Death in the Mountains

Jay stared at Dean uneasily; trying to absorb everything he was being told. His entire world had been thrown upside down over the past few days, and he really just wanted to burrow back into bed and not come out. Didn’t seem like Dean was going to let him though, and now he wanted to introduce him to more people who just showed up at his aunt’s farm like it was like a fucking national park. “Who's Will again?”

Dean looked like he was trying to be patient, not something he was used to doing. “He's the Head of the Priory, another Order, and he was Vera's first student.”

At that moment his damned back spasmed again; it was like someone had strung rubber bands along his spine and decided to pluck them every now and then. “Why does he want to see me? Why can't he come up here?” Jay felt angry, why the hell did he have to be at this guy’s beck and call? He was hurt; it was his house, why couldn’t anyone put out a little effort for him once in a while? He wished Sam was up here with him, but then he changed his mind with a slight pout; Sam would just take Dean’s side.

“Will was here earlier but you were sleeping.” Dean pinned him with the same type of stern look he’d given him in the cave where they found Kathy Wyler. He just didn’t seem to understand how unfair all this was. “He'll come back; I'm just letting you know. That Red Dog dude, he's also with the Priory. They all seem worried about you and Vera. Talking about your aunt, do you want to go see her now?”

“Yes!” Jay smiled a little; he knew Aunt Vera was hurt and he couldn’t wait to see her. He’d been so tired earlier he could barely move; he was still hurting, but he felt like he could get up now. Then he thought about all the Comacines in the house and flinched, which sent his back into another spasm. He clenched his teeth to keep from yelping. It was bad enough Dean saw him get his ass kicked last night and cry this morning; he wasn’t going to act like a baby in front of him over a back sprain.

“Okay, you look calmer now, but remember what I said earlier her shields are down, try not to upset her. Just remember, she’s going to be okay, it’s just going to take a while. They have the room set up like a hospital room. She’s twitched for me even though she's still in a coma.”

Jay felt his stomach drop through the floor. “Coma?” He knew she’d been hurt, but a coma?

“Yes, but I think it's a drug induced one, Mike is trying to keep her from moving around while he heals her spine, he said he'll take her off it soon.” Dean was trying to comfort him but Jay could feel his neck and shoulders tense with hate. Mike. Pascal and Zip told him that he was the one who ordered them to kill her.

Dean reached out to touch Jay’s arm and he could tell that he was trying to project calm to him. He had to fight batting Dean’s hand away. “She'll pull through Jay;” the hunt leader said awkwardly, “she's a fighter, like you are.” Jay could tell he was sincere, despite how hard it was for Dean to say it.

Jay looked away. He wasn’t able to keep Aunt Vera from getting hurt; or these Comacines from invading the farm. “Don't feel like much of one.”

Dean smirked a little at him. "You're still standing aren't you? Come on let's go see her.”

Dude, Jay mused, Dean actually sounded like he was proud of him or something.

Dean gave him a hand off the bed and Jay started getting anxious again. He didn’t think he’d have the courage to leave the room by himself and he subconsciously stayed very close to Dean. Jay’s back hurt as they made their way down the stairs, but he tried to keep it off his face, not wanting to look any weaker in front of Dean. Jay froze for just a second as he spotted Atin and Pascal in the front hall before forcing himself to continue down the stairs. If he wasn’t going to let Dean see he was hurting he sure as hell wasn’t going to let those bastards see it.

“Jay, I'm glad to see you up and out.” Jay felt his face flush as Atin spoke to him, remembering the night before and this morning. He gritted his teeth and looked away; he wasn’t going to respond to the guy who’d held him down and tried intimidating him into telling Aunt Vera’s secrets.

“Hey Dude,” Pascal called out and Jay had to glance up at that. ‘Dude’ being said in that accent just about killed him and he found himself actually smiling a little. Pascal was kind of cute; not that he’d look twice with Sam around. He responded to Pascal’s greeting with a quick ‘hi’. That seemed to please the young Comacine a lot. Maybe he could make friends with him a little and start getting some dirt on this ‘Order’. Jay stole a glance at Atin, who looked understanding and sympathetic. Bastard. Jay went ‘invisible’ and inwardly smiled when Atin winced. For some reason none of these idiots could do it and it freaked them out. Jay decided to put on a show of looking more frightened than he really was. Maybe that would make Atin feel guiltier.

