A/N: Fanficiton's statistic is not working - again. I'd love to know if you liked the last chapter as well as this one. I hope it gets online soon again. Though it is not showing anything for over a week now.
Thank you so much, churchlady for your continued support.
Now anyone - enjoy the chapter.
Dark Side - Chapter 6 - Sharing Experiences
CALEB
The next two days were nearly the same. Getting up, breakfast, helping Jim with the animals, training in the Hunterstomb - only from then on with Jim and Mac.
Jim was impressed with the power Caleb already was able to wield. He reassured Caleb that he would find his key to control the ability. Caleb was still nervous during their sessions. He didn't want to hurt any of his family.
The Winchesters arrived in the afternoon of the 20th. Caleb tried not to show that he was as excited as Atticus, who bounced on the porch when he heard the rumbling of the Impala's engine in the driveway. Dean was out first and opened the backdoor for Sammy. Atticus nearly brought the four-year-old to a fall with his jumping and wild dancing in joy.
Caleb leaned coolly at one of the poles of the veranda deck, trying to hide his bright smile while watching the scene. He couldn't fake Deuce for a moment. The kid came over to him, lopsidedly grinning at him as if he had caught Caleb with something embarrassing. "Oh Damien, you really missed us, huh?"
Caleb couldn't hold back his grin now, pushing his body away from the pole. "What? Of course, I did. I mean I was stuck with Jim and Mac for over a week. I'm glad I have someone around now who evens things out a bit. Besides, you know I can't wait 'til John makes me run extra laps and kicks my ass when I let my guard down at sparring," he twinkled at the eight-year-old.
Dean smiled at him nodding. But the kid had learned from the best and came up with a sarcastic reply. "Yeah, maybe we should convince Mac to sign you up for a military school."
Caleb hoped Mac wouldn't think of it. He hadn't thought about the school problem all week. Mac would have to find another school for him. He watched John slowly climbing out of the Impala. He was already being greeted by Mac and Jim.
As John reached Caleb he nodded at the teen, "Hey Junior, I hope you are ready for a little bit of training. I guess these two have not exactly trained you in weapon handling and self-defense over the past week."
"Hey, Johnny. Good to see you. No, but I know how to organize books and how to feed chickens now."
John's smile didn't come easy over the joke. He pushed one of the duffles into the teen's arms, "Well then it's time you get some hard work. Bring this up to my room." John walked past Caleb, "God, Jim I hope you have a strong Irish Coffee for me."
Caleb gasped under the weight of the duffle but hadn't missed the bad mood nor the limping steps The Knight took. He turned to get the bag upstairs, already curious about the story of how that had happened. Deuce handled his own and Sammy's duffle and followed him with the little kid and Atticus on their heels.
*** Brotherhood ***
Finally, the evenings weren't so silent and the adjoining room was not empty anymore. After playing with Sammy and the dragon castle, they had a pillow fight in their rooms until the ever-so-calm doctor put a rough end to their wild game.
"Boys! That is enough! I'm trying to work down there. It's late, you better settle down now or I'm not only sending the four-year-old to bed but you two as well. I mean it, Caleb. The additional rest won't hurt your recovery either." He turned to little Sammy who tried to ride on Atticus. "Jim will put you to bed in a few. Have you brushed your teeth, Samuel?"
Sammy smiled at him. "Yeah, Uncle Mac, I'm ready for bed. But Dean and Caleb aren't."
"Traitor!" the two whispered at Sam.
"I heard …" Mac left again.
Deuce turned to him, "What recovery? Did you get hurt on a hunt?"
Caleb snorted, "Nothing that cool, Deuce."
"What then?" The eight-year-old was eager to know.
Caleb flinched, hoping Deuce hadn't seen it. "I'll tell you later. We better brush our teeth, you heard Mac. Afterward, we can talk a bit longer in my room, and I'll give you a briefing about what you missed.
The two were ready before Jim came into the boys' room to read Sammy a good night story. Deuce said his goodnights to the runt before they two turned to his adjoining room. Caleb carefully closed the door behind them.
He watched Deuce slumping down to his mattress with a nearly joyful expression. "I have the feeling you missed the farm even more than I missed you," he joked.
"Well, I just enjoy a clean bug-free bed for a change. Though you really have to clean up here. I wonder how Jim and Mac let you go away with this." Dean picked up a crumpled sock that had stuck between the blanket and the mattress and wrinkled his nose dramatically.
Caleb snatched the sock from him. "If you don't want to go to bed with the runt, don't say another word. At least dirty laundry will not bite you."
"Yeah, but it is the entrance hall to hell, trust me," faster than Caleb could react, Dean had thrown a pillow in his direction.
Caleb ducked quickly to avoid being hit but hissed as a sharp pain rushed through his side. "Fuck!"
Dean looked surprised and unsure at him. "Damien, you okay, man? I didn't even hit you. What's wrong?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine Deana," he was quick to tell, rubbing his aching back until the pain vanished.
"You're a bad liar." Dean returned to the bed again.
