Summary: AU: Stanford Era: "Dean … Sammy's in trouble." A late night phone call sends Dean Winchester and long-time friend, Caelan Hagan in a desperate search to find Sam before the unthinkable happens; uncovering lies and secrets involving the youngest Winchester, that have been years in the making.

Warnings: Violence, swearing, physical abuse, torture, implied adult themes.

Disclaimer: I don't own the supernatural characters.

Author's Note: Just another possibility on why Sam left for Stanford. Hope you enjoy. I have no knowledge or training in medical areas. I have tried to keep everything as realistic as possible, but, as medical knowledge is not my area of expertise, just beware that there may be some mistakes in the next few chapters.

Special Note: Here's another chapter just for all you guys who have taken the time out to read this story and to all the people who have this story on their alerts or have put it on their favourite lists. Thanks. It means a lot. Only a couple more chapters to go and this will be finished. This was supposed to be the last chapter, but me and endings … don't do so well, and I don't want to rush it. So, hopefully two more chapters at the most … although, I can't promise anything!

DEMON SPAWN: THE PHONE CALL

CHAPTER THIRTY

"Caelan," John Winchester's low timbre came over the line, sounding tired and worried. "Are you with the boys?"

"Johnny," Caelan replied, and he couldn't help the relief settling upon him at hearing the oldest Winchester's voice. At least one member of his family was safe. "It's good to hear your voice." Caelan said which was his way of saying: I was worried about you.

"Yeah, you too," John said, his tone softening affectionately; which was John's way of saying: I'm glad you're okay.

"Winchester, you've got about five minutes before the nurse comes back and catches you on that phone. Make it quick." A gruff, familiar voice stated.

"Who was that?" Caelan demanded, worry beginning to gnaw at the pit of his stomach at those words. "What did he mean by "nurse"? Johnny, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"It's okay Caelan," John sighed wearily. "It's a long story and I can't go into it over the phone right now … you never know who might be listening …"

Caelan swallowed hard at the note of panic and paranoia that he could detect within his surrogate father's voice. Oh God, he couldn't handle loosing another father. That would definitely cause him to become mad from grief and Caelan wasn't entirely sure he would come back from that!

"Are you okay?" Caelan asked, his voice softening with worry.

"Yeah kid," John chuckled, trying to sound reassuring, but Caelan could tell that John's tone held a lot of pain in it. "I will be. Bobby's with me, so you don't need to worry."

Bobby? What the hell? Caelan couldn't help the shocked thought that darted through his mind. Since when had John and Bobby kissed and made up?

Regardless of how that had happened, knowing that Bobby Singer – someone who Caelan trusted completely – was with John right now helped Caelan relax slightly. He didn't have to worry; Bobby would protect John until Caelan could get there … wherever the hell there was!

It was obvious that John was in hospital. What had happened and how he ended up there were questions that Caelan was anxious to know, because that meant that John had been in trouble and had been attacked for him to end up in hospital.

It was on the tip of Caelan's tounge to voice those questions – and a hundred more that he was dying to ask – before he ruefully shook his head. Now was not the time to get into that discussion. He would have plenty of time to question John later.

"Okay," Caelan let out a soft exhale, basically telling John that he would let this go for now and that he trusted the older man's judgement.

"Are you with the boys?" John repeated, his tone tight with anxiousness. "I have reason to believe that they may be in danger."

"Yeah." Caelan agreed. "We've already figured that out!" he spat out bitterly.

"Caelan!" John's voice hardened and Caelan knew that John was ordering Caelan to tell him everything. "Are the boys okay?"

Caelan let out a long heavy sigh. "We haven't gotten all of the pieces of the puzzle, but … what we've learned isn't good." Caelan paused, bitting upon his lip nervously as he glanced across at Caleb, silently asking him how long until they reached their destination.

Two minutes, Caleb mouthed at him, continuing to drive as if he was in a rally race.

Caelan nodded in gratitude, knowing that he wouldn't go into details over the phone either. "Look Johnny, it's a long story at my end too. I'm heading to the hospital now with Caleb but … there's something you should know."

"What?" John demanded breathlessly, worriedly. "Are my boys safe?"

