Wisdom Reigns … Denial Remains
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the CW or the producers, cast and crew of Supernatural nor do any monies pass hands. I do however love to play with two certain brothers and return them in relatively good health.
Author's Note 1: Warning! This fic will contain very dark themes and violence, if it offends then don't read. Dean is 27 and Sam is 23 this story is set around season 2 but probably will not follow canon to the letter, so can be classed as AU if you like.
What happens when the brother you can see is not the brother you know?
Chapter 7: And he's buying a stairway to Heaven part 2.
Be wary of the shadow man in your dreams he may be standing next to you…
Then:
'Dean!' Caleb called again desperately trying to get the younger man's attention, 'Dean listen to me this aint real, none of it's real! Dean!' Horrified Caleb watched as Dean was released from his invisible restraints and dragged over to where Bobby waited for him.
'The Protector will fight the Destroyer, only one will win.' A voice announced carried by the wind. As the wind picked up in response the chant changed to 'only one will win,' and 'death is the end.'
'Dean!' Caleb tried to get his attention again but the chanting only grew louder and effectively blocked him. 'Stupid,' Caleb shook his head angry at himself for not realising it sooner, 'stupid, stupid, stupid idiot.' He berated himself as he strained against the apparently invisible restraints holding him to the rock. The force was gone after two attempts just as quickly as it came and Caleb found himself falling forward with no way of stopping his descent. 'The things I do for you Winchesters!'
Now:
Pushing himself up off the ground Caleb forced his way towards Dean and Bobby, the only thought in his mind was to stop the fight before they killed each other. So far it was an uneven fight with Bobby possessed by preternatural forces giving him strength and speed over Dean.
Using the momentum of his berserker rush Caleb launched himself at Bobby, knocking the possessed man to the ground he followed through with a smashing double-fisted punch to Bobby's jaw.
'What the hell Caleb?' Dean fumed as he became aware of the change to the fight, 'get outta here I have to do this for Sam.'
'No … You … Don't!' Caleb pushed the words out as he grappled with his friend, 'stop Dean and listen this is not real. None of it is real!'
'What the hell are you talking about?' Dean pushed himself away from Caleb and swiped at the blood trickling down the side of his face.
'Think Dean, it's all an illusion, this is not real!' Caleb yelled as the lightning intensified and the wind howled around their legs, 'look Dean, really look!'
Dean blinked a few times and stared around him, humouring his freaked out friend but as he concentrated fractures appeared on the horizon. 'What the hell is happening?'
S—D
Dean crawled over to where Sam was slumped against a wall, his chin resting on his chest and his long legs sprawled out in front of him. The fragile flesh on his wrists and ankles bore the cuts and bruises from iron cuffs fastened too tightly around them.
'Sammy? Dude you alright in there?' Dean put his fingers just under Sam's chin and tenderly tilted his face up, 'you with me Sam?'
'Dean?' Sam blinked and turned his sightless eyes to where Dean's voice came from, 'Dean?'
'Hey I'm right here Sam, right here,' Dean took Sam's right hand and lifted it to his cheek, he held it against his face for a brief moment as they forged an even stronger connection.
'Dean, Sam we have to get outta here.' Caleb said as he joined them with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
'Where are we … Caleb?' Dean asked as he helped Sam to his feet.
'As far as I can tell … ahh you're shitting me where in the car park of the motel,' Caleb said as he hurried around to Sam's other side and eased the younger man's arm around his shoulders, 'hey Dean do ya notice anything kinda strange?'
'Like there's no one else around yeah I did…' Dean answered as they slowly moved off with Sam slumped between them. 'Let's get Sammy to the impala?'
'The place was packed and now it's like a graveyard.' Caleb mused as he stared around cautiously.
'Ya don't think?'
'We need to get to the impala now!' Caleb said moving with a sudden sense of urgency, 'movement at ten o'clock.'
'Yeah saw it,' Dean tightened his grip on Sam's waist and arm as they hurried towards his baby, 'ahh damn it our stuff … the super soaker that's all still in the room.'
'We get Sam settled and I'll go back and get everything,' Caleb said as he braced Sam against his side while Dean unlocked the car, 'damn he's a heavy kid isn't he.'
