Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

Thank you to Soar for all her awesome beta work.

"Think, Sam, Dean's upset, he's hurting and feeling like he's been betrayed by everyone. Where would he go if he wanted to feel safe?"

Sam and John looked at each other and the both said in unison, "Bobby."

"Sam, you go and check us out and I'll pack up. I want to get to Bobby's as soon as possible," John commanded.

"Um, Dad, aren't you forgetting one very important thing?" Sam asked. "Dean has the car. How are we supposed to get there?"

"Don't worry, I've got you covered," Frank said. "I'm coming with you."

"I don't know if Dean will want to see you, Frank," John said honestly.

"I don't care. You said it yourself, John, I have to keep showing up. I don't care if he sees me or talks to me, I just want him to know I'm there. I'm going with you," Frank stated firmly. "Besides, you won't believe how fast that Ferrari goes. You guys pack and get ready to leave, I'll go get the car. I'll be back in thirty."

With that, Frank walked out the door before John or Sam could comment. Both Sam and John were worried about Dean, but they knew that Frank was right. He had to keep trying. Father and son packed up their belongings and checked out and were soon waiting for Frank out front.

"Dad, do you think this is a good idea, letting Frank to come with us?" Sam questioned his father.

"Yeah. With Dean, actions speak louder than words, you know that. If Frank keeps showing up, Dean may start to believe him."

"Dad, Bobby's place, remember the devil's trap on the ceiling, all those books about demons and other supernatural stuff in plain view? How are we going to explain that?"

"We'll worry about that later, Sam, the most important thing right now is to find your brother."

Sam looked at his father and his expression could have been read by a three year old, who are you and what did you do with my father? John knew that look well.

"Sam, I swear, I'm a changed man. Almost losing you and Dean opened my eyes. I can't lose either of you. Getting to Dean is my first priority right now and if that means Frank has to find out what we do, then so be it," John said with conviction.

"Christo," was Sam's only reply, a small grin appearing on his face at his father's digruntled expression.

Before John could comment, Frank pulled up in the Ferrari and they were soon off. John insisted on driving, stating that he knew where Bobby lived so it would make more sense. Frank agreed and reluctantly relinquished the driver's seat. Frank was about to get into the passenger seat, but Sam put his foot down and made Frank get in the back. There was no way he was attempting to compress his 6'4" frame into the Ferrari's miniscule back seat for the 12 hour drive. Given the guilt Frank was feeling over the entire situation, he agreed with a sigh. It was going to be a really long drive. John put the key in the ignition and they started out.

"Dad, should we call Bobby and let him know to look out for Dean?" Sam asked his dad.

"Dean has a few hours head start and with the 12 hour drive, I would wait another few hours. If Dean doesn't show up there, Bobby's going to worry," John explained.

"Maybe we should call Bobby and ask him to call us if Dean shows up there," Sam said.

"Do you really want to explain to him why we need to find Dean?" John asked.

"Good point," Sam conceded.

John and Sam had faced a lot of things that would have most people screaming, without flinching, but a pissed off Bobby was one thing that terrified both of them, especially if either of them had done anything to hurt Dean.

"Um, John, who is this Bobby person, and are you sure Dean would go to him?' asked Frank. He was confused. If they were so sure that was where Dean was headed, it would make sense to call him and give him a heads up that Dean may show up there.

"Bobby is a good friend of ours. I trai... um, worked with him. He owns a salvage yard. We lived on his property for about a year and he has a real soft spot for my boys and you don't mess with them, Dean in particular," John explained. "Bobby has a protective streak toward him, much like Dean has toward Sam."

"Hey, Frank, hope you don't have a bad back," Sam said mysteriously.

Frank was even more confused when Sam refused to elaborate. John grimaced, thinking of his own back. He knew what Sam was talking about.

"Good thing its summer," John replied, leaving Frank to wonder what the hell they were talking about.

