A/N1: Okay, I've been over this again and I found many mistakes that I missed the first few times (that always amazes me) and I tweaked ... well this is it. Any mistakes from this point forward is totally my fault although I do still have to lay thanks to Ridley, Angelustatt and Mum for all their help with this piece. I hope you enjoy it :)


Cape Hatteras, NC

May 1980

Caleb wondered when he would finally be tall enough that the kitchen bench didn't tower over him. He wanted to be at least as tall as his Daddy ... at the very least. But for now he needed to be inventive and his parents had always praised how creative he was, his mother taking credit.

Caleb walked, barefoot, across the kitchen floor and pulled one of the kitchen chairs across and then pushed it up against the bench. He then turned around and walked over to the pantry. Reaching up, Caleb turned the knob and opened the door. He collected the ingredients he would need for his Mothers Day morning surprise.

Arms laden with the food he would need, Caleb kicked the pantry door shut and then froze. Had he made too much noise? He didn't want his parents to wake up until he was finished. When he couldn't hear any noise aside from the sounds of the ocean and the occasional Seagull, Caleb continued on.

He dumped his collection up onto the bench and then pulled himself up onto the wooden kitchen chair. He deposited two pieces of toast into the toaster and pushed the lever, watching as they sank into the slots.

That job done, Caleb climbed back down and moved the chair over to the stove. Before climbing back up, Caleb collected some eggs from the refrigerator and carried them carefully over to the bench. The eggs placed down with care, Caleb climbed back up onto the chair and stood there for a moment, making sure he had what he needed.

Above the stove? Hung the stove lighter. He reached up on his toes and just managed to get a hold of it, pulling it of its hook.

He proceeded to try and light the stove top but paused. He'd forgotten the pan. He couldn't cook eggs without a pan. With that thought in mind Caleb turned around, his bare foot slipping on the shiny wood of the chair. The little boy pitched forward, a shriek left his mouth as he felt himself falling … into strong arms.

Caleb was lifted into the air as his Dad rushed forward and caught him before he crashed to the ground.

"Caleb! What do you think you're doing?" His Daddy's voice was a loud angry whisper.

"I … I wanted to make Mommy breakfast but I forgot the pan," he explained as is father set his feet back down on the solid wood.

His Dad eyed Caleb and then the lighter still clutched tightly in his hand. His Dad took the lighter from him and stood up straighter, his gaze falling on the waiting eggs, the toast in the toaster as it chose that moment to pop up.

Caleb looked up at his Dad and watched as the man ran a hand through his hair. "Daddy?"

The man shook his head and then leaned forward, gripping Caleb's small shoulders in each hand. "I thought we spoke about this?"

His Daddy was right. Caleb had already expressed a desire to cook his Mom breakfast in bed but had been told in no uncertain terms that he was not to cook alone. Caleb looked down at his hands, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I just wanted it to be a surprise."

His Dad's right hand moved up to cup his head. "I know you did, Buddy. But it's too dangerous. Fire's not a toy, Caleb."

"I know. I'm sorry. Did I make you mad?" The last thing he wanted to do was make his father mad.

His Dad sighed but a hint of a smile on his face made Caleb relax a little. "You just scared me, Kiddo."

"I'm sorry." He really was and he understood because he had kind of scared himself when he'd almost fell. "Thanks for catching me, Daddy."

His Dad ruffled his hair and laughed before standing up straight. "Anytime, Kiddo." Caleb felt himself lifted off the chair and placed on the floor. "Why don't you go into the study and get the present you made her while I finish up here?"

"Okay." Caleb ran off in the direction of the study; excited that Mothers Day had finally arrived.

Craven Regional Medical Centre, NC

May 1998

The smell of the coffee in his hand wasn't all that bad and it made Dean thankful that he had actually decided to do as he was told and come down with Sam to the cafeteria. It had to be better than that vending machine crap they had all at one point lived on.

But if he had of had a choice between staying with Caleb or some decent coffee? He would have stayed with his friend. Unfortunately it hadn't been his choice. His Dad had made it quite clear that he was to go and get something to eat, especially since their charge had officially woken once, even if it was fleeting and unintelligible. Dad demanded he eat something more substantial than the M&M's he'd consumed during their wait for Caleb to get out of surgery.

"Dean?"

Dean snapped out of his thoughts and gave his attention to his brother who was sitting across from him with a questioning look. "What?"

"I asked if you were finished."

Dean glanced down at his mostly eaten meal. There was still a heap of fries there but there weren't all that appetising. He wasn't all that hungry. He shrugged and took a drink from his coffee. "Yeah, I'm done."

"You sure?"

Sam was analysing him. That much Dean was sure of … but he didn't even feel annoyed with it like he normally would. He just felt tired. "Yeah, Sammy, I'm sure. I wouldn't mind another coffee though."

"You're going to rot your gut one day."

