A Road That Takes Me Home - Part One

[slowsunrise]

A Road That Takes Me Home
Sam walked slower than he wanted. Everything in the world he owned rested in the bag thrown over his shoulder, so he would prefer to get out of the shady harbor before he got robbed, but the last advice from his professor had been to act calm and not tip anyone off. His professor hadn't been too keen to learn that now that Sam had finished his studies he planned to take to the sea, but had given his reluctant well wishes when Sam had explained that he only wanted to find his brother before they both went to England.

Dean had left a few years earlier to sign up on a merchandizing ship. Dean had never even thought about signing up for further education after finishing high school. The foremost reason was that they simply couldn't afford it. When both their parents had passed in a fire they had left very little for their children in the form of an inheritance. Most of the money had been in the house which had burned to the ground with their mother and father.

In addition to that, Dean had simply never been one for spending hours on a school bench. His aptitude lay with the work he did with his hands, with his body, something he found use for working on the ships. He sent money and the occasional letter back to his land bound brother to help him finish his studies, but now that they were over and done with, Sam was set on finding Dean and bringing him back to a real life. If he could find him, that was.

In the last letter, Dean had said he had found work on a ship called St. Lucia but when he asked around about it, he came up empty. One fisherman, gone half-crazy, told him that thirty years ago, there had been a ship named St. Lucia which had perished in a violent storm. Sam guessed that wasn't it. So instead of running in circles, he signed onto a ship called The Avalanche whose captain promised him a safe trip to a bigger harbor where he could continue his inquiries.

Now, walking to the pier where the ship lay anchored, he couldn't help but throw glances over his shoulder every other second to make sure that he wasn't followed. Drunken men stumbled out from the taverns littering the harbor area, and shady figures loomed in dark corners, but none of them made any move to follow, much less attack him. Maybe being 6'4” made people forget that you walked a little twitchy and looked like a lost puppy.

Sam made it all the way to the dock without anyone stopping to bother him and he drew a sigh of relief as he walked across the gangplank. The man he had met earlier, Captain Edgar stood on deck, looking over a list. Sam coughed lightly and the man's eyes darted from the papers and onto Sam's figure.

“Welcome onboard The Avalanche. Sam Winchester, right?”

Sam nodded and extended his hand to the captain who shook it. The captain then pointed towards a door and told him that he would see Sam as soon as they had set sail before he tipped his hat and wished Sam a good day. He then returned to his list and Sam left him to settle in on the ship.

* * *
”Captain,” came the first shout. Captain Edgar was talking to Sam when the sound of the distressed crew member reached them. True to his call, the captain snapped out of his discussion at once, giving his full attention to the man trying to catch his breath. Despite the obvious physical strain, the sailor was as pale as the moon. Captain Edgar placed a hand on the man's shoulder and straightened his back.

“Pirates,” he finally managed to push through with a broken voice. Panic was written in his eyes in capital letters and when he repeated the word, it seemed to infect the captain too. “We have sighted pirates! They’re sailing towards us on starboard side, north-northwest. The wind is in their favor and they’re bound to be here in an hour, or maybe even less than that!”

Sam hadn't even thought about the possibility of being attacked by pirates until that very moment. During his first days at sea he had struggled with keeping his ration of food down with every rock and sway of the ship. When he then, not a day too soon, had gotten used to his so called sea-legs, he had found so much to be fascinated with on board, that he hadn't been too worried about anything else. Not even the thought of having to find Dean took up that much of his mind when surrounded by the smell of salt water.

Now, however, when the ship had descended into living chaos as every single man did his best to follow through with the captain's order about turning the ship around, Sam wasn't as sure anymore that the ship was a peaceful and perfect place. Everybody kept running past him and the captain had long since left his side. Shouts echoing nautical terms which went over Sam’s head sounded around him.

“Ready about! Luff the helm! We are turning against the wind! All free men on the main sail. And someone, pull in that mizzen sheet for God's sake!”

He felt incredibly out of place and his large frame did not help the feeling. He felt as if he should help out, but every time he asked someone, they just shook their heads. Sam frowned, but walked away. Instead of sulking about it, he walked to the back of the ship where he guessed that he wouldn't be so much in the way.

When he let his eyes roam out over the ocean, he could see the pirate ship. It was still far away, merely a dark spot in the horizon, but it was obvious that it was making its way towards them with speed. He bit his lip at the last thought. The Avalanche had turned around surprisingly quickly for something of such a great build and the wind was catching the sails and pushing the vessel forward. Sam hoped that it would muster enough speed because he had no desire to fall victim to pirates.

He hadn't heard that much about them except the stories the students at the university told each other. About pirate captains who buried treasures and then killed every single soul who knew about the location. About how entire ships’ crew were killed when the pirates boarded them and then the ships were left to drift into ruin with no one at the helm. About plunder, pillage and terror spread whenever a pirate ship laid to bay.

