Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It started off in Massachusetts, specifically Sturbridge Massachusetts. They had just arrived at- Believe it or not, Sam’s favourite salad place in this area. Sam had a favourite salad place? 

At least they had other options- They had just ordered, and they were sat down, discussing the mystery spot, what might correlate to it, since there had been some supernatural activity around that area.

Sam had just pulled out his laptop, thunking on the table lightly as it shook a small bit at how heavy it was, even if it was one of the newer ones, Sam had typed in his password, and started looking for stuff, using the touchpad on the keyboard below the keys to click on things, little clicks. The clunk of the dishes in the background, likely in the kitchen, the callout of orders, people picking up crinkling bags. 

“So, Sam, whatcha looking for, researching this mystery spot?” Dean had asked, trying to peek over at the laptop- Hard to do if they were sitting across from each other. Sam had moved the computer so Dean could look at the information on the screen. Stuff about this professor, this mystery spot having a little card that says “where the laws of physics have no meaning”, yada yada. 

The waitress finally came over with their order, putting the plates down first, Sam’s water had been put down before Dean’s coffee had slid off the tray- it was in one of those travel mugs, could’ve been easily caught if someone was paying attention and had the reflexes, but it had fallen on the floor and the lid had popped off. There went his damn coffee for the day. 

“Sorry about that, we can remake it if you’d like?” The waitress, who looked to be in about her teens years, said, apologetically, Dean wasn’t gonna yell at someone for an accident- christ. 

“Go ahead.” Dean replied, a bit curtly as soon as the waitress had ended her sentence and she had nodded and went back to the kitchen, Dean turned to look back at Sam. (He’s not a pedophile.) 

“So, you say we should go, check out this mystery spot later at night?” Dean said, taking a bite of the burger he had gotten. It was a good burger, this definitely made up for the coffee incident.

There was the obvious cup still on the ground with the lid, the coffee still spilt on the ground, staying there almost still, vibrating slightly with the beats of the music with the bass on the floor, it was some upbeat song with bass, it wasn’t exactly Dean’s favourite song, not like he could change it however. Dean’s coffee was finally brought back over, the footsteps of the waitress as she walked over, before the waitress smiled apologetically, handing the coffee over, hands a small bit of shaky, like anyones would be, and Dean had grabbed his coffee, setting it down on the table, before looking back over at Sam. 

“So, why’s this your favourite salad place anyways Sam?” Dean asked, taking another bite of his burger, he was about halfway done with it. The plate had a nice look to it, small bits of colour, it looked to be a homemade set of glass. 

“Just for the salad. It’s really good stuff, plus the staff in this specific place are really nice.” Sam counted off, doing his research, staring down at the screen, typing on the keyboard with a fast pace, eyes flicking occasionally to the keyboard, before back up to where he was typing. 

Sam had shifted slightly, just getting comfortable, before taking a break, finally, and taking a bite of his salad, which proved to be good by the look on his face. 

“Dude you’re eating rabbits, food, how is that even good?” Dean asked, mock-incredulously, staring at the salad. They were joking around, all was good. 

“Well, Dean, unlike you, I prefer to be healthy. Not my problem I’m a rabbit, and you’re - Something. I don’t know, I don’t wanna delve into animals when we have bigger problems on hand.” Sam said, half of that sentence with a full mouth of salad, before he had chewed and swallowed, Dean had heard another order being called out, etc etc. 

“Well, then be a damn Rabbit, Sammy. Could call you Sambit.” Dean said, jokingly, before Sam went back to researching things about this Mystery Spot, and Dexter Hasselback.

They both had eventually finished their food, left some money, a small tip and to pay for their order, before heading out, Dean was looking at the little pamphlet for the Mystery Spot.

“You know Sam, places like these aren’t legit, just a waste of your money- Furniture up on the ceiling, vortexes? Balls rolling up a ramp? All a tourist trap.” Dean said, half-annoyedly, half-exasperatedly. Why did Sam want to even go in in the first place? 

“Well, Dean you know- There are places like these where people do go missing, Bermuda Triangle, Oregon Vortex-” 

“If you want to go in that bad Sam, we’ll go in tonight and have a look ourselves, how about that?” Dean cut off an exasperated Sam, looking at him as they had momentarily stopped walking. Some kid just went by on a bike, ringing his bell twice, muttering “Dumbasses”, while a cat meowed nearby. 

