Chapter 4: Life Is A Highway

Throwing open his door, without responding to his brother, Dean raced out of the car and into the middle of the street.

"What the hell?" He yelled at the sky as the wind swept past him and a chill caused him to shiver slightly but become even more defensive.

"Hey boys," John Winchester spoke as he stood in the road.

"Dad?" Sam gasped.

"Hi Sammy," John smiled, his eye proud, his stature tall and authoritative. "Hello Dean," he added and looked to his eldest son.

"This is Chuck's doing, that is not Dad," Dean stated angrily as he rushed at the man before them and before he could punch through the apparition to prove his point, John reached out and caught Dean's fist, blocking the attack and forcing Dean into a much more submissive position before releasing him. Dean stumbled back, in shock, and stared at his father; alive and tangible.

"Getting a little rusty there Dean," John said. "Stance, elbows, and rotate that arm."

"Dad?" Dean asked in confusion.

"Yeah, it's me Dean," John said.

In all his anxiety, his shock and his stress, Dean reached out and embraced his father, releasing something of the fear and the confusion that had grasped him. There was no hesitation now, but in a moment he would recover his instincts and step back suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked as he stepped toward them.

"Dean's not all together wrong. This is Chuck doing, or God as I know him. He said something about his sister giving you back your mother and that he needed my help with regards to you boys," John answered.

"It's really you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah Sammy, it's me, but I don't get to stay. I don't want to stay," John said. "Let's be honest and upfront about it. I wont stay."

"What do you mean you don't want to stay?" Dean asked indignantly, "We're fighting a war. We need you!"

"No you don't, I've been dead for 13 years and you've managed just fine. I'm sure your mother is moving on in her new life after being dead twice as long. Sure I wasn't the best husband, and I'm sure things would be completely different now that I am what I am. And I know what she is, and that she kept that from me all those years. Imagine what our life would have been if we all just knew and were honest with one another," John said. "I'm here for Christmas and then I'm going back to where Chuck had me."

"Heaven?" Dean asked but there was disgust and accusation in his tone.

"Not exactly," John laughed. "I mean for a little while but with the way thing were going, the rise and fall of the arch angels, and Lucifer out in the world, they needed to put me somewhere where those beings couldn't get in the way of the plan. I've been somewhere else and I have a life there now."

"The plan?" Dean asked and this time the disgust was even more obvious. "Since when do you tow the company line?" He accused.

"So that's where you get it from," Sam commented with a roll of his eye.

"I'm not here to fight with you Dean, I'm here to help you find answers, and maybe explain a little along the way," John said and Dean took a step back.

"You're my Marley," Dean said and shook his head. "Fuck you Chuck!" He turned and yelled at the sky. "I don't need a Jacob Marley. I don't need a story. I just need to be for a while. Is that too much to ask?" He carried on in his exasperation.

"Should I be concerned?" John asked as he looked to Sam for clarification.

"Dean's been through a lot and now Chuck is trying to pull him back to his beginning," Sam said and shrugged. "He just wants to hunt. And not take a stroll down memory lane. I don't really blame him. We've lived through this once, so what Chuck could possibly show us is beyond me. But you standing here in the middle of a highway, must make it important."

"Then let's hunt and let this play out for us," John said. "Come on Dean, get in the car," he added and held out his hands for the keys.

"I'm driving," Dean said with a shake of his head. "That is my car. This is my world. And this is my hunt," he added and walked past his father and his brother.

"What does he mean by his world?" John asked as he and Sam stayed in their places.

"A lot has happened since you died," Sam said and sighed. "Most recently Dean said yes to Michael from another world and finally ended Lucifer here in this one. And then Michael broke their deal and took Dean for a joyride. I mean, I know what it's like to have an arch angel rummaging around in my head and not being able to let it go, so I'm not expecting Dean to just be all right, but he on edge and being a little...well...you right now."

"I'm not going to take that the way I want to take that," John said and took a deep breath. "I know you have an idea of what I am like, but I've changed."

"You've been dead for 13 years, we've all changed," Sam commented and shrugged. "And it wasn't really meant as an insult, I just mean that Dean is bottled up in his own mind and aggressive; it's very similar to John Winchester circa 2005."

"I get it," John nodded.

"So, yeah, he's very guarded right now, and it doesn't help that we are trying to settle a whole group of refugees from another world, mom is off with doing her own thing, and now here you are."

"I guess I do have a lot to catch up on," John said and it was clear that Sam had place upon him a revelation that he had not fathomed.

"What do you know?" Sam asked.

"I know that Dean killed Azazel and a hell's gate was opened, and that we are a bloodline that was mean to be," John said.

"Oh Dad, there is so much you don't know," Sam said.

"Is that why Dean is on this ghost of christmas passed trip?" John asked.

"Yes, and we're going all the way back to Christmas Eve 1978," Chuck said as he appeared out of thin air.

"No!" Dean yelled as he rushed back from the car. "We are not doing this. We are going to Minnesota."

"This isn't just your story anymore Dean. It's now up to all the Winchester boys to decide. Majority rules, revelations for all, and a merry little romp through what was, is, and could be," Chuck said and smiled as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "So what do you say?"

"What is all this business with Michael?" John asked as he looked to his eldest son.

"It doesn't matter, you're not staying," Dean said, "So there's nothing you can do to help."

"I'm here now, and we're going to 1978," John said and his voice was an authoritative tone that Dean had not heard in years.

"Fine," Dean huffed. "Take us back to 1978."

"Let the Christmas Carol begin!" Chuck said and with a snap of his fingers the highway was gone and the snowy night in Laurence returned.