176Warnings: A bit of torture, a decent amount of blood, evil Winchesters - except for Sammy. NOT wincest.
Don't own Supernatural or the characters, sadly.
Review Replies!
Thank you all so much for reviewing!
{Souless666: Thank you for reviewing, Hun. And I agree, Hun; wasn't to keen on all that myself :).}
{ .777: Thank you for reviewing, Hun. And of course I read your story - repeatedly haha. I love both stories, but 'Hush-A-By Sammy' is just so sweet and I've really enjoyed the first two chapters. Hopefully there may be more? It'd be interesting to see Dean taking control. And, aww, no need for embarrassment, Hunnie, I'm actually really honoured that I could help inspire you. Just an offer - as I think you are doing perfectly fine on your own - but if you ever need or want my help, don't be too shy to ask. I know how frustrating it can be to become stuck on a project. And I think the first two chapters capture Dean's twisted charm nicely. And Bobby doesn't take any nonsense and he's very logical, and I think the Winchesters respond to that more than anything else. Bobby and Missouri are so alike, but I think if they were to meet face to face, they would butt heads more often than not. And I don't think it was really a choice to Dean; Adam or Sam. Adam was pretty much a stranger, and while Dean likes to protect strangers, his brother comes first. Anyway, Hunnie, thanks again.}
{Ncsupnatfan: Thank you for reviewing, Hun. Thanks, Hunnie. I doubt Dean would change that much; his whole life has been protecting Sam and I don't think that would change if Sam started to believe in the Supernatural. Thanks again, Hun, enjoy.}
Escape Rewritten!
Chapter Sixteen!
John leaned against the counter behind him, staring at the woman in front of him with his mouth hanging open as he tried to process everything she had just blurted out. What the hell type of home did he walk into? It had looked normal enough; no dark wallpapers, no shelves filled with creepy dolls, no pictures of bloody sacrifices hanging on the walls. The house itself was decorated nicely. One wouldn't think that the woman who had decorated it was bat shit crazy!
It was silence in the kitchen for a moment, as John tried to wrap his head around everything. But only one single thought splashed across his brain.
"You're fucking crazy!" He snapped out, not believing the audacity of this woman.
"I know that's how it sounds, John, but it's true..."
And John was so done with this shit. A few hours ago his entire life had burnt down around him, his children didn't have their Mother any more, and this deranged nutjob was making up fairy tales; making this all out to be a joke. Well, fuck her!
John abruptly pushed himself away from the kitchen counter, turning around enough to throw the glass of whiskey on the bench. It skidded across with a loud clank, the whiskey spilling over the edge. He stormed into the living room, ignoring Missouri as she tried to calm him down. It didn't even register that Dean was now looking towards the kitchen with wide eyes. He paused long enough to snatch both boys up from the couch, startling Sammy awake. The baby instantly started crying in fright at the sudden movement. Dean's breath hitched and tears fell down his face as he tightened his arms around his Brother.
John turned towards the living room entrance, determined on leaving the house, but Missouri stood there, frowning.
"John!" She shouted in protest, disapproving of the way he handled his children.
But John had had enough. His chest felt tight and his head felt jumbled and he just wanted to turn back time to a few hours ago when he and Mary had laid in their bed.
"Shut the fuck up!" John shouted, not really knowing if he was shouting at her or at Sammy as the baby's cries got louder. He needed to focus on one thing at a time, and that was getting him and his children away from this woman. "Is this how you get your kicks?! Huh?! You take in vulnerable people and twist everything? How many poor Bastards out there actually fall for this shit?!"
Sam's cries became louder as John raised his voice, the baby clearly frightened. Dean's face was drenched with tears but no noise left him as he stared at his brother, stroking Sammy's hair softly to calm him down.
"John..."
But John wouldn't allow her to talk; he had heard enough. "You're fucking insane!" He stomped forward, intending to leave but Missouri blocked his way. Feeling threatened, John straightened his back and glared coldly at her. "I have never hit a woman in my life." He hissed out. "But don't think for a second that I won't hesitate to do so now if you don't move outta my way."
