Legos and Army Men

Chapter 2: Mantra

Note: I didn't intend to do a Chapter 2 for this story, but the idea came to me, so here is it. Unlike the first part, this is not a dialogue-only piece and it takes place immediately after the events in Chapter 1.

Moments passed after Sam's latest inner battle with his hallucinations and Lucifer's derisions. He sat up on the couch. Dean patted his knee.

"You want something to drink?"

"Uh, yeah. Just water I guess," Sam said roughly as he cleared his throat. His head felt funny and he blinked hard several times to try and chase the fog away. It seemed to help.

Dean kept one eye on his brother as he strode to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. He grabbed one for himself, refusing the temptation to suck down a before-noon beer instead. Figuring to grab a snack, he found Bobby's pantry stocked with more guns and ammo than food, but he did manage to dig out a bag of pretzels that seemed edible enough. The crinkling of the bag obstructed Sam's voice from the other room, but Dean heard it second time around.

"Dean?"

Dean called back from the kitchen. "Right here, Sam. You okay?"

When Sam didn't answer, Dean hurried back to the couch and sat down next to his brother.

"Sammy?"

"He's back."

"Damn it! You see him now, where is he? Does he look like me?"

"Next to you. Dean..."

"It's okay, Sam. Remember what we talked about. Think about it. Say it. Repeat it." Moving closer to his brother, Dean adjusted his position so that their shoulders were touching. "That's me, Sam. So if you see me anywhere else other than stuck to your right shoulder, that isn't me."

The disheveled, confused appearance slid over Sam's face - calm moments before - as he struggled to ignore Lucifer's latest blast of mind-warfare. Eyes closed, the mantra that Dean had given him, Legos and Army men, he repeated over and over in his head, to the extent that he began mouthing the words without saying them aloud. When he opened his eyes, he saw Dean had moved to sit on the table in front of him. Or had he? Hadn't Dean just told him that if he saw another version of him anywhere but at his shoulder, it wasn't him? But it looked like him and sounded like him and offered those words of safety that Sam so desperately needed to hear. It had to be Dean. It had to be. He'd reach out to him and Dean would reach back and hang onto his hand like before. And then everything would be okay.

Sam's hand reached forward. Another hand gently pushed it back down. That hand came from his right. Sam felt something leaning into his shoulder. The hand that pushed his down, now sat on his arm. Dean? This was the real Dean. Right? Legos and Army men. Legos and Army men. But the other Dean – or was this the real Dean? No, the other was still in front of him, reaching to him. It had to be Dean.

The next voice though came from his right. It was close. Familiar.

"Remember what I told you, Sammy. I'm still here, leaning on your shoulder. I haven't moved, just like I said. If you see me sitting in front of you, that's Lucifer. Not real. Me, here, shoulder, real. Legos and Army men, man. Don't stop remembering. Say it out loud if you have to. Say it to me. This me - over here on your right. Sam, look at me. Say it."

With fear-borne hesitation, Sam shakily turned his head towards the Dean on his right.

Dean smiled at him. "That's it, Sam. Now say it. You can do this."

"Dean."

"Right here. Shoulder. Remember the words, Sam."

"Legos and Army men."

"That's it."

"Legos and Army men…feel stupid saying this."

"Yeah, well you look stupid saying it too…"

Somewhere from deep inside his utterly confused pschye, Sam puffed out a laugh and stared at his brother.

"What the hell's so funny?"

"I know you're the real Dean for sure now."

"Yeah, and who say's my smart ass remarks aren't good for something, huh? Now, keep saying it."

For several long minutes, Sam repeated his mantra. Lucifer/Dean weaved in and out of his sight like a manic yo-yo. The taunts didn't stop, but the intensity of them lessened until Sam settled himself enough to push the hallucination away completely.

"S'good now."

"Yeah? You sure? No more double Dean?"

"Can't handle two of you. Can barely handle one."

"Who's the smart ass now?"

"Learned from the best."

"Can't argue with that one. Here's your water."

Dean handed the cooled plastic bottle to his brother and moved to get up from the couch. To his surprise, Sam stopped him.

"Dean, no, just…sit. Please."

The cushioned fell under the returning weight. "You said he was gone, Sam."

"Yeah, he is. It's just…I know it's you if you're here." Shoulders leaned together again. "And…"

Sam was greeted with a small smile. "No worries, Sammy. We'll just sit here as long as we need to. Lean back." He pulled Sam with him to settle against the back of the couch. "Got the TV remote, turn on some crap cable and realize there's nothing on TV in the middle of the day except…there it is! Dr. Sexy, M.D."

Laying his head back on the cushion, Sam groaned.

"Shut up, Sam, we're watching it. Haven't seen this in ages!"

"Dean, come on. It reminds of when we were on that Japanese game show."

"The wha….oh yeah…oh, ouch. Now that is a painful memory."

"S'alright. Gonna close my eyes anyway and try this sleep thing again."

Surprised that Sam would even attempt sleep again right now, Dean turned to him.

"You sure?"

"I can't be afraid to sleep. I've gotta deal with this crap somehow. Maybe this whole Legos army guy mantra thing will work. Or at least help a little."

"Helped once already."

"Yeah. You stayin'?"

"Here? Now? With Dr. Sexy on? Yeah, right. My ass is parked, man."

"Just askin'."

Dean slid another inch to his left, then flopped back, crossed his arms and posted his feet on the table. Not once did his shoulder come away from his brother's.

He glanced to his side and cheeked a half smile. "Not goin' anywhere, Sammy."

Sam's quiet sigh of relief followed, even if sleep didn't. The brother's were quiet.

Neither said another word - until forty minutes later when Lucifer again started dragging at those thin threads of sanity within Sam's brittle mind.

Then together, they began the mantra again.

The End

(P.S. If I can think of another idea for a chapter 3, I'll do it, but as of now, this story is complete. Thanks everyone for reading!)