Supernatural does not belong to me, although I wish it did. I am simply playing in Kirpke's sandbox for a bit. All rights and ownership are the property of Kripke and the CW network. I am not making any money from this; it is for my own personal pleasure.

Synopsis: Set at the start of Season One, Dean had been in a wheelchair since his father disappeared more than a year ago and he finally has to tell Sam… There'd been an accident that night and Dean had paid a very high price….one he still doesn't understand. The story will have some hunts from season one and possibly into season two…the brothers will continue their search for their father…there will be alterations to the hunts to accommodate Dean's new situation. I have every intention of returning Dean to good health before this ends…but getting there is going to be bumpy.

Please keep in mind that I do not have a Beta, so any and all grammatical errors are my own. Not Slash. Brotherly love and Angst only… There is some language in this chapter...you've been warned.

Please Review: They make me feel guilty and write faster...

Chapter 6

Dreams or Visions

Dean wasn't driving…and he absolutely hated that fact. It wasn't that he couldn't drive; it was that he simply couldn't focus long enough yet to drive. His vision would still blur on occasion due to the concussion he'd received, because of that damn ghost, and it was still having some effect on his ability focus for long periods of time. Sam was currently staring out the front window into the inky darkness, intent on keeping the car on the road through the heavy rain fall. Dean was staring out the passenger window, doing his best impression of a statue. He was concerned and trying to hide that fact from his little brother; Sam hadn't said much of anything since they'd left the motel earlier that day.

Bobby was following in his old truck about a mile behind them and that was one thing that Dean was intensely grateful for. He wasn't sure if the old hunter had said something to Sam while he'd been out of it…and if that was the reason why his brother was staring stonily at the white lines passing them on the road…or if Sam was killing himself internally for the things he'd said to Dean in that Asylum…either way…Dean didn't like the silence that was growing between them.

He reached over and pulled a soda out of the bag resting near his feet, sighing when he was forced to look at his long skinny legs. His jeans were so baggy around his thighs that it made him wonder if he should start buying smaller sizes. He really hated it when he actually saw them…was forced to see his useless legs…most of the time he just focused on other things and ignore that he was literally half-the-man he should be…or at least that he used to be. He put his other hand on the seat and shifted his weight, causing his little brothers ever observant eyes to flicker in his direction. Sam furrowed his brow after watching him for a moment and then went back to staring out the window without commenting on Dean's movements. "Are we fighting right now?" Dean asked with a sigh, his voice rough and gravelly from disuse.

Sam glanced quickly in his direction, his face slightly confused. "What?" he asked.

"Are. We. Fighting. Right. Now?" Dean repeated slowly, his eyes watching his little brother as he tried to understand exactly what was going on between them. He knew that there were going to be problems for a while after the last hunt…but damn-it, he just wanted to forget that the whole thing had ever happened.

Sam huffed and shook his head 'no'. "No. I just don't have anything to say that you wanna hear." He said evenly, choosing to keep watching the road rather than looking over to see what his words had done to his big brother. Sam couldn't look at Dean without the memories of his most recent dream slamming in front of his eyes and forcing him to see his father beating his brother…and damn are me and dad gonna one hell of a discussion about that shit. He thought with rising anger.

Dean exhaled loudly and scrubbed his hand through his short blonde hair, his cheek was jumping due to how hard he was clenching his teeth. His fingers were drumming aimlessly on his knee as he shook his head in frustration. "You know what…whatever dude." He said and took a sip of the cola. He hated it when Sam got into these snippy types of moods, he never knew exactly what brought them on and the he sure as hell had never figured out how to pull Sam out of them. Ever since he'd been a kid…he'd dropped into these funks and Dean had been helpless to pull him out of them…he'd always had to just wait them out…wait for Sam to come to him.

Sam's knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, but he refused to say what was really on his mind. He really wanted to talk about what had happened to Dean while he was away…but not in the car…not like this. Dean wasn't' likely to want to have that particular conversation anyways, not that his big brother ever wanted to talk about himself, and Sam still hadn't figured out how exactly to approach the sensitive subject.

