Chapter 2
Dean finally walked in the door of the motel room, his mom and brother rented. His arms were, chock full, of books he bought from a book store. The minute he walked in, Mary was on her feet, looking displeased.
"Young man, where have you been?" she demanded of her firstborn.
"Mom, I'm a grown man, remember," Dean reminded his mother, walking past her.
Sam had stood up from the table when Dean had walked into the room, as well. He watched as his brother dropped a stack of books onto the table.
Mary closed the door behind him. "I understand that, Dean Alexander. But, it's still courteous to call and let us know where you are."
Dean turned around to face her. "I'm sorry, Mom. I had a lot on my mind and still not used to having you, back, alive. Okay?" he apologized, sincerely, before he got in, even, more hot water.
Sam had been staring at the stack of paperback, thick books his brother had set down. "Since when do you read anything that's not porn, car magazines, or Anime?" he questioned and read the cover. "A Parent's Guide to Physical Disabilities?" Sam looked at the next book, "Sign Language for Dummies?" and picked it up to look at the other books with titles of the same subject. "What is all this for, Dean?"
"Hope."
"Hope for what?"
"No, Hope, my daughter," Dean corrected his brother.
"You're positive, she's really yours, sweetheart?" Mary asked.
He looked over at her. "I am, Mom."
"How?" Sam shrugged. "She could be anyone's kid."
Dean looked, back, at him. "She's mine, Sam. Hope is the splitting image of me. She even warmed up to me, fast. I know the kid's mine, and now that I know I have a kid, I'm gonna do what's right."
"But, what about the job, Dean? How are you going to be a dad and hunt?"
He shrugged, this time. "I can do both. I can be a hunter and a dad."
"You're forgetting one thing," Sam pointed out.
"What's that?"
"You tried that, once before. Remember? Lisa and Ben."
Dean remained quiet, staring at Sam.
It was Mary who spoke. "Who's Lisa and Ben?"
He stared at the floor.
Sam was the one to answer, "Lisa was an old girlfriend, and Ben was her son."
She looked between her sons. "Dean's son?"
"No," Dean finally said. "But, I helped look after him, for a year, like he was."
"What happened?"
He couldn't answer that. Dean couldn't even look his mom in the eye.
"Tell her, Dean," Sam insisted, shifting on his feet. "Tell her why you had to walk away and have Cas wipe their memories."
Dean shot his brother, a glare. "I told you not to bring that up, again," he pointed over at him.
"It doesn't matter, because you're gonna end up doing the same thing, again, with your daughter and her mother. Face it, Dean. We can't have a family of our own. We always said, keep the ones we love, as far away, as possible."
"Dean," Mary spoke up.
Dean turned his head, to look at his mother. His face softened for her.
"Didn't you tell me, you wouldn't raise your kids in this life."
"I mean it, too," he replied. "Hope's not gonna know. She won't know what I do, but, she's gonna be protected. I will make sure of that."
"They always do, sweetheart. I tried to keep you, boys, from the life. Look what happened," she pointed out. But, Dean wasn't hearing it.
"Things will be different. Hope can't, anyways."
"Dean, you're being stubborn," Sam told his brother. "Just walk away, now, before things get harder. It'll be better in the long run, for her. Hope's better protected if we stayed away."
Dean glared at his brother, again before collecting all of his books and storming from the room.
"Where are you going, young man?" Mary asked of him, as she watched him, walk pass. He shifted the books in his arms, using his knee, so he could open the door, himself.
"Renting my own room." With that said, Dean was gone, again.
Sam let out a frustrated breath of air.
The next morning, Sam and Mary tried to find out which room Dean had checked into. They found his room, but, he wasn't in there. He had already left. The two of them ended up, finding Dean, back at the diner, sitting in a booth.
Sam headed, straight there. "We've been looking for you, everywhere, Dean." He stopped, abruptly, when he saw who Dean was sitting with. Hope was sitting on the inside of the booth, holding her Kindle in her hands, showing Dean, the game, Minecraft, or, the mobile app version, anyway. The little girl grew scared at the sudden, loud voice.
