Chapter 9: A Change in John
Sam jumped out of the bed and walked slowly over to grab his small Little Bear, suitcase. Dean pulled his from under the bed and followed behind his father. The three drove down the straight highway for a while. Sam was getting fussy and was kicking the empty passenger seat.
"Sam stop" Dean murmured as he looked away from the window and turned to his brother.
"I'm bored!" Sam whined. Dean glanced up at the rearview window to see his father was beginning to get annoyed.
"Shhh, wanna play a game?" Dean asked.
"What game?" Sam asked instantly as he stopped kicking the seat and looked wide-eyed over at Dean.
"Eye-spy?" Dean suggested.
"How do ya play tat?" Sam asked.
"I'll start to talk about something I see, and give you hints then you have to guess what it is, sound good?" Dean asked.
"Yeah" Sam replied. Dean nodded and looked out the window.
"I spy something tall and green" Dean started. Sam pulled against his seat-belt as he tried to look out the window.
"Um…. A twee?" Sam replied.
"Good, a tree" Dean corrected, "Your turn."
"I spy um, something grey and flat, with…" Sam started.
"The road" Dean interrupted.
"Hey that's not fair I wasn't done!" Sam grumbled.
"So? I got it right" Dean answered.
"You cheated!" Sam said angrily as he threw his arms down.
"Did not!" Dean answered.
"Did to!" Sam argued.
"Did not!" Dean repeated.
"Boys enough!" John shouted from the front seat. Dean instantly quieted and Sam kept going, "Did too" he mumbled.
"Did not" Dean answered a little louder.
"Dean!" John snapped startling Dean and making him jump. "Did you not just hear what I said?"
"Yes daddy" Dean answered. They continued to drive in silence and Sam kept glancing over at Dean sympathetically. He elbowed him and Dean jerked his arm away.
"Deem" Sam started as he tried to get his attention to apologize. Dean didn't answer and Sam tapped his arm again. "Deem" Sam said again.
"Leave me alone Sam!" Dean shouted.
"Dean!" John yelled from the front of the car. He pulled off to the side of the road and he got out of the car, storming over to Dean's door. He picked Dean up out of the car and slammed the door behind him, Sam watched through the window with terrified eyes. John sat Dean on the trunk of the car and looked him in the eyes. "What did I tell you?" John demanded.
"I'm sorry daddy" Dean said as his bottom lip shuddered.
"Alright Dean it's time you learned, lean over the trunk" he ordered. Dean was scared and he did as he was told. John's hand came down on his butt three times and Dean started crying. "Now get back in the car" he added. John got in first and Dean waited a moment before he slipped in. He didn't face Sam but turned his back on him.
"Deem" Sam started. This time Dean didn't answer but remained looking out the window, dried tears stained his cheeks. John started the car and pulled back onto the road. "I… I'm sorry" Sam said making his r's sound like w's when he spoke. Dean sniffed a little bit and then turned to his brother,
"It's okay Sammy" he said with a small smile as he rustled his hair.