Revenge, Not So Sweet, Sequel to The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

[cindy123]

I'm baaaaaack!!! I tried to take a longer vacation, but I just couldn't do it. Here is my new story. I hope you all enjoy it.

Summary: Someone is out for revenge on John, Dean and Daniel. Unfortunately, it is the innocent who suffer. Takes place at the end of Sam's first year at Stanford. Follow up to The Apple Doesn't Fall Far.

Sam (age 19)
Dean (age 23)
Daniel (age 24)
John
Possibly (probably) Bobby, Caleb, Joshua because I love them all so much.

Disclaimer: I still do not own any character that you recognize from the TV show Supernatural. I do own all of the OC's in the story.

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Prologue

Just outside Boulder Colorado-January 14, 2002

Randy Gregory, tall with a muscular build, stood shaking, his body pressed as tightly as it could get against the wall of his grand livingroom, his eyes glued, wide with terror, to the steadily splintering door of the coat closet that stood near the front door of his country estate. He cried out in fear every time the loud thud would sound from within the closet and the thick wood would splinter more. The low, throaty growl that came from inside the closet frightened the large man even more and he pressed further into the wall, his body paralyzed with fear as the wood began to crack.

In all of his forty nine years, Randy Gregory could honestly say he had never been this scared. Not even close. He let out a terrified scream as sharp claws crashed through the crack in the closet door and began to rip away the wood, vicious snarls emitting through the steadily disintegrating door. Randy stole a glance to his left, his large hands closing tightly around the fire poker he had grabbed after he had somehow gotten the creature in the closet and locked it in. He let out a pain filled cry when his eyes found the shredded, bloody remains of his wife of twenty seven years lying not ten feet away. The small, once beautiful blonde barely resembled a human anymore. Every bit of flesh on her body was ripped and torn, the deep teeth marks the creature had left visible even from where Randy stood. Her face was gone, her scalp was ripped away.

Randy swallowed hard, his eyes filled with tears of anguish. The sound of the door ripping free from it’s hinges had the man jerking his head around, another scream tearing past his lips as the large black and silver furred head of what could only be a wolf appeared from the dark closet, teeth bared, drool dripping to the hardwood floor below.

“N-No…please…no…” Randy cried as the wolf moved stealthily toward him, the deep growl from the creature causing the hairs to stand up on the terrified man’s neck.

Randy’s eyes remained locked on the wolf, the man mesmerized by the gray, intelligent eyes of his wife’s killer. Something inside of Randy stirred, an inkling of recognition. He knew those eyes, had looked into them nearly every day for the past nineteen years. But, it couldn’t be. It was impossible. Randy pulled away from the wall, his head cocked ever so slightly to the left.

“D-David?” the man’s frightened, shaky voice whispered.

The wolf stopped, it’s jaw closing as it peered curiously at the trembling man before it. It cocked it’s head as it sniffed at the air and Randy could swear he saw recognition flicker in the gray eyes that stared back at him. The events that followed happened in a flurry of violence, all hell breaking loose in the once elegant room.

Both man and beast jerked their heads toward the front door as it was smashed in, a dark haired man with even darker, wild eyes bursting in, rifle raised and aimed at the snarling, circling wolf. Two younger men, both appearing to be in their early twenties, rushed in behind the older man, their own weapons raised as they covered him.

“Get down!” the youngest looking of the two younger men shouted as he circled to the right of the oldest man.

Suddenly, the wolf leapt at the man who had just shouted, it’s jaws snapping as it barreled toward him. The man jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp teeth of the wolf. He wasn’t, however, able to avoid it’s claws. A pain filled grunt tore from the man’s lips as the claws ripped into his shoulder, spinning him around and dropping him to the floor, causing him to lose his grip on his weapon, the pistol skittering away across the smooth surface.

“Dean!” the other young man cried as he instantly started toward his injured comrade.

“Daniel! No…” the older man shouted, his rifle already back on the snarling wolf.

“Dad…I have to get to Dean!” Daniel screamed just as the wolf leapt in the air for another attack.

A loud, ear splitting bang filled the air, followed by an anguished scream and the wolf dropped to the floor at the oldest man’s feet, dead before even one hair touched the hard surface.

“Noooooo!” the man who had been huddled by the wall screamed as he tore across the floor, stopping abruptly when his eyes fell to the quickly changing form before him.

“Daniel, get to your brother,” John instructed as he stepped aside, allowing the grief stricken man to pass by him.

Daniel moved across the entry way and crouched down, his hands grasping his younger brother’s uninjured arm as he gently pulled the man to his feet.

