Chapter 37

It didn't take that long for John to recover from the sound blow I gave him. I kept smiling to myself. I hadn't used much strength in pounding him over his head, but it was enough to make John keep a safe distance from me. Dean however was a different story. He kept fairly close to me, but I suspected that was in large part due to the loss of Sam.

Bobby remained cautious. He however had called John to come to the junkyard.

"Well, when John recovers," Bobby said.

"John is recovered," John growled.
"Hey," Bobby warned, "I'm not the one who hasn't got the good sense to realize how far not to push her."

"Can we discuss my faults another time?" John grumbled.

"Where's Sam?" Bobby demanded.

"It took you this long to notice?" I was surprised.

"No," Bobby answered, "I just figured he might be behind. However, he should have been here already."

"Sam's not coming," John told him.

"Oh?" Bobby frowned.

"Sammy got a full ride to Stanford," Dean replied.

Bobby scratched his chin for a moment. His eyes twinkled at the thought.

"So, Sammy's a college boy," Bobby seemed pleased. "Good for him."

"Good?" John's voice rose slightly.

"Yes John," Bobby challenged.

"He's not safe," John muttered.

"So, it's better that he face what we face?" Bobby uttered in disbelief. He turned to Dean and studied him for a moment. "How bad was the fight?"

"Bad," Dean returned.

"Bad," Bobby looked sad.

"Oh," I spoke at that point, "it was a 'parting of the ways' sort of melodrama."

Bobby chuckled, "Well, John here does tend toward melodrama."

"It's amazing how much they simply butt heads," I observed.

"It's because they're too damn alike," Bobby reasoned.

I then remembered why it was that I liked Bobby so much. He was no fool.

"Are the two of you done dissecting my faults with my son?" John gritted.

"Sons," I corrected.

John glared at me for a moment. Dean turned and looked puzzled. I smiled.

Bobby cleared his throat. "Well, as nice as this all is, I think I'd better explain before Kelsey here decides to hit John with something heavier than a book."

"I'm okay now," I grinned.

Bobby chuckled.

I picked up the same book I held earlier and I observed John wince slightly, which brought another smile to my lips and I simply couldn't resist. "Bobby, you know, this book is awfully strong."

"Why do you say that?" Bobby continued chuckling.

"Well," I attempted to make an innocent face, "I used this to hit John and the binding didn't break."

Dean erupted in laughter and John moved uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well," said Bobby, "I always knew John was hard headed."

"Very funny," John said wryly.

Bobby waited until Dean and I stopped laughing.

"Okay," Bobby said, "Let's get down to business."

"Yes," John stood and then grabbed the chair.

"Kelsey girl," Bobby whistled, "I think you hit him a lot harder than I thought."

"I saw stars, Bobby," John grunted.

"Well," Bobby frowned, "Kelsey, you didn't crack his skull, did you?"

"No," I shook my head, "at least, I don't think so."

"Kelsey!" all three of them admonished.

"Okay, okay," I stood and walked over to John, "let me check."

I grabbed his chin and pulled him forward. I opened his eyes and checked along his head with my fingers.

"Well," I said brightly, "I didn't crack his skull."

"Good," Dean breathed.

"I think I gave him a concussion," I nodded.

"Kelsey!" Bobby cried.

"Well, it's his own damn fault," I defended my actions.

"How long?" Bobby questioned.

"I'll go hunt the thing down," I offered.

"Take Dean with you," John whimpered.

I lowered him back into the chair and looked over at Bobby. Bobby shrugged and threw a map at me.

"What are we hunting?" Dean asked.

"A skin walker," Bobby spat.

I crooked an eyebrow and rounded on Bobby, "Are y'all out of your mind?"

Dean chuckled, "Who've you been hanging around?"

I waved him off for a moment as I glared at Bobby.

"It's okay Kelsey," Bobby placated.

"You can't make me calm down about this," I gritted.

"It's not so bad going up against a skin walker," Dean shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. These humans were after one of those things and then I stopped for a moment, what else had John been taking these boys to hunt? I turned to him.

"Kelsey," John began, "you've already hurt me. You can't want to hurt me any more."

"Your boys are grown, John," I told him.

"I suppose you would have raised them in one place," John grumbled.

I didn't respond but the words cut through me. John stared up at me and tried to grab my hand but I moved away.

"Kelsey," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, you will be John," I threatened, "You will be."

I walked out of the door and waited for Dean by the car.

It took him a few minutes to emerge from the house. Bobby walked out of the house with him. He and Dean were deep in conversation and I opted not to listen. However, Bobby kept glancing nervously at me and Dean kept shaking his head. Whatever Bobby said to Dean, Dean kept disagreeing. Dean finally came down the steps and I sat in the passenger seat. Dean stood in front of the car for a moment, then, got into the driver's side. He started the car and drove out of the junkyard.

We headed due east from Bobby's. Dean held the car straight on the road and he was silent for the first few miles. I didn't mind for it gave me a moment to think about what it was that I needed to do. I knew that I was going to have to juggle Sam at Stanford, John and Dean on the road with my responsibilities in Hell. Well, it was a good thing that I wasn't human, or I'd have no idea how I would manage.

"Is he going to be all right?" Dean asked after an hour into our journey.

"Who?" I asked, "Your dad? Yes, fine."

"No," Dean's mouth became a fine line. "Sam."

"Sammy will be fine," I assured him, "It happens all the time Dean. Other people manage to navigate this thing called life."

"Yes," Dean agreed, "but other people don't know what we know."

I pondered on that for a moment. "You know that other people have normal lives in spite of what they know."

"Tell that to my dad," Dean muttered.

"I have," I said pointedly.

"How did that work out for you?" Dean sounded intrigued.

"I hit him with a book," I explained.

"Ah!" Dean grinned. "Well, at least it wasn't the shovel."

"I don't think your father would survive an attack from me with a shovel," I observed.

Dean was silent for a while. I left him to his thoughts.

"Kelsey," Dean spoke.

"What?" I answered absently.

"You haven't asked me anything," Dean sounded puzzled.

"About?" I was curious.

"About why I didn't leave him," Dean explained.

"I don't need to ask you Dean," I replied.

"Why?" he seemed upset.

"Because," I sighed, "You're not about to leave your father in the lurch. Just like how no matter how much your brother aggravates you, you'd never let any harm come to him."

"You do know me," he sounded amazed.

I chuckled, "Yes, Dean, I do."

He turned up the radio and started absently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

I didn't ask where we were going, because in the end it didn't matter. We were going to face a skin walker. A creature that was notorious for its viciousness and its deviousness. There was also the infectious angle to these creatures. They were descended from the Forbidden infecting humans. Although there was a great deal of human lore as to how they came about, humans had no real idea of the origin of these things. The danger was great and I knew that John expected to have his son back in one piece.

We entered a wooded area that wasn't far from a small town. I frowned at the location. It was too near a habited area for one of them to be present. Something must have driven it close to humans.

"Dean?" I stopped him before he got out of the parked car.

"It's okay," he said.

"No," I frowned.

"It's not going to attack us until we set up in the woods Kelsey," Dean explained.

"Shh!" I quieted him.

"What?" he lowered his voice.

"Listen," I said.

He paused for a moment and listened hard, "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," I said.

He stared at me for a moment and then looked over at the town across the river. He checked his watch and his eyes darkened.

"Damn!" he exclaimed.