BRASS MONKEYS

A Supernatural Story by: Silvertayl

Disclaimer:

All recognisable characters remain the property of their respective creators and owners.

Story Notes:

Set in season 4. After 4:16 On the Head of a Pin. Spoilers for season 4!!!

This story has been floating around in my twisted mind after some time ago I came across an old brass ornament of the 3 wise monkeys that my mum had put away in the back of a cupboard years ago. So I shined up the brass monkeys and built this story around them. They now have pride of place on top of my TV and will remain there and never shoved back in the cupboard, ever again.

Beta for this story is once again msokiedokie.

Story Summary:

In the aftermath of events in Cheyenne. Sam takes Dean to Bobby's to recuperate and for some much needed down time away from angels, demons and the threat of the looming apocalypse. A mysterious death in Bangor, Maine garners their interest. Arriving in Bangor they find the body count is rising. It appears someone is using some ancient spell work and a brass ornament of The Three Wise Monkey's to murder.

What is the connection between the victims? Can the culprit be found and stopped before more people meet the same fate? Or will the brothers become the next victims?

Chapter Notes:

Here we go again, folks. Welcome to chapter 1 of Brass Monkeys.

This first chapter contains my take on how I think Sam would have reacted if he overheard the conversation between Dean and Castiel in the hospital at the end of: On the Head of a Pin.

"If we do not hear, see, or speak evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil."

(A 17th century Japanese religious principal)

Chapter 1

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Sam pressed his back against the wall beside the open door of Dean's hospital room. Out of sight of the two occupants but still able to hear their quietly spoken but intense conversation.

Dean's vocal chords damaged from the intubation and Alistair's hand around his throat giving his usual deep voice a much huskier, rougher tone. "Is it true... did I break the first seal... did I start all this?"

A hesitation before Castiel's answer. "Yes... when we discovered Lilith's plan for you, we fought our way to get to you before you-"

Dean interrupted. "So I started the apocalypse?"

Cas picked up where he had left off. "And we were too late."

"Why didn't you just leave me there then?"

"It's not... blame that falls on you Dean, It's fate. The righteous man who begins it, is the only one who can finish it."

Could this be true? Of course it's true. Cas had no reason to lie, he wouldn't, he's an angel for God's sake. Dean had broken the first seal in hell, he had begun the downfall of mankind, life as we know it. He was there in hell because of me, because he sold his soul for me, to bring me back from the dead. He was on the edge before, hanging by his fingernails and this... this will push him over he'll lose his grip he will never be able to deal with this knowledge and it's my entire fault, all of it.

"Bull." Dean's forceful expletive reached into Sam's reverie and brought Sam back to the conversation between the angel and his brother. What had Cas said to evoke the one word outburst.

"I don't.. Dean they don't tell me much... I know our fate rests with you."

"Well then you guys are screwed."

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

The next words Sam heard from Dean were filled with a quiver of emotion and tears.

"I can't do it Cas; it's too big Alistair was right, I'm not all here. I'm... I'm not," his voice hitching on the next words, "I'm not strong enough. I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else, it's not me."

Dean's heart wrenching confession caused Sam's breath to catch in the lump of emotion lodged in his throat. He leaned his head back against the wall pressed his palms flat against the cool surface and closed his eyes. I'm not strong enough. I said the same words to Dean, after the siren attack. But now Dean believes it.

Never had Sam heard his brother sound like this so vulnerable, sad and defeated. This revelation that Dean had been responsible for breaking the first seal was going to destroy and break his brother's indomitable spirit as nothing that had gone before had been able to.

Sam knew the hurtful, vicious words he had said to Dean after the siren's attack a couple of weeks earlier had started the destruction of the carefully erected walls Dean had built around his already damaged soul. And this, this would bring them down the rest of the way. Those soul destroying words replayed in his head as he pressed himself harder against the wall.

Ten days earlier

Dean's voice held a note of barely restrained rage. "We used to be in this together, we used to have each other's backs."

"Okay fine, you wanna know why I didn't tell you about Ruby and how we're hunting down Lilith? Because you're too weak to go after her Dean," a look of hurt flickered in Dean's eyes for a moment and was gone, "you're holding me back. I'm a better hunter than you are, stronger, smarter. I can take out demons you're too scared to go near." Sam said his lips pulled into a sneer.

"That's crap." Dean barely got the words out before Sam continued.

"You're too busy sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, whining about all the souls you tortured in hell, boohoo."

