"Are you sure you're up for this, Sammy?" Dean knew all to well that he had been coddling his little brother a lot lately because it always left a strange taste in his mouth. It's all too soft for Dean's palate but who could blame him? After all of what Sammy had told Dean the night they almost closed the gates to Hell, Dean had to make sure that Sam knew there was nothing in the world that Dean would or ever could put before his little brother.
Sam rolled his eyes from the other side of the Impala, "I'm fine, Dean." His giant figure ducked down and slipped into shotgun.
The Winchesters had heard about a lot of disturbances ever since the angels fell from heaven but this was the first case they'd decided to explore. Sam was especially keen to investigate, though he wouldn't tell Dean why. They were going to Kermit and Dean had suspected that Sam had put that time behind them.
The Impala purred and then roared to life and the elder Winchester felt that familiar surge of anticipation shoot through his veins like it did before every hunt. The thrill never got old.
Dean wondered if Sammy felt the same thrill, if his father or mother had ever felt it. Or if he was the only Winchester to let the hunt become apart of who he was. There was no denying that being a hunter made you who you were, but Dean often felt different. Like it wasn't just apart of his character but apart of his DNA, a part of his very blood. Perhaps, it was a coping mechanism, Dean had thought of that, but whatever it was, hunting made Dean feel good despite all of the shit that was constantly happening around them.
When the angels fell, Dean was ashamed because he'd felt good then too. While he held his brother against the Impala and watched all Heaven break loose, the elder Winchester had felt himself fill with the anticipation of the trouble to come. The angles wouldn't fall without a fight and it was up to Sam and Dean to control their rage. He was filled with hope but he was ashamed; he should have been upset, or sad, or something, but he just couldn't bring himself to Sam's level of empathy. He'd break if he ever did that.
"You'll tell me if you feel so much as a goddam headache, right, Sammy?" Dean pulled into the interstate and merged with the modern cars that held innocent families, cheating spouses, and drunken teenagers while he questioned his little brother who carried the elements to shut the door to hell for good under his skin. No family was without complication.
Heat spread like wildfire over Dean's right side; it was Sam's gaze that started the blaze. Dean could almost hear his little brother growling, Quit acting like I'm a child, Dean. He didn't need to look back at Sam to know that even if he agreed to let Dean know if the trials were taking their toll, Sam wouldn't tell the truth. Like always, Sam'd lie to spare Dean's concern and commiseration, and suffer alone.
So, Dean didn't say anything else; he just drove towards the supernatural.
A sign came into view several hours later reading: Kermit, Texas. Pop. 5,763. Driving down North Pine Street, Dean rolled down his window and breathed in the Texas air and immediately regretted it. It smelled of fertilizer and manure.
"Goddman cow shit," Dean muttered rolling his window back up.
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."
"Not that bad? Huh. What's got you all nostalgic for Kermit? You hated the Muppets."
Sam didn't reply and that made Dean worry. He looked over at his brother for a moment only to find the big guy's lips tilted in a half-smile. Maybe Dean should quit being such a pessimistic worrier and trust his brother.
The Impala rolled to the end of Pine Street and Dean found they were at a crossroads. He hated crossroads and every time he drove through one he could never shake the uneasy feeling from his bones. The Impala sat at the intersection, waiting for Dean to choose a direction. But Sam had the map and the boy was lost in his head again.
"Sam," Dean hit his brother in the shoulder. "Which way." He said it deliberate and slow in case his brother took a while to come out of La La Land.
Sam blinked and looked at the crumpled paper in his hands, "Uh… West Austin until you get to South Poplar Street on your right and follow that to Jim Sharp Boulevard."
Dean hit the gas drove in the direction his brother told him.
"Jim Sharp Boulevard, eh? How'd you like to be a famous bull rider and have a road named after you?" Sam wasn't listening but Dean continued anyway. "I mean, you make your fortune trying not to fall off a bull and then for the rest of your days and after Death comes a knockin' people are constantly driving over your name. Jim Sharp. Jim Sharp. Jim Sharp needs to be paved. Jim Sharp just popped my tire," Dean seemed to be tasting the name in his mouth, "I feel for him, man."
