Coming Home Ch. 12
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Previously: "Knowing now was not the time to keep reminiscing with the pictures; John cleared his throat loudly and said, "We'll leave the two of you alone now so that Joey can get some rest."
"Thanks," David murmured as he scooted back against the headboard where he could rest more comfortably, his brother safely tucked in his embrace.
Closing the door softly behind him as he exited the room, John took one last look at his boys before pulling it completely shut. As he looked at them, he wished he could think of something that would help to jar the boys' memories. He could now feel it in his own heart that these boys were Dean and Sammy, but how could they prove it? Yeah, he knew the DNA tests would show the truth, but that could take up to two long weeks and he just didn't feel that he or Mary could wait that long to find out. Following his wife down the stairs, an idea suddenly came to him, but it was one he was sure his wife wouldn't like, and to be honest he could understand why. But, he felt it might be the only thing that would truly work and it was at least worth a try. Nearing the bottom of the stairs, he grasped his wife's hand and led her outside to the porch swing.
"John?" Mary asked inquisitively as her husband pulled her down onto the swing beside him.
"Mare, I have something I would like to talk to you about and I want you to hear me out before you say anything," John stated as he and his wife began to swing slowly back and forth.
"Not sure I like the sound of this, but go ahead. I'm listening," Mary informed her husband, her shoulders slightly tensing and what could be to come.
"I was thinking that maybe we should take the boys to the mall and…"
"What? Have you lost your mind?" Mary immediately spat out as she turned and glared at her husband. How could he even think of doing such a terrible thing? Did he not realize how much it still hurt to drive by that damn mall and remember what happened the last time she had dared to step foot in there?
"Honey, please, you need to hear me out. I know how much you hate the Mall, but I think it might be our best option of getting the boys to remember their lives with us," John explained, sighing in relief that he had done right in taking her outside so that the boys could not hear her outburst.
"But what if it backfires on us and they remember the kidnapping? What then?" Mary questioned with tears in her eyes.
"Then we take them in our arms and hold them tight and tell them how much we love them and will never let them be taken away from us again," John answered as he used his thumbs to wipe her tears away. "And then we live up to that promise for the rest of our lives."
"John, I don't know if I can even go into that place again myself," Mary admitted as she lay her head on her husband's muscled chest and let him wrap his comforting arms around her.
"I'll be right there beside you the whole way Mary. I really think we need to do this if we have any hopes of ever getting our boys to remember us again," John voiced as he rubbed a hand up and down his wife's trembling back.
"Ho-How do we get them to agree to go to the Mall?" Mary asked with a sniffle as she tried to strengthen her resolve for the idea. She knew that going to the Mall would either 'make them or break them' as a family and she could only pray that it brought them together instead of break them apart once again.
"Well, the boys are in need of some new clothes and I was thinking we could buy a new football that I could toss around with the boys," John answered, a slight shiver overtaking him as he remembered the last time he had thrown a football with Dean and how he had destroyed that football later in anger upon learning that the police had considered the boys kidnapping a cold case when the clues to their whereabouts had dried up.
"Wh-When do you want to do this?" Mary questioned as she snuggled further into her husband's embrace. Yeah, she was totally terrified of going back to the Mall, but she also knew that she would do anything if it meant she could have her boys with their memories intact once again.
"As soon as you're ready," John replied. He knew his wife would need some time to reconcile herself to the idea and to build her confidence.
"Can we wait until tomorrow? I'd like to talk to the boys about going first, make sure they're okay with it," Mary stated.
"Sure, I think that's a great idea," John voiced as he gently started the porch swing to moving once again. He wanted to spend the afternoon with his wife enjoying the outdoors until their boys joined them once again.
~~Supernatural~~
Sitting in front of the television later that evening as they watched a comedy program called Three's Company, Mary glanced from one son to the other as the two of them lay on the carpeted floor side by side. They seemed so peaceful and content as they laughed at the character of Jack Tripper living up to his name and tripping over a piece of furniture, that Mary literally shuddered at the thought of having to talk them about the plans for the following day. She so didn't want to disrupt the tranquility of the moment as Sammy began to giggle loudly once more.
"Mary, is something wrong?" John questioned worriedly, causing both boys to glance their way, when he felt the love of his life emit a full body shudder as she lay snuggled against him on the couch.
"Did I laugh too loud? Do you want me to go to my room?" Joey asked meekly as he started to push himself up from the floor, sure that he had caused the small commotion.
"No honey, you weren't too loud at all," Mary voiced quickly to stop her son's rise from the floor. "Please stay. It's just that I was thinking and ..."
"But then why…" Joey drifted off as he started to chew on his bottom lip in agitation, trying to figure out what had happened and if he was in trouble or not. Norman always hollered at him and smacked him around when he got too loud when the television was on. Needing solace, he crawled into the lap of his big brother who was now sitting up on the floor and looking at the adults with disdain.
"If there is something you want to say to us, just spit it out," David verbalized with a sigh as he began to massage the corded muscles that were forming in the nape of his anxious brother's neck. He knew Joey well enough to know that the kid wouldn't be able to relax until he knew why John had spoken so abruptly.
"Well, I guess there's no time like the present to say what's on our minds, huh, Sport" John voiced as he turned his full and undivided attention to the boys. "Mary and I were talking earlier and…"
"And you've decided that we're too much trouble to deal with. We'll go pack our bags," David informed the startled adults as he prodded Joey to stand up.
"Whoa there cowboy, that's not it at all," John enunciated quickly as things began to spiral out of control. "We want you boys here with us more than anything in the world. It's just that there is something we want to talk to you about, and we're not quite sure how to begin."
"Why? Because you think it's something we won't like?" David questioned as he tugged his baby brother back into his lap.
"Yes…maybe…I don't know," Mary answered, unsure of herself, as she grasped John's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Well that was as clear as muddy water," David mumbled as he waited for the grown-ups to make sense.
"You see, we want to take you boys back to the place where this nightmare all began. John thinks…we think, that if we take you back to the mall, it might jog your memories of the past," Mary stated hesitantly.
"You actually want to take us back to the place where that bast…monster grabbed us, I mean, that is, if we really are your kids. Why the hell would you want to do that?" Dean queried with disbelief.
"Because it could be the only way for you boys to get your memories back," John answered succinctly as he looked David right in the eye. "I know it's probably a scary proposition, but I swear on my life; I won't let anything happen to you boys there."
"Wh-When do you wanna do this?" David asked after giving it a couple moments thought.
"Tomorrow if that is alright with the two of you," John replied as he glanced from Dean, to Sammy, and then back again, because that is who he saw now when he looked at the boys…Dean and Sammy!
"What do you think Joey? Do you want to go to the Mall with the Winchesters?," David asked his brother as he brushed aside the chestnut colored bangs that had fallen in front of his brother's eyes. He needed to know that his brother was okay with the idea before he could give the Winchesters a firm answer.
"Can I get a toy?" Joey asked, not fully understanding the implications of what the trip might mean.
"Sure you can Tiger," John answered with a smile as he visibly relaxed against the sofa. "You can get a couple of them if you'd like."
"Then I would like to go," Joey replied with the first true smile he had exhibited in way too long.
"Then it's settled, we'll go to the Mall tomorrow," Mary voiced somewhat anxiously as she graced her boys with a smile, even though she was secretly scared to death inside.
TBC Still interested?
