Hey guys! This chapter is definitely one of my least favorite but I really wanted to include a scene like this, so here it is!
Just wanted to get these out there as a few people have asked 1-it may be a while before Dean finds everything out so don't expect resolution until closer to the end and 2-I'll tell you all what Textus means in the last chapter
Warnings: See chapter 1
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Beta: Little Miss Artist
Word count: 2,200
Chapter: 8/21
Next Update: Sunday
Textus
Chapter 8: Raging Inferno
The next morning, Sam felt significantly better. After leaving Dean's room last night, he'd managed to actually get a good night's sleep. It was the first time in so long that Sam was quite surprised when he woke up actually feeling rested. It was a wonderful feeling and Sam had taken a few moments just to lay in bed and revel in it.
Eventually he tore himself from his comfortable position in his soft bed and stumbled into the bathroom where he dry swallowed some pain pills.
Although his rib ached every now and then, it never really hurt unless he moved too suddenly. His wrist was looking much less purple and swollen so he'd unwrapped it. If he wore a sweatshirt of something, Dean would never know. The bruise on his nose thankfully wasn't as noticeable as expected and his headache was almost non-existent.
He'd moseyed into the living room before changing course when his stomach gave a fierce growl, reminding Sam that he'd never eaten dinner the night before.
He wandered into the kitchen to find something to eat. In the fridge, Sam was delighted to find a pack of bacon. Actual bacon!
Normally Sam wasn't one for all that high cholesterol, incredibly fattening crap Dean seemed to love, but bacon was his one weakness. Normally they didn't buy it because of its high price, but Dean must have spent some of the extra money he earned from the garage on it. Maybe that was why he was home late. The previous evening, Sam could have sworn it was after four o' clock when Dean woke him up even though Dean usually got off of work at four. No way he went to bed at 4:30, it had been nearly dark after all…though then again it had been thundering so it was rather dark anyway…
But this made sense. If Dean had hung around work a little late to flirt with girls or finish a car, as he seemed to have been doing lately, then drove the twenty minutes to the nearest store, found bacon (and most likely flirted with every girl in the store) and drove back. That made more sense.
Sam made a mental note to thank his brother when he woke up, then pulled enough bacon for two from the package. He started the burner and placed the bacon in a skillet on top.
The delicious smell began to fill the kitchen and Sam inhaled deeply a few times just to get the full enjoyment out of it.
While he was standing there, watching the bacon crack and sizzle, there was a crash from outside.
Sam froze.
His first thought was Mike. Somehow Mike had found out where he lived and had come to finish up on him.
Sam tried to tell himself he was being paranoid, but he still couldn't shake the feeling. He glanced around the kitchen for a weapon. Besides the spatula in his hand, there was only one other thing. And he was not going to attack someone with a toaster, that was for sure.
Why didn't they keep any weapons closer to the door?
He dropped the utensil on the counter and towards the front entrance. He seized the umbrella there that Dean kept in the impala, but had been taken out yesterday in order for Dean to get from the car to the house without getting his leather jacket wet. Sam seized the handle and raised it above his head.
Quietly, Sam opened the door and stepped outside. He glanced around, once more feeling like prey being stalked, taking in every detail.
Something was rustling…
Holding the umbrella tighter, Sam cautiously stepped forward.
More rustling…
Was Mike going to jump out and get him? Or maybe it was some crazed murder that had come up here to hide. And once he found out Sam had discovered his secret hiding place, he'd no doubt kill the teen…
A crack and the silver trashcan fell over…
Sam held his breath as something streaked out…
This was it, life or death…
It was a cat.
An orange tabby cat that looked at him strangely. What? Was it suddenly weird to stand outside in your pajamas holding an umbrella above your head looking at a cat like it might be a murderer in disguise?
Sam slowly lowered the umbrella and calmed his breathing. He just managed to get his heart rate under control when…
"SAM!" Sam jumped nearly a foot in the air and whipped around while brandishing his umbrella. Inside – it had come from inside. Just Dean. Then Sam looked at the door in surprise. He was only outside, for crying out loud, it wasn't like he was actually being murdered or anything. No need for Dean to scream at the top of his lungs and awake the whole neighborhood. Sam quickly opened the door wondering what on Earth was so important that Dean felt the need to talk to him right that very moment.
"Jeez, Dean, no need to yell-" Sam's sentence died when he realized what Dean was screaming about.
