All is Fine 3/6
Title: All is Fine 3/6
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; Minor Violence and Language
Word Count: ~3100
A/N: This was originally written for the ohsam Comment Fic Meme for cherry916 But it got such a lovely response that I decided to continue it on. Thank you beckalooby for helping me figure out how to do that!
Summary: Teen!Chesters. While Dean is away on a hunt with Caleb there is no buffer between Sam and John. To make it worse, Sam is having a hard time at school with bullies. It is getting harder and harder to hide from his dad and big brother, and Sam does not want to appear weak. But what will happen when his secret is found out? How does he cope with both his dad and his big brother finding out everything?
Through the pain filled haze, he felt the air suddenly grow cold. Then everything went black.
The cold air enveloped his aching body and the wind swept through his sweat-coated hair. Blood seeped through his jeans and smeared the dirt-covered ground. He shivered and began to stir as the figure moved closer.
“Gah,” Sam moaned as an icy hand gripped his shoulder, bringing him fully into conscious. His body began to be lifted off the ground by whomever the arctic touch belonged to. Sam finally pried his eyes open, coming face to face with a grayish looking young girl. He knew at first glance that it had to be their ghost.
“What do you think you are doing all the way out here little boy?” she cooed menacingly.
Sam gulped but refrained from answering, knowing it would only anger her more.
“Quiet I see? Well…guess I could always borrow your little toy and call your friends. Sure they’d love to play with me if you won’t,” Mirada said as she looked down at Sam’s forgotten two-way radio lying near the rusting fence.
“No!” Sam exclaimed with panic. “Leave them out of this…just me…not my family!”
“Family huh?” Miranda questioned overly sweetly. “Mommy and daddy huh? Used to have those too you know…”
“Just Dad…and brother…” The answer was second nature but he regretted it as Miranda’s grip tightened around his casted arm.
“Brother?!? So…you are a brother…a little brother too I bet. You look like one…I should know! I had a little brother too! I should just end you now and save your big brother all the pain!”
“But…I…no,” Sam stammered. The pain coursing through his abused body was not helping him to think of a way out of the situation.
“Oh, but yes,” Miranda smiled as she flung Sam backwards and into the fence’s gate. The rusted metal gave way under Sam’s weight and he toppled into the graveyard, landing awkwardly on his already broken arm. The cast helped some with the impact, but the limb flared with pain. His knee seemed to be bleeding heavier than before. Altogether, Sam knew he needed help.
Miranda appeared before him once more. “Don’t you see?” She grabbed Sam around his throat, squeezing hard. “You know its true…baby brothers only hurt their older siblings. Never fails,” she spat through gritted teeth.
Sam could feel his lungs growing desperate for oxygen, and he tried to fight back. It was pointless. Miranda was pissed off at her little brother for causing her death, and she seemed hell bent on taking it out on Sam.
“Please,” he rasped around her tight hold. “I’ve never…I’d never do anything to my brother…please…I…”
“That’s what they all say!! Jake always acted like a sweetheart in front of out parents…but on our own…he let me die. He caused my death! And if I let you, you’ll cause your brother’s!” She pulled Sam off the ground and up into the air. Sam’s lanky body hung limply in her grasp momentarily before she sent him sailing into the bushes and debris near the side of the cemetery. Sam’s body fell with a sickening crunch as pain spiked all over. His cast cracked from the force of his descent, and he felt his shoulder scrape against the jagged rocks and other debris. The worse of the torture came in the form of a jagged branch piercing into his side.
He wanted to scream, but it would have required too much effort. His brain couldn’t handle more than the white-hot throbbing coursing through him. He didn’t even hear the static of the two-way radio as Dean tried to get a hold of him. His body and mind just couldn’t deal, which left him passing out against the rocks and brush as Miranda smiled at her work.
SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN
“Damn it Sam! Pick up already! I know you’re there! There is no way in hell you’re diggin’ up that grave by yourself! So stop screwing around and answer me!”
