Chapter Four
"Who are these for?" He asked somehow knowing the answer. His dread became full blown panic when Adam responded.
"My brothers."
John stilled just as did Kate, who had caught the answer as she entered the room.
"Brothers?" She gasped and Adam continued on as if he hadn't heard them.
"The Celtic knot is for Dean because I couldn't think of what else to make him. The lunar wolf is for Sam." His eyes softened at the latter name and John swallowed thickly.
"You know?"
Kate glanced at him. "You mean he really has brothers and you haven't let them meet?!"
"It's too dangerous. I was trying to protect you."
Adam snorted. "I've met them. They weren't happy to know you didn't tell them about me and I think Dean wants to run you over with Baby."
John sighed. If he'd had any doubt about the boys meeting, he didn't now. Only someone who had met Dean and spoken to him would call the Impala Baby.
"When?"
"I met Sam at Stanford during a class trip. Dean was there visiting."
The hunter frowned, making note to talk to his eldest about disobeying orders. Still he had a feeling that his youngest was leaving things out.
Kate pursed her lips, upset that her son had two siblings she'd never met. She would be fixing that, and hopefully they would be able to explain her son's strange behavior the morning before. When her baby had entered the kitchen to find her cooking, he had tacked her into a hug, sobbing as if he'd never see her again. It had left her terrified, even more so when she had walked downstairs later that night to find him carving odd symbols into every wall and window in the house.
"I want to meet them, John." She demanded. "Call them and see if they will come for dinner."
The man went to protest but the stern glare on the nurse's face stopped him and he begrudgingly pulled out his phone, dialing Dean's number.
It rang once, then twice, before his eldest son's voice sounded on the other end.
"Dad." The greeting was cold but not as angry as Adam had made it seem and it gave him hope that maybe the younger man wouldn't punch him when they saw each other again.
"Dean, look. I know you're upset about me not telling you and Sammy about your brother but-"
"What?"
John frowned. Dean sounded shocked.
"Adam told me he met you and Sam when he was on a class trip at Stanford. Which we will be talking about. His mother wants to see if you'll be able to swing by. Where are you?"
"We're at uncle Bobby's."
The Winchester patriarch blinked. Sam was supposed to be at school, why was he with Dean?"
"We?"
"Me and Sam. The YED attacked at his school, so we are at Uncle Bobby's."
Hurt lanced through his heart at those words.
"You didn't call me."
"Yes, we did." Dean's voice sounded bitter. "You didn't answer."
The elder hunter swallowed thickly. "Will you come?"
For a moment, Dean didn't answer and John feared his son would refuse, but then there was a soft sigh on the other end of the line.
"What's the address?"
John rattled it off quickly and he could hear Dean writing it down.
"We'll be there."
"Call me when you get here."
Dean snorted. "Pick up the phone and I might."
He sneered then hung up with a definite click. John stared down at the device sadly, and Kate crossed her arms.
"Well?"
"They'll be here."
Adam's answering smile, warmed something cold in his chest and he knew without a shadow of doubt that he would have to do something to make amends with his older sons…if only to see them smile at him that way too.
"Dad wants us to go to Adam's."
Sam smiled at Dean's words, hazel eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous. It was times like this that Dean remembered that his brother was in hell far longer than he was, and under the torture of two archangels. He had little doubt that the younger had picked up somethings from them and it sent his pulse racing.
"Y'all's secret brother, Adam?"
Bobby asked curiously. To his understanding they hadn't met Adam yet at this time in their original timeline, so it baffled them as to why they would be heading to the kid's house.
"Apparently, the kid met us at Stanford and his mom wants us over for dinner." Dean replied, voice heavy with sarcasm. "She lives about nine hours away."
"He remembers." Sam murmured softly, his smile making a bit more sense.
"Are y'all going?"
Dean nodded, his eyes hard and callous.
If he was being honest, Dean's eyes were probably the reason he believed this whole time-travel story in the first place.
Dean's eyes had always been warm and welcoming, projecting every emotion the boy couldn't put into words. Now, however, they were ice cold and jaded, his emotions hidden behind steely walls. Only when those eyes landed on Sam, did that gaze soften and melt into the familiar warmth he remembered seeing in them just the week before.
His boys stood and looked around, almost like they expected everything to vanish if they left and his heart ached for them.
They had suffered so much, and he would do anything to ease the burden on them…even make nice with their bastard of a father.
"Get going boys. Call me when you get there."
Dean nodded and hugged him tightly before turning to leave. Sam, however, stayed where he was, staring at him with an unnervingly blank expression.
"Sam?" He inquired.
"The boy didn't respond, but Dean turned at the sound of his voice, cursing when he saw Sam.
He quickly moved to the younger Winchester's side and cupped his face in his hands, a move that Bobby couldn't say he hadn't seen coming.
He'd known for years what his boys' unhealthy codependence on each other would lead to, and sadly he couldn't even bring himself to be disgusted or surprised.
When someone was the one constant in your life, it was hard not to fall in love.
"Sam. Sammy, baby, come back to me. It's okay, we're all okay." Dean coaxed and Sam jerked, his eyes filling with emotion in a startled blink.
"De?"
"You're okay." Dean whispered and Sam nodded.
"Addy?"
"We're going now."
He gave another nod and hugged Bobby, wishing him well before following his brother from the house.
Once they were gone, body cracked open a bottle of whiskey and settled down to think of how to help his boys with their impending future…and keep their relationship from John.
Adam remembered.
Death had kept his promise.
Sam smiled as he sat in the passenger seat of Baby, the black beauty speeding down the road and drawing him closer and closer to his baby boy.
Adam was, for all intents and purposes, his son, not Kate's and John's, and he needed to see the boy before he would truly be able to adjust to this new time period.
He snorted softly.
It said a lot about their lives that they were settling into this whole time travel thing as well as they were.
Dean glanced at him and smiled as if sensing his thoughts, before his face became serious.
"We need to find out how much Ads remembers. And, find a way to convince Dad to travel with us so that we can keep an eye on Azazel."
Sam nodded. "He's gonna be pissed if he knows about us."
Dean shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. But it shouldn't be too hard hiding this from him. Its everything else I'm worried about."
His lover placed a chaste kiss on his jaw.
"We'll figure it out, De. We always do."
He nodded, sighing as he pulled into the Milligan's driveway.
Parking, he shot off a quick text to Bobby informing him of their safe arrival, then exited the car.
Before they even made it to the door, it flew open and a dark blur shot out, tackling Sam to the ground with a happy cry.
"Sammy!"
Only Sam's happy laughter stopped him from shooting the thing.
"Adam!" He replied hugging the boy tightly.
For a moment, just a moment…everything was alright in the world.
TBC…