“Hey Atin,” Dean drawled lazily. Jay’s sharp ears heard a slight note of challenge in his voice. “I’m taking Jay to see Vera for a minute.” He felt Dean’s hand fall gently on his shoulder, touching him as if he were made of glass. Jay tried to look a little paler and more listless. Suddenly Jay felt his psychic control waiver and a large piece of plaster fell off the wall next to Atin, startling everyone. Jay didn’t have to work at looking any paler; he fought down a wave of nausea. He’d never lost it like this; no one except for Aunt Vera and the rest of the coven knew he was a little telekinetic.

Atin’s expressive brown eyes darted to Jay’s face for a moment. Did he notice anything? “Sure, just not long. Have LaShonda take another look at him when she gets back.”

Dean didn’t take his hand off Jay’s shoulder as he steered him towards Auntie Sahba’s room. Jay was surprised; Dean’s hand on his shoulder wasn’t just for show. The hunt leader was pretty protective of him and he could feel Dean didn’t trust the Comacines at all. That made Jay feel a little better, maybe Dean was paying attention to what he was saying after all.

His new role model quietly opened the door to Auntie Sahba’s room and poked his head in. “Is it still visiting hours?”

A brusque voice with a Deep Southern accent answered. “Depends on who it is.”

Jay saw Dean frown. “Another Com? How many of you are there?”

A stocky man with brown hair and eyes came to the door. “Enough. I’m Billy Ray; you must be Dean and Jay.” His eyes flickered over Jay in a way that had him gritting his teeth again; the guy was looking at him like he was some kind of dangerous animal. "Her shields are down, so you need to keep control.” He looked at Jay like he didn't think he could, like he didn’t want to let him in.

Dean replied before Jay could. "Duh, yeah. We know." Jay felt Dean’s hand on his shoulder tighten.

Billy Ray’s lip curled across his broad face. “Alright, come in. Mike's going to need him later anyways.”

"Why thank you, don't mind if we do." Jay smirked at the sarcasm in Dean’s voice. He knew he liked Dean for a reason.

Jay’s appreciation for Dean’s snark withered and died when they stepped into Auntie Sahba’s room. Jay’s entire world narrowed down to a hospital bed. Aunt Vera’s face was swollen and her body was sickeningly still. He could feel his chest freeze and the sandwiches from earlier trying to come back up. Shade gazed at him steadily from where she was curled next to Aunt Vera’s hip, which made him feel even worse. It was like the familiar was berating him for not being here sooner.

“Oh Gods, Dean. She looks worse now...” Jay stopped speaking as he felt his voice crack. He was not going to cry in front of Dean, he wasn’t going to lose control again. He just couldn’t.

Dean moved his hand from Jay's shoulder to his neck. "Ground and center Jay. Focus. It's the swelling; it's actually gone down some since this morning." Jay felt a flare of resentment, he knew how and when to ground and center. He wasn’t Sam, who barely knew what he was doing. Besides, Dean wasn’t really psychic; yeah, he could feel Sam a little and could project emotions when he wanted to, but a lot of people could.

Jay took a deep breath. Dean did say she looked better. “She does?”

“Yes, and her color has improved, she's pinker. Touch her hand; she can feel you are here.”

Jay gently touched her hand, almost afraid of hurting her worse. “Aunt Vera?”

Dean put his other hand, the one not on Jay’s neck, on top of his and Vera's. "Hey Vera, it's Jay and Dean. Just visiting you."

Vera seemed to breathe a little deeper, and her hand twitched just slightly under Jay’s. He felt his eyes burning from the tears he was trying not to let come out. Even in a coma she knew he was there. Jay felt like a hand was squeezing his chest; why couldn’t Aunt Vera have been his mom? She understood him, was there for him, had lied for him, snuck him out of his parents' house, and forged his parents' signatures more times than he could count, she taught him to ride and bought him a horse despite his mom’s protests. He had no doubt that she would kill or die for him.

And she was lying in a bed, nearly dead herself and he couldn’t throw out the bastards that did this to her. Jay didn’t care what anyone said, he had been there last night. She wouldn’t have been hurt if they hadn’t been shooting at her. Aunt Vera was too good to lose her concentration like that otherwise.

