Captivus, Part IV, Supernatural, PG-13, Keeper!Verse
Fandom: Supernatural, Keeper!Verse
Title: Captivus, Part IV (Other Keeper!Verse stories can be found Here
Pairing/Characters: Sam/Dean, Dana, John
Rating: Overall PG-13 (with a touch of R in places)
Word Count: 17, 972 (total)
Summary: For shotofjack, who bought me in the Sweet Charity auction. She asked for Keeper Verse and a look at Dana actually growing up and working with Sam to rescue Dean. So, this is Dana at 16, half way to seventeen. A dream offers the Winchesters two hunts at once, though with John suffering with a broken arm, and Sam hurting from a life time of physical abuse, it's time for Dana to step up to the plate. When Dean's hunt goes terribly wrong, it's up to Dana and Sam to figure out why and rescue him, before it's too late.
A/Ns & Warnings: Unfortunately there is no sex here, though there is some nakedness. There is also a fair amount of schloomp and not a small amount of angst. This story is complete and will be posted in sections because LJ won't let me post it as one.
Dean was aware that something wasn’t right. Well, more not right than it had been. The boy had come and lowered him to feed the insane little fuckers under him, but never came back. They’d given up on feeding, though not before they’d torn large chunks of flesh from his stomach and thighs. Now they were fighting and nipping at the ropes.
One of them had claws dug into his shoulder and was hanging from him, biting at its siblings below him. “Shoo demon spawn.” Dean croaked, shaking his body to try to loose him. Instead, another of them jumped up, biting at his cheek, and shrieking.
“I’m going to kill you mother fuckers. You just keep gnawing on the ropes so I can break free.”
Of course, the insanity of talking to the monsters wasn’t lost on him. He didn’t have long before he lost all sense of coherent thought, and that wasn’t a pleasant thought. He pulled on the ropes that bound his hands, but they weren’t budging, unlike the ones below his belly, which were torn and breaking beneath him.
Dean.
Dean shook his head, angering the one that had been licking at the blood on his cheek. He could have sworn that was Sam. In his head. But…Sam wasn’t there. Sam was…well, he didn’t really know. But Sam had never been in his head from more than a room away.
We’re coming for you. Just a few minutes.
“Yeah, you’re losing it Winchester.”
Dean?
“Sam?” It really did feel like Sam, but it could be the kid playing pranks. Sam?
Relief flooded through him…relief that was not his. It messed with his head. Not far now, Dean. Not far.
“He’s okay.” Sam breathed as Dana got out of the car. She nodded, holding the curved knife in one hand while tucking a gun in her belt with the other. John was waiting for him. “We leaving the cars here?” Sam asked and Dana nodded.
“We’re on the other side of the drive way than the school, and far enough away Paul and his father shouldn’t see them as they come home. We go over the fence and straight back.”
“Okay, let’s move.”
Sam moved over the fence on point, clutching a gun loaded with blessed iron rounds and tossing Dean’s duffle over his shoulder. His father had a smaller duffle, with holy water and salt and other necessary things. There wasn’t much cover, and they had a mile and a half. He moved to go behind a hay stack, and angled for each bit of cover, however small. They had to get there without being seen. He used his senses to scan around them as they moved, motioning Dana and his father down when some wandering ranch hand came too close for comfort.
When he’d passed, he started forward again, grateful when they reached the cover of trees. He stopped and waited for them to catch up, casting around to make sure he knew where they were going. Dana pointed and he nodded.
Her hand fell on his arm and he turned to look. Her eyes were glazed and distant. “There’s six of them. The woman is…already walking up from the house. She knows Paul left Dad…he was supposed to stay with him…” She handed the knife to Sam. “You go deal with the spawn and get Dad. I’ll deal with the woman. Papa, I need…” She looked up as he set a water gun in her hand. “Holy water,” she said with a smirk.
“You sure you can handle her, Dana?” Sam asked.
I’ve handled worse.
She set out at point, leading them to the shed. “Papa will back me up and be look out.”
Sam nodded and followed her pointing finger as John scouted the area for something heavy. “When I start cutting throats she’s gonna come a whole lot faster.” Sam said and Dana nodded.
He didn’t like leaving her, not with his father still nursing a broken arm. But Dean was hurting. Dean needed him and he had to accept that Dana wasn’t a little girl any more. He crept through the dark back of the milking barn, away from the line of stalls and equipment.
He felt around the door, but Dean seemed to be alone, but for the six hungry mouths. He opened the door and the stench was overwhelming. Blood and the smell of sulfur combined with human waste made him curl his nose in distaste.
Dean didn’t seem to be conscious, but the not so little monsters were very awake, screeching and squawking as he covered the distance from the door in two huge steps, grabbing the nearest one and pulling the knife over it’s neck quickly before tossing it aside.
He could feel the woman now, coming closer, screaming. He grabbed at another. It bit at his fingers and he cussed, cutting it quickly and throwing it aside. The fourth got a good mouth full of his arm before he killed it. The fifth was attached to Dean, biting hard into his shoulder. Dean groaned as Sam pulled it loose, tearing skin. “Fuck. Sorry Dean. Sorry.”
