Sidereus

Chapter Two

"El-"

"Don't look at me like that" I try to shake off the pity Dean's gazing at me with.

Furrowing his brows I watch Dean try to hide it "Like what?"

"Like Bobby has been staring at me for months", I say with my attention flickering briefly to the whisky bottles scattered on the curse boxes which had belonged to Bobby. Dean's attention flickering over the empty bottles surprised, I add quietly "Losing you was tough on everyone."

"Yeah" Dean hums thoughtfully to himself "I'm beginning to get that." Suddenly reverting his attention from the walls he's been gazing carefully over Dean gets a look on his face I can only describe as confusion. Gesturing to himself, Dean asks "Why is my body not burned?" Shifting my weight uneasily Dean reasons stubbornly despite my reluctance when it finally clicks "El you guys were meant to burn me." I don't answer because I'm fairly sure from just one glance around this room he can understand why. We never gave Dean a Hunter's funeral because Sam and I had clung to the hope we could save Dean. That we could bring him back from Hell in spite of the horrible odds stacked against us. In a small voice my hands find their way into the pockets of my hoodie "Dean I had to burn my sisters body. I was there with you boys when we burned John's body." Dean's stubborn stare softening, I meekly shrug "Sam and I couldn't do it. We just... couldn't."

Slowly nodding Dean seems to be trying to wrap his head around what I'm telling him "So... So you don't know where Sam is?"

A small chuckle falling from my lips, I correct him "I never said that." Dean tilting his head, I wander past "Sam bolted from me but it doesn't mean I abandoned him."

"How the does that work?"

Reaching my desk I pick up the yellow lever arch binder, twirl around and smack it into Dean's chest. His eyes widening he takes it off my hands when I say "Because Bobby and I have a ton of friends."

"Ironically", Dean mutters following back after me into Bobby's study. Wandering around to collapse into Bobby's chair Dean thumbs at the coloured tabs. Perching myself on the corner, Dean questions as Bobby pops the lid of his beer with a hiss "What is all this?"

"Each number represents Sam's movements for each month you've been gone", I explain, counting off on my fingers "Talking motel receipts, credit card statements, surveillance camera's in streets, reactivated alias's." Dean shooting me an impressed look, I mention "Like I said. Friends. You told me to watch out and protect Sam so that's what I've been doing." As Dean begins flicking through the pages of loose paper I've organised on Sam's movements across America, Dean questions "So what's behind tab 5?"

Green eyes flickering curiously up to me, I dismissively wave it off "Let's call it...miscellaneous." Dean seems to buy it as he returns to the paper and cyber trail I've pulled together on his brother. Truth is there's something happening with Sam but I can't put it together. Taking out a vamp nest on your own is one thing. Yet following Sam's trail every now and again has been what I can only describe as a mass exorcism of Demon's. Which of course could be explainable... if the ground below the host wasn't left charred and sparking. That isn't normal. Even by supernatural standards.

"You got tabs on where he is now?" Dean asks thumbing through the fourth month, "I tried calling from a pay phone but his cells are disconnected."

"He disconnected his burners to throw me off his scent" I mention reaching over to flip to the front of the month "But it's Sam. He's the pot who called the kettle black."

Finding the list of crossed out names, Dean settles on the lone one half way down the list "Wedge Antiles?"

Smugly, I crack a smile from where I'm perched "It's a character from Star Wars who joined the Rebel Alliance seeking revenge after his girlfriend had been murdered by the Imperials."