Silent Hunter

Title: Silent Hunter
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRAO
Summary: The demon takes Dean’s hearing – will he continue to hunt?
Author’sNote: I was inspired by this idea. I’m not deaf, and I don’t claim to fully understand the world they live in. I hope this is taken as an inspiration it’s supposed to be. To clarify before the story starts – when you see dialogue with single quotes ‘’ its conversation in ASL (American Sign Language); Italicized ‘’ is conversations over tty/phone/blackberries.
2nd Author’s Note: This is part of series that ties into CSI: Miami:  Silent Witness & Silent Healing

***

Dad had taken off on his own more and more over the past few years. It was like he was suddenly free of the burden of having his sons to watch out for and take care of, and could just focus on finding the demon. It had been four weeks since Dean had had an actual conversation with his father, and even more since he laid eye on him. Hell, the only reason he even knew the bastard was alive was because he kept getting coordinates on his phone.

Dean looked at the map and checked the coordinates. Another small town in the middle of nowhere USA. He tossed it onto the passenger side of the car and headed towards Nowheresville, Idaho to check out a haunted hotel. Metallica blaring out the windows, the roar of the engine under his feet, all was good in the world for Dean Winchester. Except for the fact he was tired, not just physically, though he felt as if he could sleep for the next few weeks, but also mentally. The only thing that kept him going was the hunt.

It was something Sammy had never understood. The hunt. Taking out all the evil sons of bitches in this world. If one kid slept peacefully and unworried about the monster in the closet, Dean had done his job. But Sam just saw him as his father’s son, and in a sense he was. He was a soldier, he took dad’s orders, he fought and bled for the cause. Sam didn’t want this life, but he never understood that Dean did, and it had nothing to do with their mother’s death. Don’t get him wrong – he wanted the son of a bitch dead, but that was dad’s quest not his. Dean had just made himself a new quest, and made his own path. Just because it followed the road their dad built for them didn’t make it less worthy than the perfect “normal” life of college, career with a wife and kids.

He startled slightly when his phone rang. Staring at it as if it was possessed, he grabbed it and flipped it open.

‘Dean.’

“Dad?” he glanced at the phone again. Well if you think of the devil he calls.

‘I need you to come down here.’

“Where are you?” Dean pulled over to the side of the road. “What’s the case…” He stilled, his hands shook softly. “You think it’s him, the demon?”

‘It’s him alright, bastard is after another family.’

“I’m on my way.” Dean hung the phone out and leaned his head against the steering wheel, variety of emotions going through him. He dialed the number before even realizing it.

‘Hello? Anyone there? Damn it, Tom if this is a joke…’

Dean hung up the phone, slipping it into his pocket. He turned the car around and headed for Texas, to finally put down the bastard that destroyed his family.

***

The first thing he noticed was the pain. Sharp, agonizing pain that settled through his whole body. The second thing he noticed was the blinding light. He blinked and tried to turn his head to get away from the light. When he couldn’t move he started to struggle, but hands held him down, sending him off into a blind panic. A sudden burst of pain shot up his spine into his head, he cried out and slipped back into the welcoming darkness.

When he woke up the second time, he felt the blessed numbness that morphine brings. He looked around the sterile hospital room, taking in the machines and monitors. He frowned trying to remember how he got here; he remembered dad calling. He had a lead on the demon…

***

He had parked the Impala next to dad’s truck. Walked up to room number six, a smirk on his face ready to give shit to his father about the room number. For as long as he could remember, they had never stayed in a room with the number six or thirteen. He had knocked on the door, his senses going on alert when the door swung open. He pulled his gun and called out as he stepped over the threshold. Trained eyes swept the room looking for anything out of place, and something wasterribly out of place: there were no salt lines.

He never saw the first blow. The sickening sound of ribs cracking rang in his ears as he hit the wall, landing on the floor. An invisible force pulled him back up and shoved him against the wall. He gasped and looked into his father’s eyes.

“Dad…” He bit back a moan of pain as he felt fire spread across his chest.

“He’s not here right now.”

Dean stared into the yellow eyes of the creature they had been hunting for over twenty years. “Bastard.”

“Is that all you can come up with?” He mocked. “The infamous cocky Dean Winchester.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Dean growled biting back a scream of pain.

“You’re worthless you know that.” The demon grabbed Dean’s shirt front. “Once Sammy left, John had no use for you. He just left, like Sam did. Leaving poor pathetic Dean all alone.”

“Dad I know you’re in there…” He cried out as pain washed over him. “Please… dad… please help me…”

The demon laughed and dropped him to the ground. “Did you know you were an accident? You were a mistake. Screwed up their lives. Mary was going to go to college, just like Sammy did. But she got knocked up with you and became a housewife in Kansas.”

Dean looked up at the demon wearing his father’s face, using his father’s voice. “Demons lie…”

“Not when the truth is so much more painful,” he squatted down next to him. “Sam was their pride and joy. Their hope for the future. They realized pretty young you weren’t worth much. Only thing you were good at was protecting Sam, and now you’re no longer needed.”

“Fuck you.” Dean spat at him. “Killing me will only make them hunt you more.”

“You actually think Sam is going to leave his perfect life to avenge a brother he abandoned?” The demon laughed. “How does it feel, my boy? To be neglected, worthless, useless, and tossed out like yesterday’s trash? Your family leaving you behind, because they have more important things to do than love you. You were unwanted when you were born and you’ll be unwanted when you die.”

Dean screamed out in pain, blood began to drip from his nose and ears. He looked up one last time to see the demon step back, yellow eyes turning brown. The world then went dark and silent.

***

He laid his head back against the pillow, a tear running down his cheek. The cruel words echoed in his head; he knew the demon had spoken the truth. Dean had always given everything for his family, and in return he had been left by the side of the road. He angrily wiped away the tear and focused on what had to be done. He needed to contact Bobby, and let him know the demon had dad. But first he needed to get out of the hospital.

He sat up carefully to survey his injuries. His chest and abdomen were sore and bandaged heavily. Cracked ribs but no broken bones, that at least is good, he thought. He pulled out the I.V., un-hooked the monitors and got out of the bed. Stumbling slightly, he steadied himself on the wall and moved into the bathroom to get a look at his injuries.

Well Dean you look like shit, he shook his head then moaned at the pain shooting down his neck.

Looked like he was walking out of here with the clothes he had on, the ones he had been wearing must have been destroyed. He stepped into the hallway and looked around. He headed for the elevators, avoiding the nurses’ station. As he approached them, he realized something was terribly off. He stopped and looked around; the hospital was too quiet. The elevator door opened, revealing a nurse and a doctor. Both looked at him and moved towards him.

Dean frowned, his eyes narrowing. He could see them talking but couldn’t… He backed up his head shaking. The doctor grabbed him; he began to struggle as more nurses began to run down the hallway. Dean screamed with all his might, but the world had gone silent.

Six Months Later

Sam glanced up from the book he was reading and frowned when he saw Jess approaching the table. “What are you doing here?”

She sat down across from him, “Have you been in here all afternoon?”

“Yes, doing research for my paper,” He smiled at her. “Did I miss something?”

“No,” she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “But Tom is looking for you.”

Sam grimaced then closed his book. “What does he want?” He really didn’t want to deal with the Resident Advisor today or tomorrow or ever really. He swore the guy was some low level demon. No one could be that annoying and not be. He had even tossed Holy Water on him, but it didn’t phase him.

“No idea,” Jess smiled. “Just that he needed to find you ASAP!”

He grabbed his bag and stood up. “I’ll go find out what crisis he has today. See you tonight?”

“I’ll be waiting,” she winked at him then turned serious. “Call me if you need me.”

Sam gave her a quick wave and headed for the dorms. He hated the fact he was still living in the dorms, but with all his concentration on schooling, the hours he worked at the bookstore really weren’t enough to afford an apartment, and he couldn’t complain since he was getting the room paid for by his scholarship. It hadn’t take him long to find Tom, he was lounging in front of the dorms annoying the residents.

“Tom, Jess said you were looking for me.” He said as he approached the RA.

“Sammy…”

“It’s Sam.”

“You my boy are in big trouble.” Tom stood up and wrapped an arm around him or tried, considering he was at least six inches shorter than Sam. “Seems people from the Dean’s Office are looking for you… more like demanding to know where you were. Whatcha do man? Come on you can tell ol’ Tommy.”

He removed the arm from his shoulders and stepped back. “Did they say why?”

“Nope, I even offered to give you a message for them, but they just said you’re needed at the Dean’s Office.” Tom shrugged.

Sam turned and headed for the Dean’s Office. He couldn’t figure out what they would want to talk to him about. His grades were surpassing the requirements to keep his scholarship, he hadn’t done anything to attract attention. He walked up to the building, dread filling his stomach. Something was off he could feel it. Old instincts kicked in as he surveyed the area, but nothing seemed out the ordinary. As he approached the Dean’s office, a cold chill ran down his spine.

He stepped into the room and froze in shock. Impossible. The Dean looked up and smiled at him. “Samuel, it’s good to see you. How’s your classes?”

“Good, Mr. Wallace.” Sam glanced over to the other occupant.

“Sam.”

“Dad. What brings you here?” He asked hesitantly.

“I’m sorry we had to go such lengths to find you. Your father said it was a family emergency. Now if you need to take time off, it’s not going to be an issue…”

“I’ll doubt I’ll need time off,” Sam eyes narrowed at his father.

“Sam Winchester.” John’s voice dropped.

Sam stiffened at the tone. “What are you doing here?”

“Something’s happened…” He began.

“I’m out,” he spat out. “From the moment you told me to go and never come back.”

John grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled him out of the office into the hallway. “Listen to me boy.” He hissed in a low voice. “This isn’t a time for the stubbornness you’ve inherited from me to come out and play. Get your head out of your ass and for once listen.”

Sam stepped back and stared at the older man. “I have a life here; I don’t care what you want or whatever hunt you need help…”

“It’s Dean.” John looked at him. “He’s missing.”

“What?”

The older Winchester looked around and pulled Sam closer to the wall, “The demon…” He saw his son’s eyes narrow.

Sam shook his head, trying to shake sudden images crowding his mind. “What happened dad?”

“This isn’t the place, but right now your family needs you.” His voice softened. “I know things went south, but now is not the time to make a point about your independence.”

“How long?” Sam looked at him. “How long has Dean been missing?”

“Six months.”

“And you’re just now telling me!” He yelled stepping back.

The older man grabbed Sam’s arm again and looked around the hallway. “Samuel Winchester, you will calm down?! I don’t need you to go off half-cocked, and it won’t help Dean. Pack a bag; I’ll drive around to pick you up.”

Sam nodded and moved down the hall, pausing he turned back around. “You know where my dorm is?”

“You actually think I wouldn’t know where my boy was?” John asked a bit surprised

Sam just continued down the hallway. His mind was running a mile a minute. Dean. His brother. Missing. For six months. And they were now just telling him. Dean had always been there, always. Every memory Sam had was centered around Dean. Walking away from Dean was the hardest thing he had ever done. But his brother was his father’s son, and hunting was his life. He didn’t understand Sam’s need to be normal. He threw his books on this bed and grabbed a duffle bag. Sam packed the essentials, quickly adding a few weapons he had hidden within the room. He grabbed his laptop and added it to his backpack along with a few books that they might need. He surveyed the room and headed out the door, only to run into Jess.

She looked at his stuff then up at him, “Going somewhere?”

“Family emergency,” he said moving past her.

“Sam,” she ran after him. “You’ve never talked about your family and suddenly you’re leaving in the middle of the semester.”

He turned and looked at her. “Jess… I can’t explain it okay? I have to go.”

“I take this means our date’s off,” She frowned.

“I’ll call,” he gave her a quick kiss and ran down the path towards the waiting truck.

He tossed his bags in and settled into the passenger seat. John watched the blonde for a moment and then started the truck, “Pretty.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. ”We’ve only been out a few times, but I liked her.”

