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phantismaitle: Losing Sam, Prologue
Characters: Sam/Dean, John, Dana(the daughter), Aristotle (the dog)
Rating: G for the prologue (long established wincest relationship)
Disclaimer: Not mine - just playing.
Summary:
Losing Sam consists of a Prologue and three complete arcs.
Prologue set in July after Dana's high school graduation.
Arc 1 goes back a bit in time to June after Dana's high school graduation.
Arc 2 jumps up to July and Arc 3 continues where arc 2 leaves off.
Note - Written by my friend M who says -A huge thanks for Amara for letting me play in her verse and for her beta. Another huge thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pyroblaze18 who was forced to listen to me whine & gave wonderful beta insights.
Post Dana’s High School Graduation, July
Dean’s Garage
Dean reached for the rag and stared down at the engine block sitting on the table. He’d been working on this thing for hours and, frankly, wanted to beat it with a crowbar. Why he was attempting to rebuild it was beyond him at this point. The thing had been a piece of crap fifteen years ago. Old Man Harper had never taken decent care of his Impala.
“I told you that thing was beat,” John chimed in from a chair across the room.
Dean looked at his father, whose head was tilted back against the wall, legs spread out in front of him, sipping a brew, obviously enjoying Dean’s pain way too much.
“Did I ask your opinion?” Dean spat at him.
John smiled. “No, but listen to your old man. Don’t waste any more time on that goddamn thing. Life’s way too fuckin’ short.”
Dean wanted to pitch his rag and go get a cold beer and slouch back with his Dad. But, Dean Winchester was a stubborn guy; there hadn’t been an Impala engine that had ever defeated him before and today was not going to be the first.
“Just sit there and drink, dude. I’ll have this baby purring by nightfall.”
And, until his dying day, Dean remembered saying that to his Dad because you always remember exactly what you did or said immediately before your world crashed down around you.
The very next moment, he saw a small shadow by the big garage door. From years of practice studying shadows, he squinted against the sunlight and tried to focus, place the source. The next thing he knew, Aristotle came running across the room and crashed down in front of him, shaking and panting hard, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Dean bent down, about to ask her where Sam was, when he saw that her paws were a bloody mess.
Post Dana’s High School Graduation - Mid-June
It had turned into a series of compromises. Well, more like Sam conceded on things to eliminate Dean’s every, very vocal, complaint.
First of all, Sam scrapped climbing the Grand Tetons. Dean heard they’d have to camp and that was that. “You know I hate camping Sammy,” was heard in various tones and decibel levels about fifteen times a day for a week.
So, Sam switched to Yosemite, where they could stay at Yosemite Lodge.
Next, flying was scrapped. Dean was adamant on this one. “Not flying, dude, not happening.”
So, they had to drive all the way to California.
Sam and Dana wanted to spend two weeks. Dean wouldn’t hear of it, wanted only one day of climbing. Dana challenged him on that one and they argued for hours. “You trained for months to climb for one day, Dad? How does that make any sense even in your engine-oil addled brain?”
Sam thought Dana was brilliant but kept his mouth shut. He actually wanted to get laid again in this lifetime.
The itinerary ended up as two days of shared driving with four days at Yosemite, for a total of eight days away. Dean agreed, grumbled, but agreed.
A few days after graduation, Sam, Dean and Dana headed out in a very packed SUV, climbing equipment stowed in a carrier on top, and the rest of the essentials in the back. Aristotle had alternately cried or whined the entire night before, somehow knowing she was being left with Papa. Sam even let her crawl into bed with them in an attempt to appease her. That only resulted in up close and personal whining. From the look on Scott’s face as they drove out of the driveway, Sam suspected he might be shedding a few tears shortly after their departure too.
Dana did the vast majority of the driving, with Dean asleep in the back, sprawled all over, and Sam dozing on and off in the passenger seat.
Somewhere in Nevada, Dean sat up, rubbed his eyes. “I just wanna know, why the hell are we doing this?”
Dana half-glanced at him in the rear view mirror. “Well, Sam wants to climb, some weird ass Zen thing. You’re here because Sam promised you summit sex. And I pretty much hate being left out.”
Dean cuffed the back of her head, none too gently. “Watch your mouth young lady…and pull over somewhere, I gotta piss.”
They all burst into laughter.
Yosemite, Day 1 Afternoon
Dana slammed the car door and exclaimed, “Motherfucker, can you believe this place?”
They stared up at El Capitan from the valley floor.
“Please Sam. Tell me we aren’t climbing that,” Dean asked, as he pointed.
“Nope. We’re climbing far less challenging rock. But, we’re climbing that someday, dude.”
Dean muttered, “Over my dead body,” under his breath but loud enough to be heard.
As they were standing together and staring up, a young guy in his early 20’s ambled up to them, long curly, dirty blonde hair hanging below his shoulders, pierced ears, raggedy shorts hanging off slender hips, boots, no shirt, tattoo of some mountain adorning his left pec.
He held his hand out to Sam. “I’m Travis. You’re Sam, right?” he drawled in a soft southern accent.
Sam looked at Travis’s tan face, nodded in affirmation, reached for the proffered hand and shook. A quick image ran though Sam’s head, his hands gripping Travis’ ripped abs, his cock buried in him deep. It was a flash, and disappeared almost instantly, but Sam felt a flush of pure lust rush forehead to toes.
Travis turned and shook Dean’s hand and then Dana’s, lingering with her a couple more beats than strictly necessary.
“So, tell me about y’alls experience,” Travis addressed Dana.
Dana launched into detail as to their training and explained their practice climbs.
Travis listened, eyes firmly fixed on her, inserted a few questions to glean more specifics. When she finished, he asked, “And ya wanna climb After Six and Munginella, with a rest day bah-tween?”
Dana bobbed her head. Travis smiled, “Okey dokey. Tomorra, I’ll test y’all. If all’s good, we do After, a rest day, and ascent Mungie.” He paused and raised an eyebrow in challenge to Dana. “But, you ain’t gettin’ no rest. The guys can rest. Ya don’t look like ya need it.”
Sam cleared his throat. It was like watching some nature show on the mating rituals of long-haired climbers. Dean looked first at Sam and then at Dana. Dana tossed her head, rising to the subtle challenge, and stood up slightly straighter so that she was only a few inches shorter than Travis. Looked him square in the eyes. “You’re right. I don’t want a rest day.”
That earned her a big, white sunburst of a smile from Travis and a rock star worthy shake of his mane of curls. “Ok then. See y’all tomorra,” and shook all their hands. He took three steps before stopping and turning back to Dana, “Climbin’ camp’s about two miles thatta way,” pointing east, “We party every night startin’ aroun’ 9ish. Just ask for Rockboy.” And he bounded off, curls bouncing, sweat glistening on his back.
“Stop staring at his very fine ass, Dana,” Dean teased.
Sam shook his head, realizing he was staring at Rockboy’s very fine ass as well.
Yosemite Lodge, Night 1
“So, what do you think of Travis?” Dean asked from the bathroom.
“I think he is a skilled climber and came to us highly recommended as a guide. And I think he likes our Dana just fine,” Sam replied from his spot sprawled on the King bed.
Dean walked out of the bathroom, wiping his face with a towel. “I think our Dana liked what she saw too,” and then softer, teasingly, “and she wasn’t the only one.”
Sam turned his head slightly towards Dean. “Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb, Sam. I caught your initial impression of Rockboy, loud and clear,” Dean smiled and he rubbed his hair with the towel.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sam managed to sound exasperated
Dean smirked, enjoying this a bit too much. “Sam, the kid gave you a rush. He’s a good looking kid. No harm in looking or in imagining him bent over for you.”
Sam turned beet red, rubbed his face and the words rushed out, “God, Dean, I am so fucking sorry. Shit. I am so sorry.” Dean saw. It wasn’t bad enough Sam imagined it, Dean saw.
