IT'S ALL IN THE CARDS

DISCLAIMER: The usual, not mine to own but I love to play ... no money passes hands for this story or any other I write. I wish but nope not yet. No Laundromat washers or dryers were harmed or destroyed in the writing of this story.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the combination of three story ideas, and thanks and LovinJackson for the wonderful input and ideas for this story.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Sam is 18 and Dean is 22 – 23 (set between new years day and Dean's birthday to begin with.) Before Sam goes to Stanford.

Chapter Three

Then:

Although his nightmares started almost straight away, as he tried to curl up and sleep once again; a clicking sound startled Sam and then voices filtered through the darkness. Such familiar voices it broke his heart and his hot tears finally scorched their way down his face.

'What about Sam dad?'

'He's no longer a part of this family, we're going Dean.'

'No, not without Sam.'

'Dean, he chose his real father over us, it was his choice and no one else's now we're going.'

'Dad?'

'I know son, I know but it's what Sam wants.'

The voices droned on, into the rest of the night, looping so the same words repeated and blurred together, Sam wept only and called for his brother and father, begging them not to go it was all lies.

'All lies, please daddy come and get me, Dean, Dean where are you? Daddy?'

Now:

A loud banging at the apartment door startled Dean out of his restless slumber, Tess had stayed until the early hours of the morning, they talked more about the visions and what the cards had to say for hours, with Dean supplementing with his own knowledge of fighting evil. She had finally gone home after they had decided to meet later in the morning and to start searching for the house Tess had seen.

With his gun in one hand and the other scrubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Dean opened the door enough to peer out at his unexpected visitor.

'Well you just gonna stand there scratching ya ass, let me in.'

'Dad?' Dean blinked and stared at the new arrival in shock, 'dad?'

'Open up and let me in son.' John said wearily.

'Huh? Yeah sure dad where ... how?' Dean opened the door and stood back watching his father closely as he crossed the devil's trap, 'coffee?'

'Yeah ya read my mind?'

'Kay.' Dean shuffled into the kitchen and filled the kettle with holy water, 'sorry only got instant dad.'

'Coffee is coffee son.' John said as he dropped wearily onto the couch and scrubbed his eyes.

A few minutes later the father and son sat sipping their drinks and each waited for the other to speak.

'Dad ... What's going on? You didn't answer my messages.' Dean finally broke the familial stand-off.

'I was on my way home when I got the message so I just kept driving,' John shrugged as he downed the scalding black liquid, 'nice holy water coffee by the way.'

'Had to be sure.' Dean shrugged, 'I dunno what to do ... the police are totally useless, no one saw anything even though they took Sam from in front of his school first thing in the morning.'

'No word from anyone?' John asked trying to catch Dean's gaze, 'Dean look at me.'

Wretchedly Dean finally met his dad's stare, 'I'm sorry dad, I'm so sorry.'

'What for?'

'Sammy disappeared on my watch I should've waited with him until he went inside ... I shoulda ...'

'Dean listen to me.'

'No dad it's my fault, I deserve your hatred and disgust.'

'Dean! It's not your fault son,' John finally broke through his son's self-depreciating tirade, 'they knew exactly when and where to take your brother and aside from the fact that he is eighteen years old now ... and a highly trained fighter they must have done something to take him so quietly and quickly.'

'Ya mean they drugged him?'

'Something like that.'

'Ah dad there's something I haven't told ya.' Dean dropped his gaze again and ran the palm of his hand over the nape of his neck.

'What is it son?' John's face started to darken as he stared a hole into Dean's chest. 'What else is there?'

'This woman,' Dean looked up and glared at his father almost daring him to say anything before he continued, 'her name's Tess, she's ahh a psychic.'

'A what?' John almost laughed until he saw the look on Dean's face.

'I'm serious dad, yeah I was sceptical at first but she knew stuff and – and she connected with Sam in some way.'

'Dean honestly...'

'She described a house dad, I dunno bout you or what you're gonna do but I'm going to meet Tess this morning and we're going to search for it.'

John sat back and watched Dean with a surprised look on his face, 'you are huh?'

'Dad ... it took a while but ... but I trust her.' Dean said earnestly then he stood up and picked up their cups, 'more coffee?'

'Yeah sure, I'm just gonna get a shower in before we go on this ahh house hunt.' John stood up and looked at his eldest, a strange look in his eye, 'yes Dean I'll met ya psychic.'

