Blood, Sweat, and Tears ch. 5

Dean left to take the car back. Sam was left with Emma. They sat across from each other in Emma’s living room. Emma had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a black tank top. She sat on the couch hugging her knees to her chest. There was a long awkward silence as the morning sun shined through the window behind Sam. “Is he always like that,” she asked, finally ending the silence.

“Like what,” Sam asked. He had been lost in though. Sam remembered what Dean had said about what happened. He knew Dean was right and hated that. He should have known better, been stronger. He would have to be extremely alert from now on.

“So cocky and such of himself,” Emma answered.

Sam gave a small laugh and lowered his head. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked up at her ad their eyes met. There was something familiar in her eyes. He smiled and shook his head. “Usually,” he said.

“He just seems so… so,” she paused trying to think of the nicest way to say it, “arrogant.”

This made Sam laugh aloud. Emma was one of the few people that had seen passed the lies that Dean told. His laughter quickly faded though. “Sometimes,” he said distantly. Sam thought back on all the times Dean had been there to save his life. He was sure there were times he was too young to remember, like the fire when his mom died. Sam’s mind also traveled to the recent near loss of his brother. He still worried about that.

Emma noticed the sudden change in Sam’s voice. She studied him for a moment. “You’re close aren’t you,” she asked softly.

“I guess,” Sam answered. He wasn’t really sure what to say. “He’s my brother,” Sam said simply. He sighed softly and lowered his head once more. “Dean’s not always so shallow and conceited. Usually, but not always,” he said simply. “There’s more to him.” Sam wasn’t really sure how to explain it.

“What happened to you mom,” Emma asked quickly almost interrupting Sam. Sam’s head shot up at that and he stared at her. “Was Jessica his girlfriend?”

Sam almost laughed at that thought. “Did… did Dean tell you?”

“Not technically,” Emma said looking down. “Does he always talk in his sleep?”

Sam stifled a small laugh. “I’ve heard him on occasion.” Sam sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “Our mom died when I was a baby. There was a fire.” Sam paused. “Something…. killed our mother. And, to answer your other question, no, Jess wasn’t Dean’s girlfriend,” he said sadly. Emma understood by the look in Sam’s eyes.

“Sorry,” she said softly. There was another long awkward silence. “Are you hungry,” Emma asked quickly. She didn’t like awkward silences and she was pretty much stuck with Sam all day. Dean had said he was going to ask around town about the stories. She didn’t want her entire day to be one awkward silence. “I don’t have much, just cereal really.” Sam shook his head. “All right, well I’m gonna get some.” She smiled at him and stood. “So Dean mentioned you were in college,” she called from the kitchen.

“Yeah,” he answered standing right behind her. She jumped and turned around. He smiled and leaned against the counter before pushing himself up onto it. “Stanford. I was studying law.”

Emma did the same then picked up her bowl of Golden Grahams. “Why’d you quit,” she asked with her mouth full of food.

“Dean showed up.” He laughed at how simple it sounded. “Really, it was to help find my dad, and Jessica’s killer.”

“Oh,” she said turning a bit red. Emma caught sight of Sam laughing. “Hell of a lot better reason than mine.”

“Really,” Sam asked.” What’s yours?”

“You’re sitting on it.”

Sam looked down then over at Emma with a questioning look. “You left college and moved half way around the world for countertops,” Sam asked with a smile.

Emma laughed and set her empty bowl down. “Have you really looked at the countertops though? I mean these are antiques.”

“And hand made no doubt,” Sam answered.

“During the American Revolution.” She looked at him and smiled before they both burst out laughing. She liked this Sam more than the depressed brooding once. She looked over at him and smiled, their eyes met again. There was something about his eyes that always seemed to catch her attention, a innocence in them that shouldn’t be there. “That’s quite a hickey you got there,” she said with a smile referring to the bite from the night before. “If you’re not careful you’ll get a reputation.”

Sam laughed. “Dean has enough reputation for the both of us,” he said simply.

“Ah, so Dean’s the ladies’ man then,” she asked with a slight laugh. “Well he’s got the looks for it I’m not denying that,” she said simply. “And I can see how women would be attracted to his confidence.” Sam just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “But seriously, I think he tries to hard.”

“I’ve tried to tell him that,” Sam said with a laugh. “He doesn’t listen to me though. You know, I’m the younger brother so my word means nothing.”

