Authors Note: Yay I did it. i got it finished pretty early last night so i managed to come into work today without almost falling asleep :-P Thanks everyone for all your reviews ... i really really really appreciate them :-)
Chapter 11. I'm sorry Deuce
Dean slipped his t-shirt over his head and opened the bathroom door stepping into the main room carrying is damp clothes. He didn't feel any better about the situation with his father but at least he felt warm now. He was actually kind of curious where Sam and Caleb had gone. He knew that dinner hadn't been the real reason they had left him behind. He walked over to his bed and put his clothes away before jumping on his bed and flicking on the TV. There weren't exactly too many channels to choose from but Dean eventually found a re-run of Magnum PI and left it on that. It wasn't long before his attention was taken back to the phone sitting next to him on the nightstand.
"God Dean, get a grip!" he ordered himself. It was getting ridiculous. His Dad was probably engrossed in the hunt and just wasn't answering his phone. He looked back to the TV, watching as Magnum raced around in that red Ferrari. He wondered what the private detective would think if he had to investigate the things they did. The sounds of T.C complaining to Magnum were drowned out by the screeching of tires in the Motel parking lot. Dean quickly switched off the TV and stood up, walking quickly to the front window beside the door and pulled the curtains aside. The Impala skidded to a stop, sitting surprisingly straight in the parking spot. "What the hell?"
Dean opened the front door as the cars two occupants exited the car in a hurry and sped past him into the room, almost knocking into him in the process. "Damien what the hell is wrong with you?" Dean asked as soon as he recovered from the shock of their entry.
"Deuce, pack up your things we have to get a move on." Dean looked over at Sam to see if the kid would give him a clue as to what was going on but noticed the boy was already packing up his own meager belongings. That's when Dean noticed that Sam was soaked through. Looking back up to Reaves he saw that the psychic was in the same condition. "What's going on Caleb?" Dean asked again.
"Caleb had a vision. Dad's in trouble!" Sam supplied already starting on his brothers belongings. They always traveled light and for once Sam thanked that they didn't have much to pack up.
Dean's stomach dropped and his head snapped in Sam's direction and then quickly back to Caleb and saw that the older hunter looked slightly frazzled, even slightly panicked as he grabbed a paper bag from the groceries he had bought the day before and tried to fit as much of the left over food as possible. He knew it, he just knew it but no-one had taken his concerns seriously.
Knowing that Sam had his belongings under control Dean rushed over to help his friend. "Sammy, could you clear out the bathroom? Make sure we haven't left anything behind."
Sam knew he was being sent away so the older boys could talk but he knew that they didn't have a lot of time on their hands so he didn't complain. At least he would have the chance to change out of his wet clothes. Once Sam was in the bathroom Dean turned to Caleb. "Dude, what did you see?"
Caleb put the last of the food into the paper bag and wiped at the dark wet hair that was plastered to his face. "Look long story short, something had him. I'm not sure what or even how much time we have but if we don't get there in time it's going to kill him." Caleb settled his gaze on the middle Winchester. "I didn't want to say too much in front of Sam until we got back here … it was pretty bad."
Dean was so tempted to say I told you so but the pained look in Caleb's eyes stopped him. The vision must have been pretty bad because Caleb rarely got this shaken up. "I'm sorry Deuce …"
"Shut up Damien." Dean stopped the apology before Caleb could go any further. They didn't have time for it. "Let's just get out of here. You can explain it to us on the way." Caleb nodded, knowing all too well that they needed to act fast. The psychic looked around him and decided that whatever other food and drinks could be left behind. "Let's go." He agreed picking up the groceries and his duffle and rushed out the door.
Sam came out of the bathroom with the first aid kit and a few toiletries that had been left on the sink and just chucked them in his open bag. He couldn't organize everything later. "That's everything Dean."
"Good. Let's get moving then." Dean squeezed his brother's shoulder before picking up his own bags. He watched as Sam walked out of the room. Doing another quick sweep of the room with his eyes, Dean found nothing so he put the key to the room on the small table and closed the door behind him.
Caleb was sitting in the front passenger seat, wisely waiting for the owner of the car to drive and Sam was already seated in the backseat. Dean couldn't believe how fast the shit had hit the fan. Despite his worry over John, everything had been so calm and now they were going to be frantically trying to get to Lawrence in as little time as possible to save his father. Dean made quick work of chucking his bags in the back next to Sam and then sitting down in the driver's seat. Caleb had left the keys in the car when he had pulled up so they were all set.
"It takes about twelve hours to get to Lawrence from here." Sam piped up from the back. Dean and Caleb both glanced over their shoulders before looking at each other. "Well looks like we are going to have to break a new record then." Dean nodded and then gunned the engine and pulled out of the car park.
