Eyes Wide Open

Hello darkness, my old friend,I've come to talk with you again,Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping,And the vision that was planted in my brainStill remains, Within the sound of silence

It wasn't just weapons training and mental drilling of all things supernatural. John made sure his kids were physically equipped to take on a fight with anything that could come their way. John taught his children different fighting techniques, things he learned in the Marines and a few things he picked up in a bar brawl or two. He would set them up, one on one to battle it out. Never too rough, it wasn't meant to be bloody, just until one of them pinned the other. A clean fight, meant to hone in skills and keep the techniques fresh in their mind.

John picked the training partners, usually Dean against Sam, and Sam against Haley. It made sense in the ordered pair of things, but sometimes John would pick Dean and Haley against each other. Always with the unspoken understanding the much older boy was to have a light touch with the much younger girl.

One chilly spring day in Iowa, miles from anything that could be called a destination, the family was parked.

Discreet wooded or field covered areas, where prying eyes wouldn't wonder why a father was encouraging his children to fight each other to the ground.

That's where they were today, in the middle of nowhere. Off a quiet dirt road, the only sign of life in eye shot was the Winchester's and their home on wheels, the Impala.

Dean and Sam had just finished squaring off on the dirt covered, tire track indented road. Sam had claimed the triumph against his older brother. Now that Sam was taller he had an advantage, but still Dean usually won, since he easily out weighed Sammy. However not this time, today Sam had taken him with a right hook when his brother wasn't expecting it.

Dean went down, Sam tackled him, and John called for an end, before the heated look in Dean's eyes got the better of him, and the fight turned nasty.

Having won the last round, it was then Sam's turn to train with Haley.

Meeting face to face, loose dirt powered Sam from his previous fight, as he and Haley stood before each other waiting for John's word to start.

Savoring the sweet taste of victory still on his lips, a cocky grin painted across Sam's face for his pretty partner. One that said with confident certainty, he planned on taking her down too.

Haley's eyebrows arched with the challenge, as she shook her head from side to side. Letting Sam know, he shouldn't count his victory until he had won it. For best friend's they were deeply competitive, always sure what one could do, the other could do just as good, if not better.

John gave the signal, and the two slowly stepped toward each other, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Striking, Sam went for Haley, always careful to never be as rough as he is with Dean, but never handing her a win either.

The pair moved in a twisted dance. One would take the upper hand, then the other would break free and rebound. Meeting each other step for step, move for move. The fight was clean and fair, slow and steady.

Haley fought hard against Sam, a boy who out did her in height and weight, never accepting it as a weakness. Finally catching her winning opportunity Haley lunged at him, throwing all her weight into it.

Knowing her like the back of his hand, Sam saw it coming. Quickly moving out of her way, Sam swung back around catching Haley by the waist. Swiftly he pulled her to the ground, pinning Haley between the dirt floor and him, before she even knew what hit her.

The breath was stolen from her lips, as Haley's back hit the cold, hard ground below. Sam's smiling face came into view above, victory already sounding in his whiskey eyes.

Gazing down on Haley, her hair fanned out, tangled with the dirt and weeds. A dangerous combination was brewing. The look of surprise in her chocolate eyes combined with her hot panting breath upon his face. Sam lay upon her in all the right places, captivated as tingles surged inside. Even messy and out of breath she was stunning, as the sunlight shined over her face like heavens rays, and for a moment Sam got lost on her. The beauty of her cast a spell over him, like witches at black masses.

Seeing the delirious look in Sam's eyes as he hung above her, Haley saw her opportunity and took it. Skilled and precise, Haley flipped them. This time taking Sam as her prisoner, Haley pinned him beneath her. The strength of her hands and body weight, held him to the ground as her face took the leadership place above.

Sam let out a heavy grunt with the unforeseen turn of events. Looking up, Haley's long blondish-brown hair hung around him, tickling the sides of his face, as a triumphant grin shot wide across her features. She had finally got him. Sure it didn't hurt he had been distracted, but the point was she had won.

Standing on the side as referee and trainer, John didn't miss a thing. Calling the fight to an end, John's lips pursed with growing discontent. What had started out as a routine training session had left them tangled up on the ground. That wasn't what was eating at John though; it was the look in Sam's eyes as he gazed upon Haley. The way Sam had let himself get so distracted by her that he lost. Frustration rumbled up John's gut, with the way his son was opening disobeying his rules when it came to Haley.

The pair climbed to their feet, brushing the loose dirt off, they looked to Dad for his grading. Before John even opened his mouth, Sam could hear the lectured words in his head. His father's heated stare upon him, Sam knew he had been caught, and Dad was now in one hell of a sour mood.