"I'm not. You don't know anything."
"Then tell me! You said you would fill me in, so here I am. What was so bad about having no school, letting Jim cook for you, and playing little farm and librarian with Mac? Because my life wasn't all that sunshine last week."
Caleb countered angrily, "I wasn't playing little farm. I …" his anger was washed away when he realized what Dean had implied. "Wait, what do you mean by 'not all sunshine last week'? What happened?"
"Nothing overdramatic. Dad was hunting and Sammy was no problem, but dad was in a pretty bad mood when he came home injured. He drank a lot and didn't even wake up until the afternoon the next day. He had promised that he would go with Sammy to the park. I would have gone with Sammy instead but I couldn't leave him hurt on his own in the motel room to go to the park. So we didn't go. Sammy was pissed about it and gave me a hard time. Who can blame him? Dad promised," Dean sighed, staring at his feet.
"Oh Deuce, you should've called," Caleb said, sitting down next to his friend. "And if only to report to Jim. You know he has to know about injured hunters."
"Dad said Bobby took care of his leg. So I thought he would call Jim. Anyway, now we're here. Tell me what was not all little farm here on the little farm." Dean gave him a weak smile that should've been teasing but failed miserably.
"Well though I didn't have to deal with a grumpy old injured Knight, I got into a fight at school that ended … badly. I ended up with a bruised kidney and Mac is all mother-hen-routine over me ever since. He even dragged me into hospital. Then we headed to Jim for 'recovery' and psychic training. Even Missouri came. Though we also did puzzles and reordered old journals. Jim took us on a ride with the horses. You have to go on a ride with us tomorrow. I'm sure Mac will gladly lend you his mount. He didn't enjoy it that much. But it was awesome, I swear!"
"Can I wear a cowboy hat?" he asked eagerly.
Caleb knew Dean was all in for a western adventure. Caleb smiled amused, "I think you will go with a helmet this time. I don't want you to end up with a concussion. You know I hate hospitals even when I'm only a visitor. Safety first and stuff," he tousled the boy's hair mockingly.
Dean ducked away, "Yeah, I know Reava."
Jim peeked inside, whispering, "A bit quieter, please. Sammy is asleep now. You can talk until ten, but not so loud and no pillow fights tonight," Jim waited for an answer.
Dean answered quickly. "Sure, Pastor Jim. Can we go on a ride tomorrow? Caleb just told me about it."
Jim smiled warmly at the two. "I think we can manage that. Good night boys. I'm glad to have you all at home."
The two answered in unison, "Good night."
Caleb took his notepad from the nightstand. He was glad, too, to have Dean here. He saw his friend needed time off from his duties. No kid should have to take care of his whole family. "How about a round of Hangman?" He began drawing underlines on the paper, thinking about a good word. He smiled blissfully when he found a good one. Drawing seven underlines on the paper he placed the notepad between them for Dean to guess first.
"an E," Dean said. Caleb noted the letter.
_ _ _ _ _ E _
"So what was this fight about?" Dean wanted to know.
"First guess the word, then I'll tell you."
"Okay, is a N in the word?"
Caleb erected the pole on the little hill he had drawn under the word.
A few guesses later with the head already attached to the gallows the paper looked like this: _ R _ T H E _
"It's BROTHER."
Caleb filled the blanks with the right guessed word. "I should try something from Mac's magazines next time."
Taking over the notepad to sketch a new word for Caleb, Dean looked up first, "Don't dare to sneak into my mind for the word. That is cheating."
"Okay, okay," Caleb saw the battle lost as Dean stopped at over ten underlines. "Are you serious about that word?"
"Yeah, but before, talk! And don't leave out any details," Dean demanded, "I want to hear how you got into trouble again."
Caleb ended up telling him about the party and the drugs they had slipped into his drink. Though he left out some details about how scared he had felt and what he had done to Mac's hardwood floor. "Promise me you won't do drugs ever, dude. I'm not exactly talking about a cigarette here and there. We don't have to talk about alcohol, you know what it can do to even a huge guy like your father. I mean real drugs, pills, LSD, and all the shit that messes with your head and you will not be able to act like normal. You have to watch out for Sammy. If you ever are in trouble - if you ever need someone you can count on me - always, Brother."
Dean looked at him with a strange expression that caused the psychic to open the link to Deuce. 'I know, Damien. Thank you, Brother. But sometimes, you will be too far away to help me.'
Caleb brought a hand to the eight-year-old boy. "Hey Deuce, even when I'm not able to come right away. I will do anything to be there for you. Sometimes a call can help as well."
Dean began to smile at him. 'Thank you. I know I can count on you, Damien.'
"You know you should use words to communicate," Caleb teased.
"Your turn. Guess the word, Reava. And get out of my head now!"
Too many guesses later Caleb's stickman was hanging on the gallow and gave up with this. _ _ A N E _ A _ I _ M
"I would have bet you would cheat, man. It's PLANETARIUM. Sammy talked the whole month about it. He read it in a science book from Mac.
