Familiar Taste of Poison (Part 1), a Supernatural Fic
Title: Familiar Taste of Poison (Part 1)
Author: lauehime
Rating: PG-13
Genre/pairing: Hurt/comfort, Angst, Family, Bits of humor, Gen
Characters: Sam, Dean, Jess, Brady
Word count: +/- 12,000 for the whole story
Summary: Preseries, Stanford era. Sam survived his first finals as a 'College Boy' and he joins the fun at a party with friends, only to push things a little too far. Dean is surprised when he gets a call in the middle of the night to learn that he is Sammy's emergency reference. Needless to say that he takes this role really seriously.
Spoilers: Some storylines are picked from season 5 so if you wanna be safe...
Warnings: Alcohol abuse.
Disclaimer: Not mine sadly. Supernatural belongs to Kripke.
A/N: Funny, this was supposed to be a short one-shot. Well... It was my first attempt at writing Sam as a teenager/young adult and I knew I wanted a hint of Jess in this story. I included how Sam and Jess met and of course I used the Brady storyline for that (Spoilers! for those who haven't seen season 5).
SUPERNATURAL
Palo Alto, California
It was December in California. The air was warm but chilly when the wind picked up. The day was reaching an end and the last beams of sunlight reflected from the far end of the horizon. It was Friday afternoon and Sam was just walking out from his last test. After a whole trimester of working himself out, he had finally completed a portion of his degree.
Pre-law finals were taking their toll on its students. There were so many things to learn and understand. The Civil Codes didn’t start thinning for exam periods. The last weeks of the trimester usually meant no sleep and a constant IV drip of caffeine to stay awake and study.
Sam Winchester had never been used to studying so hard for school. Of course, his father had made him pull all nighters for research before, but it would be for a hunt and they always ended up fighting because Sam hated it. He hated that life. He hated hunting and he hated that the only way out of it was to be separated from his family.
When he’d first gotten the news that he’d been accepted into Stanford, he was ecstatic. He knew what his father thought of studies and degrees but deep down, he wanted to hope that his father would finally be proud, even if it meant letting the kid go.
How wrong he’d been at that time. When his father heard the news, they had the fight of their lives. John blamed him, almost calling him a traitor to his own blood. The family business was the only possible outcome for Sam and there was no way his father would let him do anything else. But Sam hated the hunt. He always had. He wanted normal. The supernatural had only brought pain in the Winchesters’ lives. It had cost them their mom.
Sam hadn’t even known his mother. Mary Winchester died when he was just six months old. He couldn’t even relinquish the pain by focusing on the memories he had because he had none. Whenever he’d wanted to know about her, his brother and his father just shut him off, telling him that the subject was too painful. He’d seen pictures but that was pretty much it.
That’s what drove him to crave normal so desperately. He wanted to go to school, get a degree and a girl. He wanted to marry, have kids and a house with white picket fences. He didn’t want to grow a hunter and eventually have to raise his children as hunters. Hunting only brought death and pain.
But leaving his family had brought pain too. Leaving his big brother had broken his heart. He remembered the night he left for Stanford. Actually he still had nightmares about it. His father being mad was one thing but Dean not backing him up was what tore into him. He could still see the pain in his brother’s face. As soon as the words escaped John’s lips, Sam knew he had no other choice. If you walk out that door, you don’t ever come back…
And Sam had. He’d walked out and came to California to study. To get out. Get out of the hunting life and have something he deserved for once. He deserved to be happy.
And tonight he was. On this very Friday in the middle of December, after his very last exam of his very first trimester, he was truly happy. He had made it through. He couldn’t even start to describe the joy that filled him. The relief. And he wished he could have shared it with his family. But they didn’t want him now. He had made a choice. He had walked out. And now he was paying the price, enjoying his victories on his own.
Sam dragged his feet to his locker in order to pick up his last belongings before the holiday break started. As he approached, he saw his friend leaning against his locker and obviously waiting for him. The youngest Winchester smiled and picked up his pace as his eyes met his friend’s eyes.
“Hey Winchester, took you long enough!” the blonde young man commented.
Sam grinned. “How did it go” he asked his friend referring to the test they had just completed.
The boy chuckled. “A disaster… You know maybe I’m not cut out for this” he confessed.
Sam frowned. As soon as his friend saw that look, he burst out laughing.
“Dude, you should totally see your face. Don’t worry ‘bout me! Worry about tonight” he said with a grin.
Sam’s frown deepened but his tight lips finally softened into a lopsided smile.
“Brady, what’s tonight?” he asked with an mock exasperated sigh, wondering what his friend still had in mind. The guy had been acting weird ever since he'd came back from their last Thanksgiving break.
“What’s tonight? You don’t know?!” Brady echoed loudly.
Sam gave him an incredulous look and shrugged his shoulders animatedly enough to let his friend know he had no clue. The Blonde smiled widely.
“Just the coolest party ever because you’re going to come and because we worked our damn asses hard enough! School’s over, let’s celebrate!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air.
Sam nodded. A party? Why not?! Brady was right. He’d been working hard and he deserved a break. Besides, he couldn’t remember any time when his father had allowed him to go to a party. Dean could come home wasted anytime but Sam was hardly ever allowed to hang out with friends past curfew.
His nodding intensified and his smile grew larger. “Yeah okay! I’m in” Sam replied.
His friend chuckled. “That’s my boy” he cheered, patting Sam’s shoulder. Sam smiled back.
SUPERNATURAL
Beachside near Palo Alto, California
Later that evening, Sam drove up to the address Brady had left him. He reached a beach house somewhere away from the campus. It was Brady’s parents’ beach house. They were out of town so his friend jumped on the occasion. Sam smiled sadly. Before moving into his apartment, he had never known anything to call a home. With his dad and Dean, they went from motel rooms to motel rooms, sometimes renting a decrepit house on the way.
This place was a palace and to know that it was just a beach house made his heart ache. He was still new to this. Stanford had started just a few short months ago and he was hardly starting to make friends. He still felt like the strange guy in the place. All his life, he’d gone from school to school, never sharing bonds because he knew he’d have to break them when he left. Sometimes, he had a tendency to forget that he was settled in for good now and that he wouldn’t have to suddenly up and leave through the night.
