Stepping into the line of fire
Chapter 28
AUTHORS NOTES: Thank you so much for reading my story. I have just found out that I have 988 views. Whether you are hitting this for a short while or actually reading through this rather weird tale, it is making me feel good. I need a bit of cheer in my life at present. So, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
John cut a very lonely figure that evening, drinking his jack and munching on some jerky that he had stashed in his jacket pocket. What was he going to do with his boys? What the hell' was Bobby doing giving Sam whiskey? He was also worrying about Angela. He did not dislike the girl and he felt responsible for her. Her folks must be worrying by now. Tomorrow was another day though. He got up from his log and made his way to his tent for some shut' eye.
The morning came quickly enough and this time it was the chirping of the birds that got the hunters up. They were all grateful for that, including John who felt a little hungover. Bobby however seemed the soul of the party. He was an experienced drinker and had forgotten what a hungover felt like many years ago. He was not proud of the fact but he reckoned that in the hunting world drink helped a little. It made the monsters a bit less scary and his personal life a little less empty. Dean and Angela had gone to get washed and Sam was still sound asleep in his tent.
John knew that he was going to have to have words with his youngest this morning but his heart was not in it. Bobby had to take on a lot of the blame for that one and he felt guilty about swatting his inebriated son the night before. His temper always got the better of him. He decided to go and wake Sam up. John unzipped the tent and found a dishevelled Sammy spread out like an octopus underneath his sleeping bag. He looked so young and so fragile. John sighed and gently shook him.
"Son...Wake up! Sammy! it's time to get up boy!" John ruffled his boy's shaggy brown hair. That young man definitely needed a haircut.
Sammy stirred and gradually opened his eyes.
"How do you feel boy?" John said gruffly but with some tenderness behind his words.
"Sam looked at his father and it all came back to him." He did not feel sick, just anxious.
"I'm OK dad. Sorry about last night. I shouldn't have drunk the whiskey. I know I'm not allowed to drink." Sam looked away and waited for his dad to ream into him.
"It wasn't your fault Sammy. It was Bobby's fault and he's too old for a spanking!" this made Sam chuckle. He glanced quickly at his dad and smiled. John continued with a glint in his eye. "He deserves one though…a hard one! Sammy, I'm sorry I swatted ya', you didn't know what you were doing and I shouldn't have done it."
Sam could not believe what his father had just said but he was incredibly relieved. "It's OK dad I was insubordinate…I understand." This made John smile.
"Good. Let's get out of this friggin' tent and get some chow." John responded, giving his first born a big dimpled smile. It was not often that his father showed his dimples but when he did, his boys adored him. Sam was totally charmed and blushed with pleasure at the reprieve and the beauty of the moment.
Father and son made their way out and gave each other a big hug. Sam was in heaven. It was like some kind of miracle. He wondered if his ol' man was losing the plot or getting softer in his old age. Bobby stood there looking at the scene feeling like shit. He decided that he should make amends too. He made his way to the pair.
"I'd like to apologise to the both of ya'. I've been an idjit'. It won't happen again. You have my word on that." Sam and John smiled at him and nodded. He was forgiven and John felt a lot better about the whole sorry affair.
"That's OK Bobby. Just keep your jack to yerself' from now on" John declared with a hint of steel in his voice.
"Sure will' John."
As this scene was unfolding, Dean and Angela had made their way back and were starting to gather up what they needed for breakfast. They were absolutely starving after last night's punishment and Dean thought twenty rashers of bacon, fifteen eggs, eight sausages and some beans should cut it for this morning. The fire was fed with brambles and soon it was glowing like a proud mother. Dean got to work. The smell was out of this world and it was cheering everybody up. Angela gave all the hunters their portion and they tucked in with huge gusto. Angela couldn't help laughing at her sweetie. He was shovelling the chow down as if he had been starved for a week. John looked on with some amusement and called him out on it.
"Dean. Slow down son. You're going to make yourself sick!"
Dean smiled at his dad through the huge mouthful he was chewing on and answered with his mouth open displaying chewed up egg and bacon… "It's your fault dad. You know that don't ya'? I think I prefer a lickin' to this starving shit!"
John grinned but reminded him not too gently that he had brought it upon himself and that they were still grounded and that a lickin' was not out of the question if he disobeyed a direct order again. Dean nodded affirmatively, said sorry and carried on with his breakfast like a man on a mission. It all seemed more peaceful and the apologies had cleared the air. A while later all had been washed and cleared and the fire stamped out. It was time for the delegation of tasks.
Today was the day that they would set up the circle of palantiri stones and lie in wait for Ugoliant.
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