The day at Singer's Salvage dragged on. Dean spoke very little to anyone. Bobby took the Winchester brothers out to the workshop and had them work on the cars. Dean let himself fall into a comfortable quiet, the same could not be said for the other men. Bobby spent more time with Sam, telling how to work different things in the shop. Dean watched over his shoulder, never saying a word.

Sam and Bobby were set on edge by Dean's silence. Sure he had never been the most talkative but his muteness made them worried.

Sam offered to go make lunch and disappeared into the house. Dean let out a long breath. Bobby watched the reaction with a keen eye. Dean's entire body relaxed when Sam left, sending a fearful notion into the back of his mind. The thought crept forward, and Bobby wasn't one to keep his mouth shut.

"Are you afraid of him?"

Dean looked up, his head tilted to one side. "Sorry?"

"Sam, are you afraid of him?" Bobby repeated. Thankful that he had gotten at least one word out of him. "When he left you calmed down, you weren't as tense as when he was in the room. So, are you afraid of him?"

"N-no." Dean stuttered out.

"Are you sure about that?" Bobby set down his tools and moved over to Dean.

"Yes...I don't know." Dean admitted, as he leaned against the beat up old car.

"Tell me, it'll help. It did before, right?" Bobby gave Dean a smile.

"It's the little things..." Dean began. "Just the way he says something or a way he moves, it's just like my dad. I mean I know Sam's good, but I can still see my dad in him."

"Do you see your father in yourself?" Bobby asked. Dean was silent for a long while.

"Yes. All the time." Dean admitted.

"Oh, I see now." Bobby breathed. "That's what you fear the most."

Dean stayed quiet. He knew where Bobby was going with that train of thought. Dean nodded nevertheless, Bobby was right.

"You think you're gonna turn into him. You think even after all you've done for your brother, you think that you are gonna turn into someone like your father." Bobby sounded almost betrayed as he spoke.

"It's not unheard of." Dean told him.

"But it's not gonna happen." Bobby stated firmly. "You are nothing like that man, you have to know that."

"Sometimes I think that there's no way we're even related, but other times...other times I couldn't see myself turning out any other way."

"What do you mean by that?" Bobby ventured, not liking where this story was taking him.

"I thought about it." Dean admitted. "I thought about just doing what my dad did. I thought about it a lot actually."

"Dean..."

"I thought that maybe if I helped him, if I was like him, he would like me, maybe even treat me like a son."

"What about Sam?" Bobby asked.

"Sam was the only reason that never happened. If I had gone through with it, then Sam...Sam would end up the same as us. I wouldn't let that happen, ever." Dean choked up. Tears shown in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"So if Sam hadn't have been there you think that you would have followed in your father's footsteps?" Bobby asked, but held a firm belief that Dean never would have acted on such actions.

"No, I know I would have."

Bobby's face fell. That was not the answer he was expecting to hear. Dean glanced at the older man and saw the disappointment in his eyes. He looked away, ashamed of himself, and how weak he was.

"I don't believe you." Bobby said after a long silence. "I haven't known you long Dean, but I know you well enough to know that you are not a bad person. Don't ever think of yourself that way, because you are not, nor ever will be that bad person. It's just not who you are. Some people are innately bad, like your father...Like my father. But others are so good that all the badness that their parents had is washed away because of all the good we brought into the world."

"Your...your father?" Dean asked cautiously.

"Yeah, my father was a drunken abusive bastard. He beat on me and my mother." Bobby said somberly. Dean's mouth hug open, that was not something he had expected to hear from Bobby.

"But-but you, your so strong." Dean tried to articulate his thoughts but could not find the right words, so what came out was a lame explanation of how he felt.

"You think?" Bobby smiled at the young man. Dean nodded back. "Strength doesn't come from a happy well fed life, it comes from facing your fears. You are so strong right now Dean, don't ever think otherwise."

"How did you do it? How did you face your fears?" Dean asked.

"I killed my father."

"What?!" Dean turned sharply to face Bobby. He shook his head unbelieving that the man before him was capable of killing another.

"I was a kid when it happened. He was beating on my mother and I knew where he kept his shotgun. He didn't think I would do it...but I did. I shot him. Killed him. I felt bad, hell I still feel bad. It's not something you ever forget or forgive yourself for, but I don't regret it. That man was a monster and if I didn't stop him he would have killed me and my mother. My mother wouldn't look at me after that. She was still in love with him, even though he was the worst type of person. She ended up drinking herself to death."

"How do you go on after doing something like that?" Dean needed to know.

"You just do." Bobby stated. "It's not something I can really explain to you. What I've gone through is different than what has happened to you. For me I kept living because I wanted something better. I got it too. I got my home, a job I like to do and I have Jody, the best thing in my life. You want these things to, don't you?"

"Yes, I want a real life." Dean admitted.

"Then you gotta work for it. It's not gonna come easy, nothing ever does, but it'll be worth it in the end."

"It better be." Dean huffed a laugh. Bobby smiled back.

"It will be." Bobby patted him on the shoulder and looked up as Sam came back outside.

"Don't tell Sam." Dean begged.

