Dean Winchester woke to the familiar pulse through his ring, and it immediately sent him flying out of bed. Juliet had taken the boys to visit her mother, and The Guardian was overcome with the silence in the old farmhouse. He heard his cell phone ring on his nightstand and answered before he could check the caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Deuce? Are you okay?" Caleb asked.
Damn it, if Caleb was okay... and Dean was okay... that only left one more person that could affect the Triad magic like that.
"Can you Vulcan mind meld with Sammy?"
"Yeah... he isn't hurt which is why I wanted to call you first just to make sure."
"So then what was that?"
"I dunno, but I know he is fine physically. But..."
Dean held his phone to his ear as he pulled on a button down plaid shirt.
"But what? Come on Damien."
"This pain seems more spiritual in nature. And I don't mean anything Supernatural. I think his internal pain cried out to the magic of the rings."
"Stay on the line, I'm calling him." Dean said. He placed Caleb on hold and hit speed dial 2 on his phone. Sam answered on the 4th ring.
"'Lo?"
"What's with the disturbance in the force?"
"I dunno wha you mean De."
Dean frowned at the slight slur in Sam's voice and listened carefully to the background noise, hearing clinking glasses and laughing. It had been years since Sam and Dean had been in a bar with the purpose of drinking. Nothing more than a beer or the odd glass of wine passed Dean's lips nowadays and Sam had pretty much followed suit. Whether that was his silent way of showing his support to his brother, or Sam had tried to distance himself from anything that could be coined "addicting" Dean wasn't sure. It wasn't something they talked about, but this was setting off his big brother radar.
"Sammy, where are you?"
"You don't need to do that."
Dean sighed.
"Alright let me put it this way, either you tell me where you are, or I am going to get Caleb to psychically pull your location out of your thick skull. Either way I'm finding you."
Sam was silent for a moment, obviously thinking over his options. As if he had any.
"I'm at the Saint George Pub."
Dean grabbed his keys and wallet off of the dresser walking to the front door. Thank God Sam chose to stay local for whatever meltdown this was.
"I'll be there in 15."
Dean relayed Sam's location to Caleb who said he would be there soon. It was nice when The Triad was in the same Zip Code on occasion.
Dean and Caleb pulled into the parking lot of the local pub nearly simultaneously, and the older man made his way over to the Impala.
"You picked anything up Psychic Wonder?" Dean asked.
"He has his blocks up; I can just feel distress. I haven't felt anything like this from your brother since the apocalypse."
Dean nodded and took a deep breath. Whatever was beyond that bar door he could handle. He had long ago learned he couldn't fight every battle for his brother, but he could damn well be by his side while Sam suffered whatever consequences of his actions.
Dean and Caleb entered the establishment and quickly scanned the room, finding Sam at the back of the bar with his back to a wall to keep an eye on everyone in the room. The kid may be a big yuppy lawyer now a days, but he was still a hunter. Sam did not raise his head as the two older men slid into the booth across from him.
"You want to tell us why you sent out the bat signal Sammy? If you wanted to relive the good old days, you could have just called." Dean said with a smirk.
Sam scoffed and took a sip of whiskey.
"I didn't know that I did. I'm sorry. I just needed to think."
The younger man seemed to shrink in on himself and it made a part of Dean that had seen Sam through the bad days feel afraid for his brother.
"About what exactly?"
Sam shrugged.
"The past, the future... Dad, Mom."
Dean looked over at Caleb with a frown.
"Okay... That's a lot of information to process in one night Runt." Caleb stated. "Can you just be direct here?"
Sam swallowed and rubbed his knuckles against his sore eyes.
"Mom sold me to Azazel, and this is not me being mad about it." Sam said quickly before Dean could get out a word. "I know it wasn't her fault, I really do. I guess I just wonder... if wherever she is, she regrets it. And then there is Dad... do you think he regrets letting me live?"
Dean leaned forward and pulled the glass away from his brother sliding it towards Caleb. This was the kind of stuff that the brothers had put to bed years ago and Dean had no idea what could possibly be bringing it up now.
"Hey, look at me."
He waited until watery hazel eyes hit him. Dean Winchester might not be psychic, but he could feel the broken pieces of Sam making their way to the surface. He just didn't know why.
"Sammy... what the hell is going on with you? You know the answers to these questions. Our parents had faults. Hell Dad could be a downright jack ass sometimes... but they loved you. They wouldn't give you up for anything."
"If they knew then what we know now, are you sure about that? What if it was one of your boys? What if they were destined to follow in my footsteps?"
Dean flinched at the mention of his boys. His biggest fear as a father was something from the Winchesters past coming after them, but it didn't change his answer.
"Well one, we don't believe in that destiny crap remember? And two, if one of my boys were destined to follow in your footsteps? I would do anything to spare them your pain Sammy, but it wouldn't change anything. They're my sons. I sold my soul to save you, you couldn't imagine what I would do to save my kids."
Caleb watched the brothers carefully. Sam was no less frantic, but Dean was certainly helping.
"C'mon Sam, one demon tainted human to another, why you suddenly so worried about it? I'd say we turned out alright." Caleb asked.
Sam squirmed in his seat but finally took a deep breath.
"It's Lydia..."
"Okay, yeah I think I stood up at her wedding, you know beside you? What about her?"
"She's pregnant..."
Dean blinked as the entire night began to click into place.
"It's okay to be scared. God knows I was, but you don't need to be afraid of that."
Sam shook his head.
"It's different Dean. I love your sons. I do. But they are a part of you. They're... pure..."
"Sammy-"
"I swore that the stain that Azazel left on this world would end with me."
"Alright, that's it, c'mon."
Dean grabbed Sam by the collar and dragged him out of the bar with Caleb following closely behind. He pushed his little brother against the hood over the car.
"Listen here you little shit. Thats my brother you are talking about. You are not a stain. I am not going back to that pre-apocalypse bullshit with you. You did some bad shit, hell we all did bad shit back then. If that's what you think of yourself, what could you possibly think of me? I am a pure blood human, no demon blood here and I think I may have done worse crap then you ever did."
Sam sighed and deflated a little bit, Dean barely catching his next few words.
"What if... What if I've cursed that kid to be just like me?"
Dean blinked and looked over at Caleb who stepped forward towards the brothers.
"Well as a neutral third party... who happens to know a lot about Winchester's. I would say if that kid turned out to be anything like you... they would be damn lucky. You know how to be a good Dad Sammy; I know that because I watched Dean raise you right."
Sam was silent for a few moments, but then a sad smile made its way across his face. Dean backed up slowly and then looked at his brother with a smile of his own.
"Now... do you want to make that announcement again?"
Sam swallowed.
"I'm gonna be a Dad."
Dean's smile widened and Caleb laughed.
"Congratulations little brother. I can't wait to meet them."
This wasn't going to be the last conversation they had about this. Sam would always have deep seeded anxiety about demon blood and his own past. But for now The Triad could celebrate knowing that the next generation was continuing to grow.
And it was good.