'Yeah weird isn't it with all of the rabbit food he eats,' Dean managed a tired grin as he helped Caleb ease Sam into the backseat of the car.
'I'll be right back with our stuff but remember kiddo don't open the car door for anyone else.'
'Hey you're not old enough bad enough to be the old man,' Dean chastised his friend lightly, 'wait Caleb what about Bobby?'
'Dunno dude we'll have to come back for him but first things first we have to get Sam here to safety.'
S—D
Caleb moved stealthily along the veranda keeping to the shadows as he headed towards their now wrecked room. 'This is so freaking insane,' he muttered under his breath when he stopped by a window of one of the rooms and glanced inside; he saw about ten people men and women all standing in seemingly trance like states. They appeared to be unconscious until Caleb got a look at their eyes; all milky white and wide open.
Swallowing deeply Caleb ducked down and crawled past the window their room was just another room away but it seemed like ten miles to him as he came across another group of people the same as the others, looking as though they were waiting for something or someone.
Holding his breath Caleb slowly eased the door open, with his gun cocked and ready and slipped inside. He waited for two heartbeats and then moved further into the room, he could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise and without another thought dropped, rolled and came up in one fluid motion his gun aimed directly at the new arrival.
S—D
When he finally got Sam as comfortable as he could Dean locked both of the back doors and climbed into the front seat. Almost as an afterthought he locked the doors and then moved onto his knees so he could lean over the back of the bench seat to tend to Sam. 'Ah Sammy you hang in here with me, you hear me!' he said as he tenderly brushed an errant lock of hair from Sam's face and then cupped his cheek. 'You're lookin' so tired there kiddo.'
'D-De?' Sam frowned and twitched his nose, giving an impression of a four year old waking up from a nap. He sniffled and pouted a little as he fought the wakefulness.
'Hey, hey Sam no, no going back to sleep kiddo come on I need ya awake.' Dean said trying to keep his tone light but not over excited at the same time, 'time to wakey, wakey.'
'M'tired …De-Dean!' Sam's eyes snapped open, he started to hyperventilate as he gasped for air, 'Dean!'
'I'm right here Sammy, right here,' Dean said as he grabbed one of Sam's flailing hands and pulled it up to hold against his cheek, 'feel that, it's me Sammy I'm right here.'
'De-Dean?' Sam calmed slightly as his fingers traced the lines of his brother's face, 'can't see you.'
'I know Sammy but it's not permanent I promise ya Sam, when we get out of this we'll get your eyes all cleaned up and then what about we take a vacation?'
'M'tired D'n.' Sam slurred slightly as his hand slid down from Dean's face, 'gotta … no – no – no more please no more, leave me alone.' He cried out suddenly banging at the sides of his head with uncoordinated fists.
'No Sam calm down bro please calm down,' Dean cried out as he caught Sam's fists and pinned them to Sam's chest, 'ignore them, ignore the voices and just listen to me. Listen to my voice Sam and no one else, that's it bro you can do it.'
'Here to … zoo feeding … coming … he's coming … no, no Dean … listen … voices hurts…' Sam whimpered as he once again became lost in his own mind and tangled thoughts. Please Sam don't leave me! Dean refused to voice the thought as he tried to get his own emotions under control
'Where the fuck are you Caleb?' Dean growled his gravelly voice loud in the closed confines of the car; Sam whimpered and pulled away slightly as he felt the tension radiating from his Protector.
'Moth comes wants Tribute,' Sam pushed the words out as his mind cleared for the briefest of moments and lucidity was once again his. 'Demon controlling but not control … Taken Bobby … Mo-Moth …flames bad feeding time again …ARGH!'
S—D
'You can't kill me Caleb, you can't kill this meatsuit!' Bobby's voice had a singsong lilt to it as the demon riding inside him mocked Caleb. Flames flickered in the cold black eyes as it pushed Bobby's body closer towards Caleb who in turn backed up another step. 'We can dance like this all night if ya like aint gonna make any difference to me in the long run.'
