"Maybe we could ask if anyone else has noticed-"
"People are already talking, Mary."
"Well... it's not a bad thing, is it?"
Dean listened to his parents through thin walls. They discussed his future as if it had changed dramatically.
And maybe it had, but he didn't grasp the magnitude of it. He didn't understand enough, he hadn't seen the weight of the world.
Miracle foliage had grown around their home. It wasn't much at first, grass surrounded the foundation of the house. The density around Dean's bedroom was their first hint.
The next thing they noticed was the trail of grass to market after they started taking him. Mary was the first to mention it, John dismissed the notion.
Mary took him to the Tull household on play dates. Jet was the second person to mention the green carpet following him. It connected their homes, Jet called it Dean's trail to freedom.
John still didn't want to think it was coming from his son. "We're a normal family, grass just happens to be growing in this area. That's probably why they settled here."
"But there wasn't any before we moved in," Mary insisted, opposing his distant tone. "He's special. Dean's been blessed-"
"We're not talking about angels again." John interrupted her, loud and confrontational. "Miracles don't exist."
"Then explain how that's growing in this soil?" Mary wasn't rolling over that night. She stood up for him, Dean thought and smiled.
Letters of his father painted a different picture than reality had. His dad, he thought was a heroic fighter who did what he had to for them all to survive.
And yeah, John did what his family needed to live. But he wasn't the hero Dean had expected. He was angrier than his letters let on, and words that left his mouth were harsher than those that left his hand.
John had stopped by the tunnels once, Dean learned. He'd asked about babies and his mom said it took a mom and dad to make one. Dean didn't remember seeing his dad around when Sam popped up.
Sam started crying, her voice became more distant as she went to him. "I'm asking tomorrow, John. I don't care if you come with me or not."
"I don't want people to treat him different! You haven't been around people a lot, Mary. I get it that you don't think about that sort of thing, but-"
"Just shut up, John."
A tense silence followed, then a loud bang as the door slammed shut. Dean waited a few seconds, listening to Sammy cry and soft hush from Mary. He got out of bed and walked to open his door, "Mom?"
She looked surprised when she saw him, her lips trembled for a second. "Dean, I didn't know you were still awake."
"It's okay, mom." He hugged her legs, pressing his cheek against her.
She touched his hair and her hand strayed to lift his chin. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Dean smiled, "So what're we doin' tomorrow?"
"I'll tell you later, but right now you should be in bed."
"Aww."
"C'mon, let's go."
Dean held Mary's hand as she pushed Sam's stroller with the other. They were going to go around and ask the community if they'd noticed any other plant life growing.
It excited him, Jet and Nikki were coming too.
They stopped by, knocking only once before Jet opened the door. A bright smile lit up his face when he saw them. "Hey, Dean!"
"Hi, Jet!" Dean was just as loud. "Didja hear? I make the grass grow."
"Bullshit."
"Watch your mouth." Nikki barked and Jet immediately flinched.
"Sorry, ma."
"For real, though." Dean continued after Nikki's attention returned to Mary.
"Prove it." Jet countered.
Dean hesitated, "How?"
"I don't know, you're the one with the grass powers."
"C'mon boys," Mary said, sweetness in her tone.
Dean and Jet trailed along behind their moms, Jet's eyes on the ground under Dean's feet.
"I don't buy it." He determined.
"It's not that fast!"
"Then how d'ya know it's you?" Jet raised an eyebrow.
"Mom says."
"Oh. Cool."
After that, Jet never doubted him about it. Dean would learn to appreciate that loyalty.
By the end of the day, his mom's energy had changed. She seemed more upbeat, excited for him somehow. Dean played with Jet majority of the time, he hadn't listened to the neighbours.
"What happened, mom?" He asked her once they dropped Jet and Nikki off.
"Everything's going to be fine, sweetie." She said, taking his hand in hers.
John was home when they got back, his expression dismal. There was a gun on the table, and a strange bottle Dean hadn't seen before.
"Honey?" Mary uttered in a calm manner, stepping in front of her son before John could see. Dean looked up at her, his heart stuttered.
"Saw some monsters," John said, he was tired. "We followed 'em out a few miles and..." He stalled, his eyes shined and he rubbed a sleeve over them.
Mary relaxed and walked to his side. "Are you alright?" She whispered as Dean started to take Sam from his stroller.
Dean heard the conversation, even if they didn't want him to. He'd been sent off, but he still heard about the dead people.
There had been a group of settlers coming to live in their village. And there had also been something his dad called an abyss worm. Dean's stomach twisted as John described it to Mary.