Putting himself back together, he pulled his long legs out of the car and walked over to the front door of the house. He’d grown a couple of inches again since he’d moved to Palo Alto. Dean would hate it when he realized his little brother had outgrown him.
Sam didn’t even have to wait long by the door. Brady opened it with the largest grin. He was so happy to see his friend that he wrapped him in his arms. Sam frowned at the impromptu gesture but after taking a few breaths, he could tell that his friend was already warmed up.
“’m glad ya came, come on in” he slurred, dragging Sam into the house. “Have a drink” he added, placing a beer in Sam’s hands.
For a second, Sam thought back to the very few times Dean allowed them to share a beer. He wasn’t much of a drinker. He was quite a light weight actually.
Shrugging, he drank the beer anyway. There was a first time for everything after all.
The music was loud and the house was huge. Sam started to think that all the motel rooms of the world could fit into the kitchen of this place. And there were so many people. He didn’t know most of them but he recognized a few faces from some of his classes.
There were a couple of his close friends that were hanging around the kitchen counter. Sam decided to join them, even though there were some of them he didn’t know. He had spotted a beautiful blonde lady that just wouldn’t let him look away.
His friends greeted him cheerfully as he leaned on the counter.
“Hey Sam! You came to the party, nice seeing you man!” Rebecca greeted, hugging her friend. They had met through the first weeks of school and had been talking ever since. Sam liked Rebecca because she was just a joy to be around and she never judged him. Tonight though, she was hanging close to a guy Sam didn’t know and he wondered if he was Becky’s boyfriend.
She laughed. “Sam, this is my brother Zach” she said. Sam smiled. Brother, okay. He pulled out a hand and shook Zach’s. “Nice to meet you” they said in unison.
There was also a guy named Jimmy that Sam had spoken to a couple of times. He was a good guy.
And of course, there was the beautiful Blonde that Sam couldn’t look at in fear of blushing. She was with a friend, a Brunette that Sam knew as Katie. He had never spoken to her but he’d seen her at school.
Brady came from behind and grabbed Sam’s shoulder, pulling him closer. He was definitely drunk.
“Hey ya’ll met my friend Sam. Boy’s a genius and such a good friend” he praised, turning to face Sam with an adoring look. His eyes were glassy from the alcohol and Sam cringed from the stench of his breath. He tried to pull away but Brady pulled tighter.
“Good student, straight A’s… sometimes you gotta learn to let go and have a lil’ fun!” Brady continued. He handed Sam another beer. “Come on, school’s over! Let’s drink to that!” he exclaimed, raising his glass to the air and then downing the whole content of it.
Sam forced a smile and took a sip of his beer. He started to wonder if he’d made the right decision by coming to the party. But the others seemed to laugh it off. They cheered and drank as well. Not as much as Brady did but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. So Sam cooled off and drank more of his own beer.
“So Sam, what are your plans for the holidays?” Becky asked.
Sam shrugged. “Rest, I guess” he proposed, not wanting to admit that he had no family to go to.
“Aren’t you going to see your family?” Becky shot. Sam felt like he’d been painted in the corner. He took another sip of beer and tried to act cool.
“Nah… were not exactly family of the year. Plus, they’re on the other side of the country” he lied. He’d never told anyone about his family and didn’t talk about them either. What was there to talk about anyway?
Becky’s eyes turned comprehensive. She put a hand on her brother’s shoulder.
“It’s just my brother and I, you know. But we’re planning a skiing trip and well, you can come if you’ve got no other place to go” she proposed.
Sam felt like his cheeks were flushing from an invisible fire.
“I… I’ve never been skiing before” he admitted shyly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll show you” Zach assured with an inviting smile.
Sam nodded. He was overwhelmed with their kindness. “I’d love that” he finally replied with a genuine smile.
As he was speaking, he couldn’t stop his head from turning to his side and noticing how pretty the girl was when she smiled. It fazed him for a few seconds until Brady noticed it and made sure to let everybody else notice.
“Pretty, isn’t she?! Sam, this is Jessica” Brady stated loudly. The Blonde turned at her name being called.
“Brady” she stated. He smiled.
“Jess, this is Sam. Very awesome dude, that is. You should talk to him” he said, pushing Sam towards the girl.
Sam stiffened at being thrown so quickly and defenselessly into the line of action. Fortunately, Jessica smiled. “Hi Sam” she greeted. She turned her face back to her friend but not without winking in Sam’s direction. Sam felt himself flush even more and his legs started to feel wobbly under him.
“Hey” he breathed out shyly. She smiled as she went back to her conversation with Katie. Every once in a while, she turned her eyes slightly, as if to verify where Sam was before going back to look at her friend.
The music kept beating and the beer kept flowing. Sam had a couple of them before he decided to stop and hit the water pitcher. It was already more than he’d ever taken.
He decided to take a break of fresh air to clear his mind. The backdoor of the house led to a dock that led to the beach. The nights were cold in December. He heard the growing sound of the crashing waves as he approached the water. The sound was like music to him.
He sat in the sand and let the music lull him.
He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him. He didn’t notice that someone was right there. At least not until that person sat right next to him that is. He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful Blonde from the kitchen.
“Did I scare you” she asked.
He shook his head and smiled. “No it’s fine” he assured.
She nodded and turned to face the water. She smiled and breathed in the fresh air.
“I love the beach and the water… and the waves. They come and go as they please. Sometimes they’re rough, sometimes they’re smooth…” she started, amazed by the view.
The wind picked up again and caught in her hair. The smell of her shampoo traveled with the breeze and up to Sam’s senses. He let himself get drunk into the smell of her perfume. The haze felt heavenly.
That’s until he noticed her shivering.
“You cold?” he asked.
She pulled her arms closer to herself.
“Little” she admitted.
Sam pulled his hoodie off and wrapped her in it.
“Here” he said with a smile.
She smiled back, watching him intensely.
“You’ll be cold” she pointed the obvious. He shrugged and smiled.
“You won’t” he replied. Her eyes widened. “I’m fine, don’t worry” he added.
Her smile reached her eyes. She stared him down seriously. “You’re different” she pointed out.
His smile started to disappear.
“In a good way! You’re sensitive” she added quickly, noticing his darkening eyes. They lit right back up. His smile slowly crept back up his face.