"It's my gut. I think that entitles me to do what I want with it."

"Suit yourself." Sam stood and picked up their food tray. "I'll get you one."

"Thanks Sammy."

Dean watched his brother walk away, depositing their empty tray with the others and then head over to the counter to buy more coffee. Sam had been overly accommodating to not just Dean but to Dad as well. Dean had a feeling it was a way for his brother to be able to help someone, in some way, since there wasn't much he could do for Caleb himself. The fifteen year old was dealing with his own amount of guilt … unnecessary guilt.

Drinking the last mouthful of coffee he had in the cup, Dean stood and stretched the tired muscles in his back. He'd fallen asleep in the chair by Caleb's bed earlier and had woken up with one hell of kink in his neck and back. Casey, the small but hot nurse attending to Caleb that night had succumbed to his charms … or Sammy's puppy dog eyes and brought in a less back destroying chair before she left for home, but he was still working out the kinks.

He walked over to the bin and tossed the used Styrofoam in on his way to meet Sam who was just turning around with two new cups in his hand.

"One black coffee, sure to rot your gut just the way you like it," Sam said as he passed Dean his coffee.

Dean waved the coffee under his nose and exaggeratedly moaned in pleasure. "… better than the girly crap you drink. How the hell did that happen anyway?"

"I have taste, Dean, that's how," Sam answered as he fell into step with his brother.

"Yeah, whatever," Dean chuckled and pressed the button for the elevator. Caleb was settled a couple of floors up in the ICU.

"Do you know what time Mac is getting in?" Sam asked as the door to the elevator opened and they stepped inside.

Dean hit the number four button beside the door. "He should be here in an hour."

"He must be freaked."

"Really?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"You know what I mean."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, he's freaked"

"I haven't seen Dad freaked like that in a while," Sam observed. "I just mean it's a bit unnerving if even Dad is rattled y'know?"

"Yeah," Dean agreed. It wasn't that their Dad didn't care but he also wasn't a man to show what he was feeling. Issuing orders and taking control of the situation was how his father handled things, especially when they disturbed him.

"Bobby called before, while you were in with Caleb."

"What for?" Dean hadn't been aware of much that had happened outside of Caleb's ICU room since they had been allowed in to sit with him.

"He was calling back to let Dad know about a contact of his. They have Caleb's crash site taped off but Dad needs to get it out of there before the cops decide to take a look. Be a bit hard to explain all the weapons in there."

"Shit." Dean cursed.

"What?"

"I didn't even think about that."

Sam shook his head. "You've been a bit pre-occupied, Dude. Don't think anyone's gonna hold it against you."

"Yeah … well what's the deal?"

"Dad was going to call Bobby's friend and they were going to see if they can get the jeep up, at least the weapons anyway. Dad said that he and Bobby agreed that if the Jeep was fixable they are going to have it towed to Bobby's and work on it."

"Huh …" Dean smiled at his brother. "The death-trap lives on."

"Possibly … hopefully."

"Damien will be happy to hear that." John and Bobby had gotten his friend the jeep years before, surrounding a time that wasn't all that favourable and Caleb, the sentimentalist that he was – and wouldn't admit to being – had kept the thing all these years, despite being perfectly capable of buying a new set of wheels. Dean was kind of happy to see the Jeep live on too … he couldn't imagine his friend driving anything else now.

"Dean …"

Dean tore his eyes away from the lid of his coffee and looked at Sam. The kid's voice had taken on a worry edge. "Yeah?"

"What do you think happened?"

That was the million dollar question. Caleb hadn't exactly had the time to tell them. It was driving him insane. "I don't know. I doubt Damien fell asleep at the wheel."

"You think he made a mistake on the hunt?"

Dean considered it. He didn't like it. Caleb was a lot of things but he was a good hunter. But then hunters made mistakes … they all had been there and done that. "I don't know, Sam. He said something about having to kill some woman when she wasn't wolfed out. But he was pretty out of it."

"Wow …"

"What?"

"Heavy."

"Yeah."

The door opened and Dean clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder and directed him out of the elevator. "We'll find out soon because Damien is gonna wake up properly and be fine."

"I kinda wish I had Caleb's ability."

Dean slowed down along with Sam as they approached Caleb's room. "You do?"

"Yeah, I mean if I had his abilities maybe we would have gotten to him sooner, y'know?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa … first things? I'd say no death visions is a good thing, psychic mojo or not and secondly? Dude, it was because of you we knew to look for him at all, okay?" Dean told him seriously.

Caleb's visions freaked him out not just because of the psychic stuff so much as what it did to Caleb. He would never want Sam to go through that. It was bad enough that Caleb had to. "You picking up his connection saved him and I don't want you thinking anything else."

Sam ducked his head and then looked away before looking back at Dean. "I'm just glad he's going to be okay."

