Fic: Souls of the Forgotten Chapter 2/10
Title: Souls of the Forgotten
Fandoms: Supernatural/Torchwood/The Avengers/Doctor Who
Pairings/Characters: Tony/Sam, Jack/Ianto, Castiel/Dean, Clint/Coulson, Natasha/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Bruce/Steve, Kevin Tran, Nick Fury, Linda Tran, Kevin Tran, Benny/Darcy, the Doctor, Rory/Amy and Balthazar/Tosh
Summary: Sam watched Dean and Castiel disappear right before his eyes; with the loss of Bobby he wasn't sure how he would survive or even how to begin to find a way to rescue them. Help comes in the most unlikely fashion when SHIELD suddenly offers to try and help Sam find the mysterious Doctor. Knowing they have their own agenda, Sam is desperate and accepts their offer any way.
Meanwhile, Dean and Castiel find themselves struggling to survive in a living nightmare. For them, aid comes from a most unlikely pair of people: a fellow trapped soul, Ianto Jones and the vampire, Benny. Together the four of them must find a way to survive in their hellish prison but also find a way home.
One year later they are rescued but during that time much has changed for the brothers; is for better or worse? And how will they handle the biggest changes in their lives?
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, Torchwood or the Avengers
Beta: RoyalLadyEmma
Art by: Viviantanner
Chapter 2
Disoriented by the sudden change of circumstance Dean stumbled, nearly falling to his knees, and his eyes swept over the bleak, grey landscape. "Well, doesn't this place just scream cheerful?" Dean muttered under his breath as he covered his eyes with his hand to try and see around the glare. No matter where he looked, everything was dull and lifeless, even the sky. "Cas, do you have any idea as to where we are?"
After a quick glance around at their new surroundings, a look of deep dread appeared in Castiel's eyes as he informed Dean in a solemn tone, "I believe we are in Purgatory, which is very bad."
Dean dropped his head into his hands. "Well this just great! We're trapped in this over-the-top grey monstrosity and there's probably no pie around for miles."
While Dean stomped around ranting and raving about the lack of freshly baked, flakey-crusted, fruit-filled pie, interspersed with “how am I expected to survive out here without pie?” and “I’m gonna kick somebody’s ass!”, he didn't notice the glowing blue eyes watching them from the shadows.
It had been three years since he'd arrived in this living hell and three years since he'd seen another human, from his spot Ianto watched the man rant to himself and his friend. "Great! The first humans I see in three years and one of them just might be insane, that would be my luck."
The Rift that was now a part of him hummed to life as he felt the energy from a newly-active portal wash over him that energy was what continued to draw him to this desolate locale in the first place.
His companion chuckled from beside him. "I still don't think you were ever that sane to start with, Ianto," and he gave the displace Welshman a friendly poke in the ribs.
Ianto glared at his friend. "Oh yeah? Well I'd like to think that I'm saner than you, Benny."
Benny just shook his head with affectionate amusement for his young companion; gazing into those amazing blue eyes, he could see the myriad of emotions that Ianto always fought so hard to keep off of his face. In the three years since they’d met this was the first time another human had landed in Purgatory. "The spike in energy means that others are going to be drawn to this place; we better collect crazy-boy and his friend before they arrive."
Ianto nodded his head in agreement; so far his skin wasn't tingling alerting him to approaching dangers. "You better let me do the talking, though and please try not to scare our guests."
Benny gave Ianto one of his infamous fanged grins. "I make no promises, my human friend!" he called over his shoulder as he started making his way over to the newcomers.
Ianto rolled his eyes and followed after his friend all the while muttering under his breath, "And you say I'm the crazy one?"
"Someone is approaching," Castiel murmured as he moved to stand protectively in front of Dean.
"Great, that would be the welcoming committee." Dean's hand automatically flew to his jacket and then he cursed soundly as his hand came up empty. "Well, let's hope they're friendly or really slow because I'm unarmed."
Castiel and Dean kept their guards up as they watched two figures slide down the small hill and Dean's eyebrow rose in amused surprise as he realised one of the men was wearing what looked to be suit pants and a blood-red silk shirt, both of which had clearly seen better days. 'Who gets trapped in a place like this wearing a suit?' Dean couldn't help wonder to himself.
Dean’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed as the two men came to a stop in front of him and Castiel. A strong part of Dean wanted to shove the angel behind him, to keep him safe from harm at all costs. "So who the hell are you two? And more importantly, where in the world are we?" Dean demanded with all the subtly he possessed.