“You okay, Dean?” Daniel asked worriedly, his eyes moving to the blood soaked material that covered Dean’s shoulder.

“’m fine,” Dean answered breathlessly, his eyes moving to the sobbing man who by this time had dropped down next to the body of the wolf.

“Did it bite you?” John shot, his dark eyes gazing intently the youngest man.

“No…I’m fine…it didn’t bite me.”

John looked down as the distraught man began to sob harder. He eyed the man curiously, realizing at that moment that he must have known the poor soul who had been turned by the werewolf curse.

“Oh my God…David…h-how…how?” the man sobbed, his arms encircling the now fully turned body of a young man.

John crouched down just as Daniel and Dean stepped up to him, the younger held firmly around his waist by the eldest. John reached out and rested his hand on the man’s shoulder. The man jerked away from his touch, his wide, red eyes darting up to John’s face.

“Are you okay? Did it hurt you?” John asked softly.

The man stared incredulously at John as tears continued to flow down his cheeks. “HE…was my son!” he cried, his voice filled with pain and sorrow.

“I…I’m sorry. He wasn’t your son anymore,” John said, his eyes moving up to his boys before falling back to the grieving man.

The man sighed and stared sadly up at John. “He’ll always be my son,” he croaked, breaking into fresh sobs. “You…you killed my baby. How could you do that?”

“Is that your wife there?” Daniel asked softly, his eyes filled with sympathy as the man looked over to the bloody body across the room.

The man nodded slowly, soft whimpers escaping his lips as he gazed at the dead woman.

“I’m sorry mister, but your son killed her and would have continued to kill if we hadn’t stopped him. He has killed at least three others before her,” Daniel continued sadly.

The man looked up at Daniel, devastation written all over his face. “I don’t understand. What…what happened to him?”

“He was a werewolf,” Dean answered for his brother.

The man let out a stunned laugh, his eyes staring at the men as if they had suddenly grown three heads. “You’re crazy,” he whispered as he tugged the body of his son closer to his chest.

“You saw it with your own eyes. I’m sorry, but how else would you explain it?” John asked, his heart going out to the man as his thoughts wandered to his youngest son, so many miles away.

“I…I can’t. Werewolves don’t exist…they can’t exist. They’re just made up.”

“No. They’re real,” Dean said softly.

“Sir? Why don’t we help you up. I think you’re going into shock,” Daniel suggested as he reached down to help the trembling man.

“No…I need to stay with him. He’s so cold. Is…is my wife going to be okay?” the man asked, his eyes taking on a blank stare.

“Sir…she’s…she’s dead. I’m sorry…” Daniel started.

“Nonononono…they’re both gone. My whole life…gone,” the man cried.

John reached out and gently began to pull the dead young man from his father’s arms. The man fought him at first, but then he collapsed down onto the floor, his hands falling limply to his sides. New sobs broke free from him as John lifted his son away from him.

“Wh-where are you taking him?” the man asked softly.

“What’s your name?” Daniel asked as he crouched down beside the man.

“Randy…Randy Gregory,” the man answered.

“Mr. Gregory…we have to…we have to burn his body. Just to be sure,” Daniel said, his voice filled with sympathy.

Randy let out an anguished sob, his wide eyes locked on the limp body of his only son. “No. Please.”

“Mr. Gregory, it’s the only way to make sure that he rests in peace. I…I hate to ask this, but…do you know if your son was recently attacked? Bitten possibly?” Daniel asked.

“Uh…yeah. A few months ago. He and his friend were hiking and they were attacked. Michael was killed, but David…David was only mauled. He was devastated. He and Michael grew up together. They were best friends.” Randy stared at his son, his voice void of emotion.

“Mr. Gregory? You’re in shock. I’m going to get you up and onto the sofa so you can lie down. My dad and I are going to take care of David while my brother watches over you.”

“What about Gayle? She’s…oh my God. How do I explain this? She’s…she’s torn apart.”

“Once we take David away, you call the police. Tell them a wolf somehow got into your house and attacked your wife. A door was left open by mistake.”

Randy looked up at Daniel and slowly nodded. Daniel grasped his arm and helped him to stand. Instead of moving to the sofa, the man stepped toward John. He reached out and tenderly caressed his son’s cold cheek. He leant over and placed a loving kiss to the young man’s forehead, soft sobs causing his shoulders to shake. He looked up at John, his pleading eyes breaking the hunters heart.

“Will you…will you bury him after…after you…”

John nodded and smiled softly. “Yes, Randy. We’ll bury him.”