Dean waited a few beats, only to receive absolute silence from Sam’s end. He cursed as he trekked further into the woods and towards where he assumed Sam was. Granted, everything would be easier for him if his brother would answer the damn two-way radio! Dean sighed and gently pushed aside some low-lying tree branches. He had had enough of the menacing branches scratching at his face. The entire hunt was starting to feel like a bust. Dean had gone the wrong way…Sam had found the grave alone…there was no way of knowing if Miranda had shown up…
Yeah, this hunt was definitely shaping up to be awful.
Dean pulled out his two-way radio once more and attempted to reach Sam once again. He listened to the static, not noticing the tree roots in his path until his boot caught on one. He stumbled, dropping his radio in the process. He cursed, growing more pissed at the situation. He was remembering with every step and stumble how much he hated the woods. All he wanted was to find Sam, burn the bones, and get the hell outta this place.
A crashing noise resounded through the trees, bring Dean out of his fuming thoughts. “What the hell,” he whispered to himself. He sped up his pace, ignoring the branches and twigs that nipped at his body. He ran through, only stopping as he came to the edge of the tree line. He skidded next to a tree so that he could get a look at what was happening. The clearing appeared to be the cemetery, but he couldn’t see Sam anywhere out in the open.
Suddenly, a figure moved off to the side of Dean’s line of vision. It laughed and started moving back towards the edge of the cemetery’s fence line. It flickered and morphed with each step, making Dean instantly realize the figure had to be their ghost. Panic flared through Dean as he became more and more aware that he couldn’t see Sam.
Miranda’s voice broke through Dean’s mind. “No more words from the little brother?”
The words set Dean on alert, and he tried to find Sam in the overgrown brush Miranda was advancing on with each second. He bent down in the dirt so that he could crawl forward some.
He could see Miranda advance on Sam; at least Dean was assuming it was Sam in the brush. A pain filled moan emanated from the area followed by Miranda’s sickly sweet voice. “Aww…did I wake you?” She moved quickly, and Dean could not see what exactly she was doing. But whatever it was only caused Sam to moan and shout his protests weakly.
After a few seconds of listening to his brother’s distress, Dean couldn’t handle sitting and waiting for his chance. Instead, he jumped out of the clearing holding his shotgun high. “Get away from him now!”
Miranda turned towards the voice, taking in the sight of Dean with the gun. Her face morphed into a smile, despite the sight of Dean’s death grip on his shotgun. “Aww…how sweet! You must be the big brother…you really should be thanking me for this…”
Before she could cause further harm to Sam, Dean fired off a salt round. She flickered away, causing Sam to drop back to the ground with a grunt. Dean hadn’t even known she was holding Sam up.
“Sam!” Dean rushed forward and dropped down beside Sam. His jeans dug deep into the dirt, but all he noticed was the pale tint to Sam’s skin and the blood soaking through his clothes. “Sammy,” he whispered. He ran his hand over Sam’s bruised cheek. Sam whimpered under the soft touch, not hearing his brother’s voice. After a few moments, all of which Dean spent sending calming words Sam’s way, Sam’s pain addled mind finally recognized Dean’s caring voice.
“D’n?”
“Yea, kiddo…just me right now.”
“Wh’r…”
“Fired salt at her. She’ll be back so we need to get you outta here bud. I’m gonna lift you up. Can you tell me where you hurt the most?”
Sam gulped and nodded his head. “Head’s sore…doesn’t feel like a concussion though.” Sam paused as he catalogued his injuries. “My cast cracked…not sure if it hurt my arm more. Scraped my shoulder.” Tears started to build in his eyes. “But…knee…and…side are the worst.”
Dean nodded and gently turned Sam to get a better view of his side. Blood soaked his t-shirt and started to run down into his jeans. Dean’s eyes filled with worry at the sight but it only became worse as he took in the piece of the branch embedded into Sam’s side.