Castiel shook his head not at all surprised at Dean's blunt tone and questions. Stepping forward, he said, "I am Castiel and this is my friend, Dean Winchester, and what he meant to say was could you please tell us where we are and how we may get home?"
Both Ianto and Benny's eyebrows rose with alarmed surprise as they learned the newcomers’ names and brief looks of worry flickered across both of their faces before disappearing beneath two calm and cool masks. "I'm Ianto Jones, this is my friend, Benny, and you're in Purgatory. As for a way home, I've been looking for one for the past three years and have yet to find it," Ianto explained. His voice trailed off in the end as he recalled his own multiple failures at trying to find a way home. Despite his best efforts and even with the power of the Rift flowing through him escape seemed impossible.
"Three years?!" Dean could hardly believe his ears. He couldn't understand how anyone could have survived in such a horrible place for so long; after only a few minutes of being here Dean was itching to be out of this new hell. Suddenly it dawned on him that this was where the monsters he helped vanquish ended up and that knowledge sent chills up and down his spine and turned his blood to ice.
Unaware of Dean's change of mood, Castiel was silent as he studied Ianto and the strange energy that seemed to wrap around him like a blanket. 'I never thought he would have ended up here! I wonder why Balthazar hasn't freed him yet?' It wasn't like his brother to let a charge go unprotected for so long and especially not one tied so closely to the Lady of Time herself.
"Are you hard of hearing? That is what he said," Benny growled out as he took a protective stance in front of Ianto, his eyes warning them to be careful with their questions. He knew the full story of how Ianto ended up in this place and he refused to let these two bully the tale out of his friend.
Dean recognized the look in Benny's eyes; he had the same look in his own eyes when he was protecting Sam from anyone who dared to ask about his time in the pit. "Hey, I didn't mean to pry! I just have mad respect for anyone who can survive this place for three years and manage to stay sane."
Benny relaxed slightly as a playful grin appeared on his face. "Well, now him being sane is a whole other story."
Rolling his eyes with mock exasperation, Ianto shook his head. "As much fun as it would be to stay here and debate whether or not I'm still sane, your arrival will soon draw the wrong kind of attention and you don't want to be around when the others arrive."
As if waiting for Ianto's words an eerie howl sounded off in the distance, one that was quickly followed by another and then another until it sounded as though there was a pack of wild animals baying in unison.
"I think that is a very wise idea," Castiel was quick to agree. Out in the open was not a very safe place for them to be and he was all too aware that it wouldn’t take long for Dean to be recognized as the hunter who had put many of them in this place.
Dean wasn't a fool either; he realised just how valuable a prize he and Castiel would be once it became known that they were in Purgatory. “Sounds like a plan to me. We can save the girl-talk for another time.”
A confused look came over Castiel’s face as he pointed out a very obvious fact to the amusement of Ianto and Benny and the exasperation to Dean, “We are not women so why would we engage in girl talk?”
Dean shook his head as he clapped Castiel on the shoulder, “It’s a figure of speech, man.”
Ianto knew that Purgatory had just gotten a little more interesting. “You can explain the concept to Castiel later; now it's time to get moving.” He cautioned as he pulled out a very sharp and wicked looking knife. "That pack's getting closer every minute we delay."
Dean’s eyebrow rose even higher as Benny pulled out an identical looking blade. ‘I have got to get one of those for myself!’ But now was not the time to ask where one could get an knife like that; right now was the time for running. With a wave of his hand Dean looked at Ianto and Benny, “Lead on.”
With a nod of his head Ianto took point. “Stick close and keep your eyes open; they're fast and cunning, and if you’re not careful you’ll be dead before you even know what hit you,” the Welshman warned.
‘Well doesn’t that just sound lovely?’ Dean snarked to himself. This place just got better and better. ‘I hope you’re okay, Sammy, and looking for a way to get us out of here.’ Dean prayed that his baby brother and Kevin had managed to get safely away from the remaining Leviathans and that they had already started figuring out a way to find them. Unfortunately, Dean had to admit that that task would be a lot harder now that Bobby was gone.
*****
For the next few days Sam seemed to live in a numb daze. The world continued on around him but ever since that first night Sam hadn’t lifted his eyes off of his laptop screen as he searched endlessly through every site he could think of trying to find out where Dean and Castiel could have ended up. So far every possible lead turned out to be a dead end and Sam was slowly beginning to run out of ideas. ‘I need you, Bobby, and your wisdom because I’m at a loss of where to look for you now and if you’re where I’m beginning to think you are, then I have no idea how to help you.’
