Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction / Supernatural Fan Fiction ❯ A Hunter's Nephew ❯ Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

 

Chapter 8

 

 

Xander looked up as he heard Bobby's truck pull in. Standing up he passed his uncle in the doorway. Hopefully he could talk sense into Dean about what to do now. As much as it felt like he was ripping his own heart out he knew they needed to bury or do something with Sam's body soon. And he wanted to go after the creep who'd stabbed him but he couldn't leave Dean alone for long while he was in such bad condition. Xander leant against the wall and listened in to what the others were saying.

 

“You should eat something.” He snorted as he heard his uncle's comment. What did he think Xander had been trying to get Dean to do while he was gone?

 

“I said I'm fine.” Dean's gruff answer was what Xander had expected.

 

“Dean...I hate to bring this up, I really do. But don't you think maybe it's time...we bury Sam.” Xander barely muffled a whimper as Bobby mentioned burying Sam even though he knew he was right.

 

“No.” Dean's answer was flat and angry making Xander sigh. Getting Dean mad was not going to help anything. Maybe he should go back inside?

 

“We could maybe...”

 

“What? Torch his corpse?” Xander winced at Dean's tone.

“Not yet.”

 

“I want you to come with me.” Bobby softened his tone but Xander knew it wouldn't make a difference.

 

“I'm not going anywhere. If Xander wants to go then fine but I'm staying.”

 

“Dean please.”

 

“Would you cut me some slack?” Dean voice had softened a little but not enough.

 

“I just don't think you should be alone, that's all. I gotta admit-- I could use your help.” Dean scoffed at Bobby's statement.

 

“So ask Xander.” Dean stated and Xander ignored it, he knew Dean wasn't trying to kick him out; he just wanted Bobby to drop it.

 

“Somethin' big is going down-- end-of-the world big.” Bobby tried to explain and Xander sighed. He knew that at the moment Dean wouldn't care. He'd gone through a similar stage of anger and denial after Jesse's death. Although, he had to get over it quick, living on the Hellmouth.

 

“Well, then let it end!” Dean screamed and Xander whined low under his breath. He could practically feel the pain and anger rolling off the older man.

 

“You don't mean that.” Bobby almost begged.

 

“You don't think so? Huh? You don't think I've given enough? You don't think I've paid enough? I'm done with it. All of it. And if you know what's good for you, turn around, and get the hell out of here. Go! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, just go.” Xander straightened as he heard Dean give Bobby a push towards the door. He'd let Dean yell but if he raised a hand to his uncle Xander would intervene.

 

“You know where I'll be.” Bobby told him dejectedly and then left the house. He managed a sad smile for Xander and the teen moved in to hug him.

 

“I'll stay and keep an eye on him. You do what you need to and call me when you need help. I'll carry the stubborn idiot if I have to.” Xander told him and Bobby nodded.

 

“You be careful and look after yourself as well.” Bobby told him as he headed for his truck.

“Foods inside if you get hungry later.” Xander nodded and waved goodbye before heading inside.

 

“Going to tell me to torch Sammy as well?” Dean asked, refusing to look at him. Xander sighed and sank down a few feet from where Dean was sitting and once again staring at Sam's body.

 

“Nope. You'll do what needs doing when you're ready. I...I've never gotten the chance to say goodbye like this. Usually when someone I know dies it's because they've been vamped so all that's left is scattered ashes. You want to talk I'll listen, you want silence that's fine too.” Xander told him quietly and Dean turned to look at him and then nodded in thanks. They fell silent and Xander relaxed back against the wall, eventually drifting off to sleep.

 

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Xander woke but stayed still and quiet, not sure what had woken him. Then he heard Dean's quiet voice and decided to fake still being asleep as Dean talked to Sam.

 

“You know, when we were little-- you couldn't been more than 5-- you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you-- "Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know." Dean chuckled softly and Xander smiled slightly.

“I just wanted you to be a kid...Just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you...Keep you safe...Dad didn't even need to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job... I had one job... And I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry.” Xander could just make out Dean wiping fruitlessly at his tears from the corner of a barely opened eye but stayed quiet, knowing Dean needed to let it out.

“I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?!” Dean screamed and then bolted from the hut. Xander leapt to his feet and then watched from the window as the Impala raced away into the night.

