Odd Man Out (Part 4/?)
Author: Scealai
Rating: R for Violence and Language
Spoilers: all episodes of Season One are fair game
Summary: (FutureFic) After the demon that killed their mother is destroyed, Sam returns to a normal life and finds himself on the outside looking in when Dean picks up a new partner to hunt with.
Disclaimer: The characters from 'Supernatural' are the property of Kripke Enterprises, Wonderland, and the CW. I'll give them back after I've had my fun.
---
Disclaimer: Again I just want to say that I have never been to the Winchester Mystery House. I have no idea what the layout is like, so what I've written is purely fiction and creative liscense. I'm basically working from pictures on the internet.
Part Four
The last official tour of the Mystery House ended around five thirty, so at six they were back in the parking lot. The first thing Sam noticed was that the House didn't give off that spooky vibe that he had felt around other haunted houses when the perceived safety of daylight receded. It was just a weird old house and Sam didn't need an EMF reader to know that even without the crowds, they wouldn't get any readings tonight. The second thing he noticed was that Becky had changed her clothes. Instead of the prim period dress she had been wearing earlier, she was now wearing a sundress that showed a lot of cleavage and a lot of leg - two of Dean's favorite things. From the wolfish grin and appreciative whistle Dean gave her, that hadn't changed.
"Dean!" Becky sashayed over to them. She smiled at Dean, but threw a less-than-welcoming glance at Sam and Ben. "Oh, you brought your brother and your friend too."
"Yeah, well, Sam's a Winchester too and Benny here has a keen interest in history." Dean grabbed Ben by the scruff of his neck and gave him a playful shake.
"Actually, I'm more interested in the recent disappearances." Ben shook Dean off and smiled at Becky. "Did you know Sarah Temple?"
"Oh, yeah, I trained her." Becky seemed mollified by the opportunity to impart some gossip as she led them toward the Winchester House. "She was a good kid - not flaky - and she was interested in the history of the House too. She was always exploring during her off hours."
Dean and Sam exchanged glances at this new information. It was possible that Sarah stumbled across something she shouldn't have or released something accidentally during her explorations. "Could you show us where the tourists disappeared?" Sam asked.
"Of course." Becky gave them each a speculative once over. "You guys are reporters, aren't you?"
Dean spread his arms wide and shrugged in an 'aw shucks' gesture. "Caught us red handed, Becks. We're freelancers and this story has everything - human interest, mystery, spooks, and not to mentions beautiful ladies. Did you conduct the tour where the tourists disappeared?" Dean casually slung his arm around Becky's waist as they walked into the foyer of the House.
"No, that was Tina. She and Sarah started at the same time, she was the last person to see Sarah too."
"That would be Tina Feeney?" Sam asked to clarify. The newspaper had mentioned Sarah's friend, Tina Feeney, but hadn't said anything about her being the guide on the tour where the tourists disappeared. Becky shot Sam an annoyed look and a nod in response. Sam just shrugged it off, he was used to women thinking he was speed bump on the road to Dean. "Is she working tonight?"
"No, she needed some time off after everything." Becky shrugged. "She got weird and jumpy. I would be surprised if she came back."
"She's probably not as brave as you. This spooky stuff doesn't phase you, does it?" Dean winked at Becky. Sam wanted to roll his eyes - he always thought that Dean laid it on a little thick, but his older brother was rarely called on it. In fact, Becky was leaning closer to Dean and twirling her hair with her finger. She was hanging on Dean's every word. "So, exactly where did those tourists disappear?"
"It was over here." Becky led them down a few corridors and through a few rooms before they reached a staircase. "This is the staircase that leads to the ceiling. The tour leads people up to the top and then everyone comes back down again. The Doucets went up with everyone, but they didn't come back down. At first we thought that they had wondered off and got lost, but that was the last time anyone remembered seeing them and they didn't board their tour bus when it was time for their tour to leave."
"So they just went up the stairs and then disappeared, but no one saw them disappear?" Sam couldn't keep the scepticism out of his voice. It earned him a defensive glare from Becky and a frustrated 'you're not helping' glance from Dean.
"It's possible," Ben piped up. He looked up at staircase intently. "It could be something like the Bermuda Triangle - a time warp or something."
"Except that no one has ever disappeared from this spot before and the tours must lead hundreds of people up this staircase every week," Sam snapped impatiently. "Sarah didn't have a reason to be going up this staircase the night she disappeared, did she?"
