Hey.
Thanks for the reviews again...it helps. I did intend for this chap to be longer but a technical glitch and a mad Welshwoman got in the way (don't ask) so I call it one of my happy chaps where all is right with the world for once and the boys get to chill.
You need some songs. Eye of the Tiger, Everybody Hurts by REM and most importantly Burning for You by BOC!! I got so rocking with this!! To get Cole, have this playing when you read...
Enjoy
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"Do you have to play this every time?" Hope grimaced as she did another sit up with Johnny holding her ankles.
Dean grunted as Cole pounded on the punch bag he was holding. "When you train you have to listen to Eye of the Tiger. It's the law."
"You know they made music after the eighties right Dad?" Cole paused.
"Keep hitting. Yeah, I know...it's all crap."
"You need to get a clue." He panted.
His father smirked as he stepped back a little with the blow. "This comin' from the kid with the ponytail?"
Cole pulled a face as he wiped sweat from his brow with a forearm and spun a kick which threw Dean backwards.
"Woah! Good shot."
Cole hopped on the balls of his bare feet and shrugged. "Nah, you're just gettin' old."
"I'm like thirty nine dude."
Johnny laughed. "Yeah, for the last seven years."
"Look who's talkin' Botox Barbie. It's what it says on my drivers license, wanna see the proof?"
"Yeah, and mine says I'm twenty one." Cole laughed. They knew Dean was relaxed about a lot but he hated being reminded of his age and they loved to tease him about it.
"Can we change the subject? Ya know I used to like it a lot more when you humored me."
"Ah the good old days...when all this was fields, there was no indoor plumbing and you were still thirty nine." Hope gave Johnny a high five as he laughed at her joke.
Dean was about to pull her down a peg or two when Bonnie walked into the garage carrying her phone with one hand over the mouthpiece.
"Thank god...someone who doesn't think I'm over the hill. Honey tell 'em."
"Yes, your father still rocks my world." She said in an automated voice.
"A little more enthusiasm?"
"Twice a night."
"That's better." He said with a wicked grin as Hope stuck a finger in her throat like she was puking. Dean ignored her. "Who is it?" He nodded at the phone.
"The school. They want to know where Cole is."
Dean gestured with one hand and she went to him handing the receiver over. "This is Dean Winchester." He listened for a second nodding thoughtfully. "He joined the Marines." He hung up the phone and handed it back.
Bonnie shook her head at him. "So that's it?"
Cole was laughing as he continued to shadow box.
"The kid speaks twelve languages...and English! What the hell does he need to go to school for?"
"Are you ok with this Hon?" She asked her son.
Cole paused and gestured at the garage which Dean had turned into a gym of sorts using household items. "I'll learn more here mom."
She sighed. "Well, it's about as close to the Marines as you can get without having to cut your hair. What about Hope?"
Hope looked at her Dad expectantly, there was no way she was going to school without her brother and they all knew it.
"We'll tell 'em she got locked up for solicitation."
"Dean!"
"Like they're gonna believe she joined the peace corp!"
"Why can't I be in the Marines too?" She asked.
"Cos it requires discipline and no one would believe you could be around hundreds of men in uniform without winding up pregnant within a week." her dad told her.
"I s'pose." she shrugged.
"What about the circus?" Johnny interjected helpfully.
"Nah, jail's a safer bet." Cole hit back.
"Well, I can tell I'm not going to get any sense out of you lot. I'll come up with something. Anyone want a drink?" She took their orders and went back into the house.
"So, we're full time hunters now then?" Cole asked and they all looked at Dean.
"No, you're the full time prey. I'm just gonna make sure you're ready and by the time I'm through you'll be wishin' you were in school." He said sternly. He may make jokes but when it came to them protecting themselves he couldn't be more serious.
"Oh Dean, I'm a little turned on." Johnny said from his pew on the floor.
Dean frowned at him. "There's still a return ticket to Vegas for you."
"And miss all this? They need me."
"Right then..." Dean grinned at the kids. "You're now officially enrolled in huntin' boot camp. That means runnin', fighting, weapons training and sittin' through some of your Uncle's thrilling talks about research." he smiled as their faces fell.