The woman was there, he could hear her with his ears now, then her howling changed and he knew Dana had hit her with the holy water. He had one more, and it was biting into his pant leg. Just as it hit skin, he managed to pry it loose.
The bloody part of the job done, Sam turned his attention to his brother. “Dean? Can you hear me?”
He checked his pulse. It was steady, but weak. He reached for the knots holding him inside the ropes. “Damn.” The kid had even spelled the damn knots. “Hold on Dean. Almost done.”
“Sam?” Dean turned his face toward him, and Sam blanched. His left cheek was pretty torn up.
“Yeah, Dean. Give me a sec.”
“Not going anywhere.” Dean said, a faint chuckle in his voice.
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Dana?”
“She’s outside, dealing with a demon.”
“Go help her…I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, Dean. And I’m not leaving you in this contraption. Be quiet so I can concentrate.” It took longer than it should have, because Sam kept getting distracted scanning over Dean’s injuries. When the spell finally snapped, he could feel the kid, they were nearly back to the ranch, and now the kid knew. “Fuck.”
Dana, you might want to hurry, Paul and his father know we’re here.
He cut through the ropes at Dean’s ankles and wrists, then slowly tipped the whole hammock until Dean’s feet were on the ground. With one hand, he held Dean upright, with the other he pulled the hammock apart around him. When he was free of the rope, Sam lowered him slowly to the floor.
There was power building in the main part of the barn, Dana’s voice raised in Latin incantation. She was nearly there. “That’s your little girl out there, Dean.” Sam said as he reached for the duffle bag and pulled out a shirt to settle over Dean’s shoulders. “She’s unbelievable. You’re going to be so proud.”
“Dana…” Dean looked up at him, his eyes cloudy, confused. “Sammy?”
Sam pressed a kiss to his lips and nodded, swallowing a sudden urge to cry. “Yeah, baby. It’s me. Let’s get you dressed. We’ll have to deal with the injuries back at the hotel.”
Dana stood inside a circle of salt drawn on the floor of the barn. Angelica lay within a smaller one, fuming. She was hog tied, her eyes black, her mouth spewing obscenities.
Dana ignored her and recited the Latin from the notebook pages Sam had given her. She’d never done this exactly. She’d killed demons, but never really exorcised them.
The other two were getting closer…they were at the gates. She needed to finish this. “Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.”
The woman’s body seized up. Dana looked up and John’s voice was gruff. “Finish it Dana.”
“In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.”
Angelica screamed, doubling up, then kicking at the confines of the circle, before her mouth opened impossibly wide and black, inky smoke came pouring out of her. It coalesced above the circle and Dana pointed at it, blasting it with a white light until it was gone.
She sagged a little and looked to her Papa. He smiled but then nodded toward the door. They were there. The car screeched to a stop on the gravel and doors opened. The man was yelling. Paul was pushing at her, but she was still protected by the circle.
John held the shovel and waited. Donald Marks came running into the barn, stopping just short of John’s reach. He swung and stepped forward, but Donald caught the handle and pulled it free of John’s hands.
“Angie!” Paul surged forward, stopping short of the salt circle. “What have you done?”
“Sent her demon back to hell where it belongs, just like I promised.”
The door to the back room opened and she could feel Sam and her father. He was weak, but moving his own feet, even if he was leaning heavily on Sam. Help Papa.
She felt his response and didn’t spare a glance to see how her Papa was doing. She had her hands full with Paul.
“If you’re so damn good, why don’t you come out here and face me?”
“Because, I’m not stupid.” Dana said. “You aren’t either, I could tell when I got inside your head. Why you ever listened to them, I’ll never know.”
“You’re a coward.” He came close to the circle, looking down at the woman who was just starting to come around. “Had to knock her out didn’t you? Tie her up before you could exorcise her.”
“Didn’t have to. It was easier. And like I said, not stupid.”
He was getting angry, his breath coming in pants. Energy crackled around him. “You don’t want to do that.” Dana said, readying her defense.
“No? How do you know?”
“Because I know you don’t expect the results.”
Need the exorcism. Dana glanced aside, and Sam was literally sitting on Donald Marks, her Papa crossing to her. She held her hand out to the edge of the circle and felt him take the papers, felt Paul’s attention turn.
“Yeah? Expect this?”
His blast ate through the air toward John, but Dana was ready, stepping neatly out of the circle and throwing her defensively wall up. The shock bounced back and slammed Paul to the ground, twitching. It would be a while before he got up again.
Her Papa’s voice lifted in beautiful Latin, and she turned her attention to where Sam had left her father. She crouched next to him. “Daddy?”
His eyes opened slowly, and the one of the ruined cheek didn’t really focus on her, but she smiled through sudden tears. “It’s okay Daddy. You’re gonna be okay.”
She reached out a hand, resting it on the top of his head, the only immediate place she saw that wouldn’t hurt him. She scanned over his body. He was hurting. Probably need stitches in more than one place, a blood transfusion. “We’re gonna get you to a hospital, okay?”
Dean reached slowly for her hand and she couldn’t help but notice the bloody and bruised wrists. He’d worked hard to get free. “No hospital, baby…Just want to go home.”
“You need blood, and probably more.”
“Still your father.” Dean mustered a half smile and she shook her head.