S—D

The door to Sam's dark prison opened flooding the room with bright light eliciting a soft groan from him as he tried desperately to shield his sensitive eyes. 'Sorry kid.' Max's voice came from the shadows but when Sam was able to focus the room was thrown once again into darkness, at the bottom of the stairs was a food laden tray.

Swallowing down on the rising bile, Sam slowly made his way over to the tray, using the wall as a guide and crutch he hobbled on the cast the few steps collapsing when he finally reached the bottom step.

Using the few rays of light coming from under the door Sam stared at the tray with mounting suspicion, he knew that he had to eat to keep his strength up if nothing else. Picking up a piece of toast he nibbled at it, the dry bread crumbling and catching in his throat. He sniffed the glass of milk before taking a tentative sip, allowing just enough to sate his hunger and thirst he ignored the rest of the food and milk.

'Not falling for that a second time.' He muttered as he made the arduous journey back to his mattress even though in reality it was only a few steps.

'This dude is totally creepy Dean ya should hear him.' Sam said conversationally staring at the wall in front of him, his green eyes slightly unfocused and glassy, 'he says that he's strict but he's got nuthin' on our dad.' He tilted his head to one side and chuckled at the response only he could hear. 'Yeah man I hear ya, promise I'm gonna look after myself though, don't want dad rippin' me a new one.' Sam stifled a yawn and carefully lowered himself down onto the mattress to lie on his side, 'am tired Deanie, so tired ... wish I could sleep. But then he plays these stupid tape recordings of you and dad and thinks that I'm gonna full for it.' Sam laughed humourlessly, 'yeah that's what I reckon too. I'm gonna hang on for you Dean, I know that you'll find me.'

'Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness Samuel.'

'Oh go away and leave me alone.' Sam sighed covering his head with his right hand as the light once again flooded into his room.

'What is wrong my son? You sound perturbed.' The possessed man sashayed down the stairs and came to a stop just near where Sam lay. 'Oh dear you do look like a fright.'

'Screw you.' Sam spat out and wondered to himself if he ignored him long enough will his tormentor disappear.

'All you have to do is to acknowledge me as your father and you can escape this.' Pitts swept his arm around indicating the dank basement. 'You could have the world at your feet.'

'My name is Sam Winchester I am ... argh ... John Winchester's son.' Sam cried out when Pitts twisted his fingers and made Sam's swollen shoulder pulsate and swell even more. 'De-Dean Winchester's br-br-brother.' Sam screamed as the agony radiating from the damaged joint took what ever strength he had left.

'You are my son, mine and no one else's.' Pitts snarled as he flicked his fingers and released the pressure on Sam's shoulder only to concentrate on the boy's broken ankle. The cast exploded into tiny shards of plaster exposing the joint; the pain bringing Sam from the brink of unconsciousness and slamming him back into reality.

'Fuck you!' Sam forced out and tried to roll away from his tormentor, his back arching when he made contact with the coarse material.

'Who am I?'

'Bite me.'

'Who am I?'

'Nnnargh...you bastard!'

'Answer the question Samuel and I will leave you alone.'

'You ... are ... not ... my ... father!'

'I do not enjoy hurting you Samuel all you have to do is answer my question.' Pitts smiled when he heard the bones snap under the pressure effectively destroying the ankle, 'who ... am ... I?'

'No, no, pl-please ... s-s-stop Father.' Sam wept the tears cascading down his face, 'Father!'

'Very good Samuel, see what happens when you are a good son.' Pitts released the pressure and watched as Sam's eyes rolled up and he passed out with the pain. 'Max you can take him upstairs.'

'Yes Sir.' Max said tonelessly, shit kid why didn't ya just tell him what he wanted, Max shook his head and gathered the youth into his arms, opting to carry him rather than try to manoeuvrer an unconscious body in a wheelchair. His heart went out to young Sam; the kid sure had spunk if no common sense at all.

S—D

Sam opened his eyes and started to weep, the only reprieve was no pain, someone must have given him something to ease the agony; his ankle was no strapped with stiff bandages but was too swollen to place in a cast. 'I'm sorry daddy.' He whispered as the events of the last few hours came back to him in a rush.

'Take it easy kid.' Max placed a gentle hand on Sam's arm, 'you're pretty banged up.'

'Why? Hurt me.'

'Geeze kid ya don't make it easy on yourself, I can't do much with ya ankle kid without ya getting it x-rayed.'

'M-Max?' Sam whispered miserably.

'What is it?' Max wanted to act cool and to treat this kid like any other prisoner of Pitts' but there was something about him, that damn near thawed his heart out.

'Let me die.'

