Chapter Five

The big Winchester family secret reveal! Hope it meets your expectations, 'cause I know it sure did mine.

"Oh, my God," said Piper. "Priestly, she's beautiful!"

Priestly was passing around the few photos John and Sam had given him the night before to all his friends at the sub shop, sharing all the stuff he'd learned yesterday.

Priestly smiled. "Her name's Mary. She was a daycare teacher. They were married June 4, 1974."

"Ooh, ooh, when's your birthday?" asked Jen.

"January 24, 1979," Priestly told them.

"What about Sam?" asked Tish.

"May 2, '83," said Priestly.

"Oh, you're older," said Piper. "I thought that would've been the other way around."

"I know!" laughed Priestly. "That kid is freakishly tall. He must've eaten a lot of spinach as a kid."

"Well, that's a common misconception," said Sam from the front door with John. "It's actually the green beans that do that."

Priestly looked over at him and laughed. He stepped over around the counter towards them as they approached the other side of the counter. "This is my brother Sam and our dad John. Guys—" he waved a hand at Piper, "this is Piper. She's an incredible artist. She actually painted that wall."

Sam and John followed his pointing finger to the beach mural on the back wall.

"It's Trucker and Zo's wedding," Priestly explained.

"It's good," Sam told Piper.

"Thank you," said Piper.

"And you've already met Tish," said Priestly, waving at her. He pointed at Jen. "This is Jen. She's getting married in a couple weeks."

"Congratulations," John told her.

Priestly pointed at Trucker. "And this is our boss Trucker." He leaned toward Sam and John with a lowered voice. "Don't trust the hippie act. It's a hoax."

Everyone chuckled at that.

"I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am to you guys," John told Priestly's friends. "Even though Dean couldn't be with his family the past two years, the four of you became his family when we couldn't. That means a lot."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Trucker. "He can be a little off the wall sometimes, but we manage."

The bell on the front door jingled as it opened, and Priestly looked over to see Zo walk in.

"Hey, Zo!" greeted Priestly, heading back around to the stove. "Your usual?"

"Actually, I just came to drop this off," Zo said in her soft voice, handing Jen a small jar of what Priestly could only guess was some herbal remedy. "For a young woman entering into a new adventure in life."

"Thank you, Zo," said Jen, giving her a smile.

"It's a chamomile blend to be used as bath salts," Zo told her. She turned her head and spotted John and Sam standing at the counter. She frowned sadly and stepped towards Sam, gently taking his hand. "It's not a curse, Sam. You use it to help people. You are a gift from God." She patted his hand as he frowned suspiciously at her. She then stepped over to Trucker. "I'll see you later."

Zo gave him a kiss and then headed for the front door, looking back at Priestly. "I am glad you found your family, Dean." She stepped out of the shop and headed across the street to her crystal shop.

John looked sharply at Priestly. "What the hell was all that?"

Priestly shrugged. "Zo. She does that all the time. She's a wicca, or something." He did not miss John and Sam's exchanged apprehensive looks. "But, uh…what did she mean, 'It's not a curse'?"

Sam sighed. "Uh…long story."

The door opened, and about five or six people walked in, adding to the half-full dining room.

"You know what?" said John. "We'll let you get to your lunch rush. We'll see you later at the motel, Dean."

Priestly nodded. "Sure thing."

"It was nice meeting you all," said Sam.

"You, too," called Priestly.

John and Sam headed out of the shop as Jen and Piper began taking orders.

Tish walked over to Priestly as he waited at the stove for his first order. "Everything seems to be going okay with you guys."

Priestly nodded. "Yeah, it is. I, uh…I think I even remembered something last night."

"You did?" said Tish, smiling. "That's great! What did you remember?"

"Something about a road trip we must've taken a few years back," Priestly told her.

"Order up," said Jen, handing him a ticket.

Priestly turned back to the stove, reading over the order.

"Keep at it," Tish told him. "It'll all come back eventually."

Priestly smiled and nodded, setting about cooking his orders.

*********************************************SPN/T IH************************************************ **

Priestly sat on the edge of one of the motel beds at Sam and John's room, turning the diamond ring over in his fingers. He was trying to figure out when he should do it, or if he should do it at all. Should he wait until he gets his memories back? Or should he do it now in case the memories never come back?

"What's that?"

Priestly quickly hid the ring tight in his fist as his gaze flew up to Sam in the doorway of the bathroom. "What?"

