"Going Commando."
A/N: Ever since Season 6 Episode 3 I've thought that Jared Padelecki could pull off some of Arnold Schwarzenegger's earlier roles (I REALLY wanted to see him as "Connan" in the "Connan" remake but it just wasn't meant to be...).
Plotline: Dean's been "gone" fifteen years ... Sam now has a twelve year old daughter he's raising on his own as her mom is also "gone" and although Sam's trying to stay out of hunting he's stayed in shape, up to date on his knowledge of "what's" out there, he keeps his home protected and well stocked with everything he'd need for if "anything" ever came after him and he's made sure his daughter knows how to defend herself against all the evil "things" out there ... then one day "something" does come for him and it turns out to be "something" even he can't handle and his daughter is taken. Sam does what any father that's also a hunter would do. This story is about what happens when a Winchester goes "Commando".
"AMBUSHED."
Secluded high in the mountains there's the loud racket of a chainsaw that only one person can hear and that's exactly how Sam likes it, no one around for miles to complain about the noise, and other than the roar of the chainsaw it's peaceful and safe and perfect.
Sam cuts off the chainsaw's motor, sets it down on the ground, hauls the huge log he's just cut up and over his shoulder then reaches down to retrieve his chainsaw and carries them through the trees along the three mile path that he's been walking every morning for the better part of seven years towards the cabin he calls home.
It's a beautiful yet warm Spring morning and Sam had to discard his long sleeved overshirt as he continued the sweat breaking work of chopping wood. He was just past halfway through when suddenly there was a barely audible noise from behind him. Sam pretended not to hear it instead raising the axe so that he could see the reflection of "who" or "what" was behind him in it's shiny blade. The reflection revealed only a blur of a humanoid shape and the blurred colors of it's clothing but the shape, the colors and the attempt at a sneak attack are all something Sam not only recognizes but is used to as an almost everday occurance and he let a smile creep accross his lips as the blurred figure inched closer...
Just when the figure was within arms reach Sam dropped the axe, spun around grabbed the figure that had been sneaking up on him and started tickling it reveling the squels of "Daddy!" ...
The little girl squirming in Sam's grasp laughed and squeled till both she and her father were nearly breathless from rough housing before Sam finally let her go.
"You really almost got me this time." Sam panted.
"Yeah right." The little girl said with a roll of her eyes and Sam couldn't resist playfully ruffling her curly, light brown hair and proudly replying "No seriously Jenny you really almost got me." to assure his little girl that she was indeed becoming a formidable opponent for anyone or any"thing" that she might have to face on her own someday.
Jenny smiled up at her dad and said "I'm gonna make pancakes for breakfast. Want some?"
"Sure." Sam said even though Jenny's "pancakes" always came out more "black bricks" than anything relatively edible because he knew his cooking wasn't any better so he had no room to complain.
Thirty minutes later Sam was sitting at the table while Jenny shoveled scorched eggs onto his plate along side the "pancakes" she made.
Jenny put the still smoking skillet in the sink then joined her father for breakfast and Sam never felt so relieved to not have to eat something as Jenny held up a "pancake" and made a disgusted face before looking over at her dad and giving him a pout that rivaled his "puppy dog eyes" any day of the week as she asked "Can we just go out for breakfast?"
And just like he did everyday Sam smiled and nodded before clearing the table while Jenny skipped up to her room to get ready.
Sam hooked a trailer up to his big 80's Bronco and loaded it with a cord of firewood to sell while he was in town.
Jenny came came trotting out of the cabin letting the screen door slam behind her and jumping to clear the porch steps as she ignored her dad's "Don't slam the ... Use the... " like she always did ever since she was five and this daily morning ritual had started with Sam's own batch of burnt pancakes. Sam waved his hand and muttered "Never mind." as Jenny pried open the front passanger door of the Bronco and pounced into the seat. Even though going into town had been a daily ritual for years Jenny never failed to get exited over getting out of the house.
Jenny waited in the Bronco while Sam went into the local Merchant shop to sell the firewood then they were off to the local diner for breakfast.
"So what'll it be today?" Joked Cinthia as Sam and Jenny headed for "their" booth and even though the waitress was sure that both Sam and Jenny knew the diner's menu by heart she still handed them a menu everyday out of habit.
"Eggs, over easy, pancakes, sausage and hashbrowns with orange juice." Sam said as he handed back the menu without even glancing at it.
"Okay." Cinthia said as she jotted down Sam's order before turning to Jenny and asking "What are you gonna have this morning sweetie?"
"I'll have eggs, sunny side up, french toast, sausage and hashbrowns with orange juice." Jenny replied also without having to look at her menu.
"Anything else I can get for y'all?" Cinnthia asked.
"No thanks Cindy." Both Sam and Jenny replied in unison.
Cinthia gave them a warm smile as she turned away to take their orders back to the fry cook.
When Cinthia returned with their food she looked over at Jenny and said "So y'all gonna do anything fun before school starts up again? Or does your dad plan on boring you to death again for this year's Spring Break?"
"Hey! I always plan fun stuff to do for all the school breaks!" Sam protested with a mocked tone of hurt feelings.
"Going to the duck pond does not count as fun." Cinthia scolded.
"Fine what do you think counts as fun?" Sam asked.
Cinthia reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out Season Passes to a theme park that Jenny had been begging to go to for almost two years and Sam didn't miss the wink Cinthia gave Jenny or the knowing smile that beamed on Jenny's face. Jenny still might need work on her stealth when it came to combat but she definitely didn't need more training in the "pulling one over on her dad" department.
All Sam could do was smile, accept the passes and silently curse himself for being a sucker.
As they left the diner Jenny looked at her dad and said "I was thinkin since we're already out ... "
"That it would be a shame to waste perfectly good Season Passes?" Sam finished her sentence in a reprimanding tone and the look the little con artist gave him made Sam ready to bend over backwards and give her, her way.
