This takes place after Sam and Dean have a run-in with a Black Dog in the local woods. Sam despite misgivings follows his brother into the woods and ends up being the one who shoots and kills the beast. John had been away on a hunt and has no idea that this took place. As I may or may not have mentioned these are excerpts from a larger story so I apologize when the chapters don't stand entirely alone.
Warning….John is very unhappy with a few of Dean's decisions.
Peer Pressure
The rift between the boys seemed to remain for the rest of the summer every so often in private it would surface.
"Dude you have to lighten up; what you did was awesome it was epic, I would be so thrilled if it had been me," Dean would say with excitement.
"That's you; besides you did have the kill shot. Dad knows something's up and I don't think I can lie about it if he asks," Sam spouted.
"That's funny since you had no problem letting me take the fall for you when you stole that knife."
"Dude that was years ago; I was like 6 and if you recall correctly I did come clean."
"Yeah finally," Dean responded.
"Whatever," Sam replied.
They had relocated once again and Sam had found school welcoming. The training schedule had been reduced to afterschool and it gave him the break he needed from Dean. He could still feel the gun going off in his hand the flash and the loud bang that made his ears ring. He could hear the thud of the animal crashing to the forest floor and he could still feel the fear that flooded his system. He carried that every day and he blamed Dean for it. Dean who went right on with his life like nothing ever happened; how could he just let these things go? He should've never followed him into the woods he should've just gone home by himself. Sam looked up to his big brother but there was no denying that they were two different people with two different outlooks on life.
Dean had found some new friends and also a welcome break from his little brother who was still carrying on about the summertime ordeal with the Black Dog. How could he still be hanging on to that? Dean had been the one that actually killed the creature and they had gotten away with it.
They were supposed to train after school but when Dean got home there was a note saying that something had come up and John wouldn't make it back in time.
Dean and Sam,
Gotta go take care of something. I won't make it make
in time for training. Get your homework done and stay at home.
There are hotdogs in the refrigerator for dinner.
And Dean I mean it, homework and do not go out. I'll be home late and will check on you both.
Love Dad.
Awesome Dean thought now he could meet Taylor and the rest of his friends after dinner. Dean took the note and crumpled it up and tossed it in the kitchen trash can.
"What was that?" Sammy asked.
"Just a note from Dad, he'll be home late," Dean told him.
"Cool, no training," Sam said as he collapsed on the couch.
After the hotdogs and chips were consumed Dean bid Sammy a farewell.
"You can't go anywhere; Dad said when he is out you have to stay home with me," Sam reminded his brother.
"Dude you'll be fine; besides I'll be back in like an hour or two," Dean said as he headed to the door.
Dean and his crew congregated around a local store until they were told to leave by the owner.
"We better go last time the old man called the cops," Jay said.
Dean was uncomfortable with this knowledge but followed along.
"I know where we can go," Kirsten said. "The museum, the window never locks right and we can slip right into the basement."
"What museum?" Dean asked as the rain began to fall.
"The Museum of Funeral Customs, all the exhibits are upstairs but they used to store some down in the basement. They even say the place is haunted," Shay commented in a spooky voice.
"Well if they say it's haunted maybe we shouldn't go in," Dean said.
"What are you scared? Look it's raining and I don't want to go home and I don't want to get wet. Are you in or are you a chicken?" Taylor asked.
"I'm in," Dean announced though totally unsure if this was the right decision.
The window in question had a broken latch and made it easy for the group to slip through.
"Why don't they fix the window?" Dean asked.
"They do, but somehow it breaks again," Kirsten said with a giggle.
"The door that leads to the upstairs where all the exhibits are is locked up tight and there isn't anything worthwhile down here anyway. It's just a place to hang where the cops won't look," Shay said.
Dean was thinking this might not be the best group to be hanging out with when Taylor pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her coat pocket and offered them to everyone. They all helped themselves.
"Take one Dean I won't charge you anything," she said. "Oh wait, you've never smoked before have you?"
"Sure I have but my dad found out and nearly killed me," Dean said sharing this untruth.
"My dad found out once too; nearly broke my nose," Shay admitted.
Dean was taken aback by that statement. He had suffered from physical punishments as well but nothing like that. He knew he had better air out well because if John smelled even a hint of smoke on his clothes he would be suffering from one of those physical punishments that very night.
After hanging out in the basement for a while the group decided it was time to head home. Dean was waiting with Taylor for their turn to climb through the window when they saw some movement from the corner of the room.
"What was that?" Taylor asked with uncertainty.
"I'm not sure but we need to go…now," Dean stated.
"Whoa that was a rush," Taylor announced to everyone. "Maybe it was the mysterious hand."
"What are you talking about?" Dean asked uneasily.
