Dawn – chpt 12.
by: sifi.
--
"How're you feeling Sam?" Dean asked smiling with relief as his little brother tore half a quarter pounder into his mouth with one bite.
"Better... hungry..." he mumbled around the food.
"Man you're eating McDonalds... I KNOW you're hungry. I'm just really glad you're coherent, you were starting to scare me... AGAIN," he smiled elbowing the younger man good naturedly.
"Y'know this is kinda at the perfect angle for long distance driving..." he mused, noting his cast propped up in the open window while his much less puffy fingers held the wheel steady.
"I made sure the nurse got the angle right when she was replacing it the other night," Sam muttered then stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth.
Dean smiled at his little brother, "Really?"
"No," Sam grinned shaking his head.
"Jerk," Dean shook his head.
"Bitch..." Sam fired back.
"Ooooh give a boy some red meat and he's cocky all of a sudden huh?"
Sam nodded, "You think you're gonna be alright to barrel on through or are we gonna stop again before we get there?"
"You're not driving," Dean frowned playfully, "Every time you drive something happens, we get t-boned, or my baby gets shot... or... something..."
"Neither of those was my fault! And it's not like you were in ANY condition to be behind the wheel Mr. pull-over-I'm-gonna-puke..." Sam teased.
"Or you turn into special delivery for a wolf pack," Dean smiled with a cocked eyebrow.
"That's in all likelihood being controlled by some freak ass invader from another dimension..."
"Oooh hey I wonder if we could make a movie about something like that... get rich, get famous, leave all the demon hunting behind... I mean... it's Hollywood right?"
"I thought you just said you wanted to leave the demons behind?" Sam asked.
"Bah Dum Bum...but yeah, you're probably right..." Dean grinned, smacking his little brother lightly.
"I usually am," Sam smiled ripping into the second quarter pounder.
"I think I liked you better half conscious," he smirked, then tapped the notebook on Sam's lap. "What'd Bobby say about finding something to translate this stuff?"
"Mmm he's got a book..."
Dean nodded, "Got a few..."
"Yeah, but the pix didn't come through well enough for him to try and translate anything so..."
"Sooo we have to wait till we get there which if we barrel through will be about three or four in the afternoon and we'll be too wrecked to do anything but sleep," he mused.
"Right... BUT Bobby and Laura could start working on a translation... are you SURE you can't read any of that? I mean not even in your head?"
"Positive, I was looking at it this morning, just looks like a stick-figure orgy to me," he cocked an eyebrow at Sam, "Did she get there?"
"No, the message she left Bobby said she got waylaid. She should be there right around the same time as us... IF we keep going."
"Waylaid for a day? Don't tell me she went out and caught a demon..." Dean shook his head, "Freakin' psycho," he grinned.
Sam shrugged, "Mmm he didn't say, just that she sounded kinda beat and he was glad she wasn't pushing it," he half turned in the seat and looked at his big brother's profile; he'd spent all of his life looking into that face for answers, looking for everything he'd ever needed in those eyes, "Dean, do you think we can beat this thing?" he asked softly.
Dean smiled weakly but as much as he wanted to turn his head and meet the plea in his little brothers' eyes, he couldn't, "Sam, do you remember about a week after Jake opened the gate, when we ran into The Magnificent Seven?"
"Yeah,"
"Before we left Bobby we asked him if he thought we could win this war, and that was even before we KNEW for certain about the marauder and its wants being in the picture remember?"
"Yeah, I remember, and Bobby didn't answer the question... he looked downright scared in fact," Sam nodded.
"Right,"
"So what? You don't wanna say? You don't think we can? What?" Sam asked.
Dean shook his head but couldn't help smiling as he glanced at his little brother, a vague hint of something flapping around in his guts, "It's kind of a moot point Sam, I mean think about it, our mission is to stop Ne...the marauder from destroying our universe right?"
Sam nodded.
"We do that, there's still gonna be demons to fight, there's still gonna be an army of igigi out there that we really don't even know how to get rid of..."
"So you're saying 'no' you don't think we can win this..." Sam frowned.