Dean wrapped an arm around her head, encouraging Hope, to look up. "It's okay, squirt," he assured her. "It's my brother. Keep playing, alright? I'll be right, back." He slid out from the booth and grabbed a hold of his brother, dragging him away.
"That's her?" asked Sam.
Dean nodded, "The one you just freaked out? Yeah, that's Hope."
"She's beautiful, Dean," said Mary, looking over in the direction of where her granddaughter was sitting, and looked at her firstborn. "Hope looks a lot like you did, when you were little."
"I know." Dean was looking in that direction, too.
At that point, Rachel had come over. "Is everything alright, over here?" she asked. "You're disrupting the customers."
"Sorry, Rachel. Won't happen, again, I promise," he apologized to her. "You remember my brother, Sam, right?"
Rachel's form, softened. "Yes. Hello, Sam," she shook his hand.
"Hey, Rachel," he returned the handshake, politely.
"Rach, this our mom, Mary."
"It's nice to meet you," Mary greeted, holding out her hand, to the younger woman.
Rachel accepted it. "Same here," she smiled and looked over at Dean. "Look, it's great your whole family is here, Dean. But, I want Hope to get to know you, first, before we start introducing her to extended family."
"We actually just came to grab Dean, for a few hours," Sam explained.
She looked between the brothers. "For what? Dean's busy for the next eight hours."
Sam and Mary looked over at Dean, for an explanation. Rachel could tell, they didn't know.
It was Dean who explained. "Sorry, guys. I told Rachel, I'd keep Hope, entertained, while she worked the breakfast and lunch shifts. Now, if you excuse me. I've been away from Hope, for way too long than I should have." He, then, walked back to the booth. "Hey, squirt. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Sam and Mary watched.
Rachel grabbed their attention. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Dean. If you want to be a part of our daughter's life, I'm gonna need a commitment from you."
"Well, has Dean told you about the commitment he has, already?" Sam asked. He wasn't sure why he was acting like this, other than, it was a risk of putting his niece, in danger.
Rachel shook her head, confused. "What other commitment?"
His mom hissed at him, to stop, even though Sam wasn't actually going to tell Rachel, about hunting. Instead, Mary steered the conversation, to something else, telling Rachel, how beautiful, Hope was.
Rachel thanked her.
Sam couldn't help ask, how Rachel knew, for sure, Dean was the father.
"He was the only guy I slept with, in years," she told him. "And, she looks so much like him, too. How much more proof do you need?"
The youngest brother felt uneasy, hearing Hope really was a Winchester. That meant his niece could be in danger. Bad things always found their way to a Winchester and Sam couldn't help sense, something was going to happen. Why else would they happened to return to the same town, five years later? Besides, the monster, in town.
Sam decided to ask if Rachel knew anything about the things that were happening. The victims, all happened to live on the farms and ranches, Rachel's father traded supplies, with. All good guys, too. They used to be jerks, in high school, but that was a long time, ago.
All week, Dean spent the day with his daughter. Once he left that night, after putting Hope to bed, did Dean help Sam and Mary out, with the hunt. In fact, on the third night, after another farm got attacked and the whole family was at the medical center, with the victim, the three of them checked the place out.
Sam found some tracks that seemed to belong to a dog, and Mary found some loose fur, that looked to belong to a long-haired sheepdog.
Dean stared at it, in confusion. "That's threatening," he said, sarcastically.
"Think about it, Dean," Mary pointed out. "One of those dogs, murdering people and killing cows? That's a perfect disguise. No one would suspect a dog that looks sweet."
"Mom's got a point there," agreed Sam.
"Okay. So, basically, we have to keep an eye out for a ball of fur," he said.
"This is a ranch-based town, though. I'm sure there are plenty of sheepdogs around here."
"Good point," Dean said. "And, there's no way a dog's gonna let us near it, to check them with silver."