*** Brotherhood ***
MACKLAND
21st December 1987 - the shortest day of the year
Mac was happy not to have to ride out again. He made sure the kids wore helmets, warm jackets, and gloves this time.
The weather looked friendly for December and even the sun spread a little bit of warmth after the mists were chased away so that the little party was ready after lunch.
"Have fun, boys," The Scholar told them absently, searching his bag for some antibiotics for John. The big tough guy had managed to get his cut infected. Mac hoped it would not cause more trouble. He had to make sure for the future that Bobby and John would have some medical training to avoid such problems.
"Samuel, could you bring me a fresh towel to the kitchen table? I have to look at John's leg so he can run around the barn with you in a few days." Mac didn't even look up, sure the little boy would love to assist him as usual with such easy things.
"No, Uncle Mac. I want to play with Atticus," came Sam's stubborn reply.
Mac glanced up, surprised. He shot John a questioning look.
John shook his head slightly, taking another sip of his coffee. "He's angry with me. I said we would go to the park with him and came home with this." He pointed at the cut. "Dean told me when I asked him why they were all brooding during the ride. He'll come around."
Mac raised a brow and made sure Sammy was far enough away and immersed in the play with Atticus as his mount again before he spoke. "It is not because of that. You often break your promises with them. At some point, they will not believe you anymore."
John's face turned grim. "I don't need a lecture on how to treat my kids, Mac. They know exactly when I'm serious about something."
"Hm, they for sure know that the hunt comes first for you. Don't you think they need their father from time to time?"
"I am their father, and when I change my mind about something they know they have to accept it. And Dean can handle things like going to the park with Sam. They could have gone without me. It was just a little walk!" John gruffed angrily now.
Mac decided it was not the right time for discussing John's parenting with him. He was glad Dean could go on that ride with Caleb. The kid needed a bit of normal. John just didn't see that Dean had too much on his shoulders for his young age.
*** Brotherhood ***
CALEB
Dean turned out to be a natural with horses. The kid had no trouble controlling the horse quickly. Jim smiled proudly at him and Caleb was happy that his friend got full attention from the minister.
They rode quite far in bright sunshine and snowy fields. They had left Jim's property and rode past the next few farmhouses out in the fields.
Jim had packed a picnic which they ate in a small shelter cabin near a resting place. "Are you enjoying the ride, Dean? If you had enough or feel any soreness in your legs, we can ride home after the picnic," Jim offered.
Dean was quick to shake his head. "No, Pastor Jim, I'm fine. It is so much fun. Can we ride on for a bit more?"
Jim laughed happily. "Well then, we can ride around this little grove you see on the hill and then turn back home, how does that sound?"
Dean stuffed the rest of his bun into his mouth already running to his horse, mumbling an "Awesome," while chewing.
Caleb chuckled at Jim, "He is born to be a cowboy, don't you think, Jim?"
They rode on and followed the trail next to the grove Jim had spoken of when a gust of cold wind began to blow. Caleb looked up into the sky and saw dark clouds being chased by the wind in their direction, quickly eating up the bright sun.
The dark clouds were over them in less than five minutes and he shot Jim a concerned glance.
"We have to follow the path. Turning around would take longer now," Jim said with a smile that couldn't distract Caleb from the underlying worry in Jim's voice.
Added to the cold wind, icy rain started to fall and was whipped into their faces so that Caleb was hardly able to see the track. Within seconds Caleb felt the fabric of his jeans was wet and cold, plastered on his skin.
"Let's ride into the grove for shelter, there's an old shed where we can wait out the rain," Jim shouted at them over the storm, leading the way.
The wind lessened a bit though the cold raindrops easily found their way through the naked trees. Caleb shivered and was hardly able to keep from trembling when they reached the shed. It was not more than two walls and a few planks as a roof.
He stepped next to Dean while Jim gathered the horses, now radiating wet heat - the only source of any warmth. "You okay, Deuce?" Caleb asked. His friend shivered violently but nodded. He felt cold too and couldn't wait until they would be back at the farm to sit in front of the warm crackling fireplace. He started rubbing Dean's forearms.
It was while he thought about the fire that Caleb felt the hair on his neck rise but it had nothing to do with the cold - this was a different feeling, more like a tug that told him something was off. He checked the mental link to Deuce and The Guardian. There they were, but he felt another presence somewhere near them and it was not the horses, these felt familiar. They were not alone.
The horses began neighing and stomping nervously. Fat Chance started scratching the muddy ground and ripped at the reins Jim held. "Easy, my boy. It's just the wind. We'll wait it out," the minister tried to calm the horse.
Then a deep growl was heard from the nearby trees, letting all three gazes jerk to the spot where a dark huge dog-like creature stared at them with hungry glowing eyes.
Caleb swallowed hard. He really wished he had only to deal with stupid kids and drugs at the moment. This was a thing nightmares were made of and it was about to threaten his family.
TBC
A/N: Sorry for the cliffy. The next chapter is already in work. Please leave a review if you liked it. Wishes? Guesses? Thanky you all for reading.
