Chapter 3
** The Training begins **
Sam tries to sit as still as possible. Dean isn't asking him anymore questions so maybe the interview is over. He thinks that he has answered every question as best as he could. Dean hasn't given him the order to leave the room. Infact , the man was now just staring at him with a complete blank look. So what should he do now ?. Should he just up and leave or should he wait. It is his first interview so he doesn't know what the standard protocol is. If he leaves without permission will it be disrespectful or if he decides to stay that will be ?. He decides to look at Ms. Jo for help. She is his favourite teacher and has always been kind to him. But she just smiles. Okay. She is smiling. So it isn't bad. Just when he was thinking of leaving because truthfully the silence was getting uncomfortable , Dean stands up and walks to him.
Sam swallows nervously and remains seated when Dean comes to stand beside him. Dean doesn't say anything just raises an eyebrow and Sam finally gets the message. He stands up hurriedly in attention position , making sure to look at Dean in the eye because avoiding eye contact is not only a sign of disrespect but also shows weakness.
"Dean Michael Winchester , your boss and your trainer from now on." Dean stick his hand out for him to shake. But Sam is so shocked that he doesn't even notice it. Dean freaking Winchester is going to train him when he could have gotten anyone he wanted. But Dean decided to choose him. He had prepared for the interview but not for this moment. He hasn't even considered it a possibility. Oh , god. It is the first time in life he truly understands the meaning of the phrase being on cloud nine because that was where he was now.
"I thought I would just have to teach you about hunting. But it looks like I have to teach you some manners first." Dean says with clear disapproval in his tone. And that was enough to snap Sam out of whatever high he was. He is confused for a moment and then he notices Dean's still outstretched hand which he has completely ignored in favour of thinking about his bright future in the hunting world with Dean as his teacher and which could be in serious danger if he doesn't do something. So he hurriedly grasps the other man's hand and gives it a firm shake and gets a lot firmer in return.
"Sorry , sir. I just couldn't believe it." He tries to give an explanation for his moronic behaviour which he had exhibited just moments before.
"You saying I'm lying to you ?" Dean asked now looking furious. But Sam didn't know it was a faux look. And as far as Dean was concerned , Sam really didn't need to know.
Sam gapes at that and then tries to remedy the situation which already was his intention since the beginning. "No , ofcourse not, sir. I –"
Dean raises his hand to stop him. "Listen , kid. We will leave this place tomorrow evening. But your training will start the first thing tomorrow morning. Meet me in the school's ground at 5 sharp. Don't make me come looking for you. Am I clear ?"
"Yes sir." Sam replied. Tomorrow will be the first day of his training. He wasn't going to be late. No matter what. God , was he excited. As soon as he was out of the office , he looked around to make sure that there was no one before doing a dorky victory dance. This moment totally warranted it.
"I think you're still making a huge mistake taking Sam instead of Larry , Mr. Winchester. According to me , Sam isn't even ready to be a hunter yet. He's –"
"You see Mr. Litt the only 'according to' that matters in my life is according to me. So , I have made my decision to train Sam and I will go forward with it."
After that , Mr. Litt doesn't have anything to say so he just leaves the room with an angry huff and Dean shakes his head.
"What is his problem with Sam ?" Dean wondered aloud.
"He was once teaching about an Egyptian sigil and while its hard to believe , he's really good at his subject. But once he had made a mistake in the year regarding the origin of that sigil and Sam had corrected him in front of the whole class which had hurt the man's ego. And ever since then , he had made it his mission to find fault in everything that Sam does." Jo explained.
"That's unfair. Why do we even have teachers like him ?. He should have been proud that the kid was paying attention enough to point that out." Dean exclaimed in frustration.
"That's because like Jo said , he is good at his job." Bobby answered him. "And now , congratulations in finding your star pupil. You stay and enjoy but I'm gonna go prepare for tomorrow." Bobby looked at Ellen pointedly and she nodded.
"Sam is a good kid , Dean. You will see. Now I'm gonna go with Bobby so that he won't make any mistakes. I'll see you two later." Ellen grinned when Bobby glared and then took his arm to lead him out of the office.
"I'm your boss , ya know." Bobby muttered but allowed himself to be pulled away.
"Only on papers , Singer." Ellen said laughing softly before the door was shut behind them.
