A/N...well, I thought of something to say...gosh, where'd I put that thought?
"C'mon, Sammy, get the lead out!" yelled Dean.
The gangly teenager ran to the car. "Sorry. Couldn't find my other shoe"
Dean fired up the car and pulled away from the motel.
"Is dad meeting us at Bobby's?" Sam asked.
Dean shrugged. "Doubt it. Anyway, Bobby asked for our help. Not dads"
They drove in silence for most of the day, pulling into Bobby's as night fell, the soft drifts of snow falling like cherry blossom petals.
Sam got out of the car and turned to his brother, and smiled as the long lashes were quickly coated in snow flakes.
He grabbed his bag and threw Dean his, then they both walked to Bobby's door.
The hunter was there, waiting and gave each boy a hearty hug.
"Merry Christmas, boys"
"Yeah, Merry Christmas, Bobby" Sam smiled at him as he walked inside.
Dean just looked at Bobby.
"I said Merry Christmas, Dean"
"Yeah, thanks"
Bobby frowned at the back of the young man as he stomped the snow off his boots and walked into the kitchen, straight to the fridge where he helped himself to a beer.
"So what's the job?"
Bobby got himself a beer and handed a soda to Sam. "Remember the time we went hunting, when you were, what, ten years old?"
Dean took a swig of his beer. "We went on a lot of hunts, Bobby"
The older hunter pulled a chair out from the table and sat. "I'm talking about the time you refused to kill Bambi's mom"
Sam gave a laugh. "I remember that! God, I thought I would cry forever. You big mean boy, gonna kill the baby deer's mommy"
Dean pulled a face. He had never forgotten that day, but he had never spoken of it again.
To anyone.
"Anyway, yeah, I remember. What's that got to do with this job?"
Bobby smiled at him. "I was just thinking about the hunts we've had over the years"
"Bobby, is there really a hunt, or did you just wanna get us here for the holidays?"
"Yes, and yes" Bobby answered. "Havin' you boys here is a bonus. But there is a hunt, of sorts. Also something weird happened, and I thought, well, I thought you should know"
"Oaky, what?" Sam asked pulling a chair up next to Bobby.
"That hunt was what, ten, eleven years ago?"
"Well, I was six. I'm sixteen now" Sam nodded, grabbing a soda.
"Okay, well, this kid came knocking on my door the other day. Kid of about, I dunno, ten, twelve? He thanked me. He wanted to thank you. Said you saved his life that day, when he was only a baby"
"What?" Dean felt a cold knife in his guts, but covered it with a gulp of his beer as he leaned back on the kitchen bench, legs crossed at the ankles. "We didn't save anyone that day. We didn't hunt"
"Kid just said something you did saved his life and his mom's, and he wanted to thank you. Said he'd never forget it, and one day he'll pay you back"
"Weird" Dean sipped his beer. "Didja see who's kid he was?"
Bobby frowned. "Here's the thing. I turned to grab a coat and follow him, but he was gone. No sign of him"
"Ghost, maybe?" Sam asked.
"No EMF. And the kid said you saved his life"
"Maybe I saved it that day, just for him to die later. I dunno" he sipped his beer. "Is it really a hunt, or just a mystery?"
"Guess we'll find out. If you two stay here for a few days, see if he comes back.."
Dean sat his beer down. "I'm really starting to think you just wanted us here for the holidays, Bobby"
"So? What if I did?" Bobby frowned at him. "You want a lonely old hunter to be all by himself on Christmas morning? Eatin' canned Irish stew?"
Sam laughed. "What, you think Dean'll roast you a ham?"
"I was hoping we could go out on a hunt in the mornin', a normal hunt, and bag ourselves a wild scrub turkey. Wouldn't hurt you boys to brush up on yer snow tracking skills"
"Yeah, coz following footprints in snow is so hard" Dean griped.
"Quit yer whinin'. We hunt turkey in the mornin' and we cook the damn thing for Christmas day, traditional or not"
"Fine" Dean growled.
"Fine" Bobby smiled.
"Fine " laughed Sam.
Shit thought Dean.
X
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Sam lay on the cold ground, his gun held steady, supported on a branch from the fallen tree they were hiding behind.
