Blast From The Past

Disclaimer: Even after all of this time, I still only get to play with the boys then have to send them home, sigh.

Author's Note: For Fandrea, sorry it has taken so long honey but I hope that you enjoy it.

Fandrea put a plot bunny up for adoption on the CWESS; Fic is set in S5, after the boys get back together. They boys meet up a couple of hunters, who need their help (Maybe through Bobby?). (Could be the ones from FTBYAM or complete strangers, your choice, but Dean has to know at least one of them from earlier (Maybe from when Sam was at Stanford) and trust him) The case turns out to be a MOTW that the hunters misidentify. Sam knows something is off and tries to tell Dean, that they need to do more research. Dean of course trusts the hunters more, even when Sam manages to find the real culprit.

Author's Note 2: Rated for language and violence, hurt and comfort with hurt! Sam and protective! Dean.

S—D

Chapter Three: Selective Memories

Then:

'Yeah Dean why don'tcha tell Sam all about me.' A man spoke from the doorway, 'sorry but the door was open.' He stepped into the room grinning widely, 'Hey Dean, Bobby been a long time.'

'Bart what the fuck are you doin' here?' Dean felt that chill run down his spine again, 'we're supposed to be meeting you.'

'We got a new lead and brought us here to Sioux Falls so I thought it would be just as easy to meet up here as anywhere else,' Bart explained as he looked down at Bobby, 'sorry to hear about your ahh mishap Bobby.'

'Yer lookin' good Bart.'

'And this must be the elusive Sam Winchester ... Dean's kid brother.' Bart stared up at Sam a strange glint in his eye, 'I heard a lot about ya Sam.'

'Yeah well, sorry but I can't say the same about you,' Sam mumbled a cold chill ran up his arm as he shook hands with the new arrival.

'Ya don't mind if the boys come in do ya Bobby? We won't stay long ...' Bart smirked as two other men appeared behind him, 'Bobby, Sam, Dean this is Walt and Kurt they've been working with me for the last few months, boys this here is Bobby Singer and the Winchester brothers Dean and Sam.'

'I ah ... I've seen you before haven't I?' Sam asked staring at the man called Walt his face was so familiar.

'Didn't you work in a bar a couple of months ago?' Walt stared at the younger man with a feral look in his eyes, 'but thought ya name was Keith.'

Now:

With a growing feeling of dread Dean stared up at the look on Sam's face, he bore a striking resemblance to a deer caught in headlights. Stepping towards the new arrivals, Dean surreptitiously placed himself between them and Sam, 'so guys you've been working with Bart?'

'Yeah for a while now, you really John Winchester's kid?' the one named Kurt asked. Short and stocky he looked like he would be more at home in the boxing ring than anywhere else, his nose crooked from repeated breakages dominated his narrow face, his dark brown eyes small and closely placed made Dean think of a bird's eyes, small and beady.

'Yeah, how'd ya know my dad?' Dean asked feigning interest while still keeping his attention on Sam and the other guy Walt.

'So you're Sam?' Walt stared openly at the tall younger man in front of him, even with the brother standing in front of him Sam cut an imposing figure. He knew the hunters who had gone looking for the youngest Winchester, he knew exactly what happened in the bar and suddenly it hit him why Bart was so determined to get at the brothers, especially Sam. Scratching at his beard Walt nodded his head and smiled coldly at Sam, his stare boring into him, 'not Keith?'

'Yeah well you know how it is hunting sometimes an alias comes in handy.' Sam managed to get out as he tried to control his nerves, he really thought that it was all over and he had worked through it all but instead it was all coming back in the form of one man whose face seemed familiar.

Bobby watched the interaction between all of the younger men in his living room, his temper started to sour and turn very quickly, something stank to high heaven, and it wasn't his two boys. 'Why don't you boys sit down, Dean go an' git some beer, use the ones from the door of the fridge,' Bobby nodded to Dean his message clear as to what beers to use. 'Sam ya think you can do an old man a favour and bring in some more wood for the fire, got a feeling that the night is gonna git chillier.'