Sam was clutching the gunwale so hard his knuckles were whitening. He was so focused on the ship in the distance and the thoughts in his head about everything that could happen to them if the pirates were to catch up that he didn't hear the warning shouts until it was too late. He spun around only to see that a hawser had ripped loose from one of the mizzen sails and the heavy canvas was falling downwards with the gaff still attached to it.

Lady Luck must have been smiling on him, because it missed him by mere inches, smashing into the deck next to him and saving him from an instant death. Unfortunately, the wooden deck splintering beneath his feet from the impact caused him to scramble backwards in search of balance.

The gunwale was in pieces, offering next to nothing in the way of support. He grabbed for it to no avail and the next thing he knew, he was falling, the surface of the ocean rushing up to meet him. A split second later, freezing darkness enveloped him as he plunged into the water. He was momentarily stunned, before his survival instincts kicked in and he started fighting his way upwards. Finally managing to break the surface of the water, he gasped for air and tried to regain his bearings. The ship was still huge before him, even more so from the vantage point of the ocean below. He heard screams and footsteps coming from above and he even saw some faces peering over the edge, pointing at him and shouting. The ship didn't turn around though, nor did it stop.

Sam was convinced he was going to drown the moment he realized that The Avalanche wasn't coming back for him. Logically, he knew that it was better to lose just one man that wasn't even a part of the crew than let the entire ship and said crew fall into the hands of pirates. Still, he couldn't help but feel at least a little bitter that they had essentially left him there to die.

He kept on kicking and paddling with his feet, keeping himself afloat, because he was Sam Winchester and the Winchesters did not give up that easily. An empty crate had fallen in together with him, now bobbing up and down in the waves a few yards away from him. Making his way over to it, he sent a quick thank-you to whatever his reason had been to learn how to swim.

Sam held tightly onto the crate and took a few calming breaths before he looked around himself. As far as his eyes could see, not a single strip of land could be sighted in the horizon. It was only The Avalanche with her rear turned against him and the pirate ship chasing her.

The enemy ship had gathered speed and was making the distance between the ships shorter with each passing second. The pirate ship was close by now. The first assumption that it would take an hour for the ship to catch up had been gravely wrong. Sam could even see movement on board the deck and a black and white flag, all without a spyglass.

Somehow, Sam had always imagined pirate ships, as well as their sailors, to be rough and dirty. This ship was not yet close enough for Sam to judge its characters, but the ship itself... She was a thing of beauty. She was carpeted in a dark wood that Sam couldn't say he had seen anywhere else but on exotic furniture from the southern countries of the Africas. Several sets of red sails caught the wind and pressed the ship forward, making her dance on the white foam on top of the waves. She cut through the water smoothly and even Sam, a novice to ships and sailing, could see that The Avalanche didn't stand a chance when it came to outrunning that ship.

The moment that passed his mind was however the moment the pirate ship changed its course ever so slightly. Instead of racing after the merchant ship, it was now heading towards the spot in the sea where Sam was. The figures, the pirates, became clearer for every second that ticked past and when he squinted, Sam could see a couple of them climbing the masts and working on pulling the sails down, one by one.

Their speed decreased significantly with each one, but their aim was still locked on Sam, for whatever reason. He couldn't for his life comprehend why they were giving up a practically sure catch, and Sam didn't like it when he didn't understand things.

The shouts from the pirate ship were starting to carry over the sound of the hull cutting through the waves. It was close enough for Sam to see the gallon figure now too; a large wolf depicted in the midst of a leap, as if it was attacking whatever was in front of it. In this case, that was Sam and he was uneasy when he looked up at the carved fangs. From down in the water, the stature of the ship was huge against the blue sky.

There was a splash as the anchor was dropped and that sent a shiver down Sam's spine. If there had been any doubts that the pirate ship had changed its course for him, they were now gone with the wind. What remained was the reason why they had done it.

There was no logical reason for them to do so. Sam wasn't poor, but he could in no way compete with a fully stocked ship. He wasn't famous either so he couldn't have been recognized in a spyglass. An endless stream of possible scenarios played before his mind, many of them fueled by the stories he had heard, when the louder splash of a dinghy being hauled down was heard.

It was still hidden behind the main ship and for a moment, Sam thought about turning around and paddling away from it with his crate. But where would he go? There was nothing ahead of him but the open ocean and then there was the fact that apparently, a ship was after him. They wouldn't even need the main ship to catch up with him; the dinghy would more than suffice.

The sound of oars dipping in and out of the water carried to Sam and soon he spotted the bow of the small boat. He tried to prepare himself for what was about to come, but even if he would have had hours on hours before the dinghy appeared, he could in no way have prepared himself for what was about to happen.

