Calling in a Marker

Disclaimer - OK, legal nonsense must be dispensed with. Kripke does not share, so the boys aren't mine. The Tracy lads of Thunderbird fame are also the property of another. Sigh.

This story takes place about six months after "Payment in Kind". There are references to the first story, but you should be alright if you haven't read it...BUT - why didn't you read it? Sniff.

Just kidding. I can be a tad warped at times. (OK, I heard you snickering. I know who you are.) And I know I said this would be up Monday but it isn't my fault. It was the fan fic version of "the dog ate my homework", which really did happen to me. Except it was my Senior Paper, the one piece of academic endevor you could not graduate without at my high school. Luckily, it was backed up to a disc (and this is when computers weren't as common place - plus it was a 5 inch floppy) and my first period on Thursdays was a study hall and after giving the shredded remains of the paper (complete with my mom's now deceased, then puppy, Sheltie's teethmarks - his name was Duncan Mactavish, more commonly called "Taffy" or "Daffy Taffy") to my English teacher, I got a pass to the computer lab and reprinted it. If you are curious (and if you are not, I am still telling), I got an A and my paper, per a grandson of one of our patients, a Senior at my old high school, is still on file at the school library as an example of Senior Papers and is allowable as reference material in the school library on the subject (AIDS - which was only becoming commonly known at the time. Man, I am old! As if the 5 inch floppy disk wasn't a clue there!).

OK, enough babbling - on with the show. Some spoilers into season four of Supernatural. Not sure how many after Yellow Fever. (Eye of the Tiger...Snicker.)

Chapter One

Sam Winchester stretched and grabbed his can of soda, bringing it to his lips as he gulped some of his caffeine relief down his throat. His brother Dean was playing pool at a local bar. When Sam had swung by to pick up a sandwich a few hours earlier, Dean had slipped him over four hundred dollars in winnings. It was nice not to have to worry about essentials like food, gas and lodging for a short time. Smiling slightly, the younger Winchester turned back to his laptop, anxious to find info to lead them on a new hunt – or better yet, something that would stop the demon Lilith's attempt to break the seals in order to release Lucifer and begin Armageddon – the end of all things.

Surprisingly, Lilith seemed quiet for the moment. Bringing up his e-mail, Sam's smile grew larger as he pulled up a message from Alan Tracy. The Winchesters had met the youngest son of billionaire Jeff Tracy when the brothers had been "hired" to investigate supernatural attacks were threatening the college student's life. Sam snorted slightly at the word "hired". The hiring techniques of the oldest Tracy son, Scott, and his wife, Kate – a former FBI agent – could be considered questionable at best. They had abducted Sam, forcing Dean to follow them to New York City, where they had laid their cards on the table. Find out what kind of supernatural entity was after Alan and the brothers' records would be cleared. In addition, Kate had purchased the boys' childhood home in Lawrence, Kansas and would turn it over to them. Not to live in for now, as it was being rented, but it would provide them with a legitimate form of income for now and a home for later. Sam wouldn't have been surprised if Dean had simply told Scott and Kate to go to Hell and grabbed his brother and left. But when Jeff Tracy had showed up, Dean had been touched – even if he wouldn't show it – at how much the man had loved his sons. Alan was not only the man's baby boy (even at twenty-one) but he was the living embodiment of his late wife.

It was six months ago that the Winchesters had spent some time before Christmas in Boston, saving Alan from a violent spirit. The ghost of a mad man who had held a grudge against the Tracys, Sam knew that without their help, the villain would have eventually killed Alan. The man – a criminal once known as "The Hood" – had encountered the Tracys in their persona as International Rescue – The Thunderbirds. It still amazed the Winchesters what the other family had done in response to the death of their wife and mother, Lucy Tracy.

But was it really so different from what the Winchesters had done? When a demon had murdered Mary Winchester, John had become a hunter of the supernatural, determined to destroy the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel. Instead, more than two decades later, the demon would claim John's life in payment to save his oldest son. Sam had realized that in John's eyes, he was saving both of his sons. Dean would do anything to protect his baby brother, "protect Sam, take care of Sam" the mantra that had ruled his life. Eventually, Dean had even gone to Hell in order to protect Sam. And as hard as it was for Dean to get over the four months – which in Hell was forty years – he had spent in the pit, being tortured and eventually torturing others, all of this was harder on Sam than almost anyone could imagine. Sam knew that every bit of guilt, pain or angst…all the sleepless nights, waking up bathed in sweat…it was all his fault. If he hadn't turned his back on Jake in Cold Oak…if Sam hadn't died in the first place, Dean would never have sold his soul and he wouldn't still be suffering.

The angel Castiel may have pulled Dean from the Pit – and Dean had the handprints burnt into his arms to prove it – but Sam had to question at times what they had been saved for. Yes, Sam said "they" because he knew that without Dean around, Sam would have eventually bought it himself. Sam just wasn't strong enough to fight in a world without his big brother. They were in a constant battle with that demon bitch Lilith, who was anxiously breaking the seals that would allow her master, Lucifer, to step forth and begin Armageddon – the end of all things.

