CREEPING UP THE BACKSTAIRS

What happens when Sam reaches that rebellious stage.

A Teen Winchester Supernatural Fan Fiction.

By Skag Trendy

I don't own the Winchesters. If I did I wouldn't be working here I promise you!

And not all things supernatural belong to Erik. If you truly believe that then you haven't

met me!

When you're creepin' up the backstairs
Mother's nightmares
Falling in the front door
My my.
Climbing in the window
Get dressed, let's go
Take your brother's car keys
Bye bye

-The Fratellis, Costello Music.

On that note, can't you just see where this is going….?

Summer had finally arrived bringing with it warm nights and lazy days. Dean Winchester was most relieved; it meant that may be, just may be, his little brother wouldn't be home so much, preferring to spend his free time either at the lake messing about with the other kids (provided he got to know them well enough this time and the Winchesters didn't pack up and leave again) or going for long solitary walks. Something Sam had made a habit of lately.

And that was fine by Dean.

Because, frankly, as much as Dean worshipped Sam, recent months had proved rather trying. Sam was hitting that major rebellious phase of teenage angst, and was driving Dean up the wall with his mood swings. He could go from silent and sullen to outright angry and pissy very quickly.

Usually all in the space of a few seconds.

Dean had tried to talk to his little brother about it, but Sam was shutting him out. Dad had tried to explain:

"You were just the same, Dean, when you went through it. Just be patient. He'll come around in time. You did. Almost." John Winchester chuckled a little and smiled kindly at his oldest son before heading out on a nights hunt.

To which Dean had taken immediate offence and stomped off back to working on the Impala; worst of all it only made him angrier because it seemed to prove his dad's point.

In truth, John was getting just as tired of Sam's attitude of late. He seemed to relish defying him at every turn. At least Dean had done as he was told without question.

Dean sighed as he leaned over the engine block of the Impala, checking the spark plugs. Sam was becoming more of a mystery to him as time went on.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He heard a sudden shout nearby and Dean jerked upwards, hitting his head on the hood.

"Ow!" He stepped round the car to see what all the commotion was, and spotted his fifteen year old brother kicking a soccer ball around.

Right near Dean's precious Impala!

"Sam." Dean growled menacingly. "That ball so much as even goes within three feet of this car…"

"Yeah I know. You'll kick my ass." Sam rolled his eyes a little, then grinned at Dean. "You wanna play?" He then proceeded to turn those eyes onto his older brother in the pleading puppy-dog look that he had perfected pretty much from the moment he'd fought his way out of their mother's womb.

Dean thought for a moment then glanced at his watch. He could afford to spend some time with his younger brother. May be he'd finally be able to get through to him. "Just give me minute ok Sammy? I need to cleared up in here." He grinned at Sam's smile; it'd been a while since he last saw it. "But I can only play for half hour. I need to get the brake lines fixed before tomorrow. Now get that damn ball away from my car!"

Sam wandered away to the grassy edge of the parking lot, dribbling the ball as he went. Stopping for a moment he wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced around. Their current apartment was housed just down the road from the school he attended, which in turn was about two miles away from the lake. He had planned to go there this afternoon with some school buddies, but changed his mind at the last moment. For some reason he wanted to spend some time with Dean. Sam had been feeling kinda strange of late; he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong, but may be his brother would be able to take his mind off it. He just wanted to feel normal for a change, but instead had been going off the deep end every time someone so much as looked at him wrong.

He thought of what that doctor had told him on his last visit to the hospital.

The same thing his brother was always telling him: normal is relative.

Rhianne. She'd patched him up after the last hunt. John Winchester trusted her, mainly because he'd once worked with her father, but also because she was a fine doctor.

And she asked no questions.

And we all know what that leads to: tell no lies!

Sam turned just in time to see his brother bearing down on him as he tackled him to the grass. Laughing he fought back though Dean didn't make it easy on him. He knew how ticklish Sam was, and pretty soon Sam was writhing on the grass giggling helplessly.