“Sam! Are you okay, Sam?”

When he heard the voice coming from the man in the front of the dinghy, he almost dropped the hold he had on the crate. It had been a few years since he had last heard it, yet there were no way he could ever mistake it for anyone else.

Sam tried to scream back, but all words got stuck in his throat when the boat came closer because it really was Dean standing crouched in the bow of the dinghy, a hand on the sprint as he leaned forward. His shoulders were broader than Sam remembered, and both his hair and his freckled face were sun-kissed, but there his brother was. In the company of pirates. And maybe not just in company.

He had a flintlock pistol tucked into one of the three belts slung around his waist; one of the others held a cutlass. When it came to his clothes, Sam didn't believe they were the kind merchant sailors would use. His blue shirt was bleached by the sun and mended as many times as his brother had freckles and the vest he wore without having it buttoned looked foreign.

“Dean?”

The dinghy stopped beside him and his brother extended a hand to Sam. It took a while before he eventually grabbed it. The boat was filled with pirates, all of them eyeing Sam and Dean's outstretched hand.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Sam sighed.

His brother just grinned at him as he gripped him tight and pulled him out of the water. The dinghy dipped down towards the surface when Sam, weighed down by his wet clothes, rolled over into it. As the boat then stabilized, some of the men snickered at Sam's look, but they all quieted when Dean gave them his killer glare Sam knew all too well. Instead they returned to the rhythmic movement of rowing, turning them back towards the ship.

* * *
Dean climbed on board first but he was followed suit by Sam. Now up from the water but still drenched, Sam was starting to freeze, his teeth chattering slightly and after he had the fairly solid ground of the deck under his feet, he threw his arms around his torso in an attempt to warm himself.

The rest of the men in the dinghy climbed on board and all of them fixed their eyes on a man walking towards them. He had a gigantic blue hat with a round brim shading his face. One of the hat's sides was folded upwards and a colorful selection of feathers decorated it. It was made as if to attract attention. When Sam's gaze fell downwards, he guessed from what.

Even with the large, wide boots the man was wearing, he was short. Sam was, as a rule, usually the tallest in any given group, but this man was exceptionally short. Still, the crew made way for him when he strode down the deck as if he owned the place.

The thought struck Sam that maybe that was just what he did. The ridiculously large hat and the neatly embroidered wine red coat that rested on his shoulders, while worn by time and battle, weren't exactly signs of a lowly sailor. If Sam had any deduction skills at all, it was the pirate captain heading their way now.

The height difference between the two men was even more obvious when they stood before each other, but it didn't really matter. Sam was shivering, his wet hair clung to his face and his clothes were plastered to his body. The captain, however, stood his ground despite his height. His body language spoke of confidence and cockiness and that was without even bringing the large variety of weapons that hung from his belt into the discussion.

The captain then removed his hat to reveal a smirking face framed by a washed-out, red bandana and red-brown hair. His hazel eyes sparkled as his smile widened.

“You must be Sam,” he said. “Welcome on board The Bad Wolf. I’m Gabriel and I am your captain.”

Gabriel let his eyes roam over Sam's body, his grin staying in place. Sam tightened his arms around his body, wishing for a blanket or an equivalent he could wrap around himself. He couldn't match Gabriel's stare but turned to Dean instead. His brother didn't meet his eyes as he was in the middle of a discussion with a third man.

The stranger too had a coat but it was nowhere near Gabriel's when it came to decorativeness and fanciness, and it was a soft brown color. His chin was slightly stubbled, but otherwise he was one of the most well-dressed men on the ship, even if his hair did give off the illusion that he had just rolled out of bed.

When he and Dean had finished their conversation, both of them turned towards Sam. The stranger smiled and Sam raised an eyebrow at the incredibly blue eyes the man possessed before he remembered himself and gave a faint smile in return.

The blue-eyed man remained at his post when Dean took the steps up to stand next to Sam. Sam felt his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze and causing even more water to drip down along his back.

“Thanks, Cap,” Dean nodded and gave Gabriel an earnest smile.

Sam could only imagine that it had been Dean who had spotted him in the midst of the ocean, because who else would have recognized him? That the ship had then changed course to pick him up must on the other hand be this Gabriel's doing. Pirate or not, the man had saved his life. Sam made a face, but he turned his gaze back to Gabriel and gave him a nod.

“Not a problem, Dean-o. If I had known that the other Winchester was this hot, I'd have searched the seas for him a long time ago.”

The grin on Gabriel's face was nothing but suggestive and Sam swallowed down. He was almost wondering if maybe it would have been a better idea to stay in the water when Gabriel broke the stare.

“Take him to Ellen and give him something warm. Can't have the pretty boy die from a cold, can we? Castiel, I trust you will take care of him.”