“Sammy, relax, you got about a two second thrill. No big deal.” Dean turned back to the bathroom.
Sam jumped off the bed and put himself between Dean and the bathroom door. “Yes, it is a big deal. I was way out of line to even think it. God, I am so fucking sorry.”
Dean put a hand on Sam’s chest. “Dude, do you seriously think I haven’t leered after a slew of men and women in the past eighteen years? Quit feeling guilty. You just didn’t lock it down quick enough. No biggie Sam.”
Sam looked beyond mortified. In a small voice, he said to Dean, “Tell me what to do to make it up to you. Anything.”
Dean reached out and stroked his face. “Sammy, stop with the guilt. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It is no big deal…even if his ass is nicer than mine.” Dean stepped toward the bathroom. Sam put a hand on his chest to stop his forward motion.
Sam purred, “His ass isn’t nicer than yours. No one’s ass is nicer than yours. Please, let me make this up to you.”
Dean laughed and pitched the towel over Sam’s head; it landed on the bathroom floor. “Outdoor sex. I want you to grab me by the stomach, bend me over a rock and make me one with nature.”
Dean laughed as he felt Sam’s libido react to the suggestion. That I can accommodate, baby. Dean leaned toward Sam but stopped when they heard a knock on the door.
Sam called out, “Come in, Dana.”
The lock popped open and the door opened itself. Dana stood on the other side in her hiking boots, combat pants, hair in a pony tail with a giant green bow; she looked like Hiker Barbie. She strode through the door which closed with a snap behind her.
“Please tell me that no one was out in the hall to see that little display.” Sam looked at her sternly.
Dana huffed, “Of course not.” And threw herself into a chair. “So, I’m going to the hiking camp to check things out. That’s okay, right?” Dana looked calm and serene except for the nail she was biting.
Dean crossed the room and squatted down next to her. “Yeah, it’s fine. Keep your connection to Sam open though so we know you’re okay.” And he kissed her on the forehead.
Dana looked like she wanted to say or ask something more. But she swallowed it down and kissed his forehead in return.
Yosemite – Day 2
The sun rose shortly after 6 a.m. The night before at dinner, when Sam and Dana suggested they meet up with Travis at 6 a.m., Dean had come unglued. Basically, his position was something to the effect of, “You’re making me climb a zillion year old rock and I have to do it sleep-deprived? You are fucking kidding me, right?”
Sam had told him to stop whining like a thirteen year old and suck it up. Dana had laughed, earning her another cuff to the side of the head that only made her laugh harder.
After a ridiculous amount of haggling and name-calling, they agreed to get up at 6 in order to meet Travis at 7 near their SUV.
While trudging toward the meeting point, Dean asked Dana about climbing camp, as casually as he could muster. Dana babbled, “I learned a lot of technical stuff, too much to go into now, but I want to tell you all about it. They live in that camp all summer, even though technically they aren’t supposed to. About fifty of them, guys and gals, A-grade climbers, total hotshots.” She paused for a breath, her whole face alight with excitement. “And Travis is nice. He introduced me to everybody and fed me this delicious chocolate cherry cake they cooked over the camp fire. And they really do call him Rockboy. He’s been climbing since he’s eight, climbed on every continent but Antarctica.” Awe dripped from her voice.
Dean and Sam exchanged a look as they approached their SUV, where Rockboy, now with a shirt on and hair tied in a pony tail with a leather cord, was performing a Yoga sun salutation.
Travis looked up at them, “Good mornin’ y’all,” and then to Dana, “How’s the track champ this mornin’?” He grinned while wrapping himself into a pretzel.
Dana squirmed, “She’s ready to climb, dude.”
Travis unwrapped his limbs from their seemingly painful position and stood up, “Glad to hear it.”
The four of them unloaded the climbing gear.
“Ya’ll got nice stuff,” Travis commented, after checking out Dana head to toe, twice. It was rather muddled as to whether he was referring to the climbing gear or Dana or both until he added, “Good equipment’s important when climbin’.”
Dana pretended she didn’t notice his attention, but her delight at his interest was seeping out in waves.
Sam advised sternly Turn down the jets Dana. You are spilling out all over.
Dean caught Sam’s mental message too and sputtered out his coffee. Dana gave them a warning look but didn’t reply verbally or psychically, although she did lock down her emotions a couple of levels.
Sam smiled, Thanks sweetie, much better. She glared but kept mute.
Travis ran them through some drills on some small rock outcroppings not too far from the climbing camp. By 9 a.m., he pronounced them fit to proceed, telling Sam and Dean, “You guys are pretty good, especially for not being so young.”
Dean told Sam I hate this kid, ya know?
Sam choked down a laugh, We were this kid, babe.
Dean nodded his head, Yeah, back when we were YOUNG.
Sam maintained a straight face, Gonna make you feel twenty tonight, baby.
They were interrupted by a loud blast from Dana, Guys, you’re leaking all over. And, you had the nerve to tell ME to tone it down!
And so they climbed. Travis took the lead, followed by Dana, Sam and Dean. And miracle of miracles, Dean didn’t complain once. Of course, about an hour in, when he was leaning back in his harness and flipping 360’s, Dana started chastising him about goofing around and not being serious. That only earned her, “Just trying to have fun, kiddo. You know – for an old guy.”
They experienced only one mishap. Sam’s foot slipped about three-quarters of the way up the ascent but the safety snapped instantly, doing its job perfectly. Even with that tiny thing, that was over before it started, Sam felt Dean’s heart race. I’m fine babe, relax.
At the top, even Dean agreed, he had never seen a more fabulous vista and admitted that he sort of understood why people did this.
Dana asked Travis what it looked like from the top of El Capitan. Travis produced that mega-watt smile and gently re-arranged an errant lock of her hair behind her ear. “El Cap’s views aw-w-we-some but…even better from Half Dome.” He then shuffled his feet and stammered, “Uh, maybe tomorra ya wanna do the Half Dome hike? Have to start early though, ittza long day…but way fun.”
Dana averted her eyes to hide her pleasure and replied coyly, “I’ll think about it. Good view, huh?”
After the obligatory 1000 pictures, lunch and Winchester trash talk, they rappelled down. Being Winchesters, it had to be a contest, so Travis went down first and then timed the next three. Dana went down last and with the fastest time. As she danced her victory jig, Sam told her, Your dad thinks you cheated.
She walked over and slugged Dean in the arm, hard. Dean choked on his water, grabbed her into a bear hug and swung her around. Dana kicked her legs and squealed in delight.
Travis looked at the three of them. “Ya know? I lead lots of families and see all kinda stuff. But never saw a family as cool as ya’ll. Ya’ll know what each other’s thinkin’ and shit. Ya’ll kinds of lucky, ya know?”
Yosemite – Day 2, Dinner, Ahwanee Lodge
As they dug into their steaks and baked potatoes, Dana chattered about technique and skills and climbing lingo, all the things she had learned in the couple of hours she had spent the night before with the climbers.
Long after the meal was consumed, Sam and Dean nursed their beers and continued to listen to her. Sam asked Dean She’ll be off to school soon. Will you be able to handle that?
Dean replied, Yeah, won’t be easy though.
Sam squeezed Dean’s knee under the table. Do you want that nature experience tonight?
Dean put his hand on Sam’s and inched it up to rest on the top of his thigh. Hate to admit it, but I’m exhausted. Damn kid’s right, not young anymore. Wouldn’t mind getting my cock sucked though.
Dana snapped them out of it. “Damn it. I’m trying to talk here, telling you important, life-affirming stuff. Will you two quit flirting with each other?”
Dean leaned forward and asked the burning question, “So, tell us what you think about Rockboy?”
Dana produced an angelic, innocent look. “He’s a great climber.”