'Why are you? I can't even believe that I'm questioning a freaking demon instead of plugging it full of holes,' Caleb wanted to pace to do something, anything except stand there and stare at the thing riding one of his best friends. 'I'm sorry Bobby,' he said as he lowered his gun slightly and without another thought shot out Bobby's right knee.
S—D
The gunshot made Dean jump and curse under his breath, torn between staying with Sam in the safety of the impala and going to check on Caleb, sure that the gunfire was not a good thing.
When he looked out the windscreen his dilemma was solved instantly, Caleb was doing a berserker rush towards the car, their bags slung over one shoulder, gun in one hand and the super-soaker in the other. Close behind him were men and women chasing him in utter silence they moved as one and if things weren't as dire as what they were Dean could swear that they were in their very own zombie movie.
Sliding in behind the wheel he took a second to enjoy the rumble of the impala as he started the car and threw it into gear, cursing he remembered locking the door just as Caleb was about to reach out, leaning across he pulled up the lock and had the car moving before Caleb was full inside it.
'Damn Dean can't ya wait until I'm in the fucking car?' Caleb yelled as he dropped the bags on the floor and guns on the bench seat between him and Dean.
'So what happened?'
'I shot Bobby!'
'You what?' Dean yelled as he wrestled the car back onto the road and sped away from the motel and their moth zombie attackers.
S—D
They drove in silence for nearly an hour until Sam started to thrash about in the backseat; his screams of pain tore through the silence like a razor blade. Panicked but still in control enough Dean guided his car onto the shoulder of the road far enough off the asphalt to make sure that they were safe and came to a skidding halt amid a cloud of dust and rocks.
Breathing heavily Caleb turned slowly and stiffly from where he had braced himself against the dashboard, 'what the hell?'
Before Dean could say anything Sam screamed again, his back arching off the seat as his body went into spasms so violent he cracked the window with his head. 'Sammy hey, hey calm down for me please bro calm down.' Dean leant over the seat and tried to pin his brother down but it was futile. 'Cal here take my place.' He said as he got out of the front and opened the back door just as the spasms stopped and Sam dropped heavily. Dean just managed to get his arms under Sam's shoulders and eased him down until his head was cradled on Dean's lap. 'Dean? Dean how is he?' Caleb asked as he moved to sit behind the wheel.
'I dunno Caleb, it's like … the further I get him away from the moth dude the worse he's becoming.' Dean looked up as the horror hit him, 'it's killing Sam, I'm killing him if I take him away from that place I'm gonna kill him.'
'Shit so what now? We can't take him back.' Caleb watched Dean carefully as the eldest Winchester brother looked like he was about to fall apart completely.
'We need to hole up somewhere, no further than here or maybe a little bit closer … fuck did I just say that?'
'Okay got a map?' Caleb asked as he scrubbed his hands over his stubbled scalp and then over his face to scrub the cobwebs away.
'Yeah should be either on the floor by ya feet or in the glove box.' Dean said as he returned his attention to his little brother, 'oh and Caleb scratch my baby and you and me are gonna have words.'
S—D
The only sound that could be heard in the night air was the rustling of wings, not a breath of wind or the sounds of the nocturnal animals and birds; nothing moved the world had seemingly stopped for the night.
It searched for its Tribute stolen away by the Protector because it had listened to the lying demon, the underworld dweller and it did not sit well. Thousands of years old it had survived by lore and tradition and it will not be denied the most perfect Tribute ever. Only one before, thousands of years ago one of its first, was as perfect and that had lasted for so long and it had been searching the world since trying to find another Tribute just like him.
Now, now the Gorathic moth dipped and wove through the trees and let out a strange half cry in glee, now it had found him again.
S—D
Caleb eased the impala into the abandoned camp grounds and drove until they were deep within the buildings; he pulled in between two large dorm-like ones and finally came to a complete stop.
Sam had finally stopped screaming and now whimpered incoherently cradled in his brother's lap, his fingers twisted in Dean's shirt hanging on as though it was the only anchor he had left with life.
'We're here Dean,' Caleb said albeit a little redundantly, 'and before you say anything no it's not Crystal Lake.'
'Oh funny haha.' Dean shook his head and then looked down at Sam, 'can ya give me a hand?'
