Author's note: Keep those reviews coming. I thrive off of them.
(Flashback)
Long before the bunker was built, the Men of Letters was founded. No one quite knows when the first chapter was created. It was likely shortly after the first monsters appeared on earth. The English chapter was one of the oldest. The American chapter was as young as America itself. While small bunkers and stashes of supernatural information were scattered across the US, the big bunker was only around 70 years old by the time that it was rediscovered by the Winchesters. Before the bunker, the Amerian Men of Letters worked out of each other's houses and office buildings. The group was exclusive to maintain the integrity of the members.
Francis Singer became of Man of Letters before the bunker was built. In fact, he was a full member of four years before the first bricks were laid. His father, grandfather, and great-great-grandfather were also members. This was also true for John's father and those before him. In general, members were librarians and researchers. They stayed out of the fight and let hunters, like Jeremiah Campbell, handle the ugly side of it.
When a son reached the age of 25, he began an initiation into the Men of Letters. The man needed to perform well in school and have an excellent social record. After high school was complete, most of the men sought out higher education that would be useful to the chapter. In 1928, Francis was formally accepted into the secret society.
Inside the chapter, each member had a task that they were suited for. One man may research weapons while another catalogs books. Francis, however, was given a unique task. He was informed of a special bloodline that most of the other members knew nothing about. Research had been done on something called a Nephilian. The members knew only of rumors and words in a book. In order to keep the bloodlines safe, only two members knew at a time. This was typically passed down from grandfather to grandchild. So, Francis's grandfather gave him a book to memorize before locking it away for a future generation. The book was held in a secure vault that could only be opened by someone with a similar genome to the previous users. This meant that only Francis's descendants could open it. The book would be removed to add new information and then placed back into the vault.
Francis and his wife had three children. Two were daughters and one was a son. The son was supposed to be a legacy. However, Edward Singer failed to fit the mold. He struggled in school and got into far too many fights. Francis tried to share information about the Men of Letters with him but Ed laughed it off as if his father was crazy. However, as he reached adulthood, he wanted to be part of this secret society. He began the process of initiation but was rejected due to poor habits that would reflect badly on the other members. It wasn't wise to allow a loose cannon to have access to something so important. Ed started to drink more and was an all-around nasty individual. In 1950, within a year of being rejected, Bobby was born. Ed considered Bobby to be a mistake and a reminder of what he lost. He didn't want his father to, later, offer Bobby the position that he had just had pulled away from him. He was an abusive drunkard until his death in 1961.
Francis was saddened that his own son wouldn't be a Man of Letters but he had hope for his grandson. Ed kept the child from him and he was unable to speak to him until Ed mysteriously disappeared. He left a letter with his son's wife and waited for a reply that never came.
Judith, Bobby's mother, never gave Bobby the letter. She feared that Francis would find out what really happened to Ed. One night, like many other nights, Ed became violent after Bobby spilled milk during dinner. Bobby, at eleven years old, shot Ed to protect Judith. She had him bury his father behind the woodshed and never spoke of it again. Having Francis around would make the truth unbearable to hide.
After Ed was denied access to the Men of Letters, Francis befriended Charles Winchester. He knew that Charles's name was in the book. Charles had a son named Henry. Henry was a few years younger than Ed and due to become a member in 1958. When Henry and his wife, Millie, had a son that they named John, Francis added his name to the book as well. When John was four years old, Henry began his final initiation into the Men of Letters. On the night of the final process, the majority of the remaining Men of Letters were slaughtered by a demon. Henry either died with the others or vanished. His body was not recovered. Francis, sadly, perished with the others.
Before his passing, Francis encased the vault in a deep section of the bunker. There, it would be safe from man and supernatural forces. So there sat the vault, unopened since John's birth in 1954. No one knew about it. Noone could open it. The book was to be entombed forever.
(Present day)
Bobby looked at the journal. "It could just be someone with the same name."
Kate scoffed. "We don't do coincidences."
"Well, I don't know. My dad swore the old man was a cook." Bobby said and rubbed his chin.
Kate smirked. "I think it is sweet that you take after him."
Bobby grumbled and took the journal from her. He read the page. She was right, they didn't do coincidences.
"So was he a member or a friend?" Jess asked.