The blue eyed man Dean had spoken to earlier, Castiel, nodded. He walked up to Dean and Sam and the three of them were just about to leave when Gabriel claimed Sam's attention once again.

“I'm not done with you yet. Eat and rest and then I'll come. Or both of us will if the cards are played right.”

Gabriel winked at him and Sam felt a blush rising to his face, something that only seemed to amuse Gabriel even further. Dean just patted his shoulder and dragged him down to the galley before any more insinuating words were exchanged.

* * *
Ellen was a woman in her best years, at least if she got to have a say in the matter. She had cheeks like red apples and one of the kindest faces Sam had ever seen even if it was painted by age. He felt at home in her galley from the moment Dean pressed him down on one of the benches nailed to the floor, before he ran off to find his younger brother some dry clothing.

Castiel had remained with Sam, but so far he had been quiet so Sam watched Ellen go about instead. Her woven dress was the color of late summer grass and an apron that must have been white once held it in place. She kept pushing stray strands of her hair, escaped from her loosely knit bun, behind her ears. It didn't take her long before she had water boiling and then a cup of tea placed in front of Sam. Ellen winked at him as she put it there.

“I put some rum in there for you, sweetheart.”

She ruffled his hair before she went back to her duties, something no one had done in a long time. Sam mumbled a quiet thanks and smiled into his cup. Castiel was still looking at him and Sam looked up at him from his tea with a questioning gaze.

“I am sorry,” Castiel said and let his eyes shift away from Sam. “It is just that Dean has told me a great deal about you and it is nice to finally meet you in the flesh. You are just as tall as he described you to be.”

Sam let out a soft huff of laughter at the final statement. “So, I guess you and Dean are friends then? He didn't have that many growing up, so I guess it's nice that he found someone.”

“I uhm, I guess you could phrase it like, like that, yes.”

Sam wasn't sure if he imagined the pink blush on the man's otherwise so pale cheeks, but he did definitely stumble over his words. Sam tried to catch his eyes, but Castiel would not meet his gaze. Instead, Sam arched an eyebrow. After taking another sip of the warming tea, grateful for the heat that spread through his body, he decided to drop the matter for now. He would have plenty of time to discuss that and several other topics with Dean. One being why he was on a pirate ship instead of a merchant one, like he had told Sam in all of his letters.

“So you guys are real pirates then? Cutlasses, Jolly Roger and all that? Shiver my timbers?”

Castiel made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a laugh before he turned back to Sam.

“Yes, we are pirates by the general definition, though we tend not to be the ruffians the public like to picture us to be. Why are you asking?”

Sam shrugged. He didn't really know why, because he had seen proof enough on deck to know that he had fallen in the midst of pirates, but maybe a part of him was still in denial about it. He couldn't be on a pirate ship, he just couldn't. When the next opportunity came to leave, he was going to seize it without hesitation. Preferably, he would be accompanied by Dean, but Sam thought best not to share that particular idea right now.

“I don't know. I just wouldn't peg you to be a pirate.”

It was Castiel's turn to shrug now. He then looked down at his clothing, straightening the lapels of his jacket.

“I am a trained doctor, though I did not graduate. My father fell into debt and that made it impossible for me to finish my education. Gabriel is a cousin of mine and he offered a place as the ship's physician when no one wanted a doctor without official certification. I sent the money I earned home and helped my father. I only intended to stay on board until the debt was paid off but, and this might sound alien to you, I am happy here. I know I shouldn't be since we make a living off robbing other people, but I have found a place to call home and a, a family of sorts.”

They were quiet after Castiel's confession, the only sounds echoing from Ellen's work in the galley. Sam finished his tea and wondered for a moment how to start up the conversation again. Castiel was, just like Sam, from the university world, and Sam had a hunch that he had been correct when he didn't describe himself as a ruffian. They would probably be able to keep up an interesting conversation, but still, he couldn't bring himself to break the silence.

In the end, it was Dean who did it when he burst through the door. He held a bundle of dry clothes under his arm, patting them with a grin. Just like Sam's, Castiel's head turned towards Dean, his with a smile.

The grateful feeling didn't last long though, because the moment Sam stood up to greet his brother, he flashed back to his first day at sea when he had been forced to hold on to something all the time just not to fall flat on his face. His legs gave in and he tumbled to the floor. Dean was by his side seconds later, dragging him up by his arms.

“Jesus, Sammy! What the hell’s going on?”

Castiel came to him too, but at this point everything had started to blur. Sam felt a cold hand on his forehead that didn't belong to Dean so he assumed it was Castiel's.

“He is beginning to fever. Today's stress seem to have finally gotten to your brother. Dean, don't give me that look. I assure you, your brother will be just fine. Just help me carry him to our... to the sick bay and I promise to tend him there.”

