Title: For family's sake
Author: 0cloudyday
Rating: PG-13/R
Spoiler: none
Characters: Dean, Sam, John
Warnings: Dark and a lot of angst
Summary: AU. Dean starts acting strange and one day he disappears. A desperate search for a brother and a son is starting.

Disclaimer: I don't owe Supernatural or the characters. All Kripke's.
A/N: My native language isn't English, so sorry for the mistakes. And thanks a lot for all the great reviews ;).

For family's sake

Chapter 4: Cat and Mouse

Dean tensed the second Meg appeared in his room. The fact that the demons appeared everywhere they want whenever they want, still crept him out, even after two years.

He didn't even know what the fun was about it. When he had been a kid he had loved the rides with his father and Sammy. Driving from one city to another. It hasn't changed when he grew up. The Impala was his baby. Dean could even remember the times with his mother. It had been a family tradition. Every Sunday they took the Impala and drove to the park to make a picnic – it had been his favorite time... a family moment, in innocence.

"What do you want?" Dean asked. He had his back turned to her, looking out the window – it was night, so he couldn't really see a thing, but that didn't matter.

"Just wanted to look how you are doing." Meg said, but grinned and her voice didn't seem very concerned.

"Disappointed, I guess. Well, I told you I wouldn't break so easily." Dean said calm, although he would really love to simply hit her... even if she was a girl. He seriously didn't know why but she caused this feeling every time they met, which wasn't really rare.

"You will Dean. Sooner or later you will and then Sammy is all ours." Meg whispered in his ear, she was standing behind him now.

Dean tensed, but he didn't do anything. "You won't get him. He is too clever for you... and he has me. Trust me Meg – you won't win this fight." he said and now he grinned.

"... I guess we will see! There is another thing... Sammy and your Dad are on their way to Saginaw. I guess they found another lead..." Meg said calmly.

Now Dean turned around fast and with a quick move he pinned Meg against the wall. "Wow... I didn't know you like it rough." Meg said with a smirk.

"If you have anything to do with the fact that they are coming here, you will suffer the consequences. The deal I made with your father was clear – it involves you too... and your brother too." Dean said seriously. "Stay away from my family!" he hissed in her ear.

"All your family?" Meg asked, but Dean didn't answer. Finally Meg pushed Dean's hands away. "You should really learn to relax Dean. It would make your life so much easier... I have nothing to do with their coming... they simply seem cleverer than we expected." she said.

"I guess we should go then." Dean said.

"Max is 20 years old since a week, he is ready. Father doesn't want to lose him... we will stay till then." Meg said on her way to the door and left.

Dean looked at the closed door for a while and started to smirk then.

John was staring at the street... only a few miles left to Saginaw. And maybe these few miles will finally get them near Dean too.

John had been driving the whole drive, with coffee to keep him awake, although Sam had offered a few times to drive... but John had so much in his mind, that he couldn't sleep right now.

John looked at the passenger seat for a second. Sam was sleeping, but it seemed that he at least wasn't having a nightmare. John still didn't know if it was a coincidence or if something was really wrong...

All this was a mess and the big fear that something bad was happening to his eldest was driving him crazy – since he went missing two years ago. Especially the new fact that the demon was involved, was killing him... the demon who killed his wife years ago.

He wouldn't allow it to happen again...

And then there was the note... and the gun – safely hidden in the trunk. John had thought that he had nearly figured everything out... but all this wasn't making any sense... and it was giving him headaches and lack of sleep.

He drove faster...

Sam and John were looking at the playground. Meg had told them that she wanted to meet at a public point and so they had agreed to meet here. Sam had called her before they arrived and she had said that she would need ten minutes.

The city seemed so peaceful but Sam had a really bad feeling, although he couldn't say why. Of course he didn't tell his father, because he would make a big deal out of it, again.

John watched the children play... and remembered the time when Mary had still been alive and he and Dean would go to the playground, while Sammy was at home with his mom.

Dean had been such a gleeful kid and pretty active and wild too. There was this fire in his eyes. He liked the risky stuff, like jumping from the top of a climbing scaffold – it had scared John like hell when he had seen it the first time... but Dean had good instincts and had landed safely on the ground... that had been Dean before his mother died. After her death he hadn't recognized Dean... he had been quiet, too quiet. He never left his side and he especially never left Sammy's side.

