Epilogue
"Stop worrying," Max said for at least the hundredth time since they had left Kentucky, which had JT reaching for the radio to drown him out.
The old Chevy Tahoe with Dad's converted hybrid engine took them further away from their home and closer to their adventure. Instead JT crossed his arms, taking in the landscape and reiterating the same response he had given in each time: "Your dad is going to kill us."
Max moved one hand off of the steering wheel and scratched the back of his neck. "No, he won't."
"He's a witch," James, JT's younger brother, explained from the backseat where he was laid across and enjoying the extra legroom. "He can do stuff to us."
"I'll protect you," Max said while looking in the rearview mirror.
James shook his head. "You're not a witch."
"Yes, I am," Max replied, running a hand through his longish blond hair.
"When it's convenient," JT muttered, glancing at his best friend and silently agreeing with his brother.
Max didn't reply, nervously flattening his hair out. JT noticed all his friend's ticks; the hair touching started this year since Max had started to grow it out and could barely fit it into a ponytail.
The three of them were quiet again, with just the music from the satellite radio filling the SUV. JT wished he had brought his camera up front with him instead of packing it in the bag. The scenery to some was plain, stagnant, but through a lens there were so many possibilities.
He was always thinking of the possibilities. Uncle Caleb said he was like his father — Dad was quiet sometimes when he got this sudden look about him and had to take a walk or work on the cars in the barn. Ben was more like him than James. Ben came to live with them after his mom died of cancer before he went to college. He came every summer and school break. He used the time to train as a hunter, although it was becoming harder with med school.
JT thought his brother James was more like their father. He was always making some joke or another. He supposed they were both right.
"We're almost there," Max announced with a grin. James peeked his head to the front seat. "Uncle Caleb told me all about this place." Max was a few years older, but far from mature.
"Dad told me about it, too," James said, slapping the headrest. "This is going to be so cool!"
"Uncle Sam says it's private," JT added, trying to rein in his brother. "Maybe something bad happened here?" JT liked to get different perspectives, and Uncle Sam hadn't wanted to share. Dad and Uncle Caleb told outlandish stories.
"JT, why did you come along then?" Max glared at him. "Face it — you're curious."
JT shifted under the scrutiny. There were hunts his father didn't talk about, but this was not one of them. Dad had made it sound fun. "Yeah, but it still doesn't make it a good idea. Every time you get curious, I have to bail you out of trouble."
"Grandpa is always encouraging curiosity," James said, moving to the driver's side of the car.
"Suck up." JT rolled his eyes at his brother. Truth be told, James needed to be watched over, too.
"They think we're on a camping trip." Max reiterated the excuse they had all used. Max was a recent driver, and there wouldn't be many opportunities once Max went to college to get away. His mother never suspected ulterior motives, and his father was away on business. "No one will ever know." Max put his hand up, and James slapped his hand against it.
"Famous. Last. Words." Dad always told him he knew what they were up to before they even planned it, and it had nothing to do with Uncle Caleb being a psychic. He wouldn't be at ease until they were back in Kentucky.
"Whatever. Look." Max gestured with is chin. They were coming up on the town limits.
JT had lived in a small town his entire life, and when traveling with his baseball team he noticed other towns similar to his. This was different. Usually there was one old building, but this town was filled with old brick buildings. He was itching to get a hold of his camera.
"Look! It's Transformers—the first one, and Dark Knight with the original guy." James bounced in the backseat with excitement.
"You've seen them both a hundred times," JT stated, waiting for the Chevy to come to a stop so he could get his camera bag from the trunk.
"They're classics," Max agreed with James while parallel parking the car. "Come on, for old times sake, and then we'll get something to eat."
If they were in the movies, then they wouldn't be out finding trouble. He nodded. "Fine."
He still got his camera, wondering what the inside of the theatre looked like.
"Hiya!" a kid about James's age said as he rode on by on a wide skateboard with an oversized iPod.
James's mouth dropped open. "Did you see that? Dad said that this place had old stuff, antiques."
JT looped an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Would have been cool for them to come, see some of the old stuff."
Max snorted as he led the way into the movie theatre. "No way would they have agreed to this. They don't let us have any fun."
They came out of the double feature laughing and throwing popcorn at each other.
"Maxim Sawyer, Jonathan Thomas Winchester, and James Murphy Winchester!"
JT was still blinking in the bright sunlight, but came to full attention at the booming voice. Max and James flanked him, also just as still at their uncle's voice.
"Boys." Dad walked past them, inspecting them with a hard look and a grim frown. The Impala was parked across the street.
"Your father isn't going to be happy, Max," Uncle Caleb said, stopping in front of the older boy.
"Are you three all right?" Uncle Sam asked them, also giving them a once over with his eyes.
"Yes, Sir," James answered for all three of them.
JT found Ben was staring at him, then smirked. "Whoa, little brother, this is even better than the time you let Max talk you into sneaking out to meet the Mathews twins."