"Okay." Bobby agreed. "But you gotta talk to him, you were freaking us out when you were quiet."

"Yeah, alright." Dean nodded. Sam smiled at the two and set a plate of sandwiches down before them. "Thanks Sammy." Dean said without looking at his brother.

"No problem." Sam grinned.


When the sun fell Bobby ushered the boys inside. There he asked if they wanted to order out.

"I could make something." Dean shrugged.

"Knock yourself out." Bobby laughed. "I'll be in the other room then." With that he excused himself into the living room and turned on the TV, keeping it low.

"What are you gonna make?" Sam asked, as Dean opened the fridge.

"Um, well I was thinking about cottage pie." Dean told him and pulled out a package of ground beef.

"Cottage pie! Man I haven't had that in years." Sam smiled. "I think the last time I had it was with you."

"Oh," Dean said quietly.

"Can I help?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, yeah sure." Dean nodded.

Together for the first time in years, Dean cooked with his brother. He gave gentle instructions and never told Sam he was wrong. Bobby listened from the other room smiling as the brothers reconnected. They had just taken the pie out of the oven when the front door opened.

Henricksen and Jody came through with haste.

"We need to move you two." Henricksen said quickly.

"What happened?" Sam could feel his blood run cold. Bobby came into the kitchen and shared a quick glance with his wife, then focused on Henricksen.

"We're getting closer to Gordon Walker, and it looks like his inner circle is bigger than we thought." Henricksen sighed.

Sam stumbled backwards. His hand gripped a nearby chair. All he wanted to do was save Dean. Why was it so hard to make sure someone was safe? He looked to his brother, who was pale and beginning to shake.

"Okay." Sam said after a moment. "What do we do?"

"I think we should go back to the station for now. I don't want anyone knowing about this place." Henricksen told them. "I want to get you two to a safe house, this place is safe for now, but I want it to be a secret. We tell no one that you have stayed here."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"If anything goes wrong, this is where you go." Henricksen explained. "Trust no one but the people in this room. Got it?" The room nodded. "Good. Now lets go, the faster we get you guys to the safe house the better."

"What about Bobby?" Dean spoke. "Is – is he safe here?"

"It'll be fine son." Bobby comforted him. "I know how to protect myself."

"I'll post an officer on the street just incase." Henricksen told them.

"I need to talk to ya'." Bobby said to Henricksen. "In Private." Bobby left the kitchen and walked into the other room, with Henricksen following him.

"You got something to say Singer say it." Henricksen bit out.

"If the safe house don't work out, don't send them to another, bring them back here."

"You don't make those decisions."

"I'm making them now." Bobby growled. "Bring them back to me. If something happens I want them under my roof, not one they don't know."

"You hardly know them. You haven't known Dean for more than two days." Henricksen narrowed his eyes at Bobby. "Why do you care so much?"

"I could ask the same of you." Bobby threw back at him. "I can't explain it to good, but I feel like I need to protect those boys, like their lives are so much more important than I will ever know. Now tell me you don't feel the same."

"I do." Henricksen nodded. "It's something about those damn Winchester boys, I need to make sure that their safe."

"Then we are on the same team." Bobby told him. "Don't make this more difficult than it already is."

"Okay." Henricksen agreed. "If the safe house doesn't work out I'll bring them back here."

"You'd better."

Henricksen went back to the boys in the other room, this time Bobby followed.

"Ready?" Henricksen asked. Sam and Dean nodded.

Jody made her way over to them and hugged them both. Placing a soft kiss on Dean's cheek. Dean had his lip between his teeth, chewing on it nervously.

"Don't worry Dean." Bobby said. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise." With that he wrapped Dean in a hug. Dean tentatively hugged back. Bobby let go but kept a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be here when this is all over."

Bobby gave Sam a quick hug and walked them out to Henricksen's car. Bobby and Jody stood on the porch and watching.

"Thanks for everything." Sam nodded to them. Dean said nothing.

"We'll see you soon." Bobby waved.

Sam got in the car and Dean followed.

"You okay?" Sam asked his brother.

"I don't know." Dean said honestly. He looked back at Bobby and Jody still standing on the porch. The car moved and Dean swallowed down his fears. How many times had he driven away from somewhere and knew it was a mistake to leave?


They arrived at the police station late at night. Henricksen took them to the back entrance and brought them in quickly. He moved the brothers into his makeshift office with out much of an incident. They caught the eyes of a few onlookers but no one made a scene.

"I'm gonna make a few calls then we'll get you two out of here." Henricksen told them as he left them alone in the small room.

Dean paced the floor a few times as Sam took a seat and restlessly tapped his foot on the ground.

"Do you think he's still here?" Dean asked, never breaking from his pacing.

"Who? Henricksen?" Sam asked confused.

"No, da- I mean John?" Dean said.

"Oh. I don't know. Maybe? Why?" Sam questioned.

"I...I want to see him." Dean admitted.

"No." Sam said flatly. Dean stopped pacing and looked at his brother. Sam's face was set in a frown.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"You don't want to see him. I promise you that." Sam told him. "I saw him before we came to see you at Bobby's, and Dean I can't tell you how sorry I am that I left you alone with that man."