Dean couldn't help the chuckle that rose out of him as he patted his little brother's knee, "No Sam, I'm not saying 'no', what I'm saying, is that I think it's the fight that's more important than an actual win. I mean there IS no such thing as utopia, it's not possible in a world like ours... now maybe if there IS some kind of a peaceful place, some kind of a Heaven... then it would have to be possible there right?" he spocked his eyebrow at Sam and glanced over to make sure the younger man was following him.
"Right..." Sam shrugged, "and since we know there's a hell it stands to reason there's a heaven as well, I mean you can't have one without the other..."
"Yin, Yang and Yahtzee," Dean nodded.
"Dean?" Sam asked.
"Yeah?"
"You scare me sometimes."
"Meh, you're just intimidated by my awesomeness," he smirked, "not that I blame ya," he could feel the grin creeping out as Sam tried to hold back a chuckle.
In moments they were both nearly rolling with laughter as the miles unwound behind them.
--
Laying on his belly deep in the grasses just outside of Bobby's auto yard, Gary stilled, his breathing slowed and his muscles tightened as the choppy sound of that old impala announced the Winchester boys' arrival.
Now, let's see just what you really got planned for this weekend you demonic little bastard.
He watched the boys move stiffly to the trunk where they picked up their bags as Bobby's front door opened and knee high streak of black and brown with ears like wings seemed to fly down the steps. Four legs scrambled to a sideways halt as a gasping ribcage came to a leaning rest against Sam's shins.
"Well hi there..." Sam smiled and looked up at Bobby who stood grinning on the porch.
Dean closed the trunk and moved to stand beside Sam, his eyes meeting the bright seemingly innocent gaze of the dog.
"Ajax," Bobby said firmly with a short soft whistle, and the young rot practically pranced back to his side, gigantic pink tongue lolling out the side of its smiling mouth, "I can't tell you how glad I am t'see you boys," he shook his head and descended the steps with his pup already in perfect 'heel' position.
"It's good t'see you both," Bobby grasped them, one man to an arm, then frowned as one hand touched each of their cheeks, "You shoulda rested for a while, neither of you's gonna be in any shape for anything if you don't take the time t'get better," he grasped their bags and led them into the house.
At the doorway Sam and Dean stopped, their jaws hanging in wonder.
"What the hell?"
"Bobby... where? How?..." Sam stammered as he slowly stepped into the enormous living room and turned, his eyes brushing over every possible wall that had at one time or another been awaiting the building of bookshelves, that now had them.
"This place is freakin huge!" Dean gazed in wonder then glanced at Sam, "Geek boys' in heaven..." Ajax padded over to the John's eldest, placed his far too huge paws on his thighs and stood up, requiring a ruff behind the ears or at the neck.
"Good boy," Dean muttered grabbing his ruff and shaking it easily while biting back the breath-stealing burning pain the dog's surprisingly gentle touch still managed to cause.
Bobby shrugged, "What can I say, the sidhe figured we'd need more room if we're hosting a hunters' convention this weekend, so they built some shelves. They even organized the books and..." he pointed behind himself to the frighteningly clear dining table, "They found the one you need," he motioned over his shoulder, "You boys want the downstairs room? I'm guessing you're probably not too good with stairs yet if what Shep told me was right," he nodded to Dean.
"That'd be great Bobby, thanks," he sighed and looked up at the re-finished ceiling, complete with a new Key of Solomon.
"You boys hungry?" Bobby called moving directly into the kitchen where he returned with beers.
"What have you got?" Dean asked then motioned to Sam, "This one snarfed 3, count 'em THREE quarter pounders PLUS half of my big mac, two large fries and a coke."
Under the elder man's surprised and questioning look Sam nodded and couldn't help but blush.
Bobby nodded with a wry smile, "Well he did turn into a lot of boy to feed..." he motioned them into the kitchen with him, "Ain't much made... I went and picked up what your girlfriend told me to, and the guys brought in the vegetables..." he half scowled out the window toward the far rear of the yard, "Seems they managed t'find a place to plant a garden..."
Dean chuckled as Sam grabbed a carrot out of the fridge, "What's the matter Bobby? You afraid it's gonna rub off on you and you're gonna turn domestic or something?" he asked, reaching in for a beer. On the counter he grasped the end of one of the half dozen loaves of french bread and ripped a chunk from it.