They looked at one another and suddenly missed calculus, there was no way their father would go easy on them.
"C'mon, what are you waitin' for?!" Dean yelled.
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Later that afternoon Dean had them in the back garden doing martial arts. Cole was like Dean and a natural brawler. He could manage some kicks and packed awesome power in his punches but it was really Hope's domain. Since being a kid she'd excelled in gymnastics even after getting kicked out of class for spitting. Johnny, Han and Dylan had taught her for a while and she took to it easily.
In her teens she had been a cheerleader in a couple of schools when they caught on to her skills but that had all gone tits up because she detested what she called 'the blonde mafia'. After she had dropped one squad leader off the top of a human pyramid causing her to break her leg her parents had decided to call it a day.
Dean had drawn crosses on a tree that they had to hit with their feet and try as he might his son could never stretch to reach the top one. He grabbed at his groin after another failed attempt and stepped aside with a limp.
"Leave it to the expert bro." Hope said from across the garden as she wiped her hands together.
Bending down she went into a controlled handstand for a few seconds and then fell into a head roll, a handless cartwheel and then a quick front flip before stopping in front of the tree and hitting the cross with her right foot. She was in a vertical split position and it made Dean wince just looking at her.
He applauded and whistled but turned to his son and whispered. "It's a lot easier to do without a ball sack."
"You wanna say that again Badass?" Johnny said cattily as he moved into place and performed the same sequence of movements winding up in the splits. "See?"
"Yeah, and look what happened to you."
"You saying just cos I like balls, I haven't got any? C'mon Winchester..." Johnny circled Dean.
"Not this crap again...you know I'll kick your ass."
"How better to demonstrate the distinction between a true art form and the mess you call fighting?"
Cole and Hope took the opportunity to take a break and sat down to watch on the lawn chairs.
"What's going on?" Steve asked from over the fence.
He must have just gotten in from work as he was wearing his white button down shirt with a vest underneath and a pocket protector. He was the biggest geek Dean had ever met but he felt sorry for him as his wife had run off with her pilates instructor and he had the dullest job known to man. He'd told Dean what he did once and he still didn't have a clue.
"Just havin' a friendly bout. Why don't you hop over and join us?" Dean told him.
Steve smiled, he lived vicariously through all their antics and took the invite. He threw a brown polyester leg over the fence and struggled to get his light frame over it. Johnny closed his eyes in horror as he heard the tear of material and Steve fell into the neglected flower bed. Hope rushed over to help him up and he blushed. "I'm ok!" He held up a hand. "Carry on..."
Dean rolled his eyes at his son and looked at Johnny. "Ya know, if I let you live, I think that dude could use a make over."
"The only thing that'll work for him is going back in time and catching him before his mommy became his best friend."
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Dean threw a punch. "That's not your line."
Johnny moved his jaw. "Hey! Not the face!"
"Alright alright..."
"Do they do this a lot?" Steve asked Hope when she brought him a beer.
"Not for a while..."
"Why do they do it?"
She laughed. "Practice I guess." She took a seat next to him and leaned to him. "Personally I think it's because it turns Johnny on."
Steve's eyes widened as he saw Johnny kick Dean in the head. "He's gay?"
"Dude, how do you get through the day when you're blind and deaf?" Cole said.
"Doesn't it bother your dad?"
"Yeah, cos he doesn't like attention at all!" Hope smirked and wondered what planet their neighbor came from.
Dean took the kick as Johnny danced in circles around him. "You're just wearing yourself out man." he shook his head as he bounced on the spot.
Johnny did a scissor kick that Dean batted away with a forearm spinning him out and throwing him to the floor. Dean had a knee to his chest in a second and threw a punch at his nose that stopped just before it hit impact.
"Don't want your face wrecked? Don't mess with me." Dean smiled and helped him to his feet. "Nice moves though...I can see the podium porn is paying off."
"Thanks." Johnny got up with a groan knowing that he was going to be paying for his bravado in the morning.
They went back to the deck where the kids were sat red faced with exersion. "Well, I've had enough for today. Who wants a barbeque?" He was feeling positive about everything and wanted to spend an evening with his family, thankfully they were all in agreement.
