Author's Note: The rules for hunting mentioned in this chapter are mentioned in the book: Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting by David Reed and do not belong to me. You should get the book. It makes for an awesome read!
Previously: "We'll get started back on your training in the morning," Bobby informed John as he watched the young father leave the room.
Waiting until he had heard the sound of the upstairs bedroom door closing, Joshua turned to Bobby with a look of uncertainty on his face.
"Bobby, I don't mean to question your judgment, but don't you think you should be dissuading Winchester from hunting? I mean, he has those two little boys to take care of, and any man in his right mind wouldn't want a baby anywhere close to the things that go bump in the night."
"Don't ya think I tried, ya dunderhead?" That man upstairs lost his wife to what I am assuming can only be a demon and couldn't do a damned thing about it," Bobby explained. "Now, you wanna be the one to tell him he shouldn't be hunting?"
"No. I just..."
"You just can't stand the thought of those two boys being hurt, or worse yet, left orphaned if the greenhorn goes out and gets himself killed," Bobby filled in knowing what was going through Joshua's mind since the very same thoughts had crossed his.
"Look, we'll just have to make sure he is trained right so that those boys won't ever have to know what it is like to have to grow up without their father," Caleb voiced, his own heart clenching at the thought of the boys losing the only parent they had left.
"Damned straight," Josh stated vehemently as he pushed himself to his feet. "If we're going to be doing that, I guess we better get some sleep. Let's go Caleb."
"If you knuckleheads are going to help with the training, I reckon you can stay here for the night," Bobby grumbled as he tugged off his ball cap and tugged his fingers through his hair. "
"I got dibs on the recliner," Josh called out immediately knowing that the sofa was too small for his large frame, while Bobby pulled a few blankets from the hallway closet.
"Try not to stumble through the dark as you do something about those wet pants your wearing. I don't want those two boys scared through the night," Bobby warned as he tossed a blanket to each of the hunters before making his way to his own room for some much needed rest.
"Sure thing Bobby. I'll just strip them off and hang them over a chair to dry so I don't wake the little tykes," Joshua shrugged as he began to undo his belt. Hunters weren't afforded modesty for the most part since they hunted long hours and got very little, to no pay, for it, only the thanks of grateful victims. As he climbed under the duvet, Joshua knew he needed to shower since little Sammy had peed on him through his diaper, but that could wait until morning when the boys were awake.
Trudging up the stairs to his own room to get some sleep himself, Bobby couldn't help but smile knowing that Dean and Sammy were already working their way into the hearts of the two hunters downstairs also. He couldn't believe just how quickly the small family was becoming ingrained into their lives.
~~Supernatural~~
Early the next morning found the three hunters gathered around the table enjoying their breakfast as the three Winchesters came strolling into the kitchen.
"Morning," Bobby voiced cordially, as John carried his Sammy into the room with Dean following closely behind. "Get yourselves a plate. I made quite a few flapjacks and some scrambled eggs for the little ones there."
"Thanks," John stated as he placed Sammy down onto the floor so he could grab a few plates from the wooden cabinet for himself and his boys.
Enjoying his freedom to suddenly move about, Sammy toddled over to the table and looked up at Joshua with dewy eyes. "Up," he demanded, the temptation of the inviting smell of pancakes too much to ignore for the young boy.
"Sure thing, little bit," Joshua replied as he reached down to pick the little one up and place him in his lap.
"I wouldn't so that if I were yo...," John started to voice, just as Sammy reached into Joshua's plate and grabbed the syrup laden pancake to tear off a piece and put it into his mouth.
"Guess you are a hungry one, aren't you runt?" Caleb proclaimed, rather glad that it wasn't him who was now holding the child, since Sammy was currently wiping his sticky hands on Joshua's shirt sleeve.
"Fap daps, yummy" Sammy proclaimed in reply as he tore off another piece and offered it to Dean with an outstretched hand.
"No thanks Sammy, I'm going to eat my eggs," Dean informed his little brother as he climbed up into the chair his Daddy had pulled out for him and dug in.
"I'm glad you like them Sport, but how about eating some of your own?" John offered as he reached out and picked Sammy up and placed him on his own lap so that he could feed the toddler.