The middle brother groaned, not needing his father to be reminded of the fiasco with Elijah Mathews's daughters last year. His father cleared his throat, giving Ben a pointed look.
"Right." Ben stepped back, dropping his stupid grin. "I'm not here to comment, only to stand by in case there's bloodshed and someone needs a doctor." He chanced another glance at JT, winking this time. "Mainly you, Jimmy, and Max."
"It's James," his younger brother snapped.
Dad pointed at Ben. "Go warm up the Impala."
"Yes, Sir." Ben gave him a sympathetic wave as he turned to walk back to the Impala.
"It's not like he's never done anything wrong," James muttered under his breath, and JT stepped on his foot to get him to shut up.
Max cleared his throat, garnering all the attention once more. "How did you . . .Sir?" He directed it to The Guardian.
"Mary sold you up the river for ten bucks," Dad stated.
Uncle Caleb smiled. "Just like her dad back in the day."
Uncle Sam snorted and crossed his arms. "It wasn't even close to ten back then."
"Who told her?" Max asked, but he knew as well as JT who the culprit was. They both looked down at James.
James fidgeted. "What? She wanted to come." He kicked the pavement. "Are you going to punish us?" he said to their father in the soft voice that he usually used to get his way.
Uncle Caleb stood in front of their father as if to block James from his persuasive abilities. "Ten miles with packs — to start."
His father stepped around Uncle Caleb. "You're lucky. Your grandfather would have made it twenty."
"That's it?" Max asked. JT slapped his forehead; sometimes Max didn't think before he spoke.
"No, I'm just getting warmed up," Dad answered, rubbing his chin. JT wondered what plans his father was making for them. His mother was going to have them on lockdown, and Max's parents, regardless that Max was the oldest among them, would still dole out some punishment, too.
"At the rate you're going, you'll be lucky if you get a ring before you get a pension," Uncle Caleb commented, clenching the hand where he wore the Knight's band of silver.
JT was crestfallen. All his life he wanted to be a member of The Brotherhood. Grandpa Mac said that they had to go to college, too, be fully rounded and productive members of society. Max wanted to go to school on the west coast and learn about surfing. JT liked photography and math and was good at baseball. He just didn't know how all of that would work together.
Max slouched and then stood up straighter. "Can we not tell my dad? Sir?"
Dad shook his head. "Hell, no."
"But you're The Guardian."
"Right, and we already corrupt you enough, according to Josh." JT knew his father enjoyed irritating Joshua through Max, but Uncle Caleb, Sam, and even his father treated Max like they treated Ben, James, and himself.
"Just as I had him convinced to send you for sword lessons with Micah, too." Uncle Caleb shook his head.
Micah, Silas's son and Jessup's final and best student, had taken over the sword training on the houseboat in Florida, along with the recipe for alligator stew. Max hadn't stopped talking, messaging, and emailing about it. Max's shoulders slumped and remained that way. "But please, Uncle Caleb. . ."
"It was a dangerous thing you three did. None of you have any business going on a hunt alone. It's not a game," Uncle Sam added.
Max stepped forward from the lineup they had been frozen in. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. My idea."
JT rushed forward as did James. They couldn't let Max take the blame, but their dad lifted his hand to stop them, then pointed at them. "And these two edjits didn't use their own minds. That's worse."
"Not the brightest move," Uncle Sam said with a nod and smile. "But we all make mistakes."
"Sorry, Sir." JT felt he would never live up to his father's expectations and maybe didn't deserve a ring. It was hard having The Guardian for a dad, The Scholar as an uncle, and The Knight as a godfather.
"You two get in the Impala. Max, you get into the Tahoe and wait for Caleb," Dad ordered, and they broke formation to comply.
James and JT walked quickly to the car. Ben slipped out of the front seat and opened the back door for them. "Not a single drop of blood. . .yet," Ben cackled. JT hit him in his stomach as he got in.
Dad led the way back to the car, but Uncle Caleb called out to Ben. "Hey, Ace, you're coming with me. No way I'm dealing with a moping, moody teenager for hours."
Ben put his arms out, the ends of his untucked shirt flapped a bit with the light passing breeze. "So what am I, the entertainment?"
"Hell, yeah." Uncle Caleb pointed to the Tahoe parked across the street. "I'll be there in a minute. Keep an eye on him."
"I gotta deal with moody, mid-life crisis guy." Ben looked at their dad with a smirk when he said it.
JT saw his father wink at his eldest son.
Uncle Caleb reached out and pulled on Ben's shirt. Ben was the same height as Uncle Caleb, but ran leaner. "A few years ago I was the guy who took you to the Red Caboose. Show some respect."
"Damien. . ." Dad started with a frown towards Uncle Caleb.
Uncle Sam put an arm in between them. "Ben, you better go and check on Max." Ben followed Uncle Sam's directions and went off towards the Tahoe. Uncle Sam let his arm drop. "Like you didn't expect that."
