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.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 3: Please accept my deepest and sincerest apologies for not updating before this. As most of you know, I am a university student and was trying to complete my Honours year, which included writing a 15000 word thesis as well as course work. This semester was a killer and I was totally overwhelmed for a while, trying to get everything finished and also to present a paper at a Symposium on Monstrosity in literature and film. So I had to (sob) let a few things move to the sidelines for a little while. On the upside the thesis is finished and handed in, entitled The Dracula Myth, from Novel to Movie, my last undergrad essay is finally finished and handed in, now just one small test to finish and I am done for my undergrad and just sweating to see if I will be doing my Masters or will be able to go straight through to PhD.

So after such a longwinded apology I hope that you enjoy this update and they will be more frequent from now on as I am on my big, big break from uni until March next year.

Thanks to everyone, for your patience you guys rock!!!!!!!

S—D

Chapter Eight

Then:

Doctor Mason Irvine went over his notes again, as the registrar Prue had chosen to take over Sam Winchester's case was both excited and nervous. She had told him about the obnoxious brother and monster of a father but also warned him about Mark Welby although Mason had always found the doctor to be friendly and very professional. He double checked his facts, straightened his tie and made sure that he had his cell phone and pager before going to leave the small office.

He never noticed the black smoke swirling above his head, or the sudden chill filling the room, he only noticed the light bulb in the desk lamp as it flickered on and off.

The door swished shut behind him as the young orthopaedic registrar hurried towards the ICU towards his new patient, his eyes flashed black for the briefest of seconds as he waited for the elevator doors to open a smirk on his face as he adjusted his lab coat and resettled the files under his arms. 'Show time.'

NOW:

Markus watched in abject horror as John bundled Sam into several blankets and then lift him effortlessly, 'please reconsider this John.'

'The boys were compromised Mark, as much as I want to leave Sam here in your care, it's just not safe not for anyone.'

'We could move him to a lock down room?'

'No, no Mark I understand your concern but Sam's safer away from the hospital.'

'Well if I can't stop you …' Markus stared down at the pale face of his young patient, 'let me come with you.'

'Markus we can't …'

'I won't take no, Sam still needs medical care no matter where he is do you want to risk his life but not providing it?'

'Dad we have to get out of here,' Dean interrupted the futile argument, 'Doc if you can accept some weird shit, don't ask too many questions and look after Sammy for me, then come on we're wasting time.'

The two older men stared in shock at Dean and then exchanged looks of what the … before both silently agreeing, mere nods of their heads sealing the deal.

S—D

Tess and Jim waited by the impala, packed and ready to leave as soon as their precious cargo was onboard. Tess fidgeted unsure of how to talk to the cleric; she held her cards tightly in her fingers hidden in the pocket of her jacket.

'There is no need to be nervous around me child,' Jim said softly with just a hint of mirth in his voice, 'I am a hunter as well as a Minister of the Lord … you do not need to hide your cards or your abilities from me.'

'How?' Tess cleared her throat and tried again, 'how did you know?'

But before Jim could answer they saw the small group heading towards them, to any passerby they looked like a young seriously ill patient surrounded by his family and doctor. Very close to the actual truth for it not to work.

Sam opened his eyes and stared at the gleaming black classic car and sighed happily, 'h-h-home.' He muttered without acknowledging anyone else.

Just as they bundled Sam into the front passenger seat with Dean firmly ensconced next to him and behind the wheel, a large explosion and roaring sound rocked the area. Stunned they all looked up as parts of the hospital were sprayed over the car park.

'John … that was …' Markus tried to speak but all he could do was to swallow rapidly and stare stupidly up at the destroyed building.

'Where Sam's ICU room was.' John finished for the doctor, 'you sure that you still want to come with us?'

S—D

Blue Earth

Minnesota

Markus shooed the Winchester men out of Sam's room while he examined his patient after such an exhaustive trip, driving non-stop they finally arrived at Pastor Jim's rectory in the wee hours of the morning.

'How you doing Sam?' Markus asked as he listened to Sam's heartbeat.

'All … spidery … webs … mix … up,' Sam tried to form the words and sentences but the frustration started to merge with his confusion. 'Where Dean?'

'He's downstairs having coffee with ya father,' Mark smiled and continued his examination of Sam, 'want me to get him for you?'

'P-Please.' Sam averted his gaze and tried to calm his breathing and tumultuous thoughts, he could hear his father … Not Father … laughing at him.

Markus nodded thoughtfully, he gave Sam a small smile and then went to the door, 'where you go?' Sam cried out terrified to be alone.

'No where Sam I'm just going to call Dean in for you.'

'Oh …kay.' Sam sighed and turned his face towards the window, not wanting the doctor to see the embarrassment and neediness he was sure was all over his reddening cheeks.

'Sammy?' Dean's soft voice brought Sam back from floating away; blinking owlishly he stared up at his brother, 'Sammy?'

'Floating bye … Dean?'

'No Sammy no floating byes you're staying right here.'

