Thank you for being soooooo patient! Xxx I had to rewrite this chapter twice because I wasn't happy with it but wait no longer :) xxx

Oh, and I probably should have said this earlier - Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural (just this storyline) all rights to the respective owners but I'll happily except Sam, Dean and Castiel as a birthday present! xxx

Chapter 4 - Cloud Nine

John was the last of the three men to reach the clearing, but the first to realise Sam was missing. Nothing on God's green earth would have made Dean scream like that - unless it involved Sam. He knew the moment he heard his eldest son's voice, something was wrong.

Something had happened to his youngest.

John's heart stopped when he saw Dean sitting, unmoving par from the slight rise and fall of his chest. Green unfocused eyes threatening to drip with fresh, salty tears. He rushed over to the edge of the clearing without a thought.

"Kiddo, you with me?" John asked cautiously, gripping Dean's shoulder and gently shaking him from his daze. "Can you hear me, Dean?"

Jim appeared in moments, shadowed by Bobby. But his attention was quickly turned back to his son, hearing him gasp in surprise. Pulling Dean into a hug, only to have his son's eyes widen with shame, guilt, loss as he tried to pull away.

"I-I-I wasn't there to pr-protect him... Dad" Dean sniffed, "h-h-he wanted... to go w-with us b-but I m-made him st-stay! It's all my fault," he sobbed.

John glanced back to the Impala, the back door was wide open. He checked once more he hadn't missed anything, any clue to what went wrong - wishing he had taken Sam with them.

"It's gonna be okay, we'll find Sam. Look at me, Dean," John said firmly cupping his son's face, forcing him to make eye contact "This was never your fault. I'm to blame, not you. I made him stay, not you".

"But..." Dean began, still weary to look at his father.

"No, listen to me, there is a chance he might of left on his own accord. We can't just assume something took him, Sammy's a smart kid, I wouldn't put it past him to be able to open the door of his own".

"The ice..." Dean tried,

"It got cold last night son, while you were asleep" Jim encouraged, "and it rained. The ice could have formed then, weirder things have happen to us before" he finished looking to Bobby for support.

"Ya idjit, he's probably out there looking for us and got himself lost," Bobby urged.

Dean shakily stood up and nodded, "Dad and I will check the forest for Sam. Would you and Jim be okay to drive back to town and ask around?" He said as calmly as possible.

"Cause kiddo, we'll find your idjit of a brother. It'll be okay" Bobby promised, gripping Dean's shoulder in reinsurance.

Dean watched as the two of them turned round and headed for Jim's car.

The forest looked so peaceful in the morning sunlight. He would find Sam; then he would never let his little brother out of his sight.

Xxx

Hours ticked by, still no sign. The hunters searched relentlessly. Everywhere. And with each passing moment Dean's heart broke a little more. Bobby and Jim scalded the town, they asked anyone they could find, searched every diner, every rundown motel - anywhere Sammy may have gone.

Nothing.

By the time the hunters met again, the sun was setting. Oranges and pinks stripped the horizon - it was beautiful but no one could bring themselves to appreciate the sight.

"Anything?" Dean asked hopefully,

"Sorry kiddo, no one's seen him. No one since yesterday morning. We ran into so many dead ends, we tried son," Bobby said looking to the ground.

"But after we split up and I went to check the library, to check if he went there," Jim interjected. "But the librarian recognised me from earlier, she found the local folk lore books we wanted. Sweet girl, she let me take them cause I didn't have time to stop. They're in my car at the moment, I'll put them in the Impala, you might want to have a look" he gestured behind him.

Having no interest in them John started, "We hiked through the South and West sections of the forest, by the time we finished it was almost dusk. It's getting late, we can't continue-"

"-We can, Sammy's out there. I won't leave him. We can still hike through the North and East, he could have taken a wrong turn, he could have-"

"Dean, calm down. We can't go on, we're all tired, son-"

"Don't you dare! I know you don't care, you never do! You wanna give up, you wanna leave him here. You didn't want him around anyway cause you think he's a burden!" Dean yelled, taking the three hunters by surprise.

"Dean, that's not wha-"

"-You think he's a waste of space and every opportunity you let him know that! You never give him credit for his school work or grades! Sammy's been top of every class he walks in to, did you even know that? Can't for once you be proud of him?"

"Wait a sec-"

"-Sammy's younger than me, of course he isn't as good but you'll see Sam will be a better hunter than you or me! I'm so proud of him and now I'll never get to tell him that," Dean finished completely out of breath; trembling and awaiting his father's response.

Pastor Jim and Bobby looked just as shocked as John. No one spoke for awhile, so Dean allowed his words to wash over him. He waited for the come-back, the argument, the punishment for speaking out of line. But it never came. Until, John finally whispered,

"Okay Dean, we'll carry on looking".

