Chapter 14

The rest of the day, Sam, Dean, John and Bobby basically walked around the house in a daze. All of them spent hours with their noses buried in books, looking for answers. But as they thought, they didn't come across anything new.

Sam decided to call it an early night that day because his lower back was really giving him problems. It felt like someone had kicked him right in the base of his spine. It was enough to make him cringe every time he sat down. So without talking to Dean or his father or Bobby about it, he just decided to sleep it off.

The following morning, Dean, John, and Bobby were up rather early knowing that Ellen and Jo would be there sometime that day, they just didn't know when that day.

The three men stood in the kitchen in uncomfortable silence as they each held a full coffee mug in their hands. John and Bobby stood with their backs pressed against the counter while Dean had his back at the table.

Truth be told, Dean didn't really get a good night's sleep last night. The whole time he would turn over from his makeshift bed on the floor on the living room to check on Sam who was sleeping deeply on the couch, just to check on him and make sure the kid was okay.

But then around three in the morning, Dean abandoned his attempts at sleep and had been on his feet ever since. He wasn't used to sleeping much more than three or four hours a night anyways.

John on the other hand, hadn't slept at all - he hadn't even attempted to. He just sat in the library pouring himself over about thirty different books. John had given up searching for The Beast of Bray Road and was now looking through Demonology texts to see if just by chance, one of the demons listed stayed around Wisconsin. Just so John could have that name at least.

But as usual, no such luck.

This morning in particular was actually pretty overcast. Bobby informed John and Dean that the forecast called for showers a little later, but for now it was just dark and cloudy. So of course there wasn't much light being let into the house, even for seven-thirty in the morning.

Taking in a deep breath, Dean turned his gaze toward his father as he sipped at his black coffee absently. He hoped his father started up a conversation soon, he wasn't sure he liked this silence. Hell, he didn't even care if John barked out an order, just as long as he spoke. But Dean noticed that he hadn't said much more than a couple of one-word sentences since Bobby told them that Ellen and Jo were coming.

Finally after almost an hour of maddening silence, Bobby cleared his throat loudly and spoke up. "So when are we gonna wake Sam up?"

Dean placed his mug on the counter, and sighed as he still kept his eyes on his father. "I'll do it."

With a weary eye-roll, Dean slipped into the next room where Sam was sleeping and got a look at his kid brother before disturbing his sleep.

In sleep, Sam looked almost normal as his hands were tucked beneath the pillow that propped his head up on the arm of the couch. His long brown mop of hair covered his pointed ears, and of course his eyes were closed – hiding the intent golden wolf-like eyes.

Dean wished in that moment that Sam didn't have to deal with this. If only he had been the one to get bitten instead of Sam. The kid wasn't equipped to handle something like this, he was too sensitive. His family was all aware of his sensitivity, and John actually used to give him a lot of crap for it.

He would yell and ridicule him for never participating in the actual kill. Sure Sammy would help with the hunts, do the research – things like that. But when it came to actually killing something, he wouldn't do it unless he honestly had no choice.

So now, here he was with two options. Number one, kill a child and eat his heart to rid himself of the curse and restore his humanity…or number two, he could let the curse take him. He could do nothing, and change into a monster – which he knew would ultimately result in a bullet to the head or heart from his brother, or his father.

Dean knew that he couldn't do it. No matter what form his little brother was in, no matter if he was lost in the subconscious of that animal for as long as that monster lived – he knew he couldn't kill Sam.

Sam made a small noise in the back of his throat that sounded like a mix between a grunt and a sigh as he rolled over onto his stomach and kicked off his thin blanket with a look of discomfort etched on his face. Once the blanket was in a heap on the floor, Sam's face relaxed as he slipped back into his sleep.

That's when Dean noticed something…weird.

Sam wore his gray boxers, and white t-shirt to sleep that night when usually he wore sweat pants. At first, honestly Dean hadn't thought anything of it. But now as he slowly approached his brother he saw much to his surprise why Sam may have been uncomfortable wearing sweat pants.

