NOT THE ONLY ONE

n the Impala, Dean is driving. Sam is talking slowly into his phone, holding his head. "Roger Miller. Ah no no,just the address please. Ok, thanks." He turns to Dean. "450 West Grove, Apartment 1120."

"You ok?" Dean asks.

"Yeah."

"If you're gunna hurl I'll pull the car over you know, cause the upholstery..." Dean starts.

Sam cuts him off. "I'm fine." He says.

"All right."

"Just drive." Sam looks at Dean, sighs heavily, and looks away.

Dean turns to Elena in the back. "And what the hell was that?" He asks.

"I don't know. I'm guessing it's because of Sam's visions too." She says and Dean turns back to the front.

"Dean, I'm scared man. These nightmares weren't bad enough, now I'm seeing things when I'm awake? And these, visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful." Sam says.

"Come on man, you'll be all right. It'll be fine." Dean says.

"What is it about the Millers. Why am I connected to them, why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?" Sam asks back to back.

Dean sighs. "I don't know Sam but we'll figure it out. We've faced the unexplainable every day. This is just another thing." He says.

"No. It's never been us. It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out." Sam does.

After staring straight ahead for a long moment, Dean speaks. "This doesnt freak me out." He says. Sam stares at him, then turns away.

[ ☾]

he Impala pulls up as Roger approaches the entrance with a bag of groceries. "Hey Roger." Sam yells.

"What are you guys, missionaries? Leave me alone." Roger says.

"Please!" Sam yells. But Roger is gone.

Dean guns the engine, jumping the curb as he hurriedly parks. Sam get out and runs. "Hey. Roger. We're trying to help!" He says.

Elena follows behind him. "Please! Hey, hey hey hey hey." She says. Sam runs up to the entrance just as Roger closes the door it behind him.

"I don't want your help." Roger walks away.

"We're not priests, you gotta listen to us!" Sam yells.

"Roger, you're in danger!" Dean yells also. "Come on. Come on come on."

Sam and Dean run around the corner to a back entrance, it is securely locked. Dean quickly looks around then kicks it open. They jump to the first level of the fire escape then run up the stairs. When they are one floor from Roger's house, they hear the window slide down and a wet squelching noise.

Sam freezes, Dean sprints past him and grabs the railing. Roger's head lies in the flower bed under the window, his blood all over the kitchen window.

Elena gasps and turns away. Sam joins them. After a long pause he pulls material from his pocket, throwing one to Sam and starting to wipe down the railing.

"Start wiping down yout fingerprints, we don't want the cops to know we were here. Come on, come on!" Dean yells.

"Who's doing this?" Elena says horrified.

Dean uses his rag to push up the window leading out to the fire escape. "I'm gunna take a look inside." Sam continues wiping down the metal railing. Later on, Dean comes out of the house. "I'm telling you there was nothing in there. No signs either, just like the Miller's house."

"I saw something, in the vision. Like a dark shape. Something was...something was stalking Roger." Sam says.

Dean wipes himself off. "Whatever it was, are you sure it's not connected to their house?" He asks.

"No, it's connected to the family themselves. So what do you think, like a vengeful spirit?" Sam asks.

"Well yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families, follow them for years." Dean says.

"Angiak. Banshees." Sam says.

Dean thinks. "Basically like a curse. So maybe Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy, something curse worthy."

"And now the something is out for revenge. And the men in their family are dying."

When Elena finally catches her breath, she turns to Dean. "Hey you think Max is in Danger?" She asks.

"Let's figure it our before he is." Dean says.

"Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people." Sam says.

Elena turns to him. "What's that?" She asks.

"Both our families are cursed." Sam says.

Dean huffs. "Our family's not cursed! We just...had our dark spots." He says.

"Our dark spots are...pretty dark." Sam says.

"You're...dark." Dean says.

t the Miller house, Max leads Sam, Elena and Dean in. They are wearing their priests and nun outfits. "My Mom's resting, she's pretty wrecked." Max says.

"Of course." Elena says.

"All these people kept coming with like, casseroles? I finally had to tell them all to go away. You know cause nothing says I'm sorry like a tuna casserole." Max says.

Sam smiles. Max smiles back. Max gestures to the lounge and they all take seats. There is a moments silence, then Sam sighs. "How you holding up?" He says softly.

"Ok."

"You're dad and your uncle were close." Elena points out.

"Yeah I guess. I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little." Max says.

Sam furrows his brows. "But not lately much?" He asks.

"No, it's not that. It's just...we used to be neighbours when I was a kid, and we lived across town in this house. Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time." Max says.

"Right. So how was it in that house when you were a kid?" Sam asks.

"It was fine. Why?"

"All good memories? Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle maybe?" Dean asks.

Max shakes his head. "What do ya...why do you ask?" He asks.

"Just a question." Dean says.

"No, there was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy." Max says and Elena watches his eye twitch.