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Later that same afternoon, Margaret Jackson entered the Wichita Golf and Country Club with her friend, Winifred Butler. She had managed to cover for Frank the night before and told her guests that something had come up and that Frank had to leave. She didn't think Frank had been serious when he had told her to leave. He wasn't in his right mind and she was pleased with herself that she had removed the threat to her social standing.

She had called Winifred and asked her to join her for lunch at the club. Winifred agreed. She was also pleased when Margaret informed her that Dean had left town. Despite the fact that Frank's grandson was nowhere in her league, Tabbi was still upset that he had turned her down. Now that he was gone, she could go about finding someone worthy of her granddaughter.

"It is the most beautiful day outside, is it not, Winifred?" Margaret said greeting her friend.

"Yes, it most definitely is, Margaret darling," answered Winifred.

The two were seated and gave their orders to an attentive waiter and continued to gossip about everyone in the room. Then, Margaret spotted Paul Ames coming in.

"It's such a shame about what happened to his sister-in-law and her husband. That poor little boy. The Connells were such good people."

"Yes, they belonged here."

"Margaret, Winifred, it's good to see you," greeted Paul as he spotted them and came over to greet them.

"Hello, Paul. How are you?" Margaret returned the greeting.

"I'm doing okay. Things are still a little rough, but we're hanging in there," Paul said.

"Where's Michelle?" inquired Winifred.

"She took Steven to the movies."

"That poor boy," said Margaret.

"Hey, Paul, we have to get going or we'll be late for our tee time," a voice called to Paul.

"Coming, Mike," he answered. He turned back to the two ladies. "Oh, by the way, Margaret, Michelle gave me instructions that if I ran into you or Frank, I was to tell you to give that grandson of yours a great big hug from her and Steven. Ever since Dean talked to him in the restaurant the other day, he seems to be doing better. Today's the first day since his parents were killed that he asked Michelle to take him somewhere. He even slept in his own bed last night. Make sure to tell him thanks for me too."

They exchanged polite goodbyes as Paul departed. There was no way he could be talking about that boy, Margaret thought. Paul and Michelle were the right type of people, they couldn't have felt that way about someone who was so far beneath them.

They finished their lunch and as they were walking out the door, they ran into another friend of theirs, Neil Woods. He too greeted the ladies.

"Neil, it's so good to see you. How are Sherry and the kids?" Winifred greeted the newcomer.

"They're good, thanks. Margaret, how was your trip?"

"It was refreshing," Margaret answered tightly. She was still bitter that she'd had to come home early.

"I met your grandson at the auction last week. Could you give him a message for me?" Neil asked.

Margaret cringed. She had a feeling the boy had embarrassed her somehow. "Certainly," she said, even though she had no intentions of doing so.

"Tell him thanks for me. My car had this strange rattle and he gave me a tip on how to get rid of it. It worked great."

"I.. uh.. I will. It was good to see you, Neil," Margaret stammered. This couldn't be right. There was no way these people could have felt this way.

"Really, I thought Paul and Neil had class," Winfred said indignantly.

Thank God one person had still managed to maintain their sanity. "I agree, Winfred dear, we have seriously misjudged them. I think we should limit our contact in the future."

"I do agree, Margaret darling. Would you care to accompany me on a shopping expedition? I saw the cutest outfit I want to buy for my Tabbi."

"Oh, yes, I do enjoy a good shopping trip."

Margaret and Tabbi left the restaurant and went to the stores. During the course of their outing, they ran into two more people Frank and Dean had met during their time together. One had also met Dean at the auction and wanted to pass on his gratitude to Dean as well. He had been debating between two cars at the auction and Dean had run down the stats of both, and the pros and cons of each car. It had allowed him to make up his mind about which one to buy and he hadn't regretted it. The other was a business woman who had worked with Frank.