All hell had broken loose when the tight reign Dean had on his anger snapped and he hurled the knife that only a minute before he'd held at Sam's throat. Sam ducked to his right avoiding the deadly missile. The siren had sat serenely on the edge of one of the beds as they had fought, waiting to see who would be the victor. The brothers fought both using the fighting skills their father had taught them, evenly matched until Sam hit Dean with a vicious right uppercut sending him through a screen just inside and to the right of the door. Before Dean could recover Sam advanced on his fallen brother his tone determined. "You're not standing in my way... anymore."

Dragging Dean up by the front of his jacket slamming his back against the door jam, Sam hit Dean twice more before Dean fisted his hands in the back of Sam's jacket turning them around so Sam's back was against the door. They were both breathing hard. Dean fell back a few paces then rushed at Sam crash-tackling him through the door of their hotel room. Sam lay stunned on the flattened door as Dean broke the emergency glass and hefted the fire axe into his hands. The siren stepped out of room around Sam and looked down at him then up at Dean.

"Do it, do it for me Dean." He said.

"Tell me again how weak I am Sam huh, how I hold you back?"

As Dean raised the axe to strike at his brother Bobby was there, he stopped the swing of the axe plunging a bronze dagger in and out the flesh of Dean's upper arm, Dean cried out in shocked pain dropping the axe. Realizing his game was up the siren made a dash for the end of the hallway. Sam cried out. "No no?" Knowing what Bobby was about to do.

Ignoring Sam plea and with accuracy and skill born of years of practice Bobby had hurled the dagger covered in Dean's blood into the center of the sirens back. The siren staggered forward a few paces before collapsing onto carpet of the hall. And just like that the spell was broken. The brother's released from the tight grip the siren held over their words and actions. Sam pushed himself up and back against the wall his legs on the flattened door gulping in mouthfuls of air. He looked from the now dead siren and Bobby standing over the body to Dean who was leaning against the wall above him clutching at the knife wound the axe at his feet now forgotten. The look in his eyes a mixture of confusion, hurt and pain both physical and mental.

Present

All was quiet in the room now. Sam thought he had heard the now familiar flap of wings, which meant Cas was gone, somewhere... wherever the hell he went when he did that disappearing thing. Sam was beginning to hate that as much as he knew Dean did.

How can I face Dean now? Knowing what I now know what I heard, wasn't meant to hear. How could I have said those things to him, even with the siren's poison guiding my tongue.

Sam had told Dean afterwards that he hadn't meant any of it. Dean had said. "Yeah me too."

"Okay, so... so we're good?" Sam had ventured.

Dean inhaled. "Yeah we're good." Then had shot a quick sidelong look at Sam.

Sam had nodded.

Sam should have seen it; the way Dean had looked at him after that kept him at a distance not literally it was a distance emotionally. A distance that spoke volumes with no words actually spoken, which said they were so not good.

He had to make it right somehow he had to make up for his part in the downfall of his brother, but how?

Plucking up the courage to walk through the door to face his brother without revealing what he now knew Sam pushed away from the wall took a deep breath and with what he hoped was a neutral look on his face he entered the room.

-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-

Dean tasted the saltiness of his tears as they trickled down his face and into his mouth; he turned his head on the pillow away from Cas. "Find someone else it's not me."

The pristine white cotton of the pillow slip absorbing more tears that continued to flow unabated from his stinging, gritty eyes. A minute later Dean heard the now familiar but so annoying flap of wings and felt the kiss of cool air on his cheek. Cas had gone. Although minutes earlier Dean had forcefully said to him. "Hey don't you go disappearing on me you son of a bitch." He was glad the angel was now gone and hadn't borne witness to the whole pathetic spectacle of his emotional breakdown. Dean wasn't convinced Cas was completely immuneto the emotions of this waste of space useless lump of human flesh he had dragged out of hell.

Replaying in his head the information Alistair had so enjoyed passing on.

"Had your pop on my rack for close to a century."

"You can't stall forever." Dean countered.

"John Winchester made a good name for himself, a hundred years… after each session… I… I'd, I'd make him the same offer I made you, I'd put down my blade If he'd pick one up."

Dean didn't want to hear this… or maybe he did? "Just give me the demon's name Alistair?"

"But… he said nein, each and every time, damned if I couldn't break him, pulled out all the stops, but John he was made of something unique, the stuff of hero's. And then came Dean, hmm, I thought I was up against it again, but daddy's little girl he broke, he broke in thirty, err just not the man your daddy wanted you to be, huh Dean?"