"He's my favourite student , you know. So be nice to him." Jo warned.
"Now where's the fun in that." Dean said draping an arm across her shoulder and walking with her towards Bobby's house which was just opposite the school where he usually stays when he comes here.
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Sam was still smiling so wide that he was sure his face would be hurting later when he climbed the stairs two at a time to reach his dorm. A new chapter of his life would start from tomorrow. He will start the training to be a hunter and will save lots of lives in future just like he has always dreamt ever since he was a little kid. Sam was so busy dreaming about his future that he didn't notice when Larry and Paul slid besides him just as he reached the top step. Which explained why he jumped when Larry suddenly yelled in his ear.
"Hey , freak. Man , it's so easy to scare you." Larry spat and when Sam glared he cackled with laughter.
"Did you manage to embarrass yourself in front of Dean ?" Sam ignored him and made his way to his room only to be pushed back against the wall.
"What's the matter , you in hurry to go cry in there ?" Larry along with Paul has now pinned him against the wall.
"Let the crybaby go , Larry. He's already had enough." Paul said in mock sympathy and Sam decided that enough was enough.
"Yeah , I have to go in my room. But to pack because Dean said we will be leaving this place tomorrow afternoon. And since my training starts at five in the morning. I won't have much time to do packing then. So let me go I don't have time for y'all today." Sam said , letting a smug smile grace his face. The look of utter shock on both Larry and Paul faces was one that he has been waiting to see for a long time.
"You're not selected. You lying little shit. I'm the one who is selected." Larry snapped getting into his face. Paul was still too stunned to say anything. And Sam could understand that. He had been just like Paul himself for a few moments back in the office.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Sam said waving his hand dismissively.
"I will go see Mr. Litt and then you and I are gonna have a great time once I prove to everyone that you are a lying shit." Larry shoved Sam back against the wall hard before walking away , Paul hot on his heels.
Sam just shook his head and entered his room to start packing. He was in no mood to waste anymore time on these morons anyway.
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"Man , I am bored." Dean said before slumping in a chair in front of Bobby's desk. Looking at the older man as if he could provide him with a source of entertainment.
"What do I do then ? Dance for ya ?". Bobby rumbled not looking up from the file he was reading.
"I won't mind a good show. Besides , it would be hilarious to see you dancing." Dean smirked when Bobby glared and didn't respond.
"So , who all are coming tomorrow ?. And how does it all work exactly ?. This is my first time in AHBS here , ya know."
"Every hunter associated with AHA is coming. They would all reach here sometime in the afternoon. They would just show up , pick up a kid and then leave. It is always like a lucky draw. We will set up two bowls , one with the names of the kids , the other with the hunters. I will pick out chit after chit and we'll see who goes to whom."
"Wait , all hunters ?. That means Kent is coming too ?". Dean hated Kent Fuller with a passion. The bastard was way too smug for his own good. He has this annoying english accent which Dean was sure was false but that's not the only reason he hated the man. Kent has always tried to compete with him , though the man had always lost but still that hasn't stopped him. He had this competitive streak within him and he wasn't shy of stooping at low levels just to win and that was what irks him the most about Kent. He was a good hunter , maybe better than the others while certainly not him but he wasn't that good of a man. Dean remembered his face when he got the senior hunter title while Kent was still a junior. He had bribed Jo to click a picture of Kent at that moment and he still has it framed in the trunk of the Impala. He was saving it for a special occasion.
"Yes , Kent is coming too. But Dean I'm warning you." Bobby said pointing a finger at him threateningly , "Do not fight with him."
"You know I never start it. He's the one who seeks me out." Dean defended himself. And maybe he doesn't exactly try to avoid the man everytime because it's just too entertaining to make fun of him.
"If you both get into an argument like kids tomorrow. I am seriously giving you a time out." Bobby warned.
"I got no problem in standing in a corner if you agree to swat his bottom." Dean said and grinned when Bobby sighed in frustration.
"Dean –". Bobby began clearly pissed off but Dean cut him off. He knows when to back off of Bobby because the man can be downright terrifying when he wants to be.
"Alright , alright , I'm going." Dean raised his hands in defence before exiting the room. Besides, he needs to go to bed early anyways. Sam would be waiting for him in the school grounds at five. He has to prepare for tomorrow too because Sam isn't the only one whose life is going to completely change.
