OK, first things first-- this was supposed to be a one shot but became very, very long. so it's a two shot. though both chapters will still be quite lengthy. also, this was supposed to be published before the final chapter of 'Out of Sight' but i decided to do that first. However, this definitely needs to be posted before i can move on with 'on the turning away'. these three stories were supposed to happen in a specific order and while i could play a bit with out of sigh, i cant with turning. so, once these two chapters are posted i will finish with the final three chapters of 'on the turning away'.
this is one of the promised one shots from turning and the events have been previously mentioned in that story. enjoy :)
D: this is all just for fun
GREETINGS FROM YELLOWSTONE
John Winchester sat at the worn kitchen table. They'd returned from the hunt about a week before hand, John having left Sam and Dean at Tom Harrison's house while he and Bobby took care of the poltergeist. It was a welcome reprieve, knowing his boys were safe and sound with friends instead of holed up in some forgotten motel room. Contrary to popular belief, John really did love his kids. He'd fought with everyone about his parenting style: Bobby, Tom, Jim, Missouri, they all seemed to have a very different opinion of how children should be raised. But John Winchester didn't have the luxury of a home, didn't have a false idea of safety. He learned the night his wife died that life was never safe. The only way to win, the only way to stay alive, was to never be pinned down— and to take out as many evil son's of bitches as possible.
Yes it might have been a sacrifice, but the ends always outweighed the means. His boys were not only off the radar, but learned to take care of themselves, learned the only people they could rely on were each other. Evil was everywhere, in every corner, behind every closed door— and Sam and Dean needed to understand that. Complacency was death.
The weathered hunter wrapped his hands around the coffee mug, relishing the warmth. He enjoyed the silence of the early morning hours, enjoyed the break it offered. Dawn was when things rested, when evil gave way, but the real world had yet to awake. It was a time of peace for John. But, what made it all the more special, was that it was Mary's favorite time of day. Sometimes he swore he could still hear her voice, her soft humming waking him in the earlier morning hours. He loved it and hated it at the same time. He needed his wife by him, a deep ache still gripping his heart whenever he thought about her. But, as much as he loved the memory of her, it hurt him even more.
John pushed the memory away, focusing instead on the silence all around him. The house was peaceful, the creaking of old boards and knocking of the heat the only sounds in the heavy morning. Soon the kids would be awake, and all semblance of silence would be gone. John smiled at the thought— he and Mary had always wanted a big family. That dream had been stolen from him when Sam and Dean were still little, but having Evelyn and Kerri in their lives— it was like that dream was finally realized. And, for not the first time John wondered if Mary was up in heaven with Tom's late wife Elizabeth, watching their children grow up together— and laughing at their husbands as they stumbled their way through parenthood.
Liz Harrison had been killed by the same thing that killed Mary, the other young mother pinned to the ceiling of her baby's nursery as fire consumed the room. It was a miracle Sam and Evelyn hadn't also been lost in the fires. A miracle made all the more real whenever John saw the scar which covered nearly all of Evelyn's back. He was lucky he'd gotten to Sam before the little boy was hurt.
A loud thud sounded from overhead, letting John know the kids were waking up, or waking each other up. Tom had gone into town to prepare for their little 'surprise'. John wasn't sure how good the idea actually was, especially after Bobby took considerable pleasure in detailing the trouble each child would probably get into. After all, the older kids' 'prank war' had been only a few weeks beforehand, and while the dye Kerri used on Dean had thankfully not been as permanent as she'd threatened, John knew the redhead still had retaliation in mind.
Another thud sounded from overhead, this one considerably louder than the last. John sighed, pushing away from the table, the early morning silence all but forgotten. He should probably check on them before one of the kids came tumbling down the stairs. He knew Mary was having a good laugh at his expense.
"What're you guys doing up here?" John asked, making his way up the back stairs to the landing where Kerri and Evelyn's rooms were. The house was more of a maze, something John liked. It was impossible for anything supernatural to get within its walls, but on the rare chance something did, it would have a hell of a time trying to navigate the structure.
"Nothing." Evelyn's voice echoed down the hall, guilt dripping from the nine year old's voice.
"It doesn't sound like nothing." John called back, now standing outside Evelyn's room.
"I promise it's nothing." Evelyn called again. And John was immediately on guard, why was Evelyn the only one answering? Another loud bang had John rushing into the room.
Evelyn was kneeling beside the door to the bathroom which adjoined she and Kerri's rooms, Sam kneeling beside her with a screwdriver. "This really doesn't look like nothing."
Sam and Evelyn spun around, the two nine year olds surprised they'd been caught in whatever it was they were doing. John couldn't help but laugh, Sam's hands frozen by the doorknob, Evelyn hiding a flashlight behind her back. "Where're Kerri and Dean?" John asked, noticing the thirteen year olds weren't in the room.
