A/N: Sorry for the long wait, life got in between me and writing.
Firstly I was laid off a job and now two weeks ago, I started a new job. So all in all, it's been a hectic time for me.
The next chapter's already finished. I'll probably publish it next week or the week after that.
Almont, Colorado, Dean POV
"Dean, can we talk for a moment?"
He looks up from the workbook he's working in. Dad stands in the room before a closed door. He frowns, not liking he's not head dad coming in. Nor does he like the expression on his dad's face.
"Sure," he answers, uncertainly. He's not sure what dad wants to talk about. Based on his tone (and expression), it won't be anything he'll like so…
Dad nods and sits down before him. Dad leans back into the chair. The teenager knows Dad has straightened his legs beneath the table from the posture. Dad raises an eyebrow. He ducks his head and moves the workbook and textbook to the side.
"Yes, dad?"
"You remember your request from a while ago?"
"About me hunting alone, you mean?" he offers. Despite his earlier feelings, he feels giddy. Will Dad approve of it?
"Yes, about you hunting on your own. I'll tell you this, son, I won't approve of it. It's just too dangerous."
"What?" Dean says shocked. Where does this come from? "But dad, you hunt alone so what's the problem with me hunting alone?"
"The problem is that you're my son. I don't want you to hunt alone for some time yet."
He looks at his dad with incredulity. Where is this even coming from? He's done part of the hunts he's done with his dad alone. And now he can't do a full hunt alone.
He clenches his fists. This is full-on hypocrisy. Dad's making a major issue out of something he's done partly before.
"Dean," Dad warns, "don't think about still going alone. I'll find out and you won't like the consequences, I can promise you that."
He hums in response, unwilling to say anything. He's too afraid he'll explode. Besides, he's not sure he can keep the truth out of his voice. To avoid having to say more or something he shouldn't, he storms out of the room.
A few nights after his dad's unwelcome decision, Dean lies awake in his bed. Snoring can be heard in the room to his left. It cancels the sound of breathing coming from his right out. All he can hear besides snoring is the sound of traffic outside the room. He shuffles in bed.
He doesn't dare open his eyes at this time for fear of waking Sammy and Dad. He knows what Dad told him, and he also knows the bond he has with Noah. So he's got to find a way to sneak out of the room. He's got a few options, but the only useful one is sneaking out as silently as possible—and hoping he's not discovered.
His mind made up, Dean slips out of the bed. He puts on hs clothes and shoes as silently as he can before he opens the door slowly. He winces at the squeaking sound the door makes. Turning his head back to the room, he looks with apprehension of seeing eyes staring back at him. Thankfully, this proves not to be the case as all he sees is a dark room and no eyes. Slipping out of the room, he walks away from the motel with his destination in mind.
Fifteen minutes later, he spots a familiar figure in the distance who he can identify by his posture. A figure dressed in dark clothing and a shirt; he's certain of this as he can see bare arms. Something which might not be too good for the upcoming hunt. Looking at his arms, he grimaces. Who's he to berate Noah when he is also wearing a shirt?
"Dean!"
He smiles yet puts a finger in front of his lips to shush Noah. It won't do to attract attention their way. Any attention.
Noah tilts his head but does not draw attention their way in any more ways. The eyes which moved to them quickly found other occupations. He quickens his steps to reach Noah, thus reaching him within seconds.
"Did your dad give you permission?" Noah asks him knowingly.
"Not really but I had to come. I couldn't have you hunting alone."
"That's…good. You won't get in trouble, right?"
"Nothing I can handle if my dad discovers me sneaking out," he says dismissively. He's sure he'll be in trouble then but also confident he can handle it. But now onto more important matters.
"So, our hunt. Have you learned something new?"
"Nothing really, I'm still waiting for the final message from the local institute to clear us to hunt."
"And yet, we can still check it out in the meantime," he adds with a grin which Noah returns. For the next few minutes, they go over the information they've (or more like, he has) gathered already to cross all the dots.
Just as they're about to start scouting, a small fire erupts before them. Seconds later, a letter becomes visible. He quickly picks it up. Turning it over in his hand, he immediately recognizes the seal of an institute. On the seal, the letters L.V.I. can be read.
"Well, open it already," Noah urges as he bumps into his shoulder.
"Sure. Sure."