Alistair was right he was the weak one who had broken after only thirty years in hell, and his dad had held out for a hundred? Thank God he's not here to see my failure as the son he believed me too be and the brother Sam deserved.

A short time after that; Alistair spewed forth more, along with blood, rock salt and holy water from the lips of the poor bastard he was possessing.

"It is written… that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell. As he breaks, so shall it break!"

Sam is right. I am too weak, too scared. He is stronger, smarter a better hunter than me. I am holding him back maybe he's better off without me? Maybe his hunting with Ruby and without me is the best thing for him and the world; I'm a waste of space.

Dean's eyes were dry and his emotions under control when a short while later Sam walked in.

"Hey." Dean said as Sam stood in the doorway. Dean's bruised eyes looked strangely moist. The cut across the bridge of his nose looked raw and open.

"Hey." Sam replied keeping his tone light. Dean thought he seemed uncomfortable, ill at ease almost like he wanted to say something. Something other than just 'hey'. His eyes scanned Dean's face but failed to meet Dean's eyes. Maybe he's come to say goodbye?

Sam looked at his brother's cut and bruised face his eyelids plum colored and swollen, courtesy of the Alistair/possessed man's knuckles the fingertip shaped bruises from Alistair's fingers looked like fingerprints on Dean's throat and were clearly visible from where he stood, but he was unable to meet Dean's eyes nervous what he would see there.

He crossed the room and sat in the chair he had barely left since Dean had been here, on the opposite side of the bed from where Castiel had sat minutes ago. "So how you feelin' kiddo?" He sounds so much like dad. Why didn't I see it before? Sam is more like dad than I'll ever be; ever hope to be. Sam's hazel eyes finally met his. "You look better."

"I'm better… at least I'm awake, I'll be glad to lose this thing," Dean said adjusting the nasal cannula, then added, trying to sound like his old cocky self, "so?"

"So… I've been thinking." Sam said dropping his eyes to the bed.

"'Bout what?" Dean said, trying to sound casual, but his heart was thumping with anticipation of Sam's next words.

"About, you and me and hunting." Just as I thought.

"Okay, so what's goin' on in that freaky head of yours?." Dean's stomach clenched with dread. Here it comes... he's going to tell me he's going his own way and leaving his big disappointment, loser brother behind. And I'm going to let him go.

"We should chill out for awhile; take some down time, get a little r and r." Sam looked back up at Dean's battered face and saw surprise written across his expressive features, his brows drawn together not in a frown but in... confusion? "Get away from the angels, demons and the whole damned apocalypse… what do think?"

This… this wasn't what I expected. Dean noted Sam's hopeful look and it looked genuine. "What do I think?"

Sam watched Dean closely not realizing he was holding his breath, waiting for Dean to tell him he didn't want to be anywhere near him. And then Dean smiled for the first time in weeks, saying. "Sounds good Sammy, I could use some down time, we both could, so what do you have in mind, Disneyland, Grand Canyon, Mardi Gras maybe?"

Sam let out his pent up breath and returned Dean's smile.

-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-

Bangor, Maine (late evening of the next day)

With a glance at her sleeping husband Pauline Newton pushed the bed covers back stood from the bed pulled on her robe over her pajamas; slipped her feet into her fluffy open-back slippers and tiptoed out of the bedroom she made her way along the landing tied the belt firmly around her waist to help combat the midnight chill as she descended the stairs. Going into the kitchen her fluffy slippers slapped noisily against the tiles. Pushing her disheveled blonde hair away from her face she pulled open the refrigerator and stared into it not really knowing what she felt like eating. Spying the platter with the remains of a the chocolate cake covered in plastic wrap that seemed to be saying 'eat me eat me' she pulled it from the fridge, placed in on the table, grabbed a plate, fork and a knife and cut herself a generous slice.

She carried the plate into the living room knowing the fire would still be burning, offering warmth and comfort to go with her midnight snack. She sat on the plush pile beige carpet in front of the flames still licking greedily upwards towards the chimney; tucking her legs up underneath her. She lifted a fork full of the heavy dark brown cake into her mouth savoring the rich chocolaty taste before swallowing it with a sigh.

She had another forkful half raised to her mouth when she heard a noise behind her. She turned her head expecting to see Darren standing there, ready to chastise her for her late-night snacking. But her husband wasn't standing there, no one was. She caught a movement in her periphery as something a dull gold color, there was someone or something behind the couch.

"Darren is that you?" when she got no answer she added, "This is not funny. If you're trying to scare me it's working," still nothing, "Darren?" Maybe it's not Darren maybe someone's broken in?

