What Is Real?

"Sammy?" Dean's anxiety ridden voice echoes throughout the hauntingly still air, boots thumping against the cold wooden floors as he storms into the home. (y/n) follows close behind him, (e/c) eyes searching every nook and cranny for a sign of the long-haired hunter. When Dean doesn't get a response, he strides into the other rooms of the home, coming out of each one with increasing disappointment after every search. Sam was gone.

"Call Bobby, see if Sam's with him" Dean commands, tossing his mobile device to the girl as he goes to search for the missing hunter outside. Scrolling through his contacts, (y/n) is finally able to dial Bobby, waiting for him to pick up as she nervously glances around the darkened room.

"What do you want, ya idjit?" his tone is laced with annoyance once he answers the call, eyes widening slightly upon hearing (y/n)'s soft voice on the other end

"Bobby, where are you?"

"(y/n)...I'm helping out a friend right now, Sioux Falls general hospital. Is something wrong?"

"Please tell me Sam is with you" Her voice is desperate, Dean entering the room just as she asks the question. Bobby is silent for a moment, the line sizzling as nobody talks. Dean raises his eyebrows impatiently.

"I left him home." He stops talking all of a sudden, a tired sigh escaping his lips ,"Shit, he's not there...is he?"

"Dean, He's not with Bobby" She takes the phone off of her ear for a moment to relay the information, watching as Dean breathes deeply to keep himself from freaking out. Suddenly, he's rushing over to one of the laptops on the wooden kitchen table, typing furiously on the black keys.

"Find him, (y/n)" Bobby begs, a sadness lacing his voice as he continues ,"please"

"We will, Bobby, I promise" Bidding him a quick goodbye, she hangs up the phone and walks over to Dean who's still frantically typing away on the laptop. (y/n), watching as he pulls up a GPS system, stuffs his phone into his coat pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"I had a feeling this would happen-" he explains quickly, smashing the enter key and watching as a small glowing dot appears on a map ,"-now we can track his phone. Come on"

Without saying another word, Dean's long legs carry him through the house and back out of the door, wooden frame splintering from the force in which he had slammed the door behind himself. (y/n), following quickly, hops back into the passenger seat.

"We'll find him, Dean" (y/n) tries to reassure him, but a frustrated scowl makes its way across his face, fear for what his brother has gotten himself into.

"I know we will-" He lets out a tired sigh ,"-I'm just afraid of what exactly we'll find."

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The engine of the sleek black car slowly sputters out, Dean's hand moving to shove the key into his coat pocket before stepping out of the vehicle. (y/n), following his actions, closes the creaky door behind her and stares up at the metal walls of the abandoned factory they've pulled up to. This was where Sam was, at least, according to Dean. The way the walls rusted a fiery red and the cobwebs clinging tightly to the corners of the roof, the pair found themselves only growing more worried about the lost hunter. Suddenly, the loud bang of a gunshot echoes throughout the empty lot, a bright flash of light igniting inside the grimy glass windows before being snuffed out as quickly as it came. Dean and (y/n) take this as their cue to start running towards the entrance

"Sammy!" throwing open the thick metal door, Dean and (y/n) slide inside the dark and musty building, pale yellow light illuminating the empty space to reveal a very disheveled Sam. In one hand he grips tightly onto his gun, finger shakily held against the trigger, as he stares at the pair through bloodshot eyes.

"Sam, are you okay?" (y/n) asks him softly, watching as his dazed state seems to focus on the empty spot next to him, misty eyes unsure what to look at in that moment. Dean takes a cautious step forward when Sam doesn't answer

"What are you doing, Sammy-?" Before he can fully let the words leave his lips, Sam thrusts his gun up at the pair, metal weapon shining beneath the spotlight as he threatens to shoot them.

"Woah! Woah!" Dean exclaims angrily, hands slowly raising in the air to try and demonstrate that they aren't a threat to him. Sam isn't convinced

"I thought I was with you, Dean!" Sam accuses his brother, the inner turmoil he feels evident in his blue eyes. (y/n) watches the man carefully, afraid for Dean as he takes another dangerous step forward. For a Phoenix, a bullet to the heart was like a scrape on the knee, while a human could be killed easily. She prepares herself for the worst case scenario.

"Well, here I am" Dean tries to convince him, but Sam still refuses

"No. No, I-I don't...I-I-" Sam's body trembles, finger dangerously close to the trigger as he glances to the same empty spot as before ,"-I can't know that for sure, you understand me?"

"Sam-" (y/n) decides to try and help de-escalate the situation, (e/c) eyes soft as she takes a hesitant step towards him ,"-you're scared, you're confused, and you have every right to be! But, please, just try to calm down..."