"You're damn right he's going to be okay." Dean smiled confidently. Now that they had Caleb in the hospital, now that Mac was on his way? Dean felt a lot more confident. Of course he wouldn't feel a hundred percent better until Caleb opened his eyes and was lucid enough to tell him that everything was okay. "Come on …"

Dean took a sip from his coffee and then moved forward and opened the door to his friend's room. He knew immediately that something was wrong. There was someone by Caleb's bed. The man was practically bald and older, but fit. He wearing the same paramedic uniform as the men that had helped them with Caleb but this guy wasn't anyone Dean recognised.

"Hey!"

The man jumped, head snapped around to look at the brothers, eyes wide in surprise. That was when Dean saw the pillow raised in the man's hand.

"What the hell?" Sam asked; his voice harder than normal.

Dean didn't waste time asking questions. He dropped his coffee to the ground, the Beveridge spilling out as the lid popped off, and he was on the move. The need to get to the bed amplified when he saw the man turn back to the injured psychic with the pillow. This son of a bitch was going to attempt to continue what he had been doing when Dean and Sam had walked in and interrupted him.

Dean's upper body hit the stranger in the shoulder, sending him crashing in the wall beside the bed. He followed it up with a fist to the man's head.

"Dean!" Sam called out.

Dean caught the name Sutherland on the man's uniform before the breath rushed from his lungs and it took him a second or two realise that it was a solid knee that had pushed it out. He doubled over, his stomach clenching in pain, exploding and stealing the rest of his breath when it was followed by a second knee to the stomach.

His ears rang as he was pushed away from his target and stumbled against the bed. Dean coughed, pressing a hand to his stomach while his other hand grasped for the bed to hold him up.

"Deuce …" The soft, barely audible voice coming from the bed woke Dean out of his pained stupor. His eyes flashed up to Caleb and saw the older hunter's eyes open, glistened with pain and panic. Caleb's hand lifted, pointing in the direction of the scuffle by the wall and Dean's brain kicked back into clarity. Sam was in trouble.

Dean was stunned as his brother jumped Caleb's attacker, going toe to toe with the guy for a bout a minute before the stranger's muscle, size and obvious hand to hand ability overpowered the still growing teen.

Dean was already up again, pushing the pain in his stomach aside. Sam was pushed face first into the wall as Dean made his second attack. His hidden folding knife was out within seconds and pressed up under the man's chin, pressing himself against the guy's back. "Let my brother go, right now," Dean hissed angrily in the man's ear.

Sutherland released his grip on Sam and the boy ducked out and backed away from the wall just as the door to the room opened once more. Dean didn't turn to look at who it was, not taking his concentration from the threat he had pinned against the wall.

"Dad," Sam greeted the new occupant of the room as he stepped over to Caleb who was struggling to sit up and failing miserably.

They had back up now which was a good thing because for once Dean had no idea what the hell was going on and he wasn't sure where to go next. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

"What the hell is going on?" John Winchester's voice was as confused as it was threatening.

"We came back and found this guy trying to smother Caleb," Sam explained, breathing hard with adrenaline.

Caleb attempted to push the oxygen mask off his face. "Johnny…"

"Shut up, Junior." John ordered, giving Caleb a relieved glance before his eyes settled back on the threat at hand.

Dean shoved the guy harder into the wall. "You want to tell me what the fuck you were doing?"

"Like the kid said."

"That's not an explanation!" Dean yelled, shoving Sutherland into the wall again. It was bad enough when one of them got injured during a hunt, but other humans attacking them? That just pissed Dean off to no end.

"Justice … that's what this is! Justice…"

"What the hell does that mean?" John asked, pre-empting Dean's next question.

"Your buddy in that bed is a murdering son of a bitch, that's what that means."

Dean glanced at John who had come to stand closer, catching Sam pressing Caleb back down against the mattress effortlessly while keeping the psychic from removing the oxygen mask.

A second of inattention cost. A sharp elbow to the ribs and he was spun around before he could blink … or get his breath back. His own knife was now in his enemy's hand and being used against him. He could feel the sharp bite of the blade at his throat as Sutherland's strong arm wrapped around his chest.

"Don't move!" The shout was loud in his ear and Dean tried desperately to keep his balance, his hands holding onto the strong arm while he tried to resist swallowing, not wanting to make it any easier on a blade he had sharpened himself. Irony sucked.

"Dean…" Caleb's voice was louder this time. "No …"

"It's okay, Damien," Dean tried to reassure his friend. He didn't need Caleb getting worked up. The older man was not in any shape to be getting excited over Dean's fuck up. "Sammy …"

"Shut up!" Sutherland reacted; giving him a rough shake that Dean was surprised didn't have the knife slicing right though his skin. He could feel the man's warm breath on his ear.

John paused; his eyes had gone from cautious to downright icy. It was a contrast to the way he held his hands up in a placating matter. "Calm down."

