Mileage: Doorway To Hell 1/?
(Authour's note: With this story the events of "All Hell Breaks Loose" are officially wrapped up. Also, this is NOT a WIP. This is, however, a phenomenon known as "En Fails At Numbering" and I really have no idea how long this sucker actually is. Sorry, guys.)
The brothers bombed through the double doors leading to the ICU waiting room. "Ellen," Dean said as they caught sight of their friends. "Jo...."
Ellen stood up and hugged Dean. "Sam." She hugged Sam, then. "Dean....you came...."
"Of course we came," Sam said, gently breaking the embrace. "Ash....how is he?"
Ellen shook his head. "They're still in there with him. We don't know anything yet."
Dean nodded, looking around. "Where's Bobby?"
"Yeah," Sam put in, turning slightly to check the whole room. "Bit unusual that he's not here."
"I know," Ellen said, shaking her head. "Not like him at all."
"Ellen," Dean said, spreading his hands. "What the hell happened?"
Ellen opened her mouth, when Jo snarled, "Mom, tell them nothing!"
"Joanna Beth!" Ellen snapped. "They're John's boys, I can tell them--"
"They're not!" Jo growled, and Sam and Dean's eyes both widened, because whoa where had that knife she was pointing at them come from? "They're skinwalkers! Or shapeshifters! Oh, they're good, they almost got it right!"
Sam and Dean looked at each other, then both sagged slightly as realisation hit. "Our hair," Dean sighed.
"Our clothes," Sam groaned. "Your jewelry."
Ellen stepped forward. She studied Dean closely. "Sam....your hair is so short...." Then her eyes widened as she reached forward.
Dean forced himself to stay still as Ellen's fingers touched the amulet. Wide eyes raised to lock onto warm, almond-shaped hazel ones.
"Oh, my G-d," Ellen breathed. "Dean?"
Dean smiled just enough to let Sam's dimples peek out. "Hello, Ellen," he said in a near-whisper.
And then Sam moved. His hand flashed out, grabbing Jo's and forcing the knife up. Pressure on sensitive pressure points forced the hand to splay open and the knife dropped into Sam's waiting hand.
He released Jo and handed Ellen the knife, pommel first.
Ellen took it. "Thank you...Sam?"
"Sam," he nodded. "It's a very long story, but we're --"
"--Walkin' a hell of a lot more'n a mile in each other's shoes," Dean finished with a trademark quip.
The doctor stepped out. "For Ashton Harvelle?"
"Yes, that's us," Ellen said, stepping forward. "How's my son, doctor?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Castiel watched Ruby drive away in one of Jefferson's cars. Her host had loved to drive, and muscle memory was serving her well. Sensing a familiar presence at his side, Castiel turned and smiled slightly. "Why is it that -- no matter the species -- big brothers worry about little ones?"
"That's how we're created," Gabe shot back mildly, following Castiel's gaze after the car. "Can you trust her?"
"I probed her memories. All of them. I was in time -- Lilith had not yet recruited her. She serves only her own interests -- and thus, she can be trusted to help us." He frowned, turning to find the unusually serious look on Gabe's face. "What is it?"
"Singer's been injured. And the special gun is missing."
Castiel's eyes narrowed. "I'll get Bobby. You find that gun."
Gabe barely had time to nod before Castiel vanished.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dean left Ash's bedside and returned to the waiting room -- visibly shaken. Sam stood up. "Well?"
"Well," Dean sighed. "He's burned over 43% of his body. He looks awful -- they had to shave his head. He's in a medically-induced coma and they're gonna give him a week or so before they bring him out of it -- see how he starts to heal."
"Why'd he get the worst of it?"
Ellen says he went after his rig." Dean couldn't help but chuckle. "And the damnedest thing is? He got it!"
Sam chuckled as well, rolling jade eyes. "Same old Ash. You do know we're gonna be teasing him about 'Ashton' once he's better?"
"Yup. I know." Dean jerked his head. "Up for some cafeteria food?"
"You just want a burger," Sam quipped, but he fell in step beside Dean. "Seriously, dude, I'm gonna enroll you in a 12-step program. Burgers Anonymous."
"That BA is BS, dude," Dean shot back, and they both laughed. They decided to take the long way to the cafeteria -- the one that passed the ER.
They had a good view of the doors as they walked by. Dean grabbed Sam's arm, halting his movements, as the doors opened and a tall man with curly black hair and a trenchcoat raced in, carrying a limp figure in his arms.