Later, when Dean started to talk again... it was different. His cheerful boy never fully came back, he had changed like John had. But sometimes on a hunt, John had seen the fire in the eyes again. But John hadn't been so sure if he was glad about it...

Both Winchesters were pulled out of their thoughts when there was a sudden knock on the passenger sides window. Both jolted. They had been so focused on the playground that they hadn't seen the girl, standing next to their car.

Sam wound the window down...

"Are you Sam Winchester." the blond girl asked. She seemed unsure. A trait which somehow didn't really fit with the girl – Sam and John thought.

"Yeah, you Meg Miller?" Sam asked still confused.

Meg nodded.

"Get in..." Sam said and she sat down in the back seat.

"I am John..." John said. He thought it was cleverer to say his real name, as Meg knew Dean and Sam's name.

"His father... he told me you are a great hunter." Meg said shyly. Again the Winchesters thought that it didn't fit...

John only nodded. He thought it was strange that Dean told Meg so much about their family.

"Can you tell us how you met Dean..." John asked.

Meg looked at him for a while and finally nodded.

"I remember that the first thing that caught my attention was the car... this car." Meg said, which made Sam twitch.

"Travis was a friend of the family... and we had problems... with our old home. Things happened – well it's not so important. The thing is that Travis brought Dean with him and told us Dean could help. And he did..." Meg said.

"When Dean left, he told me I could call whenever I needed help and in case I couldn't reach him, I should call Sam." Meg ended her story. It sounded plausible.

"I need you help – please." Meg said and tears were running down her eyes.

"What happened?" Sam asked concerned.

"My father, he died a week ago." Meg said...

"My condolences." Sam said.

Meg nodded. "They say it's suicide...My uncle died yesterday, beheaded by the kitchen window." And Meg half laughed sarcastically and half sobbed.

John and Sam looked at her shocked.

"We... are sorry." Sam said.

"They were not the ideal adults... they hurt Max a lot when he was little – Max is my brother." Meg said and looked down to the floor.

"But I fear that Max is doing this... I don't know how, but I don't really know what happened in our old house either. I am just scared that he will hurt more people. Like my stepmother..." Meg said.

"Meg, this doesn't really seem like a supernatural case... did you talk to the police?" Sam asked unsure.

"I don't want to lose my brother. He is the most important person in my life... I would die for him. I just don't want anything bad happening to him. You must understand that Sam, right." Meg said desperately.

Sam felt unsure. He didn't know why, but there was something strange about this Meg.

"Please, just talk to him once. Look if you find anything strange..." Meg begged now and finally John nodded.

"Tell me how to get to your home." he said and started the car.

Tom had watched the whole scene from afar and smiled. Everything was going according to plan ... and Meg was really a good actress. If this worked out, the end of the world wasn't far.

Their father would be proud of them.

When they arrived at the house, it was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Both Sam and John felt it, but they didn't tell Meg.

"Let's go in..." John said. He fumbled for his gun and so did Sam, making sure that they were prepared.

They went over to the house and Meg opened the door – with the keys she had stolen earlier.

"Max, mom... I am home. I brought visitors." Meg said in the quiet house, but there was no response.

Meg looked unsure but she stepped further in the house and Sam and John followed, closing the door quietly behind them.

Meg stepped in the kitchen and her face turned into horror. She just wanted to scream when Sam held a hand on her mouth, to muffle her voice.

Meg tried to get out of Sam's grip, but he held her and turned her away from the horror scene.

John who was right behind Sam already had his gun in the hands, looking disgusted at the scene in the kitchen. Obviously the mother was killed... with a knife launched through her right eye.

Sam was still holding Meg and moved towards the door, his father following behind him. But when Sam tried to open the door, it shut again and the shutters closed.

Sam, Meg and John looked around them confused.

"Who are you." a maybe 20 year old man stood at the entrance of the kitchen. He seemed confused, broken but also determined.

"Max..." Meg freed herself from Sam, tears running down her face.

"I said who are you?" Max repeated.

"It's me Meg... your sister!" Meg said, looking confused.

"I don't have a sister..." Max said and with these words the gun in John's hands flew away in Max's hands.

"What the hell..." John whispered as he noticed what just happened.

"Oh my god." Meg whispered... but Sam was simply looking at Max. Sam didn't know why, but the second he saw Max there had been some kind of connection. Some kind of familiarity.