Dean stared back at his father, keeping perfectly still, pressed up against the guy's chest. This shouldn't have happened. He was better trained than to get caught in this situation. He didn't need his father to reprimand him because if he got out of this then he would willingly kick his own pathetic ass.

"Calm down?" Sutherland laughed quietly like he couldn't believe someone would even make such an absurd request. "You want me to calm down?"

"Nobody else has to be hurt. Let my son go and we can talk."

The troubled man shook his head. "It's a little bit late for that. I kinda find it hard to chat when my daughter and her husband are lying in the morgue."

"I … I killed her, D-Dean ... she begged m…me … I should have kn…known. She … wasn't even wolfed-out. She …"

Caleb's words, his broken voice from the phone conversation earlier that morning came back unbidden to Dean's mind as the mad man's hand shook dangerously. Dean winced and rose himself to the balls of his feet to avoid getting cut intentionally or unintentionally as the man got more and more agitated.

It was obvious this man was connected to the hunt. Sutherland was grieving for a death of his family that couldn't have been helped once Caleb caught wind of the hunt. This man wanted revenge for someone that had been taken from him prematurely. Dean, all of them, could understand that need. They lived with it everyday. The only problem was that this man was seeking revenge from the wrong place. Caleb had put the bullet in his daughter's heart, yes, but he hadn't been the one to kill her.

"I understand what you must be going through…" John began but was cut off mid sentence.

"Don't … Just don't." The angry father warned. "You can't understand! You have your kids, right here. How can you possibly understand?"

His father's eyes darkened further, flashing with a familiar grief from a loss Dean knew all too well. John Winchester wasn't a stranger to loss. It was that … and revenge that drove the man most of the time. "You're right. I don't know what it's like to lose a kid but you're threatening one of mine right now."

"He got in the way. You're all getting in the way!" Sutherland's shook Dean for emphasis and Dean closed his eyes.

"Dad?"

Sam's fearful, yet controlled voice had Dean opening his eyes again and this time searching out his little brother. He found the teen and locked his gaze on Sam's own, trying to convey to the boy that he was okay … even if the current psycho pressing his own knife to his throat made that sentiment seem ridiculous.

Caleb's eyes were wide and glassy, the pain meds obviously still running through his system. Drugged or not, Caleb knew what was going on and Dean hated the guilt he could see in his friend's eyes right now.

John took a step closer to Dean and Sutherland, keeping his eyes on them while he addressed Sam. "Sammy, why don't you go …?"

"No!"

"Ahh…" Dean gasped in reaction to Sutherland's response as the man tried to back away, despite his back already being against the wall. The jostling still made Dean nervous. The man was leaving no margin for escape here. One wrong move on Dean's part and he would be bleeding all over Caleb's hospital room floor. Blood trickled down his throat to stain the top of the grey t-shirt he was wearing under his shirt. Blood had been drawn and now Dean was getting worried and pissed all at the same time.

Sam froze, not willing to take a step in case Sutherland finally lost it and did the unthinkable.

"Where do we go from here, then?" John asked; oddly calm despite that in his eyes Dean could see the need to rip something apart. He needed to commend his father on his poker face. It was no wonder Caleb always had a hard time trying to beat the man at cards.

"I just want to finish what I started! That's all. I'll turn myself in after that but I'm fucking going to finish the job."

"What you started?" Sam questioned.

"Keep out of it, Sam." John interrupted without taking his eyes off of Sutherland. Sam gave his father a frustrated glare behind his back but kept quiet. "Answer the question."

Sutherland shrugged. "Eye for an eye. I tried to end this. He should have been killed in the crash, damn it!"

"You … you ran him off the road?" Dean asked, not being able to stop the words from leaving his mouth. His brain obviously thinking it was worth the risk.

"Suth…erland … s'between you an' me." Caleb interrupted and Dean wasn't surprised that when he sought out the injured hunter that Caleb had his oxygen mask pulled to the side again. "Let … let him go."

"Shut up! You don't dictate to me."

"I … I killed her …"

Dean's anger rose at the hitch in Caleb's breathing and frustration accompanied it as his friend once again took the blame for something that couldn't have been helped. He silently demanded to Sam that he force the stubborn son of a bitch to shut up and use the fucking mask.

"Kid, I'm not going to tell you again," John warned, giving the psychic an irritated looked before turning back to Sutherland. "You don't want to do this. What happened to your daughter, it's … it's not what it seems."

There was movent outside the window where the curtains had been slightly open, the shouting in the room had obviously garnered someone's attention and Dean was glad that whoever it was hadn't rushed in because that would have just made things worse. He supposed he could be thankful for the small things going their way. Help was coming.

"She's dead." Sutherland spat. "He killed her. How can it be anything else? He admits it himself."

Dean was relieved when Sam forced Caleb's oxygen mask back over his face. His eyes widening as Sutherland's grip slipped. A little, allowing him to breathe easier.