“Alright.” Sam said sighing and shaking his head. Later that night, they had unlocked the door into the mystery spot, opening the door into a green and black vortex thing, clearly painted to look like it. They had walked through, inspecting the place, making it to a main room, with stuff in it like said furniture nailed to the wall with stuff on it, likely put into place with something, stuff on the walls, liquid in a wine glass that was tilted, showing it was tilted. Nothing out of the ordinary, Sam didn’t get anything with his EMF metre.

The space felt weird in an anxiety churning way, like these places always tended to be, the human eye could tell something was out of place, and it looked unnatural, something along those lines. There were faint echoes of their footsteps, they walked around the place, a flashlight flicking, the EMF Meter not making any noise. 

And yeah, expectantly, some guy popped out- Mr. Carpiak, one of the owners of this mystery spot, appeared out of somewhere with a gun pointed at the both of them, Sam had pulled out his own pistol he had too.

“Woah, woah, we can explain-” Dean said, raising his arms slightly, a gesture of making it known he wasn’t the enemy in this situation. 

“You guys robbing me?” Carpiak had asked, the gun still firmly pointed at Sam- Whom had the gun, that made sense.

“No, no we aren’t robbing you, nobody’s robbing you, calm down.” Sam had explained, calmly, the gun still pointed at Carpiak, if not, lowered a bit. 

Sam was, putting the gun down, was told not to move, even if he was putting the gun down, and the dots had clicked in Dean’s head a second way too late. The gunshot had already rang off, Sam was on the floor, with a GSW’s- it was a shotgun, of course there would be multiple. 

Dean stared at Carpiak, eyes widened slightly, eyebrows furrowed, before he went down next to Sam, picked him up a bit, looked at him. 

“Sam- Sammy, hey-” Dean muttered, looking at Sam, before looking at Carpiak, telling him to call 9-1-1.

“I – I didn’t mean-” Carpiak started, but Dean cut him off with a yell, “Now! Just call fucking 9-1-1 for christs sake!” Dean yelled, before looking back down at Sam, almost like the life was slowly, surely draining out of his eyes, like he was choking on his own blood, with the sounds he was making- 

“Sammy, look at me, not like this- Not like this-” Dean mumbled, holding Sam up. “Not like this Sam.” Dean muttered, before Sam’s eyes had fluttered close, his head limp, before his body- Fuck, he had just lost- Sam. 

Dean just stared in silence before, 

He woke up again, jolting up in bed, to some Metallica song on the radio, the volume low enough it wouldn’t disturb him, Sam asking, “You finally up, Dean?” like he had yesterday- But- What?- Dean checked the date, the time- It was still Thursday.

“It’s supposed to be Friday.” Dean muttered, out loud. 

Chapter Text

Day 5.

Dean had tried to explain to Sam. Over and over, multiple times. Something had to be torturing him at this rate, but he didn’t know what- It wasn’t physical, but pshycological torture. Or, maybe Dean was just throwing things out of proportion. He had just watched Sam get shot, again, killed, and he woke up to that same Metallica song- Mind you, it was one of the ones he actually hated. Not because of this- Time loop? He thinks it’s a time loop.

“You finally up, Dean?” Sam asked again, the same disapproving tone he’s heard the past five “loops” because Dean had slept in. He figured that one out by looking at the clock, he never woke up at 9:33am. 

“Yeah, Sammy I am.” Dean grumbled, getting up, shucking the blanket off and heading to the bathroom, per usual, brushing his teeth before they left. Like he had done the past five times. The past five “loops” Dean had tried to go back to the mystery spot- Maybe this was all a fluke, and a weird ass dream, but it was as real as ever, nevermind the bandaged cut on his arm, specifically to check if maybe this wasn’t, all so real. 

It was, real, he figured that out on “day 3”. 

“So, what do you wanna do? Thinking about heading to that salad place first before going to the mystery spot.” Sam said, walking into the bathroom to grab something from the cabinet, as Dean just kept brushing his teeth, a tired look already in his eyes. 

“Head to Salad place, hunker down here after. Sounds good enough.” Dean replied simply, spitting out the toothpaste in his mouth into the sink, rinsing his mouth out, and toothbrush, before putting it back in whatever holder was in this motel. He had tried changing small things up recently to see if that’d change anything, but so far it hadn’t.