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Sam was leaning against the old tree in their school ground waiting for Dean. It was just two minutes till five. Dean has ordered him to be here at 5 sharp but he hadn't wanted to take any chances so he has been here since four thirty. To be truthful , he was so excited the night before that he hadn't gotten much sleep and he was beginning to regret it now. He yawned long and loud and didn't bother to cover his mouth since there was no one here besides him. Sam was a well mannered kid , mind you. He looked at his watch and it was finally 5. Just as he was about to look around for Dean , he heard the man's voice.
"Morning , Sam." Sam looked up to see Dean walking towards him. The man looked freshly showered and sharp even at such an ungodly hour in the morning. And Sam worried that he would have to get used to that. He was an early riser , alright but even he didn't have the habit of waking up at four thirty in the mornings to be ready to train at 5.
"Morning , sir." Sam replied as respectfully as he could. The man was going to fulfill his dream by training him to be a hunter and will be responsible for keeping him safe on the hunts so he deserves some respect.
"You don't always have to call me 'sir'. Save it for when we are training or when you are in trouble or when I give you an order. Is that understood ?" Dean asked , and Sam stood straighter at his stern tone. The man had a deep , gravel like voice the one that demands immediate attention. Unlike Sam whose voice is still soft and sort of squeaky.
"Yes sir." He replied trying to make his voice deep like Dean. At which he failed spectacularly and had to cough to clear his throat. Where Dean sounded like a drill sergeant he sounded like a robot with a dying battery. He noticed Dean smile which made him blush but it was gone in a second before the man was back with a hard look on his face.
"Here take this." Dean said taking out a red scarf from his jacket and handing it to him. Sam was confused but he took it anyway. It wasn't that cold but alright it was a nice gesture and he could appreciate it.
He was in the middle of tying it around his neck when Dean stopped him , "What the hell you think you're doing ?"
"Um."
"I am not giving it to you for you to wear. If you can't handle even little cold then there's nothing for you in hunting." Dean snapped at him and Sam jumped.
"Sorry, sir." Sam said , feeling like an idiot. He was sure Dean could see his blush as he was blushing so hard that he could feel his cheeks flaming.
"You see this tree behind you." Dean said , and he nodded. "Your first lesson is to collect every single leaf that falls from this tree before it hits the ground. Lay the scarf on the ground and collect the leaves on it. "
Sam was sure that Dean was joking because when he had thought about his first day of training which he had done a lot yesterday , he had imagined him doing some physical exercises like pushups and some shooting or anything but certainly not this. But damn , Dean wasn't joking.
"For every leaf that you fail to catch , I will give you an extra hour. You will do this for one week and I plan on making you do this for three hours every morning but it's really upto you. You miss one leaf , you start next day with four hours , you miss fifteen I will make you do this for eighteen hours the next day. So try not to miss any. You can start."
Sam didn't start , he was still looking at Dean incredulously. Picking up leaves falling from the tree will not help him to be a hunter.
"You already missed two leaves. That's two extra hours for you tomorrow." Dean said , and he smirked. But it was enough to snap his attention.
"You will not stop until I tell you to stop." Dean ordered , before walking away. But he stopped a moment later and called over his shoulder , "And Sam , if a leaf falls and you fail to catch it then it better stay on the ground and not end up on the cloth because believe me I will find out if you cheat. And you won't like it."
"Yes sir." Sam said but couldn't quite keep the frustration out of his voice but thankfully Dean didn't seem to mind. He just smirked again which Sam realised the man tend to do a lot and which he was finding really annoying before he walked away.
So far about eight leaves have fallen despite him trying to catch them like if his life depended on it. But no sir , they have to land on the ground , they seem to be in a mood today. Its fall season , he knows that but surely they don't fall this fast and certainly not this many. Well , it didn't happen yesterday. But today it's like the tree and leaves have ganged up to torment him. See , he's losing his freaking mind ! If he even thinks of such ridiculous thing happening.
"Hey , Sam. I know I call you a freak but you don't have to act like one." Dumb and dumber just what he needed for completing his already wonderful morning. He tried to ignore Larry because the other boy is like a dog , an attention seeker , you ignore it and it walks away. But he's not like a cute dog but a rabid dog so Sam always maintains his distance.