Caelan closed his eyes, his right hand balled up into a fist. "No." he said simply.

A sharp hiss was heard from the other end of the line.

"Dean's in surgery … he was apparently shot." Caelan rushed on to explain. "And Sammy … Sammy's missing." He admitted softly, the fingernails digging into the palm of his hand at the thought that he had failed his brothers.

"But Caleb and I are heading to the hospital now. We'll search every inch of the security footage in this damn hospital in order to figure out how the hell this could have happened." Caelan promised. "I'm sorry John; I know it's my job to protect them." Caelan continued, his voice fill of disgust and regret. "I should have been there with them … they were safe; they were fine and now … fuck Johnny, I'm going to fix this, okay?"

"Calm down Caelan," John said soothingly. "I'm sure you did everything you could to keep the boys safe." There was a pause and then Caelan heard a long drawn out sigh. "I didn't want it to come to this, but I guess I don't have any other choice." He said so quietly that Caelan was convinced that John was talking to himself. "Right," John declared, his voice becoming strong and purposeful. "Give me two hours and then I'll join you. There's a phone call I have to make."

Caelan shivered violently at the tone in John's voice. "Are you going to call him?" Caelan inquired apprehensively, automatically lowering his voice as dread and relief filled him at the same time. If anyone could find the youngest Winchester, he could.

"I don't think we have any other choice here Caelan," John replied in resignation. "But … I can't let them take Sammy again." John's voice hardened with determination, decision made. And Caelan knew that no matter what Caelan said or did, he would not be able to sway John Winchester's mind or the decision he had made. "Get to the hospital; find out what you can; update me about Dean's condition when you can and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Yes sir," Caelan answered automatically and he was not surprised when he was left listening to the dial tone. John Winchester had his mission; nothing and no one was going to stop him or get in his way now.

CH JW SW CH JW SW CH JW SW CH JW SW CH

Sam kept hoping that by some miracle the hospital security would stop Sam's kidnappers before they exited the building. But, as usual, luck was not encoded within Sam Winchester's DNA and the two men were able to drag a semi-conscious Sam out of the hospital without any resistance what-so-ever.

They stuffed him into a non-descript van, not caring about the injuries Sam had already sustained, handcuffing both hands above his head secured to a chain they had linked into the roof of the van.

Sam's left shoulder and broken left wrist screamed in protest, the pain causing Sam to bite upon his lower lip so hard that he could taste blood, in order not to scream out in agony.

These sick fucks may have abducted him again, but Sam was determined not to give them the satisfaction of letting them see just how much pain Sam was in. Sicko had gotten off on Sam's cries of agony and his fear. Sam was not about to repeat his mistakes. No way were these guys going to see him trembling in fear or screaming in pain.

The van lurched forward, causing Sam to swing forward on his arms, just barely stopping himself from smacking his head against the iron cage that was erected to separate the front from the back.

Excruciating pain ripped through Sam's body, a small whimper escaping him before Sam could clamp down upon his emotions, redirecting his pain into anger as he glared at the only other person in the back with him, who was looking at Sam both nervously and with disgust.

"Wh-where?" Sam demanded, the effects of the drugs coursing through him making it almost impossible for him to stay awake. But because of the massive adrenaline rush that swept through him, Sam was able to keep the darkness at bay … at least for now.

"Where ta-kin' me?" Sam's voice rasped out, sounding weak and pitiful; and not intimidating or fill of wrathful fury like he had intended.

Sam's assailant sighed, deliberately ignoring Sam as he rapped upon the cage to get the driver's attention. "We shouldn't have left –" he shot a suspicious glance at Sam; trying to gage just how aware the boy was before he continued. "– him at the hospital like that. We weren't supposed to leave any evidence of us being there behind. The Man is going to rip us to shreds because of that rookie mistake."

"Relax," the driver told his companion smoothly in a disinterested manner. "We achieved our main mission which was to secure the Demon Spawn. The guy we left behind was expendable. The Man will understand that it was beyond our control to retrieve him. Besides," the driver shot an accusing glance at his partner. "It's not like we could have covered our tracks completely considering that you shot Dean Winchester!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Nervous Nellie whined, pouting like a little child. "If I hadn't of shot Winchester, he would have shot you himself. I saved your life and now you're giving me grief?"