As long as any building, it would spring from large gouges in the land. Its mouth opened at the widest end, teeth lining as far down as light reached. The largest of which were at the entrance, spiked fangs strong enough to pierce a man in seconds.
"Did your team kill it?" She asked, a hush fell over the house.
"Not yet. But we will tomorrow, don't worry."
They didn't say more after that, not that Dean could hear. He looked at the crib, and then at the wriggling toes that poked out.
"Are you gonna die?" He blurted out, he could hear the startled steps of his mom. Dean stood up and went to them again, his gaze on the gun and the strange bottle.
John's eyes were reddened, his mouth tight. "I don't know, yet."
"Don't," Dean said. "Mom would be sad."
"And you?" Mary brushed his hair over his ear.
"I'm used to it, I'd be okay." He didn't understand why his honesty made his dad cry.
The next day was like it had never happened. John had breakfast with them, his equipment all set to go. Dean hugged him goodbye, his dad squeezed harder than usual.
"I love you, Dean." He had tears in his eyes again.
And then John left with the other Defenders. That was when Dean learned that Jet's dad was one of them too. He saw a similar goodbye just next door, they didn't need to talk about it.
The following few days were normal until a rapid knock hit their door. Mary opened it to an excited Jet, "Is Dean home?"
She stifled a laugh and stepped aside for him, "He sure is, go on inside."
"Thanks!"Jet rushed right to him. "Guess what! Guess what!"
Startled, he attempted to answer but Jet cut him off.
"Everyone's talking about your grass powers! There's little patches growing all around the village."
"For real?" Dean beamed.
"Totally! Just ask my mom."
Mary looked at Nikki, who had followed behind her son. "Is that true?"
"Yeah," Nikki smirked. "Some people even want Dean to visit them so they'll have some too."
"I'm not renting out my kid." She laughed and invited them in to stay a while.
Dean didn't think much of it at the time, but his life started to shift that day. He saw more and more of each villager, their houses, and families.
He would sit in one home after another, his mom would talk with the other adults.
"I understand, but we'd be more comfortable keeping Dean at home until this thing is figured out," Mary explained. Over and over again she said the same thing to different people.
Dean tried to play with any kids around, though Jet was the only one his age. Some of the younger ones reminded him of Sammy, who they'd left with Nikki at that time.
They finished two days later. Everyone had to wait, that was the bottom line. "John will decide what to do when he comes home," Mary had told them. She wouldn't have had to, but it seemed her first explanation wasn't good enough.
No one argued after she mentioned John. He was a well-liked Defender, respected around town.
John's team returned 3 days after they'd left. Someone had seen them emerge at the treeline far to the West. They called it the Mummified Forest.
Dean remembered that day. Mary dressed him up as nice as could be, her expression was joyful but tense. He held her hand as they walked to the edge of town, other villagers were already waiting there.
Jet waved at him when they arrived. "They're in the field."
Dean followed the crowd's gaze to the men nearing their home. Features were too far to distinguish, but it was clear that their numbers had decreased.
"Is dad with them?" He asked, turning toward his mom.
She smiled tightly, she had no idea. "We'll see."
The second their faces became clear people broke off from the crowd.
Dean had to wait, his hand strong in Mary's. John wasn't visible on the front lines. Sammy started to cry and Mary looked away from the soldiers, but Dean couldn't. He found himself needing to see his dad again.
The Defenders reached them, Dean looked at the pair in the back that pulled a cart. It had two bodies on it, he recognized the hair of one of them.
"It's dad." He said, his stomach sick.
"Oh my god," Mary hurried them over, the two pulling the cart smiling.
"He got lucky," one of them said. It was Jet's dad, Dean realized.
John raised his hand when he noticed them, "We're the injured ones." He explained as Mary appeared in his view.
"How bad is it?"
"Just my leg."
Mary gasped softly when she looked, Dean couldn't get a good angle. Another Defender picked him up and put him on the cart. He tried not to look at the unconscious man, keeping his disbelieving eyes on his dad.
"Hey kiddo," John smiled, his face stenciled with pain.
"Are you okay?" Dean asked, unable to understand how he felt at that moment.
"Kinda."
He looked at his dad's legs; the right was wrapped up, the left was in a splint. It was then that Dean noticed the third figure on the cart. A small body in the corner, he missed it other than the leg in his peripheral.
He looked at the stranger, perched beside the other soldier hesitantly. They couldn't have been older than himself, nearly the same size.
Their stare was piercing and unending. Not once did they look away from Dean during the trip to the doctor.