He could feel Dean, his hand still on his neck, and Jay was grateful for it now. The hunt leader was keeping him grounded, otherwise Jay felt like he’d destroy the entire house. “Jay, keep it together. Come on let's go.” Dean must have realized he was on the edge of losing control, something that made Jay very ashamed. Aunt Vera had taught him better than this. Jay bit his lip and forced himself to take control.

The door opened quietly and he turned to see Mike hovering anxiously in the doorway. Jay stopped himself from snarling and reinforced his ‘invisibility’, being sure that nothing but fear and anxiety showed on his face. Aunt Vera always told him knowledge was power; secrecy was power. He wouldn’t let these Comacines know what he really thought or felt, not when it could be used against him. Jay covered his rage and hatred well, the way he concealed his contempt for his father and his resentment of his mother. He’d had a lot of practice.

Jay ignored the healer, looking to Dean. “Do we have to go?”

Mike answered anyways. “Yes, you’ve been through a lot, I’m afraid your shields might slip.” Jay snarled inwardly. “I'll need you in about an hour to boost me; will you be okay by then?”

“I, uh, so I can come back?” Jay was careful to look cowed.

The healer’s bronzed face showed surprise. "Of course, as long as you don't upset her. It's extremely important that she doesn't try to move right now."

“Come on Jay.” Dean squeezed his neck gently. “How's the back holding up? Can you do some more walking?”

Not if it meant having to see more Comacines. He needed to be alone to try to get himself together, work on his shields, and decide what to do next. “Uh, I'm a little tired, maybe later.”

Dean just nodded and steered him out of the room. Jay looked back over his shoulder at his aunt, not even looking at or acknowledging Mike or Billy Ray as he and Dean left the room.

Dean was blessedly silent as they walked down the hall and thankfully they didn’t come face to face with anymore of the Comacines but he could hear them in other parts of the house and outside. Jay did gaze longingly out of the windows, though. It looked like a beautiful day outside, he’d slip out later, he didn’t want the Coms to know where he was all the time. He wished his back wasn’t hurt; he’d just climb out one of the second floor windows. It would be harder to sneak out in his present condition, but he was confident he could.

They were just starting up the stairs when Jay heard Sam’s voice calling from the kitchen. “Jay! What are you doing up?” Sam looked far more concerned then he should, especially considering Dean was with him. Starlight was perched on one of Sam’s shoulders, her tiny claws gripping the fabric of his shirt. Jay fought down a surge of jealousy; it wasn’t Sam’s fault that he didn’t have a familiar.

“Hey Sam,” Jay was glad that Dean was answering for both of them; he seemed to be having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. “We were just visiting Vera.”

Jay managed a shaky smile. “I think I'll go lie down for a while.” He wanted to be alone right now, away from even Sam and Dean. He had to have some space to get his shit together.

Sam was hovering, same as he had all day. “Ok, come on.” Sam put a gentle hand on his back, and Jay did have to admit the warmth from Sam’s large hand did feel good, soothing his abused muscles. He could tell that Sam wanted to fuss at him about being up. Jay tried not to smile a little; he had to admit that he did enjoy Sam’s attention, even though it had gotten a little overbearing at times today.

Dean put a hand on Sam's arm. "Jay knows the way. Do you want to see Vera too?"

“Yes,” Sam answered quietly. Jay could feel other, unsettled emotions moving just under the surface in Sam. “Let me take Jay back to the room first. There’s a lot we need to talk about. Meet me in the kitchen.” Sam’s face looked uncharacteristically hard as he asked Dean to meet him. Jay wondered about that, but let it pass. He needed space; he was glad that both Sam and Dean would be out of his hair for a while.


:::

Pascal knew he would have to face a tribunal once they pulled out of here. His list of infractions was long. Dereliction of duty, for leaving the Order’s only booster, who is underage, to take care of a prisoner that was in his custody. Aiding and abetting a suspected psychic terrorist. Insubordination for questioning Mike’s authority and begging him to heal Vera.

Greg, his commanding officer, had growled that he would deal with him later and put him on kitchen duty. No one trusted his judgment anymore so he was told he couldn't guard Zip. He had redeemed himself to his Order somewhat when he had the vision of the Knights kidnapping the Stargills but he was far from off the hook. About the only good thing that had happened to him since he arrived on the farm had been meeting and talking to Nora Bonesteel for about 30 minutes while she de-ticked and bathed the cat that had been chasing Atin all over the house.

