Disclaimer: Not ours.

Chapter 30

Dean slammed through the door but then stopped, pulling his gun as he saw the man face down in his own blood in a booth. "Sam!" Caleb tried to shove past Dean to look for his brother. They were all dead and there was no sign of Sam. Dean paused and then put his finger in something. "Sulphur." He whispered in fear.

Caleb looked at Dean with wide eyes. "We need to find him!"

Dean nodded and headed out the back but there was no sign of a car or anything. Where could they have gone? "Let's go." Caleb followed, sliding in the front. It felt weird.

They met Bobby at the side of an old highway the next morning. Caleb slid out of the car and looked up at Bobby. Bobby nodded at them and spread a map out. "This is it, all demonic signs and omens over the past month." he told them and Dean frowned.

"Are you joking? There's nothing here!"

Caleb frowned, looking at it. "Should I link up with a satellite to see?"

Dean nodded. "Anyway you could track Sam's phone?"

"It's been deactivated." Caleb replied as he linked up to see if anything is there. "Huh..."

"What?"

"I can't see anything wierd." Caleb sighed. "But John is trying to teach Cameron how to play football. That will not end well."

Dean managed a wan smile at that. "Don't suppose Sam managed to contact them?" Caleb shook his head no. Dean sighed and then jumped as his phone rang. He checked the number before picking up. "Ash, what have you got?...Oh come on! You gotta give us something. We're looking at a three thousand mile haystack here...I don't have time for this!" Dean yelled and then listened some more before hanging up. "Ash has something."

"So... we go talk to Ash then." Caleb shrugged. Dean nodded and they got in their cars. For once there was no music blaring from the Impala as Dean drove. Which worried Caleb. He sighed and rested his head against the glass. Dean glanced at him briefly before speeding up a bit. "We'll find him Dean." Caleb sighed. Dean's knuckles went white around the wheel. How could Caleb be so sure? "He's our brother... he won't stop trying to get back to us." Caleb replied softly. "He promised he wouldn't go away... he won't die."

Dean sighed and took one hand off the wheel, reaching over to Caleb. "Yeah, he promised." he whispered.

Caleb took his hand. "You're not gonna die on me either... you promised."

Dean glanced at him and then tugged him in to rest against his side. "We'll find him." Caleb nodded and nuzzled against Dean. Dean held Caleb with one arm as he drove. He couldn't lose them like he did Dad, he couldn't. The thought of seeing the life drain from Caleb or Sam's eyes, their bodies going cold...it made him sick.

Caleb nuzzled against him. "I won't leave you. Promise not to leave or give up on me?"

Dean just dropped a kiss on the top of his head, tightening his grip on him before his eyes went wide in horror as they approached the smouldering ruins.

Caleb wrinkled his nose and looked up at the ruins. "Oh shit..."

"What the hell?" Dean asked as he got out of the Impala. "You see Ellen?" Dean called to Bobby who was already searching.

"No, no Ash either."

Dean saw something and knelt down, recognising Ash's watch. He tugged and it came up on a burnt arm. Dean dropped it and stumbled away. "Oh Ash. Damn it!" Caleb just stared at the ruin; it was so much like after a Terminator attack back home. Dean looked over at him, seeing that look on his face and sighed. How could he drag Caleb further into this? If he died..."What the hell did Ash know? We've got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she's even alive. We've got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Sam?" He snapped angrily. He was gonna have to do it; he was going to have to break his promise to keep Caleb alive.

"I... I don't know." Caleb sighed.

"Caleb go." Dean whispered and Bobby turned in surprise.

Caleb blinked at Dean. "Wh-what?"

Dean took a deep breath and then looked at Caleb, forcing his face to cold. "Leave. This isn't your business."

Caleb blanched. "How isn't it my business?! Sam's my brother!"

Dean steeled himself, hoping Caleb would realise how much saying this hurt one day. "No he's not."

Caleb's jaw dropped. "Wh-what...?" Dean was trembling with suppressed emotion, fighting the urge to go to Caleb and hold him, kiss him and apologise. But he couldn't. He couldn't let Caleb get killed. Caleb's lower lip trembled, tears brimming. "You don't mean that!" Dean swallowed, choking on his words. "You can't mean that after everything!" Caleb yelled eyes and hands clenched. Dean opened his mouth but then grabbed his head in pain. "Dean!" Caleb ran over to catch him. One hand clung to Caleb as he clutched his head, Bobby rushing over. Dean groaned in pain, eyes clenched shut as images bombarded his mind. "Dean! What's wrong? Vision?" Dean gasped for air as it passed, eyes slowly opening.

"Dean? You with us son?" Bobby demanded and Dean managed a shaky nod.

"What did you see?" Caleb asked.

Dean leant against him groggily. "Sam...saw Sam."

"Where is he?" Caleb asked. "We'll go get him!" Dean's legs gave out on him, his head pounding in agony. It was worse than anything he'd seen Sam suffer, was that because Sam was psychic and he wasn't? Caleb caught him and lowered him to the ground gently. "Dean?"

