CHAPTER 3
Sam had been driving since first light that morning. Already concerned about the fact that Dean had yet to call and check in he was spurred into sudden action by Ellen.
She had called in the wee hours of the morning frantic with worry. Dean had told her that he would call two days ago and she still had not heard from him and for Ellen, if you say your gonna call then you damn well better call.
"You get your ass down there Sam and find that brother of yours."
"Yes Ma'am"
After quickly changing into fresh clothes Sam gently woke Sarah from her slumber and told her that Ellen had rung and that he needed to go find Dean.
"Go Sam, bring him home"
With a nod, a kiss and a flurry for his keys Sam was out the door and on the road in minutes, stopping only for toilet breaks and coffee.
Every half hour since he had first left home Sam had been trying to get through to Dean on his cell, and every time he was met with Dean's voice recording. Each unanswered call further tightened the knot of terror that had been threatening to overtake Sam for days now. You better be ok Dean.
The night had now set in bringing with it the chill in the air. The windows in Sam's SUV were all wound up and his heater set on medium. He didn't want to think about how cold his brother might be if he was hurt out in the middle of nowhere. No, Dean is fine. He just hasn't been able to call that's all.
Passing another sign telling him that Portsmouth, the closest city to Shawnee State Park, was just ahead Sam picked up his cell and brought up Dean's number, pressing send once again expecting to hear Dean's recorded voice.
RING RING
At hearing the sweet sound of the ringing tone Sam bolted up in his seat suddenly fully alert, and unconsciously tightened his hand around his steering wheel.
RING RING
"Pick up Dean."
RING RING
"Come on, Dean."
RING RING
"Pick up, pick up, pick up."
RING RING
"Answer your damn phone Dean!"
CLICK
Not even waiting to hear his brother answer Sam began his frantic tirade.
"Dean, Dean you there? Where in the hell have you been? You were meant to call days ago! Dean? Dean?" he stopped out of breath and waited for Dean to answer.
"Sam…my." The drawn out name came through the line barely audible. It was tired, weak, pained and the harsh uncontrolled breathing that followed made Sam's stomach drop.
"Dean, Dean? What's wrong? Dean?" Sam paused and waited listening to the agonized breaths of his brother as Dean struggled to gain control.
"Dean!?"
"Sammy" he finally heard louder this time, stronger "Good to hear from you."
"Good to hear….?" Sam repeated shocked at his brother's audacity. "What the hell Dean? I've been trying to call you all day, hell I've been trying to call you for the past few days Dean and all I've gotten was your damn voice recording."
"No reception." he heard his brother sigh followed by a grunt of pain as Dean shifted again attempting in vain to find some relief, any relief.
"How bad is it Dean?" There was no need to beat around the bush, Sam knew that there was something very wrong and he needed to know now.
A small laugh was heard but Sam couldn't figure out what was funny, "Had worse."
"Had worse?" Sam exclaimed, "just what in the hell have you been doing? You were meant to call me two days ago, you should have called, Ellen……"
"Damn it Sam," Dean cut him off angrily before biting back another cry as pain shot through his entire torso at his sudden outburst. Leaning back into the seat he closed his eyes before continuing in a much softer tone his harsh pants breaking through is explanation, "I know, I know….. I should of called but ………it all just got away….. from me. This whole damn h…..hunt was shot to hell …….from the start."
"Ok Dean, it's ok" Sam told him in attempt to calm him. He could hear Dean's breathing worsen and getting Dean upset was not going to help either one of them. It was time for a change of topic, he need to get to Dean.
"Listen, I'm already near Portsmouth….."
"What? Why?" Dean broke in confused.
"Ellen called me this morning to tell me to come and get your sorry ass."
Sam smiled as he heard Dean's amused chuckle float down the line.
"I'm coming in on the US-23 that takes me onto Scioto Trail, where do I go to find you?"
Sam waited, but all he got was the sounds of his brother's laboured breathing. "Dean, hey, Dean."
"Huh?"
"You gotta stay with me man."
"Did I go?" Sam frowned at the confusion in his tone, yes his brother was obviously in pain but there was something else in there too.
"Dean did you hit your head?"
"Which time?"
"Dean!" Sam shouted into the phone instantly regretting his harshness but he needed to know.
"Well I may have…. hit it when it threw me, I……. I definitely hit it when I passed out." came Dean's explanation.
Dean had passed out, not good. "You passed out? How long?"
"Which time?"
Sam pulled back from the desperation to reach into the phone and throttle his brother. He knew Dean wasn't purposefully being vague but that didn't make it an easier on Sam.
"You can't start drifting off on me ok man? You gotta stay with me."
"No drifting off got it." he heard Dean respond.
Nodding to himself that at least Dean wasn't entirely out of it he got back to the pressing issue "OK I need to know where to go to find you. How do I get to you?"