The girl he had fantasized about for years, Lin Yao, had wasted no time in telling him off. Mike had found her when she was Fawn’s age, and she idolized him. She was only a couple of years older than him, but she harped on him being immature and weak for not being able to control his shields. Any romantic feelings he had for her died with her spiteful comments. Pascal had admired Mike too, but while Lin Yao staunchly defended her foster father, Pascal had the rose-colored glasses ripped off his face.

Pascal sighed deeply, he was in disgrace with his own Order, for leaving Zip alone with Jay, and Mike was trying to putting the blame for this mission going wrong on him. His stupid shields continued to flux, and the small bit of comfort he found by resting in the magic room made his fellow Order members look at him sideways. No, he couldn’t see how he was going to get out of this mess anytime soon.

He had a vision earlier that he normally would have reported but it was so incredible it wasn’t to be believed. He Saw Will Woodfin stabbing him with a knife. Why would the head of another Order be stabbing him? Much less in front of witnesses. He knuckled an eye, he must be tired, and his shields were acting up. That must be all it was.


:::


“So Rattler left everything to you?” Sam understood the surprise in Dean’s voice. He had been stunned by the news himself not a half hour ago.

“Don’t get too excited,” Sam told Dean glumly as they walked off the back porch and towards the fields. “According to the lawyer, the entire estate is about 20 acres of undeveloped land and a small cabin with no electricity or running water and a wood burning stove. I’m just trying to figure out how we’re going to pay the estate and property taxes. Zek, the lawyer, said that he’d wanted to leave half to you, but it’s kind of hard to leave anything to a dead man.”

“Dude,” Dean said a little dazedly, “you realize we’ve fallen down one screwed-up rabbit hole?” He paused for a moment and then draped himself over one of the split rail fences, watching the horses in the field. Sam ducked his head guiltily.

Sam thought that Dean was okay, but he wasn’t. Dean was pretty freaked out; he felt helpless and alone right now. Sam realized that he’d been so focused on Jay, feeling his disturbed emotions that Dean's emotions felt good by comparison. This empathy thing was going to take some time to get used to. Time to get his own head straight, he needed to be there for Dean.

Following Dean’s example, he leaned against the fence, looking at the gouges the truck made in the muddy ground the night before. He could see the ritual area beyond; Sam stared at it for a long moment. Last night was mostly a blur to him, while all around him not one but two battles raged. Dean and Vera fighting against the demon and the Comacines in that little circle of earth; Sam had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. All of them, together, had saved him. Vera and Dean reclaimed his body and cleaned his soul; the Comacines has healed his body and had begun piecing back together his fractured mind. On the other hand, the Comacines had also tried to kill Vera, and then were willing to let her die after she was injured.

Dean looked – different now. The scowl he wore when he was angry or frustrated seemed to come more easily. He still made smart assed, snarky comments, but he spoke more slowly now, like he was actually thinking before he said it. Sam felt his heart twinge; Dean had changed more in the hours between the time he’d stupidly gave himself up to the demons and now than he had in the four years they were separated when he was in college. They’d both changed a lot in the weeks they’d been in Wake County.

Sam knew his head was still a little messed up, but he could feel it clearing. He’d been such an ass; he could think back now and realize everything Dean had been doing for him, how hard it must be for him to actually try to establish lasting relationships with these people, no matter how kind or good they were to them. Finding the Lines and Orders sounded great when they’d first heard about them, but now he realized a whole unwelcome burden was being placed on Dean because of it.

And then, the demons – it was a miracle that no one had died because of him last night. Even if there wasn’t a body count, a lot of damage had still been done. Sam shifted uncomfortably as a light breeze ruffled his hair slightly. Ravenmocker made him realize that he had responsibilities too. To his brother, to their new Line; he had a place in this larger Hunter community already. With both a sinking heart and a stiffening spine he realized that at some level he had chosen this path.

Dad might have killed evil, inhuman creatures and banished ghosts, but he really wasn’t a Hunter. He’d fought and searched out of revenge. Dean traveled the country, destroying supernatural menaces because he felt it was the right thing to do. When Dean came to Stanford for him, Sam should have understood something. They were arguing about him going with Dean to find Dad, and he remembered the conversation clearly…

The way we grew up after Mom was killed and Dad’s obsession to find the thing that killed her. But we still haven’t found the damned thing. So we kill everything we can find! Sam was so angry at his brother for dragging him back into hunting, using one of Dad’s frequent disappearances as an excuse. But then there was something about the way Dean answered him…

And save a lot of people doing it, too. For Dean it was about more than revenge. Sam didn’t understand it then, but something in Dean’s response touched him that night.

