| 50k |
[Oct. 27th, 2009|07:06 pm] |
There's a joke made in the next chapter that Sam's been cooking for three weeks, and it's so true.
Title: Thanks Pt. 2
Author: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,300/2,952,600
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Sam and Dean go after the Crone to get information about Joe.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard
The house was a disaster area. Dean checked everything out very quickly before he went to see the kids and he really couldn't believe it. Things had been knocked off shelves and furniture had been turned over. The lights in the kitchen were in shards all over the floor and one of the fixtures had even come loose. There was no real major damage that couldn't be fixed, but it was still a mess and it was going to take a while to clean up. Dean was really most concerned with the fixture, but Todd was pretty good with everything and screwing it back in wouldn't be a problem for him.
Dean's other big concern was Anthony who had really been through more than enough in his life. He had a pretty deep slice on his bicep and his shirt was so far beyond ruined, but he was actually okay though obviously a little shaken. Jeremy had helped him out a little but he needed to reserve his strength so they let Justin take over after a minute or so. He wasn't as strong, but he could stop the bleeding, start the healing, and leave the scars for Jeremy and Aaron once they were better.
Jason had moved the babies into the kid's room where they were all waiting for Dean. When Dean was dreaming it all felt so incredibly real. He didn't feel like he had ever become a father or someone's husband. He felt like an ordinary guy who had lost everything. That feeling was still sticking around even though he was awake and Dean hated himself for it. He didn't feel connected to Sam in any way, and he really felt like he should keep his distance. He didn't really feel connected to the kids immediately either, but then they noticed he had come to see them and their eyes all lit up at once. It was so easy for him to become a father again and that gave him hope that he could get back on track with Sam.
They were all perfect fine and absolutely real. Mikey was so excited about there being an earthquake on the East coast and he was already thinking about writing a paper for school. Ethan and Evan were a little concerned about the earthquake interrupting Sam cooking them pies, but Dean assured them that was something that was going to get done no matter what else was going on. Ollie didn't say anything about the earthquake, he just pulled up his shirt and gave Dean what was easily the best belly of his life. It was still early for the babies, so they were sleeping again, but Dean still gave them kisses and made sure they were extra warm in Evan's bed.
Michael was watching over them with Alex, Jensen, and Jason. They all knew it wasn't an earthquake and Dean wasn't about to get into it with them. He reminded everyone yet again that everything was fine and there'd be breakfast as soon as the kitchen was cleaned up. It seemed like Sam had only blown the lights in the kitchen and the bedroom, so they'd be fine in the rest of the house once the glass was swept up.
Dean really wanted to thank Jensen for thinking so fast on his feet, but that was going to have to wait. He had other things to do and Dean didn't want to keep Sam waiting. He came into the bedroom just when Dean was giving the kids extra kisses and talked to all of them again. He was so obviously distracted which just further convinced Dean that they'd need some real information on Joe because if Sam stayed strange the kids were going to notice.
Sam came with juice boxes and a little plate of cookies to hold the kids over until breakfast. They loved that and got right into it while Dean left the room with Sam to do some incredibly fucked up shit. That was how Dean had been thinking of it since Aaron first brought the Crone up because she sounded like one messed up bitch. Dean didn't really like associating with those kinds of unsavory characters but he sure as hell didn't think their family or their house could handle Sam getting cranky again.
Before the went outside Sam had a very strange and tense moment with John. They were just sort of staring at each other across the kitchen and though Sam apologized and John accepted it, it was just totally fake. Dean felt really awkward and he didn't know what side he was going to come down on. Sam shouldn't have lost his shit so easily, but then John should have known better than trying to get through to him. He was the last person Dean would have sent in there to deal with Sam, but for some reason he thought he should be the first. It was another thing to deal with later and another thing that could wait.