“For what it’s worth Sam, I’m sorry.” He said pulling out of the parking lot. “I know how important this was to you.”

“Had a funny way of showing it,” Sam shrugged looking out of the window. “Haven’t talked to you since that night, and only get sporadic phone calls from Dean.”

“You wanted normal, so we gave it to you.” Sam turned and looked at him. “You wanted a life without hunting. What would have happened if we showed up? The hunt would have entered your normal that you desperately craved.”

Sam turned back and stared out the window. He didn’t quite know what to say to that.

***

They stopped at a typical hotel, with cheap rates, ugly bedspreads, and peeling wallpaper. Sam tossed his bag onto the bed furthest from the door out of habit. He sat down and rested his head in his hands. John was moving around the small room, salting the windows and doors, always prepared. Sam looked up at the older man, just watching him.

“You going to tell me what the hell is going on?” he demanded.

The hunter sat down on the bed across from him, taking a few moments to collect his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how to tell Sam what had happened. How the demon had destroyed their family once again. “I’m not sure where to start. I’ve been hunting this son of a bitch forever, found signs and clues when he will appear. I saw them start down in Texas and went for it.”

“Alone?” Sam asked moving to stand.

“I want you to sit there and not say a word until I’m finished.” John pointed at the bed, Sam sat back down. “This isn’t easy for me, hell Sam I would give everything in the world not to be telling you this. I was going through birth records, trying to narrow down the parameters of possible families he would attack. I had finally got it down to two families. I was just trying to figure which one I would go for, when a sudden chill swept through the room.”

“Why didn’t you call Dean?” Sam demanded then shut up at John’s look. His father had always looked haunted, but now there was added pain and misery.

“It was very sudden. I could feel him in me…It was like watching from the sidelines. I was yelling, screaming, fighting but no one could hear me. He called Dean, and told him to come and help. Of course your brother jumped to do my bidding.” John stood up and began to pace the room. “Dean never knew what hit him; he stepped straight into his trap. I could hear the cruel words he was saying, Dean begging for his life…”

“Dad?” Sam’s voice shook.

“Something in me snapped and I got control back, just barely. I stared down at my son, laying there broken and bleeding and I ran. I knew if I didn’t get out of there he would finish the job. I called 911 and reported the situation, and then drove straight through to Bobby’s. The whole time he was laughing and mocking me, flashes of what he did and said to your brother. I stumbled into Bobby’s and literally dragged myself to the devil’s trap. The demon once again had taken control.”

“What about Dean!?” Sam demanded.

“The demon wasn’t through with us yet,” John sat back down his head in his lap. “He spouted off how he knew where you were, and that you would be finally his…and then he was gone.”

“And you took you SIX FUCKING MONTHS to contact me!” Sam yelled standing up. “You beat the shit out of him almost killing him and no one calls me!”

The older man got up into his face. “Do you think this is easy for me, knowing it was my face, hands, and mouth that did this to my son?! But I still had to protect you.”

“What? Why?” He shook his head and paced the room.

“Dean would do anything to protect you Sam, and the demon would have a hard time getting past that type of devotion. But now that he’s been removed…”

“He can come after me without a threat to him.” Sam’s eyes hardened. “That fucking bastard better think twice before coming after me, because after I send its sorry ass to hell for touching Dean, I’ll let you kick his ass.” He pulled out his laptop and sat down. “Give me all the information you have, on the demon, the cases you were working, everything.”

John’s eyebrow shot up; he shook his head and pulled out his notebook and sat down across from his son. He would have thought that the demon would have learned not to piss off a Winchester, let alone all three of them. He had just hoped they could find Dean. John wanted nothing more than to hold his son and tell him it was all lies. That he was loved, wanted and needed. He glanced up to see Sam typing away, muttering darkly under his breath. He shook his head clear of thoughts and regrets and set out to reunite his family.

***

It had been six weeks and there still had been no word on Dean. Sam had followed all their previous leads, checked new ones, and even called a few of his own favors in, but still nothing. Dean essentially had disappeared. He was waiting for the hospital records hoping to get some clue on the extent of the injuries his brother had sustained, but it was taking a while.

John had worked himself into a slight frenzy desperately searching for his oldest and trying to keep his youngest protected. They had been attacked a few times by a variety of demons, the young woman Meg was one he wouldn’t be forgetting soon. He had almost lost Sam because of his own stubbornness. Separating had been the stupidest thing he had done, leaving Sam by the side of the road. John mentally smacked himself; wasn’t it bad enough he had one son to find, and he had almost lost the second. And hell if he had found Dean, he would have kicked his ass for losing Sam.

The two were maintaining an uneasy truce, both agreeing that the goal was to find Dean – nothing else was important.

“You would think a ‘67 Chevy Impala wouldn’t be that hard to find. I mean really how many of them are there in this world!” Sam tossed his pen down and glared at the computer.

“Where Dean goes so does the car,” John smiled, remembering with fondness the look on Dean’s face when he had given him the keys. “If he’s in hiding so is she, the two shall not part.”

“Yeah well,” Sam growled. “It’s a big ass piece of metal. How hard could it be to find?”

“It’s also as stubborn as your brother.” The eldest Winchester pointed out.

“I swear if he’s alive and just laying low with some chick I’m kicking his ass and torching the car.” He growled and pushed away from the desk. “And how long does it take to get the damn records?”

“Sam calm down,” John put a hand on his shoulder. He ignored the flash of hurt when Sam shrugged it off. “We’ll find him.”

“Then what?” He turned and looked at his father. “This isn’t something you can just ignore or shrug off. Despite the fact we all know it was the demon, it was still your body and that will stay with him.”

“Your brother is a Winchester and he’s tough and stubborn, we’ll put this behind us and move on.” John shrugged and moved towards his bed.

“That’s it? ‘Sorry Dean for almost killing you, let’s get a beer?’ ” Sam glared at him. “You just expect him to fall back in line, me to fall back in line.”

“Sam,” John glared up at him. “This isn’t the time.”

“When isthe time, dad?” He shrugged. “Why was it so bad for me to go to college? And don’t use that shit about protecting me, obviously you still did. I mean…I know I’m not Dean the perfect hunter but are you that disappointed in me?”

John Winchester looked up at his youngest son. He had been amazed how much he still had grown after he had left. He was taller than John, had a few pounds on him, most of it bulk and muscle. And yet he could only see his baby boy. The one Dean carried out of the fire, raised and protected. How did it get to a point where both questioned his love for them? Everything he did was for them, to protect them.

“Sam you will always be my baby boy, one I need to protect anyway that I can. Despite the fact you think Dean is just like me he’s not.” He gave him a small smile. “He’s very much like your mother. You, my boy are like me, which is probably why we want to kill each other. I’m proud of you. I am. I’m just not good at these things…”

Sam sat down across from him on the other bed. “We never talk. Argue, scream, throw things…but never talk.”

John held his hand up, “As your brother would say, enough with the chick flick.”

He laughed easily. “Let’s get some rest.”

“We’ll find him, Sammy.”

“It’s Sam.” He lay down on the bed. “And when we do I’m so kicking his ass.”

***

“Thanks Bobby,” John clicked the phone shut and stared out the truck window.

“What did he say?” Sam asked.

“Dean just popped up on the radar,” He glanced over at his son. “In Georgia, hunting a ghost.”

“He’s hunting?” Sam stared at him in shock. “I’m going to kill him. Did Bobby say anything else?”

John started the truck and pulled back out on the highway. “The contact said something was off, but didn’t know what. That Dean was ignoring everyone and kept to himself, even when the contact called out to him Dean just kept walking.”

“Doesn’t sound like him; let’s go see what the hell is going on.” Sam leaned back in his seat. All he wanted to do was hold his brother close, find out what the hell happened, then scream at him for scaring them. And then he was never letting him out of his sight ever again.

Andersonville, Georgia 

Dean stood on the hill and looked out over the land. Andersonville, Civil War prisoner of war camp, soaked with the blood of soldiers that died not in battle with honor, but in their own filth. He really wasn’t surprised it was haunted by pissed off ghosts. The museum had a complete record of all the soldiers lost. The problem was, despite the nice row of white tombstones in the cemetery clearly marked, he truly had no idea where the body was buried. When they had moved the bodies to the cemetery they weren’t able to distinguish the identities of the soldiers. So if he was lucky his guy was in the grave that had his name. If he wasn’t, Dean shook his head. He wasn’t going to think about that.

He walked back to the Impala and drove out of the national park back to the hotel outside of the town. He opened up the laptop and read through his notations. He glanced back at the files he had pulled from the local library. Private Henry Kenson was eighteen years old and had died from complications of a gunshot wound. According to the journal of one of the survivors, Kenson had crossed the no man’s land to retrieve his hat and was shot by one of the guards for ‘trying to escape’.

Not surprising he was haunting the area specifically going after anyone in uniform. Dean pulled out his weapons and checked to make sure they were clean and ready. He grabbed his gear and headed back out to the park. The grave was further back in the cemetery, which was good for Dean to keep out of sight. Quickly surveying the area he walked down the rows, reading the names as he went by. Most of them were just kids, and had died fighting for what they believed in.

He stopped and looked around the cemetery. He remembered stories their dad had told them about Vietnam, the honor of being a soldier. He turned back around and focused on his duty, but couldn’t help but think how the past few months had changed his viewpoint on his own life and duties. He was a soldier just like the men who were laid to rest in these graves, and he had the scars of his tours of duty to prove it. He would be damned if he was going to let that demon change his fate. He was a Winchester and they killed evil sons of bitches. Even if they were once a proud soldier.

Dean took one last look around and began to dig the grave up, taking quick pauses to look around the area, his hand touching the ground gently, before going back to digging. The moment he had hit the wooden coffin he had felt the tremor around him. He quickly broke open the coffin and pulled himself out of the grave in time to see the figure charging him. He fired his shotgun while pulling the salt out of his bags and pouring it over the body, dropping it back into his bag and snagging the lighter fluid. At least he knew he had the right grave.

His back stiffened as the cold crept over his skin; he fell as he turned, shooting the ghost as it rounded on him from behind. Quickly reloading his shotgun, he grabbed the small string of cloth and lit it, and, taking one more shot at the ghost, he dropped it into the grave setting the bones and coffin ablaze.

***

Sam was out of the truck before John came to a full stop. He had grabbed the shotgun from the gun rack and ran down the rows of white towards his brother, John only a few steps behind him.

“DEAN!” Sam yelled as the spirit came up from behind him. Dean quickly turned and took another shot before quickly setting the bones and coffin on fire. The spirit screamed in agony as he was pulled from this world into the next. The two Winchesters stopped in front of the burning grave and looked at the person they had been searching for.

Dean’s back was to them, he was calmly packing up his gear. He flung the bag over his shoulder and barely gave them a second glance as he headed back towards the Impala.

“Dean!” Sam caught up with him, grabbing his arm. “We’ve been searching for you for over six months! Where the hell have you been?”

He just looked at Sam then back at his father. When John took a step towards him, Dean stepped back; the flash of fear was quickly hidden away by a mask of coldness. He pulled his arm from Sam’s grip and kept walking. He tossed the bag into the backseat of the Impala and turned to once again look at his family.

“Son…” John looked up at him. “Please we need to talk.”

Dean gave them a snort and got into the car, as he stared up the engine Metallica blared from the stereo. He gave them a quick wave and drove off.

“Well that didn’t go quite how I was expecting.” John frowned.

“Something’s not right.” Sam stared at the retreating car, watching the taillights fade into the darkness.

“Let’s get a room for the night; we’ll talk with him in the morning.” The eldest Winchester headed for the truck.

Sam frowned, expression contemplating. Something about Dean’s mannerisms. It was Dean but not. He followed his father and got into the truck. He had to figure it out and soon.

