What if John had a third son? What if there was something special about him? How would the family dynamic change? If you are ready for lots of John, the dysfunctional family we love in a new light, mayhem, distress, loyalty, love, hate, anger and action then come take a look.

This is a year in the life of the Winchesters so come visit even if it is only for a month or two. Drama, laughter and excitement abound…well I’ll try anyway.

Warning there will be discipline throughout this fic so beware. It starts out a bit rough but calms down after a while.

Dirt on the Grave

July

The wind ruffled Sean’s hair as he squatted on the forest floor. The almost twelve year old was well aware he was heading for big trouble but was counting on the possibility of the fact that if he played his cards right he could flush out the Griffon and get back to the car in time to act as if he had been there the whole time.

His order was to wait in the car as his father and two brothers tracked and killed the beast but Sean was never all that good at taking orders. He did wait for awhile or for as long as he could stand. Patience was not this boys strength. And since most things evil tended to shy away from him and his psychic abilities the abilities that helped him locate such things Sean knew he could hand deliver this monster right into the hands of his family.

John, Sam and Dean had fanned out weapons at the ready waiting for the Griffon to come back to its home area that had been filled with bones from previous victims some animals some not and that was why the Winchesters were on the prowl. Finally they heard a snort, closed their ranks and John held his gun up indicating to his sons he had the shot. The monster hesitated and backed into the foliage. The elder hunted quietly lowered his gun in frustration. Apparently despite their cover the beast sensed them and they would have to wait until he made another pass to get back to his lair. But as John prepared to wait the Griffon stepped back their way and John got his shot.

The beast fell and John could see what had flushed it back out of its safety; there standing next to the tree where the bullet embedded after going through the intended target was Sean. There was no doubt the pounding hearts could be heard throughout the forest.

The preteen turned to flee when John yelled, “FREEZE!”

Sean took a couple more steps and realized he was toast, John had seen him and there was no going back. If only the damn thing had kept going but no it turned and headed back to Sean so he had to make a run at it and exposed himself right along with it. Now the crap had hit the fan and the biggest trouble he had been in a long time was staring him in the face.

John had handed his gun to Dean and stormed over to his youngest son grabbing him by the shirt and hauled him back to where the group. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

Sean gulped and even though he had no right to he looked to his brothers for help. “Dad he flushed it out for us,” Dean said trying to argue on the boys behalf.

“Dean, Sam take care of this thing and then meet us back at the car,” John barked once again grabbing Sean.

He wrapped one of his large arms around his slight son and began the fairly short trek back to the car. Sean’s toes occasionally bumped along the ground but for the most part John bore his entire weight. The man was deathly silent and Sean did all he could not to wet his pants. Finally the Impala came into view and John set the boy down.

“You want to tell me what the hell that was about?”

“I just wanted to help; you know those things can’t figure me out so they run from me. It worked he ran back to you,” Sean said brightly hoping to sway his father over to his side a bit.

But John would have none of it his eyes were hard and focused on his youngest. “Since when do you think disobeying a direct order is ever okay?” Sean just looked at the ground. “Answer me boy, is it ever okay?”

Sean looked up and knowing the right answer still chose the wrong one for reasons even beyond his comprehension. “I guess now since because of me you killed it.”

John’s hand came crashing down leaving quite the imprint on the lads cheek. Sean knew this would happen, it took a lot for the occasion but he had seen it with his brothers and once before on himself but yet he chose the road. “That is ONE,” John said biting off the words.

He grabbed Sean by the neck and pushed him towards the car. He maneuvered him so his forehead was against one of the back windows and warned him not to move.

“I’m going to check on your brothers and so help me God you better be in that position when I get back.”

Sean rolled his head as best he could still keeping it against the window. He knew from experience this was far from over and for all he knew John was standing right behind him waiting for him to move in fact he probably was. The minutes felt like hours to Sean just as John knew they would. This had often been an issue with Sean waiting just didn’t suit the boy and it caused quite a few riffs between father and son. John demanded it and Sean just couldn’t seem to master it.

The 11 year old reached into his back pocket and pulled his phone out and put it under his trapped head to see that watching the clock wasn’t doing him any good. He played a few tunes and seeing only two minutes had passed he stuffed it back into his pocket. Finally after what seemed like an eternity he took a chance and turned around. It was all quiet and he knew he would hear his family coming so he leaned back against the car and stretched his neck. He was thinking he was okay when his heart dropped.

“Who told you, you could move?” John barked.

“Now where did he come from?” Sean whispered to himself not having heard the slightest sound come from that area.

“That’s two,” he said his hands once again on Sean. “What did you not understand?”

“I just…it’s just that…well my neck…and well…”

“And well you thought you would hear me so it wouldn’t matter.”

“It was forever Dad, I tried. I did but it was too long and it just isn’t fair and yeah I thought I’d hear you. I mean come on wait here wait there wait in a fixed position it’s to many rules.”

“That’s three,” John said calmly just as Sam and Dean appeared from the woods.

John opened up the back door and slung Sean into the backseat and headed to the drivers seat. Dean took shotgun and Sam slid in next to Sean. The ride back was silent with Dean sneaking glances at John and Sam glancing sideways at his younger brother. The mood was steeped in tension and they all knew where this was heading. They pulled up next to the house they had rented and all four doors swung open.

“Dean, you and Sam go find us something for dinner and take your time about it,” John instructed pulling bills from his pocket.

“Dad maybe we should take Sean with us, you know give you time to cool down,” Sam offered.

“No need I’m calm. Just do as I ask,” he said handing the money over to Dean.

The two gave Sean a look of support as they climbed back in the car and pulled away from the curb.

“Do you think Dad is calm enough?” Sam asked.

“I guess, he had the drive to cool down. Anyway Sean does need to learn to obey orders there will be a day when things won’t turn out his way.”

Sean debated about running. He had always been fast and could probably outrun John for a few blocks anyway. But that would only add to his misery and he definitely didn’t want to hit four. He knew Dean had tread in that territory once before with very bad results. So with all that in mind he followed John dutifully into the house.

“Over there on your knees hands behind your head,” John directed putting Sean in the position he often used with him. It was used by the police and very uncomfortable.

Sean complied and was happy to being staring at the wall as opposed to his very pissed off father. He knew he was about to hear all about his indiscretions.

“So what the hell did you think you were doing back there? You disobeyed a direct order and could have been killed. Do you know how close that bullet was to you? Do you know I could have killed you? I give you instructions but you don’t think they apply to you…no you are too good for that, but you’re not too good to be KILLED! What were you thinking!?”

Sean waited and when the pause was long enough he began to talk telling himself to be respectful. “I’m sorry but I knew I could help. You know that I seem to repel most of the things you hunt and I knew I would drive him your way, but you said no.”

“That’s right I said no and that’s all you need to hear, because one day they won’t care who you are and will turn and kill you. We don’t know why your psychic abilities deter certain things so we don’t know when they won’t and we’re not going to take that chance. So next time I give you an order you follow it!” John bellowed right next to Sean’s ear. “Do you know how close that bullet was?”

“No sir,” Sean admitted.

“Too damn close and you put me in that position and I really hated being in that position. So now,” John said hauling his son to his feet, “I’m going to put you in a hated position.”

TBC

Always love your stories...keep going please I am intrigued :)

Jill~thanks for the comment i was so happy to see it. I know fic's with other family members aren't always welcomed, but what the heck.

This starts off with a bang, John is pretty rough on the lad but remember we are talking life and death situations here. I will not paint John as a monster tho he may seem like it from time to time. bottom line is he loves his boys and in an effort to keep them alive he will do everything he can.

Sean was up and swung around to the back of the couch in no time. John reached around and began to tug at Sean’s jeans. “No Dad, not bare no please,” he begged remembering the last time how much more sting there was and that was years ago when John merely used his hand.

“Sorry kid you more than deserve this,” he said continuing his actions. He tugged as Sean held tightly to his pants. “Let go,” John said through clenched teeth. Sean let go and was already fighting the tears. Before he knew it his pants hit the floor and his boxers followed.

Sean being not quite tall enough to be bent over the couch with his feet still on the floor was lifted up and over the back of the couch. His feet were off the floor and his rear in the air as he heard the dreaded sound of the belt being freed from its loops. John took a deep breath. He hated this every bit of it, but had no alternative. At least he could see what he was doing; he wanted to drive the point home but didn’t want to bruise the boy. “You got ten coming.” He folded the belt in half and took aim planting the first strike at the top of the boy’s rump. He both kicked and cried out. John moved over immobilizing his son’s legs. He then got back to what he was doing putting stripes up and down the boy’s backside. He went all the way down and returned to the top but missed high as Sean twisted. John placed his hand on his lower back and leaned down to his ear and whispered, “stop moving or I will be adding to your count.”

Sean placed his head into the cushions and tried to stay still. He had lost count but felt he had to be at least halfway through. The belt came crashing down again and Sean nearly came unglued. “I’m sorry Dad, I’m sorry,” he sobbed his hands locked behind his head as he squeezed his arms to his head.

“You should never be putting your life in danger, putting all our lives in danger,” SMACK. “It’s not all about you, we are in this together and just because you are bored you have no right to do what you please. SMACK. “Do you understand?”

“Yes sir,” Sean sobbed.

John handed out the rest of what was promised and with only sobs coming from his son now he stopped. He tossed the belt onto the couch and rubbed his sons back in an effort to get him to settle down a little. After a minute he pulled him back to his feet and allowed him to redress noticing the grimace as he slid his pants back on.

“Look at me,” John said. But Sean still couldn’t seem to find his fathers face. “Look at me,” John said again cupping his sons chin forcing him to make eye contact. “This should never happen again, right?”

“Right, sorry sir,” Sean said trying to pull away.

“Let’s just not be here again at least not for awhile. Now go get washed up and lie down, I’ll let you know when the boys are back with the food.”

“Yes sir,” Sean said making a move to leave.

John took a step and stopped him pulling him into an embrace. “Please let’s not do this again soon.”

“Yes sir,” Sean said again looking up at his father, “I’ll really try.”

“See that you do son, see that you do.”

The boy’s soon returned with dinner Dean immediately looking around for his young brother. “He’s alive, he’s lying down in his room,” John said.

“Barely alive,” Sean called out.

“Watch it smart ass. Come on out and get some dinner,” John ordered opening the containers from the Chinese restaurant.

“No thanks,” Sean replied.

“I’m not asking you, let’s go,” John barked back.

Sean hauled himself up and made his way to the table. It was the typical drill Sean would be disciplined and would be good as gold for a few months until the memory of his stinging behind became distant and the cycle would begin anew.

“You can stand if you want,” John offered.

Sean stood shuffling from foot to foot picking at his dinner. He would steal a glance at John trying to read his face. “Other than a 3,000 word report on Griffons we’re even,” John said.

“Three thousand words,” Sean balked.

“Don’t push me boy.”

“Bet your wishing you stayed in the car now huh?” Dean asked smiling.

***Two days later

“Tell me what this part right here says?” John asked pointing to the middle of Sean’s report.

“You just read it what do you need me to tell you for?”

John’s look said it all but he spoke anyway, “I think you ought to watch your tone and rephrase your answer.”

“Sorry, it says the Griffon is capable of killing its prey by ripping it apart with its beak and talons,” Sean read.

“So I’d say you got off easy,” John said popping his son on his still slightly tender backside.

“Ow, that wasn’t fair.”

“Oh so perhaps the next time you will leave your smart ass comment rolling around in your brain unsaid.”

Sean nodded but John’s expression demanded more. “Yes sir,” he mumbled.

This kid was something else. Dean had been a wild one and Sam was never as easy arguments were often within reach but Sean, Sean had all of his brothers traits on top of his own. He was a smart ass extraordinaire and definitely an act first think later type of kid despite the consequences he knew that would be waiting. Despite occasional drama he often got through punishments without much fan faire and John didn’t know what to do. He would ground him but Sean would sneak out, he would add on exercises and extra training and Sean would complain but comply, the only thing the man had found was a good swift kick in the ass would at least slow him down a tick.

“How about you fold the laundry and put it away,” John suggested.

“What for,” the boy dared ask.

“Because I told you to,” John scowled.

Sean shot quite the look of contempt but headed towards the laundry room only to be pulled back. “Listen to me young man this will be your last warning. I am not putting up with your attitude, now knock it off or you will be knocked off. Now I have a hunt this weekend and I’m taking Dean with me but you had better behave for Sam or there will be some serious repercussions. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” Sean said turning once again to leave.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him lately. Dean told him it must be hormones but he thought that was only for his emotions towards girls not for pissing his father off. He was always daring but now he was just stupid, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Maybe having a break from the old man would be a good thing. Sam was pretty cool he would keep his mouth shut about most things as long as Sean wasn’t arrested or AWOL.

:cheer :cheer :cheer Three cheers for posting this Carol!! It's awesome and should be shared with everyone! I love your Sean character; he's a perfect addition to the Winchester clan.

No thanks needed :) I have always loved your style in writing and look forward to your new chapters... I like Sean I would love a Dean and Sean brother moment soon, seeing as we might get a Sam and Sean one this next chapter...

Oh yeah did you mean to put Dean and Sam's names together to get Sean? Or am reading wayyyyy to much into it ;)

Pam~thanks for the cheers. I wasn't going to do it but then someone encouraged me to and I thought what the hell. We'll see how it goes.

How was the vacation and even more importantly, have you been writing anything lately :P I'm chomping at the bit....

Jill~here is a small Sam/Sean moment but don't worry there will be Sean/Dean moments ahead. The boys treat their youngest brother differently and you will see that shortly.

And you nailed it...yes Sean is from Sam/Dean S-from Sam, ean - from Dean. And Sean is the celtic form of John, at least according to the name book I was looking at. so he hit the trifecta in the naming from all of his family.

Just like Braden had Dean inside it....

Now moving on...A/N Sean will turn 12 in August, there is no celebration or even mention of it, but just so you know how old he is



August

“Sam let me talk to Sean,” John asked his voice weary. Sam was in panic mode as Sean was nowhere to be found and he knew this wouldn’t reflect well.

“He’s asleep,” Sam said.

“Well wake him up then,” John demanded.

“He’s not feeling well I think he’s in the bathroom,” Sam tried knowing how ridiculous this was beginning to sound.

“So he’s not feeling well and is asleep in the bathroom?” John asked not being fooled for a minute.

“Yes sir, no sir,” Sam finally admitted.

“He’s not there despite being an hour past curfew,” John stated the obvious.

“Yeah and before you ask I reminded him and yes I tried calling him. I went across the street and Missy said he had been with Micah and they took off towards the creek about 20 minutes before I got there.”

“Okay then, we should be home tomorrow. Call me when he gets back.”

“Yes sir,” Sam said running his fingers through his brown mop. He threw himself on the couch and cursed his younger brother. He did this far too often taking full advantage of Sam while John was gone, but the eldest Winchester caught on quickly and had many ways of seeking out the ever elusive truth that slithered around his offspring. Sam knew not to say anything to Sean the conversation with John was now nothing but a distant memory and though Sean would be upset he would rather deal with his surly brother than his angry father so this round his allegiance went to John.

Sean knew he was late and at this point didn’t care. He hated when his dad left on weekends and would misbehave out of a combination of frustration and discontent. He found it easier with Sam than Dean as his eldest brother had no issue whatsoever with taking care of any indiscretion then and there without waiting for John. But then his reckless actions would be brought up and John would have his own crack at it. But Sam didn’t have it in him and would just issue empty threats and ask for promises that he knew would never be fulfilled. So he was almost two hours late and not thinking anything of it as he clomped up the steps. Sam was half asleep on the couch reading by the flickering light the TV offered.

“You’re late,” Sam said.

“No crap really, thank you for stating the obvious,” Sean said pulling out his phone to see had several missed calls from Sam but not John. Home free he thought as he headed to the shower.

The next afternoon brought home the two hunting Winchesters worn out but undamaged. “So how did everything go here?” John asked Sam.

“Other than what you already know about just fine,” Sam said with a sigh as Dean eyed him.

Dean didn’t understand Sam’s lax attitude with the boy. The kid just took advantage of anything and everything he could and without somebody there to stop him who knows where the boy would eventually land.

“So where is he?” Dean asked looking around.

“Across the street.”

John walked to the front door and peered across the avenue and saw a raucous clump of kids bouncing around and laughing. Well they would have one less jolly fellow over there John thought as he began his trek across the boulevard hoping his son would look up and head his way, but whether or not it was intentional Sean’s focus was on what was in front of him. And as John got closer he realized it was a pretty girl named Mandy. He stopped just short of the group stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and greeted his son.

“Hey dude, how are you?”

“Fine and you?”

“I’m great, just wanted to say hi and request your presence at home,” he said trying keep up the mirth he really wasn’t feeling.

“Maybe later, I’m kinda busy now,” Sean said knowing this would do nothing but threaten his father.

“Maybe now.”

Sean hesitated and the group fell into hushed tones unsure of what possibilities may land at their feet.

John closed the gap and placed his hand on the back of Sean’s neck and gave a squeeze as he leaned down and whispered, “you do not want to test me.”

“Gotta go,” Sean said brightly to his friends.

Back in the house Dean was absent and the shower could be heard and Sam was nowhere to be found his coat missing along with his shoes. None of this escaped Sean’s attention and the hair on the back of his neck began to stand at attention.

“So why were you late last night?” John asked his arms folded a no nonsense look on his face.

“Who said I was late?”

“Well I called and you weren’t here.”

“You didn’t call me,” Sean exclaimed as if this fact solidified his innocence.

“No I called Sam asking for you and give him credit he tried to cover your ass but since he couldn’t produce you and lies have a way of falling apart you were busted despite his best efforts. You took advantage of him and didn’t follow the rules and that will get you nowhere but in trouble a place you seem to land in a lot.”

Sean just looked at the floor.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Guess I don’t.”

“Fine then go to your room,” John ordered.

Sean did as he was told and sat down to wait. And wait and wait and wait. He figured John would have been in to see him a long time ago, but so far his journey hadn’t taken him anywhere near Sean and it was driving him crazy. If he was going to be in trouble so be it, but this waiting around crap wasn’t fair. He stormed out of his room and found his father going over some notes at the kitchen table.

“Dad,” he began his voice not nearly as powerful as his emotions.

“Son,” John mocked, “why are you out of your room?”

“Cause I’m waiting for you.”

“Come here,” John said pushing away from the table holding his arms out to receive his son. Sean complied planting himself in John’s lap. Even though he was almost twelve he always felt safe in John’s arms and had a feeling that would never change. “I will take care of business when I am good ready. Your order was to stay in your room and that is what you are to do.”

“But I’m bored.”

“But that’s not my problem. Do you think Sam was bored when he was waiting for you or when he was lying to me about your whereabouts?”

“Probably not,” Sean admitted.

“Yeah probably not. I think you definitely owe Sam an apology.”

“Okay, how was your hunt?” he asked changing the subject.

“It went okay I suppose but I think you are supposed to be in your room.”

“But Dad come on just punish me already,” Sean begged.

“But I am now let’s go,” John said standing up picking his son up as he did.

“Dad,” Sean giggled as John easily picked his son up and tossed him over his shoulder. He walked him back to the bedroom Sean shared with Sam and tossed him on the bed smacking him on the butt as he landed.

“Now you can go to bed,” John declared.

“But it’s like 8:00,” Sean stated in disbelief.

“Oh wow thanks cause that telling time thing has always been tough for me. Wash your face, brush your teeth and get your behind in bed. I’ll be back in fifteen and I suggest you be where you are supposed to be,” John said giving his son a daring glare.

Sean sighed and gave serious thought to climbing out the window, but in the end he followed through with the directives given. He certainly didn’t think he could take anymore confinement in his room.
TBC

Sean gets his due....

Early the next morning John filled up the glass with ice cold water and walked over to his youngest sons bed. He had the day off from school due to teacher meetings and the timing couldn’t have been better. If Sean wanted to be outside after curfew then he could enjoy the great outdoors all day today. John began to pour the cold liquid down Sean’s back causing the boy to fly out of bed.

“Good morning sunshine, get dressed and come out to the kitchen.”

Sean wasn’t sure what the hell just happened. Something about sunshine and kitchen, was it sunny in the kitchen? He had no idea what was going on so he fell back into bed but quickly jumped back up as his cold wet t-shirt suctioned itself to his back. Well it must not be sunny in here if he’s all wet. How did he get wet and what was going on in the kitchen? Before he could give it much more thought John was back and steering him into the bathroom.

“Get dressed and come into the kitchen,” he said quietly not wanting to wake Sam or Dean up.

Sean blindly followed his orders still not comprehending what was going on.

John looked up to see his youngest standing before him in jeans an old sweatshirt rubbing the ever present sleep from his eyes. “What’s up?” He asked in full yawn.

“Well since you like to be outdoors, I figured we would spend all day outside. Eat your breakfast and then we’ll go,” John said gulping his coffee.

“Go where?”

“Where I take you,” John said getting up and putting his cup in the sink. “Move it!”

Sean dozed off during the drive and awoke to find himself at the entrance of a boy scout camp. “Dad I’ll never make Eagle Scout so what’s up?”

“We’re up because you couldn’t obey the rules and now you have the day to set the record straight. They have all kinds of cool things to do here, walls to scramble up, tires to jump through ropes to climb.”

“An obstacle course, we’re going to train?”

“Yes we are buddy so let’s get moving,” John said with glee.

He started Sean out with a jog to warm up and then some calisthenics to get the blood flowing he then had him tackle the obstacle course. “Come on boy move your legs,” he yelled.

“But I’m tired Dad,” he complained.

“Oh okay I’ll tell the werewolf to slow down because you’re tired and I hope he’ll comply because we have no idea where you are since you took off and are late on top of that so good luck,” John said smugly.

“I’m sorry okay,” he gasped bending over trying to catch his breath.

“Okay, now get your ass up that rope,” John said pointing not ready to let his youngest off the hook.

Sean shot him an exhausted look but grabbed onto the rope. He made it half way up impressing John before he began his descent. John yelled up at his son, “are you ready to follow the rules whether I’m there or not?”

“Yes sir,” Sean replied putting one hand under the other.

“Are you ready to listen to your brother’s and behave when they are in charge?”

“Yes sir,” Sean said almost to the bottom.

John reached out to ease Sean down the last few feet when the boy slipped into his arms knocking them both to the ground. Sean lay on top of his father and allowed his body to sprawl out. “I’m exhausted.”

“I bet you are,” John said lifting his head up smiling. “Can you tell me why you pull this crap while I’m gone?” he asked as this was far from Sean’s first indiscretion during John’s absence.

“I don’t know, I just hate when you leave and you are always gone,” he said laying his head on John’s chest listening to the steady beat of his fathers heart.

“I’m here now.”

“I know but you’ll leave again and I get so scared you won’t come back,” Sean admitted.

John sat up and moved Sean so that he was facing him. “So is that what this is all about, you get worried I won’t come back? You act up so that I’ll pay attention to you?”

Sean shrugged twirling a weed with his fingers. “No, yes, I guess I don’t know.”

John smiled flattered that at least one of his sons still missed him when he left town. “Oh kiddo, you know I have to do what I do, you know our job saves lives.”

“Yeah I know,” he said feeling guilty about not wanting to share his father with the world.

“Look buddy I’m sorry it has to be this way but I can’t turn a blind eye to what I know is out there.”

“I know,” Sean sighed. “But it still sucks. You go off and you won’t let me go with you and if I do you won’t let me out of the car or motel room. You know I hate it,” he said his arms crossed.

“I know you do you have made it quite clear. I do ask a lot of you and your brothers and sometimes you disappoint me but sometimes you make me so proud. The little incident with the Griffon was not one of your better moments or staying out past curfew the other night.”

“Yeah you have made that quite clear,” Sean said in a mocking tone.

“Better watch it boy are you will be heading right back up that rope,” John said with a smile grabbing his son and pulling him into a gentle headlock and rubbing the top of his head with his knuckles.

With Sean spent and John having a lot of research to do they went out for lunch and then back to the rental house. Sean headed straight to the shower per John’s not so gentle request and when he came out he saw that things were right back to normal. John and Dean had maps and papers spread out all over the table and the duffle bags full of weapons at their feet. Sam was in a nearby chair flipping through a large book.

“What ya researching?” Sean asked sitting down next to John.

“Our next hunt,” Dean snipped.

“Screw you,” Sean said giving his eldest brother the one finger salute.

“Stick that finger up again and I’ll break it off,” John said gruffly not looking up from his paper.

Now Sean knew his father would never do that but he could foresee a smack across the face if he did it again in his fathers presence. He let his hand fall to the table. He reached down and pulled a clip out of one of the bags and proceeded to play with it.

“Put that back,” John told him.

“I’m not hurting it,” Sean said protesting.

“What are you three,” Dean teased causing Sean to want to repeat his last action with the finger but knew he would only pay for it. So he just gave Dean the evil eye.

They heard the paper hit the outer door and Sean went to retrieve it. John had ordered the paper to keep an eye out on the locale that they had been home for the last few months. He had decided to find a central location so that Sean could stay in the same school for as long as possible. But John wanted to know everything that happened in said town in case there was anything local he need to keep an eye on. He took a break from the supernatural and flipped open the paper skimming it from front to back. One article caught his eye. He cleared his throat and began to read:

“The Winslow House at 1313 Redbud Lane has recently been placed on the list of condemned buildings. It has become a gathering place for the local teenage populace causing great concern to the police department.

“The place is falling down, ceilings are caving in, the drywall is falling out, the stairs are rotten yet kids still want to hang out there,” said Sergeant Willis of the Sterling Police Department.

The house was originally set for demolition but an out of town family member has since filed paperwork to have it declared a historical landmark.

John snapped the paper and looked at his youngest son who had once again retrieved the clip of ammunition and was pulling bullets out and pushing them back in. John grabbed the item and placed it in front of him. “Now I don’t want you anywhere near that house,” he stated.

“I won’t, what makes you think I would ever go there?”

“Because you’re breathing,” John said with his no nonsense glare. “Since you can’t leave anything alone you can go sit on the couch.”

Sean pursed his lips but followed his fathers instructions and plopped down on the nearby couch. “Can I watch TV?” he asked reaching for the remote.

“No,” John yelled back. “Put the remote down.”

“How does he even know?” the boy muttered. He looked behind him and saw the he was out of John’s line of sight and turned the set on anyway quickly turning the volume down.

“Sean!” John yelled. “Come here!”

“Busted,” Dean sang out as Sean approached.

“I said no, now you can give me twenty push-ups.”

Sean sighed and dropped and began the routine he was familiar with. His arms began to scream though as he had already given them a good work out earlier. He began to think about the article in the paper and was already quite familiar with the house in question. He had in fact stepped inside it once already and felt more than a healthy fear of the place. He had been with some older boys who wanted to show their manhood off by giving Sean a grand tour. They showed their bravery by allowing Sean to take the lead traipsing from one end of the manse to the other. The house was large and was indeed dilapidated with dry rot at every turn. The sky could be seen from a second floor bedroom and a raccoon welcomed them in the kitchen. As they passed the basement door Sean felt an overwhelming tug at the aura that was his psychic ability. Once back outside he was rewarded for his bravery with slaps to his back and being called brave little dude. Sean faked a smile but couldn’t shake the desperate feeling that came from the house.

He was well aware that the right thing to do would be to go home and tell his dad or one of his brothers what had happened but he easily dismissed that possibility as insane. One he would have to admit he was someplace he shouldn’t have been and two once he rang the alarm bell all would be taken from his hands and he would be left out once again. And now that John had warned him he certainly couldn’t admit to his trespassing.

“Dude you did like twenty-five,” Sam said looking at Sean.

“Oh can I get credit for the next time?” Sean inquired.

“Something on you mind son?” John asked.

Sean stood up shaking his arms out and shook his head. “I guess I’ll go finish my homework.”

“Good idea,” John agreed concerned his son knew something, did something or had some kind of evil plan to find more trouble in his future.

“So what’s up with the house?” Dean asked.

Sam grabbed the paper and began to skim the commentary. “It used to be a private home but was later sold and turned into a halfway house for the mentally disabled or otherwise unbalanced. It didn’t seem to be a happy place at the end. Apparently it was a contract for deed situation and when the group stopped making payments it reverted back to the original owner who now wants it declared a landmark and won’t allow it to be demolished.”

