Reading Between The Lines (Sabriel)

Chapter 1

Sam can't believe it. After six months living without his brother, the two of them are ready to hit the road once again. With Dean back in his life, he wants nothing more than to track down that damn Trickster and stab him with a stake like he tried to do a long time ago. He made a promise that he wouldn't go after him, though, and he intends to keep it, if only to save Dean's life.

They drive for a while as the author briefly explains what's going on. Sam had just watched Dean die over a hundred times at the hands of the Trickster, and then had to go for over six months without him. That's right, bitches; we're back in season three, just after the whole mishap with the Mystery Spot.

"This whole 'no breakfast' thing is not working out for me," Dean announces, pulling into a convenience store parking lot without even asking Sam's opinion -- the usual when food is involved, which is yet another thing he's missed about his brother. "I'm gonna go get some pie."

"Alright, I'll come with you," Sam says quickly. He isn't letting Dean out of his sight -- not if he can help it. Not with the Trickster still out there somewhere. He'd like to think that his game is over, but you can never be too careful.

"I think I can get pie by myself," Dean says, rolling his eyes and stepping out of the car. As he walks away, Sam reaches for the radio, but Dean turns around and calls back to him, "And leave my music alone!"

Sam waits until he's in the store to change stations, hoping to find anything but Led Zeppelin playing. He's heard all of their songs more times than he can count, thanks to Dean's very limited cassette collection, and if he has to hear that voice one more time --

It was the heat of the moment!

Sam groans. Not this song. Anything but this song.

He reaches for the radio to change the station again. It kind of works; the song doesn't continue playing. It just restarts from the chorus. What are the odds of two stations playing it just seconds apart?

He switched the station again.

It was the heat of the —

He switches the station again.

It was the heat —

"What the hell?" Sam mumbles.

He switches back to the Led Zeppelin station. He knows the song well enough to know that it was far from over when he left it. But...

It was the heat of the moment!

Sam sighs and turns the radio off. The silence is a bit uncomfortable, but it's better than hearing that stupid song again. He's heard it enough for one lifetime.

But then the radio turns back on, and the chorus plays again.

"What the...?"

Sam tries turning the radio off again, but to no avail. That's his breaking point. There is something going on here, and it's not good.

He pulls on the door handle, but the door locks itself and nothing he can do will fix it. He cranks the windows, about two seconds from jumping out the window and running as far away as he can, but even the windows don't work. He even tries smashing his elbow against the passenger side window, but it doesn't break.

"Careful, Sammy. Dean won't be happy to hear you tried to break his baby's window."

Sam freezes at the sound of that voice, one that's been ingrained in his head since he last heard it an hour ago — or six months in the future; depends on how you look at it.

Sam sits back in his seat and raises his gaze to the rearview mirror. He was really hoping he was just going insane. It's a strange thing to wish for, but it's better than the alternative. He could handle hearing his tormentor's voice in his head all day, as long as he knew that it was over.