A/N: So, I'm back now guys for good. So, the amount of emails I have recently been getting is staggering, it would seem that people enjoy my writings...As an aspiring novelist that's the best I could ever really hope for. Here is chapter 2 of Fight like family, tell me what you think even if it's to say that it's terrible.
ADDITIONAL NOTES PLEASE READ: I'm adding an OC to the Harvelles for a...Mysterious reason...That is all.
Chapter 2 - Tears of a clown.
The pyre was burning low. It crackled and filled the air with a smoky smell as the fires consumed what once was their father's body. The three Winchester boys stood in a line each one conveying separate emotions.
Sam had tears shining in his eyes as he watched the cloth-covered body be slowly consumed by the orange flames. He never got the chance to apologise to his dad for leaving the way he did. He wanted to be able to make his dad proud instead of mad, he wanted to prove that he was a good son. It wasn't supposed to end this way!
They were supposed to be able to kill the demon and then get on with their lives. Dean could go open his own Garage and he could go back to school. They could have a nice, normal, Safe life. Now it was uncertain where everything was leading towards a something big, and he wasn't sure f he or his brothers would make it out unmarred. He fidgeted with his jacket as he sniffed preventing the tears that had gathered in his eyes fall. He would be strong, for now he would be strong.
Harry stood with his hands in his jacket pockets as he stared at the fire and felt the heat coming from it. He blinked time and time again trying to stem the prickling feeling he was feeling behind his eyes. It wasn't fair, he had just found John and he was already gone. Just like Sirius he never got him to say "I'm proud of you" Sirius had come close, only to say he was just like James. It wasn't supposed to be this way for Merlin's sake! They were supposed to be a normal average family with a white picket fence and...a dog? Inwardly Harry snorted.
What did he know of normal? His dad had gone down the way he would have wanted, in the place of someone he loved. Still didn't stop the hurt from creeping in though.
Dean stared emotionless into the flickering flames of the pyre. His dad's last words echoing inside of his mind. How could he do what he had asked? All his life he tried to follow his dads orders because he respected his dad but these...He wasn't sure he was ready to shoulder the burden.
He looked at his two younger brothers and grew more depressed. How could he kill them? Either of them. Especially Harry? How could his dad not have told them! He began to get more angry as he stared back to the fire as it began to die down. All this time his dad knew why the demon was looking for their family! Why it killed Sam's girl! Why that Moldy dude was after Harry, This whole time he knew and he never spoke a word of it. Ever! Dean felt betrayed, but then a niggling seed of something in his mind argued back.
His dad always had a reason. Always. He must have had one for telling him to do such a thing.
"Did dad say anything to you...Before he...Before? About anything" Sam asked
Dean's mind raced. He had to keep this a secret. He was the oldest, he was supposed to protect the youngest. They must never know he decided
"No...Nothing at all" He replied as the flames snuffed out plunging the forest into the semi-darkness of the night.
They had been at Bobby's for a full week now and the Winchesters were splintered. Dean split his time from drinking and fixing the Impala. He was mostly finished completely rebuilding the car despite Bobby's insistence that it was gone. Dean hadn't spoken fully to anybody in a week and preferred to stay out in the blistering heat underneath the hood of his beloved car than be in the presence of his family.
Every time he looked at them he was instantly brought back to what he was asked to do, his burden. And he freaked and left. Eyes, he knew he was being selfish. yes, he knew it was probably hurting his two brothers to not see him, but he just couldn't face them. Not until he worked through the crap running through his head.
Grunting as he twisted a particular resilient piece he heard the tell-tale footfalls of Sam behind him. "How's it coming" He asked
"Slow" He said curtly pushing back the echo of his dad's voice
"Yeah" Sam said trying to push through the stunt that had claimed the conversation "Need help?" Dean groaned inwardly. Why did he have to sound so god damn hopeful. He was pretty sure that if he opened his eyes Sam's brown eyes would be in default puppy dog look.
"What? You under the hood? No I'll pass" Dean snapped, wincing inside he said it harsher then he mean to.
"Well, Do you need any"
"Stop it Sam, Stop asking if I'm okay or if I need something, I'm good okay! I'm dealing" Dean said dropping a heavy tool to the floor
"Dean, it's been a week, For gods sake Man just say something"
"Like what"
"Anything! Get angry, yell at me! Do something! We should be out there looking for the demon like dad would've wanted us to instead you stay out here all day working on the freaking car" Sam shouted
"Sounds great when you say it like that Sam, Say you got any leads on the demon. Or maybe the Colt? No, I didn't think so! Sam we got nothing! So yeah I work on the car...because it's the only God damn thing I can do" Dean snapped back
Breathing heavily Dean turned back to the car leaving Sam to stare at his back in shock, until a voice broke them out of it
"We got something Dean"
Both men turned to face their teen brother who held a small grey mobile phone in his hand. "I found this, in one of his bags. Thanks to Sam I managed to crack his voice-mail code. Listen to this" He said putting it on speaker phone
"John, it's Ellen...Again. Look don't be a stubborn bastard all right! I can help and you know it. Call me" A woman's voice said
"It's dated four months ago" Harry said
"Dad saved that chicks message for four months" Dean said wiping his brow with a rag
"Why?" Sam asked
"Don't know...Why don't we go find out" Harry suggested before walking back inside Bobby's house. Dean watched his younger brother and looked at him for a brief second. He was thinner and paler with more bags under his eyes than normal.
