Chapter 6: Homecoming.
"I'm not gonna be breaking in, we keep a spare key by the garage." Chris said quickly explaining what he wanted to do before John could jump down his throat further. "I just want to grab a few things, some jeans, shirts, and my jacket.
"Chris, how tall are you?" John asked realizing what Chris hadn't yet.
"I'm 5'9 why?" Chris asked still got getting what John was alluding to.
"You won't fit into your clothes anymore." John said with a grim look in his face. "Dean's taller and I suspect has a bit more weight on his body then you did. None of your clothes are going to fit."
"Jesus I didn't even think about that Chris." Sam said when he saw the disappointment on the other man's face. "Dad maybe we can get Chris some new clothes, you know, so he can dress like he's used to."
"Moneys tight right now son, sorry Chris, but you're gonna have to get used to Dean's stuff for the time being."
"This just keeps getting better and better." Chris muttered bitterly.
"I could have told you that Chris." Chris ignored Dean's voice in his head, but had to smile when he heard what followed. "But damn if burlap wouldn't look good on this body."
"Maybe I can grab my poker money!" He suddenly exclaimed remembering his stash of 'ill gotten gains' back at the house.
"Poker eh? What do you guys play for… chalk?"
"What?" John and Sam both asked at the same time.
"Once a month I get together with a couple of other teachers at my school and we play a friendly game of poker. I usually stick my winnings in an envelope in my desk at home. Last time I looked I had around $500.00 in there." Chris started to laugh, "I was saving up to buy a big screen HDTV. If I could just get inside my house, I could grab my cash and that way you wouldn't have to spend any of your own precious money on me."
John shot Chris a glare but stayed silent as he mulled the request.
"What about your wife? I'm assuming she isn't aware of your winnings or else she would have spent the money already." He asked as he considered it
"You're right about that. I always tell her I lost what I took and sat out the rest of the hands. She knows I'm lying but hey, she loves me and lets me get away with it. I keep it in my desk drawer, underneath my, um…men's magazines. I can slip in, grab the money, and be out before any one sees anything." Chris smiled as he remembered his wife pretending to give him a hard time every time he went off to his poker games.
"Men's magazines eh? Why don't you grab those too?"
"You say there's around $500.00 there?" John asked thinking about how he could spend that money.
"More or less, I haven't really counted it in the last few weeks. Do we have a deal or what?" Chris eyed John confident that John was going to approve his plan.
"In and out. We won't have time for you to get all sentimental about stuff. Just grab your money and get the hell out of there." John nodded, but then stopped to warn Chris when he saw his face light up. "I'm serious Chris, we can't have you wandering around remembering your old life. It's not like we can tell them the truth if you get caught inside the house."
"I understand John, you don't have to tell me twice." Chris responded annoyed once again at John's tone and even more annoyed at Dean when he started humming the Mission Impossible theme.
A few hours later the trio pulled up in front of Chris's house and parked across the street. Looking at the house they were shocked to discover people roaming around inside.
"Son of a bitch." Chris swore as he saw more cars pull up to the house.
"Crap!"
"I thought you said your funeral was at 2:00?" Sam said looking at his watch realizing it was only 2:45
"I did, what the hell? I don't know about you but every funeral I've ever been too has lasted at least an hour. Just my luck, my wife decides to give me the quickie funeral." He said chuckling to himself nervously. He looked over and watched as friends and neighbors showed up and entered his home.
"This isn't going to work, there's too many people." John said his hands tight on the steering wheel of the truck.
"I don't know why it can't Dad. Yeah sure there are more people, but I bet most of them are in the living room or dining room. He still could sneak down the hall to his bedroom and get his money. You and I could distract anyone who thought to follow him. He could pretend to use the bathroom or something." Sam offered a different plan.
Just then Chris gasped as he looked over at the front porch to see his wife coming outside with one of his coworkers. Obviously distressed Marybeth stood lost in her grief not knowing her husband was mere feet away trying not to jump out of the truck and run to her side.
"Marybeth…." He whispered as he looked over at her.
"Damn…"
"Damn…" Sam said unknowingly echoing Dean, looking over at his father. Even John sympathized for the young man seeing his wife for the first time since his 'death'.
"I want to talk to her. I want to make sure she's okay." Chris said his voice filled with pain
"Not a good idea, Chris. Now we agreed you were going to be in and out. The situation has changed and I don't think you should be anywhere near that house." John said about ready the throw the truck in gear and leave without the money. Chris started to protest but he saw the look on John's face and realized he wasn't going to win this battle.
"You're staying in the truck. I'm not taking any chances in that house to you hear me? Sam will go to your bedroom and grab that envelope and I'll pay my respects and keep your wife occupied." John adamantly spoke. Chris looked back at the house as his friend left and his wife reentered their home.
Relenting, knowing there was too much at risk, Chris nodded sadly and continued to stare at the porch his wife had just been standing on. Finally they all got out of the truck, the Winchesters wordlessly heading over to the house leaving Chris behind. Chris leaned back against the truck and watched as John and Sam walked up the sidewalk to his front door. Sam reached over to push the doorbell and together they waited until Marybeth opened the door.