"My wallet's in the kitchen." Dean told Cole. "Go get some meat."
"You sure you don't wanna go and kill some with your bare teeth?" Steve commented.
"I save that for weekends. And gemme a beer!" He shouted to the kids as they went to break the news to Bonnie.
His wife came out a few minutes later with beers for the guys and a martini for Johnny. Dean pulled her onto his lap and nuzzled her neck.
"So we're eating out tonight then?" She asked.
"Yeah, some girls get candlelit dinners in a fancy restaurant, you get to see me make fire!" He bent her back over his arm and wiped his sweating brow on her chest.
"How come I'm never pissed off with you, even when I have to do all the work?" She asked coming up for air.
"Cos I'm adorable."
"He's still using that line?" Johnny sipped the Martini. "That would be tragic in someone Cole's age."
Bonnie laughed. "No he is cute." She said kissing him.
"Are they always like this?" Steve asked Johnny as Bonnie let out an involuntary groan.
"Only when they're awake...I dread to think what they're like in their sleep."
Dean sighed happily and looked at Steve finally. "You stickin' around dude or you got Jeopardy and a TV dinner with your name written on it?"
Bonnie hit him. "Of course he's staying. You're more than welcome Steve."
"Well if he's staying, I have to get rid of this." Johnny leaned forwards and tore off his shirt, pocket protector and all flinging the remains onto the unlit barbeque.
Steve looked shocked as he sat stunned in his vest. Dean almost choked on his laughter. "He normally saves that for dates."
"Don't you ever get out in the sun?" Johnny said. "My god, you're practically Albino."
"Stop being mean." Bonnie told her best friend. "Please, don't take offense Steve, Johnny's just a style Nazi."
"No...no, it's ok. I mean, I need it. I need something." Steve said looking down at his vest.
"Don't worry, we'll get you drunk, take you down as low as you can get without killing yourself then rebuild you from the ground up." Johnny offered.
"Like Robocop." Dean offered.
"Where do you get this shit?" Johnny turned on him.
"It's a gift." He said turning back to his wife with hungry eyes, feeling good about his entire world.
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Dusk was settling and Dean was cooking up some steaks with a beer in his hand when Sam finally appeared at the kitchen door.
"Where the hell have ya been man?"
Sam smiled at him as Brooke and Dylan walked into the garden. "I got a surprise."
Dean turned from the flames and so did the rest of them. "Well c'mon...triplets?"
His brother laughed. "Better." He ducked into the kitchen and came back out with his arm around Bobby.
"No way!" Dean whooped.
Hope got there first hugging him before Cole pushed her to one side and got a shot. "Grandpa, it's so good to see you."
"Hey! Let the poor old bastard sit down. Jeez."
"Who you callin' a poor ole anythin'?" Bobby said to Dean in his gruff voice. He'd aged since Dean had last seen him which was hardly surprising since he was heading for eighty but he certainly had all his faculties and Dean could guess why he'd suddenly shown up.
Dean went to him feeling slightly emotional as he grabbed him in an embrace. "I'm glad you're here." He whispered.
"Yeah, I thought you could use some help when I heard what happened."
Dean grimaced slightly and gestured with his head at Steve.
"Who's the prick in the vest?" Bobby asked a little too loudly as his hearing was going.
Dean tried not to laugh and Bonnie had the good grace to blush as she set up a space for Bobby at the table.
Steve looked nervously at the old man who looked part hillbilly and part trucker. "I'm...er...Steve. I live next door."
"Someone has to I guess." He turned to the two older grandkids. "Lemme look atcha."
Cole and Hope stood in front of him as he cast an appraising glance over them. "Don't slouch!" He said to Cole who moved his shoulders instantly. Bobby looked at his granddaughter, "Shit, if you had any more pheramone's comin' off ya, half the cats in the neighborhood would be draggin' their asses along the carpet."
Hope flushed and busied herself setting the table as Sam coughed trying to alleviate the awkward moment. Bobby had always been tough as boots but age had made him worse. It could be funny at times but sometimes embarrassing as he said whatever was on his mind.
