Deuce and Damien
Chapter 17
Disclaimer: see chapter one
A/N: Well, again we've come to the end of this little journey into the world of the Brotherhood. I want to say I am humbled by the number of readers who reviewed, alerted or favorited my story. It still truly amazes me that so many people are interested in what I write, you guys will never know what that means to me. I apologize for having not kept up with responding to the wonderful reviews, but know that I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement. You guys are wonderful! Thank you all again and enjoy!-Montez
Caleb came down the stairs and entered Jim's kitchen. The Pastor was cleaning chicken, preparing to make one of his famous fried chicken dinners since Mac and Caleb were heading back to New York the next day. They had been at the older man's house for two weeks and Mac needed to get back to his practice in the city and Caleb needed to get back to school, much to his dismay. "Where is everybody?" The teen asked as he got a glass from the drying rack, then reached in the frig for another Pastor Jim staple, iced tea.
"I've sent your father and Jonathon into town to pick up a few things at the grocery for dinner, Sammy went with them. Dean is out at the pond." Jim watched the boy as his eye's darted toward the window, trying to see the pond in the distance.
"He shouldn't be out there by himself, besides didn't Mac want him to stay inside?" Caleb sat down his glass and reached for his jacket on the hook next to the door.
"Dean is perfectly safe and the temperature has warmed slightly, plus the boy was bundled up. I am capable of taking care of a five-year old without supervision." Jim tried to lighten the mood, clearly seeing the tension in the teens face. Jim reached out and took Caleb's arm as the teen reached for the door, "He needed some time to himself; he finds comfort near the water."
"Yeah," Caleb started, still not liking the kid being out there on his own, "well I'm not that fond of it." The teen turned his back on the older man and headed out the door.
Crossing the yard Caleb couldn't help the memory of not being about to reach the child when he went out in the boat, the wall of water that had stopped him. As he neared the pond he could see Jim's boat out in the water, Dean's tiny figure sitting in the middle, unaware of his approach. "Damn it Deuce, didn't I tell you not to go out there?"
Dean turned and saw his friend on shore. Caleb's hands were on his hips, anger flashing in his face. But the little boy didn't let that deter him, he wasn't afraid of Caleb. "She says I'm safe here, I like it."
Caleb could hear the determination in the child's voice, his anger softened as he watched Dean pick up the oar and start maneuvering the boat to the bank. "I'm sorry; I just don't like the water, okay." Caleb commented as he helped pull the boat ashore. "How'd you get the boat out there by yourself anyway?"
Dean shrugged his shoulders as he climbed out, "It just kind of does it on its own; it always goes to the same place and stops."
The older boy paled slightly, "You've been out here by yourself before?"
"Pastor Jim knows, he said I'm safe out here. I just have to tell him when I do." Dean walked over and sat on an over turned bucket. It still amazed Caleb how grown-up the five-year old could sometimes be, but times like in the 'dreamscape' reminded him it was still a scared little boy before him.
"So what were you thinking about out there?" Caleb asked as he sat next to the boy.
"Don't you know?" Dean smiled, "You're the one who can read minds."
"Smartass." Caleb smirked, "I can't always get a gage on you, especially when you're out here, so spill it."
"My mom." Dean looked at the older boy, pulling something from his pocket, "Dad gave me a picture the other day, said I could keep it and everything." Dean held the item like a prized possession, running his hand over it much like Caleb could remember doing with the deuce card his father had given him.
"It's gonna be okay, you know that right?" Caleb glanced at the boy then out over the pond.
"I still miss her." The five-year olds voice cracked, "Will that ever go away?"
The knot forming in Caleb's throat threatened to cut off his air as he took in a deep breath. The pain in the little boy's voice, the loss reflected in his green eyes, it was something Caleb knew all to well. "You'll miss her forever, but that doesn't mean you can't think of other things, do other things."
"You said you knew how I felt, do you really?" Dean was looking for answers that Caleb didn't know if he could give, but he had to try if only to get the pained expression off the younger boys face.
Nodding, Caleb started, "I was exactly like you kiddo, I saw what happened to my parents, I shutdown for a long time, just like you. I had my grandmother but it wasn't the same, she wasn't my mom and dad. I didn't have anyone to talk to, anyone who could understand what seeing something like that can do to a kid, that's why I didn't talk. I kept everyone away, I didn't want anyone to take care of me, I didn't want anyone to get close again. I didn't want to lose anyone again." Caleb looked at Dean, seeing if the kid was following him, surprisingly Dean seemed to understand what the teen was saying.