“And that’s good?” he finally asked. She nodded, biting her bottom lip.
“You care about people. You’re not loud and obnoxious like Brady can be. And that look…” she started.
Sam’s head snapped in her direction and he stared her down, again thinking about how beautiful she was.
“Yeah that one exactly” she added with a wide smile. “That look has magical powers” she concluded.
He offered a playful grimace and she burst out laughing. He joined her. Her laugh was music to his ears. He forgot about the waves and the big house and the beach. She was the most beautiful force of nature at the moment.
“You’re beautiful” he blurted out, suddenly cursing the alcohol for making him lose control of his tongue.
But she seemed to like it. Her look was honest and her smile wasn’t forced. He hadn’t been too rude. He let his smile return, no longer afraid that he’d blown his chance.
“Winchester!” someone yelled from the porch. “Get back in!” they added.
Sam’s smile darkened at being pulled away from such a moment but he obliged anyway. “Duty is calling” he joked. She laughed.
He offered a hand. She looked at him before intertwining her warm fingers through his. He helped her up. They walked back to the house where Brady was waiting.
“Wha’s up?” Sam asked reaching his friend.
Brady grinned. “Time to play” he chimed.
SUPERNATURAL
All of those who had decided to join Brady’s game were standing around the kitchen table. The host was giggling as he was trying to give the instructions to the game.
“Simple really! Flip the coin and decide heads or tails. You guess right, you pass the coin to the right, you guess wrong… you strip or you chug. Can’t do the same thing more than twice in a row either” he explained through slurring and giggling.
Sam had never played drinking games before. Blame it on the fact that he hadn’t actually gone to a lot of parties before. Overall, they were all underage. But who cared? There were no parents and they deserved to celebrate.
Jessica was there too. She decided to play. It was one of the most powerful arguments that had Sam join in.
The game started. People either passed the coin or chugged. It was Brady’s turn. He missed on the first try and stripped off his shirt. “Party on!” he yelled as he threw his shirt away, leaving him bare-chested. Sam giggled softly. The coin came to him and he guessed right. Brady booed him for being so ‘goddamn perfect’.
Sam shrugged off his luck and passed the coin over to Jess. She got it wrong and decided to chug. Sam got the coin back. He guessed on heads and had tails instead. He sighed and grabbed a shot of Tequila.
The next time he got the coin he lost again and grabbed another shot. The third time, rule was that he couldn’t choose the shots again. He had to strip. He rolled his eyes and sluggishly pulled his shoes off. Jess winked at him.
Sam lost two more times and had to down two more shots. The liquor was leaving a burning sensation in his chest. Jessica had stripped off of her shoes and socks because the idea of drinking was making her nauseous. Her friend Katie was swaying drunkenly. Brady was dancing behind the table with only boxers left. Rebecca was laughing as she pulled her top off, revealing her bra. Zach was still choosing alcohol, seeming unfazed by it.
Sam’s eyes rested on the coin that was once again in his hand. He giggled and called for tails. He got heads instead. He sighed and removed his socks with trembling hands. The coin returned to him and he sighed in relief when he guessed right.
Jessica got the coin. She had stripped twice already and she couldn’t bear the thought of another shot. She flipped the coin and missed.
“Oh Jessie! You can’t strip anymore! Come on, have a shot!” Brady teased.
Jessica shook her head. Just the smell made her nauseous.
“Can’t” she admitted, shaking her head.
Brady showed his deception.
“Those are the rules baby” he pushed.
“Well screw your stupid game” she spat, putting the coin down.
Sam’s head was spinning as he watched her leave. The coin was his now. He looked at it for a long time.
“Come on Sammy, we’re getting old!” Brady teased.
Sam felt his heart squeeze in his chest at the nickname. Only Dean called him Sammy.
“’ts Sam” he slurred, flipping the coin. He was too out of it to call something and ended up taking another shot.
Sam grabbed his discarded clothing and walked off to nowhere in particular. His head was spinning and he felt like it was filled with cotton. He finally sat on a couch and started pulling at his socks.
Katie stumbled into the room with one cup in each of her hands. She dropped on the seat next to Sam.
“Heyyyy Sam” she slurred. “Here” she offered, handing him one of her cups. He took it absentmindedly and starting to drink from it.
“Katie” he stated. He took another sip and then another one. He didn’t know why he kept drinking but he just did.
“You’re cute” she blurted out. Sam bowed his head in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to the girls’ attention.
That got a reaction from her as she traced his cheek with her fingers. Sam pulled away from her touch. She was getting too close and he didn’t like it. There was another girl in his mind.
And that girl was standing at the far side of the room, watching the scene sadly.
Sam stared at her. Jessica. She looked back at him.
Sam pulled away from Katie, stumbling over the couch and dragging his feet. He had to talk to her.
“Jess” he said as he finally reached her.
“Sam” she replied simply.
He wanted to say something. To say anything. He wanted to tell her that she was the one in his thoughts. He wanted to say that he was sorry. He wanted her to know that Katie was flirting with him and not the other way around.
But through the haze in his head, nothing came out. He just looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Take care of yourself” she finally said, walking away.
Sam nodded and watched her. He downed what was left in his cup and walked back into the kitchen. Brady and his friends were playing beer pong. He joined a team and downed a few more beers.
He was clumsy and giggly and everyone suddenly seemed to be so much fun. People finally noticed him and talked to him. He could have fun with them. He was floating in that false happiness for a little while longer.
After a while, his smile died down and he had a hard time pulling it back up. His head was spinning so much that he could hardly stand. He had to take a seat before he would fall.
Panic gripped him when he realized he had no memory of how he’d gotten in this very right spot. He remembered Jess and then the beer pong and then nothing.
He stood on wobbly legs and dragged himself to the bathroom. The room was spinning so much that he had to sit before he fell into the toilet. Once more, he realized he had no idea what happened before that and how he got there.
He went back to the living room and found a couch to drop on. His memory didn’t follow and he had no idea how he got there either. He was just so sleepy. Maybe he could rest his eyes for a little while.
When he woke again, Brady was sitting on the other couch with Katie sitting on top of him. They were kissing deeply. Sam giggled. It felt funny to him. He had no idea what had happened before and he started to wonder where he was and what was happening.
