Deuce and Damien
Chapter 15
Disclaimer: see chapter one

Mac stepped out of Jim's back door; his eye's searching the yard for his son. Descending the stairs he made his way toward the corral next to the barn. Caleb's back was to the house as he watched the horses running around. It had been nearly two weeks since that day in Bobby's junkyard, barely a week since he and Dean had been released from the hospital, coming to Jim's to recoup.

Mac had tried to keep the boys inside, though not as cold as South Dakota, the Kentucky winters were still colder than the Doctor cared for the boys to be out in. Caleb had dealt with the codling for a couple of days, but soon found himself feeling smothered as three grown men seemed to be hovering around his every move.

Since arriving at Jim's Dean had been sleeping in Caleb's bed, even when John would put the boy down to sleep in his own, the five-year old would eventually find his way to the teen. John had hoped with Dean speaking in the hospital, he would start talking more, but only an occasional 'daddy' and 'okay' in response to how he was feeling, the young child had remained quiet around everyone except Caleb. Mac would find John standing outside the teen's room, listening to them talk, happy that the child was finally speaking, but a clearly heartbroken that it wasn't to him. Mac assured him that it was progress and that soon enough Dean would start communicating more with others.

However now, as Mac crossed the yard, it was the lack of communication from his own son that worried him. The teen had spoken little of the illness that had nearly cost him his life or that of the little boy he had undoubtedly helped save when they took refuge in the tool shed on Bobby's property. Stopping next to the fence the Doctor glanced at his son, before looking at the horses. Caleb's quiet voice broke the silence between them. "This is one of the places he comes to feel safe."

Mac turned and looked at his son, "Who?"

Caleb faced his father; tears' filling his eye's as he could still clearly remember what had taken place in Dean's 'dreamscape'. "Deuce. When I was with him, this is one of the places he came. He said he felt safe here."

The only thing the teen had revealed to his father was that during the time both boys were unconscious that they had somehow been together inside Dean's mind, but Caleb hadn't elaborated. "What were the other places?"

Mac was curious as to what his son experienced, not only because the teen's abilities had some how allowed him to remain with the five-year old, but that Caleb had appeared to be struggling with how to deal with what he apparently saw. Caleb stepped away from the fence, making his way to the picnic table nearby. "First we were in Sammy's nursery."

"What?" Mac wasn't sure it that was a good thing, John had given details of what he remembered from that night, but never mentioned that Dean had been anywhere but in the hallway.

"At first everything was normal, Mary was rocking Sammy, singing to him, Deuce was on the floor in front of the chair, rocking along with her. He said that was what he liked to remember." Caleb looked up as a tear finally slipped free. "Then he got scared and covered his face and the room changed to what John's told you, the fire and her on…" Caleb stopped as he palmed his eye's, the images he had seen of Dean's mother in the memory seemed to morph into the final images the boy had of his own mother's death.

Mac reached out, putting a hand on his son's shoulder, "its okay."

"No, it's not…" Caleb looked up, pain on his face, "Deuce saw what happened to his mother. John never realized the kid saw everything." Caleb stood up and started pacing, "He watched her die Mac, do you have any idea how that is? How that feels? Trust me, I totally understand why the kid shutdown after that, I did the same damn thing after my folks. My grandmother said I didn't talk for over a year, it's like watching my childhood all over again and there is no way to take that pain away from him, it's a part of him, forever."

Mac stood approaching his son, pulling him into his arms, surprised when the boy didn't pull away. It tore at Mac's heart when he felt his son shutter, a quiet sob escaping the teen, who was obviously reliving his own nightmare. "But he has something to help him that you didn't."

It was a moment before Caleb pulled back and looked at his dad, "What?" The look in the golden gaze, told Mac that his son would do anything to try and relieve the pain the smaller child was in.

"He's got you." Mac answered.

"What?" The teen clearly not making the connection.