Dean lay beside him. His gun was also pointed at the small herd of deer that were grazing in the trees ahead of them, as they were upwind and in cover the deer had no indication their lives were in danger.
"Dean" whispered Sam.
"Sshhh"
"What're we gonna do? Those guys are gonna shoot every doe in front of us"
"Ssshhh"
"Dean?"
"Sammy, shut it. They guys'll hear you"
Sam was astounded. Surely Dean wouldn't shoot a deer just to look good in front of these guys?
Would he?
Maybe he would, maybe he was still pissed Sam had made a fool out of him in front of the girls at the soda shop and would make Sam pay by shooting these beautiful creatures.
The older hunters waved a signal to the boys, be ready.
Dean lined up a deer in his sites.
Sam did, too, but the safety was still on his gun.
Just as the bald fat guy..what was his name, Sam couldn't remember…Ollie? Dickwad? He couldn't remember…just as she lifted his hand to give the signal for them all to shoot at the same time, Dean sneezed.
It was a massive, over the top explosion that ricocheted through the forest.
As one, the deer turned and were gone in a heartbeat.
"Aw, man, what was that?"
"Geez, we coulda bagged the whole herd"
"You got a problem, boy?"
Bobby's friends were unimpressed, bitching and complaining as they came over to confront Dean.
Sam smiled to himself. Why would he ever doubt his brother? He had never, ever let him down, why would he think he would do it now?
Dean sneezed again, and rolled back onto his butt.
"Sorry guys, I think I'm….ah….ahhh choo!" Dean covered his mouth with his fist. "I think I'b cobing dowb wib subthin'"
Bobby walked up to the boys and looked down at them. "You ruined the hunt, Dean"
"Yeah, I know, I feel real bad about that" Dean sneezed again.
Bobby frowned. "Well, I better get you boys home. Don't want you breakin' out in pneumonia or nuthin'." He turned his back completely to the hunters and gave the boys a wink.
Bobby turned back to his mates. "Sorry guys, my kids look like they're gettin' sick. Next time?"
The other hunters made their goodbyes and moved off to track the deer.
"Thags Bobby" Dean sneezed again.
"Knock it off, boy, I aint an idjit'
Dean frowned at him, but then broke out in a grin, nodding.
Sam grabbed Dean in an unexpected hug, nearly bowling the older boy over.
"Thanks Dean"
"Just don't ever diss me in front a chicks again, k?"
"You got it, dude"
X
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Dean was dragging his feet. He seemed to take little notice in his surroundings, and barley commented on Bobby's instructions on tracking something through the dense woods.
Sam, while happy enough at the start, was starting to be affected by his brother's attitude and the whole day, while planned to be a mood lightener, was rapidly going down the gurgler.
"Sam, why don't you see if you can track the next few feet?" Bobby asked the young boy.
"Really? Me?" he jumped up and down on the spot excitedly. "You think I can do it? Really?"
"Course I do, squirt. Off yah go"
Sammy bounded ahead, stopping to check the ground every couple of paces, looking for bent branches and broken twigs.
Dean trudged along, his heart not into anything much.
"Son? You okay?"
"I'm good" came the monotone reply.
"I'm thinkin' you don't look so good. Thinkin' maybe you need a week off school. Y'know, just till you get better"
Dean looked up at his Uncle Bobby, tears shining bright in his eyes, the blackened one made Bobby's heart fall. "Really?" he asked, his voice not more than a whisper.
"Yeah. Just to be safe, and all"
Dean sighed. "Thanks, Uncle Bobby"
"Not doin' you a favor, kiddo. Doin' it so you don't make the other kids sick"
Dean smiled. "Yeah. Sure. Thanks anyway"
Bobby clapped the tall boy on the shoulder. "Let's see if we can bag us some venison for dinner tonight"
Dean shook his head. "You think you could kill a deer with Sammy around?"
"Just Sammy?"
Dean allowed himself a small laugh. "Well…"
"Not too far ahead, squirt" Bobby called to the excited younger boy.
X
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Dean poked at the fire with a long stick, leaning back on the small camp stool, the darkness wrapped around the small clearing like a black velvet blanket.
Bobby handed him a steaming mug.
"Sam, you want some coffee?"