Given the negative results of his intensive internet search, Sam feared that Dean and Castiel were in Purgatory, the home where all monsters, vampires, werewolves and everything else in-between ended up. If that was indeed the case, then Sam had no idea how to get them out. ‘I need help from someone who knows about portals.’
Sam had a vague idea of two people who probably knew more than a little something about portals, Jane Foster and Erik Selvig. They’d met the couple a year ago in a small New Mexico town when he and Dean had investigated rumours of residents encountering Norse Gods. Jane and Erik had discovered that being involved was right up their alley and after a lot of digging the four intrepid investigators had discovered the truth about the purported gods.
Unfortunately, Sam soon learned that it would be impossible to seek them out for help; Jane Foster and Erik Selvig had disappeared off the face of the Earth.
There was another option, one that had come to Sam earlier in the day while he was standing in the shower, letting the silence, solitude and water wash over him. For years hunters had been stumbling across a strange man calling himself only the Doctor. Not much was known about him but there was always a common theme to the sightings; he traveled in a blue 1960 British police box and after appearing to accidentally stumble into the problem always managed to save the day even when there looked to be no hope for success.
Even Bobby had met a few times and while most people praised the Time Lord for preventing sure catastrophe, he called the Doctor a ‘bumbling igit with questionable fashion sense.’ It was a statement which had Dean raising a questioning eyebrow and looking at Bobby’s own flannel outfit; luckily Dean had enough sense and managed to keep his own fashion comments to himself.
‘If only I could find him or he could find me!’ Sam was sure this Doctor person could be the answer to his prayers but from everything he’d been able to learn, it was next to impossible to get in contact with him and no one ever knew when he was going to show up. Apparently, the man just did as he pleased when he pleased.
A series of knocks on the door pulled Sam from his thoughts and he blinked in surprise. “Is that your mom?” he asked Kevin who had jumped up immediately and was peering through the curtain.
“Kevin Tran, you will open this door right now! You are already in so much trouble, young man, don’t make it worse by keeping me waiting!” Linda Tran didn’t need to raise her voice to be heard through the wooden door; her anger made her words very clear.
“That would be her,” Kevin gulped audibly as he glanced wide-eyed and hopeful at Sam, “maybe you should answer it?”
"Not on your life!" Sam raised an eyebrow and raised his hands in protest. “No, I don’t think so. I’m willing to face a lot of things but even I won’t get in the way of an angry and protective parent and their offspring. You’re on your own, buddy.” Sam might not always listen to it but he did have a sensible side and it was screaming at him to stay out of the way.
Swallowing hard Kevin slowly moved towards the door as if he was walking towards a death sentence and he wasn’t surprised to discover that his hands were shaking as he lifted them towards the doorknob. Hoping for a last second reprieve, Kevin glanced back at Sam, his eyes pleading with his friend.
Sam couldn’t help but shake his head and the amusement that he was feeling was clear in his voice, “Kevin, it’s just your mom, for Pete's sake! It’s not like she’s a horde of demons waiting to rip you apart.”
“No, they'd be a lot less scary,” Kevin muttered under his breath as he finally found the courage to turn the doorknob and open the door.
Linda had broken all local speed laws in getting to Kevin and she knew that she was more than likely going to be on the receiving end of one of Fury's lectures but it would be one that she would happily tell him to go to hell for. 'Nothing gets between a mother and her child.' Now, as she stared at her son and saw that he was all right, she didn’t care what fallout was waiting for her after her actions. All that mattered was her baby was safe and in one piece.
“Don’t you ever scary me like that again!” Linda warned firecely before pulling her son into a tight hug.
Gratefully, Kevin melted into the hug. “I’m all right, mom. I’m safe and sound.”
Watching the touching family reunion Sam could feel himself getting a little choked up and he desperately wished that Dean or Bobby were there with him. ‘I can’t do anything about Bobby but I will not rest until I find you both and bring you home,’ Sam vowed silently to himself. No matter what, he would find a way to save his brother and their angel.
Pulling away from his mom Kevin looked over his shoulder. “Mom, this is my friend, Sam Winchester.”
Taking that as his cue Sam moved towards them holding out his hand in friendship and flashing her his most winning smile. “Hello, Mrs Tran, it’s nice to meet you.”
Linda raked her eyes up and down Sam and let out a distinctly disapproving sound. “You’re far too skinny, young man. You look like you could use a good home-cooked meal which is why you will be coming home with Kevin and me.” Linda declared and the look on her face dared him to try and say no.
It had been a very long time since Sam had anything close to a home-cooked meal. “That sounds really nice, Mrs Tran, but I really have something important to do that needs all my attention.” He returned to the desk and his always working laptop.