“Always.”
The room seemed to shake, then Sam was falling backward and the air was filled with inky smoke, but before Dana could move to blast the damn thing, it sank into the earth and was gone.
Sam was breathing hard when he came to help Dana lift Dean to his feet between them. John pointed at Paul as they got close. “What about him?”
They stopped and stared down at him. Finally Sam heaved a sigh. “We can’t leave him here. Bring him. Maybe I can get through to him…or bind his powers…or something.”
Dana looked up at him, but saw an echo of what he was thinking, so didn’t say anything. She couldn’t begrudge him trying, even if she thought it was a waste of time. She knew he was thinking about how different his life might have been if someone had done the same for him.
She didn’t remind him that he wouldn’t be a part of their lives now if that had happened. She’d just keep that to herself for now.
Dana sat on the bed, holding her father’s hand while John and Sam took turns cleaning and pouring holy water over his torn flesh before carefully bandaging him. John filled a syringe with antibiotic and pressed it into Dean’s arm.
“You want something for the pain?”
Dean was only barely conscious, but he managed a nod. “Not too much Papa, he needs to eat soon. He’s lost a lot of blood.”
John nodded, filling a second syringe. “You heard the nurse, Dean. Not too much. I’ll be bringing food in a little while.”
Dana stayed there, holding his hand while he drifted toward sleep. John set aside the med kit, checked on Paul who was bound and gagged and still pretty out of it in the corner, then followed Sam outside. Sam leaned against the Impala, looking worn and concerned.
“You okay?”
Sam nodded distractedly, then looked up. “Tired. It’s been a long couple of days.”
“It’s more than that.” John knew Sam was hurting, he’d learned the signs, but he also knew his son was proud and didn’t want it to show. He tapped the leather band on Sam’s right arm. “What’s the story?”
Sam closed his eyes and sighed. “I…I’m having a bad week. The pain, nightmares…some days I can’t lift the arm at all.”
“You seem to be pretty mobile.”
“Yeah. I worked…it’s a spell. I don’t use it…I’ve only done it once or twice before. The blowback when it’s gone is seldom worth it.”
“But this time it was?”
Sam nodded. “Yes. It’ll be worse because I did it twice…but once we get home and I take the band off…” He made a face. “But we’ve got Dean, and he’s going to be okay. That’s all that matters.”
John nodded. He could accept that. “What about the boy?”
Sam shrugged and stood up. “I should get on him before I fizzle out.”
“I’m going to go get some food. And we should be on the road before long. We don’t know what the fall out will be.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll have Dana pack us up.”
Sam watched him walk away and sighed again. The kid was tough. But Sam knew he had to try. He let himself into the room. Dana was already packing things up. He went to where Paul was sitting and lowered himself to the floor.
“Need me?” Dana asked.
“No, just keep packing. Papa wants to leave as soon as we’ve eaten.”
Paul.
He felt the response, even though the kid didn’t move. I don’t want to hurt you. But I have information you need.
He reached out, both with his hands and his mind. Paul was still rather shocked, so overpowering his defenses was fairly easy. He didn’t dig though, chose not to read his memories, just laid out some of his own.
His childhood, the demons, the punishment, the beatings. Believing his father didn’t want him, that he’d been given away. The horrible things he’d done in service to those demons, the way he’d used his own brother…the forgiveness and love from both John and Dean, despite everything. Laid it down fairly thick.
He started to pull away then, but felt a pull. Wait.
He did, watching Paul dig through the information. My father? Dana said he was alive.
Sam glanced over his shoulder at Dana. I don’t know. We could try to find him.
Paul was shaking. What are you going to do to me?
“I’m tempted to bind your powers and block your memory and hand you over to someone who knows how to handle kids like you.” Sam said aloud.
Paul’s eyes blinked. You would do that?
“Everyone deserves a second chance. If I got one, you deserve one.”
He felt Dana stop what she was doing and look at him, but he knew he was right.
What are the other options?
Sam shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure there are other options. I’m probably going to drug you when we leave here. Deal with you after we’ve left town.”
Paul nodded. Can I think about it?
Sam nodded. “Yeah, you do that.”
Two hours later saw them on the road. Dana driving Sam’s car with the unconscious Paul in the back seat; Sam driving the Impala, with Dean drugged beyond pain in the back seat and John bringing up the rear. It was nearly dawn before they reached Lawrence. Dana sat in the driveway, kneeling on the seat looking down at Paul. “Where are we?” Paul asked, his voice small.
“Home. I’m sure Sam will deal with you soon enough.”
“What do you think I should do?”
She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. Sam thinks you can make something of yourself. I think you liked being evil.”
“Didn’t he too?”
Dana had to think about that. In some ways, she supposed he did. “It was all he knew. You can’t say the same. You made choices to be who you are.”
She looked up. Papa was helping her father into the house and Sam was coming toward them. “No matter what happens, I’ll be watching you. And I won’t hesitate to put you down if I have to.”
Dana got out of the car and kissed Sam’s cheek. “He’s all yours.”
Sam sighed. “So. What are we to do with you?”
Paul sat up slowly. “Dana doesn’t think I can change.”