"What do you people want?" Max said and was pointing the gun at the three.

"We just want to talk..." Sam suddenly said and stepped in front of his father and Meg. He was holding his hand up – defenseless.

"Sam." John hissed.

"Trust me Dad. Just this once, please trust me." Sam whispered and John looked at his son, hurt. Finally he nodded.

"Who are you." Max said, confused.

"You feel it too, right?" Sam asked slowly. Max didn't answer. "My name is Sam. Sam Winchester... and I just want to help, please..." he said.

"Nobody can help me." Max said.

"Let me try, please. Just... just let us talk okay. Only you and me... While we get Meg and my Dad out of here." Sam said.

"I am not leaving you here." John said.

"Dad.." Sam whispered... but suddenly the lamp above them began to wiggle.

"Nobody leaves the house." Max hissed and he was pointing the gun at Sam.

"Okay, nobody has to. You have the upper hand here, we all know that. Just let us go upstairs okay. Fife minutes... only fife minutes, okay." Sam said fast.

"Sam..." John said. He seriously didn't know what his son was planning.

Sam glared at his father for a second... and finally the lamp above them stopped to move.

"Okay... fife minutes." Max said. "You two go in there!" Max said and pointed to his parents bedroom.

"Dad, please... don't do anything stupid. I can handle this." Sam said begging to his father.

"Max..." Meg said to Max again, but it only caused John and Meg to fell a push in the bedroom's direction.

"Now!" Max said angrily.

"Please." Sam formed with his lips and finally John took Meg by her arm and lead her towards the bedroom. When they were in, the door slammed shut, without anybody touching it and it locked itself.

"Go." Max said, while Sam was still looking at the door.

When they sat down Max started to uplift a letter opener with his mind.

"Max... your sister told us that your father and your uncle hurt you when you were little." Sam said slowly.

"I don't have a sister." Max said and Sam didn't argue about it, he thought that Max maybe simply ignored it.

"It wasn't only when I was little... try last month. My father had a bad day again and decided to beat the crap out of me..." Max told Sam and Sam really felt sorry for Max.

"... and when I turned 20 last week. It was like a blessing. Because that was the first time I noticed I have these powers. And I finally knew what to do... to make this alright." Max said.

"Why didn't you simply go away? Leave all this." Sam said thinking about what he did when everything had been too much for him.

"It's not about getting away. It's about not being afraid anymore. They can never hurt me again." May said... Sam didn't answer to that.

"When my Dad looked at me, there was always hate in his eyes." Max said. "You know how that is?" he asked. Sam hesitated but finally shook his head. "no." Sam whispered.

"He blamed me for everything. Even for my Mom's death." Max said, half laughing.

"Why?" Max asked confused. Meg had told them in the car that their mother died when Max was still a baby.

"There was a fire in my nursery... and my father said she was pinned to the ceiling, with her stomach sliced open... of course that was just him having too many drinks." Max said, while Sam turned white. All this can't be coincidences. He heard or saw the story for the third time in two days. First this Travis guy, then the dream about Jessica and now Max's mother... and of course his own mother's death.

"Max listen. This story about your mother. It's real... it happened to my mother too... and... and I am having these visions." Sam finally realized. "You felt the connection when you saw me, right. The demon ... we were chosen..." Sam was talking to himself, while Max looked at Sam as if he was crazy. "You are crazy!" Max said and before Sam could do a thing he was flying through the room in the closet and the door slammed shut and Max moved a cupboard in front of it.

"No!" Sam yelled, but Max was already moving downstairs to his parents bedroom.

Sam tried desperately to open the door, but to no avail. Suddenly his head began to hurt like hell.

Sam was eight years old and it was night. His father was on a hunt again and had left Dean and Sam alone at home – much to Dean's anger.

Sam had been asleep till now, but he awoke because he felt something cold on his cheek. At first he thought Dean was playing a prank on him again.

But suddenly he realized that it was something else. There was somebody else in the room... and a cold hand was touching his cheek.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, little boy." A croaking voice whispered near his ear and it scared Sam to hell. He felt how his body suddenly went cold and he tried desperately to move or cry for help, but this demon was doing something to him that paralyzed him.

Suddenly the door flew open and Dean stepped in... but from his position Sam could see that Dean wasn't armed.