He’d fought his entire life to keep from walking their Dad’s path. He’d always despised Dean, just a little, for not going his own way, for following Dad. Sam realized now that Dean was cutting his own path, it was just parallel to Dad’s for a while. Dean was going to eventually go his own way, even if Dad were still alive.

Dad’s path was really about selfishness, hurting something that had hurt him. He’d sacrificed his business, his home, and his children’s wellbeing. Sam realized that up until now he’d equated hunting with being self centered and not really giving a damn about anything other than what you wanted.

Despite Dad’s example, Dean was about helping people, destroying the creatures in the night. He was one of the people who would stand up and glare back at the monsters, challenging their right to existand their need to feed on suffering and pain. Dad just wanted to kill the thing that killed their mother, Dean wanted to keep any family from going through what had happened to them.

That was something Sam could understand, something he could agree with. He didn’t have to walk Dad’s path to hunt, he and Dean could forge their own path. Together.

“Dude,” Dean snapped irritably, “quit thinking so fucking hard.” Sam started laughing, Dean scowled, which just caused him to laugh harder.

“What?” Dean barked, Sam felt like his brother was about to smack him.

“Thanks.” Sam managed to gasp out.

“For what?” His brother’s brows were drawing together and Sam could tell he was about to pinch the bridge of his nose like he did when he was annoyed or frustrated over some stupid shit.

“Just for still being you.” Sam stifled down his giggles and put his hand on Dean’s arm to be sure he didn’t think this was coming from some screwed up place. It was interesting that they could express emotions empathically, letting each other know things they’d never speak.

“Christos” Dean muttered, which just set Sam off into harder giggles.

“Oookay, now that we know neither one of us is possessed, and we’ve finished the chick flick portion of our program, what are we going to do college boy?”

Sam took a deep breath. This situation was alarming; yeah, they’d been in screwed up situations before, but this was a new kind of screwed up. This situation needed something more than a little research and then killing something. “Sounds like I’ve missed a lot, catch me up, go over everything again, even what you’ve already told me. I need to know all of it if I’m going to be any help.”


:::

Ben was watching Sam and Dean from one of the upstairs bedroom windows facing the rear of the house. He didn’t know it, but he was in Vera’s room.

The young psychic was talking to his brother out in the bright sunshine of the late summer afternoon. The tall, gangly frame that was leaning against the fence, watching the horses chase one another looked nothing like the butchered, tortured wreck he was the previous night. Ben saw Sam laugh and lay a hand on his brother’s arm, and he once again thanked God for the ability he’d been given. He couldn’t read Sam’s thoughts, but he could feel his emotions and when he used his abilities. He knew he had some sort of vision when he was half awake earlier today, but it didn’t upset him, so Ben didn’t bother to ask him what it was. Sam was almost totally untrained; his visions were like a broken television jumping channels quickly; he was seeing and hearing just disjointed bits of possible future events. He probably didn’t see anything relevant.

Sam was going to be fine. His mind was clearing and he was responding well to the empathic healing he was offered. Sam mostly trusted the Comacine team; he just hoped they could win Dean’s trust as well.

:::

Mike sat quietly next to Vera’s bedside, his hands covering his face. He’d almost executed a Guardian. That would have been unforgivable. Guardians and Hunters both were protected under the Ancient Laws. The Comacines had the utmost respect for these Warriors. Most of them had been members of one of the Orders in previous lives. They protected their communities without the support and camaraderie of an Order. They often went into deadly situations without back up, many times without anyone to notice their deaths or maiming except other far flung Guardians, Warriors or one of the Orders. That is if they were lucky enough to be on an Orders’ Rolls. They didn’t mix much with the very communities they protected, knowing that ‘normal’ people would be vulnerable to the creatures they fought. Look at Nora Bonesteel in her mountain home, or the pitiful shack Jane Arrowood told him Old Rattler had lived in. Neither one of them had the comforts of family and very few friends.