It seems as if she's cracked the armor, the shaking hunter slowly lowering his weapon until the barrel is no longer staring the pair in the eyes. Suddenly, the chip in his armor repairs itself, body tensing as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion

"I-I don't even remember driving here..." He mumbles quietly to himself, Dean and (y/n) sharing a concerned glance before turning their attention back onto the slowly crumbling Sam. Gritting his teeth, head tilted as if he's listening to someone, he unloads the bullets from his gun into the wall to his side. Dean cowers slightly from the noise, flashes of white light illuminating Sam's crazed face as he shoots at nothing.

"Woah! Woah!" Dean screams out to his brother, green eyes wide as he meets Sam's hatred filled gaze ,"Sam! This discussion does not require a weapons discharge!"

Sam seems to finally be able to understand, hand trembling as he tilts the end of his gun towards the ceiling, lips quivering as he holds back the tears brimming his lash line.

"Look at me-" Dean steps closer to his brother, filling his voice with every ounce of concern he has to make Sam focus on him ,"-come on...You don't know what's real?"

(y/n) follows close behind, (e/c) eyes focused on the gun still in Sam's bandaged hand, grip loosening with every passing second. Dean continues to try and calm Sam down

"Look, man, I've been to hell. Okay? I know a thing or two about torture. Enough to know that it feels different than the pain of this-this regular stupid crappy this!"

"No-" Sam shakes his head, not even noticing (y/n)'s soft hands slowly removing the loaded gun from his grasp ,"-no, how can you know that for sure?"

Once the gun is removed and stuffed into the waistband of (y/n)'s pants, Dean motions towards Sam's, now empty, bandaged palm.

"Let me see your hand-" before Sam is able to protest, Dean is gripping hard onto the blood soaked bandage, holding it up for him to see ,"-this is real. Not a year ago, not in hell, now. We were with you when you cut it, Sam. (y/n) cauterized it and I sewed it up."

When Sam still isn't convinced, head turning slightly to look over at a new empty spot in the abandoned factory, Dean presses his thumb into his brother's wound. Sam inhales sharply, hissing in pain

"This is different, right?" Dean's voice is a desperate plea, green eyes misty as he continues to press into the cut, "Different from the crap that's tearing at your walnut? I'm different, right?"

(y/n) watches as Sam snatches his wounded hand back from his brother, blue eyes showing a new clarity in them as he glances to the side of Dean.

"Yeah, I think so..." There's a faint confidence in his voice as he speaks, tremble slowly disappearing from his body as he continues to stare down the spot next to his brother. Without speaking, he begins to dig his own thumb into the gash in his palm, scarlet red blood seeping out from the stained bandage and landing to the floor with a soft pitter.

"Sam?" Dean asks hesitantly as he watches Sam continue to hurt himself ,"I am your flesh and blood brother, okay? And I'm the only one who can legitimately kick your ass in real time. You got away. We got you out, Sammy."

Sam continues to dig into his cut, thumb practically disappearing into his own flesh as tears begin to stream down his cheeks. (y/n) notices that he's stopped staring at the empty spot and is instead focusing his gaze onto Dean, whimpering like a wounded animal.

"Believe in that, Sammy-" Dean's voice is softer now, stepping forward until he can rest a gentle hand on top of Sam's wrist ,"-believe me, okay? You got to believe me. You gotta make it stone number one and build on it, you understand?"

Sam gives Dean an almost child-like nod, breathing a shaky sigh of relief as he meets the pairs comforting gazes

"I understand..." His voice still holds a faint fragility, but (y/n) can sense the way his shoulders relax slightly. Before anybody else is able to say anything, Dean's cell phone vibrates loudly in his coat, dark fabric glowing as the screen lights up against the pocket. Taking a quick glance at his brother, ensuring that he's okay for the moment, he pulls the device out and answers the call. (y/n) takes this time to hold Sam's injured hand, sliding the bandage up to examine the now reopened stitches across his palm

"Bobby, what is it?" Dean's voice comes out frustrated, obviously still on edge after tonight's events. The pair watch as he listens intently to Bobby, his eyebrows furrowing ,"Leviathan, here?"

Carefully replacing the bandage over his wound, stopping the bleeding by quickly cauterizing his flesh, the pair stand by Dean as he continues to listen to Bobby's gruff voice as it sizzles through his device. Ending the call, Dean faces the two staring expectantly at him. He sighs tiredly, anxiety evident in his deep green eyes as he motions towards the exit.

"Bobby needs us back at the house." the muscles in his jaw move beneath his skin as he clenches his teeth

"He's got a live one"