"We'll just have to watch them, carefully, first. See what they do," Mary shrugged.
The Winchesters split up.
The day after they had checked the latest "crime scene," Hope had wanted to go to the park. Rachel had to work, though, so Dean offered to take her. She was skeptical, letting their daughter go to a park without her, there, to supervise. Dean assured her, Hope would be in safe hands.
Hope pushed her walker, towards the playground, herself, as Dean followed, close, behind. When she reached the sand, Dean reacted and stopped her when the front wheels dropped off the edge of the sidewalk and into the sand.
Leaving the walker there, Dean held onto her hands and led Hope over to the slide, that she had pointed at. They headed to the lowest step, which Dean lifted her, onto, before stepping up, himself. Eventually, the two of them got up to the main area of the playset. Dean could see how daring Hope was when she wanted to go on the hanging bridge. Though, she did hesitate, at first, only sticking the toe of her shoe, out.
"You can do it, squirt," Dean encouraged his little girl. After a few seconds, Hope placed her foot, fully out, followed by the other. "Atta girl. Keep going. You're doing great." He stepped with her, holding onto her hands, in a good grip, so Hope wouldn't fall.
Dean was focused on his daughter, he didn't notice the little boy, waiting on the other side, until the boy yelled for his mom.
"Mom! They're taking too long!"
"Wait your turn, Matthew," the mom called, back.
Dean looked at the boy, to see him, folding his arms, tightly, across his small chest.
"Please, hurry," he told them.
"We're going as fast as we can. Hope, here, can't walk, that well," Dean tried to explain to him.
"Why not?" the boy asked, loosening his arms.
"Just something she was born with. She can't talk, neither, but Hope still likes to have fun, like any other kid. Right, squirt?" Dean leaned over Hope, to smile at her, which she caught and smiled, in return.
After a few moments, the pair made it to the other side, where the boy was waiting. Dean cheered for Hope before he told her, they should move out of the way, to let the boy go across, since he had been waiting. The boy thanked them and dashed across the bridge. Dean noticed Hope had watched the boy and her face, frowned. He could probably guess, Hope wanted to be able to dash across the bridge, on her own, as well.
Next, Hope wanted to go down the slide. So, Dean squeezed himself, into the slide, placing her on his lap. It wasn't as fun, since he got stuck, halfway down. With one mighty push, Dean slid, the rest of the way, down. Lifting her, into his arms, Dean stood up and walked over to set Hope on top of the slide, and hurried back to the bottom.
"Ready, squirt?" he called up to Hope.
Hope nodded her head and pushed off from the edges, sliding down, herself. Dean bent over to catch her, before she fell off, which he lifted her into the air. Hope squealed, with laughter and signed, again, arching the fingers of her right hand into the palm of her left hand.
Dean placed her, back on top and had to race back to the bottom, when Hope pushed off, early, that time. He managed to get there, in time, and catch his little girl. Hope signed, again, a second time. The two of them, ended up, playing on the slide, for a long time, until Hope was ready to move on.
Next, she wanted to ride an old duck spring ride. They walked over to it and Dean wrapped an arm around her waist, to lift Hope on it. It made her, exceptionally, happy, because it was something Hope could do on her own, as Dean stepped, back and watched as she rocked. He ended up, taking out his phone and snapping a picture of it, sending it to Rachel.
Shortly, after, Hope pointed over at the swings.
Dean looked over to where she was pointing, turning back, to ask, "You want to swing?"
She nodded.
Dean helped Hope off the duck and walk over to the swings. He lifted her onto the one, on the end, moving around it, to get her, started. Hope pumped her legs as best as she could, as Dean pushed her, every time Hope swung towards him.
"Look at you," he praised. "Make sure you hold on, tight."
Hope gripped each chain in her small hands, as she continued to try and pump her legs. To inform him of when she was done, swinging, Dean instructed Hope, to stick her pinky out. Like the slide, it was a while until she was ready to quit. Unfortunately, she had to stop before she was done. When Hope gave the signal, Dean took a hold of the swing and, gently, stopped it.