He was still sleepy and thought a little rest would make him feel better. He closed his eyes and let himself slip into the darkness once again.
The next time he woke, something was bugging him. There was a constant tapping against his face and there was a blur of sounds he couldn’t understand.
He finally came to enough to see that the annoying tapping was actually a girl standing next to him and looking into his eyes. She was talking to him but her words didn’t make sense.
He blinked sluggishly as the girl tapped his cheek once more.
“Sam? Sam can you hear me?” she asked. Sam blinked.
“Try to stay awake for me. Can you do that?” she asked again. Sam stared with glassy eyes. He wanted to answer, to tell her that he was okay. No words came out of his mouth but a soft groan. His throat was parched and his head was still feeling like cotton.
He was just so tired. He wanted to sleep.
He felt her shake him and he wanted to tell her to stop. He wanted to tell her that he was okay and that she was only making him dizzier. But nothing came out. Instead, his eyes drooped and just like that, he was back in the darkness.
SUPERNATURAL
Sarah started to panic. She’d remained sober through most of the night and had been able to watch everything that had happened. Sam was a great student. He was in her classes and she looked up to him. But she didn’t think he knew about her.
Still, her eyes followed him wherever he went, even when he ended up outside with the lovely Jessica Moore or on the couch with her friend Katherine. The latter ended up in Brady’s bedroom anyway, not that she cared.
But when she noticed that Sam had been dozing off on the couch for too long, she got worried. The guy had had a lot to drink after all. Her worry just got worse as she tried to rouse him and she noticed how out of it he was. Sam had finally opened glassy eyes but still then, he wouldn’t respond to her and his eyes kept rolling back.
Now Sam had gone back to sleep and he wouldn’t wake at all anymore. She shook him and tapped his cheeks, all to no avail. Sam Winchester was out cold. Unconscious. He couldn’t wake up.
That unnerved her deeply. If Sam didn’t wake up, she would have to call an ambulance. What if he stopped breathing? She couldn’t take that risk. She had to do something. Sam’s skin was pale and cold and his breathing was ragged and slow.
She felt around his pockets to find his wallet. If Sam needed medical attention, they would need as much information about him as they could get. She finally found the wallet as well as his cell phone. She picked out his IDs, looking for something.
A folded piece of paper fell out and she grabbed it. There was a single note. It said In case of emergency, call Dean and there was a phone number. She frowned at the idea of trusting this Dean before trusting the paramedics but if it’s what Sam wanted, that’s what she would do.
Sarah picked up his cell phone and scrolled down the contact list. She found a D with a number fitting the one on the note. She assumed D was Dean and decided to give him a call.
SUPERNATURAL
Folsom, California
Dean had been hunting alone for a few days. John and him had separated to take care of two different hunts before reuniting. They were simple hunts and Dean had finished taking care of his around the end of the afternoon. He decided to take the night off before joining his dad.
After the hunt, he’d gone to a bar like he would always do but his heart wasn’t into it. He was actually spacing out constantly, focused on the thought that he was the closest he’d been to his brother in months. After Sam left, they hadn’t seen or talked to each other and Dean found it hard to bear.
The brothers had been close while growing up and even though Dean was disappointed that his brother chose to leave him, he knew Sam was happier this way. His kid brother was smart and he’d always hated the job. Sam wasn’t a hunter and Dean couldn’t bring himself to deny him his dreams, even if it meant letting him go.
Still, he missed the kid so much. The only thing stopping him from taking the phone and calling or even driving right up to Palo Alto was pride.
Neither him nor Sam had made the first move and he was still waiting. Waiting to see if Sam would do it or if he would have to.
His night ended shortly. He paid for his only beer and went straight back to the motel room where he fell asleep watching boring TV.
He startled awake and realized how late it was when his cell phone brought him out of his sleep. He frowned as he fumbled for the light switch. When he finally found it and lit the room, he spotted his phone on the bedside table and grabbed it. His frown deepened when he saw the caller ID. He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to reply. He was dying to know.
“Sam?” he asked right away as he pulled the phone to his ear.
He heard movement and someone clearing their throat before a feminine voice responded.
“Are you Dean?” she asked.
“Who are you, where’s Sam?” he snapped right back, his panic rising. Why would a girl call from Sam’s phone and know his name. That couldn’t mean anything good.
“My name’s Sarah. I’m a friend of Sam’s. Listen… I… I found this note in his wallet saying to call you in case of an emergency…” she explained, trying hard to find words that wouldn’t upset the man even more.
Dean processed everything quickly. If he’d been tired upon waking up, it was gone now and he was more alert than he’d ever been. There was an emergency, someone was calling him and Sam had let a girl dig in his wallet. That couldn’t mean anything good.
“What’s wrong with him?” Dean asked, his concern skyrocketing.
“Are you Dean?” Sarah repeated. Dean realized that he’d never replied that simple question.
“I am. Now tell me what the hell is wrong with my brother!” he replied harshly. He didn’t mean it to sound like that but he couldn’t stand the wait. He needed to know.
“I can’t wake him up! He’s been drinking…and then… then he passed out and I can’t… he won’t wake up” she cried. Dean’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. Since when did Sam drink anyway?
“Sarah, I need you to breathe okay?! Just tell me where you are and I’ll be right there” he said on a softer tone. He couldn’t have her panic, not when she was taking care of his little brother. She gave him the address and he wrote it down on a piece of paper.
“Thank you” he said after she finished reciting their location. “Now, lay him on his side and make sure he keeps breathing until I get there” Dean ordered. He was in sergeant mode now.
“But… shouldn’t I get him to the hospital?” she asked. Dean’s panic increased but he needed to stay in that sergeant mode. It made everything feel under control.
“No, no hospital. I’ll take care of him when I get there. Unless he gets worse, then you can call an ambulance but as long as it’s unnecessary, you make sure he keeps breathing and I’ll do the rest, lady” he snapped, falling into orders again. He hated that he sounded so much like his father.
“Okay” she stuttered.
Dean nodded. “Thank you Sarah. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Count at least an hour” he said.
“Okay. Bye Dean” she concluded.
Dean was already sitting in his car and ready to gun the engine. He knew Palo Alto was an over-two-hours drive but Sam’s life might be depending on it. It’s not like he hadn’t broken speed limits before. Besides, he had a vulnerable kid brother to attend to.