"Umm, yea ok." Dean started and Sam listened to his pained brother's muffled protests as he shifted again, "You…. you need to get onto the US-52."
Grabbing the map from his passengers seat Sam quickly scanned over it checking for the road. "Yea ok, I got it then where?"
"Go west get onto…… highway 73 and follow it to Friendship…….. Turn onto State Route 125 and then …….I'm on the second dirt track on the ….. on the left 2 miles after the turn off. Bout….." Dean waited as another stab of pain completely stole his breath "Bout 10 or so mins in."
The agony in his brother's voice and the brutal sounds of his ragged breathing sent chills through Sam and he speed faster to his destination. "Ok Dean, I'm coming to get you just hold on ok?"
"Yea Sam, Ok," Dean complied but Sam could hear is brother's voice trail off and he couldn't risk losing his connection with him.
"Hey Dean, don't go doing that I need you to talk to me man."
"I'm fine Sam."
Ignoring Dean's lie he went on, "Not for you, for me. I've been driving all day. I need you to keep me alert."
"You mean so I don't pass out on your ass?"
Sam let a smile flicker across his face as he answered, "Yea maybe that too."
"So what you wanna…… talk about." Dean sighed clearly not in the mood to talk but knew he needed to humour his brother.
"Well how about what Katie might be planning for you're next punishment?"
Sam heard a weak scoff "If she even thinks …..I'm gonna let her take my baby……. from me again she…"
"Will absolutely get her way." Sam finished for him.
An indignant Dean came through the line "Dude!"
"Puh-lease Dean, that girl walks all over you and you let her."
"Yea well…."
"Yea well I bet right now she is planning her next severe punishment for you," Sam said before adding, "probably got Jay in on it too."
"Jay?" Dean questioned than waited a moment as nausea threatened to take hold before he went on, "I really doubt ….I'm gonna have to …..worry too much about him."
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that. I think those two have been conspiring since Katie found out she was gonna be a big sister."
"I blame you for that." Dean accused, humour in his tone.
"Me?" Sam asked mildly shocked "You talked her round."
Dean laughed weakly cutting it short and grimacing as it triggered unwanted bolts through his injuries, "Well that was your…. fault too."
Sam tried to keep the panic out of his voice as he listened to Dean struggle, "Oh, and how do you figure that?"
"If I had left….. it up to you Katie….. would probably still …….be calling J-man IT.'
"I don't want IT."
"Katie, honey"
"I don't want IT." the little girl standing before Sam repeated.
"It's not an it," her father tried to explain but frowned at his poor choice of words and tried to ignore the sniggering coming from behind him.
"I mean, it's a baby Katie, you're gonna be a big……"
"I DON'T WANT IT!" Katelyn screamed with finality before fleeing from the room.
The three adults listened to the sound of retreating footsteps and then the sudden slam of a door upstairs.
"Well…that…went well."
Sam turned around and gave his brother a sour look, "You're not helping the situation Dean."
"Apparently neither are you Sam."
Sam scoffed at his brother's arrogance, "Oh and you could do better?"
A cocky smirk instantly found it's was onto Dean's face but before he could reply to his little brother's challenge Sarah stepped between them facing Sam attempting to intervene.
"Ah boys, you know now is not really the time…"
"No. No Sarah," Sam shook his head at his wife cutting off her line of thought, "If Dean thinks he can do better," he paused as he rested his eyes back on his brother and waved his arm toward the door Katelyn had just exited, "than by all means, go right ahead."
"Alright I will." said Dean accepting the challenge as he got up and left the room headed toward the staircase.
Sarah wrapped her arms around her husband's waist as she watched Dean make his way up the stairs. "You know Sam, he probably will get through to her."
Looking down he smiled and placed a soft kiss upon her head and whispered as he looked back to where he had last seen Dean, "I'm counting on it."
Katelyn sat on her bed, glaring out her window when a soft knock on her door brought her attention away from her silent fuming.
"Katie?"
It was Dean, but she was in no mood to talk not even to him. "Go away."
"Come on, you can't leave your favourite Uncle standing out here forever"
"Yes I can." Was the curt reply.
Dean quietly opened the door and peeked his head in as he raised an eyebrow and gave her his best upset face.
Upon seeing his look she just turned away from him and went back to staring out the window, it wasn't an invitation to come in but he would take what he could get for now.
Slipping into the room he quietly shut the door and watched the still and rigid form of his niece. He knew she was fighting within herself to keep calm and in control, after all he had done it many times himself, but this was his Katie, his girl and he'd be damned if he allowed her to do that to herself. Not on his watch.
"Katie honey," he whispered softly in hope to regain her attention.
Katelyn looked back over at her Uncle's sad features. He was leant up against the door with his hands in his pockets and his head slightly drooped but his eyes never wavered from her. His posture screamed miserable and defeated and guilt immediately caused her disposition to softened, after all she was not mad at him it's those other two that were at fault.