***

Dean tossed the bag onto the bed and sat down with a heavy sigh. He knew the moment he had stepped back out into hunting, word would get back to his father. He hadn’t expected Sammy. His emotions were in conflict, and Dean hated it. The hospital had called Sam after he had broken down, when he discovered the extent of his injuries. Dean had sat alone in silence waiting for his brother, who had never showed up.

With a growl he grabbed his stuff and quickly packed. Fuck this. He wasn’t staying in this town and dealing with them. They had decided he wasn’t worth the effort, so he sure as hell wasn’t going to stick around. He could see the truck parked at the other end of the lot. He rolled his eyes – they were a little obvious. He tossed his bags into the Impala and slid behind the wheel. Jumping slightly Dean grabbed his phone; a small smile gracing his face when he saw the caller ID.

‘What the fuck do you want?’ Dean answered the message.

‘Hello to you too, and why yes I’m fine and having a nice time in Miami, how about you?’

‘Unexpected complications came up.’

‘What type?’ He could feel the concern as he read the message. ‘And don’t lie to me.’

‘Dad and Sam.’ Dean had learned in the months of his recovery not to even contemplating lying to Tim, the man had a sixth sense that put most priests to shame.

‘You need a place to stay?’

Dean smiled. For once in his life he had actually had a friend that was his, not dad’s or some contact. Someone who actually cared for him and didn’t expect much in return. ‘No I can handle them.’

‘By runnin’ out of town?’

‘Hate you.’

‘You love me.’ The message scrolled across the screen.

‘I’m fine; I’ll call you when I get to the next gig.’ Dean typed out and hung up the phone. He started up the Impala and rolled his eyes as he grabbed the phone off the seat.

‘Hoo-ah.’

He shook his head and tossed the phone back down and headed down the road. Dean knew they probably heard the roar of the engine, and had no doubt they would follow him. He would have to face them at one point, but it would be on his terms not theirs.

***

Sam sat down at the table and stared at his laptop. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Dean barely even acknowledged them, in a way he could understand hesitation towards their father, but the coldness he had directed towards Sam… Well what did you expect; you walked out on him three years ago. There’s been no word since… Sam pulled up his laptop berating himself. But I’m here and have been looking for him…

“Finally!” He clicked on the attachment and began reading his brother’s medical files. He frowned at the notations on the sideline about rehabilitation and re-education.

“What does it say?” John asked sitting across from his youngest son.

“I’m trying to make head or tails of this,” he skimmed over the files. “He was in pretty bad shape, a lot of internal injuries but the most extensive was damage to his head…”

“What?!”

“Dad calm down,” Sam glared at him. “Obviously he’s fine, you just talked to him.”

“No Sam, we talked to him, he didn’t answer.” John pointed out.

He frowned and looked back at the records. “There something in here about…” The roar of the Impala’s engine filtered into their room. Sam was out the door in seconds watching the taillights fade as down the street. “DAMN! Oh that’s it you asshole.”

He stalked back into the room and packed up his stuff. “Sam we can’t chase after him tonight.”

“Sure we can, we get in the truck and follow him.” Sam didn’t stop packing. “Then we tie him to a chair.”

John shook his head, “Maybe we should just let him…”

Sam pushed his father against the nearest wall. “I will not abandon him. Something has happened and I will not just turn away and ignore it.”

“What about the precious normal you so craved?” John pushed his son away from him.

“The moment you tried to kill Dean it was over,” Sam grabbed his stuff. “You coming or do I leave you here, and don’t think I wouldn’t hotwire the truck.”

The two Winchesters stared each other down, John cursing and praising the day his Sammy became a man. He grabbed his stuff and followed his youngest son out to the truck. “You know he’ll probably shoot one of us.”

“That’s why I’m sending you in first.” Sam smirked.

Savannah, Georgia 

Dean looked up out the older house. So far there had been four deaths that were accounted for surrounding the old bed and breakfast, always a child. In the early nineteen hundreds a young family had moved into the house. The father was a businessman in town, and his young wife and their two children. The maid had fallen in love with Mr. Hanson, and had tried to come between him and his family. He had dismissed her and publicly humiliated her; she took her revenge and killed their oldest daughter.

The family had left the city of Savannah and never looked back; the maid had been hung for her crimes.

Dean sat his bags down at the desk and smiled at the older lady, he pulled out a notebook and a pen.

She looked up at him slightly confused, he handed her the note. “Reservations for Dean Devlin.”

She reached over and touched his hand then signed. ‘I can sign.’

Dean smiled and hesitated slightly, his signing slow and awkward, ‘Not many people can.’

‘My granddaughter is deaf,’ she replied easily. ‘I’m Lisa Hanson, owner of Savannah Gardens Bed and Breakfast. What brings you to Savannah?’ Dean frowned trying to keep up with the movements. ‘When did it happen?’ She asked slowing her hands down.

‘Six months ago,’ he replied.

‘I’m sorry. It must be an adjustment for you.’

Dean shrugged. ‘I hear this place is haunted.’

Lisa stopped and looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she handed him the keys. ‘Old tales in an old city. Breakfast is at seven, and if you need anything just ask for me.’

Dean took the key and made his way up to his room, dumping his bag onto the bed. He stepped up to the window, which had a clear view of the backyard and the fountain. A young girl was sitting on the fountain’s edge reading a book. Dean pulled out his laptop and notes and went over them before exploring the old house.

Soon a pattern began to emerge. Every ten years, on the anniversary of the maid’s death, there would be a death, lately they had been drownings in the fountain. The next anniversary was in two days. The fact that the actual descendants of the Hanson family were occupying the house again would make the spirit more agitated. He needed to find where she was buried, and salt and burn her bones before she could do more damage.

He felt the vibration through his foot; he looked up at the door, noticing it was moving slightly. Dean closed the laptop before opening the door. He looked down at the little girl he had seen down in the backyard.

‘Grandma said you are deaf like me?’ She signed.

Dean squatted down, ‘My name is Dean.’

‘I’m Ashliegh,’ she smiled. ‘Play with me?’

He stood up, grabbed his key and closed the door. ‘Can you show me around?’

‘Sure, I’ll show you all my secret hideaways.’ Ashliegh grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway.

A cold shiver moved past him, Dean stopped suddenly and looked around. She was here. His eyes searched the hallway but saw nothing, he lifted his hand to the wall, but felt no vibrations. He felt his arm being pulled, he looked down at Ashliegh.

‘Are you okay?’ She signed.

‘I’m fine,’ he replied taking one last look around.

Outside Savannah

“What plausible hunts are around the Savannah area?” John asked as their food was served.

“The only really big thing I can see is a bed and breakfast that has a history of deaths,” Sam stated as he dug into his food. “The original owner’s maid killed the family’s oldest daughter, she was hung for her crime.”

“The maid comes back and kills other kids in retaliation.” John nodded. “It’s something your brother would pick up.”

“I don’t get it,” Sam leaned back. “Why just go to another hunt? I mean I can understand why he wouldn’t want to contact you, but…”

The older hunter looked up at his son, “Dean isn’t himself. You saw him; did that seem normal for your brother?”

“No, far from it. Well besides the Metallica blaring out the window,” he grinned slightly. “But if he was intent on staying hidden all these months why just pop up and start hunting, and not hide it.”

“Did you get a chance to finish reading his medical records?” John asked.

“No.” Sam frowned. “There was something in there about rehabilitation, maybe that’s where he was.”

“For what though?” He asked. “Dean looked very healthy.”

“I don’t know, I couldn’t read the notes very well, and he just took off so I haven’t had a chance to take a second look.” Sam sighed.

“Best option is to find your brother and find out what the hell is going on,” John shrugged.

“Easier said than done.” Sam muttered.

Savannah Gardens Bed and Breakfast

Lisa looked up at the two men and frowned, “May I help you?”

“You have a room for the night?” John asked smiling softly.

“You don’t seem the bed and breakfast type.” She looked back and forth between them.

“My son has a report from college on old houses in the historical district of Savannah figured might as well stay in one,” John Winchester easily slid into the story.

“Studying to be an architect,” Sam added with his own smile.

Lisa studied them a bit more, then turned around and grabbed a key off the wall. “Our last room available, it’s up in the attic.”

“Thank you,” John grabbed his bags.

“I had a friend who was coming through Savannah, he by any chance wouldn’t have stopped here?” Sam asked as she led them up to the rooms. “He had mentioned this house a few times.”

“What’s his name?” Lisa asked.

“Dean.”

“Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell.” She opened the door and handed him the key. “Breakfast is at eight, have a nice stay.” She turned and headed back down the stairs.

“She’s lying.” John said moving into the room. “Dean’s here.”

“Why would she lie?” Sam asked tossing his bag on the bed.

“Because your brother tends to collect mother hens at times. He gives them those green eyes of his, and they want to protect him, while at the same time keep him away from their daughters.”

“Well someone obviously needs to,” Sam muttered under his breath. He turned to see his father pointedly looking at him. “Face it dad, you might love us and wanted to protect us, and under the circumstances you didn’t do that bad. But Dean had no one to look after him. He looked after me, but no one looked after him.”

John turned and looked out the small attic window, “I know.” He paused and watched a little girl play by the fountain. “Sam did you find out when the next killing was to take place?”

“Tonight.” Sam told him.

“There’s a little girl down in the backyard,” John informed him. “If Dean is here, he’s probably hunting down the maid’s grave.”

Sam ducked his head and moved across the room and looked down to see the girl playing. “We should warn her.”

“You do that, I’m going to find Dean’s room.” He said as he left the room.

It hadn’t taken him to long to find which room belonged to his oldest soon. He listened carefully for any sound of movement, hearing none, he picked the lock and entered the room. Dean’s duffle was on the second bed, a laptop was out on the table along with notes. John looked through it all, it was obvious Dean was hunting down the maid’s grave, he had marks on the map of possible cemeteries she could have been buried at. He dug through his son’s bag trying to figure out what was going on with him. He found prescription medication in Dean’s actual name, not some alias. He memorized the name of the drug and planned to have Sam look it up. Everything was in its place, nothing stood out as odd, except for the laptop. John turned back towards the computer eyeing it. He sat down at the table and opened it up, growling when a password prompt popped up, though he smiled at the Metallica wallpaper. Maybe Sam could break into it. John stood up in a rush. What was he doing? This was his son, not something they were hunting. He had a right to his privacy and here he was invading it.

He looked out the window to see the little girl. The cold click of a gun being cocked echoed in the room. John raised his hands and turned around slowly, coming face to face with his eldest son.

***

Sam smiled as he knelt down in front of the young girl. “Hi, I’m Sam.”

She looked up at him, her head tilted slightly, before signing back at him. Sam shook his head, “I can’t sign.”

She frowned and looked behind him, smiling she got up and ran. Sam turned around to see Dean standing there. The little girl smiled and signed at him. Sam watched as Dean signed back. He turned to his father whose face was pale and eyes filled with something he just couldn’t name.

“Dean?” Sam called out and moved closer to them.

Dean glanced towards his brother and froze. The little girl pulled on his coat and signed looking over at Sam then back at Dean. He gave her a smile and replied before pushing her off towards the house.

Sam stepped in front of his brother, ‘rehabilitation’ echoing in his mind. His brother was deaf. The demon had done this. He closed his eyes his heart contracting. Dean had been alone, in a new world.

He opened his eyes and looked at his brother, “Can you read lips?”

Dean nodded, face cold and void of any emotion.

“Why didn’t you contact us?” Sam asked.

Dean glanced at his father, his eyebrow raised. Sam nodded. “Fine, I understand that but why didn’t you contact me?” He had always been able to read his brother, even after the years apart he still could. Dean was Dean. His brother was the one he knew when he had left for Stanford, just now he couldn’t hear and was functioning in a world Sam couldn’t understand.

Anger flashed in Dean’s eyes. He signed a few things, his movements abrupt and short. Sam shook his head. “I don’t understand.” Dean flipped him off and turned around and walked away. “That I understood.”

“I did call you, and you never showed up” Lisa called out from the doorway. “Now if you please, get your things and leave the property. You are not welcome.”