“Well, what’s got your panties in a twist?” Sam replied, expected reply to that sentence after five days. The wind creaked the trees slightly outside, something in the motel's structure creaking slightly, but not ominously, like an old house would. 

“Nothing, Sam.” Dean replied, curtly right after Sam was done speaking, pushing himself up from the counter to go get ready to leave.

“I think we should head to the mystery spot first, actually, see how things’ll go.” Sam replied, last they did that was the last “time loop”, Sam had died again. 

“No, Sam. We aren’t going, point blank. Don’t even suggest or talk about it.” Dean said firmly, the small zing of fear down his spine of having to watch his little brother die, again, didn’t get lost on him. 

“..Okay. Salad place it is first then.” Sam said, looking weirdly at Dean, before getting into the drivers side- on the road side. Some bitch in a car then hit Sam head on, like the driver wasn’t even paying attention. 

Dean only had a minute to process before he was waking up again to that same fucking Metallica song, at 9:33am, on a Thursday. 

He immediately looked over at Sam, checking him over. Making sure he was fine, yeah. He was okay- Obviously like the last now six days he had been, but. It still felt the same. Like someone was trying to tell him, he couldn’t always save him. 

“You finally up Dean?” Sam asked, the same disapproving tone. It was 9:34am, 9:33am when he last checked. Dean stayed quiet this time, and nodded, he then got up, and headed to the bathroom, same same, brushed his teeth, didn’t notice the wind, the creaking of the motel. It was likely raining outside, like it had been, but he didn’t notice it. 

“So, what do you wanna do?” Thinking about heading to that salad place first before going to the mystery spot.” Sam said, zipping up the duffel bag he owned, they both owned one, before hoisting it over his shoulder. 

“No. Nothing. Let’s just take a break, yeah?” Dean said, firmly, not even sparing Sam a glance, Sam furrowed his eyebrows at Dean being just a bit snappy. 

“Well, what’s got you all worked up Dean?” Sam replied, back in that same tone Dean had, setting his duffel bag down on the bed.

“We are not going outside, to the mystery spot, to your stupid salad place-” Dean started, before getting cut off by Sam. 

“And why’s that, huh? Do you have a good reason for that?” Sam said, defensively. Dean never wanted to stay in. 

“I think- I’m in a time loop.” Dean said, sighing, saying “time loop” like he was criticising it. Dean thought back to all the times Sam had died in this supposed time loop again, before sighing and looking back up at him.

“A- Time loop? Why would you think you’re in a time loop?” Sam said, eyebrows furrowed in that natural style of worried little brother, Sam was always the nerdy one, maybe he was just interested in more research. 

“A Time Loop, yes I keep watching you die and I can’t save you and I keep waking up and you’re fine and it keeps happening. I’m waking up every morning to some metallica song on the radio at 9:33am, and it’s getting- It’s getting real annoying.” Dean ranted slightly, grumbling, shoving stuff into his duffel bag. Dean sounded like he hated referring to it as a “Time Loop” he didn’t believe it was. 

“Like, groundhog day right?” Sam asked, head tilted slightly, his “big” brain thinking, or whatever.

Dean mulled over the thought for a moment before nodding, “Yes, like groundhog day.” He mumbled, getting up and grabbing the Impala Keys.

“We’re leaving, but you’re not driving, you are staying in the passenger seat.” Dean said strictly, firmly, scared, maybe Sam’d get hit again, before heading out the door with Sam, he got in the passenger side, Dean got in the Impala, drivers side before driving off to the Salad place Sam had wanted to go too. 

As they drove down the road, it was only a couple blocks away, Sam checked to see if he had grabbed his laptop, before zipping his duffel bag again, they had just parked.

What if when Sam got out, he’d get hit by something, crushed by something, or anything fucking else possible? He didn’t know, he didn’t care, maybe it was unlikely, like it had ended already. 

They walked into the salad shop, same way they did if they actually made it here, sitting down after ordering, Dean ordered a burger and coffee, and Sam had ordered a salad, and water.

Sam pulled out his laptop, thunking lightly on the table, Dean heard the clicks of the keys clacking as fingers pushed down on the keys for the keyboard, typing in his password. Small clicks of touchpads, someone's order being yelled out, a “Order for Leo ready!” at the time it always came. 