'Here with Dean?' Sam tilted his head to one side and regarded his brother's face with an open, innocent stare.

'Yeah dude here with Dean.' Dean grinned and cupped the back of Sam's neck with his hand, cradling it gently, 'you're staying here with me.'

'Not Father?'

'He can't get to you here Sammy, he don't know where you are.'

'Safe?'

'Safe dude, it's just you, me, dad, Tess and Pastor Jim.'

'Tess?'

'Card lady.'

'Oh … Dad?'

'He's here.'

'Oh … Pastor Jim?'

'He's here too.'

'Safe?'

'Yep.' Dean sat back on the bed and waited for Sam to work it through in his mind and then to join him. Sure enough moments later Dean felt Sam move to rest against him, his shoulder now a pillow, and then Dean felt a tug on his fingers looking down he saw Sam playing with them.

'Dean?' Sam whispered terrified of what would happen if he spoke any louder.

'Yeah Sammy?'

'Laundromat?'

'Yep that's right I was doing the laundry when you disappeared.'

Sam chuckled softly, 'k-k-killer d-dryer.'

'Yeah Sam that's right.' Dean beamed relieved finally Sam was finally sounding a little like his old self.

'De?'

'Yeah Sammy?'

'Hurts here,' Sam pointed to his head and then winced with the movement in his back, 'hurts big time … Father an-angry.'

'No father, he's a demon Sam and that's all.' Dean snapped his anger getting the better of him, 'he wants to hurt you Sam, to own you … to…'

Dean stopped his rant when Sam started to whimper and tried to curl into a tight ball, the damage already done. 'Sammy? Oh Gods Sammy I am so sorry, please, please calm down.'

'No, no, no, not father please father please … Dean!' Sam, lost in his memories had no awareness of his surroundings or of his brother, desperately Dean moved to straddle Sam, pinning him down with one hand the other cupped around his cheek. 'Sam calm down and look at me.'

'Dean is everything alright?' Markus appeared in the doorway and aw ho distressed his patient was becoming, 'what is going on in here?'

'Nothing …nothing it's okay Sam …Sammy has just had a bit of a flash back that's all.' Dean said without looking at the doctor.

'Dean no go?' Sam cried out clutching at his brother's shirt, his fear-filled gaze flickering between Dean and Markus. 'Please … promise … good … all spidery … webs.'

'Sam … hey Sam calm down, that's it big breathes.' Dean returned all of his attention to his brother and ignored the doctor completely.

'No go Dean.'

'Not going anywhere Sammy.' Dean sat back and let Sam move to sit-lie next to him, head resting on his big brother's shoulder, 'staying right here with ya bro.'

'Dean … Dad … Win-Winchester … not Father.' Sam declared as he clung to his brother's hand crushing it to his chest as he slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.

S—D

John stood at the kitchen window staring into the night sky, though if pressed he probably couldn't describe anything in detail. His thoughts raced through his mind with unrelenting speed and frequency, Sam's broken body, his confusion and terror, the so-called Father's voice echoing in the dark recesses and Dean's stricken look when they found Sam. His and Mary's beautiful little boy now horrifically scarred physically and emotionally.

'Penny for your thoughts.' Tess whispered tenderly placing her hand on his.

'Sorry Tess, not much company I guess.' John tried to pull his mask back down and show the professional hunter's persona, but when he stared down into her dewy grey eyes his walls started to crumble again. The only other woman who made him feel like that was … was Mary.

'Want to go for a walk?' Tess offered, 'it's a glorious night, Dean's with Sam and Jim and Mark are playing chess in the study.'

'So it's just us huh?' John grinned and took Tess' hand in his, his large palm engulfing hers.

'Yep just us oldies!' Tess giggled and blushed prettily, 'and I don't even need the cards to tell me that.'

'You want to talk about that?' John asked as they headed outside, wandering aimlessly towards the small graveyard on the other side of the church.

'My gifts and reading?' Tess asked blinking a little at the abruptness of his question.

'Yeah, were you born with it?' John asked genuinely curious.

'I think so well for as long as I can remember I have seen ghosts, spirits, supernatural creatures most of them friendly and help me give advice. Occasionally they give me bum steers but most of the time they are guides for me …What?' Tess stared up at the smirk and twinkle in John's hazel eyes.

'Nothing … please go on.'

'You're mocking me.' Tess cried as she turned and went to leave, John reached out and grabbed Tess' upper arm, pulling her back into his strong arms he shook his head and stared deeply into her eyes.

'I could never mock you.' He husked as he pulled her in tightly and bent down capturing her mouth with his, the kiss although deep still had enough restraint to make it chaste by his standards. 'Tess.'

S—D

Sam opened his eyes and cried out in alarm, he was back in the basement, the handcuffs pining him to the wall, tears came unbidden as he realised that he was trapped and prisoner once again. 'Dean!' he tried to call out but his throat swollen and bruised caught his voice and it came out only as a sigh on the breeze.