He opens the letter. As he reads it, he doesn't fail to notice how Noah reads it over his shoulder. It doesn't take long for a smile to break out on his face.
"Yeah!" Noah shouts behind him, "We've gotten permission."
The dark-haired teenager turns and just sees Noah's arms coming down. He shakes his head and refrains from copying Noah even if he feels the same. Thus for the remainder of the evening, they hunt the demon who's been causing so much trouble.
The next afternoon, Dean meets up with Noah to continue their hunt. Or more likely, to relieve those who are keeping an eye on the demon they were tracking yesterday. So far, none have gotten the chance to take him out. From what he understands, there are just too many people in the area that glamour won't hide it sufficiently. People will know something happened. If possible, it's to be avoided…well unless there is a dire need to intervene.
"Noah, good to see you again. Did you have a good night?"
"Not good, more like decent," Noah admits while shrugging, "The case just kept me awake. I couldn't get it out of my head."
"Yeah, I know the feeling; it's highly annoying and distracting. But enough of that before we both get distracted from our hunt. Let's go find the others so we can take over from them. Where are they even?"
"I don't know. You didn't get any directions?"
"Not really, all I got was a general direction but nothing concrete. They can be in a six-block radius. It'll take us a bit to track them down," he answers, irked.
"Then all we can do is start there. After applying glamor that is."
"Indeed."
They share a laugh before quickly applying glamour. Then they set off to find the others. It takes them a while to find them (around an hour much to their irritation) as they have to search multiple streets and clubs. With some of the clubs, he's just glad they're under glamour. He can already imagine the trouble they would have had to enter them otherwise. Yet when they find them, he can't contain the sigh of relief which escapes him. He also chooses to ignore the look Noah gives him. He's just too grateful they're far enough away for them not to be able to hear it.
After receiving their report, they take over the scouting and follow the demon all around the town.
Into parks.
Into buildings.
And even into shops.
Everywhere.
There's no real pattern to it unless the demon is looking for potential victims. A thought which causes him to bite his lips. He worries for the victims and hopes they'll be in time to save them. Unaware of the fear he'll face once the demon finds his intended victim.
"Dean, what's wrong?" Noah asks concerned.
"I'm not sure. I just don't like this at all. We've been going around without a purpose for an hour. Well unless he's looking for…"
"For a victim, I've been thinking that too."
"Yeah, so now we've got to figure out who the intended victim is and keep an eye on him. That's not gonna be easy," he says irritatedly. They sure gave them a really challenging hunt.
Noah nods but doesn't say anything else, like he's not sure how to do this. Will they ask for aid from the Institute? Or will they handle it on their own? And is that the right decision? He's not sure, but he also knows what Dad taught him. He can use this right now. His mind made up, he looks back at their mark.
"Come on, we better be close enough that we can intervene without him noticing us."
"Is that possible?" Noah asks doubtfully.
"Yes, just follow my lead. I've done this before. It's a balancing act but totally possible."
He doesn't wait for Noah to react but moves forward, with Noah following close on his heels. They are closer to their target but not close enough to be noticed. It feels too far away for his liking, but he doesn't dare get any closer; he is too afraid they'll be noticed then.
They follow the demon for a long time without speaking a word between them. He doesn't feel the need for it. Nor does Noah apparently. If they need to communicate they can use hand signs or their bond. Both are sufficient during this hunt.
The demon stops at a bakery and wanders around inside it. This just confirms his suspicion even if he's got no real proof yet. People move in and out of the shop with their bought goods. Yet the demon doesn't buy anything. All he seems to be doing is wandering around.
Aimlessly.
Suddenly, the demon storms out of the bakery. Dean tracks him out of the corner of his eyes. He ignores all the other people roaming around as they're insignificant now. Yet he still notices in the back of his mind how they roam around.
He follows the demon along the walkway.
Past shops.
Past houses.
Until he nears a group of teenagers. A familiar voice amongst them.
His eyes roam over the group of teenagers looking for the source of the familiar voice yet sure he'll see nothing truly interesting. Just an ordinary group of teenagers. Why did he hear a familiar voice? Was he imagining it?
"Dean!" Noah hisses suddenly.
"What?" he whispers back annoyed and confused.
"There! Look at the group. Is that your little brother?"