“Sounds creepy,” Dean said as he cleaned his favorite gun.

“Yes it does,” John agreed looking back at the bedroom door Sean had just gone through.

The weeks went by with John hunting taking Sam with him one time and Dean another. Sean for the most part other than a detention for insubordination had toed the line. Or in Sean speak he was waiting for his opportunity.

Mandy stood at the end of the sidewalk with Sean by her side. “Why would you ever want to go in there, that place just reeks of grossness.”

Sean shrugged. “It has a story to tell and I think I need to hear it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing, but if I asked you for a favor would you do it?”

“Sure if I can.”

Sean sighed as he looked up to see the face in the window, the face that only he could see.

Just like I did with Braden I am falling in love with Sean!! It is so nice to see a John that is a parent but also very likable. You rock as always! :wub:

Awww thanks Jill, you're the best. I don't want John to be appear to be a monster. He is in an impossible situation and is doing the best he knows how. Sean will certainly test him though. So glad you like the little cuss...Now that being said he is on the road to trouble again.

“When is Dad coming home?” Sean asked Sam that night.

“He said they should be home in a couple of days.”

“He always says that,” Sean complained as he pushed his fish sticks around on his plate.

“I know,” Sam said trying to smile at his brothers accuracy, “but he said they were wrapping up. You miss him don’t you?”

“I miss all you guys when you’re gone,” Sean said stabbing his minced fish finger.

“Life’s easier when he’s not around,” Sam offered.

“I know but I like a challenge.”

“You are a challenge.”

True to his word John and Dean were back in a couple of days just in time for the weekend. Sean had walked by the old house a number of times during John’s absence each time the atmosphere seemed to reach out a little farther pulling at him a little stronger. He had no doubt it held dangers he couldn’t even imagine, things that could affect him in ways he could never truly realize. But that never stopped him before it was always up to John and that was part of the reason Sean was so upset when he was on the road. He had no idea what his capabilities were but seemed destined to walk that path regardless of its consequences. Whether it was with John or the unknown caution was constantly thrown to the wind. Sean had the talent to make a bad situation worse and at that he was a champion.

The weeks continued to fly by and with it John was often absent causing Sean’s frustration to rise. He had pulled the same crap with Sam not coming home on time but John had no time to deal with it as he swapped out Dean for Sam and went right back out on the road much to Sean’s chagrin.

“Don’t pull this crap on me little boy because you know I’ll deal with you,” Dean threatened his brother one day.

Sean had been doing okay the last few days, but Dean could see the ominous signs of a storm brewing. He knew he had pushed Sam around again and again Sam had let him do it. But Dean wouldn’t allow that crap to happen on his watch. So when Sean didn’t come from school one day his frustration was instant. His phone calls went unanswered as did his texts. He drove around but came up empty. Sean had been nagging to spend the night at a friends house but the answer was no, not when John wasn’t around. They stuck together when their numbers were down and Sean knew that, he knew enough not to ask, but he did anyway and a huge argument ensued and now Sean was accounted for.

Dean didn’t want to call John because that would be admitting to failure and Sam would surely give him a hard time for that same failure. So Dean climbed in Impala and drove around looking for that damn kid.

Sean had once again stopped in front of the house staring at the windows that made up its eyes. The little girls face called out to him. He once more promised help. He needed his dad to be home because he would probably need all the help he could get. He needed to whatever it took to get him home and keep him home. The night was quiet his resolve deepening.

Dean looked up and was grateful to see the familiar form standing on the sidewalk outside of a decrepit mansion. He stopped the car next to Sean who hadn’t even looked up. He looked up realizing this must be the house from the paper that John had warned them about. He got out and yelled to Sean finally breaking the boys focus.

“What the hell dude, I’ve been calling and looking everywhere for you.”

Sean remained quiet even as Dean grabbed him and threw him into the car. The ride back was a one sided conversation with Dean holding all the dialogue.

“Say something,” he finally demanded when they walked into the house.

“Bite me,” Sean yelled as he ran into this bedroom locking the door behind him.

Dean nearly hit the roof in anger. What the hell was up with this kid? He rarely was this defiant with him, Sam yes but Dean had no issue with giving the kid a good smacking if necessary. And John usually followed up when he got home. He must really be needing Johns attention to pull out all these stops. Dean worked at picking the lock and in no time was in and hauling Sean out to the living room.

“What the hell kid? You are running around town late at night and dare speak to me that way. What is your problem?”

“You are, you’re my problem,” Sean yelled out.

Dean was long out of patience and tried to turn Sean around but he slipped from him and Dean lunged causing them both to crash to the floor. Dean was trying to get a grip on the boy who was flailing like a dying fish. “Knock it off,” Dean screamed.

“When is Dad coming home?” Sean yelled back.

But before Dean could answer the front door opened. “I’m home now and what the hell is going on?” John asked seeing the disaster in front of him.

Both the boys jumped up blaming the other one for the wrestling match. “He was outside, he grabbed me, he mouthed off, he won’t leave me alone…”

John shook his head and sat them both down while Sam smirked and began to put things away. He finally got the truth with Sean admitting to being out and not listening to Dean just as he hadn’t listened to Sam the week before.

“Now I’ve had enough of this defiance. The boys are in charge when I am not home and you are to follow their orders. What is so hard about that?”

“Nothin’,” Sean said looking at the floor.

“They are my extension when I’m not here and you know I will deal with you when I get home on top of what you already received. Why do you have to do everything the hard way?”

Sean merely shrugged.

“Because he wants you here all the time,” Dean snapped shoving Sean’s shoulder.

“Quit it!” Sean yelled. “See he just picks at me all the time.”

“I do not,” Dean denied.

“Enough. Dean go run a few laps to cool down and then come back here,” John ordered.

Sean sneered at his departing brother Dean prepared to retaliate but caught a glare from John and just did as he was told.

“Okay kid we have been over this time and time again. You know what I have to do and you know I can’t stop doing it. I thought leaving you in one place was for the best. I could drag you on the road but then you would be stuck in a motel room waiting for me. At least here you have a house, friends and school. This has to stop you have been incorrigible for months now and it will stop. You will not get me to stop hunting no matter what but all this defiance will only make your life harder.” John shifted and took Sean’s chin in his hand forcing eye contact. “Why all of a sudden are you being this way?”

Sean wanted to say that he needed John to help him with the horrors that were in that house but he couldn’t be honest. He wanted to hug John with all his might and tell him about all the fears he had about the one day that John might not come home at all. He wanted to beg him to forget all the future victims out there because his son was selfish and just wanted a normal dad and normal life. But in the end he merely shrugged.

“Now you know that is not an acceptable answer,” John reminded squeezing the boys chin.

“I just get scared when you leave that something will happen to you or to me.”

“You know how careful I am and you know that your brothers are just as careful. This is part of the reason I want you here so that you are far from whatever I am hunting. And you know if you feel that anything is wrong you can call me and I will come running.”

“Only if you answer the phone,” Sean retorted.

John lifted his hand but set it back down. “Sometimes I just can’t answer but I check my messages all the time and you know that. What do you need from me that I’m not giving you?”

“Normalcy Dad, but before you fly off the handle I know we can’t have it. I hate the things I see in my head and I hate that I know there is no innocence in the world and I hate that we are saddled with it. I hate you for standing up to evil and for teaching us to do it. I hate that we have to keep sacrificing,” Sean said tears welling up.

John pulled him into a hug just as Dean came back panting from his exertion. “I know son, but you do understand and now you just have to accept it.”

“I know, I’m sorry, it’s just that it is so hard sometimes,” Sean said. He had been missing John who had been gone a lot in the last months that along with knowing the house had a miserable story to tell had been dragging the poor boy down. He wanted to reach out to John and tell him to check out that house but needed to get in there one more time to find out as much as he could before he sent his family in there. He knew once he let go with the information he would be banned for his own safety and would be unable to help. He had to have all his ducks in a row so that his father and brothers would be more than ready to battle what that house held.

“Are you listening to me?” John asked shaking Sean from his thoughts.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

John sighed. “You owe Sam and Dean for your snotty behavior so get up.”

Sean looked momentarily confused but then understood what his father was getting at. He stood up and moved over to the kitchen where the low sitting table was perfect for what was about to come. Sean bent over his cheek feeling the coolness of the table as John placed his hand on the small of his back. “You’re up first Sam,” John said handing him the folded belt.

“Dad, its over and behind us,” Sam said.

“No its not behind us nor is it over. You have to take control because as you already know Sean isn’t simply going to give it to you. Now he misbehaved on your watch and you have to discipline him for it.”

Sam took the belt and stepped forward as John gave up his spot. He was hesitant causing John to widen his eyes and nod his head indicating that Sam needed to get on with it. Sam sucked in a big breath and brought the belt down. Sean had a slight grimace but knew this was a pretty light strapping.

“Come on Sam, like you mean it,” John said knowing Sean had been acting a bit.

Sam brought the belt down again with more fervor this time and the reaction was far more in-line with the reality of what he had received. Sam hit him one more time and stepped away.

“Nope that first one didn’t count, he has another coming,” John instructed.

Sam wasn’t surprised at this, by trying to be easy on Sean he had only caused him more pain. He brought the belt down one more time and laid the belt down on the table and left the room.

“Dean, come on over. Decide now what you feel he deserves for his back talk and not coming home tonight.”

Dean picked up the belt waited a moment and needing no more instruction or encouragement he lit into Sean with zeal. He had never had a problem showing the boy who was boss. He could see Sean beginning to squirm and stopped his onslaught at five swats the last being quite brutal. He then lightly smacked the boy in the back of the head.

“Dean enough, go to bed,” John instructed. Dean left the room feeling somewhat vindicated.

Sean began to stand up when John pushed him back down. “Oh no you don’t I haven’t had my turn.”

“But I disobeyed them not you,” Sean argued.

“By disobeying them you disobey me. Now back down,” John said helping Sean resume his position. “You know that when you get in trouble when I’m not here that it will be dealt with regardless of your punishment at the time.”

Sean did recall that conversation somewhere in his brain. The grand finale as it were was anything but fun as John’s steady hand brought the belt down with a crispness that only a seasoned veteran had. He could hear it slice through the air before it connected with the seat of his pants. He had refused to cry with Dean but didn’t think he could make it now that John had taken the reigns. The tear slipped down his face and pooled on the table but Sean was able to stay quiet as John finished.

“No more boy. It’s been a couple of months but lets see if we can go longer this next time,” John said pulling his son into a hug.

Sean nodded but knew he would never make it.

the saga continues....

John actually passed on a couple of hunts giving them to other hunters in order to spend some time with his boys most especially Sean. He even went so far as to buy paintball sets for them so they could add some training to the repertoire while still maintain the learning curve. John would have Sean on his team so he could do some serious teaching without Sean even realizing it.

The last few weeks had John contemplating retirement as Sean had been pure joy. He had been respectful, done his chores without a fight, been an angel at home and school and had been home on time every night. He made sure to enjoy each and every moment as he knew it would grind to a halt sooner than later.

With John staying local Sean had been the dutiful son. He knew these moments would be fleeting but he was determined to show John he could behave if only he could get what he wanted. It was simple to the boy, if he got John then John got angelic Sean. Though he continued to monitor the house and was looking for the right time. He had had a few opportunities already but passed as he didn’t want to ruin the utopia they had shared over the last weeks. But the haunting eyes of that girl were invading his sleep and had recently begun to take up residence during the daytime causing him trouble.

“Mr. Winchester if I have to talk to you one more time you are going to the principals office,” Mr. Lang said shaking Sean from his stupor. He had been fading in and out all day not paying the least bit of attention in any class.

Sean snapped to and made it through the rest of the day but he knew the time was now. This was beginning to affect his life and he was getting creepy looks like the kid from Sixth Sense did and it wasn’t sitting too well with him.

“You look distracted,” John said at dinner that night.

“Just tired,” Sean said looking the part.

“What are your plans boys,” he asked Sam and Dean.

“I’m going out with Bianca,” Dean said drawing out her name.

“And I’m going out with Mattie, Bianca’ friend,” Sam said.

“Double dating?” Sean inquired. “I guess that will keep you honest.”

“Not necessarily,” Dean said.

John shot him a look and told them to have fun. He and Sean later settled down in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn. They were holding onto this time wanting to last forever each knowing that was all but impossible. Soon things would return as they were with John on the road and Sean in the midst of constant trouble. They were the roles that were destined to be played and they had been the chosen actors.

At ten John got up and carried a sleeping Sean to be and retired to his own room. He then crashed into his own bed quickly finding sleep again.

Sean felt his father gently set him down on his bed. He continued to feign sleep as John brushed his bangs off his forehead and place a kiss before leaving. This never failed to make Sean marvel at the man who was his father. He could be so strong and tough sending the fear of retribution through the boy and then could be so tender. Sean would quietly savor that kiss especially when he would be looking at angry John the next time he saw him.

An hour later Sean got up and tiptoed to his father’s room and heard a quiet snore come from John’s sprawled out form. His dad only snored when he was in a deep sleep. With the boys out for another few hours he knew this was it; the opportunity he had been waiting for. He grabbed his shoes and sweatshirt on his way out the door.

Standing outside Mandy’s house he texted her. “Are you awake”

“Yes”

“Can you sneak out?”

“Y”
“come see”

After a few minutes Mandy came out looking quizzically at Sean. “What’s up?”

“I need a favor if you can get away?”

“What?”

Ten minutes later they stood in front of the house of horror both of them gulping in the revulsion that emanated from the house. “Just wait here and if I’m not out in twenty minutes call this number and tell my dad where I am. Then you can leave, don’t be here when he comes,” Sean said stuffing John’s number in her hand.

“You can’t go in there,” she said her mouth agape.

“You’ll never understand, you don’t want to understand but I have to go in there. If I don’t I will never rest.”

“Why?”

“Because they can’t rest,” Sean said looking at the house.

“So I’m your safety net?”

“Exactly, my dad’s number is first and then both of my brothers in case he doesn’t answer.”

“Okay,” she breathed deeply in resolve at her job.

Sean leaned over and kissed her as he turned and made his way up the walk. The door opened easily convincing Sean that his visit was expected. He pulled out his flashlight and began his search for his tour guide, the little girl with the sad and desperate eyes. He quickly found her at the top of the stairs. He climbed them carefully avoiding the rotting middle portion and hanging onto the splintered banister. She reached out for him as he finally stepped foot on the top floor.

Sean didn’t feel the least bit threatened by this apparition as he knew with certainty she was a victim of this place and would only continue to be so unless he stepped in. He knew if he told John they would take a cursorily look at it and then probably just salt and burn the house. Sean had to be sure that the evil could be separated from the good he didn’t want them all to suffer for the immorality of a few. Upstairs he felt calm and nearly serene as what Sean saw open up before him were young children being read to, playing with toys and puzzles, laughter and kindness. Young souls trying to be typical children despite their flaws. There was good here, but what and how did that change.

He was suddenly alone his heart pounding as his flashlight dimmed. He swallowed and saw the girl downstairs, she was ready to show him more. He cautiously made his way down the long staircase. The mood was beginning to turn as he saw a child sitting on the floor crying holding her arm. Another child was in the corner much like Sean had experienced but there was so much distress on his face Sean knew there was more to it. He looked around and around and each child began to look more tormented than the next. Now Sean was a captain on the ship called punishment and discipline and he knew without a doubt he would float into those waters this very night. But not one time even after a major message had been delivered in one form or another had Sean ever worn a look that these faces held. There was no love behind this, no teaching just pure malice and an excuse to abuse. He could feel their fear swirling around the room and landing at his feet. They were begging him for an end to this. They had gone through it again and again and Sean had put off help again and again. How could he forgive himself for that? He closed his eyes and forced himself to look. What he saw changed him forever. A man in a white uniform an orderly type taking anything he could find and bringing it down on the children. Hitting them on the back, the head, the legs over and over, their cries ignored only causing him to intensify his attack. He held them tightly upside down, shook them hard, back handed them he did unspeakable things. Sean opened his eyes to see the faces pleading with him. He had one more stop to make.

She led him down to the basement and the overwhelming feeling of despair, misery and hopelessness. They all wanted to die, and did but even then he wouldn’t release them.

Mandy looked at her phone it had been nineteen minutes she pulled the piece of paper from her pocket just as the wind gusted and the paper slipped from her hand. She turned to see it disappear into the night. She looked at the house and saw a face glare at her from the window, she turned and ran all the way home without looking back. She climbed into her bed, pulled the covers over her head and shook. She told herself to go to Sean’s house and bang on the door until somebody answered but she was just too scared to move.

“Did you all die here, how, why?” Sean asked as he moved gingerly down the steps.

The basement felt like a heavy blanket leaving Sean struggling for breath, but there was no turning back now. Before him stood the apparition of a man who was so soaked in evil it dripped from him. He smiled and was more than happy to give Sean a private show. There were kids in the darkened room; most were restrained in various ways waiting their turn. The scene began to play itself out Sean not wanting to see it feeling that he could never go back once he did, but this vision would not be denied. He had a boy in front of him, lying on a gurney; the man with a look over his shoulder to Sean proceeded for his audience. He stripped the boy naked and began to do things that Sean didn’t understand. He had always thought of these things as a gentle way to show love to a member of the opposite sex but what this man was doing was mean, horrific and caused a great deal of pain. The boy thrashed and cried out but the man moaned in the pleasure of his sadistic acts. Sean tried not to look but the scene was everywhere. He couldn’t believe nor understand what was happening. After he was done he tied the boy to a bed and took his next victim, a girl with a familiar face, the girl who had all but begged him to come find the means of making their continuous torture end. She screamed and cried but no one came. Sean watched so many children robbed of all that was decent their cries unanswered until finally one woman wearing a nurses outfit ended the suffering. She looked right at Sean as she crept by holding a heavy shovel from the garden and hit the man in the head. He went down in a heap but began to crawl back trying to stand back up but was only met with another blow to the head. This one kept him down where death came slowly. Eventually he was dragged to a corner and buried underneath the dirt floor of the cellar.

Sean stood mesmerized by the unspeakable acts he had witnessed. There was no doubt he was the last bastion of hope for these kids. He was the one who could see their horror, feel their pain and have the means to stop it. He finally seemed to regain his grip on reality and took off up the stairs. He had no idea how long he had been in there but wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Mandy long gone. Sean ran as fast as he could running until he tripped falling to his hands and knees. He panted for a moment and then he vomited his dinner up leaving him exhausted and spent. He looked around to see that he was in a local playground he managed to get himself up into one of the play tubes where he curled up just wanting to rest for a minute.

Sorry I have not replied in a few days but holidays and stuff...anywho...I know I praise your writing and I wish everyone would read it because to me, Sean is the perfect combination of Sam and Dean. I do want a mushy let me get protective of my brothers from Dean though...hint hint! A Dean Girl me...well yeah! LOL :)

Jill,
What holiday was it??? I'm a Dean girl too so I know what you're saying, but this story is complete...don't tell anyone. I just like to torture everyone by making them wait. so the parts are complete and Dean is what he is in Sean's life. Just remember he is this way because he loves his baby brother...this might be a tough chap for you but the one that will follow you should like.
As always thank you so much for your comment....love 'em.



“Oh she did so want me,” Dean told his brother. “You are just such a nerd and wanted to get home.”

“Well we should get home it is after all 3:00 in the morning and yeah I needed a ride home.”

“You could’ve walked.”

“We were in the next town,” Sam dryly stated.

“Whatever, go to bed sissy boy,” Dean said as he made his way to the bathroom.

Sam quietly walked to the bedroom he and Sean shared trying to find his way in the dark. He stubbed his toe on the bed and with a lot of effort maintained his silence. He felt his way to the dresser and found his small flashlight and turned it on in an effort not to break anything human or otherwise. But as the beam ran across the room he noticed Sean’s bed looked rather empty. He went over shining the flashlight directly on the bed and saw that it was indeed empty. His heart began to pound, but he tried to remain calm thinking the boy was probably on the couch or with John and they just hadn’t seen him.

Sam ran out of the room and into Dean. “Sean isn’t in his bed,” he gasped breathlessly not heeding his own encouragement to remain calm.

“He’s probably in with Dad,” Dean whispered heading that way.

Sam went to the living room searching it and the kitchen. He met back up with Dean who ran out to the backyard in case the kid had decided to campout. But after several minutes there was no Sean and the only task remaining was waking up John.

“What do you mean he’s not here?” John asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“We’ve looked everywhere, I don’t suppose he’s sleeping at a buddies house?” Dean asked.

“No, I carried him to bed myself,” John said fully awake and alert.

“Okay Sam you stay here in case he comes back, Dean you take the Impala and I’ll take the truck and we will find him. All of us need to try and call him. Are his shoes and coat here?” John said his tough façade crumbling bit by bit.

“His sneakers are gone and his Kansas State sweatshirt is gone as well,” Sam said looking around.

“Well then he left of his own accord. Come on Dean let’s go,” John ordered as he simultaneously tied his boots and dialed his phone. There was no ringing in the house.

“He has his phone then, that’s good,” Sam said.

Seconds later the two drove off in a roar while Sam flipped on every light in the house hoping that somehow they had missed seeing Sean sleeping in some odd place.

Dean immediately drove to the old house thinking perhaps Sean would go there. He didn’t know whether or not to go in by himself. The place was uber creepy and didn’t think that even Sean had the balls to investigate that place at night. With that in mind he drove on.

John didn’t even know where to start he just began driving in ever widening circles hoping somehow his boy would appear to him. He had already called five times and left two messages as well getting a busy signal when the boys must have been trying to call. He dry washed his face as he peered into the ebony curtain that draped the landscape. He wanted to scream he wanted to yell he wanted to cry he wanted his little boy.

Sean woke up momentarily forgetting where he was. He was shivering as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. He took a moment to recall what had happened and why he was in a plastic tube instead of in his bed at home. It hit him like a ton of bricks threatening to turn his stomach once again. He climbed out of his safe plastic cocoon and stretched his cramped legs. He pulled his phone from his pocket and couldn’t believe it was four in the morning. He also saw that he had fifteen missed calls and several text messages all wrapping around the theme of his current location. Sean looked around at the darkness and contemplated his situation. He wanted to call Sam who wouldn’t kill him immediately but figured his dad and Dean had the vehicles and Sam would be at home in case Sean were to come back. His second choice would be Dean but he would only call John. So with some serious trepidation he speed dialed his father.

John holding the phone in his hand nearly dropped it as it began to vibrate. He looked at the window which read Sean. He flipped it open with shaky hands and cleared his throat in time to hear the words he had prayed for, “Dad.”

“Sean are you okay?”

“Yes sir.”

“Where are you?”

“The playground on Oak Street,” he said a slight hiccup in his cadence.

“Okay I’m on my way, we’ll talk while I get to you. Are you alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m okay.” At least until you get to me Sean thought privately. He would deserve this one. But it would be worth it if it helped those poor kids who had suffered from more horror than one could ever imagine. Sean knew he would experience some misery of his own, but his would stem from love not hatred.

“Are you near a light?” John asked.

“No,” Sean admitted looking around spotting a streetlight in the distance.

“Can you find one?”

“There’s a streetlight by the corner, I’ll walk over there and wait for you. It’s at Oak and Langston.”

“Okay,” John said keeping his voice even. He was trying so hard to stay calm, he just wanted to see his son with his own eyes and hold him in his arms.

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” Sean whispered.

And John knew he was. Sean hadn’t called him Daddy in years. “We’ll talk all about it as soon as I get to you.”

“Okay,” Sean said his voice barely audible.

John was prepared for things not to be as Sean portrayed them, but so far the boy hadn’t used their codeword, ‘whatever’ to indicate any trouble. He sighed deeply his breath hitched with emotion. He couldn’t imagine what would cause his son to take off in the middle of the night, but he would certainly be finding out. “Okay son I see you,” John said pulling up to the corner.

Sean looked so small and beaten down. John moved to get out of the truck but before he could Sean had hopped in. John looked over his son appearing to be in good shape. “You okay?”

Sean nodded looking away. John realized his phone was still on and he quickly snapped it shut closing the line. “Oh your brothers, you call Sam and I’ll call Dean to let them know you are okay.”

Sean opened his phone and made the call speaking to a very relieved Sam. They each concluded their conversation and a heavy silence took over the cab of the truck. John alternated looking out the windshield and over at his despondent son.

“Are you preparing your story?”

“I’ll tell you the truth, all of it, but can it wait so I just have to say it once?”

“Sure,” John agreed.

They pulled to the front of the house just as Dean turned the corner. “What the hell kid?” he asked as he cleared the front seat.

“I’m sorry,” Sean apologized again.

“You’re gonna be,” Dean threatened as John held his hand up.

“You want to let me handle this?”

“Then handle it Dad.”

John wasn’t sure what to say to that. His emotions had been on overdrive for the last hour or so and he just didn’t have the energy for a snappy rejoinder. He pointed for both of them to go into the house. Sean trudged up the stairs his eyes on the ground while Dean was right behind smoke practically coming out of his ears. Sam had tugged the front door open and was waiting for his family with relief written all over his face.

“You okay?” he asked Sean.

“He’s fine Sam, just a little game of midnight hide and seek,” Dean snapped.

“No it wasn’t, you don’t even know,” Sean yelled out.

“In the house both of you,” John hissed.

Once assembled John was able to find the routine that his lungs knew by heart that is until one of his sons pulled a stunt like this. The fluttering stopped and his breaths became the typical constant that allowed his head to clear. “Dean be quiet and Sean start talking and don’t leave anything out.”

So Sean began his chronicle ensuring he showed remorse but was eager to help those in a world only he could comprehend. He portrayed their pain as raw and unending, his urge to help burgeoning as each week passed not allowing him any distance. His face shown of recent tears and strife his body still unsettled with a slight tremble.

John sat on the coffee table across from his silent demeanor not tipping his unreadable face. He listened to every word as if he was in a state of meditation. Dean on the other hand hadn’t been still for a second pacing back and forth not understanding how John could be so calm.

“I can’t believe you went in there by yourself at night what is wrong with you?” Dean yelled.

“You can’t understand you will never understand,” Sean retorted.

“Dad you can’t let him get away with this,” Dean said stopping his stress walk.

“Dean relax, he’s not getting away with anything. I just need to know exactly what were dealing with. I’m the dad and in charge and will deal it.”

“Funny cause I don’t see it happening,” Dean said feeling a bit miffed as he recalled sneaking out one night when he was Sean’s age and the retribution was quick and painful. But of course he hadn’t been doing recon on a haunted house, but that in his opinion should only make it worse.

“Why don’t you two go to bed,” John instructed his eldest sons.

“Unbelievable,” Dean said on his way out of the room.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Sam said putting his hand on Sean’s head.

Now alone with Sean John moved over and sat down next to the boy on the couch. “What you did was dangerous and stupid and yes you already told me your reasons but it still doesn’t change those facts.”

“I know, just don’t do anything with the house without me knowing. It has to be right or it will all be for nothing.”

“Okay we’ll talk about it later after we get some sleep,” John said. “I know you understand what’s coming but I just want to say if you ever do this again…” John voice faded. He reached over and hugged Sean tightly holding on for dear life, he then lifted him up and flipped him over his knees landing several stinging smacks. He righted him and pulled him into a sitting position on his lap. “That is just a down payment, you’ll see some more after we get through all this.”

“Kay,” Sean mumbled.

“Go to bed,” he instructed. “And stay there,” he added.

It was Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipper...The Jewish High Holy Days!! Anywhooo I will always love your chapters and yeah it is done (shh I wont tell ;) ) I actually have an idea for a fic and will PM it to you in a few days see what you think. If you don't mind. I would even go so far as say if you do like it and want to run with it please do. I am not so talented in the whole plot beginning middle and end but ideas I got um... :rolleyes:


Have a great day and can't wait for more

Jill,

ahh well hope you had a good holiday...shalom. This next part is kinda long but will conclude the chapter. I hope you like Dean's role in this part. Send me your idea...if my mind can wrap around it I may be able to do something with it. I won't know til I see it tho. I like challenges.




The next morning Sean came out to see John elbow deep in all kinds of notes and papers. Dean was moving around the kitchen and Sam had his head bent over the newspaper.

“Well the prodigal pain in the ass is up,” Dean quipped.

Sean stuck his tongue out as he shoved his brother aside in an effort to get to the refrigerator. “Better watch it dude,” Dean warned shoving him back.