"Dean! We're supposed to be playing Soccer not American Football!" he broke off as he laughed even harder.

Dean sat up and grinned, releasing his brother. "Aw come on Sammy! Where's the fun in sticking to the rules huh? A guy's gotta cut loose once in a while." Then he grabbed the ball and ran off with it.

"Dean!" Sam took off after his brother. He was fast catching up with Dean height-wise, and his legs were much longer, therefore it wasn't long before he was level with his brother and managed to wrench the ball away.

He turned, ducked and ran the other way. Laughing hard, Dean feinted left but Sam was ready for it. Releasing the ball, Sam expertly kicked up and headed the ball away from Dean, just as Dean tackled him to the ground once more.

"Dean, you're supposed to kick the ball you jerk!"

"Yeah but it's so much more fun kicking your ass bitch!" Dean ruffled Sam's hair, earning him a half-hearted groan of annoyance, then rolled over on to his back staring up at the sky. The grin on his face was one of bliss. This was what it was all about, spending quality time with his little brother, sharing jokes and taking the piss out of each other. Not arguing and shouting. He'd missed this.

Sam seemed to feel the same way because when Dean glanced over at him, he was still lying on his back on the grass, smiling happily.

Flipping over on to his front, Dean pulled up a blade of grass and proceeded to chew it. "So, you wanna tell me what's goin' on with you kiddo?"

Sam frowned and Dean wondered if he'd over-stepped the mark. For a while he wasn't sure if Sam would answer him.

"I dunno Dean." Sam eventually turned his head to look at him. "I just….." he sighed, "something doesn't feel right with me. I just don't seem to fit in anywhere. And I want to Dean, I need to."

Dean mulled that over for a second. "Well Sam, you seemed to be doin' ok; you got a circle of friends at school. You spend a lot of time with them, so you must be fitting in ok with them."

Sam turned back to his sky exploration, wincing a little. That wasn't entirely true. He only hung around with them because they were the same age as him, but he didn't really fit. He knew it, they knew it. And they took every opportunity to remind him of it. They tolerated him at the moment because he was new on the scene. But they were all he had, apart from when he was hunting with his Dad and brother. His school friends were the closest he'd ever had to normal, and he was worried about how long that was going to last. "I just wish…"

"What Sammy? What dya wish for?"

Sam frowned again, then suddenly leapt up with the grace of a cat and raced after the ball. "Wish you could see the look on your face dude! I got the ball!"

"Oh and Dean? How'd you know a dog hasn't peed on that blade 'o grass?"

Dean grinned and shook his head. How did his little brother grow from awkward and clumsy to Mr Agile so quickly. And to AKA Mr Smartass.

They spent the next few minutes kicking the ball around, laughing and joking with each other. It felt like old times.

That was until a window was smashed in a nearby apartment.

It hadn't really been any one's fault, though Sam had been the one to kick the ball in the first place. Soon there was angry shouting and lot of choice swear words were employed.

Dean grabbed Sam by his T-shirt and dragged him out of sight around the building.

He looked into Sam's guilty face and started laughing. "Dude it's ok!" and when Sam started chewing on his lip nervously he laughed even harder. "It's ok. No one saw us!"

"But Dean! Who's gonna pay for the window?" Sam asked, anxiously. "Supposing Dad finds out! I'll be grounded for eternity! I'll be in therapy for the rest of my life! I'll be stuck living at home with Dad when I'm forty!" Even Sam was fighting a smile now.

"Sammy that won't happen. Don't sweat it." Dean glanced across the parking lot and watched his Dad's car pull up. "In any case, forty? Really?" Dean laughed again. "Not before muder take place. Look, I'll take care of it ok?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As they later sat at the dinner table, feasting on macaroni cheese, John Winchester suddenly spoke up.

"So you boys wanna tell me about the window?"

There was a guilty silence as Sam and Dean exchanged glances.

"Pardon sir?" Dean asked politely.