Sam stared at Bobby for a moment and then gave him a small smile and hurried from the room, thankful for a minute to himself. As he left, a movement caught his eye and he turned to see Walt making a move to follow him but the look on Bobby's face made the new arrival sit down again and stare at Sam instead.

S—D

A shiver ran down Sam's spine as he hurried outside and finally let out his breath, seeing Walt brought it all back and made him nauseous. His own form of banishment, deciding that he needed to leave hunting, and his brother. He had to try and get his own shit together and that wasn't going to happen with Dean watching his every move with an air of mistrust and betrayal. Working at the bar as Keith gave him small solace but he took it with both hands, he destroyed all of his fake ids save for the one for Keith and kept to himself. Finally, he was slowly starting to feel a semblance of normal but then like always the past came crashing in around his ears again. However, this time the past left him bruised and battered, and wanting his big brother.

S—D

Dean heaved a sigh and leant against the sink, not quite ready to go back into the living room he was thankful to Bobby for giving him an escape and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hang out in here for too long. 'Damn it all to hell.' This was so screwed, the harder he tried to keep Bart and Sam apart ... the universe loved playing with his head.

He could remember so clearly that morning when he and Sam hooked up again, it had taken all of the months since then for them to get back to an almost even keel.

'So Dean ya lose the beer?' Bart asked standing in the arch between the living room and kitchen.

'What the fuck are you doing here Bart?' Dean couldn't help it his anger needed an outlet, 'we were supposed to meet.'

'What's the matta Dean?' Bart took the beer bottle out of Dean's hand and cracked it open taking a sip of the 'holy water' beer before glancing around the kitchen, 'so where's the kid?'

'Sam's outside. What the hell are you playing at Bart?'

'And here I was thinking that you'd be pleased to see me,' Bart sniggered, 'ah hell I thought if we turn up unannounced then you wouldn't be able to hide Sammy from me.'

'His name is Sam.'

'After meeting him, I gotta say that I'm impressed ... we need him Dean.'

'No, Sam stays outta this.'

'Why we're only hunting Wendigos?'

'Yeah right, so how many innocents have you killed now Bart?'

'None of them were innocent Dean you and I both know that.'

'If I had known what you were really doing Bart ...'

'Ah don't deny it Dean you enjoyed yourself.'

'You've got Walt and Kurt in there, you don't need me and Sam to help you.'

'Yeah well, I think we do, it's bigger than the three of us.'

'What are you on Bart?'

'Nothing but life Deano we came across a nest of the bastards.'

'A nest of what?'

'Wendigos, weird Dean since all of this Armageddon stuff happening the baddies are all multiplying.'

'Wendigos don't have nests they're soloists.'

'Yah well times change.'

'I trusted you Bart, I trusted you and you shit all over me.'

'Yeah well I'm sorry for that Dean but ... I aint lying about this dude we need your help.'

'Sam can stay here with Bobby.'

'You're the one who bragged about Sam's research skills, we need the two of you I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't really important.'

S—D

Sam stared at the wood pile but didn't see it; all he could see were the hunters threatening Lindsay if he didn't help them. If he didn't drink the demon's blood and kill for them, a mindless killing machine hooked up on the 'demon juice.' Frowning he tried to remember where Walt fitted into the picture, he wasn't with Hank, Steve and Reggie but a connection with them made the best sense. He knew that with Dean's innate loyalty to the hunt and other hunters especially those who knew their father that they would be going on this hunt, because of that he really wanted to know the full story. He would have more luck finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Finally, he rejoined the others and discovered them already deep in conversation about the upcoming hunt, with a deep sigh he dumped the wood by the fireplace and then sat down at Bobby's desk away from the rest of them. Firing up his laptop he pretended to start researching while he listened and tried to garner anymore information from them.