Sam forcibly pulled himself from his dark musings as the e-mail attachments loaded. He smiled at the pictures Alan had sent him. A joyful Alan on a beach – Sam assumed it was a beach on Tracy Island, his family's home – in several pictures. Alan was dressed in a white suit with a pale blue shirt and darker blue tie. The people he recognized from photos Alan had shown him –and his own personal experiences with a few – were Alan's family. His father, four brothers, three sisters-in-law, four nephews and a niece, as well as Alan's best friend, Fermat and the girl he had married, Tin-Tin Kyrano. The Malaysian girl was exotically beautiful and obviously adored her new husband. It had been clear in the one time Sam had met her, that the feeling was mutual for Alan.

The young couple was in all of the pictures, either just the two of them or with a dizzying array of relatives. Even that woman, what was her name…oh, yeah. Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. Once more, she was dressed all in pink and looked as elegant as ever. But Dean would never get within a hundred yards of her – or a thousand yards of her flying pink car. Dean still had issues with that. But in that car, the Tracys had arranged to fly the Winchesters – and Bobby – to a resort in Mexico, for the most amazing Christmas the boys could recall. For five days, they hadn't worried about demons or monsters. Sam could still recall walking into the hotel suite, seeing the decorated Christmas tree in the corner. He smiled as he remembered how relaxed they had been, laughing and telling stories of growing up. For once, he hadn't obsessed with everything bad that had happened and what they hadn't had. For once, Sam had remembered friends and good times, and could recall their father with love and humor. For once, it had been a Merry Christmas.

Dean Winchester entered the motel room, not surprised to see the lights still on. He was about to call out his brother's name when he saw Sam sleeping upright in front of his laptop. Giving a small smile, he pulled Sam up and guided him to his bed. Pulling off Sam's shoes, he covered his slumbering brother with the faded blanket. Moving over to the small table, Dean raised his hand to turn off the computer when he paused, seeing the pictures going through a slideshow program. Dean's small smile grew into a face-splitting grin. Alan Tracy had quickly found a spot in his heart with his humor, compassion and zest for life. Not long after meeting the kid, Dean had sworn to protect the younger man. It was more than the incredible offer that the Tracys had made for the Winchesters to save the youngest son from a supernatural threat. It was more than the angel Castiel telling Dean that he had to protect Alan in order to save the Tracys – which made more sense once he learned that the family was International Rescue. As Alan's sister-in-law, Sarah, had phrased it "International Rescue isn't called in for just anything. We are called when the situation is grave, when traditional rescue methods or equipment can't do the job. The Thunderbirds can't save everyone. But when we get there, people know that the odds have improved. They…We give them hope, Dean. Could the Tracys survive? Maybe. But the strength and endurance that allows us to do something like International Rescue? We couldn't do it without Alan."

Flipping through the pictures, Dean paused on one with Sarah Tracy in it. Leaning into her youngest brother-in-law, she had her arms around him, her bright auburn hair being teased in the breeze. A smiling little boy clung to her flowing skirt and a man who strongly resembled the toddler was reaching down for the child, laughing and watching Alan and Sarah with so much tenderness…Dean knew this was Virgil Tracy, Alan's middle brother and Sarah's husband. The little boy was their child, Michael. He could recall the warmth, love and humor with which Sarah had spoken of her son and husband. Part of Dean had been attracted to the vivacious woman but by the time they had successfully saved their younger brothers from the violent spirit, that attraction had morphed into admiration, respect and a fraternal love that more resembled being a big brother.

Dean had been deeply touched when he realized that Sarah had quickly developed a fraternal affection for him as well. At least she had after she had body slammed him into a wall in Alan's hospital room. Man, she was one tough lady, Dean recalled with a smile. Sarah was fiercely protective of her family, which both happily and sadly consisted of her son, husband and her husband's family. Sarah's own birth family was all deceased; a fact made more tragic by that their deaths were caused by Sarah's older sister. Dean sat down at the computer, lost in the memory of what the woman he had nicknamed "Red" had told him about her loss…

Sarah surprised Dean by leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. Raising an eyebrow, he snarked, "Not that I am complaining, but what's that for?"

"Just so you know that I wish I had been blessed with a big brother like you, rather than my bitch of an older sister."

"Don't get along with her?"

"She's dead." Seeing the look on Dean's face, Sarah shrugged. "Holly resented my very existence and did her best to make my life miserable. When I was sixteen and we were about to graduate, Holly – in a drug induced rage – set our home on fire, killing our parents and nearly killing me. She died of her own injuries a few days later." Smiling sadly, she shrugged. "Like I said, I would have loved to have had an older sibling like you."