"Listen to me…"

"No! You listen to me. He was supposed to die down there. I made sure of it. I even called off that other ambulance. As soon as I heard the call, all I had to do was radio back and call it off. It was all so simple … so right."

John cocked his head to the side slightly and Dean knew the expression well. "Do you think this is what your daughter would want?" It was the same expression his Dad always wore when he was dishing out some form of logic.

Sutherland paused for a moment and all Dean could hear was the man's breathing in his ear.

"You know I'm right," John continued, staring so hard and serious at Sutherland that Dean almost missed the message in his father's eyes in the split second glance he spared at Dean. Something had shifted; Sutherland was getting more emotional and now was their shot. "The last thing she would want would be for her father to turn into a murderer."

There was another change in the air that preceded Sutherland's growl. He jabbed the hand holding the knife out slightly, accusingly in John's direction. It wasn't much but it was the first clean break Dean had been afforded since being captured in the man's strong hold.

The second the knife moved slightly away from his throat, Dean moved his hands at lightning quick speed from the arm across his chest to Sutherland's thick wrist. He brought his right foot up to slam down on the man's foot. Dean didn't even wait for the howl of pain before bringing his elbow back hard.

John was there in an instant, wrenching Dean's folding knife out of the grieving father's hand and slamming him back into the wall.

Sutherland recovered briefly in time for his eyes to widen at the fist connecting with his nose. Dean held the guy against the wall, John bringing his fist up again, this time smashing into the side of the man's face. Sutherland's head seemed to snap to the side in slow motion, blood dripped from his nose.

The door to the room swung open and the shouts that followed got louder as time resumed at its normal pace. Sutherland's bulky form became a dead weight and with John's help Dean guided the unconscious man to the floor.

"Hands up! Everyone, now!"

Seeing the security guards rush in, guns drawn, Dean raised his hands and backed up towards the bed where his brother was standing; a hand reached out from the bed and latched onto his shirt. Caleb was staring at him intently, rasping in breath.

"Wait!"

Casey, the small blonde nurse who had been assigned to Caleb for the night shift, skidded to a stop in the middle of the room.

"They didn't do anything. It was Dale," Casey told them frantically, pointing to the downed paramedic. "I saw what happened. He had a knife."

The security guards shared a look between them and then lowered the guns. "What the hell got into him?" one asked, slipping the firearm back into its side holster.

"I don't know, but I know what I saw," Casey affirmed.

"Sir?" The security guard directed his gaze to John, wanting an explanation as his partner crouched down and slipped his hand cuffs around Sutherland's wrists.

John watched the process for a second more and then looked up. "He tried attacking my brother and then my son … I managed to get the weapon out of his hand and then knocked him out." At the look he received from the security guard he added, "This guy was a threat to my family … I dealt with it. He'll be fine, headache aside."

Sutherland murmured from his spot on the floor, stirring into a semi-awake state as he was lifted up between the door security guards. "Mr …"

"Wilson," John supplied, eyeing the boys to make sure they knew what alias was being used.

"Would you come with us? The cops need to be called and they'll want to speak with you and your sons."

John looked uncomfortable with the idea. They didn't exactly like advertising themselves to the cops. Dean waited and watched to see what his father was going to do but wasn't surprised when John nodded. It would look a lot more suss if John had of denied them.

"Sammy, you come with me. Dean, stay with Caleb and get that neck looked after."

"What?" both boys answered at the same time.

"I'm fine, Dad." Dean argued, feeling the hand clutching his shirt pull tighter, Caleb's non-verbal way of telling him he was worried.

"Just do as I say, Dean," John replied tiredly, running a hand through his already mussed hair. "Come on, Sammy."

Sam looked reluctant to leave the room but Dean was silently glad when Sam conceded defeat, his loud sigh an indicator of how terribly hard done by he was. He squeezed Caleb's forearm. "Rest, doofus."

"He'll be fine, Sam."

"You too."

"Sam …" John called.

"I'm coming." With one last look into the room, Sam followed his father and the others out of the room.

Casey walked over and quietly did a check over Caleb, placing the mask back on his face twice before Dean resorted to holding it there for the psychic's own good.

"How is he?"

"He's actually doing really well, considering. If his doctor is happy, he can probably be transferred to a normal room in a day or so. All depends on that temperature of his." She patted Caleb's arm affectionately.

"Cant help … it if … I'm h-hot." The words were barely heard behind the mask but Casey giggled.

"Ignore him," Dean told her, smirking. "He gets delusional around gorgeous women."

Caleb coughed. "G-Get … your own … nur..se"

She giggled again and walked around the bed, writing something on Caleb's chart before placing it back hanging on the end of the bed. "I'll be back in a few with something for your neck, Dean."

"It's fine."

"You're bleeding," she countered.

Dean raised a hand to his neck, touching the stinging cut. His fingers came away with blood. Dean huffed. "So I am."

