Author's Note: Sorry the last chapter was so short, and that it took me so long to post this one - the week totally got away from me! I promise things are picking up next chapter! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated :)
Ch 3
The 'safe house' looked like it hadn't see human habitation in at least a decade as we drove up to it. I could tell without even seeing his face that my dad was about ready to explode, taking in what appeared to be a totally broken down, abandoned, log cabin. I winced when he made a huffing noise through his nose and teeth, he only ever did that when he'd gotten so angry that he forgets that, as he was constantly telling me growing up, "Educated people use their vocabularies to show their disapproval of things, not vulgar bodily noises." Yeah, my dad can be a bit of a stuck up prick, but he was the only one I had left, and I was really hoping John and his boys could save us both. So I did the one thing I knew would prevent him from saying whatever was running through his mind and probably making John pissed enough to leave us to fend for ourselves.
"Da-aad," I whined, using my best 'teen brat' tone, "we can't be staying here! This place is god-awful! I want to go to a hotel, someplace nice, with room service, clean sheets, and definitely, absolutely no bugs, which I'm just certain that this place is craaaawling with!" Sam and Dean were looking at me like I'd lost my mind – even not knowing me all that long, they knew that I just wasn't like this. I gave both their hands a quick squeeze, hoping they'd catch on and not say anything. My dad, predictable to a fault, instead of agreeing with a tirade that was probably very close to what he'd been thinking, reacted by snapping his head around to glare at me.
"Young lady, John went to the trouble of finding us a safe place to stay, and is trying to save our lives. It would behoove you to be a little more grateful for his help, and not whine like a spoiled puppy! It may not be what we're used to, but it's better than...," he paused a second to swallow down what he was about to say, which I'd bet was along the lines of 'being dead like your mother', "the alternative. We will just have to do the best we can until the situation is resolved to make the best of this. Think of it as a vacation, I guess."
Just to be sure that he was well and truly committed to making me enjoy this no matter what, I tried again. "But Dad, what on earth are we going to do? There nothing around for miles. I'll go stark raving mad!" I was tempted to try some tears too, but didn't want to push it too far.
My dad looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm sure that we can think of something. I have my briefcase, if nothing else that means we have pens and paper, you can draw, we can...write stories, or play tic-tac-toe..."
Here John interrupted him, "Dean can bring supplies tomorrow, once we get inside we'll make a list of what you need, and a few things you may want. Calla, if there's anything you want from your house, if you can tell me where it should be, I'll try to get it for you when I go back to try to track this thing." He banged his fist on the steering wheel, making me startle. "I still can't believe it was right there and I had to let it go."
Hearing the way he said it loosened something in me that I didn't even realize had been tense ever since the first time the rather intimidating man had tried to talk to me. He really cared, it was there in his voice, and that was the thing I hadn't been sure of. Sam radiated his concern and compassion for the world to see, Dean was more subtle, but the little things he did, and the light in his eyes, told anyone who was paying attention that he cared too. But with John, I hadn't been able to tell until now, and it had scared me. I relaxed against the seat just as we stopped in front of the cabin, taking just a second to process the revelation. Apparently content that all was well, Sam and Dean got out and went to the front of the car, where John was already waiting. Through the windshield I could see them talking quietly, but I was no longer worried about what they might be saying. My dad hadn't gotten out of the car yet either, he was just sitting, head leaned back on the headrest, eyes closed, pinched lines that were probably stress riffling across his face. Looking at him like this, I realized that he wasn't all that young anymore; graying hair at his temples, the reading glasses that he'd forgotten to take off in the commotion, the extra weight he carried in his mid-sized beer gut, it all added up to a man who was not at a point in life where adjusting to the fact that the world as you know it is a candy-coating over what's really out there was going to be easy.