“That he is,” replied Sam. “And you weren’t so bad yourself today although I thought you would slip up since your eyes were stuck on his ass and not on your climbing.”
“That’s not true,” she shouted, a touch too loudly. She squirmed when she realized she had taken the bait perfectly. “Ok, a little true but I was admiring his legs more than his ass, and his technique. And he’s nice…different, confident, funny…”
“Decided on where you’re hiking tomorrow?” Sam inquired.
Dana smiled then. “Half Dome hike. Can’t let him think I’m a pussy.”
“No, couldn’t have that sweetie,” Sam concurred. He chuckled and rubbed Dean’s leg under the table. He wondered if Dean was getting a full read as to just how much she was into Rockboy.
Dana rose to leave. “I’m going to hiking camp for about an hour, ‘kay?” She started to leave and then turned back. “You like Travis, right? His crack about your age wasn’t meant to be mean.”
Sam looked at her. “Your Greek god is great, Dana. We like him a lot, even if he thinks we’re old.” Sam squinted at her, “We do realize we aren’t young anymore.”
Dean slugged Sam, “Speak for yourself, old man.”
She kissed each of them on their cheeks and whispered ‘I Love You’ into their ears.
As she turned to leave, Sam added, “Ah, Dana, I put something in your pack, in case you need it.”
She looked puzzled but nodded and headed out.
“What did you put in her pack?” Dean asked, turning to Sam.
“Condoms.”
Yosemite, Day 3 – Evening/Night
Dean dug in his pocket for the key card to their room. Sam and Dana trailed behind him.
“Going to climbing camp or too tired?” Sam asked Dana as he draped his arm around her shoulders.
“Am tired,” she said with a yawn, “but still gonna go for an hour or so.”
Dean turned and looked at both of them. He had managed to keep his mouth shut. She was leaving for college in a matter of weeks. She’d be away, too far for her connection to Sam to reach and assure them she was okay. And she’d be doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, thousands of miles from them. He figured that he had to learn that he no longer had control over her life. He didn’t like it but it was true.
Yet, it was hard to watch his baby run off, maybe do something she would regret. He wanted to say something, remind her of Scott pining for her at home, alone. So, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth. But, reluctantly, he closed it again and turned and walked into the room. Now was as good of a time as any to not interfere with her choices, hard as that was.
Dana leaned her head into the room after him and said, “Love ya’ Dad, see you at 8 to climb,” and she was off.
Sam closed the door behind him. “What’s up babe?”
“She’s going to sleep with him.”
“Yeah, it looks like a decent possibility.”
“Should we have said something?”
“What would we say? We hardly have the purest of histories in terms of sex lives, before one another. She’s young, he’s smitten with her,” Sam paused. “As to Scott, they’re going to be on opposite coasts in a few weeks anyway, leading separate lives. This might be technically uncool on her part but it’s going to happen naturally soon enough anyway.”
Dean reached for the bottle of Jack on the shelf and poured two healthy glasses. He and Sam had spent the day at the pool, drinking beer and enjoying the sunshine and each other. They had managed not to discuss Dana or Travis all day. It had been wonderful. But it couldn’t be avoided after her two hour recounting of the Half Dome hike, filled with the Travis documentary reel.
Dean swallowed down half a glass of whiskey and refilled his glass. “When she was younger, she was headstrong and independent but we got to tell her what to do and straightened her out when she messed up. Now, shit…,” he rubbed his face.
Sam came up behind him, reached for his glass and downed it. “What say we drink half of this bottle and head out for that back-to-nature experience?”
It was eleven and Dana was heading back to the Lodge. She was walking slowly, alternately illuminating her way along the path with her flashlight and staring up at the stars. She’d never seen a night sky so full of tiny dots of light. It seemed impossibly beautiful, especially matched with the comforting sound of the crickets and soft echo of the leaves as they stirred in the light breeze. If she focused, she could even hear the rumbling of Yosemite Falls.
As she was ruminating on the warmth of the night and the magnificence of the sky, she stopped in her tracks. The warmth had turned cold. No, not cold exactly – murky. The air temperature hadn’t changed but the composition of the evening had shifted from sweet to sour. Something was off balance. She reached out with her mind, feeling for other mental signatures.
She felt the wrongness again but, as she attempted to focus on it, it started to evaporate, shrinking to a thin trail of dark to nothingness. She mentally scrambled to grasp it and hold on, but to no avail, it was gone. She flung her mind out wider in a scramble to locate any tinge of it and whacked into Sam’s signature, around the bend somewhere. He was blocked off and she audibly gasped, immediately frightened that the murk was a threat to him.
She reached again to determine where he was and ran in that direction.
She ran as quietly as she could, glad she had put on her running shoes instead of her hiking boots. She was heading toward the Falls and it began to ring in her ears. She had no desire to announce her approach and was grateful for the cover of the loud, rushing water. Sam was close, slightly off to the left, near the outcropping they had spotted yesterday when they had checked out the waterfall. She slowed her pace, made a left and froze dead in her tracks.
Sam was there. And her Dad.
And they were not being threatened.
She spun around and shut down every thought and emotion. She covered her mouth and nose to hold in her breath. Shit
She had panicked and failed to associate Sam’s closed off mental signature as the wall he used whenever he and Dean were, ahem, busy. Shit
She hadn’t seen much, only a second, two at most.
But, no girl should ever get even a glimpse of her Dad bent over a rock in a submissive pose with his lover behind…
No, she wouldn’t think of it. She wished desperately that there was a way she could alter her own memories as she had done to others. Shit
Dana started small, silent steps back toward the path, careful not to step on anything that would alert even an ant to her presence.
She made it to the path. There was a bench. She plopped herself onto it, buried her head into her hands and sucked in a long, deep lungful of air and then another three. Her heart rate returned to normal. They hadn’t sensed her there, thank god.
She looked up and stared at the stars that innocently blinked down at her. She reflected on her day; if it had only contained the hike, it would have been memorable. Funny, the hike turned out to be the least significant event of the last twenty-four hours.
When walking to camp, Dana had been fully aware of where it would end. Behind the tents she had leaned over and kissed Travis. He had murmured into her hair, “Are ya sure, sugah?” And she had kissed him harder in response, tongue practically down his throat. He had lifted her and carried her toward his tent, put her down and asked again, “Are ya sure, sugah?” before they crawled inside.
She had thought about Scott, all day while hiking, in fact. And not even her deep attachment to him was going to change how much she craved Travis. She desired Scott, hell, she loved him, but Travis, while polite and considerate, possessed an undeniable, dizzying mix of physical beauty and power.
They’d done it twice. The first time was a flurry of limbs and groans to unleash the sexual tension built-up over the last couple days. Dana had clung to Travis’ curls and he had gripped her tits, after pulling her into his lap and positioning her to grind down on his cock. After lying in his arms for an hour while he ran his fingers over her breasts and belly and up and down her spine, Travis had rolled her towards him and kissed and licked her head to toe and buried his face in her pussy until she came in waves. Then, he had rolled her onto her belly and propped up her hips. With one hand snared in her hair and the other digging into her hip, he entered her pussy from behind and worked his hips until she couldn’t hold in her screams of pleasure. Before he climaxed, he reached around and massaged her clit roughly with his thumb; they had come together and collapsed in an exhausted heap onto his sleeping bag, sweaty and satiated.
And, now to top it off, she just saw her Dad and Sam having quite an outdoor sexual adventure of their own. Hell, she’d always been fully aware that they were into each other. She just never had pondered it more than that.
And despite wishing she could zap it from her mind, the image was right there, etched into her brain matter. Instead of tactfully repressing, she resigned herself to taking a good look and analyzing what she saw.
