What is to Come
By: Tidia & Ridley C. James
A/N: Surprise! We thought these two chapters should be posted close together, but wanted to break them up due to length.
SPN*thebrotherhood*SPN
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.
~Erma Bombeck
DEAN
The smell of bacon greeted Dean as he walked into the kitchen. Sam was at the stove, spatula in hand. Boo sat in anticipation at his feet. For a moment Dean wondered if last night was all a weird dream, but then his brother turned and smiled at him. The genuine grin was both painfully familiar and completely wrong. It was as if years had dropped away, leaving a pod version of Sam before all the tragedy. It was James, their visitor from the future.
"Morning, Dean."
Dean ignored him. Caleb was sitting at the table, his head in his hands, a cup of coffee steaming in front of him. Dean found it worrisome his friend didn't look up as he took the chair beside him. Harper Lee's tale thumped, giving away his favored location under the table. "Dude, you trust him to cook for us?" Caleb didn't look up. "Damien?"
"The kid didn't try to kill us in our sleep." Caleb carefully lifted his head, but one hand stayed poised by his temple as he squinted at Dean. "I figure we'll make him eat first."
"You look like shit."
Caleb gave a halfhearted attempt at his usual smirk of disdain as he dropped his hand to the table. "It's no wonder none of your dates stay through the night, Deuce. Your limited charm definitely dwindles with the sunlight."
"You were supposed to wake me for my shift, ass munch. We agreed to switch off." Sam was MIA; Damien was looking like death warmed over. It pissed Dean off.
"Sorry for being considerate."
"You were being stubborn." Dean reached up and flipped the light switch, turning off the overhead light above the table. It was late when they finally crashed, sequestering James in the downstairs guest room instead of tying him up like Damien suggested. Caleb had insisted on taking the couch in the living room so he would know if their guest attempted to venture out. By the looks of it, The Knight had kept watch instead of sleeping.
"No need for both of us to be awake."
Dean felt the knot of worry unfurl further, curling around his gut with a vice grip. Caleb had grown more distant since finding Benjamin Mosley's body. "You're going to have to sleep sometime, man."
"Tell that to all the demons wreaking havoc in anticipation of their great leader's takeover." Caleb took a drink of his coffee. "It's like my visions are on instant messenger and every damn monster around is tweeting me. I can't keep them all straight."
"All the more reason to listen to what Mac says."
James saved Caleb from continuing the argument by bringing their breakfast. "Should I break out the candles?" James slid what looked like Dean's favorite omelet in front of him. "I never thought of breakfast as a romantic meal, but hey, whatever works for you."
"I'd dial it back a notch if I were you, Jimmy." Dean had went against his better judgment, letting the self-proclaimed time traveler move about freely, but he wasn't about to let him get too comfortable. "You can always go down in the cellar until Joshua gets here."
"It's James." The kid's confidence seemed to grow with some sleep. He put two pieces of dry toast beside Caleb before going back to the stove for his plate. Boo followed him to the table. "And if there's a good stash of Pastor Jim's home brew down there, I might not mind it so much."
Dean exchanged a look with Caleb, who'd gone a little green at the prospect of food. "You know about Jim's brew?"
"It's sparse in the future, though you've kept a few bottles hidden for special occasions." James took the seat next to Caleb. Dean noticed his plate was piled with scrambled eggs covered with cheese and bacon, which he proceeded to drown in ketchup. Sam would not have approved of what his body would be consuming, or the outfit James had picked out. Dean wondered if Mac had left some clothes in the downstairs closet. He was trying to remember if he recognized the red polo when he caught a glint of silver lying against the kid's shirt. It was his amulet, the one he'd tossed in the trash after his and Sam's express trip to Heaven.
"Where the hell did you get that?" Dean pointed his fork to the necklace Sam had given him.
James couldn't hide the guilty look. It was the same as Sam's. "I know it's yours, but I found it in Sam's things." He touched the pendant. "It's a habit…"
"Theft is a habit for you?" Caleb leaned forward.
"No." James looked shaken for the first time. Dean had a sudden pang of empathy for the kid as he reached to take the pendant off.
Dean shook his head. "Keep it."