Lowering the laden fork back onto the plate and putting the plate on the carpet she got quickly to her feet. She'd go and wake Darren. He'd know what to do. All she had to do was get past the couch to get to the stairs, past whatever was hiding there. Keeping her eyes glued on end of the couch where she had seen movement she took one step towards the stairs parallel to the couch but stopped abruptly when the thing hiding there came from behind the couch waddled a few steps to its left and sat on its haunches blocking her path. Pauline opened her mouth to scream but it died in her throat when she saw what it was. Not a burglar an animal about a meter tall its fur gleamed in the flickering firelight. She'd seen an animal like this before in a documentary on the national geographic channel. It was a monkey a chimpanzee; the size was same but the color was different way different to ones she'd seen on that show. Those were brown; this one was a brassy gold color its coat glinted almost like it was metallic; a metal monkey. Its long arms almost reaching the ground, lips formed an O and it blew a raspberry in her direction. Relieved it wasn't a burglar or a rapist but puzzled by its appearance in her house she stepped forward towards it saying. "Hello little guy how did you get in here? Did you escape from somewhere?" The monkey blew another raspberry then grinned at her as if to say, 'I'm not gonna tell you.' "Well I'm sorry but you can't stay here."

The monkey looked back at the couch gave a little chatter and to her surprise another one the same as the first came from behind the couch. It moved up next to first one and sat down. Then came a third it did the same thing moved up next to the second one. Pauline looked at three strange gold monkey's sitting in a row in front of her waiting to see what they would do next. They started to chatter whether it was for her benefit or their own she didn't know. The one on the right placed its leathery paws over its mouth effectively silencing its own chatter, bouncing up and down on its back legs. The other two started bouncing continuing their chatter. The noises growing in volume and pitch. As if synchronized the one in the middle placed its hands over its eyes at the same time the one on the left did the same to its ears. Their chattering now more like an earsplitting screech.

Pauline was growing frightened now the noise was hurting her ears her throat was tight and her eyes were stinging and burning she put her hands up to her ears to block out the sound and was surprised to find thick warm moisture gathering there. Pulling them back down she saw they were coated in blood, her blood. She gasped as something coursed up her esophagus, burning like molten lava it filled her mouth spraying more blood from her parted lips out in a small fountain of red onto the beige carpet in between her and the monkeys. There was a stream of something warm running from her eyes, blinding her running down her face and mingling with the blood that continued to run from her mouth as she choked and gagged.

Shock and weakness overcame her she fell to her knees her strength draining away. Pauline was unable to hear or speak to call for and now almost blind; she could barely make out the gold monkeys through a haze of red, the blood in her throat was choking off any life giving air from reaching her lungs. There was a high-pitched ringing in her ears. She fell forward her right cheek pressed into the carpet as her world dimmed consciousness faded away as her life blood drained into the deep pile spreading out in pool around her head.

-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-:::::-

Three days later

Sam rolled the Impala to a stop beside the somewhat neglected but well loved and well lived in house. This was a home not just a house. A feeling of peace overcoming his tiredness. He heaved a tired sigh of as he turned off the engine. Expecting for the third time today that the absence of the familiar rumble and vibration of his baby would wake Dean.

He looked across the dark interior of the car at his brother. The weak light spilling from the two lighted windows of the house illuminating Dean's still bruised and swollen eyelids; the cut across the bridge of his nose was still open and looked inflamed. He was turned half towards Sam; the back of his head against the closed window and right shoulder against the door. Right arm out of sight dangling down somewhere on the far side of the seat his left cheek resting on the top of the seat, left arm draped across his stomach, legs splayed out in Sam's general direction. And although Sam thought he looked mighty uncomfortable he'd been that way since they had left Cheyenne.

Sam had picked Dean up from the hospital 11 hours ago. "So Grand Canyon here we come." Sam had said putting the key in the ignition.

Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah about that, can we… err… you know… skip it?" Sam noted Dean's voice was almost back to normal.

Sam stared at his brother shocked. "Dean we talked about this, I thought you wanted to go? Wanted a break?" Sam said forcefully.

"Well I kinda changed my mind." Dean answered stealing a sidelong glance at Sam.

"You changed your mind?" Sam shook his head in disbelief. "Dean we agreed to take a break."

"I haven't changed my mind about a break… just the Grand Canyon." Dean looked sheepish.

"So where do you wanna go then?"

"Somewhere quiet, I… dunno, I was thinking maybe Bobby's?"