Dean groaned in pain and Bobby left, returning with a bottle of water and some pain pills. "Get him to swallow these. Whatever happened, his brains not made to handle it."

Caleb nodded and gave him the pills and water. "Come on Dean..." Dean opened his mouth for the pills, knowing they had to get to Sam fast. Caleb rubbed his throat to help him swallow. "Talk to me Dean."

Dean leant against him, mind spinning. "Hurts." Caleb nodded and rubbed his temples. Dean gradually relaxed under the massage as the pills kicked in, eyes clearing. He looked at Caleb, heart torn. He grabbed Caleb and kissed him desperately. Caleb blinked in shock but kissed back, some tears falling, he knew that Dean was lying about not caring, but it still hurt. He wasn't the only one crying as they kissed, their tears mingling as Dean held him close. He finally pulled back, panting, but nuzzled Caleb.

Caleb nuzzled back. "We need to find Sam..."

"You can't come." Dean whispered tearfully.

"Why not?" Caleb asked.

Dean gently stroked his cheek, trying to stop the tears. "Caleb you're not a hunter, you've done good so far kid but this is different. I won't watch you die."

"But I hunted with you guys... I'm good at it..." Caleb sniffled.

"This is it Caleb, the demon. I won't watch him...you go back to Sarah, help her okay? We'll come back for you." Dean whispered, knowing they wouldn't but he couldn't let Caleb know that. He would be safer with Sarah.

"Promise?" Caleb begged softly. Dean swallowed but nodded and kissed him again, ignoring Bobby. Caleb kissed back before getting up and helping him to Bobby. "See you soon?" Bobby supported Dean and nodded at the kid even though he had the sinking feeling Dean had no intention of ever going back for him. Caleb rubbed his eyes and smiled weakly before grabbing his stuff from the car and walking towards the nearest bus station. Dean watched him until he was out of sight.

"Damn you Winchester, just like your Daddy."

"I have to keep him safe." Dean whispered as he straightened up and headed to the Impala. "I saw a big bell with an oak on it. Any idea?"

"Yeah. Follow me."

Caleb found his way to Sarah's, took a few days, he was tired. Sarah frowned when she opened the door to him. "Where's Sam and Dean?"

"Sam got taken by the Demon." Caleb replied. "Dean told me to come help you in the meantime to protect me from the Demon. He promised he'd come get me." He smiled a bit to her, confident that his brothers will come back for him. Sarah nodded and let him in.

"Sam!" Dean screamed in agony as he held Sam's limp body to him, praying for Sam to open his eyes and tell him it was a joke or something but he could feel his body going cold in his arms.

Sam turned to see a shocked Dean in the doorway and smiled slightly at him, eyes searching for Caleb. "Sammy." Dean whispered and then pulled him into a hug making Sam gasp in pain. "Sorry, sorry. Come on sit down." Dean urged and Sam let him help him to a chair.

"Dean what happened? Where's Caleb?" Sam asked in confusion.

"He's fine. Sarah needed his help, they were attacked. He knows you're okay."

"Oh...so it worked? Andy sending you the image of where we were."

"That was Andy? Where is he?"

"Dead." Sam choked and Dean patted his back gently, he'd liked Andy.

Dean stared at the demon, seeing Sam pinned to the tree. He'd been right to send Caleb away, they were all going to die here but at least Caleb would survive. He tuned the demons words out, focused solely on Sam who stared back fearfully but with love in his eyes. So when their Dad tackled the bastard it was a big shock but Dean didn't waste the opportunity and grabbed the Colt, finally ending it.

"Does Caleb know?" Sam demanded and Dean rounded on him.

"Can't you let this go? Be happy the bastard's dead?" Dean pleaded.

"I saw the look on Jake's face Dean, I was dead and now I'm not. Did Caleb..."

"No. I did, Caleb doesn't know. He doesn't know you died. He's busy with Sarah; he doesn't need to be distracted."

"By the fact his brother, lover, is going to die? How long Dean?"

"One year." He admitted and Sam snarled angrily.

"How could you?" Sam demanded.

"You were dead and I...I promised Caleb I'd save you." Dean whispered and Sam deflated, reaching out to pull Dean into his arms.

"We'll fix this; you are not going to hell." Sam swore as Bobby and Ellen approached. "How many demons got free?"

"A hundred? A thousand?" She shrugged.

"An army." Sam whispered.

"Well, we've got work to do." Dean grinned and Sam nodded.

Caleb sat on the steps of Sarah's house looking at the stars. Six months, he hadn't heard from his brothers in six months, the phones were disconnected, he couldn't find them. He sniffled and fought tears as he watched the sky. He missed his brothers, but he had a feeling they were never coming back. He rested his head on his arms and started sobbing quietly. They left him, he really was a glitch, even they no longer wanted his fucked up ass in their life. He never felt so alone.

The End

Incubus 4 is basically a sequel to this.