Innocence Regained
Disclaimer: I know nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing, whoops wrong disclaimer. I promise that I am not making any money or profiting in anyway from this story. I don't have claim to Supernatural, the characters or anything else to do with the show.
Author's Note:This is the promised third part of the Wee! Chester Innocence Trilogy, it follows on pretty much straight after the ending of Innocence Reviled.
Author's Note: There is no explicit child sexual abuse in this story.
S—D
Chapter Three: Children Should be Seen and ... Heard.
Dean held his brother's hand tightly as they ventured outside to play, their dad in the shower and uncle Bobby still asleep and the brothers were restless, Sammy wanted to play with the puppy.
After his nightmare and revelations a couple of days ago, Dean had retreated into his own mind; the only one he spoke to was Sammy and then no one had actually heard him utter a sound.
Sammy for his part never left his brother's side, even when Dean went to use the bathroom Sammy sat outside the door and waited. He padded around watching everything and everyone with wide unblinking eyes. The two small boys became more like ghosts than healthy happy children.
Sammy lifted his head and listened intently; he pointed to the edge of the forest and nodded as he 'listened' to his brother. Cautiously with the puppy in tow, the boys went to investigate.
S—D
John sipped his morning coffee and enjoyed the silence of the early morning; it was actually soothing at dawn in the middle of the forest, without anything to disturb the peacefulness.
'John the boys with you?' Bobby's voice broke the perfect bubble and John growled under his breath.
'Nope thought that they would still be asleep.' John put his cup on the bench and span around to face Bobby a look of horror on his face, 'they should be in their room, and dammit Bobby ... I left them asleep just while I had my shower.'
'Calm down John I'm sure that they're just playing in the front yard.'
The frantic barks of the brown puppy silenced both men and they ran outside without uttering another word to each other.
'Sammy? Dean?' Bobby yelled as he ran around to the back of the cabin, John echoing him as he covered the front yard. The puppy bounded towards him and then went to run back, he did this a couple of times before John realised what was happening.
'Bobby ... round here.' He yelled watching the dog carefully.
'John?' Bobby panted as he hurried to where his friend stood, 'where?'
'Watch.' John nodded towards the dog as it became frantic trying to get them to follow it. 'He knows.'
'Which way boy?' Bobby wanted to grin at the antics of the animal if the situation wasn't so serious.
The puppy led them down a path partially concealed by debris fallen from the trees over time. Ahead they could hear the sounds of children laughing; both men exchanged looks of surprise and hurried to catch up with the dog.
They stopped at the edge of a very small clearing, a fallen tree trunk marring their view as they edged closer. They found Sammy and Dean playing with a small wild pony. The shaggy animal had a black coat with a white nose and four white socks; it whinnied and pranced in front of the boys giving them a private show. Not wanting to frighten the boys or the wondrous scene in front of them Bobby and John sat on the log and watched intently, ready to move if anything untoward happened.
A soft snort caught their attention and just on, the other side of the clearing stood a black horse similar in colour to the pony but larger, stockier in a way, the mother of the little animal entertaining the boys. Both hunters suddenly went on alert, watching for any signs that the mother was going to hurt Sammy and Dean for being near the pony but she just watched over them, as any mother or parent would.
'Daddy?' Sammy's whispered voice brought John's attention back to the boys; his baby turned around at the sound of the mare's arrival and caught a glimpse of John. 'Uncee Bobby?'
'Hey boys.' John said not wanting to break the magical scene, Dean was actually smiling and laughing albeit silently. Dean turned his head and regarded his father and uncle with a serious searching gaze before he returned his attention back to the pony who was softly nibbling at his knuckles. 'Time to go back and wash up for breakfast.'
'Dean wants to know if we can stay just a little longer.' Sammy said as he limped over to his daddy and leant on his leg. 'Socks wants to play with us.'
'Socks?'
'Our pony daddy.' Sammy said with infinite patience only a small child could have for his parent.
'Oh I see, I think Socks' mommy might want him to go with her for his breakfast.' John said brushing his fingers through Sammy's thick and unruly hair. 'You need a haircut tiger.'
'Daddy!' Sammy admonished him with a look of disgust before limping back to his brother.
'Way to go with parenting skills.' Bobby chuckled the indignant look on Sammy's face was priceless.
'Very funny Singer, yuck it up.' John grumbled good-naturedly. 'Dean son, time to go back to the cabin.'
Dean turned and stared at his father for a good couple of heartbeats before nodding; he slowly stood, gave the pony a hug and then took Sammy's hand, the two brothers walked back to the cabin just ahead of their uncle and father. The puppy snuffled at the horses and then bounded after the humans.
'So Sammy, Dean have you come up with a name for the dog yet?' Bobby called out trying to slow the boys down. 'We can't keep calling him puppy.'
