It has been a rough 10 months since the night John Winchester's view of the world was brutally altered. He had fallen asleep in the living room watching an old war movie when he was woken suddenly by Mary's scream. He rushed upstairs and into the nursery ready to defend his family; to do battle if necessary. When he found everything quiet and peaceful, the relieved breath that escaped him made him laugh a little as he checked his youngest. Sammy was just six months old and a very happy baby. He wasn't asleep yet, but seemed content and secure in his crib.
John reached down to lovingly cup little Sammy's head for a good night kiss when something warm dripped on his hand. Confusion slowed his reactions a bit as he examined his hand. Then, another drip had him looking up to locate the source. John's heart nearly stopped when he saw his young wife, Mary, pinned to the ceiling and bleeding directly over the crib of his youngest.
His first thought was that this was some horridly vivid nightmare until the flames burst around her and the heat drove him to the floor. Before he could catch his breath, he grabbed little Sammy and ran out of the room to find 4 year old Dean rushing to help. John quickly handed Sammy off to his first born.
"Take your brother outside and don't look back. Now Dean, Go!"
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John Winchester was too late to save Mary, but from that night forward, finding her killer nearly consumed his every waking hour and haunted his nights. What he saw went against everything he knew to be possible in the natural world. How can he ever hope for closure, for justice, when even John didn't believe what he had seen?
It didn't take long for John's obsession to irrevocably change the course of his two young sons' lives. Normal families' priorities revolved around home, health, and happiness. The Winchester's priorities were more basic: revenge and survival.