Frank had taken Dean to his old office to introduce him to everyone and she had been there to pick up a file to take home with her. Her 10 year old daughter had been with her and had developed a major crush on Dean when she met him. The thing was, her daughter had been born with a facial deformity and was very self conscious. It would have been very easy for him to laugh it off, as others had done, but the way he handled the situation had made her cry. She said that Dean had treated her daughter with nothing but respect and told her that he didn't deserve someone as pretty as her. She said that for the first time in her life, her daughter had truly believed that she was pretty. She wanted to add her thanks to the growing list.

Margaret just said that she would pass on the words. She was beginning to doubt her own mind. She couldn't have been wrong about Mary's boy could she? No, it wasn't possible. She was very glad to get home that afternoon. It had been a very bizarre day.

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Dean, meanwhile, was driving down the highway. He wasn't really sure where he was headed. He just knew that he had to get away from everyone. His head was starting to feel like it was about to split apart and his shoulder was killing him. He had found it difficult to drive with his arm in a sling, so he had discarded it after he left the hospital. A few hours into his drive, he pulled over at a roadside diner for coffee, get his bearings, and determine where he wanted to go. Maybe he could get a newspaper and find himself a hunt. He wondered if his family even knew he was gone.

Probably not, he thought to himself. Then, even though he had tried to stop himself, he suddenly found himself overwhelmed by the memory of the day Sam told him he was leaving.

Dean had been in the kitchen of the run down apartment they were currently staying at, making dinner. Sam had approached him and showed him his letter from Stanford.

"I got in, Dean, full scholarship," Sam announced proudly.

"I always knew you were a big geek, Sammy," Dean answered.

Sam grinned. He knew that was Dean speak for I'm proud of you. "The thing is, Dean, I want to go."

"You know Dad will never let you."

"I don't care what Dad wants. I'm not a kid anymore, Dean. I want to live my own life."

"What about your responsibility to this family?" Dean asked.

"What, Dad and his crusade? Dean, we still don't even know what killed mom. I don't want to live this life forever. What I want, Dean, is your help. Will you help me tell dad?"

Dean hated it when his father and brother put him in the middle. He had always tried to remain neutral in all their arguments.

"Sam, I... I ah," Dean stammered.

"Just forget it," Sam snapped. "I should have known you'd take his side. God forbid you ever question the man." With that, Sam stormed out of the kitchen. Dean, not sure what to do, just turned back to the stove and finished with dinner.

John came home later that night and Sam told him about Stanford, and that led to the epic battle that ended with John throwing Sam out of the house. Sam repeated his earlier actions and stormed out of the house. A frustrated John, looking for someone to take his frustration out on, turned to his eldest and screamed, "This is your fault." He then left to go drown his sorrows and seek out the company of his friends, Jim, Jack, and Jose, leaving Dean standing there, looking like he had been physically slapped.

The next morning, Sam had shown up and began packing all his stuff and no matter what Dean said, he was leaving. He even refused Dean's offer of a ride to the bus station.

After Sam left, Dean went to go check on his father. At first, he thought his father had left him too when he wasn't in his room, but Dean breathed a sigh of relief when he found his dad passed out on the couch. When John woke up later, Dean was there as he always was, with a cup of coffee, aspirin, a hand on his dad's shoulder and those three words.

"It's okay, Dad."

Things had gone downhill from there. John was short tempered and snapped at Dean for the smallest things and Dean never seemed to be able to do anything right. It all came to a head a few months after Sam left.

Bobby had alerted John and Dean to a fear demon in the area and they were staying with him while they hunted it. Bobby had been surprised when he saw Dean. He had resembled that frightened, insecure seven year that Bobby had first met. He had taken Dean under his wing back then and Dean had flourished under the attention.

The first time they took on the demon, it hadn't gone well for the Winchesters, and the demon had gotten to Dean. John had had to abandon the hunt and get Dean out of there. In a bad mood and looking for a fight, he took everything, all his fears and frustrations about Sam being gone, on Dean. Dean could still recall every word his father said to him that day.