Sam gasped as Dean moved the ruined shirt up to take a better look. “I know Sam…just hold on for me bud.” Dean cursed inwardly at the reddened and bruised skin that continued to leak blood from around the jagged branch. He pulled the shirt back down and glided his hand down to Sam’s injured knee. Dean hadn’t seen the awful wound from before, only heard of it from his dad. But seeing it now definitely had Dean wanting to go hunt down everyone who had caused his brother this hurt. “Sammy…”
“It got worse,” Sam mumbled miserably. Dean ran his hand over the very angry and red skin. “My…one of the stitches snapped. So it…it got infected…”
“Sam, why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you clean it out better.”
Sam didn’t say anything; he just looked up at Dean with desperation written all over his face. Dean didn’t need a verbal answer to know what was going on with his little brother. He had known Sam was feeling low after everything with the bullies…
“Ok, don’t worry about it kiddo. Let’s just get you outta here and back to Dad alright? Let me do all the work…just need you to wrap your arms around my neck.” Sam did as he was instructed. “There you go. Now just hang on.” Dean positioned one arm under Sam’s legs while the other supported Sam’s upper body. His baby brother hissed as he was moved. The small branch remained stuck to his side since Dean was afraid removing it would only cause further damage.
Dean smiled slightly as Sam settled in his arms and laid his aching head against Dean’s broad chest. The shotgun was forgotten as Dean’s sole focus remained on helping his brother. He took a few steps away from the brush pile that was now coated with Sam’s blood. The brothers were about to make it out of the clearing when the air chilled once again and a figure flickered to life in front of them.
“Hand him over to me…I’m doing you a favor you know.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dean spat.
“Let me handle your brother! I’ll be saving you! You’ll see!”
“Saving me?” Despite his confusion at the ghost’s words, Dean tightened his grip around Sam’s trembling body.
“Yes! Little brothers will only get you hurt! Look where mine got me!” Miranda held her arms out to the side, putting her flickering figure on display. “Yours will only do the same to you if you aren’t careful…”
“I wouldn’t hurt Dean,” Sam protested weakly from where he was half hidden against Dean’s chest.
“You don’t-“
“Stop!” Dean yelled at Miranda. “Listen, I’m not handing over Sam to you! He’s my brother, and he isn’t going to hurt me!”
“You want to think that! But-“
“I know what happened to you Miranda,” Dean said more calmly. He was running out of options and it seemed as if Sam’s condition was worsening with each moment spent arguing with the ghost. “You died because of an accident…”
“An accident my so called little brother caused!”
“But it was still an accident,” Dean countered. “Do you really think he’d do that to you on purpose?”
“Yes! Jake…well…he didn’t care about me! He wanted…I don’t know! He wanted our parents to himself! They always cared about him more anyway!”
“Miranda…I don’t think he did it to you on purpose. I read the reports. He was sitting on the gate and he slipped. He opened it when he tried to catch himself. It was an accident.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Wind started to whip around the small clearing and the air grew colder. “He never cared! They never do!”
“That not true!”
“They just pretend…try to gain your parent’s approval that way!”
“Most of the time, it is just me and my brother…always been that way. Our dad isn’t around too much of the time. Sam still cares about me then. He can be a pain in the ass, but at the end of the day I know he still loves me.”
“No! Jake always fought with me! He..he always…”
“Sam and I fight too. Hell, we’ve come to blows over stupid crap that I can’t even remember. And he can bug the hell outta me. Especially when he was little, like Jake was. He always wanted to follow me around. Bet Jake did that to you too huh?”
“All the time,” Miranda admitted somberly.
Dean smiled slightly. “Yeah, little brothers are good for that. I remember this one time…I was going out to see this girl. I was probably about 12…so that would have made Sam 8. He had just found out about ghosts and all the other stuff that goes bump in the night. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he didn’t want to be home alone. Our dad was working, but he said it was ok for me to go out and leave Sam for a few hours. I left and met up with the girl…took her skating or something. I can’t remember…but I do remember that was freezing outside and Sam had decided he wasn’t going to stay by himself. He snuck out and followed me. He didn’t want to get caught, so he stayed close but hid out from me. He didn’t realize that he was standing on the section of the ice where people weren’t supposed to skate.”
