AN: Sorry about it not being as long as usual... I just hope you like it anyway. Take care!!!
"So… what do we do now?" That had been the question that had seemed not to have an immediate answer until finally someone had the brilliant idea of going for a beer. It should have been a simple stroll to the nearest bar, down a couple of brewskis before heading back and dealing with the room full of hunters that were surely already trying to plan an argument why they all should stay together. Sure, that's what should have happened…except for one thing – they were Winchesters and Winchesters had the worst damn luck on the planet.
It had begun simple and laid back enough. Two guys, brothers really, working on their third beer while trying to best each other at darts all the while flirting with the cute waitress who reminded Dean of a fairy he'd once ran into; tiny with a constant smile. So it really was a surprise when all hell broke loose and they found themselves smack dab in the middle of a bar room brawl doing their damnedest not to get the short end of the situation. Only one problem stood between them and their goal; yeah, their Winchesters.
Lucas ducked another guy's fist while trying his best not to knock Dean over at the same time. Somehow he'd known what was about to happen but hadn't warned the man at his back soon enough and now they were surrounded by a bunch of yahoos who were determined to make them pay for paying too much attention to Sarah who just happened to be the big guy's baby sister – yeah, who'd figure!
"Uh Dean… how about you get out of here and I'll hold them off as long as I can?" he asked as he swung his last remaining crutch at a couple of guys determined to open his skull with broken bottles.
Laughing, Dean wondered just what planet his brother thought he was from if he really thought he'd be able to hold off a bar room full of people by himself… not to mention the thought that he'd even leave his Sammy to fend for himself, nope… not going there.
"Sorry kiddo… you're not getting all the fun!" he yelled over the commotion, mainly little Sarah screaming for her brother to stop before she called their mother. It would have been funny if they weren't outnumbered close to six to one. As it was all Dean could hope for was that they'd be able to stagger back to the motel room without too much damage being done.
The sound of a gunshot didn't do too much, but it was the second one shattering several glasses hanging over the bar that caused all the occupants to freeze in their spots and look over at a rather perturbed looking Sheriff.
"DADDY!" Sarah screamed as she rushed towards his side.
Hearing that from the barmaid, both Dean and Lucas groaned and knew their day had just gone down the crapper.
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The two jail cells were full, the air conditioning wasn't working and the last thing that Dean had wanted to do was make that phone call. But seeing as all their resources were at the moment tied up in one spot, it didn't make sense to try to beat around the bush. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head and looked at the man lying on the bed, hoping that more damage hadn't been done during the scuffle.
"Look man, I just want to uh… yeah… look, it's just she's my little sister you know? And you can never be too careful anymore, you know?"
Dean looked over and wondered what the hell he'd done in his past lives to get stuck in the same damn cell with the big bruiser who had started this whole damn mess to begin with. The one good thing about it though was that when the guy found out that Lucas was really hurt and it wasn't some ploy to get in little Sarah's pants, the guy had made sure the youngest Winchester had full use of the one bed in the cell. Nodding, Dean leaned back against the bunk and murmured, "Yeah, I get it, no matter how old they get, their always the baby."
Before the other man had a chance to answer, a shadow fell upon them making the occupants of both cells look up.
"Bail's taken care of Dean, grab your brother and let's go." John said brusquely before turning around and walking back the way he came, letting the deputy unlock the door. He wasn't fooling himself; he knew Dean only called because he didn't see another option, that wasn't what tore him apart. It was the knowledge that his boys had been that badly outnumbered and he hadn't been there to help. 'Damn it, there's got to be a way to fix this.'
As Dean helped Lucas off the bunk and through the cell door he wondered if he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of the day besides allowing his little brother to get mixed into a brawl.
"Knock it off. I was flirting just as much as you were." Lucas said softly, seriously wishing he hadn't lost his crutches and had another dose of pain meds in him, with or without the alcohol.
'Yep, this is turning out to be a real crappy day.' Dean thought as he heard just how tired Lucas was as they slowly hobbled towards the main entrance. It was what came out of his brother's mouth next that almost made him drop him.
"Think Dad's going to stay pissed?"