Dean was staring out into the rain, classic rock playing quietly in the background, filling the interior of the Impala with the sounds of AC/DC, when a sudden pained gasp echoed through the car…and it had come from his little brother. The sound brought Dean's green eyes crashing back into the overly large form of his brother. Sam's hands had both abandoned the wheel and had gone automatically to his head; his eyes were clamped closed and the car was starting to veer dangerously on the rain slick highway. "Sam!" he cried as he immediately reached over to grab the wheel, luckily Sam's foot had slipped off the gas pedal so the car was rapidly slowing down as Dean steered it to the side of the highway. "Sam…come on man…what's going on? Sammy? Talk to me…" he continued the litany of questions as Sam groaned loudly and leaned his head into the steering wheel, his face a mask of pain. Dean was beyond scared now, he'd never seen Sam like this…the kid hardly even got sick…so what was with these headache? He'd never seen one come on like this before and he sure as hell didn't know what to do about it. Once the car was completely stopped, Dean reached over and pushed the gear shift lever into 'park'. Only to have his brother suddenly moving aimlessly in the seat across from him.

Sam was shifting in his seat, his hands now clenching into his hair as he tried to fight through the blurring vision and the nausea that was starting to roll its way up his throat. "I'm gonna…" he said as he just barely managed to get the door open and slide out of the car to his knees, emptying the contents of his stomach on the side of the deserted highway.

"Sam…I don't know what's wrong…what the hell…" Dean watched as his brother slumped back against the car, his breathing coming in short little pants as he sat back onto the black pavement, soaking his jeans; his long hair now plastered to his head because of the intensity of the rain. "Sammy, come one man…get back in the car." Dean was frustrated and knew he couldn't reach his wheelchair; Sam had put the damn thing in the trunk…so he pulled his sore body across the bench seat until he could position himself behind Sam, allowing his little brother to rest back against his useless legs as he tried to gain control of himself. Dean rubbed slow circles on Sam's back and watched as Bobby's old truck came to a sudden stop just behind the Impala and the older hunter jumped out, jogging slowly to where they were both seated.

"What the hell happened?" he asked as he looked at Sam and then shifted his blue eyes back to Dean, who shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know Bobby…he was driving and then he suddenly grabbed his head and…this…happened." Dean said his voice full of worry as his hands gestured to the crumpled form of his brother; his eyes reflecting his increasing panic as they flickered between the two men.

XXXX

Sam was in a forest…well maybe not a forest but an orchard at least. There were trees everywhere, though they seemed to be planted with some sort of pattern in mind. He looked into the darkness as he heard the crunch of leaves behind him; and he could hear mumbled voices just ahead of where he was. He started to move in that direction, keeping his awareness of the sounds behind him as he did. When he came around the corner and finally spied the clearing, it was just in time to see a scarecrow crawl down off the cross that he'd been tied to and start stalking toward two figures tied beneath a tree. A man and a woman were seated on the forest floor, their hands tied above their heads…He couldn't quite make out their faces yet.

"I don't understand…their gonna kill us?" the woman asked, fear evident in her high pitched voice.

"Sacrifice us…which is…I don't know…classier." That voice Sam would recognize anywhere…it was Dean and he was twisting his upper body trying to loosen the tight ropes wrapped around his wrists. His legs were shoved underneath him, in what Sam knew had to be an uncomfortable position. Although it wasn't like Dean could feel them to know that…but the damn things still needed blood supplied to them and based on their current twisted position…they sure as hell weren't getting any of that.

"So what's the plan?" the woman asked, her voice shaking slightly, as she looked hopefully at Dean, her face a mask of fear and confusion.

"I'm working in it." Dean answered quickly as he continued to struggle with the tight bonds. Damn these hicks know how to tie a rope. He thought in irritation.