Sam took a step out of the doorway, pointing at his fist with the start of a smile. "Is that an engagement ring?"

John looked up in interest from his little notebook at the table.

"What?" Priestly exclaimed. "No!" He laughed nervously. "No, it's not!" His laughter trailed off uneasily. He stared at Sam for a second. "Maybe." He looked down at his fist for a moment before sighing. "Yes." He opened his hand to show them the silver band with a small diamond on top.

"Wow, I…" stuttered Sam, "I had no idea you and Tish were that serious. How long have you been planning this?" He sat down next to Priestly, accepting the ring and taking a closer look.

"About a week," Priestly told them. "But then, you guys showed up."

Sam frowned up at him as he handed the ring back. "What do you mean?"

"I'd come to accept that I was never gonna remember who I was," explained Priestly. "Then, my family finds me, and I have a chance to get my old life back. I don't know if I should wait till my amnesia goes away before I propose or not."

"Do whatever feels like the right thing to do," John told him. "When the time feels right, ask her."

Sam rubbed a hand absently at his temple as he winced a little.

"When will I know it's the right time?" asked Priestly.

John smiled. "You'll know. Trust me."

"He's right," said Sam. "If you've finally found the right person, it doesn't matter what you can or can't remember. You're still you." He winced again as he rubbed his temple.

"You okay?" asked Priestly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam told him. "Long day."

"You sure, Sam?" John asked very seriously, giving Sam a hard look.

Sam gave him another look right back. "Yeah, Dad, trust me. It's nothing."

"Well, uh, I want the two of you to be at the wedding," Priestly told them. "Maybe even in it."

"Definitely," John answered. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I'm not sure if Tish will want it soon or want time to plan it," said Priestly. "Hell, I'm not even sure if she'll say yes yet."

Some weird sense of alarm sprang up inside of Priestly at that second. He had no clue what it was, but for some reason, his eyes flew instinctively over to Sam. Sam had both hands to his head now, grimacing in pain.

"I'm sure she'll say yes, Dean," said John. "If she really—"

"Sam?" asked Priestly.

John's attention drew over to Sam also.

"Dad," gasped Sam, his hands clenching in his hair now. "I was wrong. It's—" He yelled suddenly, doubling over on the bed.

Priestly's eyes were wide as saucers as John rushed over and put his hands on Sam's shoulders. What the hell is happening?

"Sammy!" John yelled, trying to brace him.

"My head!" yelled Sam, his forehead almost touching his knees.

"Breathe through it, Sam," John coaxed. "Breathe."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Priestly in a panic.

Not surprisingly, he didn't get an answer. After a moment or so, Sam's tense muscles slowly relaxed, and he looked up at his father.

"What was it, son?" asked John.

Priestly could see Sam look at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"What we came here for," Sam told him soberly.

"What the hell was that?" Priestly asked them.

"Must've been a migraine," John told him quickly. "But I'm gonna take him to get checked out just to be sure. You go ahead and head home. We'll see you at the shop tomorrow." He helped Sam up and walked with him to the door.

Priestly followed them. "You sure you don't want me to come with?"

"Thanks, but we're fine," John answered. "I'll call you afterwards and let you know what the doctors say."

Priestly nodded as he closed the motel room door behind them. "Okay. Hope you feel better, Sam."

Sam nodded as he opened the passenger door of the Impala. "Thanks." He climbed in as John got behind the wheel.

Priestly walked to his own car, unlocking the door as John pulled out of the space. He waved to them. "Good luck!"

John waved a hand before hurrying out of the lot. Once they had gotten out of sight, Priestly quickly got in his car and sped after them, keeping his lights off so they didn't see him. This was finally his chance to find out what they were hiding. They had acted very suspiciously after Sam's "migraine," and Priestly wanted to find out why they were ditching him. If they pulled into the hospital up the road, he would just circle around and head back to his apartment.

About ten miles up the road, Priestly watched as they sped right past the hospital without even slowing down.

Priestly shook his head. "I knew it."

They drove another fifteen minutes or so before coming to a stop on the edge of some woods. Priestly stopped his car a ways back and turned off the engine, watching as father and son hurried to the Impala's trunk.

"What the hell are they doing?" Priestly mumbled.

His jaw dropped as John strapped a machete to his side, Sam doing the same. John also grabbed what looked like syringes, passing a couple to Sam, before pulling out an antique-looking revolver. John closed the trunk, and the two charged into the woods, weapons at the ready.