"Hey , Larry look he's already managed to piss Dean off. So as a punishment the man has him catching falling leaves from the tree." Paul , the dumber of the two snarked at him.
"This is my first lesson , alright. So leave me alone." Sam snapped back angry when another leaf fell and he failed to catch it.
"Man , I'm sort of glad that Dean didn't choose me then. Because doing this in the name of training and getting myself humiliated in front of the whole school by acting like a freaking monkey ?. I don't think so. I sort of pity you , Sam , that you got stuck with him. Or maybe its better. You're weird and now I know he's too. You both will be good for eachother." Larry commented rudely. And Sam could feel his nostrils flaring. He was angry at Larry , nothing new in that but he was pissed at Dean too. Really , why did he made him do this ?. It was both ridiculous and embarrassing.
"You're not gonna save your boy ?" Jo asked Dean , looking at Sam in sympathy when the kid missed yet another leaf and kicked at the ground in frustration while Larry and Paul continued to laugh at his expense.
"If he can't handle some snotty little bastards then how's he gonna handle supernatural monsters ?. Demons are some mean sons of bitches , you know. They take one look at you and know your history then manipulate you by saying some serious nasty things. He needs to learn somethings in life on his own. I will not hold his hand everytime someone is being mean to him. I am just gonna be his trainer who will teach him to be a hunter and that's all. Besides , you know me I don't care about anyone but me." Dean said , his tone somewhere between defensive and careless.
"Alright you meanie , you can keep doing nothing but I'm not gonna just stand here." Jo said before marching away to Sam. "Hey , nobody even uses meanie in a sentence nowadays. Besides , I'm not a meanie you are." Dean yelled indignantly after her but she ignored him like always , well not always but sometimes she does ignore him which is really not fair if you think about it. Because Dean is an awesome company. Everybody says so.
"Sam , how's your training coming along ?. I hope nobody's disturbing you , right ?". Ms. Jo asked , her voice changing from sweet to stern in a moment as she turned to look pointedly at Larry and Paul and Sam really really wanted to hug her in that moment. He would have hugged her if his hands weren't full of leaves.
"Larry and Paul are –"
"Just leaving , Ms. Jo." Larry cut him off mid sentence and scurried away with Paul hot on his heels. See , Ms. Jo was his favourite for a reason.
"Thank you , Ms. Jo." Sam said gratefully before he dived away to catch another leaf which he thankfully did catch this time.
"Anything for my favourite student." Ms. Jo said , her face lighting up in a bright smile which turned soft when she saw him jumping to catch another leaf and falling on the ground in the process.
"I really don't like this. And I really doubt that this stupid exercise will be of much help to me." Sam muttered , pushing himself to his feet and wiping his dirty hands on his jeans.
"You just have to trust Dean. If he is making you do it then it will be useful to you in someway whether you realise it today or not . Trust me Sam , he's one of the best hunters out there. You cannot get a better teacher than him. You got lucky , kiddo." Ms. Jo said ruffling his hair and walking away.
"I don't feel lucky." Sam whined , which he will deny doing it under the threat of death when another leaf falls and he fails to catch it.
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Dean was sitting on a bed , inside Larry's and Paul's room waiting for the boys to come. But he didn't have to wait long. Looks like Jo did gave them a piece of her mind if the hurried way with which the boys entered the room was anything to go by. Man , the girl could be scary just like her mama.
Dean smirked when all the colour drained from the kids' face when they saw him. He tends to have that effect on certain people.
"So , how's it going boys ?" He asked , his tone casual but that was the only thing casual about him. His face and eyes were as hard as steel.
"G-good , sir." Larry was the first one to recover from his shock while the other kid , Paul still looked pale.
"I heard you called me weird and I didn't believe it. So I came here to ask you , do you think I'm weird ?". Dean asked coldly. He didn't even get to finish his sentence before both the kids were shaking their heads.
"No sir." Larry denied it vehemently. And Dean was immensely glad on behalf of the kid that he wasn't the one training him. Because the thing he hates the most in life apart from supernatural bastards was lying.
"Hm , maybe I heard wrong. But you did call Sam weird and freak. Right ?"