James hesitated for only a moment, before giving him a nod, the easy smile sliding back in place. He didn't miss a beat, picking the conversation up where they had left off. "I was really looking forward to Jim's brew at the coming ceremony."
"Of course," Dean looked down at his breakfast of ham, cheese, green peppers, red onions-hold the mushrooms. It was unsettling that someone he didn't know obviously knew him.
"Are you even old enough to drink?" Caleb pushed his plate away, glancing to James.
James had just shoveled a heaping spoon of eggs in, but he let his face reflect the insult, mumbling something that sounded like 'dude'.
"What year was it exactly you said you came from?" Dean cut into his omelet, smelling the food before putting it in his mouth.
James swallowed, giving another smile. "I didn't."
"Right. The time continuum." Dean took another bite of the eggs, despite the pleased look it brought to his brother's face. He couldn't remember the last time Sam had made him breakfast, if ever. He found it strange he actually missed his brother's scowling.
"Are you going to tell us how we kill Malachi Harris?"
James looked at Caleb, gave a small shrug. "About how you imagine."
"That tells me nothing." Caleb slammed his hand down on the table.
Boo and Harper Lee whined. James flinched.
"Damien." Dean watched his friend. It was easy to see the small fissures the stress was causing. Caleb had been off his game for weeks. Dean could trace it back to his and Sam being murdered by Walt and Roy, then Missouri's reveal about her father. The fact the apocalypse seemed now to be in full swing didn't help matters, but he suspected Damien's emotional state was taking more of a toll than the visions. Benjamin Mosley's murder had pushed him closer to the edge.
"What, Deuce? We don't even know if he's on the up and up. We don't know if Sam is safe. We don't know jack shit!"
"You don't think I know that? You don't think I'm worried?" Dean raised his voice, then lowered it. He did not like his commitment to his brother being questioned.
"I'm not trying to be coy," James said with an attempt at the voice of reason. "I have a Triad in the future. I imagine they're just as upset about all this as you are."
"Then you should stop acting like you're enjoying your little trip to the past, and give us something we can go on." Caleb wiped his forehead.
James crumpled his napkin. "All I know is that Malachi texts Joshua his location, hoping to lead you all into a trap, force your hand. You go there, he dies."
"And we just willingly show up? Why?" Caleb was yelling, making Dean wince.
James waved his fork. "I'm not exactly sure of the details surrounding it. I know he's killed with Ruby's knife, but I don't have yours or Dean's journals. We've never had a reason to talk about it until now, and you all haven't exactly been available."
"What about Sammy's journals? You have them?" Dean knew his brother was as methodical as their father, keeping notes on all their hunts.
"I just finished reading through all of Un…Sam's journals. He didn't write much about killing Malachi, only a strange note on the back cover." James face changed, he put his fork down. "Holy shit."
"What are you thinking?" Dean had an idea, but he'd rather the kid say it out loud because it seemed ridiculous to even think it.
"I'm thinking that maybe Sam didn't write about it because he wasn't here to write about it?" James ran his hands through his hair. "I was here. I mean, I am here. I'm the one with you when Malachi dies."
"You two are making my head hurt worse." Caleb groaned, rubbing his temples as he sat back in his chair.
"It makes sense, Damien." Dean looked at James. "Wait a minute…what did Joshua tell you about Harris's death?"
James met his eyes. He suddenly looked much more Sam-like as a frown etched his forehead, his dark eyes narrowing. "Not a lot. He was coy about the details, only stressing that Malachi died."
Dean clenched his fists. "Meaning the sonofabitch knew, he fucking knew what was going to happen when he cast that spell."
"Wait…wait a minute." Caleb slid his chair back. "You're telling me that the Future Joshua does this on purpose?"
"That sonofabitch…" Dean stood with a growl. Joshua had risked Sam, and this kid, the future Scholar of The Triad. "Looks like our Advisor may have picked up a few bad habits from Malachi Harris after all." Dean had no one to blame but himself. He had set the precedent of doing anything to protect their own.
"Hold up." James stood, too. "Joshua had to have his reasons. You don't know the whole story. You guys are in a bad way in the future. He must have seen this as his only option. He's the only one who knows how this all plays out."
Boo started barking, alerting them to the fact they had company. Harper Lee joined in.
"Speak of the devil." Caleb stood, facing the door. "The great sorcerer is here."