"He's got you Son. Though I've wished everyday that you hadn't had to experience what you did before you came to me, you know the pain he is feeling, the fear, the loss. You are the only person who can try and help him see past that…" Mac took his son's face in his hands, "that there is hope of overcoming it. It may never go away, but you can help him see that it's okay to go on, to live again, to laugh again. That no matter what, he should focus on the good memories his has of his mother, not the horrible way she was taken from him." Mac looked intently into his son's golden gaze, "He has you."

Caleb stepped back, "Your brother will come from another." he whispered as he turned to look back at the horses.

"Caleb?" Mac stepped closer, trying to understand the boy's mumbled words.

"I saw my mom in the junkyard." Caleb turned, facing Mac, confusion on the older man's face. "She told me my abilities were my own, that I was the best of her and my dad. When I told her I never got to find out about the baby, she said my brother would come from another. Dad, I think, no I know Deuce is meant to be that brother. She said I'd find him and protect him." turning back toward the corral Caleb's voice again lowered, "I was willing to die to stay with him and keep him safe."

It felt like a block of ice had settled in Mac's stomach at the nearly whispered comment. Mac knew he had been so close to losing his son those first two days, but the sound of the boy's voice brought that terrifying feeling back full force. "What do you mean you were willing to die to keep him safe?"

"When we came here, Mary showed up." Caleb watched his father pale. "Deuce told me his mom had never been here before. She said she came because he needed her. I knew me and Deuce had to be in bad shape if we were both in his safe place together, but it wasn't until I saw her that I thought about the real possibility that Deuce could be dying." Walking back to the table Caleb retook his seat, Mac following. "He kept saying his wanted to stay with her, that he missed her. I asked her if Deuce was dying and she said it was up to him."

Mac ran his hand over his face. "If he had chosen to stay with his mother, he would have died." It was a statement made out loud as Mac tried to wrap his mind around the whole thing.

Caleb nodded slightly, "And if he had stayed I was going to stay with him. I couldn't leave him after I realized he was who my mom had told me about. He's my little brother; I had to protect him, even if it meant I died too."

"Oh God." Everything seemed to fall into place at once with Mac and he put his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. His son had been willing to die to make sure Dean was safe wherever he was. After taking a few minutes to compose himself, Mac sat up, looking at his son. "What made him decide to come back? To leave his mother?"

"He got scared when I mentioned to Mary that he didn't understand what it would do to his family if he died. It was then Deuce put it all together, up until then he thought Sammy and his dad could come there too, that they could be a family again. It was then he understood he would have to leave them to stay with her." Caleb looked toward the pond, remembering the child's dash to what he felt was the safety of the water. "It was then he took off."

"What do you mean 'took off'?" Mac asked.

Pointing in the direction of the water Caleb continued, "He made his way to the boat before we could catch him, he was scared. I tried to get to him, but the water stopped me."

Mac held up his hand, "What do you mean the water stopped you?"

"That one I don't have an answer for, all I know is I tried to get to him and a wall of water surrounded the pond, stopping me from reaching him. It literally knocked be backwards. After what seemed like forever the wall dropped and the boat was brought back to shore. When Mary got him out he said he wanted to go back to his dad and Sammy and I guess that's when we woke up in the hospital." Sensing something, Caleb looked up toward the house. Mac followed his son's gaze and saw Dean standing inside the screen door, looking toward them. Caleb raised his hand, the smaller boy waving in response. Caleb looked at his father as he stood, "Deuce wants to talk."

The Scholar still didn't know how strong the connection between the two boys had become by their ordeal and it was still a mystery how some of Caleb's abilities worked, but he saw in his son's face the need to take care of the small child, that Dean's well-being would become his number one priority. Mac stood, stepping to his son, again pulling him into a hug, one the teen returned with nearly the same strength, "I love you Son."

"Love you too Dad." Caleb whispered as he was released from his father's grip. Mac watched the teen jog back toward the house; Dean's face lighting up as Caleb pulled the back door open and entered. The story his son just told him confirmed a feeling the Doctor had in the hospital, while the boys were still fighting for their lives. There existence had been tied together, Mac had known on some unexplainable level that both boys would either live or die together and as he slowly made his way back to the house, he was so very glad they chose to live.