Hope gave him, the sign she needed to use the restroom.
"You have to use the bathroom?"
She nodded, up at him, upside, down.
Dean looked around the park, for the restrooms. Spotting them on the other side of the sand volleyball court, he lifted his daughter, up, over his head, setting her, on his shoulders. Before heading in that direction, he went over to grab Hope's walker, first. Hope ended up, liking, sitting his shoulders, though. So, Dean had to carry it, in one hand and hold onto Hope, with the other.
He took her into the men's room and helped Hope, onto the toilet. Once she was done, Dean held her at the sink, so Hope could wash her hands. Afterwards, Hope wanted to watch the dogs, over in the gated dog park area, which Dean took the opportunity to check out the dogs, to see if one of them was their man, or woman. There were a few dogs playing, but, not one of them was the right one.
One dog, a Golden Retriever, came over, to greet Hope, wagging his tail. The last time Dean was around that breed of dog, he got attacked by it, among other deaths. So, he was a tad weary when Hope wanted to stick her hand through the chain-link fence.
Dean dropped, in the grass, catching her hand. "Easy, squirt," he told her.
Hope didn't like having her hand, grabbed, and yanked it from him. She tried to reach for the dog, once more.
Dean stopped her, again. "No, Hope. You don't know if that dog will bite you, or not. You can look at him, but don't touch."
She pulled her hand away and tried a third time. Dean still wouldn't let her. Hope was growing frustrated, by now. The look on her face showed it.
"Dogs can bite, Hope. We don't know who this dog is. If you stick your hand in there, we may not get it out, in time."
By that point, the dog's owner called to it. Hope watched it scurry away, as tears filled her eyes. She tried to hit Dean, in frustration.
Dean ducked, in time, catching her fist. "Hey, what was that for?" Hope yanked it, away and tried to turn her walker. He stood up and tried to help her, but Hope wasn't having any of it. She pushed on his arm, to stop.
Hope stayed mad at Dean for ten minutes until he had bought ice cream for her. Then, she wasn't mad, anymore. She hugged him, and gave him, a ice cream kiss. Dean had to use a napkin to clean the ice cream off his cheek.
Dean took Hope, home, once they finished their ice cream. Hope seemed to like Baby, a lot. When he had first showed her, his car, she beamed from ear to ear, and Dean couldn't help notice her, enjoying the classic rock music, playing on the radio, which he couldn't help, smile, proudly.
Dean pulled up to Hope's house and parked.
Rachel's car was in the driveway, so that meant she had gotten off work, already.
Dean stepped out and opened Hope's door, as she undid her seatbelt. He lifted her, out and onto his shoulders, again, also grabbing her walker. Dean headed up to the front door and went in, where Rachel and her father, Clark, was talking in the living room. Dean froze in his tracks.
Standing beside the old man was a grey and white, long-haired sheepdog, panting happily.
Hope grew excited and wanted to be put down, so she could go pet the dog. Rachel, smiling, went over, holding her hands, out to her daughter. The little girl held out her own hands, grabbing onto her mom, when Rachel lifted Hope off of Dean's shoulders.
"Hey, baby girl," Rachel greeted. "Did you have fun at the park, with Dean?"
Hope nodded, and looked over at the dog.
"Oh, you want to see our new dog, huh?" she giggled and carried Hope over, to introduce them.
The shock finally subsided and Dean snapped, back to reality. "Wait!" he told Rachel.
Rachel looked up at him. "What is it?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Why not? Hope loves dogs." She turned back to her daughter, and reminded her how to introduce herself to animals, holding her hand out, to show her. Hope copied the gesture. The dog sniffed at Hope's tiny hand and allowed the little girl to pet it. "Can you say, dog, Hope?"
Hope looked at her, but, didn't say anything. She didn't even try. The little girl just turned her attention, back to the dog.