Miranda remained silent, not arguing or interrupting. She listened intensely at Dean’s story.
“Well,” Dean continued, “he took a step, he was trying to find me in the crowd again. His sneaker slipped on the ice and he went down hard. It was enough to crack the thinner ice and he went in the lake. He was lucky that a bunch of people heard him and ran to him. He had grabbed at the ice enough to keep his head up at least. The girl and I ran over to see if they needed help. I saw it was Sam and…” Dean felt tears sting the back of his eyes at the memory. “I thought he was gonna die. But they got him out and I grabbed him and didn’t want to let him go, even when the paramedics got there.” Dean shifted Sam gently in his arms. “He had cut his arm up on the ice and was freezing. They helped him out at a hospital and our dad took us back to the apartment a couple hours later.”
“You didn’t get hurt?”
“No, just Sammy did.”
“Weren’t you angry? He had tried to break up your date…” Miranda’s words no long bore the powerful wrath from earlier.
“I was pissed! But not cause he was messing up my date. He didn’t listen to me and he got hurt. But I was more relieved that he was ok. I mean…hell…I didn’t even bitch when his freezing ass asked to sleep with me that night. He was sick and scared…and all he wanted was to be near me…me. Don’t you remember what that was like? To have someone that devoted and loving? You have to…”
Dean could’ve sworn that tears welled up in Miranda’s eyes at his pleading. The wind died down and the air gradually warmed around the distraught brothers. Miranda didn’t look as gray and transparent as she had only moments ago.
“It was an accident…”
Dean heard a slight rustle off to the side. His eyes flickered there for a second, spotting his father’s worried face. He tried to present an air of calm in his glance; Dean didn’t want to show how terrified he was to John. After a beat he focused back on Miranda, who now seemed to have a warm glow to her.
“H-he didn’t mean to…I had…had shown him how to climb the gates. He saw me and wanted to sit up there too. He was too little…he couldn’t hold himself up and he fell. I tried to grab him, so I climbed down. But he had already tried to-to catch himself. He grabbed the latch and…”
Miranda stopped and looked Dean in the eyes. She moved closer to them, gazing at Sam’s hurting form still curled against Dean’s chest.
“I’m so sorry Sam,” the spirit gasped, finally realizing what she had done. She reached forward and ghosted her shaking hand across Sam’s forehead. “I didn’t realize…I had forgotten…”
Sam nodded in understanding, relieved that Dean had broken through to the ailing girl.
Miranda’s gaze fell once more on Dean. “Thank you,” she whispered before looking up towards the sky. A light slowly enveloped her form, and she was gone an instant later, leaving Dean blinking at the spot where she had just stood.
“Dean!” His father’s voice and rushed steps brought Dean out of his shock.
“She’s gone,” he whispered to his dad. “I didn’t know that would work. I j-just wanted…”
“Shh…I know son. It’s okay. You did good, kiddo.” John’s arm went around Dean’s back and gently hugged his son. “I think she moved on buddy. You did good. Now, let me see Sammy, Dean.”
Dean carefully unfurled his arms so that his dad could assess Sam. Sam’s eyes glanced dazedly at his father, reflected the pain and exhaustion he was feeling in the orbs. “D-dad?”
“Hey Sammy…it’s gonna be ok. We’re gonna get you outta here.” John nearly choked on the words when he saw the small branch stuck in his baby’s side. Not trusting himself to talk, he nudged Dean gently to allow him to carry Sam. Dean’s arms sagged at his side once Sam was gone. His brother whimpered at the movement, but soon settled against his dad’s chest.
Dean glanced down at the spot Sam had been, seeing the blood and tears that had soaked through his shirt. His own tears began to fall as his mind stuck on the fact that the blood was not his own…how the red stain now marring his once green and blue button was not from his own injuries.
Gulping back his emotions, Dean ignored all the blood as best he could, remembering Sam needed him to be strong. He fell into line behind his dad, trying not to notice the red trail coating the forest’s ground as his dad carried Sam.
