---Well, the next chapter is up, sorry it took longer than usual to post this one. Computer troubles abound. But here it is. One more chapter to go after this. Again, thank you for all of your reviews throughout this story. They're what encourage me to write.

Chapter 5: Permission Slip/ Pushing Away

It was just a permission slip. A stupid piece of paper. A damn signature. To John, it was nothing. But he didn't understand how much it meant to Sam. No, he didn't take the time to understand.

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John was furious when he got the call. He'd been on a week long hunt when he received a call from Sam and Dean's school. At least he was supposed to be on a week long hunt.

The school requested a conference with John. Something about a forged signature. John told the school that he was on an important business trip, but the school brought up the fact that the last three times a meeting was requested, John was on a "business trip." He was surprised at the tone that the conversation took when they told him that thirteen-year-old and seventeen-year-olds who were still in school had no business being frequently left alone for days at a time. Worried that the school would get CPS involved, John reluctantly turned his truck around, promising the school he would be there in an hour. Whatever Dean did this time, there would be hell to pay when he got there.

John was surprised when he walked into the school office and found not only Dean, but Sam as well. Dean was sitting in a chair, arms crossed, with a familiar bored look on his face. Sam on the other hand was pacing back and forth with a worried look.

If John hadn't been so angry about his interrupted hunt, the sight would have been amusing. Dean was a good kid, but had been called into the principal's office a few times before, usually for some smart-ass remark he'd shot at the teacher without thinking. His attitude in the principal's office was always the same: bored, un-amused, ready to say anything just to get out of there.

But Sam had never been in trouble with the school before. Well, there was that one time. John remembered an eight-year-old Sammy, crying in the office, blood slowly coming from his nose. John asked what had happened. The principal at the school they went to at the time explained that a particularly rowdy, older child had been picking on Sam, threatening the younger boy for whatever money he had. When he said he didn't have any, the kid attacked Sam, punching him in the nose. Dean had quickly intervened and knocked the kid out. John remember arriving at the school and seeing Dean trying to calm down a still hysterical Sam, with the same calm look on his face that he was wearing today.

John laughed, remembered that Sam hadn't been crying because of his bloodied nose. No, him and Dean had had plenty of those before. Not to mention much worse injuries. Sam was crying because he thought he was in trouble. Even then, the kid couldn't stand the thought of disappointing an authority figure.

John brought his thoughts back to the present as he entered the room and Sam and Dean looked up at him simultaneously. The room was silent, until a large framed man with grey hair and a suit that looked overpriced approached John. "Mr. Winchester?" The man asked. John noticed the man absent-mindedly scanning him with an unsure look on his face. John knew he much look like nothing short of a hobo. He was wearing ripped cloths, still dirty from the hunt, and had a few bruises beginning to appear on his face. One thing was for sure. He didn't look like a damned businessman.

"Mr. Winchester," the man continued. "I'm Mr. Sheppard, your sons' principal," the man lifted his hand and John shook it. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting." John was silent. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're her."

Of course he was wondering why he was here. John's anger began to take hold of him. He was tired and hurting and had to cut a hunt short to meet with some over-dressed principal and deal with whatever stupid thing his boys had done.

"Dad," Sam spoke for the first time. "It was all my fault. Dean didn't-"

"Quiet Sam," John interrupted him, his voice harsh.

Mr. Sheppard spoke up again. "It seems your son Dean forged your signature on Sam's permission slip. His class was going to visit the local university."

John glared at Dean angrily. "He forged my signature?"

"That's correct," the principal continued. "Mr. Winchester, we take forgery very seriously here. I am going to see to it that both boys are punished, however seeing that this is Sam's first offense and he is usually quite pleasant at school, I may go a bit easier on him."

"Is that all?" John asked. He didn't see why the school had made such a fuss over him coming to see them right away. Sure his boys messed up, but couldn't it have waited until he got back?

"Actually, no. I would like to speak to you privately. If you two would kindly wait outside." Sam and Dean got up and left the room.

Here it came. "Mr. Winchester, please have a seat."

"Look, I appreciate you calling me down here, but I just got back from a business trip, I really am-"

"Mr. Winchester," Mr. Sheppard interrupted loudly, a new harshness appearing in his voice. "I'll be forward with you. I understand that you are a busy man, but Sam and Dean shouldn't-"

John was furious. "I know, they shouldn't be left alone for so long, but-"

"Mr. Winchester, please, I'm simply trying to state the fact that you seem to be gone often. The last few times we've requested a meeting with you, you've been out of town or,-"

Damn, this was gonna be a long day. John was barely listening to the words that were coming from the man's mouth. This wasn't the first time he'd been given this lecture. Every time he failed to come to some stupid meeting with the school, some principal or teacher would end up telling him how to raise his kids, saying how unhealthy it was that they were left alone, or how it was inconvenient for the boys to switch schools so often. He heard the same words every time. And every time his reaction was the same.