The last thing Sam remembered before everything went black was the feeling of Dean and Cas somehow scooping him up in their arms, and how safe it felt to have his brother returned to him.

* * *
Sam slept and awoke in turns, not always sure when he was awake and when he wasn’t. He dreamed about his childhood, about the times when they still were a family of four. He dreamed about strange, imaginary creatures without proper names. He wasn't sure if he imagined Dean sitting vigil by his bed, and he didn’t know if it was someone pressing a cold cloth against his forehead or if he was dreaming about a soft breeze. However, he must have been dreaming when he saw Gabriel sitting next to his bed, because what reason did the pirate captain have to sit guard by a stranger's bed?

Sam fell in and out of his dreams, some of them more frightening than others. The fever brought out nightmares about fire and other terrible things. He could feel his body shiver and the cold sweat covering it. Then, one time he opened his eyes and it was like the clouds were no longer hiding the sun. His ears didn't ring and judging by how his body temperature felt when he put a palm against his forehead, he wasn’t suffering from a fever anymore. He sent a quick thank-you to someone that the ship hadn’t become his grave.

It was morning, but if it was the morning after he had arrived or if he had lost a day, or even more, was unclear. At least he had dry clothes on, even if they did smell of fever sweat. He was in what he presumed to be the sick-bay Castiel had been mentioning, laying on a fairly uncomfortable wooden bed. His back hurt and when he carefully moved, he could hear his joints pop.

The crack from his spine sounded through the room and from the other side of it, a groan was heard. Sam startled at the sound, thinking he had been alone. When the sound didn't continue, he propped himself up on his elbows.

There was a bigger bed than the one Sam was currently on standing on the other side of the room. On it, two figures rested, tangled in each other and the cotton sheet covering their bodies. Dean's arm, above the sheet, was slung around the smaller male sleeping in his embrace and both of them looked as peaceful as can be. Sam smiled a little when he noticed that Castiel's previously wild hair was even more unruly when actually in bed.

When Sam looked at Dean again, he couldn't help but smile again. What he had said to Castiel before was true: Dean did not have many friends growing up, but there had been even less loved ones. Maybe Sam ought to be angry with his brother after finding him in bed with another man, but Sam couldn't muster enough anger for it, not when he saw the utter bliss on Dean's face when he buried his nose in Castiel's neck. If he was honest with himself, the strongest feeling, except happiness for Dean, was jealousy. It wasn't directed at Dean or Castiel per se, but at what the two of them clearly seemed to have. Sam too wanted something as strong.

“Aren't those two just too cute for their own good? You woke at a lucky time, kiddo, or you would have found yourself with quite a show. Those two couldn't not touch each other all the bloody time the first few weeks.”

It was Gabriel standing in the door way and suddenly Sam was very pleased that they had let him sleep fully dressed. Gabriel himself had left both his hat and his coat behind somewhere and was instead wearing a white shirt with a deep neck and an open vest. He had the same red bandana as before tying his hair back, and of course, his smile.

Sam didn't have a chance to say anything to the intruder before the peaceful image of Dean and Castiel was destroyed by them waking up.

“Sam,” Dean startled at the sight of his brother awake again.

He sat up, the covers falling from his bare torso, but luckily it pooled around his waist. Castiel too sat up with a naked chest on display, but he wasn't as quick as Dean to take in his surroundings. While he was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Dean looked between Sam, Gabriel and his own half-nude appearance. Then he looked between Sam and Castiel who was finally catching on.

“Oh,” the dark haired man said and he scrambled to grab the covers to shield himself. “Sam. We, uh. I did not expect you to wake this early. It's very good though. How are you... How are you feeling?”

It was almost adorable the way a blushing Castiel tried to ramble professionally while searching for his trousers with his eyes. Gabriel was kind enough to hand him both his and Dean's, something Sam was grateful for. Then he turned towards Sam and it was obvious that all three men expected him to answer the question.

It was hard shutting down all thoughts about his brother and Castiel and all the questions that came with the couple. Were they even a couple? Sam's brain continued to run in circles and he felt a desire to just go back to sleep and discard it all as another fever dream.

“I guess I’m okay. A bit dizzy and I could kill for some food right now.”

Castiel had put on both trousers and a shirt at this point so he strode over to Sam's bed, feeling his forehead. He nodded approvingly at the result. Dean smiled widely when his head showed up through his shirt's neck and Gabriel did the same.

“Good to know that the kid is alright,” he said. “We wouldn't wanna lose someone like this, would we now? Cas, go down to Ellen and ask her to cook something up for him. A sasquatch like that gotta eat his weight in food. And I suspect that the brothers have a few things to talk about.”

