(Sorry about the late post. Couldn't get internet access until tonight. But here it is. Before I start, lets begin with some huge thanks. WastedJaimie thanks for the review, and trust me, you want family drama you got it. lenail125, I hope you got that crazy long PM back from me. John is a hard person to write about. Seriously. And Souless666 as far a John's mental state is, you'll get more insight here. Dun Dun Dun.)
Chapter Seven
Sam was doing good. As good as he could expect. First Dean forced his brother out of bed, and shoved him outside. Well the patio really. Sam sat outside quietly with Buddy at his heels gnawing on a rawhide. Buddy got bored of the rawhide a little later and became determined to play fetch. After about the eleventh attempt, Sam picked up the little tennis ball Buddy would pick up and repetitively drop at his feet. Dean wasn't sure if it was annoyance that got his brother to pick up the ball and throw it, but it ended up in Sam and Buddy playing a very long game of fetch. It was small, but Sam seemed to enjoy it. It seemed to get everything off his mind for a short while at least. Any physical activity usually did that.
The day after Dean didn't need to prod. His brother found a book from the shelves and sat under the little tree from across the house. He even gave a genuine smile when Buddy came from his round and curled up next to him. Once again the exchange ended in Buddy prodding Sam to play fetch. The third day, Sam was up before Dean. When Dean checked the front and back of the house, Sam was nowhere in sight. He pulled on a light jacket and stepped out into the lot, only to find Sam jogging, Buddy at his heels. The dog for a second rushed to Dean with a drooped tongue in a greeting. Dean had rubbed the dog's ears and smirked as he gave a light thump with his leg.
"Hey Sam. If you had woken me up I would have joined you." Dean casually tossed.
Sam didn't show amusement on his face, but it wasn't sad either. He'd take it. "You don't get up for anything. I always was up way before you to work out."
The kid wasn't lying. Dean valued his sleep. Sam however without his father barking orders had found the physical activity therapeutic. Especially before tests. "Hey I eventually worked out."
"In the evening." Sam's lips flipped up in a slight grin.
"My sleep is valuable." Dean shrugged. "I'm headed back the house. When your finished I'll have breakfast."
"Bobby isn't up?"
"Not yet, but I bet the scent of bacon will get things going." Dean smirked himself.
"And dad?" Sam questioned.
John had been locked in the guest room upstairs, only leaving to grab a quick meal, or switch out Bobby's books. Dean wasn't happy with his father, and neither was Bobby. Sam had seen his father slipping into anger and revenge again, but would constantly have Dean and Bobby at his side to push him away from such thoughts.
"I don't know what Dad's doing." Dean answered.
Sam slipped back under his mask. "Okay. See you inside."
Dean watched his brother jog off into the little maze. Sam probably would be at that for another thirty minutes. He wouldn't tire out, Sam knew that Dean would come after him and make him eat breakfast. If his brother was going to start working out again, then fine. It was a good thing. It was a good way for Sam to work off his emotions in a healthy manor, but that meant Sam was burning calories. And Dean wasn't going to let his brother burn calories without putting in more. Sam was not going to exhaust himself again.
When Dean had stepped up onto the back patio, he sniffed at the air. "Bacon." He hummed softly. Bobby must be up after all.
Only once he'd opened the door there was Missouri taking out the first strip of bacon from the pan. "Why hello, sugar."
Dean paused for a second and shook his head before going to the bags at the counter. "I don't even want to know how you got in."
"Why the front door was unlocked, of course." She stated sweetly.
"It wasn't." Dean muttered digging through the bag. He hissed when the warm spatula smacked onto his fingers. He didn't say anything, but his glare was enough. With Missouri you didn't have to vocalize your thoughts. She already knew. "You probably picked the lock, when the back door was opened."
"The walk to the back door would have been too long. Besides your wrong again, sugar." She dangled a strip of hot bacon in Dean's reach. "You let me in."
Dean eyed the bacon and shrugged. In one swipe he took the bacon and went to the table. "Okay, I let you in."
"You let who in?" Bobby sleepily muttered. He appeared in the doorway and took in the woman cooking at his oven. An expression of irritation crossed his face and he scrubbed at his scruff. "You let Missouri in…"
"Yep." Dean said shorty taking his last bite.
"Did you give her the test?" Bobby asked.
Dean looked over at Missouri expectantly and she rolled her eyes and tossed another strip at him. "Yep." Dean grinned before crunching down on the bacon.