Just what were you thinking Sam?
Part 2
Author: lauehime
Rating: PG-13
Genre/pairing: Hurt/comfort, Angst, Family, Bits of humor, Gen
Characters: Sam, Dean, Jess, Brady
Word count: +/- 12,000 for the whole story
Summary: Preseries, Stanford era. Sam survived his first finals as a 'College Boy' and he joins the fun at a party with friends, only to push things a little too far. Dean is surprised when he gets a call in the middle of the night to learn that he is Sammy's emergency reference. Needless to say that he takes this role really seriously.
Spoilers: Some storylines are picked from season 5 so if you wanna be safe...
Warnings: Alcohol abuse.
Disclaimer: Not mine sadly. Supernatural belongs to Kripke.
A/N: Funny, this was supposed to be a short one-shot. Well... It was my first attempt at writing Sam as a teenager/young adult and I knew I wanted a hint of Jess in this story. I included how Sam and Jess met and of course I used the Brady storyline for that (Spoilers! for those who haven't seen season 5).
SUPERNATURAL
Palo Alto, California
It was December in California. The air was warm but chilly when the wind picked up. The day was reaching an end and the last beams of sunlight reflected from the far end of the horizon. It was Friday afternoon and Sam was just walking out from his last test. After a whole trimester of working himself out, he had finally completed a portion of his degree.
Pre-law finals were taking their toll on its students. There were so many things to learn and understand. The Civil Codes didn’t start thinning for exam periods. The last weeks of the trimester usually meant no sleep and a constant IV drip of caffeine to stay awake and study.
Sam Winchester had never been used to studying so hard for school. Of course, his father had made him pull all nighters for research before, but it would be for a hunt and they always ended up fighting because Sam hated it. He hated that life. He hated hunting and he hated that the only way out of it was to be separated from his family.
When he’d first gotten the news that he’d been accepted into Stanford, he was ecstatic. He knew what his father thought of studies and degrees but deep down, he wanted to hope that his father would finally be proud, even if it meant letting the kid go.
How wrong he’d been at that time. When his father heard the news, they had the fight of their lives. John blamed him, almost calling him a traitor to his own blood. The family business was the only possible outcome for Sam and there was no way his father would let him do anything else. But Sam hated the hunt. He always had. He wanted normal. The supernatural had only brought pain in the Winchesters’ lives. It had cost them their mom.
Sam hadn’t even known his mother. Mary Winchester died when he was just six months old. He couldn’t even relinquish the pain by focusing on the memories he had because he had none. Whenever he’d wanted to know about her, his brother and his father just shut him off, telling him that the subject was too painful. He’d seen pictures but that was pretty much it.
That’s what drove him to crave normal so desperately. He wanted to go to school, get a degree and a girl. He wanted to marry, have kids and a house with white picket fences. He didn’t want to grow a hunter and eventually have to raise his children as hunters. Hunting only brought death and pain.
But leaving his family had brought pain too. Leaving his big brother had broken his heart. He remembered the night he left for Stanford. Actually he still had nightmares about it. His father being mad was one thing but Dean not backing him up was what tore into him. He could still see the pain in his brother’s face. As soon as the words escaped John’s lips, Sam knew he had no other choice. If you walk out that door, you don’t ever come back…
And Sam had. He’d walked out and came to California to study. To get out. Get out of the hunting life and have something he deserved for once. He deserved to be happy.
And tonight he was. On this very Friday in the middle of December, after his very last exam of his very first trimester, he was truly happy. He had made it through. He couldn’t even start to describe the joy that filled him. The relief. And he wished he could have shared it with his family. But they didn’t want him now. He had made a choice. He had walked out. And now he was paying the price, enjoying his victories on his own.
Sam dragged his feet to his locker in order to pick up his last belongings before the holiday break started. As he approached, he saw his friend leaning against his locker and obviously waiting for him. The youngest Winchester smiled and picked up his pace as his eyes met his friend’s eyes.
“Hey Winchester, took you long enough!” the blonde young man commented.
Sam grinned. “How did it go” he asked his friend referring to the test they had just completed.
The boy chuckled. “A disaster… You know maybe I’m not cut out for this” he confessed.
Sam frowned. As soon as his friend saw that look, he burst out laughing.
“Dude, you should totally see your face. Don’t worry ‘bout me! Worry about tonight” he said with a grin.
Sam’s frown deepened but his tight lips finally softened into a lopsided smile.
“Brady, what’s tonight?” he asked with an mock exasperated sigh, wondering what his friend still had in mind. The guy had been acting weird ever since he'd came back from their last Thanksgiving break.
“What’s tonight? You don’t know?!” Brady echoed loudly.
Sam gave him an incredulous look and shrugged his shoulders animatedly enough to let his friend know he had no clue. The Blonde smiled widely.
“Just the coolest party ever because you’re going to come and because we worked our damn asses hard enough! School’s over, let’s celebrate!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air.
Sam nodded. A party? Why not?! Brady was right. He’d been working hard and he deserved a break. Besides, he couldn’t remember any time when his father had allowed him to go to a party. Dean could come home wasted anytime but Sam was hardly ever allowed to hang out with friends past curfew.
His nodding intensified and his smile grew larger. “Yeah okay! I’m in” Sam replied.
His friend chuckled. “That’s my boy” he cheered, patting Sam’s shoulder. Sam smiled back.
SUPERNATURAL
Beachside near Palo Alto, California
Later that evening, Sam drove up to the address Brady had left him. He reached a beach house somewhere away from the campus. It was Brady’s parents’ beach house. They were out of town so his friend jumped on the occasion. Sam smiled sadly. Before moving into his apartment, he had never known anything to call a home. With his dad and Dean, they went from motel rooms to motel rooms, sometimes renting a decrepit house on the way.
This place was a palace and to know that it was just a beach house made his heart ache. He was still new to this. Stanford had started just a few short months ago and he was hardly starting to make friends. He still felt like the strange guy in the place. All his life, he’d gone from school to school, never sharing bonds because he knew he’d have to break them when he left. Sometimes, he had a tendency to forget that he was settled in for good now and that he wouldn’t have to suddenly up and leave through the night.