“I know. We’ve been arguing all the way home.” Sam held out a hand to help him out of the car. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
“Fair enough. Let’s go inside, see if we can’t reach a consensus.”
Two steps into the house, Paul turned, his eyes flashing, Sam felt the first blast and staggered backward, but Dana was there, physically pulling the boy away and ripping into his mind almost viciously.
They were on the floor and Sam was staggering, reaching for her, but she was way ahead of him. She spiraled into Paul’s memory, ripping out everything back to the last time he saw his father. Sam went to his knees beside her, following her, trying to soften the edges and together they found the center of his powers and locked them down, burying that center under layers of emotion that should keep him well away from it for a long time.
“I’m sorry, Sam.” Dana whispered as they both came up and out, her hand brushing across his face. He hadn’t even realized he’d started crying. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s okay, baby.”
“Fred Castor. That’s his father’s name.” Dana said as she rose shakily. “We should…I don’t know…find him?”
Sam nodded. “Tomorrow. For today, let’s sedate him and put him in my room. We all need sleep.”
It took nearly a week to find Fred Castor, and nearly every contact in the hunter community John had. John met him first, asked about his son Paul. When he was convinced the man hadn’t sent his son away, John brought them together in a park not far from the house.
“He’s lost a lot of memory, I’m afraid.”
“Where’d you say you found him?”
“Texas, he was being held by some demons. They abused him. He’s blocked it out. Only remembers getting lost and then that we found him.”
Paul looked a little confused, but shuffled closer to his father and let him fold him in his arms. “There’s some motor issues from the brain damage.” John said, looking away from the tears leaking from the younger man’s eyes. “Doctor said he’d be fine though, a little behind the times, but okay.”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I mean, I’ve heard about you Winchesters, but…this? I don’t know what to say.”
“Just take good care of him.” John said, looking over his shoulder to where Dana leaned against his truck. “I gotta get going, my boy’s still healing from his ordeal.”
Fred nodded, then held out his hand to John. The shake was firm and manly and John smiled before walking away. “I didn’t like lying to that man.” John said.
Dana got in the truck and put a hand on his. “I know. But sometimes a lie is more comforting than the truth. I don’t like letting him walk away…but…”
“Yeah. Little else we could do.”
“We can go home though.”
“Yes, that we can do.”
Sam lay in the tub, water as hot as he could stand it to ease the pain in his bones. He heard a cough and looked up to find Dean sitting on the toilet. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I’m better than you at this point.”
“I’m…sore.” Sam admitted.
“Dana told me about the spell.”
“I’m not surprised.” Sam sighed. “I love you Dean. It was worth it to get you home.”
“I’m not going to argue.”
“You’re not?” Sam sat up a little and squinted at him. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
“Funny. Don’t make me laugh, I’ll pull out stitches.”
“Sorry. You always want to argue when I hide stuff from you.”
“It made me realize a few things.”
“Like what?”
Dean grimaced, holding his stomach as he shifted. “One, you love me…probably more than is healthy for either one of us.”
Sam smirked and nodded, reaching for Dean’s hand. “Two?”
Dean was very serious. “I really want you to stop working. I want to know that you’re taking care of yourself…because when I think of you in that kind of pain…It’s like a hot iron in my gut Sam.”
Sam kissed the hand he was holding and nodded. “I’ve thought about it Dean, and…maybe you’re right. It’s not like there isn’t enough to do around here when I’m up to it, right?”
Dean grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“You just want me to be your little housewife.” Sam said, grinning too.
“Little?” Dean held up Sam’s hand. “Have you seen these hands? Nothing little about them.” He slipped something onto Sam’s hand and kissed it before letting Sam pull it away.
“What’s this?” Sam held the hand up, a silver band etched with runes winked at him from his ring finger.
“It’s a ring.” Dean looked a little sheepish. “I just realized, I’ve worn the ring you gave me all those years ago…and I’ve never given you one in return. I just want you to know how much I love you…and that I want you to be with me forever.”
Sam rose up, dripping wet and kissed Dean, hot and fierce and their minds surged together. Love you so much
“Ow.” Dean pulled back a little. “Easy lover boy, I’m still healing.”
“Well, maybe you should be in bed then.” Sam said, raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe you should take me there.” Dean whispered, leaning in for a softer kiss.
Sam leaned behind him to pull the plug on the tub and stood, wrapping himself in a towel before helping Dean up. “You better hurry up and get well…I have a very strong need to do some very nasty things to your body.”
Dean snorted. “And since when has the health of either of our bodies stopped us from that?”
Sam helped him down onto the bed, pulling open the bathrobe and kissing over his chest until he came to the first line of stitches. “Stitches…when the stitches come out.” He flopped down on the bed next to Dean.
“Oh, you’re a cock tease.”
Sam nodded. “I learned from the best.”
“You know, I have half a mind to tie you down and lick you all over, but not let you come.”
“Yeah…when you’re strong enough.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Dean. I’m serious.”
“Yeah?”
Sam kissed him lightly. “Yeah. Give it a week. We’ll send Dana to Dad’s. You can tie me to the bed and torment me all weekend.”
Dean shifted to look down at him. “Serious?”
“Serious.”