A beer appeared in front of him as Cole went to take Dean's place at the barbeque. Bobby hadn't hunted in years but was still the same in so many ways, he was a walking oracle. Hunters from all over the country knew his name and called on him for advice or to get a gunshot wound patched up. He was a living legend and Dean felt nothing but pride when he thought he was such a big part of their lives. As always though, looking at him reminded him of their own Dad who was missing out on so much.
"So, when d'ya get into town?"
"I went to get him." Sam said. "He's gonna stay with us for a while, ya know?"
Dean nodded. With everything going on he knew his brother was nervous about Brooke and Dylan. Dean was just happy he'd have some help training his kids.
"Well, this is freakin' sweet!" Dean clinked bottles with Bobby. "The whole crowd together again."
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They had all eaten far too much meat and sat groaning as the conversation ground to a halt. They had lit fire lanterns that they had planted in the grass and with the stars above them it could almost be like camping. The glow of flames lit their faces and athough it was early everyone was getting sleepy. Dean couldn't bear it as he turned to his son. "Get your guitar and play us some tunes. Something we'll recognize."
Cole dutifully got up and went to the garage to get the amp and set it up as Hope went to help him. Bonnie and Dean both loved music but it was her that had really passed everything on to their children. Cole was a good singer and like everything he could copy some of the best but it was never really him singing and sometimes lacked soul. When Hope sang though, it was in her own beautiful voice and Dean couldn't get enough of it so Cole generally played back up for his sister and as though they lived in the Victorian era they made their own entertainment on nights like these.
They were gone for a while and Dean shouted through. "C'mon, the crowd's gettin' restless."
"We're coming!" Hope shouted.
She came back into the garden and smiled at the assembled bodies as Cole walked out of the garage carrying a hard backed chair and his guitar. He set the chair down and took a draw on a massive blunt before he sat down.
Sam rolled his eyes and Dean tried to look stern. "Enjoy that weed man, cos you're in trainin' now. That's the last you'll see for a long while."
Cole shrugged and settled the guitar on his lap squinting one eye as the smoke rolled into it. Bobby stood up and went to him wrenching it from his pursed lips. Getting it between his thumb and forefinger he took a big toke and handed it back blowing smoke into the night sky. Cole grinned and settled it back in his mouth.
"What's that?" Dylan asked Sam.
"It's like medicine..."
"Yeah for cool people." Bobby said gruffly sitting back down.
"Bobby!"
"Ah relax Sammy...jeez."
Dylan chose to sit on his grandfather's lap as Cole tuned up.
"Are they like the Carpenters?" Steve said.
Johnny looked horrified. "Carpenters? Do they look like incestuous anorexic freaks? Ok, don't answer that."
"Try the White Stripes." Bonnie said as she watched them with a smile.
Cole nodded at his sister who was still standing. He started to play the introduction to an old favourite and she eventually started to sing along to the music in her beautifully melodic voice with her brother carrying her along with the soft harmonies.
When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.
Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go, (hold on)
When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.
Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand.
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone
If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on.
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.
Once they were done Johnny looked at Steve who was in tears and frowned. He turned to Dean. "I think Robocop just hit rock bottom."
Dean smiled as he tried to fight the emotion himself. "There's only one way to go Steve! We'll have ya back in the saddle in no time."
They all clapped and Hope took a bow as Cole finished his spliff.
"Well I dunno about you lot but that was morbid, play somethin' with a bit of oomph."
Dean looked at Bobby a little stunned but Cole just shrugged.
"How 'bout this one Dad?" He stood up, turned up the amplifier and stubbed out the reefer. He got a plectrum out of his pocket and held it in his teeth as he brushed his hair back.
Taking a second he bobbed his head slightly for a second as though catching the rhythm and then hit the strings. Cole was a natural born rock star and they could all see it as he started to play, head down and oblivious to all around him.
His father started roaring as he struck the first cord of the Blue Oyster Cult song. Bonnie looked at him thinking she'd rarely seen him happier.
Dean started to sing automatically when the intro was over.
