"Hey Bobby, dinner's done!" Dean called from the kitchen, taking the last of the burger's off the stove and moving toward the table. To say the last week was almost like living in a dream to Dean wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration. After meeting Bobby, the man had given Dean his address. When Dean got back home he started planning. Dean wasn't really much of a schemer. He usually preferred to let Sam do that role. There wasn't a lot of reasons why a seventeen year old would want to go a state away for a few weeks, and even less that a parent that knew about the supernatural would let him go alone for. Dean could come up with some story about a camping trip with friends because he didn't have any, and he couldn't try to say he was going on a research project of his own, they would expect him to stay at the Chapter House the whole time he was gone. He couldn't claim he was going alone either for a camping trip in the woods, that would send his parents over the edge. He had thought about calling Bobby for help coming up with an excuse, but figured the hunter would just laugh at him.
In the end Dean had told John and Henry at dinner that he wanted to go on a road trip to end the summer. After all it was his last summer before he graduated high school. He was surprised they actually agreed to let him go, but to his horror soon after they added the condition that he had to stop at a chapter house in every state to check in. Dean had no idea how he could handle that one and fortunately he didn't have to. Millie had come to his defense, arguing that the entire reason Dean wanted to go on this trip was because he needed some space and requiring him to check in like that all the time was defeating the entire purpose. Dean had just rolled with it and in the end John and Henry agreed on the condition that Dean phoned in periodically, minimum of once a week.
"About time." Bobby said, coming into the kitchen. In the week Dean had been at Bobby's so far had been pretty good. Most of the day went between weapons and lore testing from Bobby, probably trying to see what Dean was able to do. However Bobby wasn't just a hunter, but the owner of a legit business. The Singer Auto Salvage Yard wasn't a big company, but it paid the bills that Bobby always had and gave him a little extra allowing him to buy whatever he needed for the hunting life. So usually the evenings were filled with Bobby and Dean working on cars. Dean had always had a love of cars, partially because that was his and John's time. Sam had no interest in cars so John only taught Dean. Dean felt that he was rather good at it too and Bobby seemed to agree. At the very least he didn't feel the need to watch what Dean was doing. Bobby's place was rather nice, Dean got his own room in the guest room and while they fended for themselves for breakfast, Bobby made lunch and Dean made dinner.
"You can't rush perfection." Dean said. Dean actually liked cooking. He and Sam were taken to the Men of Letter's main bunker quite a bit and during the school year they went to the bunker after until Henry and John were ready to go home. The bunker was meant to run like its own military headquarters. The elders and regional leaders all lived there unless they had families like the Winchester's. The bunker had its own staff, high ranking members, medics, janitors, cooks, librarians, and many other positions that were required for daily life. Sam enjoyed hiding out in the library. Dean sometimes preferred the kitchen. He defiantly never would have learned to cook from home. There were many reasons his father fell in love with and married his mother, but cooking skills were sure as hell not one of them. While John's cooking was editable, it wasn't something Dean would have placed in the 'good' category either. Henry probably had no idea what the inside of a kitchen was for. Had it not been for Millie and Dean, the whole family would have died of food poisoning years ago.
"I'm sure." Bobby said, looking over the table. Dean put the burgers down next to the bag of buns. Scattered around the table was lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, a sliced block of cheese, bottled of ketchup and mustard, a few fried eggs, a plate of bacon, and a large bowl of homemade French fries. Bobby nodded and started to make a burger. Dean ignored the table for the moment, instead turning to the fridge to pull out a bottle of coke and a bottle of beer. He wanted the beer but Bobby had made it very clear earlier that week that Dean would not be touching the alcohol in his house. Funny, they all figured Dean was old enough to fight for his life but he wasn't old enough to touch anyone's alcohol. How far was that? Dean turned and handed the beer to Bobby before using his now freed hand to close the fridge and open his drink. Bobby took a bite of his burger. "Not bad kid." he commented.
"Really?" Dean wasn't really sure what kind of cook he was to be honest. He liked his food well enough but the only people who he ever cooked for before were his family. Sam, John, and Henry never really commented on it and while Mary and Millie said it was good, Dean never could tell if they really thought that or they were just being nice because they were his family. Bobby wouldn't hide anything from him though, he'd tell Dean exactly what he thought. Bobby just nodded. Dean took a drink from the bottle and was about the start making a burger when the phone rang. He looked at Bobby and Bobby nodded toward the phone, telling Dean to answer it. Dean glared, annoyed, but figured he might as well since he was closer. He pulled the phone off the hook. "Singer Auto Salvage." he answered.
"Who the hell is this?" a woman asked, sounding confused and a little angry. Dean smirked.
"I'm a friend of Bobby's." Dean said. The woman scoffed.
"Sure, whatever. Tell Bobby Tara is on her way with a dead wraith and I have some information about Abaddon that I want to run by him." the woman said. Dean froze for a moment. Abaddon. That was a name Dean didn't want to hear again. Before he could say anything, the woman hung up.
"Who is it?" Bobby asked, taking a bite from the burger. Dean looked at the phone for a moment before slowly hanging it up.
"A woman named Tara. She said she was coming by with a dead wraith and that she wanted to talk to you about Abaddon." Dean said. Bobby gave him a surprised look before it darkened.
"Balls." he hissed. Dean opened his mouth but closed it just as fast. He didn't really know how to ask what Bobby knew about Abaddon without revealing he knew about her already. Bobby turned back to Dean and sighed. "Tara is a hunter. She's good but she's spent nearly her whole hunting life chasing down Abaddon and the other Knights of Hell." Bobby said. Dean nodded, seeing this as his opening.
"Abaddon?" he asked. Bobby took another bite from his burger.
