Storm's Last Season
Chapter 8 ~ From Dusk Until Dawn
previously on BruisedBloodyBroken:
"Your father doesn't know that you are here.", Dean gave back whispering, as if the fact that Sam was talking wasn't something special. Like it had never been different, afraid that Sam'd stop again if he'd point it out. "This place is safe. Six ways to sunday, Sammy. - Believe me. No one gets past me."
"Promise?" Sam's voice was raw and he sounded so afraid.
Though it was the most beautiful thing Dean had ever heard in his life. For the fact that the doctors had thought that Sam was mute, he did pretty well to proof them wrong.
"Promise." The alpha tightened his hold on Sam.
The omega pressed himself tighter up against the warm body of the hunter and closed his eyes.
"So – who's gonna be the first one to take a shower? You or me?" Dean Winchester grinned slyly. "We could try to make a run for it though. Who gets there first gets all the warm water ..."
NOW:
An hour later both men were squeaky clean and in fresh sets of clothes. While Dean (who had lost their small game) had taken the second turn in the shower, Sam had withdrawn on his mattress and wrapped himself back up in the comforter.
Dean's face fell, as he spotted the omega on the mattress instead of the bed.
"I'll go and get us something to drink, Sammy. - I'm back in a couple of minutes ..." He gave the omega a smile, who smiled back at him shyly.
It wasn't, that the hunter just wanted to grab some drinks for the both of them. It was also a round of updates on Sam's actual state, wich he reported every now and then to Sonny, who was telling them Sheriff Mills on a regular basis.
So the Winchester headed into his room and got the small book from the first drawer of his nightstand and headed down into the kitchen. To his surprise he found both men – Bobby and Sonny – in the kitchen, sitting at the small table with mug, filled with fresh coffee.
The two of them looked up in surprise as they saw a freshly showered and shaved Winchester entering. Dean looked a bit pale, but other than that he seemed to be on the mend. Even when his old friends didn't seem to approve to see him that early on his feet again.
"Gotta coffee for me too?" Dean grinned broadly and sat down at the table too.
Bobby gave him a short nod and went to get one for the hunter. Dean waited for the grizzled mechanic until he had placed the mug with more milk than coffee before him.
Dean scrunched up his nose in dismay. He liked his coffee black ...
"You won't get your coffee any other way for a couple of days, boy. So take it or leave it." Bobby's bushy eyebrows narrowed, a dad-like expression on his face.
The hunter grunted and shook his head. Better he took it, or they wont let him near the coffee-machine any time soon. "So ...", he exhaled deeply.
Sonny glanced at the book before the hunter then back up. He knew that this was the way Dean intended to tell them news about Sam. Either it was a good thing, or the omega had been pretty upset. Though he hoped for the first.
"Sam's not mute.", Dean said out loud, sharing a glance with the both men, who looked pretty surprised for a long moment. "He's capable of talking and he's speaking in whole sentences. - He's also able to read."
Sonny stared at him stuttered. "Wow ... that are pretty good news. - What was he saying?", first he sounded tentatively, but soon his curiosity won over everything else.
Dean slumped back in the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That his father is going to be mad at him. And that he don't want back into the hole." He looked down into his lap, where he had tangled the fingers of both hands together. "He seems to be pretty afraid of the man. - Whoever it is."
Bobby huffed out a breath. "Sure as hell he ain't his real father."
The three of them nodded in union.
"Yeah ... but he also entitled the other six kids as his siblings. - He showed me his drawings last evening. He made sketches of all of them ... and other things. On most of the pictures are blue eyes somewhere in the dark. - I think that's the man he calls his father.", Dean carried on calmly. "And no. - He hasn't drawn the guy yet." When Sonny opened his mouth to say something, Dean cut him off. "No. - He didn't tell me his father's name either. He just got started, Sonny. - I can't push him."
Sonny nodded. "Do the drawings show anything to orientate? How we could tell where he was held?"
Dean shook his head. "Not at all. - The sketches show him and his siblings on fields harvesting or working. It shows where they slept – at least I think so. All seven of them on something that looks like mattresses in a small room ..." He blew out a breath. "It also shows Sam in a dark room – alone. What I think's the hole." Dean pursed his lips. "And ... and some other things ..." He huffed out a laugh. "I'm going to make pictures of the sketches if Sam lets me. So you and the sheriff can have a look at them too."
Sonny nodded thoughtfully. "How's he doing otherwise ... you know ... with you?"
