Sam watched from the window as his larger than life father exited the Impala. He stretched his arms and neck from side to side then took long strides to the front door and entered without any hesitation, something that would have angered Bobby.
John called out, "Boys, I'm back," but Dean didn't come running, instead Sam cautiously poked his head around the corner.
"Hi Dad." Sam stepped into the kitchen, leaving distance between them. The young alpha squared his shoulders to appear more imposing, like a cat puffing its fur. He wanted to hug his dad but hung back, not sure what sort of mood the alpha was in.
"Where's Dean? I'd figure he'd come running by now."
Sam shrugged, "Dunno, on a hunt, I guess. They didn't tell me."
John's expression clouded over. This put a kink in his plans, "Any idea when they'll be back?"
"No, Bobby got a call and they just left."
"Well fuck, this was a wasted trip."
His dad's words were like a knife to the heart. Sam knew he was the wasted trip.
"No matter, I get to see my boy, Sam. It's been too damn long, kiddo. I miss having you on the road with me." He opened his arms, "No hug for your old man, are you too grown up for that now you're a teenager?"
The young alpha wasn't sure how to approach. He had a front row seat to the way Dean was treated when he presented as an omega. Bobby was a nice guy alpha, rough and gruff but loving in his own way and fair but John was a whole other kind of alpha. Still, Sam wanted that hug because what child wouldn't want a warm embrace from their dad.
He wrapped his long, skinny arms around the bear of a man and closed his eyes. His dad smelled of pine and clean sweat. Sam heard his dad sniffing him, first the hair then the neck but that was normal since he hadn't seen Sam for a while. It was a very alpha thing to do.
John stepped back, cocked his head and gave his son a strange look. The elder alpha grabbed Sam's wrist and lifted his arm in the air then stuck his nose right in his son's armpit. He got a full whiff of comingled oils and sweat also produced in the pubic area but John wasn't going to sniff around his son's crotch. It was pungent, completely normal and contained the particular chemical signals announcing Sam's alpha status and sexual maturity.
"Well I'll be damned."
…
Jamie was in a sorry state. Bobby and Dean found out the omega had surgery on his arm which now had a plate and screws. There were stitches on his forehead and part his face was bruised and swollen. Bobby went right to him and smoothed the omega's curls off his battered face with a callused hand.
"What happened to you, James?"
The omega looked from Bobby to Dean who was standing at the foot of his bed. The teen was white knuckling the footboard and had such a concerned and sad look on his sweet, freckled face that Jamie didn't have the heart to tell the truth, at least not right at this moment.
"Hunting accident." He looked to Bobby, "I've got to get out of here. I don't even know where my gear and my girl is."
"That's why Dean is here. He's gonna help me and drive your vehicle back with you in it so don't worry. Gear can be replaced but you can't, sweetheart."
Dean excused himself so he could go hunt some doughnuts or anything to fill his belly and coffee, he was low on steam.
…..
Sam made them eggs and toast to please his brooding father. Quiet dad was worse than yelling dad, it meant he was thinking hard on something. Growing up, the brothers never knew what he'd come out with after a long silence. Sam filled John in on school and his excellent grades, wood shop and forensics, his teachers, the family garden, his bike expeditions and anything else to make sure his dad knew what a good life he had here with Bobby. Finally, he ran out of things to fill the silence and dove into those scrambled eggs even though he'd rather have a huge bowl of Lucky Charms. Sam wished his dad would pass judgement right now and tell him if being an alpha was pleasing or disappointing.
John watched his son over his cup of bad coffee as the boy shoveled scrambled eggs in his mouth. John recalled going through a long hunger phase when he presented and how he ate as if there were no tomorrow.
"This explains a lot about you, Sam, the way you buck me at every turn. The only person you'd ever listen to was your brother. Did you think I'd never find out?"
Sam set his fork down, "You never call me so how would you know? You didn't even call on my birthday, but you don't care about birthdays." Sam felt braver voicing what he felt inside because he was in Bobby's home.
"Do you think birthdays are on my mind when I'm out busting my ass keeping people safe? It's not all about you, Sam. Where have you been? Just sitting around here doing nothing…abandoning the family business."
"I do lots of stuff around here and I do go hunting sometimes with Bobby but he doesn't force me to do it. I didn't abandon anyone, you and Dean abandoned me!"
John smirked, "There is that baby alpha sass coming out. I'll let it slide because you haven't been instructed on how to act."
Sam got up and growled, "I'm not a baby, I'm a teenager." He wished his dad would have yelled at him, slapped him across the face like he did to Dean to prove he could take it, but John always treated the brothers differently. "Why don't you just tell me what you think about me being an alpha!"
"I'm glad you're not an omega."
Sam stormed out of the house before his dad could say something else awful.
….
Dean took the corner chair in the almost empty waiting room and soothed his nerves with weak coffee and stale cake doughnuts. All the omega wanted to do was get back to Sam and make sure he was safe. He felt compelled to call his brother immediately.
When the answering machine cut in, Dean left a message.
"Hey Sam, we'll be heading back sometime tomorrow. We're bring Jamie back with us since he had an accident but don't worry, he's gonna be ok. I guess you're outside or something." Dean blurted out, "love yah, see you soon."
It wasn't Sam who heard the message, it was John.