Joshua gave a brief rap on the door before entering. He dropped his bag at the entrance giving his usual dour frown at having been called away without a proper explanation. Dean hadn't exactly given him the details, merely ordered him to drop everything to get to Kentucky ASAP. "Do you three have any idea how hard it is to get a flight out of D.C. at a moment's notice? Or the difficulty it is to fit 250 guests in a banquet hall equipped to hold at the most 175? The wedding is only two weeks away. Carolyn and I were quite busy."
It was as if Joshua had forgotten the apocalypse, which had precedent over everything. Dean crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at his Advisor. "I imagine it can't be any harder than finding a way to swap two consciences into bodies living decades apart. That seemed easy enough for you."
"Excuse me?" Joshua took off his coat, hanging it beside Jim's old barn coat on the peg behind the door.
"I wouldn't worry so much about the banquet hall," James said. "It really is a moot point, trust me." Dean glared at James, the kid shrugged. "Well, it is."
"Have you three been drinking?" Joshua took them all in.
"No, but a stiff belt sounds good about now," Caleb said with a hand rubbing his temple.
"I'll go get a bottle of Jim's stash." James made a move towards the door, but Dean caught his arm.
"Hold up there Marty McFly," Dean referenced Back to the Future. James was a little too happy about the situation. Although it gave Dean more reassurance that Sam was safe in the future.
"What?" James cast a skittish glance towards Joshua. "I think this conversation will go down better with some booze, don't you?"
Dean let him go. The kid was right. "I guess you know where it is?"
"In the Tomb, in the safe, behind the portrait of one of our greatest Scholars, Abraham Lincoln, of course." James snorted.
"Of course." Dean released him.
"I need to get Sam's journal, too."
"Why?" Dean understood James's need to keep some secrets, but he needed answers, too.
"I just figured out how I let my Triad know I'm alright. That odd note I found in Sam's journal proves I'm even smarter than I thought I was."
By the end of James's tale, Joshua was holding the Mason jar of ice to his forehead, having consumed the whiskey in one shot. Dean almost felt sorry for him.
"Let me get this straight, sometime in the distant future I cast a Triad spell using the Vangelo sending this James person back in time into Sam's body."
"You were actually trying to help me channel Samuel Colt." Dean noticed that James stayed on the far side of the kitchen, not coming close to Joshua. He fingered the amulet around his neck. "At least, that's what you led me to believe."
"And why would I do such a thing?"
"That's a good question." Dean leveled his gaze on The Advisor.
"Surely you are not angry with me for something I supposedly do twenty odd years in the future?"
"You want to bet," Caleb said. "Note that Sam is not here."
"Is this how it's going to be? Anytime something with Triad Power goes wrong I'm to be blamed?" Joshua looked into the glass, but Dean was not about to give him more whiskey. He needed a clear head on his team.
"Yes," James answered before Caleb or Dean could. "I'm just saying…" James cleared his throat. "But you guys are tight, really, friends even."
Dean lifted his brows towards James who seemed to shrivel with embarrassment, before going back to Joshua. "Did you bring Malachi's journal?"
"Of course. You do realize if I did cast such a spell on this James, then I will have to reverse it on him in this time."
"I bet Future Joshua is freaking out," Caleb said.
"If Future Joshua is being treated in a similar manner as I, then I don't blame him." Joshua went for the bag he had set on the kitchen table. "Can I have a moment?"
"Sure, set up shop in The Tomb, but you better come back with a way to fix this," Dean threatened. If Joshua in the future had gotten them into this mess, then The Guardian of the present was going to make sure he took care of it.
James moved away from Joshua as he passed by, then his attention was diverted to the sound of a car pulling up. He looked out the window. "Does Mac still have a Land Rover?"
"Yeah," Caleb answered, and James was out the door. The Knight looked at Dean. "What the hell is Mac doing here? Shit, Mac!" Caleb bolted after James.
Dean was close on his friend's heels. He knew what Caleb was thinking, but didn't believe this was all some sort of hit on the former Scholar. Still, Dean wasn't willing to take a chance that Mac could be hurt.
They made it out in time to watch as James flung himself at Mac. But his attack took the form of an over the top, chick-flick hug that left Dean feeling embarrassed on his brother's behalf. Mac had just stepped from the Land Rover and was nearly bowled over by Sam's 6'4 frame.
