Hello all. First of all, I want to thank everyone who is reading this story and a special thank you to all of you who are taking the time to send me a comment. I appreciate it so much. Second, I know it has been quite a long time since I posted a chapter and I'm sorry about that. Three weeks ago my father passed away unexpectedly. It's been crazy these past weeks and things are finally starting to settle down. I have not had time, or the frame of mind to work on the next chapter so it may be awhile before I am able to post chapter 4. I will work on it as much as I can and will get it posted as soon as I can. Thank you for understanding.

Cindy

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May 24, 2003 – Somewhere south of San Francisco

"Well, that's just freakin' great!" Dean hissed as he leaned his head out of his open window and narrowed his eyes on the long string of cars ahead of them. "What the hell is going on?!" he added as he drew his head back in and turned to his brother behind the wheel.

"Beats me…probably a wreck or something," Daniel answered with a shrug.

"We're never gonna make it to San Francisco at this rate!"

"Dean, we'll get there. Just relax…it's not like we're on a schedule or anything," Sam said from behind his brother.

Dean turned and scowled at the younger man. "You may not be on a schedule, but I sure the hell am! There are girls in San Francisco, Sammy…girls that don't know that someone like me exists. It is my obligation to bring this awesomeness to them! This traffic jam is denying all those hotties the best they've ever seen!"

"Oh brother! Modest much, Dean?" Daniel quipped with a light chuckle.

Dean glanced over at his brother, eyebrow lifted and shrugged. "I'm merely stating a fact, Danny. Just 'cause your jealous doesn't mean you have to try to bring me down," he said.

"What exactly would I have to be jealous of? I have no trouble at all attracting the ladies," Daniel stated.

"Well, I have to beat 'em off with a stick there's so many of 'em," Dean scoffed.

Sam laughed from the back seat then grabbed the handle on the door and pushed it open. "I think I should give you two some privacy," he said as both his brothers turned and eyed him quizzically. "Besides, it's getting pretty deep in here," he added with a wide grin.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, the young man doing his best to hide the sudden nervousness he felt.

"I'm just going to walk up the highway a bit to see if I can find out what's happened," Sam answered. "I'll be fine, Dean."

"What? I know you'll be fine…sheesh, Sammy. Like I care if you want to take a walk," Dean snapped.

"Yeah…okay," Sam said with a shake of his head. He shut the door and began to walk up the side of the highway, the young man soon disappearing from sight behind a large semi-trailer.

Dean nonchalantly leaned back in his seat and pretended not to care that he couldn't see his little brother anymore. He turned when he heard his older brother chuckle. "What?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"He's a big boy, Dean. He'll be fine," Daniel said, all the while watching the last spot he'd seen his little brother before he'd slipped beside the big rig.

Dean grinned as he straightened in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatcha lookin' for, big brother?" he asked mischievously. "A certain little brother by chance?"

Daniel scoffed and turned his eyes on Dean. "No…I'm just looking. Man, there's a lot of friggin' cars!"

"Uh huh…whatever," Dean said.

"Whatever, Dean. Like I said, Sam's a big boy. He can take care of himself…saved our asses in New Mexico that time…remember?"

Dean shuddered at the memory and cast his eyes back to the big rig. "Yeah, I remember. I also remember he almost died. That lunatic doctor cut him up pretty bad," he whispered as his hand reached for the door handle. A gentle grasp on his arm stopped him from opening the door. He glanced over at Daniel and smiled sadly.

"We have to let loose a little bit, Dean. I know it's hard…believe me I do, but he needs for us to give him a little slack," Daniel explained softly.

"It's more than hard, Danny. With everything that's happened? The Wilcoxs'…Randy Gregory…Torrence? It just seems there's so many assholes trying to take him away from us. How can we let loose? If we do, there'll be something or someone else ready to spring and I for one won't take that chance! Not with Sammy," Dean cried, his green eyes sweeping over the cars ahead of them, his body visibly relaxing when Sam's tall form appeared from beside the semi and began to walk their way.

Daniel followed Dean's gaze and smiled in relief when he saw his little brother. He gently smacked Dean's shoulder and grinned when the younger brother turned his way. "See…he's fine. All in one piece," he said.

"This time, Danny," Dean said in reply.

"Look, I know how you feel, Dean. I feel the same way. I'm not saying we have to let go completely…we just have to give him a little bit of room is all."

"He's going to college isn't he? That's all the room he needs," Dean hissed then turned on his relaxed face when Sam strolled up to the car and leaned his head into Dean's window.

"What're you two talking about?" Sam asked with a knowing raise of his eyebrow.

"Chicks…what else?" Dean answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Sam smiled and shook his head then opened the back door and climbed into the back seat. "Talked to someone a ways up and it was a wreck. Cars are starting to move though so it shouldn't be too much longer before we're on our way," he said as he leaned back and shut his eyes.

Dean turned and looked over his shoulder, eyeing his brother critically. "Tired, Sammy?" he asked.