The car was silent for a moment for five minutes as all three boys tried to process their thoughts. There wasn't even any music playing. Dean glanced at Caleb. The psychic was sitting still, staring out at the road with a dark brooding face, he was beating himself up big time and Dean didn't need to be psychic to know that. Looking in the rearview mirror at Sam he could see the kid was twitchy. Hell, they were all on edge. Caleb's explanation hadn't helped. He had told them that there father was in trouble without really telling them much at all. Dean looked back at Caleb just as the older boy shivered. He was still in his wet clothes in Dean's car damn it. "You alright man?" Dean asked breaking the silence.
Caleb looked up, coming out of his trance. "I'm fine." He sat up straighter in the seat.
"Sure … so you wanna fill us in?"
Caleb sighed. "Okay. Your Dad he was in this dark room …" Caleb closed his eyes trying to remember details of his vision. The more they had the better. "… It looked like a basement but I didn't get a good look. Anyway he looked beat up and there was something there. It was supernatural that's for sure. It had him pinned to the wall."
"Was it a spirit?" Sam leaned forward and leant his arms on top of the front seat in between Dean and Caleb.
"I dunno but it said that your Dad had to pay for taking something from him. I could feel its rage man. It was so full of hate …" Caleb trailed off shivering some more.
"And?" Dean prompted, turning up the heat so his friend could warm up until they could stop for some gas and he could change out of his wet clothes.
"And it lifted him up the wall without even touching him and then it stabbed him … killed him."
"You have no idea how much time we have?" Sam cursed that Lawrence was so far away.
"No. It varies, which is why we need to hurry."
"Damn it! We should have left earlier." Dean winced as soon as the words were out of Sam's mouth. He knew the kid hadn't meant to sound so accusing.
"You don't think I know that Sammy!" Caleb snapped turning to look at the boy.
"Hey!" Dean raised his voice effectively cutting off any further argument. "Listen to me both of you! Sammy if anyone should be pissed about that it's me. I was the one being ignored …"
"I wasn't ign…"
"And you." Dean's gaze dropped on Caleb. "Dude, it's not your fault. None of this is going to help us or Dad!"
Sam bowed his head and then looked back up again. "I'm sorry Caleb. I wasn't blaming you."
"It's okay Sammy, I'm … I'm sorry too."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Now that you two girls have kissed and made up can we discuss what our first course of action is going to be?"
Caleb sighed and then shivered again. "Right." He reached into his pocket for his phone hoping the rain hadn't damaged it. He smiled when he found it was fine. "I doubt Dad's going to pick up, Damien."
Caleb looked at Dean. "I'm not calling John. The only person that would have called him from Lawrence would have been Missouri. Hopefully she knows something." Caleb opened up the phone book and searched for the other psychic's name. Finding it Caleb was just about to press send when his ring tone started playing and the screen displayed that there was an incoming call from … Missouri.
"Missouri, I was just about to call you. Have you seen John?" Caleb asked open answering.
"Oh honey, that's what I was calling you about." He heard Missouri sigh.
"What's happened?"
"He was doing a job for me and the last time I saw him was this morning but I spoke to him on the phone around two o'clock and told him to be back by seven. I know it's only nearly five o'clock but …"
"Let me guess, he isn't answering his phone."
"Yes and I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen."
Caleb massaged his temple with his hand. "I had a vision. John's been kidnapped by something and its going to kill him if someone doesn't get to it in time."
"You have the boys with you?" she didn't sound too surprised at this revelation and Caleb wasn't surprised that she had been able to pick up on that. "John's not going to like that."
"Yeah well Johnny aint here and I don't think they would take no for an answer. You know Winchester genes and all." Caleb caught the odd look he was receiving from Dean out of the corner of his eye but ignored it.
"Stubborn, the lot of them."
"Would you two like to get on with the matter at hand instead of making small talk about my family?" Dean asked getting irritated.
Caleb looked sheepishly at Dean. The kid was right they didn't have the time. "Missouri, do you know where he was when you last spoke to him or where he was going?"
"I know that he had planned on going to the Library and then to see his old partner Mike Guenther. He was the spirit's next possible victim."
"Okay have you got an address? If he went there last then he might be able to give us a clue as to where John might have been going next."
