Disclaimer: I do not own these characters- they belong to Eric Kripke and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Summary: Dean tries to break the news to his father that Sammy isn't interested in carrying on the family business. John handles it like an ex-Marine would, and Dean storms off to the shores to cool down after the heated debate. There, he is entranced by a water succubus. Will his father realize what has happened before it's too late?
Tag to "After School Special." Dean is 17 and Sam is 13.
Dean was in his element, happily cruising along in the Impala and rocking out to a little Led Zepp. His father didn't let him drive very often, but when he did, it was clear from John's proud smirk that he knew how much those rare occasions meant to his eldest son.
As long as he could prove that he'd take good care of her, Dean had a feeling he would be inheriting her for his eighteenth birthday present.
The car was home for him, and with the bass beat loud enough to rattle the windows and his little brother contentedly riding shotgun, Dean settled in and let the recent events from Truman High School fade into background noise.
What did that chick know anyway? Dean was a hero. He wouldn't trade his lifestyle for the world. He sure as hell didn't need Amanda's pity.
The Winchester boys were following behind John's new truck. They were headed out of Fairfax, Indiana, finally, and as far as Dean was concerned, the further they went from that crap town, the better.
The plan was to meet up with Bobby a few states over so they could team up on the next hunt. It was going to be Sam's first real experience hunting. He had attended a few gigs before, but for the most part, all he had done was train and observe.
This was going to be Sam's chance to prove himself a competent hunter like his father and big brother. The only problem was Sam didn't want to hunt.
The elder Winchester glanced over at his little brother who was staring out the passenger side window, apparently lost in thought. Dean turned the volume on the radio down enough to be heard over it.
"Hey, Sammy?" Sam didn't acknowledge him, so Dean tried again. "Sam? Earth to Super Geek… DUDE!"
"Huh?" Sam was startled out of his reverie and shot his brother a confused look.
"Welcome back, Cadet. What, were you visiting the set of Lost in Space or somethin'?"
"No. Just thinkin'."
"'Bout what?"
"Stuff." Sam turned back to his window, attempting to end the conversation before it even began.
Dean quirked an eyebrow at him. "Funny, when I say shit like that, I get your patented bitch face. Care to elaborate?"
"Not really," Sam sighed.
Dean stared at the back of his brother's head for a few seconds before deciding he wasn't going to let it go that easily. Sam was clearly hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was.
Plus, they had a long ride ahead of them and Dean got bored pretty easily. Harassing Sam was one of his favorite perks.
"Come on, Sammy. What is it? You worried about the hunt tomorrow?"
"No. Haven't really thought about it actually."
"Then what? You can't seriously be missin' that shithole of a school after what happened to you there."
"It wasn't all that bad."
Dean shot him the most incredulous look he could muster.
"Dude, what kind of ganja are you smokin'? Name one thing that made that place worth remembering."
"…The teachers were nice."
Dean snorted. "Nice lookin' maybe."
"Hey, Dean?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something in secret?"
"Of course, man. Who the hell would I tell?"
Sam had to concede the point. Still, he hesitated until he felt his brother's stare boring a hole into the side of his head as he stared down at his lap.
"I don't know if I want to be a hunter," he muttered, nervously playing with his fingers.
Dean was silent for a moment, then-
"…This week?"
"At all."
"What else would you be?"
"I dunno. Maybe a lawyer?"
Dean gave him a disbelieving look. "You're serious?"
"Yeah, I am. I think I want to go to college. I don't want to be part of the family business anymore."
Dean shut the radio off completely. "Where's this comin' from, Sammy?"
"My eyes are open now, Dean. There's a lot more to life than vendettas and hunting down everything that goes bump in the night. I can still make a difference without picking up a gun. I just… I want a chance at a normal life."
Dean was shaking his head long before Sam finished.
"Oh, dad is gonna love this..."
"You can't tell him, Dean!" Sam's head shot up frantically, afraid he had made a serious mistake in confiding in his brother. But he should have known better than to accuse the older boy of betraying his trust.
"Do I look suicidal to you? But what's your master plan here, huh? Keep going along with the hunts until you graduate high school and then just disappear on us without a word?"
"No, of course not."
"Alright then. So when exactly is he allowed to know?"
"I dunno, okay? Until I figure out how best to explain it without him shooting me down before I can get the words out."
"So… Basically never?"
Sam thunked his head back against the seat. "Pretty much."
"Sammy, this is Dad we're talkin' about. How long do you think you can keep this from him before he starts getting suspicious and grills it outta you?"
"I get it, Dean. He needs to know, sooner rather than later. But he's going to hate me when I tell him," Sam mumbled dejectedly, going back to staring out his window at the empty landscape.
Dean reached over and gave his brother's knee a comforting pat.
"Hey. Don't worry about that, Sammy. If you're truly set on this, then I'll handle Dad. I'm not gonna wait months though. The sooner we rip off that bandaid, the more time he'll have to come to terms with it before you… You know. Ditch. I'll talk to him tonight, first chance I get."
Sam glanced over at Dean with a spark of hope in his eyes.
"Really? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Hell no. I think it's a truly terrible idea. But there's never gonna be a right time for this conversation, and it has to be handled delicately or it's gonna get fugly fast."
"Yeah, I know." Sam slumped in his seat, deflating as the hope disappeared as quickly as it had come. "All he cares about is his stupid revenge. What we want doesn't matter."