Randy nodded sadly. He stepped back and watched as John and Daniel left the house with his son, knowing he would never see him again. Dean gently guided the man to the sofa and sat down next to him, groaning slightly as the movement pulled on his oozing wound. Randy looked up at him then at his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” the man asked.

Dean looked down at his shoulder before returning his gaze back to the man. “I’ve had worse. I’ll be fine.”

“I…I guess I owe you and your family some thanks. You saved my life.”

“It’s what we do.”

“I…I really don’t feel very thankful. My family is dead. My wife is lying on the floor ten feet behind this couch and my son…my s-son is the one who killed her.”

Randy broke into sobs once more as he leaned over, his forehead resting on his knees, hands clasped behind his head. Dean reached out and placed his hand on the man’s back, giving as much comfort as he could to the stranger beside him.

“Mr. Gregory…why don’t you lie down. You’re in shock. You need to lie down and elevate your feet,” Dean said softly.

Randy sat up then shifted before listing sideways, his head coming to rest on a fluffy throw pillow. Dean stood and allowed the man room to lift his feet up onto the sofa. He grabbed two more pillows and placed them under the distraught man’s knees and feet. Randy placed his arm over his eyes as he continued to weep for his lost family. Dean stood and took a blanket from the armchair next to the sofa and walked over to where the dead woman lay on the floor. He covered her body, shaking his head at the sheer violence it had to have taken to rip her apart so brutally. Once the body was covered, Dean shuffled back to the sofa and sat down in the armchair, his eyes resting on Randy Gregory. He leaned back in the chair, his thoughts turning to Sam. He missed him so much. They all did. He knew what this man was going through. They had nearly lost Sam not once, but twice. He couldn’t even imagine his life if his baby brother had been permanently taken away from them. He couldn’t have lived with that.

Dean looked up as the front door opened and John and Daniel walked back in. He looked at his watch, not realizing how much time had gone by as he sat there thinking about Sam. John nodded at Dean’s silent query and the younger man looked over at Randy.

“Mr. Gregory? It’s done,” he said sympathetically.

Randy Gregory lowered his arm and glanced sadly up at the men who stood above him. “Could…could you all leave now? I need to call the police and I really don’t think you should be here,” the man said softly as he sat up, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

“Mr. Gregory. We’re so sorry. If there had been anything else we could have done, we would have. You have to understand that we couldn’t let any more innocent people die,” Daniel said.

“I know. I don’t understand any of this, but…like you said, I saw it with my own eyes. I just…I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Daniel nodded before he stepped over to help Dean up from the armchair. The three Winchesters spared one last glance at the devastated man before they headed to the door and stepped through it, leaving Randy Gregory to his grief.

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Six Months Later

Darkness was broken only by flickering candlelight in the small cabin as soft chanting sounded from the tall figure who stood within an intricately drawn circle that resembled a snake circling around a black backround with four stars set at North, South, East and West. In the center of the stars was a red diamond and it was upon this diamond that the man stood, his lips moving as the evocation was read. On the floor before the man and outside of the circle was drawn a triangle, white in color, a green circle within.

The man continued to chant, looking up as the last word left his lips. “Shax…” the man whispered and immediately the air began to stir, the flames flickering wildly. A form began to take shape and it was all the man could do to keep from leaving the circle and running in terror from the sight. As the form became complete the man looked upon it with wide, frightened eyes. He straightened his shoulders as he remembered why he was here. He looked upon the strange creature, staring it down as it gazed at him from within the triangle. The creature somewhat resembled a stork with a humanesque torso. When it spoke, it’s voice was hoarse, but subtle. It soon turned into a beautiful melody and the man was mesmerized by the voice for a moment.

“You, the magician who has summoned me, what is it that you wish for me to do?” the creature queried, cocking it’s birdlike head, it’s beady black eyes staring deep into the man’s wide ones.

“I command that you, Shax, the Marquis and forty fourth demon of the seventy two, exact my revenge upon those who took everything from me. I command you to make them suffer the worst possible pain,” the man said forcefully, his body trembling.

“I am required to carry out all of your wishes. How is it that you would like me to carry out this revenge?”

“Find a boy, a very special boy, and place your curses upon him, one by one. He is not to be killed, but he is to be made to suffer. His suffering is what will bring my enemies to their knees. Your curses will be the first to be visited upon him. Once all three curses have run their course, you will return to Hell and I will summon The President to exact his curses upon the boy.”

“And which President will you summon, my lord? There be more than one in the seventy two.”

“Marbas. I will summon Marbas.”

“Your requests will be carried out. What is the name of this boy whom you wish to curse?”

