Thank you C1B12 and Blondie 20000 for the feedback! Okay this chapter's not too long, just a little bit of Bobby trying to knock so sense into John and John trying to be a good parent to Dean. I hope people enjoy.
Thanks
Val
Chapter 14
John came through the doorway into to parlor expecting to see the older hunter sitting at the desk researching but he wasn't expecting to see Dean curled up and snoring on the sofa. "Why is he down here?"
Bobby sighed as he put his book down. "He woke up crying again, like he has every night since the shooting."
"Look we can't coddle him," John said. "You should have sent him back up after he calmed down."
Bobby glared at him. "Well I can't do that until I remake his bed now can I."
"Remake his bed…what the Hell does that mean?"
Bobby got up and grabbed the other hunter and dragged him into the hall, he didn't want to take a chance of waking the child up. "He had an accident and he wet the bed."
John blinked at the other man in shock. Dean never had accidents, even when they potty trained him. Sammy did but never Dean. "What?"
Bobby sighed. "John you weren't here. He had a nightmare and I calmed him down, gave him a glass a milk like usually and then sent him to back to bed. An hour later he is standing in front of me crying and saying he's sorry. I finally got him settled on the couch a half an hour ago."
"Jesus," John mumbled as he looked through the doorway towards his sleeping son.
Bobby put his hand on the other hunter's shoulder. "John, he's not going to be able to 'walk this off' or just move past it. I know you think of him as a soldier but he's still a child and he needs you to do what's right for him."
"Rufus's friend?" He said as he turned his attention back towards Bobby.
"Yes Rufus's friend. He's coming her tomorrow to talk to Jo and I'm sure he would talk to Dean too."
"I don't know about this Bobby." He said as he scrubbed his hand over his face.
"You don't know!" Bobby growled as he grabbed the other man's arm and dragged him towards Dean and pointed down towards the child and his eyes widen when he saw Dean was asleep with his thumb stuck in his mouth and that he was actually sucking on the digit.
"He's not coping John," Bobby hissed in a whisper. "He doesn't know how and he just wants you to take care of him. Look at him John, he's fucking regressing before our eyes. Wetting the bed, sucking his god damn thumb. He needs help on how to cope with what happened."
John nodded his head as a wave a guilt washed over him. He was ashamed to admit it but the past few days he felt so close to Dean. The child had even crawled into his bed the last two nights and he selfishly let himself be Dean's Daddy again. The Daddy who could make everything ok with a kiss and a cuddle. He had been doting on the child in his own way and he loved it.
Contrary to what Bobby and others may think he knows Dean's still a child…his child and he loves him more than he knows how to say. He forced his son to grow up at the age of four during his darkest period and by the time he was ready to move pass his grief Dean had already distance himself from John and he had become his little soldier that willing followed his orders. He never thought he would ever get his son back fully.
The past two years he's tried to be more a Dad to him and then when this all started and Dean let him actually pull him onto his lap the morning of the shooting he was just overwhelmed with feelings and he just wanted his little boy back but not like this. Hell, ever he knew this wasn't right…wasn't healthy.
"I'll speak to him when he gets here." John said as he walked around the couch and lifted Dean up into his arms, causing the child to stir and begin to wake up.
"Daddy?" Dean murmured.
"It's okay Buddy, let's get you into bed."
"John, the sheets…"
"It's fine, he can sleep in my bed." He reassured Bobby as he started to walk by.
"Oh John…by the way I told you to meet up with Gemma and talk to her…not to sleep with her."
John gaped at the other man. "What?"
"You heard me and fair warning when Charlie Parker finds out you slept with his little girl and trust me he will figure it out…don't think I'll have your back. She's his daughter and that earns him the right to give you a black eye." He told him as he brushed by the other man.
John watched as the other man left and would have sworn on his boys lives that he heard the old son of a bitch laughing. He shifted Dean so that he had a better hold on him and began heading upstairs to try get some sleep.
SPNSPNSPNSPN
John woke up early the next morning to not only one small body curled up against him but two. Sammy had crawled into bed with them sometime during the night too. He looked over and saw Dean was awake and looking at him.
"Dad, I'm sorry." He whispered.
"What are you apologizing for?"
Dean blushed as he nodded towards his bed. John sighed. "Dean, why don't we go downstairs and talk."
"Yes Sir," Dean murmured as he slipped out of the bed and went and stood by the doorway, dreading what he knew what was going to happen.
SPNSPNSPNSPN
John and Dean went into the living room. John pointed to the couch indicating for Dean to go over there while he closed the door. When he turned he saw Dean standing by the couch fiddling with his sweatpants.
He shook his head when he saw Dean start to lower them. "Son, what are you doing?" He cried out as he quickly crossed the room.
"I'm getting a spanking for having an accident." He said as he ducked his head.
"No Buddy," John said as he sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.
"I'm not getting a spanking?" Dean asked in confusion.
"No Dean, you're not getting a spanking. It was an accident. Son we need to talk."
"Okay," the child said.
John smiled as he reached over and cupped Dean's cheek. "Buddy, do you remember Uncle Bobby's friend Rufus?"
"Un huh."
"Well Rufus has a friend who's coming over today."
Dean looked at his father in confusion. "And you want me to keep Sammy and Jo busy?"
"No Dean." John said. "That's not what I want. Look I know you've been upset since…since the umm…that night and well I think you should talk to Rufus friend."
Dean looked at his father in shock. "Why? We never tell anyone our business."
John swallowed as he looked down at his hands, knowing what he was about to do was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done as a parent. "Dean, I owe you an apology."
"An apology?"
John gave his son a reassuring smile. "Yes an apology. Dean, I'm the parent. I'm supposed to take care of you and your brother but the last eight years I've let you shoulder taking care of yourself, Sammy and on more than one occasion me. Dean I know that's wasn't fair of me to do that to you and I'm sorry about that. I put way too much responsibility on your shoulders son and I'm ashamed that it took what happened the other night for me to realize this."
Dean stared at the man next to him. This wasn't his father. His father was never wrong and he certainly would never apologize to him. Dean did the only thing he could think of and cried out, "Christo."
John looked at his son with a sad expression on his face. "Dean, I'm not possessed."
Those words scared him more than if his father was possessed. Possessed he understood but the way his father was talking to him now he didn't understand and it frightened him. John saw the tears in his son's eyes and wrapped an arm around the child.
"Dean, it's okay. Really. I just…I want to do the right thing here. I need to be a Dad now more than ever. It's what you and your brother deserve. Okay?" He reassured him.
"Okay," he murmured as he reach up and wiped away his tears.
"Good," John said as he leaned over and kissed the top of Dean's head. "Now go upstairs wash up. Then get Sammy up and ready for the day."
"Yes Sir," Dean said as he stood up and started out of the room. He stopped at the doorway and turned around. "Dad, will Rufus friend really be able to help?"
"I hope so Bud," his father said as he gave him a reassuring smile.
He watched as his son chewed on his lower lip before he turned and ran back upstairs. God he hoped he was doing the right thing and that this guy could help his son.
TBC