"Uh, no, she forgot her jacket in the employee lounge. She would have headed straight there," Becky answered with an uncertain, uncomfortable look at Dean.
"Look, why don't you two figure this out amongst yourselves while Becky shows me what Sarah found so interesting about the basement." Dean started to lead the very willing Becky away, leaving Sam with Ben. He turned just before they left the room and with a hard glare at Sam said, "Play nice, children."
And then Sam was alone with Ben. This is so not how things were supposed to go. "So, what do you think happened to the Doucets?" Now that Dean was gone, apparently Ben had decided that he could drop the deferential attitude with Sam and issue a challenge.
Sam blew out a frustrated breath. "I have no idea." The last thing he wanted was to be stuck with Ben. This hunt was supposed to be about him and Dean, but Ben just kept coming between them. "Why don't you see if we can get any reading on the EMF before we start theorizing." It was like the moment he had met Dean, Ben had decided that Dean was the perfect big brother and then did everything he could to insinuate himself into their lives. And he was right in one regard, Dean was the perfect big brother. Sam's perfect big brother.
*****
"Ben Carpenter is an over-eager pain in the ass who is going to get us all killed. What the hell is Dad thinking?" Dean shook his head in confusion. They were stuck waiting in the Impala while Ben gathered a few things before leaving the only home he had ever known.
"Come on, Dean, give the kid a chance." Sam grinned at his brother. "He's just a little awestruck to be in the presence of the great Dean Winchester. You know, the hunter who exterminated a nest of vampires with only a machete and tracked and killed a Wendigo with only his wits and a pack of wet matches saving a beautiful damsel..."
"Shut up, Sam, the kid spends too much time on the internet," Dean cut his brother's teasing short. He looked down at Melinda's wide, intent stare. "If Sammy's going to repeat tall tales he should at least get the facts straight - it was a rusty machete and a wet flare gun."
"My mistake," Sam murmured. "How is Ben like me again?"
"His mother and father died in a house fire when he was six months old. He and his older brother, Sean, were sent here to live with their aunt and uncle. Sean didn't cope too well with the whole orphaned by a demon thing and got involved in drugs. He killed himself when he was sixteen and Ben was ten."
Sam shuddered. If Ben was like him, he thanked the higher powers out there that Dean was nothing like Sean. He couldn't imagine what his life would have been like without his older brother - he didn't even want to try. "Poor Ben. Do we know what he can do?"
"Yeah, Dad said he's some kind of supernatural amp." At Sam's confused frown, Dean explained further, "He amplifies supernatural phenomenon. Around him poltergeists get angrier, spirits manifest stronger, and your visions would probably be clearer and more intense."
"Dad wants to use the children the demon has been picking against him."
Dean nodded. "That's what I'm thinking the plan is." He brought Melinda up and settled her against his shoulder, rubbing her small back in soothing circles. "But not you, sweetheart, you're just going to be a spectator. Uncle Dean will teach you how to deal weild a weapon when you're older." At Sam's disproving huff, Dean defended himself, "A girl has to know how to defend herself especially if she's got supernatural mojo. I can promise her that this nasty demon is never going to touch her, but I can't say that others won't come looking."
"I've got everything. I'm ready to go." Ben climbed into the backseat and slammed the door, earning a disgruntled squawk from Melinda and a death glare from Dean.
"Watch it, kid, even the baby knows you treat a car like this better than that."
"Sorry. I'm just...I'm excited."
"To face the demon that killed your parents and wants to use your freaky powers for some unknown evil purpose?" Dean raised an eyebrow and smirked back at Ben. "That's not normal, kid."
Sam chuckled as pulled the Impala back out onto the road. He hoped Dean would ease up on Ben. The poor kid had no idea what he was in for when they faced the demon. It would help if Dean liked and trusted him even just a little bit.
"Oh, I've never wanted to be normal," Ben assured Dean and suddenly Sam didn't find the situation funny anymore.
*****
The EMF whined and beeped and whined again until it receded to a low hum and died out. Ben frowned and fiddled with the dials. Sam looked over his shoulder. "Doesn't your power interfere with the equipment and make hunting more difficult? I mean, it would give the things you hunt an advantage."
"Yeah, it would if I didn't know how to control it." It was Ben's turn to get short and surly with Sam. He turned from the staircase to meet Sam's gaze. "Or if it wasn't dormant just like your visions have been since we destroyed the demon." He bit his lip and looked like he was seriously considering what he was going to say next. "Why don't you like me, Sam?"
