Title: The College Talk - Immortal!Uncle Dean Universe

Fandom: Supernatural & Highlander:
Characters: Sam Winchester; OC's – Katie Collins-Winchester, Jonathan Dean (JD) Winchester

Summary: Sam wants JD to go to college but JD has other plans

The College Talk

JD walked into the kitchen to find his parents waiting for him; they didn't look happy.

"Sit down JD, we need to talk," Sam said.

It was then that JD noticed the wrinkled letter on the kitchen table. It was his acceptance letter from The University of Washington. JD snatched the paper off the table. "You've been going through my trash?" he asked, incredulous.

"You told us you didn't get in," Sam said his voice even with no trace of accusation. "Why did you lie?"

"You had no right!" he shouted as he crumbled the letter, stormed over and tossed it in the garbage.

"Sit down," Sam commanded.

JD started to protest but thought better of it, especially when he saw the anger in his dad's eyes. Silently, he sat, eyes downcast and unwilling look at either one.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Katie asked gently.

"Because I knew you'd try and make me go," JD said quietly.

"Damn straight we'd make you go," Sam barked. "That is your future and you just tossed it in the trash."

"No Dad, it's not my future," JD said, this time meeting Sam's gaze with an equally steely one of his own. "I only applied to get you off my back."

"You still have this crazy idea that you're going to be a hunter the rest of your life. Well that's not going to happen."

"Why not?" JD challenged.

Katie placed a hand on Sam's arm, trying to calm him down before this got out of hand. Silently he deferred to her.

"Honey, please understand, we worry about you when you go hunting," Katie explained. "We just thought once you got into college, you might want to see what it's all about."

"Sorry Mom, but I don't," his said in a softer tone. "I don't care that I got in. I didn't have some magical change of heart."

"I don't believe this," Sam said tossing his hands in the air. "College is a wonderful time. Just go and check it out. You'll meet new people, maybe figure out what you want to do with your life."

"Dad, you've told me all this before. I just thought you'd get it by now. I want to hunt."

"You're going to college," Sam shouted and stood to emphasize his command. "You're not spending the rest of your life tooling around in the Impala with your uncles."

"No, I'm not going, Dad," JD said standing to face him across the table. "I know that college is a big deal to you, but I don't see the point."

"This is not up for negotiation," Sam replied. "You're a senior. You have to start thinking about your future."

"I have!" he shouted in frustration. "You just won't listen."

"Hunting is not a career." Sam had told him this over and over and yet JD still didn't understand the significance of the choice he was making. He turned to his wife. "Will you explain that he needs to get an education?"

Katie hated these arguments they always ended the same way. With Sam and JD shouting and her playing mediator. She'd hoped that once JD was accepted into college that the opportunity it represented might excite him but now she understood that he would never change his mind. Her main goal in this conversation was to make sure that these two stubborn men she loved didn't do permanent damage to their relationship. "Your dad just wants what's best for you," she said and cringed at the clichéd sound of that argument.

"Then let me hunt," JD snapped. "It's all I've ever wanted to do. Uncle Dean never went to college. Dad never finished. I don't see how it's hurt either of them."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. There it was, the elephant in the room. For all his push to give his kids a better life, JD had spent his whole life seeing hunting as a career alternative. It hadn't helped that Sam had made a good profession out of working with the Watchers and had never finished his degree.

"I just thought that you'd out grow it, go to college and get a real job."

"Hunting is a real job," JD said. "I'm sorry that your dream to be some bigwig lawyer never panned out, but I will not live your life. Work on Mule. He's the scholar."

"JD, this has nothing to do with me or your brother."

"You really don't get it. I'm eighteen. I don't need your permission." He grabbed his coat as he headed for the door. "I'm going to Uncle Dean's."

"We aren't done here!" Sam shouted and charged after him.

"I'm sorry, Dad, but we are," he said and slammed the door behind him.

Stunned, Sam just watched the door, willing JD to return. He reached for the knob but Katie called to him. "Let him go, babe, he needs to work through his anger and so do you."

"I can't let him ruin his life like this." He stood hands on hips, staring at the door, his frustration palpable.

Katie placed a sympathetic hand on her husband's arm and turned him to face her. "You always knew he'd choose this life. From the moment he'd eavesdropped on his uncles and found out the truth when he was ten."

"This is all Dean's fault," he said the anger rising again. "I let JD spend too much time with him. Maybe I should have Richie talk to him, he went to college; have him explain to JD that he can do both."

"Dean is not at fault and Richie won't change his mind," Katie said. "This is who JD is, and you need to see that."

"I don't understand why he wants to hunt when college can offer him so much more." Sam drew her into a hug. "Why won't he listen to me?"

Katie took a deep breath before delivering the subtle knock out. "Like you listened to your dad?"

"Ouch," Sam said as he looked at her. "You can't want this for him."

"Of course not! No parent wants to see her child put his life in danger," she said. "Sam, you really don't get it." She sighed as confusion crossed his face. "You think he's like Dean because he wants to hunt. But the reality is, he's like you. He knows exactly what he wants to do with his life and he's not afraid to disappoint you to get it."

Sam was stunned by truth of her words. He loved his eldest, that went without saying, but he also knew he spent a lot of time knocking heads with him. As he thought about what his wife had said, he realized that he'd become his father in this argument. He looked down at Katie, brushing a wayward curl from her face. "You're amazing, you know that," he said, his understanding of JD finally clear.

"I know," she smiled as she leaned up to kiss him.