It Only Takes a Second
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Mac stepped between his son and John, as the scared father's voice growled, "What the hell did you see?"

Caleb took another step backwards as Jim came up beside him, laying a comforting hand on the teens shoulder. "It was dark…I heard Atticus barking and followed the sound…Sammy…" Caleb felt himself starting to panic as he glanced from the terrified eyes of his mentor to the scared, fearful eyes of his best friend Dean.

"Sammy what?" Mac noticed John's face pale as Caleb seemed hesitant to continue.

"It's okay Son," Jim whispered encouragingly.

"It looked like he had fell and rolled down a slight hill…he was under some brush…Atticus wouldn't leave his side." Caleb watched as John took a step back, running his hand over his face. During the few moments of silence Dean had soundlessly made his way to his friends side, slowly slipping his six-year old hand into Caleb's, the teen glanced down as the small child leaned into his leg.

"Was he still alive?" John asked, his voice breaking, still facing the woods.

"I think so, once I realized it was Sammy the vision ended." Caleb released Dean's hand, stepping around his father the teen stepped up to his mentor. "We still have time, it's not dark yet…God Johnny I'm sorry."

Dark-brown eyes met the teen's scared golden gaze as John looked from him to the men standing behind the older boy, then back to Caleb, "What for? You didn't do this; I'm the one that let my two-year old wonder off…" John placed his hand on Caleb's shoulder, "Like you said, we still have time, right? I have to believe that." John looked back at Mac, "Do you think you can locate him?"

Mac nodded as Caleb returned to sit at the table, Dean taking the spot next to his friend. "I can try, I'll need something of Sammy's."

John wiped his hand over his face, "Dean go get WooBee." The six-year old got up and raced toward the house.

"What's a WooBee?" Mac asked.

"It's a ratty looking stuffed animal Sammy found at one of the second-hand stores we stopped at not to long ago, we can't go anywhere without the thing." John gave a sad smile as he remembered the day that Dean begged his father to buy the sorry excuse for a stuffed animal that the older man had ever seen for Sammy, but his youngest loved it, now John just hoped it allowed Mac to give them a better location to continue searching. They needed to get started again as it would be dark in about three hours and John didn't know if he could survive losing one of his son's.

Dean came flying back toward the group, thrusting the one-eyed bear at the psychic.

Mac took the toy in his hands then took a seat on the other side of the picnic table, closing his eyes he concentrated on the missing child they all cared a great deal about.

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Atticus had started to pick up on the anxiety and fear that the toddler was feeling, the dog wouldn't go more than a few feet in front of the child, anytime Sammy tried to sit down, Atticus would push against him or pull on his light jacket, the canine seemed to know that Sammy needed to keep moving. The small boys cries had turned into silent whimpers as the long shadows that now filled the woods began to play into the child's fears. Occasionally he would call out for his brother, not understanding why Dean would have left him alone and scared. As it grew darker noises seemed louder and closer, Sammy jumping at every little sound. Atticus was right beside the child now as small hands clung to the fur on the animals back, however the low calling of a coyote in the distance made the toddler cry out, he let go of Atticus and took off running. The shadows had grown too long as tears filled his eyes, the small boy didn't see the ground give way before him, as he hit the downward slope into a slight depression in the woods, a scared yell from the child was all that escaped him as he started to tumble down the slope, Atticus chasing him, his rolling decent ended as Sammy's motionless body came to rest beneath the underbrush at the bottom of the incline.

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It was growing dark and Caleb was pacing next to the picnic table as Dean sat on top, clutching one of the walkie-talkie's. They would occasionally hear John, Mac or Jim relay their position, but no one seemed to have been able to locate the missing toddler or Atticus. Mac's attempt at locating Sammy using WooBee hadn't helped very much, he was only able to get glimpses of the wooded terrain, but nothing specific. Shortly afterward the three men headed back into the forest, leaving a fuming fourteen-year old to act as base and to watch Dean.

"Damnit", Caleb mumbled as he listened for any sound to indicate the small boy had been found.

It was Dean's quiet voice the broke through the teen's guilt and useless feeling, "Damien?"

Caleb turned to face his friend, seeing tears in the younger boy's eyes, the older boy walked toward the table, "What is it Deuce?"

"Is Sammy gonna die?" A large tear finally escaped one of the six-year olds eye, the look of despair and the fear the boy was feeling nearly took Caleb's breath.

"NO!" Caleb spoke harsher than he intended, causing Dean to jump, the older boy would not allow that thought to enter his mind, this had to be a vision where they would reach Sammy in time, Caleb wouldn't allow it to be anything else. "I'm sorry…" Caleb sat down next to his friend, wrapping his arm around the small boys shoulder, "Sammy's gonna be okay, there's no other choice." Dean leaned into his friends chest as Caleb held him tighter, feeling the small tremors from the child's body as he cried silently.

After a moment, Dean looked up into the golden gaze of the older boy, "Can't you find him like you do me?"

Caleb looked confusingly at Dean, "What do you mean?"

Dean pulled back as the possibility of what the smaller boy was thinking could help find his brother, "Hide and seek, when we play you always find me really fast, member when I asked you how and you pointed to your head…" Dean touched his own temple, "and said you follow the string to me."

Realization dawned on the older boy as he quickly stood, "Shit, I didn't even think…" Caleb had learned shortly after meeting the Winchester's that he had an unusual link to both boys, it was by accident when Dean had wanted the teen to play hide and seek one day. Dean had hidden under Pastor Jim's desk in the library and Caleb looked for nearly an hour. The teen had nearly given up when he sat on the stairs and closed his eyes, thinking of Dean, suddenly like a giant arrow a connection was made and Caleb walked right to where the child was hiding. He had gotten Dean to hide again and was able to find him in a matter of seconds.

Caleb sat back down on the bench, "Okay Deuce, I need you to stay real quiet for a minute, so I can concentrate." Caleb had only tried to connect with Sammy a couple of times, but that was when he was still a baby. Caleb had been almost afraid after the first time he did it as he picked up on a sensation not unlike the one he did when he would try to read Mac. The teen had talked to his father about it and the older man had confirmed he too had noticed something 'unique' about the baby, but didn't know if it would ever develop into a psychic ability or not.

Dean sat real still facing his friend, still clutching the radio to his chest. The six-year old watched as Caleb took a deep breath and closed his eyes.