The bacon, and by extension the stove, was on fire. Not one out of control flame that leapt up in the skillet, but like an actual, honest-to-God, fire.
Sam stood frozen for a minute.
Fire.
Winchester's didn't do fire. It was the one enemy that had claimed victory over them.
"W-where's the fire extinguisher?" Sam stammered, finally recovering from his shock.
"I don't know, do we have one?" Dean said, looking just as panicky as Sam. If they didn't do something soon, the fire would spread. The kitchen was already starting to fill with smoke and heat up a good few degrees.
"The guy who rented the place should have one here!" Sam shouted.
"Where?"
"I don't know! Look around!"
So they started tearing around the kitchen and front entrance looking for one, ripping open any cupboards that weren't on fire and checking behind things.
No such luck.
"What good is it having one if you can't find it!" Dean yelled as the flames spread to the cabinets closest to it.
Suddenly and long beeping filled house.
"The smoke alarm!"
"No shit, Sherlock. What the fuck did you think it was?" Dean shouted angrily.
"No, no, I mean, look!" The fire alarm was on the opposite wall of the kitchen next to a light blue piece of furniture with a drawer and large cabinet underneath. Sam knew from experience hand towels were in the drawer, but maybe…
Sam dashed over to the piece of furniture, trying hard to suppress a cough, and ripped it open. Sure enough, in the back corner was a red metal tube.
Even though the fire wasn't huge yet, it was already significantly warmer and Sam could feel sweat trickling down the back of his neck. There was smoke in the air, which was quickly getting thicker, making it harder to breathe.
Sam scooped it up turned back to where the fire was starting to spread further. Sam tossed the extinguisher to Dean who caught it with ease. He ripped the pin out and pressed the button causing a white mist to fill the kitchen. Dean swept side to side covering all the flames until they fully disappeared.
It was over nearly as quickly as it started. Even though it felt like an eternity, it couldn't have been more than two or three minutes. Five if you counted Sam leaving the kitchen.
Sam stood next to Dean, both breathing heavy. The now mostly empty red can slipped from Dean's lack grip and crashed loudly as it hit the floor.
In front of them was a path of destruction.
The stove and all the cabinets around the stove had long, ugly black marks along them. There was a light white foam all over the cabinets making it look like some weird pattern with the black scorches below it. The green backsplash looked like a color blind five year old had painted it. There were several items strewn across the floor that had been ripped from their spot in the mad search for the extinguisher. And sitting along on the countertop was the spatula, the plastic end now a melted mess. But the smell was the worst. There was a hint of burnt food covered by the smell of the scorched wood and melted plastic, which really, really smelled.
On the plus side, it had gotten him out of having to explain the bloody nose to Dean. Though it seemed a heavy price to pay…
Dean turned to look at him with his mouth hanging open, the perfect picture of shock. Dean's eyes slid between Sam, and the disastrous kitchen a few times.
"W…w-wha…" Dean stammered, unable to comprehend what was going on.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Standing in the doorway, looking rather menacing, was a very pissed John Winchester, looking around at the chaotic mess that was the kitchen.
"Um…" Dean stammered, looking around at the kitchen. Dean was floundering, trying to follow orders and answer a question he didn't know the answer to. Well, Sam wasn't about to let his older brother take the heat for something he did, even if he did have to face John Winchester's wrath.
"It was me," Sam said quietly.
"What?" Dean said, looking surprised. Whether he was surprised it was Sam or just surprised Sam owned up to it, Sam didn't know. Dean eyed the door, clearly wondering how Sam had started a fire while being outside.
"And what, Sam, did you possibly do to start a kitchen fire?"
"I was cooking a-and I thought I heard something outside, so I went out to check what it was-"
"What was it?" Dean asked, looking surprised again.
"A cat," Sam said, feeling stupid.
"A cat? A goddamn cat? You burned down half the kitchen over a cat?" John said, eyes bugging slightly. Fire did that to the Winchesters, freaked them out like nothing else.
"I thought maybe it was something supernatural, so I just thought I should check to be safe." Maybe it was a bit of a lie, but the basic theme was the same.
"You thought it was something supernatural so you grabbed an umbrella?" Dean asked, nothing but humor in his voice. He got it, he understood why Sam had left.
But John on the other hand looked nothing but disappointed.
"I didn't mean to." Sure it was the oldest excuse in the book, but Sam felt the need to blurt it out anyway.
