Til Death Do Us Part 3/5
“Sammy…”
“Use me as bait, Dean.”
Dean took the black box out of Sam’s trembling fingers. “Where did you get this?”
“A jewelry store out in California.” Sam’s eyes went to the floor and his bangs fells across them.
California…Palo Alto…Stanford…Jess…
Dean crossed the short distance between him and his baby brother. He cupped the back of Sam’s neck and squeezed gently. He took his free hand and moved Sam’s chin up so that he was looking him in the eye.
“This was for Jess wasn’t it kiddo?”
Sam closed his eyes and nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Sam backed away from Dean and moved so that he was looking out the grimy window. “Didn’t matter anymore.”
Dean picked up the ring and it’s box before moving towards his brother. He grabbed Sam’s hand and placed the box into it. “Obviously matters if you’ve been walkin’ around with it.”
Sam’s eyes locked onto the object in his hand. “I bought it back in September. I was planning on proposing to her over Thanksgiving break. By then, I would’ve known for sure if I had a full ride to law school and all that. Would’ve been perfect. She…she had promised her parents that we would visit that week. They live up in the mountains in Washington. Jess loved it up there…”
Sam blinked away tears that started to sting at the back of his eyes.
“She never knew. She died before I ever…” The words died as Sam choked on a sob. He tried his best to maintain his composure in front of his big brother. But it wasn’t working. Tears began to stroll down his face uninhibited.
“You’re ok,” Dean soothed. He grabbed Sam and pulled him towards him. Sam went willingly and buried his face in his brother’s chest. “I’m here. You’re ok, Sam.”
A few minutes passed before Sam was able to push away from Dean. His eyes settled on Dean’s dampened shirt. “Sorry…”
“It’s fine kid.” Dean reached up and ruffled Sam’s messy hair.
“Thanks.”
Dean just nodded.
Sam swiped his hand across his face and took a deep breath. His other hand was still closed around the box that had been sitting in his pocket like a heavy weight since November. “We’re doing this.”
“What?”
“The next night it rains, we’re goin’ to that hill. I’ll drive the Impala while you wait on the other side while I drive up it. You’ll go into the woods after I wreck to get that ring. I have a picture from the newspaper where they published the engagement announcement. I’ve zoomed in on the ring. Just have to print it for you. I’ll keep Elle occupied while you torch the ring.”
“Woah, Sam! This is insane! It has to be the stupidest idea you’ve ever come up with, and you’ve had your moments in the past little brother.”
“It could work, Dean!”
“Best case scenario, it does. Worst case, it works too well and you end up a pile of bones with your flesh hangin’ off ya like the rest of these poor bastards!”
“I can do this! Let me do this! I have to…” The anger started to leave Sam, and he deflated down into an armchair. “I can’t let someone else go through this. I just can’t.”
“Sam,” Dean moved towards his brother. “I get it, dude. I do. I know what it’s like to lose people. You know I do.”
“I know that Dean. But this is different. I’m not saying you losing Mom didn’t hurt, but this is just a different kind of pain.” Sam gulped back more emotions. “You remember how messed up Dad was after that night?”
“It was awful! Don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“Well, I don’t remember it. But I sure as hell understand it now.”
“Sam-“
“I have to do this.”
“Well, then you’re gonna need another car. No way you’re wrecking the Impala.”
“This is just messed up,” Dean grumbled. He was sitting in the passenger seat of a battered Taurus. The paint was all chipped off, the engine smoked, and a part of the back bumper was hanging off. The salvage yard owner had practically given it away to the boys just to get the damn thing off his property.
“Come on Dean,” Sam sighed. “What, you feel like you’re cheating on your baby or something? Seriously?”
“Shut up bitch!” Dean’s pouted slightly at the comment, but Sam just smiled. After a beat, Dean turned more serious. “I meant that this whole idea is messed up. I don’t like using you as bait for this.”
Sam nodded somberly as he pulled into the motel parking lot next to the Impala. “I know you don’t like this, but it isn’t like we have a choice.”
“We could call dad, get him to send another hunter to do this.”
“There is just so much wrong with that idea Dean,” Sam huffed.
“Like what?”
“Well,” Sam said as he climbed out of the car. The door barely hung on the hinges, and squeaked awfully. “One, Dad doesn’t pick up his phone. Two, we are not endangering some other guy. And three, how the hell are we gonna find some hunter that is nearby and who happens to have an engagement ring on him?!?” With that, Sam slammed the car door shut and hurried into the motel.
Dean sighed and followed behind his brother. By the time Dean got into the room, Sam was already sitting at his laptop, typing away. He looked pissed, but didn’t say a word when Dean shut the door behind him.
“Sammy-“
“It’s Sam,” he snapped back. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“I never said-“
“Not blatantly, but you are acting like it!”
“How?!?”