She had seen her Dad quite submissive and Sam very dominant. Honestly, her perception had been of her Dad as calling the shots, pretty much ruling the relationship. To her, Sam seemed to do things the way Dean wanted a good portion of the time and frankly, until recently, Sam always was in so much pain, she sort of had considered him a semi-invalid. But, her eyes saw what they saw. There was no denying it. Sam had, at least at times, a very assertive role in her parents’ relationship and her Dad seemed to be enjoying it just fine.
Strangely, it didn’t bother her. She’d known since pre-school they were siblings and that it was a big secret, not to be discussed, ever. Compared to that, this was absolutely nothing. Dana found herself smiling up at the stars and gently rocking back and forth.
Dad and Sam go at it real rough. And they pass the balance of power between them. Good on them. And, after tonight, there’s no denying that I have a thing for casual, kind of forceful sex myself.
Dana shrugged, stood and headed back to the Lodge. She was tired, achy from both the climbing and the sex. If she had to dwell, she’d do it tomorrow.
She reached out mentally, ensuring the murk hadn’t reappeared. Satisfied that her two guys were safe in the forest, she headed toward her bed to get some sleep.
“Remind me, if the situation should ever arise again, that getting fucked sprawled over a granite rock is a dumb ass idea,” Dean grumbled as he wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror and looked at his chest, mottled with bruising.
Sam glanced into the mirror and grimaced. The bruises were only starting to color but, in twenty-four more hours, Dean’s chest was going to look like an aubergine wall that had been sponged with a coat of red paint. “Well, I was only fulfilling your request…” Sam stammered.
“Not blaming, dude. Fuck, the sex was awesome. I came like a freight train, pretty sure I petrified a shitload of woodland creatures. Although prolonging the whole thing by keeping that cock ring on me was a nasty trick, babe.”
Sam half-grinned but the concern on his face was obvious. “I don’t think you should climb today Dean. Those bruises are ugly. It’s going to hurt to move and stretch and only going to get worse.”
“Sure, then Dana can call me a pussy.” Dean gave Sam a look as if that might be the end of human kind. “And, how do we explain WHY I’m not climbing, huh genius? She knows full well I didn’t hurt myself.”
Sam walked out of the bathroom and returned, holding a tube of arnica cream and a bottle of painkillers. Sam handed Dean three pills and pointed at the glass of water then proceeded to rub the cream onto his chest, as gently as possible. After he had massaged in the cream, he turned Dean to face the mirror and stood behind him, chest to back. Sam grasped Dean’s hands in his and opened their connection full bore.
“Not great at this but it might help some,” Sam said. Dean felt Sam reach for his healing power, touch it then relax and try to flow it across the channel between them. Dean sighed as a pale blue haze colored his vision. The soreness and stiffness abated slightly followed by an overall sense of floating that clouded his thoughts.
After a few minutes Sam let him go and said, “At least let me carry the majority of weight from your pack, babe.”
6 P.M.
The Munginella climb proved to be even more fun for the Winchesters than After Six. First of all, Munginella had a slightly lesser difficulty rating and three fewer pitches so, bottom line, it was easier. Add in the experience they gained from the prior climb, overall they were able to relax and enjoy it more.
Regardless of the more comfortable atmosphere, Sam fretted internally all day, knowing the pain each reach and extension caused Dean. Sam blamed himself; he had been too caught up in the intense pleasure of the moment. He really should have given a moment’s thought to the fact that banging your brother’s chest into a rock, repeatedly, would result in massive bruising. But, although Dean might have grimaced a few times and did swallow down some pain pills every couple hours, he maintained the pace and the trash talk at a consistent and admirable level. No one ever accused Dean Winchester of wussing out.
When they were finished, after the second rappelling contest (also won by Dana), Sam, Dean, Dana and Travis stood at the bottom organizing the gear for the hike back.
Dean turned to Travis. “Well, I never wanted to do this but it was terrific. Climbing up rock, who knew?” Dean shook his head, clearly amazed that something that didn’t involve classic rock or car parts or didn’t result in a dead, evil thing would be worth his time. “Join us for dinner?”
Travis pulled the leather cord out of his hair letting his curls cascade to his shoulders. “Thank ya Dean but I gotta scoutin troop that I’m talkin’ to tonight about climbin’.”
In turn, Dean and Sam shook Travis’ hand and turned toward the Lodge to head back. Dana hung behind. Over his shoulder, Sam said, “Dana, joining us for dinner in an hour?”
“Yeah Sam. I’ll be there.”
Dana and Travis stood looking at each other. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the trees, pulled her down into his lap, nuzzled her neck.
“Ya could be a supah climber sugah. Stay, climb with us. Ya’ll be headin’ up El Cap for August is up.”
Dana smiled, ran her fingers across his forehead and through his curls. It was a tempting offer, a summer as a free spirit with Travis, living in a tent, cooking over a camp fire, ascending El Cap.
But, she shook her head ‘No’. “Can’t.”
And, before she could elaborate, Dana felt a buzz in her head and that same wrongness crept overhead again. She froze, tried to hide her signature and tossed out a mental net, quietly. Dana felt it more clearly then. A dirty, wretched sensation slithered up her spine. She shook it off, fought down the instinctive panic reaction.
She altered her thoughts again, mixing them up to make it seem like multiple different people, and reached out to probe, silky smoothly. Dana felt the edges of it, then carefully applied a brush of pressure. It (she thought ‘it’ because she had no actual sense of what it was) was searching, tracking something. Dana transformed her pattern again attempting to deduce what it was looking for.
She felt it in a burst, like too much sunlight after a darkened room. Sam. It was looking for Sam. The shock and horror of that caused her to lose grip on her multi-layered cover. The murk noticed, clearly read her infiltration into its space, and dissipated, although this time she was able to keep hold of a small trace. She clung to that, set an anchor of sorts to track it.
“Travis, I’ve got to go. Uh, thanks for the offer to stay. Maybe some summer but, uh, not now.” She kissed him, hard and fast, and stood.
“Sugah, ya ok?” Travis reached for her but she was quick. She grabbed her pack and was three steps down the path by the time he reached out for her hand.
The door flew open and Dana burst into Sam and Dean’s room. They were propped up on the bed, hair still damp from the shower, Dean leaning on Sam’s chest, both drinking beer and watching baseball on television.
“Sam, can you feel that?” she was panting, out of breath, red-faced, air standing on end. She threw her pack to the ground, bent over, hands on knees.
Sam jumped up and went to her. “Feel what sweetie?” Dana gasped for air. She tried to show him the small trace of the murk but, as she did, she lost it.
“Goddamn it!” she shouted and threw herself on the ground.
Dean brought her a bottle of water, sat down next to her, held it up to her lips. She drank it half down, wiped her mouth.
“What’s going on Dana?” Sam asked, now sitting down and completing the circle of three.
“Felt it last night,” Dana sputtered between breaths, “A murky thing, wrong, evaporated when I tried to grasp at it,” more gasps, “then forgot all about it.” She paused, drank some more, steadied her breathing. “Just now, felt it, grasped, caught a small trace but lost it trying to pass it to Sam. Shit.”
Dean reached for his pack, pulled out his Glock. Sam and Dana stared. “You climbed with a loaded weapon on your back?” Sam asked.
Dean looked at him with an ‘of course’ look on his face, as if climbing sheer granite with a loaded weapon was the only way to do it.
“No, Dad. We have to go, leave, now.” She was adamant.
Sam and Dean stared at her. Dana never ran away from trouble, she only ever ran toward trouble.
“Why sweetie?” Sam asked gently.
“Can’t fight this now, here. Need to get home, now, need to go, now.”
“But, you forgot it after last night so why the freak out? Dana, this isn’t like you.”
She didn’t know what to say. She just knew instinctually they had to leave. And she couldn’t think of a suitable lie. So, the truth, “It’s after Sam.”
Dean stood and started packing, methodically putting items into duffels. Sam hadn’t moved. “You heard her Sam. We go NOW.”