"Which means no." Bobby sighed. He let the matter go though. She had visited frequently enough and gave him so much crap about the test he wasn't ready to deal with that again. He had more important things to discuss. "I take it you know why we need your help."
Missouri dug through one of the plastic bags. "Of course. Sam lost his girlfriend. She was a sweet thing. You obviously know who did it." She waited for Dean and Bobby to nod. "And your worried about the visions he's been having. I'm all caught up."
"And?" He'd called her a few days ago, and he'd been anticipating her call back. He desperately wanted to know what she had to say on the matter.
"And this discussion can wait after Sam, and John have joined us for breakfast." Missouri muttered.
Bobby scowled. "He's upstairs in the guest room. He probably won't come down." Bobby was getting tired of John. Bobby was getting irritated at the way he was messing up the organization of the books, and of course he also hated the way that John was taking all of this. Sam was still angry, but without anyone to bounce off he was slowly slipping into acceptance. Although her death would always be something that would eat at his soul. He recalled losing his wife and accepting it, didn't mean he didn't still mull about it. Meanwhile John was slipping back into his anger, and revenge. He'd done well the first few days, trying to support his son, but now not so. If he didn't start correcting his mood, Bobby would suggest that John find a motel somewhere.
"He'll come down." The woman pursed her lips and lowered her brows into a 'V.' "Once I'm all finished cooking that stubborn mule is coming down to hear what I have to say. As far as Sam goes, he'll be another ten minutes. Enough time for me to whip up some pancakes."
"What was the bacon for then?" Dean asked confused, as she started putting away the pan she'd made the six strips on. Six pieces of bacon didn't go very far in the house. Even with his veggie loving little brother, bacon went very quickly.
"To keep you two occupied while I made breakfast." Missouri rolled her eyes. "Bobby fusses that I'm cooking on his stove, and you, Dean keep trying to eat everything as it's being made. You both are impossible.
She dug into her bags and started pulling out an array of things. Dean didn't say anything but balked at the amount of food being drug out of the bottomless bags. Breakfast? She was cooking up a feast. He noted the objects and what could be made with them, and pieced together that she making food specific for Sam. Blueberry Pancakes, eggs, and wheat toast. Basically the lame version of a breakfast. Of course Bobby and Dean's breakfast consisted of bacon, sausage, and more bacon. Although Bobby was starting to eat a little healthier. Turn coat.
Sam returned when she had a plate piled high with pancakes. He didn't say anything, just in a question pointed to the woman when she wasn't looking. The psychic woman, who knew and saw everything.
"Yes, I am here." Missouri barked. "I don't need an excuse to come see you boys. "Besides I have some information for you…after we eat."
Sam opened his mouth to say something and thought better.
"Quit thinking that way." She called over her shoulder.
"I wasn't-" Sam hastily started.
"Oh yes you were hon." She softened her voice. "I get that your hurting, but everyone in this home has lost someone they've loved. They've gone through everything you are. We are all just here to help you out boy. Besides, you are not alone. That's just how he wants you to feel." Her eyes took a knowing look as she regarded Sam. "You need to fight and push for the surface boy, or drown in your sorrow."
Sam froze. He looked up at Missouri his eyes wide. "What? What did you just say?"
"Just a saying, boy." She winked and switched off the oven. She brought over five plates and positioned them around the small table. "Now, I'm getting your foolish father. No eating until I return."
Sam dragged out a chair and sat down. "When did she get here?"
"I dunno." Dean shrugged. "Must have been when I went to go outside to find you."
"But you let her in." Bobby smirked. Picking at the last of the bacon she'd left as an offering.
Dean smirked back. "Exactly, I came back in and she was at the front door. That was when I opened the door to let her in."
"Boy, it doesn't take much to buy your loyalty." Bobby chuckled.
Sam watched the exchange but figured he didn't want to know. "What is it she's coming to tell us?"
"I don't know. It's Missouri. She's a mystery herself."
The three sat around the table awkwardly staring at the food, up until there was a loud thump, and a curse. Seconds later Missouri came down the stairs a firm grip on John's ear. Somehow the older woman was dragging John by the ear. John was still cursing and smacking at her hands, not wanting to hurt her, but wanting the grip gone.
"Dammit Missouri. I'm not a child." John griped.
"Then stop acting like one, John Winchester." She finally released her grip.