Putting himself back together, he pulled his long legs out of the car and walked over to the front door of the house. He’d grown a couple of inches again since he’d moved to Palo Alto. Dean would hate it when he realized his little brother had outgrown him.
Sam didn’t even have to wait long by the door. Brady opened it with the largest grin. He was so happy to see his friend that he wrapped him in his arms. Sam frowned at the impromptu gesture but after taking a few breaths, he could tell that his friend was already warmed up.
“’m glad ya came, come on in” he slurred, dragging Sam into the house. “Have a drink” he added, placing a beer in Sam’s hands.
For a second, Sam thought back to the very few times Dean allowed them to share a beer. He wasn’t much of a drinker. He was quite a light weight actually.
Shrugging, he drank the beer anyway. There was a first time for everything after all.
The music was loud and the house was huge. Sam started to think that all the motel rooms of the world could fit into the kitchen of this place. And there were so many people. He didn’t know most of them but he recognized a few faces from some of his classes.
There were a couple of his close friends that were hanging around the kitchen counter. Sam decided to join them, even though there were some of them he didn’t know. He had spotted a beautiful blonde lady that just wouldn’t let him look away.
His friends greeted him cheerfully as he leaned on the counter.
“Hey Sam! You came to the party, nice seeing you man!” Rebecca greeted, hugging her friend. They had met through the first weeks of school and had been talking ever since. Sam liked Rebecca because she was just a joy to be around and she never judged him. Tonight though, she was hanging close to a guy Sam didn’t know and he wondered if he was Becky’s boyfriend.
She laughed. “Sam, this is my brother Zach” she said. Sam smiled. Brother, okay. He pulled out a hand and shook Zach’s. “Nice to meet you” they said in unison.
There was also a guy named Jimmy that Sam had spoken to a couple of times. He was a good guy.
And of course, there was the beautiful Blonde that Sam couldn’t look at in fear of blushing. She was with a friend, a Brunette that Sam knew as Katie. He had never spoken to her but he’d seen her at school.
Brady came from behind and grabbed Sam’s shoulder, pulling him closer. He was definitely drunk.
“Hey ya’ll met my friend Sam. Boy’s a genius and such a good friend” he praised, turning to face Sam with an adoring look. His eyes were glassy from the alcohol and Sam cringed from the stench of his breath. He tried to pull away but Brady pulled tighter.
“Good student, straight A’s… sometimes you gotta learn to let go and have a lil’ fun!” Brady continued. He handed Sam another beer. “Come on, school’s over! Let’s drink to that!” he exclaimed, raising his glass to the air and then downing the whole content of it.
Sam forced a smile and took a sip of his beer. He started to wonder if he’d made the right decision by coming to the party. But the others seemed to laugh it off. They cheered and drank as well. Not as much as Brady did but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. So Sam cooled off and drank more of his own beer.
“So Sam, what are your plans for the holidays?” Becky asked.
Sam shrugged. “Rest, I guess” he proposed, not wanting to admit that he had no family to go to.
“Aren’t you going to see your family?” Becky shot. Sam felt like he’d been painted in the corner. He took another sip of beer and tried to act cool.
“Nah… were not exactly family of the year. Plus, they’re on the other side of the country” he lied. He’d never told anyone about his family and didn’t talk about them either. What was there to talk about anyway?
Becky’s eyes turned comprehensive. She put a hand on her brother’s shoulder.
“It’s just my brother and I, you know. But we’re planning a skiing trip and well, you can come if you’ve got no other place to go” she proposed.
Sam felt like his cheeks were flushing from an invisible fire.
“I… I’ve never been skiing before” he admitted shyly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll show you” Zach assured with an inviting smile.
Sam nodded. He was overwhelmed with their kindness. “I’d love that” he finally replied with a genuine smile.
As he was speaking, he couldn’t stop his head from turning to his side and noticing how pretty the girl was when she smiled. It fazed him for a few seconds until Brady noticed it and made sure to let everybody else notice.
“Pretty, isn’t she?! Sam, this is Jessica” Brady stated loudly. The Blonde turned at her name being called.
“Brady” she stated. He smiled.
“Jess, this is Sam. Very awesome dude, that is. You should talk to him” he said, pushing Sam towards the girl.
Sam stiffened at being thrown so quickly and defenselessly into the line of action. Fortunately, Jessica smiled. “Hi Sam” she greeted. She turned her face back to her friend but not without winking in Sam’s direction. Sam felt himself flush even more and his legs started to feel wobbly under him.
“Hey” he breathed out shyly. She smiled as she went back to her conversation with Katie. Every once in a while, she turned her eyes slightly, as if to verify where Sam was before going back to look at her friend.
The music kept beating and the beer kept flowing. Sam had a couple of them before he decided to stop and hit the water pitcher. It was already more than he’d ever taken.
He decided to take a break of fresh air to clear his mind. The backdoor of the house led to a dock that led to the beach. The nights were cold in December. He heard the growing sound of the crashing waves as he approached the water. The sound was like music to him.
He sat in the sand and let the music lull him.
He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him. He didn’t notice that someone was right there. At least not until that person sat right next to him that is. He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful Blonde from the kitchen.
“Did I scare you” she asked.
He shook his head and smiled. “No it’s fine” he assured.
She nodded and turned to face the water. She smiled and breathed in the fresh air.
“I love the beach and the water… and the waves. They come and go as they please. Sometimes they’re rough, sometimes they’re smooth…” she started, amazed by the view.
The wind picked up again and caught in her hair. The smell of her shampoo traveled with the breeze and up to Sam’s senses. He let himself get drunk into the smell of her perfume. The haze felt heavenly.
That’s until he noticed her shivering.
“You cold?” he asked.
She pulled her arms closer to herself.
“Little” she admitted.
Sam pulled his hoodie off and wrapped her in it.
“Here” he said with a smile.
She smiled back, watching him intensely.
“You’ll be cold” she pointed the obvious. He shrugged and smiled.
“You won’t” he replied. Her eyes widened. “I’m fine, don’t worry” he added.
Her smile reached her eyes. She stared him down seriously. “You’re different” she pointed out.
His smile started to disappear.
“In a good way! You’re sensitive” she added quickly, noticing his darkening eyes. They lit right back up. His smile slowly crept back up his face.
“And that’s good?” he finally asked. She nodded, biting her bottom lip.