She was silent for a moment, before she spoke up again. "You don't have a plan do you?" she asked in a defeated voice.

"I'm working on it!" Dean said loudly, his own voice laced with defeat as he realized that it was very likely that they were both gonna die at the hands of this scarecrow God…and his little brother was going to find his skinned corpse in the middle of this orchard. That thought made his chest hurt…the idea of Sammy finding his ruined body and having to deal with that.

"Dean?" Sam called out. But Dean didn't even acknowledge that he'd heard his brother…which meant that once again Sam was witnessing something that he couldn't interfere in…that he wasn't really a part of. He heard the leaves crackling beneath the feet of something quickly approaching the square. Sam turned away from his brother and looked pointedly into the darkness, looking for the owner of those footsteps.

Suddenly a massive form entered the square, it was dressed in old farm clothes, a leather jacket hanging from its massive shoulders and a sickle held menacingly in both hands. The face obscured by clothing wrapping around the head area. The skin on its arms was dried and readily showing the marks of needlework…where it looked as though the skin had been…sewn together. Sam inhaled sharply as he saw the thing approach Dean; the panic and fear that was clearly evident in his older brother's face making Sam sprint the few feet separating them as he tried to attack the creature. But his fingers slipped right through the form of the monster and Sam cried out in horror as the sickle descended on his older brother…

XXXX

"Dean!" Sam cried as tears sprang to his eyes and he dropped his head dejectedly into his hands. The sudden ache from the pain that was currently slashing through his head making it nearly impossible for him to control the emotional onslaught. "God no…." Sam mumbled, the tears running unchecked down his face as the dream or vision, or whatever the hell it was, faded away, leaving only devastation in its wake.

Dean watched as Sam slowly checked back in with reality, his brother was scaring the crap out of him at the moment. He reached down and gently turned Sam's chin in his direction, Dean was still seated behind his brother and his own hands were shaking with the adrenaline that was pumping through his system. "Sammy…you okay?" he whispered as he saw his brother wince in real pain.

Sam opened agonized blue-green eyes and looked up blearily into Dean's concerned face, weariness written in every line of his young visage… "Yeah…I think so…" he scrubbed his hand through his sopping hair and continued slowly. "It happened again, didn't it…?" He stated simply.

Dean bit his lip and his eyebrows rose and then crinkled before he answered. Bobby was staying wisely silent as he watched the brother's deal with whatever the hell this new problem was. "Yeah…Sam…it happened again…what the hell is going on with you? You're having dreams when you're awake now too?" Dean's voice was weary, but steady as he watched his questions cause Sam's face to pinch in confusion and slight irritation.

Sam started to shake his head and then thought better of it as his stomach started to rebel again. "I don't know Dean…" he said softly.

"When did this start happening?" Bobby asked as Dean stared at the top of his little brothers wet head. He looked up at the other man, his eyes now guarded as he tried to understand what Bobby had just said. "When did all this start Dean?" Bobby asked again quietly, his gaze shifting to the older Winchester brother.

Dean shook his head, "I don't know Bobby…first time I saw anything like this was in the motel the other day." Bobby nodded and looked back at Sam who was now sitting up a little straighter, breathing slowly and deliberately as he waited for the pain to start to dissipate.

"Bobby…can you help Sam into the car?" Dean asked. "We'll stop in the next town and get a room."

Bobby leaned in immediately gently grasping Sam's shoulders and helping the kid to his less than steady feet. "I gotcha Sam…come on." Bobby said as he helped the tall hunter to the other side of the car, reaching down and pulling the passenger door open. Sam folded his lengthy frame into the car and leaned back against the seat as he tried desperately to control his rolling stomach. "I'll be right behind you Dean." Bobby said before he gently closed the door.

Dean nodded his understanding and reached down to pull his legs into the car, placing them on the floor and reaching for the key. He listened as the Impala purred to life and he wished for about the millionth time that he could feel the rumble of her engine in his legs like he used to. He sighed and reached for electronic 'gas-pedal' and placed the car in drive, slowly pulling back out onto the wet highway. He glanced over at his little brother, who was now leaning heavily against the door, his hands over his eyes.