Dean winced inside, was this his fault? He was the eldest for gods sake! He should be protecting his two brothers, making sure they eat and sleep. And judging by both Sam and Harry's faces neither had done much of the other in a while.
He was already screwing up.
"So, Any mention of Ellen in any of Dads journals" Dean asked as they drove down the highway in a borrowed van.
"Nope, not a thing. But I managed to trace her call and it got us to...here" Sam said from the front of the van
When the car groaned to a halt Dean snapped "This is humiliating! I feel like a frigging soccer mom!"
"It's the only car besides a pinto that worked, Would you have preferred a pinto" Harry asked quirking a small smile at his brothers antics
"Clarice you wound me" Dean teased as Sam rolled his eyes smiling along with them. killing the engine the three brothers stepped out.
"Harry you should..."
"I swear to Merlin Dean if you say stay with the car I will do things to you while you sleep with a rusty spoon" Harry threatened
"No more hanging around bobby for you!" Dean insisted
Shrugging it off they entered The Roadhouse and looked around.
It was quiet except for a man sleeping on the snooker table and the slight sound of a fly buzzing around. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that isn't Ellen" Harry said pointing to the still sleeping guy on the table.
"Yeah" Dean said as Harry vanished around a corner in the back. He walked down the wooden passage way pausing at a door that read the name Ash.
"What are you doing here" A voice hissed as he felt a knife dig into his neck
"Look, Okay I don't want any trouble alright" Harry whispered fearfully
"What are you doing here" The voice hissed again
Ignoring the hissed question Harry reared back his head and head butted the person holding him. Spinning around he pinned the knife to the wall and punched the figure in the face.
Grunting the figure punched Harry back; dazed Harry staggered back to where they came from. Snapping from his daze Harry pinned the figure to the wall again twisting the knife away from the figures hand. Harry yelped when his legs were kicked out from under him. Grabbing the person firmly he pulled them down with him. Landing on the bottom he shut his eyes waiting for the blows.
"Nick! Stop they're the Winchesters" A woman called from some place near them.
Looking up Harry was met by a pair of bright blue eyes. The figure above him rolled off of him and soon a hand was offered in his face.
"Thanks" He said taking it and scrabbling himself to his feet
"Damn! For a kid who looks like that you sure pack a punch" The boy who looked the same age as him said rubbing his jaw
"You're one to talk" Harry countered
"Hi sweetie, I'm Ellen and that's my son Nick and my Daughter Jo" A woman with light brown hair said
A petite blonde girl smiled behind Dean, Who was nursing his nose. "So...Who hit Dean" Harry asked getting a groan from the aforementioned brother and a giggle from Jo.
"So, you called our dad...Why" Sam asked as Harry accepted an ice bag from Nick and pushed it to his aching mouth.
"Yellow eyed demon of course. heard he was closing in on it" She replied sliding two beers to Sam and Dean and a glass of coke to Harry
"And you heard this how? Hunters daily, I mean how the hell do you know this stuff" Dean asked
"Look, I just run a bar, and sometimes Hunters roll through. Including your daddy, John was like family at one time"
"Yeah? Then how come he never mentioned you before" Dean asked taking a gulp of the amber liquid
"You'd have to ask him that" She replied
"So, why exactly do we need your help" Dean asked again
"Look, I don't do favors like this any time. If you don't want my help then don't let the door hit you on the ass as you walk out of here. But John wouldn't have sent you..." She trailed off as she took in the three identical expressions
"He didn't send us" Harry said quietly
"What happened" She asked
"The demon...It got him before he could" Sam said
"I'm sorry" She said with slight tears in her eyes. Sure she had qualms with John but that sure as hell don't change that he was family at one point in their lives.
"It's fine. We're okay" Dean said. She studied him closely and he fidgeted under her gaze. It was the same one that Harry got when he knew something wasn't true
"Really?" She said disbelieving "I know how close you and your dad were"
"Look, Lady I'm fine" Sensing a Dean eruption Sam quickly interjected
"Please, if you can help us we need it" Sam said
"We can't but Ash can" Ellen said
"And Ash would be?" Harry asked. Smirking she leaned upwards and shouted at the sleeping man on the pool table
"Ash!"
A man with a mullet shot up and blinked drearily as he rubbed his head "Wha...What? It closing time" He asked
"That's Ash" Harry asked
"Yep...Don't let his look fool you...he's a genius" Nick said from next to Harry
"Really" Dean scoffed taking the man in from his stained t-shirt to his baggy jeans and scruffy hair.
"Just give him a chance" Jo said from behind Dean.