Knowing the truth in that statement, Missouri backed away, waiting for John to leave the house before running over to the open door.
"You need to face the facts, John!" She shouted after him, watching as he marched down her pathway. "Denial will only get you so far, and it won't protect those boys!"
Was she threatening his children? As much as he wanted to storm back over there and rant and rave at her, he decided it would be best to get the boys as far from her as possible. Anger filled every cell in his brain, his heart pounding away in his chest as he tightened his jaw. He ignored the tears falling down his face, couldn't seem to be able to hear Sam's crying through the red haze of his mind. He didn't think about a destination, just marched down the street, his brain firing curse after curse to the lunatic he had just left.
It must have only been ten to fifteen minutes later when his anger lifted away enough for Sam's distress to penetrate his mind. He abruptly stopped walking, looking down at his sons, almost in shock that he was carrying them. He didn't really remember grabbing his kids, but clearly he did.
Looking over at Dean, his breathing stopped for a moment, his throat closing up. His poor boy was crying silently, holding most of Sam's weight, laying wet little kisses on Sam's head repeatedly. His four year old was trying to do something that John should have already taken care of. Sammy's little face was a crimson red as he screamed at the top of his small lungs. John frowned, understanding the health risks of leaving a baby to cry for too long. His anger quickly turned into despair; Mary had only been gone for a few hours and already John was failing at being a single parent.
He tried to bounce Sam in his arms, but holding Dean as well wasn't making it easy. He looked around for a bench or a wall to sit down on. He then realised he was standing outside their house. He had automatically gone home in his anger. But there was no home now. It was a burnt out shell of a building that held so many memories.
His chest filled with hopelessness and sorrow. His mind once again blanked out as he stared at the house. The Police, Paramedics and the Fire service were no longer around, although a yellow tape around the house deemed the place a crime scene. His mind, body and soul had gone numb and he staggered over to the curb. He sat down, laying his legs down straight so his sons could still sit on his knees.
A vague thought in the back of his mind reminded him that Sam was still crying. It was desperation and instinct that made John hug both boys tightly to his chest as he began to rock his body back and forth. It wasn't a conscious decision when John started to softly sing. The words to the song was so ingrained into his mind that he didn't have to think about the words. 'As Time Goes By' had been a relation to safety and comfort for so long that he automatically started mumbling it.
Staring into the distance, the sky still pitch black at four in the morning, he rocked his boys in front of their ruined home. The smell of ash and burnt wood was still lingering in the air. He swallowed in order to stop himself from throwing up and continued his song, remembering the little music box he had cherished as a child. Sadly, his feelings toward his absent Father had grown bitter over the years, and a fourteen year old John had thrown the music box across his room, shattering it into pieces.
A shiver shot down John's spine, and he jolted back to reality. He looked around in a daze, noticing the soft blue sky that was filled with the mist of dawn. Another shiver made its way through him and John realised that his entire body was trembling softly. He was still wearing his short sleeved t-shirt that he had used for bed, and the morning air had a chill to it. His eyes blinked heavy, his face feeling stiff from his dried tears and his back and arms ached.
Understanding on why his arms ached dawned on him and he quickly looked down to check on his boys. Both of them were sound asleep; Dean's head resting on his shoulder and Sam's head resting on Dean's chest.
He let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. He felt exhausted. He had never given much thought to souls, but now he could actually feel how heavy his own was.
How had this happened? Early last night everything had been perfect. He had been relieved to be at home after a busy day at the garage. His wife had been taking great care of their children. His kids had been laughing without a care in the world. He had sat in the chair and had only closed his eyes for what felt like a minute. A minute was apparently all it took for ones life to be completely destroyed.
"John."
The voice was faint and John didn't register that it was right next to him.
"Johnny. John, hey!"