"Sam…what's going on with you lately?" he asked quietly. Dean couldn't help the wary quality that seeped into his voice as he hoped that his brother would answer him. Cuz this…whatever this was…was really starting to scare him. Something was going with Sam and his little brother didn't seem too intent on talking about it.

Sam looked over at his brother slowly. "I told you Dean…I don't know what these headaches are…" He let the sentence die off and closed his eyes as he leaned back and he pointedly ignored the loud exhalation of air from the driver's seat. Dean turned his attention back to the road and turned at the light as a motel sign came into view. It wasn't anything fancy…although they never were…he rolled into the small parking lot and reached over to gently shake Sam, since he couldn't get out of the car without his chair…and Sam had to retrieve that. The fact that he was at the mercy of his younger brother grated on his nerves a little…but Dean swallowed his pride and asked anyways.

"Sammy?" he waited for his brother to roll tired eyes in his direction, suddenly noticing that they were stopped.

"Yeah?" He asked as he reached up and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up his fuzzy mind.

Dean looked worriedly at his little brother. "I need my chair…." He said quietly as Sam's eyes widened in understanding and he immediately moved to open the door. Dean reached out and grasped his shoulder gently, "You okay?" he asked.

Sam nodded and turned a weary smile in his direction before climbing out of the Impala and making his way to the trunk, pulling out Dean's chair and unfolding it. He locked the little levers into place and rolled it around to the driver's side door. Dean had already pushed it open and was waiting, albeit not patiently, for his ride. Sam raised his eyebrows as he noticed the dark circles beneath his older brother's eyes and the pained expression as he grabbed the chair and levered himself into the seat carefully. Bobby pulled up right at that moment and placed the truck in park before climbing out and walking over to the young hunters.

"You two look like crap…" he stated as he stared at the brothers and smiled slightly at the 'bitch-face' Sam threw in his direction for the insult.

"You're not looking too hot yourself old man…" Dean stated quickly as he turned to roll to the office and check the room situation. The only real requirement that he had was that they were on the ground floor; a handicap room was a luxury he just couldn't afford…so he never even asked for them. Sam ran to catch up after glaring at the older hunter.

"Shut-up…I look great." Bobby quipped as he smiled at the two young men's backs.

Dean sighed as he pushed the door open surprised when it was suddenly pulled from his grasp and Sam reached over top of him to hold open the door. "I got it Sam." He bit out, more harshly than he'd intended. Sam mumbled something but continued to hold the door for his brother. "I'm not helpless ya know…just can't walk…" Dean mumbled as he rolled through and looked at the tall counter with dismay; he couldn't even see the motel owner on the other side. He hated it when this happened…when he was so totally reminded of his disability.

Sam looked at his brother and reached up to run his long fingers through his hair as he saw the frustration spread across Dean's face and the immediate mask that slid into place when Dean realized that Sam was watching. He knew that Dean wouldn't appreciate him stepping in, so he stood near the door and watched as Dean rolled over to the tall counter and banged his fist on the front side. "What?" An annoyed voice called from a back room.

"A little service here." Dean called out. A face popped up over the counter and leaned down until the small man could see Dean sitting there.

"Yeah, yeah…sorry son…didn't see you down there." The man said and Sam inhaled sharply as he watched the vein on Dean's neck stick out as his irritation worsened. His hands were clenching into tight fists at his side as he closed his eyes and he pulled in a deep breath in an attempt to steady his rapidly rising temper.

"A room for the night…preferably one on the ground floor." Dean said crisply.

The little man smiled and looked at his book. "Sure…I can put you in room 7. One bed or two?"

