Chapter 2. It's important
Sam saw his brother sitting in the driver seat of the Impala tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, lost in whatever loud classic rock music he was obviously listening to. The knock to the back of the head had apparently done nothing to deter the daily loud head banging music. Sam shook his head as he walked the remaining distance to the car. He really shouldn't have been surprised. He sometimes thought that Dean's head was made out of reinforced steel.
Sam opened the passenger door and sat down and was surprised that the music wasn't up half as loud as it usually was. He turned it down further anyway. Dean stopped his movements and looked at the source of his interruption.
"How was school?" Dean asked as he gunned the ignition.
"Good," Sam began. "I handed in that Math's assignment … thanks by the way."
Dean grinned. "Don't worry Sammy I doubt anyone would believe you couldn't do it without me," he joked as he steered his car onto the road and towards the Motel.
Sam laughed. "I wouldn't go that far and I'm trying to say thank you here so just shut up and take it okay."
"Sir, Yes Sir." Dean gave a mock salute, "and you're welcome."
Silence came over the Impala for a few moments, each boy lost in their own thoughts. Sam looked over at his brother who was currently concentrating on the road.
"Dean …"
"Yeah Sammy?"
"So the hunts finished …"
"Yeah," Dean turned right into a street and then looked at his brother silently telling him to spit out whatever he wanted to say.
"I was just wondering what Dad has planned ya know. Like are we leaving? Because we just started at this school and you don't have long until you graduate …" Sam trailed off.
"I don't know. He didn't really say."
"Where are we going to be for your birthday? It's this weekend coming."
Dean looked confused. "My birthday can't be this weekend."
"Dean this Saturday is the 24th of January." Sam sighed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure. Now coming back to my question …"
"I dunno where we'll be Sammy."
Dean reached over to the radio and turned up the music slightly so he could at least hear it. They weren't too far from home now and Sam had gone silent again.
"We should do something." Sam declared, breaking the silence.
"When and for what?" Dean asked with a confused look on his face.
Sam rolled his eyes, "For your birthday moron."
"Oh." Dean shrugged his shoulders and pulled into the Motel parking lot and parked the Impala next to his father's truck, "I dunno Sammy. Dad will probably have something else to hunt by then."
"But it's your 18th Dean. It's important."
"Dude, the ID in my wallet says I was eighteen a long time ago and it's not like it's my 21st."
"Dean eighteen is important, regardless of what your ID says."
"I guess." Dean exited the car cutting off any more logical pleading from the thirteen year old.
Sam sat in the car for a moment before following his brother out of the car. Just as he closed his door he heard the door to their Motel room open and their father's familiar footsteps.
"Hey Dad," Dean greeted as he walked through the open door.
"Hey boys, dump your stuff in the room and then get into the truck." John ordered as walked past Sam, patting him on the shoulder as he went.
"Where are we going?" Sam asked after placing his bag just inside the door and closing it behind him.
"We need to work on that aim of yours Kiddo." John climbed into the driver's seat of his truck.
"For God's sake …" Sam complained.
"Come on Sammy, its fun." Dean said as he walked past him.
"That's alright for you to say, you're perfect."
"It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it." Dean smirked and then pulled the door of the truck open, gesturing for his brother to climb in.
"You are so full of it Dude."
"And you're such a girl Sammy." Dean climbed in after Sam, the youngest Winchester seated in between his father and brother.
"Boys!" John complained as his sons banter continued in the truck.
John drove the massive black truck out of the parking lot and onto the main road. He had decided that morning that he was taking the boys out to a secluded part of road that he had seen when they had arrived in the town of Devil's Lake. He had scouted the place out because it was always handy to have a place to take the boys to train that wouldn't arouse suspicion. He didn't need people hearing the gunshots and this field just off the main road was perfect, plus it was only half an hour away.
He slapped Dean's hand away when the teen went to change the radio station. "Not in here Dude." John inwardly smiled at the look on his sons face.
"What is it your so fond of saying? Driver picks the music, shot gun shuts his cake hole." Sam repeated one of his brothers favourite sayings with a smartass grin on his face.
Dean gave Sam an evil look and then sagged down in his seat. He hated it when Sam threw his own words back in his face and he didn't miss the amused look his father was wearing.
"Don't worry Ace, it's not that far." John chuckled and put more pressure on the accelerator, picking up speed towards their destination.
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Target practice had been surprisingly good. He had pleased his father with his performance with both shotgun and pistol although he was reminded by both Dean and John that moving targets were a different story. His father had been right. He shouldn't have missed that Rawhead. It had been right in front of him and he had missed. He knew that neither Dean nor John would have missed that shot. Dean would have taken the thing out straight away. Seeing the monster coming towards him wouldn't have put Dean in shock like it had him. Sam knew that was most of the reason why he had missed. Sure he had blasted plenty of spirits full of rock salt and helped get rid of a number of poltergeists. His father thought that those kinds of jobs were good for his training before he hit the big time like him and Dean.