"Samuel?" Mac looked over James's shoulder, appearing puzzled and relieved when he saw The Knight and Guardian. Dean imagined the doctor had feared the worse considering Sam's greeting. Sam was their father's son when it came to physical contact, or lack thereof. "What's the matter?"
"That's not Sam," Caleb jogged over to the SUV.
"It's James." Dean joined them, meeting Mac's concerned gaze. "He's a hunter from the future pulling a Freaky Friday with Sam's body."
"What? Are you boys all right?" Mac pushed James's away, breaking the hug. It was testament to their strange lives that Mac accepted their revelation with ease. "You're not Sam."
"Nope, I'm James." James stepped closer, backing Mac against the Land Rover. Dean noticed the Golden Retriever smile was back in place, and the kid was staring at the doctor like Mac was his long lost boy.
"And you're from the future?" Mac tilted his head, studying Sam's face; obviously as unaccustomed to the grin as Dean "I'm sure you have an interesting story to share."
"Yes, sir." James grabbed Mac's bags. "Here, let me carry those for you."
"He's harmless." Dean reached out and tugged James out of Mac's personal space, giving him a small shove towards the house. He was still worried about Sam, which he always did when Sam was out of sight, but had decided that James wasn't a threat. Damien wasn't so sure.
"Maybe," Caleb corrected. "I'm not completely convinced. What are you doing here, Dad?"
"I was on my way back from South Carolina. Esme decided to stay on with Missouri to help with the closing of her father's store. I thought I would stop to check in on you boys."
"Why isn't Silas with you?" Dean asked, looking for the extra protection.
"I think I can manage a return trip to New York without a convoy. All the hunters we have are needed in the field now." Mac focused his attention on Caleb. "How are the headaches?"
"Same." Caleb evaded his father's touch. "I'm handling it."
Mac lowered the hand he had reached out to his son. "I brought those prescriptions that helped the last time, and a new one. . ."
"I can't." Caleb shook his head. "I won't. I rather suffer a few migraines than miss a vision that could be important."
"Dude, you can't keep blaming yourself for Mosley." Dean knew a part of Caleb believed he might have been able to prevent what happened to Missouri's father. She hadn't helped by pinpointing Caleb's anger at her as a possible reason for the lack of vision on what the demon was planning.
"There's no way for us to know now, is there? I never should have been taking the meds," Caleb turned from his stride. James was waiting on the porch.
"But, Son…" Mac reached out once again, and Dean knew it was too soon to try again. Caleb felt backed in a corner. He was going to lash out.
"Enough, Dad," Caleb yelled at Mac, turning his back on his father.
"Hey." James dropped Mac's bag, reaching out to grab Caleb's arm. "Don't talk to him like that."
Dean started forward just as Caleb shoved the kid away from him.
"Stay out of my face."
Mac was closer, placing an intervening arm between them. "Thank you, James, but Caleb isn't himself."
"He should try vacationing in somebody else's body." James crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sure it's not a joy trip for Sam either." Caleb mimicked the kid's action, adding his most menacing glower.
"Josh is in The Tomb, looking into a way to fix all this," Dean moved beside the doctor. "Maybe you two could whip up one of his teas to help with Damien's headaches." Dean cut off Caleb's protest with a look. His best friend's bad ass routine didn't work on him. "Just something to take the edge off, that's an order."
"That sounds like a suiting compromise." Mac patted his son on the back, gesturing to the door. "What do you say, Son?"
"I'd say it doesn't look like I have much of a choice."
"We'll see you inside." Mac nodded to Dean, giving James a brief smile.
"Who knew Caleb could be such a dick."
It was said under his breath, but Dean didn't miss the pouting inflection, more hurt feelings than anger. "Watch your mouth. That's The Knight you're talking about."
"Believe me, I know who he is. He trained me, helped make me the hunter- the man- I am today." James remained staring after Caleb's wake. "I've never been on the receiving end of his bad moods."
"His abilities are acting up. You're a psychic; you know what that's like. Considering you've also been privy to what happened to Benjamin Mosley and our general situation at hand, I'd think you could understand his reaction. You should show some respect." Dean put his finger in James's chest to get his attention again.