"This doesn't make it real clear." Bobby said.
"I'll look through the other ones to see if his name is mentioned again." Kate said.
Bobby got the guys' attention. "Boys, do you mind helping her?"
With the lot of them scanning journals, they found another one that had more detail. Apparently, Francis Singer was not only a Man of Letters but a prominent and respected member of the leadership.
"If any of us is a true legacy, it would be you." Dean said.
Bobby wracked his brain for anything that could help him figure out anything to do with his grandfather. "I never really met him. I think my dad made a point of keeping him away."
"Wasn't your dad a piece of shit?" Dean asked.
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "I'd say that is an accurate name for him." He swallowed hard.
"Is he still alive?" Kate asked.
Bobby rubbed the back of his head and replaced his cap. "No."
Kate could see he was in pain. "Good."
Bobby chuckled softly. He didn't think he had told any of them what had truly happened to Ed Singer. It was a dark spot in his past and he didn't want to revisit it.
Sam pulled up some information on the computer. "Francis Singer was one of several men who died in a fire in, get this, 1958."
"The year the bunker supposedly emptied," Dean said.
"The year my dad went missing," John said.
Kate cracked her neck. "Another mystery to solve."
John rubbed his face. "Kids, pack your stuff. We can head to the bunker."
Taylor darted up the stairs.
Kate stayed to bat her eyelashes. "Can Millie and Liam come?"
"No." John said without looking at her.
Kate scoffed.
"They can hang out with Caleb and April." Dean said.
Kate frowned. "Okay." She sighed and went to grab her stuff.
(The next day)
Karen blinked as the bunker doors opened. She could see a pillar of light as Bobby drove into a garage area. She was stunned by all of the cars. "Oh my, this place is big."
"Just wait." Bobby said with a chuckle.
John's first task was to find blueprints. Once those were found, they could make sure that every nook and cranny of the bunker was looked at.
Kate borrowed Dean's phone to call Marty. They could look at the structure of the brain all day but they needed to test theories on a body or a live subject. "Hell would freeze over before he lets anyone but himself look at one of the alive."
John cleared his throat. "Excuse me?"
Kate sighed. "We need another creature to test."
John shook his head. With how deadly the creatures were, he didn't want Kate, let alone Marty around them. Even the body could be dangerous because they weren't certain if it would reanimate.
"We could use a dead one. We have to find out where the claws come from and stuff. There is more to it than just the brain." Kate said.
"Not right now." John said.
Kate groaned. "When then?"
"When we have more resources. You will not be around one of those things, dead or alive. There is too much we don't know and I will not put you in danger like that." John said.
Kate couldn't help the eye roll. "You put yourself in danger then. Newsflash, you are just a man. I'm part angel."
John took a deep breath. "Right now you are a little girl who is on very thin ice."
Kate reluctantly dropped it. She finished her conversation with Marty and gave him a few more things to look into.
John and Bobby looked through member files in the large office.
Dean and Taylor started crossing off rooms. They checked for anything hidden in the room and then placed an x on the door with painter's tape.
"This is a secret bunker. There has to be one of those hidden doors that open when you move a book." Taylor said.
Dean's eyes brightened. "If you find something like that, let me know. I'll open it so you don't get hurt."
Taylor scoffed. "You aren't worried about my safety. You just want to act out one of your lifelong fantasies."
Dean shoved him. "Damn straight so don't ruin it for me."
Taylor laughed and stumbled. "If it is a trap door and you get thrown into a pit, you're on your own."
Dean felt along the wall in another office. "Some brother you are."
Taylor walked into the hallway. "Sam!"
Sam stepped out of the room he was in. "What?"
"If Dean falls into a pit because he insists on being the one to open a hidden door, should I leave him or help him out?"
Sam laughed. "Leave him."
Taylor turned back around and looked at Dean. "That settles that."
"Kate would help me out, wouldn't ya Kate?" Dean yelled.
Kate was sitting on the ground looking through books. "It depends on my mood."
Dean huffed and continued searching the office.
Karen was continually amazed by the bunker. "So this is like a mansion that is underground."
"With over thirty bedrooms, I'd say it is more of a hotel." Bobby said.
