Battle Weary.

Chapter Four.

Dean found Sam sitting on the Impala's hood, the now empty beer bottle resting in his hands. He was staring at it like it could give him all the answers he needed. Dean understood where Sam was coming from, this was seriously messing with his head as well, but he knew he had to put all that aside if they were going to get through this with their asses intact….especially after reading his letter to himself. He shook his head 'his letter to himself', Freud would love this.

He walked over to Sam and leaned against the car next to his brother "It's not an oracle, dude."

Sam gave a short smile "It'd probably make about as much sense as Gus is right now"

Dean sighed "Sammy, it's not supposed to makesense. None of it is. Don't you see that? You gotta let that part of it go. That's how they'll win. If you spend too much time trying to make sense of it, you won't be ready and dude, you need to be ready"

Sam finally looked up from the beer bottle and into the concerned eyes of his brother "Why didn't Dad just tell us?"

"What was he gonna say, Sam? 'Oh, by the way, if sometime, somewhere down the track, some scary bastards start shooting at you, go see the one-legged dude. And just on that, those scary bastards? They're time travelling demons from the future' Come on, Sammy! We'd have laughed in his face and told him to go back to Jack, Jim and Johnny"

"How can you just….I mean, Jesus Dean! Time-travelling demons?"

Dean had to laugh "Why the hell not, Sammy?"

"Because….because…..because….aaah, shit" he threw the beer bottle against the house, the shattering glass flying in all directions.

"Grab your sword, we got work to do" and he pushed Sam towards the house.

They stayed outside, practicing until the light slowly faded from the sky. Gus had come out periodically and watched, occasionally giving them input before retreating to the cabin.

Dean had pushed Sam all afternoon. He wouldn't let him rest. When Sam got pissed, Dean just laughed. When Sam refused to fight, Dean poked him in the ass with the sword until Sam turned on him and fought. When Sam had pleaded exhaustion, Dean had agreed that Sam was exhausted, what with him being a girl and all and would he like a tiara to go with his sword, princess?

He had finally told Sam to go into the cabin and wash up, he'd be in in a minute. Dean leaned back against the Impala and watched the setting sun, the blazing orange making the surrounding landscape look like it was on fire. Everything engulfed by flames. He suppressed an inward shiver and thought back to the note. If he didn't know the things he did now, he'd have written it off as the ravings of a lunatic; but he knew his handwriting and he knew he'd written the note. The sheer desperation it held was proof enough.

He didn't know how or why they'd been given a second chance, he didn't care. All he knew was that if he didn't do it right this time… He shook his head, he couldn't even think about it. The challenge was already in place. He just hadn't done it yet…but he had. 'Fuck me' he thought to himself. Tomorrow he would go into town and set this whole thing up. Tomorrow he would retrace the unknown steps he had already taken …with one minor adjustment. An adjustment that had to work…an adjustment, that, should Sam find out, would turn into one hell of a falling-out.

He sighed, there was no other choice. He'd read more into the letter than Gus had. It wasn't just a warning, it was a suicide note.

Dean had finally trundled a drunk-assed Sam off to bed and had gone back to join Gus in the living room. The only light was from the flames that licked at the old stone fireplace. He was sitting on the floor in front of the hearth, nursing his umpteenth beer as Gus watched him.

"You're going into town tomorrow"

It wasn't a question. Dean nodded. "Need to organise a few things"

"You need to be very careful, Dean. They'll be watching for anything that comes back to you" he paused "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Dean nodded "I understand more than you think"

Gus gave a nod that Dean didn't see, got up from his armchair and left him to his thoughts. There was nothing else he could do for the boy on that score. Gus had to focus his attention on getting Sam ready. Dean, he knew, would be prepared for this. He just worried to what lengths he would go to keep his brother alive.

Dean went and got another beer and returned to the fire. He pulled the note from his jeans pocket and re-read it. He didn't need to read it again, the words were forever burned into his brain; but having them in black and white, seeing it in his own handwriting, dated four days from now only reinforced his resolve. He understood that he was walking a tightrope, pushing the boundaries of what the universe would allow. But if those fuckers could bend time then he sure as shit was gonna make sure they paid a heavy price for it. No one fucked with his family and got away with it.

The alarm went off on his watch. Midnight. He got up, stretched, grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. Neither Sam nor Gus hearing the Impala's engine start up.

He drove slowly towards the town, keeping the engine as quiet as he could. No music was playing and all the windows were open. He kept an ear out, waiting for the sound. He'd seen something in the photo that the others had failed to notice, that was what he was counting on. He was about two miles from the town when he heard it. He pulled the Impala to the side of the road quickly, got out, shut the door, placed the note under the windshield wiper and ran into the woods that lined the road, staying under cover but also staying close enough so he would hear their reaction.