Dean listened to the one sided conversation as he drove. He could sense Sam just to the side of him trying to eaves drop on the conversation. He looked down at the speedometer and saw that he was going over the speed limit but he didn't really care about that on a good day and today was definitely not a good day. The situation with his father was starting to sink in. He didn't know how his headaches were connected but they had been giving him warnings ever since he had tangled with the Rawhead. He had tried to ignore them for the few days leading up to his father leaving and now he was regretting it. Maybe if he had spoken up to his father about the bad feeling he'd had then things would have played out differently. Dean almost snorted. Who was he kidding? He hadn't even been willing to take his own feelings seriously at first and nothing stopped John Winchester from going on a hunt especially when people's lives were at risk. Still the realization that maybe he could have done something to prevent this made him feel a little sick. But he wasn't going to let that show. He had to stay strong in front of Sam and in front of Caleb too. The man was feeling guilty enough as it was and Dean didn't want to let the three of them down Sam, Caleb or John.
"Dean, are you okay?" Sam's quiet voice filtered into his thoughts. Dean briefly glanced at Sam and then looked back to see what Sam was staring at. He was holding onto the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white. So much for not showing weakness in front of Sam he thought.
"I'm fine Sammy," he replied as he tried to relax his fingers. "How are you doing back there, kiddo?"
"I'm okay … Dean this is a long drive, even with you driving …"
"We'll make it in time Sammy, I promise you. Dad's gonna be fine." Dean hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. The truth was that he had seen a lot of Caleb's visions try to play themselves out in a lot less time than twelve hours. That was what was scaring him the most and obviously Sam too. "Trust me."
"I trust you Dean." Sam told him confidently. Sam wanted to make sure that his brother knew that above everything else. Six months before when Dean had been made to go on that summer camp with him Sam had acted like a spoilt brat and most importantly doubted Dean when he had told him about the spirits, winding up with Dean getting possessed himself. He knew that his actions during that camp had hurt his brother a little even if after all was said and done Dean had given him forgiveness.
Dean gave his brother an encouraging smile in the rearview mirror and then put his foot down harder on the gas. It was going to be a long drive but hopefully he would be able to shave off enough hours.
Caleb ended the call and dropped his cell phone in between him and Dean on the bench seat. "Okay so Missouri said that she had a vision of her friend dying at the hands of some type of spirit so she called John because it seemed like this Mike guy might have been the next victim. She's not sure what he found out or who the spirit was." Caleb explained.
"So we're gonna head straight for Mike's place?" Dean questioned.
"I think that's our best bet. Hopefully he'll be able to tell us something." Caleb nodded, leaning forward and cranking up the heat even further.
"You got the address?"
"Right here," Caleb replied holding up the notepad for him to see.
"Do you know this guy?" Caleb asked. He wasn't sure how much the younger hunter remembered from back then.
Dean nodded. "Vaguely, I remember Dad used to own the garage with him and I remember that we stayed with Mike and his wife after mom died."
"Why do I get the sense there is more to this?"
"I dunno, I guess they had some kind of falling out or something but I remember we just took off. Dad bundled us up in the car late one night and we never turned back. He never said anything about it and I didn't really think to ask."
"Yeah well you weren't exactly Mr. talkative back then." Caleb remembered the five year old kid he had met all those years ago. Dean rarely spoke but the then thirteen year old had felt a strange protectiveness towards Dean that he couldn't really explain. Maybe it had been the similar horrors they had both witnessed. Caleb had been not much older than Dean when he had seen both of his parents die a supernatural death. Regardless of why, the two seemed to have a connection and understanding that was still present today, almost thirteen years later.
"Anyway we should get at least halfway before we need to stop for gas. When we do you can change," Dean said gesturing towards Caleb.
"Who died and made you boss?" Caleb joked but then closed his eyes. Not exactly the best words to use at the time.
Dean saw the moment that Caleb realized what he had said. "Don't sweat it man. That foot in mouth syndrome is hard to break." The teen smirked.
"Shut up." Caleb was grateful that Dean hadn't taken it the wrong way but that was one of the best parts about their connection. They understood each other and knew not to take things to heart.
Sam sat back in his seat and put his hand into his jean pocket. He fingered the key ring inside the bag. He had almost forgotten about it. He looked at Dean and Caleb in the front not really hearing their moronic banter. It was the way the two hunters dealt with things. Thinking about Dean's birthday Sam sighed. It was looking like Dean's birthday was going to take a backseat once again. Couldn't they just have one day out of the whole freaking year without any hassles? He wasn't really angry at his father for a change but more at their life in general. He guessed the best birthday present Dean could receive now would be to have their father back safe and sound and he was going to try his hardest to make sure that happened for all of their sakes because as much as his father pissed him off, the thought of life without the stubborn man in it wasn't something he wanted to think about and he knew that the two hunters in the front of the Impala felt the same way
TBC ...
I hoped you liked that one guys :-) we will find out why John has been taken back to his old home very soon i promise you that. Keep them reviews coming coz i love hearing from ya :-)