“So, what’re you lookin for anyways Sammy?” Dean asked, trying to peek his head over to see, Sam moved his laptop just so, so that Dean could see it. Sam was researching about Dexter Hasselback again, his disappearance, and his last known location of the Mystery Spot. 

Sam also handed Dean a card, about the Mystery Spot, where the “laws of physics had no meaning” or whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. 

Eventually, the waitress walked over, food on a tray. He eyed his coffee, knowing what happened the last time, she put down the plates of food, before Sam’s water, and Dean put his arm out at the right time, and caught his coffee, setting it down on the table muttering something under his breath.

“Crap- Oh- Thank you.” The waitress said, about to apologize, but the coffee hadn’t fallen onto the floor this time and made a mess, she thanked Dean instead, smiling appreciatively before walking off. 

“Nice reflexes, Dean.” Sam said, as Dean took a bite of his burger finally, it tasted the same. There was an upbeat song playing in the background. Dean didn’t like it, but he couldn't exactly change it, so he just had to deal with it.

“Thanks.” Dean grumbled. It wasn’t reflexes, he knew it was gonna happen. 

Sam went back to typing on his keyboard with a fast pace like he always did, eyes flicking down to the keyboard every now and then to make sure his hands were in the right places, Sam wasn’t exactly a touch typer, before back up to the screen. The keys clacking with a quick pace, one you’d often hear in an office. He clicked some things, before taking a pause, and taking a bite of his salad, which proved to be good by the look on his face. 

Sam had expected Dean to make a comment, but he hadn’t, so he just continued eating his salad for a minute, before getting back to typing on the keyboard. 

Another order called out, Dean didn’t hear it. He was too busy thinking about why, he was in this “time loop” to begin with. Maybe he deserved it, maybe. He didn’t really exactly know, but it felt like it for some reason. He should be able to figure out how to save Sam, how to save him, from this. Even if he doesn’t remember it everytime, he still felt responsible. 

Sam had called his name again, before paying attention again, “Yeah, Sammy?” Dean replied, focusing on Sam again.

“You’re saying you’re in a time loop- like groundhog day- do you know how?” Sam asked, taking another bite of his salad. Dean was done with his burger now, and he just took a sip of his coffee. 

“No, I don't, we visited the mystery spot, and you got shot, and then I woke up. Everything was perfectly normal before.” Dean replied, an answer he had thought about for days. He didn’t know how actually. 

Sam let out a “huh” before going back to doing stuff on his laptop, whatever he was deciding to do.

After awhile, they had finished their food, Sam left a tip this time, before they exited and started walking. Dean didn’t bother looking at the pamphlet for this mystery spot this time. There was a fresh breeze, 

“Why do you even wanna go, Sammy? This is just an essential tourist trap.” Dean said, glancing over at Sam. He already asked this question, already knew the answer. 

“Well, Dean, you know- There are places where people do go missing, the Bermuda Triangle, Oregon Vortex-” 

“Okay, okay I get it. But we aren’t going. Point made.” Dean said, firmly, sighing, and looking back. Some kid went by on a bike again, bell ringing three times this time, muttering “Dumbasses,” someones cat meowed. Same old, same old. 

Dean didn’t want to keep doing this for god knows how long, did he? He didn’t want to watch Sam die, over and over again. Dean almost tripped on something, catching himself and looking at Sam, whom had a small smirk on his face at the almost-trip. Before something fell and crushed him- A desk. He looked up to see two workers swearing, and looked back down before- 

The same lyrics to that fucking Metallica song.

Chapter Text

Day 15

Dean didn’t know what he was doing, but he was heading out. Away from Sam. Maybe this would stop the thing that keeps killing him over and over and over again? Dean’s getting tired of it all. 

He had heard the same “Finally up Dean?” in that same disapproving tone at 9:33am, he ignored Sam asking if he wanted to head to his favourite salad place in town, he ignored everything. He grabbed his car keys, locked Sam out of the room, and got into the Impala and drove off. Somewhere desolate would work. 

He sped down the street, he didn’t care anymore. This was all not real right? Technically it was, but it also wasn’t? He was getting used to these time loops to seeing the same things happen over and over again, and he was getting tired of it. 

He swerved slightly, to avoid hitting some newer Chevy, he took a breath, and pulled off to the side, nearby some park. Desolate place. It can work, right? 