'You are my son Samuel … no one else's.' the voice taunted him wrapping around him in a cruel blanket of fear and pain.

'No, no not yours.' Sam whimpered and tried to curl around himself but the handcuffs kept him open and exposed. 'Dean … want Dean.'

'Dean doesn't want you Sam, you're too weak, too pathetic, too clinging.'

'No, no m'not.' Sam shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut wanting to block out everything and everyone.

'No you don't Samuel you are not going to push me away.' The voice snarled in his ear and Sam felt the heat prickling along his skin, the intense burning brought more tears to his eyes as his tender flesh blistered and reddened.

'Samuel you are mine, I have marked you.'

'No, no spidery things … gone flew away … wings with no wings.' Sam started to mutter his normally bright green eyes, now dull and lifeless as he stared unseeingly, 'spidery, spidery, spidery in here, tickles but … fly way no more … Sam gone fly way.'

'What are you doing Samuel?' The voice made the walls shake around Sam but he continued to mutter, and to stare ahead unblinking.

'I will be back Samuel.'

'Sammy please wake up.' Dean begged his catatonic little brother, at first he thought Sam was in the grips of a nightmare but now he wasn't so sure. The burns on Sam's shoulder were red, blistered and weeping they just appeared as he tried to wake Sam.

'Dean? Where Dean?' Sam wept, 'Want Dean … all spidery … fly way …Sam gone poof.'

'Sammy please wake up dude I need to see you awake.' Dean ignored his own welling tears as he desperately tried to get through to his brother.

'Dean what's going on?' Markus came into the room and hurried to the bed when he saw the scene unfolding before him.

'Not sure doc but Sam won't wake up.' Dean said without looking up. 'He keeps muttering about spidery, Sam gone, poof.' Dean repeated the words and then slowly looked up at the doctor, 'and these burns just appeared on his shoulder.'

Markus moved to get a clearer view of the blisters, 'damn, okay Dean I'm going to get my bag and some irrigation, we need to move now.'

'Why isn't he waking?' Dean asked just as his father and Tess walked into the room. 'Dad?'

'Tess felt something was wrong.' John replied unable to meet the penetrating gaze of his son, 'what's going on with Sam?'

'He's trapped in some nightmare and we can't wake him.' Markus said when Dean refused to look at his father anymore instead he returned his attention to his brother and let the doctor to do the talking.

'Pl-please let me go.' Sam cried the teenager's body arching with each strike, the welts growing in number on his back. He lay face down on the filthy mattress, his hands tied over his head, his feet cuffed separately and spread apart, his body pulled taut, making each blow of the switch even more painful.

'Who are you?' his tormentor asked repeatedly.

'S-Sam W-Winch-Winchester.' Sam ground out, a scream choked him as it caught in his abused throat.

'Wrong answer,' the voice laughed as the switch came down again this time breaking his fragile flesh. 'Who are you?'

'S-Samuel …Sammy … Sam …' Sam wept uncontrollably, he felt so alone but Dean didn't want him anymore, his dad hated him, he didn't know who he was anymore. 'S-Sammy.' He whispered as he finally succumbed and collapsed against the mattress, he felt the sense of freedom as he floated away from the shell that was once his body.

'Sam please come back to me, Sammy please …' Dean wept openly he didn't care who saw him cry. He felt an almost imperceptible movement and through his tears he watched Sam slowly open his eyes. But instead of recognition he saw confusion, and a dullness that chilled him to the bone.

'Who?' Sam blinked up at the face hovering above him, the spider web marring the features, 'where?'

'You're safe Sammy.' Dean muttered holding his brother close still mindful of the multitude of injuries Sam had sustained and the ones still appearing.

'De?' the familiar childhood name for his brother now became the strongest link Sam had to keep him grounded, to stop him from floating away altogether.

'Yeah it's me Sammy, it's me.'

'Hurts De.' Sam tried to bury his face against Dean's chest when he caught a glimpse of the man and woman standing in the doorway. The man, the man called dad, Sam felt a connection but wasn't sure what it was, then he shifted his gaze to the woman and he stiffened. Terror filled his senses and he struggled against Dean's grip he had to get away from her. She glowed red with danger didn't anyone else see that?

'Sam what is it, hey settle down Sammy.' Dean struggled to keep Sam still, the fear radiating from his baby brother. 'Sammy.'

'No, no she spidery … all spidery … all red … go … no … she … spidery.' Sammy cried out and tried to push Tess away from him, though she was across the room from him.

'Tess?' Dean glared up at the psychic, 'what does he mean?'

'I-I don't understand.' Tess wept trembling she looked up at John and then back to Sam and Dean, 'I don't understand.'

'Get her out of here dad!' Dean growled, he tenderly covered Sam's eyes with his fingers and pulled him closer, whispering softly in his ear to calm him down.

John stared down at his two sons concern and anger warred across his face, but the choked back sob from Tess pulled his attention back to her, gripping her arm tightly he pulled her out of the room, he wanted answers and he wanted them now.

TBC