Meanwhile, Dean's anxiety was rising, higher and higher, as he watched his little girl pet the dog. His breathing got caught when the dog moved its mouth towards Hope's hand, his hand, tightening on the silver knife he had, in his back pocket. Instead of biting her, the dog licked it.
Finally, Dean asked, "Where did you get that dog?"
"Found him. Wandering around," Clark replied. "Poor thing looked hungry."
"And you just brought him, home? With something attacking people and cows on the loose?" he questioned, clueless as to why the old man would bring in a stray, at this point in time.
"The sheriff says, it's a coyote attacking. A dog like this, are very friendly, and prefers to herd, not kill." Clark rubbed the dog's back.
"Dogs all have instincts, Clark," Dean pointed out. "One minute, they appear friendly, the next, they're biting you. Has anyone seen that it was a coyote?"
"Dean, it's okay," Rachel assured him. "We know a thing or two about dogs. Yes, we're aware dogs can turn on a person. I won't leave Hope, alone, with the dog. Not until we know for sure."
"I think we should take the dog into the vet. Let them check it, over. I'll even take it for you."
Clark looked over at Dean. "We 'preciate the offer, but, I think we'll be okay, Dean."
"No, you won't. Let me take the dog. Please. You got to trust me on this," he told them.
"Trust you?" the old man questioned, this time. "Young man, you are not even at that point, yet. I wasn't too keen to hear Rach let you take lil'Hopie to the park, alone. You've still got a long ways to go. We will deal with the dog if things go sour. I've put dogs, down in my day. I even had to put my first dog, down, when I was only twelve."
"This isn't the same," Dean blurted out.
Clark tilted his head, a little. "How is this not the same, son?"
Dean closed his eyes, at the mistake he made. He opened them, as he said, "Look, I know you don't know me, that well, yet. Last I heard, no one's seen what killed those people and cows-"
Rachel interrupted, covering Hope's ears. "Can we stop talking about that? I don't want Hope knowing about death, yet," she looked between Dean and her own father.
"I don't mean to… Listen, you all, are in danger if you keep that dog around. Trust me." Dean could not bear the thought of losing his little girl to a skinwalker. Being in the same room as one, and inches from her, wasn't helping, either.
"Dean, it's okay, really," said Rachel.
"No, it's not! Listen to me!" Dean, suddenly, raising his voice, made Hope, jump and start to cry, burying her face into her mom. He felt bad for scaring his little girl, but, Dean needed her mom and grandfather to understand.
Clark glared over at Dean. "I think you better go," he warned the young man.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, like that. But, please, just let me take the dog out of here. It ain't safe for Hope. For any of you," Dean was, now, at the point of pleading with them.
"Please, leave, Dean," Rachel backed her father up, while trying to comfort Hope.
"Please, Rachel."
"I said, leave."
Dean looked around at everyone, stopping on the dog. As he turned to leave, he swore the dog winked at him. Can dogs wink? It didn't seem like his imagination. Reluctantly, Dean left the house and headed over to the Impala. He tried to park, down the road, where he could keep an eye on things.
While he sat there, Dean sent Hope, a text message on Skype, to apologize, for scaring her. The day before, while he watched her at the diner, he noticed Hope had Skype on her Kindle. When Dean asked Rachel about it, she said, that was how they communicated while in separate rooms. So, Rachel had to keep her phone on her, at all times. So, Dean helped Hope, add him, so, they could communicate with each other when he wasn't there. Hope liked it, so much, just as Dean was falling asleep, last night, Hope had woken up and decided, to message Hi. What are you doing?
Dean had responded, back, About to go to sleep. Like you should be doing, little missy.
Hope just thought it was funny and continued to message Dean, until he told her, he was serious.
Dean didn't get a response. After forty minutes, he saw Rachel coming towards where he had parked. How did she know? He was hidden from their view.
She stopped at his window, which Dean rolled down. "What are you still doing, here, Dean?"