S—D

John fidgeted the macho, supernatural hunter John Winchester fidgeted like a young boy on his first date. He stood just inside the shop's doorway and stopped; the many statues of fairies, pixie's, and unicorns all appeared to stare at him with glassy painted eyes. Incense burning made him sniffle and sneeze he dared not move any further into the shop just in case of something even more new age feminine crappy.

Dean stared at his father, shook his head and then kept making his way through the displays to where Tess was waiting for them. 'Hey Tess ahh my dad's with me.'

'Where?'

'Um by the front door.'

'Oh, of course sorry I should have thought of somewhere a little different to meet.' Tess picked her bag up and found the sign she made to put on the door, 'just in case.' She said at Dean's curious glance, 'ya never know a new client might come along while I'm out.'

'Ah dad this is Tess Michaelson, Tess this is my dad John Winchester.' Dean quickly introduced the two opposing forces and then stood back watching them carefully.

Just as Tess took John's hand the smile fell from her face and she gasped in pain, stumbling she moved away from the Winchesters and tried to regain her composure, the pain hit her again this time it almost brought her to her knees.

'Tess? What is it talk to me?' Dean said moving to catch her before she fell down.

'S-Sam ... argh ... pain ... sorry daddy ... can't ... hurts too much.' Tess gasped out.

'Dean what the hell is going on?' John demanded the words Tess had managed to ground out shook him to the core.

'I'm sorry.' Tess whispered as the connection passed and she took a few moments to compose herself before she faced the anxious father and son. 'Sam ... when we touched hands I ah felt Sam.'

'You felt Sam?' John asked incredulously and would have said more when the look on Dean's face silenced him.

'In a way, it's hard to explain but Sam is in more pain, his ankle was re-injured and I think his shoulder as well.'

'Oh God.' Dean visibly paled, 'is he?'

'He finally broke and called the man ... father. I heard an echo from him, he said sorry daddy, he tried but...'

'Dean what the hell is going on?' John demanded, the young woman's words horrified him and if they were true.

'The demon says he is Sam's father and will torture him until he breaks and accepts it.' Tess said pulling herself up to her full height she stared directly up into John's eyes meeting his stare, 'This demon claims to be Sam's biological father.'

John paled but remained steely calm, 'I was there I should know who fathered him.'

'Dad we're wasting time.' Dean interjected seeing the stubbornness rising in his father, stubbornness and denial. 'We can work it out later we have to find Sam first.'

S—D

Pitts sat at his desk and tapped his fingers and read the report in front of him, for all intents and purposes they would show Sam whose DNA he carried no matter how falsified the report was.

'Excuse me Sir, you wanted me to bring in Samuel?' Max knocked on the door before coming in.

'Yes, yes bring him in.'

Max pushed the wheelchair into the room, Sam's ankle rested on a metal platform attached to the chair, his left arm completely encased in a heavy sling. He looked pale and ill.

'Samuel?' Pitts stared at the young man in horror, 'what is wrong with him?'

Max stared in disbelief at his boss, 'he's got a fever and infection,' he said in a low voice, trying to remain stoic, 'he has given up Sir, he is fretting for his brother.'

Pitts looked up and glared at his right-hand-man.

'Nonsense I heard him call me father.'

'To stop the pain, I'm sorry Sir you know I would never disrespect you but forcing Sam to be your son through torture and threats, it's not going to work.'

'What do you suggest then?' Pitts sneered staring down at the pitiful sight in front of him.

'Allow him to be found, be treated and then come at it a different way.'

'Which is?' Pitts glared at Max daring him to say something totally inane.

'Take out the two obstacles.' Max shrugged knowing that Sam was too drugged to understand what they were talking about. 'Actually remove the main obstacle and the rest will take care of itself, leaving it wide open for you to take him in as your legit son.'

'And you only thought of this now?'

'Sorry Sir but I didn't realise the extent of his injuries and ... and well he has given up and wants to die.' Max continued, 'this kid is someone who needs ... he needs to be handled carefully if you want him to do what you want.'

'I see.'

'Look at it this way Mister Pitts, you're gonna have a dead kid on your hands before he completely submits, this way you get rid of the competition and done right come out smelling of roses and he will embrace you as his daddy.'

'Interesting thoughts, he's certainly worthless to me the way he is and I don't have the time to wait for him to heal.' Pitts admitted although there was no way that he would admit to being heavy handed with the punishments he dealt the boy.

'Don't want to do it too easy though, leave him here for them to find and get him to a hospital. Let them think it's all over and then strike again get rid of the father and or the brother without being involved and then ... you can walk in and be his father.'