"I respect him more than I can say, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything he says or does. You taught me that. As for the psychic stuff, Joshua can make a mojo bag to help block residual telepathic energy. More supernatural entities in the area, demon and angel activity- is probably what's giving him the headache, not the visions." James bent down to pick up Mac's bag.
Dean watched James turn it over in his hands. He leaned against the porch railing, the morning sun warm on his shoulders. "So how long has Mac been dead?"
James looked up, the grief on his face real, and more powerful because it was reflected from Sam's image. "A couple of months."
"Damn." Dean looked towards the screen door Mac had just disappeared through. "How's Damien holding up?"
"Like the rest of us." James hugged the bag to his chest. "He's wrecked, but you've got his back."
"You and Mac were close?"
"I loved him." James hand went to Dean's amulet around his neck. "I miss him."
"Have you seen him?" Dean made an awkward gesture with his hand.
James must have understood he was asking about his abilities. He shook his head. "I tried- nothing. Maybe it's all too fresh, or I'm too close to the situation. But, I think it means that he's happy with Esme and Cullen, even his old Triad." James shrugged. "Maybe some day."
Dean thought of the chances he had been given to see his mother and father again. He would always wish for more. Dean cleared his throat.
"Are you Caleb's kid?" Dean could think of a couple of possible explanations for all the things James knew, for his behavior. A son would buck against his father. It was normal, although not something Dean had done on a regular basis with his dad.
"No." James shook his head. "You know how he feels about that."
"Yeah." Dean hoped that might change in the future, but deep down he understood his friend's resolve, even agreed it might be for the best. That left one possibility. James was Sam's son.
"My turn to ask a question." James pulled him from his thoughts.
"Okay." Dean relaxed a hip against the porch.
"Why did Sam have this?" James brought his hand back to the amulet. "You always wear it."
"It's a piece of jewelry, kid. Nothing more," Dean quickly dismissed James's ponderings. He had given up the amulet for a reason and had not suspected Sam had recovered it from the trash.
"That's not true. I have one similar that Bobby gave me. It reminds me of my family-of all the things that are important-that family is the most important thing."
Dean cleared his throat; he wasn't going to give James an answer. "So what's with you and Joshua?"
James sighed in disappointment of Dean's lack of answer. "Did you miss the part where the guy lied to me?"
"That's not it. You're nervous around him." Dean watched James's face. "You need to chill- what are you having sex with his daughter?"
"What? No! Am I having sex with his daughter? That's ridiculous." James shifted Mac's bag to one hand, his other dismissing Dean's accusation. "How do you even know he has a daughter? And I mean do I look like an idiot to you? That would be a huge mistake-huge-because Josh could change me into a frog if he wanted to, or zap me a couple of decades into the past for even thinking about touching his daughter, I mean, if he had one, which I'm not saying he does."
Dean snorted at the exaggerated denial. Sam's kid was nailing Josh's daughter. It would suck to be Sam, who as a kid had also considered Joshua's magic a great threat. Like father, like son. "He's not going to change you into a frog, Jimmy. Grow up."
"I am grown up. I happen to have a grown up name as proof." The kid rolled his shoulders. "It's James."
"Right, James. What was that last name again?" Dean couldn't believe it. This kid was most definitely a chip off Sam's block.
"It's McFly. Remember?" Sam's face contorted. Dean couldn't remember when Sam was this carefree.
He laughed. The Winchester attitude was definitely an enduring trait, but the moment of levity was fleeting.
"We've got a problem," Caleb appeared at the screen door. "Get in here, Deuce."
Dean watched him disappear again, gave a long groan. "I hate it when he says that."
James followed him into the house. "I thought you liked being called Deuce. Nobody escapes nicknames."
"I'm talking about 'the we've got a problem part'." Dean held the door open for James.
"You really should be used to that by now, too." James passed him by, the irksome grin back in place. "Old man."
In the Tomb, Caleb was nursing a drink while Mac stood behind Joshua with a hand on his shoulder. "He's gotten a text from Malachi Harris."
Dean looked at James. "We were expecting that."
Joshua held the phone in his hand. "The Barnwell Mansion is lovely this time of year." Joshua rubbed a hand down his face. "That's where Carolyn and I are getting married."
