Title: The Usual Suspects
Fandom: Supernatural
Author: Rosegirl94
Characters: Dean, John, Sam
Warnings: Language, slight child abuse
English is not my native language, so if you notice a major mistake within the story, please don't hesitate to correct me ;)
Summary: Dean went to prison for one night and John has absolutely no idea how to deal with his son afterwards.
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Sadly. Just the idea belongs to me.
Reviews are love.
John Winchester woke up in the middle of the night. At first, he didn't know why he did but then he heard his cellphones vibrating on his bedside table.
He looked at his alarm and noticed that it was three o'clock in the morning. Who the hell would call now? He picked up.
"Dad?", someone asked in a low voice.
"Dean?!", John asked unbelievably while looking around the room for his son; hoping that Dean had played a prank on him.
"Dad... I need you to pick me up."
"Where the hell are you, Dean?"
"In prison?", he said uneasy.
"What the... How did that happened? How much is the deposit?"
"400$."
"What did you get caught for?"
"Underage drinking and playing pool."
"Are you hurt?"
"No sir."
"Then I am going to pick you up tomorrow. You can actually endure being a night in prison." John hang up before Dean could actually reply anything. John could not go to sleep after that call, he worried too much about Dean but the kid had to notice that his father meant business when he told his kid to keep a low profile.
The next morning, Sam was up first and tried to wake his father.
"Dad. Dad, get up, it is important."
"What is wrong, Sammy?", John asked sleepy after having a rough night.
"It's Sam... anyway... Dad, Dean is missing."
"He is not.
"He isn't?"
"No."
"Where is he then?" Sam asked whining.
"In prison."
"In prison?!"
"Son, I don't need you to repeat all of my sentences."
"Why is he in prison, Dad?", Sam asked shocked.
"'Cause sometimes your brother's decisions are dumb."
John got slowly up. Truth to be told, he just played the cold bastard. He was freaking out by the merely thought that his baby spend a night in prison, all by his own and unprotected.
He changed and told Sam that he would be back soon.
"Hey, my name is Winchester and I am here to pick my stupid boy up."
"Winchester- underage drinking and fake ID?"
John was so going to kill his firstborn.
"I think so. There won't be that many Winchesters here, will they?"
John's patience was running low. He paid the deposit reluctantly and looked expectantly at the warden then.
"Follow me."
There he was. His son. Crouched in the very corner of the room. His head rested on his knees and his clothes and hair were all filthy.
The warden opened the door and cleared his throat. Dean looked up and when his eyes met John's, he dropped them again. Dean's face was a total mess- it had several bruises and dried blood on it.
John caught a glimpse of Dean's inmate. He was at least in his late 30's and didn't look that nice... How could they put a seventeen-year-old boy in the same cell as a man around his 30's?
"Dean..." John said impatiently.
Dean got up and walked out of the door.
"What do you say?", John growled.
"Sorry."
"Dean..." John said annoyed when Dean failed to look the warden in the eyes.
"I am sorry for causing trouble, sir.", he said while looking at the warden.
"I don't ever want to see you here again.", the man replied.
"Me neither and anyway, my dad will make sure of it." Dean simply said.
Dean and John walked out of the prison towards the Impala.
Dean intended to sit in the front but John just glared at him when he opened the door and said: "Backseat." Great, his dad was beyond pissed!
The drive back was very quiet as both of the men were thinking about what was coming next. John stopped the car at the motel driveway and got out. Dean followed. He opened the door and let Dean in.
"Sit." John said and put the kettle on.
"Do you want anything to eat?"
"No thanks, sir." Dean just wanted it to be over.
"I am going out, Dad." Sam said and it was just now that Dean noticed his brother, who totally ignored him. He got it- he scared the hell out of the kid and Sam won't forgive him until Dean gave him a proper excuse.
"See you later, son. Take care."
"So." John said.
"What is the story, son? What are you doing up at three o'clock in the morning?"
"I sneaked out to-"
"Damn straight! Since when is it okay to disobey my direct orders, Dean?", John shouted.
Dean looked a lot smaller after John's sudden outbursts. His dad was pissed and it didn't matter whatever Dean had to say, so it would be wiser to keep his mouth shut. He just shrugged his shoulders at John's question. John was fed up. He rose from his chair and grabbed Dean by the collar and slapped him hard across the mouth.
"You better answer me boy because I am put up with this nonsense! You go to bed now because I am very positive you didn't get a lot of sleep last night and when you wake up I expect some good answers or so help me God, Dean." John left the motel and banged the door on his way out and all of sudden Dean was alone. Alone with his thoughts and the misery that was called life.
Dean stood there for a while in complete shock before he stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt and went to the mirror in the bathroom. He looked awful. His father's fingerprint was clearly visible over the purple bruises and it hurt Dean more than he was willing to admit. He splashed some cold water in his manhandled face and went to bed.
