A/N: It's been far too long since I've last updated. I figure it was time I got with that. Of course, I'm still struggling with writing so hopefully I'll get myself in gear with that and there will be more to read! Hope you're enjoying my stories so far and that you'll keep reading. I appreciate it! Enjoy the update!
Sam had tried several times over the next couple of days to get a hold of Emerson after her last voice mail message. He was nervous and worried but he seemed to try to keep from worrying Dean too much if he could help it. Whenever Sam could sneak out of the motel room to call her, he did. Dean didn't seem to mind or notice, at least not until he had started to show signs of frustration. Not one to typically talk about his feelings, Dean had to work up to talking to his brother about this but after three days and seeing Sam moping around for at least a day and a half of that, he finally decided it was time to have a talk with his little brother.
Dean was sitting on his bed, taking apart and cleaning his favorite gun. It calmed him, kept him focused so it seemed like the thing to be doing right now. He nervously cleared his throat and when that didn't get Sam's attention, he did it again and a little louder the second time. "So Sam …" he finally said, glancing up to check to see if Sam was going to look up from his laptop right now.
"Hmm …" was the only response Dean got. Sam didn't even look up from what he was doing at the sound of his brother's voice.
"So, Sam, have you gotten a hold of Emerson yet?"
Sam looked up when Dean said that to see his older brother focused on cleaning his gun as he spoke. Somehow that sight frustrated Sam right now. "You know I haven't." There was almost an angry look on his face as he looked at Dean, this look that said 'why are you even bothering to ask me that?'.
Dean glanced at Sam again with a 'oh, yeah' kind of look on his face and he shrugged. It would have been hard to miss something like that and he knew that Sam would have mentioned talking to Emerson but he still felt like he had to ask. It seemed like the only way to have this conversation with his brother right now. "You think she's okay?" Dean asked, his attention shifting back to putting his gun back together again.
Sam sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and shaking his head. He closed his laptop, no longer interested in poking around for a new case. They'd finished their last case the other day and Sam offered to look for something new. He thought the distraction might help him, keep him from thinking about Emerson and how scared she had sounded the last time he'd heard from her. He thought that if he found them something new to investigate that he could lose himself in that for awhile instead of wanting to talk Dean into driving into Mount Redding to find out what was going on first hand. And so far Sam was doing a horrible job at distracting himself, spending his time staring at the same website for the last 30 minutes without reading a single word.
"I don't know. I'm worried that something's wrong though, Dean," Sam said, taking a deep breath. He seemed to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling like a headache was starting. Sam wasn't sure Dean really wanted to talk this out but if his older brother was going to listen, then Sam was going to take the time to talk it out at least a little bit anyway. "I'm worried that something happened to her and that's why she hasn't called me back. I mean, maybe she's just too busy to call back right now and I hope that's the case but I'm still worried."
Dean sighed a little, looking up at Sam and nodding. He looked at the other weapons he had out to clean and suddenly felt like doing anything but that and that wasn't like Dean. Cleaning the guns was his way to relax so the fact that the idea didn't appeal to him did bother Dean. He didn't like that being worried about his brother (and about Emerson) was affecting him that way. "She's probably busy. You know Emerson. She got wrapped up in something and hasn't gotten around to calling you," he said with a shrug, trying to sound like he believed what he was saying. He hoped he was right anyway.
Sam shook his head, slowly standing up. He reached for his cell phone, for the first time not hiding the fact that he was going to try calling Emerson. Now that Dean had brought it up, it made Sam feel like he had to call again to see what was going on. "I don't know, Dean. I have this funny feeling that something's not right," Sam said as he slipped his phone into the pocket of his jeans and reached for his jacket. He tossed it on and seemed to pat his pockets down to check to make sure he had everything.
"Where are you going?"
Sam shrugged. "I need some air," he said as he headed for the door. His right hand was in the front pocket of his jeans, already reaching for his phone. He felt like he'd be pulling it out and calling Emerson as soon as he closed the door behind himself.
"Let me know if you talk to her, okay?"
Sam cracked a smile when Dean said that and nodded before turning the doorknob and heading outside. He pulled out his phone as he closed the door behind himself. Taking a deep breath, he went through his phone book and to find Emerson's number and then dialed. He started to walk through the parking lot as the phone rang. Sam hoped that this time she'd answer the phone.