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Alex couldn't help himself, he had to keep an eye on what was going on and if anything had changed, that was his job after all… or at least what he kept telling himself. If he were completely honest though he would have admitted that there was something about this wayward family that fascinated him – almost like a train wreck.
As he continued to watch unnoticed, he couldn't help but wonder about this new person that the youngest of the men was becoming, and if his family would accept him in spite of it – only time would tell, but time had a funny way of making itself scarce at the most inopportune times.
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Bobby, Jim, Caleb and Joshua were waiting outside in the parking lot when the Impala pulled up. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Joshua was pulling open the driver's door and hauling John out while Caleb was gathering things out of the cab of Bobby's truck and heading towards the backseat, ignoring John's protests and questions.
Dean was shocked, but wasn't about to go anywhere without his brother, the kid was pale and drawn as it was and he had a feeling that if he left the car then the tension there would just get worse.
"Ok kid, we've done it your way, now you're doing it ours." Caleb said as he settled half in and half out the backseat while trying to make a pallet to allow the young man in front of him to lie back and hopefully be reasonably comfortable for the journey ahead. "Jim got a Root Beer from the soda machine so you can take your medicine and even added one for you… do us all a favor and take it."
Shocked, Dean watched his long time friend order his little brother around like he did it every day… then he remembered, there for awhile, he did!
"Caleb, you ready?" Jim asked as he situated himself in the front seat while handing Lucas a can of soda and a hand full of pills. "I know you don't want t rely on anyone, but right now I think it would be best if you let us handle this situation. We're all going to Bobby's since its closer and we're hoping you'll sleep the whole way; it'll give you some relief. Now before anyone starts to protest, this isn't up for discussion… we're all family here and it's about time you two start remembering it. Now… drink up young man and then lay back, Caleb will help you get situated before he starts to drive. No Dean… you are not driving, there's no telling where you two would be off two."
John stood and argued with Josh and Bobby until he heard the Impala's engine come to life and then it was like a switch had been flipped and he was completely silent at first, then the switch flipped once more.
"Damn it! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he bellowed as he started after the car that currently housed his boys. "You can't do this!"
"Actually John, we can. You've always trusted us with your boys, so what's so damn different now?" Joshua asked while pulling John back around towards him. "Ever since Sammy died you've acted like it's only been you and Dean who's suffered. Well guess what… you aren't! Those boys are like our own and we're not going to watch as you screw this up too. Now get your idiotic ass in the truck and let's go, just because we're hoping the kid'll sleep the whole way doesn't mean they need to be left on their own too long."
Stunned, John stood there and watched the agreement in the other faces. Slowly he began to smile. "Well Josh, I have to admit… I didn't know you cared."
Rolling his eyes and slapping his friend slightly upside the head Joshua smirked, "Don't get so cocky smartass, the boys are family… you're just something we have to put up with to see them."
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Dean wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak or not so he stayed quiet and watched Lucas blink owlishly at him from the backseat. It seemed weird to be back in this position, to being the protector again after so many years, but it was a feeling he was more than happy with. After looking over the makeshift bed Caleb had made, he had to wonder once again just how in the world they'd gotten so damn lucky.
"What did Jim give him?" he asked quietly, not wanting to startle the younger man in the back any more than necessary. Both he and Caleb had been sure the kid would have conked out by now, but it looked like stubborn Sammy was making an appearance.
Caleb grinned and looked through the rear view mirror to the figure in the back before returning his attention towards the road. "Don't worry he called a doctor friend of his to make sure there wouldn't be any reactions. Mainly it's a heavy duty sleep aid; the kid needs all the help he can get."
Nodding, Dean thought about that and had to agree, the kid did need sleep.
"You're not curious about what just happened?" Caleb asked, slightly shocked that Dean hadn't torn into him for the way they had handled the situation.
Shaking his head, Dean continued to watch the lone occupant in the backseat and smiled when he saw that the medicines had finally taken effect. "Nah… I figure I got my brother with me, that's all I need to know." He said as he leaned back and listened to Back in Black as it played softly from the stereo, content for once with his life.