A/N Apologies for the delay in posting, I had computer problems and hadn't got the wireless link for my laptop working. This story is going slow anyway because the next chapter is not working and I hope to finish in either in that one or the one after.

I forgot to throw in the disclaimers earlier because if you think I'm making money from this you haven't seen my debt balance. For the record I own nothing created by Eric Krippe and only original characters can be blamed entirely on me.

Rebecca: Two Years On

Chapter 3: Add John to the mix

While Dean and Sam took Matthew and Deanne out for the day as agreed, Julia decided to do some research and I went to tend to John, who had not yet woken up.

I was busy checking John's wounds when he surprised me. "So Dean risked your wrath," he commented hoarsely.

"Oh, I wouldn't blame Dean," I replied calmly. "You have been scheming with Julia again to cause further hassle, but this time it backfired and you got more hurt than you intended."

"Yeah things didn't quite work out as planned," he admitted.

"You knew there were two demons but you only told Dean and Sam that there was one, why?" I accused.

"Because I thought I could take it and fake an injury so they'd bring me back here," he admitted. "I knew Julia was going to be here and wanted to sort things out between us."

"What made you think Julia would be here?" I asked cautiously passing him a small glass of water.

"The boys were talking about your problems with her one night while I was in the bathroom, I didn't think they'd realised I overheard. So I figured that she had exaggerated the problem to get them out of the way with me," he responded between sips of water. He rubbed his free hand over his face before continuing, "I thought it was time to unite the families by admitting our mistakes and trying to start over."

"So this is your apology for breaking a promise?" I asked dubiously.

He laughed, "well it's closer than any one else has got to one."

The comment reminded me of the John who'd flirted with me after the vamp incident where Dean had been injured. I wondered if he had ever realised how much I despised him at that time, something that had never really changed even though Dean and Sam had survived his obsession.

"So you haven't apologised to Dean or Sam for the life you made them live?" I challenged.

"And what gives you the right to question what I did?" John sounded angry. "I didn't have the resources of your family to keep the boys safe," he paused looking around for a second. "Where are they now?"

"Maybe you didn't have the resources but you turned down help," I replied ignoring the question tidying up the room absently.

"I didn't always trust the motives of those who offered to help," he replied trying to sit up. "Mary's family, hell, even my own family, wanted to take the boys away but they couldn't protect them; they didn't know what was out there."

"So you stopped trusting anyone outside of your family unit," I finished for him, at last understanding why he had forced this life on them. "Dean and Sam took the kids out for the day, they'll be back later."

"You trust my sons with Matthew and Deanne?"

"Of course," I laughed. "Dean is a natural; although what pranks they'll have lined up for later I shudder to contemplate."

"And when will you decide I'm fit enough to join the rest of the family?"

"Hey these were serious injuries, just because this isn't a hospital doesn't mean you get out of bed immediately," I reprimanded, not missing the double meaning but not wanting to give anything away. I'd already decided that I was being unfair not allowing John to see his grandchildren and putting Dean in a difficult position.

"So how long?"

"Three days, at least," I replied seriously. "And only then with help; I don't want any stitches coming out."

"And what do I do in the mean time?"

"Contemplate how lucky you are to have two resourceful and loving sons," I countered. "Or I could have a TV brought in and the guys will probably want to come and see you, as will Matt and Deanne. In fact while you're immobile they'll probably all want lots of answers."

"That's just mean, cornering a guy when he's down."

"I think it's probably less than you deserve, but it'll do," I grinned as I left the room to get some food.

As I entered the kitchen Julia was making herself some tea.

"So it's later," she challenged. "Are we going to continue our discussion now?"

Trust Julia to try and ambush me thinking she could get her own way like usual. "If you like," I replied. "I could just invoke the clause of active involvement since you seem determined to treat Dean and Sam like leeches."

"Look I'm sorry if that's how you feel but we have never allowed hunter groups the trusts resources like you do for Dean and Sam. We may give them information but we don't give them medical or any other type of aid," she whined.

"That's probably because most hunter groups are not part of the family whereas Dean is the father of my children and has a place equal to Marcus," I responded. "Besides father often helped them out with whatever they needed. The first time we met the Winchesters Dean needed medical help which was supplied without question. Father went hunting with John while Dean and Andrew recovered."

"That might be so but you're not father, besides you kept Dean from learning about his place for ten years and now you expect me to treat his family as equal partners without any discussion," she complained.

"If I remember rightly, it was you and John who orchestrated getting Dean and me back together, so excuse me for thinking you are being hypocritical for querying every receipt that I send in with the accounts," I rebuked.