"I'll be back," Casey told him knowingly, turning around to leave the room.

"Thanks, for getting help."

"No problem. Dale's always been a good man. It's a shame."

"Yeah …" It was a shame. Grief made people do some pretty crazy things.

Casey left the room and Dean felt Caleb pulling on his shirt again. Dean pulled the older man's hand away and rested it down on the bed as he moved the chair closer and took a seat. He rested his hand on Caleb's hand and forearm.

"How are you doing?"

"Deuce," Caleb pulled the mask aside again to talk. "He shouldn't … he shouldn't get into trouble."

"Who?" Dean asked confused.

"Suther … Sutherland."

"Damien, he just tried to kill you … for a second time, I might add."

Caleb shook his head slowly. "I killed his daughter."

"She was a werewolf, dude. You did the only thing you could … for her and everyone else."

"He … He c-cant understand that. It's … insane." To the normal world, werewolves didn't exist. How was Sutherland supposed to understand? Their line of work was a very much a seeing is believing kind of thing.

Caleb's eyes slipped closed for a moment and Dean reached up and placed the mask back in place. "Just rest, dude."

The stubborn psychic's eyes fluttered open and he looked a little dazed and yet still completely serious. "Deuce … I screwed up ..."

"You said that before. How?"

"He saw."

"Who Sutherland?" That would have certainly explained why the man was so enraged but if the man had seen Caleb do the job why had he waited for revenge?

"No…" Caleb sighed and looked up at the roof. Dean kept his hand on Caleb's arm, noticing that although Caleb's skin was still hot … it wasn't overly so. "Her s-son."

Dean cringed at the thought just as Caleb closed his eyes. It had been bad enough to think that his friend had needed to kill a werewolf that hadn't been transformed at the time. But it was even worse to know that the kid had seen it happen. Dean had his own bad memories. He knew well enough that watching a parent die, be killed, it wrecked you.

"Damien …"

"How … How could I do that?" How could I put another kid through that? Those next words hadn't been said but Dean had heard them all the same.

"Damien, this isn't your fault."

Caleb pulled the mask away again, his face full of disgust. "Just the day before the kids had been working on Mothers Day cards and now they will be going to her funeral … and I did that."

"No, like you said to me before, there is no cure for Lycanthropy. There was nothing you could do."

Caleb snorted, his eyes sliding closed again for a few moments, his brow furrowed as his body tried to tell him to just give in to the rest it needed.

"M-Maybe not … but … but he'll never f-forget, Deuce … never … I know." The words, even though beginning to slur in exhaustion, were so riddled with pain, pain for the little boy that was now motherless and the little boy that had been motherless for close to twenty years.

Caleb rarely spoke about his parents, he avoided dealing with it at all and Dean knew how he felt. It was part of the reason they had connected so fast. That common trauma had bonded them in a way that had seen to the friendship they now had. Caleb had helped Dean through a number of Mothers Days and birthdays and all the other times Dean had mourned the premature loss of his mother and while doing that he shut out his own issues.

Dean couldn't help with the pain of that loss and he knew that Caleb wouldn't allow him to help with the guilt he felt over this latest hunt. Caleb would carry it no matter what anyone said, punishing himself. But that didn't mean that Dean wasn't going to be there regardless.

"I know," Dean told him sincerely, a little awkward being on the opposite side of support fence. "I know. But you know what?"

Caleb remained silent, his eyes remained shut but Dean knew he still hadn't fallen back asleep yet. The tear escaping out of the corner of the older man's eye made that clear … and made Dean's heart clench for his friend. Caleb's defences were down and he had no way to combat against emotions he would normally lock away.

"Whatever happened? She would be glad that you had the guts to do something before she did something that she regretted. Her son's are safe … because of you."

Caleb turned his head away but Dean kept his eyes on his friend. "I'm no expert on ... on mothers and stuff but I'm pretty sure that's all they want, for their kids to be safe."

This woman, Caleb's mother … his own mother. Dean swallowed thickly as his own loss still affected him after all these years. "You did that, dude. She begged you to pull the trigger because she wanted her children safe, even if they had to be kept safe from her. You kept them safe."

Caleb wasn't going to accept anything but blame in this but Dean was going to make sure he heard the truth even if he didn't believe it. He wasn't going to leave his friend alone in this.

Dean reached up with a hand and lightly put the mask back on Caleb's face, determined for it to stay in place this time. "Just get some rest, dude. Mac will be here soon."

Caleb's stubbornness was no match for his eyelids as they started falling closed. "Maybe I'm more like my father than I thought …" Caleb's words were muffled and slurred with the onset of sleep but Dean still heard them and his heart was angry. It ached because in Caleb's mind what had happened obviously supported his long time fear.