 

Xander considered calling his uncle but figured Dean just needed time away from Sam's body. He wrinkled his nose slightly; hanging around a dead body was not nice for enhanced senses. But he stayed because it was Sam and he knew Sam would like him to look out for Dean for him. He edged towards the bed and stared down at Sam's unmoving body sadly. He slowly reached out and brushed Sam's hair away from his eyes, swallowing a sob as his skin touched Sam's cold face. It wasn't fair. If he hadn't closed his eyes maybe he would have seen what was happening and could have saved Sam. At least he'd done some damage to Sam's killer, his knife had lodge in the man's left shoulder rather deeply form the force of his throw. Xander growled in frustration and sat at one of the chairs in the other room, unable to stay with Sam's corpse any longer.

 

Xander was picking at the food Bobby had left when something made the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. He growled threateningly and stood, grabbing one of his silver knives from its sheath. Something had just happened, though he wasn't sure what. A low groan had him bolting for the room with Sam's body. Xander froze in the doorway as he saw Sam leaning on his elbows and looking around, disorientated. Hazel eyes locked onto his and Xander stumbled back a step.

 

“Xander? What happened? Where are we? Where's Dean?” Sam asked and then groaned in pain as he tried to sit up.

 

“Sam?” Xander whispered in shock. How was it possible? Then he went pale. What had Dean done? It was too big a coincidence that Dean had left not fifteen minutes ago and suddenly Sam was alive. Xander watched Sam stand shakily, obviously still in some pain from the back wound. They both stared at the door as it slammed open and Dean ran in only to freeze and stare at Sam.

 

“Sammy.” Dean breathed and Sam smiled shakily.

 

“Hey.” Dean pushed past Xander to pull Sam into a bone crushing embrace.

“Owe. Uh, Dean...”

 

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry, man. I'm just...I'm just happy to see you up and around, that's all. Come on, sit down.” Dean led Sam to a chair as Xander watched; dread settling heavily into the teen's mind.

 

“Okay. Dean...what happened to me? Xander didn't answer when I asked.” Dean finally looked at Xander and noticed he was staring at them both in shock.

 

“Well, what do you remember?” Dean asked instead of answering Sam's verbal question or Xander's silent ones.

 

“I-I saw Xander and then you and Bobby, and...I felt this pain. This sharp pain, like...like, white-hot, you know, and then you and Xander started running at me, and...that's about it.” Dean flinched and Xander slid down against the wall as Sam told them what he remembered. Xander was just happy he didn't remember what had happened after he died. Remembering Heaven and then finding yourself alive again? That couldn't be good for you.

 

“Yeah, that-- that kid, stabbed you in the back. You lost a lot of blood. It was pretty touch and go for awhile.” Xander closed his eyes as Dean lied to Sam. He'd have to corner him later and get the truth then, for now he'd let Sam be given the gentler answers.

 

“Dean, you can't patch up a wound that bad.” Sam looked between the two of them as he spoke. He could tell Xander was upset about something and there was something off with Dean's explanation.

 

“No, Bobby could. Who was that kid, anyway?” Dean lied again and Xander opened his eyes, wanting to hear Sam's answer as well. Knowing his prey's name might make tracking him down easier.

 

“His name's Jake. Did you get him?” Sam told them and Xander filed the name away for later. He knew if he didn't find him first there'd be a fight over who got to kill him but he intended to be the one to do it, not Dean.

 

“No, he disappeared into the woods.” Dean admitted and Xander growled softly, making the brother's jump slightly.

 

“We've got to find him, Dean. And I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart.” Sam said angrily.

 

“Not if I find him first.” Xander said coldly, the hyena cackling madly in the back of his head. She had some definite ideas of what they should do to dear Jake and even the soldier was sending him information on torture methods.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, Van Damme. You just woke up, all right? Let's get you something to eat. Huh? You want something to eat? I'm starving. Come on.” Dean pleaded and Sam nodded slowly.

“Hungry Xander?”

 

“Still full form earlier. I'm going to do the perimeter, make sure nothings found us.” Xander left the cabin, needing the space to deal with what had happened. He still couldn't believe Sam was miraculously alive again. How had Dean done it? But he was more worried about what the cost had been; surely Dean wouldn't have done anything too stupid, would he?

 

Xander had just gotten back when Dean and Sam walked out of the house. Sam smiled at him and waved and Xander found himself smiling back. Impulsively he wrapped his arms around Sam's chest in a brief hug. He smiled as all his senses confirmed Sam was truly alive again.

 

“Glad you're okay.” Xander said quietly and Sam grinned.

 

“Thanks. We're headed for your uncle's.” Xander nodded and headed for his own car.

 

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Xander got out of his car, unsurprised to see the Impala already in the lot. He headed inside and smiled as he saw Sam studying a book.

 

“Hey.” Sam looked up and smiled at him.

 

“Dean's helping your uncle with some books. Want to help?”

