Three days later***

Deciding that he needed some time with Sean and that the boys were more than capable of taking care of haunting two hundred miles away the family separated.

"Now you have all the information right?" John asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes Dad, remember I have my trusty geek boy assistant," Dean said of Sam causing Sean laugh.

"Call if you have any problems."

"We got it, it will be fine," Sam assured.

John decided that some father/son time was imperative with his youngest. Sean still sore but coming along nicely had no problems keeping up with John on the range or the miniature golf course. They then did some hand to hand combat training followed by a trip to the batting cage. Things were falling back as they were and as John had hoped they would. He hoped somewhere along this tribulation Sean had gained a bit of maturity but that night as he spoke to Dean on the phone he began to wonder.

"Sean quit bouncing," he ordered the boy who was alternating between bouncing and downright jumping on the bed.

But Sean continued with his activity as John finished his call. Without a warning or second chance John picked his son up and carried him over to a chair in the corner and plopped him down.

"When I say stop, I mean stop! Now, not when you feel like it, not when you get around to it, but the second I say it. Now you can sit there for fifteen minutes," John explained running his hands through his hair wondering just when his youngest son was going to understand what this life required from him.

Sean sat his arms folded his face scrunched up. He mumbled something that John couldn't hear.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

"I said it's not a big deal, this is stupid," Sean replied.

"No what is stupid is that you still don't understand that you need to listen. It's not about bouncing around on the bed it's about listening, responding and respect. Now you can get on your knees and face the wall," John stated as he pulled Sean from the chair and had him get in the familiar position of being on his knees, ankles crossed and hands behind his head. "I thought you were beginning to understand what was required of this life."

"Yeah be a damn puppet," Sean snapped instantly regretting it.

But John was on his way to making him regret it more as he was in front of Sean in an instant and hauled him up to a standing position only to land his open left hand across the boy's face. The sound resonated across the otherwise quiet room furthering the night's production of drama. "You have learned nothing from these last days, from the punishment you received a week ago. You are refusing to understand the rules we must live by."

"No I understand them I just can't always accept them," Sean retorted.

"Then you are in for a helluva ride boy."

"Why is this so important? I can't have a minute why can't you just let me be a kid for once?"

"Because when you are busy being a kid you are vulnerable and when you are vulnerable you end up dead," John said his face stern and unforgiving. "And it is my job not to let that happen. We've been through this over and over especially this last week. "Why won't you stop fighting it?"

But Sean had no answers so he merely dropped back to his knees and resumed his position staring at the wall.

The next morning Sean woke up to find John on the phone looking less than happy. He got up and scuttled to the bathroom. He found his face in the mirror and tilted to see that he had completely recovered from his reprimand of the previous night. He knew without a doubt that the more he pushed the more John would shove back. He also knew he was destined to live this life and that Sam had hit the truth when he said Sean would rot from the inside out if he tried to flee from it. But for whatever reason he chose to fight his destiny on a somewhat regular basis. He was brought from his reverie as John pounded on the door.

"Get in the shower we're leaving ASAP."

Sean pursed his mouth to ask why but thought better of it. In the end he questioned his motives every bit as much as John did. It must be those hormones that Dean had mentioned months earlier.

The ride had been silent with Sean pushing buttons on the handheld game he had gotten for his last birthday. It did help keep the boy occupied on those long distance drives. John would sneak occasional glance at his youngest and marvel. Dean was more the typical teen getting busted for drinking, smoking, skipping school and the like while Sam was better behaved in that department but was always questioning John as to why they had to do what they had to do. The arguments were constant and frustrating, but apparently his message had sunk in with Sam at some point as he had seemed to finally grasp the significance. Hearing Sam explain it to Sean the other night brought more satisfaction to John than he ever thought possible.

But as he saw his youngest sons face contorted in concentration he realized this kid was over the top. He was Dean and Sam wrapped up into one and his own personality was the cherry on top. Throw in the whole trial of the psychic issue and John was at a loss. His number one fear was that if he let go even for a moment Sean he would just fly away.

His son was destined to change the lives of so many but only if John could keep him grounded, alive and aware of his surroundings. How do you keep a bird from flying without clipping its wings?