After two hours, Taylor stopped to get a drink of water. He wondered what it would have been like to be in the bunker during its prime. If the members suddenly died, why did none of their belongings get left in the bedrooms? Did someone come in and clean? There was no trash or dirty dishes when the bunker was found. Aside from dust, the place was spotless. He stretched. "If Bobby's grandpa and Dad's dad were both members here and they died, wouldn't they have personal things left behind?"
John overheard Taylor. "My father and mother and I lived in Illinois when he went missing. He may have been a member but he wasn't living here."
"Well someone had to live here. There aren't any clothes or anything left behind. So did they know they were going to die or did someone take all of that away?" Taylor asked.
"Add that to the list of questions," Dean said.
Kate looked at the photos of former members. They were all clean-cut and dressed in suits. They would probably scoff at the rag-tag crew bumbling around the bunker now. "Maybe this was not where they were based. Maybe this was like a convention center."
"When did your dad go missing?" Karen asked.
"August 12, 1958," John said. He knew the date by heart. He remembered his father tucking him into bed and then the man never returned. He grew up thinking he had been abandoned but there was a possibility that something more sinister happened. How different would his life have been if he knew that his dad didn't choose to leave? His mother struggled as a single mom but she kept food on the table and shoes on his feet.
They looked all night and had a small stack of papers and books that could be helpful.
Karen made dinner and got everyone fed before calling it a night. The bed felt strange but Bobby's weight beside her allowed her to relax.
(The next day)
Dean woke up around the same time John did and made a bit of small talk. "What is on the agenda."
John didn't look at him. "I'm going to run an errand."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "Today?"
John looked at him that time. "Yes, Dean."
Dean held his hands up in surrender.
John got his things together and left before the kids got up.
"Where is dad?" Kate asked.
"Running an errand," Dean said.
Bobby knew what the errand was and kept it to himself. "An old friend of mine is gifted in reading objects. She is going to drive over in a little while."
Kate rested her elbows on the table. "Missouri?"
"No, not Missouri. She is busy. Pamela Barnes and Missouri do know each other though. Both can be trusted. I think that having a psychic around will help this go faster." Bobby said.
"I'm a psychic," Kate said.
"She specializes in this. She can show you what to do. You have so many abilities and have been here enough that nothing is standing out." Bobby said.
Kate shrugged. "I welcome any female company."
Dean motioned to Jess and Karen. "Aren't they enough female company?"
Kate leaned back and crossed her arms. "Never thought I'd hear you complain about female company. Tessa must have done a number on you."
Dean pinched her leg. "Brat."
Kate rubbed the sore spot. "Meany."
Jess sipped some coffee and pulled a face. "I keep forgetting you guys drink paint thinner."
"Aw, it ain't that bad." Dean said.
Jess grimaced. "Just strong."
After breakfast was done, they split back into teams to search the bunker for clues.
Dean wasn't sure why John left. He knew he wanted to find information on Henry. He thought John was acting weird but maybe not.
Bobby opened a folder and immediately saw his grandfather's name. The folder contained recruitment information concerning Francis Singer. "I guess this proves that he was a member."
Sam looked over his shoulder. "I guess his father and grandfather were members too."
"That must have been long before this place was built." Dean said.
"Probably so. I wonder if there are other places like this." Bobby said.
"Well, maybe not like this. This is the geographical center of the U.S." Kate said. "In some of the other books, I found mention of smaller bunkers."
"So, in theory, there could be other groups that are still active." Taylor added.
Several more hours slipped by before John returned.
Dean gave him an odd look. Something was off for sure.
John bypassed Dean and joined Bobby to look at the new documents.
About half an hour later Bobby was on the phone with Pamela and sent Dean to open the garage doors.
Dean opened them and let her drive inside.
Pamela had a larger-than-life personality. She got out of her car and introduced herself. She chewed her lip. "If I had known Bobby had friends as good looking as you, I'd have stopped by before now."
Dean blushed and stammered. He motioned toward the hallway. "Uh, this way."
Pamela asked a few questions about the bunker and chatted with Dean as they walked.
Bobby welcomed her into the library. "Everyone, this is Pamela. Pamela, this is Kate and Taylor. That tall one is Sam and his girlfriend Jess. This lovely lady is Karen and you've already met Dean."
