Road Less Travelled

Disclaimer: Sigh nope still nothing ... hmm what to do?? Okkies I promise I will send em home after I finish playing with my boys!!

CHAPTER TWELVE

'Touch my brother again and you will be touching the inside of your own ass.' A deathly cold and quiet voice came from behind Cornase, turning the demon stared first at the muzzle of the gun aimed directly at his chest and then at the face behind it.

'Dean, Dean, Dean so good to see you can still hold a gun.'

'Move away from Sam now.' Dean said his voice devoid of any emotions, 'move and I will be kind.'

'Now, is that any way to talk to the one who can save your brother's life?'

'Get the fuck away from him now.' Dean took a step closer and at the sametime pulled the trigger, his aim true and the bullet hit Cornase's shoulder directly above his supposed heart. 'Next one to that empty head of yours.' Dean snarled his upper lip curling in disgust, 'Sam you alright?'

'Dammit Dean, what?' Sam blinked and tried to grasp what his brother was saying as well as what had just happened. Dean rescued him again. Once again, the pathetic Sam Winchester was too weak to look after himself. Sam swallowed deeply and half crab crawled half dragged himself to a sitting position against the tree, breathing heavily from the effort it took, Sam blinked and squinted up at his brother, 'what?'

'What the fuck do you think you were doing Sam?' Dean growled, he wanted to both hug his brother and strangle him for making him worry, 'fuck Sam.'

'I'm fine Dean.'

'Yeah I can see that.'

'Hey you two,' Cornase broke into the bickering, 'ah shot demon here.'

'Yeah well I can fix that.' Dean took aim again but this time he aimed directly at the centre of Cornase's chest.

Cornase blanched gave Sam a look of regret, 'I'll be back for you my pretty one,' he whispered before disappearing into a puff of black smoke. The host body slumped lifelessly to the ground, already dead long before the shooting and the demon possession.

'What the fuck do you think you were doing Sam?' Dean thundered as he dropped to his knees next to Sam and start to look for injuries.

'Nothing Dean coz that's all I'm good for now isn't it.' Sam snarked back, his anger and humiliation flooding out in a rush of emotion. 'Poor crippled and deaf Sam can't do a fucking thing. Can't even leave the house on his own coz he's so fucking pathetic.'

Dean sat back on his haunches in shock as he heard his brother's rant, filled with self-loathing, doubt but above all fear. 'Sammy?'

'Dammit Dean how can I go on like this? No one wants to know me anymore, I'm just the pathetic guy in a wheelchair.'

'Sam that's not true.' His anger diminished as quickly as it started when he saw the look of despair shining in his brother's painfilled eyes, 'come on let's get you home.'

'No.'

'No? Sorry Sam I didn't think that I was the one with a hearing problem I thought you just said no.'

'I can't go back, you can just pass me my crutches.' Sam insisted setting his jaw he glared up at his brother daring him to fight back.

'What are you playing at Sam? You can barely hold your head up man.'

'Dean I have to be here ... I have to do this.'

'This what is this? What the hell is so important that you would risk your health for?'

'I have to find that little girl.'

'Your vision?' Dean stood up and started to pace, angrily swiping the sweat on his face, 'you're risking everything, you're health fuck your life all because of a freaking vision?'

'Yeah well last time I looked that's what we're supposed to be doing. Protecting innocents. Sam shot back levering himself up the tree he stood braced against the hard bark breathing heavily from the exertion. 'Dean ... I'm tired, I'm tired of being a victim of being helpless. I just want my life back.'

'I hear ya bro, I do and I understand but geeze Sam you gotta understand that you have to take it slow.'

'Yeah right, how much slower should I go? Even a fucking snail would beat me.' Sam snorted, 'can ya at least give me my crutches back?'

'Yeah sure.' Dean picked up the aides and passed them to Sam, 'how the fuck did you manage to get all the way here without help?'

'Slow meticulous steps.'

'Meticulous huh?' Dean grinned, 'that sounds rather kinky.'

'Dean!' Sam shook his head and stared at his brother for a minute, 'sorry I took off on ya.'

'I know but don't expect me to apologise to ya for whaling on ya just then, coz I meant it.'

'Jerk.' Sam tried for calm but instead sounded even weaker than before. 'I'll be back later.'

'Nope speedy not so fast.' Dean held tightly to Sam's left arm anchoring him, 'not going anywhere without me buddy so deal.'

'Dean!'

'No I mean it Sam.'

'No Dean look.' Sam nodded to a spot behind his brother; Dean turned and looked in the same direction where he saw the little girl with long blonde hair and a puppy chasing after her. 'That's her.'

'Shit, okay we got rid of Cornase for now but Merci.' Dean scanned the area and then turned to look at his haggard looking brother, 'Sam I gotta get you back dude.'

'Don't you dare.' Sam ground out as he finally managed to tug his arm free from Dean's iron-grip and started towards the little girl.

Dean cussed under his breath and hurried after his younger brother, 'dammit Dean.'

'Hey my name's Sam ... I like your puppy what's his name?' Sam asked putting his nicest and most trusting smile on his face.

'Sarah.' The little girl said shyly, 'my puppy is Princess.'

'Course she is.' Dean muttered, 'hey Sarah my name's Dean do you live around here?'

'Uhhuh, my momma and me we live in that house over there.' Sarah pointed to a small cottage surrounded by a lush rose garden. 'We moved in last week.'