“You care about people. You’re not loud and obnoxious like Brady can be. And that look…” she started.
Sam’s head snapped in her direction and he stared her down, again thinking about how beautiful she was.
“Yeah that one exactly” she added with a wide smile. “That look has magical powers” she concluded.
He offered a playful grimace and she burst out laughing. He joined her. Her laugh was music to his ears. He forgot about the waves and the big house and the beach. She was the most beautiful force of nature at the moment.
“You’re beautiful” he blurted out, suddenly cursing the alcohol for making him lose control of his tongue.
But she seemed to like it. Her look was honest and her smile wasn’t forced. He hadn’t been too rude. He let his smile return, no longer afraid that he’d blown his chance.
“Winchester!” someone yelled from the porch. “Get back in!” they added.
Sam’s smile darkened at being pulled away from such a moment but he obliged anyway. “Duty is calling” he joked. She laughed.
He offered a hand. She looked at him before intertwining her warm fingers through his. He helped her up. They walked back to the house where Brady was waiting.
“Wha’s up?” Sam asked reaching his friend.
Brady grinned. “Time to play” he chimed.
SUPERNATURAL
All of those who had decided to join Brady’s game were standing around the kitchen table. The host was giggling as he was trying to give the instructions to the game.
“Simple really! Flip the coin and decide heads or tails. You guess right, you pass the coin to the right, you guess wrong… you strip or you chug. Can’t do the same thing more than twice in a row either” he explained through slurring and giggling.
Sam had never played drinking games before. Blame it on the fact that he hadn’t actually gone to a lot of parties before. Overall, they were all underage. But who cared? There were no parents and they deserved to celebrate.
Jessica was there too. She decided to play. It was one of the most powerful arguments that had Sam join in.
The game started. People either passed the coin or chugged. It was Brady’s turn. He missed on the first try and stripped off his shirt. “Party on!” he yelled as he threw his shirt away, leaving him bare-chested. Sam giggled softly. The coin came to him and he guessed right. Brady booed him for being so ‘goddamn perfect’.
Sam shrugged off his luck and passed the coin over to Jess. She got it wrong and decided to chug. Sam got the coin back. He guessed on heads and had tails instead. He sighed and grabbed a shot of Tequila.
The next time he got the coin he lost again and grabbed another shot. The third time, rule was that he couldn’t choose the shots again. He had to strip. He rolled his eyes and sluggishly pulled his shoes off. Jess winked at him.
Sam lost two more times and had to down two more shots. The liquor was leaving a burning sensation in his chest. Jessica had stripped off of her shoes and socks because the idea of drinking was making her nauseous. Her friend Katie was swaying drunkenly. Brady was dancing behind the table with only boxers left. Rebecca was laughing as she pulled her top off, revealing her bra. Zach was still choosing alcohol, seeming unfazed by it.
Sam’s eyes rested on the coin that was once again in his hand. He giggled and called for tails. He got heads instead. He sighed and removed his socks with trembling hands. The coin returned to him and he sighed in relief when he guessed right.
Jessica got the coin. She had stripped twice already and she couldn’t bear the thought of another shot. She flipped the coin and missed.
“Oh Jessie! You can’t strip anymore! Come on, have a shot!” Brady teased.
Jessica shook her head. Just the smell made her nauseous.
“Can’t” she admitted, shaking her head.
Brady showed his deception.
“Those are the rules baby” he pushed.
“Well screw your stupid game” she spat, putting the coin down.
Sam’s head was spinning as he watched her leave. The coin was his now. He looked at it for a long time.
“Come on Sammy, we’re getting old!” Brady teased.
Sam felt his heart squeeze in his chest at the nickname. Only Dean called him Sammy.
“’ts Sam” he slurred, flipping the coin. He was too out of it to call something and ended up taking another shot.
Sam grabbed his discarded clothing and walked off to nowhere in particular. His head was spinning and he felt like it was filled with cotton. He finally sat on a couch and started pulling at his socks.
Katie stumbled into the room with one cup in each of her hands. She dropped on the seat next to Sam.
“Heyyyy Sam” she slurred. “Here” she offered, handing him one of her cups. He took it absentmindedly and starting to drink from it.
“Katie” he stated. He took another sip and then another one. He didn’t know why he kept drinking but he just did.
“You’re cute” she blurted out. Sam bowed his head in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to the girls’ attention.
That got a reaction from her as she traced his cheek with her fingers. Sam pulled away from her touch. She was getting too close and he didn’t like it. There was another girl in his mind.
And that girl was standing at the far side of the room, watching the scene sadly.
Sam stared at her. Jessica. She looked back at him.
Sam pulled away from Katie, stumbling over the couch and dragging his feet. He had to talk to her.
“Jess” he said as he finally reached her.
“Sam” she replied simply.
He wanted to say something. To say anything. He wanted to tell her that she was the one in his thoughts. He wanted to say that he was sorry. He wanted her to know that Katie was flirting with him and not the other way around.
But through the haze in his head, nothing came out. He just looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Take care of yourself” she finally said, walking away.
Sam nodded and watched her. He downed what was left in his cup and walked back into the kitchen. Brady and his friends were playing beer pong. He joined a team and downed a few more beers.
He was clumsy and giggly and everyone suddenly seemed to be so much fun. People finally noticed him and talked to him. He could have fun with them. He was floating in that false happiness for a little while longer.
After a while, his smile died down and he had a hard time pulling it back up. His head was spinning so much that he could hardly stand. He had to take a seat before he would fall.
Panic gripped him when he realized he had no memory of how he’d gotten in this very right spot. He remembered Jess and then the beer pong and then nothing.
He stood on wobbly legs and dragged himself to the bathroom. The room was spinning so much that he had to sit before he fell into the toilet. Once more, he realized he had no idea what happened before that and how he got there.
He went back to the living room and found a couch to drop on. His memory didn’t follow and he had no idea how he got there either. He was just so sleepy. Maybe he could rest his eyes for a little while.
When he woke again, Brady was sitting on the other couch with Katie sitting on top of him. They were kissing deeply. Sam giggled. It felt funny to him. He had no idea what had happened before and he started to wonder where he was and what was happening.
He was still sleepy and thought a little rest would make him feel better. He closed his eyes and let himself slip into the darkness once again.