Pamela smirked and looked at Dean. She reached and grabbed his chin, turning his face slightly. "With that jawline, I should have known you were John's boy. Johnny, he is nothing like you described him."
Dean's eyes flew open. "How did he describe me? Wait, you know each other?"
Pamela chuckled and ignored his questions. She walked over to the table and introduced herself to each person. "They told me what happened, Karen. Your secret is safe with me but let me just tell you, I haven't seen Bobby happier."
Karen smiled. "I've heard he was a grump while I was gone."
Pamela winked.
Dean was still trying to process what she meant. What did John tell her? When did he tell her? Who the hell got away with calling him Johnny? He met eyes with John and chewed his cheek. He crossed the room and spoke quietly to John. "What was she talking about?"
John shook his head. He was well aware that Pamela was just riling Dean up. "You were younger then."
Dean blinked. "Is she an old friend? Why haven't we heard of her before?"
John took a deep breath. "Go make yourself useful."
Dean sighed and walked away.
"I hope the drive up here wasn't too bad." Karen said.
Pamela smiled. "Not at all. This place is hard to find but that's okay."
Dean picked up a plaque and looked at the men's faces. He cleared his throat. "Did you just drive straight?"
Pamela's eyes twinkled. "I ran a few errands before stopping by."
Dean's nose flared and he shot John a look.
John shook his head.
Dean fought the laugh that threatened to leave his throat. He feigned a cough and sat the plaque down.
Sam couldn't tell if something was wrong so he followed Dean when he left the room. "Dude, what is wrong?"
Dean shoved his fist in his mouth for a moment. "Dad left this morning to 'run errands.' I thought he was being weird about it. Dammit, Sammy, she was the errands."
Sam furrowed his brows and then a look of horror crossed his face. "No."
"I'm not sure if I should feel proud or disgusted," Dean said.
Kate skipped into the hallway. "Dad is glaring a hole through the bricks. What are you two doing?"
Dean wiped his mouth. "Oh, nothing, just had a tickle in my throat."
Kate raised an eyebrow but let it go. "Pamela thinks she can narrow down things that Francis was familiar with."
Dean put a neutral look on his face and returned to the library. He kept looking from Pamela to John trying to figure out how those two would wind up together. He cringed inwardly. Never mind, he didn't want to know.
Pamela did a sweep of the bunker with Kate's help.
Kate felt a sense of magical energy and alerted Pam. "I think something is in here."
Pamela nodded. "I agree with you. You are a quick study."
Kate smiled at the compliment. "Thank you."
Pamela opened a door that looked like a closet door. The room inside was small and non-descript but did have a vault in the wall. "Well, what do we have here."
Kate could feel something rolling off of the vault. "Is it protected by spellwork?"
"I'd say so, kiddo." Pamela said.
Bobby looked into the room. "Maybe this is the safe that was mentioned in connection with my grandfather."
Kate got close to it. "I don't see anywhere to put a key."
Bobby ran his hand over it and jerked his hand back. A small pearl of blood found its way to the top of Bobby's finger. He wiped his finger on his pants. "Must have a sharp edge." He felt his hand being pulled to the safe's door and couldn't fight it. Once his hand was firmly on the door, he heard a click followed by a series of clicks and whines. He opened the door and saw a small book. He slowly reached for it, unsure if it was booby-trapped. He pulled it out and looked at the worn cover. It had a symbol on it that he remembered but couldn't place.
Back in the library, everyone gathered around the book.
Bobby slowly opened the cover. He ran his finger down a list of names. The last name was Francis Robert Singer. He turned the next page. The year made sense for the list of names. He read the pages out loud as he read them. He looked up to see John's face. He hastily flipped to the last entry. "John Eric Winchester, born November 15, 1954 to Henry and Millie Winchester. First son."
John felt a pit open in his stomach. "It has my dad's name too?"
Kate scanned the page. "It looks like every first born son in your family tree."
John had no idea why that would make sense.
Bobby flipped back to a page with a set of numbers on it. He read them out loud.
Taylor ran to the records room and found a file. He opened it. "Oh, resident Enochian expert, can you read this?"
Kate took the folder and scanned the first paper. She read the second and third before Bobby nudged her. "Oh, sorry." She summarized the pages as instructions for someone. "An angel spoke with someone and gave them orders. This is a copy of a copy of a copy so who knows what got mistranslated. If I'm right, Bobby, I think your family was our family's guardians."
