John felt like he was wearing someone else's clothes and skin, shifting in his seat and making his suit wrinkle slightly. To try to keep himself calm he smoothed out the wrinkles, staring at the ring on his finger.
His father had gone to the council yesterday morning and that evening, he had been summoned to join them. He still hadn't seen his father, although he was told that he was still inside with the others, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
He tried to tell himself that it was a good thing, it had to be a good thing.
After what seemed like an eternity the door opened, his attention immediately snapped to it, and a man appeared. He dimly recognized him, he was another Letter, just a few levels above his own, stared at him for a long moment before speaking.
"They're waiting for you." was all he said as he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside to give John the room to enter.
John allowed himself one more moment to look himself over to make sure that he was presentable and to steady himself with a deep breath, before he continued forward, entering the room.
There was a single chair in the middle of the room and to the back was a row that sat the council, all men, all wearing the same disapproving looks on their face as John entered and took his seat in front of them. He had no idea of any of their names, it was done like that on purpose to ensure that no one really knew who they were or which family they were aligned with. They all had different numbers pinned to the fronts of their jackets, that's how they differentiate between them.
He sat straight up in his seat, letting his eyes go from one to the other council member, but didn't say anything just yet, waiting for them to make the first move.
His father wasn't in the room.
"John Eric Winchester." One of the men finally spoke, the one wearing a number Fifteen, breaking the silence. He had a folder in his hand and was looking through it. "Only son of the Winchester bloodline. Top of his class among all his lessons, including weaponry. Considering for legacy status pending his formal initiation into the ranks."
The folder was closed and tossed to the side. "And willing to throw it all away for a hunter's daughter."
"That's not what this is about-" John started to say, only to be interrupted.
"Yes, yes, we've heard." the member that had Twenty-three on his jacket injected. "Your father attempted to explain everything, quite a Romeo and Juliet situation."
"He tried to paint it with love and affection and every other word that he could use that held the same meaning." number Twenty-nine said. "He tried to prattle on and on about it, ultimately not realizing that his words meant nothing."
"What Mary and I have-"
"Regardless of whatever feelings you think you may have to this hunter's daughter, it's irrelevant and unimportant." number Forty-eight said. "You have your duties to think about, which should have remained your top priority and nothing else."
"Her only saving grace is her own bloodline." number Twenty-four said. "And even then, it's not a pure bloodline. Regardless of what they say, a hunter's blood is...'' he searched for the right word. "Unclean."
"You are going too far." John said, not letting any of them interrupt him again, speaking over their voices instead. "What Mary and I have is none of your business and none of your concern. What right do you have to tell me what I can and can't do?"
"And what right, boy, do you think you have to try to destroy generations and generations of traditions?" number Fifteen demanded. "What makes you believe that you are deserving to break our rules, set forth by our ancestors?"
"Those rules were set by people that didn't believe we'd even survive two generations." John reminded them. "It is a different time and everything is changing, we would be foolish not to change with it."
"Twenty-four." number Thirty-five said, stopping the both of them from speaking. "You spoke of this girl's bloodline, what of it?"
Twenty-four snorted at that. "She's a Campbell." he said, upper lip curling in disgust at the name. "A direct bloodline herself, Samuel Campbell's only child."
"She's a legacy in her own right." Thirty-five said, rubbing at his chin. "Not to mention, despite our attempts we cannot and have not monopolized all the information out there. I have no doubt that her circles and her family have their own array of books and methods with the supernatural that we do not."
Twenty-four stared at him incredulously. "So what are you suggesting? That we continue to allow this so long as we get that information?"
"It's not as if we are the first to decide to create an alliance in such a way." Thirty-five said. "An arranged marriage of sorts."
"You're suggesting that they marry? And what of children? Do you wish for that as well?" Fifteen demanded, not noticing how John tensed up at that. "To bring their damaged genes and blood into our ranks?"
"You're going off things you don't know, just because the Hunters are...of the unsavory type, doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with their blood. It is as red as ours." Thirty-five said. "The point of the matter is this, John Winchester is right, times are changing and we are suffering because of it. Either we change with it, or we perish."
"There are always other options than to have to go completely off the rails and allow just anyone to join." Forty-eight said. "Our brothers in England-"
"Our brothers and sisters in England have gone a completely different path, complete with entrapment and murder." Thirty-five injected. "We are above them. Europe...is not to be discussed here, nor the other branches of the world. What works for them is meaningless to us."
"I don't agree with it." Thirty-five added. "I also don't enjoy seeing the possibility of our ranks joining the hunters in such a way. But if we don't do something, we will suffer the consequences. If not John's generation then the next, I don't think I have to say that his generation is the most rowdy one we've had so far. How many of our former students didn't even make to their initiatives due to leaving? Some even joined the armies to fight in the governments wars. A handful have...killed themselves to get away from their responsibilities. We're losing more and more, we cannot survive doing what we've been doing."
Twenty-three heaved a giant sigh. "The biggest concern is children." he said, his voice tense. "There's no guarantee of children even if we allow this. For all we know the hunters are too damaged to do such a thing."
"The concern is not needed." John spoke, hoping that his voice wasn't shaking as much as he felt himself shaking inwardly.
Thirty-five sighed as well. "John, it is necessary for you to continue your line. It's one of the oldest, you cannot let it die out."
"When I say that it's not a concern, I mean that that's already taken care of." John told them. "Mary and I have had a son, and she's pregnant with another child right this moment."
I do not own Supernatural.
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I had a lot of fun with this chapter.