"Daddy," I cleared my throat a little, trying to keep the tears out of my voice that had suddenly found their way to my eyes, "I'm sorry I went off about staying here. I'm just scared, and I don't know, I guess it was just one thing too many." I shifted over and wrapped my arm around him over the seat in the best hug I could manage. "Let's get a look at our new temporary home," I said, trying to put a smile into my voice. I slid the rest of the way out of the car, pausing to make sure my legs were going to hold me up. Dad opened his door and got out finally, leaning on the car and stretching.
As it turned out, we were all concerned over the state of the place for nothing. Once Sammy got the door open, John and Dean having split up to "make sure the area was clear", we discovered that the outside was just a facade to keep anyone wandering by from being interested. Inside, the cabin was in pristine condition: clean, cozily furnished, and at least at a cursory glance, well stocked with nonperishable foods. The bedrooms didn't have anything fancy, just a bed and nightstand in each, but the blankets and sheets looked brand new. The bathroom even had toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and several still packaged toothbrushes. I could tell the Dad was feeling much better about being here, especially when the last room turned out to be a mini-library. Right as we wandered back into the living room/kitchen area, John and Dean came in.
"Woah!" Dean exclaimed, giving a low whistle. "Dad, can we stay here too? Even sleeping on the floor, this place is nicer than the hotel we're in," he said with a grimace. John just looked at him. "Guess that's a no. I suppose it's too far to drive back and forth to hunt this son of a bitch."
Looking grim, John made the same quick circuit of the rooms in the cabin that we had, coming back out to the main rooms with a somewhat surprised expression. "Sam, you'll be staying here." Dean, who had been leaning on the arm of a rather comfortable couch, stood up like someone had poked him. "Dad-" he started to protest. John cut him off immediately, "Dean, there's a library in the back with a ton of book that look like lore books. Sam's the best one to sift through them and see if there's anything that could help us with this hunt. And like it or not, he's a hunter. If things were to go sideways here, he knows enough to protect himself and them until we can get here to help."
Dean didn't look happy, but he nodded. "Makes sense I guess. C'mon Sammy let's go get some stuff outta the trunk, not sure what you could end up needing so better grab a little of everything." Sam followed Dean out obediently, and anything else that was said was lost when the door shut. John turned to my dad and I, "Alright, here's how this works – you two don't leave here until one of us comes and gets you. You don't go outside unless the place is on fire. Anything goes wrong, or weird, follow Sammy's lead. He has our numbers, so if something were to happen, we'll be on our way. Until the cavalry arrives, he's in charge." I could see my dad didn't care for that idea, and so could John. "Kid's got a good head on his shoulders, and he's been in this his whole life. What he knows that you don't could save your asses." He paused, staring down my dad like he was daring him to argue. When no argument was forthcoming, he turned toward the kitchen. "Now, about that supply list..."
We spent the next half hour making a list of the (surprisingly few) things we'd need for the next few days. John explained to my dad when he complained that we might not even need to be here that long, that it's always best to prepare for the worst. Sam and Dean had brought in what looked to be enough weaponry to equip a small army, and a few things that I had no idea what they even were. When they were done, Sammy said that he wanted to go start looking through the library. Dean rolled his eyes, called him a nerd, and told him to go ahead. Dean took a look at our list, nodded, and asked John if they couldn't just run to the closest town and grab everything, since there really wasn't that much, rather than making a trip again tomorrow. The idea met with John's approval, and I could see the way Dean stood a little taller, and smiled a little broader. I know what it feels like to want even the littlest bit of parental approval, for long enough that finally getting it feels like you've just gotten the best present, I know that smile, that feeling of accomplishment, and I felt sorry for Dean that his dad was so hard on him that such a little thing could give him that reaction. I also wondered if Sam would have reacted the same way. But I didn't want to say anything in front of John, so instead I told everyone I was going to go see if I could be any help to Sam in the library. My dad said he was going to go lay down for a little while, that the shock of it all must be catching up to him. I was worried, but there wasn't anything to be done, so I went to join Sam.