Bobby let out a breath of air. "What?"
Kate blinked slowly. "Remember that I can see time and some other things. I can't explain how. I'm getting bits and pieces. Here, I'll just keep reading." As she read, some questions were answered. "The men of letters had different levels. Men from your family had a special task but it skipped a generation." She snorted. "The identities of dad's bloodline were tracked. There is another bloodline that can be found in a separate book. The bookholder's responsibility was to ensure that those names stayed hidden and to guide the person. The bloodlines were supposed to be kept separate because the unity would surely end in suffering." She looked at Sam and Dean. "I'm assuming the other bloodline has to do with the Campbells."
Dean scoffed. "End in suffering it did."
John popped the back of his head. "I met Mary years after this book was put away."
"Right, but it looks like they knew about the Nephilian bloodline. Something else happened that lead to Taylor and me being born. However, your two meeting did lead to Sam and Dean. Then, because both bloodlines crossed, Taylor and I met."
"So am I the suffering or you?" Dean asked, lightly.
Kate scrunched her nose.
The library table was transformed into a plot map with threads and dates. Names were added and they each tried to make sense of what was going on.
Dean rubbed his face. "Bobby, all I'm seeing here is your family don't have abilities, but you were tasked with keeping us out of hot water."
Bobby grumbled. "What the hell do you think I've been doing for the last decade and a half?"
Kate sat back in her chair. "So we are all connected. That is a given. We have discovered that over and over again. My question is who is pulling the strings."
"I'd say it was the angel that gave us our orders." Bobby said. He grabbed the news article about the fire. "How did my grandpa die in a fire in 1958 if he was at my house in 1961, dropping off stuff for my mother?"
"Maybe he and Henry escaped." Kate said.
Dean pressed his forehead to the wall. "Great, more questions."
The evening wound down and Pamela announced her need to get back home.
John stood up to walk her out.
Dean smirked. "Do you have more errands to run?"
John smacked his head and ignored him.
Bobby snorted and smirked.
When John and Pamela were in the garage Dean spun around. "You knew?!"
Bobby laughed. "Yes."
Dean looked scandalized. He turned on his heel to go to the garage.
Bobby chuckled. "Where are you going?"
Dean huffed. "To have a long talk to him because I am not taking care of any more kids."
Sam joined Dean. They rarely got to pick at their dad. It had happened maybe twice in their entire lives but a psychic that he had known biblically for years was ammo they couldn't let go to waste.
(The bunker two days later)
Kate had gotten word from Marty and was antsy to get back to Sioux Falls.
John told her she had to wait. That had been his mantra since the day before. "We are almost done here."
"I can teleport." Kate said.
"Katelyn, I have told you to wait."
Kate threw her hands up. "Yeah, I'll just wait while people die."
John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kate, you cannot prevent deaths today. All you would be doing would be running tests. You, yourself, said that you needed a body."
Kate kept her foot from stomping. "Exactly, I would be running tests. I could teleport there and even be back in a few hours instead of waiting for everyone to finish up here and drive all the way back."
"I said no." John said.
Kate looked at him. "Why?"
"The last time you teleported, what did you do?" John asked.
Kate gritted her teeth. "You already 'dealt' with that."
"No, you do not get to use your abilities like that. You can if there is an emergency. I, frankly, am not ready to trust you going anywhere by yourself." John said in a firm tone.
"I can go with her." Jess said.
John took a deep breath. "No. There is not an urgent need."
Kate crossed her arms. "There is an urgent need."
"No." John said.
Kate wanted to get back into the research and he was being unreasonable. "Jess said she'd go!"
John snapped his fingers and pointed to the hallway. "Go to your room."
Jess wrapped her arms around Kate. "No, don't go. She has a point."
Sam's mouth fell open. He could see John's face darkening but couldn't move.
John looked at Kate. "Go."
Kate let go of Jess and ran to her room and slammed the door.
John clinched his jaw. He steadied his breath and looked at Jess. "I told her no for a reason."
"Well, I can go with her. I don't understand why there is an issue." Jess said.
John slowly blinked. "You can disagree with me. You can give me a point of view because you understand her in a way that I do not. You, however, will not undermine me in front of my own children."