“Before I give you his name, I command that you take the form of a man so that you can walk among other men.”

“I do not take the form of man, my lord.”

“You will take the form of man if I so command. There are those that hunt all sorts of supernatural beings. In your current form, you will be easy to spot. You must be able to get close to the boy.”

“As you command, my lord.”

The creature began to tremble and twist as it changed before the man’s eyes. Within moments, a man of average height stood before the taller man, his eyes as black as night. As black as a birds. The taller man nodded his approval and smiled.

“If I please my lord, may I now have the name?”

“His name is Sam Winchester. He is the son and brother of hunters. The youngest of the Winchesters. His suffering will be their agony.”

“I will find him, my lord and then my curses will be laid upon him, one by one. He will suffer and his family will suffer.”

“Shax, as you stand in the triangle remember, you cannot deceive me. Place your first curse upon the boy then three days after place the second. Three days after that, place the third. Once the third curse has been laid, return to the triangle and you will be returned to Hell.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

With a nod from the taller man, the demon stepped from the triangle and promptly disappeared. The tall man turned, his smile cold. Tonight would begin the revenge he so craved. The Winchesters would pay for what they did. They would pay the steepest price.

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Well, that's the start. I will post as regularly as possible, but work has really picked up and I won't have as much free time at work. School is almost out though and the kids extracurricular activities are done, so that leaves a bit more free time at home. I hope to have at least one chapter posted per week, if not more. I hope you enjoy the story.

A/N: Shax and Marbas are two of the seventy two demons listed in the 17th Century grimoire Key of Solomon. The magician, or the one who summons or evokes the demons, uses the practice of Goetia to summon the demons to carry out his will.

Cindy.

[Steffs]

Ahhhh so you have been thumbing through your copy of the Key of Solomon hmmm mine is on my shelf until it is needed...lol

Great start loving the Winchesters to the rescue

BUT

Poor Sammy he probably won't know what hit him.

Can't wait for this to continue

Steffs

[trickie]

Nice start. Poor Sam...It never fails, he gets away from his family and hunting, yet he still ends up being dragged in paying for something he probably knows nothing about.

Good to see Daniel back, I always liked him.

Trace

[Raven524]

I found it! Thanks for the PM Cindy!

Man, first chapter and already poor Sammy is in deep

Sounds like it's gonna be a fun ride--thanks for the invitation!

[spikecasey]

Wow. So excited you are continuing the three brothers stories. Great start by the way. Looking forward to having something to read now that the season is ending. Happy Mothers Day. Don't leave us hanging too long!!!!!!!!

[criminally charmed]

Yeah! The three brothers are back. Sam is away from his family but clearly he is still a priority in the thoughts of his brothers.

How did Randy learn about Sam? The Winchesters always did their best to hide the youngest son from others.

But you have me worried as much as you have me excited. That's makes you either an awesome writer or me a very warped person.

Both are a distinct possibility.

[supernaturalfreak8]

I'm already hooked Poor Sammy won't even see what's coming...

Great start

[charmed1of2]

OK I'M HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FANTASTIC START SIS. I AM SO GLAD YOU DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE BROTHER SERIES, I REALLY LOVED THE OTHER TWO STORIES LIKE I'VE ALREADY SAID. REALLY EDGE OF YOUR SEAT READING FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER, NICE SETTING UP THE PLOT. SOUNDS LIKE ALOT OF US HAVE THAT BOOK ON OUR SHELVES . NICE TOUCH WITH THE SON BEING SUCH AN INNOCENT REALLY, HE WAS ATTACKED AND TURNED, NOT REALLY HIS FAULT, I FELT SORRY FOR HIM. OH BUT NOW SOMEONE IS OUT FOR REVENGE . THE FATHER???? LOVED THE SETUP THE THE CIRCLE AND CALLING IN THE LOWER DEMON TO SET UP THE CURSES AND THEN RETURN TO HELL, VERY WELL DONE (AND CORRECT) ACCORDING TO MY HOARDS OF BOOKS I HAVE . GOD IF PEOPLE SAW SOME OF OUR RESEARCH BOOKS I'D THINK WE WOULD ALL BE COMMITTED , HEY WE COULD ALL SHARE THE PADDED CELL . PUTTING IT ON ALERT BABY!!! CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE BUT ONLY WHEN YOU'RE READY.


LUV YA LOADS

HOPE YOU HAD A NICE MOTHERS DAY OH AND I TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD COME UP WITH A GREAT TITLE, YOU DID, I HAD NO DOUBTS

LORRIE

[dmartins]

i like it! i hope that means that you will continue this story.