"In there." Sam began, pointing at the door.
"And you need a screwdriver because?"
"The door's stuck."
"How'd it get stuck?"
"I dunno." Sam answered quickly.
"Sam?"
"It wasn't me."
"Are they stuck in the bathroom or the bedroom?"
"Bedroom." Evelyn answered back, earning a 'shush' from Sam. "What, he's gonna figure it out." Evelyn whispered back.
"So why don't they use the bedroom door?" John asked patiently. He really hoped the prank wars hadn't started up again.
"I dunno." Sam answered.
"Cause that one's stuck, too." Dean's muffled voice came from the area of the bathroom door. Good, John thought, at least they were conscious. Now on to the more pressing matter, like why where Dean and Kerri both currently trapped in Kerri's bedroom. And what were the teens doing in there together to start with? No, John thought, he definitely wasn't going to let his mind go there.
"Dean, report?" John began, taking the screwdriver and flashlight from the kids and examining the door.
"Kerri and I were watching a movie and fell asleep. We woke up this morning and couldn't get out."
Movie, good. "What did I say about pranks?"
"Hey, all I was doing was sleeping."
"Sam? Evelyn?"
"It was Sam's idea." Evelyn began quickly, earning a punch in the arm from Sam. "Don't hit me." Evelyn punched back, harder than Sam had hit her.
"Then don't hit me either." Sam hit again.
John stepped in mere moments before a full blown boxing match broke out, the two nine year olds now pushing each other. "Knock it off." John ordered, pulling the pair apart. "Now, what happened?"
"We," Sam began, eyeing Evelyn, "found a gun full of silly putty and put it in the locks and stuff on the doors. I didn't think it would be that sticky."
"A gun full of silly putty?"
"Yeah, in the basement."
Oh god, John thought, turning his attention back to the door. "What have I told you about going through the supplies in the basement?"
"Not to touch the hunting stuff. But this was silly putty."
"Just, don't touch anything down there." John snapped, trying to figure out his next move. Sam and Evelyn had creatively enough sealed the doors with caulk. Oh yes, weren't kids wonderful.
"John?" Tom's voice added to the confusion, the other hunter calling up the back stairs.
"In the girls' rooms." John called back, trying to wedge the screwdriver in the seams of the door. Sam and Evelyn hadn't been messing around, there was caulk everywhere.
"What's up?" Tom asked a moment later, coming into Evelyn's room. "What's wrong?"
"Sam did it." Evelyn answered quickly.
"We did it." Sam shot back. John wondered if the kid even knew he'd just openly admitted to it.
"Did what?" Tom asked, eyeing the kids and John wearily. "And were are Kerri and Dean?"
"Over here." Dean called through the door.
"Evelyn and Sam thought it would be fun to seal the doors with 'silly putty'." John sighed, holding up the caulking gun.
"You're joking, right? How long ago did they seal it?"
"Last night." Sam mumbled, looking down at his feet. "We were all watching a movie and they fell asleep. That's when we did it."
"Damn it. So it had time to set?"
"Looks like it." John mumbled, giving up the screwdriver in favor of a knife.
"What did we say about pranks?"
"Like I said, I was sleeping." Dean ground out through the door. "At least we got the bathroom. That would really suck."
A sudden thought occurred to John— Kerri was being awfully quiet. "Dean, where's Kerri?"
"In here, where else would she be?"
"Can I talk to her?"
"Uh, she's a little busy. She's working on the other door."
John nodded to Tom, the other hunter going to check the front door to the room. He came back a moment later, shaking his head. "Dean, we know she's not there. Dean?" They were up to something, and at that moment, John wished he was on the other side of the door. Whatever they were planning wound definitely be a bad idea.
"Think we can just kick it down?" John asked, turning to Tom.
"I'd rather not have a demolition derby in here."
The sound of a crashing window ended the conversation. Both John and Tom ran to the first floor reading room, guns drawn. It was one of the many rooms which were seldom used, the house far bigger than anything the small families needed. The hunters made their way down the back steps, turning and racing through the parlor and formal dinning room before making it to the reading room. They showed up just in time to see the tail end of what looked like a sheet rope being pulled back up, Kerri's sneakers momentarily visible.
John dropped his gun, following Tom back upstairs, "Those two are gonna be the death of me."
"Maybe they'll grow out of it."
"They're thirteen, they're just growing into it. Dean!" John yelled through the door, another thud and some muffled cursing greeting him.
"Uh, yeah? What's up, Dad?"
"What's up? Is Kerri back in the window or still dangling from the side of the house?"
"She's back in the window."
"Kerri?"
