AN: Hope you all enjoy... take care!
Sam was glad that no one followed him because he really didn't need anyone witnessing his little meltdown at the moment. Wiping his eyes he couldn't get the scene in the cafeteria out of his head and he just needed a few moments to pull himself together before everyone in the building saw what a pathetic loser he really was. He still loved someone who obviously didn't love him enough not to use every painful issue in his head. Sighing, he was about to go towards his next class when he heard his name being called over the school's PA system to report to the office immediately.
"Oh come on, what now?" he asked as he double checked his appearance in one of the outer windows since he knew the Dean would take great pleasure in pointing out anything out of place in his uniform. Satisfied, he made his way through the halls ignoring the gawking stares of the other students. Apparently the scene that happened only minutes ago had already been told and retold making the only person unsure of what had really happened in the cafeteria the very person trying his hardest to get to the office to find out what was so damn important that he was being pulled out of class… again.
Taylor hated this school not to mention the pompous ass that seemed to enjoy the thought that their Sammy would possibly be gone for the next couple of days. He had really started to believe that little bro had settled in at the school, but now it looks like they were just fooling themselves, and that worried him. As he looked to Stephen and Joseph he could tell they were thinking the same thing and that they would need to discuss what was really going on with Sammy after they got some good news about Dean.
The secretary knocked and announced that Sam was there before letting him inside the office. It took them all a moment before the situation really hit home, the Musketeers didn't want to tell Sammy, Sam didn't want to hear what they had to say, and Mr. Cummings didn't want to waste anymore time in the attempt to make his point that Samuel would be much happier in a public school, preferably one of those alternative schools for 'at risk' kids.
Stephen had no idea how he was supposed to broach the subject but knew they needed to say something since standing there staring at each other wasn't doing much good. Joshua finally had enough and spoke hesitantly.
"Sammy, we need to get home. Do you need to get your books or anything?" he asked, hoping that the kid hadn't put it together yet, but as usual their little bro was already a step ahead.
"Dean's missing?" Sam asked, looking at each of his brother's and silently prayed that he was wrong, that Dean was pulling some sort of stunt like he used to; was playing hooky from work and wanted him to come along.
The silence was oppressive for a moment until Mr. Cummings spoke with such a false sincerity that Taylor forced himself not to move to reduce the risk of knocking the little man out.
"Mr. Winchester, under the circumstances you are excused from classes this week. I'll make sure your instructors are informed and that your assignments are forwarded to you." Mr. Cummings said while making notes at his desk effectively dismissing them from his office.
Stunned, Sam walked out into the reception area, back out into the hallway before exiting the building, not bothering to make sure his brothers were with him. Dean was missing and he had a horrible feeling that he had been in a plane at the time somewhere around a rain forest. The familiar feeling of guilt started to build and he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had had his nightmare before Dean left.
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Dean could finally breathe and he was going to take full advantage of it. The witch had decided to take a nap to 'rejuvenate' herself which he was certain would never happen considering how unhappy she had to have been to begin with. She reminded him of a vindictive spirit that he and Sammy had dealt with a long time ago in Boise, Idaho. The spirit refused to move on because her boyfriend had actually found a way to carry on without her and she spent every moment making his life hell just so he wouldn't have a moment's peace. It had taken Sammy getting slammed through a wall and Dean using all the rock salt they had before John was able to banish her so they all could go to the hellhole they were calling home that night.
Thinking about that night made him automatically think about Sammy again and he could only hope that he hadn't found out what happened. 'Yeah, 'cause lady luck's been so kind so far.' He thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes as his mind quickly reviewed what had occurred since they had found his little brother again. Shaking the memories away, he moved swiftly towards the other people to try and help as many as he could before the Queen of Hearts woke up. Heaven forbid they actually tried to make others more comfortable.
A little girl of about six years old was holding a baby in her lap as she cried. Dean had been told that her name was Maria and her mother had been killed when she had tried to shield her children from the falling bags and crates. Now little Maria had to take care of herself and her baby brother until help arrived and took them to her Grandmother in the States. Sitting in front of her, Dean wondered if there was more to this little girl's life than what others assumed. Did she want to be a ballerina when she grew up, or was she hoping to be a doctor and planned to find the cure for cancer?
