When John found the letter, he wasn't sure what to think at first. Anger? Pride? All he knows for sure is that Tony applied for Ohio State and got in. But he didn't tell (because he would never ask) John beforehand. And that is probably what hurts the most.

John takes a swig from his bottle of JD, and begins to reread the letter. 'You are accepted into Ohio State University…' The gruff man frowns. Tony had never seemed that interested in school…Why would he now decide to pursue a higher education? The worst part is that John never suspected it. He knows more about the monsters in the dark than what is going on in his own kids' heads.

The door to the room is unlocked, and the opens a crack before John hears Tony say, "Here's a ten, Dean. You and Sammy go get snacks from the lobby. I'm going to get the movie set up."

John thinks he hears a, "Okay. Cheapskate." Before Tony enters and closes the door.

"So, I guess you saw the letter, huh, Dad?" Tony sounds a little wistful.

"Yup," John takes another swig of JD, "Were you planning on telling me, or just letting me know when you left in August?"

"Before you even start, Dad—

"I think you should go," John cuts him off.

Tony is flabbergasted, "Wait a minute. You're not mad?"

"I have no right to order you around; make decisions for you. I'm not your real father."

Tony is silent for a moment, "You've raised me, fed me, clothed me, protected me, and loved me for eleven years. If that's not what being a dad is, I don't know what is. And if you don't feel like I'm a real son-like Sam and Dean are-then I'll just walk out that door right now and never bother you again."

Tony moves to grab his duffle that is lying beside the queen sized bed, but stops as John barks out, "Anthony! That's not what I meant. You are every bit a son to me, just as Sam and Dean are."

"Yeah? Then what did you mean then Dad?"

"My fight: trying to find what killed Mary…it's not yours. And I can't expect you to stay or fight with me. She wasn't your mother.

"Your parents were hunters. But they would have given you a choice. I think they'd be real proud of what you want to do."

Tony swallows, "Yeah, well…" he clears his throat, "Thanks, Dad."

"The boys will be back soon. Don't you have a movie to set up?" John gets up from his seat at the desk in the far corner of the room. He corks the bottle of Jack Daniels and places it back in his duffle.

"…Right," Tony gives a small smile, before heading to the TV.

"What did you rent anyway?"

"Pleasantville," the boy smirks.

John snorts. Figures the boy would pick that one. Probably knew ahead of time that the letter would be found. Hell, he did leave it in open view.

"…It's not that I want to leave this all behind. I just want to fight evil from another angle."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to be a police officer." Tony drops the bomb.

"A cop? What are you going to Ohio State for then?"

"Academies go through extensive background checks. I can't exactly use my original information or my info as Tony Winchester 'cause of our not so kosher history…so I'm probably going to have to start off fresh. The best way to get through the background check is to have some real information."

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I just need some help getting papers…"

John laughs, "I'll get you your papers. But as for your last name…you can go as DiNozzo. We'll just get you another social security number. People have the same last name all the time; I doubt anyone will connect you to what happened eleven years ago."

Tony nods, and puts the tape in the VCR. "So, you're not surprised at my choice of work?"

John smirks, "Why look a gift horse in the mouth? I could use someone I can rely on on the other side."

The door opens then, and Sam and Dean enter, arms laden with soda and Funyuns.

"Did you start the movie without us?"

Standard Disclaimers

Notes: I hope this works. I tried capturing the essence of John. I hope this made sense, and that the characters were believable. Thanks again for the reviews and alerts!