“Ma’am,” John stepped up. “This isn’t any of your concern.”

“You are disturbing one of my guests so it is, and I like him better than you.” She glared at them and walked off.

“I never got a call!” Sam ran after Lisa. “I swear.”

“I’m not the one you should be talking to,” she pointed out.

“How do I talk to him?”

Lisa resisted the urge to slap him. “You open your mouth and speak. He’s deaf, not stupid.”

***

Dean sat Ashliegh down on his bed and signed slowly, ‘I need you to stay with me.’

‘Why?’

‘Protect you,’ he sighed and sat next to her.

‘From those men?’ She questioned.

‘No,’ he smiled slightly. ‘From evil.’

Ashliegh looked over at him, her eyes searching his, ‘I trust you.’

Dean felt the vibrations in the floor. He couldn’t help but grin slightly; Sam had always had a heavy foot. He found it interesting that he could distinguish the difference between his father’s steps and Sam’s. He waited till both men came through the door. He had come back from the county courthouse, with the information of where the maid had been buried. He hadn’t been shocked to see his father standing in his room. When John had turned and looked him in the eyes, Dean and tightened his grip on his Glock. Flashes of that night filtering through his mind. The words the demon said echoing in his head. The last words he would ever hear from his father’s lips. ‘You were unwanted when you were born and you’ll be unwanted when you die’.

John had demanded Dean put the gun down and talk to him, Dean just stared at him. When he looked out the window to see Sammy walking towards Ashliegh, he turned to leave the room. John grabbed him and turned him back around. Dean reacted instinctively and hit him. John looked at him, cradling his jaw and had realized. Dean saw the shock, anger, dismay and pity. He turned and left the room.

And now he sat there and just looked at his family.

“Dean.” Sam stood in front of him making sure he had a clear view. “Damn it… I…”

Dean shook his head and stood up and moved towards his computer, he grabbed a pad of paper and began to write. He handed it to Sam.

Sam read it and looked up at him, “I don’t pity you. Dude the fact you’re here … just… Why didn’t you call me?”

He gripped the pen and scribbled more on the paper.

“I swear Dean, I never got a call.” Sam gripped his brother’s hand and looked him in the eyes. “If I had known I would have been by your side in seconds.”

He frowned, his eyes searching Sam’s, his brother wouldn’t lie he knew that. He wrote some more and shoved it at Sam.

Sam laughed, “Dude I’m so not a girl.”

Dean grinned slightly, as he wrote down another message. Sam looked at it. “Is this where she’s buried?” his brother nodded. “Okay, then let’s go salt and burn her bones….” He followed Dean’s gaze to the little girl. “She’s after her?” Dean nodded. “Okay you go with dad…” Dean shook his head and signed grumbling slightly and writing once again. Sam read as he wrote. “Right I can’t talk with her…” he frowned and looked at Dean. “What?” Dean signed then stopped his eyes suddenly tracking in the room.

“Dean?” John spoke up for the first time. “Sam?”

“I don’t know dad,” he stepped back and let Dean work. His brother moved to his bag and grabbed a shotgun, loading it quickly. His hand slammed down on the bed frame causing Ashliegh to look at him. He held out his hand, for her to come to him, when the maid appeared.

“DEAN!” Sam warned as the ghost came towards him.

Dean turned and shot the gun off, the ghost dissipating. He grabbed the address and slammed it against his dad’s chest. “I think he wants you to go salt and burn the bones.” Sam smirked as he pulled another weapon from Dean’s duffle bag.

John grabbed the needed materials. “We are talking about this later.”

Ashliegh cried as she ran towards Dean, her little hands signing, ‘Scared’.

He picked her up and carried her out of the room.

Lisa came running down the hall, screaming when the maid appeared in front of her. Sam saw the maid and yelled out, “Duck!” Lisa hit the floor just as Sam emptied the shotgun into the maid. “We’ve got to hold her off for dad to do what he needs to do.”

Lisa grabbed her granddaughter and looked at the two men, “What the hell is going on?”

Dean stared at her.

“Those were legends, myths…” Lisa was pulled back behind Dean as the ghost reappeared.

“Ghosts are very real, and this one is very pissed.” Sam explained pushing them back away from the angry spirit.

They moved down the stairs into the living room. Dean paced the room slightly, trying to figure out how to keep the spirit away from them, giving their dad enough time to salt and burn the bones. Sam watched his brother prowl the room, his eyes searching, taking in all of his surroundings. He watched as he stopped and touched the walls, almost as if he was listening. He shook his head. All this time, Dean had retrained himself. He was a true hunter. He looked over at Lisa and Ashliegh, watching as Ashliegh did similar things, her eyes open and alert reacting to any slight movement.

Dean shifted fast bringing up his gun aiming it towards the front parlor. Sam followed his gaze, and then he saw her standing there watching Dean. She disappeared and reappeared behind Dean, who turned in seconds and shot off another load of rock salt. No matter where she appeared Dean was able to locate her, he was able to track her. Sam, keeping Lisa and Ashliegh between him and the maid, watched as his brother, despite his inability to hear, tracked an angry spirit. A sharp wail echoed in the room as the maid began to shudder, suddenly flames overtook her and she was gone.

Ashliegh moved out of her grandma’s arms and into Dean’s. He held her close to his chest, a smile on his face.

Next Morning 

Dean didn’t need to hear to know Sam and John were arguing as he neared the living room. Some things never changed. He stepped into the room and watched the two Winchesters go at it. They were angled just enough that he could only partially pick up what they were saying. But he could pretty much guess. Dean isn’t fit to hunt. We can’t leave him. He’s a liability. He’s your son. The demon most be vanquished. Okay so maybe John Winchester wouldn’t use the word ‘vanquished’ but it was all in the same line of thinking.

He had already ‘heard’ it. John had made his point quiet clear last night. Dean was a liability to those around him. He shouldn’t be hunting. They would find a place where Dean could be hidden away. John at that moment quickly learned that Dean was still very much a hunter. The low growl should have been a warning to the older Winchester, but he wasn’t really paying attention. When he landed flat on his ass he looked up at his son who was snarling, his hand gestured wildly. Though he couldn’t read sign he got the gist of his son’s words. The short of it? Dean told him to go fuck himself.

Dean’s eyebrow rose when he saw John land flat on his ass again. He had missed something; he glanced up at Sam with a look of confusion on his face.

Sam stepped up to his father and snarled. “He’s my brother and I will not toss him out like trash. It’s obvious he has trained himself to hunt, despite the fact the demon damaged his ears. But once again instead of thinking of your son, you are thinking of yourself. Well go ahead. Go find the demon and destroy it, maybe it will ease your guilt. But as far as I’m concerned, Dean comes first.”

John stood back up. “Dammit Sam! He can’t protect you…” John paused once again at the sound of the cold click of Dean’s Glock being cocked.

“Really dad.” Sam smirked. “That’s twice he’s gotten the drop on you.”

The eldest Winchester turned and looked at his son. “Dean.” Dean just raised his eyebrow, his gun not lowering. The look on his face clearly stated, ‘What now?’. “Son… as much as you don’t want to hear…” Dean smirked slightly at him. “How are you supposed to protect Sam? You can’t hear an intruder.”

“He uses vibrations,” Sam commented from the sideline. “I saw it earlier.”

“Ghosts don’t make steps…” John looked over at Sam

“Yeah and he tracked the maid just fine.” He pointed out.

Dean growled and lowered his gun slipping it in his pants waistband and signed at the two of them. Sam frowned, before turning and pulling a book out of his bag. Dean stopped and looked at his brother and laughed lightly. He looked up from the book. “Don’t laugh. I found it in Lisa’s library and figured it would help.”

“Don’t talk to me as if I’m not in the room. I’m deaf not dead.”

Sam looked over at Lisa and smiled. “Thanks.”

“You can keep the book, and I’ll hunt up some others for you. It would be good for Dean to have someone to sign with. The more practice the better one gets.” She smiled at them, then frowned at John. “You, Mr. Winchester, are an asshole.”

Dean rolled his eyes and turned and left the room, Sam quickly following him. He grabbed his brother’s arm and turned him around. “Where to next?”

Dean shook his head.

“No Dean, I’m going with you.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I know you can take care of yourself.” Sam added. “I don’t want you alone.”

He huffed and turned and walked away.

“Of course I can read you, you’re my brother.” He smirked and followed him. “And even if you can’t hear me talking at you, it isn’t going to keep me from bitching.”

Dean turned and glared at him signing something quickly.

“Nah, it’s kinda fun jabbering away and you can’t yell at me.” Sam smirked at the single finger gesture. “Love you too, bro.”

He growled and moved into his room and grabbed his stuff. “Wow Dean this is a nice laptop, state of the art.” Sam sat down and ran his hands over the computer, opening up. “You passworded it?”

Dean smirked and shut the lid closed and put it away. He tilted his head toward the door.

“Let’s hit the road.” Sam gave him a bright smile. The two brothers grabbed the rest of their gear and headed out of the house. Dean quickly packed the Impala then looked back up at the house. Ashliegh ran down the steps and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tight, pulling back he squatted down to her eye level.

‘You take care of your grandma,’ He told her.

‘Will I see you again?’ Ashleigh asked, tears in her eyes.

Dean kissed her on the forehead. ‘One day.’

She smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss and ran back to her grandma. Dean stood up and glared at Sam. “Not saying a word dude.”

Dean looked down the street to see their father watching them; he looked down and turned back towards the Impala. Sam sighed and slipped into the passenger seat as Dean started up the car. “DAMN!” He turned down the radio. “You might be deaf but I’m not!”

‘Don’t touch my tapes. I’ll know.’ Dean signed warning his baby brother.

Sam’s eyes narrowed as he pulled his book up. “I so feel as I’m missing half of the conversation.” Dean grinned. “Not helping.” His grin got wider as he pulled the Impala onto the street. “So our next gig…” He asked as the papers landed in his lap. “So care to explain what’s up with you and battlefields?” He looked over at his brother who just stared straight ahead. “So this how it’s going to go, you’re going to ignore me by acting like you have no idea I’m talking.”

‘Bitch.’

Sam laughed, even he could spell that out in sign. “Jerk.”

Six Months Later

“I would like to stop by and see if there is anything we can do,” Sam said making sure Dean could see him.

‘This isn’t our job,’ Dean signed.

‘She’s my friend.’ Sam replied back in sign.

Dean grumbled and started the car, he paused and looked at the tape deck. He turned and glared at Sam. The younger Winchester refused to look at his brother. Dean grabbed the tape out of the deck and growled at it before throwing it out the window.

“HEY!” Sam glared at him.

‘BACKSTREET BOYS!’

‘How the hell did you even know?’ he signed back while speaking.

‘I know.’ He hit his brother in the arm. ‘Do not mess with my tapes, dude.’

“No offense, but you can’t hear the music why should I have to listen to it?” Sam grumbled.

Dean rolled his eyes and patted the dash of the Impala, humming softly as if soothing it. “Oh come on!” he threw his hands up and glared at his brother. “It’s a car Dean.”

‘Vibrations, dude.’ Dean stuck a tape into the deck. ‘She’s got to feel the music.’ He slipped on his sunglasses and pulled out of the hotel parking lot. Sam sat there staring at him. Even after all these months there were moments when Dean surprised the hell out of him.

Sam had poured over all the books on American Sign Language, learning quickly so he could openly communicate with his brother. Of course he should have realized that Dean didn’t talk much when he could hear, so nothing much had changed. Though he had noticed Dean’s own signing had improved as Sam used it more with him.