"What did he say to you?" Dean needed to know.

"Not much." Sam sighed. "But, I felt as though all those years of not seeing him would make me miss him, even just the smallest amount, but I didn't. Not one bit. I hate him. I hate him for all the things he did to you and to me. Why in the world would you want to see him again, after what he put you through?"

Dean didn't want to tell Sam his reasoning, because even to himself it sounded stupid. He wanted to be brave. He wanted to stand up to his father for the first time in his life. Dean sat down in a chair across from Sam. His younger brother watched him cautiously. They stayed quiet. Dean bit his lip and contemplated if he really wanted to see his father to be brave, or because he was afraid. Half of him wanted to tell his father that he hated him, and his other half wanted his father to scream at Dean that he hated him.

It made no sense to Dean, the feelings that he had towards John were wrong. Why should he need the validation that his father hated him, when he already knew that. He knew that John hated him. He knew it all his life.

And perhaps that was what kept him going. Dean stared blankly ahead as his mind raced and danced with that idea.

Henricksen came back in with a small smile on his face.

"Alright, I have a place for you two." He said. "An old friend of mine, Benny, lives not to far away, and he's agreed to watch over you."

"Is he a cop or something?" Sam asked.

"He was special ops." Henricksen told him. "You'll be safe with him."

"Okay." Sam said with a nod. "When do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready?" Henricksen said.

"I want to see my father first." Dean requested softly.

"What?"

"No."

Henricksen and Sam said at the same time. Dean took a deep breath and let it out evenly.

"I want to see my father." Dean repeated.

"Why?" Henricksen asked, as his face twisted with confusion.

"I need to talk to him." Dean deadpanned.

"No you don't Dean. You don't need to put yourself through that." Sam tried to reason.

"Please?" Dean asked Henricksen.

Henricksen looked at the man before him. His eyes were clear and his voice was stronger than he could ever remember it being. With a sigh and a nod of his head Henricksen agreed. Whatever Dean needed to ask or tell his father, Henricksen knew would help the young man sort out his life.

"Alright. I'll take you to him." Henricksen agreed.

"No." Sam said and stood up. "You can't."

"Sam-" Dean started but Henricksen cut him off.

"Look Sam, if Dean didn't want to talk to his father then he wouldn't. I imagine you have a good reason to want to see him, right?" Dean nodded at him. "Let's all get a little closure."

With that Henricksen turned on his heal and opened the door and waited for Dean to follow. Dean got up but Sam remained where he was.

"Go without me." He said. "I don't want to see him again."

"Alright." Dean said, understanding why his brother didn't want to see their father.

Together Henricksen and Dean walked through the station once again. Henricksen led Dean to the holding cell where John was still waiting for transfer to the maximum security prison. He opened the door and allowed Dean to go in first. Once through he dismissed the guards to allow a sense of privacy between father and son. The guards left and Dean walked up to the bars that separated him from his dad.

John was laying on his cot looking up at the ceiling, the exiting of the guards caught his attention and he looked up, only to smile at his eldest son.

"Was wondering' when you were gonna come see me." John said with a sneer. "Come to brag? Or do you just want to tell me how much you hate me like your brother did?"

"No." Dean said, his voice holding more strength then he thought he had. "I came to say goodbye."

"Oh?" John asked as he got up off the bed and sauntered his way over to Dean. "So you don't hate me?" John smiled at Dean.

"No, I do." Dean told him. "You know I do. But I was always afraid of you, always. Now I'm not."

"You should always be afraid of me boy." John spat.

"I know I should." Dean gave a sad laugh. "But, what else can you do to me? You destroyed me. You made me less of a person, you made me hate myself more than I could ever hate you. But, now you are nothing to me. From this moment on you will be nothing more than a bad dream."

John struck so suddenly Henricksen couldn't move fast enough. He pulled Dean away from the bars, but not before John had gotten a right hook in. Dean took it in stride, all those years of being hit in the face had made him chin strong.

"I'm fine." Dean told Henricksen.

"You sure?" The FBI agent asked.

"Yeah, just one more minute." Dean said and Henricksen backed up once more.

John held a cruel smile, and his eyes darted to the reddened flesh on Dean's face.

"I'm going to forget you." Dean assured him. "But, you will never forget me."

Dean turned away from his father and walked out the door. Henricksen followed him casting only one glance back at the man in the cell. With the door shut behind them Dean let out a long breath that he had been holding.

"You okay?" Henricksen asked.

"I will be." Dean promised him.

"What you said, what you did. I never thought you would do that. I'm glad you did though."

Dean said nothing. He stepped away from Henricksen and made his way to where Sam was. Henricksen skipped to keep up with him. Dean opened the door to Henricksen's office to find Sam pacing.

"You alright?" Sam asked.

Dean stood in front of Henricksen's desk and refused to meet any of their eyes. He reached his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a knife. He dropped it to the desk. It clattered onto the table top and glinted in the low light.

"I took it from Bobby's." Dean revealed. "It was going to be me or him. I guess it was neither of us."