"I asked a question. " When he got no response , he raised his voice.
"Yes sir. But we didn't mean it , you know. He's our friend. Its just little fun between friends." Larry tried to hurriedly explain but Dean silenced him.
"So , making fun of Sam and calling him a freak when he repeatedly tried to stop you and then mocking him when he falls. This is your idea of a little fun between friends ?" Dean asked with steel in his voice , walking towards Larry until he was face to face with him.
"Let me tell you a little something about me , boys. I don't like it , no , I hate it when anyone hurt people who are close to me. It doesn't matter if it's verbally or physically. And seeing that since I'm gonna be training Sam so the kid is going to be pretty close to me. So , if you even think about going near him again , I will make sure you regret it. Now do I make myself clear ?" Dean asked laying his hand on both the kid's shoulders. They jumped from his touch and he smirked in satisfaction.
"Yes sir." Came instant replies in hushed tones. With one last and hard pat on both their backs just to drive the point home , he left.
Dean was just exiting the dorm building and heading towards the grounds when Jo caught up to him. She smiled knowingly and he tried to ignore her.
"Soo I thought you didn't care." Jo said , falling in steps besides him.
"I don't." He replied shortly.
"So you didn't just scare Larry and Paul badly and warned them to stay away from Sam ?" Jo asked innocently but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked at him.
"I did it because they were interrupting the kid's training. And Sam is my student so he's a reflection of me. If he doesn't train properly then he won't be able to hunt properly and people would say that I didn't train him properly. And I have a reputation to maintain , you know." Dean explained , his tone defensive.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night. But seriously , the world won't come to an end if Dean Winchester starts caring for someone just so you know. And despite whatever you say you did this because you like the kid." Jo said , a smug smile gracing her face.
"Ofcourse , I like him but only because he's a less moron than the other morons. " They were just about to reach the ground when Dean grabbed Jo by her arm gently and turned her to face him.
"I know , I know. I won't say anything to Sam about how you stood up for him. Because the kid doesn't need to know that there's a soft side to you. And you're really not a hardass as you pretend. Okay ?"
"I am a hardass. I don't pretend anything." Dean muttered but let her go and she walked away laughing softly to herself. He sighed before glancing at his watch. "Three hours' up. Time to go meet Sam."
"Fuckity fuck." Sam cursed as a leaf fell to the ground. He was also close to falling himself. For three hours , he has been diving and jumping in every direction to catch these stupid leaves and he didn't think he could do it any longer. But thankfully , Dean came just then.
"Stop , Sam. Three hours' up." Sam didn't need to be told twice. He dropped to the ground and took a moment to catch his breath.
"Now let's see how long are you gonna be doing this tomorrow." Sam groaned which made Dean smile. Sam wanted to stomp his foot and throw a tantrum demanding he won't do it ever again. But he held himself in check. Because somehow he figured that Dean wouldn't take too kindly to that. And besides , he was way past the age of throwing tantrums. He was eighteen not four.
"Twelve leaves , you missed. Means twelve extra hours in addition to my standard three , which totals to fifteen. You will be catching leaves for fifteen hours tomorrow." Dean said , his tone not at all apologetic or sympathetic , just normal. Like it was a normal exercise to make someone do and that too for fifteen freaking hours.
"Oh goody." Sam muttered , sarcastically.
"Come on , get up. Its eight already. You have half an hour to have some breakfast before you are meeting me here , sharp at eight forty." Dean said , gesturing for him up to get up.
"Can you give me a hand ?" Sam asked , miserably. His body was hurting from all the jumping and diving and falling he has done for the past three hours , so sue him for asking for a little help.
"Nope."
"Sadistic , Winchester." Sam muttered before pulling himself to his feet with great effort when Dean ignored his outstretched hand and walked away.
"I heard it." Dean called over his shoulder but the man didn't sound angry. Infact he sounded amused so Sam wasn't worried for getting a punishment for mouthing off. Dean didn't seem to mind his little comments here and there which was a blessing. Because Sam can't help those especially when he's exhausted or irritated which he had a feeling he will be a lot in the future. He carried himself to his dorms to get a quick shower and breakfast to meet Dean back here in thirty minutes. He hoped this time , it would be for something fun , like shooting.
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