Okay, so they were going to have this conversation. Sam was ready for it - he had wanted to tell Ben what he thought of him for a long time now, but had never gotten the chance. "I don't trust you." The gauntlet thrown down, Sam folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. "A lot of the kids who were chosen by the demon misused their powers."
"You don't trust yourself then."
"You are not me." Sam's jaw worked as he ground his teeth. As much as he had wanted this conversation, he wasn't sure if he could have it without punching him. "I don't trust you to have Dean's back when he needs you."
Ben nodded. "Again that would be more about not trusting yourself. You left. You don't have Dean's back. If it weren't for me, he would be alone out there, so I guess you're just going to have to get over your jealous snit and start trusting me. You gave up hunting, remember?"
Sam bit back the childish protest, 'I didn't give up Dean' and just nodded curtly instead. "I'm rethinking that decision. I miss being out on the road with my brother."
Ben's Aw-shucks-I'm-a-harmless-nice-guy act went out the window at Sam's declaration. He glared at Sam. "Dean doesn't miss it. Have you thought at all that just maybe Dean is perfectly happy with you being at school and him out on the road with me? He trusts me not to leave him. I appreciate him."
Sam pushed himself away from the wall, intent on wiping the smug look off of Ben's face. He appreciated Dean. Ben had no right to say that Dean didn't want or need him. Sam clenched his fists and was viscerally satisfied when Ben flinched.
"Dean and Becky should be coming back soon. I'm going to check out what readings I get on the EMF at the top of the stairs." Ben walked halfway up the stairs and then turned to smirk at Sam. "Dean wouldn't like it if you hit me, Sam. He's protective like that." He turned back and trotted the rest of the way up.
"No hell way are you getting away with that." Sam gripped the banister and strode quickly up the stairs. He had to duck so his head wouldn't hit the ceiling the closer he got to the top. He knew immediately something was wrong. Ben wasn't sitting on the top stair waiting for him. "Ben?" Sam called out, even though he didn't expect an answer. On the top stair the EMF meter blinked at him. Sam sat down and picked it up. Dean was going to kill him. He had lost Ben.
TBC
Rating: R for Violence and Language
Spoilers: all episodes of Season One are fair game
Summary: (FutureFic) After the demon that killed their mother is destroyed, Sam returns to a normal life and finds himself on the outside looking in when Dean picks up a new partner to hunt with.
Disclaimer: The characters from 'Supernatural' are the property of Kripke Enterprises, Wonderland, and the CW. I'll give them back after I've had my fun.
---
Disclaimer: Again I just want to say that I have never been to the Winchester Mystery House. I have no idea what the layout is like, so what I've written is purely fiction and creative liscense. I'm basically working from pictures on the internet.
Part Four
The last official tour of the Mystery House ended around five thirty, so at six they were back in the parking lot. The first thing Sam noticed was that the House didn't give off that spooky vibe that he had felt around other haunted houses when the perceived safety of daylight receded. It was just a weird old house and Sam didn't need an EMF reader to know that even without the crowds, they wouldn't get any readings tonight. The second thing he noticed was that Becky had changed her clothes. Instead of the prim period dress she had been wearing earlier, she was now wearing a sundress that showed a lot of cleavage and a lot of leg - two of Dean's favorite things. From the wolfish grin and appreciative whistle Dean gave her, that hadn't changed.
"Dean!" Becky sashayed over to them. She smiled at Dean, but threw a less-than-welcoming glance at Sam and Ben. "Oh, you brought your brother and your friend too."
"Yeah, well, Sam's a Winchester too and Benny here has a keen interest in history." Dean grabbed Ben by the scruff of his neck and gave him a playful shake.
"Actually, I'm more interested in the recent disappearances." Ben shook Dean off and smiled at Becky. "Did you know Sarah Temple?"
"Oh, yeah, I trained her." Becky seemed mollified by the opportunity to impart some gossip as she led them toward the Winchester House. "She was a good kid - not flaky - and she was interested in the history of the House too. She was always exploring during her off hours."
Dean and Sam exchanged glances at this new information. It was possible that Sarah stumbled across something she shouldn't have or released something accidentally during her explorations. "Could you show us where the tourists disappeared?" Sam asked.
"Of course." Becky gave them each a speculative once over. "You guys are reporters, aren't you?"