"Whether you meant to or not, you shouldn't have let it happen at all!" John shouted.
"Dad, it was just a mistake," Dean said, once again stepping in as mediator.
"Mistakes can get you killed, Dean," John replied simply. "Besides, how am I going to pay for this?" he asked, looking around as though daring someone to have an answer.
"I'll save up a little extra from the garage, Dad. And maybe the rich guy who owns this place can chip in, it's not like he's hard pressed for cash," Dean said.
Sam cringed. Save a little extra from the garage. Last time Dean did that he bought bacon which Sam used to set the kitchen on fire.
"I have almost a hundred saved up, too" Sam said.
A hundred dollars. Basically it was Sam's life savings. Occasionally they got a little money for a birthday or holiday, plus what Sam had saved up from doing stuff like shoveling walkways and mowing lawns. Sam had been saving that money up for something special, he didn't really know what, but he was saving it for something. Truthfully, the thought of spending it made him cringe. But he was the one who created the problem and he'd own up.
"No, Sam, you were going to spend that on something special," Dean protested. Sam knew he would.
"But it's my fault this happened in the first place," Sam stated.
"No, Sammy, we'll find another way."
"But, Dean-"
"Sam," this time it was John who spoke. It was a weary, but accepting tone of voice. "We'll find another way to pay for the kitchen. You shouldn't have to use your savings to pay for home repair," he said the last part slightly bitterly.
"I'm sorry," Sam added again for good measure. John looked over at him then seemed to notice something for the first time.
"Sam, what happened to your nose?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Dean added.
Sam sighed, trying to buy time. He searched his brain for something believable.
"Someone tripped me and I ran into an open locker door at school," Sam said. There. A good lie wasn't too far from the truth that way it was much more plausible and a good lie didn't have too many details. Enough to make it believable, but any more and it'd seem unnatural. Besides, Dean knew that Sam had been picked on in previous schools. His hand-me-down clothes and his interest in school made sure of that.
It appeared good enough for both Dean and John because they both gave small nods, Dean with a small, sympathetic smile on his face.
Suddenly Dean wrinkled up his nose and furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Hey, Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"Do I smell bacon?"
TBC...
Review Replies:
LeighAnnWallace: couldn't agree more! I hate when people write young/teen Winchesters and they make Sam (especially Sam) seem all weak and go running to Dean with every little problem.
Cartoon Cow: Ohmygod, that must have been so shocking for them! Once I cut my chin and it was like pouring blood and I didn't even know. Scared the crap out of my mom when she saw :)
supernaturalrenegade: You have me in stitches from laughing so much! Personally, chapter 7 was one of my favorite ones. I know I'd be in a panic if I walked in on someone covered in blood! Did Friday come quick enough? Lol! PS I'll email you as soon as I can but it might be a bit!
Gord and V: Don't we all! But then again, if Sam always told Dean his problems a lot of fanfiction wouldn't have been written. We love to make Sam suffer in silence!
where the wind blows: okay, quick question – what is your penname from? It sounds really familiar but I might just be altering something I heard a long time ago. True, but what fun would it be if Sam always told Dean his problems? Sam is just too much fun to torture! Besides, that just means more emotion at the end!
1xadzy3dgftw1xLSNx3dg1xMGG: Ahh, I was wondering how long before someone asked me what Textus meant. Well, guess what…you'll have to wait! I'm going to reveal all in the last chapter. Lol, I'll tell Sam you send hugs and cookies :) I know what you mean about being tired but unable to sleep. I based that part off of my own personal experience. Feel free to ramble as much as you want to in future chapters!
judyann: yup, I'm a Sammy Sadist. But I really only like hurting him because of how Dean reacts in the end. Love me some chick flick moments. I figured that even if they're like the awesomest team, Sam and Dean are still brothers and are bound to fight. So that's why I write their relationship like I do.
Casammy: Yeah, Sam is always trying to be like Dean. John should be proud of him for school stuff too, but he's just not :( Dean's just got that flare for knowing when something is wrong.
Jolynn3277: Oh, yes, Dean will definitely find out and totally blow his lid, but it won't be for a bit (wouldn't be much of a story if I just had Dean figure it out and stop it!) Thanks for reviewing!
Sparkiebunny, sarah (may be a while b4 you get your explanation!): Thanks as always, every review is much appreciated!