Xxx

Dean ran through the silence, shrubs and bushes rustled in his wake. Calling his brother's name on repeated, he still could hear his dad in the distance doing the same.

Never again, never, ever, ever again would he leave Sam on his own. His mother had made him promise all those years ago; the moment she brought him home from the hospital. That he would always protect that tiny bundle of white cotton blankets because: Sammy belonged to him (and no one else).

Dean tripped over a large tree root, up strung from the ground, and landed hard on the earthly floor. Pushing himself back up only to see blood on his hand. 'Just brilliant' he thought sadistically, but with no time to waste Dean quickly returned to his search.

Brushing his hands clean on his trousers, realisation dawned on him - the spots of blood wasn't returning. Wasn't leaking through the supposed cuts.

This is not his blood.

Shocked Dean slowly looked around to see an untidy trail of redy-black that had seeped and spattered across the damp forest floor.

"What the hell? Whose...?" Dean voiced his confusion, brow furrowed. "...Sammy" he whispered in horror as his own blood ran cold. His stomach launched and his gag reflex set in; Dean leaned on the nearest tree for support as he choked his lungs out.

'No, no, no. This can't be Sammy's blood, he isn't, he can't be,' he thought starting to edge forward and follow the trail, heading away from John. He wearily noticed the shades of moonlight streak through the small breaks in the leaves above. And how a deathly chill began to filter between the trees.

Xxx

Sam's half-musk hazel eyes flicker open as his consciousness resurfaces. A haunting ballad of water droplets echo in his ears. He could tell the forest was still steeped in opulence, as heavy curtains fell from the heavens. The rain filters tauntingly into the relatively dry interior of the cave, it escapes down the pillows of moss coated walls. A sepulchral silence overhung him - where nothing stirred. The dampness of earth tickled under Sam's fingertips as he laid motionless on his back. He briefly registers a throbbing pain in his leg, before his mind becomes distracted again by the rain.

Utterly detached, Sam remembers yesterday's events as if he is at the theatre. He recalls the morning with character's playing Dean, Dad and himself; they rush breakfast at some unhygienic diner in town. Character Dean leaves Sam at the motel to chat up girls in the park. By late afternoon, character's Pastor Jim and Bobby arrive. Then they briefly research the local folk lore of werewolves in the library - much to the protest of character Sam. After packing up, they drive around for hours before the sky faded to dark blue and they finally pull up in the middle of nowhere. The echo of their words past over Sam as the moss entombed cave surfaces once again in his vision.

He wishes Dean was here. Why wasn't Dean here?

Sam can't remember.

Fur tickles the side of his face, moving to his cheek, forcing Sam to focus his bleary awareness. A wolf's muzzle rubs against his face once more, making Sam's mouth twitch into a smile as a giggle escaped his lips.

"Go 'way" he mumbled into the icy air, he breath condensing. When had it gotten so cold?

But the creature instead investigates his leg. There's a dull pain that sharpens temporarily then dies back down. The apathy momentarily washed from him, causing him to look around in confusion.

Dean isn't here. Why isn't Dean here? Dean should be here.

He struggles weakly, sliding his elbows next to his head, to prop himself up. Trying to push up into a sitting position. A huge paw pushed down on his chest causing the air to whoosh out of his lungs.

"Nuh uh, gotta 'ind Dee. Not now. I don' have time for this" Sam slurred but slacked in defeat and began to hazily stare around the cave again.

Sam's body shook before, violently, he shivered with no way to control himself, his muscles felt tight. Everything seems out of place but strangely, but he found he could not care less.

The world slowed down. Sam's breaths became exceedingly laboured as if his body was preparing itself for something. He tried to gain but little composer he had. Closing his eyes, Sam counted down form ten trying to calm himself.

Pain exploded inside Sam's bones, every inch of his body began to convulse, each heartbeat pumped burning blood through his veins. Sam twisted and buckled as his insides felt like they were liquidising.

Bizarrely, as the seconds tickled past, it become a pleasant experience against the cold.

Sam peered through his eyelashes; a silver light erupted from behind the mouth of the cave and Sam saw no more.

Xxx

Darkwalkers do not remember anything of their previous life. When they transform for the first time, they will have new powers and senses that they could not have been able to conceive before; but it will not seem strange, because they have no past experiences from which to draw comparison.

Sam was himself, then he was void. His body ached, bones clicked, his ears twitched. Lifting his head, his nose winced at the smell of his own blood. Then another more potent smell crippled his senses, he twisted quickly whipping his body into a low crouch as a small growl escaped his lips.

