A/N Here is the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews they motivate me to update faster. Let me know if you would like to see something added. Thanks to my Beta SkyHighFan for looking this over.
John was stunned quiet for the next few minutes not taking his eyes off the road and hand gripping the wheel. Henry decided to explain further. "Your children saved my life. Without them I wouldn't have been able to get myself back here." He left out the part where Dean wanted him to stay back and abandon his son to grow up alone so the future wouldn't change.
John found his voice and asked, "Who will their mother be?" In their line of work they do not question the seemingly impossible as nothing is truly impossible. Still then, he was unsure if he truly wanted to know. To know would mean that he has no options, no choice in the matter. To know would mean that fate would control his life from here on out. Then again he had something to look forward to too. Not one but he would have two sons. Men that would become fine hunters and if had anything to say about it, Men of Letters as well.
"Her name is Mary Campbell." John probably should not have been driving because the surprise caused him to slam on the breaks of the car. Luckily no one was behind him as it was early. He pulled to the shoulder to finish the conversation.
"That would explain why my sons were hunters," John said calmly. Then after a moment of silence, "Does that mean I wasn't… well alive?" He questioned.
"They did mention something about a demon killing you a few years prior," Henry responded carefully.
John was ready to drive back to see Mary and grovel at her feet but Henry convinced him to drive back to the headquarters. After all, he did have an incident report to fill out and John a project to finish. Henry was glad John took things well. It would have been disastrous if Johnny, for instance, decided not to pursue Mary. His grandsons would seek to exist and the future would have been a terrible place to live.
Unfortunately for John he would not get another chance with Mary until three years later during the beginning of 1973.
His friends had made a decision that if anyone of them got drafted, the others would enlist so they could go thru basic training together. So in 1971, when his friend Michael got drafte,d he joined the Echo 21 company to go with him. He had to finish his schooling early, but when he left, he took a book on Vietnamese also Tày, Mường, and Khmer. His school was able to provide these materials for him. They decided to make Vietnamese a requirement for the future male students before graduation and optional for female ones until the day the war would be over.
By the time basic training was over, John had become fluent in Vietnamese and conversational in the others. His superiors were very impressed by that and his hard work on the field and willingness to help others. One fellow trainee had trouble with taking his weapon apart and John stayed late with him, missing his own mealtime until he got it right. The next day the trainee was faster than everyone, except John. During the training, John decided to keep fit on his own and encouraged his bunkmates to join him. Soon he was leading all the boys in a daily fitness routine. He was determined to survive the war and make himself a stronger man to win Mary's heart.
Once he finished basic training, he left for Vietnam and quickly moved up in the ranks. His quick thinking was credited for saving the whole unit during a firefight that would earn him medals after the war. It was after a raid a few weeks later that John met Deacon. John was focused on the jungle waiting for the next attack that he almost stepped right on a mortar. Deacon saw the mortar but couldn't yell for him. One, it would give away their position, but also it was too noisy and he wouldn't hear in time. So Deacon charged at John and knocked him to the ground just as he was about to step on the mortar. John was about ready to fight thinking he was a Charley*, but stopped when he saw the uniform. Deacon pointed to the mortar and just then John realized he could have died. It was silly really. He was in the middle of a war, he could die any day. This was different, he really could have died this time and then his children wouldn't have been born. He thanked Deacon and they went on every mission together after that.
Henry missed his son terribly and counted down the days until his next letter. His daughter was five now and keeping him young by him chasing her around the house. He decided that for now at least he wouldn't introduce her to their world. He never told her a scary story, just those of princesses, fairies and dwarfs. He lost track of the Campbells and hoped they would be easy to track after John came home. The older Men of Letters recommended a spell that would summon Cupid. They too had worried about how time travel would affect their future. He might have saved that as a last measure. He still did missions for the Men of Letters, but he only took local missions so he wouldn't have to travel unless he could take his family.
The troop was on a top-secret mission in northern Vietnam in January of 1973 when the Montagnard (indigenous peoples of the Highlands of Vietnam) ambushed them and during that time, men were wounded badly. John shot the enemies with Deacon and together they carried the wounded from the battlefield. They went back three times for more survivors. It was on the last time he went back when a Montagnard came out of the jungle and shot John in the chest. He fell to the ground and while Deacon shot the Montagnard he passed out.
It was two days later and John was in the hospital. An older nurse was at his side, "It looks like our John Wayne is finally waking up." The older nurse said to the younger. John's face was bruised from when he fell but his eyes started to flutter open. John Wayne was an expression used to someone that continually risks his life because they liked danger. They usually showed up multiple times in the field nurses care and insisted on going back out to fight.
The young nurse came up to the older one she still has not looked at the patients face, "Do you have an id?" She asked. The older nurse picked up the man's chart "It says he is John Winchester" The nurse paused a second then rushed to John's side.
"John, it's me, Mary wake up," she commanded. Mary took the seat next to his bed and held his hand with one hand and stroked his cheek with the other. "Do you know him?" The elder nurse asked.
"Our paths have crossed before. I haven't seen him in a couple of years, now I know why." Mary answered her not taking her eyes off John. When Mary finished her nurse's degree, she had to go on a hunt overseas. While there, she heard about a shortage in field nurses. She felt it was her duty to enlist to help the men at war. She was worried about her father's safety during this time, but he was always able to take care of himself before. "John," she said again.
John grunted and turned his head. "My Angel," he said. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. Then started to cough.
"Let me get you some water," She said and poured him a glass from the nearby pitcher. He greedily downed the whole glass and she poured him another. "Drink it more slowly," she advised. The older nurse left the room after updating his file.
"I am sorry how I behaved at your house. I was misinformed about hunters before." John said quickly.
"Who misinformed you?" She asked. Maybe going to war made him wiser or maybe it was because of whatever drugs they had given made him think unclear, but he broke the number one rule about the Men of Letter and told her everything about them. Including the rules they had to follow.
At the end of the explanation Mary replied, "Is that why you were such a blockhead? It explains a lot but doesn't excuse the bad behavior." John was too tired to speak and just nodded his head. "Get some rest," Mary said. She certainly wasn't going to forgive him right away, but there was not going to be any animosity towards him anymore.
* The US Military USES the "Phonetic Alphabet" on an everyday routine basis. Alpha, Bravo, Charley, Delta, Echo, Golf, Hotel, etc. This is used because over the radio, a letter "C" could sound like the letters "D", "E", "B", etc. Viet Cong (VC) were referred to as "Victor Charley", or "Charley" for short