Dean grinned and laid down with his head on Sam’s good shoulder. “You’re on.”
Title: Captivus, Part IV (Other Keeper!Verse stories can be found Here
Pairing/Characters: Sam/Dean, Dana, John
Rating: Overall PG-13 (with a touch of R in places)
Word Count: 17, 972 (total)
Summary: For shotofjack, who bought me in the Sweet Charity auction. She asked for Keeper Verse and a look at Dana actually growing up and working with Sam to rescue Dean. So, this is Dana at 16, half way to seventeen. A dream offers the Winchesters two hunts at once, though with John suffering with a broken arm, and Sam hurting from a life time of physical abuse, it's time for Dana to step up to the plate. When Dean's hunt goes terribly wrong, it's up to Dana and Sam to figure out why and rescue him, before it's too late.
A/Ns & Warnings: Unfortunately there is no sex here, though there is some nakedness. There is also a fair amount of schloomp and not a small amount of angst. This story is complete and will be posted in sections because LJ won't let me post it as one.
Dean was aware that something wasn’t right. Well, more not right than it had been. The boy had come and lowered him to feed the insane little fuckers under him, but never came back. They’d given up on feeding, though not before they’d torn large chunks of flesh from his stomach and thighs. Now they were fighting and nipping at the ropes.
One of them had claws dug into his shoulder and was hanging from him, biting at its siblings below him. “Shoo demon spawn.” Dean croaked, shaking his body to try to loose him. Instead, another of them jumped up, biting at his cheek, and shrieking.
“I’m going to kill you mother fuckers. You just keep gnawing on the ropes so I can break free.”
Of course, the insanity of talking to the monsters wasn’t lost on him. He didn’t have long before he lost all sense of coherent thought, and that wasn’t a pleasant thought. He pulled on the ropes that bound his hands, but they weren’t budging, unlike the ones below his belly, which were torn and breaking beneath him.
Dean.
Dean shook his head, angering the one that had been licking at the blood on his cheek. He could have sworn that was Sam. In his head. But…Sam wasn’t there. Sam was…well, he didn’t really know. But Sam had never been in his head from more than a room away.
We’re coming for you. Just a few minutes.
“Yeah, you’re losing it Winchester.”
Dean?
“Sam?” It really did feel like Sam, but it could be the kid playing pranks. Sam?
Relief flooded through him…relief that was not his. It messed with his head. Not far now, Dean. Not far.
“He’s okay.” Sam breathed as Dana got out of the car. She nodded, holding the curved knife in one hand while tucking a gun in her belt with the other. John was waiting for him. “We leaving the cars here?” Sam asked and Dana nodded.
“We’re on the other side of the drive way than the school, and far enough away Paul and his father shouldn’t see them as they come home. We go over the fence and straight back.”
“Okay, let’s move.”
Sam moved over the fence on point, clutching a gun loaded with blessed iron rounds and tossing Dean’s duffle over his shoulder. His father had a smaller duffle, with holy water and salt and other necessary things. There wasn’t much cover, and they had a mile and a half. He moved to go behind a hay stack, and angled for each bit of cover, however small. They had to get there without being seen. He used his senses to scan around them as they moved, motioning Dana and his father down when some wandering ranch hand came too close for comfort.
When he’d passed, he started forward again, grateful when they reached the cover of trees. He stopped and waited for them to catch up, casting around to make sure he knew where they were going. Dana pointed and he nodded.
Her hand fell on his arm and he turned to look. Her eyes were glazed and distant. “There’s six of them. The woman is…already walking up from the house. She knows Paul left Dad…he was supposed to stay with him…” She handed the knife to Sam. “You go deal with the spawn and get Dad. I’ll deal with the woman. Papa, I need…” She looked up as he set a water gun in her hand. “Holy water,” she said with a smirk.
“You sure you can handle her, Dana?” Sam asked.
I’ve handled worse.
She set out at point, leading them to the shed. “Papa will back me up and be look out.”
Sam nodded and followed her pointing finger as John scouted the area for something heavy. “When I start cutting throats she’s gonna come a whole lot faster.” Sam said and Dana nodded.
He didn’t like leaving her, not with his father still nursing a broken arm. But Dean was hurting. Dean needed him and he had to accept that Dana wasn’t a little girl any more. He crept through the dark back of the milking barn, away from the line of stalls and equipment.
He felt around the door, but Dean seemed to be alone, but for the six hungry mouths. He opened the door and the stench was overwhelming. Blood and the smell of sulfur combined with human waste made him curl his nose in distaste.
Dean didn’t seem to be conscious, but the not so little monsters were very awake, screeching and squawking as he covered the distance from the door in two huge steps, grabbing the nearest one and pulling the knife over it’s neck quickly before tossing it aside.
He could feel the woman now, coming closer, screaming. He grabbed at another. It bit at his fingers and he cussed, cutting it quickly and throwing it aside. The fourth got a good mouth full of his arm before he killed it. The fifth was attached to Dean, biting hard into his shoulder. Dean groaned as Sam pulled it loose, tearing skin. “Fuck. Sorry Dean. Sorry.”
The woman was there, he could hear her with his ears now, then her howling changed and he knew Dana had hit her with the holy water. He had one more, and it was biting into his pant leg. Just as it hit skin, he managed to pry it loose.