He woke up some hours later and his watch told him that it was seven o'clock in the evening. He got up, made himself a sandwich and went for a quick shower then. Just when he got his boxers on he heard John's key in the door. He jumped back into bed- not yet quite ready to face his dad again- and pulled the blanket over his wet hair.
"I know Bobby. Boys will be boys but this was just unnecessary. He put us all at a risk with this stupid stunt... I know I just sometimes lose my temper with this boy. He knows better, Bobby... I swear, when I got the call I wanted to end him... I know, I know... Yeah, thanks anyway, I'll take to you later."
John sat down at the end of Dean's bed and had a hand at Dean's ankle.
"I know that you are awake.", he simply growled.
Dean removed the blanket from his head and looked at his father- unsure what to expect.
"Get some clothes on, I want to talk to you about yesterday."
Dean got out of bed and put a t-shirt on before sitting down at the table again.
"Why, Dean, why?"
"Dad... I really didn't intend to let you down."
"I just want an explanation son and I wanted it a night ago..."
"I was short of money?" Dean offered.
"I left you 100$, Dean, you can't have possibly run out of it in just two weeks."
"The rent was due..." Dean said and dropped his eyes another time. He should just spill the beans before his father got angry again- it would be sooner over.
"Oh..." John said guilty. He didn't know that it was due again.
"But it still doesn't explain your attitude towards your teachers lately and your never ending lateness- yeah, I know about it Dean, I got a call about it today- and the underage drinking."
"Dad..."
"Dean, I want some answers now because you are not a dumb kid, so tell me what the hell is going on in that little head of yours?!"
"As I said. We needed some money..." Dean said annoyed.
John slammed his fist on the table and his cup clinked. Dean quickly started talking:
"I brought Sam to school all week very early and went on for work then for an hour... If a new car just came in I couldn't just leave, so I got late for school. I am tired because I have worked at the nighttime as well after Sammy went to bed... I just had to earn some money to make some quick money. I got 200$ for both weeks and I wanted to make it double by playing pool... To make it more believable I had to act like one of them... including the drinking part. We had some beers and then we bet all our money. They thought it would be easy- me just being a kid and everything- but I won of course. And then they said that they don't bet with children, so I got angry and punched Don because I needed that money, Dad! And he punched me back and someone was calling the copes and me and Don ended up in the same cell then... That is really it, Dad..."
"Dean...", John said.
"I am sorry, Dad... For risking everything... but I didn't want to bother you with these simple things while you have to worry about so much more..."
"I will never worry about anything more than my boys, Dean. I want you to come to me with everything, no matter how simple and stupid it might look like to you."
"Yeah, dad. I promise...", Dean said still very unconvinced.
"Because now Dean, he didn't just loose your 200$ but my 400$ as well."
Dean looked as he had been slapped again. He blinked and just stared at his dad. Why did he always have to let him down?
John could read Dean's mind and felt immediately sorry for his words. He pulled his son, finally, in for a hug.
"I love you Dean and I am so grateful for everything that you do for this family. But you should always keep in mind: I am the dad and I am responsible for you guys. I don't want you to worry too much, okay? Anyway. Underage drinking- four years to early- isn't acceptable as it isn't okay to sneak out in the nighttime, are we clear?" Dean nodded, still his head resting at his Dad's shoulder. John felt that his t-shirt getting wet by Dean's tears but he didn't bother. He just hold his boy tight to his chest and let him be what he was: a boy seeking comfort from his hero.
"Good. You are grounded until further notice and you will retire from your job. I want you to concentrate on your school work only, are we clear? Let me worry about the money and pool."
"Yessir."
After a while John just said out loud what was still bothering him:
"And Dean, I am sorry for hitting you, I shouldn't have done that."
"It is alright Dad, I kind of deserved it."
"That still doesn't make it right, boy.", John sighed. The kid was way too good for him...
"Dad?"
"Yeah, Deano?"
"Thanks for everything."
John chuckled: "Oh boy, one day you will be the death of me... I love you so much Dean, always have and always will... What do you think about pizza? You might want to call your baby brother that you survived and that we are picking him up in half an hour."
"Yeah, I am starving!"
"Yeah, which really isn't a guideline as you can always eat." He ruffled Dean's hair, got up to get some painkillers and a glass of water and placed a kiss on his son's head then.
"You are the best son a father could ever wish for." Then John headed for the shower.
Didn't turn out as bad as imagined, Dean thought happily while taking his painkillers. His dad got mad but also said that he was proud of him. Moreover, he would get a big Pizza and had a chick-flick-moment with his old man. Oh, and bruises. God, the girls love bruised men.
He hadn't noticed his father getting out of the shower.
"What are you laughing about, Dean?"
"Just imagine how many girls I will get, now, that I have some nice stories to tell. The girls just love bruises, dude and now that I am going to retire from my job, I am going to have sooo much more time for dates.
"Which means studying of course.", John said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, studying girls.", Dean chuckled and John sighed.
"You are so gonna be the death of me, kiddo. Mark my words."