The brothers stopped walking and looked at each other the puppy playfully nipping at their feet and hands almost as if he knew that they were going to name him. Sammy nodded thoughtfully and smiled before he limped over to his daddy.
'Sammy why doesn't Dean tell me himself?'
'Coz his voice ran away.' Sammy whispered conspiratorially, 'so I does till it comes back.'
'Oh I see, but how do you know what Dean says if you can't hear him?'
Sammy cocked his head to the side and regarded his father with a look that was a mix of confusion and incredulity, 'Daddy!'
'Oh of course, you can.' John grinned and glanced over at Dean; his eldest boy was no longer smiling or looking relaxed like he had in the clearing. 'So Dean did you think of a name for Bobby's puppy?' Dean nodded his head and went over to his father slowly, dragging his feet slightly, 'Can you tell me what it is?'
'Lucky.' Sammy piped up excitedly, 'we's gonna call him lucky.'
'Great name there boys.' Bobby said as he watched the puppy chase its tail and yap at birds over head, 'something tells me that he's gonna have to be if he wants to grow up to be a big dog.'
'Youse funny uncee Bobby.' Sammy giggled and then held his hands up, 'm'leepy.'
'Come on up then sport.' Bobby easily gathered the slight toddler in his arms.
'What about you Dean?' John asked but his eldest boy shook his head no, opting instead to walk next to his father, a minute later his small hand found its way into his father's large one.
S—D
They stepped into the cabin and immediately Lucky started to growl and hunkered down sensing danger, his upper lips curled and he bared his small front teeth.
'John?' Bobby passed Sammy over to his father while he went into the kitchen to check it out; John's heart skipped a beat when he heard a muffled cuss.
'Dean I want you and Sammy to stay here in the living room okay.' He said as he lowered his baby down onto the couch and then lifted Dean up and deposited him next to his brother, 'I'll be right back.' Moving stealthily, he glanced down at the terrified looks on his sons' faces, swallowed deeply and then went to join Bobby in the kitchen.
'What the?' John stared in a mix of horror and disbelief, 'how?'
The two men stood in shocked silence as they stared at the small kitchen that now was, transformed ready for a small boy's birthday. Complete with balloons, streamers, a banner with 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMY' emblazoned across it, clowns faces decorated the edges, and the brightly coloured balloons bore the same clown faces.
The sound of a small boy's plaintive cry brought the two men out of their stupor, Bobby ran upstairs to check for any signs of an intruder up there while John tried to calm down his distraught children.
'Clear up here.' Bobby bellowed, 'gonna check outside.'
'Daddy.' Sammy sobbed terrified as he watched the clown balloons bob and weave at him, 'no, no, no.'
'Come here Sammy.' John tried to pick up the toddler but lost in his terror Sammy backed away from his father and sobbed hysterically when one of the balloons seemingly broke free and came at him.
Terrified, Sammy tried to run away but his injured leg refused to work properly and the four year old fell face forward, 'Deanie, meanie got me.' He screamed as he started to hyperventilate.
'I got ya Sammy.' Dean barely whispered kneeling down next to his brother, he pulled him up onto his lap, 'shh it's okay Sammy.'
'Dean I have to ... I have to get you two out of here.' John said speaking in the most non-threatening loving tone he could muster, when all he wanted to do was scream, rant and rave, cussing until he was blue in the face.
Dean cradled Sammy tightly against his chest and stared up at his dad, large tears fell from his jade green eyes as he nodded in agreement. John picked the two boys up together and tensed when Sammy started to squirm and wail in fright. Dean tightened his hug around his brother holding him impossibly close until their dad deposited them back on the couch. 'What's taking Bobby so long?' John muttered while he checked the windows and the front door. He couldn't believe that he was so stupid, even entertaining the idea that they were safe in the cabin.
S—D
Bobby tried to lift his hand and frowned groggily, for a moment he couldn't work out why he had trouble lifting his hand when he realised he was actually bound, hand and foot, lying on his side in the woodshed adjacent to the cabin. 'Dang blast it all.' He cursed silently when he couldn't dislodge the grotty rag someone had used to gag him with. He couldn't believe that he let anyone get the drop on him; they had been so hyper-vigilant with security. No one knew that they were there, except for Jim and he wouldn't sell them out.
Struggling harder he tried to loosen the binds but the more he tried the tighter they seemed to become. He could hear John yelling for him but had no way to answer, pulling his feet back he smashed them against the pile of wood sending the logs toppling.
John heard the sound of the logs crashing down and ran for the woodshed, he was about to open the door when he felt more than heard someone behind him, the last thing he could remember hearing was the sound of Sammy screaming.
TBC
END NOTE: Sorry it is a little shorter than normal but it fits perfectly with what I have in mind for the rest of the story so I figured that a little short is better than a chapter of rambling with little to do with the plot. :0)