Chapter 16
A week passed and neither brother brought up John once. Nor did he call and check on them. Not that they thought he would. Harmone and Bobby were careful not to mention him either. The one time Bobby accidentally mentioned something about John, Dean got tense and Sam would get so sullen and proceed to lock himself in the room for a long time. So now, they just didn't mentioned John.
Dean came in from the junkyard where he was working on a car for Bobby, wiping his hands on a rag and grabbed a beer before checking on his brother who was glued to the laptop in the living room. He took a long drag of the beer and settled in next to Sam.
Whatcha doing? He asked after attaining his brother's attention.
Sam smiled. I may have found a hunt.
Dean blinked. Yeah?
Sam nodded and pointed to the screen where he was reading. Dean scooted closer and read. He chewed his bottom lip. He looked at his brother who was looking at him expectedly.
We should show this to Bobby and Harmone.
Sam nodded. He wrinkled his nose. You smell.
Dean laughed, "Well I was under a car all day."
Sam exaggerated his words by fanning his nose. Go shower. You totally reek.
Dean shook his head and grabbed his brother in a chokehold and waved his armpits over Sam. Sam squealed, "Stop."
Dean shook his head, "You will suffer the wrath of smelly king!"
Sam giggled and wiggled, trying to free himself from his idiotic brother, "Get. Off."
It was then that Harmone walked into the room. She smiled at the sight of Dean teasing his brother. It kinda made her wish she had siblings. It was something nice to watch. That despite all the hunting and killing they may have to do, they were just kids and deserved to act like it.
"Harmone!"
Harmone looked at Dean, "What?"
"Care to help me tickle Sam to death?"
Harmone chuckled, "No thanks. I'm good."
Dean looked at Sam who nodded. Suddenly Harmone squealed like a pig as she was chased and tickled by the Winchester brothers.
"Leave me alone!"
"Never. You can't escape us," Dean laughed.
Eventually they trapped Harmone and Sam sat on her as they boys tickled her. Soon it turned into a tickle battle. Who could tickle the other the longest without getting kicked. None of them noticed Bobby standing in the doorway just watching them. Harmone, who was laughing so hard was the first one to notice him but she couldn't stop laughing.
"Having fun?"
Sam grinned as he sat up and swung his legs off Dean. He cleared his throat and went to his computer. He showed Bobby what he had shown Dean earlier. Bobby blinked and frowned.
I think it's worth checking out. I wanna leave outta here in twenty minutes. It's roughly a twenty hour drive from here to Corpus Christi. Get your things and haul ass. Yes Sam, that means you too.
Sam blinked. Thinking he misinterpreted Bobby wrong. Sure Bobby wasn't telling him to come along. Dean chuckled, ruffling Sam's hair, "Come on Sammy. We don't want Bobby to leave us."
~~~ADTH~~~~
It took the entire twenty hours and three driver changes before the group was finally pulling into Corpus Christi. Harmone pulled up to the first motel she found that had a vacancy. Bobby left to check them in while the others unloaded the impala. He came back with two keys.
"Unfortunately they only had two rooms. Harmone, I figured you'd want your own room."
Harmone shrugged, "I don't mind sharing."
Bobby nodded and split the rooms between Sam and Dean and him and Harmone. This gave him an excuse to actually spend time and get to know his daughter. Dean frowned as he saw Sam seem to relax. He tapped Sam's cheek and Sam turned to him.
Dude, you really think I'd leave you alone? With them of all people?
Sam shook his head.
Of course not. It's my job to look out for you.
After they took the bags to the rooms, Sam and Dean met Bobby and Harmone in their room to discuss the case. Sam was just extremely excited to be helping. Sure he helped with research and stuff on their other hunts but Bobby made it a point to actively include Sam.
"I'd like Harmone to take Sam and talk to some of the locals while Dean, you and I go to the ME."
Sam frowned and looked at them, "How?" he asked softly.
"Well you could sign and Harmone could translate or you could use your voice which I know you hate doing," Bobby smiled as he spoke and signed at the same time.
Sam hesitated and looked at Dean. Dean smiled and ruffled his hair, "You'll be fine kiddo. Do what feels comfortable to you."
Sam chewed his lip, "But…" I'm so young. I doubt anyone would talk to a kid.
Bobby chuckled, "You'd be surprised, Sam. Just give it a try okay?"
Sam nodded. He didn't want to let them all down.
Sometime later, Bobby dropped Harmone and Sam at the local park and he and Dean went to the Medical Examiner's office.
~~~ADTH~~~~
John sat in his motel room in some nameless town after a hunt had turned out to be a false alarm. He thought about what he had said to Harmone in Bobby's house and he shook his head. John Winchester was anything but a quitter. He was determined to prove what a little shit Sam was and get Dean to come back. The only thing was, how? How could he separate his boys? If it was one thing, John was anything but determined.
TBC...