Characters: Sam/Dean, John, Dana(the daughter), Aristotle (the dog)
Rating: G for the prologue (long established wincest relationship)
Disclaimer: Not mine - just playing.
Summary:
Losing Sam consists of a Prologue and three complete arcs.
Prologue set in July after Dana's high school graduation.
Arc 1 goes back a bit in time to June after Dana's high school graduation.
Arc 2 jumps up to July and Arc 3 continues where arc 2 leaves off.
Note - Written by my friend M who says -A huge thanks for Amara for letting me play in her verse and for her beta. Another huge thanks to
pyroblaze18 who was forced to listen to me whine & gave wonderful beta insights.Post Dana’s High School Graduation, July
Dean’s Garage
Dean reached for the rag and stared down at the engine block sitting on the table. He’d been working on this thing for hours and, frankly, wanted to beat it with a crowbar. Why he was attempting to rebuild it was beyond him at this point. The thing had been a piece of crap fifteen years ago. Old Man Harper had never taken decent care of his Impala.
“I told you that thing was beat,” John chimed in from a chair across the room.
Dean looked at his father, whose head was tilted back against the wall, legs spread out in front of him, sipping a brew, obviously enjoying Dean’s pain way too much.
“Did I ask your opinion?” Dean spat at him.
John smiled. “No, but listen to your old man. Don’t waste any more time on that goddamn thing. Life’s way too fuckin’ short.”
Dean wanted to pitch his rag and go get a cold beer and slouch back with his Dad. But, Dean Winchester was a stubborn guy; there hadn’t been an Impala engine that had ever defeated him before and today was not going to be the first.
“Just sit there and drink, dude. I’ll have this baby purring by nightfall.”
And, until his dying day, Dean remembered saying that to his Dad because you always remember exactly what you did or said immediately before your world crashed down around you.
The very next moment, he saw a small shadow by the big garage door. From years of practice studying shadows, he squinted against the sunlight and tried to focus, place the source. The next thing he knew, Aristotle came running across the room and crashed down in front of him, shaking and panting hard, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Dean bent down, about to ask her where Sam was, when he saw that her paws were a bloody mess.
Post Dana’s High School Graduation - Mid-June
It had turned into a series of compromises. Well, more like Sam conceded on things to eliminate Dean’s every, very vocal, complaint.
First of all, Sam scrapped climbing the Grand Tetons. Dean heard they’d have to camp and that was that. “You know I hate camping Sammy,” was heard in various tones and decibel levels about fifteen times a day for a week.
So, Sam switched to Yosemite, where they could stay at Yosemite Lodge.
Next, flying was scrapped. Dean was adamant on this one. “Not flying, dude, not happening.”
So, they had to drive all the way to California.
Sam and Dana wanted to spend two weeks. Dean wouldn’t hear of it, wanted only one day of climbing. Dana challenged him on that one and they argued for hours. “You trained for months to climb for one day, Dad? How does that make any sense even in your engine-oil addled brain?”
Sam thought Dana was brilliant but kept his mouth shut. He actually wanted to get laid again in this lifetime.
The itinerary ended up as two days of shared driving with four days at Yosemite, for a total of eight days away. Dean agreed, grumbled, but agreed.
A few days after graduation, Sam, Dean and Dana headed out in a very packed SUV, climbing equipment stowed in a carrier on top, and the rest of the essentials in the back. Aristotle had alternately cried or whined the entire night before, somehow knowing she was being left with Papa. Sam even let her crawl into bed with them in an attempt to appease her. That only resulted in up close and personal whining. From the look on Scott’s face as they drove out of the driveway, Sam suspected he might be shedding a few tears shortly after their departure too.
Dana did the vast majority of the driving, with Dean asleep in the back, sprawled all over, and Sam dozing on and off in the passenger seat.
Somewhere in Nevada, Dean sat up, rubbed his eyes. “I just wanna know, why the hell are we doing this?”
Dana half-glanced at him in the rear view mirror. “Well, Sam wants to climb, some weird ass Zen thing. You’re here because Sam promised you summit sex. And I pretty much hate being left out.”
Dean cuffed the back of her head, none too gently. “Watch your mouth young lady…and pull over somewhere, I gotta piss.”
They all burst into laughter.
Yosemite, Day 1 Afternoon
Dana slammed the car door and exclaimed, “Motherfucker, can you believe this place?”
They stared up at El Capitan from the valley floor.
“Please Sam. Tell me we aren’t climbing that,” Dean asked, as he pointed.
“Nope. We’re climbing far less challenging rock. But, we’re climbing that someday, dude.”
Dean muttered, “Over my dead body,” under his breath but loud enough to be heard.
As they were standing together and staring up, a young guy in his early 20’s ambled up to them, long curly, dirty blonde hair hanging below his shoulders, pierced ears, raggedy shorts hanging off slender hips, boots, no shirt, tattoo of some mountain adorning his left pec.
He held his hand out to Sam. “I’m Travis. You’re Sam, right?” he drawled in a soft southern accent.
Sam looked at Travis’s tan face, nodded in affirmation, reached for the proffered hand and shook. A quick image ran though Sam’s head, his hands gripping Travis’ ripped abs, his cock buried in him deep. It was a flash, and disappeared almost instantly, but Sam felt a flush of pure lust rush forehead to toes.
Travis turned and shook Dean’s hand and then Dana’s, lingering with her a couple more beats than strictly necessary.
“So, tell me about y’alls experience,” Travis addressed Dana.
Dana launched into detail as to their training and explained their practice climbs.
Travis listened, eyes firmly fixed on her, inserted a few questions to glean more specifics. When she finished, he asked, “And ya wanna climb After Six and Munginella, with a rest day bah-tween?”
Dana bobbed her head. Travis smiled, “Okey dokey. Tomorra, I’ll test y’all. If all’s good, we do After, a rest day, and ascent Mungie.” He paused and raised an eyebrow in challenge to Dana. “But, you ain’t gettin’ no rest. The guys can rest. Ya don’t look like ya need it.”
Sam cleared his throat. It was like watching some nature show on the mating rituals of long-haired climbers. Dean looked first at Sam and then at Dana. Dana tossed her head, rising to the subtle challenge, and stood up slightly straighter so that she was only a few inches shorter than Travis. Looked him square in the eyes. “You’re right. I don’t want a rest day.”
That earned her a big, white sunburst of a smile from Travis and a rock star worthy shake of his mane of curls. “Ok then. See y’all tomorra,” and shook all their hands. He took three steps before stopping and turning back to Dana, “Climbin’ camp’s about two miles thatta way,” pointing east, “We party every night startin’ aroun’ 9ish. Just ask for Rockboy.” And he bounded off, curls bouncing, sweat glistening on his back.
“Stop staring at his very fine ass, Dana,” Dean teased.
Sam shook his head, realizing he was staring at Rockboy’s very fine ass as well.
Yosemite Lodge, Night 1
“So, what do you think of Travis?” Dean asked from the bathroom.
“I think he is a skilled climber and came to us highly recommended as a guide. And I think he likes our Dana just fine,” Sam replied from his spot sprawled on the King bed.
Dean walked out of the bathroom, wiping his face with a towel. “I think our Dana liked what she saw too,” and then softer, teasingly, “and she wasn’t the only one.”
Sam turned his head slightly towards Dean. “Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb, Sam. I caught your initial impression of Rockboy, loud and clear,” Dean smiled and he rubbed his hair with the towel.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sam managed to sound exasperated
Dean smirked, enjoying this a bit too much. “Sam, the kid gave you a rush. He’s a good looking kid. No harm in looking or in imagining him bent over for you.”
Sam turned beet red, rubbed his face and the words rushed out, “God, Dean, I am so fucking sorry. Shit. I am so sorry.” Dean saw. It wasn’t bad enough Sam imagined it, Dean saw.
