Chapter 13

-oOo-

Dean was uber bored. He had followed his brother into three antique stores and hung around while Sam picked up, sniffed, stroked, gazed adoringly at, then put back, scores of old, battered, sleeveless, faded books. As far as Dean could see, his brother didn't seem to worry what the books were about, he treat them all with the same geeky reverence. In the third antique store Sam picked out yet another dusty old heavy weight book, opened it up at random and, as usual, stuck his nose up to the open pages and, eyes closed, inhaled deeply. Dean moved closer to him and hissed into the younger Hunter's ear.
"Dude! Why smell the books? I'm pretty sure they didn't have scratch 'n sniff back in the day. You look ridiculous!"
Sam closed the book and glanced at Dean, winking at him before responding, none too quietly,
"Says the guy who licks the pages in his copies of Busty Asian Beauties."

Dean's eyes opened wide in horror. Turning rapidly, he scanned the store to see if anyone had heard Sam's blatant falsehood. Two individual male customers swiftly averted their gaze away from him. Indignant, Dean shot Sam a threatening glare.
"I've never done that! You made it up! Admit it, or else!"
Enjoying the moment, Sam merely grinned broadly and walked past the older Winchester, heading for the store's exit. Dean hesitated momentarily before hurrying after his longer legged sibling. His pace slowed as he drew level with the two men who had clearly heard Sam's comment
"What he said? My brother? It's a lie...Sammy! I swear! You're so dead!"
By the forth 'Antique Emporium' Dean announced he was suffering from a severe case of antique overload, and so he impatiently waited around outside the store while Sam further indulged his book sniffing habit.

Joel gazed despairingly at the closed door that led into his niece's room. He already knew it was pointless, even so he had decided to try one final time to persuade Hope to forget going out later and, instead, stay locked in the hide hole with him.. His first knocks at the door to her room were met with silence. Joel knocked again, louder and more insistently.
"What!"
"Hope, please? I want you to reconsider going out this full moon. I was thinking, we can stay in the hide at night but during the day, we could go out somewhere. Wherever you'd like to go. Somewhere special, the beach maybe? Your choice, anywhere at all...Hope?...That sound like a plan?...Hope?"
Hope kicked the door, hard, from the other side, startling Joel.
"If you didn't want me hunting, you shouldn't have bit me, you piece of shit! It's all on you! Ev'rything's on you! Go bury yourself in your stinking hole in the ground if you like; I don't give a shit. I'm still going out tonight so screw you!"
Joel stood in silence for a short period, then he addressed the locked door again, firmly this time.
"Fine. But don't forget how this works, young lady. If you go out, I go out. See you tonight, niece."
"Whatever, dick head!"

Hearing Joel's footsteps fade away, Hope threw herself onto her bed, burying her head into her pillow to muffle her scream of frustration. All she'd wanted was a family. She'd trusted Joel, loved her |uncle, loved living with him, believed she'd found a proper home at last. Why'd he have to go ruin it all? Ruin her life? Ruin her? Hope growled deep in her throat. Bring on the moon, bring on the hunt, she really needed to chase something down.

Duffel bag slung over one shoulder, Dean shouted up to the mezzanine level."Sam?...Sammy?...Wakey, wakey. It's nearly time to go bro' if we wanna be set to rock before dark."
"Hmmnff...'K ...Juss don' go fluffy goat surfin'..."
"Sammy!"
"Wha? Huh?...Oh...Um...S'it mornin' or nigh' time?"
"Evenin'; an' we got us a werewolf to gank. Remember? I wanna be back where we pitched the tent before the moon makes it's appearance so, butt outta bed Samantha, coffee's made, I'm goin' down to the car, back in a few."

Dean had just set off walking through the hotel lobby towards the exit when Phil called him over to the reception desk. Dean side tracked that way.
"Sorry, but I'm not answerin' any more of your question's Phil. Sam an' me will be leavin' soon, we'll be back at sunrise."
Phil had the good grace to look embarrassed.
"I don't want to ask anything...Well...I do; but I won't. I've got something for you and Sam. Here you go."
Phil produced the same lidded plastic box he had given Sam and Dean previously and the same vacuum flask.
"Hot coffee, cooked meat sandwiches, sweet pastries and pie. Please, take them. I wish there was more I could do to help?"
"We got this Phil, ok?"
Dean tried to see through the opaque plastic.
"What's the pie?"
"Cherry. Is that alright?"
Dean grinned.
"I'll let you know tomorrow."

Phil's expression became deadly serious.
"Dean, how can you be so relaxed? For goodness' sake, you and your brother are going hunting a werewolf tonight. Have you any idea how crazy that sounds? And how damn heroic? It's pathetic really that the best I can think of to help is to send you off with a picnic supper!"
Dean put down the duffel.
"It's not pathetic Phil, it's thoughtful, it's the act of a good man...An' there is somethin' you can do for us, if it becomes necessary. I'll show you on the map where my car's gonna be parked up. If Sam an' me don't come back from this hunt..."
Phil hurriedly butted in.
"What? What do you..."
Dean stopped him.
"If Sammy an' me don't survive, there's thing's you can do that would be seriously helpful."
Looking suddenly pale, Phil nodded yes.
"O...Ok. Anything. Just tell me what it is, I swear it will get done but...Nothing bad's going to happen to you...Is it?"
Grabbing a pen and a blank sheet of hotel paper, Dean winked at the distressed man.
"We've been doin' this stuff almost our whole lives, an' we're still here, aren't we?"
Dean began writing down instructions and contact numbers for the anxious manager.

Sam was just zipping up his duffel when Dean re-appeared.
"Good, you're ready. Phil's made us sandwiches again, an' pie. He said that was just for me though, sorry bro'."
"That's ok, you're a good brother, so I know you'll share, an' Phil don't need to find out."
Dean curled his upper lip and adopted a sulky voice.
"S'pose you can have one piece. It'll be a small one though, 'cos you're the little brother."
"Who's actually bigger than you so needs the biggest share to give him the necessary energy."
Dean answered as they set off down the tower steps.
"How about I let you have an extra sandwich then."
By the time they got to the hotel lobby, Sam was being offered two sandwiches and one pastry extra in lieu of a share of the cherry pie.

Phil had clearly been hovering, waiting for both Hunters to appear and he hurried over as soon as he saw them. Stood in front of the brothers, the man open and closed his mouth without saying anything, seemingly lost for words. Dean clapped him on the shoulder.
"We'll see you tomorrow at sun up, earlier if we get the job done quickly. Have a good night."
"Yes...Um...You too...Crap. That sounded dumb...Um...You know what I mean. Keep safe, please."
Sam smiled at the concerned man.
"Always."
It was all getting too chick flicky for Dean.
"C'mon Sammy, gotta move, daylight's bein' wasted."

Phil walked out with the brothers as far as the hotel steps and stayed there watching until the Impala was out of sight. Wandering back inside, he smiled at Leon as the young man cut through the lobby.
"How are things Leon?"
Leon bobbed his head.
"Sir. Everything's good."
The manager watched Leon head off towards the kitchens and shook his head, whispering to himself. 'No lad. Everything's not good. Not good at all. There's real monsters out there.'

-oOo-
Chick xxxx
Thoughts, comments, opinions, all welcome and made use of in an effort to become a better writer,
(though I'm stuck with my crappy spelling. Spell check's cool, until the spelling's right, but for a different word). :(