Home in the valley
Home in the city
Home isn't pretty
Ain't no home for me
Home in the darkness
Home on the highway
Home isn't my way
Home will never be
Burn out the day
Burn out the night
I can't see no reason to put up a fight
I'm living for giving the devil his due
And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
Dylan started to dance and Hope joined him followed by Bonnie and soon everyone was up and rocking to Cole's tunes. Cole stood oblivious as he worked the guitar for his dad.
Time is the essence
Time is the season
Time ain't no reason
Got no time to slow
Time everlasting
Time to play B-sides
Time ain't on my side
Time I'll never know
Burn out the day
Burn out the night
I'm not the one to tell you what's wrong or what's right
I've seen signs that we're freezing and lies that we're through
Well I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
Burn out the day
Burn out the night
I can't see no reason to put up a fight
I'm living for giving the devil his due
And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you
Dean had had some proud moments in the past, the births of his kids, his wedding day and Sam walking again had been the greatest but compared to this it all paled in comparison as he watched Sam kiss Brooke, Dylan dance like a mad little puppet and his own two kids who couldn't have been cooler if they'd kept them frozen in a lab somewhere in Baltimore. On top of that he had his beautiful wife and Bobby, who was like a father to him.
If he could have chosen a moment in time to pause and keep forever it would have been that one as they were all so relaxed and happy.
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When Dylan had gone to bed and Steve had used the front door to go home the family sat in the kitchen surrounded by the detrious of the night and took the opportunity to pick Bobby's brains.
"If Ling's connectin' with Dylan there ain't nothin' you can do about it Sam." He said simply.
"Why not?"
"Cos we all got our spirit guides, it's just his is a lot more powerful than most. She wants to guide him through life she must have had a reason or she'd have picked you."
"Why not me?" Johnny said a little hurt causing Bonnie to put an arm around him.
"You don't need her no more son. You had her most your life, time to share. Maybe Dylan's made for great things and she's just givin' him a little heads up every now and again."
"Showing him people getting hurt?" Sam knew what he was saying but couldn't deal.
"No, givin' him the chance to save his cousins life. You said he took to the huntin' stuff like it was no big deal. He'll cope."
Sam wasn't convinced and it showed.
"So you told him all that huh?" Dean asked.
Sam glanced at Brooke. "Yeah."
"And he was cool?"
"I guess."
"Way to crack open the champagne Sammy, they don't come with a freakin' instruction book. You just gotta take it one day at a time."
"You're Charles Ingalls now?"
Dean shrugged. "I come more from the Ozzy Osbourne school of thinkin'. All I'm sayin' is if Dylan accepts it then don't look for problems where there aren't any."
"I guess you're right."
"So what metaphore did ya use?"
"Huh?"
"C'mon Sammy, I know you..."
"The X-Men." Brooke answered making Dean laugh out loud.
"Man, that's so cool. No wonder he took it on the chin. Tell me what ya said."
Brooke could tell Sam wasn't liking the fact they had used Dean tactics on their son but she loved it. "He thinks you're Wolverine and Sam's Colossus."
"You've lost me." Bobby said.
Dean smirked. "Wolverine's this badass mutant with an adamantium skeleton who heals real quick and Colossus is like this big boulder with a metal endoskeleton. It's pretty cool."
"You guys need to get out more." He frowned.
Cole got into it. "Who am I?"
Dean looked at him. "Gambit maybe? Yeah...Gambit."
"I'll be Jean." Bonnie said.
"No, I am." Brooke countered.
"But Jean makes out with Wolverine."
"I know!" Sam grimaced at his wife.
"Hope has to be Rogue." Dean butted in.
"But Rogue can't touch people, that sucks."
Dean smiled. "Exactly."
Bobby looked at them all like they were mad. "Well if you're just about done playin' make believe then why not talk about the real stuff that's out there?"
"Xavier?" Dean said to his son gesturing at Bobby.
"Totally."
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I actually had an X-Men marathon after writing the last chap and loved that Colossus was throwing Wolverine around! Go Sammy!!
So, we have a few more clues to the kids talents; Hope's an acrobat and Cole's a rock star like his Dad (I hope you listened to the music...)
Love you all...thanks for the reviews xxxxxxx