Bobby watched the changes of emotion dance across Sam's face when he saw Dean and Bart sitting on the couch with Walt and Kurt in the chairs opposite and Bobby between them in his wheelchair. He glanced over at Dean and then back at Sam as he dropped the wood and then sat down at the desk across the room from everyone else. Scrubbing at his face Bobby shook his head and decided that Sam needed some backup.

Wheeling over to his desk on the pretence to get a book Bobby pulled up next to the desk and nudged Sam gently. 'How's it goin' kiddo?'

'I'm fine Bobby.' The stock-standard Winchester response.

'Yeah right, what is it Sam?'

'Something feels so wrong about all of this Bobby.' Sam said softly glancing over at Dean and then back to Bobby, 'and then ... Bobby do you know Walt?'

'Nah, Bart I met with Dean a few times back then but the other two are unknowns.'

'I remember Walt's face from the bar in Garber but it's weird like I remember his face but that's it, nothing else about him at all. I thought that he might have been involved with the ... other hunters but he wasn't there that night.'

'Hey Bobby, Sam wanna share with the rest of the class?' Bart called out startling Sam and making Bobby scowl even deeper.

'Sam everything okay over there?' Dean asked his annoyance barely contained in his voice, he was still very suspicious about Bart's motives but the hunt sounded true and they had passed the beer test, but he was also starting to get annoyed with Sam's sudden onset of shyness. He could feel a headache coming on.

'Everything's fine Dean, we're just looking up a couple of sites ... nothing yet.'

'Okay so we should hit the sack soon, it's gonna be an early start.' Dean snapped and immediately regretted his tone when he saw Sam flinch. His little brother was more than just shy he was as skittish as a newborn kitten.

S—D

Dean rolled over at watched Sam toss and turn in his sleep, long limbs flailed in the air as though he was fighting an invisible enemy. Dean yawned but sleep still alluded him, wearily he dredged up the memories knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep while Sam tossed restlessly and while the memories of the recent past clawed at his thoughts.

S—D

September 2009

Oklahoma

Scratching his neck, Dean rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled himself up and out of the bed, he glanced over at the empty bed and it all came back to him, Sam was gone, on a self-imposed exile while he straightened himself out.

He heard the pain and exhaustion in Sam's voice when they spoke on the phone for the first time since his errant younger brother had left. It had taken almost an hour before Dean got the truth out of Sam, how the hunters had tried to force him into drinking tainted blood, to "hulk" out and fight the demons, how they battered him and held a young woman's life against him. A surge of long forgotten pride flashed through Dean firing his dulled senses, Sam had refused to drink the blood, and he had refused to bend to their wills. Although, the other problem was another surge of something else he hadn't felt for even longer a complete and utter protectiveness for his baby brother. They hurt his brother and from what Dean could garner from Sam's evasive answers, he was hurting more than he would ever admit too.

Stretching Dean hurried to his shower, wanting to be there when Sam arrived at their agreed meeting place. Even though he had enjoyed ganking as many of the evil sons-of-bitches as he could, it just wasn't the same without Sam there to celebrate with. Relishing the scalding hot water cascading down his muscular back, Dean let his mind wander back to the morning Sam announced that he wanted to back away from hunting, Dean was still confused with his own reaction, although deep down he knew that it was the best for both of them. With Michael wanting Dean's body to wear and with Lucifer wanting Sam's he honestly felt as though it would be better for them to be apart. 'We're our own weaknesses Sam, we're stronger apart,' his own words now repeating on him like a bad chilli, leaving him with a bad taste in his mouth, an upset stomach and the same vileness building inside himself.

Swallowing the last of his coffee, Dean finished packing checked his phone for messages and left the 'solo-hunt' inside the empty motel room.

S—D

Lost in his memories of the day, Dean stopped noticing just how distressed Sam was becoming, his movements becoming more frantic as that last night in the bar, replayed in ghastly technicolour. The pain ricocheting through his body as the muscles, bones, joints and organs all became involved in the memory, making it organic and corporeal. A sob pulled from deep within heralded the change in scenes of his dream and another heart-wrenching scene played out in his subconscious.

