knowsjulesverne | Bloo bloo snippet of a possible AU!fic

Alan knew the voice on the other end of the phone before he heard it, that sigh of frustration, resignation, giving up. Hope had once again been quashed, its corpse resurrected for only a few hours before re-buried under the thick, dry dirt of apathy.

"Wasn't there." That low voice, barely distorted by what Alan decided was the phone's metal circuits rather than an overwhelming hopelessness. A part of him wanted to kick himself for that brief, beautiful flame of hope he'd seen in Sam's eyes that he now knew was extinguished, this time for good.

"Sam--"

"No." Sam pulled away, his voice aching and tired. "Not this time, Alan."

A heavy pause hung between them, dry and cracking as Alan tried to find the right words to say.

"'Night." A short click echoed through Alan's chest; instinct told him that Sam's apartment would be empty tomorrow and his surrogate son halfway around the world again, running from something he couldn't escape.