Next Chapter --->
Masterpost
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; Minor Violence and Language
Word Count: ~3100
A/N: This was originally written for the ohsam Comment Fic Meme for cherry916 But it got such a lovely response that I decided to continue it on. Thank you beckalooby for helping me figure out how to do that!
Summary: Teen!Chesters. While Dean is away on a hunt with Caleb there is no buffer between Sam and John. To make it worse, Sam is having a hard time at school with bullies. It is getting harder and harder to hide from his dad and big brother, and Sam does not want to appear weak. But what will happen when his secret is found out? How does he cope with both his dad and his big brother finding out everything?
Through the pain filled haze, he felt the air suddenly grow cold. Then everything went black.
The cold air enveloped his aching body and the wind swept through his sweat-coated hair. Blood seeped through his jeans and smeared the dirt-covered ground. He shivered and began to stir as the figure moved closer.
“Gah,” Sam moaned as an icy hand gripped his shoulder, bringing him fully into conscious. His body began to be lifted off the ground by whomever the arctic touch belonged to. Sam finally pried his eyes open, coming face to face with a grayish looking young girl. He knew at first glance that it had to be their ghost.
“What do you think you are doing all the way out here little boy?” she cooed menacingly.
Sam gulped but refrained from answering, knowing it would only anger her more.
“Quiet I see? Well…guess I could always borrow your little toy and call your friends. Sure they’d love to play with me if you won’t,” Mirada said as she looked down at Sam’s forgotten two-way radio lying near the rusting fence.
“No!” Sam exclaimed with panic. “Leave them out of this…just me…not my family!”
“Family huh?” Miranda questioned overly sweetly. “Mommy and daddy huh? Used to have those too you know…”
“Just Dad…and brother…” The answer was second nature but he regretted it as Miranda’s grip tightened around his casted arm.
“Brother?!? So…you are a brother…a little brother too I bet. You look like one…I should know! I had a little brother too! I should just end you now and save your big brother all the pain!”
“But…I…no,” Sam stammered. The pain coursing through his abused body was not helping him to think of a way out of the situation.
“Oh, but yes,” Miranda smiled as she flung Sam backwards and into the fence’s gate. The rusted metal gave way under Sam’s weight and he toppled into the graveyard, landing awkwardly on his already broken arm. The cast helped some with the impact, but the limb flared with pain. His knee seemed to be bleeding heavier than before. Altogether, Sam knew he needed help.
Miranda appeared before him once more. “Don’t you see?” She grabbed Sam around his throat, squeezing hard. “You know its true…baby brothers only hurt their older siblings. Never fails,” she spat through gritted teeth.
Sam could feel his lungs growing desperate for oxygen, and he tried to fight back. It was pointless. Miranda was pissed off at her little brother for causing her death, and she seemed hell bent on taking it out on Sam.
“Please,” he rasped around her tight hold. “I’ve never…I’d never do anything to my brother…please…I…”
“That’s what they all say!! Jake always acted like a sweetheart in front of out parents…but on our own…he let me die. He caused my death! And if I let you, you’ll cause your brother’s!” She pulled Sam off the ground and up into the air. Sam’s lanky body hung limply in her grasp momentarily before she sent him sailing into the bushes and debris near the side of the cemetery. Sam’s body fell with a sickening crunch as pain spiked all over. His cast cracked from the force of his descent, and he felt his shoulder scrape against the jagged rocks and other debris. The worse of the torture came in the form of a jagged branch piercing into his side.
He wanted to scream, but it would have required too much effort. His brain couldn’t handle more than the white-hot throbbing coursing through him. He didn’t even hear the static of the two-way radio as Dean tried to get a hold of him. His body and mind just couldn’t deal, which left him passing out against the rocks and brush as Miranda smiled at her work.
SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN
“Damn it Sam! Pick up already! I know you’re there! There is no way in hell you’re diggin’ up that grave by yourself! So stop screwing around and answer me!”