“You mean looking for a way to find and rescue your brother and your angel from wherever they ended up after defeating the Leviathan known as Dick Roman?” Linda asked in an ever-so-causal tone.
Kevin and Sam just stared at her for a moment. “How do you know about that?” Kevin demanded before paling and yanking himself out of her arms only to dash across the room and hide behind Sam’s taller form. “She’s a demon! Douse her in holy water and send her back to hell!” Kevin cried in a panic.
Sam rolled his eyes as he pulled his cowardly friend out from behind him. “I really doubt she’s a demon, Kevin; if she was I’d already be dead and you’d be in their clutches,” he pointed out in a calm, rational tone.
Linda crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her son. “I am not a demon. And you even think of dousing me with holy water or trying any of your other tricks on me or you will both be very sorry,” Linda warned in a tone that only parents could create and she was inordinately pleased when she saw both Sam and Kevin gulp and quickly nod their heads in agreement. Her stern gaze softened as she studied Sam. “I know you don’t have any reason to trust me or believe me when I say I am here to help you, but I’d like to change that. What do you know about SHIELD?”
Sam blinked in surprise; that was a name he hadn’t heard in a while. Bobby had worked with them a few times but quite annoyingly, he couldn’t go into the details of their activities. He kept saying something about ‘the blasted government and their secrets’ every time he or Dean would ask Bobby about his work with them. “Bobby has mentioned them from time to time but he’s never really given us a whole lot of information.”
Satisfied that he wasn’t going to try and vanquish her, Linda stepped further into the small motel room and crossed the distance between her and Sam. Resting her hand on his arm, she looked him straight in the eye. “Bobby was a good man and he will be greatly missed. I can’t tell you much right now but SHIELD has been keeping a close eye on you and your brother; we know how many times you’ve saved the world just as we know what you’ve had to sacrifice in your work on Earth’s behalf. We know full well how much you’ve lost and how much you’ve suffered. You have our gratitude for all your efforts.”
“Thank you,” Sam humbly inclined his head; oh, how he wished his brother were there to hear Linda’s words.
“Now, back to business.” Linda cleared her throat. “We may be able to help you in finding a way to rescue your brother and angel.”
At this point, knowing all his efforts had been useless, Sam knew he didn’t have anything left to lose. “Bobby may not have liked you all but he did trust one agent as much as Bobby could trust someone who wasn’t family, an Agent Phil Coulson. If you can arrange for me to meet with him I’d be willing to listen to what you have to say.”
If Linda was hurt by his unwillingness to talk to her she didn’t show it. “That sounds reasonable; once we get to a SHIELD safe house I will do my best to get in contact with Agent Coulson,” Linda promised.
“Then I would like to take you up on your offer of a home-cooked meal.” Sam smiled at her with boyish charm.
Smiling brightly, Linda clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! Now gather your stuff and let’s get out of this charming little place.” It took all of Linda’s willpower not to wrinkle her nose as she looked around the less-than-sanitary room and she fought the urge not to go to the nearest store and pick up cleaning supplies and give this room a much-needed cleaning.
Kevin recognized the look in his mother’s eyes and knew she was moments away from walking into the front office and listing all the places that sell cleaning supplies nearby. “We better hurry up before she robs a store of its cleaning supplies or mugs an old lady,” Kevin whispered to Sam.
It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to tell Kevin he was crazy but then he saw the look in Linda’s eyes as she glared distastefully at a spot on the wall and he had to wonder how close to the truth Kevin had been with that statement.
It didn’t taken Sam and Kevin long to pack up their meagre belongings, with the steadily growing louder mutters under Linda’s breath urging them on faster. They were afraid that she might take over and Sam wasn’t about to have a woman he didn’t know touching his underwear.
Once their bags were packed and they’d double-checked the room for any forgotten items, Linda nodded her head with satisfaction. “Good, now we can get out of this fleabag of a dump. I’ll have to make sure to disinfect all your clothes the moment we’re at the safe house,” Linda muttered under her breath as she shepherded both Kevin and Sam out of the room and over to both cars. “Kevin, you’ll ride with Sam. Oh and Sam?” She waited until Sam was looking at her, “try and keep up, dear.”
Shaking his head as he loaded their gear into the car boot, Sam chuckled under his breath. ‘I think Dean would like you and I can’t wait for you two to meet.’ Sam refused to give voice to the negative little voice in the back of his head whispering that he might never see Dean or Castiel again. That kind of thinking just wouldn’t do him any good.