Emma laughed and pushed herself off the counter, Sam did the same. “I wouldn’t know much about that,” she said simply. “I never had any siblings.” She smiled and put her cereal bowl in the sink then turned to Sam. “So wait, let me see if I’ve got this figured out? You’re the brain and Dean’s the brawn,” she said with a smile. Sam laughed and nodded, leaning against the wall on the other side of her. “You don’t like it,” she said simply. “What you and your brother do. You don’t like it do you.”

“Its not a matter of whether I like it or not, its something I have to do,” Sam answered simply.

“Yes, but still you don’t like it.” She studied him for a minute. “I get it now,” she said with a small, excited smile. “I read that journal entry to Dean and he went white, he told you about it and you had a similar reaction. “It’s a parallel,” she said simply. “I mean you’re not chasing a vampire, right,” she said simply. “But still, it’s a parallel. I found another one last night it was dated about three weeks after the first. The younger brother, Daniel, he was supposed to get married. They came home from one of their missions and he found his fiancé dead.” Sam lowered his head and turned just as white as Dean did. She paused for a moment to think. “Sam,” she said softly. She walked up to him and lifted his head. “Not that it will make you feel any better but what happened to Jessica isn’t as bad as what happened to this guys fiancé. It ended for her, right,” she asked looking up into the man’s broken eyes. “Daniel Brennan’s fiancé, ironically named Jessica, was turned. It didn’t end for her for another two centuries,” she said softly.

She couldn’t get over the look in Sam’s eyes. There was pain in there that no one should have to feel. She unconsciously placed her hand gently on his face. “I’m sorry Sam,” she whispered. “I wish there was something I could say to make it not hurt but,” she paused and lowered her head. She knew how he felt, or at least she had some idea. Her first boyfriend, her first love, had been killed in a car accident seven months earlier, sometime in early November. She let her hand fall to her side and lowered her head. “It seems like it will never go away,” she said softly.

Sam looked down at her. He could tell she had lost someone too. She could relate a little and that was comforting to him, at least a little bit. He smiled at her and the two walked back out into the living room. They ended up talking all day, mostly about college life and stuff they did while they were there. Then Sam looked out the window and realized that it was dark. Dean wasn’t back yet. “I wonder where he is,” he said now starting to get worried. “Dean said he’d be back before dark.” Sam sighed and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Dean’s number but soon found that it was pointless. They heard the phone ringing from the basement Dean had forgotten it. “Great,” Sam said with a sigh.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Emma said biting her lower lip. In truth, she was worried about Dean too. However, most her worry came from the fact that if anything happened to Dean, Sam would be devastated.

“Its not like Dean,” Sam said quickly. “If he was gonna be late he would have called first.” Sam sighed and paced around the house. To pass the time they, read more of the pieces of parchment in the basement. Several hours had passed and Dean still hadn’t returned. Sam walked upstairs and looked out the window. Emma followed and watched Sam. “Damn it,” Sam shouted in frustration. Then suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. Emma and Sam both ran to the door. When they opened it Dean fell forward in the doorway. He was covered in blood. Emma jumped back, surprised but not frightened. Sam and Emma picked up Dean and carried him to the couch. There were several large wounds across his chest and along his neck. When Sam looked at them closely, he realized that they were all bite marks. “Shit,” Sam whispered as Emma ran into the kitchen. She got some water and a cloth then ran back to the living room and handed it to Sam. She climbed up on the couch and sat on the back of it looking down at Dean.

He seemed to be unconscious now. Emma was worried more about what sort of affect those marks had, how much blood they had gotten. She was worried less for Dean’s health and safety, and more about her and Sam’s. “Sam be careful,” she said softly.

“I know,” he snapped at her. Sam wiped away as much blood as he could from Dean’s chest and neck. He looked down at his brother who was now ghostly pale. Worry and fear emanated from Sam. Emma noticed Dean move, just slightly, before opening his eyes slowly. “Dean,” Sam said quickly. Dean didn’t say anything though before he fell unconscious again on the couch. Sam quickly checked to see if he was breathing and still had a pulse. His breathing was shallow but there, as was his pulse. Emma stared down at the beaten bloody body that lay at her feet. She looked over at Sam and saw him clench his brother’s hand until Sam’s knuckles were white. His hand was trembling. Sam stared down at his brother. He thought it was over. Dean had already done this to him once, Sam wasn’t sure he could handle it again.