'Yeah sure ahhh you wanna wait here with Sam while I scope out the place and find a good squat for the night?'
'Yeah okay, oh and if anyone comes at ya wearing a hockey mask…'
'I'll scream and run away.' Caleb shot back as he got out and stretched slightly; he took one last glimpse in at the Winchester brothers and then walked away shaking his head. He was constantly amazed by the Winchester brothers but never as much as what he was now.
Both were battered and bruised beyond belief, Sam's mental state was practically non-existent now and Dean's was pretty much destroyed too but they still clung to each other and kept the other one going no matter what. He gave a thought back to his discussion with Dean about wisdom reigning and shivers ran down his spine. Wisdom was as elusive as it was common place and yet the relationship between the two brothers defied any definition of the word.
He even questioned his own wisdom in aligning himself with the Winchester family and Bobby Singer but as quickly as the question entered his mind it was gone replaced with self-recriminations and even a little shame. If he was given the chance to turn back time it wouldn't make any difference; they were family, not blood but family just the same.
He quickly scoped out a smaller dorm at the rear of the property, it seemed to be in the best shape of all of them and had a small fireplace where he quickly made a smokeless fire, illuminating the room and bathing it in warmth. Satisfied with the fire, he quickly pulled some old mattresses towards it, bashing as much of the dust and dirt out of them as possible. Angry squawking from disturbed mice startled the seasoned hunter and then he laughed at something so absurdly stupid.
S—D
It took about thirty minutes for Dean and Caleb to get Sam out of the car and as comfortable as possible on the mattresses in front of the fire, and then for them to get everything the needed from the car and finally the windows and doors salted and warded. While Dean checked Sam for new injuries Caleb set about painting devil's traps on both ceiling and floors, not wanting to make them too obvious but enough so that they were protected from anything.
'We should get some sleep while we can,' Caleb said finally breaking the comfortable silence between them. 'I'll take first watch.'
'Says who?' Dean said as he stifled a yawn.
'I'm older so get over it,' Caleb said, 'lie down and get some shut eye kid I'll wake ya in two hours.'
'It'll be daylight soon, be safer then.' Dean mumbled as he finally gave in to the demands of sleep.
Caleb stoked the fire and set about cleaning their guns even though they were in pristine condition, it helped calm him and gave him something to concentrate on, other than sleeping anyway.
S—D
Sam felt the whisper of wings brush over his body making him shiver, it was here already and he knew it was time. Unable to fight it off anymore he silently gave in, knowing that it was safer for Dean and Caleb this way.
It wouldn't take long now to find him; the cocoon was starting to form again, he could feel it starting to encase his legs soon it would cover him completely and the moth will be there to take him. With as much control as he could muster Sam lifted his hand and touched Dean's cheek, he had to say goodbye before it was too late. 'Dean.' He pushed his brother's name past his frozen lips, 'Dean.'
'Sam?' Dean blinked and rubbed at the grit in his eyes, 'hey how you doing bro?'
'Dean … N-n-no time … fe-fe-feel it … b-b-bye.'
'NO! No Sam don't you dare, don't you say goodbye now.' Dean yelled angrily fisting Sam's shirt he pulled his brother up effortlessly, 'you are not going anywhere you hear me!'
'T-t-tired Dean no more…' Sam whispered his voice barely audible now as he felt the cocoon form itself around his chest, constricting his breathing, 'so … sorry De…'
'Sam!' Dean cried out his voice thick with unshed tears, as he watched his brother's eyes close and his body go rigid once again, 'fucking cocoon, aint no moth getting you Sam, not gonna happen not on my watch!'
'Dean … Dean is he…?'
'He's still breathing but it's like that cocoon is back,' Dean turned to look at Caleb his face set and emotionless, another wall firmly in place, 'tell me that you've got the stuff for the potion Cal.'
'All here ready to mix,' Caleb said steeling his own emotions, 'thought we might fill a few hollow points with it too just for good measure.'
'What about the demon riding Bobby?'
'Got the traps ready and an exorcism ready to go,' Caleb said with a small grim smile, 'we're gonna get Bobby back and save Sam you know that don't you Dean.'
TBC