“What is your problem?” Sean asked.

“I guess I’m just tired since I had to drive all over town looking for you.”

“Whatever Dean, he punished me already.”

“Yeah right, not close to what you deserve.”

“You guys want to stop the pissing contest over there and come help,” John said.

Sean scurried over to the table sitting down next to his father slightly tender from the night before.

“Why don’t we just burn the house,” Sam offered.

“Because, I don’t think that will drive the evil away and that place is so big and such a magnet for human kids that I don’t think we can 100% sure that it will be empty,” John explained.

“You can’t burn it. It’s not the kids fault for what happened. They want to go but he won’t let them,” Sean jumped into the conversation.

“He being one Albie P. Jones,” Sam said.

“Guess I’d be pretty pissy if my name was Albie,” Dean said setting his coffee on the table.

“He was hired to help out the nurses with moving the patients and the heavy work,” Sam explained. “It looks as though from what Sean saw he was the worst of the bunch.”

“Most of the patients suffered from some kind of brain damage, some were violent but most weren’t,” John said yawning.

“We need to burn his bones, then everybody else will be free to go as they please. They couldn’t leave or they were too afraid he would follow them forever,” Sean explained.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” John confirmed. “We’ll go tonight. Dean make sure we have all the supplies we’ll need. Sam you finish up the research. Sean you come with me.”

Dean smirked as Sean slowly got up and went to his room to get dressed.

John drove out to the playground where he had picked up Sean the night before and parked the car at the curb.

“I suppose you’re a little big to push on the swings.”

“Yes sir.”

“We used to have the greatest conversations while you flew into the sky. You used to tell me you were flying.”

“It felt like it, like I could touch the sky. Dad I’m sorry and I’m willing to accept any punishment you decide on.”

“Though I’m happy to hear that, I don’t really need your approval.”

“Yeah true. Why is Dean so mad at me?”

“Because he was worried about you. He loves you kid and we were all freaking out when you were missing.”

“But Sam doesn’t act like that.”

“That’s because Sam freaks out in a different way, but he was just as scared.”

“He is a little more sedate I guess.”

“He’s a thinker Dean’s more of a doer.”

“Did I mention I was sorry?”

John smiled, “yes you did about fifty times. I know you did what you did for a reason and I am proud of you for that but at the same time what you did was incredibly stupid and dangerous. You had no back-up and we had no idea where you were.”

Sean wanted to say that he tried to have back up, but then realized he would involve his friend and John would just tell him that’s what he gets for involving a civilian. “You’re right, I screwed up big time.”

“Yes you did, but your heart was in the right place, its just sometimes you get carried away.”

“I know, so what’s the road to punishment filled with.”

“There will be plenty of time to go over that after we finish the job.”

After their little talk they arrived back at the house to prepare for the evenings events.

“Eat your vegetables Sean,” John said as the boy picked at his dinner.

“Don’t you think that statement is a bit ridiculous? I mean we are going to a haunted house in a couple of hours and you’re worried about me eating my broccoli?” Sean asked.

“Yep,” John said.

“Okay so how did all these people, mostly kids die in this house?” Dean asked.

“They didn’t die in the house Dean, they left when the house was closed down. They died later in life in different places. But the evil that happened to them there pulled them back in and has held them hostage. Now can you see why I risked so much to help them? Their afterlife is just a merry-go-round of torture.”

“I guess you have a point.”

“Damn straight I do.”

“Okay that’s enough, finish you broccoli then you can get ready,” John said pulling out the shotgun.

Sean rolled his eyes but stabbed the small tree and exaggerated his chewing motion as he finished his dinner.

John turned the key silencing the rumble that was the Impala’s soul. He turned around to face Sean who was sitting wide-eyed in the back seat. “Now listen to me son and listen good. You are to stay in this car and not move unless one of us comes to get you. If you leave or come into that house uninvited you will not sit until you are in your twenties. Do you get my drift?”

“Got the drift, staying in the car, no problem,” Sean replied.

The boys had already grabbed all the gear and were waiting for their father. They all took one last look at Sean and headed into the den of torment. The three entered the premises with John’s flashlight on the map drawn by Sean. He quickly found the basement steps and hoping that any teenager that had decided to brave a trip into the house would be at least smart enough to stay out of the basement.

They all trooped down the stairs the EMF meter was already off the charts. The plan was simple; dig up Albie, salt, burn get the hell out. But nothing was ever that simple.

Sean was already restless as he waited in the car but fought his agitation and stayed put. His nerves were on fire and he wished he could help, but he had retained the lesson from the Griffon incident and remained where he was told.

“According to Sean the body was buried at the western wall,” John said looking at the map and notes.

“But there’s a huge cabinet thingy over there,” Dean pointed out.

“Yeah I can see that,” John retorted.

“I imagine it was placed there after Albie was interred to help cover it up. When Sean had his vision of course the cabinet wouldn’t have been there.” Sam walked over and tapped on it. “It must be solid Oak, they don’t make stuff like this anymore.”

“Great Sam, when you grow up you be that antique dealer you always wanted to be, but right now we need your muscles to move the damn thing,” Dean said beginning to lose his cool.

They knew it was risky for all three to pour their efforts into moving the furniture but there was really no other way. “How did they get this thing over here,” Sam grunted.

“They built on the site,” John said shoving with his shoulder.

As they scooted the massive piece of furniture the EMF meter continued to spike. Dean glanced over his shoulder and gulped as he noticed they were no longer alone. “We need to speed this up,” he said as he pushed with his legs.

They took a break and looked at the gathering in the basement. There were kids as far as the eye could see, sadden by their ghostly state and mourning what they have been denied.

“I think they are trying to tell us something,” Sam said.

“Great, but I don’t speak ghost,” Dean retorted.

“Yeah but Sean does, Sam go get him,” John ordered.

Sam climbed the steps two at a time and ran out to the car. He approached the Impala rapidly his heart in his throat, not for what he had just left but because he could not see Sean in the vehicle. He looked around and didn’t see him in the yard and feared he was in the house alone. He spun and began to run back to the house when a thought occurred to him. He returned to the car and peered inside and released the breath that he had held captive. Sean was lying down in the backseat his eyes closed his face serene.

Sam yanked the door open startling Sean. “So I take it you are giving me permission to leave the car?” he asked as his head hanging out the back door.

“Yeah, come on!”

Sean jumped up and followed Sam’s ridiculously long legs to the house and down the basement stairs. “What do they want?” John asked.

Sean looked at the assembly and ran to them trying to understand. Sam joined his father and brother and finally finished the great travel of the Oak cabinet. John instantly began to dig.

“They are warning us that he is coming. They are trying to keep him away, but he is coming,” Sean yelled. He then joined hands with the victims and they all looked ahead of them at the far wall.

“And I take it he will be coming from that direction,” Dean said. “How can Sean hold their hands?” he asked as he began digging next to John.

“They are gaining strength from the fight and from Sean, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” John explained.

The shovels landed and Sam had a pick ax and was trying to loosen the compact soil. “Hurry,” Sean yelled as Albie made his appearance and was looking none too happy about this attempted conquest.

The air turned cold and Albie started at one end of the line touching each child in the face as he went. He got to Sean and stopped, the wickedness written all over him as he reached out and caressed the boys face. The chill instantly went down to his toes as Dean screamed out they need to hurry.

John and Sam continued their efforts even more intense in the wake of the latest arrival. Albie had walked no further after finding Sean. He merely stood with admiration at the arrival of the one who dared take him on. He went to reach for Sean but Dean stepped in the way and shot him with rock salt. He then renewed his request for his father and brother to hurry.

Sean seemed mesmerized by the entire scene and was somewhat surprised when Dean picked him up and pulled him from the line of children and towards the back wall. John and Sam were slowly making progress but it wasn’t near fast enough as Albie returned. Dean fired one more time knowing that it would never buy them the time they desperately needed. The spirit evaporated once more as Dean shoved Sean to the ground and covered him with his own body.

“We’re almost there,” John grunted finally seeing the glint of bones.

Dean didn’t dare look up, the cool breeze was all he needed to know that the evil had returned and only had eyes for his young brother. Dean held Sean firmly pressing him into the dirt floor. Sean could feel the weight of the protection above him and was grateful for it, now understanding the burden of the consequences that he had brought down upon them all. His immaturity did not lend to him the grave possibilities of what might lay ahead if things didn’t go their way. At this moment he understood why his eldest brother had been so upset in his concern for his well being. As his face pressed into the dirt he felt more admiration for his brother than he cared to admit.

Dean’s heart was pounding as he felt the ice cold fist enter his body. The chill traveled straight to his heart and his breath left him in a rush. He just needed to hold on a little longer, keep this monster from his brother just a bit more.

Sean could feel Dean’s weight getting heavier as he twisted in pain. Sean couldn’t hold his tears back as he realized Dean was bearing what was meant for him. There was no doubt if they got out of this he owed his brother big time.

Dean was left with his last bit of strength when the flames warmed his ice cold soul. He quickly warmed and realized he was squashing his brother. Now released from his temporary imprisonment he leaped up and hauled Sean up quickly noticing the tears.

“It’s okay kid, it’s over,” Dean said as Sean wrapped his arms around him.

“You protected me, you saved me,” Sean said holding tightly.

“Of course I did you knucklehead. Do you understand now why I was so upset, why Dad gets on your case when you pull this crap?”

Sean could only nod.

The Winchesters looked around them. There was a collective joy in the room that once held only fear and hatred. The anchor that once held them to horror had been given its release, leaving behind a calm that hadn’t been known in a very long time. Their freedom now at hand those souls who were no longer tied to their keeper spread as much warmth as they were capable of as they simply followed the gentle light that they had been waiting an eternity for.

The basement now empty save for the Winchester family seemed finally at peace. As John covered up any evidence of their visit Sean had wandered towards the middle of the room. Dean who had kept a close eye on his brother followed him and sucked in a deep breath as he saw a kindly woman in an old fashioned nurse’s uniform gently pat Sean on the head and kiss him on the cheek. Dean ran over but she was gone leaving behind an old rusty shovel. He raised his eyebrows as Sean smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Anybody ever tell you that you are a pain in the ass?” Dean asked.

“Yeah you every day,” Sean retorted.

“That’s cause it is so true,” Dean said grabbing his brother and running his knuckles over the boys head.

“Let’s go guys,” John said as he and Sam heaved their equipment over their shoulders and began the climb up the creaky stairs.

John called the school the next morning saying Sean wasn’t feeling well as they had gotten home after two in the morning. Plus it had taken some time to get the boy settled down enough to sleep. Though he was thrilled they had taken care of business and freed the souls of so many in need John was afraid that it had uplifted Sean a little more than he hoped. The boy was on cloud nine and couldn’t wait to do it all over again another time. They would have to keep a very close eye on the lad, a very close eye.

“What’s this?” Sean asked as he munched on his brunch that afternoon.

“You decide, you can be grounded for a month or grounded for two weeks with the labor stipulations I wrote on the paper,” John said sitting down opposite his son.

Wash dishes every night
Laundry duty
Vacuum and sweep every other day
Dust twice a week
Clean windows
Wash the car and truck once this week and once next week
Clean the bathroom as needed
Plus any other duties assigned

“Is this legal?” Sean asked in alarm.

The corners of John’s mouth twitched. “Take it or leave it.”

Sean took a moment to contemplate and finally decided to take on the shortened grounding with the extensive chore list as John knew he would.

Sean got up taking his plate to the sink and headed to the couch. “I don’t think so kiddo, start on your list. This place could use a good cleaning,” John instructed.

“That’s it?” Dean asked as he came from the back bedroom. “A few chores and two weeks restriction?”

“That’s a lot,” Sean argued.

“Please I had to do that even when I wasn’t in trouble and come on Dad if Sam or I pulled even half of what he did…repeatedly going somewhere he knew was forbidden, taking off in the middle of the night among other things,” Dean said glaring at Sean, “you would have wasted no time in letting us have it.”

“Dean this is different,” John began. Now that the terror of that night had passed and Sean was safely at home he had lost his desire to do anything more physical than what he already had.

“How is it different? Huh you want to tell me how it’s different Dad?”

“He is more susceptible Dean he sees what we can’t and just like what happened last night he can’t turn a blind eye. It draws him in, its not fair to compare him to you or anybody else.”

“That’s crap Dad and you know it. Sean pushes the boundaries a lot and yes he does have some special circumstances but that is only more of reason to clamp down on him. He is walking and often crossing that line and now you are going to roll over and let him do it.”

“I’m not rolling over Dean he has a lot ahead of him the next two weeks. I believe I’m the father here and it is my call,” John said his face stern and unapologetic.

“This is the same world Sam and I grew up in, the world that you spared nothing to keep us aware of where we belonged and where we didn’t belong. I think that line is getting blurred here and I find myself not believing it.”

John opened his mouth to counter his eldest son but stopped as he saw Sean appear belt in hand. He hadn’t even realized the boy had left the room. “What are you doing?”

“You’re fighting because of me and Dean’s right. I screwed up and he was the one that had to protect me.”

“You’re right he protected you and I was very impressed by his actions but this is my call,” John explained.

“I must be nuts,” Sean said sighing as he looked at the floor. “The night I was out when I got home you told me it was only a down payment, Dean’s right I push the boundaries too far. The only reason I stayed in the car last night was because I knew you would back up your threat.” John stood quietly wondering when the hell his son had grown up. “But this is for Dean to do,” Sean said handing him the belt. “Just be reasonable, I have a lot of chores to do,” he said looking up at his big brother.

September

Two weeks later Sean was happy to have his freedom back and not have to carry the entire household on his back. He had taken his punishment from Dean quietly and with the character he owned when he had demanded it be done. He earned high praise from both is brother and father that day though they remained quiet about it, he could see it in their eyes, he earned a fragment of respect that day and he was going to cling to it as best he could.

One of the reasons John had chosen to settle in this central location was that the school system subscribed to the year round system. Having Sean occupied during the day was something John capitalized on much to his son’s dismay. The arguments had been fierce and unrelenting over John’s decision but in the end the old adage of ‘because I’m the father and I said so’ won out. So school had begun in the heat of July but as the autumn season tiptoed their way so did the two week break that came along with it. The break began with a seventh grade dance called the Fall Ball. Sean dismissed it immediately as he was only eleven when the year started and felt so much younger than the others who were at least twelve with some nearing their thirteenth birthday. But after his birthday he felt as if he fit in a bit more and was looking forward to the vacation with some of his classmates. So when Mandy asked him to meet her after school one day he was more than eager.

They meandered down a lonely road that led outside of town. Mandy kept giving Sean sideways glances. “I’m glad your grounding is over,” she said.

“Me too, all that work was killing me.”

Mandy smiled her perfectly aligned teeth gleaming in the late afternoon light. “I wanted to talk to you about that night.”

“What night?”

“The night at the house. Why did you go in there?”

“Personal reasons that I really don’t want get into.”

“Oh,” she said sounding disappointed. “I’m sorry I left you, the paper blew away and I swear I saw something in the window and I just freaked and spent the night with the covers over my head.”

“I don’t blame you, believe me I don’t. I wasn’t mad not even for a second. In fact I should have been home under the covers myself.”

The road went on but Mandy pulled Sean off to a narrow dirt road that ended at a gate festooned with no trespassing signs.

“What is this place?” Sean asked.

“Old man Sawyer’s orchard,” she said. “He’s actually a pretty good guy. He didn’t mind kids coming and hanging out but a few of them started messing the trees, ripping branches off and damaging some things so he put the signs up and will sometimes call the police if he thinks your up to no good.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” Sean said looking around.

“Nah he likes me,” she said smiling. She leaned into Sean and let her lips brush over his. “Soft,” she whispered. “Oh crap, give me a freakin’ break.”

“What?”

“Tiger’s coming,” she said exasperated.

Sean’s shoulders slumped as he saw the boy pedal his way towards them. Tiger was a fourteen year old classmate from school. Actually he was in a special class all unto his own. Tiger got that nickname because from the time he was four until he was six he actually thought he was a tiger. A severe fall and the resulting head trauma caused damage beyond repair to the boys brain and he saw the world through different eyes, unfortunately they would be the eyes of a boy forever seven years old. He wanted to be with the kids his biological age and size but most shunned him. Sean knowing exactly what it felt like to be different and never truly fit in did his best to be nice to the boy, but found it difficult especially in situations such as these.

“You guys aren’t ‘posed to be here,” he sang out after he stopped his bike kicking up a dust bowl.

“It’s fine Tiger,” Mandy assured unable to keep the contempt from her voice. She had wanted to talk to Sean alone hence the long walk to find some privacy.

“Nu uh, you have to go now,” the boy insisted.

“She’s right we’re fine why don’t you pedal your way back into town,” Sean said beyond frustrated at having been interrupted.

“I can’t leave you,” he insisted.

“Yes you can,” Sean said adamantly.

“Nope,” Tiger said folding his arms.

“Sean I really want to talk to you, spend a few minutes with you.”

“And I with you,” he said still feeling her lips on his. “Tiger hit the road now!”

The boy stood his ground causing Sean to begin walking towards him. Tiger finally turned his bike around and began trekking away but stopped once again turning to look behind him. Sean looked around and picked up a crabapple that had fallen off a nearby tree. He yelled at him to leave one more time blindly launching the small sphere and was just as surprised as anyone when it plunked Tiger right between the eyes.

They all stood motionless unsure of what to do when Tiger let out a sob and declared he was going to ride right to Sean’s house and tell on him. “I’m tellin’ that you are where you’re not ‘posed to be and that you hit me!”

And with that Tiger left only dust in his wake. Sean turned around his face revealing regret and frustration.

“I had two days off of restriction,” he said sadly.

“Hope you enjoyed them because I have a feeling you are going right back on.”

“Wait he doesn’t even know where I live,” Sean said brightly.

“Sure he does. He can’t add a two digit number but he somehow has the ability to memorize everybody in our school’s addresses.”

“But I’m new.”

“Doesn’t matter he had you in his sights before you even unpacked.”

“I’m screwed,” Sean said blowing out a deep breath.

“And I wanted to go to the dance with you.”

“You did?” he asked.

“Yeah I did, I mean if you wanted to go with me.”

“Sure I did.”

“Well maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll fall off his bike before he gets to your house or forget why he was even going or maybe your dad won’t even be there. Maybe you should have gone after him and stopped him.”

“How, he’s on a bike and I’m on foot,” Sean pointed out.

“You could have thrown something at him again,” she said unable to hold her giggles back.

“Do you smell that?” Sean asked off topic.

“Smell what?” Mandy asked sniffing the air.

“It smells acrid, like something is burning.”

“Like something’s on fire?”

“Kind of, but more like something got really hot or like a gun went off, but stronger.”

“Nope, don’t smell a thing. I think you’re losing it.”

“I think I lost it a long time ago.”

“Well since you are doomed due to your amazing aim let’s make these last minutes count for something,” Mandy said intertwining her fingers in his.

Sean and Mandy finished their long walk and bid each other a farewell. Sean immediately noticed John’s truck was missing and hoped beyond hope that Tiger had forgotten why he had even pedaled to the house or somehow decided against selling Sean up the river. But as soon as he got in the house the look all over Dean’s face screamed that he hadn’t and now it was time to pay the piper, whatever the hell that meant.

“So your weird little friend popped over for a visit. Hit him between the eyes with a crabapple, should have put you on the ball team.”

“It was an accident, who would have thought I could have actually hit him. Does Dad know?”

“Not yet, but he will. The kid had quite a knot between his eyes,” Dean said smiling.

Sean looked so sad Dean furrowed his brows and stopped in the middle of his joyous moment. “What is it?”

“Mandy wants to go to the dance with me next weekend and if I’m grounded I won’t be able to go,” Sean lamented.

“Mandy from down the street? She is a cutie and she wants to go with you?”

“Hey, I’m okay,” Sean protested.

“Yes of course you are, you’re a Winchester after all,” Dean said of his younger brother who was adorable by any standards. “Well let me think then, we could keep this between you and me.”

“At what cost?” Sean immediately asked.

“Not too much, you just do a few extra things for me. If you do that I won’t say a word, you get to go to the dance and I get some extra relaxation time.”

Sean took a moment to contemplate and then seeing no other way he agreed.

“Why are you doing the dishes I thought it was Dean’s night?” John asked later.

Sean swallowed hard. “We switched.”

“Oh okay just make sure it doesn’t become any kind of issue,” John said walking off.

“Funny just what I was thinking,” Sean whispered to himself. He was questioning the wisdom of this deal as all too often Dean managed to take advantage of his wee brother as only a big brother could.

Days later Sean was definitely wondering what he was thinking as he cleaned the guns and took inventory of the ammo. “Hurry up kid you still need to clean the house up a bit.”

“Come on man you have all day to do this crap I have to go to school,” Sean complained.

“Yeah well then you better hurry up,” Dean stated unsympathetically.

John had pulled up outside in the Impala and had his head under the hood trying to ascertain what was making the rattle he had heard as he drove home. He had far too much on his mind, concerned about an upcoming hunt and now on top of that both Sean and Dean had been acting weird. There had been looks and a few arguments. Sam pled ignorance but the father in John knew something was up and he wanted over, folded up and put nicely in a drawer before he left.

“Hey Mr. Winchester,” Tiger said starling the hunter.

“Hi Tiger how are you?” John asked being very familiar with this odd boy who had introduced himself and clung to John like glue one afternoon at the back to school picnic.

“I hope Sean didn’t get into too much trouble, my bump is almost gone, see,” he said pointing to his head.

John tried to put his thoughts into some kind of order as he attempted to decipher what this kid was talking about. “What happened to your head?”

Tiger then launched into the story as if he was the greatest narrator of the twenty first century and he was sharing a brilliant new novel. John stood there taking it all in now understanding exactly what had been going on between his eldest and youngest sons. As Tiger bid farewell not the least bit perturbed that John had had no idea what had been talking about.

TBC

Okay Jill I miss you....please come back :(





Sean crashed on the couch as he finished the latest chore on Dean’s list. He pulled out his math book but didn’t even have enough energy to open it.

John came in and walked to the kitchen washing his hands. He came into the living room towel in hand wiping them dry he looked down at Sean.

“Anything you want to tell me?”

Sean’s heart hit rock bottom. He had thought about just coming clean with his father but Dean had reminded him that he had already put all that effort into the chores and it would be a shame to just throw all that away and turn himself in.

“Um no.”

“And you’re sure about that?” John questioned with his all knowing glare.

“Um no?” Sean said in a questioning manner.

“Start talking kid.”

And Sean came clean telling John everything from beginning to end including how he didn’t want to miss the dance because Mandy was so excited.

“I see, where is Dean?”

“Sleeping,” Sean said with a nod towards the bedroom.

John looked towards the small room that Dean had taken for himself and sighed. He then looked back at his youngest who was doing his best to appear contrite. He went over and sat across from him. “If you could do it differently how would you change your actions?”

Sean sat for a moment mulling the question over in his head. He wanted to get this right, he wanted a chance to go to the dance, he wanted a chance to kiss Mandy again. “First off I would have never thrown the apple at Tiger. I would have responded to his request and gotten off the land we were trespassing on. But if I had still made my original mistake I would have come to you and told you everything instead of trying to hide it. I screwed up on two counts and I’m sorry for them both,” Sean said quietly.

“Are you really?”

“Yes sir I am.”

Work1 “Well I expect an apology to Tiger for what you did. I think he’ll easily forgive you and you keep on track and you can go to the dance with time served.”

“Really?” Sean asked excitedly.

“I think you paid your dues. Now why don’t you see if Tiger is home while I have a little talk with your brother?”

“Yes sir,” Sean said making a mad dash to the front door.

Sean returned an hour later to see Dean detailing the Impala. “Ha, guess I got the last laugh.”

“Laugh it up shorty pay back is a bitch,” Dean snipped.

“But this is my payback and besides you deserve it,” Sean said looking up to see John standing there.

“This ends boys, no more pay back or any other such nonsense. Are we all clear on that?”

They both nodded but unless one of them was planning on moving out it would never be over. The rivalry between the eldest and youngest Winchester would be something novels could be written about, but they would have it no other way.

***

John looked at his twelve year old son who with Dean’s help was trying to get his hair just right. The dance was far from formal but with no jeans allowed Sean was sporting khaki’s and a button down shirt. He did look fairly respectable and made John think he would make a great bogus FBI Agent when he got older. He most definitely hadn’t looked to become a father again after what their lives had turned into. And he had to admit when he found out he was less than happy. How he could ever fit another child into his screwed up world was beyond him. But somehow they made it work and with Sean’s abilities he was often an asset but the boy often liked to bite off more than he could chew. It would seem as if John was always running to catch up and one day he feared Sean would just be too far ahead of him. John smiled as Sam smoothed Sean’s shirt and Dean maneuvered hair around that this was as it was supposed to be, three sons anything less just wouldn’t be right.

The dance had gone well despite Tiger falling into the punch bowl and that Sunday Sean and Mandy took the familiar walk towards, Jesse Sawyers orchard. They both spoke of the good time they had dancing the night away. Sean wasn’t much of a dancer but gave in to make Mandy happy. He most especially liked the slow dances; holding her tightly as they rocked their way from side to side.

“Hey Winchester,” Tyler yelled. “What you doing out here?”

“Just walking, how about you?”

“Gonna check out the barn,” Tyler said speaking for himself and his cousin Brett.

“Why, what do you expect to find?”

“They say old man Sawyer hides booze in there,” Brett said his eyes wide.

“Whose they?” Sean asks causing both the boys to shrug. “Look he’s nice enough to not have a fit while we hang out on the edge of his property why push it?”

“I don’t know, just the whole sneaking around thing I guess. Are you coming or what?” Tyler asked.

Mandy didn’t look too thrilled but Sean was beginning to smell that acrid odor he had noticed before and now it was mixed with something else, it was subtle but it was there. “Sure but I only want to be in there for a minute and don’t touch anything.”

“Yeah right,” Brett said.

Mandy unhappy with Sean’s decision to accompany the cousins left the farm in a huff. Sean watched her go unhappy that it had come to this but he did want to investigate what was setting him off. Perhaps the answer was in the barn. They all crept that way Sean continually looking behind him at Mandy’s departure. He guessed he would be apologizing to her later. He hated the curse he was forced to bear. There were so many times when he felt himself hating the mother he never knew for passing down what he had to not only deal with on a constant basis but was forced to keep a secret. But then he would feel horrible for his emotions and found himself going to John and asking what she was like. He had only been minutes old when she died and he never got the benefit of her teaching him what he was capable of or how to handle it.

“Guess your woman left you,” Brett snickered.

“Shut up,” Sean retorted as he slipped into the old structure. “This can’t be the original building?”

“Nah, it fell down like fifty years ago, but they built this one right where the old one was,” Tyler explained.

The boys looked around moving some items; the cousins were on the hunt for their own treasure while Sean was looking for clues as to what his nose was detecting. But nothing was out of the ordinary. Sean climbed the ladder to the loft to get a look up there. The new smell was stronger there; it was like a metallic copper smell. It was so strong he could almost taste it. He then began to get that familiar feeling that he wasn’t alone, but before it could become fully entrenched he was distracted by what was going on down below.

“What are you two doing in here?” An older man asked.

“We just were looking around,” Brett said his voice quivering.

“Sorry sir,” Tyler said.

“Well I don’t mind you sitting out by the road but you can’t be in here, this is off limits, do you understand?”

“Yeah, sorry,” they both mumbled as they turned and left without saying a word about Sean in the loft.

Sean knew he should show himself and get out of there, but just waiting until the guy left wasn’t such a bad plan either. He very quietly moved to the edge of the loft on his stomach when his eyes grew wide as saw what had caused his overload. Sean was frozen unsure what to do. He didn’t know if Mr. Sawyer was in danger but Sean was unsure if he would be of any use anyway.

“You can come down, I won’t yell at ya and I won’t tell your parents,” the older man called out.

Sean’s heart was pounding in his chest as he swallowed hard. “Um okay,” Sean said swinging his legs down the ladder.

“What’s a matter boy you don’t look so good?”

“Um, I’m okay,” Sean said looking anything but. He kept looking past the older man and swallowing.

“Do you smell it?” Mr. Sawyer asked.

Sean looked as if he was going to fall over. “Yes sir, I do, it smells like gun powder and metal.”

“Yes it does, do you know what smells like metal?”