Sam opened his eyes and shrugged. "A little, I guess. Why?"

"Just wondering. You've slept quite a bit on the drive so far," Dean answered. "You feeling okay?" he added.

"I'm fine, Dean. Like I said earlier…been working hard to get that last class done. I've had some long nights the past few weeks," Sam explained.

"Yeah…you did say that. Anything else going on we should know about?"

Sam glanced over at his eldest brother and shook his head when he saw the same question in his eyes. "Nothing is going on. I'm fine. Nothing that a little nap won't cure," he said.

"Okay, well it looks like we're gonna be moving soon," Daniel said as he turned around to face out the front window. "You shut your eyes and get some sleep, Sammy….we'll wake you when we get there."

"Yeah, okay." With that, Sam once again shut his eyes. He was fast asleep in seconds.

Dean glanced back before turning around to face the highway ahead. "Something's up with him," he stated softly.

"It may just be what he's saying, Dean…late nights studying," Daniel said.

"No…it's something else. I can feel it, and I know you can too…I know you can."

Daniel sighed and spared a quick glance at his brother. "Yeah…something's off with him. Can't quite put my finger on it, but…"

"I know…ever since I mentioned San Francisco. I wonder if something happened when he was up here with his friends."

"He would have told us if something happened to him. He knows better than to keep stuff from us." Daniel lifted his eyes to the rearview mirror and took in his baby brother's sleeping form. Something was going on, that much he was sure of, but he resigned himself to let Sam tell them when he was ready. He returned his gaze to the traffic ahead and started the car. He shifted the Impala into gear and pressed lightly on the gas pedal when the cars ahead of him began to slowly move.

Dean glanced at Daniel and pursed his lips. "I hope you're right, Danny," he said with a sigh.

Daniel reached over and gently slugged Dean's arm. "Why don't you sleep for a bit too. It's gonna be a few hours before we get there," he suggested.

Dean leaned back in his seat and turned to look out his window. "Yeah, I guess I could shut my eyes for a little while. Wake me when we get close." He crossed his arms across his stomach, leaned his head back and shut his eyes. Daniel glanced over and smiled. His eyes moved to the rearview mirror and his smiled turned to a concerned frown. "What's up with you, kiddo?" he whispered to himself. With a sigh he turned back to the road and settled back in his seat. He guided the Impala down the highway and though he was happy that he and his brothers were finally together again, a niggling worry lie just beneath the surface and he couldn't shake the feeling that something just was not right.

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

Dean woke with a start, his heart pounding madly in his chest as he lurched up from where he'd been slumped in his seat and stared wide eyed at his older brother. "What the hell! What did you hit!?" he cried, his eyes sweeping past Daniel to the darkened skies outside the car.

"What? I didn't hit anything, Dean. The thunder must have woken you," Daniel said as he glanced over at Dean.

As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder boomed across the early evening sky and shook the black car. Large drops of rain pelted the windows as Daniel squinted his eyes to see through the downpour. "Holy shit!" Dean exclaimed. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, sure that he would find his younger brother awake. Sam had always been jittery during thunderstorms, sometimes to the point of outright fear. He was surprised when he found that Sam was still asleep, though the young man seemed anything but peaceful.

"Sammy?" Dean queried when Sam whimpered in his sleep. He was up on his knees and leaning over the seat when Sam cried out, his hands reaching for something that wasn't there. "Hey, Sam…kiddo, wake up," Dean urged as he gently grabbed Sam's wrists and pressed them back to his sides. Sam's eyes sprang open, the young man gasping as he scrambled away from the hands that held him.

"No…let me go!" Sam cried with fear in his wide, hazel eyes. Dean immediately let go of Sam's wrists and held his hands up in surrender. "It's okay, Sammy…it's just me," he said calmly, his green eyes staring at his brother in concern.

"Sam…it's okay, squirt. It's just us," Daniel called from the front seat, his eyes finding Sam's in the rearview mirror. Sam's mouth fell open then closed again as recognition finally filled his eyes.

"I…uh…" Sam stammered as he looked from one set of concerned eyes to the other. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine," he muttered as he looked away.

"Nightmare?" Dean asked, the young man settling back in his seat only when he was sure that Sam had calmed down.

"Uh…yeah. Just a nightmare," Sam replied.

Daniel glanced over and met Dean's eyes then turned his eyes forward again. "Um…is it the same ones? About…" he started to ask before Sam interrupted him.

"No…not Wilcox. It's…I don't know. Just random…I guess," Sam answered.

"Random? Like what?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged as he lifted his hands and began to absently rub his arms as if to brush away a chill. "Like…random. I don't know. Some guy in a black cape watching me…calling me," he finally said with a sigh. "It's nothing guys…really," he added when he saw the look his brothers exchanged.

"You don't usually have nightmares about nothing, Sammy," Dean said, his green eyes intensely scrutinizing his baby brother.