"Marybeth" Chris said out loud again as he watched the trio go back inside the house. Through the sheers he could see the others inside the house and was glad his wife wasn't alone. So lost in his longing to see his wife he didn't realize he had left the side of the truck and crossed the street to stand on this own porch. Compelled, unable to help himself, he peered through the window seeking his wife out. He saw his in-laws sitting on his sofa and his wife walking into the living room with the Winchesters. Friends and members of his wife's family came in and out of the living room, some bringing coffee and other drinks for the guests. Minutes passed as Chris continued to stare, his heart beating wildly. He noticed Sam had excused himself and left the group presumably to go down the hall. Suddenly the front door flew open as one of Marybeth's cousins came out on the porch.
"Sorry I didn't realize anyone was waiting here. I hope you weren't standing out here too long. I guess no one heard the door bell." Initially startled, she gave Chris a quick smile and invited him in not having a clue as to who he really was. Momentarily panicked, Chris hesitated not sure what to do.
"Marybeth is in the living room. I'm sure she would love to see you." The cousin continued as she touched Chris's arm and led him into the home. Chris gave her a smile and thanked her. She smiled back and continued back out the door. Chris's heart was now in his throat. His body refused to move as he stood in the foyer of his house. Sam came out of the bedroom at the end of the hall and saw Chris standing there just as Marybeth did. Shocked, Sam tried to get John's attention as she came towards Chris with a sad smile and held out her hand.
"Hi I'm Marybeth, Chris's wife. I'm glad you could make it." she said as she took his hand in hers. Chris all but melted as he felt his wife's warm touch.
"Hi my name is Dean, I used to work with your husband at the museum." Not prepared, he stammered as he tried to come up with a story. She looked up at him and smiled again.
"A couple of Chris's friends from the museum are already here, you might know them, John and Sam? Why don't you come inside and have a seat." Marybeth offered, turning towards the living room. Still not really in control of his body, Chris took two steps following Marybeth, until he saw John staring at him from the other side of the room.
"Umm Marybeth, I'm sorry but I really can't stay. I just wanted to give my condolences to you since I seemed to have missed the funeral." He said looking around the room as Sam reentered and stood next to John.
"I understand Dean. I'm afraid a lot of his friends did. Unfortunately that's my fault. I change my mind at the last minute and moved the service." She said explaining about the service at the funeral home .
"So you didn't have the service at a church?" Chris asked confused.
"Because of his injuries we didn't have a wake. I thought a nice small gathering, with his urn on the altar in the chapel of the funeral home would be more appropriate for the family. The school has offered to have a memorial service in the gym for all the kids to come to the day after tomorrow ….." Marybeth stopped as Chris started choking.
"Urn... did you say urn?" Chris managed to get out.
"Yes, we had my husband cremated." Marybeth looked at Chris concerned as he suddenly went pale.
"I'm sorry, I have to leave." He said distressed feeling the air leave his lungs.
"I'm sorry was it something I said?" she asked as he spun around and raced for the door. Seeing Chris leave, John and Sam moved through the mourners to follow him. Stopping as his father left after Chris, Sam turned to Marybeth.
"I'm so sorry for you loss." He said before leaving a surprised Marybeth behind. Chris was already at the truck pacing, unable to get inside the locked vehicle. John came roaring out after him, eyes blazing.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" he shouted at Chris. Still distraught Chris turned and evaded John's grasp as John made a grab for him.
"Leave me the hell alone, John." He said moving back behind the truck. John followed and once again tried to grab Chris. Chris reacted by decking John square in the jaw, sending the older Winchester flying into the tailgate and on to the ground. Running up, Sam was just in time to help his father off the ground.
"Damn Chris, you've really done it his time haven't you." Chris heard Dean in his head say.
"No way! No way, not you too!" He screamed as he grabbed his head. "Damn it, get the hell out of my head Dean!"
"This is all your damn fault." Chris shouted at John before turned around and taking off in a dead run.
"Sammy go after him!" John ordered his youngest son, rubbing his sore jaw. Sam took off after Chris only to return a few minutes later.
"I'm sorry Dad I lost him." he said winded trying to catch his breath. John pounded his hand on the bed of his truck.
"Son of a bitch Sammy, I knew this was a bad idea. I'm gonna drop you off back at the motel and go looking for him. He can't have gone far." John said as he climbed back inside his truck.
"But Dad I need to go with you. There's no way Chris is going to listen to you and no way he's going to go anywhere with you. I have to be the one that finds him or we won't stand a chance of getting him back." Sam said as he climbed in the passenger seat next to his father. John grimly shook his head realizing his son was right.
"We're gonna get him back and I don't care how we do it." John said adamantly before turning the truck around and heading in the direction that Chris ran off to.
"I'll try calling him. He has Dean's phone." Sam hit Dean's number on speed dial and listened as it rang over and over before going to voice mail. Sam continued to call as John drove up and down the neighborhood. They stopped every now and then to check out various businesses looking for Chris.
"Dad he's still not answering." Sam said glancing over at his angry father once they were back inside the truck.
"Keep trying son." John commanded gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"Dad he's, NOT ANSWERING!" Sam shook his head in frustration. "We can't force him to come back if he doesn't want to. Maybe he just needs some time Dad. Maybe we need some time."
Sam looked at John again and saw for a moment fear and sadness in his eyes.
"Dad he's gonna come back. We haven't lost him yet." Sam tried to console John. John turned to him and slowly nodded.
"You'd better be right son. Let's go back to the motel and wait, but if he doesn't call soon, I'm gonna tear apart this town looking for him." John said as he started the truck and they headed back to the motel.
"Chris where the hell are you?" Sam asked to himself knowing his father would do just that.
Tbc