Field of Deans – chpt 6.

by: sifi

--

"Wow! I am impressed son! You did a bang up job here!" Ray tussled the boys' hair while listening to a laundry list of chores he'd completed before lunch, "You must really wanna go to that carnival don't you?" he grinned.

"Yessir..." Justin nodded beaming a winning smile up at his dad, "... ma said you were meeting with the Sheriff this morning... did you find out anything?" he asked.

"Sorta," Ray winced pulling the other chair forward for the boy to sit in. Justin sat straight, his eyes, both the good one and the bad one focused on his, I swear it looks like he can see me with both of 'em... he thought while taking a deep breath.

"From all the records it looks like you were the youngest one in the accident, so the good news is that if you do have a baby brother it's most likely he wasn't in it..." he started watching the boys' eyes light up and a smile spread across his face.

"That's great!... did you find out where he is?" he asked, then as Ray shook his head, felt his mouth begin to turn downward, "...but pa if Sammy's with someone else then does that mean I won't get to stay here?" he asked watching Ray and Missy meet eyes over his head as another question crept forward, "...but nobody's come for me..." Ray watched the boy start to puzzle through the couple questions, "... what if they don't know I'm alive? What if..." what if they DO know I'm alive and just don't want me? "...but... maybe..." the words came haltingly, pulling alongside them the possibilities he didn't want to contemplate. "...could they maybe..." he looked at Ray, then at Missy whose eyes seemed a little glassy, "but why wouldn't they want me? Am I bad? Did I do something wrong?" he asked swallowing hard, his rear moving toward the edge of the chair.

"No son! Don't be silly now... you're a wonderful boy! No one could ask for a finer son!" Ray grasped his shoulder gently, his hand half cupping the boys' chin as Missy crouched beside him, her hand on his back then stroking his hair.

"No honey, you didn't do anything wrong..." she soothed.

He felt stinging prickles in the corners of his eyes and a tangy heat in the back of his throat that made his words tremble as they came out, "...then why don't they want me?" he asked sliding off the chair, moving between Missy and Ray out into the main hall entryway where he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.

Shiny twisted patches of satiny looking skin caught his good eye. One of them was droopy, looking like wax that was partly melted, but the couple lines of bright pink where his skin had been sewn back together weren't so bad. Neither was the pink shiny patch on his forehead by his hairline where the burn was finally starting to blend in. It's different... but it's not so scary... why wouldn't someone want me? He inspected the lines, the suture dots and the shiny patch again, then looked closely at the droopy eye, it's just a little bit down... not so much... and the eye looks normal, it was the same face he saw every time he washed it, or his hands, or combed his hair, it was the only reflection he knew, ...but maybe there's something wrong with it. He leaned forward peering into the green eyes staring back at him then shook his head, no... it's not so bad... so it must be me... I must've done something bad... maybe I did it? Maybe I made the accident happen? His eyes darted back into the kitchen where Ray and Missy sat watching him, waiting.

"Did I make the accident happen?" he nearly whispered, terrified of hearing that he might have somehow done something so bad that had hurt so many people that maybe the ones he came from didn't want him anymore.

--

"... so BUCK told you that?" Tommy shook his head, frowning with just a bit of wonderment.

"Uh huh..." Shep nodded.

"I don't get it though... how come in all the years since... I mean it's what? Twenty seven years since it all happened... and it's not like the area doesn't get its fair share of traffic... I mean there IS a mini-mart right there... so how come no one's ever gone missing or said anything about walking onto a farm or anything?" he asked.

"Maybe the timing wasn't right, or the circumstances... we don't know Tom, but it's the only lead we have," the elder hunter shook his head.

"Well IF Buck is right and there's some kind of... I can't believe I'm going to say this, 'time portal' laying over the area you're gonna need all the eyes you can get to help you find Dean before time runs OUT and the portal closes... We really don't have time to find someone else to watch the munchkin here..."

"No! You're staying here with him! I'm not going to put both my sons in jeopardy!" John barked.