"Naw. If I have coffee this late I can't sleep"
Bobby yawned. "Walking this far, carting the gear around? I could sleep for a month"
Dean smiled at him. "You say that but you'll be draggin' our asses outta the tent before dawn"
Bobby laughed. "Yeah. Damn quiet out here makes sleepin' in hard"
They fell quiet, enjoying the popping and crackling of the campfire, the distant sparkle of starlight providing a dreamlike backdrop to a perfect day.
Bobby felt his thoughts drift away; to passed hunts and the times he'd brought these boys out into the woods, or driven them to different forests, teaching them to track, to hide their own tracks, to shoot, to light a fire, and to have fun.
Not once could he get them to kill anything other than a fish.
But, should they have to survive out in the wilderness, thanks to him, they could.
"You hear that?" Dean whispered, dropping his camp chair legs to the ground.
"Yeah, I did" Sam inched closer, dragging his stool with him.
They sat silent, senses alive.
This time, they all heard it, and they were sure of what they heard.
Voices.
Distant, but defiantly voices.
Bobby looked at the boys.
Dean touched his vest, indicating he had a weapon.
Sam touched the back of his jeans.
Bobby picked up a massive hinting knife and started to whittle at a piece of branch.
The voices drew closer, then they fell silent.
Dean looked at his brother.
Only sixteen, but a seasoned hunter already.
He had a growth spurt and was nearly as tall as his older brother.
Dean hoped he didn't get any taller.
Sam met his gaze and gave the slightest nod of his head.
He was ready, he was aware.
Bobby made the same eye contact with Dean, and got the same slight nod.
Three large men entered the clearing, bearded faces angry, shoulders squared, looking ready for a fight.
"Help you gentlemen?" Bobby asked.
"Hunters, right?" one of the men asked. Sam and Dean just sat, not answering.
"Who wants to know?" Bobby asked.
The three men exchanged a loaded glance with each other, then glared back at the hunters.
"Your prey"
X
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Dean held Sam's hand as they walked back to the cabin, Sam was still sniffling in a lost child, heartbroken way.
Bobby hadn't been mad, not one bit, that Dean didn't shoot the deer.
He even carried the rifles for them, so Dean could look after Sammy.
Sammy brightened as they walked on, six year old attention span getting the better of him and eventually he skipped ahead, happily, as they made their way back.
Bobby started to whistle, the tune was one Dean didn't know, but he found his sad mood lifting.
His brother was happy again, Bobby wasn't mad he didn't shoot anything, and if he didn't think about it he didn't have to remember how Sammy cried about mother's getting killed.
Dean never cried about mothers getting killed.
Not anymore.
Man up, son, dad had told him last time he'd seen Dean sad over his mother.
That had been years ago, and Dean had manned up.
He'd never cry about his mom again.
Ever.
He started to lag behind, not intentionally, but because he was trying not to think of his mother.
As he walked along he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Someone was watching him.
Someone close was watching him.
He stopped, pretending to tie his boot, but used this cover to scan the bush around him.
There.
The fawn.
Beside the fawn, a woman stood, naked, creamy white skin, large eyes, and a sad smile on her face.
As Dean watched, the fawn shimmered and changed, becoming a very small boy.
Dean gasped.
They just looked at him, still, almost unbelievably beautiful, innocent, but Dean knew they were not human.
They were monsters.
The child held up has hand and the woman took it, they stood, watching this hunter-boy.
"Dean?" Bobby called. "Something wrong? You see something?"
The two people looked at Dean, faces alarmed, they stepped back a pace, staring at him, waiting to see what he would do.
"No, nothing. I thought it was another deer" Dean called back, still holding eye contact with the woman.
She gave him a smile and a nod, acknowledging his lie to cover what they were, what he had seen.
Silently they turned away, and as he watched they transformed back into deer, and made their way back into the thick scrub.
Dean ran to catch up to Bobby.
"Another deer? Bobby asked him.
"Maybe. Maybe it was just a rabbit" Dean answered, feeling unsure as to why he didn't tell Bobby what he'd seen...
A/N...as this story has the lowest read count I've ever had, I don't guess I'll get many reviews...but those of you that do read, please can I have a word or two?