"Look, my boys are fine. Dean's seventeen and fully capable of watching Sam for a few days," John explained, his voice still raised. "As for the whole permission slip thing, I'll make sure they're punished. They won't pull something stupid like that again."

Before the principal had time to react, John stood up and left the room, letting the door close behind him. He walked outside to where Sam and Dean were sitting, not saying a word.

"Dad, I'm-"Sam began.

"Get in the car." John was furious. The boys knew better then do something like this. They knew what was at risk. They knew how much trouble John could get in for leaving them alone for so long. John got in the car and quickly drove home, not speaking the entire way.

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"You interrupted a hunt!"

"I'm so sorry to be an inconvienince for you!"

This had been going on for awhile now. John and Sam's usual screaming match. John still didn't know what had really happened for the boys to get in trouble. But he didn't care right now. He was angry. Really angry.

"Now I've got to start over. Find the damn thing all over again," John's voice was harsher and louder than it had been all day. "And besides that, you risked the school getting CPS involved. Do you really want that to happen Sam?"

"If you'd just remembered to sign the damn slip it wouldn't have happened!" Sam was yelling. "Me and Dean wouldn't be in trouble and you could still be on your precious hunt. But once again, John Winchester is so obsessed hunting, that you forget all the other important things!" And with that, Sam stormed off outside.

John thought for a minute. Now he remembered Sam asking him to sign something before he left. He'd told the kid he would get to it before taking off. He hadn't remembered.

It was quiet in the motel room now. John looked at Dean, sitting on the bed, who'd been quiet since they left the school. His son's face had lost every bit of boredom it had shown earlier and had taken a serious look, a look that Dean rarely showed. John was still angry, but his voice had calmed, realizing his mistake. "And what do you have to say?"

Dean looked up and quietly said, "You're pushing him away."

John was taken back by his son's statement. John sat down on the bed opposite from Dean. He said nothing. It was just a damned permission slip. It was no big deal.

"It was important to him dad. You know what a geek he is. He was really looking forward to this trip."

"Son, I…" John was at a loss for words.

"I know I shouldn't have signed it for him, but he was really upset. Besides…," Dean looked up and John was relived that his face had lost a touch of the seriousness it had shown before. "it's not like it's the first time I've forged your signature."

John was glad for his son's attempt to lighten the mood. "You boys know better than to do something that could get you in trouble when I'm on a hunt. People get suspicious."

"I know dad, but…" Dean paused for a second. His voice was still serious. "Sam was right. I mean, you shoulda remembered to sign it before you left. We wouldn't be in trouble and the two of you wouldn't be fighting." John noticed the unease in his son's voice. Dean rarely talked down to him. But he was right.

John was quiet again. When neither of them spoke, Dean spoke up again. "I mean, you two are always fighting. I'm just worried that you're gonna-," Dean paused again. "I'm afraid you're gonna keep getting into these stupid fights and he's gonna leave. I mean, he has no problem storming outta' the front door, what do you think he's gonna do when he's eighteen and doesn't have to come back."

John thought about Dean's words carefully. They were true. John never had this problem with Dean. It was strange to him. Dean always listened to what John said, always followed his orders. Always. But when it came to anyone else, the boy didn't hesitate to misbehave. Sam on the other hand would never disobey a teacher; would never argue with an authority figure. But when it came to John, he didn't listen to a word that he said without feeling a need to argue about it.

"I'm really sorry dad," Dean said.

John sighed. "Just make sure the next time your forge my signature, you don't get caught." John smiled and Dean grinned back.

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The fight ended as it always did. John and Sam didn't talk for a few days. After numerous angry looks from Sam directed towards John and both of them refusing to speak to one another, things slowly slipped back into place. It wasn't the best way to fix there problems. Hell, they weren't fixing there problems at all. But it was just the way things worked.

John thought about his mistake. It was just a signature. John didn't see how such a little thing could cause so much trouble.He didn't purposely forget to sign the damn thing. He didn't see what the big deal was. But then he thought about Dean's words. He was pushing his son away. Slowly, but surely. John didn't know what to do. He couldn't find any common ground with his son. He couldn't find a way to fix it. But there was the hunt to think about. Right now, that's what was important.

---Well, thanks for reading. Reviews are always great. I'll get the last chapter up as soon as I can.