." Moaned Sam as he stared up at the beige ceiling of the room, utterly mortified.
" Hey, you okay up there?" Came Alkaya's voice disembodied voice once again
" No. Can't you see that?" Asked Sam sullenly.
" Dude, I can't see through the walls and use the psychic link to talk to you at the same time, I'll give myself a migraine. Now don't be such a baby, Bean Stalk, grab a shower and some clothes from the dresser by the window and come downstairs, I'm making waffles and pancakes, they'll get cold and soggy if you waste time being self-conscious." Said Alkaya's voice before with a small whispery sound, there was silence.
Sam was about to brood some more and not give a damn about breakfast when his stomach chose that moment to let it's need for nourishment be known with a loud, churning grumble.
With a groan, Sam quickly scrambled to his feet, the sheets wrapped firmly around his waist as he shuffled over to said dresser by said window and yanked it open with his free hand.
Inside he found everything neat and folded. He pawed out a pair of boxers, blue jeans, and a white button-up shirt. He held these items in his arm and then looked around until he caught sight of the slightly ajar door at the other end of the room. Blue tiles, it was the bathroom and he all but ran into it, letting the sheets fall away as he did so before he slammed the door shut.
The hot water that cascaded from the showerhead a few seconds later was hartily welcomed. As he held his head under the spray, memories of what had happened came flooding back.
He'd made his choice.
Alkaya's words- " In order to live, you have to die."
He'd agreed but it had taken every ounce of his will to say yes.
He'd woken up, spent an hour with Dean and John.
He'd said they were awesome.
He'd watched them go down the hall for some lunch.
He'd felt something close his throat off. Something passed though his body and made it go numb.
He'd felt himself being lifted into the air and visciously pinned to the ceiling.
He'd felt something tear his gut open.
He'd felt his blood seep through the white shirt he'd been wearing.
He'd watched, unable to speak or scream as his family had searched frantically for him after they'd come back to find an empty bed.
He'd stared back at them when they looked up at the ceiling and finally found him.
He'd felt the fire's heat as it ignited behind him.
He'd let out a final breath as the fire washed completly over him.
He'd felt the nothingness of oblivion.
Sam was shaken out of his unpleasant little stroll down memory lane when the water turned cold.
With a sigh, Sam stepped out and reached for a large fluffy red towel from the stack on the small table between the shower stall and the sink.
He wrapped it around his waist and grabbed another one to dry his hair. After he was done toweling the chocolate brown locks, he came to stand before the bathroom mirror at took in his appearance.
He was still slightly paler than usual and his face held a few lines of fatigue, but other than that, everything else was perfectly fine and unmarked. There wasn't a single mark on him save for old scars dating back to his childhood, which had long since faded to mere lines in his skin.
" We don't have all day Samuel. The dinning room is to your left once you get down the stairs." Echoed Alkaya's voice, effectively snapping him out of his staring.
" Right, I'll be down in a minute." Said Sam quietly giving his reflection in the mirror one final glance before he turned to the clothes he'd brought in with him.
The clothes fit him perfectly and another loud growl from his stomach told Sam he had to hustle. With a steadying breath, Sam walked out of the room and found himself standing on a balcony that over looked a vast livingroom with high ceilings and filled with light.
His nose caught the scent of waffles and pancakes, with his mouth watering slightly, Sam walked barefoot across the wood-paneled floor and down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he took a moment to take in his surroundings.
This place was huge, and this was figured out by looking at just one room.
Sam then turned left and saw the diningroom a few steps ahead.
Feeling slightly uneasy because he had yet to know where he was, Sam nervously walked into the room and took a seat at the end of the large, rectangular mahogany dinning table.
The chair was quiet comfortable he had to admit. As he sat and waited, Sam looked around the equally vast diningroom.
He jumped when a door on the other end of the room suddenly swung open, with no one on the other side pushing it.
It had seemingly moved by itself.
Then, Sam watched as a certain wolf-eyed, caramel-skined woman with braided hair walked through the door, gracefully carrying two large plates seperately in her hands at the same time, perfectly balanced.
She had on a deep red button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a pair of faded blue-jeans.
On one plate was a huge stack of pancakes and the other held an equally large stack of golden brown waffles, both stacks were dripping in thick golden amber maple syrup.
" Morning Sleepyhead." Said Alkaya with a mega-watt grin.
She was slightly concerned when Sam didn't say anything back, until she noticed the way his eyes were hungrily staring at the items she was carrying.
" You're gonna need the proper utensils before you can dig in Hungry-Man." Smirked Alkaya before her pale eyes flashed for a second.
Out of nowhere, a third plate came flying through the door Alkaya had walk in through.
It whized over Alkaya's head and careened itself towards Sam, who yelped in surprise at the whimsical sight.
The youngest Winchester was about to duck for cover when the plate stopped in mid-air, just a few inches shy of smashing into his nose.
The plate stayed completely motionless and defying the laws of gravity by staying in mid air. Then, it calmly lowered itself to the table before Sam and was once again, an inanimate object.
Sam gawked at the plate before him and looked up in time to see two shiny, metal object following the sam path the plate had taken.
A fork and a knife.
They two stopped in mid-air and then sank to the table, neatly cominf to rest on either side of the empty plate.
Sam looked up and gawked at Alkaya, his mouth hanging open as he watched the mysterious woman walk over to the side of the table and set the two big plates of food she was carrying down onto the table before him.
" Alkaya what..." He began but the pale-eyed woman raise and hand and stopped him.
" You can ask me all the questions you want, I'll answer them. Right now, you've had a rough few days, just take it easy and eat up. You're gonna need all you're strength." Said Alkaya with a smile that made Sam feel warm all over.
With a sheepish look and a small blush, Sam reached out and picked up the knife and fork, he pilled onto his plate some pancakes and a waffle.