If Pascal and Zip hadn’t disobeyed a direct order, Vera Kesterson would have bled out in her Ritual Circle after they slit her carotid artery. Jay Kesterson would have performed something called a Blood Curse, and with the weight of full justification behind him. Atin had talked to Woodfin before he left; if the head of the Priory was to be believed, it could have haunted the Order for centuries. Luckily it could only be performed under very rare circumstances, but last night would have qualified. Sam and Dean Winchester would have helped Jay pick off any Comacine they came across. He had Healed Sam far beyond what was needed to keep him from dying or having permanent disability, thus exhausting himself so he had nothing left to heal anyone else. If Jay hadn’t been a power booster she would have died because he didn’t have enough strength left to give her what little healing he did. She still almost died. Cheryl and Lin Yao had been pushed to their limit and couldn’t have kept her stabilized long enough for him recover.

Mike would do long and deep penance for this. The Order of the Comacines didn’t believe exactly in a concept of sin. They couldn’t just confess and make it go away; they had to try to make it right. Being a high ranking Comacine, he had a great deal of personal resources, which he would use. First of all, the farm could use a lot of renovations. The kitchen house could be converted to a guest house and the servant’s quarters above the carriage house would be a perfect apartment for Sam and Dean. They could convert the bottom into a work out and sparring area with a small office for Dean. It was obvious he’d need it. He already had one new Warrior join his Line. Joe LeDonne was going to be a hell of a Hunter after he was trained. Thank God this place was an old plantation, with plenty of space despite its decrepit condition.

Of course, he had a reputation and his pride to consider. He’d never publicly admit any wrongdoing. It was better to let Pascal take the fall for a lot of what went wrong than to admit the mistakes were made by a senior member of the Comacines. With his shields wavering and falling apart, it was easy to pin the blame on the young Seer. Mike felt a little sorry for him, but hey, that was life in the Orders. Might be hell for Pascal for the next few years, but better that than the entire Order losing face because the head of their medical division almost executed an entire new Guardian Line.


Vera made a noise, louder than any of the others and it sounded almost coherent. He looked up and touched her hand gently; she was trying to move again. What the hell? She shouldn’t be waking up yet.


Vera’s eyes fluttered open, and Mike throttled back guilt when he saw the confusion in her eyes. “Who? Where? I mean, who are you?”


:::


The sun was getting close to the mountains to the west as Dean finished up his explanation of everything that had happened in the past day. Sam’s expression became more and more serious as Dean wound down, a frown tugging at his mouth and his eyebrows knotting.

“…and then Atin came to see me in the kitchen while you were getting Jay settled down. Said that Jay was in a lot of danger from these other Orders and even bounty hunters who’d take him and sell him to the highest bidder. According to their Laws they can only keep him until he turns 21, but that gives them almost two years to brainwash and reprogram him. Dude, they use all kinds of psychological and psychic shit to mess with kid’s heads. Some of these people swap psychic kids like fucking Yu-gi-oh cards. The Coms don’t want him to leave the house without an armed guard. The only reason he isn’t already in Hawaii is because Mike needs him to help heal Vera. They say they will keep him safe until we either get approved as a Line or he turns 21.” Dean brooded for a moment, his features pinching together. “And get this; they want to pay Vera and Jay to train Zip so they don’t have to risk getting another Order to do it.”

Grim thoughts rolled around Sam’s head. “Dude, the Coms might not recruit kids like that, but they’re not keeping Jay safe just for our sake. They want to be sure none of these other Orders get him. So what are they going to do to him if he doesn't obey their demands? I mean, what do you think they'll really do?”

His brother stared at the ritual circle as it began to get dark. "Atin threatened to keep Jay sedated, except for the times they need him to either help heal Vera or train Zip."

Sam was quiet again, some grass started lashing a bit before Sam's face went blank, then he abruptly came back to himself. “So keep him out unless Vera needs him or they want something out of him.”

"Yeah, that's about the size of it. Be glad that Dad got a twinkle in his eye when he did or you'd be chained inside right now with guards breathing down your neck."

“What can we do?” Sam was beginning to feel a little desperate, getting frustrated at how complex the situation was. “Do you think Will was being honest with us?”

Dean's jaw muscles worked as he ground his teeth. "Yeah, I think Will was leveling with us."

“I wish I could have talked to him more. Didn't you say he'd be back?” Sam’s face lightened a bit. “These Laws are pretty complex, I’ve read some of them, but I’d understand it better if someone could coach me. We actually have some rights.”