"Hey Maria, how are you and your brother?" he asked, hoping for more of a respond this time. When she didn't say anything, he reached out and pulled the blanket back to see the sleeping baby oblivious to the turmoil occurring outside of his dreams. Smiling, Dean nodded as if they were in a conversation, not wanting to break off contact with the little girl. "Ok, so you're playing hard to get. I understand, but I have to tell you, my heart belongs to someone else. Of course I bet that if I saw you smile, then all that would be over with and I'd have to tell Katie good-bye."
"It's nice of you to try, but as you can see she does not respond."
The voice didn't startle him; he was getting used to people stopping and talking to him as if he had the answers, or in this case was completely useless. Turning his head he saw the older woman who seemed to enjoy her role as matriarch to the ragtag group. Of course if he lived as long as her, then he's probably be proud too.
Smiling, Dean slightly shook his head. "Mrs. Sanchez, hasn't anyone told you that eavesdropping is a sin?" he asked, knowing that he was about to get a surprise.
Laughing, the old woman merely stated, "If I cannot have this one vice, what good is going to confession once a week?"
Dean knew that he would never win with her and didn't even try. Mrs. Sanchez apparently had seen more in her life than others thought possible, and she wasn't shy to let others know it. He knew there was something on her mind, so he waited until she settled herself on the trunk of tree.
"As you know food has been gathered from the forest as well as what could be found from the planes. However, we need to know how long you believe it will be before we are rescued so we can start to plan accordingly."
Although he suspected that was it, he still had no idea what to tell her. He'd already tried to make contact with the outside world but wasn't able to get a signal from the radio. Sighing, he had no idea what to tell the old woman who would in turn fill everyone else in. "It shouldn't be too long since the weather isn't horrible. The rains could delay the search, but as long as they got clear coordinates then they'll have a good place to start."
"So we have no idea how long it will be?"
Not knowing how else to answer, Dean nodded. "Don't worry though, I have a little brother who's birthday is at the end of the week and I plan on being there, so don't start giving up just yet."
"Oh my dear boy, I would never do that. I just needed to let the others know how long they would have to listen to the screeching monkey you call Ms. Tolliver. She really grates on a person's ears." Mrs. Sanchez said laughing.
As much as Dean wanted to join her in laughing at the situation he just couldn't seem to get Maria's plight out of his mind and how much Mrs. Sanchez's comparison of the congresswoman and a screeching monkey was right on.
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Terrance had suspected he knew where the Musketeers had gone and seeing that he was right made him feel a little better about the situation. It wasn't that he wanted Sam to worry, but he also didn't want him to find out about Dean from some other source like the media who was currently having a field day that Congresswoman Tolliver was missing. Sighing, he knew that this was going to get messy, but he also knew that it could be so much worse; at least this time they knew where to start.
"Sam, how are you?" he asked the young man before him, hoping that the shock of what was happening wasn't going to be too much for him; this wasn't the first time he had to go through this.
Sam looked around and saw the maps and the proposed search grids and wondered why they were searching around the mountains. "Sir, you're looking in the wrong spot." He said nervously. He knew how he sounded, but he also knew that if he was right they were wasting time and people needed help.
Looking at the Musketeers Terrance saw the concern in their eyes but also something else – belief. He knew that Sam and Dean had a special connection; it's what kept the soldier looking for his little brother when so many times it would have made more sense to think him dead. Now he had to wonder if something else was going on, and that thought made him more than a little uncomfortable. "Sam, do you know what happened? Has anyone explained the situation?" he asked, noting that the men behind the boy shook their heads, while the young man in front of him looked like he was about to shake himself apart.
"They were in an old plane, the alarms started to sound, they crashed into two pieces but not in the mountains." Sam said softly while looking at his shoes, he didn't want to be even weirder than he was, but he needed to tell them that needed to look someplace else; he'd deal with everyone's stares and whispers later. "They made it past the mountains, I think they were more East, but there are people hurt and a little girl crying with her baby brother."