Dean waited a few beats, only to receive absolute silence from Sam’s end. He cursed as he trekked further into the woods and towards where he assumed Sam was. Granted, everything would be easier for him if his brother would answer the damn two-way radio! Dean sighed and gently pushed aside some low-lying tree branches. He had had enough of the menacing branches scratching at his face. The entire hunt was starting to feel like a bust. Dean had gone the wrong way…Sam had found the grave alone…there was no way of knowing if Miranda had shown up…
Yeah, this hunt was definitely shaping up to be awful.
Dean pulled out his two-way radio once more and attempted to reach Sam once again. He listened to the static, not noticing the tree roots in his path until his boot caught on one. He stumbled, dropping his radio in the process. He cursed, growing more pissed at the situation. He was remembering with every step and stumble how much he hated the woods. All he wanted was to find Sam, burn the bones, and get the hell outta this place.
A crashing noise resounded through the trees, bring Dean out of his fuming thoughts. “What the hell,” he whispered to himself. He sped up his pace, ignoring the branches and twigs that nipped at his body. He ran through, only stopping as he came to the edge of the tree line. He skidded next to a tree so that he could get a look at what was happening. The clearing appeared to be the cemetery, but he couldn’t see Sam anywhere out in the open.
Suddenly, a figure moved off to the side of Dean’s line of vision. It laughed and started moving back towards the edge of the cemetery’s fence line. It flickered and morphed with each step, making Dean instantly realize the figure had to be their ghost. Panic flared through Dean as he became more and more aware that he couldn’t see Sam.
Miranda’s voice broke through Dean’s mind. “No more words from the little brother?”
The words set Dean on alert, and he tried to find Sam in the overgrown brush Miranda was advancing on with each second. He bent down in the dirt so that he could crawl forward some.
He could see Miranda advance on Sam; at least Dean was assuming it was Sam in the brush. A pain filled moan emanated from the area followed by Miranda’s sickly sweet voice. “Aww…did I wake you?” She moved quickly, and Dean could not see what exactly she was doing. But whatever it was only caused Sam to moan and shout his protests weakly.
After a few seconds of listening to his brother’s distress, Dean couldn’t handle sitting and waiting for his chance. Instead, he jumped out of the clearing holding his shotgun high. “Get away from him now!”
Miranda turned towards the voice, taking in the sight of Dean with the gun. Her face morphed into a smile, despite the sight of Dean’s death grip on his shotgun. “Aww…how sweet! You must be the big brother…you really should be thanking me for this…”
Before she could cause further harm to Sam, Dean fired off a salt round. She flickered away, causing Sam to drop back to the ground with a grunt. Dean hadn’t even known she was holding Sam up.
“Sam!” Dean rushed forward and dropped down beside Sam. His jeans dug deep into the dirt, but all he noticed was the pale tint to Sam’s skin and the blood soaking through his clothes. “Sammy,” he whispered. He ran his hand over Sam’s bruised cheek. Sam whimpered under the soft touch, not hearing his brother’s voice. After a few moments, all of which Dean spent sending calming words Sam’s way, Sam’s pain addled mind finally recognized Dean’s caring voice.
“D’n?”
“Yea, kiddo…just me right now.”
“Wh’r…”
“Fired salt at her. She’ll be back so we need to get you outta here bud. I’m gonna lift you up. Can you tell me where you hurt the most?”
Sam gulped and nodded his head. “Head’s sore…doesn’t feel like a concussion though.” Sam paused as he catalogued his injuries. “My cast cracked…not sure if it hurt my arm more. Scraped my shoulder.” Tears started to build in his eyes. “But…knee…and…side are the worst.”
Dean nodded and gently turned Sam to get a better view of his side. Blood soaked his t-shirt and started to run down into his jeans. Dean’s eyes filled with worry at the sight but it only became worse as he took in the piece of the branch embedded into Sam’s side.