It had taken a while for them to re-adjust to each other, to hunting. Sam had to learn to make sure he was in Dean’s sight when he talked, not just ramble on about details while he roamed around the hotel room. Talking to witness had proved a trying experience. Dean, never patient in the first place, found it difficult to get his questions or statements across to people. Most people didn’t know what to do when they discovered his brother was deaf. It irked Sam to no end, when some idiots would speak louder and slower at Dean usually causing Sam to scream at them he’s deaf not dumb, which in turn irritated Dean who then would storm out. But despite the drawbacks they learned there were some advantages. Dean could read lips. When they found difficult witness, Sam would ask his normal questions then leave, while Dean would hang back and wait. It never failed that as soon as Sam was gone, the witness would call or tell someone something and Dean was there to read it.

It was their third hunt that Sam figured out the major change. The medical records never could explain exactly what happened to Dean’s ears. The bones had been severely damaged, but there had also been damage to sections of his brain. In time, the damage didn’t affect Dean’s motor abilities or functions, but the scans clearly showed something had happened.

And of course Dean just couldn’t state that a demon was scrounging around in his head.

Though medical science couldn’t explain what was changed or damaged, it was obvious to those in the world of the supernatural. Dean didn’t need to hear to know anything was coming, he felt it. He had seen it first with the maid, his brother clearly had tracked her around the room, but Sam had figured he was doing that by sight. Later he discovered he wasn’t. Dean could sense anything supernatural. When it got close he instinctively knew where it was, making it easier for them to track.

The one thing though that Dean still had not explained was the set of dogtags he wore along with his amulet. Each time Sam would try to bring it up, Dean would just turn his back on him and end the conversation. Sam was stubborn and patient. The problem was Dean was as equally stubborn.

***

Dean looked around the crime scene frowning. Tim would kill him if he knew he was messing up the evidence. Something was off at the scene, what he had no idea what, but it was just off. When Sam was talking to his friend, he took some pictures and sent them to Tim. Not even five minutes later his phone buzzed.

‘Explain to me why I have crime scene photos from you?’

Dean smirked, ‘It’s a crime scene, and you work in a Crime Lab.’

‘Dean, you didn’t make this scene did you?’

‘No!’ he frowned while typing furiously. ‘Friend of Sam’s. Her brother was accused of killing his girlfriend, but he says he was at her house which she confirms, but they say DNA and such match.’

‘Did he have any marks or scratches?’ Tim replied.

‘Hold on.’ Dean put the phone away and snapped his fingers.

Sam turned and looked at him, signing. ‘What?’

‘Ask her if her brother had scratches on him.’ Dean signed as he nodded towards the blonde.

Sam looked at him oddly but asked anyways, “Rebecca did your brother have scratches?”

She shook her head, “No.”

‘No.’ Dean pulled his phone back out and typed in.

‘All that blood and he has no marks on him, that’s a bit odd. I’m surprised they arrested him especially since he has an alibi.’ Tim replied. ‘Where are you?’

‘St. Louis, I’ll send you the case file.’

‘I’ll look it over, but no guarantees.’ Came the reply. ‘How are you doing?’

‘Hunting got to go.’ He hung up the phone.

“Who was that?” Sam asked.

Dean shrugged and looked around the apartment. ‘We should go.’

“Not sure it would help but they had surveillance tapes.” She informed them looking at them oddly. “Sam are you sure this is legal?”

“Yeah, Dean’s a profiler he just needs to get a feel for the room.” Sam smiled at her ignoring Dean’s snort.

***

Shapeshifter. Dean slammed his hands into his pockets and walked away towards the Impala. It wouldn’t be easy to prove to the authorities that it wasn’t the right guy just a creature who looked like him. He sighed as he pulled out his phone.

‘Okay explain to me what thing did this?’ Tim asked. ‘Though I’ve seen humans clearly as evil or worse, just something doesn’t add up in this.’

‘Shapeshifter.’ Dean replied.

‘Oh as if solving a crime isn’t hard enough.’ Dean could practically feel Tim’s eye roll all the way from Miami. ‘I handed the case to H, he’s going to take a look over it, the fact that the suspect didn’t have any marks or blood on him, and a reliable alibi, says something’s off.’

‘Good, ‘cause it’s not like I can drag a shapeshifter down to the police station.’

‘If you do can I be there?’ Tim asked.

‘Haha.’

‘How’s things with Sam?’

‘You will be happy to know he’s better at ASL than I am,’ Dean grumbled. It had figured his brother, always the geek would master ASL.

‘I’m not going to say that you’re a stubborn asshole who fought me tooth and toenail on learning ASL.’T he words typed out. ‘I’m better than that.’

‘Fuck you.’ Dean hung up the connection and waited a few moments before answering it again.

‘Hoo-ah!’

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned against the car. He owed Tim a lot. If it wasn’t for his stubborn, hard headed Delta Force mentality Dean would probably still be hiding away in the rehabilitation center. The good news was that even though they couldn’t help Sam’s friend, Tim could help figure out the case. Though he wondered who H was.

“Who was that?” Sam asked walking up to the car.

Dean just shrugged and moved around to the driver’s side. He looked back up at Sam and signed. ‘We need to find where the shapeshifter is hiding.’

‘The blood trail always just ended at each crime scene, as if he just disappeared,’ he said.

‘Sewers?’ Dean asked before getting into the car.

Sam slid into the passenger seat and looked at his brother. ‘Are you ever going to tell me who you chat with?’

He smirked and started up the engine. He glared at his brother. ‘Dude.’

Sam smirked, ‘Just testing theories.’

Dean pulled the tape out of the deck and rolled his eyes. ‘70’s Disco?’

‘What?’ he laughed as the Dean tossed it out the window then proceeded to run it over with the car.

***

Sam looked around searching for Dean, “Dammit!” he growled slightly as he headed back to the Impala. He didn’t like getting separated from his brother. No matter how much Dean said he had retrained himself, he was still deaf and was now alone wandering the city. He leaned against the car taking some calm breaths; his brother would come back to the car. He never left his baby alone for long.

“Sammy!”

Sam looked up when his brother called out his name. “Dean?”

“Did you have any luck finding him?” Dean asked.

Sam shrugged, “No dude, he could be anywhere. You see where he went?”

“Took off into the park. Let’s get back to Rebecca’s and figure where to go from here.” Dean smiled as he stepped closer to the car.

He nodded and shifted towards the back of the car, “Let me put my weapon away and we can head out.” He opened up the trunk and grabbed the gun with the silver bullets and turned quickly aiming it at his brother.

“Dude what is your problem?!” Dean held his arms up and back up.

“You’re not my brother.” Sam’s voice was cold and deadly.

“It’s me, Sammy come on.”

Sam smirked and shook his head, “Dude you should have paid more attention before you snatched my brother.”

“Sam! This isn’t funny.” Dean glared at him taking a step forward.

A shot echoed loudly in the empty street. Dean stumbled back staring at Sam, “Sammy…”

“My brother’s deaf asshole, he doesn’t talk.” Sam fired two more rounds into his chest. The shapeshifter lay dead at his feet. Sam threw the gun back into the trunk. Quickly grabbing a blanket, he wrapped the shapeshifter, pointedly not looking at the face of his brother. He stripped him out of the leather jacket and pulled off the amulet and dogtags.

Sam held them up to the light.

Andrew H. Thompson

987 65 321

Catholic

O+

“Who the hell is Andrew Thompson?” he wondered out loud. He put them in his pocket and made sure the body was stashed away before heading back down into the sewers to find his brother.

***

They watched as the shapeshifter burned, a shiver passed over Sam’s spine. He tried desperately not to think of that thing as his brother. Even though he knew it wasn’t, seeing the shapeshifter with Dean’s face lying dead was going to add fuel to his nightmares. Ever since their father had showed up at Stanford to tell him Dean had disappeared, he couldn’t shake the feeling of how close he had come to losing the one thing he truly cared for in his life and had not even known it.

Sam sighed as they drove back to Rebecca’s house. He could honestly tell her that the creature who had done this was gone, but didn’t know how to help with her brother’s case. Dean pulled up and stepped out of the car, moving easily towards the front door. He hadn’t said much when Sam showed up in the sewers. Just laughed when Sam explained that the shapeshifter had talked to him, completely giving himself away. When he handed the amulet and dogtags back, Dean held them tightly in his hand, before turning and walking away. Dean had always wore the amulet; it was hard to remember a time when he didn’t have it on, and was adamant about always wearing it. But there had been something behind the dogtags, something powerful and meaningful to Dean. Even now Sam caught Dean reaching up to make sure both items were where they should be around his neck.

“Sam?” She looked over at him frowning.

“Rebecca, this isn’t easy to explain.” Sam sighed as they walked into the house then paused when he saw an older man standing in the entry way.

He looked back at Dean, who just shrugged.

“I’m Horatio Caine,” He slipped off his sunglasses. “Tim sent me.”

Dean smiled, signing ‘You’re looking over the case.’

“I looked over the files for both cases and found some major discrepancies, St. Louis is slightly out of the Miami jurisdiction, but I happen to have a friend who works for the state police. I got them to examine the case; it looks as if they’ll be releasing both men.” Caine purposely looked directly at Dean while he talked.

Sam frowned, “Dean who’s Tim?”

‘A friend,’ Dean answered simply.

“He’s my Trace Expert down in Miami,” Horatio smiled. “I just wanted to stop by and let Miss Warren know her brother will be coming home soon.”

“Thank you!” She gave Horatio a hug then turned to Dean. “I know you’re not a profiler, but you saved my brother and…” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I owe you.”

Dean’s eyebrow rose, a smug look on his face. She smacked his arm. “Not that much.” Dean grumbled but grinned over at Sam.

“It was nice meeting you, Dean.” Horatio gave them a quick nod before heading to the door. “Tim says you need to come down to Miami, he wants to make sure you’re not getting into trouble.”

‘He’s a mother hen.’ Dean signed.

‘Yes he is.’ Horatio replied back a bit slow with his motions. “Gentlemen.”

Rebecca closed the door behind him and smiled at the brothers. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Sam just gave her a relieved smile. “Glad we could help.”

They left not soon after, getting back into the Impala and heading west. Sam turned in his seat and looked at his brother. ‘Okay you are going to talk. Who is Tim? For that matter who is Andrew?’

Dean just looked over at Sam, them gestured to the steering wheel.

‘Fine no talking while driving, God forbid you hurt the Impala.’ Sam turned back in his seat. ‘But this conversation isn’t over.’

Dean sighed and put his foot down on the gas pedal letting his girl fly.

A Week Later

Sam stalked into another motel room, in another city, for another hunt, dealing with a brother who still wasn’t speaking to him. Dean walked in behind and tossed his bag onto the bed, he frowned as he pulled out his phone.

‘Someone’s been doing some research.’

Dean frowned before responding back. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Word’s gotten to me that a “reporter” called and was doing research on Andrew asking questions about his service record.’ Tim informed him.

Sam looked over at him, his voice a bit cold. “Your friend?”

‘Thanks.’ Dean replied and tossed the phone onto the bed. ‘Want to tell me why you’ve been sneaking behind my back?’

‘You refuse to talk to me, so I’m going to go with the information I have.’ Sam replied non repentant.

‘It’s none of your business!’

‘You’re my brother Dean! I feel like there’s a part of you I don’t know or understand…’

‘Yeah well, how’s it feel?’

“What?” Sam said as he stared at him in shock.

‘Stanford, three years Sammy.’ Dean signed bluntly. ‘No communication…’

‘You didn’t call me either bro, it works both ways!’ He stepped closer to his brother.

‘I did call…’ Dean suddenly stopped frowning taking a step towards his brother.

‘Calling and hanging up doesn’t cou…’ Sam stumbled back, a sharp pain slicing through his head. “Dean…” He fell to his knees clutching his head images of a garage, a car and a man screaming trying to get out. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe but the pain was too much. As the pain subsided he felt a hand soothing back his hair, while he was being held. He looked up at his brother, fear in his eyes. “I …”

Dean ran his hand through his brother’s hair trying to sooth by touch, like he used to when Sammy was a baby. He pulled back slightly and signed. ‘Vision.’

“Shit.” Sam fell back against the other bed. He looked at his brother. “Wait… Dean?”