 

“Sure, what are we looking for?” Xander picked up a book. Sam explained about Southern Wyoming and they got to work.

 

When his uncle shot him a hard stare as he led a lady inside a while later all Xander could do was shrug, he honestly had no idea what had happened.

 

“Who's the kid?” The lady asked and Xander shot her a glare.

 

“My nephew. He's a Hunter too Ellen.” Bobby told her as they sat at a table and Bobby pushed a shot glass over to her.

 

“Bobby, is this really necessary?” She asked, obviously uncomfortable with the way Xander was studying her.

 

“Just a belt of Holy Water, shouldn't hurt.” Bobby told her and Ellen downed the contents. They all relaxed when she didn't react to it.

 

“Whiskey now, if you don't mind.” Xander pushed the whiskey over to her and then left the room sensing what she had to say was personal. He was outside when Bobby finally came out.

 

“So did you get what he did out of Dean?” Xander asked before his uncle could say anything.

 

“So you didn't know?” Bobby growled and Xander shook his head.

 

“I fell asleep. When I woke up he was talking to...well. Then he just took off. I thought being in there was just too much and that he'd be back once he cooled off. I was in the other room and I felt something. Next thing I know Sam's half sitting up asking me where we were. Dean then lied to Sam about what happened since he didn't remember anything after getting stabbed. I didn't want to cause a scene and figured he was lying for a reason but I haven't had the chance to get him alone since. What did he do?”

 

“The fool sold his soul, that's what he's done.” Bobby answered angrily and Xander gasped.

 

“How? What?” He sputtered.

 

“He made a deal with a Crossroads Demon. His soul and one year to live in exchange for Sam's life.” Xander sat down and banged his head against the car behind him.

 

“Please say there's a way to break the deal without either of them dying? Dean selling his soul for him will kill Sam!”

 

“I know that and you know it but apparently Dean thinks it's right since he should have died a year ago if their Dad hadn't done the same thing for him.”

 

“This is so screwed up.” Xander groaned, burying his head in his hands.

 

“Yeah well he doesn't want Sam to know.” Xander nodded slowly, knowing it wasn't his place to say anything.

“Up for some research?”

 

“Sure.”

 

----------------------------

“Guess I know why you looked so shocked when you saw me sitting up.” Sam said bitterly.

 

“Well usually a dead body sitting up is a bad thing and I had no idea where Dean was or what he was doing. Good thing I could smell you weren't a vamp or demon.” Xander responded as he sat on his car's hood, both of them watching Ellen clean Dean's wound.

 

“I can't believe he did that. After how he reacted to Dad doing it for him...I can't let him die for me.” Xander put a hand on Sam' shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile.

 

“We've got a year right? Between us I'm sure we'll find a way to keep either of you from dying, without anyone else selling their soul.”

 

“Thanks. But we've got to stop those demons too.”

 

“I'll let a few contacts know so they can get the Council teams onto them. That many demons free isn't good for anyone. You have to stay positive Sam. And hey, no more yellowed eyed freak trying to turn you into his general. That's a plus.” Xander grinned and Sam couldn't help smiling back.

 

“Yeah, it is. Thanks, for sticking around after...”

 

“Someone had to try and keep Dean from doing something stupid. I failed but I had to try. I tried...when we got to you. I knew you might be hurt so I'd gotten some supplies from a wiccan but the wound was too severe. Didn't even buy you time. When you died, the way Dean screamed your name; I think he might have followed you if he hadn't been able to get you back.” Xander admitted and Sam squeezed his arm.

 

“You tried and that's what matters.” Xander nodded and dropped his head to rest on Sam's shoulder. Sam didn't move, sensing how exhausted the younger hunter was and honestly it felt nice to be around someone who wasn't scared of physical contact.

 

Bobby looked around and then smiled as he spotted the youngest members of their little group. He was glad Sam was back even if he still wanted to strangle Dean for what he had done. He was glad Xander hadn't known about what Dean was going to do; it meant he didn't need to throttle two idiots. With how hard Sam's death had hit Xander he had a feeling his nephew might have let Dean do it or even have done it himself if he had known about the crossroads demon.

 

Bobby may love Dean like his own but Xander was his nephew and the thought of the kid selling his soul was too horrible to think about. If they couldn't break the deal though at least Sam would have Xander watching his back, even if it wasn't for purely platonic reasons. He honestly didn't care as long as Sam didn't hurt Xander but he didn't know if Sam liked that sort of thing. He hoped Xander wasn't going to get his heart broken but at least now he had the chance to find out if Sam could like him.

 

TBC...