Dean spread his arms wide and shrugged in an 'aw shucks' gesture. "Caught us red handed, Becks. We're freelancers and this story has everything - human interest, mystery, spooks, and not to mentions beautiful ladies. Did you conduct the tour where the tourists disappeared?" Dean casually slung his arm around Becky's waist as they walked into the foyer of the House.
"No, that was Tina. She and Sarah started at the same time, she was the last person to see Sarah too."
"That would be Tina Feeney?" Sam asked to clarify. The newspaper had mentioned Sarah's friend, Tina Feeney, but hadn't said anything about her being the guide on the tour where the tourists disappeared. Becky shot Sam an annoyed look and a nod in response. Sam just shrugged it off, he was used to women thinking he was speed bump on the road to Dean. "Is she working tonight?"
"No, she needed some time off after everything." Becky shrugged. "She got weird and jumpy. I would be surprised if she came back."
"She's probably not as brave as you. This spooky stuff doesn't phase you, does it?" Dean winked at Becky. Sam wanted to roll his eyes - he always thought that Dean laid it on a little thick, but his older brother was rarely called on it. In fact, Becky was leaning closer to Dean and twirling her hair with her finger. She was hanging on Dean's every word. "So, exactly where did those tourists disappear?"
"It was over here." Becky led them down a few corridors and through a few rooms before they reached a staircase. "This is the staircase that leads to the ceiling. The tour leads people up to the top and then everyone comes back down again. The Doucets went up with everyone, but they didn't come back down. At first we thought that they had wondered off and got lost, but that was the last time anyone remembered seeing them and they didn't board their tour bus when it was time for their tour to leave."
"So they just went up the stairs and then disappeared, but no one saw them disappear?" Sam couldn't keep the scepticism out of his voice. It earned him a defensive glare from Becky and a frustrated 'you're not helping' glance from Dean.
"It's possible," Ben piped up. He looked up at staircase intently. "It could be something like the Bermuda Triangle - a time warp or something."
"Except that no one has ever disappeared from this spot before and the tours must lead hundreds of people up this staircase every week," Sam snapped impatiently. "Sarah didn't have a reason to be going up this staircase the night she disappeared, did she?"
"Uh, no, she forgot her jacket in the employee lounge. She would have headed straight there," Becky answered with an uncertain, uncomfortable look at Dean.
"Look, why don't you two figure this out amongst yourselves while Becky shows me what Sarah found so interesting about the basement." Dean started to lead the very willing Becky away, leaving Sam with Ben. He turned just before they left the room and with a hard glare at Sam said, "Play nice, children."
And then Sam was alone with Ben. This is so not how things were supposed to go. "So, what do you think happened to the Doucets?" Now that Dean was gone, apparently Ben had decided that he could drop the deferential attitude with Sam and issue a challenge.
Sam blew out a frustrated breath. "I have no idea." The last thing he wanted was to be stuck with Ben. This hunt was supposed to be about him and Dean, but Ben just kept coming between them. "Why don't you see if we can get any reading on the EMF before we start theorizing." It was like the moment he had met Dean, Ben had decided that Dean was the perfect big brother and then did everything he could to insinuate himself into their lives. And he was right in one regard, Dean was the perfect big brother. Sam's perfect big brother.
*****
"Ben Carpenter is an over-eager pain in the ass who is going to get us all killed. What the hell is Dad thinking?" Dean shook his head in confusion. They were stuck waiting in the Impala while Ben gathered a few things before leaving the only home he had ever known.
"Come on, Dean, give the kid a chance." Sam grinned at his brother. "He's just a little awestruck to be in the presence of the great Dean Winchester. You know, the hunter who exterminated a nest of vampires with only a machete and tracked and killed a Wendigo with only his wits and a pack of wet matches saving a beautiful damsel..."
"Shut up, Sam, the kid spends too much time on the internet," Dean cut his brother's teasing short. He looked down at Melinda's wide, intent stare. "If Sammy's going to repeat tall tales he should at least get the facts straight - it was a rusty machete and a wet flare gun."
"My mistake," Sam murmured. "How is Ben like me again?"
"His mother and father died in a house fire when he was six months old. He and his older brother, Sean, were sent here to live with their aunt and uncle. Sean didn't cope too well with the whole orphaned by a demon thing and got involved in drugs. He killed himself when he was sixteen and Ben was ten."