‘I sensed something right before it hit you,’ Dean smirked. ‘At least we’ll get warning before it hits, right.’

‘Great I’m a supernatural freak you can sense.’

‘You’ve always been a freak, Sammy.’ He stood up and held his hand out to his brother who grabbed a hold and stood up. He stepped back smiling. ‘Dude just look at you.’

“Jerk.” Sam turned and sat down sensing the ‘bitch’ from his brother. He looked back and smirked. ‘We need to figure out where this takes place.’

‘I’ll pack up our stuff.’ Dean signed before grabbing his bag and tossing it on the bed.

Sam touched his shoulder and turned his brother around. ‘You’re taking this well.’

Dean looked at him and shrugged, ‘The demon changed me, can’t really bitch about visions can I.’

“You’re my brother…” Dean shook his head and held up his hand. “Fine no chick flick moments, but doesn’t change the fact we’re brothers and the demon fucked up when he messed with us.”

Dean gave him an evil smile. Sam laughed and turned back to his computer to find where they needed to go.

***

Alice looked over at Dean and then turned back to Sam, “How did Father Simmons lose his hearing?”

“Attack at the church,” Sam gave her a forced smile. “Beaten by a demon.”

She patted his leg giving him a soft smile. “I noticed he doesn’t talk, has it been long since he lost his hearing?”

“He’s deaf,” Sam pointed out.

“Doesn’t mean he can’t talk.” She smiled. “Especially if he lost it later in life, he remembers what the words sound like he should be able to talk, his tones will be off and it won’t sound like you remember…”

“I didn’t know,” he stammered. “I’ve done a lot of research but hadn’t thought…”

“Most don’t feel comfortable, because they can’t hear their tones,” Alice looked over at Dean. “And for some reason I sense Father Simmons is a doer more than a talker.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh.

***

Dean looked over at Sam and then down at Max. Sam shook with fear and anger. He looked over at his brother. ‘You okay?’ He nodded and moved towards Sam. ‘I’m okay, Dean.’

‘I felt something…’ he frowned as he signed not sure how to explain the overwhelming presence of something…

“I won’t lose you.” Sam stated firmly.

Dean gave him a halfhearted smile. ‘Dude I’m not going anywhere.’

“I saw…” he shook his head trying not look down at the body. “I saw him kill you.”

He looked back down at the body then at his brother. ‘Sammy…

“Not now,” Sam looked over to Alice who was crying.

Back at the Motel

‘What happened?’ Dean demanded.

“I don’t know.” Sam turned away and started pacing. “I was in the closet and I saw him shoot you and then suddenly the armoire had been moved.”

Dean slammed his hand against the table. Sam turned and looked at him, “What?”

‘Dude can’t hear.’ He signed glaring at him. ‘I can’t read your lips if your facing away from me.’

Sam slumped down onto the bed. ‘I saw him kill you. I don’t know how but I moved the armoire.’

Dean knelt in front of him. ‘You did good.’

He shook his head. ‘What if I become like him?’

‘You won’t.’

‘And how do you know that, Dean?’

‘Because you have me.’ He smiled and patted Sam’s knee as he stood up. ‘And I won’t let anything happen to you.’

Sam wasn’t sure what caused him to do it, but all he knew was at the moment he needed to do it. He reached up and pulled Dean back down, into his lap. Dean looked at him quizzically and began to pull away. Sam cupped the back of his head and pulled him forward taking his brother’s lips into a deep kiss letting all the built up emotion out, showing him what he couldn’t tell him.

Dean pulled out of his arms and was across the room in seconds. “Sammy…” He grabbed his jacket and fled the room. Sam sat there in shock. It wasn’t the fact he had kissed his brother it was the fact Dean had spoken his name.

***

Dean sat at the bar nursing the same beer for the past hour. There were advantages in being deaf — he didn’t have to hear the crap music the local hicks were playing which meant he could easily just get lost in his thoughts. That is until a drunken hick decided that Dean was ignoring him. He was tossed out of his seat, and landed against one of the tables. He looked up at the drunk, focusing on his lips trying to figure out what was going on. He frowned as he sat up, then put his hands up in a surrender gesture. The drunk made some gestures and laughed.

Dean signed that he was just having a beer, which seemed to piss the guy off more. He took a swing at Dean who easily ducked, grabbed the guy’s arm and slammed him into the wall. He felt the wind shift and ducked as the pool cue went over his head. He came up quickly, slamming his fist into the second drunk’s nose. He dropped the cue and grabbed the broken nose. He backed up towards the door, eyes searching the bar. The bartender pulled his shotgun, which was his cue to get the hell out of dodge.

He got out of the bar and into his car. He turned on the car and froze. He tried not to laugh. He knew it was a game to Sam to see what type of music he could get away with. He grabbed the tape and frowned. ‘Suicidal Chihuahuas’. He needed to talk to his brother about his taste in music. Shit. Which led back to the whole reason he was out and not back at the hotel.

Sam had kissed him.

He grabbed his phone and dialed out.

‘It’s late this better be good.’ Tim answered.

‘Sam kissed me.’ He replied.

‘Coffee that so needs coffee.’ Dean smirked at the response. ‘Screw coffee something stronger. Okay explain that to me again.’

‘Sam kissed me.’ Dean typed out. ‘And I liked it.’

‘Your brother?’ Tim replied. ‘The one that never showed up and is now investigating Andrew.’

‘Yes.’

‘Fuck Dean.’

‘We tried that remember, it didn’t work.’ Dean smirked.

‘Don’t make me fly out there and hit you.’ He could hear the irritation in Tim’s voice. As he had adjusted to this new life he had learned that that looks and typed words had just as much emotion in them as the spoken word.

‘I don’t know what to do.’ He said honestly.

‘If Sam wasn’t your brother what would you be doing?’

‘Fucking him.’

Dean wondered if Tim was hitting his head on the table. ‘God I hate you.’ Yep he was. ‘Considering I only know tiny segments of your life, is this really out of the ordinary? I mean a demon fucked with your head and took your hearing.’

Dean paused as he read the display. Tim had a point. Was it really out of the ordinary for them. ‘He’s everything. He’s my life.’

‘And it killed you that he didn’t show up – what if he wants to go back to college?’

It would kill him. Dean knew this.‘So just ignore what happened?’

‘Classic Dean Winchester way, but the fact you’re calling me at 3 in the fucking morning says there’s something more here.’

‘I hate that you know me this well.’Dean growled slightly.

‘Yeah well saved your ass a few times.’Tim replied. ‘Now I’m going to go back to bed and curl up with Horatio. You go do what you need to do.’

‘So you are with Horatio.’ Dean teased.

‘Fuck off.’ Tim hung up the connection.

Dean rang him back.

‘What?!’

‘Hoo-ah.’ Revenge was sweet.

***

Sam paced the small hotel room. What the hell was he thinking? He kissed Dean. His brother. He sighed and slumped back onto the bed, his head between his hands. He looked up when the door opened.

“Dean…” he asked standing back up.

Dean looked at him for a few moments then stepped up to him and pulled him down for a gentle kiss. Sam’s arms went around his brother’s waist and pulled him flush against his body, deepening the kiss. It was technically wrong. He knew it, they both did. This went against the laws of society and morality. But he didn’t care. Dean had always been there, and Sam knew he would always be there. It wasn’t going to be easy, and he had a feeling there would be moments of complete freak-out by both of them, but this was where they both belonged. With each other.

“It’s okay Dean,” He cupped his brother’s cheek and forced him to look at him. “We’ll figure this out together, like we do everything.”

‘I can’t do this if you’re going to leave,’ he signed his face clearly showing his emotions, for once laid bare to Sam.

He kissed him long and deep, then simply signed. ‘I’m not leaving.’

‘You’re such a girl,’ he replied a smile on his face.

‘Now what?’ Sam asked.

Dean shrugged as he slipped off his jacket.

“Dude, what the hell happened?” He yelled and signed at his brother.

He looked down at the bloody t-shirt, ‘Stupid hicks didn’t like that I was giving them the silent treatment.’

“Take the shirt off, let me look at it.” Sam grabbed the first aid kit and sat down on the bed.

‘If you wanted me naked Sam, you could have just asked.’ Dean grinned giving him a wink before sitting next to his brother.

“Jerk.” Sam cleaned the wound and pulled out some small bandages. “It’s not deep.” He leaned forward and kissed the wound, then let his lips slide down the smooth chest, taking a nipple into his mouth and teased it until it stood erect.

“Sammy…oh God…” It wasn’t the voice Sam was used to hearing but it sounded beautiful. He could hear the small hitch in his voice, a small pant as Dean’s hand went into his hair. Sam pushed him back down on to the bed and looked down at his brother. He was beautiful. Of course he wasn’t going to say that aloud, because despite the fact Dean couldn’t hear him – he somehow would and hit him for it.

He straddled Dean and sat up pulling off his own shirt. He reached down and unhooked the belt and unzipped the jeans. He reached in and grasped his brother’s erection, his thumb sliding over the head, smearing precum. Dean arched up into his touch. Then with an unexpected move Dean had Sam flat on his back and was leaning over him. Sam smiled at him and spread his arms out in an open invitation. Dean chuckled as he began to kiss down Sam’s broad chest. He moaned as the sensations of the cool metal of the dogtags slid down his heated skin. He slipped his hands into Dean’s cropped hair and pulled him up for a passionate kiss. Dean pulled back and sat up quickly getting rid of his boots and jeans, then getting rid of Sammy’s.

The moment skin touched skin, both men moaned in pleasure. This wasn’t going to last long. Dean lined up their cocks and began to rock against Sam, building the friction between them. Sam’s long legs wrapped around his brother’s hips and arched up into the sweet friction. His head was thrown back, a deep moan ripped from his throat. Dean closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensations, he was so close to the edge. Everything was perfect, everything was right. This was where he belonged, where Sam belonged. He opened his eyes and looked down into the brown eyes of his brother and came, Sammy’s name on his lips. The soft cry of his name sent Sam over the edge; he arched up and came hard, his semen mixing in with his brother’s.

The two lay there panting softly. Dean got up and grabbed his ruined shirt and cleaned them up before climbing back into the bed. He looked down at Sam before curling up next to him. Sam held him close, relishing the feel of Dean in his arms. He felt the signing against his skin, he closed his eyes and repeated the sign against Dean’s back. ‘I love you.’

Next Morning

Sam opened his laptop to look for the next hunt, waiting for Dean to bring back some coffee and food. He had figured it would be awkward the next morning, but it hadn’t. They had just settled into their normal routine. Sam couldn’t keep the smile of his face. He was going to get shit for it later, he knew it. The touchy feeling was only going to last so long. Dean would be back to his bitchy, no emotion, no talking self before too long. Which was fine with Sam, because that was his brother and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

He paused when he saw the email.

To:s.winchester@stanford.edu

From:tspeedle@miami-dade.org

Subject: Don’t make me hurt you

First off I’m not happy you’re researching Andrew, but I understand the need to find out what goes through your brother’s thick skull. He’s annoying at best, and a pain in the ass at worst.

I’m not going to go into any detail about his rehab, but I will send you this link – it should answer some questions. Of course he may hunt me down and kill me, but I’ll make sure to haunt his ass – and hide my bones so he can’t salt and burn them.

Yes I know.

No I’m not telling you how.

Tim

PS – I’m ex-Delta Force and currently work with CSIs. I know how to kill you and dispose of the body. Consider this your only warning – You hurt him you *will* disappear.

Sam blinked at the email. He really needed to talk to this Tim person. He clicked on the link and watched the news special. He listened to the commentator talk about a Delta Force unit in Afghanistan. How they were ambushed. How Captain Timothy Speedle lost his hearing when he got between a shell and the reporter. How they lost half their unit. How Tim’s best friend Lt. Andrew Thompson was the first to die, and how despite Tim’s injuries he stood at attention as the flag draped coffin was placed into the airplane and flown home. He wiped the tears from his eyes.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out Dean had met Tim in rehab. A bond was formed between them, strong enough that Tim gave Dean his fallen comrade’s dogtags. Ones Dean refused to take off. There was so much more to his brother.