When they got outside Dean was alone with Sam and waiting for the wonder twins. It was really cold out and Dean was wondering if he should have grabbed a jacket since he had no idea how long they'd be out there. Sam looked extra cozy and actually pretty damn cute since he was in a baby boy blue sweater and a matching blue shirt. He had told Dean just last night about how he was really into matching his shirt to his sweater and dressing Milo the same and it was a very nice effect even without a red headed baby around.
"I like the sweater and the shirt."
"Thanks."
"I'm thinking I'll wear that turtleneck sweater you got me."
"You look cute in that." Sam smiled. "This shouldn't take long."
"Are you scared?"
"No. Are you?"
"No."
Dean was telling the truth because he was standing next to Sam who could so obviously handle anything he came up against. Dean didn't get scared until Aaron and Jeremy came out of their guest house with the box they kept the Colt in. They didn't technically need it, but Jeremy had still popped back home to get it which worried Dean a little. Dean made sure he loaded it and was holding it because Sam had his own weapons and so did Jeremy and Aaron. Dean was the weakest player, but he had a gun in his hand which made him feel a little more at ease.
"Here's the rules." Jeremy said. "You're going to see some fucked up shit. Shit you'll want to kill, take my advice and don't kill anyone or anything."
"Why?" Sam asked. "What about her?"
"Her you can kill." Aaron nodded. "But don't start a fight we won’t be able to get out of."
"What can we expect to see?"
"This is where the things you hunted came from, Dean. It's not pretty and it's scary as hell."
"We should take Gabe with us." Sam said. "Why didn't he come down earlier?"
"I assume he had other things to do." Jeremy said before pausing. "And he can't go where we're going."
"Why?"
"Because he's not a demon."
"Neither are…"
Dean decided it was best to not argue with Jeremy over what they all were or what they weren't. Whether he liked it or not they all had something in their veins that shouldn't have been there. It made Dean feel dirty but he took some comfort in knowing that he was the least polluted and the kids were even better off. Even Sam was better off than Aaron and Jeremy since they had a lot of leftovers.
"Now in order to get there, we'll need to concentrate. It may take an hour or more to…"
"Jeremy…" Aaron whispered. "We are there."
"I have dinner to cook." Sam said. "I don't have any time to waste."
"How'd you do that?"
"I just did it." Sam smiled. "So…this is terrifying."
Sam had picked the perfect word because Dean's whole life was flashing before he eyes. They were still in the back of the house, but everything had gone sort of dim and dark. The sun wasn't in the sky and all the grass and trees were dead and bare. Dean had been so insistent about tagging along, but he was thinking it might have been best to stay in the real world where it was nice and warm with cocoa and kisses.
"What the fuck is this…" Dean whispered. "Oh, God, what's that smell?"
"Rot." Aaron sighed. "I don't miss this place."
"You've been here before?" Sam asked. "When you were kids?"
"This is our vacation home." Jeremy said. "Remember what I said. Don't engage and be ready when you see her."
"How will I know?"
"You'll know, Sam, trust me. She's physically stronger and faster than you and you need to stay focused."
"When should I shoot?" Dean asked. "Is there like a sign I should be looking for."
"Mmhmm." Jeremy smiled. "If the three of us are dead you should shoot her."
"You should get a job where you like make people feel better, Jeremy."
"Can we focus?" Sam asked. "What else do we need to know?"
"She'll lie. She'll lie and tell the truth in the same breath, but you've got to know what she's doing. Don't let her entangle you."
"Sammy…do you know where you're going?"
"I feel her. She's coming."
Sam was moving towards the woods and he was doing it with incredible purpose like there was a big neon light out there that only he could see. Jeremy and Aaron were supposed to be the experts but they were hanging back and playing follow the leader. Dean really wanted them in front, but Sam was just too in charge of the situation. He wanted to be on the front line because he knew he was the strongest and he wanted to protect everyone.
While they were walking and staying quiet Dean made the mistake of really taking in his surroundings. The house itself and the outbuildings were all there and for the most part they looked the same, everything else had drastically changed though and seeing the grass so dead was killing Dean. He was watching it as he walked and he actually had to pause to get a closer look. There was something else down there just below the brown blades and Dean knew there shouldn't have been much of anything besides roots or maybe worms.