Sam's heart plummeted into his stomach at the mention of his injured sibling. Because of him, Dean had been hurt. It was like a reply of the night twenty-one years ago. His mother had died trying to protect him from The Demon, and now Dean … his big brother who had given him everything; provided him with the love, support, warmth, comfort and encouragement as only a parent could offer to their child was in danger of losing his life because he had tried to protect Sam from these cold hearted bastards who had wanted – and succeeded – to take Sam away from him.

Sam felt a bitter, almost hysterical laugh bubbling up inside of him. God, he was nothing but a bad luck magnet; a jinx. His family would have been so much better off if he had never been born … or if he had died the night The Demon had come for him instead of his mother. Sam Winchester; bad seed; Demon Spawn, should never have been conceived in the first place.

"Dee …" Sam murmured, his head hanging low in shame, guilt and remorse. "'M sorry," he whispered, silent tears falling down his checks out of his closed eyes, praying that at least his older brother would not die today because of him.

SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW

Caleb hadn't even completely stopped his Ute before Caelan had flung open the door and was running full tilt into the hospital, only dimly aware of Caleb's pounding footsteps behind him.

Caelan felt a burning need to get into the hospital and find out exactly what had happened to the Winchester siblings. He was the one who had suggested this hospital in the first place. So, in Caelan's mind it was up to him to make this right. He had to find out what had happened, what had breached the hospital's defences and managed to attack his brothers while they were unprepared and vulnerable.

Did Elizabeth have something to do with this? Is that how the organisation had managed to breach the hospital's fail-safe systems? Her father and younger brother were part of this organisation. It stood to reason that maybe Caelan had been blinded by the affections and feelings that he shared with this woman, that he would have failed to notice that she too, like her father and brother was a part of this organisation.

Caelan hated to think that his Lizzie would be involved with an organisation that had actively "punished" a Hunter's kid for years. He hated to think that she would betray him like this, by handing over his brothers to this organisation but … Caelan had been wrong in letting his feelings overshadow his gut instincts before and that had nearly ended up costing Caelan his life.

If Lizzie had used him to get to Dean and Sam … the feelings he still harboured for her be damned … he would destroy her! No remorse, no guilt, no second-guessing. He would obliterate her and her entire family!

"Easy Caelan," Caleb murmured soothingly against Caelan's ear, a hand placed upon Caelan's shoulder in both support and restraint. "You have that murderous look in your eyes; the look when you don't listen to reason and you just want to punch everything in your way until you get what you want."

Caelan turned to glare at Caleb, his mouth open to retort scathingly to his friend before he realised what Caleb had said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, making a conscious effort to relax. "You're right. I should hear her side of it before I decide if I'm going to rip her to shreds or not. Because if she's double-crossed me Caleb … I will destroy her!"

Caleb almost flinched at the dark look of fury and possible betrayal within his friend's eyes, knowing that Caelan never made these types of threats lightly. "It will be okay Hags," Caleb kept his voice even and light, hoping to keep his friend's temper in check. Because if there was one thing Caleb had learned about Caelan in all of the years that they had been friends, was that Caelan would do whatever it took to protect the Winchesters.

"I know it will be Hawkes," Caelan forced a smile upon his lips. "Especially since I've got my trustee moral conscious and guide here beside me." Caelan lightly punched Caleb on the arm, grinning at Caleb's look of utter mortification at being referred to as a cricket before Caelan strode toward the front desk and demanded that they page Doctor Elizabeth Cox immediately, his tone lowering to his no nonsense, serious tone.

Within five minutes, Elizabeth Cox was standing before him, her checks flushed, her blue eyes shining with worry and guilt.

"Caelan," she gasped, embracing the man in a quick hug before she stepped back, instinctively cupping the side of his face within the palm of her hand in a soothing, supportive gesture. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her blue eyes widening slightly in sympathy. "I – I don't know how this could have happened."

Not unkindly, Caelan shook Elizabeth's hand off of his face, looking deep into this woman's eyes that he had once loved with everything he had, not finding a shred of deceit within them; and Caelan could help but relax at that revelation.