John straightened and the patch of red on his cheek was suddenly visible. John scowled, embarrassment making his mood the past few days worsen. "I don't see why Bobby allows you to come as you please. You seriously have no manners."
"You want to talk manners, John?" Missouri rolled her eyes. "You don't cuss at someone who is trying to help. Oh and don't lock yourself in a room. If you are a guest, then you socialize."
John gave a growl but pulled out a chair and thumped down hard into it. His gaze softened when he eyed Sam. "Hey Sam." Even if he was horrified at the kid's abilities, he wasn't horrified with his son. Sam was a victim in all this. The poor kid had gone through so much. The reason he was trying to find out why his son could do the things he could was to give him a normal life. Maybe once the kid was cured he could move on and find another girl, make little floppy haired grandchildren for him, and have that white picket fence house.
"Hey dad." Sam said softly.
John scratched awkwardly at the back of his head. "Well, then, I'm out of the room. Explain."
Missouri scowled at him. "I told you, we are going to eat breakfast, then I'll answer questions."
xxxOOOxxx
Breakfast went by slow and awkward. They tried having a civil conversation; discussing the weather, and potential hunts. After breakfast Missouri got up to take back the dishes, but John smashed a fist down on the tale and growled. "I've eaten breakfast, and been civil. Now what do you know?"
She didn't look shocked by the outburst.
"I'd usually get after him, but he's right. It's been a long time, and we would like answers." Bobby said softly putting a gentle hand on her arm. "We need to know what you know."
Missouri cleared her throat, and sat back down. "Okay. Let's start at the obvious. He did come back, Sam. Why he went after your girlfriend, I don't know. I don't exactly have insight on the plan, I never have, and unless he slips up, I never will." Missouri got a little uncomfortable. "And so you know she wasn't in pain. Like your mother, it initially hurt but, it numbed. When I walked around your old apartment, I sensed that she was more worried, about you. She knew what this would do to you. Especially after your mother."
Sam shifted in his chair, his expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry, and I know you don't want to hear it. But your strong. It's hard getting past this now, and she'll always be a painful memory. But wounds scab over. It'll never be gone, but it'll hurt less." Her hand covered Sam's and rubbed at the boy's knuckles.
"And the visions?" John ground out.
Missouri sighed but didn't take away her hand, or her eyes from Sam. "I know your worried about them, John. You want to tell the rest of the class why you're so anxious to get rid of them. Because you sound like an ass without the explanation."
John sputtered.
When it was clear there would be now explanation from him, Missouri looked at all of them. "John is worried that Sam, is hurting more because of this ability. It scared him when the ability proved to put Sam in pain. Besides the pain, he wants the visions gone, so that Sam can go back to his life. He didn't like it when Sam's life got derailed. Plus, he's not only angry that something messed with not only him, but his son." She glared at John. "Who he loves, even though the words never come out."
Three shocked gazes went to John, and John didn't like it. He gave a growl and snapped out a profanity. "Thank you for the touchy feel-ey moment. We'll do the kumbaya circle after I get my answer."
"First, the pain is because you're fighting it." Missouri ignored John. "I'm not saying you need to embrace the power. That's something you have to decide on your own. But fighting it, means that in order to reveal itself it needs to fight back. And baby, it fights back dirty."
The air was heavy, as they waited for the second point.
"And I know that there is a mixture of feelings on this matter, but the ability is not hereditary. It was a dark gift left behind by him. Once again I don't know how, or why, and I don't know that I'll ever know, but it is." She scowled at John. "And no, I didn't miss it. The reason I didn't know your son had this ability when I visited all those times was because it was dormant, and disguised. It probably showed once the demon wanted it to."
"So all the kids…" Sam said softly, but didn't finish.
"Every child, visited by the demon, should have some ability. And yes, you are tied together somehow, that's why you dream about these young people."
Sam shut his eyes. The woman, Lily, the man who'd killed his cheating wife, the woman who had jumped off a bridge; they were all children like him. Who'd been cursed with something they'd never wanted. Maybe some of them had even lost their parents.
"Do you remember your other visions?" Dean asked. "Could you place the people in them, and we could try to see if they're all-"
"Born in 1983?" Sam finished darkly. "I kept a journal…in my apartment." That was gone. There wasn't a sound until Sam continued. "But I'll see if I can remember the cases, or the names."
"There's another piece to this puzzle." Missouri said softly bring back the attention to her.
Sam sighed and his head drooped. "And what's that?"