"According to the story, after God created the humans his favorite angel Lucifer took it personally. Wanting to show him that humans were horrible creatures, he took a human woman named Lilith and twisted her into the first demon. When that didn't work he decided to declare war on the humans." Bobby said. Dean nodded to show he was following, already knowing this. "Lucifer chose four to serve as his generals, the Princes of Hell. He also created an elite fighting force, the Knights of Hell. I guess that was the last straw for God though. He had Michael throw Lucifer into a cage and burry Lilith in Hell." Dean nodded again.
"So Abaddon was one of those knights?" Dean asked. Bobby scoffed.
"I never seen one. Tara heard about Abaddon a few years ago on a hunt and has been obsessed with it and the First Blade ever since." Bobby said. Dean frowned, that one not something he was familiar with. "According to Tara, the demon that she captured had told her he was one of Abaddon's followers. In 1958 Abaddon had just disappeared, banished to a place no one knew. Abaddon's supporters have been trying to find the family who banished her ever since. Winchester I believe." Bobby said. Dean felt his stomach twist. "I guess she found some new information she wants to check out with my library. I can help her look while you salt and burn the wraith." Bobby decided. Dean actually liked that plan. It would probably be best that he not be around this Tara woman.
"Yeah, sounds good." Dean said. He looked at the bottle in his hand. Bobby was a good man and someone Dean was starting to trust. While Dean wasn't an initiate in the Men of Letter's, he was still a legacy who had not officially left the organization. This meant that Dean was still able to be punished by the Men of Letter's for any crimes he's committed, and interacting with hunters without permission or working cases without orders from the elders were both against the rules. However Dean would get off easy compared to Bobby if the Men of Letter's find out what they were doing. The Men of Letter's were pretty good at keeping to their bunkers and chapter houses but when they felt their secrets were at risk of being exposed they would act fast and without mercy to protect them. Being around Dean was a danger to Bobby, something Dean hadn't really stopped to consider until now. Dean also didn't really want to keep hiding from Bobby. "Bobby, I gotta tell you something." Dean admitted. Bobby gave him a confused look.
"Excuse me?" Bobby asked, looking confused. Dean took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself to tell Bobby everything.
"I didn't lie to you Bobby, I promise. My mother really is Mary Campbell." Dean said. He saw Bobby's expression turn from confusion to a mix of suspicion and maybe disappointment. "My dad is John Winchester, a region commander of the Men of Letter's." Dean said. He waited a moment to see how Bobby would react.
"Balls!" Bobby cursed after a moment. He looked at his beer before pushing it away and standing up. He stormed over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass before turning to another cupboard and taking out a bottle of whiskey. Dean watched him open the bottle and pour a generous amount in his cup before drinking nearly half of it in one go. He gave Dean a hard look. "Talk." he ordered.
"Bobby, I wasn't trying to lie to you…" Dean started.
"You just forgot to mention that yer daddy is a Men of Letter's." Bobby snapped. Dean gave a small shrug.
"And my grandfather Henry Winchester is an elder and the one credited with banishing Abaddon." Dean admitted. After all if he was going to come clean, he would tell Bobby everything. Dean had remembered hearing the story from a few of the Men of Letter's in the past. In 1958 the demon Abaddon had started attacking a number of Men of Letter's chapter houses. When she reached Normal Illinois' house, it was the day of Henry Winchester's initiation. When she made the attempt, Henry had managed to banish her away and save the organization from the threat. The Winchester family was already a well-known and important family to the Men of Letter's, having been one of the first families to establish the American Chapter back when the America's were just being settled. Henry being able to banish a night of Hell while not even an initiated member though had made him almost legendary.
"What kind of friggin' star were you born under?" Bobby asked, giving Dean a stunned look. Dean thought for a moment before shrugging. That was an excellent question. Dean gave Bobby the best smirk he could manage.
"Guess I'm just one of a kind." he said. Dean's smile quickly slipped away though. "Look Bobby, the Men of Letter's can be a real piece of work, so I'll understand if you decide you don't want anything else to do with me." he said. Dean hoped Bobby wouldn't cast him away, that Bobby would still want Dean around, but Bobby didn't owe Dean anything. Dean had probably just become more trouble than he was worth. Bobby looked at his drink and finished it with one swallow. He opened the whiskey bottle again, filling the glass a second time before taking another long drink. He then just stood there, staring at the alcohol in his glass. Dean shifted his weight from one foot to another, waiting for the ax the swing. He almost yelled at Bobby to give him a decision, to just tell him and get it over with.
"Well, I'm guessin' you want to stay off the Men of Letter's radar then. Going by Campbell's gonna make that jus' about impossible and Winchester ain't gonna work either. We'll have to figure out some other name to call ya." Bobby said after a few moments. Dean blinked in surprise. That wasn't what he was expecting and he wasn't fully understanding Bobby's response.
"What?" he asked, more as a reaction than anything. Bobby looked up at him.
"I'm not sure yet. Guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Bobby said. Dean realizes that he thought Dean was asking for details of his plan when Dean was actually just asking that Bobby wasn't going to cast him aside. Bobby scoffed at Dean's face. "Don't look so surprised you idjit. I don't go looking fer trouble but I'm not gonna cower away from it when it comes 'round." Bobby said. Dean was still in awe. "Besides, what would you do if I told you get lost? Probably go off and get yerself killed." Bobby added before finishing off the drink. Dean couldn't help but grin.
"You're not gonna regret it Bobby." he said. Bobby just rolled his eyes.
Well here we go, chapter 2. I am actually having fun with this and I really hope you all like it. I am still working, one the positions in life labeled 'essential' but I've been trying to write while at home. I will try to update at least once a week. I wanted the whole Men of Letter's thing to get out pretty early, so there it is. Hope you like.