Author Note: No song for this one since it's so short. This is a little background peace into Andrew and John's friendship that opens the story and sets the tone. I will try to post a new chapter every 1 to 2 weeks (I've skipped around so while most of Season 2 is finished, Season 1 is still in the works).
Andrew: Michaelson Residence
January 10th, 1984
I sat with John on the back porch. He had a beer in his hand, I had a water in mine. I didn't drink. Alcohol and my family didn't mix.
We were watching our kids play- Angela, my beautiful, sweet, three-year old daughter with golden blonde hair and blazing, bright blue eyes and John's green, devil-eyed, four year old son Dean. Separately, they were enough trouble and mischief for a hoard of children. Together, they were twin nightmares. Take your eyes off them for a second and you'd look back to either find them executing some master plan for evil or see them tearing out each other's hair as they rolled around on the ground kicking and screaming. Mary had always said they were destined to be each best friends or greatest enemies.
Angela suddenly fell off the monkey bars and hit the ground hard. She began to cry and I tensed, getting ready to get to my feet and go to her, but Dean beat me to it. He helped her sit up and did a quick over before saying, "It's okay. You're alright. Come on, let's keep playing. I'll let you be the hero this time."
Whipping the tears from her face and got to her feet. Within a minute, they were running around laughing and giggling again. I felt a small, sad smile come to my face. Dean was a good kid and would grow up to be an even better man. And for that, I was eternally grateful. I wasn't always going to be around to look after my daughter. It was a great comfort to know that someone else was up to the job. He'd be around for a long time I knew, I just wished that he didn't have to leave now. As much trouble as he and Angela caused, I hated to see them separated, even if it would lighten my burden. It was good for Angela to have another kid around. She didn't know very many kids her age. With all I had seen, with all I knew that was to come, I was too paranoid to let her out into the real world. Not yet anyway. And because of that, I felt guilty that the only friend she'd ever had was going to be taken from her.
Turning to John, I asked him, my voice practically pleading, "You know you can stay, right?"
"Yeah, Andrew," John replied, his features weary. He looked down at his beer instead of meeting my eyes. "I know."
"Sure, Angela and Dean are usually squabbling like cats and dogs, but just watch them get married one day," I joked with an edge of desperation to my voice. John wasn't in any state of mind to go off half-cocked into the world with two kids. "And Andrea loves having the boys around. She always wanted more kids. They could have a home here. A safe place to grow up with you until things get back to normal. It's the way Mary would want it."
"Mary's dead Andrew," he replied in a dead pan voice.
I sighed and my lips twisted with grief. "I loved her too John," I said quietly, reaching out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He pulled away and I tried to keep the hurt off my face. "She was like a sister to me, one of my oldest friends. But I'm begging you- stay. You're not ready to go off hunting. Especially by yourself."
"Aren't I?" he challenged, a bitter grin on his face. The crazed light he had been carrying in his eyes for the past two months flared. "I'm pissed Andrew. And I'm gonna have my revenge."
"You have no idea what you're doing. What you're facing. You're going to get yourself killed," I snapped, starting to get angry. This suicidal attitude of his wasn't helping anyone. "You're the only family Sam and Dean have left. Don't take that from them."
John was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke. "I've made up my mind Andrew. I'm going to get justice. I'm going to hunt down the son of bitch that murdered Mary and I'm gonna kill it, along with anything else I can find along the way."
I gave a frustrated sigh. John had no idea what he was up against. I wanted to tell him, to let him know just how dangerous of road he was traveling down, but I couldn't. I'd promised Mary. And even if I hadn't, I'm not too sure I would tell him anyway. Demons weren't anything to take lightly and certainly not something you wanted to get yourself tangled up with. They were dangerous, cruel, twisted creatures. And the one that had killed Mary was the worst I'd ever heard of. If John managed to track the thing down now, he would die, no questions asked. Hell, I wasn't even sure I could face the damn thing and win- and I'd been doing this for awhile.
I sighed. I hated keeping secrets from him. John was a brother to me. We'd fought side by side in Vietnam. I'd taken a bullet for him and he'd saved my life on more than one occasion. But he wasn't ready for this.
"Since you're in such a rush to dig you're grave, I guess I can't stop you," I grumbled. Because the truth was, he was just as stubborn as I was. It was a wonder we were even friends. "But I want you to know that you're not alone in this. If you need anything- a partner on a hunt, someone to watch over the boys, a place to crash- you know where to come."
I swear I could see a tears shining in John's eyes, but he quickly blinked them away, going back to his cold, hard demeanor he'd taken up since Mary had died.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "You're a good friend Andrew."
I gave him a sad smile. "After all we've been through, could I be any less?"