His father got to his feet and left the room for a moment, and when he came back he was holding a Soccer ball. He laid it carefully on the table.

"The neighbours claim this is the ball that broke their living room window this afternoon. And if you'll notice the close similarities to the Soccer ball I got a certain someone for their fifteenth birthday this year…" His voice tailed off. John was clearly not amused with his sons. He glared at his youngest.

"Dad, it was me. My bad ok?" Dean, not for the first time, covered for his little brother. He'd promised him it would be ok, after all. When it looked as though Sam was going to protest, he kicked him sharply under the table. "I'll pay for the window, replace it myself even."

When his father spoke his voice was a deep even tone, with strong hints of anger.

"Don't lie to me son. I know you're covering for Sam. Again!" John hadn't missed the sharp in take of breath as Dean's foot had connected with Sam's leg. "Just like the burnt carpet incident…."

Dean remembered a few of these.

Sam, as most teenagers do when being told not to do something, had been experimenting with cigarettes and accidentally burnt a hole in his bedroom carpet. John's security deposit on their previous apartment had gone well and truly south over that one.

"….then there was the cat….."

Sam, against his father's permission, had gone out and adopted a sick stray cat, which had promptly thrown up all over the kitchen floor. It had taken days to get rid of the smell.

"….then there was the infamous School Scientific Experiment that went drastically wrong."

Again in the kitchen.

Don't ask.

John stared at Sam for such a long time that the atmosphere in the room became even more uncomfortable.

His next words were slow, steady, like a judge passing sentence, and brooked no argument. "Sam I've just about had it with you. There'll be no TV for a month, no going to the lake or even seeing your school buddies for the entire summer, and no hunting. In fact, apart from school, you are effectively housebound until further notice." John sat back down at the table, "now go to your room."

Sam, his face like thunder, silently got up and left.

Dean watched his brother leave with concern etched on his face. He glanced back at his father. "Dad…"

"The decision's been made Dean and that's that."

And that was that. Case closed.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Dean made his way to Sam's bedroom door and listened. Silence.

He gave a tentative knock. No answer.

Dean shrugged and opened the door anyway.

Sam was lying on his side on the bed. Although his face was dry his red eyes seemed to indicate there had been waterworks at some point.

Dean sighed and sat on the bed next to Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yo bitch." He said softly.

Sam didn't answer, just carried on staring out the window.

"Sam, I'll talk to him ok? I promise. We're out hunting a werewolf tonight, I'll try then."

"Don't bother Dean. You know what he's like when he's made up his mind." Sam's whispered despondently. "I don't mean to screw up…..I .." His eyes closed for a second, before he opened them again. "But I just keep on doin' it"

"Sammy hey! It wasn't your fault. It could just as easily have been me that broke the stupid window."

Sam finally turned to face his brother. "But it wasn't you."

Dean didn't like the look in Sam's eyes. It spelt trouble.

"You gonna be ok here tonight kiddo?"

Sam just nodded and turned back to glass-watching.

Dean patted Sam on the shoulder and squeezed. "Just call me ok? If you wanna talk."

He got up and left the room.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Dean watched his father at the kitchen table as he finished up cleaning the weapons. He desperately wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what or how. Something was up with Sam. It'd been brewing for a while now, but tonight had acted as some kind of trigger. He wasn't happy at leaving Sam behind on this hunt.

"Dean? You riding with me tonight?" John startled Dean out of his thoughts.

"Yes sir." But his response was half-hearted and John heard it.

"He'll be ok Dean." John reached out and squeezed Dean's shoulder. "He's just needs some time to reflect on his behaviour. But I'm proud of the way you try to protect him. Even from me."

Dean nodded. Normally he would have been ecstatic at hearing such rare praise, but not tonight.

John and Dean Winchester headed out for the night.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The phone was ringing.

Sam ignored it.

It continued to ring

Sam continued to ignore it.

Eventually, he got fed up with hearing it so he just picked up the receiver and slammed it down again.