Dean sighed. They'd been over this many times before.
"It's not that he doesn't care, Sammy. He does. But his priority is keepin' us safe. He's not gonna like the idea of you wantin' to strike out on your own, unprotected."
"Well it's gonna happen, whether he likes it or not. I've already started compiling a list of potential schools that I want to apply to."
Dean did his best to keep the hurt off his face.
"I guess it's settled then."
Silence fell over the car for a bit as both boys let their minds wander. One thing was still bugging Dean though, so he broke the silence first.
"Hey, Sammy… How come you never told me you didn't want to hunt?"
Sam shrugged.
"I guess I never considered there were other options till recently. It's always been 'whatever dad says, goes'. But I don't want to be a freak anymore, Dean."
"I've got news for ya, Sammy. You've always been a freak. But you know what? I'm right there with ya. Always have been, and always will be."
Sam smiled sadly, feeling the relief from Dean's reassurance. "Yeah, I know you are. Thanks, Dean."
"Mhm. Chick flick moment over now? Good."
Dean turned the radio back on and boosted the volume again before his brother could respond. He pretended to be focused on the song, tapping out the drum solo on the steering wheel, when he was actually lost in his own thoughts.
How the hell am I gonna break this to dad?
With multiple arguments and scenarios flooding through Dean's head, the drive took a surprisingly short amount of time.
He and Sam waited in the car while their father checked them into the shitty motel of the week and then they both drove around the building and parked in front of their latest temporary abode.
Bobby was scheduled to arrive within the next hour or so and he'd probably rent out the room next door if it was available. Until then, Dean had a lot of processing and planning to do.
"Let's go, boys. Grab the bags and bring 'em in," John instructed as he grabbed his own duffle from the back of his truck and made his way to their door.
His sons automatically obeyed, Dean practically marching into the room and Sam silently sulking as he lagged behind.
Two beds. That meant dad got one and the boys would be sharing again, not that that was anything new. Still, Dean automatically went for the side closest to the door and dropped his bag to the floor.
"Dean, keys," John commanded, hand outstretched.
Dean reluctantly tossed the Impala's keys to his father who pocketed them. It was fun to pretend for a while that the car was his, even if it didn't last.
Someday, baby…
"Alright. Let's go over the plan again till Bobby gets here."
The three Winchesters gathered around the small kitchen table as John outlined the hunt with every possible situation covered.
He was in the process of quizzing Sam on the exit strategy when they heard the unmistakable roar or Bobby's truck as he pulled into the spot next to John's.
"Dean, get the door, bud."
"Yes, sir."
Ever the cautious hunter, Dean waited until Bobby was standing directly in front of the peephole to be sure it was him, and had him give the secret knock before swinging the door open to allow the family friend entry.
"Howdy, boys. Did I miss anythin' important?"
John stood up, ready to help the hunter with his bags if necessary. "Just goin' over the game plan. You made good time, Bobby."
"Sometimes I'm just good like that. What's for eatin' around here? I didn't stop for dinner."
At the mention of food, the Winchesters realized they hadn't eaten in hours either.
"There was a grocery store just down the street. I'm sure we could find somethin' to throw together there," John supplied.
"Sounds fair. You boys look busy. I'll make the run," Bobby offered and turned to head back out.
Dean seized the opportunity. "Hey, Sammy, you could use a break, man. Why don't you help the old guy out? He might hurt his back or somethin' carryin' the milk."
It took Sam a moment to get on board with the plan judging by the confused expression he shot Dean, but then it clicked. His brother wanted some alone time with their father to have "the discussion."
"Watch it, boy," Bobby growled, bemusedly. He glanced between the two brothers, picking up on their silent conversation. "Now that you say it, my back has been givin' me some grief after that long drive. Is it alright if I steal the little one for some extra muscle, John?"
Dean didn't know how the man did it, but Bobby always seemed to catch on to their plans even though they never said a word to him about it.
He obviously wouldn't need Sam's help for a handful of groceries, but he knew there was something more to it than an extra set of hands. Good ole Bobby…
"Yeah, I suppose it's time we took a break. Dean and I will get the weapons ready for tomorrow night. Don't get anythin' that needs to be baked though. I don't trust this oven."
"No worries, dad. We don't trust you near the oven," Dean smirked.
"Wise ass…"
"And where do you suppose he got that from, John?" Bobby added and Dean smiled proudly.
"Must have been his mother."
"Nah, he got his looks from his momma, and thank heaven for that, boy."
"Wait, I'm confused. Are you sayin' I look like a chick, Bobby?"
"You are a bit of a pretty boy, Dean," Sam chimed in with an evil grin.
"Oh you are so dead, little brother…" Dean warned, taking a few steps towards him.
Sam slid quickly behind Bobby, using the man as a shield.
"Don't go draggin' me into your little spat. Head out to the truck, Sam. Let's hit the road before it gets dark."
John shook his head in amusement at the boys' antics. As much as he pretended to be a hard-ass who didn't have time for such trivial things like jokes, he really did miss their playful jousting these days.
Sam quickly slid out the door and made his way to Bobby's vehicle. Bobby turned to the remaining Winchesters.
"You two chuckle-heads better behave yourselves, ya hear? We'll be back soon."
He turned and walked out to catch up with Sam.
John and Dean turned to each other as the door closed, leaving them behind.
Dean let out a soft sigh. Here goes nothin'…
TBC
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