Chapter 3 – travel light

Sam Winchester was taking his usual morning run up the Californian coast, the rising sun warming the back of his neck as he pounded the sand in time to Fall Out Boy.

Not his usual type of music to listen to, Sam had confiscated the CD from his 4 year old son who protested "But Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad…Uncle De got it me" Sam decided to listen to it in car on his way to work, Sam reluctantly found himself lost within the music and a new found motivation. He remembers texting his brother when he arrived to work that day saying:

'Dean

Thanks for the memories

Even if they weren't so great

Sam'

After realising that Dean might not see that as a song lyric and just see it as Sam trying to be a dick, having not communicated with his brother for several years over an argument he couldn't even remember he decided to change it

'Dean

Thanks for the memories

Sam'

He sat in the car parking lot outside his law firm staring at the send button before he deleted the entire message. There was a reason he wasn't speaking to his brother, and yes he couldn't remember why and yes his parents and Jess had told him how stupid he was being but he decided that for now he was going to keep it that way.

Getting out of the memory, Sam turned and headed to his house cutting his run short. It was only going to a quick one anyway. If he was any longer, Jess would kill him – he was meant to get back, take a shower and help pack for their weekend trip. They had been planning this weekend for a while, based in a little cottage in the woods surrounded by wildlife and little civilisation, it was a weekend they were extremely looking forward to. Jack didn't seem too impressed until Sam promised he would teach him how to fish, just like how Grandpa had taught him and Uncle De once. "as long as you put the fish back in the water" Jess would say, the idea of her little boy catching fish was barbaric to her "what would we do with them Mommy put them in our pockets…silly mommy" When Sam had gone to explain that the fish fingers Jack loves to eat so much were once the same as the fish swimming in the sea he received a swift stamp to the foot. Damn he loved his wife, but she had mean streak on her especially when it came to the innocence of her little boy.

He ran up to the house, shut off his ipod and opened the door – where his was greeted with a 2 massive suitcases and Jacks small suitcase next to them both. Sam heaved a heavy sigh – a weekend trip we are having, not a trip around the world "Jess I thought we talked about this – travel light remember"

The only response he received was "yay Daddy's back" and Jacks little smiling face appeared at the top of the stairs "Hey Buddy, Where…" "catch me!" before Sam could finish his sentence Jack was jumping down the stairs "Jack No" just as Sam launched to catch his son in his arms "Jack stop doing that, I might not catch you and you wouldn't like that, you will hurt-" Jack put his little hands over his dads mouth and whispered "you will always catch me silly Daddy" hmmmm thought Sam, he needed to get this daredevil feature out of his little boy.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jack"

"Come help me find my Robin outfit"

"You don't need your Robin outfit, we are going camping"

"No camping silly – we see Mary and John"

"oi you, Grandma and Grandpa" Jack giggled at that and shook his head so his blonde hair hit his eyes.

"Nope, momma was on the phone to grandma, grandma was upset, so we are going to "Kankoos"

"Kansas"

"That's what I said"

Sam's head was exploding; he woke up this morning with the fun idea of a little 'nothing special' weekend away. Now they were suddenly visiting his parents and his mom was upset what was going on.

"Daddy, you smell, you need to shower" Jack grimaced as he brought Sam out of this thoughts.

Sam walked the rest of the way upstairs and into his bedroom to find the place a mess, Jess was throwing clothes everywhere – "whats going on"

"Sam finally, right – change of plan, shower, change and I will explain everything"

Slightly bewildered, Sam put Jack down and just stared at this wife. Who was rummaging under the bed.

"Jackey! I found it for you sweetheart, run downstairs and put it in your bag. I'm sure Grandma will wash it if it needs it, we are in a rush" Jess' head popped up from under the bed and she handed Jack his Robin costume.

"YES! THANKS MOMMA"

"Wait, stop – what is going one! Why does he need that, why are we going to Kansas, why was my Mom upset"

With that Jack walked straight up to his Dad, more serious than any 4 year old should be "Daddy go get showered and changed and then we are going to Kankoos – We are saving Batman!"