The Guard Changed at Dawn

Chapter Two

Sam walked off his Southwest short haul flight from Louisville, Kentucky to New York to see James' smiling face waiting for him. An identical grin, dimple included, split his own face.

"Uncle Sam!" James Murphy Winchester called out exuberantly, as though Sam hadn't seen him right away. Sam chuckled and shook his head.

He no longer felt the small jolt of shock when he saw his nephew. Sam knew James' features were his mother's, but when combined with nearly black hair and Dean's strong, square jaw line, he looked so much like a young John Winchester. Sam remembered the first time the resemblance had hit him.

He, Caleb and James had been on a hunt. Caleb was teaching his godson about how to clear out a house to prevent a spirit from returning as a poltergeist. After the pair swept the second floor, James had clamored lightly down the stairs, landing like a cat at the bottom. Shotgun held loose but ready in his hands, he'd asked, "This floor cleared?"

Sam had blinked. It was one of the very few times James had sounded like John. Suddenly the black hair, square jaw line and dark eyes took Sam back in time and he'd almost snapped to attention and declared, Yes, Sir, before he caught himself. But the moment passed immediately when James grinned and declared he and Caleb had been awesome in clearing the upper floor.

Of course, looks was where the resemblance to the John Winchester he knew ended spectacularly.

One of the things Sam loved about this next generation of Winchesters was seeing character traits of John, Dean and himself as well as Caleb come out. James was as inquisitive as he had been when he was younger. When answering his nephew's endless questions growing up, Sam always found himself wondering how in the world Dean had mustered the patience to deal with him in his younger years. James' queries were endless!

And he liked attention. Sam knew he'd been like that when he was young, always wanting the attention for himself. He'd thought that was because growing up, he'd always had Dean's sole focus. Now he realized that's just who he was. He'd found everything interesting and exciting as a child, and had demanded everyone share his enthusiasm and include him in every situation in his fear he'd be missing out on some new experience. While the trait may have been curtailed by John and their need to keep out from under the watchful eye the Child Protective Services, in James it was a wild, raging fire. As a child, he was always clamoring for attention. It had taken some unfortunate situations growing up for James to realize that the world didn't revolve around him, but he'd made it through.

"Uncle Sam!" James exclaimed again, giving Sam a huge hug.

Unlike his brother and Max, James just barely tipped six foot. JT had passed his father and stood at six-two like his Grandfather John and his friend Max. Ryker was a tree like his own father at six-four. None had reached Sam's height, but James was the shortest and hated it. Though he still hoped he'd get a late spike in the growth department, he was resigned to being the shortest of his proposed Triad.

"James," Sam said heartily, smiling. "How are you?"

"Great!" James declared, grabbing Sam's overnight bag from his hand and falling into step with his uncle. "The internship at Ames Industries is amazing. Great granddad would be so proud! It's a terrific company. I'm learning so much."

"Do you miss choosing to take a year off for the internship instead of going directly into the MBA program?"

"Naw," James said. "Lot's of MBA candidates take a year or two off to get some solid work experience before they enroll."

"Been thinking about where you want to get yours?"

"Sort of," James said, shifting the bag to his left hand so he could maneuver around a family pushing a cart full of luggage. "I thought I might go a more specialized route: getting my Master's in business information technology or entrepreneurship."

Sam slowed his gait. "You've wanted an MBA since before high school. Why the change?"

James shrugged. "The MS programs have a shorter duration than the MBA, so I could finish faster."

Sam tugged his nephew out of the flow of humanity near the terminal doors. "Why the rush? What's up?"

"How about we get to the car and get something to eat. I'll explain everything."

Forty-five minutes later Sam and James were seated in the crowded dining room of Don Peppe, a New York family style eatery that had been around since 1968. Sam had eaten here often, as it was close to the airport. Since it was a cash only café, Sam always made sure he had plenty of greenbacks on hand.

"You want the linguine with white clam sauce?" James asked, knowing Sam's preferences for when they ate at Don Peppe.

"Yeah, and you fettuccine al prosciutto?"

James grinned.