Dean looked up from his lap, not really knowing what to tell him. Sonny had occasionally seen the both of them, when Sam had been laying with him.
"I think he's trusting me. - I'm just not sure why he just don't want to trust you ... it's ... it's ridiculous. - I'm pretty sure that he's a smart guy and he's one hell of a talent when it comes to drawing. But ..." Dean frowned.
Sonny leaned back, watching him taking a zip from the coffee. "He's pretty traumatized, son. - We don't know how it was where he has been. - WHO his father was and what his father wanted him and the others to do ... He surely didn't get treated like shit all the time. I'm sure there were times – when he was a kid – that he was allowed to live like one." Sonne rose an eyebrow. "Things might have changed when they turned thirteen, fourteen or later on. I think that the man he calls his father is a grade-A-psychopath. He formed these kids into shapes he wanted them to have in."
Dean just nodded and then shook his head. "Nah. I don't understand people like that. - Something like that's just ... SICK." he thought for another moment. "I bet that his father's name's Alistair. - That's something you can let Jody know. That and the area where they found the kids ... maybe there's an Alistair around."
With that, Dean got up from the chair, emptied his coffee and moved over to the fridge, from where he picked two cokes and two bottles of water. "I'm off to bed.", he muttered, rubbing his temple with the back of his left hand in wich he held the cokes. "I'm also thinking about spending my nights in Sam's room from now on. - Gettin' him to get used to sleepin' in a damn bed instead of a mattress."
And with that he was gone.
When Dean entered, he came just right to see Sam rubbing his nose off on the comforter, before he sneezed another time.
"There we go ...", Dean muttered annoyed and rolled his eyes. "Someone's gettin' sick, huh?"
Sam looked up under long eyelashes, his hazel-eyes slightly dazed. But other than that he seemed to be okay.
"I thought you'd like to walk around a bit? You gotta know that you don't have to spend your entire life in here, Sam." The alpha smiled and sat down on the bed instead of the mattresses as usual.
He placed the bottles on the nightstand and laid down, not looking at Sam, no matter how bad he wanted to.
The omega's eyebrows furrowed and he looked towards the bed, tilting his head to the side. That was something new. Dean had always come over to him, hadn't even spared a look at the bed ... Maybe because he wasn't feeling alright yet. - At least so Sam thought.
"I'll take a nap. - If you're thirsty, there's water and coke.", Dean pointed at the bottles beside him on the nightstand with closed eyes.
Sam didn't as much as blinking confused.
Soon the hunter drifted off into another round of fitful healing sleep.
When he woke the next time, the two bottles of coke were missing from the nightstand and Sam sat on his mattresses, wrapped in the comforter, reading Puss in Boots. An empty bottle beside him and an open one stood beside the mattress.
Dean groaned and rubbed over his temples. The headache was a lot better, though his jaw still hurt as hell.
Sam blew out a happy sigh and snapped the book shut, placing it beside the mattress.
"You read through it already?" Dean lay propped up on an elbow on his side, watching the omega amused.
Sam looked up and nodded.
"Guess we've to get you some more books." He smiled.
Sam smiled back – just lightly, but enough to show him some pretty adorable dimples. Then he sneezed again and the dimples were gone and there was a butt-load of snot all over the omega's hands and the comforter before him.
Dean pinched up his nose and pouted in disgust.
Rather helplessly, Sam looked towards the man on the bed.
The alpha got up with a grunt, muttering under his breath and went into the bathroom to get tissues, wich he handed the younger man then. Sam cleaned himself up and got awkwardly on his feet, bracing himself against the wall with one hand.
For the first time Sam stood all upright, showing his broad shoulders and incredible hight. The man was beyond tall. He was a freaking sasquatch – just without as much hair.
Sam rubbed over his face and brushed with his fingers through his hair, as he walked towards the bathroom and disappeared in it. Dean followed his very move with his looks, taking in the long legs and big feet of the man.
He heard the omega sneeze a couple of times followed by a barking cough.
"You alright in there?!", he called out, still staring at the bathroom-door.
No answer. Maybe the omega had become mute again.
"Sammy?!"
A moment later the door of the bathroom opened again and Sam shuffled outside. When he made an attempt to round the bed and get back to his mattresses, the alpha got up and held Sam back at his wrist gently.
"Wait.", Dean said, "I'd like to show you the rest of the house ..." He bit his lower lip, thinking. His gaze flickered down to the floor and back up at Sam. The Winchester realized for the first time, that the omega was a couple of inches taller than him. "And maybe the yard? - It's a nice weather outside. All warm and so. - Maybe one of the last warm days this year ..."