"Leave him alone..." Dean said brave.

"And what do you intend to do?" the demon asked smirking.

Dean just looked at the demon. Within a second the demon was standing in front of Dean and his claw like hands were boring into Dean's body and Sam was hearing Dean screaming.

"Dean!" Sam yelled scared and he heard how the cupboard in front of the closet moved away.

John had tried to open the door or windows, but there was no escape. And suddenly the door opened slowly, without a person opening it. And slowly afterwards Max entered.

Meg immediately jumped up from the bed and John went in front of her, to protect her.

"Where is Sam." John asked as there was no sign of his son. He got scared.

"He won't be able to help you..." Max said pointing the gun at John and Meg. "Now tell me who you are!" Max said to Meg.

"I am your sister. Max, please stop this!" Meg said with tears in her eyes.

"You are lying... I don't have a sister." But Max seemed unsure... and then he let the gun hovering on it's own.

"Okay Max calm down." John said.

"Max, please. You don't have to do this... Max! We can go through this. I won't leave you alone." Meg said desperately.

"Shut up... just shut up!" Max said and he was holding hie head.

"Max please!" Meg whispered... this finally caused Max to lose it. Nobody saw it coming... the gun went off and the bullet went through Meg's chest.

"No!" John screamed... but the gun was pointing at him now.

This second Sam ran into the room, his gun pointed at Max.

"No. Don't. Please Max!... We can help you... but this... isn't the solution!" Sam said.

Max looked at Sam for a few second and finally his face calmed down. He nodded slightly. "You are right." Max whispered, focusing on Sam's gun. And Sam couldn't prevent his gun going off and shooting Max in the head.

"No!" both Winchesters screamed... but it was too late.

John saw the desperate look on his son's face but there was something more important.

He kneed down next to Meg. He laid his hand on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

She was barely breathing.

"Meg, I need you to tell me something about Travis. How do you know him. How did Dean met him... please." he said.

Sam who had come nearer looked at his father unbelievingly. The poor girl was dying... and his father...

Meg was looking at him with big eyes. "... the warehouse... in the woods..." she whispered. She tried to say more... but her body weakened and she finally took her last breath.

John looked sadly at the girl and stood up.

He took out a cloth and started to erase their fingerprints...

"We should leave." John said...

They drove in silence... John knew Sam was mad at him and he didn't blame him. He knew he was acting cruel more and more... but his sons were the most important people in the world – and for them he would do anything.

He was searching for Dean so long... he was tired and his heart was a mess, broken by the thoughts what might has happened...

"Dad... you remember when I was eight... you went after a Wendigo in Michigan?" Sam said after a while...

John thought for a while – he actually hadn't expected Sam to start the conversation like that.

"Yes, why?" John asked.

"When you came back... has anything happened? Was Dean injured or something." Sam asked. John looked at his son confused.

"No, no injuries... trust me Sam. Things like that I would never forget." John assured. "Why are you asking?"

"...I ... I just remembered this night... but there is some kind of blank, like I am missing something, a lost memory... not so important." Sam said and shrugged. "Dad, where are you driving?" Sam suddenly asked confused.

"Searching us a Motel, to stay the night." John said as if it was obvious.

"You just let Meg's last words be about a warehouse in the woods and now you won't even go there?" Sam asked angrily... his mind was a mess, every second something new happened that only caused more questions and this made Sam tired, but also frustrated, which caused aggression. He would have been prepared for fight.

"We both are a mess. We need some sleep to think clearly... and we don't even know what to expect, it could be nothing, another trace or a trap." John said.

"Or Dean." Sam whispered.

"I have this feeling that something isn't right here... we need to be prepared. We will go to the warehouse in the morning." John said.

"Go? That will be a long walk." Sam mumbled and John had to smirk.

"That's all you learned in collage?" he asked.

Tbc

Okay I obviously changed the storyline of "Nightmares" and I know that it doesn't fit to the time line either, but as said in the previous chapter – hope you and Kripke don't mind ;) .

And sorry that it took so long. I actually had it ready for a week already, but wasn't quiet satisfied. The problem was that I already know what is going to happen in the next few chapters, but I couldn't push it so fast, so I needed a filler (this chapter)... well, hope you like it nevertheless ;). There are hopefully some answers in the next chapter.