Three much larger wolves stared at him in anticipation. The silvery, white coloured one took a step forward. Sam let another growl escape this muzzle allowing the other one know, he wasn't comfortable being so close. Though he wasn't sure why. So instead, the gray wolf with lighter paws and neck, sharing the same piecing orange eye colour as the whitish wolf, moved closer.

Sam relaxed slightly, but whined as the adrenaline in his body subsided; the feeling of nerves electrifying in his left leg momentarily crippled him.

The gray wolf bolted forward; catching him as he fell. While Sam hazily worked through the pain. The third wolf seemed to be torn between helping or attentively watching; his deep rusty-brown fur was a startling contrast to the mossy green backdrop.

Regaining his balance, Sam dipped his head and kept it there. All of these wolves were older, bigger and more powerful. He wavered, shock crossing his features, when he felt the gray wolf brush against him in comfort; causing him to look up questionably. Why would they be so forward? What was going on? Were they asking him to join them?

Staying bowed he looked to the white-coat alpha when he heard the answer.

'Of course...'

At first Sam believed those word to be his own thoughts. However, the whirlwind of emotions attached it soon made it clear they were foreign. He could understand them and their feelings, which was strange but then again, had he expected something different? Wait. Could they understand what he was feeling?

'Yes, youngling...'

Sam startled. That voice was friendship, compassion, dominance, benevolence, kindness and power all at once. To explain it correctly, Sam decided the term was overwhelming. He understood. Understood that he would obey. That the three older wolves wanted to protect him, to look after him. He didn't, however, understand why. But the thought was quickly washed from his head as a Tsunami of images and words flooded through their connection.

The others could smell it before he could - danger. A hunter. Or whatever that could possibly be. It was only a word thrown between them with venom in their tones.

Yet, Sam felt himself shrink at the idea, the smell of death and cruelty. It scared him. The gray and white wolves didn't notice; too busy sharing thoughts. However, the brownish wolf gracefully swept past the two. He noticed the way, Sam sank at the concept of a 'hunter' and all the emotional connotations it gave him through their connection.

'Do not be afraid little one, we'll wait and hide then if that fails we'll move quickly and be out of their way' he said rubbing Sam's ear with his muzzle affectionately. It seemed almost familiar but Sam could quite place the thought.

'It's time to leave' the whitish one said interrupting the their bonding.

The one standing closest him looked startled. 'Hold on James, you said we would stay. He's just changed, he barely has enough energy to stand,' the brownish wolf argued 'we should wait a bit longer, let him rest'.

'We've waited long enough Tom. The hunters are on our tracks, we gonna have to leave. Especially since yellow-eyes left us with Sophia and Kai dead and hunters on our backs. We no longer have the numbers or the power to take them'.

'James is right, we need to leave now or it'll be our hides on the rack' the gray one said.

'But Leo, he can't he's injured..' Tom began.

'We will be there to help him,' Leo counted.

Before Sam could stop himself he spoke up, still not entirely sure what was actually going on. 'These hunters, what are they? Do they want to hurt us?' he asked naively. The three wolves turned to face him.

'If we let them catch us, Sophia and Kai were good but the hunters were better,' James explained.

Sam's stomached clutched, his anxiety increasing. He had no idea how to fight, how defend himself; he didn't know what a hunter looked like, 'Will they get me?'.

'We won't let them'.

Xxx

'Sammy, you can't be dead. No, no, no...'

Dean thought as he pushed on, the blood on the floor just seemed like too much. Patches had dried but some was still sticky to touch. He could hear John calling his name.

"Dad! This way!" He answered back, pulling a branch to the side. Dean stopped to look at the moon the werewolves would be out again, he glanced at the path ahead. The East of the forest steeped up, revealing a collections of catacombs in the cliff face woven with moss and climbers.

The blood had lessen, some patches here and there but Dean already knew where they could possibly lead.

Dean crouched, tugging his revolver from his jacket pocket and waited for John to catch up. The wind blow a chilly breeze through his hair causing shivers to track down his spine and into his hands. The gun clattered. He would find Sam alive and never let his little brother out of his sight; he would never lose the most important thing in his life.

John joined him shortly after and immediately understood why Dean had hidden himself. The caves above were undoubtedly the werewolves den; paw-prints lead randomly to the mouth of the biggest cave.

"If Sam's there it's too dangerous to just walk in, we need a plan".

Xxx

They waited too long, the hunters were already outside.

James glanced over to their newest member, he was young and weak - easy pickings for those monsters. Walking over, he was glad by the way 'Sam' no longer rallied from him. The members of a pack are forced to obey their alpha even it goes against their own will. He could feel the bond growing and his control over Sam strengthening; he could also feel Sam's psychic powers settling. James knew he would have to keep those under control.

