It Only Takes a Second
Chapter 14
Disclaimer: see chapter 1

It was near dinner time when Jim pulled Mac's rental back into his drive. He had called John to let him know they were on their way back, Caleb apparently showing no ill effects from what had happened that morning. John had reassured the Pastor that Sammy, too, was showing no problems from his ordeal in the woods, other than not playing as much, John assuming the small boy was sore from his tumble.

Caleb was still pale, but able to come through the back door under his own power; John met them in the kitchen. "Well at least I didn't have to carry your ass back in here." John gave the boy a slight smile, grateful the teen was going to be okay.

"Bite me, Johnny." Caleb whispered, hoping Jim and his father wouldn't call him on the language, as he eased himself into one of the kitchen chairs. "Sammy okay?"

As if saying his name had summoned the child, Sammy came running into the room, Atticus and Dean close behind. "CAWEB!" the toddler squealed as John caught him before the small boy could jump into the older boy's lap.

"Easy dude, Caleb's got to take it easy." John released his youngest as the boy slowly made his way to Caleb.

"yous has a booboo toos?" Sammy lifted his small shirt to show the colorful bruises, not thinking much of them.

"Shit." Caleb whispered, looking at his Dad, who had taken a seat across from him. "You sure he's okay, Dad?" The teen reached for the toddler, easing him onto his lap, he had been so scared when he had found Sammy under the bushes, remembering that the small boy wouldn't wake up, he barely remembered when Sammy had woken up, the world going dark seconds after he heard the boy call his name.

John was the one who answered, "He's just a little sore Junior, but nothing's broken."

Caleb rubbed his forehead as Sammy leaned back against the teen's chest, Dean pulling his chair up, so he could be close to his brother, Atticus curled up under the table.

Mac watched his Son, "You all right?"

"Still tired, I think I'm going to turn in…" Mac stopped the boy as he placed Sammy in the chair with Dean, ruffling the small boy's hair and heading toward the hallway.

"You should eat something." The Doctor stood.

"I'm not hungry, save me something." Reluctantly Mac let the boy head up the stairs, giving him a couple minutes to himself before checking on him.

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Mac had gone up and checked on his Son shortly after the teen had headed upstairs. The older boy was asleep; Mac sat on the side of his bed, gently brushing his hand over the boy's hair, resting it on his cheek, Caleb turning slightly into his father's warm touch. "Is Caleb really okay?" Dean's small voice caused the Doctor to turn toward the doorway, not realizing the smaller boy had followed him.

"He's just really tired Dean, but he should be fine after some rest." Mac knew he was going to have to get his son to explain to him just what it was he did to wake Sammy, but for now, the father was happy that the boy had no lingering effects from the event.

Dean stepped into the room, coming to stand next to his best friend's bed, looking at Mac with more insight than any six-year old had a right to have, he asked a question that had been worrying him, "How did Caleb wake Sammy up?"

Mac looked at the boy as he seemed so much older than his years, then looked back at his Son, "I really don't know Dean that is something he is going to have to tell me."

The six-year old looked at the teen with an expression like he wished he could have seen what Sammy said Caleb saw, "Did he really see my mom in Sammy's dream?" the small boy whispered, desperately trying to control the tears that were filling his eyes, as Dean looked back at Mac.

"Yeah I did kiddo…" Caleb's quiet voice answered the question as the eyes of two of the most important people to the teen, turned back to him.

"Was she pretty?" Dean choked out, he could remember his mother, with here golden hair and bright green eyes that looked like his. He had missed her everyday since she died and it made him sad when his father wouldn't talk about her, but he tried to understand since it was the only time he would ever see his father cry.

Caleb sat up, leaning against the headboard, patting the bed beside him. Mac lifted the smaller boy up as he went to sit next to the teen. "She was beautiful…just like the picture your dad has in his journal." Caleb had seen the picture a few times; it was strange to him to see his mentor looking so different in the photo. John had a light in his eyes that was now gone, it saddened Caleb to think of what had taken that light away.

"Was she really taking care of Sammy while he was asleep?" Dean knew there were two different kinds of sleep, the one you do every night when you go to bed and the one from getting hurt, it was that one that scared him because he had heard his father say that sometimes people don't wake up from that type of sleep, then they are gone forever.

"She was right beside him while he played with Atticus, she was keeping him safe." Caleb wanted his friend to understand, but wasn't sure how to explain things, he looked at his father, who seemed just as anguish to hear what had happened. "They were near the pond and when I walked up she put herself between me and Sammy since she didn't know who I was, but Sammy told her I was a friend. She watched as I told Sammy he needed to come with me because you and your dad were worried." Caleb pulled the small boy closer when he felt Dean lean into him, a small sob escaping the boy. "She told Sammy it was okay and to tell you and your dad she loved you both…" Caleb hesitated a moment, Mac was the only one to pickup on it, knowing there was something else that the teen wasn't saying. "Then she was gone and Sammy followed me into the house."

After a few moments of silence as Dean tried to control his hiccupped breathes, he looked at his friend with tear-filled eyes, "So mommy kept him safe until you could help him, then you brought him back to us?"

"I guess so." Caleb watched Dean as the small boy suddenly latched onto him.

"Thank you Damien, for saving my brother…" for a moment Caleb was shocked, then he returned the hug as he laid his head onto of the smaller boys, "I love you." Dean whispered, his head still buried in Caleb's chest.

"Love you too Deuce." Caleb whispered back as he looked up at his father, the older man watching with tear-filled eyes of his own.

A few minutes later, Dean extracted himself; "I gotta find Sammy." slipping from the bed the small boy smiled at his friend then ran out the door.

Mac watched as the small boy left the room then turned back to his Son. Caleb was rubbing his hands over his face, taking a deep breath; Mac knew the teen was trying to control the emotions that had welled up inside him. "Are you all right?" the Doctor laid his hand on his Son knee.

"I don't know." Caleb looked at his father, Mac was taken aback by the complete openness he saw in his son's face, normally Caleb tried his best to come across as 'fine' even when he wasn't.

"What didn't you tell him?" Mac asked.

Trying to school his expressions Caleb responded, "What do you mean?"

"When you told Dean what his mother said to Sammy, you left out something, what was it?" Mac watched as Caleb started picking at a loose string on the quilt covering him.

"When she stood back up she touched my cheek and told me that as long as I was with the boys they would always be safe and if they ever needed me I would always know and be able to find them." Caleb looked up at his father, "What did she mean by that?"

What Jim had told Mac the night before filtered back into the Doctor's mind, once Jim had mentioned what role Caleb may play within the Brotherhood, everything he had read over the years about Triads started to come together. It wasn't until that moment that Mac had to acknowledge what he probably already knew. He had become angry with Jim when the older man brought it up, but deep down Mac had known from the time that Caleb had come to him, trying to explain the 'string' connection between the boys. It was a similar connection former Triads had with one another, especially the Knight.

Mac took a deep breath, locking away that information behind the impenetrable blocks he, as a powerful psychic in his own right, needed. "I just think it means that you have a connection with the boys that will help you take care of them. You care about them a great deal and that has created a connection. Just like Dean is always watching out for Sammy, knowing where he is most of the time, how he is always the one who can tell how his little brother is feeling. You seem to have a similar connection, you and Dean are as close as brothers and with any siblings there is an overwhelming need to protect them."

It was silent a few minutes as Caleb took in his father's explanation, yes the boys felt like brother's and he did have a need to keep them safe, he just hoped he always could.

Mac's next question sent an unusual panic through the teen, "So are you going to explain how you managed to wake Sammy up?"