Castiel gave him an 'aye captain' and grabbed his coat before he pressed through the door, passing Gabriel who remained just a little longer.

“Dean, when you’re done talking about your feelings, send tall, dark and handsome to me.” Then he winked at Sam and closed the door behind himself.

The silence continued long after Gabriel and Castiel had left the room. Dean had retrieved all his articles of lost clothing and after he had tightened his last belt buckle around his waist, he sat down again. Sam had a hard time taking his eyes off him. It had been such a long time since he had seen his brother that watching him go about such an everyday thing like putting his boots on was almost unbelievable.

Sam hadn't even begun to think about just how unlikely it had been that Dean spotted him before the waves had claimed him for good. He was just happy that he had: that he had found his brother, even if the news about his current occupation wasn't as welcome. Dean fidgeted a bit and kept glancing at the door, on the floor and anywhere but at Sam. At least his brother hadn't changed much when it came to certain things.

“You know,” Dean finally pushed though. “We didn't do anything with you in the room. Thought you should know that.”

The thoughts Sam held about the joy of being reunited with Dean left in an instant and were replaced with red, burning heat that quickly spread to his cheeks. Dean smiled apologetically and offered Sam a small shrug. Sam himself tried not to picture some very unwelcome images in his mind as he threw his arms up, as if to shield himself from them.

“Please Dean, no details whatsoever. Never, okay?”

Dean nodded, and both of them relaxed a little now that the silence wasn't there to haunt them anymore. They had conversations like this before and it functioned to break the ice.

“So,” Sam continued, still fighting his blush, “is he your special someone? You sure have left out a great deal in your letters, Dean.” Sam's voice was that of a teasing young brother, a tone he had used a lot in the past. The last sentence though, was loaded with something more than that.

“I'm sorry, Sammy. I really meant to tell you, but I kept pushing it back. I wasn't supposed to stay this long and I didn't wanna upset you over just a little thing. But then there was Cas, Castiel, and I got so much more money I could send back to you!”

“You said you had been promoted on your merchant ship,” Sam interrupted him. He almost chopped the sentence off with his teeth. “What you’re doing here, you're stealing. For God's sake, you’ve become a pirate! You’re a criminal, Dean!”

It took a while before Dean answered him. He rubbed his temples with his thumbs and opened his mouth several times as if to speak only to regret it. Then he took a deep breath and begun speaking again.

“Our ship, my merchant ship if you will, had been attacked by pirates. It wasn't Gabe, but someone else and let me tell you, it was as if the devil himself brought hell to the seas. There was fire and blood and pain. I was injured.”

At that comment, Dean pulled up his shirt and showed Sam his back. A long scar went down from his shoulder and over his shoulder blade to end just short of his pant line. Sam swallowed at the sight of the uneven surface of the scar tissue. It looked like it had hurt like hell, like it still might hurt. He didn't say anything, but let Dean carry on with his story when he put his shirt back on.

“I don't remember how, but as the ship was going down in flames, I'm drifting away on something, a raft. Maybe the cargo room's latch, I don't know. I'm passing in and out of consciousness and I was sure I was dying. So, when strong arms pulled me out of the water and I looked into the bluest eyes I have ever seen I actually thought I had ended up in heaven, despite all odds. It was Cas though, and he fixed me up. Saved my life. When I woke up, he explained where I was and to be honest, I freaked out more than I know that you're doing. I had just been attacked by pirates, and now I was on board another pirate ship? It took poor Cas a good while before he calmed me down, but eventually he explained and then Gabriel entered the picture.”

Dean took a moment's pause in his story to catch his breath and let everything sink into Sam's head. Sam remembered the panic he had felt in the water, both before and after the pirates had set course for him. He didn't want to imagine how Dean must have felt waking up in the midst of them, injured, hurting and panicking. He offered his brother a strained smile from his side of the room.

“Gabriel, you see,” Dean continued and Sam could see that he was searching for the right words, “he isn't like other pirates. Hell, he isn't like anybody else. He's here to have fun, adventures and all that. He's a free spirit and he kinda does whatever he wants. I'll tell you about the things I've done while traveling with him later, but he's special. He never kills for fun, hardly at all; he hates it. He just wants to do what he does. We're in for the thrill of the chase, not the gold even if that's nice too. We, we leave people with a fair chance to survive, unlike other pirates...”

Dean let that sentence drift away, but Sam had heard enough. He wasn't just about to go and endorse piracy, but he was glad Dean had found a bunch of them that seemed closer to decent than not. He wasn't as sure about Gabriel though, despite Dean's words.

It was surprising how much Sam could forgive and accept when it came to his brother, but this Gabriel wasn't family and a pirate to boot. He wasn't going to blame him for corrupting Dean into piracy because he knew more than well that his brother was fully capable of doing such a thing by himself, but the captain had chosen to be a pirate of all things.