Sean looked down at his worn sneakers and then back up at the man. “Blood.”

“You’re right, blood. Do I want to know why you know that?”

“No sir you really don’t,” Sean said looking at the object that the odor must be emanating from.

“Tell me what you see.”

Sean looked past Mr. Sawyer and began to describe what he saw. “A man, not very old, he is skinny and doesn’t look very well. He is wearing a gray uniform; I think it’s from the civil war and one of those funny hats.”

“A slouch hat.”

“You can see him too can’t you?”

“I can and I’m grateful that somebody else can as well. I was afraid I was losing my mind.”

“He’s bleeding and looks scared and I think he got lost before he could cross over. Were there battles here?”

“No big ones just a skirmish or two,” Jesse said turning around seeing the apparition just before it disappeared.

“Does he talk?” Sean asked quietly.

“Not to me,” he whispered back.

“Maybe I can hear him,” Sean said looking where the apparition had been.

“Maybe together we can figure this out.”

The quiet was broken by Sean’s cell phone screaming out from his pocket causing them both to jump. “Sorry,” Sean said as he fumbled for his phone.

“Do you want to tell me why Mandy just stomped into her house alone?” John asked.

“No not really,” Sean admitted.

“Where are you?”

“On my way home.”

“Where can I pick you up?”

Sean hung his head and figured he might as well be honest. “The barn on Mr. Sawyer’s property.”

“I see I’ll be right there.”

Sean closed his phone and looked at this new friend. “My dad’s coming to pick me up.”

“It will be nice to meet him. Are you new in town?”

“Kind of, we move around a lot.”

“You and your parents?”

“Just me and my dad and my brothers.”

“I see, older or younger brothers?”

“Older, they help take care of me. Before you ask my mom died right after I was born. She is the reason I can see the stuff I do, I hate it.”

“What did she do?”

“It’s genetic, she knew she could pass it to me but had me anyway,” Sean said sounding bitter.

“Well she was strong enough to deal with it and I expected she thought you would be as well. And maybe you could do a lot of good along the way.”

“I guess, but it sucks you know, scares the crap out of me all the time. Plus it always gets me in trouble.”

“I imagine you have something to do with that as well. But you’re right it is scary I can attest to that.”

“Were you born with this curse too?”

“No it has come to me much more recently,” Jesse said Sean noticing a flicker of something in his eyes.

“Did you have a family?”

“I did, but they’re all gone now.”

“I won’t make you talk about it; I know how hard that can be. I’ll start checking on the internet for information about the civil war around here.”

“What’s wrong with the library?”

“The internet is faster, hey maybe we can meet up at the library and do it together. I get out of school at 3:15.”

“Well Monday then I’ll meet you at the library,” Jesse agreed.

“Well as long as I’m not in trouble Mr. Sawyer,” Sean said as he heard the Impala rumble his way.

“And why would that be? And please call me Jesse.”

“Cause my dad can be kind of strict and doesn’t like me wandering and here I am in full wander.”

The car stopped a few feet from the new friends John quickly climbing from the vehicle.

“She’s a beauty, 1967 right?” The older man asked.

“Yes she is,” John replied with pride. “But I see you have found my 1994,” he said referring to Sean.

“Yeah I found myself in need of some help and your boy came right over and lent a hand. I’m very appreciative to him.”

“Oh is that right?” John asked tilting his head. “No trouble out of him?”

“Not a bit, Jesse Sawyer,” he said extending his hand to John.

“John Winchester,” John said reciprocating his hand outstretched. “Well I hope Sean wasn’t a problem.”

“On the contrary I think we will get along great. I mentioned that I often need a helping hand out here so if it is okay with you that he could come out a few times a week.”

“Well, I’ll have to think about it,” John said.

“I understand, take your time. It was nice to meet both of you.”

They all bid farewell and went their separate ways. “He’s okay Dad, he just needs some help around his place.”

“Well I’ll determine that.”

Sean knew better than to argue.

I need to go to the library after school to work on a project,” Sean said Monday morning.

“Yeah right,” John said setting his coffee cup down. Sean was a bright kid but much like Dean he didn’t have the patience for school or anything academically related.

“No really Dad, I’m doing a project on the Civil War. It’s kind of interesting and I want to do well,” Sean said drinking his orange juice.

“Well then I won’t stand in your way,” John said smiling.

Sean tapped his foot as the clock slowly ticked the final minutes of the school day away. The bell finally rang as Sean shoved papers that he wouldn’t look at in his bag along with books he wouldn’t open.

“Don’t forget parent conferences are in a few weeks. Make sure your parents send back the forms with what times and teachers they want to meet with,” Mrs. Baylor yelled out to the rapidly departing students.

Sean raced to his locker and then made his way to the library. Mr. Sawyer was there waiting for him as promised having already pulled several books out from the shelves.

“Think we can find some useful stuff in these,” he said.

“And here,” Sean said sitting in front of the computer.

“Now I don’t know anything about those,” Jesse admitted.

“You don’t have to, now let me see,” Sean said as he linked to the internet and typed in the pertinent information. “You look at your stuff and I’ll look at mine and we’ll compare notes.”

With much skimming, scanning and page flipping the two finally put their heads together and shared their findings.

“Okay there were no big battles around here just a small skirmish in which the two sides met shots were fired a few wounded and a death or two but nothing definite. That’s all I got. It only took up a few sentences in this book,” Jesse said with a sigh.

“Yeah that’s pretty much what Wikipedia said too,” Sean confirmed.

“Wiki who?”

“Never mind, there is only one way to find out what happened.”

“What’s that?”

“I ask him,” Sean said with a sigh.

“Well you just let me know when you want to do that.”

“Okay, I will,” Sean said looking at the clock. “Holy crap I better go.”

Sean rushed home just as John was walking out the front door. “I was just coming to look for you.”

“Sorry sir I lost track of time,” Sean panted as he passed John.

“Really?” John questioned.

“Yes sir,” Sean said dropping his bag. “I have to pee you can take a look, my research is in my bag.”

John did just that sifting through a myriad of papers finding printouts and copies of battles in the area. He also came across a crumpled paper that said something about conferences. John took it over to the table and began to smooth it out.

“Did you see my research?” Sean asked coming from the bathroom.

“Sure did, just keep a better eye on the clock.”

“Okay, I’m going to go over and say hi to Mandy.”

“Okay but we’re going to eat in a half hour so don’t make me come get you.”

“Got it,” Sean yelled as the door closed behind him.

**

The days went by and Sean hadn’t been able to get out to Jesse’s. John’s mood had been up and down and he patiently waited for him to leave town, but naturally the one time he wanted John gone a road trip he seemed to be anchored to the house.

“Dad do you think I could go out to Mr. Sawyer’s house and help him clean out his barn?” Sean finally asked.

“I don’t know son, I don’t know the man at all.”

“He’s fine Dad, I went to him he didn’t come to me.”

“Well that is your mistake son and you know better than that. You shouldn’t be searching out strangers, you keep to yourself and you know that.”

“Yes sir, but please let me help him it would be good for me. Plus he said he would pay me,” Sean tried.

“I’m sorry son, but the answer is no. And don’t let me or your brother’s catch you out there either.”

“Why?” Sean whined.

“You heard me,” John snapped.

“It sucks.”

“Watch your tone boy,” John warned.

A frustrated Sean stomped to his room and tried to figure what to do. He knew he couldn’t figure anything out without speaking to the apparition and he knew Jesse was bothered by this figure haunting his orchard. He had to get out to that orchard and sooner than later. His options were few; one he could try and sneak out there, but somehow he always managed to get caught. Two he could tell John what was really going on but then he would lose control of the situation and possibly never find any answers. He just wanted to find the answer himself and he knew he could do it. This spirit was just scared, alone and lost and Sean knew exactly how that felt.

Days passed and soon it had been a week since Sean and Jesse had researched at the library. John had stuck around the hunting world for the first time ever seemed to be quiet. Sean absentmindedly kicked a rock down the street in aggravation as a car pulled up next to him. He looked over and realized who it was. “Jesse, I’m sorry but my dad said I can’t come to your house and I haven’t been able to come to tell you.”

“I wouldn’t want you to go against what your father says,” the elderly gentleman said. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Have you seen him?” Sean asked of the soldier.

“I have but I just can’t seem to communicate with him. He’s scared but he’s not going anywhere, heck he hasn’t for over a hundred years so I doubt he is now. I just wish I knew why.”

“I know I can find out ‘cept…”

“Except your dad said no and that is all you need to know,” Jesse reminded.

“Yeah but he needs me, I’m the only one who can help.”

“All in good time Sean, all in good time,” Jesse said as he waved goodbye and pulled away.

Sean got home to see paperwork all over the table. He dropped his bag and approached John quietly. “Got a hunt Dad?”

“Maybe, it’s just a few towns over. I don’t think it’s much but I had better check it out.”

“When?” Sean asked a little too quickly.

“Why the sudden interest?” John questioned.

“Just wondering that’s all.”

“I’m going to go tonight, I should be home by morning,” John answered looking quizzically at Sean.

“Oh, well that’s good. What’s for dinner?”

“Ask Sam he’s cooking tonight,” John said wondering what his youngest was up to.

Sean climbed into bed that night knowing John told both Sam and Dean to keep a close eye on him. He was daring but not a complete idiot and knew tempting fate would be a quick trip to nothing but heartache at the very least.

The next morning Sean was surprised that John was still gone. Sam was blinking sleep from his eyes as Sean declared he had to go in early to get some help with his math. Sam still out of it just nodded.

The youngest Winchester ran across the street and borrowed a buddy’s bike and took off towards what he hoped would be answers. He made it in record time and found Jesse already up and moving around the front yard.

“I haven’t seen him yet today,” he said quietly.

“Let me find him,” Sean whispered back.

The older man simply nodded and walked back into the house leaving Sean to the game of hide and seek. He was fairly certain the boy was here without his fathers permission but decided to let it go for now. Sean knew his time was short and he certainly couldn’t afford to be late for school. He did laps around the barn but when that brought nothing he forced himself to slow down and breathe deeply and focus. As he looked up he saw the soldier standing in front of him.

“Hi,” Sean whispered. “Look I don’t have much time so will you please talk to me?”

The apparition gave a tentative nod.

“What’s your name and when did you die?”

“Jeremiah Gomes I died in the barn in 1863.”

“Why didn’t you move on?” Sean asked gently.

“I was afraid, they all died screaming. They all died screaming,” he repeated.

Before Sean could ask anything further Jeremiah was gone. Sean looked at his phone and knew he was out of time and took off for school.

That day in class Sean wrote down a few notes, Jeremiah Gomes, died in 1863, men died violently????

“What is that Winchester?” Kevin asked peeking over his shoulder.

“Nothing,” Sean answered distracted.

“Is that somebody from the Civil War or something?”

“Do you know of anybody around here who has an interest in the Civil War?”

“Um, Mr. Wilson at the high school, he teaches history of course. My sister said they spent a lot of time on the Civil War.”

Sean nodded and thanked his neighbor. He made sure his friend got his bike back after school and debated the wisdom of making a trip to the high school a few blocks away. He was afraid if he asked for permission it would be denied and this issue was already eating him up inside. Acting on hunter’s instinct he turned and ran to the Senior High School and asked for Mr. Wilson.

“Well a youngster interested in the War Between the States. What is it you want to know young man?”

“Was there a battle near here?”

“A skirmish as they say didn’t really make any of the logs but the lore was passed down and finally written up and tucked away in the city museum.”

“What did it say?” Sean asked praying this man wouldn’t tell him to go find it himself.

“I should make you go there and find it yourself, but I hate to turn away a fertile mind. It was a case of the two sides bumping into one another in the woods just outside of town. Shots were fired and if what was recorded is true three Union soldiers and five Confederate were killed just outside town where Sawyer Orchard is.”

“Where are the buried?” Sean asked tentatively.

“Most likely near where they fell. Many bodies were sent back home once embalming became more common but in a small encounter such as this the bodies were most likely quickly buried not far from the spot that they fell. The survivors most likely wanted to hook up with larger companies and the safety they afforded.”

“Does that list have their names?”

“Let me see, I believe maybe three or four were identified by name. Let me make a phone call for you,” the teacher said pulling out his cell phone.

Sean scanned the room peeking at the clock that was screaming at him with each tick that he was late. He was trying to come up with a story that would be somewhat plausible when Mr. Wilson began to write on the chalkboard.

Caleb Thompson
Aaron Peeler
Homer Brandt
Jeremiah Gomes
“That’s all of them that were identified. Does that help you at all?”

“Yes sir it really does. Thank you for your help,” Sean said.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he gained with this information but at the same time he was glad to have it if only for confirmation of what he already knew. Now to sing a song that would be believed at home.

“Where were you?” Dean asked as soon as Sean hit the doorway.

“Had a stop after school.”

“Well think of your story fast cause Dad is going to need a little more to chew on than that.”

“It’s legit,” Sean said as John came through the door.

“Just got back from looking for you, thought you got lost or something,” John said not looking happy but his face didn’t reflect any cataclysmic emotion of doom either.

“I’m still working on that Civil War project and a friend of mine told me the history teacher, Mr. Wilson was a good person to talk to. I wrote down some names he gave me of guys who died here in a clash just outside town. See I wrote them down right here,” Sean said opening his notebook.

“Wow you are really into this project. I can’t wait to read it,” John said smiling at his youngest rubbing his head. “But if you are going to be late just give me a quick call please; I don’t like knowing you are unaccounted for.”

“Yes sir,” Sean said doing his best to fake a smile as he realized he was going to have to write a report now to carry out his lie and that he found was a total bummer

Hunting has become a history lesson. That sounds like punishment to me. This is story is very interesting. Did the flash in Jesse's have any significance? I would think Sean would be able to pick up on something if Jesse wasn't all human but then again..

Please update again soon.

aislinn~ (sorry don't know your real name) thank you so much for the comment. Yeah I don't think Sean is too thrilled with the idea of having to write an extra paper. As you will soon see he isn't into the whole school deal. The mystery is revealed....



The days continued to drag by as Sean try to put the pieces together. He was thinking Jeremiah had obviously been killed in this battle and for whatever reason didn’t cross over; it might have to do with something about all the screaming going on as the others died. Sean rubbed his eyes and he looked at his notes one last time. He was tired and just wanted to go to bed but as he reached to close his notebook something jumped out at him. The battle in question took place on September fourteenth and that was coming up in a matter of days. Being a pro in the supernatural realm Sean knew the date would be important.

“Morning Dad,” Sean said yawning.

“How are you?”

“Fine, any hunts coming up?”

John gave his youngest a sideways glance. “Have something I’m looking at but it will still probably be a few days at the earliest. Why?”

“It’s been nice having you home and it just seems like any moment you will be taking off and I’ll never see you.”

“Well that is nice to hear, yes it has been slow but when it rains it pours and I think a storm is brewing.”

Hopefully in the next few days Sean thought privately.

The fourteenth came gray and cool as Sean peeled himself from his mattress. He took a quick shower and found a box of cereal to quell his grumbling stomach. Sam was sitting on the couch typing on his laptop.

“Where’s Dean?” Sean asked.

“Still out from last night. You better hurry or you’re going to be late for school.”

“No school parent teacher conferences today.”

“I see, so how are you going to spend the day?”

“Not sure yet,” Sean said as he thought about how he was going to sneak out of the house and get to the orchard. It was one of those times where he had to throw caution to the wind and just do what he had to regardless of how it would affect him.

Before the brothers could say much more Dean popped in and ran to his room rummaging around and ran back out. “Shouldn’t you be in school?” he asked on his way back out the door.

“No school today,” Sean said again.

“Sure stick to that story,” Dean said slamming the door behind him.

“What was that about?” Sam asked.

“Condom run,” Sean answered.

“How do you know?”

“I heard the drawer open and close, you know the drawer. He must have had a great night that is going to turn into a great day. Is Dad home?”

“Yeah came in late last night, checking something out in the next town I think, weird footprints or something.”

Sean sat for over an hour going over plans and ideas in his head but none seem to be working out as he wanted to. He was just going to have to jump and hope his parachute opened. He got up and opened his mouth to tell Sam he was going out when John came out of his room yawning and stretching. “Morning guys,” he said groggily.

“Hey Dad,” they both answered.

John went about his routine of getting some coffee when he realized something was off. “Shouldn’t you be in school?” he asked Sean who was getting tired of the question.

“No its parent teacher conferences,” he said for the third time.

John’s eyes widened and he shot up trying to simultaneously tuck his shirt in and smooth his hair. “Dammit,” he said looking at the clock on the microwave.

Sam and Sean just stared at their father as he ran around the kitchen slamming his coffee cup down and heading towards the door.

“What was all that about?” Sam asked.

“I have no idea I never gave him the form about the conferences.”

“Why not?”

“Now Sam for such a smart guy that is a stupid question. Look I have to go out for awhile but I’ll be back soon.”

“You had better let Dad know,” Sam advised.

“I can’t, Sam if I tell you something will you promise to listen?”

Sam unsure of what he was about to be hit with nodded and listened to his younger brothers tale of history, death and the hope of healing.

“Wow, that explains the interest in the Civil War, okay I guess you need to go, but I’m coming with you,” Sam said getting up to grab his coat.

“No Sam you can’t,” Sean said quickly. “I don’t think he will appear if you are there, he is very sensitive and that’s why he didn’t cross over back when he died. But I know deep in my heart he only has this opportunity today otherwise he has to wait another year. And somehow Mr. Sawyer is involved in all this. Look you just have to trust me in this Sam,” Sean said his eyes soft and pleading.

“Okay but you know Dad won’t be too pleased about all this.”

“I know, but what else can I do?”

“You better go,” Sam said tossing Sean a sweatshirt.

Sean loped off down the street hoping that this situation would somehow be resolved before John came looking for him.

John was finally able to disentangle himself from the school and the teachers he had just spent the last hour and a half of his life with none of them bearing good news. The reasons Sean had never given him the conference form had been numerous and he had heard them all. “Sean is very bright but unmotivated…Sean never participates unless it is to clown around…Sean rarely hands in his homework and if he does it is sloppy and unfinished…Sean is an underachiever” and on and on it went. And to top it off none of the teachers had assigned any type of report or project on the Civil War leaving John to worry about what the boy was up to since it was quite obvious he wasn’t going to be searching for any extra work. Thoughts raced through his head at warp speed and none of them were good. He was livid and he tried to lay a plan of his actions as soon as he laid his hands on his youngest son. First there would be lots of yelling followed by a long lecture then there would be push-ups and sit-ups followed by quiet time in his room which would eventually be interrupted by pain applied to the seat of his pants. Yep that’s what the program held for young Sean that rainy September day, John decided as he pulled into the driveway.

Sean jogged to the orchard to find Jesse looking very pale. He hadn’t looked all that good the other day but today he looked as if he could fall over at any time.

“Are you okay?” Sean asked with concern as he tried to catch his breath.

“Just a bit tired, getting sick I fear,” he said with a wink. “I’ve seen him today I think he’s waitin’ for ya.”

“I think he is too, today’s the day Jesse, it has to be today.”

“Why?”

“It’s the day he died; I have to get him to cross over today. I’m just worried he’s too afraid.”

“Go talk to him,” Jesse said leaning against the barn.

Sean nodded and made his way into the darkened barn. Jeremiah was there waiting the look on his face undecipherable. The young Winchester kept his face neutral as he sat down across from the apparition indicating Jeremiah to follow. The soldier did as he was asked sitting down and folding his legs Indian style and looked to the open and honest face of this boy who for whatever reason could see him.

“Are you scared?” Sean asked.

Jeremiah nodded yes. “I am, what is on the other side?”

“I don’t know, but many have crossed over and it has to be better than just simply existing here. Your time is now fair or not you don’t belong here anymore. I’m sorry it happened I truly am but I think you need to follow those that went before you.”

“I’ve never been brave.”

“Sure you have, you fought in a war and that is the bravest thing anybody could do.”

“It is?”

“Sure it is and you just have to finish what you started.”

“Who won the war?”

“The Union, the country remained whole, which I think was a good thing. The slaves were freed and the healing began and that is what you need to do,” Sean said looking at the buttons on the young mans coat. “How come that ones so shiny?”

“Ah, I thought it would bring me good luck if I could keep one of them all shined up. I guess it didn’t work.”

“Guess not,” Sean agreed, “but maybe it represents you, a shiny button waiting for a new purpose a new uniform to shine on. I’m sorry you died, but you would be dead now even if you hadn’t died in the war.”

“How many died all together?” he asked as he fumbled with the button Sean had asked about.

“Like any war…too many. I don’t understand why man insists on killing one another. But look at it this way you won’t be alone, there have been a lot of wars since then,” Sean said looking down.

“I don’t want to go alone, as others were dying they were screaming and screaming and it was as if I was frozen and couldn’t move and I didn’t and then they were gone and I was here. Now I’m even more frightened.”

“Well I can’t go with you,” Sean said.

“But I can,” Jesse said coming into the barn.

“What are you talking about?” Sean gasped as Jesse sat down next to Sean.

“Well son it turns out this is my day as well as Jeremiahs. I haven’t been doing well for a long time now but just haven’t been ready to let go and now I think I know why.”

Sean looked at the older man in confusion. “This is why you started seeing him, because you were dying.”

“I suspect so. I’m an old man Sean and I’m ready and I think part of my purpose is to help a fellow veteran across the divide. When I was in the Army I helped people to safety and I think I have one more left to go.”

“I’m sorry,” Sean whispered.

“Son don’t be, I have taken enough from this world. You were so much help to us both and I think that this will be an adventure we are ready for.”

“They say everybody dies alone but I don’t think that is true and you two most certainly won’t,” Sean said holding back tears. “I will make sure you are taken care of.”

“We are going our separate ways but they all lead to the same place,” Jesse said winking at Sean.

“I am grateful that people so far from me care enough to help,” Jeremiah said. “The world can heal and war can be overcome.”

“That it can with Sean leading the way,” Jesse said blinking his eyes.

Sean looked on in concern when the life just evaporated from the older man and he saw him standing with Jeremiah and then they were gone. The boy sat in shock unsure of what to do or how he would do it even if he knew.

“Sean Michael, get your butt out here now,” John bellowed as soon as he opened the front door.

Sam bristled as walked from the kitchen to the living room. “He’s not here Dad.”

“What do you mean he’s not here?”

“Well you see…” Sam began catching John up on what had been happening in the youngsters life.

Sean just sat with Jesse’s body unsure and unfocused when John opened up the barn door. He ran to his son and held him tightly. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“He died Dad, he died and they both left,” he said crying.

“You helped them get to the other side, you freed them both.”

“Why me? Why do I have to go through this?”

“Because you’re strong enough to do it.”

“I don’t feel very strong,” Sean said brushing tears away as they fell.

“Oh believe me you are,” John said squeezing his son firmly.

“I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it,” John said pulling out his cell phone and telling the dispatcher that his son had found the body when he came by for a visit and then called him.

Sean sat in quiet contemplation. He heard his dad’s voice but couldn’t really comprehend the words. He looked over and saw something shiny on the dirt floor of the barn. He scrambled over and picked up the shiny button.

“What’s that buddy?”

Sean smiled. “Jeremiah left me his shiny button Dad, see it’s off his uniform.”

John took a look and was duly impressed with its authenticity. “That is a thank you if I ever saw one.”

After they spoke with the police and they took Jesse’s body away the father and son went back to the house. Sam asked what happened and Sean filled him in as he played with the button left to him by Jeremiah. “It was a wonderful thing you did to be there for them both when they needed somebody special,” Sam said.

“I guess,” Sean said quietly his head resting on his hands.

“I know it’s hard, and you get tired of giving but it is an incredible thing you do,” Sam praised.

Sean just sighed and looked down to see a report from his teacher and realized his dad must have gone to the conferences and gotten the not so good news. By helping Jesse and Jeremiah he at least put off the impending catastrophe that he was in for. He announced that he was going to lay down for awhile and John nodded his approval.

After due deliberation John called Sean out to the living room on Sunday evening to discuss what he had learned at the conferences that had taken place Friday.

“Now what do you think your teachers had to say about you?” John asked looking at Sean.

The boy merely shrugged. John took a spot on the coffee table across from his youngest and cupped his chin forcing him to look at him. “Not an answer.”

“I’m sorry I guess I’ve been screwing off a bit.”

“I would say so. Now I’m going to say this once and then it is in your hands. You have the week to get your act in gear and improve you grades and behavior. I will be calling your teachers on Friday and I want to hear what a rapid improvement you are making. If this is not the case you will not be a happy boy, do you understand me?”

“Yes sir,” Sean said quietly thinking he could handle that just fine.

“Oh and next weekend you can write a paper all about a Civil War battle,” John said smiling as he got up.

Sean unhappy about having to become the upstanding scholar but had no desire to push his father to the limit. He knew if he had been at the house when John had originally come home he would have been in world of hurt so he was willing to take what had been dealt.

Wonderful update. I absolutely love Sean; he is a great mix of Dean and Sam, although he seems more Dean like than Sam like. What a grand thing he did for Jeremiah and Jesse. Nice to John let him off from that but held tight to the punishment for school. Something tells me Sean isn't going to make it a week and it won't be his fault, hope I'm wrong.

Becky, my names Becky or Becca short for Rebecca.

Becca I'm Carol, nice to meet you. I do appeciate your feedback it does mean a lot. You got it Sean is a mix but def leans towards Dean. And yes he is hard pressed to make it very long without something happening that involves getting into big trouble. I hope you don't mind some humor cause thats what I went with in this next chapter which is October...great timing a Hallween story.

October

The weeks were flying by the summer now a distant memory as they had become fully entrenched in autumn. Halloween was coming soon and with it John’s unease of what the pagan holiday brought. He knew the world that surrounded his family was always on its toes that day as well as the days before. He had caught the scent of a witch and she wasn’t far. It bothered him that no matter where they were evil would always be there too.

John grumbled as he looked at the calendar noticing it was only days until the 31st. The last thing he needed was hordes of trick-or-treaters pounding on this broad’s door demanding candy. He had her location narrowed down but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Unfortunately he would need Sean’s help on this one as much as he hated to admit it.

“But Dad I’m twelve and too old to trick or treat,” Sean complained.

“I need your help, don’t think of it as trick or treating think of it as helping on a hunt.”

“But I want to go to Gabe’s party,” Sean whined.

John simply glared at his son and the request that just tripped out. There was a steadfast rule in the Winchester household which was that nobody went anywhere other than a job on Halloween; no trick or treating, no parties no answering the front door to hand out candy. They either worked or became hermits for the night. And Sean knew this. The reasons were simple; Halloween brought out crazy people, Halloween brought out crazy spirits and Halloween brought out crazy people summoning crazy spirits and John just assume that his prodigy stay the hell out of the way.

John took the no nonsense dad look and saw his son deflate a bit. “What are the rules son?”

“We don’t participate in Halloween except for a hunt, but Dad come on let me have this. You are going to send me door to door with a bag asking for candy but you won’t let me be at somebody’s house with parental chaperones?”

“That’s right kid because while you are traipsing door to door you will be under my close supervision so don’t start an argument you are not going to win.”

Sean was in a huff but just stomped off knowing he would get nowhere.

John sighed he could feel it coming; Sean was winding up for another showdown. He was getting moody and snotty and John was coming close to shutting the boy down in ways that he would prefer not to. Halloween had always been an issue. When Sean was little he wanted to trick-or-treat but now that the offer was on the table he wanted to go to a party. It was always a difficult time of year as his boys were always forbidden from partaking in the insanity of the holiday, but Sean wasn’t taking no for an answer as easily as his brothers did.

***
“She isn’t in any of the houses,” Sean said with a sigh as he Dean reached into the pillowcase that Sean was using to collect his sugary goodies. “Do you mind, if I have to embarrass myself to get the candy then I want the damn candy.”

“Watch your mouth and Dean stay out of his candy, he’s right if he collects it he keeps it,” John admonished two of his sons.

“Can we be done?” Sean asked his shoulders slumping.

“No we haven’t accomplished our directive yet and besides its only 7:00. Let’s try the next block.”

And so Sean continued on dragging his already beat up bag behind him Dean cringing with each bump the candy endured. He continued his journey of witch exploration under John’s watchful eye. The woman in question had a past with John and he knew without a doubt that her being in the area was not a coincidence. Finally Sean began gesticulating wildly but before John or either of the boys moved Sean was gone, plucked into a seemingly normal suburban home.