[mlaspike]

Thanks again for the heads up Cindy!!! I truly appreciate it!!

Loved the start! I can't believe that after all that this man witnessed that he would want to exact revenge on those who saved him. He must be in a very dark place. Can't wait to see what John and the boys do to him to get revenge after he hurts Sammy!!!

Michelle

[aislinn]

Alright, you're doing it again leaving me wanting more. Great start. Poor Randy. Poor Sam. For a Sam girl you really like putting him through it. Ok sitting on edge of seat and waiting as patiently as possible for next update.

[lcaron3]

YEP! I defiately agree with aislinn.

Always leaves us wanting more, much more.

Anticipation until the next post.

Please don't wait too long.

Linda

[aworland]

i love this series can't wait till you add more

[cindy123]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments. I'm glad you are enjoying the new story so far. I'm excited to be back with the three brothers and am happy to hear that you are too. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Cindy.
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That same night-Palo Alto, near Stanford University

Sam Winchester hurried down the sidewalk, the warm night air washing over his exposed arms and gently rustling his chocolate hair. His lips hinted at a smile as his thoughts wandered to the last of his final exams in this his Freshman year. He knew without a doubt that he had aced the exam, just as he knew he had aced every other final exam that week. The week had been stressful, but Sam thrived on the adrenaline of the sleepless nights studying and then finally taking up his pencil to put down the answers that he knew backwards and forwards, could have written down in his sleep, if he’d had any sleep that is. Sam’s eyes moved down the street, his destination finally in sight. Inside the small coffee shop, his friends waited for his arrival, their own final exams finished for the year, each one eagerly awaiting the summer of parties and relaxation.

Sam reached the door to the coffee house and pushed it open, the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans pleasantly wafting over him. He took in a deep breath and immediately made his way to the counter where he placed his order, blushing as the pretty blonde smiled sweetly at him as she handed him his latte. He ducked his head, peering at the girl through chocolate fringe and smiled before turning to look for his friends. Hearty laughter reached his ears and he instantly knew it was his friends. He headed to the corner seating area where the laughter came from and his smile grew as his friends came into view.

“Sam! You genius son of a bitch! Get your ass over here!” a tall, sandy haired young man shouted as he stood from a plush sofa and motioned for the taller man to hurry up.

“Will, do you always have to shout?” Sam answered with a chuckle as he eased around the velour covered armchair and made his way to the sofa.

Will clapped Sam on the back, laughing as Sam took a seat. “Hell yeah! I want everyone to hear me, dude!”

“Yeah, we know, Will,” an auburn haired girl chimed in as she reached across the small coffee table from her seat in the armchair and patted Sam’s knee. “They can hear you in China.”

“Hey Andrea. How’d your test go?” Sam asked, his eyes moving to the green eyed girl, smiling affectionately as Andrea smiled back.

“Oh God, it was a freakin’ pain! I swear, Walker hates me! I’m sure the jerk gave me a different test than everyone else. Just because I don’t flirt with the asshole,” Andrea complained with a huff.

“Aw, Andi…I’m sure you did just fine,” another young man said, his long blonde hair falling into his blue eyes, the young man absently blowing the strands out of the way before taking a sip from his large coffee cup.

“How about you, Jason? How’d you do?” Sam asked as he turned his attention to the blonde.

“Oh, you know…whatever…” Jason answered, waving his hand nonchalantly.

“I’m sure you did fine,” Sam said with amusement.

“Hell, you know I don’t give a damn about my grades. I’m just going here ‘cause Dad did. It’s not like I’m ever going to need to get a job or anything,” Jason said.

“Yeah, we know. Trust fund baby and all,” the final member of the group chirped with a chuckle.

“Hey, I didn’t ask to come from a rich family, Greg,” Jason answered lightheartedly. “Not that I would want it any other way, mind you.”

The group laughed before Greg turned his attention to Sam. “So…Winchester, not that we need to ask, but how did you do on your finals?”

“Uh…I don’t know. Okay, I guess,” Sam said softly, somewhat embarrassed at the scrutiny that was now aimed at him.

“Yeah, right. You aced everyone of ‘em didn’t ya, you freakin’ genius,” Will said, quirking an eyebrow at his shaggy haired friend.

“Will, cut it out. Sam can’t help it if he’s freakishly smart. I think he was part of some secret experiment as a kid or something,” Andrea quipped, smiling at Sam’s somewhat perplexed expression.

“Okay, so…what are you all doing this summer?” Sam asked, his eyes moving over his friends.

