Disclaimer: the usual

Another chapter done. Hope you enjoy!

To be honest, besides the privacy issue, the shelter isn't that much worse than my apartment.

I stood in line for food. The volunteer dumped the thin soup into the dishes I carried. I never thought I'd ever be someplace like this.

Sam was still curled up on the bed when I got back. I placed both dishes on the ground and looked at Sam's face. "Sam? You there?" His eyes were half closed and dead. He was constantly trembling despite the warm temperature. Sometimes he would mutter a word or two about it being 'too loud.'

Ever since we left, Sam has been slipping in and out of reality. And when he's in it, he's almost like a small, schizophrenic child.

I grabbed one of the bowls and spooned some out. I held it in front of Sam's face, barely touching his lips. I found that he'll automatically eat something if he's egged on to. He opened his mouth and closed it again as I stuck the spoon in. I pulled the spoon out and waited for him to swallow. We repeated the process until his share was gone. I kept my share to give to him later. Looking at Sam intently, "Sam? Sam, can you hear me?" He made no indication of hearing me. "You gotta snap outta this, kid. You need to be just you again. I need to talk someone about all this." I started to tear up as realizations hit me. "I lost my job. I lost my home. Hell, I might as well have permanently lost my fiancé." For the billionth time, I wondered where Dean was. And if he even cared about me anymore. "I think you would have liked my fiancé. He was always joking around and… but he had his soft side. No matter how stoic he acted he was actually very emotional… God, Dean would kill me right now if he new I was saying all this."

"You must love him very much," Sam whispered.

I looked down in surprise. "Sam?"

"Yeah. S-Sorry."

"No, Sam. I should be sorry. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I should have trusted you…"

"It's good that you didn't. You never know who you can trust. It's best to have proof. I guess I should have just shown you somehow."

Not really knowing what to say, "How are you feeling?" He shrugged a little. I grabbed my soup and handed it to him. Sam looked at the empty bowl and said in a soft voice, "Claire, you need to eat too."

"I'll survive," I said firmly. "You were starving when you came to me."

"Exactly," he whispered. "I'm used to it."

"You can't even sit up, Sam. Eat it."

He stared at me for a moment before gently taking the dish out of hand, careful to avoid touching my fingers. I watched as he gulped down the soup. I quickly grabbed a towel and wiped the soup that dribbled out of the side of his mouth. "I feel like a little kid."

"Yeah, well, you've been acting like one for a week now."

"I know." He sighed. "God, I'm so pathetic. Crazy guy can't…Dammit don't loose now," he said to himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and grasped his head. "The noises won't go away…"

I didn't say anything. I honestly didn't know what to say. Nothing much has happened since we ran. I retrieved the money in the savings account Dean and I set up for emergencies. I spent my days caring for Sam. In the state of mind of a confused, insane child, it's been difficult to consol him. I've accidentally touched him a couple times helping him to the bathroom and whatnot, making his condition slightly worse each time. God he's so young to have to deal with all this.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Mmm?"

"Out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"Not sure. What year is it?"

"2007."

"Hmm. Wow. I'm 23."

"What?! You look 17!"

"Well, malnourishment can only get…" His eyes widened.

"Sam?"

"P-promise I'll b-be good… p-promise…"

"Oh Sam."

He started to cough and gag. Tears ran down his face as he cried, "S-stop it! Why you hurting me! What'd I do wrong?!"

"Shhh… Sam. You're fine! You didn't do anything wrong."

"P-please, please I'll do a-anything, jus' stop! No, n-no, p-please! No..." His tears came to a stop and his eyes went dead.

"Sam?" I sighed. He's catatonic again.

I wonder if this is how a mother feels. Worrying and trying her best to care for a child. Sam seemed so vulnerable. I wanted so badly to just put my arms around him and try to comfort him. But I can't. I wondered if anything was ever able gave him comfort. No one can touch him and give him comfort, saying the wrong word couldn't send him off on another episode...

Sam really is cursed.

Skinner twisted his fist in Sam's hair and lifted his head back. Sam opened his mouth as trained. Skinner smiled as he thrust himself into Sam's mouth. He worked his way deeper into his throat causing him to gag. Xac had a firm grip of his testicles as he sucked Sam hard. Sam cried as the pictures assaulted him without relief. Xac squeezed his testicles once again preventing release. Sam retreated back into his mind as far as he could to be jerked back with a slap across the face. "Come on, pretty boy. I know ya like it," Skinner grinned. Xac bit down hard causing Sam to cry out. Xac finally released Sam. He kept Sam's load in his mouth as he stood up and kissed Sam harshly, forcing him to swallow his own come. Skinner reappeared and held a cock ring in front of Sam's face. "Ready for round five, bitch?"

Another week went by. Sam slowly improved, having more and longer periods of lucidity.

He sat on the floor, curled up in the same position, while I was sitting on the bed. "I'm not sure…" he said.

"Can you try!? I mean you've had contact with some of those people…" I felt guilty asking this of him, but I had to know if the Winchester that the man spoke of was my Dean.

Sam looked up at me and asked, "What is this guy to you?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Just curious. Is he a relative?"

"My fiancé." Or would have been if I had had a chance to answer his proposal.

"Oh." Sam gave me one last look before closing his eyes. He had told me that if he concentrated hard enough, he could focus on certain people's memories and thoughts and relive them. It was a bit selfish of me to ask him to do this but… it's Dean. He opened his eyes again. "Well?"

"I… heard a couple mentions… and, uh… well, there might…"

"You're a lousy liar."

He sighed. "Never really had to before. They captured him a couple months ago."

"Only a couple months?"

"Yeah." What was Dean doing before that? "They think he has multiple gifts."

"Like…?"

"The most obvious would be Draconian. He can transform in to a Dragon/Human hybrid. He can also suppress other people's 'gifts.' Even… even unintentionally sometimes."

Dean… my Dean. Dean Winchester isn't exactly the most common of names… All this time, we've been keeping secrets from each other. I wonder if he was going to tell me about his secrets… "Is he alright?"

"I don't know."

"Sam…"

"No, I really don't know." He shook his head. "I'm almost certain now that they have psychics working for them. The people I've touched know too much to not know more. These people are good at covering their tracks. For all I know, they're giving those of us they have captured lollipops and candy canes! What's so funny?"

"It's just… It's nice to see you… frustrated. It's nice."

"Yeah well, I just don't know what to do." Sam reverted back to his submissive manner as though I just hit him. Oh, how guilty can he make me feel!?

"I think we should leave here," he said.

"What? Why?"

"It's no safer here than it was at your apartment. And we'd be putting others at risk. I lived on the streets before, I can do it again. And we're more likely to learn more if we stay to the streets."

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"Now."

Again, feeling iffy about some stuff here so please comment. Tell me if your bothered or hate something. Really, I actually find negative stuff more comforting then positive. (as long as it's constructive)