"I am so disappointed in you, Dean. You know these things read minds and will do anything to get to you. You have to suck it up and be strong. It's a good thing Sam wasn't here to see that pathetic display. How could you have protected him if you were cowering in a corner? I didn't raise you to be weak and that's what you showed tonight, weakness. I need to know I can rely on you and with the way you acted tonight, how can I? How can I trust you to be the back up I need?" With that, John turned to his son. The look on Dean's face stopped John cold. John couldn't come up with a word to describe it. It was beyond a combination of devastation and defeat. John could see Dean's eyes filling with tears and watched as Dean tried desperately tried to stop them from falling. He did something he had never done before. He turned his back on his father and walked out of the house.

Bobby had found him sitting in the Impala but didn't make him talk. He just sat beside him and was there for when Dean needed him.

Dean startled and almost spilled his coffee. His mind flashing onto different memories

Bobby patiently explaining to a seven year old Dean how a carburettor worked and the different tools used to fix it.

Bobby sitting beside his hospital bed before his heart surgery and telling him it was okay to cry if he was scared, no matter what his Daddy said.

Bobby sitting by his bed after his heart surgery, trying to keep the seven year old occupied to keep his mind off the pain he was in.

Bobby giving him the necklace he wore religiously, right before his first hunt. Telling him it was okay if he was a little bit scared.

Bobby flying out to visit him when he was 13 and in the hospital with a punctured lung. Once again, letting him get his fears out when the lung ended up having to be surgically repaired.

Bobby flying out to attend his high school graduation.

Bobby being with him after the accident and making sure that the Impala was repaired when most would have sold it for scrap.

That's when Dean realized that he did have someone in his life that he could count on. Bobby. Suddenly overwhelmed by a desire to see his friend, he checked his map and was somehow not surprised when he found himself already headed there. He paid the bill and drove straight through to Bobby's home.

He pulled up to the house and hesitated before getting out. Bobby wouldn't tell him to leave would he?

You know he wouldn't, Dean. Stop it.

Dean walked up to the door and knocked. It was answered shortly and Bobby was visibly shocked when he saw Dean standing there, especially since he saw no sign of Sam or John.

"Hey, Bobby, thought I'd stop by. Hope that's okay?" Dean asked tentatively. His confidence was still shaken.

Bobby took one look at the young man before him and knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Course it's okay, Dean. You're welcome anytime, you know that," Bobby replied, all the while wondering what the hell John had done this time.

He opened the door and invited Dean inside. Instinct told him not to push.

"What happened to you?" he asked, noticing the bruise and stitches in the young hunter's forehead and the way he was favouring his left arm.

"Angry spirit," Dean explained. "I'm fine."

"Of course you are. Sit down and let me take a look. I want to make sure those stitches don't get infected. What happened to you arm?" Bobby asked, concern making his voice gruff.

"Dislocated shoulder," Dean replied shortly.

"Isn't that supposed to be bound?" Bobby asked with brows raised.

"Yeah, just hard to drive that way," Dean explained.

"Hold on," said Bobby as he got his first aid kit. Given that they were hunters, the first aid kits were better stocked than one would normally find.

"Where's Sam? Are he and John alright?" Bobby probed as he applied some antibiotic cream to the wound on Dean's forehead and bandaged it again.

"Sam's with Dad. I'm sure they're fine without me," Dean said, his gazed lowered to the floor.

"Do they know you're here?" Bobby asked.

"Probably don't even know I'm gone." Shut up, Dean. He told himself.

"I'm sure they noticed."

"Probably don't care," Dean countered bitterly. Dean, what the hell are you doing?

"That's not true and you know it, Jonathan Dean." It was the worst thing Bobby could have said to him.

"Stop it, don't call me that," Dean exploded once again.

"Talk to me please, son. Tell me what's wrong," Bobby pleaded.

"I'm not your son," Dean shouted and then then he seemed to deflate. "I'm sorry, I'd better go."