"What…Aaron, what's this down here?"
"Dean!"
Aaron grabbed Dean by his shoulder and yanked him backwards so hard it hurt. Normally Dean would have complained, called him a devil, and then cried to Sam, but that was in the real world. In wherever the fuck they were he thanked Aaron and then stuck a little closer. Whatever the hell had just popped out of the ground nearly took Dean's whole fucking head off and they really couldn't risk Sam going nuclear again especially in such a strange place.
"What the hell?" Dean asked. "What was that?"
"Don't go looking for anything." Aaron said. "Don't think about anything."
"How the fuck am I going to do that!"
"Dean." Jeremy said. "Use your in hell voice, please. Let's not draw attention to ourselves. There are things here that don't want us here and they're going to try their best to get to you."
"That doesn't answer any questions. What was that thing?"
"Whatever you thought was under the ground."
"Okay." Sam whispered. "So whatever's here can manifest itself as…anything?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I thought about worms, not some…I don't even know what the fuck that was."
The thing that came out of the ground wasn't a worm at all or anything close. It was black and slick with it's bones on the outside and razor sharp teeth snapping in the air. It made Dean realize after four years why Ethan and Evan were so terrified of worms. They were some scary bitches and Dean thanked God his babies would never have to see anything like what he just saw.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." Jeremy whispered. "Stay behind me."
"I have a gun, I think I can handle myself. I can…"
"You were saying?"
"We're gonna need a bigger boat." Sam said. "Much…much bigger."
Dean looked around Sam and swallowed hard because the little gun in his hand wasn't going to do a damn bit of good. Maybe if he talked to James about some sort of demon killing missile they'd be okay, but one bullet wasn't going to get the job done. Dean doubted even dozens of bulls all centered on her forehead would have done anything other than make her flinch.
Jeremy and Aaron had really only said how scary the Crone was while leaving off the important details like that she was mammoth and probably eight feet tall. She even made Sam and Aaron look small which was really saying something since they were great big barrel chested bitches. Dean's life flashed before his eyes again and he was really surprised at how much time he spent on his hair which was something he wanted to rectify if they made it out alive.
The being before them was quite obviously female, but she wasn't anything close to human, so Dean didn't want to call her a woman. She had large exposed breasts that were leaking from the nipples and covered in what appeared to be scales. It was incredibly disturbing and Dean didn't like the whole lady snake thing she had going on. She was all slick and slimy and still in a way a little beautiful. It was mostly in the face which was the most human feature she had to offer. Everything else was something else and Dean was seriously considering washing out his eyes with soap when they got home.
"My boys."
"It's nice to see you again." Jeremy said. "You look well."
"Is that Aaron?" The Crone asked. "You're a bad boy, aren't you?"
"I learned from the best."
"Charming…And Sam Winchester, the boy who would be king."
Dean didn't think it was possible to get more freaked out, but her voice was setting him on edge something terrible. It was like three people were speaking at once and all overlapping. She had the voice of an angel but it was coming out of the mouth of demon or at least something really fucking close. Even worse than the way she looked or the way she talked was that shadows were circling them and it seemed like running away was no longer an option.
"Here's how it's going to work." Sam said. "We need information and you're going to give it to us."
"And why, my dear sweet boy, would I do that?"
"Because that's the only way you're going to live to see another day."
"Aren't you a force to be reckoned with."
"I…"
"I don't take orders from anything as human as you."
In just a second the impossibly large figure managed to move and position herself right in front of Sam. She was leaning down so they were face to face and Sam didn't look the least bit concerned. She was huge, incredibly powerful, and scarier than straightened curls, but Sam had the advantage and everyone knew it. Even when she opened her mouth to reveal a gleaming set of pointed teeth Sam didn't so much as flinch or break eye contact. He had really pretty eyes, but hers were sunken and black as night.