Upon seeing the defensiveness deflate from his niece Dean made his way over to her bed and sat beside her only to have her once again glare out the window. Ok she may not think him at fault but that didn't mean she was gonna make this any easy on him.
"So, you're gonna be a big sister huh, that's exciting." He started but was immediately silenced by a gruff "Whatever."
Dean scratched his head he contemplating of his next line of defence and decided to take a different approach, "You know when I first found out that I was gonna be a big brother, I didn't take it so well either."
That got her attention, "You didn't?" she asked as she turned to face him.
Shaking his head Dean smiled, "Nope, in fact I remember telling Grandma and Grandpa Winchester that if they insisted on going through with having another baby I was going to leave."
"Did you?" she asked staring up at him on wonder.
"Sure did," he nodded in response, "even packed a little bag and everything."
Katelyn's eyes widened at her Uncle's shocking confession and a small gasp left her mouth, could he really have felt what she was feeling now?
"What happened?"
"Well, I thought I was doing real well. I'd made it out of the house and down to the front footpath before anyone even knew what I was doing."
A raised eyebrow found itself on Katelyn's face "When did Grandma and Grandpa Winchester find out?"
"Ah about two houses down from ours." was the guilty answer.
Pausing just for a moment Katelyn asked with concern, "Was he mad?"
Dean shrugged his shoulders dismissively before he turned and looked away from her"You… could say that."
He was being evasive and that was not on, "Deanie?"
"Let's just say you could hear him roar my name and I'm pretty sure that he was at the back of the house." he confessed to her.
"Uh-oh!"
A hint of a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he remembered his father's reaction when he found Dean missing. It had been far from funny then, more like down right scary but now……
"Yea uh-oh it was. He flew out of the house so fast I thought he must have had rockets up his……erm well…"
"Did you get in lots of trouble?" Katelyn asked never taking her eyes from him.
Dean nodded quickly remembering all to well what had come next, "Oh yea, I got to know the naughty corner real well by the time I served my punishment."
Katelyn sat staring at her Uncle for a moment letting it all sink in. He had been like her, not wanting a new addition to an already perfect family so what was it that had changed his mind?
"So, when did you like Daddy?" she hesitantly questioned.
"Not until I first saw him."
"Really?" Her eyebrows shot up and Dean had to keep from laughing at her stunned expression.
"Yep, even as Grandpa Winchester was getting your Dad for me to see all I could think was how much this little bundle was gonna ruin my family and how much I wanted him to just disappear. But then……" he trailed off as he thought back to the first time he meet his little brother and the feelings that overcome him that day.
"But then what?" Katelyn asked as she shook his arm trying to bring his attention back to the matter at hand, " Uncle Deanie, but then what?"
Shaking the past from his head he cleared the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat before continuing, "But then this tiny bundle was placed right in front of me and I reached out to touch it and the next thing I knew a tiny little hand was holding onto my finger and everything I had felt before just kinda disappeared."
"Because it held onto your finger?", came the sceptic reply.
Nodding Dean just went with a simple"Yep."
The baby had held his finger and suddenly all contempt for the newly born spawn had just what, miraculously disappeared? Just like that…poof, gone…. not bloody likely.
Katelyn scowled at Dean as disbelief raged through her"What the hell!"
"Katie!"
Disbelief was quickly overtaken by remorse. Dean rarely ever raised his voice to her and only when she clearly overstepped the mark, "Sorry." she apologized.
Dean pulled her into a reassuring embrace, "I get that you don't understand Katie but you know better than that."
She nodded, she did know better. Pulling from him she turned to face Dean she wanted to understand, she need to, "But why Deanie, how?"
"I don't know why or how," he said gently shaking his head, "I just know that when your Dad grabbed hold of me I just felt like," he paused and looked afar searching for the indescribable feeling he had felt, "like he was mine I guess. I just felt…you know Katie I can't really describe it but trust me when it happens you will know it." he ended bringing his eyes back to her.
"But what if Mommy and Daddy don't love me as much?"
Finally down to the whole point, "Oh sweetie," Dean said as he swept her back up into his arms, "Is that was this is about?" her silence confirming it and he held her tighter. "They are always gonna love you no matter what. Nothing will change that. No-one will change that but now there is gonna be someone new in your life who is gonna love you too."
Squirming to look up at Dean Katelyn hesitantly asked"It's gonna love me?"
He smiled down at her innocent face, "Who couldn't'? You know this little baby is gonna love you so much. You are going to be the one who plays with them, teaches them, reads to them and everything you do and say they are gonna want to do too."
"Why?" Confusion evident in her tone.
"Cause you're their big sister. They are gonna look up to you, you are gonna be their whole world."
"Did Daddy?"
"Did Daddy what?" now it was Dean's turn to sound confused.
