It Only Takes a Second
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: see chapter 1

John watched Mac as he retreated toward the stairs, the weary man then made his way to the bathroom, hoping that by splashing some water on his face he could wake himself up, he wouldn't sleep until his youngest was awake and okay. Staring at himself in the mirror John wondered when he became the man in the reflection, his eyes were darker than they use to be, he seemed to always have dark circles under them. His face was covered with a weeks worth of whiskers that he had yet to shave, his forehead pinched in worry. For an instant the reflection changed and he saw himself as he use to be, clean shaven, Mary hated his whiskers. His eyes were bright, almost dancing, thankful everyday that he had found Mary and she had loved him as much as he loved her. The lines around his eyes were from the smiles his young son caused, it couldn't be helped, Dean was always a happy, smiling child, John couldn't help but to smile when he was with his son, the smiles and love for his family showed on his face even more when they were joined by Sammy.

In that instant John felt emotion clog his throat and steal his breath, "God Mary, I'm sorry…" John felt his eyes fill as his vision blurred, the tears uncontrollably sliding down his cheeks, disappearing into his beard. "I'm so fucking sorry", with both hands placed on the counter in Jim's bathroom John Winchester dropped his head and allowed himself to feel for the first time in nearly two years.

Dean had only been asleep a few minutes when he was startled awake by movement beside him, "Sammy?" the quiet six-year olds voice whispered as he looked at his baby brother, then noticed Caleb sitting next to Sammy, his hand on the tiny boys head. Rising up Dean looked between his friend and his brother as it seemed Caleb was unaware that he was being watched. The small boy noticed that the teen's eyes were closed, his forehead pinched as if he was in pain, but quickly his attention was drawn again to his little brother as the smaller boy moved his head slightly, movement seen behind his still closed eye lids. On his knees now Dean reached for Sammy's hand, "Sammy? Come on and wake up, please?"

As if by his brother's plea the toddler started to slowly blink his eyes, turning his head toward Dean's voice, "Dede?"

"Sammy, it's okay, you're okay now." Dean saw tears well in his brother's eyes, "Caleb, Sammy's awake." Dean looked at the teen, but the boy remained still, his hand still on Sammy's head.

Dean's worry increased as he noticed a small trickle of blood slip from Caleb's nose. Sammy followed his brother's gaze and saw the older boy beside him, "Caweb?" As if the small child's voice seemed to break the trance the older boy was in, the teen's eyes snapped open as he saw big, brown, puppy-dog eyes staring at him.

"Sammy?" Caleb whispered as both Winchester boys watched the teens eyes roll back in his head, his body slipping from the bed.

"CALEB!" Dean yelled.

John had just exited the bathroom, wiping his face of any traces of the breakdown he just had, he needed to be strong for his boys, they needed him. As he neared the bedroom he heard a loud thud hit the floor as Dean's panicked yell reached his ears, "CALEB!"

Rushing into the room John first noticed two set's of eyes looking at him from the bed the boys were in, "Sammy?" he rushed forward, then spotted Caleb's unconscious form next to the bed, "Shit! MAC!" the former Marine yelled reaching the fallen boy, instinctively feeling Caleb's neck as Mac and Jim came pounding up the stairs and into the room.

"John?" Mac said entering the room, "Caleb!" Mac called out as he saw his son on the floor, "What happened?" the Doctor repeated the process John had just performed, feeling for the boys pulse.

John glanced at Mac, "I don't know, I was in the bathroom." John helped Mac lift his son back into the bed as the Doctor started checking him over, noting the blood on his son's face.

"Daddy…" Sammy's small voice was heard over the quiet of the room, causing all three men to turn.

"Oh God, Sammy." John sat down, pulling his small son into his arms, the small boy latching his arms around his father's neck, "God, Sammy are you okay?"

"Scared…yous and Dede lefts me…Ticus stays wif me…" The small boy started to sob into his father's shoulder as John began rocking him.

"I'm so sorry Buddy; I got ya now, shhh…" John continued to rock the toddler as Dean curled next to his father's side, watching Mac check Caleb over.

Jim stood at the foot of Caleb's bed, watching the boy's father assess his condition, the older man looked over toward the two smaller children, "Dean, do you know what happened, did Caleb fall?"

Jim and John looked at Dean as Mac continued to assess his son, grabbing some tissues off the bedside table to wipe the blood from under his Son's nose. "His eyes were closed…he had his hand on Sammy's head and his eyes were closed. Then Sammy woke up…"

Mac looked at the six-year old, "Are you sure Dean?"

"Yes, Sir." Dean answered as he leaned closer to his father.

"I told him not to do it unless I was around." Mac mumbled, running his hand through his Son's hair.

"Mac?" Jim didn't understand what was going on as he glanced at John who shrugged, not knowing either.

Sammy's voice spoke next. "Caweb wus in my dream."

John pulled back and looked at Sammy, "What do you mean Sammy?"

"I wus dreaming of Ticus and me playing and mommy wus dar so I wusn'ts scared." Sammy looked at Dean when he heard his big brother make a funny sound. "It's okay Dede, mommy saids Hi and she wuvs you and daddy." John felt a tear, which he thought he had been controlling, escape.

Jim knelt beside the bed, facing Sammy as he asked what they all wanted to know. "Sammy, why was Caleb in your dream? Did he tell you?"

The toddler nodded his head eagerly as he looked at Pastor Jim. "He's saids I had to comes home, that Dede and Daddy neededs me and mommy saids it was okays to goes wif Caweb, he'd helps me home."

John and Jim looked at Mac, John's broken voice spoke. "Mac is that possible? Did he wake Sammy up?"

Mac looked at his Son then back at Jim and the Winchester's, blowing out a deep breath. "I don't know…we've worked on him entering another person's mind, to search for information. It requires him to go deeper into someone's subconscious than just when he reads their thoughts. But honestly John, he's never done anything like this before, I mean how would he have?"

Jim stood, "Do you know how this will affect him?" he asked the Doctor.

"Other than passing out and having a nose bleed?" Mac didn't mean to sound so sarcastic, but he was scared, he didn't know his son was able to do what it appeared he had done with Sammy, so he had no way of knowing if Caleb had someway injured himself in the process. "I'm sorry Jim, I just don't know and until he wakes up I won't know."

"Dad is Damien going to be okay?" Dean looked from the pale form of his friend to his father.

John pulled Sammy closer, glancing at the teen in question, the boy continued to place himself in danger to help his children and John didn't understand why. He knew the boys had become close, but what was causing Caleb to put himself at this kind of risk for his son's. "I hope so Ace, I hope so."