"I'm ok. How're you, John?"
John just closed his eyes, praying for patience. He wasn't sure Tom's surprise was that good of an idea anymore. "Back up, I'm kicking the door in."
"I already tried that, it didn't work."
"I think I can kick a little harder than a thirteen year old girl."
"Suit yourself."
John just shook his head, Tom going to work on the bathroom door as John started kicking at the bedroom door. It took several minutes and a lot of cursing, but finally the door flew open. Kerri and Dean were sitting innocently in the middle of the room, a tangle of sheets and curtains around them— the pair obviously trying to dismantle their impromptu ladder. John sighed, wondering for about the hundredth time that morning if they should go through with Tom's plan. Sure, there would be opportunities to train, but other than that it was just going to end up as a way to lose the kids.
"Hey, Dad." Dean smiled innocently. John shook his head, why couldn't children come with instructions?
"Get cleaned up and come downstairs, all of you." John pointed to the four children.
"We didn't do anything wrong, we were just sleeping." Dean defended, trying to put an innocent look on his face.
"So you were just sleeping when you decided to repel out the window?"
"We were hungry." Kerri answered back matter-of-factly, like that would explain everything. John wondered if the two thirteen year olds realized just how dangerous their 'escape route' actually was.
John didn't even bother answering, choosing instead to head down to the kitchen, knowing the others would follow. Dean knew better than to disobey a direct order, and while the young man didn't often use his brain when he came up with a 'plan' John knew a few things about the boy for certain. John didn't speak as he made his way downstairs, though there was considerable noise behind him. Dean and Kerri were whispering among themselves, their voices too low for John to hear, while Evelyn and Sam were trying to defend themselves in the midst of Tom's reprimand.
John bypassed the kitchen, pointing instead to the sofas in the living room.
"Is something wrong?" Dean asked, the voices behind John finally lessening. The activity in the house always centered around the large kitchen. John wasn't sure if it was the layout of the house, or just the way things were, but when in doubt, the kitchen was normally a good place to look.
"Not at the moment, though don't think I'm gonna let this morning slide. Now, sit."
The four children complied without question. They all sat shoulder to shoulder on the larger of the two sofas, their eyes locked on their fathers. In that moment they looked more like a bunch of criminals lined up for mug shots.
"First things first." John began, crossing his arms as he paced in front of the kids. "Before we go any further I'm gonna lay down some ground rules. One, after this morning I'm not even sure this is a good idea so, if anyone disobeys an order it will be home right away."
"Where're we going?" Dean asked, sitting up straighter in his seat. John couldn't tell if the thirteen year old was worried or excited.
"Tom?"
The four children turned to face the other hunter. Tom was standing behind the sofa, his dark eyes studying John. The older man just sighed, walking around to stand by John. "I first want to say I'm behind John's rules on this one. There will be no time for pranks, and I mean it. All of you." He pointed to each child in turn. They both knew that while Sam and Evelyn pretended to be innocent kids they were just as responsible as their older siblings.
"Are you sending us to juvie or something?" Evelyn asked, eyeing her father suspiciously. "Cause the silly putty thing was all Sam."
"You liar." Sam turned to her so fast John was sure he'd given himself whiplash.
"I do not lie." Evelyn shot back indignantly.
"You lie all the time."
"I do not, you lie."
"Yo!" Tom yelled over the growing argument, silencing Sam and Evelyn instantly. "I'm seriously reconsidering this."
"I thought it was a bad idea from the start." John interjected, earning a scowl from Tom. "I'm just saying."
"I know."
"What're you two hiding?" Kerri asked, eyeing the hunters quizzically. She didn't trust people all that often, even when one of those people was her father.
"We're going camping." Tom announced smiling. John had to stifle a laugh, the other hunter sounding like he was telling the kids they'd all just won the lottery and based on the looks he was now receiving the kids didn't see things the same way.
"Camping?" Dean asked, his gaze drifting back and forth between he and Tom.
"Camping." John stated, Tom having gone mute at the lackluster response the kids were giving him.
"Outside?" Evelyn asked, her face twisting in disgust. "Like, on the ground?"
"Well, in a tent on the ground I would guess."
"Why?"
"Because it'll be fun." Tom broke in, crossing his arms.
"And it'll give us a chance to train a little."
"John, we talked about this already." Tom growled, turning away from the four sets of inquisitive eyes studying them.
"I know we did, and we came to a decision."
"Do you really wanna go over this is front of the kids?"
"Do you really want them out of control in Yellowstone?"
"We're going to Yellowstone." Sam pipped up, a smile growing on his face. "Cool."