“Sammy, relax, you got about a two second thrill. No big deal.” Dean turned back to the bathroom.
Sam jumped off the bed and put himself between Dean and the bathroom door. “Yes, it is a big deal. I was way out of line to even think it. God, I am so fucking sorry.”
Dean put a hand on Sam’s chest. “Dude, do you seriously think I haven’t leered after a slew of men and women in the past eighteen years? Quit feeling guilty. You just didn’t lock it down quick enough. No biggie Sam.”
Sam looked beyond mortified. In a small voice, he said to Dean, “Tell me what to do to make it up to you. Anything.”
Dean reached out and stroked his face. “Sammy, stop with the guilt. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It is no big deal…even if his ass is nicer than mine.” Dean stepped toward the bathroom. Sam put a hand on his chest to stop his forward motion.
Sam purred, “His ass isn’t nicer than yours. No one’s ass is nicer than yours. Please, let me make this up to you.”
Dean laughed and pitched the towel over Sam’s head; it landed on the bathroom floor. “Outdoor sex. I want you to grab me by the stomach, bend me over a rock and make me one with nature.”
Dean laughed as he felt Sam’s libido react to the suggestion. That I can accommodate, baby. Dean leaned toward Sam but stopped when they heard a knock on the door.
Sam called out, “Come in, Dana.”
The lock popped open and the door opened itself. Dana stood on the other side in her hiking boots, combat pants, hair in a pony tail with a giant green bow; she looked like Hiker Barbie. She strode through the door which closed with a snap behind her.
“Please tell me that no one was out in the hall to see that little display.” Sam looked at her sternly.
Dana huffed, “Of course not.” And threw herself into a chair. “So, I’m going to the hiking camp to check things out. That’s okay, right?” Dana looked calm and serene except for the nail she was biting.
Dean crossed the room and squatted down next to her. “Yeah, it’s fine. Keep your connection to Sam open though so we know you’re okay.” And he kissed her on the forehead.
Dana looked like she wanted to say or ask something more. But she swallowed it down and kissed his forehead in return.
Yosemite – Day 2
The sun rose shortly after 6 a.m. The night before at dinner, when Sam and Dana suggested they meet up with Travis at 6 a.m., Dean had come unglued. Basically, his position was something to the effect of, “You’re making me climb a zillion year old rock and I have to do it sleep-deprived? You are fucking kidding me, right?”
Sam had told him to stop whining like a thirteen year old and suck it up. Dana had laughed, earning her another cuff to the side of the head that only made her laugh harder.
After a ridiculous amount of haggling and name-calling, they agreed to get up at 6 in order to meet Travis at 7 near their SUV.
While trudging toward the meeting point, Dean asked Dana about climbing camp, as casually as he could muster. Dana babbled, “I learned a lot of technical stuff, too much to go into now, but I want to tell you all about it. They live in that camp all summer, even though technically they aren’t supposed to. About fifty of them, guys and gals, A-grade climbers, total hotshots.” She paused for a breath, her whole face alight with excitement. “And Travis is nice. He introduced me to everybody and fed me this delicious chocolate cherry cake they cooked over the camp fire. And they really do call him Rockboy. He’s been climbing since he’s eight, climbed on every continent but Antarctica.” Awe dripped from her voice.
Dean and Sam exchanged a look as they approached their SUV, where Rockboy, now with a shirt on and hair tied in a pony tail with a leather cord, was performing a Yoga sun salutation.
Travis looked up at them, “Good mornin’ y’all,” and then to Dana, “How’s the track champ this mornin’?” He grinned while wrapping himself into a pretzel.
Dana squirmed, “She’s ready to climb, dude.”
Travis unwrapped his limbs from their seemingly painful position and stood up, “Glad to hear it.”
The four of them unloaded the climbing gear.
“Ya’ll got nice stuff,” Travis commented, after checking out Dana head to toe, twice. It was rather muddled as to whether he was referring to the climbing gear or Dana or both until he added, “Good equipment’s important when climbin’.”
Dana pretended she didn’t notice his attention, but her delight at his interest was seeping out in waves.
Sam advised sternly Turn down the jets Dana. You are spilling out all over.
Dean caught Sam’s mental message too and sputtered out his coffee. Dana gave them a warning look but didn’t reply verbally or psychically, although she did lock down her emotions a couple of levels.
Sam smiled, Thanks sweetie, much better. She glared but kept mute.
Travis ran them through some drills on some small rock outcroppings not too far from the climbing camp. By 9 a.m., he pronounced them fit to proceed, telling Sam and Dean, “You guys are pretty good, especially for not being so young.”
Dean told Sam I hate this kid, ya know?
Sam choked down a laugh, We were this kid, babe.
Dean nodded his head, Yeah, back when we were YOUNG.
Sam maintained a straight face, Gonna make you feel twenty tonight, baby.
They were interrupted by a loud blast from Dana, Guys, you’re leaking all over. And, you had the nerve to tell ME to tone it down!
And so they climbed. Travis took the lead, followed by Dana, Sam and Dean. And miracle of miracles, Dean didn’t complain once. Of course, about an hour in, when he was leaning back in his harness and flipping 360’s, Dana started chastising him about goofing around and not being serious. That only earned her, “Just trying to have fun, kiddo. You know – for an old guy.”
They experienced only one mishap. Sam’s foot slipped about three-quarters of the way up the ascent but the safety snapped instantly, doing its job perfectly. Even with that tiny thing, that was over before it started, Sam felt Dean’s heart race. I’m fine babe, relax.
At the top, even Dean agreed, he had never seen a more fabulous vista and admitted that he sort of understood why people did this.
Dana asked Travis what it looked like from the top of El Capitan. Travis produced that mega-watt smile and gently re-arranged an errant lock of her hair behind her ear. “El Cap’s views aw-w-we-some but…even better from Half Dome.” He then shuffled his feet and stammered, “Uh, maybe tomorra ya wanna do the Half Dome hike? Have to start early though, ittza long day…but way fun.”
Dana averted her eyes to hide her pleasure and replied coyly, “I’ll think about it. Good view, huh?”
After the obligatory 1000 pictures, lunch and Winchester trash talk, they rappelled down. Being Winchesters, it had to be a contest, so Travis went down first and then timed the next three. Dana went down last and with the fastest time. As she danced her victory jig, Sam told her, Your dad thinks you cheated.
She walked over and slugged Dean in the arm, hard. Dean choked on his water, grabbed her into a bear hug and swung her around. Dana kicked her legs and squealed in delight.
Travis looked at the three of them. “Ya know? I lead lots of families and see all kinda stuff. But never saw a family as cool as ya’ll. Ya’ll know what each other’s thinkin’ and shit. Ya’ll kinds of lucky, ya know?”
Yosemite – Day 2, Dinner, Ahwanee Lodge
As they dug into their steaks and baked potatoes, Dana chattered about technique and skills and climbing lingo, all the things she had learned in the couple of hours she had spent the night before with the climbers.
Long after the meal was consumed, Sam and Dean nursed their beers and continued to listen to her. Sam asked Dean She’ll be off to school soon. Will you be able to handle that?
Dean replied, Yeah, won’t be easy though.
Sam squeezed Dean’s knee under the table. Do you want that nature experience tonight?
Dean put his hand on Sam’s and inched it up to rest on the top of his thigh. Hate to admit it, but I’m exhausted. Damn kid’s right, not young anymore. Wouldn’t mind getting my cock sucked though.
Dana snapped them out of it. “Damn it. I’m trying to talk here, telling you important, life-affirming stuff. Will you two quit flirting with each other?”
Dean leaned forward and asked the burning question, “So, tell us what you think about Rockboy?”
Dana produced an angelic, innocent look. “He’s a great climber.”