John flinched back as the voice got louder. He looked to his left and saw Mike kneeling next to him. How his business partner knew about the fire so early on, John wasn't sure, although he supposed that gossip got around fast.
Mike placed a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing out here, John?" He asked with a glance behind them at the house.
"Sammy was crying." He muttered back. It made sense to him but Mike frowned as he peeked down at the baby.
"It's freezing out here, John."
John wanted to snarl back about how great Mike's deduction skills were. But he didn't have the energy for their usual friendly banter. It must have showed on his face because Mike gave him a sad smile.
"Come on." He nodded towards his car. "We need to get the boys somewhere warm."
John nodded his head but quickly stopped when he noticed that Mike was about to take Sam.
"Don't." He breathed out. "Dean needs contact with him."
Once again, the sentence made sense to John, but Mike hadn't been around last night and he wouldn't have known about Dean's reaction when Sam was moved away from him. Mike gave him a look that clearly said he wasn't sure if John was in his right mind. John was wondering that himself.
"Well, Dean's asleep right now, John. It'd be much easier to get you standing if you're only holding one kid. Alright? So I'm just gonna take Sam and put him in the car." Moving slowly, Mike reached his hands out, watching John warily out of the corner of his eyes.
John was too tired to fight. He allowed Mike to pick Sammy up, quickly shushing Dean as the boy shifted in his sleep. Thankfully the disturbance didn't wake his oldest up. John knew the boy was completely out when Dean didn't wake as John stood from the curb. He looked up to check on Mike and found him strapping Sammy into his car seat. He frowned as he realised that the car seat had originally been in the Impala but was now sitting in the back of Mike's own car.
Mike stood up straight and quietly closed the door. Seeing John's confusion, he held up the keys to the Impala.
"They were on the pavement next to you. Must have fallen outta your pocket."
John didn't reply. He watched as Mike moved around the car to get into the drivers seat. He opened the passenger door, pausing for a moment to look back at the house and not caring about the few tears that fell down his face. Letting out a sigh, he climbed into the seat, settling Dean on his knee. Mike gave him a look that told John that Mike had wanted Dean in the back.
Well tough shit, Mikey, deal with it.
John leaned his head against the window, ignoring the sigh that Mike let out. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see them driving away from the their home.
He sat at the dining room table, a cup of coffee in his hand, Mike sitting on the opposite side. He preferred to have something stronger but Kate gave him a disappointed look when he had asked. It wasn't worth the hassle to pester for it. The house was cosy and warm and he was thankful that Mike had gone looking for him. His friend had placed Dean on the couch in the living room, covering him up with a spare blanket. Sammy had woken up no longer than five minutes ago. Kate had jumped at the chance to care for him, telling John that he needed to take a minute for himself.
It was easier said than done when his mind was spinning. He felt like he had so much to do but he didn't even know what. He was sure the Police would want to speak to him today. They'd probably go over to Missouri's first. Well, they had his phone number so they could easily find him. He knew the insurance company would want to speak to him about their house...
Was it still their house though? Could it be rebuilt? Did he want it rebuilt? John didn't think he could stand to be there without his Mary. She had been the one to choose that house to begin with. She had researched the neighbourhood thoroughly, checking out stores and schools and main roads. She had wanted a quiet neighbourhood but close enough to shops, schools and parks. She was a planner, his Mary was. She had liked to be organized and prepared.
The fact that he was referring to her in the past tense made him want to throw up. He swallowed the thick bile in the back of his throat, knowing that he couldn't exactly puke on Kate's fancy dining table.
"Hey, Dean."
Mike's voice broke through his thoughts and John glanced up at him. Seeing that Mike was staring at the doorway, John turned his head to look. Dean was there. Standing in the doorway, his eyes as wide as they could be, his mouth open as he panted out harsh breaths, tears dropping off his chin to hit the floor. John cursed, instantly understanding the problem. Dean was having a panic attack.
