When the phone rang again, Dean picked it up at the first ring. "Hi Dad," he said certain of who was calling.
"Hey Dean, how are you and Sam doing?" Dad cut to the chase and Dean tried not to read too much into that. Dad was often abrupt when his mind was on a hunt.
"We're fine. How are you? Did you get that poltergeist?," Dean asked. He sat on the side of the bed and made eye contact with Sam who made his way over and sat beside him. Dean smiled wryly at his kid brother. Sam just gave him a firm nod, silently offering his solidarity.
"Good, I got the poltergeist, but caught another case. Don't worry, it's here in Louisville, so I'll still make it back for Sunday." Normally Dad making it back for Sam's birthday would be his biggest worry, but tonight Dean knew he had more important stuff to talk about.
"That's great Dad." Dean knew his father would pick up on the anxiety in his voice. He could almost see how Dad had stopped whatever he was doing to focus exclusively on the phone. Dean had seen his father do that exact move many times over his life.
"Dean, what's going on?," Dad said, his tone instantly no nonsense.
"Um, well you remember that girl, Angela, I was telling you about a few weeks ago?," Dean began. Dad interrupted anger already creeping into his voice.
"You mean the girl with the baby? The girl I specifically told you to stay away from?" Once again Dad cut right to it.
"Uh, yeah, Angela. But before you get mad, Dad, she's not what you think. She's not some kind of truck stop slut." Dean was eager to defend their friend, but Dad was having none of it.
"I don't care what she is, I told you to stay away from her," Dad said, his voice beginning to rise along with his temper.
"I know Dad, but she needed our help and…" Dad cut Dean off.
"So you slept with her!" his father accused.
"What! No!," Dean was almost shouting and paused to lower his voice. Dad would tolerate only so much disrespect, especially when he was already angry that they had ignored his orders. Besides he was freaking out Sam who was gnawing on his fingernails beside him. "I didn't, I would never...look Dad, her father molested her, that's why she's on the run. She's just a friend." Dad sighed in frustration. Dean could tell he was about to speak and rushed to finish before Dad began again. "We've been spending time with her and she's really nice, but she needs to make sure her father doesn't find her. Her Dad is really bad news." That was an understatement, but Dean didn't have time to elaborate, he had to present his solution before Dad flipped out. "I called Pastor Jim and he's agreed to help her, but he insisted that I tell you."
"Jim Murphy is involved in this fiasco?" Dad didn't sound less angry, and Dean hoped that Jim wasn't going to get a blast of angry John Winchester.
"Yeah, he said if we can get Angela and Penny to Blue Earth, he'll help them get settled. She's only 16, so she can't do it by herself." He purposely failed to mention that her birthday was in a couple of days, knowing Dad had some compassion for kids in trouble.
"What does this girl want in return for your help," Dad asked, making the word "help" sound like a dirty innuendo. Dean couldn't help being frustrated and a bit hurt that Dad thought so little of him. Just cause he enjoyed the company of willing girls in each town they visited, didn't mean that he would ever take advantage of anyone. Besides, he wasn't as experienced as he let everyone believe.
"Nothing, she doesn't need money," he said stiffly, refusing to address what Dad was implying. Dad sighed again and the scratchy sound of his palm on his whiskered chin was loud enough to hear over the phone.
"Let me speak to your brother," Dad ordered. Dean really didn't want Sammy to get pulled into this, but he couldn't see any other choice. He passed the receiver to Sam who looked frightened, but put the phone to his ear. Dean paced between the two beds and listened to Sam's side of the conversation.
"Hi Dad, Yes sir, No sir, No sir!" This last one was said fiercely and Dean hoped that Sam's word would be enough for Dad. "But she….We had to….She's like a sister...No!" Dean could see that Sam was getting angry and he tried to take the phone away before his brother started a fight. Sam was too quick and dodged out of Dean's reach. "Her father...!" Sam hissed, furiously, cut off once again. Obviously Dad had a lot to say because Sam was quiet for a long moment. Dean could see the fight drain out of Sam as quickly as it had come. But now there were tears forming in the kid's eyes and his voice was quiet. "Yes sir, I understand, OK, Bye Dad." Sam thrust the phone at Dean and when he took it, his brother darted into the bathroom and closed the door.
"Dad?," Dean asked tentatively.
"Dean, look, I know you and Sam meant well. It's dangerous for you two to be alone so much, but I got a job to do and I need you to be responsible." Dean didn't say anything and Dad continued. "I'll meet this girl on Sunday and I'll decide what will happen then, OK?" There wasn't really any room for negotiation at this point, but Dean figured it could be a lot worse.
"Yeah, OK," he replied with as much good grace as he could muster.
"I know you brother's upset, so I'll let you go, and I will see you on Sunday." Dad sounded tired again and Dean felt a throb of guilt that he had given his father something else to worry about.
After they said their goodbyes and hung up, Dean took a few calming breaths. He walked over and knocked softly on the bathroom door. "Sammy?," he called, hoping that Sam hadn't locked himself in. His brother turned the knob, but kept his back to the door as Dean pushed it carefully open and joined Sam in the small room. He could see the kid's slim shoulders shake with silent tears so Dean reached out and pulled Sammy to him, wrapping his arms around the youngster. Sam turned and pressed his face to Dean's stomach.
"Why won't Dad ever listen?," Sam sniffled, the question muffled by Dean's shirt. He ran his hand over Sammy's hair.
"I don't know Sam, I don't know." Dean just stood there holding the kid until Sam got himself back under control. When Sam seemed calmer, he pulled back and looked down at his brother. Reaching over, he grabbed a wad of tissues and wiped Sam's running nose. The younger boy grabbed the paper from his hand and blew his nose, but he had half a smile on his face now.
"Sorry," Sam said sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it kiddo," Dean reassured his brother. But with all the drama of the last few hours, Dean was beat. It had been a long day with school, work, and the stressful conversations with both Pastor Jim and their Dad. With a final squeeze of Sam's shoulder, he said "It's getting late squirt, why don't you brush your teeth and get ready, and you can tell me all about school until bedtime." Sam left to go fetch his pyjamas, and Dean took the moment to splash some water over his face and brush his own teeth.
Soon they were settled on the couch, Sammy a warm weight against his side. Before the first commercial, the boy was sound asleep, so Dean carefully picked him up and deposited him into his bed. He spent a little while, tidying the room, and getting the laundry for tomorrow organized, then he checked the salt lines and the locks and got ready for bed himself.