'How old are you Sarah?' Sam asked as he petted the little dog.

'I'm eight years old.' She said proudly, 'we're you from?'

'We're staying at the clinic.'

'Ah okkies, what's wrong with you?'

'I ah got hurt but I'm getting better, umm Sarah there's a really nasty lady around here, it might be safer if you go home and stay there.' Dean said crouching down to look at the little girl, she could easily pass as Mickie's sister.

'How come?'

'We don't want you to get hurt.'

'Are you a police man?'

'Something like that, do you want us to take you home to talk to your momma?'

'Nah it's okay, come on Princess.' Sarah called to her puppy, waved goodbye to the brothers and then ran back to her home, 'Momma!'

'Come on Sam let's get outta here.' Dean said as he watched the little girl disappear into the house, 'let's get you back.'

'Dean ... how can we ... how can we stop her?'

'We'll find a way Sammy we always do.'

'Cornase claimed that he gave me that vision, to lure me out, that it was a trap.' Sam blurted out, 'I screwed up again.'

'No, no you haven't think Sam, if Cornase fed you that vision it was for a reason, the girl exists ... you saw her here just as you did in the vision there's more to it than just wanting to lure you out.'

'This stinks Dean.'

'Yeah it does to high heaven let's get back and regroup.' Dean glanced around and then shepherded his brother back to the impala. 'There's my girl.'

'Dean!' Sam shook his head, 'Dean!'

'Sam?' Dean ran back to his brother just in time to catch Sam as he toppled backwards, 'Sammy?'

'Ah hurts, head ... ah!' Sam cried out as another vision assailed him.

S—D

Bobby paced the driveway of the clinic like a man possessed or rather obsessed, when they had found Sam gone he thought that Dean was going to lose it altogether. Thankfully little Mickie was asleep and didn't witness her father's rather violent melt down. Now both the boys were gone who knows where and Bobby felt more than just little frustrated.

'Where the hell are ya?' Bobby barked into his cell answering it after only one ring.

'Bobby ... I found Sam, I'll explain everything when we get back.'

'What is it Dean?'

'Sam's had another vision, this one was worse than the last. He ahh hasn't come back around.'

'Where are you? I'll come to you?'

'We're in the impala, we'll be back in a few minutes, might be an idea to have the doc waiting and ah Bobby I have a feeling that we're coming in hot.'

'What now just one danged minute, whatcha mean by coming in hot?'

'Not sure but Cornase has already tried to take Sam, and I have no idea on where Merci is.'

'Okay boy, just get yerselves back here and we'll do the rest.'

'Thanks Bobby.'

Ten minutes later the impala skidded to a stop in the garage, Bobby sealing inside with the roller door before running to help Dean struggle with an unconscious Sam.

'Doc help him please.' Dean implored Lewis as the young doctor appeared in the doorway linking the house and garage.

'In here quickly, Bobby and I have set up a room, they shouldn't be able to harm Sam in there.' Lewis replied mysteriously.

Between Dean and Bobby they managed to get Sam into the specially protected room and lying comfortably on the bed. 'He hasn't regained consciousness since the vision.' Dean said unable to take his eyes from his brother's pale face, 'he went into convulsions and then ...'

'He's gonna be fine Dean.' Lewis smiled and patted the distraught brother's arm, 'I have a feeling that Maggie is gonna need you, that daughter of yours is truly hyperactive.'

'Nice try Doc, but Az will be around somewhere to help, she's never far away.'

'Last I saw of her, she was a big fat tabby lying under the lemon tree.' Bobby shook his head; he could never quite understand the animal spirit.

'De-De'n?' Sam moaned and tried to open his eyes, he could hear voices in the background but they were muffled and mingled together indistinguishable to him.

'Sammy?' Dean breathed and hurried to his brother's side, carefully lowering himself onto the side of the bed he took Sam's hand in his own and with his other brushed the long fringe away. 'Sammy?'

'Dean?' After a few more aborted attempts Sam managed to get his eyes open, blearily he blinked and stared up at his brother, 'what happen?'

'Sam you feeling okay?' Lewis came into his line of sight, 'hey Sam.' He touched his patient's arm and tried to get his attention.

'Huh?' Sam rolled his head stiffly and tried to focus on Lewis, 'wha' L-Lew?'

'Damn.' Lewis muttered repeatedly as he examined Sam and then he moved away from the bed and indicated for Dean and Bobby to follow.

'What?' Both hunters demanded at the same time.

'Sam needs an MRI, at least a CAT scan, I need to do more tests but I think ... I think that he may have had a stroke.'

'A what?' Dean blinked furiously as he tried to take in what the doctor was saying.

'A stroke, but ... it didn't follow any normal patterns and symptoms ... following the vision I hesitate to say this given my lack of expertise in the area but it seems to be unnaturally brought on.'

'So you're saying something supernatural caused Sam to have a stroke?' Dean ran his fingers through his short spikes and then looked up at the others horrified as he realised what Sam was telling him before. 'Cornase tried to take Sam before, he – he told Sam that he gave him the vision, the one before this to lure him out of here. Then when we get rid of him, Sam has another one and now ... has a stroke.'

'So demonic interference once again.' Bobby snapped, 'dang it all, dang it all to hell.'

'De?' Sam's soft voice filled the room, 'Merci ... Sarah ... Mickie.' The soft slur on each name sent shivers down Dean's spine and he turned his back on the others and returned to his brother's side: Where he belonged and will continue to belong.

TBC