Then there was also the whole disaster at the school camp he had forced his brother to come on. He had managed to exorcise a number of ghosts at once. His father had been impressed and declared that it was time that he was involved more in their family business. The problem was facing a threatening ghost, as frightening as that could be, was a lot different to facing off with a very corporeal creature. He had seen that Rawhead come out of nowhere and he had panicked for a moment and pulled the trigger on impulse, missing an easy shot.
Sometimes he envied his older brother. The older boy seemed to grasp everything so easily and almost nothing ever fazed him on a hunt. It was like he was born to hunt. Sam on the other hand already knew that although they did some damn good work saving people, he wasn't going to live this life forever. He wanted more. He also wanted something a bit more normal. He hated feeling like a freak and having to move all the time.
Sam looked at his father who sat in the driver seat next to him. He had what looked like a content look on his face. That was better than the scowl he often wore. It was better than the mood he had been in the previous night when they had finished the hunt. He seemed to have calmed down and Sam thought that it was amazing what a little bit of weapons practice did for his father.
Looking to his right he saw Dean was looking out the passenger window, tiredly watching the field's whiz past them as their father drove them back to their Motel room. Dean looked tired and Sam thought that maybe last nights events hadn't totally had no effect on the oldest Winchester brother. It was dark out and Sam looked down at his watch to see the time. It was 7.30 pm. They had been out later than he realised and he now noticed that he was kind of hungry.
"Hey Dad," Sam asked breaking the silence.
John glanced at his son before dragging his eyes back to the road, "Yeah son?"
"Can we stop for something to eat? We haven't eaten anything yet." Sam pointed out.
John nodded, "What about you Dean are you hungry?"
"I could eat."
"No surprise there." Sam joked.
"Shut up shorty." Dean elbowed his brother in the ribs.
"Owe … Hey!"
"Dean, knock it off!" John ordered. He didn't want a wrestling match to start up in the truck.
"Yes Sir." Dean sighed and gave his brother a look that promised retribution later.
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Dean opened up the door to their Motel room and turned the light on. His father and brother came in behind him chatting. Dean thought that his two family members must have put him in shock because they had been talking for the last fifteen minutes and hadn't argued once. These days that was a feat and Dean was afraid to open his own mouth should he disrupt the peace between the two.
He reached into his pocket where he had put the aspirin bottle that morning before school and pulled it out, popping the lid. He dry swallowed two pills and then replaced the bottle back into his jacket pocket. He had felt fine for most of the day while at school but his head had started to pound after a couple of hours of shooting off rounds in the empty field. He guessed it was still a small lingering headache from last nights encounter with the wall that had been awoken by the loud gunshots. After all real life gunshots were a lot louder than most people thought. It was nothing like they showed on TV.
John and Sam seated themselves at the small table so Dean walked over to their small fridge and got out three sodas before sitting down next to his brother. A hamburger landed in front of him and Dean looked up at Sam, "Where's my fries Dude?"
"Hold on a second would you." Sam replied, fishing in the white takeaway bag for Dean's fries, "Here." Sam decided it wouldn't be a very smart move to chuck his brothers fries to him like he had his burger so he gently placed them down in front of him instead.
"Thank you," Dean said with his mouth full of burger.
"Man, don't talk with your mouth full," Sam complained, giving his brother a disgusted look.
Dean took another bite of his burger then poked his tongue out at his brother to gross him out even more.
"There is something wrong with you."
"Whatever." Dean laughed a little as he started to feel the aspirin do its job.
Sam rolled his eyes at his immature brother. Sometimes he wondered whether there was a mistake and that he was meant to be the older brother. Sam looked across the table at his father and saw that he was eating his meal in silence seeming to enjoy eating dinner with his boys. Sam had enjoyed the conversation he and his Dad had had on the way back from training. It was a rare occurrence now days and Sam thought that he may as well ask the question that had been on his mind all day while everyone was in a good mood and hope that it didn't ruin the nice family moment.
"So Dad …" Sam began, getting his fathers attention.
"What is it Sammy?"
"Well since the Rawhead is gone I was just wondering what was going to happen now?"
John looked thoughtful for a moment, taking a bite out of his hamburger. Dean looked at his father waiting for an answer to Sam's question.
"Well I haven't really got anything lined up at the moment. I thought I might check the paper tomorrow see if there is anything close enough that I can handle that's needs our attention. I'm sure you don't want to be moving again so soon."
Sam couldn't believe his ears. He was tempted to say 'Christo' to make sure that his father wasn't possessed. Since when had his old man worried about what he wanted to do, "Well no, not really." Sam agreed.
"Okay then well so far we stay put then, although I do want to find another Motel if we can. I don't want to stay in the same spot for longer than I have to. Even if it's a little further out than what we are. As long as you two can get to school I'm not worried."
"Really?" Dean asked and Sam realized that Dean was just as surprised as he was at their father's decision.
"Yeah but Sammy … don't get over excited yet. I'm not sure how long we're staying. Something might come up." John thought he better add that so he covered all bases where Sam was concerned.
"You know we could do weekend jobs as well," Sam suggested. He hoped the compromise would help convince their father to stay longer.