He honestly hadn't wanted to believe that Lizzie was involved in all of this mess. She had left the Hunter's lifestyle behind for a reason. Being involved in an organisation that incorporated the Hunter's lifestyle hadn't made sense to Caelan, but he hadn't been able to out rightly dismiss that option until now.

Thank God his instincts about this woman had been correct. He would have felt even worse if the Winchester brothers had been caught unawares and being attacked because of him.

Caelan waved a hand in Caleb's direction. "You remember Caleb, Lizzie?"

"Of course," Elizabeth smiled at Caleb warmly. "It's good to see you again Caleb."

"You too," Caleb murmured, shifting his feet, slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed now as everyone's eyes appeared to be focused upon the three of them.

"Tell me what you know," Caelan whispered as he grabbed Elizabeth's elbow, leading her out of the emergency room, motioning for Caleb to follow them.

"Not much," Elizabeth admitted regretfully. "Dean's still in surgery. No complications so far and if all goes to plan he should be out of surgery and into the recovery room within an hour."

Caelan nodded, the tightness within his chest beginning to ease a little at that news. "So Dean'll be okay," Caelan half-breathed, half-prayed.

"Yes, he should be," Elizabeth smiled. "From what I've been told … and it's not that much," Elizabeth continued. "The bullet has been successfully removed and they are working to stem the flow of internal bleeding. The surgeon will be able to give you a more thorough explanation once Dean is in recovery." Elizabeth stated apologetically.

"Okay." Caelan said, giving Elizabeth a quick smile of gratitude before he turned serious once more, knowing that there was nothing more that he could do about Dean's situation. "What do you know about Sam's abduction?"

Elizabeth winced, hanging her head dejectedly with shame, halting mid-step, causing Caelan and Caleb to stop with her.

"What Lizzie?" Caelan asked, becoming extremely worried now.

"It appears that whoever took Sam were skilled enough to destroy all of the surveillance footage."

"Fuck!" Caelan swore softly.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said sincerely. "I've asked around and … no one seems to have seen anything. Whoever these guys are Caelan, they're good."

"They used Dean as a distraction to get Sam out of here unnoticed." Caelan surmised. "But to have planned something like this … they would have had to have had inside help. Lizzie, tell me what you know about the security staff here at the hospital. I have a feeling that some of those bastards may be working for this God damned organisation."

"The Organisation?" Elizabeth asked in a low, shaking voice, her face paling dramatically, her blue eyes wide with terror. "Oh God Caelan, I didn't know that's who you were up against. Most of the staff here are … part of the organisation. Anyone could be involved with Sam's abduction."

CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH SW CH

Sam must have slipped into unconsciousness, his despair overwhelming him because the next thing he came aware of was that the van had stopped moving and he could hear two raised angry voices from outside of the van.

Sam peered around the back of the van and noticed that Nervous Nellie and the driver weren't in the van any longer; it must be the two of them who were having an argument outside. For the moment, Sam was alone.

Gingerly, Sam tested the handcuffs and chains for any weakness that he could exploit. But just like Sicko had been, these two were obviously good at their job … kidnapping and securing Demon Spawn!

Sam sighed heavily, hating to be in this particular predicament yet again so soon after being drugged and abducted by Sicko and being forced to endure endless hours of torture … not to mention being shoved in that damn fucking box that Sam detested with a passion and hadn't seen the sight of in years!

A shudder of revolution wormed its way up and down Sam's spine at the mere thought of that box. He would have great pleasure in using the damn thing for scrap metal to construct bullets or some other weapon that he could use against Sicko and his demented team of Hunters who seemed determined to keep him locked up and torture him for their own amusement.

Sam was so caught up in his own thoughts of doubt and despondent despair, that he almost forgot about the two men who were having a heated discussion outside of the van until he felt the whole side of the van shake violently, the sound of a body being slammed into the side of the van nearest him.

"Cut your cool, calm and collected attitude Owen! I know that you are loyal to The Man and he wants us to proceed with the pan of extraditing the Demon Spawn but … we have been ordered by him to release the Demon Spawn immediately."

TBC