"Dean... here," Sam pulled a bag off one of the shelves and tossed it to his big brother.
As soon as he opened it the smell of roast beef seemed to hit his stomach directly.
"Was that you or the dog?" Bobby asked noting the look on the animals' face, "Don't you fall for those eyes of his... once you do he'll know he's got you!"
"How does he do with the sidhe?" Sam asked watching Dean close the bread around a few slices of the beef before tossing the deli bag back to him.
"Don't even think it Ajax... I got one pup to feed that's enough," Dean mumbled around a full mouth as the dog let out a mini-bark, "Uh uh, sorry fella," Dean ruffed him under the chin and got a handful of tongue for his efforts. With a sigh he turned his eyes to Sam's easy smile and wiped his hand on his little brothers' jacket, "At least you don't slobber on me," he grinned as Sam grimaced and frowned, "Anymore..." he smirked.
"Actually they get along great... they made a harness for him and had him carting books all over the place on a little sledge..." Bobby shook his head in disbelief, "he seemed to kinda not mind it... crazy mutt..."
"So where are they? I kinda expected to see a few of 'em around..." Dean asked, "They're not holding some kind of grudge against Sam or something are they?
Bobby laughed then checked himself, "No... with what's gonna be needed to seal this place, well most I understand is that until she gets here, they're kinda stuck holding the line... it's powerful stuff guys... I mean the wards that are already here, they're like childs play compared to the energies these fellah's have been gathering together so your girl can do what she needs to do to make this place safe for everyone."
Somewhere in the back of Dean's mind a light switch was flipped, "Hey Bobby... what kind of protection are we talking about here? I mean is it gonna be something like what she did at the Dryad's glade?" he asked.
Sam felt his blood fall to his feet as he met Bobby's eyes quickly, his expression without a doubt, prohibitive.
"I don't know..." Bobby shrugged and sighed, "...what I DO know? It's gonna be big, and it's gonna be powerful."
"How're you getting along with them Bobby? I mean it can't be easy being kind of a refuge for a universe..." Sam smiled gratefully.
"Ach, most of 'em have spread out by now," the older man waved dismissively, "Most of 'em that are still here were the ones that Laura asked to come in the first place. A few more stayed behind, but the majority of them have filtered out by now."
"Where would they go?" Dean asked, "I mean, they're a little too little to even blend in with little people... or are we gonna see an influx of wee people in carnivals?"
Sam closed his eyes and shook his head mildly, "They're a forest and woodland race Dean, and we're in South Dakota... they'll blend in with the local spirits just... fine..." he breathed and cleared his throat in an effort to cover a cough.
As they returned to the living room the look on Bobby's face told them all they really needed to know. He wasn't accustomed to having his life and world upheaved. Since the sidhe had taken up residency in and around his yard they'd kept largely to themselves though they did seem to enjoy sharing their bounty with the man, he often found bunches of fresh veggies on the porch, he figured it was their way of paying rent. The point was that while he didn't like folks messing with his little corner of the world, he did appreciate the help they'd given and the changes that had come, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"So... have you heard anything?" Dean asked frowning slightly at his little brother.
"Yeah, Tamara's on her way with Jack," at the boys' curious looks he explained, "Isaac's brother, he joined up with her a few months after Isaac..." he shook his head solemnly. Both boys nodded that he didn't have to clarify, they remembered. "Way I figure it, he joined up with her probably partly out of revenge and I'd guess, partly to try and keep her safe. Tom and Shep are on their way, THEY were sensible and got some rest. Nathan and Ezra had a family emergency but they'll hook up with Tamara and Jack and get the details later, and Kyle was a long shot anyway, but he's not interested in making friends, and if he's not interested, then neither are Toby and Jeff. That's all I've heard from so far," he sighed tipping his beer bottle back while Sam and Dean shared a look that said neither of them had heard of anyone other than Tamara, Tom and Shep.
"And Laura should be here in a couple hours, she said she slept late," he smirked.
Glancing at his little brother Dean cocked his head to the side and asked almost sheepishly, "How'd she sound?"
"Fine," he assured then frowned, "Why?"