Jess stepped back, realizing that she had angered him.
"You come from a different kind of family. In this family, what I say goes. If I give Kate an order, she is to follow that order. If I tell her no, she is to accept that answer. She has a history of being defiant and in this life, defiance gets you killed. She looks up to you so what you just did can set her back. So, never, ever, do that again. Are we clear?"
Jess squeaked and nodded quickly.
John turned on his heel and stalked down the hallway.
Sam jumped up and grabbed Jess in a hug.
She started sniffling. No one had ever spoken that sternly to her. Not even the cops that busted her and a few friends shoplifting when she was younger. She melted into Sam's arms.
"I'm sorry he did that." Sam said.
Jess shook her head. "Did I mess up too bad? I know he is mad but he is your dad and..."
Sam rubbed her back. John hadn't raised his voice at her. He just made his point clear. As angry as Sam wanted to be that John scared Jess, he realized that he was right and had handled it the best he could. "You're okay."
John opened Kate's door. He needed to nip it in the bud before her attitude spiraled.
Kate rolled her eyes.
"You, young lady, just can't keep yourself out of trouble. I told you no for a reason and you know not to argue." He held up his hand. "You've made your side of the argument clear and the answer is no. I told you to wait and this is the reaction you have. Why the hell would I allow you to go off to the lab by yourself?"
"Jess said she would go!" Kate said.
"Jess, while she means well, doesn't know enough to be a good guardian in a situation like that. I do not trust you not to manipulate her if something comes up and you decide you want to test things that you know I would not allow." John scolded. He unbuckled his belt.
Kate stood up. "Oh, come on."
John grabbed her arm and turned her so that she was facing the bed. He pushed on her back. "Consider this a reminder and anything else you do after this is going to get added on."
Kate gritted her teeth through five licks of the belt. She softened after the fifth one and accepted the comfort he offered. His reminders sucked. "I'm sorry."
"Get your head on straight. If you follow orders, my trust can be earned back." John said.
"Jess." Kate said.
"I had a talk with her." John said.
Kate flinched and looked up at him. "What kind of talk?"
John looked confused. "I talked to her." He blew air out through his nose. "Just talked."
Kate looked at him skeptically. "You didn't yell at her, did you?"
John pinched the bridge of his nose. "No."
Kate slowly stood up and rubbed at the lines across her backside and thighs.
John studied her. "I mean it, Kate. If you talk back, are disrespectful or do not follow an order, I will assume my reminder didn't work and you will be getting a full set."
Kate frowned. "Yes, sir."
"Stay in here until you are fully calm." John said and left the room.
"Well, Jess, he must like you at least a little. Had I talked to him like that, I'd wake up next week. Hell, Bobby, he'd knock you right out wouldn't he?" Dean said.
Bobby snorted.
"As far as John Winchester style talks, that should have had a laugh track. You should see him when..." Dean paused. "He's behind me isn't he?" He rubbed the back of his head. "See, I'm trying to compliment him and get whacked."
John shook his head.
Jess's face was read. "I am so so sorry."
John nodded. He met Sam's eyes and was certain that his middle son's angst and fire were boiling beneath his skin. "Jess, from what I can see, Sam plans on keeping you around for a long time. I am supportive of that. He acts like he has a whole lot more sense now than before you showed up. Had I thought you were just passing through, I wouldn't have said anything or I would have told you to leave. Since you will be around, you need to understand how things work. My life would be a whole lot easier if you encourage her not to act a fool."
Jess relaxed. She was pretty sure that was John's form of a blessing. "I understand."
Taylor spoke after the tension passed. "Dad?"
"What?" John asked.
Taylor stepped behind Dean and looked at John. "Just how well do you know Pamela?"
John leveled Dean with an amused glare if there was such a thing. "Dean."
"I didn't say anything to him."
Taylor smiled. "Unless you started wearing perfume the other day."
Sam let go of Jess. "I saw those looks she was giving you."
"If that didn't give it away, I'm pretty sure I saw her pinch your ass." Dean said.
John heard Kate shuffling into the room and reached back to put his arm around her shoulder and bring her in front of him.
Kate looked up at him. "What is going on?"
John snorted. "You are about to be an only child."