"Good. That's good. Well you must be exhausted. We should take off." Dean says.

"Right." Sam says then turns to Max. "Thanks."

"Yeah."

When the gang leave, Sam, Elena and Dean walk down the drive to stand beside the Impala. "No one's family is totally normal and happy. See when he was talking about his old house?" Elena asked Sam.

"He sounded scared."

Dean nods. "Yeah Max isn't telling us everything. I say we go find the old neighbourhood, find out what life was really like for the Millers."

am and Dean stand on a Suburban footpath, talking to a man in his front yard. Elena decided to stay in the car. "Have you lived in the neighbourhood very long?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah, almost 20 years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you looking to buy?" The Man says.

"No, no, actually, we were wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street I believe." Sam says.

Dean perked up. "Yeah the Millers. They had a little boy called Max." He says.

"Right." Sam says.

"I remember. The brother had the place next door. So uh, what's this about, is that poor kid ok?" The Man asks.

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

The Man sighs. "Well in my life I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean I'd hear Mr Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar outta Max. Bruises. Broke his arm two times that I know of."

"This was going on regularly?" Sam asks.

"Practically every day. In fact that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy but the worst part was the stepmother. She'd just stand there, checked out, not lifting a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times. Never did any good." The Man says.

"Now you said step-mother." Dean says.

The Man looked at both Sam and Dean. "I think his real mother died. Some sorta...accident. Car accident I think." Sam has his hand to his head and is grimacing. "Are you ok there?"

"uh, yeah." Sam winces.

Dean holds an arm out toward Sam. "Thanks for your time." He says.

Sam begins lifting his hands to his head. "Yeah, thank you." They turn to go, Dean supporting Sam. "God." Sam looks up and the world spins. He is suddenly in the Miller's kitchen. Ms Miller is chopping vegetables with a large knife.

Ms. Miller puts the knife down. "I don't know what you mean by that. You know I never did anything!" She says.

"That's right. You didn't do anything." Max says and the knife starts to rattle on the chopping board. "You didn't stop them, not once."

The knife lifts into the air. Ms. Miller is backing up against the wall. "How did you..." She says. The knife moves forward to hold her against the wall. "Max! please!"

The knife twists in front of her face, coming close enough to her eyeball to pierce the tear there so it runs down her cheek. She gasps.

"For everytime you stood there and watched. Pretending it wasn't happening." Max says tearfully.

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. you just don't wanna die." Max says. Ms. Miller gasps and cries. The knife slices right through her eye and out the back of her head.

The pain lessens and Sam finally managed to sit up. "Go check on Elena." He tells Dean breathily.

Dean runs to the car and opens the back door. Elena is laying in the backseat, unconscious. "Ah, crap." He says. Dean grabs her legs and carries her bridal style to the sidewalk. Before putting her down, he checks and makes sure no one is around.

Dean puts her down, having his hand under her head so he didn't hurt her. He lifted her head down slowly.

Sam had caught up and knelt down next to his brother. "Is she alright?" He said. Dean places two fingers on her neck.

"I'm getting nothin'." Dean says and they both began freaking out.

"She can't be dead." Sam says.

Dean sighs. "Just when we were getting somewhere..."

Right after he said that, Elena jolted forward, her eyes white again. Both of the brothers hold a hand to their hearts.

Once she blinks, it fades away and her eyes are back to their dark brown. "What just happened?" Sam asks.

"Are we being Punk'd?" Dean says and looks around.

Sam and Dean get up, both offering a hand for Elena to take. She takes both of their hands with her left and right. "Max is doing it. Everything Sam and I have been seeing." Elena says.

They walk to the Impala and get in, Dean instantly taking off. "You sure about this?" He asks.

"Yeah, I saw him." Elena says.

"How's he pulling it off?" Dean asks.

Sam jumps in. "I don't know, telekinesis?" He suggests.

"What so he's psychic, a spoon bender?" Dean asks.

Elena sat up and leaned on the back of Dean's seat. "It was different this time. I wasn't having visions about Sam. It was about Max."

"I didn't even realize it, but this whole time he was there. He was outside the garage when his Dad died, outside the apartment when his Uncle died. These visions, this whole time. I wasn't connecting to the Millers, I was connecting to Max! The thing is I don't get why, man. I guess because we're so alike?" Sam says.

"What are you talking about. The dude's nothing like you." Dean points out.

Sam shrugs. "Well. We both have psychic abilities, we both..."

"Both what? Sam, Max is a monster, he's already killed two people, now he's gunning for a third." Dean says.

"Well, with what he went through, the beatings, to want revenge on those people? I'm sorry but it doesn't sound insane." Sam says.

"Yeah but it doesn't justify murdering your entire family!" Dean yells.

"Dean..."

Dean pulls over at Max's house. "He's no different from anything else we've hunted, all right? We gotta end him." He says.

"We're not going to kill Max." Elena says.