The father decided to do some soul searching over some whisky.
….
Sam went to the clearing. It was their spot where the brothers did their stargazing and had their deepest or silliest conversations but mostly, they didn't talk at all. Just being there together on that old flannel blanket in the darkness was enough. In the best and worst of times Sam always had his brother in his corner. Not now though, he was left alone to deal with whatever his dad came up with.
…..
When Dean entered the hospital room, the doctor lost his gift of speech for a few seconds. He was not used to such gorgeous creatures roaming the halls of the hospital. The omega looked like a street urchin to him, but there was nothing a little money couldn't fix.
"Hey doc, when is my buddy getting sprung?"
"Ms. Brooke will be ready to leave tomorrow."
Jamie scrunched his face as if he just stepped in dog shit when the doctor called him Ms. Brooke, "I'm not a female." The alpha ignored him, too distracted by the much younger and prettier omega in the room.
On the way out, the doctor handed Dean a business card, "In case you have any questions or want to contact me for absolutely any reason. Tell me, do you have a man, someone who can properly care for someone so lovely and delicate?"
Dean smiled sweetly at the alpha just a hairs breadth getting punched, "back off or get a fist to the nuts."
Jamie intervened from his hospital bed, "Don't mind him, you know how impertinent teenagers are. I'll have my alpha give him a good talking to. He's under Robert's supervision."
The angry man eyed Dean one last time and left the room without incident.
"What the fuck, Jamie!"
"Dean, things run differently in these parts when it comes to omegas. That's why I want out as soon as possible. They can hold me as collateral until payment arrangements are made with Bobby."
"Wow, ok. Well good news, Bobby found your car at an impound yard and he got her out. We'll leave tonight as soon as things quiet down."
….
When Sam entered the kitchen, he found his dad on the phone in the middle of a conversation with someone.
"You can yell at me later… hey, I saved your fucking life and you owe me big time…alright thanks, bye." He turned around and there was Sam quietly watching him. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Sam itched at the mosquito fresh mosquito bites on his arms as he stared at John in such a way that the man felt uncomfortable, "Who was on the phone?"
"No one important. Supper is on the table."
This was a first having his dad cook a meal for him unless you counted wild game, ramen or eggs. There was even some quick cornbread on the side to accompany the casserole of leftovers John found in the fridge and mixed with rice. Sam wondered if this was some sort or trick so he'd let his guard down or maybe a peace offering.
John had a buzz going which always made him speak plainly, "Do you know what it's like to have both of your kids run away?"
The brave young alpha shrugged his slim shoulders, "When I have kids they won't run away because I'm gonna be nice to them."
"Goddamn, you're a cold little fucker aren't you Sam."
"I'm mad because you don't listen to me or care about the things that make me happy. I'm also mad that Dean quit school because of you and I'm mad for a whole bunch of reasons."
"Dean didn't quit because of me, he quit because of you so let's get that straight."
Sam gave a dismissive snort. "No way, Dean would never leave because of me."
"Ask him the next time you see him, he'll tell you."
"Well, I don't believe you."
"Suit yourself. You're a big man now aren't yah."
"No but I will be."
John opened another bottle and drank deeply then finished his plate. Before heading upstairs, he said, "be packed and ready to leave by noon." When Sam agreed so easily John was relieved.
…
Bobby insisted on getting Jamie out via wheelchair both to be chivalrous and because the omega was slow as molasses. When Jamie spotted his cherry color beauty waiting for him the hunter cried in relief. He felt like everything was right in the world again. Dean understood that completely.
Dean tried his "driver picks the music" line on Jamie but it didn't fly. Instead, they listened to a mixed tape labeled "Yacht Rock". It wasn't what Dean thought it would be at all but the songs were catchy though more Sam's speed.
They flew down the dark highway with "Africa" by Toto blasting through the open windows. It was fun and Dean was loving this free and easy feeling.
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had…
He shouted out the window, "I'm comin' home, Sammy!"
…..
Sam silently did a final check of his backpack contents.
"Granola bars, peanuts, apples, full canteen, knife, socks, ten dollars, underwear, bug spray, revolver, compass, emergency blanket, rain poncho, flashlight, headlamp…um, what am I forgetting?"
Finally satisfied he had what he needed to last a while, Sam dropped his backpack out his bedroom window into the bushes then snuck past his dad sleeping one off on the couch. He changed the batteries in his bike light and then left for parts unknown. Sam figured he'd sense it when a good place to hide came along.
…
John woke up to no Sam and a note left on the kitchen table.
Dad,
I'm not going with you. Don't try to find me.
Sam
John searched for his son for hours, right up until that big black 1986 GMC Sierra Grande pulled into the driveway.
…
They drove straight through, running on coffee and sugar. Dean had a feeling, the same feeling he had when Sam didn't answer the phone. When he pulled into the driveway and saw the Impala there, he slammed on the breaks, forgetting all about the omega beside him. Dean bolted for the house with "Dad and Sam" on loop in his head.
He called for them both as he took the stairs two at a time but found the house empty. Bobby held out the note Sam had left on the table. Dean's eyes filled with tears and he pulled at his hair as he turned in a circle like a madman. He searched the outbuildings, the salvage yard and their private place in the clearing. He moved every in his way searching for his brother.
Sam ran away, John was missing and Baby was there.
TBC