"We're not going to sight see, Sam." John turned from his argument with Tom. He didn't want his boys out in the open, out in danger. Thousands of people passed through Yellowstone everyday, and John knew it would be impossible to monitor his children in such a large crowd. "We're gonna be in one of the smaller, back country camps."
"Yeah, but we'll still be able to see the geysers and stuff, right?"
"No."
"But, Dad, why not!" Sam pouted, suddenly acting like the typical nine year old.
"Because I say so. We can still cancel this entire trip."
"Might as well. We'd save money just camping in the backyard." Sam mumbled, slouching on the sofa.
John rubbed his tired eyes. There was a reason children were born not knowing how to talk— it made them a whole lot cuter. "So none of you want to go?"
"Not really." Dean answered, adding in 'Sir' a second later. "No offense, but Kerri and I had plans this summer."
"Plans? You're thirteen."
"Yeah, and?"
"Ten minutes." John announced, tired of all the back talk. They were going camping, whether the kids wanted to or not. Screw the fact that he himself didn't want to go— he wouldn't stand for insubordination.
"Ten minutes for what?"
"Till we head out. You've got ten minutes to pack up and meet back down here."
"But we don't wanna go? I thought you just gave us the choice."
"I would have left the choice to you had it not been for the bed sheet repelling."
"So you're taking us on vacation as punishment?"
"Just get your things together, Dean." John sighed, turning and heading to the kitchen. This was quickly turning into one of those days.
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Dean trudged up the back stairs, he really didn't know what his dad was up to. Going on vacation as punishment? Maybe he and Sam had finally managed to drive their father crazy. He offered Kerri and Evelyn an apologetic wave when they passed by the girls' rooms on the way to the large one he and Sam shared on the third floor. The blonde wasn't sure how this little outing would turn out. They did camp in the backyard all the time, and Dean loved it, so maybe the back country of a place like Yellowstone would be awesome. Then again, they were going to be with Dad and Tom, two wet blankets.
"Talk him out of it, Dean." Sam moaned when they entered their room.
"Yeah right, I'd like to see fourteen if you don't mind."
"Come on, Dean, you can talk to him."
"No I can't."
"You can at least try."
"Sammy, it's easier to just go along with it and make the best."
"And what happens when it isn't just camping? You always gonna hide your head in the sand?"
"Sammy." Dean sighed, turning his back on his annoying little brother. The brunette had been getting more and more mouthy the older he got. Yeah things weren't always fair, but that was life, and Sam needed to understand that. When he was a little kid everyone gave Sammy what he wanted, and the younger boy didn't seem to grasp that now he was older reality was going to start setting in.
"It's Sam." His little brother growled, pulling his own duffle from beneath the bed. Dean just rolled his eyes, throwing a few more things in his bag before heading down to the living room.
Dean slumped down onto the sofa again, his bag at his feet. He wasn't lying when he said he and Kerri had plans. Nothing earth shattering, but they had their own vision of what their summer together would be like— and it had nothing to do with camping. But at least he was spending the summer with Kerri, after all, things could be much worse. The previous summer had been spent in Alabama, holed up in a motel which had apparently never heard of a thing called central air. It sucked. After that spending a peaceful summer in Valley was all the more special.
Dean knew there was more to his father's momentary slowdown then the slightly cooler Wyoming summers. Dad had recently told him he'd be going on his first hunt in another few months, and the backwoods of Yellowstone offered the ideal place for training exercised. Dean had been over joyed when he learned he would finally be hunting— Kerri on the other hand was a different story. Ever since Dean told her he was going to be a hunter, she'd been trying to change his mind, in her own subtle way that is.
Kerri didn't often push people, didn't make them follow what she believed to be the right choice. As much as it hurt her, she always let the people she loved make their own decisions, and it was something Dean had always been grateful for. Too many people told him what to do and how to act, having Kerri backing him up was a welcome reprieve. But hunting, that was something she hadn't kept quite so quiet about.
The incident with the Watcher was still fresh in their minds. Dean was only eleven at the time, but that summer had nearly been his last. It was a hunt which had found them while their fathers were away, and they weren't prepared. Dean tried to explain that to Kerri, tried to get her to see that once he researched everything properly he'd be completely fine. Kerri, unfortunately, didn't believe him for a second. But then, she'd been in the hunting world longer than he had, she'd met more of the men she often called broken. She had seen the darker side of hunters, and while Dean tried to convince her he would never turn into one of the broken men, Kerri never embraced the idea of her best friend becoming a hunter.
"You ready?" Tom asked, coming into the living room from the kitchen. He and Dad had been packing the rest of the gear in the cars.
"Yup, though I think the princesses are dragging their feet." Dean added, noticing Kerri and Evelyn were still nowhere to be found.
"I'll run up and get them."