Dean's eyebrows mended together in genuine confusion.

Beneath his boxers and just above his buttocks was a lump that was actually moving back and forth. But that wasn't all, Dean noticed. Sam's long legs were covered in long, thick hair – not normal hair which was usually there. This was thicker, and darker, and in random patches in the back of Sam's leg, behind his knees, and even on his ankles.

But Dean was honestly more concerned with the moving lump in Sam's shorts! He had his suspicions, but he prayed he was wrong.

Careful not to wake his brother, Dean lowered his hands to the elastic of Sam's boxers that wrapped around his waist.

"Sorry, Sammy." Dean muttered to his sleeping brother, "This isn't what it looks like."

Slowly and gently, Dean then lowered Sam's shorts until the lump was revealed, but stopped before Sam's rear-end was in view. Dean's eyes opened wide as his suspicions were confirmed.

Dean saw that what caused the lump was actually a growth at the base of Sam's spine. It looked like a stump-like tail that you would see on a Manx cat…and that's when it clicked in Dean's brain.

The pain Sam had been talking about at the base of his spine made sense, Dean realized as he looked down at the red, raw, naked stub moving back and forth in a slow relaxed rhythm…it was a tail.

Quickly tearing his eyes away from it, Dean replaced Sam's boxers around his waist and then shuffled off into the kitchen where his father and Bobby were waiting for him looking bemused.

"Where's Sam?" Bobby spoke up, putting his mug of coffee to his face and taking a long sip.

"Sleeping." Dean said instantly.

"You went in there to wake him up, didn't you?" Bobby asked him, looking at Dean sympathetically…like a doctor would look at his mentally ill patient.

"Oh…right." Dean replied sounding monotone, his eyes still wide as he looked back and forth between his father and Bobby.

"Oh, right?" John asked, startling Dean a little, "What's going on?"

Taking in a deep breath to calm his shaking hands, Dean gave his father a pitiful look that sent his fear into overdrive to see such a look on Dean's face. John knew only two things could make Dean look so helpless; one – something happened to him (his father), and two – something happened to Sammy.

"Sam he uh…" Dean's words trailed off as he tried to think of a way to word what he had seen properly. But he was coming up empty. How could you possibly tell someone that your little brother was growing a freaking tail?

"He uh…?" John egged on impatiently.

"Sammy's growing a tail." Dean just spat out, flinching at his own words as if they had physically caused him harm.

Both John and Bobby glared at him in disbelief, which only angered Dean. Did they really not believe him? Why would he make such a thing up? They could go out there and see for themselves if they didn't believe him!

"A tail?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"Yes, a friggin tail!" Dean snapped suddenly more angry than he was poignant, "I know what a tail looks like, guys! Go look for yourselves if you don't believe me!"

With that, Dean stormed back into the living room where Sam was still fast asleep on the couch. He wasn't surprised when he heard his fathers' and Bobby's footfalls behind him.

To prove his point, Dean pointed to Sam's lower half silently. John's and Bobby's eyes averted to the wagging stump of a tail with wide eyes.

John moved toward his sleeping youngest carefully to get a better look. He did exactly what Dean had done just moments ago; he lowered Sam's boxers just to the point where he could see his sons' latest development. He – like Dean didn't seem as concerned about the thick hair as he was about the tail.

Seeing what his oldest said was true, John sighed as he rearranged Sam's underwear so he was completely covered up again.

And that's when Sam decided to open his sleep-filled eyes.

He yawned tiredly, exposing his sharper and now slightly longer incisors to his family before closing his mouth and shifting his eyes to look at everyone blearily.

"Wha'ssup?" Sam slurred sleepily as he sat up slowly.

Nobody missed his visible wince when he sat up fully. Sam's hand reached around to see what was making it so uncomfortable for him to sit properly, gasped loudly when he touched the raw skin on his new tail.

His wide golden eyes found his brother who was staring back at him sympathetically.