"The end of the world is coming and you wanna go to Bobby's as opposed to the Grand Canyon, what kinds of meds were they givin' you in there dude?" Well done Sam you had to say the end of the world's coming, didn't you? You moron why don't you think before you speak? I'll just open my mouth to change feet.

Dean was speaking to him. "I wanna chill out, drink Bobby's beer, eat Bobby's food, work on the Impala, go for a walk."

Sam turned in the seat facing Dean."You wanna go for a walk?"

"What?" Dean's green eyes met Sam's astonished hazel ones.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Sam said a hint of amusement in his voice.

A smile lit Dean's still bruised face. "Shut up and drive."

"I think maybe I should march you straight back into the hospital, but…," Sam started the engine before continuing, "Bobby's it is."

"Wake me when it's my turn to drive." With that he slid into the corner of the seat made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

Of course Sam had no intention of letting Dean drive; not yet; but it was now 1 am and Dean hadn't even woken to ask for a pee break or to fill his bottomless pit of a stomach.

Sam had stopped twice on the journey once for a refuel while he was filling the gas tank he called Bobby on his land line to let him know they were on their way.

Bobby had picked up on the third ring. "Singer's Salvage." Just hearing Bobby's gruff voice made Sam's tense muscles relax.

"Hey Bobby its Sam."

Bobby of course asked the inevitable question. "Hey Sam you alright, Dean alright?"

"I'm okay, Bobby… I need a favor."

Bobby sensed something wasn't right. "Sam is Dean alright?"

"No not really, that's why I called. Can I bring him to your place for awhile?"

"Yeah of course, you know you and your idgit brother are welcome anytime, Sam tell me what's wrong?"

"Dean needs somewhere to crash for bit; I'll explain everything when we get there. We're about 8 hours away."

"Okay Sam I'll be waiting, oh and Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Drive safe."

The second stop was about 4 hours ago at a roadside diner Sam had ordered some toasted cheese sandwiches to go and used the rest room. He had eaten his sandwich as he drove. But as Dean slumbered on Dean's sandwich remained untouched the brown paper bag containing the sandwich soaked through with grease sitting in a cold soggy mess on the seat in between them.

Dean felt the gentle shake of his shoulder and heard Sam's voice. "Hey Dean, wake up man."

He blinked open his eyes. Sam was leaning across the bench seat, his brows pulled into a frown of worry. "Night already; my turn to drive huh?"

"No we're here." Sam stated.

"Here, where?" Dean asked confused. He couldn't mean Bobby's how could we be here already? We only just left Cheyenne.

"Bobby's dude, we're at Bobby's."

"Really?" Dean sat up and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, "what time is it?"

"One."

"In the morning? Why didn't you wake me? I can't have been asleep the whole trip?"

"Yeah you have. All 11 hours you obviously needed the beauty sleep and you looked so cozy I just let you sleep."

"You should have woken me; you shouldn't have driven all that way without a break Sam." And Sam looked exhausted even in the poor light of the car Dean could see it.

"Oh I didn't mind, although the conversation was a bit one-sided and light-on." Sam replied with a half-hearted smile.

Dean glanced out into the night. In front of them and to their right he could just make out the wrecked cars, looming twisted, deformed metal monsters in some places piled 4 high. On their left was Bobby's house, the veranda running right around the house strewn with discarded hubcaps and fenders. This was the only place beside the Impala that Dean felt was close to a home.

The brother's attention was drawn to the back door when it opened the light spilling from inside silhouetting Bobby's familiar shape as he stepped onto the veranda. The usual trucker cap outlined against the light; the cap that Bobby was rarely without. Dean had wondered more than once if Bobby slept in the thing. Maybe it's fused to his head? Bobby's gruff voice came to them. "You two idgits gonna sit out here all night or you gonna come in?" Bobby disappeared back inside the door.

Dean looked at Sam the corners of his mouth lifted as he observed. "I think it's past his bedtime."

The brother's got out of the car and walked up the steps onto the veranda and into the kitchen. "Hey Bobby." Dean said as he crossed the kitchen towards Bobby who was leaning against the counter top.

Bobby pushed away from the counter reached out curled a calloused hand around the nape of Dean's neck, examining his face. "What the hell boy, you look like you went ten rounds with Mike Tyson." Dean could not fully meet the older man's eyes. The boy looks embarrassed ashamed even.

"Should have seen him a few days ago." Sam said jumping in to ease Dean's obvious discomfort.

