Stepping into the line of fire

Chapter 48

On top of a small hill surrounded by tall beech trees the hunters took cover. Bobby had drawn the circle and the palentiri crystal amber stones were in place. Hopefully they would weave their magic again. They needed to know what they were up against. Unlike before, when they had had the upper hand, this time, whoever lurked in the dark, had an edge. They were not sure if it was Ungoliant. It could be anything. Something of Nordic descent though. It had to be as they had smelled dill and that was a classic sign.

John had told his troop that he would brief them at 13 hundred hours. At 12:58 they were all sitting around him waiting for instructions. The hunter looked at them all in turn and began to relay his plan of attack.

"We wait." John said. "All we can do is wait. We wait for it to come to us. It will. We need to be patient. We have dry supplies and sleeping bags. There will always be someone on watch while others sleep. Today I'll take some shut eye in the afternoon and take the first watch at night until four in the morning. Bobby you take over from me after that. The next night will be Dean on watch at midnight to five and then me again." Sam got offended at this point and said with real purpose to his father.

"Dad, I can keep a lookout. Ya' know I can!"

John sighed… "Sam, ya're too young to have that responsibility on your shoulders. No."

"Can I stay up with Dean then?" he added urgently.

"No. You need your sleep. We've got to be sure that those incantations work right. If ya're tired, it could go south boy!"

"Dad. I'm not a little' kid. I can stay up and function…"

John interrupted him and gone were the dimples and there stood the drill sergeant.

"Son. You do not question a direct order. The answer is no." John commanded with authority.

Sam was not finished though. Dean could see a shit shower coming and intervened. He looked directly at his younger brother with an affectionate expression in his eyes but his words were crystal clear.

"Sammy! dad's right. We need ya' for the incantations. We need ya' fresh and well rested. You're really important little' bruv. But… Dad's right."

John nodded affirmatively at his eldest.

Sam huffed and replied. "You always agree with him'!... never with me!"

John took great offense at his youngest son's tone and barked into Sam's face.

"You. Will. Do. As. You. Are. Told… or we're going to have words!" Sammy glared at his father. He was very pissed off that they would trust him for one thing but not another. It offended him greatly that he was seen as not old enough…maybe not good enough! He raged on…

"You always threaten me! Ya' never listen!" he shouted at his dad. "You only use me for what you want to use me for. Ya' never see what I really do. Go on then! have words with me! We all know what that means sir… don't we?" …

Sam had lost the plot as far as Dean was concerned.

He began to be extremely concerned about the fallout. This was not the time to rile the bear. He wished his little brother would engage some of his many brain cells for once and stand the fuck down before his dad laid into him. John took a long hard breath and pointed his finger in the direction of his younger son.

"Sam, you need to follow orders. Our lives are in danger. You cannot dictate what you wish to happen. I command this outfit." John then made a small gesture between his thumb and index finger showing about an inch of space between the two. You've only got a very short time left to stand down. John added for good measure. "You were in trouble just a while ago…well boy…this will be nothing compared to what will happen to ya', if you don't stand down NOW!"

Dean decided to intervene again at this point. He knew that Sam had not really recovered from having his mouth washed out with soap at fifteen years of age and in some way he did not blame him. He needed to sort this out.

"Dad, let me handle' this… please sir."

John who had many other things to get on with, really wanted to delegate this shitty task but something was telling him that this was something he had to handle. He knew however that his relationship with Sam was explosively fragile. Sam did not respond to corporal punishment. He had always hated it and found it barbaric and humiliating. It never reset anything. All it did was make things a lot worse. It made him hate his father. John needed morale to be good. He did not need dissention and bitterness. He nodded in Dean's direction.

"OK, son. You deal with it. I want an apology and a much better attitude from your younger brother. You have my permission to get my message across."

Sam knew that his dad had just given his brother permission to spank him. In many ways this was worse but he shut up. Dean took Sam away from his father to a quiet place by a tall beech tree. He spoke first.

"Sam, I'm disappointed in ya'! You know we're on another hunt. Why are you creating static all of a sudden?" Sam looked down slightly ashamed.

"It's just… he barks orders at us dude and expects us to jump at his every command. Well I won't anymore. He can beat me if he wants …I don't give a fuck!"

Dean stood back at the tone and the language.

"Don't cuss' Sammy. Dad'll never beat you but he'll ream into ya' dude and it'll hurt man. You don't want to go there!"

Sammy looked up into his brother's green eyes and sat down on the ground with a huff. Dean joined him.

"Are ya' going to spank me Dean?"

"Should I?"

"Yeah…probably… but I hope ya' don't"…Dean had heard this somewhere before but he could not place the moment. It was too long ago.

Sam continued… "thanks for stepping in bruv'. I appreciate it. It's just that dad just gets to me. He infuriates me and I see red!". Dean smiled at his younger brother.

"I know Sammy. I know…so…are ya' going to apologise to him?"

"Will ya' spank me if I don't?"

Dean did not reply but looked serious. It worried Sam a little.

"You need to apologise and show a better attitude Sam." Dean said authoritatively. Sam looked down as if in deep thought. He smiled at his brother…

"I'd rather take the smacks Dean!"

Dean smiled back. No, you don't. I've got a hard hand!

Sam gave him a shy look back. "I know!" he whispered. "OK! I'll say sorry to the stupid ol' goat…but not because I'm sorry… because ya' told me too!"

Dean gave his brother a beaming smile. "That's good enough for me Sammy. Be good bruv' that's all I ask."

The brothers made their way back fraternally to the hiding place.

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