"We're coming, we're coming." Evelyn sighed dramatically, sluggishly making her way down the stairs. If Dean didn't know any better he would have thought the young girl was going to the firing squad. But then, Evelyn was definitely an indoor girl. "We were trying to fix Kerri's door."
"That's your own fault. Now get a move on, John's already got the Impala started."
"That sounds like Dad." Sam huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can I ride in the Firebird?"
"We won't all fit." Kerri spoke up, sitting on the bottom stair.
"Who said anything about all of us. You can ride with my dad."
"So you're planning on throwing me to the wolves and running?"
"Survival of the fastest."
"Did anyone ever tell you you're an ass, Sam."
"I did." Dean raised his hand.
"I'll ride with John." Evelyn pipped in. Out of both families Evelyn was the only one who never got on the eldest Winchester's bad side, and Dean could never really explain why. Sure she was sugar sweet when she wanted to be, but she had a stubborn streak that could give his dad an run for his money.
"Pick your poison, Ker?" Tom asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"I really don't feel like hearing about training exercises and hunting protocol the entire ride."
"You could have just said Firebird. Dean?"
"I'll ride with Dad."
"Alright. Let's head out."
Dean followed Tom out of the house, completely content with the driving arrangement. When Kerri and Dad were together conversation was stifled. It wasn't that they didn't get along, they were just never on the same page— and that caused tension. Sam, well Sam and Dad communicated through fighting. And Tom had taken up the annoying habit of listing college major after college major to Dean, telling him all the great things an education would get him. He, Evelyn, and Dad, they all just gelled better— which was needed on car trips.
"How'd you two managed to stick Tom with the trouble makers?" John asked as Dean and Evelyn took their seats.
"They opted for the nerd mobile."
Evelyn just snickered, staring out the backseat window as John followed Tom down the long drive.
"Can't handle the cool?" John smirked. Dean could see the tension lessen in his father's shoulders. The older man had been preparing for either a fight from Sam, or a lecture from Kerri, but he and Evelyn would offer neither.
"Damn straight."
"Language, Dean."
"Sorry. So, how long are we gonna be there?"
"Three days."
"Did you guys pack air mattresses?" Evelyn asked, her pale eyes turned to the front seat.
"No."
"Then I'm doubling up with Kerri's sleeping bag."
"And what's your sister gonna use?"
"Her ingenuity."
John and Dean both laughed, the Impala picking up speed as they turned off the winding drive to the Harrison's house. As expected, the car ride was peaceful. Dean and Dad talked here and there, but mostly listened to music. Even though the Harrisons were technically on the edge of the national park it still took a good two hours to get to their destination. The Impala's tires crunched over the gravel road which lead to the backcountry area of Yellowstone. Evelyn had complained, loudly, when she found out it was nearly a mile hike from the car to the area they had chosen to camp in. Dean didn't think it was all that bad.
They pulled into the campsite, the main entrance had all the amenities of modern day camping. A small general store, laundry, bathrooms and showers. And while the facilities were slightly primitive it was better than nothing. Evelyn didn't seem to see things that way, though.
"This is it?" she asked, still sitting in the car as everyone else got out.
"This is where we park." John answered. They had chosen parking spaces in the back, well hidden from anything which might pose a threat. It was hunting 101, and so ingrained in Dean's mind it was nothing short of second nature.
"I knew I should have stayed home." The nine year old mumbled, finally pushing open her door.
"Yeah, you could have held down the house while we were all off galavanting." Tom groused, pulling out one of the smaller packs and pushing it into the young girl's arms.
"I'm gonna adopt a different family." Evelyn swung the pack on her back and started up the train, slowly. Dean just rolled his eyes, grabbing his own bag and following the brunette.
It took an additional thirty minutes to make it to their camp. Dean had to admit, this wasn't a bad idea. It was warm, but not too warm, the afternoon sun breaking up among the thick canopy above them. They saw fewer and fewer camps as they made their way up the trail, which was perfectly fine with Dean. He didn't like being around large numbers of strangers. Strangers were dangerous, their motives unknown, and Dean was perfectly happy with his ragtag family.
"This looks good." John announced after a while, stopping at a large clearing. It was set back off the trail with good cover and a small stream running a short distance away. They were also the last people at the top of the trail.
They set up camp quickly, the afternoon sun warming their shady site. Dean was getting antsy. He wanted to do something, see something. Now they were actually camping Dean suddenly wondered what exactly they would all be doing for three days.
"So, what next?" He asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Why don't you guys scout out the area, look for some good fishing spots. I think hunting will bring too much attention."
"John, we talked about this." Tom growled under his breath, turning his back to the kids.
"Hunting and fishing aren't allowed in Yellowstone."