"So you change your mind and increase your spending and I'm supposed to just approve it?"

"Come off it sis," I laughed. "My spending went down when I became pregnant and would've increased as soon as they were old enough to join me hunting. What do your kids do for the cause; I haven't heard of any of their kills?" I knew the last statement would cause a reaction.

"Just because you like killing things doesn't mean that everyone does. You know that my children decided to follow me into research for other hunters," she replied angrily.

"Oh that's right let someone else take all the risks and do the dirty work, and then take some of the credit," I replied sarcastically. "I think we should leave this until John is fit enough to join us, then we can start again with everyone knowing the full facts," I finished, collecting the food that I had prepared for John and leaving the room.

When I entered John's room he was looking at me strangely.

"I think you picked up the wrong monitor when you left," he said.

"No, I took the right one," I smiled at what I'd done. "I just thought you might like to hear what is going on before you emerge from here after our heart to heart earlier."

"So Julia is trying to cause you financial problems because of Dean and Sam?" he asked.

"That's not the way it has been phrased but since it started after they came here injured and I had to get extra supplies I think it's more than coincidental."

"I heard you mention invoking a clause. Is that what you want to do?"

"Hardly," I laughed. "I'm not much of a bookkeeper and hate the work that Julia does with the trust fund. If I invoke the clause then I'll have to take on that work, whereas I was hoping to start back hunting in the next couple of years."

"Hunting is really for the younger generation," he countered.

"So you're giving up your fight, are you?" I grinned knowing that he wouldn't be slowing down yet.

"No but you're out of practise and could be a liability," he rebuked.

"When I'm not working I still train as much as ever and have been training Matt and Deanne when Dean's not here. Matt already wants to start hunting as soon as possible and Deanne has said she wants to start as soon as her hit rate is above the target Dean set."

"You mean they will be following in your footsteps?" he sounded surprised.

"It's the family business, you get to see the world, meet monsters and kill them," I grinned. "Bit like joining the army although there's more guarantee of being able to kill something in our line of work," I suggested cheekily. "You also get to use more weapons in our line and learn new things. I was thinking of getting a helicopter to get to the sites quicker."

John looked at me as if I'd grown two heads. "You're seriously thinking of getting a helicopter? Dean hates flying and it would just draw attention," he sounded incredulous.

"Not really but I wondered how you'd react to the idea," I laughed.

"So am I forgiven for sending Dean and Sam and breaking our agreement?" he asked earnestly.

"In many ways you were forgiven when I spoke to Dean after he'd remembered," he smiled. "But I wasn't willing to tell you that until now." He tried to interrupt but I had more I wanted to say. "I never stopped caring about Dean but thought he would find someone better and younger than me, if I wasn't around. Seems I was wrong."

"Dean took to using his charms on every woman he met but I suspect he found them all wanting. You're a tough act to follow even if he didn't remember you," John flattered.

"Ah so now I know where the flattery comes from!" I jested. "I agree Dean would've found it difficult to find another woman in this line of work, but there are some. Didn't he ever meet Christine, she was pretty, tough and dedicated?"

"Yeah he met Christine and Yvette and Marcy and Liz and Janet and all the others you and Julia put in our path, but he never found that spark that you two had. By the time we'd finished whatever the hunt he was ready to move on and leave them behind. I don't think they were always happy about that," he replied sadly.

"I can imagine," I responded. "I think Marcy was looking for a life time partner when Julia arranged for them to meet."

John looked at me in surprise. "I thought she was your doing."

I smiled, "no, I only suggested Christine, Julia did the rest. I thought he would find enough in common with Christine for it to work."

John laughed, "they were doing well until she mentioned your name one day. She was complaining that ever since you'd got pregnant she seemed to be getting all your hand offs as far as work was concerned. Dean might not have remembered what happened between you but he wouldn't let her continue and finished with her there and then."

"So this conniving with Julia went on for sometime to get us back together?"

"Not really because you didn't give us the opportunity, but when you did we grasped it quickly."

John looked like he was beginning to get tired and I could hear commotion downstairs.

"It sounds like everyone is back. I'd better go and see what they need and you need your rest," I stated.

John looked annoyed.

"I'll tell them you're awake but I won't let them come up for an hour. You can have some rest and then they can bring you up a drink and some food." I picked up the baby monitor to take with me.

"You've got the wrong one again," John laughed.

I looked at him and smiled, "like I said before, this will keep you in touch with what's going on. I'll leave it in the kitchen or living room and you'll hear the discussions gong on downstairs."

"You mean you'll let me snoop?"

"I'll let Dean and Sam know, wouldn't want them saying the wrong thing."

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