“Awww what are you?” she cooed.

“A hobo,” Sean said dryly not amused by his predicament. The costume was all they could come up with since they weren’t in the habit of celebrating the holiday. Sean was wearing one of Dean’s old flannel shirts and a pair of old ripped jeans and sneakers that had seen better days. He toted a bag on stick that he teetered over his shoulder and dirt festooned his face. He looked like a hunting Winchester may have a hundred years ago as he rode the rails searching for evil.

“Well I think you’re adorable,” she continued.

“I’m so glad you approve it makes all the difference that you like me.”

“You are so John Winchester’s son.”

“You know my dad?”

“Of course we were quite an item years ago, in fact you should have been mine instead of Sarah’s.”

“You knew my mom?” Sean asked wondering if he could get a history lesson before his dad came barging in and mucking up the works.

“We were…well shall we say rivals.”

“Rivals for what?”

“Your father’s affection.”

“No way,” Sean said truly amazed.

“Well your mother had him hands down. It took me years of introspection, well that and therapy to get past it all. I mean what’s not to like,” she said waving her hands up down her slim body.

“The fact you’re a witch,” Sean pointed out.

“Well that’s discrimination if I ever heard it.”

“Whatever, what’s your plan here, I want to go home,” Sean stated completely nonplussed by all this.

“Don’t you know what today is?”

“Of course I do, you think I dress like this to stroll around the block for fun?”

“Don’t most kids?” she asked cocking her head.

“I’m not most kids,” Sean pointed out.

“That is for sure, little miss know-it-all passed on her gift to you.”

“Gift my ass, all it does is creep me out, freak me out and get me into big trouble.”

“Yep I can imagine, I can help you with that if you want. See I would ease that burden for you not use and abuse you like your dad does.”

“So you’re willing to betray the man you supposedly loved to help me?”

“Loves blind and cheap so now I’m in it for myself.”

“Right on sister,” Sean said nodding in agreement.

Before anything more could be said John came barging in. “I thought it was you Alma,” John said.

“Alma what kind of name is Alma?” Sean questioned.

“It’s my name; John there is far too much of you in that boy.”

John just looked at Sean and groaned. “What is your plan here? What do you want?”

“She wants you, she denies it but she is still carrying a torch for you after all these years; love may be blind Alma but I’m not. Your eyes got all googly as soon as he walked in.”

John face twisted into a contortion of confusion. “We never had anything,” he stated staring at Alma.

“Sure we did we had some good times until Sarah came into the picture,” Alma said with disgust.
“Miss Goody-Two Shoes getting all self-righteous and protective.”

“You’re a witch,” both son and father said at once.

“I thought we already discussed that, yeah so I’m a witch nothing that can’t be worked around.”

“Beg to differ,” John commented scouting the room.

“I mean what did she have that I didn’t?”

“Sanity,” Sean said as Alma glided over to him. She whipped out a rope and bound his hands behind his back.

John made a move but found he felt dizzy. “Now as you keep reminding me I’m a witch so I’m doing witchy things. As soon as you came through the door you inhaled something that will make you feel a little sloppy drunk and since I didn’t think Sean would succumb to it I tied him up all nice and neat like cute little gift package. Now we have to figure out how all this can work out.”

“Work what out?” John slurred.

“Why our little family. I mean Sarah took off leaving you a single father.”

“She died you idiot,” Sean reminded.

“Oh well whatever, the fact is she is gone and your daddy is so stressed out that he can’t even speak clearly.”

“Unless you plan on keeping us tied up for the rest of our natural lives then I don’t think your little plan is going to work.”

“Oh I don’t need that much time I just needed to have you here…I needed some of your essence to finish off my potions. Once those are done we can be the happy family I always wanted,” she said smiling.

“Happy? Lady have you looked at us we are anything but happy, happy is not in our vocabulary, we wouldn’t know happy if it hit us over the head. If you want happy then you should pick another family,” Sean explained.

“With me you would be happy.”

“You’re a witch not a miracle worker.”

“Oh but they can be one in the same I just need to put together a few things,” she said walking across the room where John wasn’t looking so good.

Sean as he had been taught immediately began to work at the ropes that bound his wrists. He had very slender wrists and his elbows had a little more play in them than the average person. With lots of practice he had learned how to slip through most bindings. He looked around the room as Alma plucked a hair from John’s head causing him to fall in his delayed and botched reaction. She then made her way over and pulled a few hairs from Sean’s head.

“Hey that hurt,” he declared.

“Sorry but don’t think as your new mom I’ll be a total pushover.”

“Okay cause that was my chief concern,” Sean replied bitterly as he continued to work at the ropes.

The floor plan was very open allowing Sean and John to be at opposite ends of the great room and still able to see Alma in the kitchen.

She placed the hairs into a bowl and then made her way back to John who was trying to find a wall to lean against. She grabbed his face and planted her lips against his and the kiss seemed to go on forever. Sean shook his head in revulsion, the last thing he wanted to see was his dad involved in anything romantic even if it was coerced. She then retreated back to her mini laboratory and spit into the bowl and after adding a few powdery things she began to stir.

“Hmm almost done,” she said as she placed a cat carrier on the countertop.

“What are you doing with that?” Sean asked as John slipped and slid to the floor with a thud.

“I need a sacrifice and what good would it do me to take you out before we even got started,” she said calmly. “The blood of a cat on Halloween is very potent.”

Sean had always been an animal lover and cursed their itinerant lifestyle for several reasons but one was most definitely that they would never have a pet. He had made progress in shrugging his bondage but wasn’t ready to burst forth yet. He looked around the room and saw various weapons hanging on the wall and a loaded crossbow on the end table.

“You know you could never have PTA meetings here with your choice of decorative tools; Better Homes and Gardens you are not.”

“How sweet of you to be concerned for me; don’t worry doll I will make all kinds of efforts for you. Just think how easy school will be for you with me and a few voodoo dolls of your teachers in my closet.”

“Great, but then what is Dad going to do? I mean will you let him still hunt?” Sean said stalling for time.

“I don’t want him taking off all the time that is just no way to raise a family. Your brothers can carry on without him. I can find something to keep him busy,” she said sharpening a knife while John garbled a response from his spot in the corner.

This was not going well, some watchful eye John turned out to be. He had a watchful eye alright and it seemed to be moving independently from his other one. Sean was nearly out of the ropes when Alma opened the door to the pet taxi. She pulled out a hefty medium haired black and white cat who obviously belonged to someone. The cat looked at Sean with pleading eyes trying to strike a deal to prolong his life. Sean was definitely on board with the feline but wasn’t sure of what he had available to him to assist them both out of this predicament. He was wiggling out of the ropes with visions of a tearful little girl missing her lifelong companion.

He was finally free as Alma placed the knife to the cats neck. Sean reached over and grabbed a paperweight and without hesitation threw it towards the kitchen it skittered across the counter and caused the cat to go into a complete panic and did what cats all over the world do when they are scared; claw the crap out of whoever is closest. The cat yowled, clawed and ran off momentarily forgotten as Alma scrutinized her fresh wounds.

“Damn cat,” she yelled as Sean tried not to smile.

“Well you were going to kill him he has a right to draw first blood.” John just gurgled in the corner and rolled over onto his stomach. “Lot of help you are,” Sean said in disdain. He had hated this whole plan from the beginning and had mentioned to his dad that something didn’t feel right but all that was dismissed so Sean had no issue with taking advantage of these brief moments where he was in control of the situation. Besides his heart and gut both were telling him that this would end well for them they just needed to get through it as someone gets through an awkward dinner date.

Alma then turned towards Sean. “What did you do and how did you get free?”

“Well pretend mom-wanna-be you will discover that kids are very resilient and creative. Now if you were serious about all this family crap then you would have read Dr. Spock or something. Kids generally don’t stay where you put them and I never so what I’m told.”

John made a very peculiar noise and Alma looked confused. “What does Star Trek have to do with this?”

“Dr. Spock not Mr. Spock you ninny; see you just aren’t cut out for this gig,” Sean said in disgust.

Alma getting back with the program made a move to get around the island in the kitchen when super kitty decided that it was the most appropriate moment to make his way onto the end table. The surface was slippery and instead of giving up he decided to save face and try again knocking into the crossbow on the table flipping it up a bit and releasing the arrow which flew right into the kitchen.

Sean held his breath but was disappointed that it totally missed the witch. As his shoulders slumped he heard a thud followed by a second thud. He looked at John who was drooling on the floor and then realized that Alma was gone. He walked over and saw that the arrow had knocked down a hanging cast iron skillet that hit her square on her head causing her to lose the battle and consciousness. Alma 0…Kitty 1.

Sean went over and picked up the cat who began purring instantly. A name tag dangled from the cat declaring this was Mr. Boots from two doors down. Sean smiled and told him he had a few minutes to gloat before he took him back home.

John managed to get to a sitting position and wipe the drool from his chin. Sean walked over and squatted down next to his dad. “Okay she is just knocked out not dead so I will leave it all to your devices as to what to do with her. She was your love interest not mine though I really can’t picture you two as happily ever after. I’ll take Mr. Boots home and since I took care of all the work for this hunt I’m going home and leave you to clean up.”

Outside Sam and Dean had been met with nothing but frustration with their attempts at getting into the house.

“It must be some kind of spell, it’s like a damn fortress,” Dean was saying.

“Just give me a minute and I’ll figure out a counter curse,” Sam said flipping pages in a book.

Sean opened the front door and stood there with the cat taking up all the space in his arms. “You two were a lot of help. Dad’s trying to regain some kind of composure and self respect and the witch is unconscious on the floor in the kitchen. I’m taking the cat home and then going back to the house for some peace and quiet,” Sean stated walking away from his two speechless brothers.

Sean true to his word dropped of Mr. Boots on the back porch and trudged the three blocks to his house and dumped his candy and crappy costume. He then made his way to his friend Gabe’s house to party down. Hey he said he was going home for some peace and quiet, he had some peace, he had some quiet and now it was time to party.
TBC

Nice to meet you Carol. As for the comments you're welcome. I would like to thank you for writting, this story is awesome.


:rotfl Did I mention I love,love,LOVE Sean? That was great. John has his hands full with that one, but dang it was great reading Sean's responses. Great update. Yep, perfect timing for Halloween. I just wished I would have noticed the update sooner.

Becca,

I plan on updating about every 3 or 4 days so keep an eye out. I'm glad you like Sean, he is something else and yes John has his hands full and then some. I hope he doesn't disappoint. I have written lots of Sean, I wrote my orginal story with Sean as a youngster up til the show started and then continue to write him into current episodes but after a lukewarm response I keep the current stuff to myself and only e-mail it to a few. But I was encouraged to post this story I wrote over the summer and happy that a few like it :D


The effects of whatever it was John had inhaled were slowly easing. He felt Dean helping him up as Sam looked over at Alma who was in a heap in the kitchen.

“What do we do with her?” Dean asked.

“We fix it so she can’t hurt anybody else,” John mumbled incoherently.

“We do what?” Sam asked.

John held his hand out and swallowed a few times and cleared his throat. “We do what we have to do, she was unstable years ago and I can’t trust her in society.”

“Wait a minute you two had a past?” Dean asked incredulous.

“Not much of one, we just sort of met a ways back. Did Sean leave?”

“Yeah said he was going home to relax,” Sam paraphrasing Sean’s departing words.

***
“Hey Winchester’s here,” Gabe called out happy to see his friend arrive. “Come on in and grab something to eat.”

Sean cruised through garage and into the backyard where the food was laid out. He saw the game area that held a variety of entertainment from a balloon toss to apple bobbing and plywood board with a balloon stuck to a witches face. “You throw a dart at the wart on the witch’s nose,” Gabe explained.

Sean decided to pass on that he had had more than enough of witches that night. He went over to the bonfire and stuck a hotdog on a stick and began to cook his late dinner while scouting out the area for Mandy.

While Sean was apple bobbing and monster mashing John finally righted his ship and with the boys help decided that they had to finalize the deal. “So we gank the witch?” Dean asked.

“Yeah she just has a bit too much of the stalker mentality to be safe in society. That paired with her knowledge of black magic and psychotic tendencies means we have to do our job,” John said with a sigh.

They cleaned up the house after they disposed of Alma in place where she would never be found. John was still a bit weak but was much better than before. He wasn’t happy at what had transpired earlier that evening. He feared Sean’s complacent reaction to it all and was upset with himself at underestimating Alma’s abilities and desires. He was not a good example by any means and knew that his precocious son would jump all over it. He also had his doubts that his son was at home relaxing. But he had already decided that if Sean was at home even if John knew without a doubt he had been to the party he would let it slide. The boy had kept his cool in a difficult situation and John could give him a couple hours of fun at the very least. But he had better be at home, cause wandering around the streets after 11:00 was not going to be an acceptable part of the bargain.

The balloon splatted at Sean’s feet causing him to jump back. “What is in there?” he asked.

“Jello, we filled them with jello,” Gabe said cramming another piece of candy down his throat.

“Wow that is inventive,” Sean commented as the song Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show came on.

“Come on Sean you have to do this dance with me,” Mandy cried out.

So without hesitation Sean began to time warp along with everybody else that was left at the party.

“We about done?” Dean asked looking tired.

“You got a date or something?” John asked feeling a headache coming on. This whole night wasn’t fair, first he felt drunk without even drinking and now he was beginning to feel the effects of a hangover; again without even touching a drop. John was beyond disgusted, the only good thing out of this deal was picking up a few weapons to take home.

Dean smiled as in fact yes he had plans to meet up with Bianca at a bar having a fright night theme and time was ticking by much too quickly.

John had never felt so defeated as he did that night. He watched his son and a damn cat for cripes sake take out a witch while he just took up space in the corner drooling. Fine example to set and he knew that Sean would take advantage of the miscue for weeks to come. He looked over at his remaining sons who would rather be anywhere but here. Sam with his faraway gaze and Dean whose phone had been ringing constantly for the last hour so apparently he did have a date a date who was impatient in her wait.

“What is going on there?” Dean shouted into the phone that he had put on speaker to leave his arms free as he finished loading a box.

“We’re doing the Time Warp, they play it every hour on Halloween between six and midnight,” Bianca yelled back.

“What’s the time warp?” John questioned unable to help overhearing.

“The song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” Dean asked as he heard the catchy tune in the back ground. “Let’s do the time warp again…”

“Of course what else could it be, now hurry up so you can do it with me the next time.”

Dean hung up and began to hum the tune as Sam sighed and John knew he was losing them fast. It must be the thing to do on Halloween. In fact he was sure Sean was off time warping as they spoke.

Sean was jumping to the left and moving to the right thankful that he had seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show many times. Dean would take him to the common midnight showing with his rice, water and toast and then spend the evening with a date two rows back. So doing the Time Warp…again…was easy for the boy…in fact he could probably time warp in his sleep. What the hell he had single handedly taken out a witch, well almost Mr. Boots did help quite a bit. But still it was time to party, it was time to time warp.


♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

It's astounding…Time is fleeting…Madness takes it's toll...

Ahh...

But listen closely...

Not for very much longer...

I've got to keep control….I remember doing the Time Warp…Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me.

And the void would be calling.

Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

With your hand on your hips.

You bring your knees in tight…But it's the pelvic thrust. They really drive you insane.
Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

It's so dreamy…Oh, fantasy free me…So you can't see me…No not at all.


In another dimension…With voyeuristic intention…Well secluded I see all...

With a bit of a mind flip...

You're into a time slip...

And nothing can ever be the same.

You're spaced out on sensation.

Like you're under sedation.

Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

Well, I was walking down the street
Just having a think
When a snake of a guy
Gave me an evil wink.
Well it shook me up
It took me by surprise
He had a pick-up truck
And the devil's eyes
He stared at me
And I felt a change
Time meant nothing
Never would again.

Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

With your hands on your hips.

You bring you knees in tight.
But it's the pelvic thrust...
That really drives you insane
Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again

Ah! Oh! Oh! Yeoooww...
Ahhhh.

Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

It's just a jump to the left….And then a step to the right…With your hands on your hips.

You bring your knees in tight…But it's the pelvic thrust…They really drive you insane.

Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫



“One year we had a bunch of people in the town square and we all did the Time Warp. It was so cool,” Mandy yelled out taking her position.

Quite a wacky town Sean thought witches and time warps all in the same place not to mention civil war ghosts and a haunted house. Two miles away Dean was busy trying to get into his own groove finally getting to the bar and Bianca.

With the house now presentable as a mundane modern suburban home John was satisfied. He had let Dean go when Bianca pulled up honking her patience had finally run out of time. Sam slid into the Impala as John took his spot behind the wheel of the truck. With Dean humming that damn song for the last hour John found that it had worked its way into his brain waves and he found himself singing a song he had never even heard. He was beyond tired and he just wanted to go home and go to bed, but all of a sudden the vein in his forehead began to hum, the vein that always signaled Sean wasn’t doing what he was supposed to do and he was doing it where he wasn’t supposed to be. Now John feared he was going to have an even longer night that would entail rounding up one wayward twelve year old.

The party had been a rousing success and Sean couldn’t believe how late it was when they left. He and Mandy followed by Tyler left Gabe’s house and headed towards their neighborhood.

“Hey you know what we do on Halloween?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah the Time Warp,” Sean said his legs almost dead from doing the dance multiple times.

“No we take a walk through the old cemetery,” he said grinning.

“Really? Now why would you do that?” Sean asked.

Mandy shrugged her shoulders, “we just do. When we were younger we had to do it in the day but now we do it at night. Are you game?”

“Sure, what the hell,” Sean said as they crossed the street and headed towards the graveyard.
It was very dark in the cemetery and they found themselves tripping over headstones. Many of them were quite old though in the dark Sean had no idea how far back the dates went. He got a sense of fresh air and lots of trees and plans for new lives. He felt hope and energy despite the surroundings. Oh how far the world had fallen, how selfish they had become and how hopeless it all felt when a cemetery holding century old graves felt more delightful than reality.

Sean snapped back to reality as Mandy tripped and he rushed over to help her up. She brushed herself off and thanked him as they continued towards the road.

“We survived yet another trip through the boneyard,” Tyler yelled.

“It’s a pretty content cemetery,” Sean commented without thinking.

“Really and how do you know that?” Mandy asked.

“Just a feeling of serenity I guess.”

She shrugged and leaned over and kissed him.

“Oh now if you two want to do all that then drop me off at home,” Tyler gagged.

“Man it is late, we better we get going,” Mandy said as she looked at her phone.

The night was calm, the air was crisp and fresh and Sean was feeling his happiness ebb away as the headlights of a truck began their trek down the street directly towards him.

John figured he would zig-zag home as his paternal instincts were buzzing as loudly as they ever had. There was no doubt his youngest wasn’t at home, but the big question that remained where was he. Sam tagged behind John like a duckling following its mother. He kept his eyes open knowing what they were hunting for now. He had seen several kids around Sean’s age just out and about enjoying the night. He felt badly for his brother knowing exactly how it felt to be constantly denied the simple joys of a normal life.

John looked ahead and just like the proverbial deer in the headlights the three kids just stood and stared. John hopped out gave a cursory glance of the street and his son. “Get in the truck,” John said his words a mix of exasperation and severity.

Sean put his head down and headed to the passenger side of the truck. “Sam take these two home, it is too late to be roaming around outside,” John announced.

Mandy gave Sean a sympathetic look as she headed to the Impala.

Sean was a very smart boy and had an emotional IQ well beyond most adults and he knew exactly what this was about. John had lost control during the hunt and worse he had done it in front of his youngest son this was about getting that control back.

After the silent drive home Sean could feel the anger and disappointment rolling off his father he wasn’t sure which was winning but after finally seeing John’s face he realized it was anger hands down. He supposed he had every right but it still wasn’t fair and Sean was so tired of his life not being fair. But he had to admit he had been reckless wandering around town in the middle of the night on Halloween no less and ignoring a direct order, I mean what was he crazy?

“What are you crazy, wandering around town in the middle of the night on Halloween no less? And you disobeyed a direct order on top of it all and for what Sean for what?”

“Because I wanted to be normal Dad, I just wanted to do what normal kids do,” Sean dared to argue. “I mean come on I helped you on your little deal…you need me and I’m supposed to jump but you can’t let me have one night to myself. It’s all about you and what you want never about what I or Sam and Dean want,” Sean spouted not believing what he just said.

John couldn’t believe what is son had just said. “You know the reasons behind what we do and our lives will not change, they can’t change. I’m tired of telling you what you already know. You are a part of this family with a talent we can’t share so yes I count on you and you know hunts don’t wait.”

“Well screw the hunts and screw you,” Sean stammered his heart pounding. Did he really say that was he nuts?

John just stood immobile; did his son just really say that to him?

Sean was motionless as well, what was wrong with him, first he disobeyed a direct order by going to the party then he was found in the street at midnight on Halloween then he not only argued with John he downright disrespected him and now he was going to die.

What did this kid have a death wish? Was he nuts? First he disobeyed an order by going to a party and then was wandering around town and then argued with him and now this? That’s it he was a dead boy walking.

It was official John snapped in fact it could be heard throughout the room. Neither one was sure if it was John’s eyelids that went wide so fast that it could have caused a noise or if it was his jaw hitting the floor or perhaps when he snapped it shut again so quickly he could have broken a tooth. It didn’t matter much to Sean which it was as he had turned and sprinted to the front door.

Sam had pulled up out front having deposited the kids at their respective homes. He looked up and saw the front door open and his brother appear only to have a large arm yank him backwards.
He took off towards the front door concerned for his younger brother.

Sean wished he had listened to his father and just stayed home, he wished he had kept his mouth shut and he certainly wished his dad’s hand wasn’t so damn big. But he was grateful that there hadn’t been anything within Johns reach like the remote control, yard stick, frying pan or baseball bat. But despite the lack of an object to hold Sean’s butt was beginning to feel like a grill on full charbroil. The rhythm John had achieved was remarkable and Sean would have been duly impressed if it had been somebody else’s behind that was undergoing this transformation to the high heat cycle.

His arm under no such direction from Sean’s brain made its way in a protective measure to cover his rear but it was met with a smack and then redirected. Now his hand was stinging as well, mission accomplished in that boneheaded move. Sean realized that his father was talking to him as he was making his life miserable he always had been a multi-tasker.

“If you ever pull a stunt like this..blah blah blah….you ever disrespect me like that again….blah blah blah…no son of mine…” The rest of it was drown out by flesh hitting jeans and the rapid blood flow from his brain to his butt. His brothers had regaled him with stories of such disciplinary actions but he hadn’t been a believer until now that was.

“Dad, it’s okay,” Sam said as the door flew open.

“I’ll decide when it’s okay, kid’s twelve years old thinks he’s a man….not in my house,” John grumbled continuing his actions. “Teach you respect…ever talk to me like that….unacceptable…”

Sam grimaced knowing when John was like this control was something that was a nomadic objective on the fringes of the room that hopefully would flutter and land at the mans feet sooner than later. He had warned Sean that this would be in his future if he didn’t watch it. Sam tried again to get his fathers attention but one glare caused him to quickly step back. It didn’t matter that he was a twenty-three year old man he wasn’t risking it, he was getting the hell out of there.

Finally with only sound coming from Sean was some kind of sickly hiccup John let the boy go.
“Get ready for bed and then go to my bedroom,” he said gruffly rubbing his hand on the leg of his jeans.

Sam made a move towards his wee brother but was immediately stopped. “No stay away from him,” John stated daring either one of his remaining sons to cross him.

Sam was always credited with being the smart one and quickly moved towards the kitchen. And though he hated what had happened Sean had made his bed now he had to figure out how to lay in it pain free.

Sean had brushed his teeth and was trying to wash his tears away. He loved his father very much and wondered if somewhere deep inside his brain this was his gift to John. He undoubtedly allowed a giant release of stress after a very taxing evening. Now all that could be forgotten and put behind them thanks to Sean and his wild ways. He always had to push it, he could never just cut his losses. He looked into the mirror and scrunched up his face. Despite the veracity of his punishment he was already feeling better; surface sting as Dean called it. On fire one day all better the next.

John sat on his bed his head in his hands. He was emotionally spent; he had lost control once again. His son was just being a typical boy and he had nearly crushed him for it. This lifestyle must be coming too much for him. The world was foggy and he couldn’t control the ship anymore.

Sean walked into the bedroom and saw his father looking defeated. John hadn’t yet noticed his youngest who did something he rarely allowed himself to do; he let John in. Years ago Sean learned how to keep the emotions of those closest to him at a distance. All those intense moments that caused intense feelings would overwhelm him in mere minutes leaving no room for anything else. Nobody could say living with the Winchesters was boring physically or mentally. But at this moment and with some difficulty Sean lowered the wall.

“I’m a terrible father…how can I continue this…ruined their lives…should just leave it alone…nothing but a screw up…how can they not hate me…I hate me…beg for forgiveness…screwed up everything…why is this on me…please don’t hate me…I’m such a failure”

Sean so desperately wanted to tell his father he didn’t hate him but he knew he couldn’t without explaining his trespassing ways. John still held his head in his hands as Sean approached and put his arms around him.

“I’m sorry Dad,” he said his tears renewed. “I just needed to have some fun.”

John taken by surprise embraced his son tightly. “I know and you deserved every bit of it, I overreacted and I am so sorry,” John said trying to hold his own tears in. “I want you to have normalcy to have fun and yet I only seem to take it away from you. You’re right I take too much and don’t give nearly enough.”

:o John, confessed to being wrong? Oh my. When John's written I can see it having happened. I can believe that he felt these things. I just have a hard time forgiving him for what he did to his boys.

Wonderful update.

So 3-4days I guess I can wait that long. :P I will keep an eye out.

Becca~John has his hands full that's for sure. On to another adventure...poor Sean is all I can say.

November

November blew in cloudy and cool. John had taken off for a hunt shortly after the month turned taking a breather he so desperately needed from fatherhood. Things were amiable between John and Sean with no ill will floating around, but some time apart would do them both some good. And to make the break complete the senior Winchester was flying solo leaving all three sons behind.

“Hey Sean what ya doin’ after school?” Tiger asked.

“Not much probably just going home,” Sean said not really wanting Tiger to tag along.

“Oh,” he answered disappointedly as a car pulled up.

“Hey loser, need a ride?” a teenage boy yelled out to Tiger.

“Who is that?” Sean asked.

“My cousin, he gives me rides,” Tiger said proudly.

“And calls you loser?”

“Just a nickname, anyway guess I’ll go hang out with them.” Tiger said sprinting towards the car filled with laughing boys.

Sean didn’t have a good feeling about letting Tiger go but quickly perked up as Mandy walked towards him her hair waving in the breeze wearing a smile just for him.

“You seem kind of quiet,” Mandy comment later as they studied for an upcoming History test.

“Hmmm, just thinking about those guys who picked up Tiger. I got some seriously bad vibes from them.”

“Oh Kenny and the crowd, they’re bastards. They always pick on poor Tiger but the kid never learns. Did you know that last spring they drove him ten miles out of town and left him? He had to walk all the way home in the rain even.”

“They live around here?”

“No next town over but since Kenny got this license it makes it so much easier to come torture the poor kid.”

“How come nobody stops them?”

“Because Tiger seems to think they do it all because they like him and nobody wants to break his heart and besides it keeps him busy and out of everybody’s hair for awhile.”

“They just better keep it innocent, I mean the kid drives me mad but he can’t help it.”

The next day Tiger showed up with a scratch on his cheek causing Sean to pull him aside. “What happened to your face?”

“Nothing,” the boy lied.

“Something now you tell me what happened,” Sean demanded in a very Dean-like tone. “Who did it?”

“The guys were just screwing around and it happened.”

“That’s a deep scratch what did they use?”

“Kenny slipped and the key was in his hand.”

“He scratched you with a key?” Sean asked his anger growing.

“I said it was an accident,” Tiger protested.

“And how many accidents are you involved in when you are with him? And how about the time he made you walk ten miles home?”

“Who told you that?” Tiger asked tears shining in his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter, what does matter is that these guys are assholes and you need to stay away from them.”

“Why!?”

“Because they get off on teasing you and being mean. It’s wrong Tiger and you shouldn’t play into it,” Sean explained.

In the background the bell rang causing the few stragglers left in the hallway to quicken their pace.