Dean stepped back into the room and stared at the laptop, watching the footage on repeat. He looked at Sam, who showed him the email.

‘You want to tell me about Tim now?’

Dean sat down the coffee and grumbled while he signed. ‘Bastard.’

‘Me or him?’

‘Both of you.’ He signed as he sat down across from Sam. ‘I met him in rehab. His ears were damaged in Afghanistan. It wasn’t a good time for me.’

‘God I wish I was there for you.’ Sam shook his head. He still hadn’t figured out why he hadn’t received the call.

‘Probably was good you weren’t.’ Dean held up his hand to stop Sam from protesting. ‘Tim is Delta Force, a soldier who doesn’t take shit from anyone. He wouldn’t put up with my pissed off attitude with the world and forced me to accept that I was changed. He helped me re-train, re-condition myself. When I left he gave me Andrew’s dogtags. Said I was a soldier just as much as he was.’ He paused slightly. ‘Andrew was his lover, and the fact he gave them to me… He gets why I do this, and why I had to continue doing it.’

‘I’m glad you have someone who you can turn to,’ Sam closed the laptop. ‘Dad and I were never there for you.’

Dean shrugged. ‘I’m not going to whine about dad or our upbringing. You now know why I wear the dogtags so just forget this emo shit and let’s get back to work.’

‘Good thing I got a hunt for us,’ he smirked. ‘Up in South Dakota, figured we could stop in and see Bobby.’

‘Let’s go…’ He stopped and looked at Sam. ‘Suicidal Chiuahuas?’

Sam laughed heartily. “I saw it when we were in New Mexico… dude I had to.”

‘You are so going to pay for that one.’

There was one difference in their normal routine. Dean pulled him in for a passionate kiss before they headed out to the Impala. Sam decided that was one change he could truly live with.

Bobby’s 

Dean pulled up to the house and frowned. He looked over at Sam who had the same look on his face. He contemplated turning around, and heading away from Bobby’s get as far as they could. But Winchesters weren’t cowards. He turned off the engine and looked over at his brother once again.

Sam turned and looked at him. ‘This changes nothing. I love you. I will not leave you.’

Dean rolled his eyes, ‘I’m not asking for a declaration of commitment. Next thing I know you’ll have us married, white picket fence with a gaggle of kids.’

‘Who’s the mom?’

‘You are, bitch.’ Dean shook his head. ‘No killing dad.’

“No promises.” Sam forged ahead talking and signing. “He lays in on you that you’re a liability I’m kicking his ass.” With that he got out of the car and headed up to the door.

Dean got out of the car and followed Sam up to the door. His brother was tense and ready to snap; he frowned and moved past him, knocking on the jamb as he entered the open door. He stopped and stared at Bobby and his father in the middle of a full blown argument. He glanced back at Sam who was looking close to exploding. He slammed his hand against the door jamb, and when that didn’t get their attention, he got drastic.

Everyone stopped and looked at him. He put the gun away and looked at them. He raised his eyebrow and looked at the two older men. He sighed, and looked over at Sam, getting his attention before signing.

Sam smirked, “Now that I got your attention, can you two stop fighting like children?”

“Sam! Dean!” Bobby gave them a genuine smile and turned his back on John. “What brings you two out here?”

‘Hunt.’ Dean signed.

“What hunt?” Bobby asked shocking both of them. “You’re not the only old dog who can learn new tricks. I figured you would be up my way sooner or later. I can follow along but I’m not sure if I could keep a conversation.”

“Well that’s more than I can say about our father.” Sam pointedly looked at John.

“Well John and I were having a slight disagreement about that,” He looked over at Dean. “Beer?”

Dean nodded and followed Bobby into the kitchen, leaving his brother to face off with his dad. He turned and snapped his fingers and gave Sam a pointed glare.

Sam signed with an evil smirk. ‘I won’t kill him. Just maim him a bit.’

Dean laughed and headed into the kitchen.

“So I see you learned ASL,” John said.

“Yes.” Sam replied.

“I’ve been keeping track…”

“Then you would have noticed we’ve had no problems hunting,” he pointed out.

“Sam.”

“Don’t.” Sam held his hand up. “The person you should apologize to is in the kitchen. Of course it would have been nice if you actually had taken the time to learn how to communicate with him. He’s Dean, your son. The only difference is he can’t hear.”

“Did you ever consider the fact, that it’s nothing to do with his inability to hear?” John demanded.

“Considering the last words you said to us, was that he’s a liability and needs to be sent away, no not really.” Sam replied.

“The demon used me to get to him,” he growled. “Used my own hands to hurt him. His whole goal was to remove him from the equation…”

“Which is why he should be here with me,” Sam pointed out. “You said it yourself dad. The demon can’t compete with Dean’s devotion. So hiding him away, just does what the bastard wants.”

“I want him protected!” John bellowed.

The youngest Winchester stepped back and stared at their father.

“The demon won’t stop at getting rid of him. He used me, who says he won’t do it again, or you.” He looked over to see Bobby and Dean standing in the room. “The words he said, what he did – I can’t bear the thought of him doing it again.”

“Dad.”

John gasped at the sound of his son’s voice. “Dean?”

“I knew it wasn’t you.” He said slowly. Talking wasn’t something he was used to doing anymore. He knew what the words were supposed to sound like in his head but the fact was he couldn’t hear them, and it scared him that he was saying them wrong. “Sammy’s right though. My job is to protect him from that bastard, I can’t do that sheltered.”

“You’re both are my boys I need to protect you.” John stepped towards his eldest son.

Dean sighed and signed towards Sam. John looked over at Sam. “I understand, dad. But you trained us to be hunters.”

John stepped closer to Dean. “You were never unwanted. A surprise yes, but loved from the moment we found out. You were… are our pride and joy. I’m very proud of you Dean.”

Dean looked up at his father; he took a deep breath, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. “All my life I’ve waited to hear those words from you. And you finally say them when I can’t hear them.” He turned and walked out of the room back outside. Sam followed him out the door.

John leaned against the wall, “What do I do Bobby?”

“Find the bastard and destroy him.”

***

Sam found Dean leaning up against one of the run down cars towards the back of Bobby’s place. He stepped up in front of him waiting until his brother acknowledged his presence. After a few moments he looked up at Sam and gave him a halfhearted smile.

“Do you want to leave?”

Dean shook his head. He pulled his hands out of his pockets to sign when a shiver ran through him. He reached over and grabbed Sam as he went down to his knees hissing in pain, clutching his forehead. Dean pulled him close and ran a hand through his hair and along his back soothing as best as he could until the vision passed.

“What’s going on?” John asked as him and Bobby ran up to the scene.

Dean looked up a question on his face.

“What’s going on?” He repeated looking worriedly at Sam.

“It’s okay dad.” Sam hissed as he laid his head against Dean’s shoulder. “Just a gift from the demon.”

“WHAT!?” John yelled.

Dean glared up at his father.

Sam sat back then took a seat next to his brother. “I’ve been getting visions.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” their father demanded.

Bobby snorted at the twin ‘what the fuck look’ the boys gave their father. “Really John, that’s just a stupid question.”

Dean turned towards Sam signing, ‘What did you see?’

He frowned trying to call up the images, “A storage room… lots of boxes. There was an old style gun on the table.”

“A Colt?” John asked looking over a Bobby.

“I’m not sure but it was definitely from the eighteen hundreds.” Sam closed his eyes, rubbing his temple. “A dark haired man was filling something out…”

‘Anything in the room distinguishable?’ Dean signed.

Sam shook his head, working through the images trying to find anything that would tell him where it was located. “Is the gun important?” He asked looking up his father.

“It’s the only thing that can kill the demon.” John informed them. “We had got word that a fellow hunter had it, but he disappeared months ago with the gun.”

“If this is the gun, Sam…” Bobby looked over at the youngest Winchester.

Dean shifted and knelt in front of his brother, running a hand through his hair. “Sammy…”

He looked up into loving green eyes, before closing his own and concentrating. The image flashed before him. A dark haired man was cataloging the gun into evidence. Sam saw the hearing aid just as someone stepped into the room. The focus shifted and he was looking into yellow eyes.

Sam jerked out of it again. “Dean!”

Dean stared at him, having felt the vision strike a second time. “Sam?” His voice was shaky.

“He was there.” Sam stood up stared at the three of them.

“Who?” Bobby asked.

“The demon!” He looked at Dean, eyes wide. “The room was an evidence locker. The man I saw had hearing aids…”

Dean shook his head, quickly pulling out his phone typing furiously over keys. He grumbled before clicking more buttons before slamming the phone into his pocket. He looked at Sam signing hastily. ‘Contact Rebecca. See if she has Horatio’s business card.’

“Dean it’s possible it’s not…” Sam stated as he pulled out his phone.

‘It is!’ He angrily signed.

“Who? What?” John looked between his two sons. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

“The man I saw in the vision, he was cataloging that gun into evidence. It’s possible he’s the same man who helped Dean through his rehabilitation.” Sam glared at his phone. “Rebecca it’s Sam call me as soon as you can. This is extremely important.”

“How can you be sure?” John asked Dean.

Dean stormed off towards the Impala pulling the door open with a bit more force than he usually did. He grabbed his bag, dug around and tossed it to Sam.

He grabbed and looked down at the photo, there was no doubt. “It’s him dad.” Sam stared at the two young men in uniform. He looked up at Dean, “Is this Andrew?”

Dean nodded.

Sam could see the love between the two men, and now understood Dean’s need to hold onto the dogtags. For Tim to have given them to him… He looked up at his brother. “We’ll stop him.”

“Do you think the demon is going after him because he knows Dean or because he has the gun?” Bobby asked.

Dean rolled his eyes before signing. Sam’s eyebrow went up. “You’re kidding?” Dean shook his head no.

“What did he say?” John didn’t like being left out and swore after they dealt with this situation he was stealing Sam’s books on ASL.

“Timothy Speedle can find more trouble than I apparently.” Sam shook his head staring at Dean in shock. “It seems while they were at the rehabilitation center, not only did Tim accidentally find a witch but a pack of vampires. That was on top of them hunting down a psycho ghost who was tormenting patients.” Sam bit back a laugh. “And that was within three weeks of meeting him.”

John blinked and looked at Bobby. “I’m not sure if we should be sorry for him or use him.”

Sam laughed out loud despite the situation at Dean’s comment. He turned towards the two older men. “The US Government has been debating the same thing – seems he found two terrorist cells in Kansas.”

Dean glared at his phone again and tossed it into the car. Sam sobered up and cupped his brother’s cheek not caring what it may look like to their father or Bobby. “We’ll get there in time.”

He leaned into the touch, praying and hoping Sam was right.

Miami-Dade Lab

“What do we have Speed?” Horatio walked in looking over the evidence lay out on the table.

Tim looked up at him and then around the lab making sure they were alone. “Tools of a hunter.”

“What?”

“The victim is obviously a hunter or was,” he picked up one of the guns. “These are well used and maintained. Plus there’s this.” He handed Horatio a leather bound journal.

The Lieutenant held it and looked it over. “It’s worn.”

“It’s a hunter’s bible according to Dean.” Tim took the book back and set it down. “My guess he was either hunting something or it was hunting him.”

“So this is going to end up a cold case.” Horatio shook his head.

“Depending on what killed him, can’t quite drag some supernatural element into the interrogation.” Tim sighed.

“Have you contacted your friend?”

“My phone is dead.” Horatio gave him a look. “It got smashed courtesy of one Eric Delko, who wasn’t watching where he was going and I ended up slamming into the stair railing. It was a one in a hundred shot; the railing won and took my phone out.”

The redhead’s eyebrow went up. “Since I’ve met you…”

“Don’t even say it!” Speed glared at him.