“Yeah, he said he'd be back at odd times. Vera was his teacher; he's very protective of her.” Dean squinted at the ritual area, seeing a flash of something light colored on the ground. He flexed his ankle and decided he’d check it out in the morning. He’d been leaning against the fence to keep his weight off of it.

A brutally ugly look transformed Sam’s face, for a moment making him look like something they hunted as the setting sun shadowed his face. “How bad is she? Nora said she was hurt bad, but she didn't give me any details, and neither have you.

Dean gazed at him with his ‘protect little brother Sammy’ look on his face. "She looks like hell Sammy. We almost lost her last night. But I can't bring you anywhere near her if you don't keep a lid on your anger. She can feel it, and it will hurt her. All her shields are down." Despite the thing that Ben put in his brother’s head, Dean could still tell what could send Sam into a psychic outburst. His protectiveness was a little on the psycho side right now. Most likely Sam was in full agreement with the Coms about keeping Jay safe and would back them up on it.

Sure enough, Sam exploded again, grass lashing and the fence vibrating. A few of the horses stopped to stare at them. Sam blanked out again for a second, but when he came back he was still seriously pissed. Good, the Coms apparently weren’t interfering with Sam’s general bitchiness. “What? I thought she was mostly healed last night!”

Dean shrugged. “She was healed enough to keep her on this side of dying, she isn't out of the woods yet. Quit freaking on me, it won’t help. We need to make plans, and you got to keep Jay out of trouble. I don't want him doped up all the time. We’re going to need him. See if he can teach you some more psychic stuff.”

“I already decided I'd try to take care of him so you could focus on everything else. What do you want me to do with him? Dude, the more time I spend away from him the more I know he’s pretty messed up.”

“Thank you Captain Obvious. Even after Elizabeth healed him, Jay is still scared of the Coms. That's why I asked Griffin to stay with him. If he feels threatened, he can send Griff to get me. Just keep an eye on him; try to keep him busy inside.”

“I can do that.” Sam was relieved he could do something to help. “Anything else? I really want to go see Vera now.”

Sam felt a little sad as he watched the burden of being a Hunt leader slowly descend back onto Dean’s shoulders. “I'm working on a plan. Okay, let's go see Vera.” They began to slowly walk back to the house, but Sam’s emotions were wild, all over the map as he tried to process everything he’d been told. Dean stopped and snapped at him. “I'm serious; you aren't getting near Vera unless you calm down."

Sam stared at him for a moment, swallowing as he realized Dean was feeling him more now. Apparently this more sensitive thing was working both ways. He allowed his eyes to flutter close as he tried to ground and center himself, but he failed miserably. Dean found brown eyes pleading at him. “Can you help me?”

Dean reached up to put his hand on Sam's neck, paused for a moment and pulled him into a hug. Sam could feel that his brother needed it as much as he did. Both of them felt themselves really reconnect in a way they hadn’t in years, since before Sam left. A hollow ache in Sam began to ease, an ache he didn’t realize he had. He knew how much his brother loved him, how there was somebody who would stand by him, be there with him no matter what happened. They might finally have other people in their life, people who cared for them who maybe even would come to love them some day, but none of them could be Dean. They were the Winchesters, the only two of their family that was left, despite the fire, blood, demons, ghosts, and monsters. If they could face all of that, they could face this as long as they stayed together.

When they finally broke apart after almost a full minute, Dean didn’t even look embarrassed. They both laughed a little, not trying to hide a few tears from each other. Sam managed a sincere and deep smile. “Thanks. Let’s go see her.”

“Sam, Dean!” Both turned towards the voice and saw one of the Canucks running towards them. Pascal stumbled to a stop. “Vera just woke up. Mike was surprised; he wasn’t expecting her to until tomorrow at the earliest.” The young Comacine had the first untroubled expression on his face that Dean had seen. He felt a rush of gratitude towards him. Atin told him Pascal would be up on charges because he’d disobeyed a couple of direct orders last night, even though he saved Vera’s life. Dean wondered if there was anything they could do to get him out of trouble.

Dean felt his face crack into a grin. Damn, this was the best piece of news they’d had all day. “Come on demon bait.” He elbowed Sam in the ribs, getting an annoyed grunt out of him. “Need to show Vera that we really did manage to rescue your scrawny geek boy ass.”