“You are acting like I’m not old enough to make my own choices and know the consequences of them!”
“All I’m saying is that you could get killed tonight with this crazy ass plan you have schemed up! Excuse me for worrying!”
Some of the argument left Sam at Dean’s words. “Look, I get that you’re worried about me, but how many times have you used yourself for bait? How many times has Dad?”
Dean’s face softened slightly, but he couldn’t answer. He knew that both Dad and he had put themselves in danger countless times by being the bait during hunts.
“Exactly,” Sam said when Dean never responded. “You’ve been doing it since you were sixteen. I remember you did it without letting Dad know.”
“He was so pissed.”
“But he was proud of you for doing it and saving that family. He trusted your judgment, even if he wished that you wouldn’t have done it without his knowledge like you did. I’m at least letting you know what I’m doing tonight. You can be with me on this and come along. Or you can oppose me and stay here. Either way, I’m taking that piece of crap of a car up that damn hill.”
Dean walked over and took a seat in the chair opposite Sam. “I don’t like it…but I’m sure as hell not letting you go up there on your own. You know better than that dumbass,” Dean quipped.
A small smile crept onto Sam’s face. “Thank you.”
Rain fell once again, creating a fine sheen of ice on top of the pavement going up the hill. At the very bottom of the hill, two cars sat side by side underneath a small group of trees. The limbs and leaves blocked the rain from the two hunters sitting on top of the hoods of the cars. The occasional raindrop fell down, dripping into their hair and eyes.
“You ready for this?” Dean asked. He was trying to keep his nerves in check. He didn’t want Sam to see how afraid he really was for his little brother. He kept shifting on the hood of the Impala, his anxiety not allowing him to sit still for even a few seconds.
“Think so,” Sam said as he pat the pocket of his jacket where the ring lay.
“Didn’t mean that Sam. Are you ready to actually go through with this?”
“Yeah,” Sam smiled sadly. “I can do this. I think I can handle her. I mean, hell, maybe I can relate to her more than any of her other guys have. She may have been the one that died, but she still lost her fiancé, you know?”
“You know, you are the only guy out there who could sympathize with some girl who is going around and killing guys off,” Dean huffed.
“Probably,” Sam smirked.
Dean shook his, but couldn’t help but smile a little. “Fine then. Let’s get this crazy ass show on the road now.” Dean patted Sam on the shoulder then headed towards the driver’s side door of the Impala. “Hey,” he called over to Sam before he climbed inside the car. “Be careful. Just do what you need to do. I’ll have your back. Things start to look bad, and I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll be fine. Just find the ring, and torch it with the blowtorch I got ya. Make sure the heat is up high enough to melt the gold. We’re only getting one shot at this.”
Dean nodded. “I know. Let’s do this then.”
Both the door on the Taurus and the Impala closed nearly in sync. Sam sent one last look at his brother before Dean pulled out from underneath the trees and heading towards his designated place. Dean parked the Impala over on the left side of the hill, just off the road and in the mud. If he weren’t so worried about Sam, he would’ve cursed the dirt coating his baby’s sleek exterior.
Sam took a deep breath before he put the Taurus in gear. “You can do this,” he mumbled to himself. He then guided the car up towards the hill. Despite the confidence he had shown for Dean, his hands shook as they gripped the steering wheel.
The rain started to coat the windshield. The wipers weren’t able to keep up with the amount, and it smeared the rain. Sam could barely see, but he knew the way he had to go. He just kept heading up the hill.
About half way up, the windshield wipers stopped completely. Although the car obviously had tons of problems, he knew that wasn’t what had caused the malfunction. The tired started to skid along the road, confirming what he had already suspected.
Sam tried to take a calming breath, but he never got to. Before he could, the car was sliding off the side of the road and flipping towards the trees. It rolled over the rocky forest ground. Sam tried his best to just ride it out. His body slammed against the doors and the steering wheel. The glass of the windshield shattered, sending glass shards flying into the front seat.
Sam brought his arms up to shield his eyes. The glass cut through his jacket and sliced at the flesh underneath. It didn’t matter though. Before Sam even realized what was happening, the Taurus slammed roughly into an old tree.
Dean stood outside of his Impala watching as everything played out. The rain soaked his clothes and hair, but he didn’t notice. His sole focus was on the car as it rolled towards the trees. His heart broke as the sounds of crunching metal and shattered glass permeated the air. He had to bite down on his lip in order to stop from crying out for Sam.
Sam moaned as he started to move his long limbs inside the broken Taurus. They felt heavier and protested the movement. He eventually managed to get himself out of the crumbled metal. He fell out onto the wet grass and mud. Blood dripped from a cut along his forehead. His breath came out it quick gasps as he attempted to catch his breath once again. His head felt blurry, and he had to close his eyes to regain his bearings. When he opened them, he was no longer alone in the woods.
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