"Did Daddy look up to you?"
"Oh yea," he said as he rolled his eyes, " Your Daddy would follow me around like a bad smell, couldn't get rid of him if I tried and guess what?"
"What?"
Dean's eyes shone with the sincerity his voice spoke, "Your Daddy meant everything to me."
"Really?"
"Yep still does."
Katelyn sat within in her Uncle's embrace for a moment staring at him deep in thought then suddenly a huge smile adorned her small face, "Do you think Mommy would think it's too early to start reading to the baby now?"
The baby - breakthrough Dean 1 Sam 0.
"I think your Mom would love that idea." Dean chuckled beating Sam always gave him a high.
Quickly kissing Dean on the cheek Katelyn bounced off his lap and raced to the door opening it and only stopping when a tall figure blocked her path.
"Hey Daddy, is Mommy still downstairs? Dean says I can start reading with the baby and Mommy now." came the blurted blabber.
"Ah yea, she's in the lounge room…" Sam started but before he could say anything else Katelyn bolted past him and speed away.
Amused by his daughter's sudden turn around he turned back into the room and saw his brother get up off the bed with a sheepish look about him.
"So how long exactly were you listening?"
A devious smile spread itself on Sam's face, "Long enough, I thought you were entirely opposed to the whole Chick Flick Moment?" Emphasising the point with the use of his hands.
Dean smiled and closed the distance between the two,"That Sammy," he paused wagging a finger at his brother to make the point,"was not a CFM."
"No? So what would you call that then?" Sam asked attempting to look puzzled.
"That was an Uncle Dean and Katie moment."
Sam raised his own eyebrow at Dean and gave a not so convinced, "Uh-huh." which was meet with a nod,"Yep."
Sam looked at his brother with awe and disbelief. This man before him, the one who looked Demons square in the eye before sending them back to the fiery depths of hell without so much as a flinch was under the thumb hold of a tiny, little girl. "She has you so wrapped around her little finger." he told Dean as he shook his head in amusement.
Dean gave the statement thought for a moment then non-caringly shrugged his shoulders before giving Sam a quick smile and walking out, "Fine by me."
Sam watched Dean's retreating back and softly chuckled to himself before walking from the room shutting the door behind him, "Yea fine by me too."
The ominous warning beep of a cell phone brought Sam and Dean out of their reminiscing.
A confused Sam look at his phone to see that he still had three bars, that could only mean…..
"Dean please don't tell me your batteries are running low."
A small silent pause was heard as Dean brought the phone from his ear checking it before a deep tired sigh escaped him before he replied, "Ok, I won't."
"Damn it Dean" Sam cried in frustration as he slammed his hand down hard on the steering wheel.
Leaning back against his seat Dean closed his eyes and tried to remain in control, the wounds on his side felt like they were on fire, his broken ribs seemed to be throbbing harder and harder and every time he opened his eyes his world swam and the nausea would constantly rear its ugly head. Exhaustion wanted to take him and he couldn't seem to calm his breathing, each intake of breath caused his chest to feel like it was in a vice grip winding tighter and tighter and now, now just to really kick him when he was down his phone was going to cut his only connection to Sam.
"Sorry Sammy."
Sam heard his brother's laboured breathing intensify, he knew Dean was barely holding on, no matter what he had to keep him with him. He couldn't lose him not now, not ever.
"Hey, hey Dean, no man, come on, you hold on . You hear me? I'm not far, I can see the Friendship turn off from here. It's ok, you just gotta hold on alright man?" he pleaded.
"Ok Sammy." he heard Dean pant before another three beeps sounded in his ear than silence filled the air.
"Dean? Dean?!" Sam cried before looking at his now blank screen. No, no, no Damn it, FUCK! his mind screamed before throwing his phone down into the passengers seat and screeching onto State Route 125.
His only link to his injured brother had been severed and he was still a good 20 minutes away. Unconsciously Sam pressed his foot onto the accelerator, he was going to get to Dean, he had to.
Just like Dean had told him, the second turn off lead him onto a small dirt road, what Dean had failed to mention was that it was barely a track and Sam found himself having to slow down just to keep his SUV from careening into the trees on either side.
Coming out of another sharp bend the sight before Sam sent his heart into his throat. There she was, gleaming in the moonlight, was Dean's pride and joy, his baby. And there inside the Impala was the promise of Dean.
"I see you Dean, I see you.' Sam muttered to himself as he screeched into a parked positioned next to the Chevy and raced out of the car barely given himself enough time to turn his engine off.
Sprinting to the driver's side of the Impala Sam could make out the slumped figure of his brother against the door. Carefully he pried it open and Dean's limp form fell into Sam's awaiting arms
"I've got you Dean, I've got you."
TBC
Yay Sammy made it to Dean!!! I hope guys enjoyed this Chapter can't wait to hear your thoughts!!