Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 15

Sam hovered at Dean's side, his brother still unconscious on the bed from the reaper's attack and having magic transferred into him. Rowena smiled at the sight even as she moved to check him over. The Reaper had done no lasting damage thankfully and the magic was settling into him well, connections into his mind, body and soul forming as expected. "Will he be alright?" Sam asked softly, and she kissed him gently.

"He'll be fine Sammy," she promised. "He just needs to sleep and let the magic assimilate." She ran her fingers through his hair and Sam closed his eyes, relaxing at her touch. "Come to bed, you're worn out," she murmured, running her lips across his throat and Sam found himself nodding, letting her lead him to the other bed. He was tired from the fight and then ripping Sue Anne's magic from her but too wired to sleep. Rowena stripped them both and lay him down before kissing him, caressing his body with her hands, arousing him and Sam moaned in pleasure as she moved down his body. When she was done he drifted off to sleep and she smiled, running her fingers through his hair again. It was empowering to be able to that. She settled in herself and went to sleep.

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For three months Rowena and Sam worked hard with Dean, teaching him to use the magic he now had. It was hard for Dean, he hadn't been born with magic and Sue Anne had been a student witch, self-taught so there were some differences in his magic to theirs, including being the weakest of the three. And having magic of his own hadn't changed his fate, he was still at the mercy of the slave bond and days where he could do nothing but obey. In that time, they took care of a few more local hunts and a hunter, but Rowena was noticing a worrying trend, young men and women all the same age as Sammy were either dying or vanishing. This would need some investigation.

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Between the three of them they had tracked down the next likely person on the list of people like Sammy. Rowena had confirmed that Jess' potion had removed most of the blood, but not all of it. As long as he wasn't given more it would do nothing but sit in his body. The person they were looking for was one, Max Miller. They had found out that his mother had died in the same way as Mary Winchester. They were a day away when they came across the report of Jim Miller, Max's father, death in an apparent suicide.

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"It was wonderful of you to stop by. The support of the church means so much right now," Mrs Miller offered a tired, sad, smile.

"Of course. After all we are all God's children," Dean offered, the illusion of the black clothes of a priest in place.

She walked away, and Dean immediately took more cocktail sausages from the coffee table. Chewing contentedly, he looked at Sam who was shaking his head fondly. "What?"

"Just...tone it down a little bit, Father."

"I can't believe I'm even wearing this as an illusion," Rowena muttered, her hair covered by a nun's veil. They fell silent as Mrs Miller returned.

"So Ms Miller, did you husband have a history of depression?" Sam asked gently.

"Nothing like that. We had our ups and downs like everyone, but we were happy," she broke down at that. "I just don't understand...how Jim could do something like this."

"I'm so sorry you had to find him like that," Rowena clasped her hands gently, acting the part of a novice nun.

"Actually, our son Max, he was the one who found him." She didn't mention that she was his stepmother, she had raised him after all.

Sam looked through the doors into the dining room and saw Max sitting in the corner, staring into space. "Do you mind if maybe, I go talk to him?"

"Oh, thank you Father."

Sam smiled and got up, going to talk to the other young man and as soon as he got close enough he felt it, Max carried demon blood as well, a lot more than Sam himself did thanks to Jess.

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"So, Max is definitely one of the demon's kids?" Dean asked from where he was sprawled on the hotel bed.

"Definitely," Sam said as he set the food out. "I've never felt anything like that from a person before." And it scared him that he felt like that to any of them who could sense it. He felt Rowena's hand gently caress his shoulder and he realised she had sensed his fear.

"You are nothing like them," she murmured in his ear, wrapping her arms around his waist and Sam sagged a little in her hold, eyes falling shut as he soaked up her belief in him, able to feel Dean's love as well.

Rowena held Sammy, feeling his uncertainty. Taint could grow very easily, Sam would have to be careful for eternity, but at least it was too weak for the demon to use against him. "We will stop this demon Sam, he will never use you," she swore.

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"Roger Miller is dead," Sam called as he entered the hotel room, sighing when he saw Dean kneeling at Rowena's feet. It was more difficult when Dean relapsed during a hunt, although it was better now that there were three of them. He walked over to Dean and gently ran his fingers through his hair, smiling when Dean leant against his leg.

"How?" Rowena asked, looking up from her book.

"Decapitated by his apartment window," Sam grimaced, it had not been a pleasant sight.

"Could it be Max?"

"Telekinesis?" Sam asked, and she nodded. "Why kill his own family?"

"You want to kill John, do you not? Maybe there's more to this family than there seems."

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"My Mom's resting, she's pretty wrecked," Max told them as he let Sam and Rowena into the house.

"Of course," Rowena smiled at the young man.

"All these people kept coming with like, casseroles? I finally had to tell them all to go away. You know cause nothing says I'm sorry like a tuna casserole," he shrugged and Sam smiled understandingly so Max smiled back. He gestured at the lounge and they all sat in silence for a few moments.

"How you holding up?" Sam asked softly.

"Ok."

"Your dad and your uncle were close."

"Yeah I guess. I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little."

"But not lately much?" Rowena asked curiously.

"No, it's not that. It's just...we used to be neighbours when I was a kid, and we lived across town in this house. Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time."

"Right. So how was it in that house when you were a kid?" Sam leant forward a little and Max lean closer as well, drawn to him.

"It was fine. Why?"

"All good memories? Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle maybe?" Rowena asked gently, while she thought it was the boy behind things it was possible there was another explanation.

Max shook his head, "What do ya...why do you ask?"

"Just a question," she smiled at him.

"No, there was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy."

"Good. That's good. Well you must be exhausted. We should take off," Sam offered, standing. They left the house and went back to the car. "No one's family is totally normal and happy. See when he was talking about his old house?"

