Broken Promise
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John was in an exceptionally good mood.
Last night he had returned from a successful hunt, had managed to get a sound night's sleep and his sons had both been strangely accommodating and cheerful when he had woken up this morning.
Usually Dean would be torn between being glad to see him back safely and annoyed because of the extra days he had been away, but he had never seemed happier.
Even Sam who never gave him as enthusiastic a welcome as Dean did, ever preferring to stand behind his brother as if in some away unsure of his dad, regarded him with a softer expression in his wide-set eyes.
John hated to admit it but five year old Sam sometimes made him feel uncomfortable, especially when he caught the child's eyes on him. They seemed to bore right through him as if looking into his very soul.
John shook off the ridiculous feeling. Sam was a cute kid, nothing more, he assured himself although the treacherous notion didn't go away, it just fell into the back of his mind where he stored away snippets of lore for future reference.
He chided himself for somehow thinking of his son as a potential danger and turned his attention to Dean.
X
"We're all ready and packed up, Dad," Dean was saying enthusiastically, a toothy smile plastered on his nine-year old face. "Here, I got you coffee from the diner next door," he added holding out the cup for John to take.
"Thanks, son," John acknowledged.
Dean was a good son, bright, focused, obedient and loyal. He would make a first-rate hunter when he was older. He already knew a great deal about the life; he had been tasked with he job of looking after Sam and he had done a damn good job of it, protecting him against all predators, whether human or supernatural.
He glanced at his younger boy.
Sam was only five but he had already proven to be as stubborn as a mule especially where John was concerned. The only one he really listened to was Dean.
He understood it wasn't right to foist all the responsibility for raising Sam on Dean's shoulders but he knew that until he had gotten vengeance for Mary's death, not even the welfare of his sons would stop him in his quest.
X
"So, has everything been okay while I've been gone?" he asked calmly.
"Yeah, no problems, dad," Dean nodded, although he averted his eyes slightly, a sign of him not being one hundred percent truthful.
""We just ran out of Lucky Charms, 'cos Dean had no more money, " Sam's childish voice piped up, causing Dean to glance back at his little brother in warning.
"Shut up Sammy! Dad's back now and you can eat as much as you want," he scolded.
Sam hid himself even more behind his big brother's back at the reprimand and Dean could feel him fisting the back of his shirt in his hands.
Dean sighed.
He felt like a buffer between his dad and his little brother, loving them both but eternally torn between defending one from the other. However, as in everything else he was a quick learner and had honed the ability of peacemaker too.
X
"We were fine, dad, " he insisted. "Sam sometimes gets things mixed up. Anyway, we're ready to go."
X
That was the second time Dean had referred to going but John was quite happy to hang around here another day or two. He needed a break although the hunt had only left him with a few scratches that he had easily taken care of himself.
"Why all the rush, Dean?" he asked as he sipped the hot coffee. "We can hang around here a couple of days more until I have to go off to see another 'client'.
X
He saw Dean's face fall and heard Sam's whispered. "See, I told you Deanie."
"But Dad," Dean prompted almost pleadingly. "Don't you remember what you told me before you went off last week?"
John thought back to when he had left.
He remembered that Dean wasn't in the best of moods, openly hostile, not wanting him to leave as Sammy had been in the throes of a fever; asking him to wait another day or so until his little brother felt better, but he had left just the same with the excuse that it was very important for him to stop anyone else getting hurt and that he knew Dean would assist Sam better than he ever could.
Dean had looked at him with a strange unforgiving expression in his eyes, a look that had frightened John.
He was used to adoration from his elder and he had blurted out the first thing that had come into his head. Lying came second nature to him now and he wasn't above manipulating his kids when need be.
"When I get back, you me and Sam will go on a trip to the Gran Canyon. We'll be a normal family for a couple of days, no hunts, no monsters and no training, just you, me, Sam and lots of ice cream!"
x
So that was what this was all about. The expectant faces on his kids were because of that.
John sighed.
He was short on cash; a trip to the Gran Canyon right now was out of the question. He would have to hustle some pool in the day or so they spent here.
He glanced t Dean but he saw that his son had already understood. There would be no Grand Canyon, not now and perhaps not ever.
Dean's eyes turned hard as he looked away and took Sammy's hand.
"Come on Sam, Let's go outside. It's a lovely day. We can go to the park round the corner. You know how you love the swings."
"But Dean, aren't we going to...?"
"No, Sam we're not. Not today."
X
He pulled his protesting brother out the door without a backward glance.
John felt like the worst of fathers and yet there was a part of him that was strangely satisfied. His sons would have to learn that life was a bitch and that to stay alive a white lie now and then was necessary, even if it meant losing something in the process.
He made his way to the bathroom, his mind already occupied with other thoughts; the Grand Canyon completely forgotten.
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