“That he is,” replied Sam. “And you weren’t so bad yourself today although I thought you would slip up since your eyes were stuck on his ass and not on your climbing.”
“That’s not true,” she shouted, a touch too loudly. She squirmed when she realized she had taken the bait perfectly. “Ok, a little true but I was admiring his legs more than his ass, and his technique. And he’s nice…different, confident, funny…”
“Decided on where you’re hiking tomorrow?” Sam inquired.
Dana smiled then. “Half Dome hike. Can’t let him think I’m a pussy.”
“No, couldn’t have that sweetie,” Sam concurred. He chuckled and rubbed Dean’s leg under the table. He wondered if Dean was getting a full read as to just how much she was into Rockboy.
Dana rose to leave. “I’m going to hiking camp for about an hour, ‘kay?” She started to leave and then turned back. “You like Travis, right? His crack about your age wasn’t meant to be mean.”
Sam looked at her. “Your Greek god is great, Dana. We like him a lot, even if he thinks we’re old.” Sam squinted at her, “We do realize we aren’t young anymore.”
Dean slugged Sam, “Speak for yourself, old man.”
She kissed each of them on their cheeks and whispered ‘I Love You’ into their ears.
As she turned to leave, Sam added, “Ah, Dana, I put something in your pack, in case you need it.”
She looked puzzled but nodded and headed out.
“What did you put in her pack?” Dean asked, turning to Sam.
“Condoms.”
Yosemite, Day 3 – Evening/Night
Dean dug in his pocket for the key card to their room. Sam and Dana trailed behind him.
“Going to climbing camp or too tired?” Sam asked Dana as he draped his arm around her shoulders.
“Am tired,” she said with a yawn, “but still gonna go for an hour or so.”
Dean turned and looked at both of them. He had managed to keep his mouth shut. She was leaving for college in a matter of weeks. She’d be away, too far for her connection to Sam to reach and assure them she was okay. And she’d be doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, thousands of miles from them. He figured that he had to learn that he no longer had control over her life. He didn’t like it but it was true.
Yet, it was hard to watch his baby run off, maybe do something she would regret. He wanted to say something, remind her of Scott pining for her at home, alone. So, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth. But, reluctantly, he closed it again and turned and walked into the room. Now was as good of a time as any to not interfere with her choices, hard as that was.
Dana leaned her head into the room after him and said, “Love ya’ Dad, see you at 8 to climb,” and she was off.
Sam closed the door behind him. “What’s up babe?”
“She’s going to sleep with him.”
“Yeah, it looks like a decent possibility.”
“Should we have said something?”
“What would we say? We hardly have the purest of histories in terms of sex lives, before one another. She’s young, he’s smitten with her,” Sam paused. “As to Scott, they’re going to be on opposite coasts in a few weeks anyway, leading separate lives. This might be technically uncool on her part but it’s going to happen naturally soon enough anyway.”
Dean reached for the bottle of Jack on the shelf and poured two healthy glasses. He and Sam had spent the day at the pool, drinking beer and enjoying the sunshine and each other. They had managed not to discuss Dana or Travis all day. It had been wonderful. But it couldn’t be avoided after her two hour recounting of the Half Dome hike, filled with the Travis documentary reel.
Dean swallowed down half a glass of whiskey and refilled his glass. “When she was younger, she was headstrong and independent but we got to tell her what to do and straightened her out when she messed up. Now, shit…,” he rubbed his face.
Sam came up behind him, reached for his glass and downed it. “What say we drink half of this bottle and head out for that back-to-nature experience?”
It was eleven and Dana was heading back to the Lodge. She was walking slowly, alternately illuminating her way along the path with her flashlight and staring up at the stars. She’d never seen a night sky so full of tiny dots of light. It seemed impossibly beautiful, especially matched with the comforting sound of the crickets and soft echo of the leaves as they stirred in the light breeze. If she focused, she could even hear the rumbling of Yosemite Falls.
As she was ruminating on the warmth of the night and the magnificence of the sky, she stopped in her tracks. The warmth had turned cold. No, not cold exactly – murky. The air temperature hadn’t changed but the composition of the evening had shifted from sweet to sour. Something was off balance. She reached out with her mind, feeling for other mental signatures.
She felt the wrongness again but, as she attempted to focus on it, it started to evaporate, shrinking to a thin trail of dark to nothingness. She mentally scrambled to grasp it and hold on, but to no avail, it was gone. She flung her mind out wider in a scramble to locate any tinge of it and whacked into Sam’s signature, around the bend somewhere. He was blocked off and she audibly gasped, immediately frightened that the murk was a threat to him.
She reached again to determine where he was and ran in that direction.
She ran as quietly as she could, glad she had put on her running shoes instead of her hiking boots. She was heading toward the Falls and it began to ring in her ears. She had no desire to announce her approach and was grateful for the cover of the loud, rushing water. Sam was close, slightly off to the left, near the outcropping they had spotted yesterday when they had checked out the waterfall. She slowed her pace, made a left and froze dead in her tracks.
Sam was there. And her Dad.
And they were not being threatened.
She spun around and shut down every thought and emotion. She covered her mouth and nose to hold in her breath. Shit
She had panicked and failed to associate Sam’s closed off mental signature as the wall he used whenever he and Dean were, ahem, busy. Shit
She hadn’t seen much, only a second, two at most.
But, no girl should ever get even a glimpse of her Dad bent over a rock in a submissive pose with his lover behind…
No, she wouldn’t think of it. She wished desperately that there was a way she could alter her own memories as she had done to others. Shit
Dana started small, silent steps back toward the path, careful not to step on anything that would alert even an ant to her presence.
She made it to the path. There was a bench. She plopped herself onto it, buried her head into her hands and sucked in a long, deep lungful of air and then another three. Her heart rate returned to normal. They hadn’t sensed her there, thank god.
She looked up and stared at the stars that innocently blinked down at her. She reflected on her day; if it had only contained the hike, it would have been memorable. Funny, the hike turned out to be the least significant event of the last twenty-four hours.
When walking to camp, Dana had been fully aware of where it would end. Behind the tents she had leaned over and kissed Travis. He had murmured into her hair, “Are ya sure, sugah?” And she had kissed him harder in response, tongue practically down his throat. He had lifted her and carried her toward his tent, put her down and asked again, “Are ya sure, sugah?” before they crawled inside.
She had thought about Scott, all day while hiking, in fact. And not even her deep attachment to him was going to change how much she craved Travis. She desired Scott, hell, she loved him, but Travis, while polite and considerate, possessed an undeniable, dizzying mix of physical beauty and power.
They’d done it twice. The first time was a flurry of limbs and groans to unleash the sexual tension built-up over the last couple days. Dana had clung to Travis’ curls and he had gripped her tits, after pulling her into his lap and positioning her to grind down on his cock. After lying in his arms for an hour while he ran his fingers over her breasts and belly and up and down her spine, Travis had rolled her towards him and kissed and licked her head to toe and buried his face in her pussy until she came in waves. Then, he had rolled her onto her belly and propped up her hips. With one hand snared in her hair and the other digging into her hip, he entered her pussy from behind and worked his hips until she couldn’t hold in her screams of pleasure. Before he climaxed, he reached around and massaged her clit roughly with his thumb; they had come together and collapsed in an exhausted heap onto his sleeping bag, sweaty and satiated.
And, now to top it off, she just saw her Dad and Sam having quite an outdoor sexual adventure of their own. Hell, she’d always been fully aware that they were into each other. She just never had pondered it more than that.
And despite wishing she could zap it from her mind, the image was right there, etched into her brain matter. Instead of tactfully repressing, she resigned herself to taking a good look and analyzing what she saw.