They arrived at the home in question John frustrated that the Impala was nowhere to be seen. Sean jumped out of the car as John dialed Dean's number. The twelve year old looked at the old house and felt nothing but turmoil. He began to walk that way his mind focused only on what was in front of him.

"Where the hell are you?" John asked into the phone. "Well how long till you get here?" John snapped his phone closed and looked over for Sean. He felt an energy begin to roll from the house. He had felt it one other time and the result was violent and deadly. He desperately looked around for his son but he wasn't in or near the car. He scanned the area and saw the boy moving towards the structure. John pulled the air from his belly and yelled as loud as he ever had. "SEAN STOP!"

The word echoed in Sean's brain, flashes from the previous night popped in his brain and he simply stopped. The pull in front of him for the first time wasn't as strong as the pull from behind him. He looked back at his father who was motioning at him to run towards him. With one last look behind him he sprinted towards John reaching him just as the house seemed to implode and explode at the same time. John who had been running to meet him threw his body over his son's and sheltered him as best as he could.

"You listened, thank God you listened," John panted.

"I did didn't I? Sean said surprised at his actions.

"And it saved your life," John remarked.

"And that would be what you were talking about, the point you wanted to get across right?"

"Right, now lets get the hell out of here before the cops and fire department show up."

Sean called Sam and filled them in on what had happened and they all met up at the boys motel room.

"So what happened?" Sam asked.

"Well years ago I was involved in a case where the haunting was so intense that the house did the same thing. I remembered that feeling immediately. We need to figure out what the hell is going on and why we missed it."

"They want to be found," Sean said quietly.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"The ones in the back."

"Who in the back?" Sam questioned.

"The bodies there are bodies in the back and they were calling to me that's where I was going Dad. They just don't want to be lost."

"What bodies?" Sam asked. "There aren't supposed to be bodies in the back."

"People from a long time ago, they were buried in the back part of the field by the house."

"When?"

"A long time ago, it wasn't bad they just buried people next to where they lived. They didn't have cemeteries like we do now," Sean explained.

"Go figure out what the details are," John ordered his two eldest sons.

Sam and Dean took off embarrassed that had been ill prepared for what appeared to be a simple hunt. John took Sean and they went back to the scene to see if the boy could get any other vibes.

"What time period son?" John asked after the last of the emergency vehicles left.

Sean just shrugged, "I'm not sure I'll have to ask."

"Then ask."

Sean began to head towards what was left of the house that had been draped with yellow tape. The house was merely rubble and there was nothing left to fall down. There were a few buildings around but the area was considered more up and coming and the future of a strip mall and parking lot according to the sign that had been placed on the edge of the property. John was certain that the poltergeist activity was due to this change, but what he hadn't understood was the story of the pseudo cemetery in the back. John hung back to allow Sean to focus but never took his eyes off the boy. This made him very nervous watching his son in a place he could never go. But he had listened to him, he had stopped and that simple act gave John all the hope for the future.

Sean stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity and when he returned his face held evidence of freshly fallen tears. John gave him some space but finally nudged him to share his experience.

"They just want peace, not to be buried under a cell phone store. In fact most have already moved on, in comparison to the remains out there very few are left."

"Why did they stay?" John asked.

"Because like you they were concerned for their loved ones and then they couldn't leave. I promised we'd help them. I didn't lie to them did I Dad?" Sean asked with concern.

"No son not at all. Hopefully your brothers have found out something that will help and somehow we'll get this figured out. I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier when I told you to stop."

"I did what you said," Sean said quickly.

"I know you did and I think maybe now you see the relevance."

"Huh?" Sean asked.

"What were you doing at the baseball field that time?"

"Having fun," Sean stated leaving John unable to contain his smile.

"But what was the purpose of the team being out there?"

"Oh they were practicing."

"And why do they practice?"

"So they do well in the game."

"And they will know what to do when the time comes. Do you understand my analogy?"

The light bulb finally went off in Sean's brain. "Oh so even when were not hunting and its not a big deal you still expect me to follow every order cause it's like practice."