Sam pushed the pain from his bruised ribs to the back of his mind as he drove towards their agreed upon meeting place. The hurting, little brother part of him was desperate to see his big brother again, the big brother who could fix anything and everything. Although, the other part the independent part who had tried to make it on his own again wanted to drive on, to miss the rendezvous and to keep driving down the highway for another non-descript town, and another menial job. Chewing his lower lip Sam pulled off the road and drove down the dirt track towards the glimmering black beauty of the impala and the waiting sibling he so wanted to see, to receive forgiveness and to see the love and trust in his brother's eyes again. 'Keep on dreaming Sam.' He muttered ruefully as he turned the motor off and sat staring at his brother for a couple of seconds.

S—D

Dean found himself watching himself and Sam enter the diner they found just after they had reunited. His brother looked like a train wreck gone bad and he knew deep down that he was not much better in the stuffed psyche stakes. He found it a little disconcerting watching himself from a distance, but even he didn't question the inner workings of his own mind. As the invisible observer, he watched himself watch as Sam eased himself out of the booth and limp towards the men's room of the diner, they had been reunited for only an hour and yet it seemed like days. Both of them falling into their own bad habits, neither saying anything comforting, both wary, both mistrustful and both wanting to give more than they could.

The tinny sound of Back in Black emanated from his jacket pocket giving Dean a short respite from his own tortuous thoughts, 'it better be important.'

Dean watched as Sam came back to their booth, he had to hide his smile as he watched Sam try to cover his injuries and walk without the limp or slight stoop, he gave him a small nod and indicated the cell phone. Raising a quizzical eyebrow Sam slid back onto his seat and listened to the rest of the conversation.

'Got any idea what it is?' Dean asked, as he pulled a serviette from the dispenser and jotted down the information, 'how many have died?'

Sam tilted his head to one side as he listened to Dean's side of the discussion and then glanced down at the jumbled notes on the serviette, 'where?' he mouthed grateful for a hunt to occupy their minds rather than their current situation.

'Slattersville North Dakota? We can make it in a day, where do you want to meet?' Dean wrote down the name of the bar and the motel close to it before hanging up.

S—D

Sam moaned and twisted in his bed as the dream tightened its grip on him.

'So who was that?' Sam asked following brother outside, although Dean appeared not to hear him and kept walking to the impala lost in thought, 'Dean!'

'What?' Dean blinked and looked up at the bitch face his brother wore, 'what's crawled up your butt and died?'

'Who was on the phone?' Sam repeated angrily.

'Huh? I was just thinking whether or not I'd have time to drop ya off at Bobby's.'

'Drop me off? What the hell for?'

'You're hurt Sam, you're not quite up to …'

'Why don't you just say it Dean?' Sam snapped, 'you don't trust me anymore now than ya did before I left.'

'Sammy…'

'Don't Sammy me Dean, why did you agree to work with me again if you're just gonna drop me off at Bobby's at the mention of a hunt?'

'Coz you're hurt.'

'Bullshit Dean, why don't you just admit it?' Sam asked his anger building, he spread his arms wide and stood directly between Dean and the impala, 'well?'

'Admit what Sam?' Dean sighed tiredly he squeezed the bridge of his nose, 'can we just get in the car and get going?'

'I'm not gonna be dropped off at Bobby's like a child Dean, you leave me there and I swear I won't be there when you get back.'

'Just … get in the car bitch.'

'Yeah well you're the … you're the jerk,' Sam mumbled as he climbed into the front passenger seat, turned and crossed his arms his stare fixed firmly on his brother.

'So you're gonna watch me drive the entire way to North Dakota?'

'Only until I know that we're not heading towards Bobby's.'

'What Sammy don't you …?'