"A little help, here!" the man bellowed, and Sam and Dean yelped at the same moment as they recognised the form in the man's arms.
"BOBBY!"
On to chapter two
The brothers bombed through the double doors leading to the ICU waiting room. "Ellen," Dean said as they caught sight of their friends. "Jo...."
Ellen stood up and hugged Dean. "Sam." She hugged Sam, then. "Dean....you came...."
"Of course we came," Sam said, gently breaking the embrace. "Ash....how is he?"
Ellen shook his head. "They're still in there with him. We don't know anything yet."
Dean nodded, looking around. "Where's Bobby?"
"Yeah," Sam put in, turning slightly to check the whole room. "Bit unusual that he's not here."
"I know," Ellen said, shaking her head. "Not like him at all."
"Ellen," Dean said, spreading his hands. "What the hell happened?"
Ellen opened her mouth, when Jo snarled, "Mom, tell them nothing!"
"Joanna Beth!" Ellen snapped. "They're John's boys, I can tell them--"
"They're not!" Jo growled, and Sam and Dean's eyes both widened, because whoa where had that knife she was pointing at them come from? "They're skinwalkers! Or shapeshifters! Oh, they're good, they almost got it right!"
Sam and Dean looked at each other, then both sagged slightly as realisation hit. "Our hair," Dean sighed.
"Our clothes," Sam groaned. "Your jewelry."
Ellen stepped forward. She studied Dean closely. "Sam....your hair is so short...." Then her eyes widened as she reached forward.
Dean forced himself to stay still as Ellen's fingers touched the amulet. Wide eyes raised to lock onto warm, almond-shaped hazel ones.
"Oh, my G-d," Ellen breathed. "Dean?"
Dean smiled just enough to let Sam's dimples peek out. "Hello, Ellen," he said in a near-whisper.
And then Sam moved. His hand flashed out, grabbing Jo's and forcing the knife up. Pressure on sensitive pressure points forced the hand to splay open and the knife dropped into Sam's waiting hand.
He released Jo and handed Ellen the knife, pommel first.
Ellen took it. "Thank you...Sam?"
"Sam," he nodded. "It's a very long story, but we're --"
"--Walkin' a hell of a lot more'n a mile in each other's shoes," Dean finished with a trademark quip.
The doctor stepped out. "For Ashton Harvelle?"
"Yes, that's us," Ellen said, stepping forward. "How's my son, doctor?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Castiel watched Ruby drive away in one of Jefferson's cars. Her host had loved to drive, and muscle memory was serving her well. Sensing a familiar presence at his side, Castiel turned and smiled slightly. "Why is it that -- no matter the species -- big brothers worry about little ones?"
"That's how we're created," Gabe shot back mildly, following Castiel's gaze after the car. "Can you trust her?"
"I probed her memories. All of them. I was in time -- Lilith had not yet recruited her. She serves only her own interests -- and thus, she can be trusted to help us." He frowned, turning to find the unusually serious look on Gabe's face. "What is it?"
"Singer's been injured. And the special gun is missing."
Castiel's eyes narrowed. "I'll get Bobby. You find that gun."
Gabe barely had time to nod before Castiel vanished.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dean left Ash's bedside and returned to the waiting room -- visibly shaken. Sam stood up. "Well?"
"Well," Dean sighed. "He's burned over 43% of his body. He looks awful -- they had to shave his head. He's in a medically-induced coma and they're gonna give him a week or so before they bring him out of it -- see how he starts to heal."
"Why'd he get the worst of it?"
Ellen says he went after his rig." Dean couldn't help but chuckle. "And the damnedest thing is? He got it!"
Sam chuckled as well, rolling jade eyes. "Same old Ash. You do know we're gonna be teasing him about 'Ashton' once he's better?"
"Yup. I know." Dean jerked his head. "Up for some cafeteria food?"
"You just want a burger," Sam quipped, but he fell in step beside Dean. "Seriously, dude, I'm gonna enroll you in a 12-step program. Burgers Anonymous."
"That BA is BS, dude," Dean shot back, and they both laughed. They decided to take the long way to the cafeteria -- the one that passed the ER.
They had a good view of the doors as they walked by. Dean grabbed Sam's arm, halting his movements, as the doors opened and a tall man with curly black hair and a trenchcoat raced in, carrying a limp figure in his arms.
"A little help, here!" the man bellowed, and Sam and Dean yelped at the same moment as they recognised the form in the man's arms.
"BOBBY!"
On to chapter two