Dean didn't get a chance to answer, a surprisingly low rumble sounded as Ajax padded from the bay window, to the front door, into the boys' bedroom where he raised up to look out the window and chuff, before resuming his growl and moving to the kitchen door. The dog alternated whining and growling at the kitchen door before looking back at the living room only to return to the back door, with another whine he retraced his steps back into the living room.
"That's a not happy puppy," Dean scowled meeting Bobbys' blues over the table. He pulled his .9mm from his pocket, motioned to Sam who pulled his gun and motioned to the front door.
"He's been a little edgy the last day or so, could have something to do with the energies being summoned. I'm sure he'll be fine, don't you worry," Bobby winked, "You boys need another beer?" he asked signaling he'd take the back door.
"Yeah... thanks..." Dean nodded toward the room he and Sam were going to be sleeping in.
Ajax followed at his master's heel, a single tight whine the last peep of distress as the three men moved quietly and quickly, each to their destination.
Outside the late afternoon sun laid its warm glow over the house and yard, but nothing stirred.
Curious, Bobby stepped out onto the back porch as Sam stepped onto the front, each man listening intensely for a long moment to the birds and singing insects in the area. Slowly they turned back, closing and locking the screen doors behind themselves.
"Anything?" Dean asked.
They shook their heads.
"Me neither..." he suggested.
"Anything else?" Bobby looked at the dog sitting at his side.
The animal chuffed, then padded off to a pile of blankets in the corner where he curled up comfortably, his eyes watching the three men.
"Dippy mutt," Bobby shook his head and went to the kitchen.
He returned a couple moments later with three fresh beers to find the brothers with their heads together over the book that he'd found that would hopefully help them decipher what Dean had written.
Dean turned his gaze to his little brother, "Oh man... this is effed up right here..."
Beside him Sam sighed and leaned his head into his hand, "It's largely pictographic..."
"These aren't pictures Sam they're sticks..." he frowned, "I mean hieroglyphics, THOSE are pictures...you got a bug, you got the eagle headed guy, Horus I think,... anyway, then you got Anubis, the guy with the Jackal's head... all IDENTIFIABLE pictures."
The young Winchester turned his head slightly, his eyebrow raised as if he was a little impressed.
"What?" Dean asked, "Dude The Mummy? The Book of the Dead, the Book of Ra... Rachel Weiss in a black almost see through harem outfit... mmm," he smiled dreamily, "who says movies can't be educational?"
Beside him, Sam's expression changed, caught between a smirk and a question, so the elder Winchester pre-empted him, "No I can't read hieroglyphics either...but at least they're pictures."
Sam nodded, "Okay yeah, but that's WAY after Babylon and Akkadia I mean thousands of years Dean... This," he tapped the notebook, "this is the FIRST written language... and I get what you're saying but these? Their configuration's are supposed to represent kinda universal things, I don't know about concepts entirely but concrete things..." he pointed to the example in the books Foreword, a layer of lines presented horizontally, staggered either left to right in their placement, that was said to represent the word 'head'. "See..." his breath caught in his throat as he started to cough, tried to hold it back for a long moment before his chest spasmed and he doubled over in a fit that sounded like a kennel of dogs barking at once.
"Alright professor," Dean said softly once Sam finished and sat back with his eyes closed, trying to calm his breathing and visibly fighting another round of coughing.
"That's enough for a while," he ushered a scarily pliant Sam to his feet, walked him to the bedroom and closed the blinds while the young man stretched out on the bed, his feet hanging over the edge for a split second before his knees coiled into his chest and he wrapped himself in a cocoon of blanket with his teeth chattering.
"Sorry Dean... just give me a couple hours okay?"
"Hold on a sec Sam," Dean dug into his bag for the aspirin then shook out four of 'em, "Here, take these."
Sam did as instructed, swallowing them down with a swig of beer before turning back onto his left side and seeming to fade out almost instantly.
"That's not good," Bobby said softly as Dean returned to the table, "and you're not exactly in top form either. I'm gonna hafta talk to those two muttonheads when they get here, letting you boys..."
"They didn't LET us do anything Bobby, Tom 'n Shep have been... if they hadn't been with us over the last few days... we'd probably be in a LOT worse shape," Dean looked at their friend and nodded solemnly, "I'm worried about him."
"Yeah," the elder man nodded, "How long's he had the cough?"
