Chapter 5:
Caleb and Mackland returned to New York City so they could pack up their belongings to take with them for the next three weeks. There were going to catch a flight to Kentucky the next day. It was times like this Caleb liked having a rich father. He couldn't imagine being in a car with a babbling baby and a sullen silent five year old. Caleb was in his room packing his duffel bag and reflecting on how lucky he was. When he was younger he got very used to being alone. His parents were killed by a demon, and his Grandmother followed them a few years later. Caleb became a ward of the state, and he was an angry sullen kid who did not know anything except violence and anger. By the age of twelve he had a lengthy criminal record and the courts were beginning to run out of places to send him. In his last foster home his life was changed forever. He had a vision that his foster parents were going to die, and he thought it was a nightmare, but then when they died the next night in the exact way he saw in the vision he was convinced that he had somehow cause their deaths, and he was sent to the psychiatric ward at the local hospital. It was there that he first met Pastor Jim and Mackland Ames. They convinced him that the visions and deaths were not his fault and that he couldn't save everybody. He was introduced to the world of the Brotherhood, and he began to understand his powers. It was slow going at first bit Caleb eventually began to feel at home with Mackland, and when he officially adopted Caleb, he began to cherish the idea of family again. Now Caleb was beginning to wonder how he became the lucky one. Caleb was startled by a knock on the door.
"Come in Dad." Caleb said returning to the task of stuffing as much clothing as he possibly could into his duffel bag. Mackland pushed the door to the bedroom open.
"You have been in here for a long time, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.' Caleb sighed.
"I'm fine, I'm just thinking." Mac frowned and sat down in the chair in the corner of the room. Caleb shifted uncomfortably, they were about to have a talk and he did not like to talk about his feelings.
"I can feel your discomfort son." Mac was also a psychic, and though his specialty wasn't reading minds Caleb and him always had a unique connection. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing really, just trying to figure out how I got so lucky." Mac smirked curiously at his son.
"Feeling optimistic today Caleb? After all that has happened in your life I would think you would consider yourself anything but lucky."
"Maybe not the beginning of my life, but I would say I am pretty lucky now After everything that happened I never thought I would have a family again. Maybe everything I went through were trials that would help me appreciate everything I have now." Caleb reddened, he thought he sounded like a girl, but Mack smiled.
"Well I am glad you feel like you have a family again Caleb, but I have to ask, what brought this on?" Caleb was silent. "Okay, so this is about Dean and Samuel."
"More Dean then Sam." Caleb replied. "He is starting to some out of his shell, but he has no stability and too much responsibility. I am scared for him, he shouldn't know the things he knows, he has such a heavy weight on his shoulders, but then I look at Sam and wonder if John lets him live out his childhood in peace and then tells him the truth later, is that and better? Giving the kid a false sense of security and then having that yanked out from under him?" Mackland stood to face his son.
"Caleb I do not know what the future holds for the Winchesters, but I do know that they will be okay."
"How do you know that Dad?"
"I just do, as long as you have each other you are all going to be okay." Mackland couldn't tell his son about the Triad's plans for the three of them, not yet.
"I hope so Dad." Mac smiled and began to walk towards the door. "Dad?" Caleb said.
"Yes, Caleb?"
"If I tell you something about Deuce is there like some patient-doctor confidentiality or something?"
"Well… technically no, he is a minor anything you tell me would have to be reported back to John." Caleb frowned but nodded; he needed to keep Dean's talking to himself for now. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No Dad, nothing. I was just wondering." Mac sighed, Caleb was clearly hiding something, but he let it slide for now.
"Alright Caleb, finish packing and get some rest, our flight is at 10:30 so I would like to be at the airport for 8:30." Caleb groaned at the early time, he was a teenager after all. "Hey I was going to book the 8:00AM flight so no complaining. Good night."
"Good night Dad."
They arrived at the farm before the Winchesters, which was not surprising, but they couldn't be very far behind. In the meantime it would give Caleb time to unpack and get settled in relative peace. Mac lifted their bags out of the back of the rental car and Pastor Jim walked out onto the front porch.
"Welcome back you two, John just called and said they should be here in the next four hours, but with the way he drives, probably less." Caleb smirked; it was definitely a commonly known fact that John Winchester drove like a maniac. "Why don't you go put your stuff upstairs then we can get some lunch made."
"If you don't mind Jim can I switch to the other spare room?" Caleb asked. Jim looked at the teen curiously.
"That's fine Caleb, but the other room is smaller and the other door opens up into Sam and Dean's room. Are you sure you want to be that close to them?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay go ahead." Caleb headed upstairs, he quickly grabbed his few possessions from the other bedroom before switching into his new room. He could keep the door that divided the two rooms open at night, that way he could hear Dean if he had a nightmare. Caleb couldn't always be around, but as long as they were staying in the same house he wanted to be as close to Dean as possible so he could help the young boy out. He decided he would unpack later, and went back down stairs. Mac and Jim were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and making sandwiches. Caleb took a seat next to his father and began to make his lunch.