After about eight minutes the brothers arrived at the Kermit Inn. When Dean parked he noticed that Sam's smile had faded and he now held a slight grimace about his features. He was about to ask Sam if he was okay and then thought better about it. He slammed the door shut and walked to the front entrance of the Inn with his brother behind him.
Dean ordered one room with two singles, as usual, and took the keys from the clerk. They walked along the outside of the building towards a two-story structure and entered the room that was on the top floor on the far corner.
"Great balls of fire, there's a mini fridge!"
"More beer!" Sam mocked halfheartedly.
Dean shot his brother a look. "Ha ha."
"There's a place down the road called 'Jimmy's Liquor' if you're desperate."
"How the hell do you know that?"
This took Sam aback. He didn't answer for a few seconds and it was long enough for Dean to realize that the answer was a lie, "I saw a sign on our way in."
Dean coughed and dropped the duffle bag of guns, salt, and other supernatural-killing weapons onto the bed closest to the door, "Yeah, whatever." With that, Dean left the room and made his way to Jimmy's Liquor.
When Dean returned he hadn't expected Sam to still be in their room. He'd expected Sam to sneak off and do something behind his brother's back to give Dean further reason to believe his brother was hiding something again. But there he was, large as life, hunched over his laptop researching recent disturbances, for a place to begin their investigation.
Dean's thoughts floated back to the night the Angels had fallen and he kicked himself. Sam had told Dean that his greatest sin was how he felt he's failed his brother. And at that very moment Dean was doubting Sam. He was completely disregarding what he should have learned. If Sam knew of his suspicion it certainly wouldn't help their position. So, with all of his conscious effort, Dean pushed back his supposition and loaded the mini fridge with beer.
"There was a burrito place down the road too. I thought we could eat in tonight."
"Sounds good," Sam looked up from his screen for the first time. "I found something. There have been three consecutive fires in the past three weeks. The first was in Plaza Park, the second in Walton Park, and the third in Boy Scout Park."
"Boy Scout Park? Really?"
Sam ignored Dean's remark and moved on, "The strange thing here isn't that the fires have all been dubbed as created by nature, the heat of Texas, but that there is a pattern in the fire."
This got Dean's interest. "Pattern." He moved behind Sam, bracing himself against his brother's chair to get a better look at the map Sam had on the screen.
"The fires are travelling south through Kermit. There are seven major parks in Kermit; the fires could have happened anywhere but the parks are burning down in order."
"That's not nature."
"Nope."
"So not fallen angels? They were all pretty fiery."
"As far as we know they all fell at the same time but I wouldn't say no to the angel theory."
"Why?" Dean stepped back from Sam and moved to the bag of burritos on the counter.
"Well if I was an angel who got kicked out of Heaven I'd be pretty pissed."
Dean spoke through a mouthful of food, "You think the angels that fell here are trying to get Metatron's attention?"
Sam shook his head, "No. Kermit's too small and it's in the middle of nowhere, the closest city is twenty-three miles away. There has to be another reason why they'd be starting these fires—if it is the angles. Anyway," Sam said reaching for his burrito, "they only have one more park to hit before the pattern is forfeit."
"Well, at least we know where they're going next."
Sam looked at the map on his laptop and read out loud, "Kermit City Park."
"Original." Dean raised his eyebrow sarcastically and stuffed the rest of the burrito in his mouth. Dean was at the door before Sam could even suggest that they investigate after eating. "Are you coming?" Dean's words were garbled through food. But Sam had already mastered that language.
"That's the fastest I've seen you move since… ever!" Sam stood sliding his laptop under his arm.
"All those guilty of arson should burn."
"But Cass could be with them."
Dean didn't respond. The brothers turned off the lights and headed to the site of the last park fire.
Next: "What's their M.O?"
"Crowley would be proud."
"Sold. Sold. Sold"
"Damnit, Sammy."