Sam shuddered. If Ben was like him, he thanked the higher powers out there that Dean was nothing like Sean. He couldn't imagine what his life would have been like without his older brother - he didn't even want to try. "Poor Ben. Do we know what he can do?"
"Yeah, Dad said he's some kind of supernatural amp." At Sam's confused frown, Dean explained further, "He amplifies supernatural phenomenon. Around him poltergeists get angrier, spirits manifest stronger, and your visions would probably be clearer and more intense."
"Dad wants to use the children the demon has been picking against him."
Dean nodded. "That's what I'm thinking the plan is." He brought Melinda up and settled her against his shoulder, rubbing her small back in soothing circles. "But not you, sweetheart, you're just going to be a spectator. Uncle Dean will teach you how to deal weild a weapon when you're older." At Sam's disproving huff, Dean defended himself, "A girl has to know how to defend herself especially if she's got supernatural mojo. I can promise her that this nasty demon is never going to touch her, but I can't say that others won't come looking."
"I've got everything. I'm ready to go." Ben climbed into the backseat and slammed the door, earning a disgruntled squawk from Melinda and a death glare from Dean.
"Watch it, kid, even the baby knows you treat a car like this better than that."
"Sorry. I'm just...I'm excited."
"To face the demon that killed your parents and wants to use your freaky powers for some unknown evil purpose?" Dean raised an eyebrow and smirked back at Ben. "That's not normal, kid."
Sam chuckled as pulled the Impala back out onto the road. He hoped Dean would ease up on Ben. The poor kid had no idea what he was in for when they faced the demon. It would help if Dean liked and trusted him even just a little bit.
"Oh, I've never wanted to be normal," Ben assured Dean and suddenly Sam didn't find the situation funny anymore.
*****
The EMF whined and beeped and whined again until it receded to a low hum and died out. Ben frowned and fiddled with the dials. Sam looked over his shoulder. "Doesn't your power interfere with the equipment and make hunting more difficult? I mean, it would give the things you hunt an advantage."
"Yeah, it would if I didn't know how to control it." It was Ben's turn to get short and surly with Sam. He turned from the staircase to meet Sam's gaze. "Or if it wasn't dormant just like your visions have been since we destroyed the demon." He bit his lip and looked like he was seriously considering what he was going to say next. "Why don't you like me, Sam?"
Okay, so they were going to have this conversation. Sam was ready for it - he had wanted to tell Ben what he thought of him for a long time now, but had never gotten the chance. "I don't trust you." The gauntlet thrown down, Sam folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. "A lot of the kids who were chosen by the demon misused their powers."
"You don't trust yourself then."
"You are not me." Sam's jaw worked as he ground his teeth. As much as he had wanted this conversation, he wasn't sure if he could have it without punching him. "I don't trust you to have Dean's back when he needs you."
Ben nodded. "Again that would be more about not trusting yourself. You left. You don't have Dean's back. If it weren't for me, he would be alone out there, so I guess you're just going to have to get over your jealous snit and start trusting me. You gave up hunting, remember?"
Sam bit back the childish protest, 'I didn't give up Dean' and just nodded curtly instead. "I'm rethinking that decision. I miss being out on the road with my brother."
Ben's Aw-shucks-I'm-a-harmless-nice-guy act went out the window at Sam's declaration. He glared at Sam. "Dean doesn't miss it. Have you thought at all that just maybe Dean is perfectly happy with you being at school and him out on the road with me? He trusts me not to leave him. I appreciate him."
Sam pushed himself away from the wall, intent on wiping the smug look off of Ben's face. He appreciated Dean. Ben had no right to say that Dean didn't want or need him. Sam clenched his fists and was viscerally satisfied when Ben flinched.
"Dean and Becky should be coming back soon. I'm going to check out what readings I get on the EMF at the top of the stairs." Ben walked halfway up the stairs and then turned to smirk at Sam. "Dean wouldn't like it if you hit me, Sam. He's protective like that." He turned back and trotted the rest of the way up.
"No hell way are you getting away with that." Sam gripped the banister and strode quickly up the stairs. He had to duck so his head wouldn't hit the ceiling the closer he got to the top. He knew immediately something was wrong. Ben wasn't sitting on the top stair waiting for him. "Ben?" Sam called out, even though he didn't expect an answer. On the top stair the EMF meter blinked at him. Sam sat down and picked it up. Dean was going to kill him. He had lost Ben.
TBC