“Hey, it's okay Dean. I'm really just happy to see you. I can't say I'm too pleased about all this,” he said and gestured around them, “but hey, it's up to you to do what you want with your life. It's a shame though, because I can't stay here. I wanted to take you along to England, but change of plans. And before you say anything about giving up everything and joining me, you're not.

“You can’t stop your life for me all the time. It's enough that you left home for the sea for my sake, but I'm not letting you leave the ship and Castiel, Cas, and whatever it is that the two of you have. You love him, don't you?”

Sam raised a finger at Dean the second he made a move to protest and knowing his brother, it was immediately after Sam had said the first word. Dean fell very quiet at Sam's question though and his shoulders slumped together. Once again, he wasn't looking at Sam.

Dean wasn't an easy human to silence. Usually, he laughed away his problems and joked about even the direst of situations. Sam knew what his brother's silence meant even before he broke it to answer.

“Sam, I can... You know... Even if you...,” he mumbled, stumbling over his own words. Sam could see how it pained him before he sighed and met Sam's eyes again. “Yes.”

Sam just smiled because in the following second, Dean gave him his infamous tell-anyone-and-I-will-gut-you-look. Sam didn't think much about it. Instead he stood up, careful since his back was still stiff and he was unsure about his balance. Dean looked up at him for a second before he too stood up.

Sam closed his eyes the moment he felt Dean's arms around him. He had missed the feeling of just relaxing into his brother's embrace, the feeling that whatever happened, they would be alright, even if it was them against the world. He had missed that feeling more than he knew and he tightened the hug even more, almost lifting Dean off his feet .

“Hey, that's quite enough, Gigantor. No need to get all emotional on me now. You are my brother, right?”

Sam released Dean from his grasp, even if he knew that he hadn't been all that serious.

“It's good to see you again, Sammy,” Dean said when they both had backed down. “I just hoped...” Dean cut himself short with a shake of his head. He continued then in a decisively more happy tone. “Go harass Ellen for some food before you fall into pieces. Then go see Gabriel. Man, I think you can give him one or two things to think about.”

Dean laughed a little at the last part and mumbled something about wanting to see that. Sam decided not to ask about it, unsure if he would like the answer.

* * *
Ellen's food had been a god sent gift to his starving stomach. Sam hadn't realized just how hungry he had been before he made it down to the galley and smelt the food. Even after just a few days at sea, Sam knew how hard it was to make food that would hold during the whole trip, but Ellen must be some kind of miracle worker when it came to cooking, because it had been a long time since Sam had eaten such tasty food, even on dry land.

Now, with a full stomach and the fresh wind in his face, he felt so much better. It was time to face Gabriel again and Sam was happy that he at least felt recovered from his illness and strong enough to take on the captain. He kept Dean's reassurance that the man didn't kill for the joy of it in his mind, so hopefully the meeting wouldn't end with him walking the plank.

The deck was filled with men never stopping in their work to keep The Bad Wolf afloat and moving forward. Sam stopped one of them who had his back turned against him and long, blond hair in a ponytail under a straw hat.

“Excuse me, but where can I find Gabriel?”

When the man turned around, it proved not to be a man, but a woman maybe his own age. She was wearing men's clothing with trousers and a ragged shirt, but there was no denying that she was indeed female. Sam begun to apologize, even if he hadn't said anything offensive, but she silenced him with a look not unlike Dean's from earlier.

“Don't even bother saying anything, especially not anything about it being bad luck to carry a woman on board. That will in turn be bad luck for you.”

She smiled a brilliant smile at him, but the hand casually resting on the cutlass stuck in her belt carried the point across well enough.

“I'm Jo,” she said, still smiling at him before she nodded behind her. “Gabe's up at poop deck, probably with Balthazar.”

Sam mumbled a thanks before he said something stupid and Jo got back to her work. He threw a look at her over his shoulder when he had walked a bit further away. She was working just as hard as the rest of the crew and in all of the movement, he lost her.

Then a sharp flash of pain spread from his foot and he gave a surprised yelp. He looked down and saw the stairs up to poop deck, on which he had stubbed his toes. When he looked back up again, he saw a silhouette of a man, the sun hitting him in the side. It only took him another second to realize that it was Gabriel.

“Why hello there! Too far up from the ground to watch your step?”

“Very funny, Gabriel,” Sam huffed and walked up the stairs, ignoring the pain in his foot. “You wanted me?”

“If he wants you, boy,” the man who stood next to Gabriel leered. Sam looked incredulously at him, but the man met him straight on with a smirk. Before Sam had the chance to retaliate, Gabriel slapped the man on his shoulder.

“I'll be fine from here, Balthazar. You can go.”