His heart was thundering in his chest as he waited, if they found him before they found the note, it'd be all over and Sammy wouldn't stand a chance. He took short, quiet breaths and tried to slow his heartbeat. He heard a twig snap off to his left and froze, not even taking a breath just in case he was heard. He heard them move towards the car, he heard the door creak open and then he heard one of them swear.

"What is it Lothar?"

"Call the others here, the hits off."

Dean heard a whistle and the sound of quickly moving feet.

"Dear Satan! The prick did it again?"

Dean rose from his position "The prick did it again"

The demons turned quickly, their weapons aimed at Dean. They didn't fire. Gus had been right. He'd also been right about there being eight of them, and damn if they weren't easily 6ft 7 in their mortal form. They were in the uniforms that Dean had caught a glimpse of previously, he noticed the higher rank of one of them and addressed him.

"The challenge is set. You know the rules"

The demon stepped forward, he held the note in his hand, so Dean assumed this was the one called Lothar. "The challenge is set" he looked at the note again "Although the proviso you have placed on it…" he lifted his head and smiled nastily at Dean "You sure you want to do that?"

"Can you read dickhead?" Dean saw the demons eyes flash an angry red and his jaw set as the fingers of the other demons pressed gently on the triggers "Do it. Forfeit. I dare you" they relaxed their trigger-fingers,

"You understand what happens if you lose?"

"You mean apart from the whole dying thing? Yeah, I understand. The fact that I wrote it kinda points you in that whole direction doesn't it?" he stared at the main demon "It stands"

The demon nodded "It stands" he smiled at Dean "However, we need assurance that you'll keep your side of it. Hunters aren't all that credible"

Dean grinned "Yeah, you just don't know who you can trust these days" he removed his dagger from his boot.

Sam groaned as the curtains to his room were thrown open, the morning sun streaming into the room, assaulting his eyes. He turned over, pushing his face into the pillow "Oh god…"

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" yelled Gus with a grin "Things to do, people to see and all that crap"

"Ten more minutes, Gus….I'm begging you"

He felt the blanket pulled from him and a kick land on his ass "Hey!"

"Get your ass out of bed. This ain't summer camp" and Gus left the room.

Sam groaned again, rolled over and looked at the other bed. Either Dean had made it or he hadn't slept in it. He smiled to himself, yeah, Dean making a bed…that'd be the day. He sat up, ran a hand through his hair and swung his long legs out of bed. He grabbed his jeans, slipped them on and padded out to the kitchen.

Gus was sitting at the table, coffee in hand, going over the leather binder, the scene so reminiscent of his father, he stopped in his tracks. Gus didn't look up "Coffee's on the bench, you want something to eat, look through the cupboards"

Sam helped himself to coffee and sat at the table opposite Gus "Where's Dean?"

"Not sure"

Sam stood and went to the window, the Impala was gone. He turned back to Gus "Where the fuck is he?"

Gus finally looked up "I'm not sure, Sam. He was gone when I got up this morning" he pointed "he left you that"

Sam turned and saw a piece of paper with his name on it. He grabbed it, opened it and read it "Fuck!"

"Tell me"

"You didn't read it?"

"Didn't have my name on it" Sam passed it to Gus, he read it and looked at his watch "Pack your bags, if he's not here in an hour, you take the firebird and you run"

"No fucking way! I will NOT leave him out there with those assholes!" he went to his room and dressed.

Gus was waiting for him when he came out "Where do you think you're going?"

"To find my brother! Now move out of the way"

"No can do, Sam. You read the note, you stay here or it all goes to shit. Your brother knows what he's doing…"

"NO, HE DOESN'T! You don't know him like I do! He's out there doing something incredibly stupid right now! I fucking guarantee it! NOW MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"

He went to walk past him and Gus put him on his ass "You stay where you are, boy! Your brother is OUT there trying to end this shit! You go charging in all guns blazing and it could kill him! Do you understand?!"

"I…"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"NO! I DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND! NONE OF IT MAKES ANY GODDAMN SENSE!"

Gus reached down and helped Sam to his feet and pushed him towards the table "Sit down" Gus took the seat opposite Sam, keeping himself between Sam and the door "Listen to me, Sam. What's done is done, you can't go and start changing stuff, Dean has a plan and before you ask, I don't know what it is. I expected him to be here this morning too, but he isn't. So we wait; and if he's not back by the time he said, then you need to get out because they'll be coming for you."

"I won't leave, Dean"

"Son, if he doesn't come back then you run. You don't let your brothers sacrifice be for nothing"

Sam reached over and picked up the photo, the photo of him, Dean and Gus. He stared at it, wondering if this was the last photo he'd have of his brother. He frowned and moved the photo closer, it had changed.

"What is it, Sam?"

Sam stood "Get the first aid kit"

To be continued...