When they found a safe place to stop all the guys were in need of a little mending, Sam especially. You didn't go a round with a demon and come out unscathed. Kayla was sitting on the edge of the sink, removing the last traces of blood from his face while Dean paced around the room.
"How's dad?" Sam turned to look at Dean, Kayla turned his head back.
"He just needs a little rest, how are you?"
She soaked a rag in alcohol and handed it to him. Sam pressed it to the open cuts. "I'll survive. You don't think we were followed here do you?"
"I don't know." Dean shrugged. "We couldn't have found a more out of the way place to hold up."
"Yeah. Um, Dean, you uh…you saved my life back there." He struggled with the words, they weren't a real open family.
Kayla disposed of the mess she'd made and sat on the couch where Dean was perched on the arm. Dean smirked slightly to his brother.
"So I guess you're glad I brought the gun."
"Man, I'm trying to thank you here."
"You're welcome." But he didn't feel exactly like it was his good deed for the day. There could have been another way to handle it; he could have done something else to that demon without killing the person inside. But he didn't think about that. He only thought about killing it. "You know there was a person inside there."
"You didn't have a choice Dean."
"I know, that's not what bothers me. Killing that guy, killing Meg, I didn't hesitate. I didn't even flinch. The things I'm willing to do or kill to protect you guys, it scares me sometimes."
Kayla leaned against the arm of the couch. "You said yourself this was bigger than anything you'd encountered. You're protecting your family, that's completely different than hunting things for the sake of random strangers."
"She's right." John came into the room. "You did good."
Dean looked at him. "You're not mad that I wasted a bullet?"
"You did what you had to do, I'm proud of you."
Not dad. He stared hard at him and accepted his own realization; it was not his father standing in front of them. And here we are, in the middle of nowhere, trapped with no help. The thing kept going.
"Me and Sam can get pretty obsessed, but you, you watch out for this family. You always have."
"Thanks." How was he going to handle this?
The lights started flickering and John ran to the window. He was a good actor.
"It found us, it's here. Sam, lines of salt in front of every window and every door."
"I already did it." He should know that.
"Check it." Sam did as he was told. "You have the gun?"
"Yeah."
"Good, give it to me."
"That demon in Salvation vanished."
"This is me, I won't miss. Now give me the gun, hurry!"
Dean looked at him then took a long look at the gun. He couldn't panic it, couldn't send it into a killing frenzy. But they were at a crossroads. When he stepped away from dad, Kayla in turn put more distance between herself and the demon. She trusted his judgment.
"He'd be furious."
"What?!" John shot back at him. He knows.
"That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be proud of me, he'd tear me a new one." It was hard for him, but he raised the colt up and cocked it. "You're not my dad. I know him better than anyone, and you're not him."
Sam came in and stopped. "Dean, what the hell's going on?"
"Your brother's lost his mind."
"He's not dad. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."
"Don't listen to him Sammy."
"Dean, how do you know?" Sam was confused, he wanted to believe his brother but that would mean being put in the potential situation of killing their father.
"He's different."
After hesitating, Sam took the side with Dean and Kayla. John looked heartbroken, like he'd been betrayed.
"Fine, if you're both so sure, go ahead and kill me."
Dean couldn't do it. Not with him looking him in the eyes like that, he couldn't look his dad in the face and shoot him in cold blood.
"I thought so." John glanced down and back at them, his eyes now a glowing yellow.
Before anyone could react the colt was on the floor and all three of them were against the walls, unable to move, like a whole team of demons were holding them there.