"There's this story that the museum had received an order from another museum. They were supposed to get this embalming table, but somebody left some body parts behind on the table namely one amputated hand. It was supposedly from a soldier from the Civil War. Anyway they planned on sending the hand back but when it came to package it nobody could find it. They say it is still in the basement and that the rest of the soldier comes around to look for it," Jay explained.
"Maybe that's what you guys saw; the hand or the man," Kirsten said in her best spooky voice.
"Yeah maybe," Dean joked uneasily.
When Dean got home Sam was sleeping on the couch with the TV on. Dean had a million images running through his head as he flipped the TV off.
"Dad?" a sleepy Sam asked.
"It's just me," Dean answered.
"You smell like a cigarette," Sam said yawning. "What time is it?"
"It's 10:00 we need to get to bed," Dean said.
"Where were you and what were you doing? You know Dad will kill you if he finds out you left me alone," Sam explained rubbing his eyes.
"Then don't tell him pipsqueak," Dean ordered.
Sam was brushing his teeth while Dean was in the shower. They both found the sheets just as John came in downstairs. Remembering that covering his tracks was important Dean had thrown his smoke smelling clothes into the washer and started it right before he had climbed into the shower.
They feigned sleep as John peeked into the room; satisfied that all was in order he quietly shut the door.
"You owe me," Sam told his older brother.
"Whatever," Dean responded.
"Where is your homework Mr. Winchester?" Dean's math teacher asked.
"I thought I had it in my backpack but I couldn't find it before class," Dean said hoping the complete lie would be accepted.
He hadn't done any of his homework last night and overslept giving himself no time to accomplish it in the morning.
On his way out of the class his teacher motioned for him to come over. "Dean your grade is slipping badly. You haven't been getting your work done and what you do hand in is sloppy and incomplete. I don't want to have to have a conference with your parents but I will if things don't improve."
"Okay, I'll try harder Mrs. Lawson," Dean told her.
"Dude don't kiss up to her," Shay said in the hallway.
Dean just shook his head and headed to his locker.
"What is the matter with you today?" John asked as they trained that afternoon. "You act like you have a piano tied to your waist."
"I'm tired I guess."
"Sam doesn't look good either what time did you go to bed?" John wanted to know.
"I guess it was too late sir," Sam offered. "I don't remember for sure.
Sam's answer wasn't what John wanted to hear, but the fact that he added sir gave John reason to leave it alone.
Dean was impressed with Sam's answer knowing that adding sir would make the old man back off.
Dean needed to get a hold of his father's journal and see if there was anything about severed body parts and the possibility of their spirits chasing them around. He wanted to tell John about the legend but then he would demand to know how Dean came to know of the lore and since Dean couldn't get a lie past his father he knew he would end up in a world of hurt; wanting to avoid all that he just kept his mouth shut.
The next weeks brought about more of the same; Dean hanging with his friends and getting into bad habits. Sam was left out of Dean's circle and was missing the camaraderie of his older brother.
John was cleaning the shotgun when the phone rang. It was Dean's math teacher.
"Mr. Winchester this Elise Lawson Dean's math teacher; I am calling to let you know that Dean has not been doing his work and is beginning to act up in my class. He seems like a good kid but I believe he has fallen in with the wrong crowd."
John listened patiently to her words and was quite unsettled when he hung up the phone. He and Dean would have a long talk after school.
At 3:30 Sam came through the door without Dean.
"Where's your brother?" John demanded.
"I don't know," Sam said as he began to rummage in the poorly stocked refrigerator.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Sometimes he doesn't meet me and I come home by myself," Sam said. It wasn't as if he wanted his brother in trouble but he was getting tired of Dean being gone all the time.
"Where does he go?" John asked his youngest son.
"I don't know Dad."
"Stay here and do your homework," John barked even though it was never an issue with Sam and homework.
John went trolling the streets in the Impala looking for his wayward son. He swung up one street and down the other. The longer the patrol went on the more upset he became. His original plans for the day were going to take him out of town for the afternoon giving his delinquent son opportunity to be out and about; unfortunately for Dean he had changed those plans after Mrs. Lawson called. Now his anger was building and Dean was going to be a sorry little boy. Dean was barely into his teen years and already John had had enough.
Dean was back in the basement with the others they were busy daring each other to walk into the corners and look for the mystery hand. Dean was getting the creeps but was trying hard to not let it show through.
"I heard from Michelle that her brother Matt was down here with his girlfriend a couple of days ago and now they are both really sick. Michelle said that Matt had bruises on his arms and legs and his girlfriend had bruises on her neck. She said that someone grabbed her and tried to strangle her," Taylor said.
"I saw her and she did she is so freaked that she refuses to come out of her room. Her little brother snapped a Polaroid and the bruises are huge. I'll bring the picture tomorrow," Shay said.
