Chapter 24

I perched atop the bus bench while John visited with the people in his life. He spent some time on the phone speaking with, Mary, I guessed. I noted that Dean kept a firm eye on his father at all times. There was no way that anyone could blame him for that particular thing. John also stopped at a jeweler to look at rings, this was obviously when he had planned to propose to Mary. Dean was born in 1979, so that meant that there was time before Mary chose to conceive a child. She had to have had the deadline looming in her head and must have thought that everything was safe if she had given birth to both her sons.

John was again on the move and so were we. Castiel and I decided to join Dean in the backseat, except Dean wasn't aware that we were with him, which oddly enough, this time, suited me quite fine. I could read the tension that was a part of him and it was something that he allowed himself to feel, when he didn't have his brother there to distract him.

John parked his car and hopped out. A young woman came flying out of the house to meet him and they both smiled at each other. It was obvious that they were in love. She stared at the car disappointed.

"What's this?" she asked.

"My car," John explained.

"What happened to the van?" she demanded.

"Come on Mary, this is better than the van, it has a 327 and four barrel carburetor," John said.

Dean stared at the young woman for a moment and whispered, "Mom."

Mary got into the car with John and Dean put his car into gear. I shook my head as I realized that Dean was accompanying his parents on their date. This was going to be interesting.

John took Mary to get something to eat and they lingered talking. Dean watched from outside of the diner. He was amazed at how his parents were before tragedy had ripped their lives apart.

"Sam," Dean murmured. "Wherever you are, Mom was a babe." Dean stopped and shook his head. "I'm going to Hell," he muttered. "Again."

I stifled the laughter that was about to erupt. However, things did not seem to be going too well with John's attempt at a proposal.

I saw Mary's approach before Dean did and wondered how this was going to work out. Castiel frowned but merely pulled us out of the way. Dean stood staring at John as John pulled out the ring box. Mary stood behind him, in a full battle stance.

"Why are you following us?" she demanded as she began to hit Dean.

Dean quelled his urge to defend himself, but he wasn't exactly about to let his mother beat him up either.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded as he dodged her punches.

Mary was a skilled fighter, and she would be given who her family was. Dean grabbed her wrists to stop her from pounding him.

"You've been trailing us since my house," she accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dean lied.

"Oh really?" Mary asked as she began to kick him.

Dean managed to use her momentum against her and had her pinned against the wall.

"Hey, how about we talk about this huh?" he pleaded.

"Let me go!" Mary demanded.

Dean released her wrist when he noticed her bracelet. The shock was evident on his face when he realized what his mother was. She spun around to face him.

"Are you a hunter?" he asked as they both faced each other out of breath.

She knew at once that he was the same as her. She caught her breath.

"Are you?" she demanded.

"Yes," Dean acknowledged. "We have to talk."

"I have to get back to my boyfriend," Mary pointed out.

"Yes," Dean agreed. "I'll meet you back at your house."

Mary tentatively nodded and returned to where she had left John.

Castiel's face lapsed into a scowl.

"You know that your vessel isn't going to thank you for all the wrinkles that you're giving him," I said pointedly.

"Jimmy will not age as long as I am a part of him," Castiel corrected. "Besides you know that once I relinquish him all damage that has been done is reversed."

"Uh huh," I nodded. "Not all damage however," I sighed. "They still have the ruin of lives left behind."

"You're thinking of that little girl on the porch," Castiel exhaled sharply.

"Yep," I nodded.

"You and I both know that she will be fine," Castiel huffed.

I shook my head as we followed Dean back to the Campbell's house.

John and Mary pulled up to the curb and shared a sweet moment. I briefly wondered if somewhere in Dean's mind was the memory of how much his father loved his mother. Mary got out of the car and waved at John, who drove off in blissful ignorance. I watched as Dean appeared from behind a tree. Mary looked at him for a moment and then seemed to accept him.

"Dean, Right?" she asked when he nodded yes. "I'm not sure that you should come in." She appeared anxious at that thought.

"You can trust me," Dean said. "Come on, we're all hunters right? I mean we're… we're practically family."

"Yeah, the thing is," Mary shook her head at that statement. "My dad he is a little…um."

"Oh," Dean sounded excited. "I gotta meet him."

"You've heard of him?" Mary demanded with a clear expression of alarm on her face.

Dean to his credit caught on quickly. "Clearly not enough," he said.

Mary nodded and they walked into the house together.

Castiel and I silently entered the house and Samuel Campbell sat impassively in his chair. Deana was in the kitchen preparing their meal. He glowered at Dean for a moment, however Dean wasn't intimidated. I shook my head and went into the kitchen while Castiel remained behind.

"Jesse?" Deana called softly.

"I'm here," I answered as I became visible.

"You really should learn to use the doorbell," she scolded.

"Ah," I shook my head. "And give that husband of yours a chance to reach for his shotgun?"

Deana chuckled. She glanced out of the kitchen at the scene ahead of her.

"Mary brought home the wrong young man," Deana mused.

"Did she?" I questioned.

Deana stared at me for a moment.

"What?" I asked.

"There's something about him," Deana shook her head. "I'll leave it up to Samuel."

"You've got better instincts," I told her.

Her head snapped up at that as the conversation between Samuel and Dean drifted to us.

Samuel was clearly displeased from his tone and I glanced in their direction to observe him continuing his intimidation of Dean.

"So tell me something Mr. Hunter," Samuel drawled. "You kill vampires with wooden stakes or silver?"

"Neither, you cut their heads off." Dean seemed amused. "So did I pass your test?"

Samuel appeared displeased that Dean had passed his test.

Deana shook her head. "Well the boy knows his stuff."

"He should," I murmured.

"Jesse," she fixed me with a hard stare. "What are you not telling me?"
"Trust your instincts," I told her.

"My instincts are telling me that this man is connected to us," Deana sighed. "But…" she stopped.

"But?" I pressed.

"But," she sighed. "That's not possible. I know everyone in my family."

"Yes," I nodded. "You do."

Deana scowled and left the kitchen to join the others.

"Knock it off Samuel," she said as she entered.

"He's a hunter," Samuel grumbled.

"Who passed your little pop quiz, and now I'm inviting him to dinner. Are you hungry?" She looked at up Dean as she stood next to him.

"I'm starving," Dean answered as he stared down at his grandmother.

"Good," she smiled as she shook his hand. "I'm Deana, you've met my husband Samuel. Now wash up."

Dean watched Deana as she returned to the kitchen. "Sam and Deana?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Mary nodded.

"Really," Dean answered.

I had to control my laughter as Dean figured out that he was named after his grandmother.

"Jesse," Deana hissed as she returned to the kitchen. "Are you going to stay?"

"It's too complicated for me to stay," I told her as I vanished.

I knew that Deana was frustrated and I would give anything for her to not be so frustrated but I couldn't explain to her that the young man in the front room was not only her grandson, but that she would never live to see him. How could I possibly tell her that?