Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.
AN- I know the episode Bobby talks about is from a later season than this story takes place around. But I couldn't resist using it. And since it's AU anyway, it really doesn't matter.
Previously on Supernatural- Bobby opened and closed his mouth several times before whispering a name he thought he'd never say again. "John?"
SPN
"What the h-h-heck?" Josh gasped, raising his gun and pointing it at the man standing on the porch. "What are you? A shifter? Or a demon maybe?"
"Whatever you are, you picked the wrong family to mess with." Rufus growled, leveling his gun as well.
"Rufus? Josh? It's me, John Winchester." The man said. "I don't know how I ended up on Bobby's porch but I am me."
"Really? Then you won't mind going through a few tests to prove it." Ellen challenged, holding up a bottle of Holy water.
"Sure" John replied. He took the offered bottle and gulped half of it down before handing it back. "What's next?" Seeing Bobby pull out a silver knife, the eldest Winchester slowly rolled up his right shirt sleeve and raised his arm.
Bobby cautiously approached the younger man. Grasping the hunter's wrist, he swiftly made a shallow cut on John's bicep. He let out a relieved breath as a thin line of red blood trickled down the man's arm.
"Anything else Singer?" John questioned.
"Oh, I've got one or two more tricks up my sleeve." Bobby casually answered, stepping back. "Why don't you come in and we'll talk about'em?"
"Okay" John agreed. He walked through the doorway, stepping in and out of the devil's trap under the mat with no trouble. Glancing around at the other hunters in the room, he did a double take when he saw his eldest son Dean holding... "Sammy?! What the Hell's going on?! What happened to Sam?!"
Dean winced as John's loud voice caused Sam to whimper in his sleep. "Would you keep it down?" he loudly whispered as he rubbed the toddler's back. "Shhh, it's okay kiddo. Daddy's got ya."
"Daddy?"
Knowing a blow up was imminent, Ellen decided to get Sammy out of the crossfire. "Dean, why don't you let me take Sammy upstairs?" she suggested. "He doesn't need to hear this."
Dean glanced from the sleeping toddler in his arms to Ellen and back. "Yeah okay" he agreed. He carefully handed his little brother to his friend. "Thanks Ellen"
"No problem Honey" Ellen replied. "Just do me a favor and keep Mr. Short Fuse over there from getting loud enough to scare the kid, would ya?"
"You got it, Ellen." Dean promised. He watched her go up the stairs and disappear down the upstairs hall before rounding on the thing pretending to be his dad. "Okay, let's do this."
"Do what?" John asked. "Dean, what's going on? Why's Sam a little kid? And why is he calling you daddy?"
"Shut up! Don't you dare speak my little brother's name, you…"
"What is the meaning of this?" Castiel questioned as he popped into the room beside the younger Winchester.
All five hunters jumped at the being's sudden appearance.
"Cass, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!" Dean hollered.
"I am sorry, Dean. It was not my intention to frighten you." Castiel apologized. "I merely wished to ascertain why you are angry with your father for being here. I assumed you'd be happy to see him among the living once more."
"You mean that's really Johnny?" Josh asked.
"Yes" Cass stated.
"Wait, I thought you told me that once someone's dead, there's no bringing them back?" Dean accused.
"I did and that is true up to a point. They can be brought back but we are usually not allowed to carry that task out." Cass explained.
"Then why do it now?" Rufus inquired.
"After the recent problem with the hunters trying to kill Samuel, my superiors thought Dean could use some help protecting his brother. And who better than his own father, one of the best hunters there is." Castiel told the group.
"So, your buddies think we can't handle a little trouble?" Rufus growled.
"That is not what I meant. I merely…"
"Wait, what happens to John when Lillith and the hunters are no longer a threat?" Josh broke in.
"Once Lillith has been contained and the hunters dealt with, Mr. Winchester will be returned to the afterlife and Samuel will be restored to his adult self." Cass stated.
"So Sam won't even get to see his dad?" Bobby gruffly asked.
"Samuel will see and interact with his father. He will be here with all of you until the problem is resolved." Cass replied.
Bobby shook his head. "I don't mean little Sammy. I mean adult Sam." He corrected. "You said John would be sent back and then Sam would be changed. So big Sam won't get to be with his dad."
Castiel nodded. "That is true."
"Then you can take John right back where he came from." Bobby growled.
"What?" Dean hollered. "Bobby have you lost your mind?!"
"No, I've still got all my marbles." Bobby responded, turning to face the younger man.
"Then why do you want dad to go?" Dean asked.
"Because son" Bobby began, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm not going to sit by and watch your brother get hurt all over again. You know what it'll do to him when he finds out his dad was here and that he left without so much as saying goodbye to him."