"There are other places that are better than some mansion to get married." James made his way to Mac's other side.
"You need to shut up, Kid," Caleb said lifting his drink towards James.
"I guess someone hasn't had their tea yet," James muttered. "What's the big deal? There's nothing in Cooperstown but the Baseball Hall of Fame."
"That place is awesome." Dean perked up recalling a good memory. "Damien and I took a side trip there during a hunt."
"I've been." James sighed. "A few times."
"What? You don't like baseball?" This had to be Sam's kid. He probably liked books and would rather hang out in a moldy library reading than get fresh air.
"It's not my thing, but I appreciate the sport."
"That's too bad." Dean hoped he might have more in common with a nephew, that maybe he passed along his vast knowledge of the ball and glove.
"And completely irrelevant at this point," Joshua said. "If you've failed to notice Malachi Harris is obviously taunting us, revealing his location at a moment when it should be his utmost concern that we not know his whereabouts." Joshua held up his phone as evidence, pointing to the Blackberry screen.
"The time traveler here says it's a trap." Caleb jerked his thumb towards James.
"He doesn't want to kill you," James replied, but he looked to Mackland for support. "He wants to make a deal with you."
"And that would be?" Dean asked, snapping his fingers so James would stop looking with puppy adoration at the former Scholar. He understood the fascination, could appreciate the gift of getting an unexpected second chance with a lost loved one, but he didn't have time to indulge the kid.
"To take over the position of Advisor," James explained with a nod of his head.
"Over my dead body," Caleb growled.
"Actually, that would be my dead body," Joshua quipped twisting his silver band. "What happened to being my mentor?"
"That's just his foot in the door," James said. "The end game is your job."
Dean's anger flared. No more deaths—Ellen and Jo had been enough with his direct involvement. "You didn't tell us this before."
"I told you I needed to be careful," James replied, nodding to Mackland.
"James is right," Mac said. Dean's chest tightened at the look that rushed over his brother's face at the doctor's praise. "Revealing any specific details about what takes place now could cause catastrophic changes in the future. James might not recognize the home he returns to."
"Speaking of which," Caleb sent a pointed look to Joshua. "When can we expect to get Sammy back?"
"Any moment now because the five minutes I had on my own was an excess of time to find the spell, translate it, and procure all the ingredients I would need to restore James to the future and return our time-traveling Scholar to his rightful place."
Dean now found himself wincing because Joshua was yelling. Caleb seemed to be rubbing everyone wrong. "So, you have no idea what to do."
"I haven't had enough time to even hazard a guess where to look in the Vangelo."
All eyes went to James. "I honestly don't know."
"Why should we believe you?" Caleb demanded.
"Because I have a brother in the future, two in fact." He pointed a finger at Caleb. "And a best friend. They're all in danger from Malachi Harris. I would like nothing better than to be there so I could watch their backs."
Dean stared at James. Sam had three sons. The idea had his throat tightening. He blinked away the burning in his eyes, suddenly understanding why they were willing to walk into a trap. "Malachi would know the spell," he said with a look to Joshua for confirmation.
"Most likely." Joshua thumbed through the book. "I'm sure he would have knowledge of where to begin."
"Damien, I guess that answers your question about why we agree to go meet him."
"I hate fucking demons." Caleb sat in one of the chairs, holding his head in his hands. "Why do we keep working with them?"
"Son…" Mac started forward, but Dean waved him off.
"Joshua can make you a mojo bag. It helped me adjust to the influx of telepathic energy when I first came online. It helped me keep the spirits away until I could handle their presence." James reached to touch the Vangelo before Joshua pulled it away.
"I'm not a medium," Caleb snarled. "It's not the same."
"James's is clairaudient and voyant," Dean said for Mac's benefit. The kid looked proud that Dean had remembered not to use the negative term for his abilities.
"Specific abilities are not the point." Mac had his doctor's game face on. He scratched his chin. "I hadn't thought that all the telepathic energy from the extraordinary supernatural activity could be causing a spike in psychic waves. Fascinating."
"Exactly," James said.
Dean sighed. "Why don't you have James fix you one of his omelets while you do some Scholarly brainstorming? The kid can cook a whole hell of a lot better than Sam."
"That actually sounds wonderful. I haven't eaten since dinner last night."