"Then what? Hand him over to the cops and say 'Lock him up officer he kills with the power of his mind." Dean says.

"No way. Forget it." Sam says.

Dean turns off the engine to his baby. "Sam..." He starts.

"Dean. He's a person. We can talk to him. Hey, promise me you'll follow my lead on this one." Sam says.

There's a long pause. "All right fine. But I'm not letting him hurt anybody else." Dean says.

In the Miller Kitchen, it's Deja Vu of what Sam and Elena saw. "You know I never did anything." Mrs Miller says.

"That's right. You didn't do anything. You didn't stop them, not once!" Max yells.

Sam and Dean burst through the front door with Elena not far behind. "Fathers?" Mrs Miller asks.

"What are you doing here?" Max asks the three of them.

"Ahh, sorry to interrupt." Dean says sarcastically.

"Max, can we talk to you outside for just one second?" Sam asks.

Max gets suspicious. "About what?" He asks.

"It's...it's private. We wouldn't want to bother your mother with it." Sam turns to Ms. Miller. "We won't be long at all though, I promise."

Max looks at his mother, then back. "Ok." He says.

"Great." Elena replies.

Dean and Sam turn for the door, Max follows. As Dean grasps the doorknob he turns back to smile at Max. Max see's the butt of the pistol in Dean's waistband in the hall mirror. Suddenly the knob is pulled from Dean's hand and the door slams shut, as do the wooden window blinds all around the room.

Max begins backing up. "You're not priests." He says. Dean draws his gun but Max uses his power to pull it away, sliding it across the floor to where he cant pick it up.

He hold's it on Sam and Dean. "Max what's happening?" Ms Miller asks.

"Shut up." Max says.

"What are you doing?" She asks again.

Using his power, Max flings Ms. Miller backwards. She hits her head on the kitchen bench and falls to the ground unconcious. "I said shut up!" Max yells.

"Max calm down." Elena says.

"Who are you?" He asks.

"We just wanna talk." Sam says.

"Yeah right, that's why you bought this." Max indicates the gun.

"That was a mistake all right? So was lying about who we were. But no more lying Max ok? Just please, hear me out." Sam says.

"About what?" Max asks.

"I saw you do it. I saw you kill your Dad and you Uncle before it happened." Sam says.

"What?"

"I'm having visions Max. About you."

Max scoffs. "You're crazy."

"So what, you weren't gunna launch a knife at your stepmom?" Sam taps his eye. "Right here? Is it that hard to believe Max, look what you can do. Max I was drawn here all right? I think I'm here to help you."

Max starts crying. "No one can help me." He says.

"Let me try, we'll just talk, me and you. We'll get Dean and Alice out of here." Sam says.

"Uh-huh. No way." Dean says.

Sam and Dean look up as the chandelier begins to shake. "Nobody leaves this house!" Max yells.

"And nobody has to, all right? They'll just...they'll just go upstairs." Sam says softly.

"What about her?" Max points to Elena.

Sam looks at Elena. "She has the visions too."

"Sam I'm not leaving you guys alone with him." Dean says.

"Yes you are. Look, Max. You're in charge here, all right, we all know that. No one's going to do anything you don't want to do but I'm talking five minutes here man." Sam says.

"Sam!"

Max looks back at his stepmother." Five minutes?" The chandelier stops shaking. "Go."

Dean moves to pick up Ms. Miller. Later, Sam, Elena and Max sit in the lounge. Max stares at a letter opener and it raises on it's point and begins twirling slowly. "Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through." Says Sam.

"That's right you can't." Max says.

"Max, this has to stop." Elena says.

"It will, after my stepmother..."

Sam cuts in. "No. You need to let her go." He says.

"Why?"

"Did she beat you?" Elena asks.

"No, but she never tried to save me, she's a part of it too." Max says.

"What they did to you, what they all did to you growing up, they deserve to be punished..." Sam drones.

Max smirks sarcastically. "Growing up? Try last week." He gets up and lifts his shirt. His chest and side are a mass of bruises. "My dad still hit me. Just in places people wouldn't see it. Old habits die hard I guess."

"I'm sorry." Sam says.

"When I first found out I could move things it was a gift. My whole life I was helpless but now I had this. So last week Dad gets drunk. The first time in a long time. And he beats me to hell, first time in a long time. And then I knew what I had to do." Max says.

"Why didn't you just leave?" Elena asks.

"It wasn't about getting away. Just knowing they would still be out there. It was about...not being afraid. When my Dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes. Do you know what that feels like?" Max asks the both of them.

"No."

"He blamed me for everything. For his job, for his life, for my Mom's death." He says.

Elena furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would he blame you for your Mom's death?" She asks.

"Because she died in my nursery, while I was asleep in my crib. As if that makes it my fault." Max says.

Sam looks shocked. "She died in your nursery?" He asks.

"There was a fire. And he'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up. Pinned to the ceiling!"