"When – um…" Sam begun in a whisper, his voice catching on his nervous breath abruptly, "When are Ellen and Jo getting here?"

"Sometime today was all they said." Dean replied in an equally low whisper, "But we should keep looking, before they get here."

Sam nodded and quickly got to his feet. Once standing, he was suddenly overtaken by a rush of vertigo and his mind went into a haze as his vision doubled.

Dean didn't miss Sam's distant look or his wavering form. "Sammy?"

Suddenly, Sam collapsed onto the ground with a loud 'thud'. Instantly, Dean, Bobby, and John were kneeling at his side as his unfocused golden eyes swerved around the room.

"Sam!" Dean called as he gently smacked Sam's face to get his eyes to focus on him and tell him what was wrong.

But in that instant, Sam broke out into a heavy sweat as the beaded liquid ran down his face and neck. Dean placed a hand on Sam's forehead, and immediately pulled it back.

"His fever's back." Dean announced sounding alarmed.

"Bathroom?" John wondered aloud worriedly.

"N-n-n-no!" Sam ground out between his violent shivers, "P-p-p-panic R-r-room!"

"What?" Dean demanded sounding surprised, "Why?"

To Dean's terror, Sam suddenly mustered up enough strength to grab the collar of his shirt and yank him down so that they were eye to eye with each other. Sam's gaze looked full of rage, and a certain frenzy Dean had never seen in his little brother before.

"Panic Room!" Sam ordered loudly, a deep threatening growl underlining his words, "NOW!"

Dean immediately understood what Sam was getting at the moment he released the collar of his shirt with a shove. He felt the thing seeping into his consciousness, and he didn't want to hurt anyone while he was out.

Without thought, Dean grabbed at Sam's upper half from beneath his armpits while John grabbed Sam's lower half from behind his knees. With Sam in their firm grasps, Bobby led them into the kitchen and to the door that led to the basement.

He then grabbed the doorknob, and yanked the door open so Dean and John didn't have to stop with their load who was now beginning to squirm in their hold.

"Hang on, Sammy." John pleaded in a whisper as he led Dean with Sam's upper half down the stairs without pausing.

Finally down in the basement, Sam's struggles and turned into full on thrashing and growling. Without having being told, Bobby instantly opened the large iron door that led to the Panic Room. Once there, John and Dean placed Sam down on the cement floor and made a break for the door, both were surprised when Sam actually got up and chased them out.

The moment John and Dean were outside of the Panic Room safely, John slammed the thick iron door shut right in Sam's face – earning him a long and loud frustrated howl.

Both in a sweat, and breathing hard from exertion, Dean and John opened the slot in the door to take a gander at Sam inside the room.

Both of them looked upon the wild animal that rode in Sam's skin with anger and sadness. 'Sam' was standing at the door still, even though it had shut in his face, as he watched them watching him.

A sadistic smirk formed on Sam's lips, showing off his sharpened teeth – which was just wrong, Dean thought to himself as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Didn't I tell you I'd be back?" 'Sam' growled dangerously.

Dean looked at what had become of his little brother with great trepidation, as his tears finally spilled over and ran freely down his cheeks.

The thought of Sam locked somewhere in his own mind made Dean sick to his stomach. However, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be for Sammy to find his way back to them this time.

I seem to have put Sam in a bit of another predicament haven't I? Oh dear...Haha.

But, unfortunately with this chapter I bring bad news. As most of you know Easter is just around the corner, and I am being forced to go away with my parentals for the break. I am however, bringing my laptop so maybe I can get a little bit done while I'm away. I leave Wednesday, so after Tuesday my updates will be pretty slow. :(

On another note - silverwolf1414, You have been reviewing literally every chapter, and you always say really kind things about my writing. I'm not one for singling people out usually, but you sign anonymously so I can never reply to you! Grr. Haha. Anyway - thank you, hon. Your words are very encouraging.

Basically that goes for everyone - I haven't gotten any bad reviews on this, so thank you to everyone who has reviewed! :D