Raised Like Warriors
Part X. Falling Out
Sam: You never mentioned him to us.
John: We had, uh….we had kind of a falling out. I hadn't seen him in years.
June 8, 1984
"What the hell do you think you're doing, John," Elkins growled as he stormed into the Winchester's humble living room. He turned fierce eyes towards his partner.
John, who had been engaged in throwing the family's meager belongings into a line of disheveled looking boxes, turned angrily to face his mentor and friend.
"I'm being evicted, Daniel," he said icily.
"That's bullshit and you know it. It's just an excuse. You're going after that swamp dragon in Florida. I already told you that it's too dangerous. Dammit John, you're going to get yourself killed!"
"Why don't you mind your own business, Daniel? This is none of your concern."
"That's how it's going to be?" asked Daniel, voice low. "Listen to me, John. You think I haven't been there? My family is gone. You think I don't know what it's like to want revenge? But you can't afford to be reckless, you hear me?"
"I've had enough of your fucking council, Daniel. It's been half a year and we still haven't found the thing that killed my wife. We haven't even found a trace of it! I'm not going to stick around here forever. This isn't a fucking game!"
"It took five years for me to track and kill the vampires that killed my family, John. And when it was over they were still gone."
"Don't lecture me about patience, Daniel," John spat out. "I'm only doing what I have to do… for Mary."
"It won't bring her back, John."
Something in John snapped and before he had time to think, he attacked. The older hunter barely reacted when John's expert kick knocked his legs out from under him in one fluid movement. He looked coldly up at the enraged widower. John's eyes were wild with grief and anger.
"You don't know anything about me or my family." John snarled.
Elkins picked himself up, keeping a wary distance. His tone was anything but apologetic. "I know those boys are better off with a father."
"Leave them out of this," John's voice was raw with anguish.
"They're in this whether you want them or not," Elkins said flatly, "unless you're ready to give them up? Because that's the price of this crusade." This elicited a purely animalistic growl from John. Elkins grinned humorlessly, "That's what I thought."
"I'm trying to keep them safe." John bit out.
"And you think this is going to keep them safe? It's suicidal, John."
"No, it's not," was all John said flatly, "I will not rest until the thing that killed my wife is dead, that much I promise you."
"Don't be a fool, John. Wake up before your arrogance takes away the only things you have left to lose."
"I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO LOSE!" Screamed John, losing his temper.
"SO DO I!" Daniel rejoined, "Don't you think I would give anything, anything, to have my son back. You're a lucky bastard. Don't throw it all away!"
"LUCKY?" John gasped, unable to comprehend.
"YES," was all Daniel would say in reply.
"I have to pack," John growled, an obvious dismissal.
But Elkins was not intimidated. "You're making a mistake, you fucking idiot. You think I've spent my valuable time keeping track of your sorry ass just to have you throw it all away on some kind of idealistic suicide mission?"
John's hackles rose again at the suicide comment and he snarled, "You haven't taught me anything I couldn't have learned from a couple of old books. You're a fucking joke—living alone in that decrepit old cabin, following some kind of archaic code. I'm not your apprentice, old man, and I'm not your family. This isn't your decision to make."
"Listen to yourself, Winchester. You've been doing this less than a year, and you already think you've got it all figured out? It's hubris and you're going to get yourself killed. Well, I'm not going to be a part of it anymore. If you do this, you do it alone."
"FINE," snarled John, though he was reeling a bit.
Daniel sucked in a shocked breath. "Then good riddance," he spit, turning towards the door. "Get the fuck out of this town and don't come back. Don't expect me to come to the funeral." With that Elkins slammed the door, leaving John alone with his dark thoughts.
John stood for a moment, taunt with emotion. But he wasn't the type to back down from a challenge. He would go to Florida, kill the son of a bitch that was terrorizing an entire fucking town, and when he was done he and his sons would keep moving, keep hunting until they found the sorry bastard who had turned John into… this.
He let anger and bitterness well up to block the pain of losing the man who had taught him everything he knew about hunting. He would have to be twice as sharp, twice as good. He would survive.
That'll show him, John thought with grim humor.
Author's note: This is my rendition of what happened between Daniel and John, which, you will notice, is not that different from what happened between Sam and John 18 years later. Kind of a neat little cycle, don´t ya think? PLEASE review!