Anger coursed through him as he wandered through the apartment. He knew his "friends" would be out at the lake by now, probably sitting round a campfire, swapping ghost stories.

How he longed to be a part of that!

Especially as he kinda had the inside track on the paranormal.

The only thing that would've topped that was being with his brother.

It hurt that his dad couldn't trust him, and it was beginning to feel like he never would. But then Sam couldn't trust himself. He couldn't do anything right.

His anger and frustration grew, as did his sense of loneliness.

Sam no longer felt he was a part of this world.

Which is why he did what he did….

Wandering into Dean's bedroom Sam sought what he wanted.

The keys to the Impala, buried beneath the usual crap that came outta Dean's pockets whenever he emptied them.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Dean was getting worried. He'd tried calling Sam but he didn't answer at first, and then when he did Dean was pretty sure it was to slam the phone down on him.

So Sam was in a grump.

Still.

Well, Dean couldn't really blame him.

"Dean?" John called to him. "You will have the brakes fixed tomorrow, right? Only I got another hunt in the pipeline and I need you to be research guy."

"Yes sir!" He hadn't the time to finish the car in the end, and Dean was glad.

Though the evening had ended badly, he'd still managed to get closer to Sam and whatever weird thoughts were running through his freaky head.

That had to be worth it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

His dad had locked him in the apartment, but Sam was raised as a hunter. Sneaking out the building via the wrought iron fire escape had been child's play.

Pretty appropriate, Sam thought grimly. And creeping my way backup shouldn't a problem either.

He made his way across the floodlit parking lot to Dean's Impala, opened the door and slid behind the wheel.

He knew how to drive. His dad and Dean had taken pains to teach him should they need him as their escape on a hunt.

Though they probably wouldn't trust him to now, he thought with mild bitterness.

Sam turned the engine over and roared out the parking lot.

Heading down the straight, Sam relaxed behind the wheel. This felt good.

Freedom.

And he didn't want to come back, so he made a decision and put his foot down harder.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

This is so fucking boring! Dean thought to himself as he rounded a tree. He and dad had been out here for hours with no sign of a werewolf. Not even a drop of blood. Not even a pile of whatever would constitute – and Dean felt a bit sick at this thought – a pile of werewolf shit.

His thoughts kept going back to Sam.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sam was cruising now, his head laid back a little, and he felt relaxed.

He had traveled well past the lake and was in unfamiliar territory, so he wasn't aware of the bend in the road until it was upon him.

Gasping in surprise, he swung the wheel hard left and stepped on the brakes…

…..which didn't respond.

The Impala spun ninety degrees and, when Sam tried to compensate, dived down into a ditch. The front bumper slammed up against a tree.

Sam lay unconscious in the driver's seat, head bleeding and his right arm twisted at an awkward angle.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Dean! Get over here!"

"I'm trying Dad!"

John was pinned down, not by a werewolf but by a wendigo.

Not good.

Dean was also pinned down by a wendigo and having a bit of a struggle.

"Dad! Retreat!"

So both Winchester's came to the conclusion that staying here any longer was just gonna get them both killed, and ran for it.

They weren't equipped for this.

Reports said werewolf.

Not wendigo.

Werewolf.

There was quite a fucking difference between the two.

And Christ on a fucking moped there were two of them!

Racing back to John's truck, they piled in and drove away at high speed.

John was staring at the road ahead, whilst Dean was nursing a rather nasty cut to his upper arm.

He was lucky that was the only injury he'd sustained tonight.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Rhianne was working the nightshift at the hospital and the lazy night was catching up with her. She didn't in all honesty know which was a harder shift: the busy ones went quickly, the slow ones went, well, slow.

They were all knackering.

Swings and roundabouts, she thought.

There came loud shouting at the entrance of the OR unit so she made her way quickly down there.

"We have a white male, early teens, RTC…" She heard being rattled off, so Rhianne stepped in. "Do we have an ID?"

On of the male EMTs spoke up. "No ID."

Then Rhianne saw who it was and gasped.