“Huh…well, you know. Family trip to Italy,” Jason replied.

“Italy…sounds nice,” Sam said. “What about you, Greg?”

“Uh…I’ve got to work in my dad’s store this summer. He’s having surgery,” Greg answered.

“Is he okay?” Sam asked with concern.

“Yeah. It’s nothing serious. Knee replacement. He’s put it off until I get home.”

“Oh. Well, I hope everything goes okay,” Sam said.

“Thanks, dude. So, Andrea, what are you doing?” Greg asked.

“Just hanging with friends. I think I may take some summer classes, just to keep up on things,” Andrea replied.

“Sounds like a nice summer, Andi,” Jason said.

“Hmmm…well, it’s not Italy, but I’m looking forward to it,” Andrea quipped.

“Well, I’m gonna do nothing but fish all summer long,” Will said as he stretched out his legs, sighing heavily.

“What about you, Sam? What are you doing this summer?” Greg asked.

“Oh, uh…my family will be here the day after tomorrow. Road trip,” Sam answered.

“Cool…road trip with the family. You going to Disneyland?” Will queried with a chuckle.

“Uh…no. Just seeing the country.”

“That’s sounds cool, dude,” Will said.

“Yeah…I can’t wait to see them. I've seen them only once since before Christmas. Which reminds me, I’ve got to make sure to call them later. My weekly check-in.”

“You have to check in with your family?” Andrea queried.

“Yeah. They’re a bit protective of me, me being the youngest and all. It was my dad’s stipulation if I came to school. Check in every Thursday night.”

“Wow, how old are you…five?” Will said with a chuckle.

“Will…” Andrea warned.

“It’s okay, Andi. Some things happened within the past few years and they worry,” Sam said softly, the others eyeing him with concern.

“Hey…you okay, Sam? I didn’t mean anything by that you know,” Will said, his voice filled with remorse.

“Don’t worry about it, Will. I’m getting over it, slowly but surely. It helps though, to talk to my family,” Sam answered, smiling warmly at his friend.

“You can talk to us too, you know, Sam,” Greg said.

“Yeah, I know. You guys don’t need to listen to my problems though. I’m fine anyway.”

“Hey, we’re friends, dude,” Jason said.

Sam smiled then looked down at his cup. “Gotta get more coffee. Anyone else ready?”

At each friends head shake, Sam stood and strolled to the counter, frowning as his thoughts turned to darker times. He ordered, smiling softly when the pretty blonde girl went to make his drink. The bell over the door rang as a customer entered and Sam quickly glanced over his shoulder, noticing an average sized man enter the coffee house. He turned back when he heard the girl clear her throat.

“Thanks,” Sam said softly as he took his drink.

Sam turned, and promptly bumped into the man who had just entered the coffee house. As Sam began to apologize, the man grabbed his arm and Sam sucked in a breath as he looked into jet black eyes. Eyes that reminded him of a bird. He tried to pull his arm away, but the man was surprisingly strong. The man smiled as he pulled Sam closer to him. Then the man whispered, “A mind is a beautiful thing to waste, don’t you think Sam Winchester?”

Sam jerked his arm away and stared in shock as the man walked toward the door and exited the coffee house. He turned back toward his friends, his eyes moving warily to the window. The man was nowhere to be seen, and Sam suddenly had a shiver run up his spine. How did the man know his name? Who was he, and what did he mean?

“Hey! Sam…what was that all about?” Will called, bringing Sam’s attention back around to his friends.

Sam smiled slightly and shook his head as he approached his curious friends. “Uh…I’m not sure. It’s probably nothing,” Sam answered as he sat back down on the sofa.

“The jerk’s lucky he left, ‘cause I was just about to open up a can of whoop a** on him,” Will quipped.

“Yeah, keep talking tough boy,” Jason smirked.

The group settled into small talk, none of them seeming to notice Sam’s sudden uneasiness. Sam’s eyes flitted from one friend to the other, his breathing hitching as fear began to take hold of him.

“Sam? What’s wrong? Hey…Sam!” Greg called and Sam jerked his head toward the young man, his eyes going wide.

“No…you can’t be here…you can’t be here…” Sam cried as he jumped up from the sofa, his coffee cup crashing to the floor, hot coffee splashing over his sneakers.

Sam began to back away, his eyes wild as his friends rose and started toward him, their concern evident on their faces.

“Sam…what’s going on? You’re scaring us,” Andrea cried softly.

Sam’s eyes remained locked on Greg as he continued to back away, his hands reaching out to the sides as if he was searching for something to grab hold of. “You can’t be here. You’re dead…you’re dead.”

