On Borrowed Time

11. Something Sam Rarely

PART ONE: RUN

CHAPTER ELEVEN: SOMETHING SAM RARELY

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TEAM WINCHESTER, STARLING , USA

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Sam was still in shock but he knew the death of Cas rocked Dean harder than himself, having always had more of a connection to the angel. Still, Dean took the road he always did and said nothing despite the prodding both Charlie, Felicity and himself had been diligently laying on him. He would come around eventually, just like every other time, just like every other death they encountered. That was a bitter thought he tried to push to the back of his mind, still in moments like these when Cas might have had some insight into what was happening he missed him.

That was why it surprised Sam when he looked up from the screen of his laptop to see Oliver standing in Felicity's living room. He tried to cover his shock, though it was obvious by the look Charlie shared with him that he didn't manage it very well. It was nice of him to show his face after dropping the news on them and leaving for three days. "Oliver," he said, clearing his throat as he awkwardly removed his books from the open seat to his left.

Oliver gave him a tight lipped smile before dropping into the seat - his usual confident energy was gone. Sam glanced at Felicity but she was staring at Oliver. No one said anything as the stifling silence came over them, finally Sam gave in and picked up where they had left off. "So, the seals-" he said turning towards the girls again.

"The seals on Lucifer's cage?" Oliver's quiet voice asked and Sam looked up surprised.

"Uh - yes, exactly," he paused a moment and reassessed him with a wary eye. "How exactly do you know about that?" Oliver stared at the table when he responded.

"Dean," he said with a shrug, "he told me I had unknowingly cracked the first seal," Sam's eyebrows rose at his confession. Where Dean had figured this out he didn't know, but he suddenly had a sinking suspicion his brother knew a lot more than he was letting on. That coupled with the anger he already felt towards Oliver had him near exploding.

"And did he tell you how he came about this information?" Sam asked, trying to keep his voice even though his anger was threatening to bubble through. He kept trying to remind himself that Dean would have a good reason for not telling them, but if he was honest - Dean's reasons generally sucked. He looked to Oliver for the answer, but Felicity was the one who spoke.

"Crowley told him," she responded confidently- quietly, but confidently.

"Crowley?" Charlie broke in, a frown on her face.

"When did he see Crowley?" Sam asked, a frown etched on his own brow too.

"Crowley, as in the Crowley?" Oliver interjected sharply and Felicity looked up over the rim of her glasses at them, assessing them all with a casual disinterest. But her jaw was set and her fingers trembled as she flipped the page in their father's journal and Sam knew - a storm raged under that facade.

"In the graveyard. I - I was knocked unconscious so I only heard a couple things but I remember Crowley and someone else," she said frowning as if trying to remember. "We had been following a Black Dog-"

"Why would you bother with the stray?" Oliver asked and Sam covered his smirk with his hand at his sheer obliviousness to the supernatural world around him.

"It's an apparition - a spirit of sorts, or so I've read. I haven't talked to anyone who's actually seen one," Charlie trailed off helpfully. Sam frowned thinking hard about what Felicity had said.

"Felicity, what exactly did you hear?" he asked, running a hand through his hair as he tried to decipher the situation. Who the hell would be hanging around Crowley - one of his cronies? He had never thought Crowley liked them enough to tote them along with him to his meetings. Sam was lost in thought, running through the possibilities when he finally roused himself and caught the last of what she had been saying.

"Crowley told Dean the same thing the Meta-wolf told me - Dean knows something about the Meta-wolf and he's not saying anything."

Sam opened his mouth to respond to her but he never got the chance, Oliver stood with an aggressive, frustrated groan and began to pace the living room. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides and Sam watched with curiosity and leaned back in his seat. Not understanding how Oliver even had a right to be angry about any of this. 

"I'm going to kill him," he finally said, and glared daggers at Sam, "This is on you, none of this would be happening if you hadn't came to Starling!" He felt a mixture of rage and guilt build up inside him and he was on his feet before he could stop himself. Like he wasn't the one who had been trying to come up with the answers with Charlie, like he wasn't the one trying to dig for ways to get Felicity out of her deal for the last year, like he didn't care for his own sister, as if he didn't think about it every, single, day.

And then Sam did something Sam rarely did - he moved first. He shoved Oliver back hard and he stumbled but recovered quickly before lunging at Sam, his fist flying. Sam blocked it with a trained arm that flew up between them, he countered with a fist towards Oliver's stomach leaving his face exposed. Oliver took the chance and swung the other arm at him, only just missing Sam's fist but clipping his jaw in the process.

Sam rotated his jaw as if to shake the blow and struck out again at Oliver, sweeping his legs out from under him. Then they were on the floor, Sam throwing his fist into Oliver's face and then Oliver throwing fists into Sam's - all the while Charlie and Felicity were shouting at them. Sam wheezed as Oliver brought his knee up, grazing his crotch as he tried to drive it into his stomach. With one great move, Sam all but threw Oliver off of him and scrambled to his feet.

The two circled each other panting, fists raised and ready to fight. Sam kicked out at him again and Oliver blocked before moving in on Sam's neck to try and hit a pressure point. Sam leaned with Oliver's throw, causing his hand to miss by centimeters. Oliver had been expecting it and spun, a roundhouse kick lashed in his direction and Sam staggered back just in time to miss the blow to the stomach. 

Sam lunged at Oliver again but immediately jumped back and threw his hands over his head as the ceiling light suddenly exploded over top of them with a bang. Glass rained down on them and Sam slowly looked up in concern and saw Oliver doing the same as the living room became darker. The first thing Sam noticed was his brother standing in the doorway wide eyed and staring and then his eyes immediately flickered to the girls.

Felicity swayed on her feet and blood dripped from her nose as she looked at him with a dazed expression. "I don't feel so good..." she murmured before her knees gave out and Sam threw his arms out just in time to catch her. Sam looked to his brother but he found no confidence in Dean's blanching features.

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A/N - Well, I owed you guys an extra chapter for that late update and here it is! The teams are at each others throats - just like old times eh? Who do you think has more right to be mad - Oliver for bringing the supernatural world down on them? Or the Winchesters for the death of Cas?

Let me know what you think!