Dean shook his head even though Caleb's eyes were closed. He wrapped his fingers around Caleb's limp hand, relishing in the warmth in there compared to the feel of Caleb's hand when he'd first found him under the jeep. "You are," he agreed. "You're more like Mac everyday." Caleb wasn't going to turn into what Isaac had. Everyone knew it but Caleb always had trouble believing it.

Caleb was going to be fine and emotionally he would move on like he always did. This Mothers Day he was going to return the favour to his friend and be there to catch him if he fell.

There was one more thing that he wanted his friend to hear. Dean leaned forward and whispered loudly as Caleb finally succumbed to his body's needs.

"You're Mom would be proud, Caleb."

Cape Hatteras, NC

May 1980

The trek from the kitchen to his parent's bedroom was a bit more difficult than he had imagined but Caleb had assured his father that he was okay to carry the big breakfast tray. Caleb had worked too hard so far for him to back out now. Besides, he was a big boy now.

Upon approaching the room, Caleb saw that his Dad had left the door open a little and he breathed a tiny sigh of relief. He was glad he didn't have to carry the tray AND have to open the door. That would have been a lot harder to accomplish … not that he couldn't do it of course.

Nudging the door open, Caleb snuck inside, his feet barely making any sound on the soft carpet of his parent's bedroom. Two lumps were lying on the bed under the covers. He knew his Dad was still awake and waiting for Caleb to surprise his mother.

Carefully edging his way to the side of the bed, Caleb caught a glimpse of his mother's long black hair peaking out. He placed the tray on the floor and off to the side and took out the Mothers Day card he'd made at school a week before and placed it on top of the box containing the necklace.

He pulled himself up against the bed, standing on the tips of his toes to reach and planted a kiss to his mother's slumbering face.

Her forehead crinkled for a moment before her eyes flickered open. A smile touched her lips as her gaze focused on that of her small son standing beside her bed, his mischievous face centimetres from hers. "Morning, sweetheart," she greeted and quickly leaned forward and gave him a peck on his nose.

"Do you know what day it is today?" Caleb asked sincerely and thought he heard a chuckle from the other side of the bed but he decided to ignore it.

His Mom pushed herself up into a sitting position against the headboard. She thumped a hand on his Daddy's shoulder and the man said something but it was smothered by the bed covers over his head. "I don't know, honey. What day is it?" she asked as his father eventually pulled himself out from under the covers and joined her against the bed head.

"Close your eyes."

His Daddy brought his hand up and covered her eyes for her. Caleb giggled as she lightly elbowed him in the stomach. The smile didn't leave her face though and Caleb knew they were playing around.

He turned around and bent down to retrieve the tray he had carefully carried into the room. Once he was standing straight with the tray safely in his arms, Caleb stepped right up to the bed. "Okay, you can look now."

His Dad took his hand away and his Mom blinked a couple of times before looking down. A look of delighted surprise filled her eyes and her smile widened.

"Happy Mothers Day, Mommy." Caleb exclaimed in a loud high voice, like he was cheering. "I made you breakfast!" Well he had made some of the breakfast.

"Oh my God, Caleb, this is amazing, sweetheart."

Caleb beamed and let his father hop over his mother and take the tray from his hands and place it over her legs on the bedspread. "Do you like it?" he asked anxiously.

His Mom tore her attention away from the plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and met her son's gaze. "Of course! I love it! I just knew you were up to something. You're a cunning little man, Caleb Reaves. Just like your father."

Caleb shared a smile with his Dad before the man reached down and helped him up and onto the bed. "Daddy helped."

Caleb squealed when his father tickled him playfully as he scooted up to the head of the bed to sit in the middle of them. "I thought we agreed that was a secret." His Dad asked, following suit, resting on his elbow and tickling the little boy more.

"But you did help!!"

"Leave my boy alone, Isaac," his Mom laughed and hugged him to her, protecting him from his father's tickle attack. "He has his mother's protection today."

His Dad laughed and relaxed back. "He's always under his mother's protection," he responded around a yawn.

"That's because he's the best son a mother could ask for."

"What if you have another boy?" Caleb asked seriously. He was excited about a new addiction to the family but was aware things would be different.

His Mom looked down at him with a softness that he just wanted to curl up in. He always loved it when she looked at him like that. "Well since they will have you as a big brother to show them the ropes I will be a very lucky woman."

"Right!" Caleb agreed readily. He couldn't wait to have a little brother to do things with. Although his Mom still said she didn't know what she was having, Caleb had a feeling that it might just be a brother … but for now it would remain the Deuce in their little family of cards. "I'm gonna be a great big brother," he proclaimed.

"Of that I have no doubt," his Mom assured him, smiling over his head at her husband.

"Aren't you going to open your present?" Caleb piped up all of a sudden, changing the topic conversation.

His Mom looked down at the tray and noticed the obviously hand-made box and at the card that was sitting beside it. "I get a present too?"

"Aha. Open it."