"That wasn't part of John Winchester's training book," Dad growled at Uncle Caleb.
"Babysitting wasn't covered either, and I am damn good at that." Uncle Caleb put a finger on Dad's chest. "You're just jealous because we didn't include you. There's a price to pay for monogamy."
"I still get the better end of the deal, Damien. And he's my kid, so I'm sure I passed along some good genes." Dad leaned against the car and covered JT's face with his hand. Both he and James had their heads out the window. They brought them back inside.
"And don't forget you reap the rewards of your babysitting," Uncle Sam added, raising his eyebrows. "Mary comes home with a lot of stories."
Uncle Caleb took them to a lot of places, but he had told them they had aged out of the cuteness factor a while ago. It was better to take the girls — their cousin Mary and Jocelyn (or Josie), Max's younger sister — with him if he wanted to meet women. Joshua said it was because he didn't want the competition since the girls Caleb dated were barely legal. "I pay them well. A trip with Mary Mayhem and the Outlaw Josey Wales to American Girl is embarrassing."
James huffed in the seat beside him and screwed up his face. "Those dolls are creepy."
Their father and uncles must have heard them since they started laughing. Uncle Caleb reached out and patted Dad's stomach. "Why don't you all take a breather and head to the diner so I can go and find our old friends?"
Dad shook his head. "You're twenty years older. She may kill you."
"I'm willing to take that risk." Uncle Caleb elbowed Uncle Sam. "How about you, Sam? Want to go look up Clara?"
"Yeah, Sam, we can leave you — you're a free man after all — give you some time on your own. Juliet and I can watch Mary for you. She's not a troublemaker like my two." Dad knocked on the Impala's frame, and JT and James involuntarily jumped.
Uncle Sam lived in Kentucky, too. He was a law professor at the local college. He had worked as a criminal defense lawyer before deciding he liked to teach better. It was also easier to incorporate being a professor with his other life of being The Scholar. "No, that time is over."
They were silent for a while. Dad pulled out his phone from his back pocket.
"You calling the wife, Deuce?"
Dad opened the phone where JT could see the picture of his mom on the screen. "We are not husband and wife. We don't need a piece of paper."
James leaned forward so his voice would carry out the window. "Dad says you don't need a license to say you love someone and want to be with them."
Dad gave an agreeing nod. "That's why you need offspring, Damien. They always gotchyer back."
"You just called them edjits ten seconds ago." Uncle Caleb stuck his tongue out at them, which was totally weird to see since he was old and had some silver hair blending in with his dark hair. JT ignored him, but his brother didn't and stuck out his tongue, too.
"Still, gotta tell Juliet that we found them and we're bringing them home." Dad walked away to talk to Mom in private.
James scooted closer to hear the conversation, and his brother would probably report back to their father later if the information could be used to blackmail either Uncle Sam or Caleb.
Uncle Caleb pushed away from the car. "I hope she doesn't have a couple of her friends waiting to ambush us."
"We're her pet projects." Uncle Sam chuckled. "Dean says she's not worried about JT and James ever leaving, but if we ever grow up, get lives, and move away she'll be crushed."
"So you don't want to settle down. . ."
"Been there, done that." Uncle Sam had been married to Aunt Lidia. She lived in Germany, helping the European Brotherhood. They divorced when Mary was a baby. Mary lived with Uncle Sam and went to visit her mom a couple of times a year during school breaks. "Do you think we did the right thing back then?" Uncle Sam was no longer leaning on the car either; his arms were crossed.
Uncle Caleb ran a hand over his mouth. "Hell, Sammy, I don't know. In some ways, that seems like a life time ago." He made eye contact with JT. "I think what matters most is that we're all still together."
Dad came back, the phone out of sight. "Gotta get on the road. She said she'll have chicken and dumplings waiting for us."
"Pastor Jim's recipe?" Uncle Caleb asked as he started for the Tahoe where Ben and Max were waiting for him.
"Of course." Dad got into the driver's seat and Uncle Sam on the passenger side. Their Dad usually had some sort of music playing in the background, but this time there was nothing except the two brothers talking.
"There she is, Sammy. Are you sure?" Dad said while JT followed his line of sight. There was a girl, maybe Ben's age with blonde long hair wearing a dress with flowers on it. She waved to them.
"I'm sure, but thanks."
JT still had his camera in hand, and with the window down he had an unobstructed view. He pressed the button on his camera and felt the silent buzz of multiple photographs being taken. She was important to Uncle Sam, and maybe later he would want to have a picture of her to mark his time there.
Author's Note: The Brotherhood has always been about hope. Hope for the future. This epilogue does not mean that we are giving up writing about Dean, Sam and Caleb since we have lots and lots of stories to tell. . .so no worries. Please go to the TheHuntersTomb to see Tara's new video for Marked Time and pictures of the new generation on Profiles page 3. Enjoy!