A prideful smile lit up Haley's face as she turned to Dad. Expecting at the very least his approval for finally beating Sam, but the tension in his eyes and knitted brow took her by surprise. Seeing Dad wasn't even looking her way, Haley followed his eye line, and realized Sam and Dad were locked in a heated staring contest, one that said volumes without speaking a word.

"I gave you your orders. Now fall in line." John's harsh voice rang in warning; his drilling gaze never left Sam.

Sam's upper lip twitched with animosity as his shoulders tightened.

"I didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who picked her as my partner." Sam shot back defiantly, saying indirectly it was John's fault Sam fell for Haley. He was one the who brought her into their lives, encouraged their bond. Sam refused to admit he had done anything wrong, because in Sam's mind he hadn't.

"Sam," John cautioned, his temper growing. He took a step heavy toward Sam, feeling the anger burn in his gut to take over, but Dean and Haley jumped in between them, always trying to mediate.

The muscles in Sam's arms tightened with the tension, but Haley's soft hand on his cheek stilled him. Glancing down on her face, Sam easy detected the sadness in her orbs. What was once a proud moment for her was now tarnished by their common squabbles.

"Please don't, just let it go." Haley begged, her soft touch holding his cheek, keeping his eyes within the safety of their connection.

Seeing the pleading in her eyes, as his heart ached from stealing her moment, Sam let out a heavy breath of steam and backed down.

Standing just a few feet away, the anger dissolved on John's face, as an epiphany hit him hard and fast. Like the clouds parting to reveal the bright warm sun, John finally saw the truth. It wasn't just Sam who had feelings, it was Haley too. It was clear as day in the way she gazed upon Sam as if he was the glue that held her pieces together.

Offering him a thankful smile, Haley took Sam's hand in her own, her soft skin locked with his course.

"Let's go for a walk." She spoke softly, only to him, only for him.

His heart warming smile shot wide across his face with her charming presence, as Sam nodded in agreement unable to resist her.

Turning back, Haley let Dad know the plan, always the good daughter.

"We're just going to walk to the end of the road. We won't go far." Haley chimed with a pleasing smile on her face. While it sounded like she was informing Dad, everyone knew she was asking, you always had to ask when it came to John. Those were the rules.

Standing numb by the blinding light of truth, John nodded his approval. Watching them walk hand in hand off into the distance, he saw the truth. They weren't the young kids anymore he had always seen them as in his minds eye, neither of them were. In his mind John could suddenly see the transformation of their image from child to young adult. They were getting older, and the look of affection in Sam's eyes for Haley, the one that concerned John most was mirrored in Haley's eyes now too. She wasn't his innocent little flower that Sam was trying to bloom. She was an equal shift in the weather to Sam's changing seasons, and he needed to worry about her involvement as much as he did Sam's.

Watching his eldest son out of the corner of his eye, pack up the car like the good soldier he was, John knew he had an ally and an insider in Dean.

"Do you think anything is going on between them?" John's rough voice questioned in the crisp spring air. Admitting it wasn't Haley who was naïve about the situation, but John himself.

Hearing his father's voice, Dean's ears perked up. Tossing the duffle bag into the trunk, Dean looked over at his Dad unsure if the statement was rhetorical.

"Honestly?" Dean asked with the distinct arch to his brow, surprised his Dad actually wanted his opinion on something.

Glancing over his shoulder, John's worn wrinkled gaze met Dean's eyes with a look that said he required nothing less.

Looking out onto the dirt road, Dean's eyes caught Sam and Haley disappearing on the horizon. He noted the way her arm was tangled with Sam's, the way she leaned on his side as if he were her rock, and matched his feet for every step.

Previous moments similar in nature filled his in mind, and finally held context. Dean finally saw what they truly looked like, not best friends but a couple.

Shrugging his shoulders lightly, Dean looked back to Dad with his signature piercing green eyes. "Maybe," He admitted honestly.

Trusting Dean's word, and the fact that his son might have insight John, as a father didn't, he nodded to himself.

Running a callused hand along the stubble of his jaw line, John kept a close eye on his youngest ones, and formed a plan in a mind to put out this fire before it burned down the house.

Killing creatures, hunting things that's what John was good at, not all this domestic conflict.

"I want you to have a talk with her. Haley will listen to you." John spoke up, confidence in his plan. As the parent he could understand how they would disobey him, but John held strong belief Haley would listen to Dean. Out of mutual respect and love if nothing else.

"Fools" said I, "You do not knowSilence like a cancer my words that I might teach you,Take my arms that I might reach you."But my words like silent raindrops fell,And echoedIn the wells of silence.

"The Sound Of Silence" Simon and Garfunkel