"I already considered that. I'll be scouting the papers tomorrow. I'll also look for somewhere else to stay."
"Well I for one can't say that I'll be sad to be leaving this place," Dean commented gesturing to the room around them.
John laughed, "Sick of looking at this beautiful brown décor?"
"Hell yeah!"
The three Winchesters sat around their small table eating in comfortable silence for a few moments before Sam decided to break the silence again, "Dad?"
"Yeah Sammy,"
"It's Dean's 18th Birthday on Saturday."
Dean groaned. He hadn't thought Sam was serious about wanting to do something for his birthday. Dean had always made an effort to make sure that even if their father wasn't around that Sam's birthday was celebrated but a lot of the times Dean's birthday was overshadowed and sometimes even forgotten by his father. Dean understood that. John had a lot more important things to worry about than a birthday. In the grand scheme of things it was just another day like any other.
Dean hadn't really celebrated his birthday since he turned thirteen. Sam had nagged and begged their father to take them somewhere to celebrate Dean's birthday and John had agreed. The hunter must have been feeling good that day and decided to take the boys to the town's carnival. Their friend Caleb, who was 22 at the time, had been travelling with them and joined them. It had turned out a good day.
Since then the most memorable birthday was his sixteenth when his father had thrown the Impala's keys at him and said 'Happy Birthday Ace, look after her.' Dean had been expecting a new weapon or some clothes or something, which was what their father usually supplied them with on birthdays. He could still remember the shock of his father's words. He had been speechless and Sam had joked that there was a first time for everything.
Dean looked at his father. The older man seemed to be lost in his thoughts or memories as well. Dean met his father's eyes and John seemed to snap out of his trance.
"Yeah I know that Sammy."
"Well could we do something?"
John frowned trying to remember the last time the three of them had actually gone out purposely to celebrate a birthday. They had been at Pastor Jim's last May. He remembered because the small family had stayed with the Pastor for about two months before the boys went on that camp. So when the 2nd of May hit Sam's birthday was celebrated. It had been nice.
Dean on the other hand never fussed about his own birthday and John felt guilty when he realised that he sometimes took advantage of Dean's willingness to put aside his own needs and wants.
John looked into the pleading eyes of his youngest son and then turned to look at Dean who was sitting next to him quietly watching the conversation.
"Dean, do you want to do something?" John asked.
Dean shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno. I guess if you guys want to. It's no big deal."
"Yes it is, Jerk."
"That's kind of backhanded, Bitch." Dean shot back in humour.
John rolled his eyes. "Look, eighteen is kind of a milestone. We'll keep Saturday free for whatever Dean wants to do."
"Strip club?" Dean asked raising his eyes brows, in mock interest. Well maybe not all mock but he knew that his father would never go for that. Now if Caleb was around it might be a different story.
"Something the three of us can do together." John replied patiently. "No need to decide now."
"You promise we are going to do this?" Sam asked feeling like he had won the lottery.
"As long as no-ones dying," John told his youngest seriously.
"Thanks Dad."
"Dude it's my Birthday, I'm the one who's supposed to be excited." Dean playfully swatted his brother in the back of the head.
"What are you talking about; you wouldn't even be celebrating it if I hadn't opened my mouth."
John stood up and put his rubbish in the bin as he listened to his son's snipe playfully back and forth. He couldn't believe Dean was going to be eighteen. His oldest son was born eighteen years ago. Dean was officially an adult now despite the fact that had been forced to become an adult a very long time ago.
John couldn't help but be proud of his son. The boy had grown into a pretty wonderful human being. He didn't know any other kids that could go through what his boy had gone through and turn out as well as Dean. The teen was no saint but John knew that Dean's tough guy image was mostly an act. The kid didn't like anyone to see his real feelings and John hated to admit it but he knew that he was partly at fault for a lot of Dean's issues and his unwillingness to voice them. He had gotten so accustomed to having Dean there taking care of everything that a lot of the time Dean's need's got pushed to the side, but the boy never complained. John was sure of one thing. Mary would be so proud of him. She'd be so proud of both their boys. He just wasn't so sure that she'd be too proud of him at times.
John pulled out his cell phone and walked towards the door causing the conversation between Dean and Sam to halt and both boys turned to look at their father.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going outside for some fresh air and to call Jefferson and let him know that the Rawhead was taken care of," John explained. His friend Jefferson had been the one to tell John about the missing children in Devil's Lake and John thought he ought to let the other hunter know that it had been handled.
"Oh Okay." Sam turned back to his brother and began their conversation again.
As John closed the door behind him he was sure he heard Sam discussing ideas for Dean's birthday. Both boys seemed a lot happier since he had given them the day. It was good to see his boys both excited about something relatively normal but he wouldn't let that slip to Sam considering Sam's obsession with normalcy lately.
John walked out and leaned against the Impala as he dialled his old friend's number. He realised that the boys weren't the only ones looking forward to celebrating Dean's birthday.
John and Sam talking instead of arguing ... yeah i know strange lol i'm sure they'll be back to normal soon lol I hope you all liked this one. Let me know coz i love reviews :-) See ya'll soon :-)