The bloody part of the job done, Sam turned his attention to his brother. “Dean? Can you hear me?”
He checked his pulse. It was steady, but weak. He reached for the knots holding him inside the ropes. “Damn.” The kid had even spelled the damn knots. “Hold on Dean. Almost done.”
“Sam?” Dean turned his face toward him, and Sam blanched. His left cheek was pretty torn up.
“Yeah, Dean. Give me a sec.”
“Not going anywhere.” Dean said, a faint chuckle in his voice.
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Dana?”
“She’s outside, dealing with a demon.”
“Go help her…I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, Dean. And I’m not leaving you in this contraption. Be quiet so I can concentrate.” It took longer than it should have, because Sam kept getting distracted scanning over Dean’s injuries. When the spell finally snapped, he could feel the kid, they were nearly back to the ranch, and now the kid knew. “Fuck.”
Dana, you might want to hurry, Paul and his father know we’re here.
He cut through the ropes at Dean’s ankles and wrists, then slowly tipped the whole hammock until Dean’s feet were on the ground. With one hand, he held Dean upright, with the other he pulled the hammock apart around him. When he was free of the rope, Sam lowered him slowly to the floor.
There was power building in the main part of the barn, Dana’s voice raised in Latin incantation. She was nearly there. “That’s your little girl out there, Dean.” Sam said as he reached for the duffle bag and pulled out a shirt to settle over Dean’s shoulders. “She’s unbelievable. You’re going to be so proud.”
“Dana…” Dean looked up at him, his eyes cloudy, confused. “Sammy?”
Sam pressed a kiss to his lips and nodded, swallowing a sudden urge to cry. “Yeah, baby. It’s me. Let’s get you dressed. We’ll have to deal with the injuries back at the hotel.”
Dana stood inside a circle of salt drawn on the floor of the barn. Angelica lay within a smaller one, fuming. She was hog tied, her eyes black, her mouth spewing obscenities.
Dana ignored her and recited the Latin from the notebook pages Sam had given her. She’d never done this exactly. She’d killed demons, but never really exorcised them.
The other two were getting closer…they were at the gates. She needed to finish this. “Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.”
The woman’s body seized up. Dana looked up and John’s voice was gruff. “Finish it Dana.”
“In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.”
Angelica screamed, doubling up, then kicking at the confines of the circle, before her mouth opened impossibly wide and black, inky smoke came pouring out of her. It coalesced above the circle and Dana pointed at it, blasting it with a white light until it was gone.
She sagged a little and looked to her Papa. He smiled but then nodded toward the door. They were there. The car screeched to a stop on the gravel and doors opened. The man was yelling. Paul was pushing at her, but she was still protected by the circle.
John held the shovel and waited. Donald Marks came running into the barn, stopping just short of John’s reach. He swung and stepped forward, but Donald caught the handle and pulled it free of John’s hands.
“Angie!” Paul surged forward, stopping short of the salt circle. “What have you done?”
“Sent her demon back to hell where it belongs, just like I promised.”
The door to the back room opened and she could feel Sam and her father. He was weak, but moving his own feet, even if he was leaning heavily on Sam. Help Papa.
She felt his response and didn’t spare a glance to see how her Papa was doing. She had her hands full with Paul.
“If you’re so damn good, why don’t you come out here and face me?”
“Because, I’m not stupid.” Dana said. “You aren’t either, I could tell when I got inside your head. Why you ever listened to them, I’ll never know.”
“You’re a coward.” He came close to the circle, looking down at the woman who was just starting to come around. “Had to knock her out didn’t you? Tie her up before you could exorcise her.”
“Didn’t have to. It was easier. And like I said, not stupid.”
He was getting angry, his breath coming in pants. Energy crackled around him. “You don’t want to do that.” Dana said, readying her defense.
“No? How do you know?”
“Because I know you don’t expect the results.”
Need the exorcism. Dana glanced aside, and Sam was literally sitting on Donald Marks, her Papa crossing to her. She held her hand out to the edge of the circle and felt him take the papers, felt Paul’s attention turn.
“Yeah? Expect this?”
His blast ate through the air toward John, but Dana was ready, stepping neatly out of the circle and throwing her defensively wall up. The shock bounced back and slammed Paul to the ground, twitching. It would be a while before he got up again.
Her Papa’s voice lifted in beautiful Latin, and she turned her attention to where Sam had left her father. She crouched next to him. “Daddy?”
His eyes opened slowly, and the one of the ruined cheek didn’t really focus on her, but she smiled through sudden tears. “It’s okay Daddy. You’re gonna be okay.”
She reached out a hand, resting it on the top of his head, the only immediate place she saw that wouldn’t hurt him. She scanned over his body. He was hurting. Probably need stitches in more than one place, a blood transfusion. “We’re gonna get you to a hospital, okay?”
Dean reached slowly for her hand and she couldn’t help but notice the bloody and bruised wrists. He’d worked hard to get free. “No hospital, baby…Just want to go home.”
“You need blood, and probably more.”
“Still your father.” Dean mustered a half smile and she shook her head.
“Always.”