Sam let out a heavy sigh as he nodded and said "Get in the truck." in a tone of exasperation.
There were SEVERAL reasons Sam HATED theme parks and as he stared up in horror at the clown's smiling face positioned over the entry sign he suddenly had a great reason to LOATH this one.
"You don't have to be afraid of the clowns here daddy." Jenny's voices piped up from beside him as she continued with "Cause I'll kick their asses if they try anything stupid." in a more serious tone.
Sam turned to Jenny just in time to see her hazel eyes flash green with a look of obsessive protectiveness in them that instantly reminded him of Dean but then a fleeting second later the color of her eyes were back to normal and the look was gone as Sam stammered in as tone as stern as he could muster "Jenny watch your language."
"Okay daddy." Jenny chimed.
Father and daughter spent the rest of the day riding rides and beating obviously rigged carnival games closing the evening with Jenny offering her dad a bite of her icecream then deliberately shoving the icecream in his face as a joke to which Sam responded by wiping the icecream off his nose then getting even by doing the same thing to her. Sam told Jenny to remind him to "thank Cindy" (he knew it had really been Jenny's idea all along) cause he had to admit that this was one of the funnest days he'd ever had and Jenny gave her dad an ear to ear grin as she caught his appreciation for her in the subtext of his words.
When Sam and Jenny got back to their cabin it was close to midnight and a storm was starting to brew on the horizon. Sam barely managed to get a quarter rick of firewood into the cabin before the rain started.
There was thunder and lightning and even though Sam knew it might be just the storm causing the lights to flicker he had Jenny go to their "panic room" and he armed himself to the hilt as he never took chances where Jenny was concerned.
The front door exploded open and the power went out as the sound of rustling wings came from the kitchen.
True to the nature of the hunter he was raised to be, Sam was stealthy, graceful and fast as he sprung forward tackling the angel to the floor and positioning the tip of a deadly archangel's blade under it's throat.
"Cas?" Sam inquired as he recognized the angel's brilliant blue eyes as a flash of lightning momentarily lit up the interior of the kitchen.
"I apologize for disturbing you in your home Sam but it was urgent that I speak to you in person." Castiel stated in his usual monotoned voice.
"It better be Cas, I didn't let you know where I live for the pleasure of your company. Now tell me why you're here." Said Sam as he came to a stand and let the angel pick itself of the floor then he asked "Is it Dean? Have you found him? Can you bring him back?".
"No Sam I've looked everywhere but I still can't find Dean's soul." Castiel replied.
"Then whatever else it is you're here for, I'm not interested." Sam stated.
"Sam... Everyone you or Dean has ever worked with on hunts, everyone those hunters know and everyone you and your brother have ever saved have all been killed off one by one." Said Castiel.
"I'm really sorry to hear that but you're telling me all this to late for me to do anything about it." Said Sam as he fought the grief and anger that threatened to overcome him.
"Yes I am aware it is to late to save those who died but it's not to late to bring the one that killed them all to justice. But I need your help on this if I'm going to find the one that's committed this atrocity.
"Why me?" Sam asked.
"Because you and Dean are the only things all those who died have in common and since Dean's no longer an option..." Castiel said before Sam interupted him with "You need me as bait to draw out the coward that's killed over a hundred people. Sorry but as much as I want the scum that did this found and dealt with I promised Jenny's mom that I wouldn't go back to living the way I was before Dean died. So I'm sorry but I can't help you."
"You do realize the one behind this is targeting you?" Castiel asked.
"I've always been aware something might try to come for me but they will have to really come for me cause I'm not chasing after them. And when they do come I'll be ready." Sam said as he held up the archangel blade he nearly impaled Castiel with as proof.
"At least let me post a few of my brethren here to watch over you until the one behind the killings is brought to justice." Said Castiel.
"Yeah I think that's a good idea as long as they can be trusted but I don't want them coming inside the cabin." Sam replied then asked "Do you even know "WHAT" the one responsible for the killings is?"
"No, but I do have reason to believe it may be a higher level demon that's potentially stronger than any demon that any hunter has ever faced." Said Castiel as he turned away he continued with "And yes I can assure you that those of my brethren that I'm sending to watch over you can be trusted." and with that Castiel disapeared with a rustle of wings.
The sounds of several pairs of wings came from all sides of the cabin announcing the arrival of the "guards" Castiel had sent.
Sam went down to the panic room to let Jenny know it was safe to come out and she made her father proud by demanding he prove that he was really him, just like he'd taught her, before she exited the panic room. Once she was out she looked up at her dad and asked "So what'd he want?"
"He wanted me to work a job." Sam replied.
"What'd you tell him?" Jenny asked.
"That I made a promise not to go back to hunting and that I'm keeping that promise." Sam stated as he smiled down at his little girl.
When they made it upstairs Jenny looked out her bedroom window and asked "Dad what's with the "Goon Squad"?"
"They're here to help keep us safe." Sam chuckled as the thought of an angel other than Castiel being actually useful was indeed laughable.
"Hmmm ... Whatever." Said Jenny in a tone of annoyance as she climbed into bed then she looked over at her father as she got under her blankets and said "Night dad."
"Night sweetie." Sam said as he turned off her light before he headed downstairs to add extra protection wards and sigils in all the places he could make them.
SO ... what did ya'll think of the first chapter?... I also think Jared could pull of some of Patrick Swayze's earlier roles and I'm thinking of writing a "Roadhouse" one where Sam becomes a tough as nails bouncer... Anyway ... The next chapter is gonna reveal who's (and what's) behind the killings (No it's NOT Dean) and Jenny's gonna be taken. PLEASE REVIEW!