“We have to go Sean we’ll be late,” Tiger said uncomfortably his eyes searching the floor reminding Sean of himself when John was questioning him. “I’m serious Sean I’m going to tell,” Tiger stated.

Sean backed up and let Tiger walk to his next class. He kept looking back at Sean nervously as he shuffled town the hall. Sean blew out a mouthful of air and wondered if he did the right thing. He hadn’t been able to lose the nagging feeling that had suddenly latched onto him the moment he saw Cousin Kenny.

Sean carried his worries around for a few days before Dean finally decided to help ease the burden that his baby brother was carrying.

“What’s the deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re moping, keeping to yourself and look very introspective. So what gives?”

“You know me too well,” Sean said looking up at his brother grateful for his presence. He took a deep breath and relayed all he knew.

“So is this your psychic thing kicking in or what?”

“I don’t know what it is, more being a concerned friend I think.”

“This is the kid who drives everybody nuts right?”

“Yeah which is why I think they have allowed it to happen.”

“Didn’t he get us in trouble a couple of months ago?”

Sean laughed, “blaming a kid for your troubles, now that’s rich. Yeah he caused us a bit of a disturbance but Dean he isn’t right in the head and he needs our help.”

“Oh our help, I get it now,” Dean said smiling.

“Yeah I need your help, Kenny is at least sixteen and he has several friends. But I have no doubt they will all be peeing their pants if you show up and tell them to knock it off.”

“Oh I have no doubt I’ll have them quaking but is this what you think is best?”

“I’m not really sure, but I think so,” Sean said far from certain of anything.

“Well then consider it done,” Dean said.

The next Monday Tiger found Sean in the cafeteria and shoved his shoulder. “What did you do?” he demanded to know.

“What are you talking about?” Sean asked.

“Kenny won’t talk to me anymore, not even on the phone. He hates me and it’s all your fault,” Tiger said crying.

“Look they weren’t your friends; they enjoyed torturing you nothing more.”

“That’s not true they wanted to be my friend or they wouldn’t have picked me up all the time, they wouldn’t have let me come along,” Tiger insisted. “Nobody else includes me like Kenny does nobody and now you ruined it.” Tiger yelled stomping off while some of the students laughed at his display of emotions.

Sean looked like a deflated balloon. He knew it had been the right thing to have Dean threaten the crew into leaving Tiger alone but he didn’t want to hurt the boy either. But unfortunately the two didn’t seem to be mutually exclusive.

After school Sean made it point to find Tiger. “Want to walk home with me?” Sean asked.

His earlier outburst forgotten Tiger smiled and nodded a big yes. “I want to show you something, can I?”

“Sure,” Sean agreed as he closed his locker.

The boys meandered down the road on the edge of town throwing rocks aimlessly into the nearby fields. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I don’t have many friends and you made them hate me.”

“I didn’t make them hate you Tiger they just don’t treat you like a friend should.”

“Like you do?”

“I guess, I mean I was really sorry about hitting you in the head with the apple that time but I don’t think Kenny and his goons feel bad if you get hurt.”

“Did you get in trouble for that? Your dad didn’t look very happy when I told him what happened.”

“I did, but I deserved it,” Sean said not bothering to explain the entire ordeal with Dean taking advantage of the situation.

“Look over here,” Tiger said running towards a field.

Sean looked around but couldn’t tell what had the boy all excited.

“See it?”

“See what?” Sean asked still confused.

“My hiding place, the scarecrow.”

“You hide in the scarecrow?”

“Yep when we were little me and Kenny got babysat my Mrs. Miller in that house,” Tiger said pointing to an older white house that contained a huge garden. “I helped make the scarecrow to protect the garden.” Tiger then lowered his voice and looked around. “When Kenny and I would play hide and seek I would always hide in the scarecrow and he would never find me.”

Sean figured it was because he never bothered to look. “How do you hide inside it?”

Tiger dragged Sean over and showed how he could slip into the oversized clothing and place his feet on a board that was nailed at the bottom. “See you can’t see me.”

“Nope I sure can’t. That is very clever Tiger. Can you do me a favor?”

“Okay,” Tiger said climbing out of the clothing.

“If Kenny comes looking for you hide in the scarecrow. I know you like Kenny but please trust me that he isn’t good enough for you.”

“Not good enough for me?” Tiger questioned.

“Yeah not good enough, he doesn’t deserve to be around you anymore.”

“Kay if he comes I’ll hide here,” Tiger proclaimed.

**
The next few days brought little peace for Sean with Tiger hounding him for companionship and Sean feeling responsible for his loneliness obliged the boy. But he was certain in would be the death of him. The constant forced camaraderie was accompanied by what Sean felt as a dark cloud.

“What do you mean a dark cloud?” Sam asked after Sean unloaded after spending the afternoon with Tiger.

“I don’t know but it is as if as soon as I saw Kenny it felt as if something heavy and dark landed and has just followed me. I think that is part of the reason why I wanted him out of the picture.”

“Well you can’t keep this up; you are getting too tired and cranky. But I do applaud you for your efforts, I’m very impressed.”

“Thanks but I don’t think my interference has changed anything.”

“Was it supposed to?”

“I was hoping, something’s not right Sam; I can feel it.”

“Sometimes destiny is just that and you can’t change it. Maybe you are picking up on something but are powerless nonetheless.”

“Then why do I sense it if I can’t do anything?”

“Because you can’t pick and choose, it’s all wide open.”

“Well I don’t like it. When is Dad coming home?”

“Not sure; I suppose any day.”

“I don’t feel good I’m going to bed. Do you think Tiger is mad since I kind of pushed him away today?” Sean said at telling Tiger to leave before dinnertime.

“I think he’ll get over it,” Sam said with a smile.

**

The darkness held Sean tightly keeping him disoriented. He could see shapes and hear voices but had no idea where he was or what was going on. He felt the air go still and knew whatever it was had just happened and Sam was right he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. He squinted in the darkness and saw the scarecrow that Tiger had pointed out to him earlier. But now the scarecrow was leaning forward and had dark wet patches on it. The mask that made up the head was hanging at an odd angle and dripping blood.

Sean sat straight up breathing hard. He jumped out of bed and ran to the clothes he had thrown in the hamper only a few hours ago. His crumpled form raced for the door his plan uncertain until he ran into Dean.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go Dean, get out of my way!”

“I don’t think so; now tell me what is going on.”

“I can’t, I mean I don’t know but Tiger is in trouble.”

“How do you know?”

“The scarecrow…it’s bleeding, it has to be sign I have to go, get out of my way Dean I mean it!” Sean yelled as Sam came into the room.

“What is going on?” he asked as Sean was trying to push past his eldest brother.

Dean was doing his best to contain the arms and legs that were trying to make their way by him. “I’m not sure he’s not making much sense,” Dean said beginning to pant with his efforts.

“Just let me go!” Sean screamed as loudly as either brother had ever heard.

“Now listen to me you have to tell us what is going on!” Dean demanded.

“There’s no time…I just know there’s no time left,” Sean said tears of frustration beginning to form.

Dean had his hands on Sean and was using pure muscle to keep the boy from leaving but wished they could quickly figure out what was going on. Sean twisted and broke free but as he got to the door Sam pulled him back and John walked in.

“Dad, Dad you have to help,” Sean cried out.

John’s face was a veil of concern and sadness and as Sean’s eyes connected they both knew there was nothing that could be done.

“No!” Sean yelled collapsing into John’s arms.

“I’m sorry it’s too late to help him,” John said holding his youngest tightly.

Sam and Dean stood looking thoroughly lost as John just held his son burying his head in Sean’s hair and doing his best to comfort him.

Aww poor Tiger. I hope Kenny gets his. Another awesome update. Now where's my Kleenex...oh here it is, excuse me while I have a cry. :cry

Becca,

Thanks, don't worry Sean is a Winchester and Winchester's always take care of their friends....
:jedi

The next morning Sean was sleeping on the couch when John pulled Sam and Dean into the kitchen. “Last night as I was coming back into town I saw the police cars and ambulance on the edge of town so I stopped to get a better look.”

“And?” Dean asked too impatient to wait any longer.

“And Sean’s friend Tiger was being loaded onto an ambulance,” John finished.

“Is he okay?” Sam asked.

“No he was dead. The best I could get was that they believe he had somehow climbed into a scarecrow and it looked as if somebody or somebody’s had thrown rocks at him. There was a large one they were looking at, I imagine it hit him in the head and killed him.”

“Sean must have dreamt about it and wanted to go there,” Sam said.

“I imagine so,” John agreed.

Sean came around the corner and into the kitchen where they had all been talking. “Why, why would I dream it while it was happening? What good is that?”

“I imagine you actually dreamt it after the fact and I have no idea why. How much did you see?” John asked.

“I need to go there, I know I can get it all if I go there,” Sean said bleary eyed.

“Dean, Sam take a drive by and let me know what it looks like,” John said giving them the location.

“I’m going,” Sean said moving towards the door.

“Dude you don’t have any shoes on, your hair is sticking straight up and I think you need a few minutes to collect yourself first. If you want to do this right you need to have a clear and relaxed mind. Let the boys go see what’s up while you take a shower then we’ll all get together and figure it out.”

Sean unhappy with the plan but realized his father was right. He shed his crumpled garb and climbed into the shower wanting the hot water to wash away all of his pain and anger but it merely turned his skin red and wrinkled. He got out and wiped the steam off the mirror and saw the face that it held as a failure.

“Zip your coat up,” John instructed Sean when they got to the scene.

“Dad I’m not a baby,” Sean reminded.

“I know you’re not but its cold out there and you will need all your focus to be on what happened and not on how cold you are.”

Sean blinked and sighed but zipped up nonetheless. The area was now quiet after a night and early morning of activity. He stepped out of the car and saw the place where the scarecrow had once been. The area had been picked clean of any possible evidence and that made Sean feel a little better that something would be done, but in all reality he knew this was going to be on him. It just wasn’t fair that the one time his ability would help someone he actually knew and it failed. He braced himself and forced his mind to slow down.

“Close your eyes and tell me what you see,” John said sensing his son need a bit of direction.

This was going to be far more difficult for him than anything before. It was very hard for John as he watched his sons face twist in despair and then anger. “Let it flow don’t direct it,” John said.

Sean eyes closed made his way all around the site of the killing he never once tripped or even stumbled and John knew he was on the inside of last night.

“Are there witnesses?” Sean asked when his eyes came open.

“The older couple in the house but all they heard was a few muffled voices and car doors shutting and then the car leaving.”

“They heard Tiger beg for them to stop,” Sean said angrily. “You don’t have to protect me I know exactly what happened and who made it happen.”

Sean stomped his way to the Impala and slammed the door so hard John’s teeth rattled.

John made his way to the car and looked over at his youngest who was visibly trembling. “Tell me what you saw?”

“Boys four boys, they did it, they threw rocks at him until he was dead. He begged them to stop, he asked them why they were doing it, but they just kept throwing rocks.”

John kept his gaze soft as he reached over to his son. “We’ll figure it all out son.”

“They were laughing Dad; they were laughing while he was dying!” Sean said tears bursting through.

“Who are they?” John asked as they headed home.

Sean just looked over his eyes betraying his lies but he held to it steadfastly anyway. “I don’t know.”

“Son don’t lie to me this is for us to do, all of us. We will do it the right way and justice will be done, but you need to help us.”

“This is for me, it’s my fault he’s dead, my fault and my problem to fix,” Sean yelled as he jumped out of the car while it was stopped at an intersection. John pulled up and over and yelled out to Sean. “What do you mean?”

“I told him to hide there, I told he would be safe and I was wrong,” Sean finished turning and running towards the tree line.

John let him go knowing the boy needed to vent and get things straightened in his mind. He couldn’t imagine the things the boy saw in his head. But he did know he wasn’t being totally honest and that he was still crushed that his vision hadn’t done anything to prevent Tigers death.

Sean ran until he was well out of breath grabbing a nearby tree and sliding down to the ground, his fists clenched his eyes bleary with tears and the weight of Tigers death on his shoulders. As he saw it, it was all his fault. He had banished Kenny from Tigers life causing unseen and brutal consequences. Then he had Tiger hide in a place that afforded him no protection at all. These boys had to pay for what they did and Sean would know no rest until they did.

John gathered his elder sons as they waited for Sean. He explained what he had found out and asked if they had any ideas. Dean was quick to fill him in on Sean’s request earlier about having the cousin back off. “As far as I know it had been fine, Sean had been spending more time than he liked with Tiger and it was beginning to wear on him. But I’m sure it was because he was helping to fill the void that he had created.”

“He feels a lot of responsibility here,” John said.

“He shouldn’t he was just trying to help,” Sam commented.

“Doesn’t matter the heart and head are often as far apart as possible in matters such as this. He won’t be rational it’s just not feasible. We need to keep an eye on him; right now I don’t know what he is thinking and what that might lead him to do.”

“You got it Dad, you figure it all out and we’ll take care of Sean.

Days passed with nothing happening. Sean followed his routine never wavering. Dean found out Kenny and his friends had taken an early Thanksgiving hiatus and there were no announcements or arrests concerning Tiger’s death and all that had the elder Winchesters very nervous.

**
The air was cold as Sean flipped up his hood and slid on his gloves. He climbed on the bicycle that John had hauled home from Alma’s. His family which had been on high alert for days had finally succumbed to exhaustion and Sean began the journey that he decided was his alone to take.

He pedaled quickly falling into a brisk pace that would have him where he needed to be in short order. He had gone over everything in his mind and could only hope that it went as he planned. What he did know was that without his efforts this case would go nowhere and the very least he could do was to ensure those responsible would be punished.

The sky was black but the moon popped out almost as if it were wishing him luck. Sean swung his leg over the seat and leaned the mountain bike up against a tree. He took a deep breath closed his eyes and thought of Tiger. He stopped on the small porch and visualized what was inside; he was so close to this case it was almost leaping into his psyche. They were spread out in the small cabin, the fire nearly out the mood was subdued and they were about to meet their worst nightmare.

Sean threw his hip into the door and it gave easily. The lamp next to the couch flipped on Kenny looking haggard and confused. “Who the hell are you?” he asked.

“The one who is going to make you pay for what you did?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked swinging his legs off the couch.

“Odd time to take a vacation, and a little young to do it on your own; oh but I bet you are playing the old I’m at his house game pretending that you are everywhere your not. But I know where you should be and that’s where I am going to put you.”

“Oh and where is that?” A boy asked as he tried to get out of a sleeping bag.

“Jail.”

“Does your daddy know you are out in the night all by your lonesome?” Kenny teased.

“You better thank whatever god you pray to that I’m here instead of him. You took a life and now you are going to pay for it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kenny said. “Chase, Brian, Aaron do you know what he is talking about?”

All heads shook no. Sean was undeterred. “You are not out here for R and R, you are hiding and hoping that this all blows over. Your parents are just too drunk and stupid to care or even think about your absence,” Sean stated suddenly happy that John was always there to track him down when he was merely a few minutes late.

“Kid why don’t you skip back to your preschool class because the way I look at it is this; we aren’t admitting to a damn thing and there are four of us and one of you.”

“And you already know what its like to kill.”

“Now I wish you would get off of that subject. Nobody can prove that, nobody knows it was us.”

“I do, I saw you. I saw what you did. I saw every rock you threw, I heard your threats and I heard your laughter. I didn’t know what to do then, but I do now.”

“Right,” Brian said as the rest of the boys laughed.

“You are going to the police and tell them what you did. If you confess and express remorse I imagine you’ll get a lighter sentence than you deserve.”

“And if we don’t what then?” Kenny asked.

“Then I will tell them what I saw. I will tell them of your depraved indifference and everything I say will match exactly what you did and the evidence they hold. There is pressure on them to put this case away and I will hand it to them. You guys are nothing and they will be glad to do it.”

“But you forgot something?” Kenny said standing up.

“What is that?” Sean asked.

“Again I have to remind you little one that there are four of us and you are a long way from home.”

**
“Boys get up!” John screamed. “Sean is gone and so is the bike that was in the garage.”

Sam and Dean were up and dressed in seconds. Sam headed to the front door where John tossed him the keys to the Impala. “Where’s your brother?”

Dean walked to the door his face pale. “Dad something of mine is missing.”

**
“Yeah there’s four of you but I have one of these,” Sean said pulling out Dean’s gun from his front sweatshirt pocket.

“Okay now kid just relax,” Brian said.

“Just do what I asked you to,” Sean replied.

“You have got to be kidding,” Kenny said.

“I am anything but kidding. Now you have twenty-four hours to give your statements or I will hunt you down and take care of this myself. I know you think I’m kidding but you have no idea the things I’ve seen and the things I’m capable of. I found you out here when nobody else did and as you know Kenny I have back up.”

“You know that guy who threatened me?”

“My brother and guess what I have another brother even bigger than him and my dad, Viet Nam war vet who makes them look like sissies. We don’t stay anywhere long and we would be happy to show you why. Tiger had a lot to deal with in his life but he never deserved what you did to him. Nothing gave you the right to hurt him.”

“Listen Kenny he’s right we can’t just keep looking over our shoulder I can’t live like this. I can’t sleep or eat,” Chase rambled.

“I agree we didn’t know he was a witness there may be more,” Aaron offered.

“That’s right guys, you didn’t throw the big rock anyway it was Kenny,” Sean said holding the gun steady and looking Kenny in the eye. “You picked it up and smiled held it in your hand feeling the weight and the power you wielded. He was hiding from you and you heard him beg you to stop, he begged you and you responded by throwing that rock as hard as you could. Now you had no idea that you would hit him in the head you aren’t that accurate,” Sean said thinking of the incident when he lobbed the crap apple at Tiger causing the bump on his forehead, “but once you connected you were more than proud of yourself. You would take that accomplishment over Tigers life. What did it matter that he was dead as long as you could boast about hitting your target.”

“How can you be inside my head how can you know all that? It was dark out that night we could barely see the scarecrow, how could you know I was smiling?” Kenny asked beginning to lose control.

“Like I said you have no idea what I am capable of.”

Kenny was getting jittery and as he looked at his friends who seemingly had made up their minds as to what to do and that appeared to be selling him out he took a step towards Sean.

Sean narrowed his eyes and remembered everything John had taught him about shooting a gun. He exhaled and firmly squeezed causing Kenny to scream.

“The next one won’t hit you in the ear. Remember what I said and remember what I promised if you don’t comply.”

Brian rushed over to Kenny who was holding his bleeding ear and looked as if he was going to collapse any moment.

Sean looked at Aaron and Chase and shook his head as he walked back into the cold night his mission accomplished.

**
The next morning John and the boys found Sean asleep in bed and the news indicating that four boys had confessed to the accidental death of Timothy Haddon known affectionately as Tiger to his friends.

“Apparently the boys had gotten carried away with their teasing when a large rock connected with the victim’s temple causing instant death. The four boys have been released to their parents are to undergo counseling and according to the judge assigned to the case will most certainly do various amounts of time at Prairie Juvenile Facility.”

The news then showed four boys walking towards the county building but it was from a distance you couldn’t really tell who they were. The only thing that was apparent was that one boy had a large bandage on his ear.

John stepped back and looked at the sleeping form of his son. There was no school all week due to the Thanksgiving break. He sent Sam and Dean off for some free time while he attempted to get to the bottom of the mystery confession.

Sean finally woke up and didn’t like the silence that the house held. He knew something must have happened and was anxious to find out what. He took a quick shower and dressed and flipped the TV on via the remote that he had found buried in the couch. He was too late for the morning news and too early for the afternoon edition. The paper would arrive in another five hours or so.

“Eat something,” John directed setting a plate of waffles on the kitchen table.

Sean shuffled over and took a spot at the table and proceeded to pick at his food finally downing enough to satisfy his hovering father. “You want to tell me what caused those boys to confess to what happened?”

Sean just shook his head no.

“Well you don’t have a choice.” But Sean clammed up staring at the pool of syrup that had collected on his plate. “Well hit the wall or find a corner, until you are ready to talk,” John instructed.

Sean got up and took a spot next to the wall reminding himself that his father made these demands because he cared.

John busied himself in the kitchen but could see Sean out of the corner of his eye. The night before he and the boys had raced out to Kenny’s house to find that he was apparently spending time with Brian and then found that Brian was spending time with Chase and on it went until they had exhausted the circuit. They had no idea where Sean was and they also knew he was toting a powerful weapon and undoubtedly waving it in a desperate killer’s face. John had been so concerned that it was only now that the natural color had returned to his cheeks. He knew that Sean was competent with a great many weapons but he also knew the boy was young, small and somewhat naïve. And he had absolutely no back up. John had been a total mess. He felt for his son but also felt it was no excuse to be completely reckless and endanger several lives.

“Ready to talk yet?” John asked fifteen minutes later.

But Sean merely nodded no. Fine John could wait him out. An hour later John approached the boy one more time. “Your legs are about to give out, let’s talk.”

But Sean remained stolid. “Okay kid what if I ask you yes or no questions. Can you handle that?”

Finally the nod John had been looking for.

“Okay did you have something to do with the boys confessing?”

Sean nodded yes.

“Say it Sean,” John ordered.

“Yeah,” came the quiet response.

“Did you find them by yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you threaten them with Dean’s gun?”

“Just the one,” Sean said breaking the routine.

John closed his eyes taking a moment.

“You don’t understand it was all my fault. I hit Tiger in the head before what if it had been me who hurt him. I had Dean tell Kenny to stay away and that must have made him mad and I told Tiger to hide in the scarecrow. It was all my fault, I tried to help and I killed him,” Sean said bursting forth from the yes or no format.

“Life is rarely as we picture it. You did what you thought was for the best. Tiger knew on some level that you wanted to help him and that’s why he followed your instructions. We don’t know what would have happened or what the future would have held for the boy, but he is at peace now. How did you find the boys?”

“I’m not sure it was like I had my own GPS, just kind of followed where the road led me.”

“You shot that boy in the ear?”

Sean just looked down at his shoes.

“Answer me son.”

“Yes sir.”

“Son do you have any idea how reckless that was? His ears are a tad bit close to his head.”

“I know, but I knew it would be okay, I wanted him to remember me and what he did for the rest of his life.”

“And I have a feeling he will.”

Aww, poor Sean, none of this was his fault, although I can see why he would think it was. That boy has some nerve, going there alone, sure he had a gun, but my goodness he was out numbered and the one with the gun usually becomes a victim of said gun.

Another great update. Thank you, please keep them coming.

Becca ~ Things turned out okay in the end but it was very tough for Sean and even tougher for Tiger. I would def want Sean on my side. ;)

December

With November behind the sounds of Christmas descended upon them. John had never been one for the winter celebration. When Mary was alive she had dealt with it all and he just stood back and admired her efforts. Since her death he had made in effort for the boys to recognize the holiday with a few gifts and his presence but nothing more than that. With the addition of Sean there were times he even managed to get a last minute scraggly tree to put in whatever abode they were residing in at the time. He remembered years ago when Sean was younger he had been out on a hunt lost track of time and got back late on the twenty-fifth and was so proud to see a tree adorned with popcorn, fruitloops and paperchains. In his absence Sam and Dean ensured the little one had some kind of fun that included decorating the tree and some small presents that he couldn’t wait to show his daddy. John smiled at the memory and of his little guy when he still known as Daddy.

“Yo Dad,” Sean said breaking up the memory. “Can I spend the night at Brett’s house, it’s his birthday and he is having a party.”

He went from Daddy to yo Dad in mere seconds, how do they grow up so fast. John sighed and looked at his youngest. “When is this?”

“On Friday night, both his parents will be home and he only lives three blocks away. It will over Saturday at noon. He got to invite five kids and I’m one of them. Please Dad I could really use this.”

John had no doubt his son could use a distraction from the past month that had been well beyond an emotional roller coaster ride. “Well keep yourself in-line and it should be doable.”

“Thanks Dad,” Sean said grinning.

John went back to his personal thoughts. He wanted to have some kind of observance of Christmas this year. Sean had been through a very tough time and it would be a healthy distraction for him. He knew Tigers death and the role Sean had played in it was still very much on the boys mind. Every day fun and the promise of Christmas would be good for him. John figured a nice tree some decorations from the thrift store he could even make a go at a Christmas turkey or ham depending on which was easier. But the hardest part would not only be ensuring that a hunt didn’t disrupt the activities but to find a good present. John had always shopped for last minute items and never had the time or knowledge to make something worthy of a true gift. He wanted to change that this year for Sean, he wanted something meaningful.

He knew Sean had always loved animals and he had even thought about keeping the tarantula he had found at Alma’s but the thought of all those eyes and legs and decided it was too icky even for him. He had also found several empty tanks that had most likely held snakes but he had no desire to search for them, they were on their own. He had dropped the spider off at the pet store and knew if Sean had ever visited the shop he would never get him out of there without some kind of creature or a major tantrum. But there was something from that trip that was nagging at him and he just wished he could remember what it was.

**
Friday after school Sean packed up and headed to Brett’s. John had left on Thursday for a hunt two hundred miles away hoping to get back within a week or two. Sean knocked on the front door and waved to Dean who roared off for his night on the town.

The evening started out great with pizza, games, presents and movies. Sean was having a good time just being one of the gang, something he had always craved. It was going so well in fact Sean knew it was destined to change; and it did.

Brett disappeared after saying he had something that would liven up the party. Sean was afraid he was going to come back with some kind of liquor but it was even worse than that; in Brett’s hands was the dreaded board game Ouija.

Sean having been forever forbidden to play with one had an instant reaction. “I’m not playing, I’m going home.”

“You’re scared of this?” Brett asked.

“That’s what I don’t understand about people that want to mess with these things. If it’s fake then what is the point, if it’s real then what the hell are you thinking.”

“It will be fine Winchester, don’t leave. I heard some girls including Mandy might stop over soon, you wouldn’t want to miss that now would you?” Brett said making kissing noises.

Sean was so torn he didn’t know what to do, he knew with certainty that the Ouija board was not going to be good but he so desperately wanted to fit and he certainly didn’t want to appear to be scared and the thought of some time with Mandy were enough to get him to stay.

“Okay I’ll stay but I’m not touching that thing,” Sean stated emphatically.

“It’s okay we don’t need you there’s plenty of us,” Tyler said gathering everybody all around.

With much ado they got everybody that would fit around the board and began poking across the veil.

“Is anybody with us?” Brett asked.

The planchette moved to yes. The chorus of “no ways” and “you moved it” went all around as Sean rolled his eyes. A few questions later Sean knew there was no turning around.

“What is your name?” someone asked.

“Ruth her name is Ruth,” Sean said.

“How do you know?” Danny asked.

“Because I can see her and she told me.”

“No freaken way you are right.”

“Ask her,” Sean encouraged.

They did and the planchette methodically moved its way to R U T H. The group all looked to Sean. “I told you.”

“No you and one of these guys set this up. You decided what her name would be and he moved it,” Brett accused.

The sad and haunted look on Sean’s face said otherwise but twelve and thirteen year olds aren’t all that good at deciphering such things and Brett stood by his allegation.

“Fine he can write the answer on a piece of paper and fold it up and Charlie can hold it until we have our answer,” Tyler suggested.

“They can have a bunch of questions and answers memorized,” Brett continued.

“Then we just keep going until its impossible for them to have them all covered,” Tyler amended.

And so it began:

“How old are you?” Fourteen

“What color is your hair?” Brown

“What year did you die?” 1873

“How did you die?” Consumption

And on and on it went. Sean stared at the girl who had mesmerized the crowd as she stood directing the marker to move at her will; by the end of the so called game half the kids thought Sean was the coolest ever and the others weren’t sure what to make of him.

“So you see dead people?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah I do.”

“Like in the barn, that’s what you were talking about when you smelled something you smelled the dead person didn’t you?” Tyler asked remembering their time in Mr. Sawyer’s barn.

“No but I smelled something that indicated something long ago had happened there. Look this secret stays here I never tell people about it.”

“Are you kidding you’ll be the hit of the school,” Charlie said smiling.

“No I will be a pariah and my dad will find out I told and we will move so fast it will make your head spin. And besides people will think you’re crazy if you tell especially when I deny all of it.”

“He may have a point guys,” Danny said. “So where is she now?”

“Standing next to you,” Sean answered.

As if on cue the light next to the bed began to flicker. “Whoa, now what do we do?”