“Sam…who do you think he is?” Jason queried, his heart hammering in his chest.

“What?” Sam asked, his wild eyes moving to Jason.

“Who are you talking about?” the young man answered.

“M-Michael…Michael Wilcox,” Sam answered, his voice sounding close to a sob.

“Who’s Michael Wilcox?” Will asked and Sam jerked his head to the young man.

“Nononononono…” Sam cried, his backward motion picking up speed.

“Sam…stop. What’s wrong?” Andrea asked urgently.

“Dead…you’re both supposed to be dead…”

“Sam…”

“NOOOO!” Sam screamed as Will stepped closer.

Sam scrambled backwards, his eyes widening further and becoming completely void of recognition. Suddenly, his foot caught the leg of a chair and he tumbled backward, his head connecting with the edge of another coffee table, his body falling limp as it hit the floor.

“Sam!!!” Jason shouted as he lunged toward his friend.

“What the hell!? Oh my God, what just happened?” Will cried as he dropped down next to his friend.

Greg and Andrea moved to stand over their friends, their eyes wide with worry. Sam didn’t move as Will cupped his head, the young man wincing as he pulled his hand away and noticed it was coated with blood. Andrea, at the sight of the blood, turned to the wide eyed blonde behind the counter. “Call 911!” she screamed before turning back to her friends.

“Is…is he okay?” she asked shakily.

“I don’t know. He’s breathing, but…I just don’t know,” Jason answered, his fingers moving to the side of Sam’s neck. He sighed as he looked at his friends. “His pulse is strong.”

“Is that good?” Greg asked.

“I don’t know. It is on ER,” Jason said.

Sirens met the friends ears and they moved aside when EMT’s pushed into the coffee house, the EMT’s gazes falling intently to their patient. The two men went to work on Sam and after a few moments one looked up at the huddled group. “What happened here?” he asked.

“Uh…we were talking. He just lost it. He thought Will and Greg were someone else. I don’t know…he just…it’s like he didn’t know us anymore,” Andrea said, her voice trembling.

“How did he hurt his head?” the other EMT queried.

“He was backing away and he caught his foot on the chair. He fell backward,” Jason answered.

“Okay, were going to take him to the hospital now,” the first man said.

“Is he going to be okay? He’s going to be okay, right?” Greg queried fearfully.

“Well, his pupils indicate a concussion, but we don’t know how bad it is. As for his…episode, we just don’t know. That’s for the doctors to determine. What’s his name?”

“Sam. It’s Sam Winchester,” Will answered.

“Okay, we’re taking Sam to Stanford Hospital. If you want to, you can follow us, but there’s no room in the ambulance.”

“Uh…okay. We’ll get there somehow,” Jason said, his arm draping over Andrea’s shaking shoulders.

The EMT nodded then turned back to his patient. The EMT’s, along with Will and Greg, gently lifted Sam up onto the gurney once a neck brace was attached and Sam was strapped down before he was moved to the ambulance. The vehicle sped away, sirens blaring and the four friends watched as it disappeared down the street. They flagged down a cab and hurried after the ambulance, their worried thoughts moving to their friend.

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Dean, Daniel and John sat in their motel room, working on the pizza that had been delivered fifteen minutes earlier. The TV was playing, but none of them paid it much attention. Their thoughts were miles away. In less than two days, they would be picking Sam up and the family would be together again, if only for the summer. The year had been hard, only seeing Sam on the occasion that a hunt brought them to California. They spoke once a week on the phone, Sam calling every Thursday night around eight. It was nearly that time now, and they waited with anticipation for John’s phone to ring. It was funny how they practically lived for that night and that phone call. They had no idea who the separation was harder on, them or Sam, but they had a suspicious feeling it was them. Sam seemed to have fallen into the routine of school fairly easily, but of course they couldn’t know for sure how he was doing as the youngest Winchester was a pro at portraying what he thought his family needed to see to ease their minds.

The Winchesters finished their dinner and sat back, waiting for Sam’s call. When eight o’clock came and went, they glanced nervously at each, not quite ready to panic. Sam had never missed a call and had always been on time. The only thing that kept the men from jumping to conclusions was the knowledge that Sam would have been coming off of his last exam and could very well be out celebrating with friends. Of course, he would definitely hear about his lapse in judgement when they did speak with him. Sam knew how much they worried about him, and he also knew that as hard as it had been for them to let him go, they had his promise to call each week and they expected him to keep that promise.