"What?" he breathes out shocked and looks at the group of teenagers. He sees nothing familiar initially. Yet, he trusts Noah. He wasn't imagining anything. If Noah saw Sam then he did. Thus, he looks more closely. It takes him a while (way too fucking long in his mind) but finally, he spots what Noah saw.
Sam!
Sammy's hidden behind a group. Barely even visible. His eyes track back to the demon. Which kid is he interested in? Which one? Following the demon's eyes, he clenches his fists as his heart skips a few beats. He'll never get close enough to his target if he's got to say anything about it.
"Dean? You're alright?" Noah asks concerned.
"Yeah," he bites out, "thanks for the warning. We've got work to do."
Noah glances at him concerned and sympathetic. He knows why. He tries to smile in gratitude but it feels more like a grimace. He's grateful for the aid but also wants to keep Sammy safe.
And knowing Sammy's in danger, they move closer. They're just in time. The demon pushes himself through the group and pulls Sammy a bit back.
Sammy pulls his arm out of the demon's grasp and moves back. Wide eyes meet the demon. He can see the confusion and fear in them.
The demon moves closer.
He pulls out his blade. Noah copies him.
His eyes widen and his heart skips a beat. The demon is almost upon Sammy.
He raises his blade…
Just as the demon is about to touch Sammy again, he strikes. The demon staggers. This is all the time Sammy needs to run away. Noah strikes seconds later.
The demon scatters into dust.
Dean breathes a sigh of relief.
"This was too close for comfort."
"I can imagine that," Noah adds with a grimace.
November 1996
Almont, Colorado, John POV
Leaning back on the chair with his hands behind his head, John waits for his youngest to come home. Well, home? More like, return to their motel room. He's not looking forward to the fight he (at least suspects) will have with Sam. His youngest won't be happy with the news he's got to share.
He looks at the clock ticking.
And ticking.
Time passes way too slowly until he hears hurried footsteps approaching. Holding a knife ready, he waits to see what is approaching.
The door slams open. Sam storms into the room with a wild look in his eyes as he pants.
"What happened?" he asks concerned.
"I'm not sure. There was this strange man and he dragged me with him but didn't say anything. It was so strange. He tried to pull me into an alley when he suddenly stiffened and turned around. I used the opportunity to run away."
"Who did he look at?" he asks; informing Sam about his new school pushed to the back of his mind.
"No clue, it was like he saw something I didn't. But I was also not interested in it so... I just wanted to get away. So I don't know what happened to him or what happened in general."
He narrows his eyes. He's taught Sam better; he taught both boys better. Something more must have happened. Neither of his boys are easily scared. They know how to fight. So what happened?
"Was there anything specific that scared you?"
"Not really, I was just so surprised and well…"
"Out with it. What is it?" he urges.
"The man had a gleam in his eyes. I don't think he was human, to be honest, but couldn't find anything to tell me what he was. Nor did I have time to test something. It all happened so fast. That's what scared me so much. But Dad, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Sammy redirects. Clearly, he doesn't want to talk about this.
"There is but don't think I'll forget about this. We'll talk about it later," he promises.
Sam nods stiffly.
"But what I wanted to talk with you about is an opportunity for you to attend another school. This'll mean that you won't need to change schools every time we move as it is a correspondence school."
"What!"
"It would ensure your education won't suffer from the constant moving. I know how important you find this. So, what do you think?"
"What I think, you've already made up your mind so why would my opinion matter?" Sam growls, accessinly.
"Maybe but I still want your opinion."
"My opinion? I don't like it. I won't see other children and will be stuck in motel rooms."
"There are opportunities for you to meet other students," he soothes the anxious boy, "You can do your studying wherever and whenever you like. It won't be that I'll lock you in a room."
"And what if I want to attend a university? What are my chances then?"
"As I've learned you would have good chances at the elite universities."
"Really?" the young boy asks warily.
"Yes, apparently their curriculum is really good; good enough to enter into competitive universities."
"And what classes do I have to take? The same as at other schools?"
"Yes, for the most part, though a religion course is also required."
Sam winced. He smiles. This probably won't be much of a trouble for Sam to get high marks on considering their life.
"Are there any conditions? I don't think they'll be open to about everyone else, it would be well-known," Sam says thoughtfully.
"Yes, a sponsor who will also be checking up on your results."
