Previously: After questioning Sparrow, Sam and Dean are attacked by a great white heron.
The Birds
installment 5
"God, I am so done with the wildlife around here!" Dean snarled, shoving his hands through his hair.
Sam put his hands in his coat pockets "You wanna know something weird?" He kicked at a rock. "Sparrow's brother's name was Haaron, spelled all wrong, but still essentially Heron."
"What're you sayin', Sammy? You back on shapeshifters?"
Sam shrugged. "I'm saying we have a one-eyed kid named Rat and a one-eyed ferret. A kid named Haaron, and a Florida bird in the middle of Washington state." He half grinned.
"Aw, Sammy, you are trippin', man. Maybe," Dean looked pointedly at his brother, "maybe, someone is screwin' with the animals, but – "
"Dean, whose car is that?"
A rusted, green pick up was trying to pull past the Impala, and doing a God-awful job of it, because it was about to clip the passenger side headlight.
"Oh, hell no…" Dean took off down the twisting driveway at a sprint, waving his arms to get the driver's attention, Sam jogging behind him. "Stop! Stop! StopstopstopstopSTOP!" He collided with the front of the truck, smacking his hands on the hood. Its breaks made a noise of protest.
Chest heaving, Dean walked around to the driver's side window.
"Daniel?" he managed to get out between gasps. "The hell are you doing here?"
The boy's chest puffed up and he looked down his nose at Dean. "Investigating my father's murder."
"Yeah?" Dean looked back toward Sam, who was checking the Impala's front bumper for scratches. "Well, this gal," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "'S gonna tell you nothin', and she's not gonna be friendly about telling you nothin', so, why don't you just go back to the hotel."
"Oh, she'll talk alright." Daniel opened the glove compartment so Dean could see the revolver inside.
Dean dropped his forehead onto his arms and groaned, then put a hand through the window. "Kid, gimme that."
"Like hell I will!"
Dean shot another pleading look in Sam's direction. Sam shrugged. Instead of pounding his head against the window ledge like he wanted to, Dean asked, "D'you even know how to shoot that thing?"
"Yes!" the answer was just on the right side of defensive. The kid probably could shoot it, just not well. Dean winced, one eye crinkling shut, and scratched the back of his head.
New approach. "Okay, look, Daniel, we already talked to the girl who lives here. She doesn't know anything, and her little sister just died. Now, I'm sorry about your dad, but I am not gonna let you go harass that poor girl with a gun."
Daniel's determined expression faltered. He looked away from Dean, at his hands, white knuckled, clutching the steering wheel, defenses down just long enough for Dean to lurch over him, snatch the revolver, and stuff it in the back of his jeans.
"Hey!"
"Sorry, I know that was a bit low," Dean adjusted his coat on his shoulders, "But you didn't give me much choice. Now, back this monster truck up – without hitting my baby," he stated that very carefully. "So Sam and I can make sure your butt gets back to the hotel."
"But – "
"No buts, just put in reverse." He pointed in the direction of 'reverse'.
Daniel's faced scrunched up. "I don't have to listen to you!"
As if he hadn't seemed young enough. Dean rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "Back the truck up now, Daniel!" he broke out his best 'I'm a big brother, and dammit you better listen to me' voice. Leaning on the passenger door of the Impala, Sam visibly started.
Daniel cringed and reached for the gear shift.
So instead of going straight from Sparrow's house to Rat's, Sam and Dean made a pit stop at the hotel, waiting there until Bobby arrived to babysit.