The next time he woke, something was bugging him. There was a constant tapping against his face and there was a blur of sounds he couldn’t understand.
He finally came to enough to see that the annoying tapping was actually a girl standing next to him and looking into his eyes. She was talking to him but her words didn’t make sense.
He blinked sluggishly as the girl tapped his cheek once more.
“Sam? Sam can you hear me?” she asked. Sam blinked.
“Try to stay awake for me. Can you do that?” she asked again. Sam stared with glassy eyes. He wanted to answer, to tell her that he was okay. No words came out of his mouth but a soft groan. His throat was parched and his head was still feeling like cotton.
He was just so tired. He wanted to sleep.
He felt her shake him and he wanted to tell her to stop. He wanted to tell her that he was okay and that she was only making him dizzier. But nothing came out. Instead, his eyes drooped and just like that, he was back in the darkness.
SUPERNATURAL
Sarah started to panic. She’d remained sober through most of the night and had been able to watch everything that had happened. Sam was a great student. He was in her classes and she looked up to him. But she didn’t think he knew about her.
Still, her eyes followed him wherever he went, even when he ended up outside with the lovely Jessica Moore or on the couch with her friend Katherine. The latter ended up in Brady’s bedroom anyway, not that she cared.
But when she noticed that Sam had been dozing off on the couch for too long, she got worried. The guy had had a lot to drink after all. Her worry just got worse as she tried to rouse him and she noticed how out of it he was. Sam had finally opened glassy eyes but still then, he wouldn’t respond to her and his eyes kept rolling back.
Now Sam had gone back to sleep and he wouldn’t wake at all anymore. She shook him and tapped his cheeks, all to no avail. Sam Winchester was out cold. Unconscious. He couldn’t wake up.
That unnerved her deeply. If Sam didn’t wake up, she would have to call an ambulance. What if he stopped breathing? She couldn’t take that risk. She had to do something. Sam’s skin was pale and cold and his breathing was ragged and slow.
She felt around his pockets to find his wallet. If Sam needed medical attention, they would need as much information about him as they could get. She finally found the wallet as well as his cell phone. She picked out his IDs, looking for something.
A folded piece of paper fell out and she grabbed it. There was a single note. It said In case of emergency, call Dean and there was a phone number. She frowned at the idea of trusting this Dean before trusting the paramedics but if it’s what Sam wanted, that’s what she would do.
Sarah picked up his cell phone and scrolled down the contact list. She found a D with a number fitting the one on the note. She assumed D was Dean and decided to give him a call.
SUPERNATURAL
Folsom, California
Dean had been hunting alone for a few days. John and him had separated to take care of two different hunts before reuniting. They were simple hunts and Dean had finished taking care of his around the end of the afternoon. He decided to take the night off before joining his dad.
After the hunt, he’d gone to a bar like he would always do but his heart wasn’t into it. He was actually spacing out constantly, focused on the thought that he was the closest he’d been to his brother in months. After Sam left, they hadn’t seen or talked to each other and Dean found it hard to bear.
The brothers had been close while growing up and even though Dean was disappointed that his brother chose to leave him, he knew Sam was happier this way. His kid brother was smart and he’d always hated the job. Sam wasn’t a hunter and Dean couldn’t bring himself to deny him his dreams, even if it meant letting him go.
Still, he missed the kid so much. The only thing stopping him from taking the phone and calling or even driving right up to Palo Alto was pride.
Neither him nor Sam had made the first move and he was still waiting. Waiting to see if Sam would do it or if he would have to.
His night ended shortly. He paid for his only beer and went straight back to the motel room where he fell asleep watching boring TV.
He startled awake and realized how late it was when his cell phone brought him out of his sleep. He frowned as he fumbled for the light switch. When he finally found it and lit the room, he spotted his phone on the bedside table and grabbed it. His frown deepened when he saw the caller ID. He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to reply. He was dying to know.
“Sam?” he asked right away as he pulled the phone to his ear.
He heard movement and someone clearing their throat before a feminine voice responded.
“Are you Dean?” she asked.
“Who are you, where’s Sam?” he snapped right back, his panic rising. Why would a girl call from Sam’s phone and know his name. That couldn’t mean anything good.
“My name’s Sarah. I’m a friend of Sam’s. Listen… I… I found this note in his wallet saying to call you in case of an emergency…” she explained, trying hard to find words that wouldn’t upset the man even more.
Dean processed everything quickly. If he’d been tired upon waking up, it was gone now and he was more alert than he’d ever been. There was an emergency, someone was calling him and Sam had let a girl dig in his wallet. That couldn’t mean anything good.
“What’s wrong with him?” Dean asked, his concern skyrocketing.
“Are you Dean?” Sarah repeated. Dean realized that he’d never replied that simple question.
“I am. Now tell me what the hell is wrong with my brother!” he replied harshly. He didn’t mean it to sound like that but he couldn’t stand the wait. He needed to know.
“I can’t wake him up! He’s been drinking…and then… then he passed out and I can’t… he won’t wake up” she cried. Dean’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. Since when did Sam drink anyway?
“Sarah, I need you to breathe okay?! Just tell me where you are and I’ll be right there” he said on a softer tone. He couldn’t have her panic, not when she was taking care of his little brother. She gave him the address and he wrote it down on a piece of paper.
“Thank you” he said after she finished reciting their location. “Now, lay him on his side and make sure he keeps breathing until I get there” Dean ordered. He was in sergeant mode now.
“But… shouldn’t I get him to the hospital?” she asked. Dean’s panic increased but he needed to stay in that sergeant mode. It made everything feel under control.
“No, no hospital. I’ll take care of him when I get there. Unless he gets worse, then you can call an ambulance but as long as it’s unnecessary, you make sure he keeps breathing and I’ll do the rest, lady” he snapped, falling into orders again. He hated that he sounded so much like his father.
“Okay” she stuttered.
Dean nodded. “Thank you Sarah. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Count at least an hour” he said.
“Okay. Bye Dean” she concluded.
Dean was already sitting in his car and ready to gun the engine. He knew Palo Alto was an over-two-hours drive but Sam’s life might be depending on it. It’s not like he hadn’t broken speed limits before. Besides, he had a vulnerable kid brother to attend to.
Just what were you thinking Sam?
Part 2