"And who will this be?"
"Benjamin, the man who informed me of this opportunity; he's a skilled hunter."
"Mhh," Sam says noncommitted.
"So what do you say about this?"
"Well, I don't want to lose on my chances for a good university and this poses a risk. So at first, I'd say no but maybe it might be a good idea to accept it. As a trial. Especially if it's so good as the information says it is."
"A trial won't be possible."
"So you've done everything you need to enroll me. Without asking me? Then was the fuck was this for." Sam growls.
"For me to learn your opinion, as I said before," he answers calmly.
"For what fucking reason. You've already made up your mind."
"So you know about it and can get used to the idea."
"Get used to the idea?" Sam asks confused.
"Yes, the idea because you'll be starting next term. So…"
"Can I talk to some students my age then if all I can do is accept it?"
"You can talk to your brother as he's already attending there and…"
"Really?" Sam interrupts bewildered.
"Yes, and I'm sure I…," it is as far as he gets before knocking sounds on his door.
He quickly makes his way over to the door already half aware of who knocked and opens it. His suspicion is confirmed when he sees the face which greets him. He steps aside to let his guest enter and meet Sam.
After closing the door, he watches how Sam and Benjamin are observing each other. He tilts his head. Observing? It's more like a staring contest. The question now is who will give up first. What they're waiting for he doesn't know nor care about.
He quickly introduces them before the staring contest lasts too long, though he doubts Benjamin's participation is necessary. Afterward, he listens as they talk about the school. Later, they'll revisit the events of today's ambush. It's the only thing he can call it.
Dean POV
He's staring out of the window as the road and buildings pass before his eyes. The roaring of an engine is audible in his ears but he doesn't pay much attention to it. His mind keeps getting pulled back to his second last hunt. He still remembers the fear he felt when the demon neared Sam. It's one he can't ever forget. One which will haunt him for the rest of his life; he's sure of it.
"Dean, I have heard something?"
"What did you hear?" he asks, confused. It can be a lot of things, including some, he doesn't want his dad to know about–like for a very long time or ever.
"I've heard you hunted alone…and without my knowledge or permission. Is it true?"
"It's true," he admits after a few minutes if hesitation. As he answers, dread fills his stomach. He hopes his dad won't be too angry about it. Not that he feels guilty about it. His last hunt was less stressful than when Sammy was targeted.
"So, why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to prove to you that I can hunt alone."
"Despite me telling you not to."
"Yes," he grumbles. Dad sure doesn't sound as angry as he feared him to be. He almost sounds intrigued. He's not sure whether he prefers this or his dad being angry.
"How did it go?"
What! He looks at his dad with bewilderment. Dad just keeps looking at the road—no interest in his response. What's this fucking about? And did he hear it right? He wants to know…how it went. Since when? Why? He expected a different response.
Totally.
Yet…he can use this. If only to see what it will result in.
His mind made up, he looks out of the window and explains about the hunt. In full detail…well as much as he can share without revealing Noah's presence there. Once, he finishes his explanation, silence rings through the car.
"Good job," dad congratulates.
"Thanks, sir," he says, grateful yet also perplexed, "I'm glad you approve."
"Approve of your success, son, not your actions. You disregarded my order not to hunt alone and I don't want you to do it again."
"Of course," he answers without really meaning it, "but will you think about my earlier request?"
"For me to approve of you hunting alone? Yes, I'll think about it again but don't expect me to answer any time soon. Why did you even disobey me?"
Mhh, this is better than he would have expected. And it's quite easy for him to give his reason. He won't have to embezzle on the truth much at all.
"Because I didn't have a chance to contact you and was on a time crunch. If I waited longer, it would have gotten away and caused more damage elsewhere. I doubt he would have been easy to find afterward as he was quite good at covering his tracks here."
"Mhh, so you felt a need to handle it before it could become a bigger problem," Dad asks.
"Yes," he admits.
Dad turns to him for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. It doesn't take long before he starts to question him more thoroughly about the risks behind the hunt. He answers these questions as honestly as he can while feeling confused about the reason behind it. In the end, Dad gives him permission to hunt alone (despite his earlier warning of it taking time). It's so confusing but he won't fight it. Having the permission is what he long desired. As such, he uses the first opportunity he has to inform Noah.