"Oh, my God," muttered Priestly. "I was born into the Manson family." He quickly got out of his car and chased after them.

Priestly found he was able to follow them fairly easily, although not quite sure how. He'd never been hunting, so he wasn't sure how good he was at tracking, but maybe he had been a hunter because it was all coming second nature to him. A little ways into the trees and noise started up, getting quickly closer to him. Priestly tensed himself for whatever was coming before a terrified, crying woman burst out from behind the trees and ran past him.

Priestly watched her go for a moment before heading back through the trees. He heard a shout nearby, and he stepped up next to a tree to see an unfamiliar man in a clearing. He was standing at the ready, looking all around him.

"Hey, you!"

Priestly watched John edge out from behind some trees, smirking at the man. The guy turned towards him.

"Why don't you try picking on someone your own size," said John.

Just as the guy let out a strange snarl, Sam charged up behind him and swung the machete, beheading the guy.

Priestly's jaw dropped as his eyes flew open. Oh, my God! My family is a bunch of psycho killers!

Another man quickly attacked, grabbing onto Sam and pulling him close.

"Sam!" John yelled, pulling out the antique revolver, which turned out to be an old Colt.

Priestly watched in stunned shock as the guy holding Sam opened his mouth and sharp fangs suddenly covered his teeth. What the hell? Vampire? No way…

John raised the Colt to shoot the guy in the head. Someone suddenly wrapped an arm around Priestly's throat, hauling his feet off the ground a little and stepping into the clearing.

"Ah-ah-ah!" the guy holding him called.

John and Sam looked over to see Priestly in the stranglehold. John moved the gun over to the guy before moving it back over to Sam's assailant.

"Can't shoot us both," the guy holding Priestly said.

Priestly pulled at the arm around his throat, but the guy was so strong that he couldn't even budge him. And with his feet barely touching the ground, he couldn't get any leverage.

"What'll it be, pops?" said Priestly's attacker. "One dead boy or drop the gun?"

John glanced between his sons before slowly lowering the gun. Priestly took that moment to snap his head back, head-butting the guy holding him. Stunned, the guy loosened his hold enough that Priestly could drive an elbow back into his face. As he staggered back, Priestly backhanded him and then punched him. A gunshot sounded, and the guy turned tail and ran.

Priestly turned to see John and Sam standing over Sam's attacker, who had a bullet in his head. The wound sparked with blue light for a moment before fading away. Priestly stared down in horror at the gaping bullet hole and then down at the fangs still descended in his mouth.

"That was close," said John.

"But not close enough," said Sam with a smile of victory. "We stopped my vision and saved that girl."

"Sounds like a job well done to me," said John. "What about you, Dean?"

Priestly stared at the dead thing at their feet before slowly looking up at them with horrified eyes.

"Oh, my God, Priestly…" said Sam.

That was all they got out before Priestly turned a one-eighty and high-tailed it out of the woods.

"Priestly!"

Priestly pumped his legs for all they were worth as he heard them running after him. He cleared the woods and darted for his car, grateful he had left it unlocked. He jumped in and peeled away from them and back towards town. Fifteen minutes later, Priestly slammed to a stop at the curb outside the sub shop. He tore out of the car and burst through the front door.

"Vampires!" Priestly exclaimed, slamming to a stop at the counter.

Piper, Jen, Tish and Trucker had frozen in their spots, staring at their alarmed friend.

"What?" asked Piper.

"It's the migraine and the Mansons and arsenal—vampires!" Priestly blurted, so out of breath and frazzled that he couldn't think straight."

"Okay, honey, slow down," said Tish, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Breathe and tell us what happened."

Priestly took a couple breaths. "My family just iced two vampires."

Tish blinked at him. "What?"

"Vampires," Priestly told her. "Real gnaw-on-your-neck, fangs-for-teeth vampires."

"Priestly…" said Jen slowly, "don't you think you might have mistaken something you saw?"

"Okay, even if they weren't vampires, they did kill two people!" Priestly told them.

The door burst open behind Priestly.

"Dean, whatever you do, don't tell them about the vamp—" said Sam as he ran into the shop. He and John froze when they saw everyone in the shop. "…pires…"

Priestly looked at everyone else. "Ha! See? Vampires!" He looked back at John and Sam with a frown. "Vampires?"

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" asked Trucker.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Priestly, crossing his arms and glaring at them.

Sam and John exchanged defeated looks.

John sighed. "I guess we have something to tell you, then."