Sean couldn’t help laugh. “See that’s how it always goes, let them out of the box with no idea of how to shove them back in, but its okay because it’s all a game.”

“What do we do?” Brett asked the fear quite evident in his voice.

“I have no idea,” Sean said getting up and walking out of the room.

After a restless nights sleep Sean finally decided to get up and dressed. He called Sam who said he would swing by and pick him up, his excuse to Brett’s parents were that he didn’t feel well he didn’t think the fact that he had been pestered by a dead girl all night would fly too far. Ruth had hovered the entire night excited with the fact that she could once again be seen and heard. It had been a long time since she had seen the light of the world and she was raring to go.

“I can’t tell you much if you don’t let me get some sleep,” Sean snapped.

“But so much is new for me and you can tell me all about it,” Ruth answered excitedly.

“And I will if you let me sleep.”

“Are you okay?” Sam called out from the living room.

“Fine just answering my phone.”

“You must tell me about the phone,” Ruth said clapping.

“I will,” Sean said clenching his teeth, “just give me some time.”

Ruth finally did leaving Sean for much of the day.

Sam worked on the laptop feeling as if somebody was constantly peering over his shoulder but each time he looked there was nothing. Dean had headed out on a poker run to earn some money leaving the two youngest Winchesters alone. Sam got up and plugged the computer in as the battery seemed to be draining awfully fast. He scrunched up his face in distaste and looked around the empty room one more time.

Sean slept for several hours and true to her word Ruth left him alone but she also nearly scared the crap out of him when he did wake up. “Can you give me some space?” he asked as she had quickly gotten bored with bothering Sam, it was not nearly as much fun when they couldn’t see or hear you.

“Tell me what your brother was using and your phone as you say and what you got into to transport you here and how this lights up and how warm air comes from the floor and…”

“And that’s enough, you’re giving me a headache. Let me take a shower get something to eat and we’ll go from there.”

“Okay, what’s a shower? she asked following him.

“I need some privacy, a shower is private,” Sean said as he pulled his shirt off.

“Oh okay,” Ruth said backing away.

Sean was soaped up when he was startled by the apparition peeking in. “Wow, that is amazing like a rain shower inside.”

“That’s why they call it a shower, and it’s private,” Sean said tugging the shower curtain to the wall.

He was finally given the privacy he had asked for. He stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed all the while wondering where Ruth was and if anybody else would be able to see or sense her. He wasn’t sure which he wanted. He got back to his room to find her on his bed.

“I like this place, very comfortable. Tell me what your brother is working with now,” she asked brightly.

“A laptop,” Sean answered.

“A what?”

“A laptop computer, it is a computer you can take with you, portable.”

“But what is a computer?”

“It stores knowledge and takes you to places that have much more knowledge.”

“Like a school?”

“Like every school and every library.”

“Where?”

“Everywhere, it’s complicated. Look the phone signal is transported by the cell towers and the warm air comes through the vents from the fan on the furnace and the water comes from the pipes and I don’t really know the details of it all these things just happen.”

“But the computer knows?”

“The computer can be used to find the answers yes, but you can’t use it because you’re not a part of this world.”

“But I am here.”

“You are but not completely, I can see and hear you but most can’t and you know that or you wouldn’t have latched on to me.”

“Through you I can live and be a part of this world,” she said gleefully.

Sean sighed and knew he was in for some serious trouble.

Sean, *shakes head* kiddo you knew better. I hope your dad realizes that you've been punished enough by the constant "nagging" going on.

I hope John doesn't make them move right away, the boys seem somewhat happy here.

Becca~no worries, they will stay put....as for Sean, yep he knew better, but what are you gonna do



The next several days Ruth followed Sean everywhere he went; everywhere. She experienced school, cars, television, radio, computers, DVD’s, CD’s as well as cell phones, texting and modern relationships.

“This world you live in is so much different than what I knew.”

“I know but it is a complex place.”

“I like it,” she announced.

“Great,” Sean mumbled. “But you haven’t truly been a part of it, you haven’t felt the stress of this world.”

“What is stress?”

“Exactly, a modern term for modern strife.”

“And what is it?”

“It is talking to somebody and getting a phone call and while on the phone a text comes through and you are trying to check your e-mail and you’re late for something and somebody is knocking on the door and you haven’t updated your facebook page and so on and so forth. We have so much responsibility we can’t complete a thought before a hundred others demand our attention. We don’t get enough sleep and stretch ourselves too thin.”
“Why?”

“Because we can. Because we can never shut the world out. Back in your day you could go for a walk and not be bothered, but now if you don’t take your phone along people are upset because they couldn’t get a hold of you. You have several messages waiting and there are few places where you can be alone. You can drive anywhere in the country and fly anywhere in the world. We have electricity so now we can stay up late so we do, but we also have to get up early in the morning so we can cram even more into our day. It’s hectic and it never stops.”

“Oh, well I still like it,” she exclaimed.

“Only because you have never lived it,” Sean said his eyes rolling. “Look you don’t really belong here you are in some kind of limbo and it would be best for you have your short tour here to move along.”

“Along where?”

“Along to wherever it is you go. Look I helped a guy from your time to cross over and I haven’t received any postcards complaining about the accommodations. If you stay here you’ll only get bitter, you can’t be a part of all this.”

“But I can, you can’t make me leave,” Ruth said before she disappeared.

“Great just what I need. Okay I need to find out where she is buried and then Sam can take care of it all.”

***

Sean decided to keep their houseguest a secret for now, but once he could figure out how to send her on her way he would fill his brother in on it all.

Several days later Sean was awakened to Dean screaming his name. Sean jumped up from bed and ran into the living room to find Dean standing amongst most of his clothing that was strewn from one end of the room to the other. “What the hell dude?”

Sean opened his mouth to protest his innocence but closed it again realizing exactly what was going on. “Don’t even think about sending me back,” Ruth hissed. “I have you right where I want you.”

“Sorry guess I got carried away last night.”

“Why all this?” Dean asked spinning around pointing at his clothes.

Sean just shrugged unsure of anything to say. He quickly began to gather all of his brother’s clothing and scurried to the washer and began a load. “I’ll wash them all for you,” Sean said before he headed off to school.

“How could you not notice him throwing my stuff everywhere?” Dean asked Sam later that day.

“I don’t know, I never heard a sound. I went to bed after midnight and he was out cold and there was nothing unusual. I mean he hadn’t even mentioned your name,” Sam explained just as bewildered as Dean.

“Puberty is a bitch but what the hell,” Dean said moving the load Sean started from the washer to the dryer.

And that’s how it was for the next several days. If Sean even hinted about Ruth needing to move on he was ambushed with some diabolical disaster. He didn’t want to admit to his situation to his brothers because he would have to be honest about how she came to be and that would not go over well at all especially when John caught wind of it all. He had tried several different tactics about her moving on and each one only got him into trouble. There was nobody he could go to for advice and if he didn’t solve this soon Dean was going to kill him.

“Dammit Sean you left the water running and now the kitchen is flooded,” Dean yelled out. “You dumped paint on my favorite jeans, you let a crayon melt in the Impala, you hid my phone, you cracked two of my tapes, let’s see what else; oh you continually drain the battery on the laptop Sam tells me, and so many more things I can’t even think of them right now!”

“I sorry,” Sean said…again.

“That’s all you say; I’m sorry, I’m sorry Dean. Why can’t you just stop it? You know I’m going to tell Dad when he gets home and then you are going to seriously be hurting.”

“I know, it’s okay, when will he get home?”

Dean seemed puzzled by his brother’s reaction. “What is going on?”

Sean so desperately wanted to tell Dean but as he looked behind him he was met with an evil grin on Ruth’s face. “Nothin’ I don’t know why I’m doing this stuff, I guess I miss Dad.”

“Yeah well don’t herald his return too much because it isn’t going to be pleasant.”

Sean went to his room trying not to show any weakness with tears. He didn’t want to give Ruth anymore fuel than she already had. “Where did you go?”

“I can’t go far from you, I am sort of anchored to you,” she said smiling. “I sat in the car, it was interesting all those knobs and such. Such power when it goes down the street. I should have been able to ride in one when I was alive.”

“But they weren’t invented then,” Sean pointed out.

“I should have never died so young, if I had been alive now it would never have happened. What are those pills called?” she asked.

“Antibiotics,” Sean sighed.

“Yeah if I had those I would have had a chance at life, I was cheated Sean and I want what I was denied.”

“But you can’t it doesn’t work that way.”
“Stop telling me that!” Ruth screamed causing the lamp to hit the floor and plunging the room into darkness.

Outside Dean had intended to run an errand only to find the car wouldn’t start. The battery was dead and he assumed it was due to Sean leaving the dome light on when he had been in there earlier to get his books. He had turned to go back inside deciding not to wait for John and start pounding on his wayward brother when John pulled up. He blew out a breath and figured it best if he explained it all to his father.

Ruth was inches from the boys face causing Sean to go cold. “You’re right I can’t make you go, but you can’t stay latched onto me all the time. It just won’t work, a boy needs his privacy.”

Back outside John was trying to make sense of it all. “So you say that he is acting out but then is remorseful, that makes no sense.”

“I know but he won’t say any more.”

“Where has he been and what has he been doing?” John asked as Sam was dropped off by a friend.

“Just that slumber party,” Dean said.

“Yeah the slumber party where who knows what happened,” Sam said. “Look I bet those boys were playing around with a Ouija board or something and something snuck through and latched onto Sean and now it won’t leave.”

“Why won’t he tell us?” Dean asked.

“Because he can’t, chances are he doesn’t have a second alone and with everything you have told me it has turned into a true poltergeist haunting. All the crap that has been going on hasn’t been him, it’s been this spirit.”

“What do we do?” Sam asked.

“Burning the bones will probably be tough since we have no idea who or where the thing is buried,” John said as they heard crashing in the house. “Sam run to the store and pick up something for me, take the truck and hurry,” John whispered into his ear.

Sam took off as John and Dean made their way to the house. What they found when they opened the door was beyond disaster; furniture was overturned, paper towels and toilet paper adorned the rooms like streamers, clothes were thrown everywhere, the refrigerator was open with food spilling out and all the faucets were turned on high. John nodded at Dean and it began.

“Sean Michael Winchester get your butt out here right now!” John yelled out.

Sean looked at Ruth who was very pleased with herself. “I told you I’m not going anywhere and nobody can make me.”

“I can’t live like this,” Sean said getting up.

“At least you can live,” Ruth hissed.
Sean headed towards the bellowing voice of his father trying to keep upright on his shaky legs. He was in so far over his head he didn’t even know where to start. He looked up at the face of his father and had no idea what he was in for.

John had turned off the EMF meters in his bag, he knew from experience what his son had been enduring and it was going to end tonight. Dean took up his position playing his role well.

“See Dad he is out of control, I don’t what the hell his problem is.”

“Sean, get over here now!” John demanded in his most severe voice.

Sean was truly afraid of what he might have to endure for Ruth’s sins. He wobbled over to his father weighing his options. He so badly wanted to expose the ghost but he was afraid if he did she would hurt him as well as John and Dean.

Meanwhile Sam had locked up the brakes in the parking lot of the local store and was making a mad dash through the aisles.

Sean got to his dad and opened his mouth but nothing really audible came out. John pulled him towards him and then pinned him to the wall. “Do you want to explain this to me!?” he bellowed.

“No sir, not really,” Sean gulped knowing he had no decent explanation to offer.

“Well you better start talking,” he said as he watched where Sean’s eyes went. When they wandered to the far wall John leaned in close and whispered, “just follow my lead no matter what.”

Sean continued to effortlessly wear his look of terror as John’s words hadn’t settled him down all that much.

“You think you would get away with all this destruction? What is your deal boy?” John yelled with fervor. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I don’t know,” Sean answered not sure what to do.

“Anything you want to tell me?” John said widening his eyes. “Did you do all this?” John asked.

Sean just froze he knew his dad wanted something from him but he was too scared and too confused to figure out what it was. John took a breath and grabbed his son by the shirt and hauled him over to the kitchen table and loosened his belt. “If you can’t tell me the truth then you know what happens, when I’m done then you will be in your room with no phone, no computer and you will live in those four walls for weeks.”

Sean was as confused as ever and didn’t know what his dad wanted. John blasted him with the belt and waited for something that apparently never happened. He leaned down and yelled, “do you have anything to tell me?” Then he whispered, “where is it? Tell me about the ghost, tell me son.”

It took a moment but Sean finally understood. He fought his way up and twisted to look at his dad. “It wasn’t me, it’s a ghost and she said she’ll hurt you if I don’t let her stay with me. She did it all and I get the blame.”
“You think they’ll believe you,” Ruth said from her position near Dean.

“Sure we will darlin’ cause we have open minds about your kind,” Dean said encircling her in salt. “And with those open minds we can sometimes see what many can’t.”

“What the heck did you do to me?” she cried out.

“Trapped you like you trapped me,” Sean said. “You’re stuck.”

“Not forever you can’t keep me here forever,” she replied.

“Nah but shortly we will have what we need to send you back,” John said putting his arm around Sean and pulling him towards the living room. “Dean keep an eye on her.”

“Tell me what happened?” he asked in hushed tones.

So Sean filled him in on the entire ordeal looking ashamed the entire time. “I’m sorry Dad.”

“Son how many times am I going to have to tell you that you cannot keep secrets from me or your brothers,” John shouted in a whisper running his hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry.”

“We need to get out of this then we’ll figure the rest out.”

“Yes sir.”

Sam came bursting the through the door a bag in his hand. “Got it,” he said breathlessly.

John took the item from his middle son and peeled the overwrap off and threw it on the floor. He looked over at Sean. “Let’s go, put your game face on!”

Sean nodded and followed his family into the kitchen where Dean and Ruth were glaring at each other.

“Enjoy your last moments in the sun kiddo it’s time for you to move on,” John said putting the object on the kitchen sink.

“What are you going to do?” Ruth asked some of her bravado gone.

“Going to use this to send you away,” John continued placing the Ouija board flat stretching across the double sink.

“That brought me here,” she said worried.

John didn’t visibly show the gratitude he had after hearing that. As long as everybody did their part this plan should work just fine. He glanced over at his youngest hoping he was keeping up. He too often forgot he was just a boy, he had made the same mistake with Sam and Dean, it wasn’t fair then and it’s not fair now, but what it was, was reality.

Sean squared himself and inhaled deeply. “We brought you through and now with that same board we can send you away. I wanted you to go on your own but no we don’t have a choice.”

“Where will I go?” she shrieked.

“Just go to the light, it can’t be bad if there’s light,” Sean said beginning to waver.

Dean poured salt on the board causing Ruth’s eyes to enlarge, then a pinch of a powder that they always had on hand that caused flames to flare up always impressive at birthday parties and finally some accelerant as everything was flame retardant these days once all was soaked in Dean dropped the match.

“It will be okay,” Sean yelled as Ruth simply went up in flames and disappeared. “Will she Dad will she be okay?”

“Whew that one got bitter fast,” Dean said monitoring the burn. “I should have made you drop the match,” he said looking at Sean.

“I can’t say for sure Sean but you already knew she couldn’t stay here. And I do think she is okay, I really do.”

“So you just tricked her didn’t you? I mean that Ouija board had no power over her,” Sean said.

“Nope but she believed it did and that’s all we needed and I still say you should have done it,” Dean explained.

“He has a point son, if you think you can handle all this then you need to handle it. Or you can be upfront and tell us what’s going on and let us help out,” John said balancing his face between stern and compassionate. “Do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“So all this was her?” Sam asked looking around at the disaster.

“You really thought it was your brother all this time?” John asked his eldest sons.

“You don’t understand how bratty he can be when you’re gone,” Sam said.

“Guess not,” John admitted as he began to pick up the strewn items. “Well start cleaning Sean.”

“That’s it, that’s all?” Dean asked.

“Haven’t we had this conversation before? Dean he was a victim here, there is a lot to clean up plus I smacked him pretty hard already.”

“Yeah what was up with that?” Sean asked.

“I was hoping since she was so attached to you that she would show herself when you were taking her punishment, but I guess she didn’t love you as much as I thought,” John smiled.

“She just used me.”
“Yeah to ruin my stuff, aww come on my flashlight is smashed,” Dean whined.

“And this was all her right?” John asked Sean cocking his head.

“Yeah all of it, well almost all of it. Dean’s socks in the toilet was me…but that was it I swear,” Sean said hiding behind John.

The house had seemingly returned to normal though Sean still seemed to be a bit spooked as John had caught him more than once looking over his shoulder. Sam had also said his sleep had been restless. John’s had as well thinking about Christmas and what it was that had caught his eye. It was beginning to nag at him as the twenty-fifth was quickly creeping their way.

TBC

Great update. I almost feel sorry for Ruth, almost. Very clever John.

Uhm, more please.

Becca~here ya go...bring on the Christmas presents...



He had already bought Dean a new gun and Sam some computer accessories all that was left was his baby boy. He would just have to visit the pet store again and hope it jogged his memory. He only hoped the spider had found a new home by now. He unfortunately had gotten what the boys called his infamous Christmas call. It would seem that every year a week or so before the big day some hunter somewhere needed his help or a hunt would come up and of course he would go and the boys would start a pool as to when he would return.

“He’s not going to make it,” Sean said one evening.

“He will,” Dean assured.

“One night and one morning and he can’t put anything on hold to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with us,” Sean lamented.

“You know that hunts happen at their convenience not ours,” Dean reminded.

“Will he make it Sam? Sean asked.

“I hope so, I know he’ll try.”

“Hell he doesn’t even know what day it is,” the boy said looking at the calendar showing it was the twenty-third.

“You still have us,” Sam reminded.

“Yeah I do, so how about some egg nog then?”

“How about bed time?” Dean asked.

“No way, school’s out for three weeks,” Sean yelled running over to the TV and finding something totally inappropriate to watch.

Two hours later Dean heaved the sleeping body of his baby brother up and put him to bed.

“Whew one day soon he is going to be too big to do that,” he said returning to the living room. “Do you think Dad will make it home?”

Sam looked over at the short Christmas tree they had picked up a few days ago when Sean realized he was the only one in his class that hadn’t put up a tree yet. Apparently Christmas trees were up and decorated long before the day was actually observed. So in a rare indulgent move Sam and Dean took Sean and the Impala and went out scouring the dregs of the tree lots. They returned with a modest but respectable representative of the season. Sean was quick to organize the decorating committee. Popcorn was being strung, tinsel was being slung and candy canes were hung. In comparison to his friends trees it was pathetic but this one was theirs and they loved it.

John had lost track of time as he always did on a hunt. He cursed and cussed as he made his way back to the motel that he had made home base. He forced himself to look at his phone to see what the date was. Through half closed eyes he read that it was the morning of the twenty-fourth. It was 6:00 A.M. and he was exhausted. He also had an eight hour drive ahead of him and that’s if he didn’t stop to pee. He slid the gearshift into drive and vowed he wasn’t going to disappoint anybody this year.

The only thing that kept his tired eyes awake was the fact that he had done something right this year. He had driven to the pet store on his way out instead of waiting, for once he rearranged his priorities and he hoped it would take the sting out of missing much of Christmas Eve day with his family. Sean’s gift lay there neat and tidy and John hoped that it wouldn’t disappoint.

“It’s after lunch and he’s still not here,” Sean said his voice angry his face sad.

“The day’s not over yet,” Sam reminded.

“It might as well be,” he said falling face first into the couch in a pitiful maneuver.

“Oh quit being a drama queen,” Dean said unimpressed and a bit frustrated.

He had been invited to a holiday lunch with a very pretty woman he had met but didn’t feel he should leave Sean. The last thing the kid needed was to feel even more abandoned. He silently berated his dad for letting all the responsibility fall on his shoulders again. He looked over as Sam had finally gotten Sean to focus on playing a board game. There were hints of smiles and it helped that Sean was winning.

Having to stop a few times to release the coffee he had been forced to drink in an effort to continue his drive with open eyes John was a little later than he had originally hoped. But it was dinner time and he had stopped at the store and was toting a baked chicken with all the trimmings.

The curtains had caught the corner of the window allowing John to see his sons inside. His two adult sons were in the middle of an epic battle with the youngest as popcorn was flying everywhere. He couldn’t help but smile he knew it would be a fight to leave the playful expression behind as it was time to put the ‘dad’ face on and deal with the mess at hand.

John opened the door and went completely unnoticed as Sam ducked behind the couch as Sean came flying that way and Dean did a kamikaze run from the kitchen hand full of the popped corn. John found himself struggling to keep the corners of his mouth down at the antics before him.

It was no surprise that Dean was the first to see him. “Dad,” he said trying to recover, “we just-’’

“You just what, thought you would trash the house with perfectly good food?”

The silence was deafening nobody sure what to do or say when Sean broke the tension up by running to John with open arms. “Dad you made it back,” he yelled his arms around the mans middle popcorn being released from his clenched fists.

John finally let the smile out that he had been holding onto for what seemed like an eternity. “I see you have a lot of cleaning to do once you finish eating this wonderful dinner I had the skill level to go and pick up.”

The boys let out the breath they had been holding and headed towards the table, popcorn crunching under their feet as they went.

They hadn’t realized that the snack they had made for a reason had gone uneaten and they were starving. John hoped he had brought enough food home. The boys put their heads down and didn’t come up for air the entire time.

“Didn’t you eat while I was gone?” John asked.

“Well yeah but not like this, this is good stuff,” Sean said his voice muffled by the chicken that filled his mouth.

John just shook his head and enjoyed the moment. He noticed a few packages under the tree and wanted to cling to this time with his sons for as long as he could. As the boys finished up John added his gifts to the offerings under the tree.

“Okay we clean up and quiet down and enjoy the evening,” John announced.

An hour later they were scattered around the living room; Dean on his phone, Sam with a book in his lap and Sean curled up next to John on the couch as they watched A Christmas Story. With the movie nearly over John felt Sean’s body getting heavier and his lean getting steeper. He looked over at Sam who nodded affirming John’s suspicions that the boy was asleep. Dean had taken off to spend a bit of time with the lunch date he had missed but promised he would be home in time for the mornings short festivities.

Sean woke up in the darkness reading the clock that reported it was merely four in the morning. It was much too early to think about getting up, besides he wasn’t a little kid anymore. He had never believed in Santa Clause not even when he was very young. First off after the things he had been made aware of from the beginning he knew such goodness could never exist, and with his abilities he knew he would sense such a being and he had heard Dean and Sam arguing about it. Sam wanted Sean to be able to believe and Dean saying it was a ridiculous notion.

He had seen John place three items under the tree and wondered which one had been his. He was glad that his dad was even there, but he had to admit to a bit of greed at the desire of wanting presents. He and the rest of the family were forced to be minimalists as one, they couldn’t afford many extras and two being on the constant move didn’t allow one to be a collector of anything other than necessities. Sean rolled over and found he was wide awake. He climbed out of bed and made his way to the living room. He had already shaken the items with his name on it from both Sam and Dean. But he moved a box and found a slender envelope with his name on it in John’s handwriting. It was of course sealed and it was killing Sean not to open it.

“Better not be a savings bond,” he whispered as he put it back down under the tree.

He started to get up when he was met with a whisper, “get back to bed, you will know in a few hours.”

“Yes sir,” Sean said cursing the fact that John apparently never really slept.

John climbed back into bed. He had slept frightfully hard for several hours and it concerned him whenever that happened. He was vulnerable when he was that tired but at the same time he couldn’t help being that tired when he so rarely had decent sleep.

“Socks, you got me new socks,” Dean said smiling after opening Sean’s gift.

“I guess I kind of owed you after the toilet thing,” Sean answered.

“I would say you did,” Dean said throwing the package at the boy.

They had exchanged their gifts Sean getting two rock t-shirts from Dean a hand held game that he could play in the car from Sam along with an atlas and John was now handing out his gifts. He intentionally held Sean’s envelope until Sam and Dean were done opening their items.

“I know your dying to know what this is and I hope you aren’t disappointed,” John said handing over the item.

He had driven back to the pet store hoping that he would experience a moment of clarity. As he pulled up in front of the store he quickly realized it wasn’t the pet store at all that had been calling to him it was the travel agency next door. The poster in the window showed a family vacationing all smiles and happiness.

Sean looked puzzled as he took the envelope. John’s heart was pounding in the hopes that Sean would be excited with his efforts. The boy fingered the envelope taking his time. The focus of the room was on the boy and his mystery gift. Sean finally loosened the seal and pulled out the contents; he took his time reading the front and looked at John.

“For us?” he asked.

“For you and me, I figured we could use the time together.”

“Really?”

“Do you like it?”

Sean smiled and jumped into John’s arms. “I love it, I love it, thank you so much.”

“What?” Both Sam and Dean asked.

“It’s five days at Snow Bridge Ski Center, me and Dad and it has skiing and snowmobiling and ice fishing and skating and snow shoeing and tubing and snowman building contests,” Sean chattered happily.

“I figured it would be good for us to kind of forget the past horrors you have had to deal with; Tiger and the poltergeist and Mr. Sawyer.”

“When are you going?” Sam asked.

“Look I know I missed out with you guys and I was blinded by evil and couldn’t see beyond it. I’m sorry I didn’t bother to find some common ground away from it all, I just wanted to not make the same mistake again.”

“No hard feelings Dad,” Dean said. “You took us camping several times, fishing, hiking, the good hiking not the kind where you dumped us in the middle of the woods and made us find our way out.”

John smiled recalling the memory. “It’s just that Sean has extra to deal with and I didn’t think you would mind some time to yourselves with no Sean duty.”

“That in itself is a great gift,” Dean said with his own smile.

Aww, way to go John!

What a lovely chapter. I just hope that the trip goes un-eventfully. :P

Becca~everything go right...yeah right...lol.

January

“So tell me how your trip went?” Sam asked as John and Sean returned.

Sean burst into a gigantic smile as John sighed and rolled his eyes. “That bad?” Dean asked.

“No it was great, the best ever,” Sean said nearly bursting.

“All I did was take a nap and by the time I woke up, he had taken over the place.” Dean’s eyebrows shot up. “He knew everybody at the lodge and had been chosen to be the best man at a wedding,” John explained.

“Not really, I mean there were a few people I didn’t know and they were getting married a second time, since the first didn’t feel right.”

“So it was fun?” Sam asked.

“Fun, sure if you call naked people, flaming squirrels, an impromptu wedding and a rogue badger fun,” John answered.

“He wasn’t really naked, he usually wore a hat and the squirrel wasn’t on fire for long,” Sean reminded.

“Oh I have to hear this,” Dean said getting comfortable.




The air was brisk the sun was bright and the snow was everywhere. Year round school provided an additional week of vacation after the new year and John and Sean were using to enjoy the slopes. At first John was afraid Sean would be disappointed with his gift of time but he took to the idea instantly. A quick trip to the store to finish out the gift giving gave Sean a brand new coat, gloves and boots. And now he stood in awe at all the snow that surrounded him.

This was Sean’s first vacation ever and he had no idea what to do first. This was a foreign land if he had ever seen one. People were relaxed, people were happy and nobody wanted to kill him. It was just weird and Sean felt lost.

“So what do we do?” he asked John.

John smiled not being all that familiar with pleasure trips he looked at the lodge and pointed. “We go there and check in and listen to what they tell us.”

If Sean was impressed with the snow outside he was in wonderland as he scoped out the resort. It looked like a huge log cabin with plush carpeting and a roaring fireplace. Their room was on the third floor and Sean ran up all three flights. He took in the icy view and marveled at it all. “This is so cool Dad,” he said excitedly.

“I’m glad you like it son, we should have a great time,” John said yawning. “I think I’m going to grab a quick nap, I’m a bit sleep deprived.”

“You’re always sleep deprived. I’m going to check stuff out while you sleep,” Sean said practically jumping up and down.

“Fine but remember the rules. You are in civilized society and you have to act that way.”

“I know, I will,” Sean promised as he grabbed his coat and ran back out the door.

His first stop was the sitting area where the fireplace was roaring and there was a heated debate going on. “It’s a little too late Noah, you’re married and there is no going back now,” a man was saying. “I’m heading out to take in some scenery, I’ll check with you later.”

“Fine just leave me in my despair,” Noah said at the departure.

Sean didn’t move unsure as to what he should do. He stepped towards the door when Noah spotted him. “Hey kid come here a second.”