"Yeah, I know, Dean. It's usually Wilcox. I don't know what to tell you other than it must be just a random dream due to stress from school maybe?"

"This guy in the cape…do you recognize him? Could he be someone from school?" Daniel asked.

"Um…no…I don't know…I can't see his face," Sam answered. "Look, I understand you guys are worried, but you don't need to be. I'm fine. This semester was a tough one…that's all."

"You're probably right, kiddo. It probably is just the stress from school, but…you can't really blame us for worrying," Dean stated.

Sam smiled as he lightly slugged Dean's shoulder. "One of these days, Dean…you're going to have to realize that I'm a grown up and that you don't need to worry about me all of the time," he said.

"Never gonna happen, Sammy. You may be all grown up, but you're still my baby brother so…"

"Yeah, your baby brother who's at least three inches taller than you," Sam smugly said.

"You may be taller, bitch, but you ain't got no brawn. Skin and bones is more like it…do you ever eat?" Dean retorted with a snarl.

"I eat…and I'm not skin and bones."

"Salad does not constitute a meal, Sam," Dean said as he eyed his brother critically. "Now a bacon cheeseburger and fries…that's a meal. Add pie and you got all four food groups right there!"

"And clogged arteries…don't forget that," Sam said with a grin.

"Ah, but what a way to go!" Dean said just as another loud clap of thunder sounded, this one much louder than the others.

Sam turned toward the side window, his eyes wide as he stared out into the stormy night. Dean could sense his discomfort so he reached back and gently touched Sam's knee. "Hey, it's just a storm…nothing to worry about," he said.

Sam turned and smiled appreciatively. "Yeah, I know. It's just really coming down," he said.

Suddenly, the car began to shudder, a loud squealing noise emanating from the engine compartment. Daniel swore under his breath as he eased the car to the side of the street he had found himself on once he left the highway at the first exit into San Francisco. He just made it to the curb when the engine sputtered and died out altogether.

"What's going on?" Sam asked nervously as he leaned over the back of the seat.

"I don't know…the car's stalled," Daniel said as he tried to start the car, to no avail.

Dean glanced over and scowled as Daniel once again tried to start the car. "Did you forget to fill up at the last stop? If we're out of gas, you are so not gonna live it down, big brother," he said.

"We have plenty of gas, Dean. I don't know what's wrong and it's too damn dark and wet out there to try to find out right now," Daniel said as he stared intently out the windshield. "We're in the middle of nowhere from the looks of it. We may be spending the night in the car."

"We could check that old place out," Dean suggested as he dipped his head at a large, rundown looking house about 50 yards to his right.

Daniel leaned over his brother and eyed the house, a frown indicating his distaste of the place. "It's pretty crappy looking, Dean. Probably has a lot of leaks…and mice…"

"Or, it could be a place for us to stretch out instead of being cramped in the car all night," Dean interrupted.

Daniel shook his head as he straightened in his seat. "Fine…we'll check it out. If it's fairly dry, we can throw down some blankets and spend the night," he finally said.

"Okay, let's get going then," Dean said as he pushed open his door.

Daniel and Sam followed suit and once they had pulled their bags and blankets from the trunk, they headed for the house, all three brothers soaked before they ever made it to the rusty gate. Daniel led the way through the gate, followed by Dean with Sam pulling up the rear. The youngest brother lifted his eyes and for the first time took a good look at the house. He nearly gasped when the house from his nightmare loomed before him, its dark windows seeming to stare back at him with evil intent. He jumped when a strong hand grasped his arm and he nearly swung a fist until he realized it was Dean who stood before him.

"Hey, kiddo…what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Dean shouted over the roar of the rain.

Sam shook his arm free of Dean and ducked his head. "Nothing's wrong, Dean…I'm just freakin' freezing," he answered.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure…I'm fine."

Dean eyed him for a second then turned toward the house. Daniel was just ascending the steps to the front porch. Dean glanced over his shoulder and grinned at his little brother. "Come on, then…maybe we can start a fire in there!" he called as he took off at a quick jog toward the house.

Sam hesitated, then shook his head as he mumbled to himself about how stupid he was acting. He took off after his brothers and soon all three were pushing through the front door, their flashlights lighting up the dusty, cobwebby interior. Sam stood just inside the doorway, a chill running up his spine as he suddenly had the sense that he was being watched. He shook off the creepy feeling when Daniel called to him.

"Sammy…come on. We're gonna bed down in here for the night." Sam watched as Daniel and Dean disappeared into a darkened doorway to the left of the foyer. He swung his flashlight around the entryway, then chuckled nervously when nothing stared back at him from the shadows. He hurried to the room his brothers had disappeared into and with one last look at the foyer behind him, slipped into the room, completely missing the shadow that was just a bit darker than the rest. The shadow shaped like a man in a cape.

Well, that's it for now. I hope you all liked the chapter. There will be some hurt Sam in the next chapter so I'll try as hard as I can to not make you wait too long! See you soon!

Cindy