"... and what if this portal closes with you both, and Cal and Ryan inside? Huh? have you thought about that? Last I remember from Star Trek and stuff, you can't just climb out of a time portal, there ARE no ladders through time!" Tom shouted then quieted himself quickly as the baby's eyes shifted to him and his mouth bowed down.

"Dean my home..." he mumbled tiredly looking up into his daddy's face.

"You got that right kiddo... we're gonna go bring your big brother home, now can you be a good boy for Tommy while we go find him?" John asked.

"Dean got uh oh in the grass... I good boy, find daddy..." he babbled reaching up to squeeze John's nose.

"Yessiree bub... you be a good boy for Tommy so daddy can go find Dean okay?" he kissed his little boy's questing fingers.

"Mmkay," he grinned as John took the hand into his mouth with a playful growl making his little boy light up and smile hugely.

--

Never in his life, that he was aware of, had he seen anything so beautiful or spectacular as the fairgrounds before them. Ray and Missy were both ready to go by the time he'd finished dressing and combing his hair, all the uncertainty of the morning left on a shelf for the time being.

Pulling out of the long driveway that led to the farm proper Justin's eyes squinted at the heavy line of cottony soft white that seemed to mark the edge of the Marshall property, "That's some pretty thick fog pa..." he muttered sandwiched between Missy and Ray.

"Well inland fog doesn't move too much son, but don't you worry, the carnival will be clear as a bell!" Ray smiled then winked at his wife, "Mmm I can smell the corndogs already!"

"Corndogs? and Cotton Candy?" Justin smiled nearly bouncing in the seat, his new blue jeans sharply starched and creased with their cuffs rolled up just enough to keep 'em from dragging the ground, "Can we have both pa?"

Ray pursed his lips thoughfully, "Hmmm both huh? I don't know if that'd be such a good idea... what do you think mother?" he glanced at his wife once more while noting his boy's head turn toward her, his eyes shining wide with hope while he nearly glowed with anticipation.

"Hmmm that's an awful lot of rich food for a young man... could wind up with a bellyache... oooh then there's the rides, all that spinning and bouncing around... could make a young man feel quite poorly..." she mused.

"It won't! I promise it won't! I'll feel fine! Can I ma? Please?" he nearly begged.

Missy chuckled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders then planted a kiss at his temple, "We'll see dear..."

"Aww ma! Please? I'll be good! I won't get sick I promise!" he came close to pouting but didn't quite achieve it, something inside told him his parents were more likely than not, playing a game.

"Well what's a carnival weekend without a bit of overindulgence mother?" Ray asked wryly.

In the span of a heartbeat both parents realized they'd lost their boys' attention, his eyes were fixed straight ahead through the windshield as the Ferris Wheel turned against the darkening backdrop of clear blue skies, the lights pulsing and flickering, beckoning them forward like some visual siren song. Then came the music, the hollow tin-ish piping of a calliope that brought to mind capering clowns in garish makeup with loud honking horns that blew confetti into happily startled faces. Last to find its way into the open windows was the distinct scent of warm soft pretzels, salty buttered popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, people and large animals of the four legged variety.

"Will they have an elephant we can ride?!" Justin asked suddenly.

"An Elephant?!" Missy questioned.

"Yeah! it smells like an elephant butt! Have I ever been on an elephant before?" he asked not quite registering how much difficulty his parents were having trying to hold back their laughter.

"I didn't even know you'd smelled ones butt before!" Ray held back his guffaw as he slowly pulled the truck into a spot in the field and put it into park just as Missy too burst out laughing with her hand over her mouth.

Justin looked from one to the other, his smile huge and slightly confused, after all he didn't see what was so funny, he just wanted to ride an elephant and something told him that some carnivals HAD elephants to ride.

--

"But I don't understand..." John shook his head, looking at each of the four men standing with him in the mini-mart parking lot.