Dean got out of the car, registering slamming the car door- He’d never do that to baby, but he could care less, right now. He only had a small amount of time before this happened again, right? Last time he tried this, it took 25 minutes for it to reset. 

“Show yourself you asshole!” Dean yelled, walking through the forests and finding an empty spot, and standing there, waiting for an answer. He didn't get one. 

“Come on! Don’t be a fucking pussy, I can’t kill you anyway!” Dean yelled again, looking around for something. He heard a bush rustling, and looked over, but it was just a bird. It chirped before flying off, with the rest of it’s flock. It was a smaller bird, a bushtit, Dean recognized. Why were birds so important right now?

He was getting distracted. Fuck. 

“Come on! Why do you keep doing this, why is it specifically me, you keep doing it too? Is it some shitty fucking lesson, or something? I want to know why!” Dean yelled again, throwing some rock against a tree. The bark chipped off slightly. 

Something about throwing something and releasing all that, pent up, emotion. Felt relieving? He threw another rock off the ground at the same tree. The bark chipped off some more. A small amount. Dean punched the tree, as well. 

His knuckles were split open a bit after that. Did it matter? No. It hurt, yes, this meant that this tragic fucking loop? He was in, was real. He hated it, he hated it with his own grave soul. He was tired of watching Sam die over and over again and not being able to do anything about it. He wanted to do something about it! He couldn’t make a deal with a crossroads demon, he tried, it didn’t even summon. 

“Or am I some fucking test subject for you to play around with and toy with? Is that all I am to you? Just get me the fuck out of this loop, or I swear to God the moment I find out who you are you are dead meat!” Dean yelled, again, staring up at the sky. It was much akin to a prayer, a call for help, find out who’s doing, this why, they’re doing this. 

“Because I swear, I will stab you for the amount of fucking times, I have had to watch my brother die! And wake up, and hear that now horrendous song on the fucking radio!” Dean yelled again, throwing another rock at the tree. 

It had only been fifteen “loops” but he was tired? He couldn’t do anything and maybe he hadn’t realized yet, that he can’t do anything to save Sam from what was bound to happen, that he can’t inevitably save everyone. 

But, he doesn’t realize that yet, does he? 

“What are you trying to fucking tell me? I’m making notes of useless shit for the first time in- Ever?! The time, what happens in these loops, everything to prove I'm not crazy! Just show your stupid, fucking face!” Dean yelled, into the sky again, looking up at the clouds, that have always covered the sun, with gray. 

He heard a flap of wings behind him. Just a bird, right? Just a bird.

“Never took you for the type to ask someone to show their faces, Dean.” 

Dean knew that voice from somewhere, somewhere, was, on a hunt. Oh, he knew alright. 

“So it’s been you?” Dean said, and, before he could turn around, simply look at him, he heard a snap of fingers and,

He woke up again, to the same lyrics of the Metallica song, and he let out a frustrated yell.

Confused Sam, who said, “You finally up Dean?” In the same tone, but with, furrowed eyebrows. 

Fuck, he hated this so so much.

Chapter Text

Day 25.  

Dean stayed in bed. Despites Sam’s annoyance and arguing with him. What if he just tried not getting out of bed? And maybe it’d work for a change, because it was 3pm. But he hadn’t heard from Sam at all yet. Maybe that was the key to all of this?

Don't interact with anything and anyone until the day is over, and maybe the loop would be.. Over? Or maybe that same song would keep looping on the radio, over and over again. Until he got annoyed and interacted with the world, instead of hiding under a blanket, on the scratchy motel bed that's definitely seen a few too many things. 

Sam walked in. Dean didn’t interact. He pretended he was asleep. Even as he heard the muttered, “you’re always asleep.” From Sam. 

No interaction. No nothing, just. Sitting there under a thin motel blanket with the A/C cranked high. It sounded ratty and old, like all the motel A/C’s sounded like on their hunts. He missed the hints of normalcy in his life, and he missed not constantly questioning if anything was even real . 

(and the trickster hadn't intended for it to get this far.. maybe..)

He had made it to 11pm. Before he decided to get up, and, Sam banged his head against something, and the whole thing reset again. Fuck. Fuck, fuck fuck. 

He got out too early. 

Day 26 now. 26 loops. 26 times he’s watched his brother die in various, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes gut-wrenching ways. 

Why him?