Sam gasped as Dean moved the ruined shirt up to take a better look. “I know Sam…just hold on for me bud.” Dean cursed inwardly at the reddened and bruised skin that continued to leak blood from around the jagged branch. He pulled the shirt back down and glided his hand down to Sam’s injured knee. Dean hadn’t seen the awful wound from before, only heard of it from his dad. But seeing it now definitely had Dean wanting to go hunt down everyone who had caused his brother this hurt. “Sammy…”
“It got worse,” Sam mumbled miserably. Dean ran his hand over the very angry and red skin. “My…one of the stitches snapped. So it…it got infected…”
“Sam, why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you clean it out better.”
Sam didn’t say anything; he just looked up at Dean with desperation written all over his face. Dean didn’t need a verbal answer to know what was going on with his little brother. He had known Sam was feeling low after everything with the bullies…
“Ok, don’t worry about it kiddo. Let’s just get you outta here and back to Dad alright? Let me do all the work…just need you to wrap your arms around my neck.” Sam did as he was instructed. “There you go. Now just hang on.” Dean positioned one arm under Sam’s legs while the other supported Sam’s upper body. His baby brother hissed as he was moved. The small branch remained stuck to his side since Dean was afraid removing it would only cause further damage.
Dean smiled slightly as Sam settled in his arms and laid his aching head against Dean’s broad chest. The shotgun was forgotten as Dean’s sole focus remained on helping his brother. He took a few steps away from the brush pile that was now coated with Sam’s blood. The brothers were about to make it out of the clearing when the air chilled once again and a figure flickered to life in front of them.
“Hand him over to me…I’m doing you a favor you know.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dean spat.
“Let me handle your brother! I’ll be saving you! You’ll see!”
“Saving me?” Despite his confusion at the ghost’s words, Dean tightened his grip around Sam’s trembling body.
“Yes! Little brothers will only get you hurt! Look where mine got me!” Miranda held her arms out to the side, putting her flickering figure on display. “Yours will only do the same to you if you aren’t careful…”
“I wouldn’t hurt Dean,” Sam protested weakly from where he was half hidden against Dean’s chest.
“You don’t-“
“Stop!” Dean yelled at Miranda. “Listen, I’m not handing over Sam to you! He’s my brother, and he isn’t going to hurt me!”
“You want to think that! But-“
“I know what happened to you Miranda,” Dean said more calmly. He was running out of options and it seemed as if Sam’s condition was worsening with each moment spent arguing with the ghost. “You died because of an accident…”
“An accident my so called little brother caused!”
“But it was still an accident,” Dean countered. “Do you really think he’d do that to you on purpose?”
“Yes! Jake…well…he didn’t care about me! He wanted…I don’t know! He wanted our parents to himself! They always cared about him more anyway!”
“Miranda…I don’t think he did it to you on purpose. I read the reports. He was sitting on the gate and he slipped. He opened it when he tried to catch himself. It was an accident.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Wind started to whip around the small clearing and the air grew colder. “He never cared! They never do!”
“That not true!”
“They just pretend…try to gain your parent’s approval that way!”
“Most of the time, it is just me and my brother…always been that way. Our dad isn’t around too much of the time. Sam still cares about me then. He can be a pain in the ass, but at the end of the day I know he still loves me.”
“No! Jake always fought with me! He..he always…”
“Sam and I fight too. Hell, we’ve come to blows over stupid crap that I can’t even remember. And he can bug the hell outta me. Especially when he was little, like Jake was. He always wanted to follow me around. Bet Jake did that to you too huh?”
“All the time,” Miranda admitted somberly.
Dean smiled slightly. “Yeah, little brothers are good for that. I remember this one time…I was going out to see this girl. I was probably about 12…so that would have made Sam 8. He had just found out about ghosts and all the other stuff that goes bump in the night. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he didn’t want to be home alone. Our dad was working, but he said it was ok for me to go out and leave Sam for a few hours. I left and met up with the girl…took her skating or something. I can’t remember…but I do remember that was freezing outside and Sam had decided he wasn’t going to stay by himself. He snuck out and followed me. He didn’t want to get caught, so he stayed close but hid out from me. He didn’t realize that he was standing on the section of the ice where people weren’t supposed to skate.”