Sam looked into the man's big emerald-green eyes, his forehead furrowing if he was asking if it was truly necessary. If the alpha wanted to take a walk he could do it by himself. His gaze fell on the shut door that led into the corridor. Outside were the others. A beta and another alpha. Other men ... Men whose intentions he didn't know. Okay, he also didn't know about Dean's, but he somehow felt like he could trust him.
Trust him a lot.
There were also growing doubts about what their father had tought them their whole life. About the world outside the farm ... So far these men hadn't touched him, nor locked him away. He also didn't get imprisoned, because he was an omega.
Obviously he seemed also to be allowed to leave the room, what he had thought so far was the only place he was allowed to be. The alpha also wanted him to take outside. OUTSIDE.
O.U.T.S.I.D.E. To sniff fresh air and feel the late-summer-sun on his face.
This sounded just AWESOME after a so long time in this room.
It was so very different from the farm and Alistair. So very very different. Everyone on the farm had to pay their tribute to their father. EVERYONE. So they'd be safe. So no one except those who Alistair chose got to lay their hands on him and his siblings.
His brothers and sisters.
Tears welled up in the omega's eyes and he sniffed, making his stuffed-up nose even worse.
Dean frowned. He frowned deep. "Sam?" He instantly regretted that he had asked him for going downstairs or even outside. "Hey, it's okay. - You don't have to if you don't want. You can stay here, we can try it tomorrow, ha?"
Dean wrapped himself around the omega and tugged his head down, so that it was resting on his shoulder.
"Want to.", Sam croaked out silently.
Dean inched back a bit and caught the man's gaze. "What do you want?"
"I ... I ..." He remembered himself that he wasn't supposed to WANT something. He was supposed to ask if he was ALLOWED TO. "Maybe I could come with you outside. If you would like to take me with you?" Sam said it so silently, that Dean had to strain his ears to be able to make out what he was saying. The man's voice still sounded roughed up and hoarse. Probably from the long time of not talking ... or it wouldn't change, since his vocal cords had been damaged ...
"Of course I do. I'd really love to take you with me. - I wouldn't have asked you if I wouldn't want to, Sammy." Dean smiled mischievously. "But first you gotta get dressed in something more than just your pyjamas."
Sam nodded and sniffed again.
"Good. - I'll see if I can find a jacket in your size. - If we're lucky, Sonny and Bobby got something." Dean winked at him and pulled away.
While the hunter went downstairs to ask the two men about a jacket for Sam, the omega got dressed in brand-new jeans, a tee-shirt and a button-front shirt, made of flannel with a nice blue-red-brown plaid-swatch.
He also slipped into a pair of new trainers in a fancy green and black. Sam coughed a couple of times and sneezed, so he stuffed a pack of tissues into the front-pockets of his jeans. Eventually he was done until Dean came to get him. The alpha helped him into the jacket and went for the brush to comb Sam's hair, that was still sleep-roughed. One of many opportunities to come Sam closer than necessary.
The omega didn't seem bothered. It even looked like his body got drawn towards the alpha's, like there was an invisible draft. As they were plus and the minus poles of magnets.
"Guess we're ready." Dean slipped into a jacket he had borrowed from Sonny, since his beloved leather-jacket was supposed to go into town to Chang's Cleaners on their next run for supplies.
Sam gave him a short nod and followed Dean short behind. He hesitated for a long moment before he could cross the doorway, but the gentle tug on his hand was reason enough to step over it.
He took a deep breath, when they reached the stairs and hesitated again. Panic started to rise deep inside of him, as they claimed the first step together and the voices of Sonny and Bobby were heard.
The two men sounded as if they were arguing about something in the kitchen.
Dean behaved, as if it was nothing special to hear them talking the way they were. Instead he let go of the hem of Sam's jacket and reached back for his hand. He took it into his and led Sam down the stairs and into the hallway.
"We're on the yard!", Dean called out, what silenced the alpha and the beta in an instant.
The both of them had just enough time to see two figures passing the kitchen-door when they turned around and heard the front door open and sliding shut again. Sonny and Bobby looked at each other with big eyes for a long moment, before they hurried to the window and pulled the curtains aside to have proof for what they just had seen.
And truly. There was Dean and the tall omega appearing in their line of vision as they headed over the yard and disappeared behind the first stack of cars.
Dean squeezed Sam's hand gently and slowed down, letting the younger man acclimate with the fresh air and bright light of the sun.