Horatio gave him a small smile. “Why don’t you pack this away for tonight? We’ll get a hold of your friend and deal with this in the morning. It’s only fair he help us with a case, since we helped him with one of his.”

“I’ll call him tonight.” Tim nodded packing the evidence back into the box.

“Is that a Colt?” Horatio paused looking down at the old elegant weapon.

“Yeah, though I think there’s something different about it.” Speed commented as he picked up. “See the symbols on it.”

“Devil’s Trap.” Horatio leaned back. “Tim, is this thing safe here?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve taken some photos of it and we’ll send it to Dean once we get home.”

Horatio watched him lock the evidence away. He had remembered clearly the day Tim had come into his office with a case file, asking him to look it over. When he asked about the odd consistencies, he had come clean. There were far scarier things in the night than just murders and rapists. Ever since then Horatio had read through all of Speed’s books and added to their collection. His eyes open to another world, he had seen things now, crimes that he wouldn’t be able to solve. Though it ate at him he couldn’t help or give the victim closure. Speed had informed him that he passed the information on to other hunters. Justice was still being served just not in the way Horatio was used to.

“I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on,” Horatio looked around before he leaned in giving him a quick kiss to the temple. “Once you log this in come find me and we’ll go home.”

Tim nods as he began to pack up the evidence. He ran a hand over the Colt one more time before detailing out the paperwork. A sudden chill fell into the room. He looked up to see one of the janitors standing in the doorway.

“I’ll be done in a few then you can clean up,” Tim said.

“Working late?”

“As always, you know Miami – We never close.”

“Oh but tonight I think you will be.”

Speed looked up and quickly stepped back when he saw the janitor’s eyes flash yellow. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“You know who I am?” He smiled as he walked into the layout room. “Did Dean talk about me with fond memories?”

“More like plotting your demise,” Tim countered.

“Such a needy little boy,” the demon clucked. “You know why I’m here.”

“Taking a cruise out to the Caribbean?” Speed smirked. “Or looking to retire with the rest of the snowbirds… Wait I’m guessing you would want somewhere a bit cooler considering where you come from.”

The demon sighed. “I can see how the two of you bonded.”

“Two soldiers who were wounded. Stubborn assholes who refused to let that wound control their life.” Tim leaned back arms crossed over his chest. “I’m sorry, you look annoyed. Am I supposed to be cowering in fear at your mere presence?”

The sudden pain that shot through his chest as he was slammed against the wall knocked the breath out of him. But it wasn’t going to stop him or make him fear the bastard anymore. “No matter what you do, he’s going to send your ass back to hell.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken.” The demon stated as he picked up the Colt admiring it. “I have plans for my boy.”

“I’m taking you mean Sam.” Speed struggled against the invisible force. He hoped to God Horatio didn’t get worried and come looking for him. He didn’t need to be pulled into this mess.

“Ah yes, little Sammy. Though he’s not so little anymore.” He cooed with pride. “He’s going to be my general.”

“Doesn’t seem the military type.” Tim commented. “I mean if you want a kick ass warrior wouldn’t you rather have Dean?”

The demon glared at him, lifting his hand causing Speed to scream out in pain. “You’re annoying.”

“I’ve been told that,” he caught movement in the reflection. If he could distract the bastard…another yell was ripped from his throat.

“Hello Dean.” The demon turned towards the young man. “How’s the hearing?”

Dean’s eyebrow rose slightly considering the fact he actually heard him. “What are you playing with?”

“Right now your friend,” He made a motion and Speed fell to the ground grunting with pain. “Later maybe, I’ll play with dad a bit.”

He cocked his gun and held it steady. “Step away from him.”

“You know…” he said. “I have to give you some credit. Despite everything you’ve carried on. It’s admirable. Foolish but I can respect it.”

“Is this where you make me some outrageous deal?” Dean rolled his eyes.

“You know how these things work.” He smiled stepping closer. “How about I give you your life back.”

The hunter gave it some thought, “Nah I like my life the way it is.”

“I can give you back your hearing…all you have to do is walk away.”

“Nope, sorry can’t do that.” Dean cocked the gun. “But I can send your sorry ass back to hell.”

The demon snarled as he turned around and tossed John against the wall. “Please John. Haven’t you done enough damage?”

“Dean knows the words you spoke were lies.”

“Does he?” The demon turned back towards the oldest sibling. “How does it feel to be lost in a world of silence because of your father?”

“Actually I’m starting to regret the whole I can hear right now, because your voice is getting annoying.”

“Now Sam you wouldn’t be trying to get to the Colt to harm me now would you?” The demon watched as Sam was pushed against the wall. “And Dean don’t even try to shoot me in the back.” Dean cried out as he was also pushed against the wall. “Sammy… Sammy my favorite.”

“Go to hell.”

“Been there, done that,” he patted Sam’s cheek. “You know you’re special. I have high hopes for you.”

“I’m not like you.” He growled out.

“Tell me Sammy when Dean called why didn’t you go to your poor brother’s bedside?” He looked over at Dean smirking.

“It won’t work.” Sam smirked, his eyes on Dean. “You made a big mistake hurting Dean.”

“Well my intention was to kill him, but this is much more fun.” He stepped back and reached for the Colt. “I find it ironic that a gun made for hunters will end up killing two of them.”

“You touch them I’ll kill you myself.” Sam lashed against the hold on him.

“That’s it my boy, let the anger flow through you.”

“You know you’ve reached a low point in your evil career when you start quoting Star Wars.” Dean snarked off pulling the attention back towards him.

The demon turned and smiled evilly. “Come to me Dean.”

Dean struggled against the pull on his body and mind. “Fuck you.”

“Come here and take this gun and shoot your father in the head.” He held out the Colt towards Dean’s reaching fingers.

Dean fought against the pull, but his body wasn’t in his control. “NO.”

“Fitting don’t you think,” He looked over at John. “You beat him to within an inch of his life and he’s going to kill you.”

John looked up at his son a smile on his face. “He’s stronger than me.”

“Take the gun Dean.”

Sweat poured off his brow his hand struggling in mid air. He cried out in pain as the feeling of daggers shot up his arm. Suddenly a gunshot rang out and the janitor stepped back with a bullet wound to the head. Horatio stepped into the room. And pulled the trigger again. The concentration was broken and Dean collapsed to the ground.

“The Colt!” John yelled out towards the newcomer.

Horatio reached for it pulling it up just as the man’s mouth opened and black smoke flowed out of his body and into the air ducts. He glanced back down to the body on the ground. The Lieutenant knelt down and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry Phil.”

“Dean!” Sam moved to his brother and pulled him up into his arms. “Can you hear?”

He shook his head and fell back against the table eyes closing. Sam patted his cheek making him open them again. Dean glared at him and signed. ‘Dude.’

“You need medical attention.” Sam pointed out.

‘After I sleep.’ Dean signed closing his eyes again.

Horatio shook him awake, “Not until we check your injuries.”

‘You’re as bad as Tim.’

“Worse,” Horatio smiled before moving over to where his lover lay. “Speed?” He checked for a pulse sighing with relief when his eyes fluttered open. “Time to wake up.”

“Is the bastard gone?” Speed asked sitting up.

“For now.” John answered.

“I swear Speed only you would get attacked by a demon in the middle of a secured crime lab.” Horatio shook his head and pulled him up on his feet.

“Can we not discuss this?” Tim grumbled. He looked over at Dean who was standing unsteadily next to Sam. He switched to sign easily. “How did you know?”

Dean shrugged and signed back. ‘Sam had a vision.’

Tim paused, “Vision?”

‘Dude!’ Dean shook his head. ‘I got on a plane to save your ass.’

Captain Timothy Speedle stared at him in shock then smiled. “You do love me.”

Dean flipped him off.

Horatio and Speed’s Beach House – A week later

Dean sat on the back porch looking out over the ocean. He sipped his beer and watched the waves go back and forth. He was lost in his own thoughts, last week’s events going through his head. The demon was still out there, and they had no lead on where he may have gone. He was now more determined to find the bastard and destroy him. He had done enough damage to his family. John had flown back to South Dakota, another hunt waiting for him. He had held Dean a bit more tightly right before left and signed his goodbye. He had left with an ASL book in his hand and a threatening glare from Tim.

Dean refused to get back on a plane. It was one thing to force himself onto one so he could get to Miami quickly it was another thing entirely to get back on it. Sam had already arranged with Bobby to get his baby shipped out to Miami, and there better not be a scratch on it or there would be Hell to pay.

So while they waited Sam had pretty much moved into Tim and Horatio’s library. It seemed the two men had started to acquire a very nice collection. Though once Tim had heard about Bobby’s collection the ex-soldier started plotting a trip out to South Dakota to check it out. Horatio and Dean had sat on the porch many nights discussing hunting, justice and dedicating ones life to helping others. It was nice to talk with someone who understood the drive behind the hunt. Dean couldn’t help but think Horatio would have made a damn fine hunter. And by the looks Sam and Tim were giving them neither were thrilled they were bonding. Like having the two troublemakers bond was any less worrisome.

He felt a hand on his shoulder; Dean looked up to see Horatio standing next to him. He nodded and the redhead took a seat next to him. Dean looked back out towards the ocean, as the two sat in comfortable silence.

He turned towards the redhead then signed. ‘Tell me they at least got something to eat?’

Horatio took his time and signed back, “Not sure, I slid a piece of raw meat in there but didn’t hear anything.”

“Not funny,” Tim glared at Horatio before sitting down. He turned to Dean, “Just going over notes.”

Sam sat down next to Dean and poked at him, “He’s got some good books that I haven’t seen. There is so much information that could be very useful to us.”

‘You do realize that when my baby shows up we’re leaving right?’ Dean signed back.

‘But I like your friend,’ Sam smiled at him.

Dean rolled his eyes. ‘We can come visit.’

‘You better.’ Tim pointedly looked at him while he signed. ‘Minus the demon.’

‘Just a few ghosts, or have you found any new covens?’ Dean snapped back.

“Three ghosts, some water sprites, ghost ship, werewolf, and a demon.” Horatio answered smiling at his lover. “And don’t forget the one terrorist organization he tripped over, and the bank robbers he captured on his first day of work.”

“I hate you.” Tim glared at them all.

“Hoo-ah.” Dean said while laughing.

Next Day

“If I find any books I’ll send them your way, at least you can take care of them for me.” Sam talked to Tim as they packed the Impala. “You have my email and phone number, and I’ll make sure to call you if Dean goes well, all Deanish.”

“Don’t let him hide,” Tim said. “Seeing him now with you is a whole different Dean then the one I met at the Center.”

“I won’t.” Sam smiled at him. “He’s everything to me and nothing will take him away from me.”

“If you need anything don’t hesitate to call.” They turned to see Horatio talking with Dean. “And you have my number in case Tim gets his phone abducted by aliens.”

‘Don’t say it.’ Dean signed. ‘It will probably happen.’

‘Keep in touch, don’t do anything stupid…. or at least make sure you got guns and backup.’ Horatio shook his head.

‘Geeze mother hens much?’ He signed at both of them, and they just grinned back. Dean rolled his eyes and walked over the driver’s side of the car. ‘Stay out of trouble!’ He pointed at Tim.

“You too.”

‘Get in the car Sammy,’ Dean shook his head and slipped behind the wheel starting it up. They all heard his head hitting the steering wheel. The three men snickered at the sounds of grumbling, and the tape being pulled out of the deck and tossed out the window.

“Celine Dion.” Tim shook his head. “That’s just wrong.”

Sammy grinned as he got into the car, ‘Problem with the music Dean?’

Dean just flipped him off, before putting the car into drive. They waved out the windows as they took off down the street.

Sam touched his brother’s leg to get his attention. “Where to?”

Dean handed him the newspaper and smiled.

Sam just eyed him, “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Dean shook his head a large grin on his face. Sam sighed and leaned back in the seat. “Well, I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyworld.”