"I know this kid. Get him stabilized and I'll call his father."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

John's cell phone rang. He ignored it.

It continued to ring.

He continued to ignore it.

Dean, in frustration, reached into his father's jacket pocket and answered.

"'Yeah!"

John glanced across at his oldest son.

"Rhianne? What happened?" Dean sounded panicky now. He listened for a while before glancing up at his father.

"Dad get to the hospital now! Sam's hurt!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Rhianne didn't really have too much time to go into detail on the phone.

Sam Winchester lay in the OR with people running round him. He hadn't woken up yet.

Sammy she thought sadly to herself as she stitched and bandaged his head. His broken arm, and in addition, broken leg had been dealt with.

Particularly the broken leg. The femoral artery had been spliced and now blood loss was a problem.

She loved this kid.

He'd been so lost and alone that day his friends had run off to the lake without him. He had the sweetest nature, and they didn't respect that.

They'd made it plain he wasn't really needed around them.

Rhianne knew what it was like. She'd grown up amongst hunters, and though she wasn't a born hunter herself, she knew how this could affect a person's life.

This troubled kid needed time to figure things out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She knew immediately the rest of the Winchesters had arrived. The noise was almost deafening.

Rhianne walked up to John calmly and sat him down; the expression on his face suggested that for just this once he would do as he was told.

Now there's a fucking first! She thought.

Dean was another matter, however. His face was pale and he was almost panicking.

"Rhianne, please tell me what's happening with Sam." John pleaded with her.

Dean blinked. His father never pleaded with anyone.

She took a breath. "Sam was found at the driver's seat of your car Dean. He's broken his arm and leg, and suffered severe blood loss. And there is a nasty head injury." She glanced closely at the Winchesters again. "But I think he'll be ok. He just needs time."

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Time was the one thing Sam needed and the last thing John and Dean wanted.

But Sam tried to come through for them both. He tried so hard.

His eyes slowly fluttered open around 4am.

And he was scared.

He felt the oxygen mask resting against his face and panicked, groaning in the pain that soon assaulted him, and started breathing quickly.

Then he remembered what he'd done to Dean's car, and he was really scared.

Sam started to hyperventilate.

John and Dean suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

"It's ok kiddo. You'll be ok." Dean's voice was gentle and comforting. "Just calm down ok? Calm down Sammy."

But Sam was in the full throws of a panic attack now.

His eyes soon rolled back into his head.

Sam carried on hyperventilating and the various monitors started bleeping around him.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled as assorted medical staff appeared in the room, shoving him and his father out. "Sam no!"

Medical terms were called out, none of which meant anything to Dean and John, but it soon became clear that they were losing Sam.

Voices were loud, monitors continued to bleep in an ear-splitting tone as Sam fought for his life.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Echoes all around….

Dean. Gotta help Dean fix the car. Dean?

I'm here Sammy.

My fault…

It's ok Sam. A car can be fixed. But you gotta come back to me…can't replace you Sammy.

DEAN!!!!

He wasn't going to make it, and it was so unfair. He got it now.

Dean…..

…all fading….

No Sam! Come back! Come back to me little bro!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When Sam had heard of life flashing before one's eyes in death, he never believed it.

'Til now…..

Time sped up a notch.

The hours that Dean spent time with Sam – it had all gone too fast.

The grazed knees, the lost friendships as they moved on,

The friendships gained if only for little while.

The loved ones lost,

The football matches,

The silly jokes,

The piss taking,

The…..

LOVE…..

They had each other.

It all added up.

Finally,

It all added up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Some hours later John and Dean were in the waiting room. They'd sat quietly for some time.

"That was way too close dad."

John was silent for a moment. "Dean? We need to seriously talk to that kid. He needs help."

Dean raised his head, his voice broken. "Our help dad. He needs our help."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

And Sam got it the minute he left the hospital. His father and brother became his circle of friends once again.

Rhianne watched as the Winchester's left the hospital.

Sam won't be lonely anymore.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&