"I can't say for sure, but I know it has to do with your mother, and her family." Missouri still kept her voice low.
John scowled. "Mary had nothing to do with this. And her parents were long dead before that night. Besides, with what you just confirmed about Sam's powers, I don't need that answer to prove anything." His wife hadn't done anything he was certain. She would never put her babies in danger. And he didn't need to find out about her family anymore. The ability wasn't given to his son at birth, but by the bastard Yellow Eyes.
"I couldn't tell you why John, but something tells me you need to know about her and her family. And someone in the room has the answer."
"Who?" John scowled.
Missouri gave a pointed look towards Bobby.
"Whoa hey. I never met your wife." Bobby raised his hands defensively, when John threw Bobby a dark look. "Friendly or otherwise."
"You never met a Mary Winchester?" John questioned. He felt a growing anger at this line of discussion. He'd looked everywhere for the Campbell's. Near as he could figure they'd existed but kept everything to themselves. He remembered how secretive they'd been when he'd initially met them. How much of a dick her father had been. He figured her father was just some, ex-army shut in who didn't want to be found by the government.
"Plenty of Mary's none of them Winchester, or with rings." Bobby kept his hands up.
"She wasn't always Mary Winchester." Missouri offered.
John felt his face go red. He couldn't do much about his wife before he met her, but if Bobby had been with his wife ever, he was going to spill blood. "Did you- before I was- with my future wife?"
Bobby backed out of his seat at the violent reaction. He threw an angry look over at Missouri. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
Unamused by John's bristling and Bobby's aghast, Missouri rolled her eyes and brought her hands. She stayed still for a second while John seethed. "Oh my god, you men think with your penis much more than you should. What was Mary's name? Before she was Winchester?"
"Campbell. Mary Campbell." John spilled quickly. His anger dropped as he realized he'd never shared that information with his sons. He'd never wanted to talk about her. Only gave single answers whenever asked. His tone softened when he glanced over at his surprised boys. "Your mother's name was Mary Campbell."
Bobby stilled. "What were her parent's names?"
"Samuel and Deanna Campbell." He glanced at Sam. "We named you two for her parents."
"Heard of a Samuel and Deanna Campbell, knew they had a daughter who joined them, but couldn't recall her name. They all kind of disappeared." Bobby offered quietly.
"Joined them where? And what did you mean disappeared?" John asked.
Sam pieced everything together quicker than his mulling father and brother. "Bobby, are you saying my mom, was a hunter?"
"No." John's head shifted violently towards Missouri. "She was not- She would have-" He quieted. Their sudden deaths. Her aversion to guns or knives, but wanting them in the house all the same. Her insistence that salt was something they needed to stockpile just in case. The News. She hated watching the news, the mention of a death or a weird situation she'd slip into quiet thoughtfulness.
Dean said his voice small, too small for his larger than life son. "Dad…You don't think she was? Do you?"
John firmly met his son's eyes. The truth; she'd said a long time ago that despite what he thought, keeping secrets from his boys wasn't protecting them. They needed to know the things that hurt so they could prevent themselves from dying from something they could avoid. "If she was it makes a lot more sense. I couldn't find anything on her family. And she had a lot of odd habits, that in that context aren't so confusing."
Sam remained quiet. She'd left. She'd tried to leave the life, and the life came back like a bad rash. It further proved his thoughts. He would never escape. Once you got in, you could never get out. A hand slipped up and he unconsciously sighed and leaned back in his chair. He wouldn't have even gone to school if he'd known that he would find someone and they would get hurt. He would have stayed home. Gone to some community college and get a simple enough degree. Hell he could have become a mechanic. No, he wanted something grander. He wanted to become a lawyer and stand in court like some hero.
John felt himself slipping back into anger. "Great. Next you're going to tell me my dad was some Men in Black agent and he left to go to some distant planet to protect space."
Dean was a little surprised he'd even known about movies after 1980, and any other time would have teased him.
"Actually…" Missouri paused her mind in deep thought, and her eyes staring off into nowhere.
Dean sighed. "Oh don't tell me aliens exist. Although I wouldn't mind meeting Mulder and Scully. Scully was kind of hot."
"No, I think you don't know everything about your dad, John." Missouri collected herself. "He's got a small part to play it this. A very small part to play, but I don't know what." When John whirled to face Bobby she quickly added. "And no one in the room does either."