"They both have missed school so something is up," Kirsten said.
Dean was thinking that he was going to have to tell his dad about this regardless of the possible punishment. He was walking with his friends and had finally given in and smoked a cigarette here and there. It was one of those times that he had chosen to light up and it was then that he looked up and saw the Impala coming around the corner.
Dean just froze in pure panic as the car slowed down and came to a stop the passenger window rolled down revealing Dean's worst nightmare. His friends hadn't noticed and continued to walk. Shay turned to say something to Dean and it was only then he noticed that Dean had taken root several feet behind them.
"What's the hold up dude?" he asked.
The cigarette tumbled from Dean's mouth and hit the sidewalk in front of him. John only uttered 5 words, "get in the car now!"
"Oh man busted," Taylor said her eyes wide.
The group scurried off down the street leaving a petrified Dean to climb into the car.
The ride home was silent as John was busy practicing his deep breathing exercises in order not to blow his top. Dean just studied his shoes.
"Sam go to your room!" John barked loudly.
"But Dad I…" he began.
John turned and with fire in his eyes he glared at his youngest son. Sam turned and broke the record for stair climbing.
"Sit down!" John said in a tight voice.
"Dad I'm sorry, I was so stupid, but I have to tell you something," Dean began.
"No you need to shut up right now and listen to me," John stated. "I don't know what the hell you were thinking or how long you've been playing this game, but it is over, do you understand?"
"Yes, I…"
"Shut up Dean I just told you not to talk. I am so disgusted with you I don't even know where to start. You haven't been walking Sam home, you haven't been staying with him, you haven't been doing your school work but you have been smoking. Who are these kids you are hanging around with?"
"I just…"
"Shut up Dean, do not talk. You need to give your brother some credit because not once did he tell me of your adventures. I suppose the reason you have been washing the clothes every day was because they smelled like you do right now?"
Dean remained silent. "Answer me Dean," John yelled.
"Yes sir," Dean said tentatively. This was going to be a long horrible night he thought.
And it was; John ranted and yelled and then screamed some more. "I thought I could trust you; I know you are now a teenager but you know things those knuckleheads don't; isn't that exciting enough stuff that you don't have to smoke or sneak off? How are you going to do the job if you develop lung cancer from smoking? Damn it Dean what were you thinking?"
Dean remained silent having no idea if his father wanted an answer or not. John just continued. "You think you are a big man now making all kinds of adult decisions; well I'll be the first to tell you that you are still a little boy and since you have acted like one I will treat you like one."
Dean remained glued to the couch unable to move; but completely afraid of what was coming next. Other than being yelled at several times, a few groundings and many push-ups, sit-ups and laps he had been able to avoid his father's belt for quite a long time, but he knew that longevity had come to an end. What was scaring him the most was that John was still so angry; he usually gave himself a cooling off period before dishing out anything hands on; but tonight seemed to be heading towards an exception. As John grabbed Dean by the collar and brought around to the back of the couch thoughts began flying through his head; the first was at least his nose wouldn't be broken like Shay's and then he recalled how hard those chairs were at school.
"Grab the couch" John barked as he freed his belt from its loops.
Dean placed his hands on upright part of the couch and took a deep breath and tensed his entire body unsure if he could handle what was about to be dished out.
The first strike came hard, harder than he had ever experienced. He knew John not taking time to cool down was going to be an issue. He remained stoic but knew he wouldn't last if this intensity continued. The next blow was as hard as the first and a tear slipped from Dean's eye, but he stayed quiet. The next strike was even harder and it caused his knees to buckle. Dad had never ever hit him this hard he had no idea how much John had been holding back these last few years. The last two wallops caused a whimper to escape from Dean's mouth. When it became obvious it was over; Dean slowly turned towards his father who was looking anywhere but at his son.
"You will not be going to school tomorrow we have some catching up to do. Obviously we are not on the same page. Go to bed I will wake you in the morning," John said very quietly.
Dean turned and hit the stairs two at a time. He opened his bedroom door where a very worried Sam was waiting. He took one look at Dean's face and felt some of his brothers' pain.
"I'm sorry Dean, I didn't tell him anything," Sam said leaving out the part about him admitting to John that Dean hadn't been around much.
Dean hit the bed face first and let out the sobs he had been holding in.
"I'll get your pajamas from the bathroom," Sam offered. He came back with them in hand and kneeled down next to Dean's bed with them in hand. "It'll be okay brother."
Dean's tear stained face rose off his pillow and gave the smallest of smiles at his brother. Dean carefully changed and noticed Sam's face grimace when he changed his pants. Dean knew it had to be bad his entire ass felt like it was on fire.
"You don't ever want him that mad at you Sammy I swear to you I thought I was going to die," he said with the drama only a teenager was capable of.
To be continued.