"Noticed the wheezing last night..." he frowned, his brows furrowing, "Or maybe it was the night before... I don't know man time isn't exactly being linear these days."
Bobby nodded his understanding, "You boys on antibiotics?"
"Yep, ain't missed a dose, got eleven days left..."
"You know you had that young man scared out of his mind last weekend Dean, and taking a good look at you, he was right to be wasn't he?" the elder man asked. Was it really only a week ago? You boys gotta quit scarin' this old man...
Something in the question, in the comfort of being in their old friend's house; of knowing they were, in this moment as safe as they could get, clawed through Dean's defenses letting loose flashes of images, blonde, blood, and spinning gray metal that had little to do with the marauder or their new quest.
His eyes closed and winced even as he brought the beer bottle up, his hand quaking so the glass clinked hard against his teeth as he drew a trembling breath, "Yeah," he choked then busied himself with draining the bottle.
Bobby was no stranger to the young Winchester and his defenses. Bitch really hurt him.
"Listen, unless you feel like trying to decipher that stuff without your trusty sidekick, why don't you come out to the shed with me, help me get it sealed up so if anyone shows up with a demon in tow we have a place for Laura's demonstration... one that ISN'T going to risk the foundation of my home..." he half smiled, Maybe get you to work some of that pain out... course would be nice if you'd learn to talk it out... but that ain't the Winchester way now is it?
"Sure," Dean smiled, glad to have something to take his mind off the suddenly far too painful memories. Man, it's like they were laying in wait... I just gotta stay busy is all.
Dean slid into the bedroom and dug into his bag, "Hey Sam... I'm gonna be out in the shed with Bobby... you gonna be okay?" he asked.
"Mmm," he grunted.
"Alright," Dean smiled re-tucking the blanket around his brother, "You need us just holler," he admonished then joined Bobby back in the kitchen.
At the fridge, the senior hunter grabbed a six pack and looked down at Ajax.
"You, go lay down with Sam," he nodded and watched the young dog make a bee line for the guest room. A second later when the bedsprings squeaked he smiled and motioned Dean to follow him outside.
"How old is he?" Dean asked, "About seven months?"
"Almost exactly," Bobby smiled.
"He's better trained than Rumsfeld was, no offense t'the poor guy."
"None taken, I just got him a little younger than Rummy, and I can't prove it but it wouldn't surprise me if the sidhe have something to do with how quick this one seems to pick up commands," he shook his head, "Still, I miss that old cuss of a dog," he shook his head.
"I bet, but there's no better way for a dog to go out than trying to protect his master," Dean tried to console, "The only thing that could be better would be getting our hands on Meg and letting those igigi go at her," he sneered.
"They really eat demons huh?" Bobby asked.
As the two men headed toward the three walled, tin roofed structure Bobby called his 'shed', Gary Nelson crept stealthily between the rows of vehicles, his clear brown eyes darting between the men and the house, Tell me you're smarter than folks've been saying Singer, tell me you got that little bastard sealed up in there...gonna hafta draw the dog out... I hate killing animals. Slowly, making sure to move when he was certain neither Singer or the elder Winchester was looking, he crept forward, dodging from car to car.
At his last stop before the open rear yard he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small hard case. He pulled one of the two syringes out, putting it into his shirt pocket while he slid the case back into his inner jacket pocket. He slipped the jacket off and adjusted his grip.
He watched for a moment as Bobby and Dean worked to clear away an open area in the shed, and at that perfect moment, when they both had their backs turned, he dashed across the yard to the back door and slid into the kitchen.
--
tbc.
Please R&R.
Thanks.
sifi.
A/N – Ajax was named by Catbeist... and as such... I think his almost constantly happy expression and lolling pink tongue... well... honestly? I think she gave that to him. Thanks Beloved one...
It's also occurred to me that this is longer than most of my fics in the past have been... if anyone needs a rest or just really wants a DAwn-Hiatus... please let me know... there's some chapters I can sit on for a while if y['all need the break. :D
I'm just sayin cause really I love hearing from every single one of you... you make the effort so very worthwhile... and you give me such joy... helping me find the joy in the building of the story... that if it's too much... please tell me...
Thanks so much...
just me.