Chapter 9
Later that evening, Sam and Dean waited in the car while their dad gave Caleb a hunter's burial. Dean had wanted to help, but he was worried more about Sam so he sat with him in the car and they waited for their father. Sam kept his eyes glued to his lap and Dean sighed. He put a hand on his brother's thigh and rubbed soothing circles on it. Sam looked up and Dean winked. That earned him a small smile. When John finally slipped into the driver's seat, no words were spoken and John just drove. He drove until he had entered the next town and still he hadn't spoken a word. Dean could tell he was angry.
"Um, sir, can we stop for the night?" he asked carefully.
John glanced at him through the rearview mirror and gave a tight nod. They stopped at the first motel John found. While John went to check them in, Dean woke Sam up. He blew on his brother's face. Sam's eyes fluttered and he opened them, looking at Dean.
Come on Sammy, we're at a motel. You can sleep in a real bed.
Sam groaned and stretched before he followed his brother out of the car. He wasn't prepared for his father to snatch him up the minute they walked into the room.
"Dad?" Dean frowned.
John smacked Sam across the face, "What the hell is the matter with you, you little piece of shit."
Sam yelped and Dean frowned, "Dad! Let him go!"
John kept smacking Sam around, "You think you're a badass hunter like your brother? Fight back. Come on, show me what you're made of!"
"Dad, cut it out!" Dean yelled, trying to pull his father off his brother.
John was seething, jerking out of Dean's grasp as he tossed Sam on the ground. Sam whimpered and tried to move out of his father's line of sight. Both Dean and Sam's eyes went wide when they saw the belt. John had never beat any of his kids before. Sure, he smacked them up every now and again, but beat them? Never. Dean shoved his father away.
"Dad, stop. You don't need to do this. He knows he messed up. He's sorry."
John shoved Dean, causing him to stumble and fall, "SORRY?! He doesn't even know the meaning of the word."
John brought the belt down on Sam's side causing the youth to scream.
"Look at you! A little weakling that kills everyone they come across. Your mother died because of you, you almost killed your brother and now you killed Caleb," John spoke, hitting Sam with each sentence. "Who's next? Dean or me? Well I won't let that happen."
Sam was screaming and sobbing uncontrollably. Dean groaned, rubbing his head. He blinked as he stood and went over to his duffle, pulling out his Colt Magnum. Pointing it at his father, he cocked it. John froze and turned to Dean. He gave Dean a look.
"Back up from him or I will shoot you," Dean said, voice hard.
John chuckled, "You wouldn't dare shoot me."
He turned back to Sam and raised the belt again as if he was going to hit Sam again. Dean shot his father in the knee.
"Never turn your back on a man with a gun. Care to try me again? Drop the belt and step away or I'll put a bullet in your chest."
John looked at Dean and when Dean cocked the gun again, he dropped the belt. Dean put the gun into the waist of his pants and rushed to his brother's side.
"Sam. Hey," he said, waving his hand in front of his brother's face trying to track his movement.
Ignoring his father for the moment, He picked up his brother, grabbed the keys and took Sam to the impala. After he situated his brother in the back, he went back into the motel and grabbed their stuff. As he was walking out he fixed his father with an icy glare.
"When you can act like a father and not like a pompous ass because you have a problem with your son's condition, give me a call, but I swear to god, if I see you within ten feet of us, especially Sam, I'll shoot you."
~~~ADTH~~~~
Dean didn't stop driving until he was at least two towns over. Only then did he pull over and inspect his brother's wounds. He sighed. He was just glad John didn't hit him hard enough to break the skin. He would have several nasty bruises for a while, but that wasn't so bad that they needed a hospital. He pulled his brother into his lap and laid his head against the seat and closed his eyes.'
Sam opened his eyes wondering where he was and what happened. He sat up wincing and that's when he remembered the beating his father gave him last night. He looked up at Dean who was on the phone.
"Bobby," Dean mouthed.
Sam frowned, wondering why he was talking to Bobby, but didn't ask. He tried to stretch his aching muscles but it only caused him pain and he tried not to cry out. He felt Dean rubbing his arms and looked at him.
Sorry kiddo. You're gonna be in a bit of pain for a while. John left you quite a few nasty bruises. You hungry?
Sam frowned. Why was Dean calling their father John? He nodded. Dean nodded and they switched to the front of the car and he pulled back onto the road. They stopped for breakfast at some café that was across the street from a gas station. Dean filled up the car and Sam used the restroom and then purchased them some snacks before meeting his brother back into the car.
Where's Dad? Where are we going?
Bobby's and Dad isn't allowed to come near us until he can pull that stick from his ass or I'll kick his ass.
Dean…
After what he pulled? Hell no. I'm not having him come near you again. I've put up with it for too long but not anymore.
Sam swallowed back tears and looked down at his hands. Dean sighed and tapped Sam's cheek. Sam blinked and looked up at him.
You didn't do anything wrong. Not now, not then, okay? John is just too hardheaded to see anything except what he wants. Sammy, you're a good kid and an amazing hunter. He just chooses not to see it.
Sam sighed. I wish he did.
Me too, but he's too blinded by the fact that you're deaf and thinks that because you can't hear, you're worthless. Which, is far from the truth. Me, Harmone, and even Jim knows it.
Sam swallowed and gave a small smile before looking out the window. Dean sighed as he pulled back on the road. He hated how much their father hurt him and not just physically. John needed to look past Sam's disability, but Dean didn't think he would ever would.
~~~ADTH~~~~
John sat fuming in the motel room. Dean had disabled the GPS on his phone. He didn't think Dean had actually been serious, but he seemed to underestimate him when it came to Sam. This had been the reason he tried to separate them in the first place, but he figured it wasn't far enough. He knew that with Sam out of the way Dean would see things his way. As much as he hated to do it, he needed Sam out of the way permanently. The first thing he needed to do was to find them first.
"Jim? Yeah, It's John. Listen, Dean and Sam took off last night. I don't know why and Dean disabled the GPS on his phone so I have no idea how to find them."
After a few minutes, John hung up from Jim and dialed Bobby before calling a few other hunters he knew that would keep a look out for his boys. Now all he had to do was wait.
TBC...