She had seen her Dad quite submissive and Sam very dominant. Honestly, her perception had been of her Dad as calling the shots, pretty much ruling the relationship. To her, Sam seemed to do things the way Dean wanted a good portion of the time and frankly, until recently, Sam always was in so much pain, she sort of had considered him a semi-invalid. But, her eyes saw what they saw. There was no denying it. Sam had, at least at times, a very assertive role in her parents’ relationship and her Dad seemed to be enjoying it just fine.
Strangely, it didn’t bother her. She’d known since pre-school they were siblings and that it was a big secret, not to be discussed, ever. Compared to that, this was absolutely nothing. Dana found herself smiling up at the stars and gently rocking back and forth.
Dad and Sam go at it real rough. And they pass the balance of power between them. Good on them. And, after tonight, there’s no denying that I have a thing for casual, kind of forceful sex myself.
Dana shrugged, stood and headed back to the Lodge. She was tired, achy from both the climbing and the sex. If she had to dwell, she’d do it tomorrow.
She reached out mentally, ensuring the murk hadn’t reappeared. Satisfied that her two guys were safe in the forest, she headed toward her bed to get some sleep.
“Remind me, if the situation should ever arise again, that getting fucked sprawled over a granite rock is a dumb ass idea,” Dean grumbled as he wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror and looked at his chest, mottled with bruising.
Sam glanced into the mirror and grimaced. The bruises were only starting to color but, in twenty-four more hours, Dean’s chest was going to look like an aubergine wall that had been sponged with a coat of red paint. “Well, I was only fulfilling your request…” Sam stammered.
“Not blaming, dude. Fuck, the sex was awesome. I came like a freight train, pretty sure I petrified a shitload of woodland creatures. Although prolonging the whole thing by keeping that cock ring on me was a nasty trick, babe.”
Sam half-grinned but the concern on his face was obvious. “I don’t think you should climb today Dean. Those bruises are ugly. It’s going to hurt to move and stretch and only going to get worse.”
“Sure, then Dana can call me a pussy.” Dean gave Sam a look as if that might be the end of human kind. “And, how do we explain WHY I’m not climbing, huh genius? She knows full well I didn’t hurt myself.”
Sam walked out of the bathroom and returned, holding a tube of arnica cream and a bottle of painkillers. Sam handed Dean three pills and pointed at the glass of water then proceeded to rub the cream onto his chest, as gently as possible. After he had massaged in the cream, he turned Dean to face the mirror and stood behind him, chest to back. Sam grasped Dean’s hands in his and opened their connection full bore.
“Not great at this but it might help some,” Sam said. Dean felt Sam reach for his healing power, touch it then relax and try to flow it across the channel between them. Dean sighed as a pale blue haze colored his vision. The soreness and stiffness abated slightly followed by an overall sense of floating that clouded his thoughts.
After a few minutes Sam let him go and said, “At least let me carry the majority of weight from your pack, babe.”
6 P.M.
The Munginella climb proved to be even more fun for the Winchesters than After Six. First of all, Munginella had a slightly lesser difficulty rating and three fewer pitches so, bottom line, it was easier. Add in the experience they gained from the prior climb, overall they were able to relax and enjoy it more.
Regardless of the more comfortable atmosphere, Sam fretted internally all day, knowing the pain each reach and extension caused Dean. Sam blamed himself; he had been too caught up in the intense pleasure of the moment. He really should have given a moment’s thought to the fact that banging your brother’s chest into a rock, repeatedly, would result in massive bruising. But, although Dean might have grimaced a few times and did swallow down some pain pills every couple hours, he maintained the pace and the trash talk at a consistent and admirable level. No one ever accused Dean Winchester of wussing out.
When they were finished, after the second rappelling contest (also won by Dana), Sam, Dean, Dana and Travis stood at the bottom organizing the gear for the hike back.
Dean turned to Travis. “Well, I never wanted to do this but it was terrific. Climbing up rock, who knew?” Dean shook his head, clearly amazed that something that didn’t involve classic rock or car parts or didn’t result in a dead, evil thing would be worth his time. “Join us for dinner?”
Travis pulled the leather cord out of his hair letting his curls cascade to his shoulders. “Thank ya Dean but I gotta scoutin troop that I’m talkin’ to tonight about climbin’.”
In turn, Dean and Sam shook Travis’ hand and turned toward the Lodge to head back. Dana hung behind. Over his shoulder, Sam said, “Dana, joining us for dinner in an hour?”
“Yeah Sam. I’ll be there.”
Dana and Travis stood looking at each other. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the trees, pulled her down into his lap, nuzzled her neck.
“Ya could be a supah climber sugah. Stay, climb with us. Ya’ll be headin’ up El Cap for August is up.”
Dana smiled, ran her fingers across his forehead and through his curls. It was a tempting offer, a summer as a free spirit with Travis, living in a tent, cooking over a camp fire, ascending El Cap.
But, she shook her head ‘No’. “Can’t.”
And, before she could elaborate, Dana felt a buzz in her head and that same wrongness crept overhead again. She froze, tried to hide her signature and tossed out a mental net, quietly. Dana felt it more clearly then. A dirty, wretched sensation slithered up her spine. She shook it off, fought down the instinctive panic reaction.
She altered her thoughts again, mixing them up to make it seem like multiple different people, and reached out to probe, silky smoothly. Dana felt the edges of it, then carefully applied a brush of pressure. It (she thought ‘it’ because she had no actual sense of what it was) was searching, tracking something. Dana transformed her pattern again attempting to deduce what it was looking for.
She felt it in a burst, like too much sunlight after a darkened room. Sam. It was looking for Sam. The shock and horror of that caused her to lose grip on her multi-layered cover. The murk noticed, clearly read her infiltration into its space, and dissipated, although this time she was able to keep hold of a small trace. She clung to that, set an anchor of sorts to track it.
“Travis, I’ve got to go. Uh, thanks for the offer to stay. Maybe some summer but, uh, not now.” She kissed him, hard and fast, and stood.
“Sugah, ya ok?” Travis reached for her but she was quick. She grabbed her pack and was three steps down the path by the time he reached out for her hand.
The door flew open and Dana burst into Sam and Dean’s room. They were propped up on the bed, hair still damp from the shower, Dean leaning on Sam’s chest, both drinking beer and watching baseball on television.
“Sam, can you feel that?” she was panting, out of breath, red-faced, air standing on end. She threw her pack to the ground, bent over, hands on knees.
Sam jumped up and went to her. “Feel what sweetie?” Dana gasped for air. She tried to show him the small trace of the murk but, as she did, she lost it.
“Goddamn it!” she shouted and threw herself on the ground.
Dean brought her a bottle of water, sat down next to her, held it up to her lips. She drank it half down, wiped her mouth.
“What’s going on Dana?” Sam asked, now sitting down and completing the circle of three.
“Felt it last night,” Dana sputtered between breaths, “A murky thing, wrong, evaporated when I tried to grasp at it,” more gasps, “then forgot all about it.” She paused, drank some more, steadied her breathing. “Just now, felt it, grasped, caught a small trace but lost it trying to pass it to Sam. Shit.”
Dean reached for his pack, pulled out his Glock. Sam and Dana stared. “You climbed with a loaded weapon on your back?” Sam asked.
Dean looked at him with an ‘of course’ look on his face, as if climbing sheer granite with a loaded weapon was the only way to do it.
“No, Dad. We have to go, leave, now.” She was adamant.
Sam and Dean stared at her. Dana never ran away from trouble, she only ever ran toward trouble.
“Why sweetie?” Sam asked gently.
“Can’t fight this now, here. Need to get home, now, need to go, now.”
“But, you forgot it after last night so why the freak out? Dana, this isn’t like you.”
She didn’t know what to say. She just knew instinctually they had to leave. And she couldn’t think of a suitable lie. So, the truth, “It’s after Sam.”
Dean stood and started packing, methodically putting items into duffels. Sam hadn’t moved. “You heard her Sam. We go NOW.”