John was exhausted. First his son was given powers by the SOB that killed his wife. Then his wife may have been a hunter, and now his father. His father could have secrets as well. It was too much for one day. His thoughts trailed off of him, and went to his son. If it was too much for him, was Sam okay? "Sam? Are how are you doing with-"
"Fine." Sam said tersely.
The word fine was thrown around way too much. Carmen breaks up with Dean, and Dean is fine. John comes home from a hunt limping and nearly bleeding to death, and he's fine. Sam comes home from school on vacation and he's exhausted mind and soul, but he's fine too. Even Bobby threw that word around too much. Fine wasn't fine.
"I should go find Buddy." Sam stood up from his chair. "Make sure he's okay."
Bobby put a hand on Sam's arm to stop him. "Buddy is okay. He's just in the corner behind you. Sit back down Sam. We can-" Bobby got stopped.
"NO!" Sam burst out loud, and ripped his arm away. His tone went down and he scrubbed a hand across his face. Sure answers had been given, but with them so many more questions had appeared. "I mean- I'm fine, I just need some air. It's getting too stuffy in here."
Dean gave his brother a soft look. "Okay Sam, be back in an hour." Or he was going to look for him was heavily implied. He waited for Sam to leave out the back. Buddy perked up his head and followed.
Missouri took the time herself to get out of the chair and start to clear the table around the men.
John stood up from the table nearly knocking her down, had she not moved fore warned about the sudden action by her abilities. "I'm headed upstairs."
Bobby gave the man a sympathetic look. "You going to join us for lunch?"
"Yeah." John stated shortly. His hand itched to curl around his car keys and just drive. Nowhere in particular, just anywhere. Anywhere but here. He glanced down at Dean whose own eyes were wide. Sam had already run off. He was just waiting for his father to do it to. "Just in my room, Dean." He comforted. "I just need some time. I need to digest everything."
xxxOOOxxx
Dean didn't have to look far for his brother. He found the kid just sitting on the porch his eyes skyward, the damn dog curled at his side. Dean wasn't sure if his brother was forming shapes in the clouds, if he was looking up at the sky to see if Jess or his mother appeared, or if he was just too deep in thought. Either way Sam was very much so distracted. His little brother looked over after Dean shifted next to him.
"It's nice outside."
Dean nodded. A lighter topic was preferred. "Yeah. It is."
There was a lengthy bout of silence between them. Dean wasn't sure what to say. He would run a line through his head only to decide that it wasn't right. When he discovered that there would be no good option either way, he stated what he had wanted to say for days. "You should find a place nearby that will let you finish your law degree. Go become a lawyer, find a nice girl, and make me an uncle." Dean said softly his eyes captivated by the shifting clouds.
"No." Sam said firmly. "I can't go back to that. I tried and look where that got me."
Dean shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. What do you want to do then?"
"Hunt." Sam ignored his brothers shocked look. "I hated it dude. I still do. It's just whenever I try to go down a normal path, he trips me up. People end up hurt."
"What the demon does isn't your fault and you shouldn't go after revenge. Look what happened to dad."
"Not revenge. Hunting." Sam explained. "I already heard you guys. He wants me to get angry to feel like I'm alone. I don't feel alone, and I'm not overtaken by anger. I just want to protect people. If people are going to die because of me." He hastily added. "Even if it isn't my fault. I want to save a few lives as well."
"You don't want revenge?"
Sam thought on it and shrugged. "Sure if we found the demon and plugged a few permanent holes in him, I wouldn't be opposed. But like I said, I think he wants me to get mad. When I'm calm I can control this-" Sam paused. "-this ability. When my emotions get the better of me they start to spiral out of control. I can't let him win, and he certainly hasn't won yet. I just want to be there for someone else."
Dean sighed and glanced back at the sky. "You know you aren't getting out there until all of us agree you are ready."
"I know." Sam half-heartedly chuckled. "All three of you are mother-hens in your way."
Dean grinned wide. "You are the Baby Winchester."
"You know I am taller than you. Or is your depth perception off?"
"You started out as a midget, and you've been shorter than me longer than you've been taller. Besides, you're the youngest. Automatically that makes you the baby."
"By four years." Sam nudged his brother's arm. "Do those extra four years give you more profound wisdom?"
Dean smirked. "You bet your britches."
"Okay then Mr. Wise Guy, give me some profound advice."
"Always use a condom dude. You don't want little mini, floppy haired, Sammies running around."
Sam laughed. Actually deep bellied laughed. "My life is richer already."
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