Miranda remained silent, not arguing or interrupting. She listened intensely at Dean’s story.
“Well,” Dean continued, “he took a step, he was trying to find me in the crowd again. His sneaker slipped on the ice and he went down hard. It was enough to crack the thinner ice and he went in the lake. He was lucky that a bunch of people heard him and ran to him. He had grabbed at the ice enough to keep his head up at least. The girl and I ran over to see if they needed help. I saw it was Sam and…” Dean felt tears sting the back of his eyes at the memory. “I thought he was gonna die. But they got him out and I grabbed him and didn’t want to let him go, even when the paramedics got there.” Dean shifted Sam gently in his arms. “He had cut his arm up on the ice and was freezing. They helped him out at a hospital and our dad took us back to the apartment a couple hours later.”
“You didn’t get hurt?”
“No, just Sammy did.”
“Weren’t you angry? He had tried to break up your date…” Miranda’s words no long bore the powerful wrath from earlier.
“I was pissed! But not cause he was messing up my date. He didn’t listen to me and he got hurt. But I was more relieved that he was ok. I mean…hell…I didn’t even bitch when his freezing ass asked to sleep with me that night. He was sick and scared…and all he wanted was to be near me…me. Don’t you remember what that was like? To have someone that devoted and loving? You have to…”
Dean could’ve sworn that tears welled up in Miranda’s eyes at his pleading. The wind died down and the air gradually warmed around the distraught brothers. Miranda didn’t look as gray and transparent as she had only moments ago.
“It was an accident…”
Dean heard a slight rustle off to the side. His eyes flickered there for a second, spotting his father’s worried face. He tried to present an air of calm in his glance; Dean didn’t want to show how terrified he was to John. After a beat he focused back on Miranda, who now seemed to have a warm glow to her.
“H-he didn’t mean to…I had…had shown him how to climb the gates. He saw me and wanted to sit up there too. He was too little…he couldn’t hold himself up and he fell. I tried to grab him, so I climbed down. But he had already tried to-to catch himself. He grabbed the latch and…”
Miranda stopped and looked Dean in the eyes. She moved closer to them, gazing at Sam’s hurting form still curled against Dean’s chest.
“I’m so sorry Sam,” the spirit gasped, finally realizing what she had done. She reached forward and ghosted her shaking hand across Sam’s forehead. “I didn’t realize…I had forgotten…”
Sam nodded in understanding, relieved that Dean had broken through to the ailing girl.
Miranda’s gaze fell once more on Dean. “Thank you,” she whispered before looking up towards the sky. A light slowly enveloped her form, and she was gone an instant later, leaving Dean blinking at the spot where she had just stood.
“Dean!” His father’s voice and rushed steps brought Dean out of his shock.
“She’s gone,” he whispered to his dad. “I didn’t know that would work. I j-just wanted…”
“Shh…I know son. It’s okay. You did good, kiddo.” John’s arm went around Dean’s back and gently hugged his son. “I think she moved on buddy. You did good. Now, let me see Sammy, Dean.”
Dean carefully unfurled his arms so that his dad could assess Sam. Sam’s eyes glanced dazedly at his father, reflected the pain and exhaustion he was feeling in the orbs. “D-dad?”
“Hey Sammy…it’s gonna be ok. We’re gonna get you outta here.” John nearly choked on the words when he saw the small branch stuck in his baby’s side. Not trusting himself to talk, he nudged Dean gently to allow him to carry Sam. Dean’s arms sagged at his side once Sam was gone. His brother whimpered at the movement, but soon settled against his dad’s chest.
Dean glanced down at the spot Sam had been, seeing the blood and tears that had soaked through his shirt. His own tears began to fall as his mind stuck on the fact that the blood was not his own…how the red stain now marring his once green and blue button was not from his own injuries.
Gulping back his emotions, Dean ignored all the blood as best he could, remembering Sam needed him to be strong. He fell into line behind his dad, trying not to notice the red trail coating the forest’s ground as his dad carried Sam.
Next Chapter --->
Masterpost