"Thank you, Sam." Tom added over his shoulder, shooting John another look.
"Then make sure you find a secluded place." John answered, not backing down. Dean had learned a long time ago, when Dad set his mind to something it was happening.
"Why are you so set on fishing in the first place?" Sam asked, eyeing his father.
"Because there isn't any food!" Evelyn cried out, rummaging through the rest of the packs. "There's just beans, bread and coffee."
Sam rounded on his father, his eyes hard. "You're unbelievable. Did you at least bring water or do we have to forage for that, too?"
Evelyn tossed Sam a bottle of water from Tom's bag, the two nine year olds grumbling something before taking off back down the trail toward the small store they had passed.
"Fun times." Kerri mumbled.
"Ker, not the time." Tom reprimanded, turning his attention toward the fire.
"How come everyone gets to have an attitude but me?"
"I don't have an attitude." Dean spoke up. He was smart enough to stay out of the argument between his dad and Sam.
"You wanna cookie now or something?" Kerri shot back, turning to follow the kids down the trail.
Dad just sighed, poking at the small fire he was building. "Keep and eye on them, Dean."
"Yes, Sir."
Dean caught up with the other three a few hundred yards down the path. They were all complaining to each other about their seemingly ill-fated camping trip.
"This is all your fault, you know." Evelyn stated, turning to Dean as soon as he caught up with them.
"How does that logic work?"
"If you and Kerri hadn't climbed out the window we wouldn't have been forced to come here."
"Last I checked we weren't the ones who sealed the doors shut."
"You could have just waited for us to fix it."
"Yeah well, next time check your finances before you start bitching to me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You and Sammy have any money on you?"
"No."
"Then have fun getting something to eat at the store." Dean smirked, pushing past them all. Dean never left the house without a little bit of cash in his pockets, just in case of an emergency. And Dad trying to fish for dinner definitely qualified.
"I didn't complain." Kerri added quickly, searching her pockets.
"You want a cookie?"
"Jack ass." Kerri kicked him as she walked past.
"Ow." Dean kicked back.
"Don't kick me, I'm a girl."
"Yeah right, you're dreaming if you think that line's gonna work." Dean punched her in the arm.
"Knock it off, Winchester."
"You started it."
"I did not. You're the one who suggested going out the window."
"And you're the one who went along with it. You should have said, 'no Dean, that's a bad idea'."
"Pardon me, I forgot I was supposed to be your conscience."
"Not conscience, voice of reason."
Kerri just rolled her eyes, falling back a few steps. Dean let out a long breath, they'd been in Yellowstone a grand total of three hours, and they were already at each other's throats. It was normally Sammy and Ev who got on each other's nerves, but lately he and Kerri had been at odds. Her hair was still way beyond short, but that had been an accident. Besides, he'd been green for almost two weeks, it was enough of a payback.
They wandered around the camp for a few hours, the other three staying a good ten feet behind him, talking among themselves. Great, on top of everything he was pubic enemy number one for the weekend. This was gonna be a whole lot of fun.
"Guys, stop." Kerri stated a moment later, stopping dead in her tracks, her arms going out to stop Sam and Evelyn.
"What?" Dean asked, eyeing her suspiciously. It wasn't a good thing when two or more of them were in leagues together.
"Did you hear something?"
"No."
"I thought I heard, never mind."
Dean shot her another look before turning back to the path, but he did walk a little slower. He hadn't been paying much attention to the forest, he was too lost in his own thoughts. It was dangerous and he cursed under his breath— his dad was right, he needed to train. He slowed down his heart rate, listening to the winds around him, to the sounds of the forest. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary. There were birds and small animals, the occasional fox. It was just a normal forest, but he couldn't be too careful.
"There." Kerri stopped again, looking to the darkening forest to her right.
"There what?" Dean asked, his senses ramping up. He didn't hear anything.
"You can't tell me you don't hear that."
"Ker, I don't hear anything out of the ordinary."
"Was it like a huff?" Sam asked, his eyes locked on the trees which lined the path. It was getting late in the afternoon and the once strong summer sun was beginning to wane, sending dark shadows throughout the woods.
"Yeah, you heard it?" Kerri asked, turning to Sam. Evelyn moved a step closer to her sister, the young girl hidden behind the redhead's back, she too staring into the trees.
"Yeah, I thought it was just the wind."
"Maybe it is. But I heard it up the trail and I swear I heard it again."
Suddenly a low huff sounded, so quiet Dean would have missed it had he not been searching for it.
"There, did you hear it that time?" Kerri asked, turning her blue eyes to Dean.
"Yeah, I heard that." Dean began, taking a step back. They needed to get back to camp. They were walking down a fairly broad trail, probably five or six feet in width. It didn't offer too much space between them and what was on the other side of the trail, but it was better than nothing. "Step over here."