Quickly steering Sam towards his office, Terrance had no idea what to say and was thankful when no words were necessary at the moment. Right now he needed to make sure Sam was ok, because if looks were anything to go by, the kid was falling apart before their eyes. Finally reaching his office, he escorted the young man inside while asking his secretary for a soda and some coffee. Settling Sam into a chair and motioning for the other men to get comfortable, he then sat next to Sam and tried to smile.
"Sam, can you tell me what's bothering you?" he asked, trying to ignore the fact that the kid couldn't sit still even for a second and if his leg was any indication then he was more than a little nervous about the whole situation. Sighing, he tried again. "Sam, can you tell me why you think we're looking in the wrong place?"
Looking up at the Colonel, Sam wasn't sure how much to really tell. If he was still with his dad then either he'd be dead because it was more proof of how evil he really was, or he'd become even more of the family secret and kept hidden until needed. The thought actually made him want to laugh because that was exactly what had happened; maybe his dad was onto something after all. Sensing everyone else's concern, he looked up to see not fear but worry – for him. 'Huh, weird.' he thought to himself, wondering why they would be concerned about him, he wasn't the one lost in the middle of the freakin' rainforest. "I had a dream last night… nightmare really. I'm not sure where Dean is, I don't see him, but I know he's worried about the people there. Some are hurt, but the others are trying to help them. I don't know what else."
Taylor looked at Joseph and they both became concerned. Their little brother was acting as if there was something awful about what he'd told them and that could lead to a whole other set of complications. Sighing, Joseph squatted down next to Sammy and put his hand on the kid's arm. "Sammy, we need you help. You're the only clue we have to what we're dealing with, and if you can help us find them, then we can make sure the rescue teams get there quickly, ok? What else did you see?"
Sam looked at his brothers before looking back at the Colonel and hoped they wouldn't be too freaked out. "There isn't any water around except for the rain, so you can mark off anyplace close to a river, stream or pond. They can't see the mountains from a clearing the plane made. Their wasn't any fire, so I think when the pilot knew they were in trouble, he dumped all the fuel and tried to glide it for awhile." He paused for a moment before he looked around again. "I don't know… I think they could be in trouble, but I don't know by what."
Patting Sam on the leg, Terrance got up and called the Situation Room to talk to Katie. He knew she was taking this hard, but he needed her focus. After relaying the information they now had, he was assured that she'd have a new search grid ready for submission in half an hour. Sighing, he motioned for his aide to come in with the drinks and then sat in his chair and watched Sam look as if he's rather be in front of a firing squad than with them. Handing the young man his soda, he had to smile at the boy. On one hand he was a competent, well honed soldier in his own right, but get him involved in something more on a personally level and the kid falls apart.
"Sam, thank you. You have saved us a lot of time and energy that those people may not have. I know that it took a lot for you to tell me all of this, but I want you to know that unless you want me to tell anyone about where this information came from, I won't." he paused and saw the shake of the young man's head. "Ok, that's settled then. Now how about we get down to something that really matters, Sam how's that snooty school treating you?"
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Katie was worried. She knew that Washington had put together the search grids and that was fine by her, but now she was asked to configure a whole new set of perimeters on the off chance that the Pentagon was wrong. Of course it wouldn't be the first time that those in the higher offices had made a mistake, but it made her nervous that she was about to do something that could show them just how wrong they were. The initial assumption was that the pilot got his bearings confused and had hit the mountain range at some point, leaving them with a very concentrated initial search area which would expand periodically. Now though as she entered the new information she hoped that this was actually something that could help, because although she knew how she felt about Dean missing, she also knew that Sam had to be scared out of his mind.
Watching her computer work, she let her mind drift to the Jubilee and the wonderful time she had with her very own Prince Charming. She knew she was being ridiculous considering how much of a womanizer Dean was reputed to be, but when he was with her, she felt like the only woman in the world and that was a very special feeling. She just hoped that they could get him home soon, then she could worry about what was really bothering her; how long would it be before Dean got tired of her.
The sound of her computer ending its computations and applying it to the map they were working with pulled her out of her dreaming and what sat there waiting for her made her hit the print button as she jumped up of her chair. Running to grab the pages as she headed towards the door, she knew that the Colonel was right; they were looking in the wrong area.