Even today the thought of the fiery Tracy daughter-in-law was a source of peace for Dean. Since he had been pulled from Hell by the angel Castiel, Dean had been tormented by his memories of his time in the Pit. Awake and asleep, the memories tore at his soul, digging away at the humanity he was trying desperately to reclaim. Looking over at his little brother, softly snoring in his bed, Dean sighed. Dean had surrendered his soul to save Sam's life. To protect and care for Sammy…well, that had been the mantra that had ruled most of the older brother's life. But in the days since Dean's return, the gulf between the brothers had grown from simple personality conflicts to apparently insurmountable differences. Sam had, no matter how old he had grown, always been Dean's little pain in the ass brother, who loved and followed his big brother. But now? It was like Sam no longer needed Dean. He knew Sam still loved him, just like he still loved Sammy. But the bonds that had once made the brothers an unstoppable force had been worn away until Dean wasn't sure what was left.

Sighing, he turned off his brother's computer and stood up. Walking over to his own bed, Dean sat back down and nudged off his worn boots. Stripping down to his underwear, Dean slipped under the slightly scratchy blankets and turned off the bedside light. He desperately wanted to head out and grab a bottle of…something, anything. Dean wanted to lose himself in the temporary oblivion of alcohol. But he knew how the booze could dull the edge he needed and Dean had promised both Bobby and Sam that he would try to curb his drinking. It could be the thing that would put both brothers' lives in danger. Well, more danger than usual.

Dean closed his eyes and tried to force away the haunting memories of Hell. He allowed Sarah's voice to come to him once again, letting her soft words describing the South Pacific Island where the Tracys live fill his mind. Dean had always had a good imagination and he was soon lulled into slumber, practically feeling the tropical breeze and the warmth of the sun on his face. It wouldn't last all night, and he knew his dreams would soon be overtaken by his memories.

But for the moment he knew peace. With a small smile, he whispered, "Good night, Red."

Thousands of miles away, on Tracy Island, Virgil Tracy crawled into bed with his wife. Two months pregnant with the couple's second child, Sarah easily tired. The Thunderbirds had been on a mission to Canada, trying to save children from a collapsed youth center. Thankfully, all the children were rescued with only minor injuries. Sarah and Emily, his brother John's wife, had been at the medical clinic the Tracy Charitable Trust sponsored in New Zealand and had arrived home at almost the same time as the Thunderbirds had landed.

Exhausted from the rescue – and playing with his son, Michael, before convincing the little boy to go to sleep, Virgil yawned and pulled his wife's still slim form into his arms, cuddling her close. Twirling a lock of auburn hair around his hand, Virgil nuzzled the back of Sarah's neck. Usually when Virgil felt playful, he tended to call his wife by her childhood moniker of "Sarah Jane". But looking at her flaming mane, the Tracy artist smiled and whispered, "Hey, Red".

Virgil was shocked when she murmured, "Dean?" As her bright green eyes fluttered opened, Sarah smiled up at her husband. "Oh, hey, Virg." She looked confused for a moment before asking him suspiciously, "Did you just call me Red? You know I hate that."

"Did Dean Winchester call you Red?" Virgil asked, his voice controlled.

Sarah looked at her husband, confused by his tense manner. Wondering if the rescue had been more difficult than the debriefing would have indicated, Sarah cuddled into Virgil's body. "Yeah, he did. But…well, I don't think Dean shows affection in the same manner as most people. To him, teasing or harassing is a way of showing he cares. I know Alan still gets e-mails from Sam but I worry about them. They are so vulnerable to what is out there…Oh, honey, what the Thunderbirds do, it can be dangerous. But we have the support and assistance of other emergency workers and the best that is available thanks to Tracy Enterprises. The Winchesters fight things that most people get to be blissfully ignorant of, with limited financial resources, scarce help and by managing to duck law enforcement of a regular basis. I keep them in my prayers but I wonder if that is enough."

Forcing down the slither of jealousy, Virgil kissed her forehead and carefully thought before speaking. "Well, as Dad likes to say, we can't save everybody. You need to focus on what is in front of you. Your work with the clinic, Michael, the new baby…" Virgil moved down, kissing the barely noticeable bump where their child was nestled. "And me?" Feeling Sarah's fingers card through his chestnut hair, Virgil trailed his kisses upwards until he captured her lips under his. The kiss increased in intensity, the passion between them growing until they were lost in the passion that still flamed between them.

Sarah hadn't noticed the green monster that had flared in her husband's eyes as she had spoken of Dean. The older Winchester brother did hold a special place in her heart. But as it was similar to the one she held for the older Tracy brothers – Alan having a precious place all his own – she thought nothing of it. And Virgil tried not to think of it at all.

A/N - I am finding the distance between the Winchesters to be very sad and I am hoping for some kind of resolution...without anyone dying. And yes, Virgil is a tad jealous. But the only people he has ever really had to share his wife with were all named Tracy. So he is feeling a bit unsure of himself in the sitch. He'll get his head out of his...nose...soon enough. Well, maybe not for a while. I will be posting a new chapter at least every Monday, with maybe the occasional Thursday sort of thing...review and keep me motivated. Thanks...CC