Catching Up, Season 2
Chapter 13 – Hunted, Part 1

A/N: Hey guys, sorry I had to split this episode in half as it was running way too long for my usual chapter length. That all said, hope everyone has a splendid 2021 and I'll be back in a couple days – and yes I mean it this time – with part 2 and a chapter to really get the plot moving. Toodles! Until next time, ENJOY! R&R PLZ!

"Alright then," Dean picked up the case. "Next on our trip down memory lane – Hunted. After Dean tells Sam what their father told him before he died, the distraught Sam sneaks off to Indiana alone. While there, Sam encounters Ava, a psychic who admits that she sought Sam in order to warn him of his impending death. Dean discovers that vampire hunter Gordon, whom they have dealt with before, is after Sam and races to find his brother in time to save him."

"I'm not going to have my hopes up for enjoying this," Mary muttered into her beer bottle.

"I'd start developing that habit from now," Sam advised. "Saves a lot of pain down the road."

"Lovely."

The show opened on a man named Scott having a therapy session with a Doctor George Walker. He spoke about having migraines and then discovering he had the ability to electrocute things with his touch.

Poor cat. Sam was inclined to agree.

"Shame," Dean smirked. "He would've a key witness for Cas to interrogate."

"Dean Winchester I will harm you."

Scott continued to speak about received orderings from 'an yellow-eyed man' who wants to do things he doesn't want to. And also 'plans' yellow eyes apparently has for him. "Ominous." Crowley rasped.

They aren't give time to ruminate as in the very next, Scott gets stabbed brutally by an unknown assailant. "Hello Gordon," Mary toasted the TV.

"How'd you know?" Dean looked at her.

"Psycho with no regard for life? It was an easy bet."

The lady has a point. "Glad he's not around anymore." Sam murmured back but fell silent as TV!Dean's confession came on. He said that John told him that he needed to save TV!Sam or else he'd have to kill him.

"HOLD EVERYTHING!" Mary firmly hit the pause button and rounded on the boys. "My husband said what now?!"

"If it's any consolation Mrs. Winchester, he did spend a…healthy stretch of time in Hell."

Mary paused to process then held up a finger, "Well explore that in minute. What's this about killing Sam?"

"When you cut that deal with yellow eyes, what did he say?"

"He said," Mary recalled. "That he wanted permission to visit in 10 years. He wanted to do something, and if no one interrupted, we'd be safe."

"Well shocker of the century he was only half lying," Dean said. "He was never going to let us be safe but he did want to do something to Sammy. You want to tell her or should I?"

Sam licked his lips nervously, "He fed me his blood mom."

"So when I walked in that room…"

"Yes."

"And what exactly did ritual entail for you? What did it do?"

"It gave me powers, like Scott but not quite. I could do different things." Sam really didn't know how to put any of this gently so he thought honesty was the best policy. "Precognition you've seen. And I could – well I sort of could exorcise demons, mentally."

"Exorcisms," Mary let that word hang in air.

Sam opened his mouth to explain but the voice forestalled him, Whoa cowboy, give her a second. She's pretty close to a brain melt. In fact… There was silence then Cas stood up abruptly and left the room.

He came back less than a minute later with a steaming mug, the end of a tea bag hanging out it. "Here Mary, camomile tea can be very soothing."

"Thank you Castiel." She willingly traded the alcohol for the tea, taking small sips.

Dean sent his brother a puzzled look, "When did we get camomile? Cas normally drinks Earl Grey or Pekoe with honey."

How bizarrely charming. Sam thought so too but he needed to think of a cover story. "Yeah…I picked up a box…by accident…last grocery run. It's been sitting the back for a while."

"Huh I didn't see it." Thankfully Dean returned his attention Mary, sparing Sam the need to answer as they comforted her.

"Thanks," the younger Winchester whispered patting his mother's back. Meh, it was nothing.

"Okay," Mary said at last, "Okay. So mental exorcisms. What else?"

