Dog Day Afternoon Ch. 4
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Author's Note: Thank you so much to all the reviewers I didn't get to respond to, due to a rough couple of weeks. I promise you, I treasured everyone of them
Previously: "I think you two have gathered enough kindling for tonight, let's head back to camp," John voiced as he scanned the area once more. He just couldn't seem to get past the uneasy feeling in his stomach that something could indeed be watching and he wanted his boys close.
Surveying the area one last time, John couldn't pinpoint what had him so wary, but he just felt that somehow, he and his boys were being watched at that very moment. Glancing upwards, John could see a medium sized bird sitting on a tree limb as it whistled a happy tune and wondered if the bird could be…nah, he thought as he dismissed the notion from his mind. Surely the innocent looking creature was not the Mimick Dog they were in search of. Surely, it could not change form that much…or could it?
Deciding to talk to Joshua about it later, John expeditiously made his way to the area his boys were with a quick jog, and then slowed to walk back to the campsite with them.
"You felt it too, didn't you Sir?" Sam asked, a little breathlessly, as he carried the load in his arms back towards the campsite.
"Felt what?" John asked as he relieved Sam of half his load.
"That we were being watched," Sam replied, chewing on his bottom lip, wondering if the others thought he was being silly.
"I'm not sure, I just…yeah," John finally admitted. "It doesn't make any sense though. I couldn't see or hear anything other than that bird in the tree."
"Maybe it's just first night jitters," Dean offered nonchalantly in explanation as they strode back towards the path where he could see Joshua watching them with a keen eye, his handgun held firmly within his grasp.
"Since when have I ever been nervous about camping?" Sam huffed with indignation at his brother's remark. "I'm not the one who always whines…"
"Shuddup Bitch," Dean stated, cutting off his younger sibling's statement. So what if he hated camping? He had every right to since he always seemed to be the one who got the worst side of it.
"Dean, stop calling your brother a Bitch," John chided, though he knew his words were most likely falling on deaf ears.
"Everything alright out there?" Josh asked pocketing his hand gun, as the Winchesters made it back to the safety of camp. He had seen the way John went after his boys earlier, like a man on a mission, and he wondered what had the man so obsessed. Sure, he felt that something was a little off, but had shrugged it off as being a 'worry wart' where the Winchester boys were concerned. He had 'adopted' the boys as his own when Sam was no more than a toddler of two and Dean a quiet child of six.
"Yeah, just ready to get the campfire built," John stated, as he dropped the kindling in his arms on the ground.
"Dean, use your penknife to shave down one of those smaller pieces of kindling for tinder," John ordered as he began to clear a circular area about four feet in diameter with his hands. "Sam, gather of these surrounding stones up so I can construct a ring to insulate the fire and retain some heat for later tonight.
"Yes Sir," the boys replied in unison as the set off to do their assigned tasks, Joshua choosing to help Sammy gather the stones.
Placing the kindling in the cleared out area, John took some of the tinder Dean had shaved from one of the sticks and spread it about the kindling which he had formed into the shape of a small teepee, before lighting a match and dropping it onto the powdery dry stuff. Once the fire sparked, John slowly blew on it to build heat and intensity. As the fire grew, he then added more kindling and more tinder until he had a nice roaring campfire.
Taking the gathered stones, John arranged them around the fire, and then proceeded to skin some of the left over sticks of their bark. Afterwards, he shaved the ending down until it had a nice firm point.
"Anybody ready to make some s'mores? "John questioned as he pulled a small bag of marshmallows, a small pack of graham crackers, and a couple of chocolate bars from the pocket of his jacket.
"Dad, you're awesome!" Dean replied with gusto as he took one of the offered sticks and placed a marshmallow on it, handing it to Sam before doing one for himself also. Rarely were they offered such wonderful treats on a hunt.
~~Supernatural~~
So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Dean questioned an hour or so later as they sat around the campfire discussing plans for the upcoming hunt.