The man named Balthazar nodded and stepped away from the rudder wheel. Sam's eyebrows raised a little at the man's clothing, not that the smirk was gone. If Gabriel hadn't already claimed the title of captain, Sam would probably place his bets on the man before him. Just like Gabriel and Castiel, he wore a coat and his was blue, a dark, dark blue like the night sky. Like Gabriel's it was highly decorated, with gold lining this time. From the end of his sleeves, ruffles from his least said fancy shirt peeked out and to finish the look, he had a triangular hat with a huge pink feather askew on his head. When Balthazar then walked past Sam, he couldn't help but follow with his gaze.

“You could say that Balthazar has a certain taste for luxury. I might go as far as to call everybody on this ship an enjoyer of life, but Balthazar has really made an art out of it. And don't look at me like that. I won't force you into any clothes. Not out of them either, if you're nice.” Gabriel took a pause and gave Sam a good raking with his eyes before his brow frowned ever so slightly. “Hey, are you okay, kiddo?”

“I want you to drop me off.”

Sam's words were sudden and spoken with speed. He even surprised himself, but to answer Gabriel's question, he wasn't okay. He was on a ship full of pirates and here their captain was, expecting him to play along with it all. He really needed to get off the ship as soon as possible. He had been planning to go about it a bit more smoothly, but something about Gabriel triggered something in Sam.

Gabriel himself seemed a little startled too, seeing as how long it took him to respond. Sam didn't know if putting Gabriel off his game was a victory or not.

“Wow,” Gabriel finally said and nodded, eyes still a bit wide. “You get an award for the awkward change of topic. At least you're not afraid to jump to the chase.”

“Hey, you seem to be an okay guy,” Sam said, trying to regain ground. Gabriel wiggled his head to both sides at that. “I just... I'm not a pirate. I need to get to England, away from...”

“Look man,” Gabriel said, his smile fading with every second. “I don't know what you've heard, but we're not exactly your average pirate crew.”

Sam didn't let Gabriel continue. He had a terrifying hunch that Gabriel could sweet talk anyone into doing his bidding, but Sam just couldn't do it. He wasn't a pirate. He bit his lip before interrupting the captain.

“So I heard, but you know what? You guys are still pirates and I just can't do that. I'm just not cut out to be a criminal for the rest of my life, okay? I have an education and everything. I can't ruin my life. So, if you could just drop me off at a harbor, it would be great. Hey, I can even give you some money.”

Sam moved to loosen the bag of coins he had tied to his belt, but stopped and swallowed at the look of hurt that flashed across Gabriel's face the instant he mentioned money. It was such a contrast to his usual carefree expression that Sam almost took a step backwards when he saw it.

He regretted his choice of words now and he thought back to just earlier when Dean had told him about Gabriel. That he wasn't like other pirates, but then Sam kept reminding himself that he still was one and that he hadn't done anything wrong, really. It didn't ease Gabriel's expression at all.

“I don't need gold or any of your valuables, Sam.” There was a strong emphasis on his name, his real name instead of any nickname. “If I wanted to, I could dress twice as fancy as Balthazar, but that's not me. It's not what I want in life. I am out here to live my life like I want it and let me tell you this: I want my life to be fun. And it's not just me, it's this entire ship. If you don't get that, too bad for you.”

“Hey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay? I don’t have a bone to pick with you personally, just your... life style. It's just wrong. Not you, but piracy in general. It's stealing.” Sam was rambling and he knew it. It was hard to stop though. “But as you said, it's your life and if I can just get off the ship, I promise I won't be in the way for any of your...” He waved his hands in the air. “…your whole piracy thing, nor your crew.”

“Dean has spoken quite a bit about you,” Gabriel said through clenched teeth. “But I guess he forgot to mention a couple of things. If you can't deal with pirates, fine, but don't insult me and my crew, boy.”

Gabriel took his eyes off Sam and focused them into the distance instead as he gripped the rudder wheel harder. He shifted his shoulders a bit and stretched his back to regain his earlier posture. The smile remained missing.

“You're lucky you're Dean's brother and that you're so dear to him. I don't want to be on bad terms with one of my best men, so here's what's going to happen. We'll drop you off at a harbor where you can continue to England. It will probably take a little over a week because we need to restock, but here's a deal: we won't attack any other ships until you're gone and you, you will keep out of my way. Understood?”

Sam opened and closed his mouth but he didn't say anything. He didn't really want to admit it, but this side of Gabriel scared him. He only gave a nod as a confirmation and Gabriel too gave a single nod.

“You'll sleep in the deck house. Bobby's probably down there now so he'll tell you everything you need to know.”

He didn't finish with a 'get the hell out of here', but Sam read between the lines and did just that.

* * *

<<< MASTERPOST | PART TWO >>>