So he gentle rested his muzzle on Sam's neck in a comforting gesture; they would protect him. James hated the smell of dried blood on Sam's leg and how the little one tried so hard not to put much weight on it. He wished Leo had been gentler but that couldn't be helped. Hearing Sam whine in reply, he straighten up ready to lead their escape.

'Tom, Leo I'll hold the hunter off while the two of you take Sam and run, we'll head south-east downwind until we lose them,' James ordered.

The others nodded in reply.

'On three then'

Xxx

Staying low the hunters slowly approached the cave; guns raised ready to shoot anything in the way of them getting to Sam.

John barely had any warning. One moment bright orange eyes lit up the interior of the cave; the next, the giant form of a white wolf was on him. Throwing John a good few yards back then pinning him to the ground with its huge paws.

Utterly focused on John, the animal hadn't seemed to notice Dean, so he raised his gun to shoot - when suddenly another, albeit much smaller, wolf jumped him from behind. It had managed to escape through one of the smaller catacombs due to its size. Pinning him face down; his revolver fell a couple of yards from his torso.

"DEAN!" John yelled catching a glimpse of a black wolf attacking his eldest. Within seconds the wolves had gotten the better of them; so much for their plan.

Both hunters reached desperately for their guns but Dean was forced to buckle under the pressure of the wolf on top of him. He twisted as best he could for a better look at his attacker.

Past the jade black fur, he found himself lost in tidal-pools of unearthly blue, but more than that - he saw fear... and empathy. They were werewolves. Mere supernatural animals. So then why? The more Dean thought about it, they angry he grew. They didn't have the right to feel sympathy for him because these monsters took Sam.

Dean halted. Wait. He counted six yesterday, had he been wrong? Three ran. Leaving three behind. Two dead. But the black wolf which escaped from them the night before had been much, much bigger, having yellow eyes. This one was smaller, having blue eyes. There had been seven, not six. Meaning there were now five left instead of four, but the other three were nowhere in sight. Dean didn't care, they were all going to die anyway.

"Just do it already" Dean yelled at the wolf, "just kill me! I know you want too, so what are you waiting for?!"

But still, neither would make a move.

For just a second Dean thought he saw those blue eyes turn hazel. But as quickly as they had, they turned back. The wolf began to apply more pressure and before soon it hurt to breath.

Dean could hear John yell something but the words were difficult to understand as the world began to spin. From the corner of his vision, he could see two more wolves approaching just as big as the first - one an ashy blur and one a dark brownish. The wolf on top of him whimpered and relieved some of the pressure enough for Dean to gasp a much needed breath of air.

He spluttered, then as if someone was turning up the speakers. Dean heard the two very loud, very angry voices and an onslaught of gunshots. Jim and Bobby.

The wolves raised their hackles. Drawing their ears back, they released the hunters and bolted. Dean and John struggled to regain their bearings before grabbing their guns and firing until the rounds emptied.

The four wolves disappeared through the trees and the air felt colder as the hunters circled closer.

All misses. Not one bullet made a direct hit. But that was quickly forgotten, Dean rushed to the cave entrance, only to full heavily on the rock side. Blood painted the ground, decorating the floor, the only trace of his little brother.

Pulling himself back up, he walked further in. The deeper inside he went more bones little the ground - he wondered if any of them belonged to Sam. He could hear Jim and Bobby call his name from the mouth of the cave but he continued. Until, finally he hit a dead end.

"SAM! SAMMY!"... No reply. He shakily turned back 'no, no, no, no, no...'

When his foot brushed against something soft. Freezing for a moment, Dean looked down but was under to see in the dark so he reached down and attentively wrapped his fingers around the material by his feet. Picking it up he moved once more to the mouth of the cave, to get a better look in the moonlight.

It was the ruined remains of Sam's jacket. He was too late.

"No, no, no Sammy. Oh god, I'm so, so sorry. Please, no..." Dean begged, his body trembling. With tears swelling from green eyes, he fell to his knees, he had managed to lose the one thing he truly cared about.

Xxx

John watched Dean trudge out of the cave holding Sammy's jacket and held his head low. He knew. They were too late. John glanced round to Jim and Bobby to see grief, pain, and loss painting their faces; he turned back, surprised to only see determination in Dean's eyes.

And he understood. They would hunt those wolves to the end of the earth for what they have done. For killing Sam. Just like the thing which killed Mary. But now, this took top priority.

This wasn't the beginning, anymore than it was the end; this was start of their end. It was - the middle. A centre of gravity in which everything else spiralled out, except things fall apart.

But things don't just fall apart. Something has to break them first. Something Supernatural.

Xxx

Dun dun duuuuuun! Mawahahaha, the plot thickens... xxx

Scarlet Frost