"How the hell does anybody track Demons like this" Ash moaned as he Sam and Dean sat at a booth in the back as the Roadhouse began to fill up slowly
"Our Dad could" Sam defended
"Oh come on...There are non-parametrics, statistical overviews, prospects and correlations, I mean.. damn! They're signs. Omens. Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms... You ever been struck by lightning? It ain't fun"
Dean gaped at the man in front of him who looked like he could give Shaggy Rogers a run for his money roll off a bunch of words like they were nothing.
"Can you track it or not" Sam asked
"With this stuff as a base...yeah probably...Give me 51 hours" He said getting up and slipping own the hallway
"Well...That was specific" Sam said
"Yeah...Look Sam why don't you get a drink while I" Dean said walking after Jo who had swept past their table. Rolling his eyes Sam stood and walked to the bar. Once he was seated at the bar he scanned the room looking for his youngest brother.
Finding him sat in a corner with Jo's cousin was surprising but shrugging it off he turned to face the bar. Looking down he spied a manilla folder peeking out from under the shelf behind Ellen
"Hey Ellen...What's that" He asked
"A police Scanner, we keep tabs on things like that in case something pops up" She said
"No, I mean the folder"
"Oh, It's a case, I uh was gonna give it to a friend of mine but take a look if you want" She said before turning to a gruff looking man.
Sipping his beer he opened it and read through the pages in front of him.
"So how did you get into hunting...I assume you're a hunter" Harry asked Nick
"Well, my dad was Jo's dad's brother and well, the Harvelles have always been hunters. My dad just trained me to do what I need to do and then...about two years ago he didn't get lucky on a hunt"
"I'm sorry" Harry said placing a hand on Nicks shoulder
"It's fine...it's just a casualty of the job. So what about you" he asked. Harry was stumped, he couldn't tell him about his life. He was a hunter and if Deans warnings were anything to go by they don't take kindly to magic being used openly.
"Oh...Uh...I" He stammered until Sam called from the bar saving him the stress of lying to Nick
"Hey Harry, We got a case"
"Well, looks like you've got to go. Maybe you could come see me when it's done, you know when you got lots of time to kill" Nick said walking to the bar.
Was he...Hitting on me? Harry thought before shaking his head and walking to his brothers
"So, what's the case about?" He asked
"A few murders not far from here that Ellen picked up on and I said we'd check it out" Sam replied packing the papers back into the file and placing it protectively under his arm as they maneuvered out of the bar.
"Cool, When do we leave" Harry said
"Now" Dean said climbing into the driver's seat of the mini van grimacing as he did.
Harry was drained both Physically and emotionally. Sam and Dean had gone at it when they were on the case both had left in a huff leaving Harry standing in the middle. Alone.
His shoulder ached from where the creature had flung him into the organ. He walked ahead of the two brothers , both of whom were still silently arguing.
He entered the Road house and was met by Ellen who passed him a drink which he gratefully took. "You look like crap, but you guys did a hell of a job out there" Ellen congratulated as she pressed a bottle of beer into the two brothers hands.
"Where you guys been, I've been waiting for ya" Ash said carrying a laptop like object with random stray bits of wire sticking out in different places.
"On a job. Clowns ring a bell" Sam said
"Clowns?" He asked confused
"Never mind, What you got" Dean said sitting down
"Nothing"
"And I'm waiting for a but" Harry said sitting down next to Ash studying the homemade machine
"But, when the fugly bastard raises his head my baby" He patted the laptop like thing "Will pick him up like Divine on a dog cookie"
"Meaning" Dean pressed
"I'm tracking signs omens, fortune cookies! You name it I'm tracking it the moment anything is recorded I'll pick it up"
"Thanks man, you're saving our asses right now" Sam said as the trio stood to leave.
"Told you he was a genius" Jo said coming over and standing next to Dean, when she gave a subtle look Sam steered Harry out the door and towards the van.
"Harry! Hey Harry!" Nick called running towards the raven haired teen
"I'll be waiting in the car" Sam said walking off alone
"Hey Nick...What's up" Harry asked the brown-haired blue-eyed boy
"So, you were just gonna leave without saying goodbye?" He asked teasing lightly
"I've never been good at goodbyes" Harry said
"Will I ever see you again" He asked hopefully and even Harry could see what he was implying
"I don't know, maybe if it wasn't the"
"Wrong time and Wrong place "Nick said smiling slightly
"You sound like Dean...But...Yeah"
"Then I guess I'll wait for the right time then Harry...See you around" He said hugging him and walking back inside the bar leaving Harry to wonder in the dark.
Dean pounded the Impale hood again and again. feeling hot angry tears prick at his eyes. Slumping down he dropped the crowbar and leaned against the grille.
Biting his lip he closed his eyes and took deep slow breathes. He would not fail. Not again.
Harry stood alone in his room in Bobby's house. He could hear Dean work out his frustrations on the car and prayed that maybe...Just maybe things would be okay from now on.
Tugging on his hair he sat down on the bed and sighed.
Harry
A voice rasped from inside the room. Shooting to a standing position he looked around the room. It was empty.
He was alone.