The room seemed to shake, then Sam was falling backward and the air was filled with inky smoke, but before Dana could move to blast the damn thing, it sank into the earth and was gone.
Sam was breathing hard when he came to help Dana lift Dean to his feet between them. John pointed at Paul as they got close. “What about him?”
They stopped and stared down at him. Finally Sam heaved a sigh. “We can’t leave him here. Bring him. Maybe I can get through to him…or bind his powers…or something.”
Dana looked up at him, but saw an echo of what he was thinking, so didn’t say anything. She couldn’t begrudge him trying, even if she thought it was a waste of time. She knew he was thinking about how different his life might have been if someone had done the same for him.
She didn’t remind him that he wouldn’t be a part of their lives now if that had happened. She’d just keep that to herself for now.
Dana sat on the bed, holding her father’s hand while John and Sam took turns cleaning and pouring holy water over his torn flesh before carefully bandaging him. John filled a syringe with antibiotic and pressed it into Dean’s arm.
“You want something for the pain?”
Dean was only barely conscious, but he managed a nod. “Not too much Papa, he needs to eat soon. He’s lost a lot of blood.”
John nodded, filling a second syringe. “You heard the nurse, Dean. Not too much. I’ll be bringing food in a little while.”
Dana stayed there, holding his hand while he drifted toward sleep. John set aside the med kit, checked on Paul who was bound and gagged and still pretty out of it in the corner, then followed Sam outside. Sam leaned against the Impala, looking worn and concerned.
“You okay?”
Sam nodded distractedly, then looked up. “Tired. It’s been a long couple of days.”
“It’s more than that.” John knew Sam was hurting, he’d learned the signs, but he also knew his son was proud and didn’t want it to show. He tapped the leather band on Sam’s right arm. “What’s the story?”
Sam closed his eyes and sighed. “I…I’m having a bad week. The pain, nightmares…some days I can’t lift the arm at all.”
“You seem to be pretty mobile.”
“Yeah. I worked…it’s a spell. I don’t use it…I’ve only done it once or twice before. The blowback when it’s gone is seldom worth it.”
“But this time it was?”
Sam nodded. “Yes. It’ll be worse because I did it twice…but once we get home and I take the band off…” He made a face. “But we’ve got Dean, and he’s going to be okay. That’s all that matters.”
John nodded. He could accept that. “What about the boy?”
Sam shrugged and stood up. “I should get on him before I fizzle out.”
“I’m going to go get some food. And we should be on the road before long. We don’t know what the fall out will be.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll have Dana pack us up.”
Sam watched him walk away and sighed again. The kid was tough. But Sam knew he had to try. He let himself into the room. Dana was already packing things up. He went to where Paul was sitting and lowered himself to the floor.
“Need me?” Dana asked.
“No, just keep packing. Papa wants to leave as soon as we’ve eaten.”
Paul.
He felt the response, even though the kid didn’t move. I don’t want to hurt you. But I have information you need.
He reached out, both with his hands and his mind. Paul was still rather shocked, so overpowering his defenses was fairly easy. He didn’t dig though, chose not to read his memories, just laid out some of his own.
His childhood, the demons, the punishment, the beatings. Believing his father didn’t want him, that he’d been given away. The horrible things he’d done in service to those demons, the way he’d used his own brother…the forgiveness and love from both John and Dean, despite everything. Laid it down fairly thick.
He started to pull away then, but felt a pull. Wait.
He did, watching Paul dig through the information. My father? Dana said he was alive.
Sam glanced over his shoulder at Dana. I don’t know. We could try to find him.
Paul was shaking. What are you going to do to me?
“I’m tempted to bind your powers and block your memory and hand you over to someone who knows how to handle kids like you.” Sam said aloud.
Paul’s eyes blinked. You would do that?
“Everyone deserves a second chance. If I got one, you deserve one.”
He felt Dana stop what she was doing and look at him, but he knew he was right.
What are the other options?
Sam shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure there are other options. I’m probably going to drug you when we leave here. Deal with you after we’ve left town.”
Paul nodded. Can I think about it?
Sam nodded. “Yeah, you do that.”
Two hours later saw them on the road. Dana driving Sam’s car with the unconscious Paul in the back seat; Sam driving the Impala, with Dean drugged beyond pain in the back seat and John bringing up the rear. It was nearly dawn before they reached Lawrence. Dana sat in the driveway, kneeling on the seat looking down at Paul. “Where are we?” Paul asked, his voice small.
“Home. I’m sure Sam will deal with you soon enough.”
“What do you think I should do?”
She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. Sam thinks you can make something of yourself. I think you liked being evil.”
“Didn’t he too?”
Dana had to think about that. In some ways, she supposed he did. “It was all he knew. You can’t say the same. You made choices to be who you are.”
She looked up. Papa was helping her father into the house and Sam was coming toward them. “No matter what happens, I’ll be watching you. And I won’t hesitate to put you down if I have to.”
Dana got out of the car and kissed Sam’s cheek. “He’s all yours.”
Sam sighed. “So. What are we to do with you?”
Paul sat up slowly. “Dana doesn’t think I can change.”