"But you've got Mac." Dean commented.
Caleb let out a pained laugh, "It took me a long time to get Mac. I was hurt so much along the way that it took me a while to even see that Mac really did care about me. Then it took me even longer to want him in my life, for me to care about him."
"But you love Mac right? He's your dad." Dean couldn't fathom not loving his father or his brother.
"Yeah, I guess I do." Caleb stared across the pond, finally realizing that yeah, he really did love Mac. Then he looked over at Dean, his voice going low, "But don't you dare tell anyone, I've got an image to maintain."
Dean giggled as Caleb reached out and tickled him. "Stop!" Dean shouted as the teen continued, "Damien…stop!" the older boys stopping, helping hold the kid up as he caught his breath.
After a few minutes, Dean surprised Caleb as he came over and leaned against him, "Do you really have to go home tomorrow?" The child's voice barely a whisper.
"Mac needs to get back to work and I've got to get back to school." The teen reached his arm out and wrapped it around the smaller boy.
"What about me?" Dean again whispered, looking up at the older boy.
"What about you?" Caleb didn't understand what Dean was asking.
"Who's gonna watch out for me?" A hint of fear in the child's voice set Caleb's protective instincts on edge.
"Jim said you guys were staying here a while and you've got your dad, you just need to start talking to him more, trust me he want's to be there for you, you just need to let him." The older boy watched as Dean stared across the water, lost in his thoughts. "Deuce?"
"Will you forget about me?" It was clear the child thought he would be forgotten by the teen.
Caleb's heart clinched at the fear in his friend's eyes, "Why would you think that?"
"You're going away, doing other stuff." Dean looked at him, worry in his eyes.
"I've always come back before haven't I?" Before Caleb had only seen Dean as a strangely quiet, pesky kid who followed him around like one of Jim's dogs. But now, with what they had gone through, what he had seen through Dean's mind, there was nothing that would keep him away from the kid for very long. "Mac says well be back in a couple weeks. I even heard Jim and Mac talking that your dad might start working with me, training me, so I'll be around."
"Promise?" It broke Caleb's heart that the small boy needed to be continuously reassured that those around him would come back.
Something in Caleb told the teen, he needed to be completely honest with the boy before him, completely open. Maybe helping, not only Dean, but Caleb himself to realize just how important Dean had become to him. He laid both of his hands on the little boy's shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I promise that whenever you need me I'll be there, okay? You call me; call Jim to get a hold of me. You're very important to me, you're Deuce and I'd do anything for you, got it?"
Caleb watched an array of emotions cross the five-year olds face, but it was a hint of mischief that finally settled in Dean's eyes. "You love me."
The kids face giving the teen an amused smirk that had Caleb laughing as he pulled the preschooler to him in a bear hug, "Yeah Deuce, I guess I do."
Dean's arms tightened around him, "I love you too Damien."
The sound of the Impala pulling in the drive brought the boy's attention to the house. "Looks like dad and Johnny are back, we better get inside before they eat all of Jim's fried chicken."
The boys stood and headed toward the house as Dean slipped his hand in Caleb's, the teen looking down into a face that held unimaginable trust and unconditional love. The older boy smiling as Dean spoke, "I love fried chicken and pie, do you think Pastor Jim's got any?"
Remembering the smell of the kitchen from before Caleb confidently answered, "I'm sure of it Deuce, race ya!" The teen shouted as he took off, Dean's pounding feet racing to catch up as they reached the porch together, laughing as the entered the place that felt like home.
A/N #2: I have a story in the works, but need some input. I'm attempting a pre-Pastor/pre-Guardian Jim story. His introduction into the Brotherhood and what lead to him becoming Guardian. I've got a decent start but am having a problem trying to figure out a 'first hunt' for Jim. I've got him teamed with Griffin since in some of Ridley's stories, it alludes to the two, supposedly being friends, or at least as much as Griffin could be friends with anyone. I'm also trying to remember some of the older (Jim's age) hunters so if anyone can remember some names from stories it would help me tremendously. Thanks in advance and again Thanks for reading.-Montez