"Well, we know the Mimick Dog goes after people it considers easy prey…" John stated as glanced at his two children, knowing that they weren't going to be happy with his plan. "…so I figured that once we eat breakfast in the morning, I would …
"NO! Don't even say it. No way in hell are you using my baby brother for bait," Dean immediately responded angrily knowing where his father's statement was going.
"Dean, calm your ass down right now," John rebutted as he glared at his eldest. "I am still Sammy's father and I will…"
"Then why don't you act like it once in a while," Dean retorted, unwilling to back down. "If I had known what you had planned, I would have made sure the kid got to stay home and go out with his girl to the homecoming game."
"What? The Squirt has a girlfriend?" Josh asked with a smirk, hoping to quell the brewing storm between the two eldest Winchesters.
"Shut up Josh, now is not the time," John growled angrily at his friend before returning his focus to Dean. "You know damn well that people are dying. We have to stop this creature fast and the easiest way to do it is…"
"I don't care what you think is the easiest way. I'll be the bait instead," Dean refuted. He refused to allow Sam to be put in such a dangerous position.
"Dan it Dean, I…"
"It's alright, I'll do it," Sam voiced as the argument started to get out of control. He couldn't stand to see his father and brother arguing so much knowing how much Dean idolized their dad.
"No Sam! I won't let him use you like that. Damn it you are his son…," Dean argued as his fists clenched in anger by his side.
"So are you," Sam countered. "Besides, what could go wrong when I have you out there watching my back?"
"Sammy, I…"
"It's okay Dean, really it is. Now if it's okay with everybody, I'm going to go crash in the tent. I'm exhausted," Sam stated as he pushed himself to his feet and trudged t their tent in hopes of getting a little bit of sleep tonight.
"We'll talk about this again in the morning," Dean seethed, brushing off the angered look his father shot him as he stood up to follow Sam. He knew the kid was hurting right now and he needed to be near him.
Watching as Dean entered the tent and then closed the flap, basically cutting himself and Sammy off from prying eyes, John sighed deeply.
"You knew he was going to react strongly," Josh voiced as he laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," John replied somberly. "I'm going to have my hands full with him come morning."
"Well, you've always told him to 'take care of Sammy'. He was just following your orders," Joshua informed John, hoping that he wasn't 'poking the fire', so to speak.
Meanwhile Inside the Tent
"Sammy, are you doing okay Kiddo?" Dean questioned as he kneeled down beside his baby brother. Sam had already climbed into the sleeping bag closest to the tent canvas wall and had his back to Dean thereby not allowing Dean to see his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired,"' Sam answered with monotone sound to his voice. He was conflicted about everything that had happened in the last few moments and it left him feeling torn about his feelings for his father and how he should feel himself.
"Yeah, and I'm Batman," Dean rebutted, stripping out of his jeans before moving his sleeping bag closer to Sam's so that he would be close to his brother throughout the night should Sam start suffering a nightmare.
"You mean you're not?" Sam cracked with a smile as he turned to face his big brother. He couldn't let Dean think he was upset with him.
"Yeah, well, don't let that get around. I've got a rep. to protect," Dean informed his sibling as he climbed into his own sleeping bad.
"Seriously, you okay Bitch?"
"Yeah, I'm fine Jerk," Sam answered before rolling closer and using his big brother's shoulder for a pillow.
"Well okay then. Get your beauty sleep Princess, you need it," Dean teased, wrapping an arm around Sam and listening as his baby brother faded off to sleep. No way in hell was he going to let anything happen to his kid whether his Dad liked it or not.
Meanwhile Not Too Far Away
A lone wolf watched as the campfire slowly died and then men sitting around it drifted away, one by one to their sleeping quarters. It had studied the men, their habits, their quirks, and the sounds of their voices. Soon, it would make its move and when it was finished, none of the humans would be the same again.
TBC: Sorry for such a short chapter, but it has been a rough couple of weeks (one of my chichuahua's passed away), and I wanted to keep you from having to wait longer. Sorry for any mistakes as this chapter has not been beta'ed.