"Right, now you're getting it. If it is second nature for you just to do what I say then you won't hesitate and will do what I need you to in the heat of battle."

"Like I did today."

"Yes just like you did today. I can't have you debating every order or looking for justification. I just need you to follow it."

"Got it…sir," Sean said smiling.

"Good, now let's find your brothers and get this case done and over with."

"Okay we feel a bit stupid," Dean said when they all got back together.

"What's the story then?" John asked impatiently.

"Well," Sam began clearing his throat, "we spoke to a local historian and found out that the home that disintegrated belonged to the Pritchard family. The family settled here in the 1700's and stayed at the top of the food chain until the last one died about ten years ago. The home remained empty and all was calm until plans were made for the strip mall."

"The construction company was preparing to knock the home down when the activity started. At first it was mild stuff, but when a worker was nearly killed it began to make headlines and here we are," Dean said.

"They buried their family in the backyard," Sean stated. "I guess it was kinda common back then."

"It was," John confirmed. "And that's where the center of this is coming from. This is cut and dried and shouldn't have been missed," he said glaring at his eldest sons.

"So what do we do?" Sam asked.

"Easy, we expose the bones and call in a tip to the media," Sean said smugly. "They'll jump on it and there will be no choice but to address the situation."

"Now maybe I ought to have Sean head up your investigations," John commented.

A week later the remains were placed in the local cemetery with appropriate markers and the former burial ground was plowed over and building began the next day. Sean said the area was calm and free of any issues.

"Okay so Sean learned a lesson on this hunt about listening and obeying orders, what did you guys learn?" John asked.

"Better research and don't take anything for granted," Sam said.

John raised his eyebrows at Dean. "Yeah what he said," he mumbled his face slightly reddened and embarrassed.

July

Darkness had finally come this Fourth of July. Sam and Dean were off in the party area of the birthday festival while John and Sean were waiting for the fireworks display to start. John couldn't believe his youngest son was nearly thirteen, but he had aged far more than a year in the last twelve months. He was much more grown up than he had any right to be and that saddened this father tremendously.

"I love fireworks," Sean commented.

"Me too," John said. "You want to know why?"

"Why?" Sean asked his father.

"Because they remind me of you; they are bright and colorful not to mention loud and they are very impressive."

"What color am I?"

"What color do you want to be?"

Sean shrugged, "I like the sparkly ones and the purple ones." He said sounding his age for once.

"Then you are purple and sparkly."

"Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"Am I human?"

John hesitated for a moment and looked at his son's questioning eyes. "You are more human than anyone I've ever known. Your experiences are so vast and amazing. The things that you have seen and done the rest of us will never know or understand." John grew quiet but continued to gaze at his son. There had been a question he had wanted to ask for months but there was never a right time. He drew in a deep breath and finally let it go. "Son can you tell me what you remember from that time back in March when you lost consciousness for two days? What happened to you, who was there with you, how did you come back to us? I mean that experience was all you. Did you have control what did you do? It would tell me so much if you could share your private time with me, it would tell me who you really are." John finished surprising himself with his intensity.

Sean looked at his father, his eyes intense and telling. He licked his lips and took a breath. His memories flooded him as if a dam broke. He saw it all every detail, crisp and clear, better than high definition. He wasn't at all sure what that episode in his life meant or what it made him. The thought of what happened had forever scared him into silence. He feared its revelation would be something he could never recover from. It would shape him forever in the eyes of his family and he could never go back. He had said it once and trusted it would stay with its source but he quietly allowed his true emotion out ever so quietly once again. "I was just dirt on her grave, that's all I ever am is dirt on a grave," he said quietly.

"What son?" John asked unable to hear his son over the shouts of excitement around them.

Sean's face softened and he cleared his throat, "it's nothing, I don't remember any of it."

As Sean finished his explanation a purple firework burst into the dark night leaving a trail of sparkles behind it. John nodded and pulled his son into an embrace. By saying nothing Sean had said everything. His denial spoke volumes but what it exactly said John had no idea.

The End

Thank you all so much for reading and the feedback has been fantastic!

I do have a bonus chapter that has Sean hanging out with Max…if you are interested.