"He sounded scared," she agreed, glancing back at the house.

"Yeah Max isn't telling us everything. I say we go find the old neighbourhood, find out what life was really like for the Millers."

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Dean woke up, feeling Sammy behind him, an arm around his waist and when he opened his eyes he found Rowena asleep in front of him. He'd had one of those days, he could tell now when they had happened, even if he didn't know they were going to happen before hand. He could remember what happened on those days now, he couldn't before, they would just be blank. Part of him craved those days, to be completely controlled by them, to be cared for like that. No worries, nothing. But he also knew he was more useful as he as at the moment. He felt the arm around his waist shift, fingers gently caressing his side and he shifted even closer.

"Morning Dean," Sam murmured, pressing his lips to Dean's neck, feeling him shiver.

"Morning Sammy," Dean answered. "Did I miss anything?"

"Roger Miller is dead," Sam answered as his other hand began caressing Dean's skin.

Dean couldn't help the small moan as he relaxed in Sammy's hold, eyes falling half closed.

Rowena woke at the sound of a moan of pleasure and smiled as she saw her boys, Dean utterly pliant in Sammy's hold as his brother caressed him. They were beautiful together and all hers. She had a family now that would never leave her. she leant in and kissed Dean deeply, seeing his eyes fall closed as he gave himself over completely to the sensations their touches gave. She stroked him, and Dean groaned, head back, giving Sam access to his throat where he kissed and nipped the skin. He was putty in their hands and they were going to enjoy him.

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"Hi Max," Sam called as he approached the other male, without his priestly illusion.

"Father," Max greeted, shifting his grip on the shopping bags.

"Need a hand?"

"Thanks," Max let him take some of the bags.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay I guess…" he shrugged, something about this Priest felt safe, familiar, like family? He wanted to tell him everything, but he couldn't! no one would ever believe what he could do, what they had done to him.

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"Have you lived in the neighbourhood very long?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, almost 20 years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you looking to buy?" the guy asked, looking at the trio of young people.

"No, no, actually, we were wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street I believe," Dean offered.

"The Millers, they had a little boy called Max," Rowena added with a coy smile for the older man.

"Yeah I remember. The brother had the place next door. So uh, what's this about, is that poor kid ok?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well in my life I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean I'd hear Mr Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar outta Max. Bruises. Broke his arm two times that I know of. "

"This was going on regularly?"

"Practically every day. In fact, that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy but the worst part was the stepmother. She'd just stand there, checked out, not lifting a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times. Never did any good."

"Now you said step-mother?" Dean frowned, there had been no mention of that.

"I think his real mother died. Some sorta...accident. Car accident I think," he told them and then looked at Sam who was grimacing slightly in pain. "Are you ok there?"

"uh, yeah," Sam winced, what was wrong with him?

"Thanks for your time," Rowena called as Dean grabbed a suddenly wobbly Sam.

"Yeah, thank you," Dean called as he helped Sammy to the impala.

"God…." Sam groaned in the back seat and Rowena began whispering spells. She frowned as she found something… the blood, it was stirring, linking…the boy.

Sam looked up at her and the world began spinning. He was suddenly in the Miller's kitchen. Ms Miller was chopping vegetable with a large knife.

"I don't know what you mean by that. You know I never did anything!" she said as she put the knife down.

"That's right. You didn't do anything. (the knife starts to rattle on the chopping board) You didn't stop them, not once," max told her as the knife began to float.

"How did you..." she backed into the wall, eyes wide with fear, as the knife began to move forward, holding her against the wall. "Max! please!" The knife twisted in front of her face, coming close enough to her eyeball to pierce the tear there so it ran down her cheek. She gasped in terror.

"For every time you stood there and watched. Pretending it wasn't happening," he cried out, sobs lodged in his throat.

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. You just don't wanna die," he stated as she gasped and cried before knife sliced right through her eye and out the back of her head.

Sam gasped as the world solidified again, seeing terrified green eyes over Rowena's shoulder even as she gently stroked his brow.

"Just breath Sam," she soothed, and he grabbed her wrist.

"It's Max, he's going to kill her."

"Dean, drive," she called as she got them settled in the back and Dean began driving, heading for the Miller house.

They parked and scrambled out, going to the trunk to pull out supplies, weapons and a certain potion Rowena had decided they needed to keep in stock, in case they ran into others like Sam.

Dean knocked on the door and Max opened it, they didn't give him the chance to do anything, Sam putting him out with a spell while Dean dealt with his step mother. Dean moved the woman to her bedroom to sleep in safety after altering her memories, while Sam forced the potion down Max's throat and Rowena grabbed a bowl.

"I don't envy him this," Sam muttered.

"That bad?" she asked, and Sam shuddered. He quickly grabbed Max and rolled him over as he began fitting and Rowena shoved the bowl under his head. Eventually he began throwing up, the potion expelling as much of the blood as possible. Finally, he was done, and they used a spell to remove all memory of ever having powers. As far as the two of them would remember, the two men's deaths would have been caused by whatever the police decided. It was tempting to give Max a happier childhood but that was meddling beyond what was morally correct. The three of them then began laying protections over the house, to ensure that if any demon wanted to get to them, it couldn't do so inside the house.

They left the house and returned to the hotel to pack up and move on. "We need to find them all," Sam murmured as he drove.

"Sammy?" Dean asked curiously.

"The demon wants us all for a reason, I think we should ensure that doesn't happen," Sam explained.

Rowena thought it over, it was risky, the demon would work it out sooner or later and come after them. But the three of them together were more than a match for any demon. "Agreed."

"Sure," Dean agreed without even considering since it was what they wanted.

TBC…