Bobby couldn't help but flinch when Dean said that to him. Since he'd first met John, these boys had become like his own sons and he often referred to them as such. The boys, and even John, had never batted an eye when he called them son. That's when Bobby realized that whatever had happened, it must have been big.

"Dean, sit. You're not going anywhere except to bed. If you don't want to talk that's fine, I can respect that. You're in no condition to drive anywhere right now though."

Bobby administered a painkiller to Dean and pulled another sling from the first aid kit and made him wear it, he then sent Dean to bed. Dean offered a token protest, but the truth was that he was exhausted and he really didn't want to leave. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Bobby watched as Dean slept, his mind racing at just what could have upset Dean so much. He decided to wait a bit before he called John. He needed to get his temper in check. He vowed to himself that if John was anywhere but on his way here, he was going to do a whole lot more than just aim his shotgun at him.

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Sam, John and Frank drove to catch up with Dean. They were about two hours away from Bobby's house when John's cell phone rang. John glanced at the caller ID and was both relieved and nervous when he saw Bobby's name.

"Hello, Bobby," John greeted.

"Johnny, what the hell did you do?" was Bobby's greeting.

"I didn't do anything," John tried to defend himself.

"If you didn't do anything, then why is your first born here wondering if you even noticed or cared that he was gone?" Bobby asked. He was never one to sugar coat things.

John swore. "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing, except he had a near melt down when I called him Jonathan Dean and called him son,"

"I'd rather explain in person," John said.

"You just better get your ass here now!! Got that, Johnny?"

With that, Bobby hung up on him.

"He sounds mad," Sam said helpfully.

"Understatement," was John's reply.

"I could hear him from here," Frank said, commenting from the back seat. Frank was glad that Dean had someone he could go to, but Frank was getting really nervous about meeting this other man.

A couple of hours later, they pulled into Bobby's drive way and all three walked up to the door like they were on their way to an execution. If they failed to give Bobby a satisfactory explanation, it probably would be, John noted to himself. He also didn't miss the two pillows and two blankets that were stacked neatly on the bench next to the door.

John gathered up his courage and knocked. Bobby answered and didn't bother to hide his surprise when he noticed a third man standing there.

"Hey, Bobby," John said wearily.

"Johnny, glad you could make it," Bobby said, but his tone didn't sound all that sincere.

"How's Dean?" John asked.

"Sleeping," Bobby answered. "You are?" he added addressing Frank.

"I'm Frank Jackson," He replied unsure as to whether he should say more.

The name sounded familiar to Bobby, but he couldn't quite place it. Frank took stock of the fact that Bobby made no move to invite them in.

"It's late, Bobby," Sam said. "Can we discuss this in the morning?"

"Good idea, because I'm not waking Dean. Wait here," Bobby said as he shut the door. He came back a couple of minutes later carrying a third blanket and pillow. He handed them to Frank.

"Good night," he said and shut the door on them once again.

John sat down on the bench and pulled a blanket and pillow toward him.

"Might as well make ourselves comfortable," said John.

"He must have figured out Dean's mad at me too," Sam said as he grabbed his own blanket and pillow.

"Wait, we're sleeping on the porch?" asked Frank in disbelief.

"Yup, we hurt Dean," was John's only explanation.

"That's what you meant when you asked about my back," Frank said as comprehension dawned.

"Yeah, just be thankful he gave us a blanket and pillow," explained Sam

"He must be getting soft in his old age," John said.

Frank just sighed and realized that they weren't kidding. This Bobby person was making them sleep on the porch. He sat next to Sam and tried to make himself comfortable. It had been a long day and it was going to be an even longer night.

TBC

Hoped you liked this chapter. Please read and review.

A/N I hope no one is disappointed that I didn't have Sam or John confront Margaret directly. I was going to write that scene, but I figured that given the way she feels about John, it really wouldn't matter what he had to say. I figured if people she respected and admired told her about Dean, it would have more of an impact.