With a nod and a smile, Alkaya turned and walked back to the door that led to the kitchen, with a final glance back at Sam, she disappeared through the door.
Once he was sure he was alone, Sam all but pounced on the food before him. Pancakes and waffles began to rapidly disappear into the black hole that was Sam Winchester's very starved stomach.
In five minutes alone, he'd polished off over half of both of the stacks and he was making quick work of what was left.
Ten minutes and the stacks of pancakes and waffles were gone. On top of that, Sam actually felt full and was perfectly content with that. Now if only he had something to drink...
As if his silent plea had been heard, the door at the other end of the room swung open again, seeming by itself.
Sam felt a breathless laugh escape him when a tall glass of milk came floating through the door.
The glass levitated over to Sam, it didn't careen towards the young man like the plate and utensils had earlier.
With a small smile at the sheer ridiculousness of it, Sam reached out towards the glass. It gently eased itself into his hand, it was cold, just like he liked it.
" Thanks." Sighed Sam as he brought the glass to his lips and drank in the cold, silky white liquid.
Like the pancakes and waffles, it too vanished quickly.
The second Sam set the empty glass down on the table, all of the item suddenly came to life again, levitating off the table top and floating away toawrds the door that led to the kitchen.
The door swung open and the items disappeared through it.
Sam let out a sigh and gave his stomach a small tap. That had hit the spot.
The door to the kitchen swung open again, this time with Alkaya pushing it from the other side.
" Well, what'd you think of my cooking skills?" Asked Alkaya with a sigh as she walked over to the table and stood beside Sam.
" It was great, thank you." Said Sam with a smile which Alkaya returned.
" Now, let's go for a walk, I have a lot to show you." Said Alkay as she held out a long fingered hand.
Sam was hesitant for a fraction of a second before he reached out and gripped the offered hand as he got up from the dinning table and let Alkaya lead him back into the living room.
" Alkaya, what happened to me? The last thing I remember was... The fire..." Sam trailed off, not wanting to really relive that particular event in his life over any time soon.
" Well, that's simple Sam, you died yesterday. Burned to crisp. That's when the illusion kicked in. Last night, the Higher Powers worked their magic and brought you back in a splended display of fireworks. You're body was regenerated from the ashes and you lost consciousness shortly after. I used my own abilities to lift you're freakish hugeness and carried you back here." Explained Alkaya as she and Sam walked side by side down a long hallway with grand windows that showed off the gorgeous scenery outside.
Sam was silent as his mind process this startling new information.
" Where is here?" Asked Sam with a small swallow.
" Here, is a special compound that is protected by the most powerfull charms, spells, and anti-demon wards in the known universe. No Demon, not even the Yellow Eyed one can enter here so, you're quite safe." Answered Alkaya.
" What about Dean and Dad, where are they?" Asked Sam urgently.
He watched as Alkaya's face grew sad as she answered.
" They're alive if that's what you mean. Two security guards pulled them out of your room in the hospital, while you were dying. Your brother and father made a break for it afterwards. They drove out of town like a bat out of hell, and kept on driving till they reached your friend Bobby Singer's place. They'll be spending a few days there before they hit the road again, their heading back to Lawrence, Kansas. A little while after you'd been completely taken by the flames, a woman named Missouri Mosely called, with her own psychic abilities, she sensed that something was very wrong. After she found out that you were gone, she told your father and brother to come back to Lawrence, to come back home."
Alkaya watched as the young man before her bowed his head, bangs hiding his eyes, which were swimming with tears. His lower lip also trembled a little.
Alkaya wanted to reach out and grip his shoulder but thought better of it, she waited patiently for the youngest Winchester to compose himself.
" Dean... What about him, how is he?" Asked Sam, his voice clogged with anguish.
" He's broken, without you." Said Alkaya quietly.
A tear escaped Sam's moss-green eyes. Sam turned and blinked rapidly against the rest of the tears, he collapsed wearily into an arm-chair that was sandwiched between two paintings. He buried his face into his hands. Tiny sobs began to wrack through his huddled form.
Finally, Alkaya had had enough.
Sam felt a small jolt of shock when he felt himself engulfed in warmth, a pair of arms wrapped solidly around him in a vice-like hug.
With tears still streaming from his eyes, Sam wrapped his arms around Alkaya, taking in the much needed comfort.
" Remember what I told you in your dream?" Asked Alkaya with a sigh.
" That it wasn't goodbye forever." Answered Samuel tearfully.
" That's right, you will see them again, when the time is right." Said Alkaya.
With a shaky breath, Sam pulled away from Alkaya and scrubbed at his weepy eyes.
" How long do I have to be here?" He asked.
" A year." Was his answer.
" What? A year, how the hell am I supposed stay here for a whole year? What about my family? I can't stay away for that long. I just can't!" Exclaimed Sam as he bolted from the chair and began pacing like a caged animal.
" Sam, listen to me." Said Alkaya calmly as she came to stand before the very agitated young man in her company.
Sam stopped pacing and stood with his arms cross and his jaw set. He was begining to wonder whole-heartedly if he'd made a gigantic mistake by choosing what he'd chosen.
" Sam, there's something else you should know about this place. Time, it flows differently here, very differently. What is twelve months here in this place, is only one in your timeline." Said Alkaya, her voice deadly serious.
She watched as Sam's face went slack with shock, his jaw making good friends with the floor.
" Just what have I gotten myself into?" Asked Sam when he got his voice back.
" It's complicated but, you'll be alright. You got me guiding you. Now come, I still have to give you the grand tour, after that, your training starts." Said Alkaya as she continued to walk down the hall, Sam scramble after her.
" Believe me, we have a lot to do. And a year is not as long as you think it is."