It truly was one of the warmer days of the late october. They needed their jackets, but didn't have to pull up the zippers. There were a couple of trees, which leaves had all the colors a tree should have for late october. All red, orange, yellow and brown.
Sam smiled and stopped in his tracks.
Dean did too and looked over at the omega, watching him tilting his head back and closing his eyes, relishing the moment of the warm sun on his face. When he attempted to let go of Sam's hand, Sam tightened his grip on it.
They stood there for a long while, before Sam opened his eyes again and looked over at Dean with a genuine smile, flashing him deep dimples and gleaming hazel-green and brown eyes. There were so many facets of colors in the omega's eyes, Dean hadn't seen yet.
Sam tilted his head to the side as he looked into a sea of emerald-green. Noticing for the first time, that there were one hell of a lot freckles on the alpha's face. And that there were these tiny dimples forming at the corners of Dean's eyes, when he was smiling. Really smiling. Because there was a huge different between THIS and some times before. THIS smile enlightened the man's whole face.
"Wanna go some further?", Dean asked.
Sam nodded, mouthing a "yeah".
So they walked some more in a slow pace.
It felt good to stretch his limps and move his sore muscles for a while, as Sam had to admit. That and the fresh air and gentle wind made him feel more human, and careless about the fact that he was an omega. It felt like omegas had the same rights – at least for the moment. Dean made him feel as if he wasn't the scum, Alistair had told them they were out here.
And it felt nice. Real nice. - Except for the sneezing and coughing and the dull ache in his chest, that seemed to get worse a bit.
They walked in silence.
Just when Dean stopped, Sam stopped too.
The alpha was listening, his green eyes narrowing and getting sharp.
That was when Sam heard it too. A low rumble from a vehicle wich was getting closer.
And they were in the middle of the way that led from the garage towards the house. A fact Dean hadn't really bothered, until Sheriff Mills's police-car turned up and he felt Sam tense beside him.
The younger man's eyes widened, his guts started to turn upside down and his heart picked up a raged rhythm.
"It's okay, Sammy.", Dean squeezed his hand gently, trying to convey calmness and that it was okay that the car was driving along here.
Though, the hunter didn't know what Sam knew. Because Sam knew that this kind of cars were all things but GOOD. This kind of cars facilitated a visitor Sam wasn't interested in meeting. Worse: He was right out terrified right now.
The car came to a hold about ten yards in front of them and the engine died.
It didn't take Jody more than wrenching the driver's door open, to freak Sam out completely. The omega ripped his hand away from Dean and before the hunter could do something, Sam had taken off towards the house.
With a silent curse, Dean whirled around and ran after Sam, calling his name. Though, the omega wouldn't stop.
Sam was running for dear life. Driven by despair and panic and dark fear. He didn't even hear Dean calling him, nor anything else. All that counted at the moment was to run. To get away from the car and its driver. With the aftermath of his disobedience he could deal later on. He'd take everything else, just not THAT MAN.
Two aisles further, Sam had disappeared and was out of sight. Dean came to a hold panting and trying to catch his breath. Hell, he was getting to old for this kind of crap. Or he simply had lacked in training lately ...
There were footfalls behind him and an also panting Sheriff, pulling her hat from her head and bowed forward, bracing her hands on her thighs.
"Where's he?", she panted, her face a grimace of exertion.
"Shit." And a broad spectrum of curses fell from Dean Winchester's lips.
"I'm sorry, Dean. - I didn't expect him to ..." She started to explain herself.
Dean rose his hand to stop her. "I know. - We just gotta find him. - Sam can't be far ... He can't keep on running like this, he'll be exhausted soon."
She nodded.
"Get Bobby and Sonny. - The two of them know the yard better than anyone else. When he's going to hide they'll know where he'll find shelter.", he babbled and sucked in another raged breath.
The yard was full of scrap-cars. Who would've known how big that areal was, if it hadn't been for four people searching it for one person.
Dusk was already setting over the land and it had gotten sensitively cool. Despite the both alpha's sensitive noses, the omega's scent was fading. And that fast.
Dean kept yelling Sam's name, while the others kept still, well knowing that he wouldn't come out if he'd sense anyone else but the hunter.
Night broke over the scrap-yard fast ... too fast ...
And all Dean Winchester was able to think was to find HIS MATE before it'd be too dark to see anything. Before he'd get hypothermic ... or even worse ...
... to be continued
*AHEM * ... BACON? ^^