“I know. We’ve been arguing all the way home.” Sam held out a hand to help him out of the car. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
“Fair enough. Let’s go inside, see if we can’t reach a consensus.”
Two steps into the house, Paul turned, his eyes flashing, Sam felt the first blast and staggered backward, but Dana was there, physically pulling the boy away and ripping into his mind almost viciously.
They were on the floor and Sam was staggering, reaching for her, but she was way ahead of him. She spiraled into Paul’s memory, ripping out everything back to the last time he saw his father. Sam went to his knees beside her, following her, trying to soften the edges and together they found the center of his powers and locked them down, burying that center under layers of emotion that should keep him well away from it for a long time.
“I’m sorry, Sam.” Dana whispered as they both came up and out, her hand brushing across his face. He hadn’t even realized he’d started crying. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s okay, baby.”
“Fred Castor. That’s his father’s name.” Dana said as she rose shakily. “We should…I don’t know…find him?”
Sam nodded. “Tomorrow. For today, let’s sedate him and put him in my room. We all need sleep.”
It took nearly a week to find Fred Castor, and nearly every contact in the hunter community John had. John met him first, asked about his son Paul. When he was convinced the man hadn’t sent his son away, John brought them together in a park not far from the house.
“He’s lost a lot of memory, I’m afraid.”
“Where’d you say you found him?”
“Texas, he was being held by some demons. They abused him. He’s blocked it out. Only remembers getting lost and then that we found him.”
Paul looked a little confused, but shuffled closer to his father and let him fold him in his arms. “There’s some motor issues from the brain damage.” John said, looking away from the tears leaking from the younger man’s eyes. “Doctor said he’d be fine though, a little behind the times, but okay.”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I mean, I’ve heard about you Winchesters, but…this? I don’t know what to say.”
“Just take good care of him.” John said, looking over his shoulder to where Dana leaned against his truck. “I gotta get going, my boy’s still healing from his ordeal.”
Fred nodded, then held out his hand to John. The shake was firm and manly and John smiled before walking away. “I didn’t like lying to that man.” John said.
Dana got in the truck and put a hand on his. “I know. But sometimes a lie is more comforting than the truth. I don’t like letting him walk away…but…”
“Yeah. Little else we could do.”
“We can go home though.”
“Yes, that we can do.”
Sam lay in the tub, water as hot as he could stand it to ease the pain in his bones. He heard a cough and looked up to find Dean sitting on the toilet. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I’m better than you at this point.”
“I’m…sore.” Sam admitted.
“Dana told me about the spell.”
“I’m not surprised.” Sam sighed. “I love you Dean. It was worth it to get you home.”
“I’m not going to argue.”
“You’re not?” Sam sat up a little and squinted at him. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
“Funny. Don’t make me laugh, I’ll pull out stitches.”
“Sorry. You always want to argue when I hide stuff from you.”
“It made me realize a few things.”
“Like what?”
Dean grimaced, holding his stomach as he shifted. “One, you love me…probably more than is healthy for either one of us.”
Sam smirked and nodded, reaching for Dean’s hand. “Two?”
Dean was very serious. “I really want you to stop working. I want to know that you’re taking care of yourself…because when I think of you in that kind of pain…It’s like a hot iron in my gut Sam.”
Sam kissed the hand he was holding and nodded. “I’ve thought about it Dean, and…maybe you’re right. It’s not like there isn’t enough to do around here when I’m up to it, right?”
Dean grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“You just want me to be your little housewife.” Sam said, grinning too.
“Little?” Dean held up Sam’s hand. “Have you seen these hands? Nothing little about them.” He slipped something onto Sam’s hand and kissed it before letting Sam pull it away.
“What’s this?” Sam held the hand up, a silver band etched with runes winked at him from his ring finger.
“It’s a ring.” Dean looked a little sheepish. “I just realized, I’ve worn the ring you gave me all those years ago…and I’ve never given you one in return. I just want you to know how much I love you…and that I want you to be with me forever.”
Sam rose up, dripping wet and kissed Dean, hot and fierce and their minds surged together. Love you so much
“Ow.” Dean pulled back a little. “Easy lover boy, I’m still healing.”
“Well, maybe you should be in bed then.” Sam said, raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe you should take me there.” Dean whispered, leaning in for a softer kiss.
Sam leaned behind him to pull the plug on the tub and stood, wrapping himself in a towel before helping Dean up. “You better hurry up and get well…I have a very strong need to do some very nasty things to your body.”
Dean snorted. “And since when has the health of either of our bodies stopped us from that?”
Sam helped him down onto the bed, pulling open the bathrobe and kissing over his chest until he came to the first line of stitches. “Stitches…when the stitches come out.” He flopped down on the bed next to Dean.
“Oh, you’re a cock tease.”
Sam nodded. “I learned from the best.”
“You know, I have half a mind to tie you down and lick you all over, but not let you come.”
“Yeah…when you’re strong enough.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Dean. I’m serious.”
“Yeah?”
Sam kissed him lightly. “Yeah. Give it a week. We’ll send Dana to Dad’s. You can tie me to the bed and torment me all weekend.”
Dean shifted to look down at him. “Serious?”
“Serious.”
Dean grinned and laid down with his head on Sam’s good shoulder. “You’re on.”