Settling in, the small group enjoyed their breakfast knowing that they would soon be hard at work, making sure the newbie sitting at the table with them become a seasoned hunter, capable of protecting his small family.
~~An hour or so later~~
"The first thing you need to know about hunting is that you can't believe everything you hear about monsters," Bobby informed John as they sat on the porch and watched the boys out playing in the yard. "Some of the lore is correct, but there is also a bunch of bullshit put out there by hunters who don't know their own minds from a hole in the ground."
"For example, most people think you can kill a vampire with a wooden stake to the heart, " Josh explained, jumping in when Bobby paused to take a sip of beer. "That couldn't be further from the truth. You can only kill them by..."
"Decapitating them," Caleb interrupted, as he used his finger and drew it across his own neck, to make his point. How you do that is up to you. It can be done with a machete, or an axe, doesn't much matter as long as you completely decapitate the dame thing.
"While it's true that they do crave human blood, some vampires will try to stave off their carvings with animal blood. I've heard of some who have went years without human blood. But just one sip, and that's it. They have to be taken out," Bobby informed John, wanting to make sure the hunter knew there were no second chances once human blood has been ingested.
"The second rule of hunting is that you damn well better know what you're hunting more than they know you," Caleb stressed. 'When it comes to ghosts and spirits, you gotta know what is keeping them hanging around. It can be something as simple as a favored toy, a treasured heirloom, or even unfinished business. Once you know this, you can usually make the spirit or ghost cross over."
"How?" John questioned, his mind boggled by the thought that ghosts truly did exist. And if they did, could his Mary still be hanging around? He hoped that she was a peace, but he couldn't be certain, especially with the way that she had died.
"Salting and burning the remains is usually the only way, but I have heard of a few that have crossed over once they were made to understand that they didn't belong here," Bobby answered, as he scrubbed a hand across his hair stubbed jawline.
"Now mind you, these ghosts don't take too kindly to you trying to dispel them, so you better have a crowbar or iron rounds handy to disperse the damn things until you can't salt and burn them," Joshua informed John, the novice hunter trying to take in everything he was being told. One thing was for damn sure, he would have to start a hunting journal to remember all the information that was being imparted.
"A salt line can also hold them off for a time, but you have to make sure it isn't broken" Caleb added as he glanced quickly to the boys in the yard to check on their safety before returning his focus to John. "If you ever find yourself in a bind, make sure you draw a complete circle around yourself and stand inside. It will piss off the spirit attempting to get you, but at least it will keep you safe until the thing can be dispersed by iron rounds, or someone or something else."
"Rule number three is to know that sometimes monsters will work together to take down their prey. Just remember, if it looks like the thing you are hunting could be more than just one kind of monster, then usually your first instinct is correct. Don't just assume what you are hunting is a vampire, only to be corned later by a werewolf. Mosty monsters can be damn smart and will con you into falling into it's hands," Bobby explained, fighting off the small shiver trying to overtake him as he thought about what would happen to Dean and Sammy should John fall prey to more than just one monster.
"Rule number four is to never hit the same town twice. Chances are you are going to run afoul of the local police when hunting and you don't want the long arm of the law taking a double look. It will usually land you in the slammer," Caleb stated knowingly, having nearly landed in the slammer himself once.
"Rule number five is it isn't dead until it is in pieces and buried in concrete or something just as substantial" Josua stated, remembering something that Rufus had told him once when he was going after a cunning witch. We'll get into that more later," Joshua stated with a grin as he watched Dean approaching the porch with Sammy in tow.
"What's up, Ace?" John questioned as Dean ushered Sammy up the steps, making sure that the little one didn't stumble and fall.
"Sammy needs a diaper change, he stinks," Dean answered as he wrinkled his nose at the smell wafting up to his nose and Sammy moved.
"You go ahead and take care of the little one, we'll train some more after the munchkin is taken care of," Bobby informed John, glad that it wasn't him who would be changing the poopy diaper!
TBC Sorry that I made you wait so long for this chapter. I just lost the urge for writing. Hopefully this chapter will get me back into the swing of things. Please let me know if you are still interested in reading after such a long wait, otherwise I will just delete the story.