"Full on veggie, egg whites only."
"That's correct, per Esme's orders," Mackland's eyes grew wide, but he seemed pleasantly surprised.
James gave a curt nod. "She tries to take care of you."
"Joshua, are you coming?" Mac asked as he followed James out, under his spell.
"I think I should get started on the research, seeing as how it seems Malachi no longer considers me a worthy student."
"You'll have time on the trip to New York," Dean met Joshua's gaze, offering a reprieve. He had been hard on The Advisor. "Go grab some breakfast with Mac."
Dean moved to his best friend's side, straddling the chair next to him. Caleb lifted his head. "Dude, are all Scholars a bunch of fucking geeks?"
Dean smirked. "No more than Knights are predestined to be a bunch of stubborn sonsofbitches."
Caleb looked at the ceiling, pulling in a long breath. "Point taken."
"Damien, are you alright?"
"No." The laugh Caleb let loose was broken. "I am most definitely not alright."
"I need you to hold it together, man. We have to get Sam back."
"Then what? We have to kill Malachi? Then get the rest of the rings? Oh yeah, not to mention stopping Lucifer and Michael from becoming up close and personal with you and Sam. We're running out of options, no game plan in the final quarter."
"We've got each other. That's always been enough." Dean crossed his arms over the back of the chair. James's revelation had convinced him of their purpose. Sam had a family; they all got a second chance. It was a better destiny than he could have ever hoped for.
"Not always." Caleb glanced away.
"You can't change the past, Damien." Dean knew Caleb was thinking about Dean's time in Hell, Sam's trip down the dark side with Ruby. "That kid is the future, he may be important to you someday."
"You and Sam are important to me. I have to focus everything on saving you both. I can't get sidetracked by possibilities and make believe."
"What happened to all that faith and hope bullshit you like to parrot from Jim?" Dean needed Caleb to keep believing, even if he had doubts.
"I don't know, man. Maybe it up and left the building, just like God." Caleb twisted his hunter's ring. "All fathers fucking flake at the end."
"I know one Dad who's still around, still watching his son's back."
Caleb sighed. "First Joshua, now James, the Scholar groupie. I really need to clean up my act before I'm disinherited."
Dean squeezed Caleb's shoulder. "Let Mac give you a couple of Tylenol and Joshua make you one of those mojo bags to clear your head. All will be forgiven."
"No mojo bag is going to keep him out."
"Who? Lucifer?" Dean kept his hand on Caleb's shoulder tightening his grip.
"Malachi Harris. He's been in my mind, Deuce. He knows how to get past my blocks, use stuff against me." Caleb's voice wavered. "He scares the shit out of me, and that makes me a liability. A Knight is supposed to protect, not need protection. I opened myself up when I used Seaver's necklace to release that bastard from Hell, and now I don't know how to keep him out, or even if that's possible."
They all paid the price for their past indiscretions, playing with the amulet had cost Caleb. "Dude, we got each other's backs. Sammy didn't want me to say yes to Michael because he knew we could count on all of this, on The Brotherhood."
"It was your decision, Deuce, especially as The Guardian. You were trying to minimize damage, find a way to save the most people you could. I'm beginning to wonder if you saying yes to Michael might not have been the smarter plan."
"That's because you have my back as The Knight; you trust me to make the right decision for everyone." Caleb backed Dean against Bobby and Sam when they didn't want him to take Michael up on his offer. He'd also busted Castiel in the mouth for the beating he'd given Dean. He was grateful Castiel chose to adopt the turn the other cheek attitude, and not tear Caleb limb from limb. "And I trust you Damien- fucked up abilities and all."
"I don't know if you should." Caleb rubbed his temple.
"Last night I lost Sam and got a kid from the future that makes me think we might have a chance after all." It affirmed to Dean they had made the right choices in the end. Sam would survive, they all would.
"Deuce, we don't know him."
"Only one way to change that. Dad always said the best way to get a read on a man's character was to go into battle with him. Let's see how good of a job you did in training the grunts, Damien."
"If I trained him we've got nothing to worry about."
Dean stood up, giving Caleb's shoulder one last squeeze. He was happy for the cocky reply. "Get your shit together. We're going to Cooperstown."
SPN*thebrotherhood*SPN