"What, why?"
"Cause I wanna put some distance between us and the sound. We need to head back up the trail to camp."
The huff came again, a little louder this time. All three jumped, Evelyn's face still hidden behind Kerri. The brunette was holding her sister's arms, her face buried in the back of her t-shirt. "What do you think it is?" she asked, her voice muffled by the fabric.
"There's bears in Yellowstone, right?" Kerri asked quietly, backing up a step.
Bears, Dean hadn't thought of that. He took another step back, his green eyes scanning the trees. Something about bears freaked him out. He blames it on a lodge Dad made them stay in when he was seven. The owner was a big hunting fan and his prized possession, a ten foot tall stuffed grizzly bear, stood right inside the entrance to the lobby. Dean shivered, even thinking about it gave him the creeps. He took another step back, wishing the other three would take his lead and get the hell out of there. That last step proved to be his undoing, though.
Instead of meeting solid ground his sneakers found the edge of the trail. It had rained earlier that day, making the grass behind him as slick as ice. "Shit." he cursed, throwing his arms out, trying to stop the inevitable, but it was too late.
"Dean?" Kerri called out, rushing to the side of the trail. Her look of concern vanished the second she saw him.
They'd been walking along the side of a very steep hill, the drop off hidden by the massive trees. But now Dean could see the true degree of the slope— from his perch at the top of one of the pine trees. He'd only fallen about five feet before he came to a rest in the tree, but he still hit every branch possible along the way. This was definitely not gonna be a fun three days.
"Are you ok?" Kerri asked. At least she had the common decency to try and hide her laughter.
"Yeah, yeah. Do you still hear the bear?" Dean's concern immediately turned to the other three and whatever was in the woods.
"What bear?"
"The one that was huffing."
"The one that was huffing like this?" Evelyn asked as she and Sam appeared at the lip of the hill. She growled deep in her throat, opening her lips just enough for a tiny sound to slip by. It was only then Dean realized she'd been hidden behind Kerri the entire time.
"You guys suck." Dean yelled back, pulling himself up so he was sitting on a branch instead of hanging under it. "I could have been hurt."
"No one told you to jump off the trail." Sam smiled.
Great, Dean thought, at least Sammy was finally happy. Another thought suddenly came to Dean. He was sitting a good twenty feet above a very steep incline— and the pine tree had very few branches. "Yo Geniuses, how am I supposed to get down."
The other three stopped laughing, each one studying the forest off the side of the trail. Yup, Dean thought, he was definitely stuck.
"Could you shimmy?" Evelyn asked, earning a scowl from Dean.
"Shimmy?"
"Hey at least I'm trying. I don't hear anyone else with an idea."
"Slide down it like a pole." Kerri spoke up, making Dean roll his eyes.
"Are you guys all high or something?"
"Could you climb down with a rope? You know, wrap it around your back and do the lumberjack thing?"
Dean was about to reprimand Sam, too, but thought better of it. He looked at the tree. It was too wide for him to fit his arms around, making sliding and shimmying impossible, but Sam's idea had merit. "Do we have rope?"
"There's some in the car." Sam answered. Dean had to hand it to his little brother, for a kid who claimed he hated hunting he had all the skills for it.
"Do you have keys?" Kerri asked.
"I've got a lock pick." Evelyn answered, pulling the small pack from her pocket.
"Why do you have that?"
"Do you really wanna know?"
"Just get some rope." Dean called out. Even if they were just messing around, bears were still a real possibility and it would be dark in another two hours.
666666666666
John sat on a bench by the small store, scowling as he held a cup of coffee in his hands. He had finally relented and gone with Tom to the store. John used to hunt and fish with his father when he was young, it was one of his best memories. He didn't remember it being all that hard back then, maybe Yellowstone fish were just smarted. It was like the finned assholes were mocking him, jumping over his fishing line, popping up next to it— hell anything but actually getting snagged. Tom had tried to reassure him, but it wasn't really believable around the other man's laughter.
Tom, for his part, didn't catch any fish either, which was why they were now at the store buying dinner. Tonight the kids would win and get hotdogs, but John swore they'd be eating fish tomorrow if it killed him.
He looked away from the fire when he heard someone coming down the trail. John's hand when to the gun in his waistband, his sharp eyes staring down the trail. The sun would be setting soon and logic told him it was someone coming for a final bathroom break, but he knew not to take chances. His blood pressure increased a little a moment later when Sam and Kerri appeared.
"What are you doing here, and where are Dean and Ev?" He asked, knowing the answer couldn't be good. The pair didn't look all that worried, which led John to believe they were up to something.