After the waiter had taken their orders and dropped a large basket of bread on the table, Sam said, "Tell me about the MBA."

James tore off a piece of bread stick and tucked it in his mouth. He chewed for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. He'd been mulling over what he wanted to do for months, but hadn't really taken the step to put it into words. Swallowing, he took a sip of his water before starting. "All through high school and college, I wanted to get an MBA. Not just for the title, but for the prestige." He threw Sam a quick grin. "You know how I like to show off."

"Not only to show off," Sam laughed, because he did know his nephew. "You just never underestimate your abilities."

James laughed. "Yeah, no fear of that here. Anyway, it's what I always wanted until I actually began to think about the future." He took another small bite of bread. "I'm the prospective Scholar of the Brotherhood. That's a big job."

"Mac worked outside the Brotherhood and so do I."

"Yeah, but there were years when Grandpa Mac wasn't able to do anything but work for the Brotherhood."

"Jimmy," Sam interjected. "That was during a very tumultuous time. Your grandpa John and Pastor Jim had been killed. Hundreds of demons were roaming the earth. There was unrest in the Brotherhood and we hadn't become the Triad yet. Mac stepped back from his research and his work with the FBI because he was the sole remaining member of his Triad. When you take on the role of Scholar, we will be there to help with the transition."

"Yeah, I know. But the Brotherhood is important; what we do in the Brotherhood is important. With an MBA, my future income would be greater, but the number of MBAs awarded since the 1970's has increased seven-fold. While still prestigious, there are alternative Master's programs that are more relevant in today's business world. And as I'm already in line for the CTO or CEO of Ames Industries anyway, due to my grandpa and godfather connections…" James paused and grinned.

Sam smiled and gave a rueful shake of his head. His family's Godfather obsession was still alive and well.

"My thought is;" James continued, "do I need to invest the expense and time into getting a traditional MBA, or would an alternative be a better option. Less time in school, less money spent. I can get a Master's of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, or an MS in Information Technologies. If I became the Chief Technical Officer of Ames Industries, before CEO, I mean," he said cheekily, "I'd be able to make sure the company technology-related decisions align with our business goals. Both MS options would be advantageous to Ames Industries and would take less time in school."

Just then the waiter brought two clean pasta plates and silverware to the table, placing the dishes in front of both men. Another waiter followed with two large pasta bowls, one filled with Sam's linguine and the other with James' fettuccine. A third waiter took away the half empty bread basket and replaced it with a full one. After their water glasses had been topped off and Sam's coffee cup warmed, the pair were left to fill their plates and continue their conversation.

Sam enjoyed a couple bites of his linguine and white clam sauce before he swallowed and said, "I understand the tug-of-war inside between the path of the Brotherhood and of school. When Mac gave me my ring, I felt like I was being pulled between two worlds. I wanted college more than anything, and ended up leaving everything I knew and loved to pursue that dream. You don't have to do that. The Brotherhood isn't going anywhere; we're not going anywhere. Your dad wants you to pursue all your dreams and ambitions. It's not the Brotherhood and nothing else."

"It was for dad," James said quietly. "It is for JT."

"Your dad wants different for you. He wants you to have balance in your life, not like when he was growing up. And JT's path is different for other reasons, not lack of choice. He was pursuing college until he got drafted into the Paw Socks, and he played minor and major league baseball for several years. It was Sydney's death that changed things for him."

James sighed. "Yeah, I know."

The two men ate in silence for several minutes. Finally Sam said, "I can't tell you what to do or which path is right. Only you can decide that. And whichever path you chose, you know me and your dad will be with you all the way. I don't know how long you've been thinking about changing up your post-graduate plans. All I ask is that you think carefully before giving up something you've wanted for such a long time. Plans can change. Just make sure the changes are made for the right reasons."

James nodded.

The conversation turned to other things while the two finished their food. Finally Sam stood and dug into his wallet, pulling out several bills. He dropped them on the table, saying, "So, you still want to go over your college choices for either your MBA or MS degree?

Grinning, James said, "Definitely."

Author's Notes:

This chapter was short and I didn't want to make the reader wait an entire week for only a few pages. But don't get used to the chapters being this short!