No just had my butt kicked by a black belt in torture demon that I, now here's the big joke folks was supposed to be torturing.

"I was aiming for that rugged Charles Bronson look?" Dean tried to hide his shame with attempted humor.

Bobby changed the subject. "You boys want some coffee or you wanna hit the sack?" Bobby looked from one to the other.

"Coffee sounds good." Dean said sliding into a chair at the table.

"Yeah thanks Bobby." Sam pulled out a seat on Dean's right.

Bobby put a steaming mug down on the table in front of each brother before sitting down opposite Sam with a third mug.

Dean wrapped his hands around the cup inhaling the heady aroma of the freshly brewed coffee staring down into the murky depths, the heat from the scalding liquid permeating the mug and his suddenly cold hands.

Sam and Bobby shared a look across the table.

"So you gonna tell me why you're here?" Bobby broke the silence that had fallen over the trio, "and why Dean looks like a loser on fight night?"

Dean cleared his throat, like he was going to say something, but he remained silent staring into the coffee mug like it contained the secrets of the universe. Loser you don't know how right you are.

Bobby glanced at Dean's bowed head, then at Sam who shrugged and started relating the events that led up to this moment.

From coming back from Pamela's funeral, finding Cas and Uriel in their motel room to Dean spending 7 days in a Cheyenne hospital.

Leaving out how Ruby showed him where the angels had taken Dean; ingesting Ruby's blood to make him stronger, strong enough to kill Alistair saving Cas from being sent back to heaven as Dean lay bloody and unconscious on the floor and how he knew it was Dean who had broken the first seal.

Dean hadn't added to Sam's retelling of the last week; not one word. He had just continued to stare into his coffee, taking the occasional swallow, before going back to his contemplation of the dwindling contents of the mug.

Bobby didn't like seeing Dean so quiet. The kid was usually running off at the mouth. He looked at what he could see of Dean's face, a nerve jumped in his jaw there was visible tension in the line of his broad shoulders. Then there was Sam; he kept throwing worried glances at his brother and the kid looked beat, dark circles shadowed his eyes but he seemed strangely jumpy, his leg bounced rapidly under the table. There's more goin' on with these two. They're both hiding something; from me and each other. Guess they'll spill it when they're ready.

Bobby had met John Winchester and his boys 6 months after Mary's death. Dean was 5 and Sam was a few days shy of his first birthday, still in diapers. The first time the small family had stayed at Bobby's Dean had followed Bobby around the salvage yard, picking up things pointing at things. "Uncle Bobby, what's this do, Uncle Bobby, what's that for?" Sam had toddled along on new found feet in the shadow of his big brother, never letting Dean out of his sight. He'd come to love them like they were his own. They were his family his blood even though no Singer blood flowed in their veins. Somewhere in the ensuing years he'd gone from being 'Uncle Bobby' to being simply 'Bobby'. Since John's death Bobby had grown even closer to them if it was even possible. Although he spoke often with them on the phone he didn't see as much of them as he would have liked. Having them here now and spending time with them was a bonus, made him feel thirty years younger.

An awkward silence had fallen, both boys lost in thought. Bobby felt he should be the one to break it.

"So Uriel an angel; was killing other angels, to free Lucifer and bring on the apocalypse?" Bobby's voice was filled with disbelief. "And it was him who broke the devil's trap freeing Alistair? Demons had nothing to do with any of it?"

"Yeah." Sam confirmed.

"Well now I've heard everything." Bobby said shaking his head before he took the final pull on his coffee draining his cup.

Oh no Bobby you haven't; you don't know because of my weakness, it was me, me that broke the first seal setting the whole thing in motion.

Bobby pushed himself up from the table. "Well this conversation has been… interesting to say the least I'm gonna hit the hay and you boys should do the same, we'll talk more in the morning. It's way past this old man's bedtime."

Dean looked at Sam for the first time since entering the kitchen a hint of amusement lifting the corners of his lips. "See Sam I told you."

"Told him what?" Bobby said glancing between the brothers.

"Yeah you did." Sam agreed with a tired smile.

Knowing he wasn't gonna get an intelligent answer Bobby turned away muttering something about smart Alec idgits under his breath.

Dean smiled at Bobby's retreating back then turned that smile in Sam's direction. Sam was smiling back.

Maybe things would be alright… maybe?

To be continued…

This chapter was mainly to set up for the main part of the story, and how I envisioned the boys mind set after: On The Head Of A Pin. I hope you will join me for chapter 2 where the hunt really begins. Please review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter.

Silvertayl