Sam continued, "Immunity to demon viruses as you saw. Enhanced strength. It was a mixed bag."

"Can you still do those things?"

"I haven't in years. Don't know if I still can. I went a massive detox to get the blood out of my system."

"I see," Mary rubbed her head. "I need some time to process this. Let's just keep going."

Okay so he abandoned the honesty policy just a bit. He knew on an instinctive level that he could pull of his old tricks with a little 'juice' but that wasn't going to happen. It better not. "It won't." Sam smiled softly as he hit play.

In the show, TV!Sam appears to take off and goes to an abandoned house where he trips a wire and is killing in a blast. Mary nearly flew off the couch. "Mom!" Sam calmed her down. "It's okay, that never happened see -" he pointed to the television where a girl wakes up, stating she'd had a nightmare. "It was a dream."

"That wasn't a nightmare, it was a vision!"

"Yes but it obviously didn't happen because I'm sitting right here."

"Right, right," Mary settled back.

Give her some space, this has nothing to do with the television show. Speaking of which, TV!Sam goes to see Eileen at the Roadhouse and finds out that Jo is now a hunter. He asks Ash to do a nationwide search for anyone that had nursery fire similar to his in an effort to track down more psychics. The search turns up four potentials, one is TV!Sam but more importantly one was dead. His name was Scott and he was killed a month prior so TV!Sam decides to investigate…without his brother.

"I remember this from Hell's view," Crowley swirled his scotch while TV!Sam interviewed Scott's dad. "Azazel never really cared about Scotty, couldn't turn him. But when Gordon turned his sights on Sam, fire was coming out every orifice."

"Sam was special to him?" Mary asked in a hoarse voice.

"Sam was one of the finest to come out of Azazel's experiments."

"Always an overachiever," Dean joked lamely. Even Cas gave him a look. Meanwhile, TV!Sam searches the victim's room and finds cut outs of yellow eyes plastered on his walls. When he returns to his motel, he meets Ava, another psychic who's been having dreams about the murders and came to warn him. Eileen tells TV!Dean where to find his brother and goes to get him. Ava and Sam continue talk about the visions and abilities but Ava is in denial about her powers.

"Oh sweetie, you're predicting murders and you still think you're just a secretary," Rowena shrugged.

Not just a river in Egypt. "No it is not." Sam concurred. At the same time, TV!Sam convinces Ava to stay and help solve the case. He sends her undercover to see Scott's psychiatrist and she steals tape of one of Scott's sessions. In it, he describes his power of electricity and whispers from the yellow-eyed man. He talks about war coming and people like him becoming soldiers.

"Liar," Crowley snorted.

"They weren't trying to make soldiers?" Cas questioned. "I heard the same reasoning."

"Yes and no, I mean the primary objective was always getting one. Any stragglers would be useful…"

Right then, the entire room jumped as a gunshot rang out from the television. Gordon had taken sniper rifle and was trying to kill TV!Sam. Mary covered her face, "Turn it off! Turn it off!"

Sam immediately cut the show and the brothers gathered around their mother who shaking. "It's too much," she tried to breathe, pushing back her hair. "Too much. I can't right now. I just – I have to –" she got up and walked away, Dean following behind.

Sam made to go too but the voice stopped him. Give her space, she's not doing well. "Can you do something for her?" If you can get her to lie down, I should be able to give her dreamless sleep. Trust me, it works wonders. "Hey guys, let's call it a night for now. Crowley, Rowena, you're welcome to stay."

"Why thank you Samuel," Rowena smiled. "I think I will. I'm enjoying this little viewing session. Fergus?"

"Crowley. I have Hell to run but I'll be back in the morning. I'll bring coffee shall I?" With that he was gone.

"Cas, could you show Rowena to one of the empty rooms," Sam requested. "I'm going to go look after mom."

"Sure Sam," Cas rose. "This way Rowena."

"Such gentlemen and angels," Rowena winked at Sam. "Goodnight boys, see you in the morning."