"Dean..." John stood and went to move forward but was stopped when Dean finally spoke for the first time since last night.
"Sammy..." His voice was faint and shaky as he stared at John. "Sa-Sa-Sam-Sammy..." He stuttered out, close to hyperventilating.
"Shit." John swore, quickly turning to shout through to Kate, who was in the kitchen. "Kate! Kate, bring Sam now!" He turned back to his oldest son and tried to calm him down. "It's alright, Son. Sammy's coming, okay? He was just in the kitchen. He's coming." Turning his head back around, he barked out. "Kate!"
"What? What's wrong? What's all the commotion?" Kate rushed out as she appeared in the dining room doorway, holding Sammy on her hip.
Dean immediately turned to face her as she stood behind him and reached his arms above himself.
"Sam!" He demanded, raising his voice a little in panic.
John rushed forward. "He needs his brother..." He tried to explain but was interrupted by Mike.
"Hold on a minute, John."
John paused and looked at him in irritation. But Mike spoke to Kate first.
"Take him back in the kitchen, Kate."
Both John and Kate frowned while Dean's cries had gotten louder as he jumped up a few times, trying to reach his brother.
John continued to frown at Mike. "What are you...?" He growled out but Mike once again interrupted.
"Kate, please. Take Sam back into the kitchen."
As soon as Kate started backing away, Dean let out a heartbreaking wail, his arms still in the air as he ran towards her. Mike jumped forward the few steps it took to get to Dean, quickly picking him up and walking backwards into the dining room. As soon as Sam left his sight, Dean screamed as though he was being murdered, kicking his legs widely as his arms stayed out in the air, his little hands clenching and unclenching.
"What the hell, Mike?!" John yelled, leaping forward and grabbing his son who didn't seem to notice that he was in his Dad's arms. John bounced him up and down as he turned to walk into the kitchen, only being stopped by Mike putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait, John..."
"What?" John snapped.
"I'm doing this for Dean's sake." Mike explained. "He needs to know that both him and Sam will be perfectly fine when separated. Sam's only in the kitchen, John, and we need to show Dean that Sam will still be there in an hour or so." Mike frowned at the loudness of Dean's continued screaming.
"You want me to leave my son like this for an hour?!" John gapped in disbelief. "The boy has just lost his Mother, Mike!" He snapped, raising his voice to be heard over Dean. "If having contact with his little brother at all times is what it takes for him to stay calm than I've got no problem! Now move the fuck outta my way!"
John quickly pushed forward, ignoring Mike's shout of his name. As he entered the kitchen, he saw that Kate was bouncing a crying Sam, trying to shush him. Without speaking a single word, John grabbed Sam from Kate's arms. He watched as Dean threw his arms around his brother and buried his face against Sammy's hair. Both boys were still crying uncontrollably. John was pissed that Mike was the reason that both his boys were in such a state. Walking over to the back door, John bent down a little and flickered his wrist against the doorknob, storming out into the back garden to calm his sons down.
It only took ten minutes to calm Sam down, the baby babbling away happily again. Sadly it took longer for Dean. While the boy was no longer screaming, he was still silently crying an hour later. For the first half hour, John had tried reassuring his oldest, whispering against his hair that he and Sammy wouldn't leave him, they were all together and they were safe. He stopped once he realised that it wasn't soothing his son, and instead allowed Dean to cry it out. It was getting to the two hour mark when Dean had calmed down enough to look up at John. The sadness in his son's wet eyes made his heart skip.
"Not again, Daddy." Dean whispered.
And although John had wanted to hear Dean speak, he would have given anything in that moment to take back what had happened; to not allow Dean to go through the panic he had felt. Understanding what Dean wanted, John nodded and promised him.
"Never again, Son."
{A bit of a small chapter but I don't think it'll be that long before the next one is up, so I think I should get points for that ;) :P. I think the next chapter will continue with John's story. I have noticed that Dean hasn't really been mentioned, but I hope having Little-Dean around is making up for that.}