'The brother is an interesting prospect, it is clear that Samuel needs him more than anyone.'

'Kill John, take in the sons.' Pitts thought about it watching Sam slide into oblivion again.

'Set it up, I will be in touch.' Pitts dismissed Max with a wave of his hand and looked down at the reports, 'leave these where John Winchester will find them.' He added thrusting the papers into Max's hands before disappearing.

S—D

Dean slowed down and stopped just as Tess instructed, she pointed to the house across the street from where they sat, John pulled in just behind them opting to take his own transport just in case.

The flickering of lights and crackling of their radios made John and Dean immediately go into full on hunter mode. In silent unison, they selected appropriate weapons and other tools they may need before heading across the road, Tess firmly tucked behind Dean with John in front, as they moved stealthily into the house.

A cursory investigation of the ground floor showed up nothing, they must have just left before they got there. Swearing under his breath John moved into the room signalling Dean to check the other one.

'Dean?' Tess whispered, 'he's in the basement.'

'Tess?'

'Sam he's in the basement, don't ask me how I know I just do.' She shrugged and pointed down a short hallway to the rear of the house.

Pushing Tess behind him Dean held his flashlight and gun steady as he led the way towards the door for the basement.

S—D

The bright light lit the small basement making Sam cry out when the beam hit his eyes, he tried to push away from the offending brightness and curl into a small ball causing more pain to sweep through his slight frame. 'No more pl-please! Father?'

'Oh Gods, Sammy?' Dean exclaimed running down the stairs, 'Tess go and get my dad.'

'Pl-please no more.' Sam whimpered trying to push away the hands coming towards him.

'Sammy, hey dude it's me Dean.' Dean caught Sam's hands and pressed them against his chest. 'It's me Dean.'

'No, no trick another trick.' Sam cried out, 'please no ... Father please.'

'Dammit Sammy look at me ... it's me Dean no trick I promise.' Dean ignored the tears running down his face as he tried to get through to his distraught brother.

'Dean what's going on?' John thundered as he ran down the stairs with Tess behind him.

'Sammy's in a bad way dad, we need an ambulance.' Dean cried out refusing to let go of his brother, 'he's hurt bad and burning up.'

'Tess?'

'I'll go and call the ambulance.' Tess finished for him and once again disappeared upstairs leaving the Winchesters alone for their tenuous reunion.

'Sam, Sam it's dad can you hear me?' John cupped his large hand around Sam's cheek and tried to get him to focus. 'Sammy?'

'S-Sorry Daddy, I – I tried to hold on.' Sam wept, 'I tried so hard, m'sorry.'

'Hey, hey kiddo it's alright, me and Dean are right here.' John tried to get through to Sam, but in his delirium, Sam didn't recognise them and started to try and fight back weakly pushing with his good arm.

'Sam, Sammy hey dude calm down.' Dean gripped his good hand and pulled it up to his face, 'Sammy it's me.'

'D-Dean?' Sam blinked and smiled weakly at his brother before collapsing bonelessly against the mattress.

'Oh Gods Sam?' Dean screamed his eyes wide with fear, 'Sammy!'

Soon the small basement was filled with paramedics and police officers, Dean and John were pushed away from Sam and pressed against a wall, Tess hovered at the top of the stairs wanting so desperately to comfort the Winchesters but she was forced to stay out of the way of the emergency workers.

'Son can you tell me your name?' One of the paramedics asked Sam as his eyelids fluttered open for a second, confused Sam started to panic, the strange faces hovered close to him in a blurred mess.

'No, no not your son.' Sam cried out, 'Dean ... Dean I need you.' Sam yelled his breathing hitching as his panic attack worsened.

'I'm right here Sammy.' Dean pushed his way through to his brother's side on the gurney, the glare he gave the paramedics dared them to remove him, as soon as their hands touched Sam started to calm down. 'Not going anywhere Sammy.'

'De?' Sam breathed out before succumbing to the medications and the pain.

'Okay so one of you can go with us in the bus.' The paramedic looked at John and Dean, 'well?'

'You go Dean,' John said hoarsely, 'I'll finish up here with the cops and meet ya at the hospital.'

'We're taking him to Tower General.'

'Thanks.'

'Dad?' Dean rasped his hand tightly gripping Sam's lax one.

'Go son, we'll work out the cars later.'

Tess watched silently as they guarded Sam on the way out of the house, she stayed a respectful distance, but her senses spiked and she just knew that it was not over yet for the Winchester family, the danger was still around and in fact very close.

TBC