"So Caleb how was the babysitting last week?" Jim asked. Caleb shrugged.
"It was fine, Sammy started walking."
"Really, well I am glad to hear that. He has always been a fast learner. And Dean? How was he?" Caleb thought about the question and still decided to leave out the part about Dean talking.
"He had some nightmares and scratched himself up a bit, but other then that is went pretty good. He is a pretty independent kid, he doesn't really let me do much."
"What about the sign language? How is that going?" Mac asked.
"He hates it. He doesn't use it much when I am around."
"He has to have some sort of communication outside of you Caleb." Mack said to his son.
"He'll walk soon just give him a chance."
"I know you hope that Caleb, but he may not."
"He will." Caleb replied sternly. "Just have some faith in the kid."
"I have lots of faith in Dean." Jim said. "But what makes you so sure Caleb?" Caleb sighed and gave them a half truth.
"He has told me that he wants to, he is just scared of not doing it right, or that you guys will make him talk all the time… and…"
"And what son?" Mack asked softly. Caleb looked at his Dad and the Pastor.
"He talked to Sammy."
"You've heard him talk to Sammy?" Jim asked.
"Well not heard exactly, he whispers in Sam's ear to put him to sleep. He is so quiet you can't hear him, but he is talking. Just give him a chance." Caleb was getting angry, he didn't like that they were treating Dean like he was broken, he wasn't broken, he just had a few cracks, and he would be fine. Caleb put his plate in the sink and retreated back up to his bedroom. He was throwing stuff into drawers and putting stuff on bookshelves. He grabbed a dictionary off the bed and turned to see Dean standing in the doorway holding Sammy. Caleb dropped the book on his foot and swore.
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't scare me Deuce, you just startled me a little." Dean smirked at Caleb.
"Same thing."
"Is not and I am not having this argument with a five year old."
"Why did you switch into this room?"
"No reason really, I just like this room better." Dean just nodded and walked into the bedroom, if he guessed the real reason behind the room switch he didn't let on.
"Can you watch Sammy for a minute? I am gonna go back downstairs and get our bags."
"Sure kid."
"Thanks." Dean said quietly. He put Sam down on the floor and the baby pulled himself up on the edge of the bed and waddled over to the teen.
"LALEB!" Sam screamed and grabbed onto the teens pant leg. Caleb bent down and picked the baby up off the ground. Sam put his forehead against Caleb's.
"Inside voice, Runt." Sam had no idea what Caleb was saying to him but he smiled anyway. He didn't care who was talking to him as long as someone was paying attention. Dean came back upstairs and Caleb helped him unpack all of his stuff. That was a rule at the farm. No matter how long you were staying, you unpacked. Nobody was living out of a suitcase when they were here. This was supposed to be home. After a late dinner John carried a grumpy yawning Sam upstairs with Dena in tow. Mac and Caleb were talking in Caleb room when the screaming started. A very haggard looking John came into Caleb's room and looked at the teen.
Any chance you know how to get Sam to stop doing that?" John asked. Caleb turned and saw Dean staring at the through the open doorway that divided the bedrooms. Caleb sighed and walked towards Dean. The two adults followed him, so he bent down and whispered quietly into Deans ear.
"I think Sammy needs a story." Dean looked from the Caleb to the two adults in the room and shook as head quickly. "It's okay Deuce, they won't be able to hear you, you whisper to quietly." Dean thought on that for a minute, and then looked back at Caleb.
"Okay, but don't leave me alone with them."
"I won't." Dean got up off the bed and ignored John's stare. He climbed into the crib beside Sam and Sam quieted instantly. Dean looked back at Caleb who gave a reassuring nod. Dean turned back towards his baby brother who was now laying down, Dean lay down beside Sam and began to quietly whisper into his ear. He listened to his big brother contently while the two adults in the room watched with shock on their faces. After ten minutes Sam was asleep and Caleb lifted Dean out of the crib, Dean ran over to the bed and covered his head with the blankets.
"Please make them leave Caleb, tell them I am tired. Please." Caleb sighed and turned toward John.
"Deuce is tired, we should let him sleep." Caleb herded the adults back into his room and shut the door behind him.
"How did you know Dean would talk to Sam?" John asked.
"He did that all last week, it was the only thing that would put Sammy to sleep, everything I did riled him up." John looked truly puzzled.
"I have never seen him do that before."
"Maybe you just weren't looking hard enough." John looked at Caleb coldly and then walked out of the room. Pastor Jim smiled at Caleb.
"Good job my boy." He then followed John back downstairs. Caleb smiled to himself. Maybe now that the adults knew that Dean could talk, maybe that would help Deuce heal a little bit more. Sometimes all you need is a little faith.