"Bobby's right, Dean. The first time nearly destroyed him. He shouldn't have to go through that again." Josh reminded.
"Then we won't tell him." Dean suggested. "He can't be upset if he doesn't know dad was here."
"So, you want us to lie to the kid?" Rufus asked, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion.
"No, not lie, just not tell him" Dean corrected.
"Dean, not telling him is the same as lying to him." Bobby pointed out. "Besides, you and I both know there ain't no way to keep something like this a secret. Sooner or later, someone will let something slip and then Sam will be hurt about John and us keeping it from him. And I'm not about to let that happen to one of my boys."
"They're not your boys, Singer. They're mine." John huffed.
"Dean and Sam are as much mine as yours Winchester. You can refute it all you want to it won't make it any less true." Bobby stated.
"They're mine, too." Josh added.
"And mine." Rufus echoed.
"So, we're everybody's kids. That still doesn't mean dad has to go." Dean angrily stated.
"Actually, it does." Bobby disagreed. "You two are my boys and I love you both equally. I refuse to hurt one son just to make the other happy."
"Wait, didn't you tell me…" Dean began only to be interrupted by the ball cap wearing hunter.
"I remember what was said." Bobby admitted. "But I also know I wasn't the one that said that. I mean, I was but I wasn't."
"Huh?" Rufus questioned. "What are you talking about you old fool?"
"Dean called me a few months back to ask about this curse that made people tell the truth. He was infected and he was looking for answers. I was talking to him when all the sudden something suddenly took me over and forced me to blurt out that he was my favorite." Bobby related.
"Yeah, it was Veritas. It made people tell me the truth." Dean said.
Bobby shook his head. "No, it wasn't her. Veritas made people tell you truths that would hurt you, not make you feel good." He corrected. "Something else made me say that and I have a pretty good idea about who that was." The salvage owner turned cold eyes on Castiel, who quickly looked away confirming what the old hunter already suspected.
"Cass, tell me you didn't do that." Dean demanded.
Castiel gazed at his friend sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I cannot."
"But why?" Dean asked, dumbstruck that the being had forced Bobby to lie.
"Because you needed to hear something positive." Castiel replied. "To do your job, you needed something nice to counter all the bad you were hearing."
"So you…"
"Can we please get back to the matter at hand?" John grumbled. "I'd like to spend what time I have topside talking with my boys not being wallpaper."
"Sorry dad" Dean automatically stated.
"It's alright kiddo. I know it's a lot for you to take in." John absolved. "I just want to get to my staying so the three of us can start having some family time."
"Not happening Johnny" Bobby growled. "Unless featherhead there can promise that you'll be around for Sam after he turns back, you're not staying."
"I agree." John said, surprising everyone in the room. "I was wrong to leave the first time without talking with both my boys first. I won't let that happen again."
"I doubt my superiors will agree to that." Castiel sadly informed them. Turning to look at his friend, he sighed. "Dean, can you not talk your father…"
"No, dad's right." Dean adamantly stated, swallowing hard. "It's both of us or neither. If your superiors want to "help" me and Sam then they'll allow dad to stay a few days after Sam is back to his old Sasquatch self."
Castiel nodded. "I will see what I can do." He said. The being cocked his head to one side, seemingly listening to someone. After a couple of minutes, he looked back at the hunters. "My superiors have decided to allow Mr. Winchester to stay for one week after Samuel is turned back into an adult."
"How do we know you ain't shining us?" Josh asked.
"Shining? I do not understand." Cass responded.
"He means lying, Cass." Dean interpreted.
"I am incapable of lying." Castiel stated.
"Right, and I'm the fairy king. Like my pretty wings?" Bobby sarcastically muttered.
Castiel frowned. "Mr. Singer, you do not have wings."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Listen featherbrain, you better be telling the truth about John. Cause if you go back on your word, I will personally hunt you down and kill you."
"I understand." Cass answered before disappearing.
"Well, that was strange." John voiced. Walking over to the group, he hugged Dean. "You mind filling your dad in on what the heck's going on?"
"Sure dad" Dean said with a grin. "Come on, let's go in the kitchen and grab a couple of beers first. You're gonna need them."
"That bad, huh?" John questioned.
"You have no idea." Dean told him.
Smiling, John followed his son and his friends towards the kitchen.
SPN
"Hey, you remember that time the boys…" Josh began, stopping at the pitter patter of little feet.
The hunters glanced over to the doorway just as Ellen and Sammy shuffled into the room. "Hey Sammy" they called.
Sammy stared at the group of men for a moment before breaking into a dimpled grin. Dropping Ellen's hand, he raced across the room and jumped into John's waiting arms. "Daddy!" he hollered.