Dean rolled his eyes…he hadn't missed the frustration that happened when people assumed that he and Sam were gay. "Two queens…one for me and one for my brother." Dean's voice was hard as ice and just about as cold too. Sam stood up and caught the attention of the owner as he realized that there was another person in the office…and this one was tall and big.

They finished and headed back to the car, Dean was rolling along slowly as he tried to ignore the flashes of pain that were now slicing through his chest. He could feel the slight tickle as blood trickled from his chest wounds and soaked into his waistband. He sighed and leaned forward more so that Sam wouldn't see the red staining his lower abdomen. 'Damn-it!" he whispered. It appeared that he would be ruining another pair of pants due to that botched hunt.

"What was that Dean?" Sam called from the rear of the car.

"Nothing Sam." He shot back.

"Whatever…" Sam said just loud enough for Dean to hear. Dean just couldn't seem to do anything right. Every time he thought that they were getting better…he'd say something that pissed off his little brother.

Bobby had gotten the room next to theirs and was currently sitting at their table nursing a beer as he watched Sam pour over the computer screen. Dean was watching the creases in Sam's forehead increase at whatever it was that he was reading or due to the headache he was denying…Dean wasn't sure which. "So…every year a couple goes missing around here…it looks like the last couple went missing in April of last year. Always a man and a woman…always just passing through…like they are on some sort of cross country vacation or something."

"Like some sort of fertility rite?" Dean asked as he rolled over so he could see the screen. Sam nodded and turned the laptop so that Dean could read the story. "Huh…" Dean said quietly.

Bobby snorted… "Sounds like some sort of sacrifice…like to a god or something."

"We should check this out…since we're already here." Dean said, his gaze shifting over to Sam's incredulous face.

"No Dean…the last hunt wasn't exactly good for us…remember? We need to…" Sam bit his lip as he forced the next words out of his lips. "…to keep looking for dad." He said through clenched teeth.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "Yeah Sam…I remember…I was kinda on the receiving end of that…but that doesn't give us the right to just let these people die…" He said quickly and watched as his words settled into his brother's head. Sam closed his eyes and leaned his head against his hands as he tried to come to terms with the fact that they were going to get dropped into the middle of this hunt whether or not he wanted it. There was no way that Dean was going to let them walk away…

XXXX

"I don't need you to sign a permission slip for me Sam…I can take care of myself." Dean shot out as he slammed the door behind himself.

"You shouldn't have too..." Sam whispered as he heard the Impala fire up and the sound of gravel as his brother pulled out of the parking lot...leaving him to continue the research.

Sam groaned inwardly at his brother's unparalleled stupidity sometimes…he would never say it out-loud, but he sure as hell thought it often enough.

Dean had gone to this local restaurant, just on the outskirts of town over two hours ago to get some pie and talk to the locals…apparently the town was famous for their apple pie…but Sam hadn't heard from his older brother since then. Dean hadn't wanted company…he wanted to get away from Sam for just a little while…he needed to get control of his rampaging emotions.

And frankly, Sam really needed a few hours alone as well; he wasn't handling the dreams that he had been having too well. They all seemed to revolve around his brother being hurt…first by their father…and then by the scarecrow thing. He shuddered as the visual of the sickle descending quickly on his older brother's body flashed through his head.

He wasn't worried at first, he just figured that Dean was dealing with his shit the way he always did…alone. But then he'd tried to call and he'd just gotten the voice mail…and then Bobby had gone to the restaurant asking about Dean and the owner's said that they'd never seen a kid in a wheelchair come in…so where the hell was his brother? It suddenly occurred to Sam that they had passed a large orchard near the edge of town and that if this town was a farming community…that they might just farm apples. And that would mean that…Oh shit…he thought as he started to connect the dots…

TBC…

Author's Note: Once again the hunt will change so that it accommodates Dean's physical limitations and the addition of Bobby. No offense meant to anyone that loves that episode and hates it when author's change them… the boys are going to continue to find clues as to the where abouts of their father along the way.

Please Review: It helps me push the stories forward if I know people are waiting for them.