Sean wanted to run like hell but instead he remembered the whole civilized society speech he had gotten in the car and went over and sat down next to the man.

“Have you ever thought about the institution of marriage, I mean really thought about it?”

“I’m twelve,” Sean stated.

“Does that mean no? Anyway I mean is it natural to spend eternity with the same person?”

“Well you won’t really be spending eternity with her just your whole life on this earth.”

“That’s an eternity,” Noah whined.

“No it’s finite I assure you.”

“I thought you said you were twelve?”

“I am.”

“So quit sounding like my old college roommate. But my whole life is a long time.”

“Not necessarily, you could die tomorrow.”

Noah’s face brightened up at the thought of this. “Yeah I could.”

“But then you’d be dead.”

“Yeah, that would be a bummer. I mean when my friend Frank was going to get married a plane crashed into his house and they had to delay the wedding and he ended up calling it off. Why couldn’t I have a plane crash into my house?”

“Guess you’re not as lucky as Frank,” Sean said.

“Guess not.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Two days,” Noah sighed. “This is our honeymoon.”

“Why is it so bad?”

“Have you ever been married?”

“I’m twelve,” Sean repeated.

“I feel like I have been sentenced to a life in the same jail cell.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I don’t know.”
“Is she pretty?”

“Yeah, most of the time anyway.”

“Is she nice?”

“Yeah most of the time anyway,” he repeated.

“Then it will be fine, hey she might be having second thoughts too ya know.”

“Why, I’m a great catch?”

“Not if you’re second guessing your future with her.”

“How old did you say you were again?”

“Twelve,” Sean said for the third time.

“You are a wise boy, we’ll have to talk again. I think I’ll join my buddies in the bar for a drink. I’d offer to buy you one but you’re only ten.”

“I’m twelve, and you better get her birthday and your anniversary on the calendar on your phone or you are going to have issues in your marriage,” Sean glowered.

“We’ll talk again oh wise one,” Noah said as he departed.

Sean shook his head and zipped up his coat and headed for the outdoors. He saw the grand splendor that was Snow Bridge Ski Center in front of him. He saw hills and trees, signs for the pond and trails. He decided to check out what was around back of the lodge as he didn’t want to miss anything. He was impressed with the sighting of several hot tubs lining the deck that jutted from the restaurant on the south side of the building. They were empty except for one that contained several college age students all laughing. Sean had a feeling they had been in the bar that Noah had just gone into. They were jovial and getting louder by the second.

“I’m telling you it was a badger or a wolverine or something,” the one boy was saying.

“Sure it was Taylor sure it was. I think you’ve had one too many,” one of his counterparts said.

“Are you sure you forgot your pills?” another hot tub friend asked.

“Yes I am, but don’t worry I have replacements coming,” Taylor said.

Sean turned around quickly and vacated the area before he was asked to jump into the hot tub. He shook his head wondering how civilized, civilized people really were.
He walked around and headed towards a cluster of trees. They had built benches around some of the trees for people to sit on and on one sat a woman gazing into the horizon. She looked preoccupied and Sean felt uncertainty coming off her in waves. He had a feeling he had found Noah’s new bride.

“Hi,” he said with a small wave.

“Hey there yourself,” she answered with a warm smile. Sean immediately liked her and thought Noah was a fool. “I’m Maggie, and who are you?”

“Sean, I’m here with my dad.”

“Ahh how nice for you.”

“What about you, who are you here with?”

“What? Oh my husband, it’s our honeymoon.”

“So where is he?”

“Probably hanging out with his friends since they seem to be more important than me.”

“Don’t say that, men just take longer to mature and he has no idea how lucky he is,” Sean said.

“Well aren’t you a sweet one and much more mature than my husband. Maybe I should have married you.”

“Okay,” Sean blushed.

“Do you want to take a walk with me, I hear the view is fantastic from the hill over there,” she pointed.

“Absolutely I would love to,” Sean said helping her up from the bench.
TBC

More fun in the snow....


“Where the hell have you been?” John asked later. “I was looking all over for you.”

“I went on a walk, you know the view is amazing from Sunnyside Hill.”

“Well that’s great news,” John said staring at this son. “Come on let’s get something to eat and check out what we can do in the next few days.”

Over dinner they decided on skiing lessons John doing so only for Sean’s benefit as he had no desire to strap on skinny little sticks and aim himself downhill. Hunting was dangerous enough he didn’t need add anything to his repertoire but the pleading look on John’s face told him he couldn’t say no.

They would then go tubing down the small hills and after lunch they would skate or die trying. The rest of the week would be filled with hikes and a snowman building competition and the great snowball fight that was held every week. John couldn’t help but bask in the glow that emanated from Sean’s face.

After dinner Sean showed John the hot tubs and the older Winchester thought that would be a great idea for his ailing back that wasn’t too happy about the four hour drive to the resort. He hated aging and never admitted it to his sons, but he was having a harder and harder time maintaining the lifestyle they had all known. He knew he couldn’t last forever and that was part of the reason why he found it so important to continually teach and train the boys at every opportunity despite their aversion to much of his instruction. He also supposed that is a big reason why he was on this trip, he wanted to give something in the way of himself to at least one of his sons. He had missed the opportunity with both Sam and Dean, he had no excuse to make the same mistake a third time. But right now if he wanted to go skiing in the morning he needed a very hot soak that along with the fresh air would do wonders for him.

Sean settled in front of the TV while John grabbed everything he needed and headed back downstairs. The kid looked exhausted and he suspected that Sean would fall asleep as he watched the mindless program that was on.

The water that had felt so hot and luxurious when he first got in was now turning him into a prune. John had been in long enough and knew it was time to get back upstairs so he could ensure Sean was warm and cozy and most importantly where he was supposed to be. But that illusion ended the minute he wrapped the heavy terry cloth robe around his body.

“It went that way,” somebody yelled out the back door.

“What did ya open the door for?” some one else demanded.

“What it’s better the place burn down?”

And then John heard it the voice he had been dreading.

“The fire was almost out, do you think he’ll be okay?” Sean asked.

“What the hell happened and it’s a wild animal son it will probably go off and die,” a fourth voice joined in.

“It’s a squirrel and it’s not his fault he caught on fire,” Sean responded.

John closed his eyes and gathered himself for a minute before he walked over to the group. “What happened and is it your fault?” he asked his son.

“Dad it was so cool, this squirrel fell into the fireplace and caught on fire and they tried to get him but when they removed the cover he took off and ran everywhere until Brad opened up the back door here and the thing ran off into the woods,” Sean explained.

John just stood there unsure of what to say. Somehow despite already raising two sons his youngest had a way of leaving him absolutely speechless.

“Well the little rodent is on his own,” Brad said ushering everybody back inside.

“I hope he is okay,” Sean said after the crew had receded back into the warmth. “Did you have a relaxing time?” Sean asked John.

“Yeah up until the flaming rodent incident,” John said as he watched one of the lodge employees put the fire extinguisher down next to the scorched curtains.

“I had nothing to do with this I swear,” Sean said as he noticed John’s bulging vein in his forehead.

“Why were you out here?”

“I was coming to see if you were almost done, I wanted to say goodnight.”

“Well goodnight and get your behind in bed,” John said as they headed up the stairs for the night.

**

John’s eyes grew wide as Sean began to get further and further away from him. He knew this wasn’t going to go well and he had been absolutely right. He thought he had it down but now he was going down the bunny hill backwards. He had turned to ask the instructor something and when his weight shifted he began to slip down the hillside. He struggled to keep his skis from tangling up and was fighting gravity each and every second he slipped down hill. His poles were dragging at his side bumping over the snow mocking him with each foot he traveled.

Sean pushed off from the top and with the skill only a child could possess swooshed up near him and tried to encourage him to get himself turned around. But John could no more follow the instructions that Sean gave him as he could stop. He only prayed that the hill ended shortly as it seemed he had been traveling for hours. He attempted to look over his shoulder, but knew as soon as he began to lose his balance that it had been a bad idea. He fell and tumbled the rest of the way down landing at Sean’s feet.

They quickly moved on to sliding down hills on inner tubes. Sean went gliding down effortlessly bouncing high in the air and landing with glee as he was slung down the hill. John went flying without the tube thirty seconds into his first trip down the hill. Obviously this winter fun just wasn’t his thing. After his second spill in as many hours he sat on the sidelines with a cup of coffee and watched his youngest live it up. Apparently gravity loved Sean much more than it did John.

After lunch John begged out of skating deciding on a massage instead. He told Sean to stay close but carry on with the day. Sean grabbed his skates and was happy to see Maggie out on the ice seemingly enjoying herself, but once again she was alone.

“Hi Sean how are you today?” she asked.

“Fine thanks, you alone again?”

“Yeah I suppose so. You too?”

“Yeah my dad needed some downtime but we had an awesome morning. Are you going to be in the big snowball fight tomorrow?”

“Sure it sounds like fun and maybe Noah will be on the other side so I can bean him between the eyes. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Nah its okay I have two older brothers that I totally love but so often they deserved to be hit right between the eyes with something; well one of ‘em does anyway. I just wish you were having more fun on your honeymoon.”

“You are sweet. How about we race,” she said breaking up the mood.

The two new friends skated around and enjoyed themselves. They finally got tired and left their skates behind for some time inside with a warm beverage. As Sean waited for Maggie to come back from the bathroom he saw Taylor the guy from the hot tub the night before get a small package from the front desk. His eyes lit up in satisfaction as he raced upstairs leaving a glove behind as he did so.

After their break and Maggie said she would see him later Sean looked at the forgotten glove and decided he would take it the guy but first he needed to figure out which room he was in. He knew if he asked they wouldn’t tell him and keep the glove at the desk for him. But Sean being a Winchester decided that he could do this himself so when the front desk was left empty for some bogus incident out back Sean quickly scanned the register and found that Taylor Johansson was stay in 214. He had no idea why but Sean felt the need to go talk to this guy.

Sean knocked on the door and then opened slightly in response to the garbled come in he received. Taylor was spread out across the bed totally naked looking at a magazine.

“Just a bit of advice,” Sean said clearing his throat, “you might not want to invite people in when you’re naked.”

“I am?” Taylor asked in sincerity. “Oh sorry.”

“You dropped your glove in the lobby earlier so I thought I would get it to you. I see your pills came,” Sean said indicating the open box on the dresser.

“Yeah, love my pills. How do you know about them?”

“I overheard you at the hot tub last night.”

“Ahh, well come on in. I’m here for my brother’s honeymoon but its been a bust. All he does is whine he made a mistake and meanwhile I have the serious hots for his wife who deserves better.”

“I see,” Sean said thinking this wedding party was everywhere. “Well I just came to bring your glove back.”

“Well thanks kid, what’s your name?”

“Sean.”

“I like you Sean you’re a good kid. Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“I look forward to it. But you might want to make sure you have some clothes on if you leave your room.”

“Yeah…that’s a great idea.”

**

“So when is the big snowball fight?” John asked setting down his phone.

“Postponed, the snowmaking machine is on the fritz,” Sean answered flopping down on the bed.

“They have to make snow? All I see is snow.”

“Yeah kind of ironic huh? But yeah they make a nice mixture; moist enough to pack but soft enough not to hurt too badly. It will be in a couple days or so.”

“So how about we play some cards, see what Dean has taught you,” John said pulling out a deck.

“Sure,” Sean said his face lighting up due to this father and son time.

After an hour John was somewhat impressed with his youngest son’s poker skills and thought now would be a good time to have the heart to heart he had been wanting to have for months. Dean never wanted to share his feelings proclaiming constantly that he was fine and it was all good. Sam was too analytical and nothing really got shared so he hoped despite Sean being much like his brothers maybe he would share enough that John could ease some fears and understand some feelings. He knew this was a tough age for an average youngster but for a Winchester it was full tilt bozo.

“So tell me no holds bar how you feel about your life. I promise no consequences no judgments just you and me and what is in your head. I won’t hold it against you and we will leave it in this room, but it might help me understand where you are and where you may go,” John began.

Sean looked as if he had been slapped. “No way this is for real.”

“It is and it’s okay, I want to know.”

“No consequences, how can I believe that? I want this trip to be fun.”

“And I want this trip to mean something, please, I’ll stop you if I can’t handle it.”

Sean took a contemplative moment then decided to throw caution to the wind. “I spend my life watching it pass by unable to grab any of it for me. I can’t believe half of it and I don’t want to believe the other half. I don’t even know who I am most of the time or what the world wants from me. But I keep going.”

“Why, why do you keep going?”

“Cause you make me, cause I don’t know what else to do, because I don’t have a choice.”

“What are you looking for?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“When you close your eyes what do you see?”

“Dirt on graves.”

John stayed silent and wasn’t sure what to say to that but he was certain he didn’t want to respond in a wrong way. His son had just shared something from inside close to his soul and John didn’t want to blow it. “Tell me why.”

“It belongs to no one the dirt on graves, but it is mine because I am there.” John swallowed but encouraged Sean to go on. “We deal with graves all the time, we put things in them, things we kill, we pull things out of them and kill them again, we burn those who won’t rest. I am the dirt that nobody owns, it is me; just shovel some more dirt on the grave.”

John wasn’t at all sure what Sean exactly meant in his poetic statement but he was glad the boy had said it. “Is that hard for you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Have you ever shared this feeling before with anyone?”

“No sir.”

“You can you know, you can tell somebody who you think will understand, you can’t keep it all to yourself all the time.”

“I will when there is someone who can understand.”

“What is it you seek?” John asked.

“Saving grace.”

John had no idea what to do, his son was on a higher plane than he would ever be and didn’t want to bring his son down to his level. “Let’s go find a snack,” he said putting his hand on Sean’s shoulder.

My computers been down and I missed to great updates :( .

Loving the time Sean is getting to just be a kid. He's so sweet. Good to see him having some fun. I would give anything to see John Winchester ski. :P

So is another update coming soon? Please?

Becca~He is a good kid...with quite the personality. See where it takes him next.


The heavy conversation behind them the father and son partook in the festivities before them. The snowman building went great with the Winchesters coming in first place; John using his monster hunting knife to shape the bulbous figure to perfection. It went very smoothly except for Taylor running through the area shirtless screaming that a badger was coming to get him.

“It’s twenty degrees outside how can he stand not having a shirt on?” John asked.

“You should be grateful he has pants on,” Sean told John who wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

After the contest John apologized but went off to make some phone calls and check a few things out. Sean didn’t mind, he loved spending all this time with John but it was so far from the norm he was about to overdose on it all. He spotted Noah with a beer in hand kicking some snow around while Maggie spun in circles on her skates over on the pond.

“You come to grips with the fact that you are married yet?” Sean asked him.

“Hey there man. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, she deserves better.”

“That’s a cop out and we both know it. What are you afraid of?”
“I don’t know.”

“Failure, you are afraid you’ll fail. And you know what you just might, but you definitely will if you don’t even try. And if you fail trying maybe she will help you along the way, but if you don’t enter into the marriage she can’t help you and I for one would sure as hell want her on my team,” Sean said and took off his skates in hand to the bench to lace up.

“Hey Maggie, did you make a snowman?”

“Hey Sean, no it was for teams and I didn’t have a partner- again.”

“He’s scared you know, doesn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Well how can he if he doesn’t try.”

“Exactly, he can’t lose if he doesn’t start.”

“Are you a miniature counselor?”

“Just when I’m on vacation,” Sean said smiling.

Taylor then came back outside running full speed towards the woods wearing only a hat.

“Hmm you would think he have cold feet,” Maggie said.

“Or cold something else,” Sean said. “Is he like this often?”

“Only when he drinks with his pills or mixes them up.”

“And let me guess it happens a lot?”

“Enough to make life interesting.”

Two days before they were due to leave the big snowball fight was on and teams were being chosen. “Okay father and son, same team or opposite?” the director asked. “Same,” both John and Sean said at the same time. “Good enough, and the newlyweds, same or opposite?” There was an awkward silence for a moment then Noah glanced at Sean and moved towards Maggie. “Same, Maggie I am so sorry, I’m sorry for what you had to put up with and I’m sorry I’m the one that did it to you. Will you marry me again?” With a blush and a nod she agreed.

“Hey I want the naked guy on my team he should prove to be a great distraction,” Sean said seeing Taylor weave in and out of the trees.

“Go get him,” the director ordered a few staff members.
The teams had fifteen minutes to make up as many snowballs as they could as well as construct any type of barriers they could manage. John and Sean went to town on making snowballs while Maggie and Noah helped out with pseudo walls along with several others on their team. John directed as best he could explaining where the protection would best hold.

Then the battle began. John and Sean bobbed and weaved throwing the frozen moisture towards the other team enjoying the camaraderie. They ducked and covered as the entire opposing team lobbed their ammo over the barrier at them. Sean stayed down but when he looked up he saw Taylor crouching next to him.

“I don’t think the glove is supposed to go there,” Sean pointed out.

John looked over and did a double take. “How can you not be cold?”

“Mind over matter, besides I have a glove on,” Taylor replied.

“Did you mix up your pills again?” Sean asked.

“Nah, well maybe.”

In the end Sean had been right and Taylor along with his misplaced glove did provide quite the distraction for the other team. But they ended up being disqualified for the late arrival of Taylor who hadn’t officially been named to the team. But Sean had the time of his life and he and John celebrated with dinner and a movie.

By the time they got back Noah was nearly hysterical. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you man.”

“Me, why?” Sean asked.

“I want you to be my best man tomorrow at my re-wedding.”

“What about Taylor?”

“Have noticed his attire lately?”

“What attire?”

“Exactly, he isn’t invited. I want the attention to be on Maggie not my nude brother. Please Sean it is because of you that I realized the error of my ways.”

“I have to ask my dad.”

John who had been standing there the entire stood mute unsure of what was going on. When Sean looked over at him for approval he merely nodded yes.
“Kay, I’ll be your best man then in your do-over wedding, but this better be for real this time or else I’ll marry her myself,” Sean warned. “How are you going to keep Taylor away?”

“I have some of my own pills,” Noah assured.

“Okay then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

John couldn’t help but smile as they made their way upstairs. “You see how the wheels fall right off the track even in normal society?”

“Yup, people are crazy no matter what they deal with in life especially if there are pills and alcohol involved.”

“You can say that again. Come on you need your sleep if you’re going to be standing up for that guy tomorrow.”

**

Not having packed to participate in a wedding Sean had on his best jeans and flannel shirt as he stood rocking back and forth on his boots waiting for Maggie to walk down the aisle. John sat in the front row where he could keep a good eye on Sean while Noah looked grateful that he had been given this second opportunity.

Sean smiled at the beautiful bride making her way towards him. The restaurant had been arranged allowing for a pseudo aisle and seating on both sides. So far things had gone according to plan, but they all knew there was plenty of time for that to go right out the window.

Sean tapped his pocket that held the ring he was to give to Noah at the right time. Maggie had given it to him an hour ago along with a kiss on the cheek that made Sean blush. He thought once this was behind them the couple would have a good life together despite the bumpy beginning. He imagined his mother in a wedding dress marrying John and the two of them having an apple pie life that had him playing baseball and roaming the neighborhood streets with all of his buddies. He looked over at his dad who encouraged him with a wink.

Sean dug the ring out from his pocket and settled it in his palm holding it tightly. He patiently waited until his cue came and he handed the ring over to Noah who very gently placed it on his wife’s finger. There was no doubt that this time it was for real. Sean smiled and stepped back as flashbulbs went off.

The ceremony went as planned until a giant crash sounded from the foyer. John was up like a shot rushing to the French doors that separated the spaces. Sean was right behind him nearly bumping into him as they reached their destination.

“What the hell?” John asked.

The crowd murmured their curiosity as Sean giggled. “It’s Taylor.”

“Oh please tell me he has clothes on,” Maggie said.

“There’s good news and bad news,” Sean explained. “The good news is does have clothes on but the bad news is he is standing on the check-in desk and there is some kind of animal snarling at him.”

“Is that a badger?” John asked out loud.

“Whatever it is it looks pissed,” Sean said studying the situation.

“Watch your mouth boy or you’ll be next to Taylor in a minute,” John warned.

“Hey there’s a bald squirrel that just came in the back door too,” Sean said ignoring John’s warning. “I bet that’s the squirrel that was on fire. Do you think he’s friends with the badger?”

At this point Taylor didn’t care who was friends with what as he stood trembling on top of the reservations desk. He had been stuck outside with no coat for quite awhile, trapped by this beast who had kept him standing on top of a picnic table. He had promised to be sober for the ceremony and had kept that promise but when he made a run to the car to get something this beast had waddled after him and kept him pinned down and he had been unable to get back to the lodge. Finally the badger had turned his head distracted by the naked squirrel and Taylor jumped down and ran to the lodge unfortunately the animal was faster than he had thought and Taylor was unable to get the door closed before being joined by Mother Nature at her finest. Now both the beasts were inside, the badger bent on blood and the squirrel just wanted a warm place to sleep and maybe a bit off food. The badger snarled and hissed his long nails scraping the desk leaving Taylor to wonder what the hell he had ever done to this animal. Then he remembered going after some kind of animal when he was driving up here. He had still been a bit tipsy a day after the wedding and it had seemed like a cool idea to run down some wildlife. Now the damn thing was after revenge and he felt stupid and helpless.

John took a deep breath and threw the door open and stomped towards the badger making as much noise as he could praying the thing wouldn’t turn around and sink its teeth into his calf. He had lost sight of Sean and hoped the boy had remained behind with the rest of the crowd safe and sound, but for some reason he doubted it; especially when the boy was suddenly beside him tossing a large steak out the door and onto the deck. The badger looked at John then at Taylor and then looking rather frustrated at Sean and finally the steak. Not ready to look a gift horse in the mouth he lumbered off towards the prime cut of meat and the door was quickly closed and locked behind him. The room erupted in cheers and Taylor collapsed into John’s arms.

The reception went off without a hitch though after his ordeal Taylor hit the bar pretty hard but nobody could blame him. John grabbed Sean and dragged him over to a quiet corner.

“Son that was quick thinking, but I would have felt better if you had stayed safely behind a closed door and let me handle it,” John said.

“I can’t stand back all the time. You want me to be safe but I am in a constant position that is anything but. Dad it just can’t be both ways,” Sean said walking away.

John just stood unsure of what just happened. His baby was growing up and there was nothing he could do about it. John went to join his son when he saw a hairless squirrel curled up in a fur hat that had been left on an end table in the foyer. He simply shrugged and went back to the party.

The next day they ate a hardy breakfast and as John finished packing Sean said goodbye to all his new friends. “You buddy saved a marriage that hadn’t even begun. I owe you my happiness,” Noah told him.

“Just name one of your kids after me,” Sean said with a smile.

Maggie came over and gave him a big hug. “I will never forget you and your wonderful spirit. Don’t ever let it get clouded by this world.”

Then Taylor who was a bit rough made his way over and through blood shot eyes said his goodbyes. “Little dude you are the man forever and always. I realize that life is too important to spend each moment thinking about nothing, doing nothing.”

“So you’re going to do something then?” Sean asked.

“Well during the week, but the weekends are still reserved for nothing,” he smiled. “Thanks for taking me as I am and still being my friend.”

Sean shook his hand and waved goodbye to everyone as he followed John out to the truck.

“Did you have a good time?” John asked.

“I did Dad, it was awesome, and I’ll never forget it. It made me realize that normal people have their own battles and life isn’t easy for anybody. Thank you for giving me your time; it was the best gift ever.”

John was also grateful for this time and was glad his son was just as happy. He hoped it would carry over for a few weeks before reality crept back in. But as they neared home he could see Sean’s sleeping form begin to twitch and his eyelids reveal racing eyes underneath. He would give anything to see what his son’s dreams held; he would give anything for him to just be normal.

Sean was once again in a cemetery; dirt in his hands as he crumbled it with his fingers. He looked over to see many of the people he had met at the lodge on the other side of the iron fence. They waved to him with sad faces as they turned to leave. Sean continued to sift the dirt through his fingers to the top of a grave. He looked back over at the empty space left by his friends and tossed what was left of the dirt into the air. Whether he was ready or not whether he liked it or not he was back at home; he was back to normal.

Aww, the ending here had me :cry , at least he had a short respite from it all.

Another great chapter and if it was at all possible I've become more enamored with Sean.

Becca~well he really shines in this chapter....

warning slight sexual references.....

February

“Please Dean,” Bianca begged. “The pest control people said we can’t be in the house for the next two days and I have been planning this party for weeks. This is my biggest sales month of the year and I can’t cancel it.”

Dean sighed as he looked at his date. She was gorgeous and they had been out quite a bit since the Winchesters had moved to the area. He knew she had to be something special since he was still interested in her. But he wasn’t so sure how her request was going to work out.

“You said your dad and brother were out of town.”

“Yeah but that still leaves one brother and he is a bit young for your kind of party.”

“No problem just give him some money and send him to the movies, I’ll pay. I’ll even let you stay,” she said batting her eyelashes at him and grabbing him in a very sensitive spot. “I will make it so worth your while.

“Okay okay, we’ll work it out,” Dean agreed hoping he wouldn’t regret this.

The next night Bianca showed up with Mattie and boxes of stuff.

“Whoa are you spending the next week here?” Dean asked as he was handed a heavy box.

“Hey when I throw a party, I throw a party. Is your brother out of here?”

“Yeah he is at a friends I told him to spend the night.”

“Good now help me set up handsome,” she said kissing Dean.

“Wow this is impressive,” Dean commented after they were done.

“I aim to please, the drunker and happier they are the more they buy,” Bianca said arranging her items.

The guests began to pour in and before long there was an excited hum that had taken over the house. The women sampled the alcohol and refreshments while Bianca began her sales pitch in earnest. Dean’s eyes were wide as he took it all in.

The party was in full swing when the front door opened revealing a surprised Sean. “Wow am I in the right house?” he asked eye balling all the women in his living room.

“What are you doing here?” Dean asked.

“I live here,” Sean replied his eyes following a woman who had headed towards the kitchen.

“You are supposed to be at Tommy’s house.”

“Teddy’s house.”

“Tommy Teddy whatever why are you not spending the night?”

“Why are you holding out on me? Besides just because you suggest it doesn’t mean they are going to change their schedule to accommodate me. They are going to a wedding and I’m not invited; and right now all I can say is lucky me.”

“You can’t be here.”

“Oh but I am and if you want me to keep this a secret you will step back and let me by.”

The woman who had gone into the kitchen yelled out for Bianca as Sean made his way to the living room his eyes locked onto the coffee table. “Whoa, that is insane, they sell that stuff,” he yelled above the din of conversation.

“Sure they do honey, you see one day we won’t need men at all. But you are mighty cute so you won’t have anything to worry about,” a woman told Sean.

Sean watched Dean disappear into the kitchen as he traveled into the new territory of what a woman’s passion party had to offer. “This one even has life-like veins,” he said holding an item up as he scrutinized it under the light. “So you guys just have fun with these?”

“Sure we do, there’s all kinds of them,” Laura explained instantly taking a liking to Sean.

“Do guys have any stuff like this to use?”

“Just your hand darling, you have it at all times,” Callie giggled thinking Sean was absolutely adorable.

“Good point,” he said setting one down and picking up another. “What are these called?”

“The one you had is named the Passion Stick and the one you have now is the Vibrant Vixen,” Laura explained.

Sean fiddled with the device and it turned on roaring to life almost causing Sean to drop it. “It vibrates, it tickles.”

“Exactly,” three women said at once.

“I never knew,” Sean whispered turning it off and going back to the table for more exploration.

Dean came out of the kitchen. “I have to run an errand I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he told everyone. “Come on Sean you’re coming with me.”

“No way dude, I’m in the middle of an educational experience.”

“I’m not dicking around here, now come on,” Dean demanded amongst an onslaught of giggles and guffaws due to his choice of words.

“You don’t have to because they have plenty right here,” Sean said pointing to the table full of male replacement parts.

“In the truck now!”

“Nope, dude I’ve got you. I’ll stay here and play host while you run your little errand, you want to keep me happy so this experience stays silent. Now off you go,” Sean said shooing Dean out the door.

The run to the liquor store to replace the bottle that had been broken had taken far too long. The first store was closed due to a family emergency and the other taking up the slack was slammed with customers. Dean couldn’t find a parking space and then couldn’t find exactly what Bianca wanted and the line was nearly the length of the store. He was frustrated and concerned but he had no idea of what he would find upon his return.
TBC