"Wow, see I'm lucky already." His Mom picked up the card first and opened it. Inside was Caleb's attempt to draw the beach. He'd made the card at school but waited until only the day before to finish the inside, wanting to be able to look at the ocean as he drew it, like he had seen his Mom do on many occasion. "Oh sweetie, this is beautiful."

"I made it myself," Caleb explained proudly. "I know you love the ocean."

"This is just beautiful, Caleb," his mother repeated and Caleb looked up at her from where he was snuggled in against her to gage the truth in her eyes. He saw nothing there but absolute delight and he knew he had done well because his Mommy was the bestest painter in the whole world.

"Pass it over, honey." The piece of paper was passed over Caleb's head to his father, while his mother stole another kiss to the top of his head. "You didn't show me this one, Kiddo. It's really good."

Caleb couldn't get the smile of his face as he received praise from both of his parents. But this day wasn't about him. It was Mothers Day. He picked up the box holding the home-made necklace in it and held it up to his mother. "You have to open this now, Mommy."

"You sure are spoiling me today …" His mother's voice stopped mid sentence as she opened the lid to the box and saw what was inside.

Caleb held still, hoping that it was the right kind of gift. He had been trying to make this Mothers Day special because it was the last Mothers Day that he would have his Mom all to himself. He wanted to remember this day and he wanted his Mom to remember it too.

His Mom took the necklace out of the box and held it up to see. "Did you make this, Caleb?" she asked and Caleb looked on nervously, feeling his father's hand as it gripped his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Yep." Looking at his mother expectantly, Caleb wasn't sure what to make of the look of wonder on her face. "Do you like it, Mommy?"

His Mom finally looked down at him. "Like it? Honey, I love it! It's … it's gorgeous. Come here." She patted her lap, indicating that Caleb so sit.

He got quickly to his knees and then sat carefully on his mother's lap, mindful of her stomach until she pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug. Caleb wrapped his small arms around her and held on. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he was embraced in the warmth that was his mother's arms.

"Thank you, Caleb." She pulled away and placed both of her hands against each cheek and pulled him in to land a kiss on his forehead. "This is the best Mother's Day gift ever."

As Caleb was released, he stayed sitting on his Mom's lap as she put the necklace over head. Caleb reached out and touched the middle shell as it rested on her chest-bone. "I made sure I found your favourite shell." He told her, still relieved that he had been able to find one at all. The beach had almost seemed to run out of them. "And Daddy helped put the shells on the string because he didn't want me to stab myself," he explained further.

"Well we couldn't have that." His Mom agreed, fingering the shells herself as she met Caleb's stare.

"And Daddy didn't even need to take a fall … although I almost did," Caleb said as he remembered his near miss in the kitchen and how his Daddy had kept him from falling.

"It's nothing," his Dad responded at his Mom's questioning look. "Just all part of the process," he evaded, reaching a hand out to tickle Caleb, almost sending the tray flying in the process.

"Hey, no roughhousing in the bed, you two."

"Spoil sport," His Daddy poked out his tongue and Caleb laughed. "You want some tea?" He asked a second later, climbing out of the bed and walking to the bedroom door.

His Dad had told him that drinks were out of the question and they could wait for later because he didn't think his Mom would appreciate her drink, hot or cold, all over the bed spread.

"Tea would be great, thanks."

Once his Dad had left the room, Caleb found himself engulfed in another hug, two big kisses plastered to his cheek. "Are you happy?" He asked, even though he thought he had a pretty good idea of what her answer would be.

"I couldn't be happier." She reached up and held the middle curly shell in her hand as the necklace hung around her neck. "I'm going to cherish this forever, Caleb. And every time I look it I will be reminded of what an amazing little boy I have."

"Even when I grow up?" He couldn't ever imagine being taller than his mother, it seemed so insurmountable but his Daddy assured him that he was going to be big and strong.

His Mom nodded. "Even when you're bigger than your Dad," she answered, ruffling his hair.

"Maybe when the baby is bigger I can teach him how to make you one too." It was his job as big brother after all.

Once again Caleb felt himself pulled into a hug. "I love you so much, Caleb."

Caleb smiled, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around his Mom, one hand resting against her pregnant belly. He had never felt better as he did right then, hearing those words, seeing how happy his Mom was. All his work had paid off and he just knew he would remember this moment forever.

"Happy Mothers Day, Mommy."

The End.


A/N2: Hope everyone enjoyed this story :) I will gladly eat up anything you have to say should you choose to review. For the people who asked about Mackland. Yes, I love the character and would have loved to include him but it just didnt turn out that way. That said, the current story I am writing (and seem to have been writing for a long time lol) will feature Mackland and hopefully do justice to the father/son relationship between the two psychics that I love dearly :) If you choose to come along for that ride, when i eventually have it ready? I'll look forward to seeing you then :)

Thank you everyone for reading!

Have a Great Weekend!!!

Tara x0x