'Trust you? That's a bit of a loaded question isn't it Dean?' Sam shook his head and then with a deep sigh turned to face the windscreen, 'do what you want Dean, that's what you usually do.' Sam added dejectedly.

As Sam continued to dream, blood started to drip from his nose and smeared across his face with his restless movements, tossing his head from side-to-side as he tried to pull himself back from nightmarish sensations. In the bed next to his Dean was lost to his own memories, a waking nightmare where he could only watch and not participate. The rate of scenes flashing in his mind slowed down as the final one clicked into place. He found himself a passenger in the rear of the impala; he was driving with a battered and bruised Sam next to him. They both tossed angry words at each other, both too hurt to accept the other's pain.

S—D

Dean opened his mouth to argue when he took a good look at his baby brother, the pallor of his cheeks, the dark smudges under his dull green eyes, but what really caught his attention was the long bruise running down the side of Sam's face from his temple and disappearing under the hairline. Making a snap decision Dean slowed down and waited until he found a good place to pull up, and then he stopped the car so he could turn and face his brother.

'What? Do I have to walk to Bobby's from here?' Sam asked suddenly sounding exhausted.

'Sam talk to me, tell me what happened to you in that bar,' Dean asked making sure to keep his tone of voice neutral. 'I want the truth, how did you get that bruise?'

'Honestly? I ah don't remember everything that happened, they, they wanted me to drink the blood and to go and kill the demons,' Sam looked down and suddenly found his fingers very interesting, 'I – I told them that … why wouldn't they believe me?'

'Are they the ones who did that?' Dean leant over far enough for him to inspect the welt more closely, 'damn it Sammy, did you get checked out for concussion?'

'No, no I'm okay Dean, it's no more than I deserved anyway.'

'Don't say that Sam.'

'Why not? It's true.' Sam lifted his gaze just enough to look at Dean, 'you can't even stand to be in the same car with me, the only reason you're with me now is coz I'm too pathetic to be allowed to be alone.'

'Ah Sammy that's not true,' Dean fought to find the right words to say, and suddenly wondered when things got so awkward between them.

S—D

Dean took in a gasping breath and scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms, that was too weird, too realistic, and why now? A muffled cry caught his attention and Dean snapped his full attention back to his brother, 'Sammy?' he cried out when he saw the blood smeared across Sam's upper lip and jaw. 'Hey Sammy it's time to wake up.'

After a couple of frantic and harrowing moments Sam's eyes finally flittered open and he tried to focus on the face floating above him.

'I'm so sorry Dean,' Sam wept, 'I am so sorry.'

'Okay random,' Dean sat back and gave his brother a little more personal space while he woke up fully and collected his thoughts. 'What were you dreaming about?'

'Huh? Oh ahh I think it was the day we met back up after what happened in Oklahoma ...' Sam ran his fingers across his lip and stared at the bloody stains on them, 'wha?'

'Looks like you had a bit of a nose bleed.' Dean passed Sam a few crumpled tissues, 'they're clean.' Before he stood up and went to the bathroom, returning shortly he handed Sam a damp washcloth. 'Here.'

'Thanks, Dean it's weird I haven't thought about that ... time ... for a while now.'

'Yeah I know, funny thing is that I was remembering the same day,' Dean shook his head and then dropped back onto his own bed, 'we're gotta get some sleep ... we got a long day ahead of us.'

'Yeah ... you sure about this hunt?'

'Yeah, yeah I am ... you want to sit this one out Sam? I don't mind if ya don't feel ...'

'I'm coming Dean, someone has to watch your back.' Sam cut in as he wiped his face clean, turned his soiled pillow over and then lay down on the clean side, 'no one's separating us again.'

S—D

Walt emerged from the shadows near the boys' room; he listened intently to the conversation and then smiled: it was all too easy. Whistling silently he headed downstairs to where Bart and Kurt were sleeping, slipping back into his seat he glanced above him as though he could see through the ceiling and floorboards to where the Winchester brothers slept.

TBC