Cal and Ryan looked at each other first then at Shep and Buck, Ryan shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Look man, just shut the pie-hole and let the professionals do what's gotta be done to save your kid's ass okay?" he grumbled watching the six foot three inch frustrated father move into his space, his scowl fearsome.

"I told you if you're going to be a prick Ryan you might as well go home," Caleb stood forward, maneuvering his brother away from the irate friend of Sheps, "He hasn't been laid in a while so he's a little cranky," Cal offered with a crooked smile, his matter-of-fact explanation effectively breaking the quickly building tension.

"Screw you dick head..." Ryan scowled grabbing his little brother around the neck, bending him forward for a vicious nuggie.

"You wish..." Caleb sneered sliding out from his big brothers' grip and shoving him toward Buck and Shep. Ryan may have been older, but Caleb was clearly bigger and stronger, and more accustomed to hunting the things that go bump in the night.

The younger brother turned to face John, "Sorry man... listen what you need to know about what's gonna go on here... whatever that thing was that took Dean, THAT is what opened the portal, this isn't about US breaking some universal laws or anything, BUT, the risks are real, that portal closes with us on 'the other side' we're screwed, but on a positive note, Tommy'll take great care of your little guy... my opinion? You should stay here, let us go get your boy," he offered.

John's head waggled back and forth, "He won't go with you, he won't go with anyone who isn't me..."

"Dude, he's what six...?" Caleb asked.

John nodded, "Yeah."

"Yeah, so slinging him over my shoulder ain't a big deal," Caleb smiled easily.

"No," John shook his head again, his features set and determined, "We're not gonna get trapped, I'm bringing my son home."

Caleb threw a look over his shoulder to Shep, Buck and Ryan, all of whom nodded their understanding, "Okay then let's see about leaving the door unlocked, Buck, take us to where it happened, that'll be the entryway," he explained to John.

With a terse nod of the head and a meaningful look in the spotlight from the side of the mini-mart Buck Forester led the way into the field that had once been part of the Marshall farm, to the site of a tragedy time would not allow to be put to rest.

--

"Hey now what's the matter Sammy?" Tommy crouched before the sobbing two year old where he stood on his knees, his chest to the motel room door, one hand in his mouth, the other trying to get a grip on the knob.

"Dean... wan'Dean uh oh... daddy... get daddy..." he sniffed brokenly between his gasping sobs then fisted both hands and began to pound the door as hard as he could, his face twisted and red as he shrieked in his piercing two year old voice, alternately for his brother and father.

This isn't right... Tom thought shaking his head. He reached out for the child, his hands closing around his torso but to his surprise Sam Winchester slapped them away before turning his attention to the door once more.

"Daddy! Daddy! Dean uh oh! Play hide... Dean go bye bye to grass! Daddy get Dean!" he screamed until he choked, coughing, leaning hard against the door, bouncing his head against it while his shirt caught tears and sniffles and his tiny little fists started to throb.

"Your dad's gonna get your brother, he's gonna get Dean and bring him home Sammy it's okay... really they're gonna be fine!" Tom tried to ration, Yeah, rationing with a two year old... but something's wrong... I wish he could just tell me... "Sam? Sammy look at me..." he urged softly catching sight of the little boy's eye flick to his face.

"I know you're scared for your brother right?" he started watching the baby's head bob up and down in agreement, "You know your dad went to go and bring Dean back home right?"

He nodded again, turned and patted his chest, "MY home! My Dean!... got uh oh... go bye bye..." he sighed deeply, his mouth bowing down, "Bye bye, no Dean... my Dean no more..." he slid down the door onto his butt, his hand slid into his mouth and his eyes looked into somewhere Tom couldn't see as he started to rock back and forth while tears rained steadily from his chin to soak his t-shirt.

"No one's going to let anything happen to your brother Sam..." Tom whispered against the ice that was climbing up his spine.

Sam looked once more into the cornflower blue eyes, smacked the door with one hand and asked, "Go?"

--

tbc.

Please R&R,

Thanks.

sifi.