"They're fine. Can I have the car keys?" Sam answered casually. John handed the boy the keys, watching as he popped open the trunk. He emerged a moment later with a coil of rope.
"And what's that for?" Fine didn't involve rope.
"Something." Sam shrugged.
"Kerri?" Tom asked, his voice stern.
"Dean might have fallen into a tree." The redhead answered.
The statement didn't make sense to John. Trees were up, how the hell would Dean fall up? But then, they were talking about Dean, Sam, Kerri and Evelyn— anything was possible.
"How did he managed to defy gravity and fall up into a tree?" John asked, pushing himself to his feet. He had to see this.
"It's pretty easy when the tree's at the bottom of a big hill."
"Is he ok?"
"Yeah, though I think it'll be safer for the rest of us if we leave him there."
"Why? And how'd he fall off a hill to start with?"
"He might have thought there was a bear." Kerri answered sheepishly.
"Damn it, Kerri." Tom shook his head, he and John following the kids up the trail. "What did we say about the pranks."
"It wasn't a prank. It's not our fault Dean's got an overactive imagination."
"Yeah, I'm sure it wasn't your fault."
John knew he should be pissed, knew he should give them all laps, but he couldn't stop chuckling. From the sound of it they were all fine. Besides, his big talking son was stuck in a tree because of an imaginary bear— that was enough punishment for the kid. John was pretty sure his ego was a whole lot more bruised than the rest of him.
He started laughing outright when they came up to the spot where Dean had fallen. The hill wasn't too steep, but enough to cause Dean to lose his balance and land, as Sam and Kerri had stated, in the branches of a pine tree. To add insult to injury he fell into a tree that looked like it had been recently cut back, leaving no lower branches. Fate was just against the kid today.
"Nice landing." John called. Maybe it was the mountain air, or just knowing his kids were being kids, but John couldn't be mad.
"They told me there was a bear."
"We did not." Evelyn called back. She, on the other hand, looked mad enough to explode. John wondered what the two had been talking about while Kerri and Sam went for rope.
"Ev was making bear noises. They were all trying to scare me."
"We were not!"
"Guys!" John yelled. Maybe he could be pissed after all.
"Dean's trying to get me in trouble."
"We you making bear noises?"
"Kerri told me to."
"I did not you little narc."
"Let's just get Dean out of the tree so we can have some dinner." Tom sighed, taking the rope from Sam.
"You actually caught dinner?" Evelyn asked, sounding amazed. The little brunette really made John wonder sometimes— maybe Tom was cursed.
"We'll talk about that later. How were you guys planning on getting him out of there?"
"He was gonna wrap the rope around him and do the lumberjack thing."
John studied the situation, it wasn't a bad idea. "Good thinking."
"It was Sam's idea."
"Good job, Sammy." John smiled.
"It's Sam, and thanks."
John just rolled his eyes, it was the best he was going to get with the boy. Talking to Sam was like walking on eggshells. It took several tries, but John finally managed to toss the rope to Dean. It didn't take long for him to climb out of the tree, but the hike back up the slick slope proved to be more of a challenge. The sun had set by the time a bruised and muddy Dean made it back to the trail.
"Freaking bears." He crumbled, pushing Kerri the second he was on his feet. John believed whole heartedly that Kerri was behind the whole thing.
"I said don't push me." Kerri growled, pushing Dean back harder.
"Then don't push me." He shoved her back.
"Stop it." She threw her weight into him, making him stumble back toward the embankment he had just climbed up.
"Make me." Dean push, nearly knocking Kerri off her feet.
"Cool it." John shouted, pushing the teens apart. He never understood how a bunch of kids who considered each other friends could fight so much.
"Dean started it."
"I just spent a freaking hour in a tree!"
"Next time look before you leap."
"Knock it off, both of you." John was really worried the two would come to actual blows. "Dean, hit the shower."
"Yes, Sir." Dean mumbled, bumping into Kerri and nearly knocking her over as he passed.
"I'll go make dinner." Tom sighed, grabbing their bag from the shop and heading back up to camp, leaving John on the trail with the remaining kids.
"You know, your evil little plan isn't gonna work." John stated, staring at the three.
"What little plan?" Evelyn asked coyly.
"We're camping for three days, and no amount of drama or fighting is gonna change that. Not even sacrificing Dean for the cause." John turned, smiling when he heard the three grumbling behind him. He was pretty sure Dean had no clue the other three had decided to make him a martyr for their cause, but John definitely knew what was going through the kids twisted little minds.
a/n2: i had to add in john's trouble with fishing. i camp a lot, and one of my brothers decided he was gonna go fishing the last time. lets just say the fish could have jumped out of the water and slapped him and he wouldnt have caught it. it was hilarious to watch hehe.