When ten o’clock rolled around and there still was no call from Sam, there was no denying the slowly building panic within each man. John pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial number for his youngest son. The phone rang and rang, then went to voice mail and John hung up with a frown. He looked at the expectant gazes of his other sons and shook his head.

“He didn’t answer. That’s not like him,” John said nervously.

“I’m sure he’s okay, Dad. He’s just out with his friends. It’s been a rough year and he’s earned it,” Daniel said, his voice lacking confidence in his assertion.

“I just don’t think Sam would forget to call or purposely blow us off. You know your brother, Daniel. That’s just not him,” John replied.

“Okay, so what do we do? Do we leave now and head there? Is Caleb or Josh close to California?” Dean queried, the young man not even attempting to hide the worry in his voice.

“Let’s give him a little more time. If we haven’t heard from him by midnight, we’ll head out,” John said, already moving to pack his bag, just in case.

The three men sat in nervous silence, willing John’s phone to ring. At exactly a quarter to midnight, the phone did ring and John flipped it open, an angry scowl on his face.

“Sam! Do you realize how worried we’ve been? I don’t care that it’s your last day, you still call when expected!” John spat, his face falling when the voice on the other end of the phone was not his sons.

“Mr. Winchester?” the deep male voice queried.

“Who the hell is this? Where is Sam?” John shot, his eyes moving to his sons as they waited anxiously.

“Uh…my name is Jason. I’m a friend of Sam’s. I…uh…something’s happened,” the voice said.

“What? What’s happened?” John queried, his stomach doing flip flops as he waited for the reply.

“Sam…he…he’s in the hospital…he…”

“What! Why is he in the hospital?”

Dean and Daniel were on their feet in a second and next to their father a second after that. John held out his hand as he listened to the young man on the other end of the phone.

“We were hanging out after the last tests and then he…he just lost it. He thought my friends were someone else. He was terrified and he tripped when he was backing away. He hit his head…”

“Is he okay? Have you talked to the doctor?

“Um…they won’t really tell us anything. They say we’re not family, so…”

“Okay. What hospital?” John queried shortly, his nerves frayed.

“Stanford Hospital. The address is 300 Pasteur Drive in Palo Alto. Please, hurry Mr. Winchester,” Jason pled, his voice trembling.

“We’ll be there in about six hours. Thanks for calling, Jason. By the way, how is it that you have Sam’s phone?”

“It must have fallen out of his pocket when he fell. I found it on the floor of the coffee house we were in.”

“Okay…one more question. Who did he think your friends were?” John asked with trepidation.

“He only said one name. He said that they should be dead. The name he said was Michael Wilcox.”

The line went dead as John hung up, his face going as white as a sheet, his sons looking on with fear at the look of absolute horror on his handsome face.

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Dr. Franklin Watkins stared through the observation window at the sedated young man who lay in the bed, his body jerking and fighting against the restraints that held him to the bed. The fact that the young man could still fight even after the sedatives he had been given was a testament to just how messed up the situation was. Dr. Watkins had never seen anything like it. From the description given by the boy’s friends, this episode had come completely out of left field. They had all been enjoying a relaxing evening in a coffee house, relaying their summer plans to each other and then wham, the kid had gone completely out of his mind. The doctor would have to do some investigating at the university to see if the young man had been seeing anyone for any kind of mental illness, but according to his friends he was the most sane person they knew.

Thankfully, the bump to the head the kid had received only left him with a mild concussion, so really the only thing they had to concern themselves with was the sudden onset of psychosis. Stress from finals could explain some level of agitation, but this was way out there. The kid kept insisting that two supposed dead men were after him. He couldn’t tell them his name, where he was from or where he was at the moment. He had stopped saying anything coherent hours ago. Now, he just screamed and fought the restraints one moment, then mumbled incoherently the next. The doctor had been told that the boy’s friends would try to reach his family, but he hadn’t heard anything on when he could expect them to arrive. Dr. Watkins rushed into the room when the boy began to jerk spasmodically, his head jerking from side to side as he screamed. His eyes were wild, the pupils blown. His body was bathed in sweat, his messy brown hair plastered to his head. The doctor reached out and caressed the boys cheek as he began to relax a bit, shaking his head at the sad situation.

“What happened to you, Sam? “ he whispered as the young man finally succumbed to the sedatives that coursed through his exhausted body.

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What the heck? Hmmmm...wonder what's going on. John and the boys are on their way, so the family will be reunited once again. I wonder if Sam will even know they're there. Please let me know what you think.

Cindy.

[msred]

Yay, another story! I love this so far and can't wait for the next update. I hate to see Sam hurt, but I love it when the others are so protective.