"I'm not so sure you should let that dog stay there with you, Rach. I just have this feeling, it's what's been killing those people," he tried, once more.
"How?"
Dean shrugged. "I don't know. I just do, okay?"
"No, not okay, Dean. I, barely, know you. I didn't even want to let you take Hope to the park, today. In fact, I sent a friend to spy on you," she admitted and looked away, towards the house.
"You sent someone to spy on me?"
She looked back at him. "I don't mean anything by it. It's just… I'm afraid to let Hope, out of my sight, more than a few minutes. She's so fragile, and has fallen, so many times, trying to do things on her own. At one point, Hope had so many scrapes and bruises, CPS almost took her from me, because they thought I was abusing her. Don't get me, wrong. I'm glad you're here, Dean, and I'm happy you want to be a part of Hope's life. I just can't help, worry about her. I've actually talked to my dad, to see about getting Hope, a service dog. If this dog works out, we're gonna get him, trained and certified."
"It's not gonna work out, Rach. That dog may hurt Hope, or...worse."
"We don't know that. You can't judge, firsthand, Dean. Give the dog a chance. We're giving you a chance."
Dean shook his head, looking out the windshield.
"If you can't accept our decision, then I want you to leave and not come back, please."
His head shot, back, in her direction. "No, Rach. Don't do this. I'm only looking out for Hope's safety. Just like you're doing. Please, don't."
But, Rachel wasn't budging. "You have until I reach my porch or I'm calling the sheriff." With that said, she turned and walked back the way she had come.
"Rachel! Rachel!" Dean tried to call after her. She never looked back.
Dean started the car and turned the gear. Just as he was about to make a U-turn, his phone vibrated from where it laid on his thigh. Picking it up, Dean swiped the screen, to unlock the lockscreen and selected the message.
I 4 give you Dean was the response his daughter had sent, in return. Dean smiled at the words. As he turned the car around, he felt it, vibrate, again. Before driving forward, he checked it. Thank you for taking me to the park and getting me ice cream.
You're welcome, squirt. Send me a message if something seems wrong to you. Be careful around that dog. Dean paused for a moment, before he added, I love you, Hope. At the first red light, he looked down at the phone, to see that Hope had responded, with an heart emoticon. Great, so his five-year-old already knew about emoticons. It made him, smile, though. He thought about going ahead and telling Hope, he was her dad, right then and there, but, decided against it. Dean was already in hot water. No point in adding to the pot.
When Dean got back to the motel, he stormed through the door. He had, eventually, moved back with his brother and mom, sharing one, again.
Sam and Mary was surprised, by the door slam.
"What's wrong?" Mary was the one to ask.
"I found it."
Sam and Mary stared at him.
Sam asked, "Where? Did you get it?"
He stopped and turned on his brother, "Does my face look like I got it?"
"What happened, sweetheart?"
Dean walked to the other side of the room, rubbing his face in his hands. He sliced his hand, down, through the air, "Hope's grandfather found it and brought it in the house. Hope petted it." His anxiety levels were record height, by now.
Their eyes widened, as their mouths, dropped, open.
"And, you left them, alone with it?" Sam questioned. "Dean, we have to go stop it before something happens."
Dean turned on his heel, to face them, again. "I already tried, Sam. They won't budge. They kicked me out of the house."
"So, what do we do?" Mary questioned.
"I told Hope, to message me if something doesn't seem right to her. She's a bright, little girl. Hopefully, she catches onto something before it's too late."
"And, if it is too late?" Sam asked.
"I really don't want to think about that, Sammy," he told his brother.
Late, that evening, Dean did receive a message. He had been waiting by his phone, actually praying for Hope to message him. When she did, he grabbed his phone and selected the message. His heart stopped at what he read.
Mommy won't come. Mommy always comes. Why won't Mommy come, Dean?
Dean, quickly, responded, back, Hang tight, Hope. I'm coming! He jumped up from his chair and told his mom and brother, they had to go. Something was wrong.