"Then a favor." Sam said. "As a friend of the family."
"The family?" She laughed. "You killed their mother. Your father killed the rest of their family. Why shouldn't I get a little revenge?"
"Because you know you'd never get the chance before I killed you."
"Sam." Jeremy whispered. "Do not piss her off."
"I'm not scared of her."
"No." The Crone said before backing away. "You're really not. We could make a deal."
"Seems unlikely, but what are the terms?"
"I'll tell you everything you want to know if you do something for me."
"What is it?" Sam asked. "If this is some incident proposal bullshit, I just might puke my face off."
"Tempting, but all I want you to do is to take that gun and put a bullet in Jason's head."
"You want me to kill Jason?"
"With that gun."
"Fuck you." Dean said. "We're not doing that you fat snake bitch."
Dean barely had time to raise the gun before she was lunging for him. He knew he shouldn't have said anything but the idea of killing Jason really upset him. It was made worse by the fact that she didn't want him coming back. There was something very strange about Jason that Dean was almost certain Jeremy and Aaron knew because they exchanged a worried glance.
Though she had lunged she didn't make it even close to Dean. Sam stopped her and sent her flying backwards into a tree. That was sort of like swatting a charging rhino with a rolled up newspaper and she was preparing to strike again before she was even completely upright. Dean thought about shooting, but he didn't have the chance because before the gun was leveled she was screaming and missing both of her legs. Dean hadn't even seen them being ripped off but they were missing and thick black blood was pouring out into the ground.
The shadows all around them began snarling and though Dean didn't look he could hear them tearing at the flesh Sam had thrown their way. If anyone else would have had their legs ripped off so brutally they probably would have passed out and quickly bled to death, but the Crone stayed conscious and pushed herself up using her arms. Sam hadn't even left her with stumps, but she wasn't going to lie down and die in the dead grass.
"I can't have you hurting any of my brothers." Sam said. "It makes me a little irritable and I don't think you'd like that."
"Sammy, what did you do…"
"You need to tell us what you know or your arms can end up like your legs."
"You're so protective of the three of them." She smiled. "And yet you cared nothing for your other brothers, not worth shedding any tears over."
"I just have the three." Sam said. "Dad's a slut, but he's not that slutty."
"You had five." Aaron said. "That's what she's talking about."
"Excuse me?"
"The demons. They were a part of dad. Mine's dead, Jeremy's is in hell."
"Was."
"You're lying!" Jeremy screamed. "He's in hell and there's no way he's getting out!"
"It's okay, Jeremy, it's okay."
Jeremy looked like he was ready to fight, but Dean held him back. Even without legs the Crone was still too much of a threat for him. Sam could handle her just fine, but he had moved so far beyond just being supercharged. He had a glimpse of what life might be like without someone to love and Sam was going to do everything in his immense power to guarantee that didn't happen.
"He's in hell." Sam said. "There's no way for him to get out."
"There is if he never went there."
"He went there." Aaron said. "He's still there. We can feel him."
"You two didn't used to be so naïve." She smiled. "From your time he may be rotting, but there are legions in history waiting. There are others."
"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked. "Are you saying someone went back in time and plucked him out?"
"Maybe."
"I'd like a straight answer."
There was another piercing scream when Sam tore off her left arm. He didn't even move when he did it or show any kind of remorse. Dean knew they needed information and that it wasn't going to be pretty but Sam was really starting to scare him a little. He was just so blank and Dean would have liked to see him express something even if it was happiness or fear.
"If someone or something took him out of an earlier time, he wouldn't have been around for Dean to send to hell." Jeremy said. "You change the past, it changes the future. There's no way around that."
"And no one except the angels can go back." Aaron added. "So you're lying."
"You should trust the angels." She whispered. "They have no ulterior motives at all."
"What do you mean by that?" Sam asked. "Keep in mind that after I tear off your next arm I'm going to move on to your head."
"The angel's foreseen your death. You'll go after this man and you won't make it out alive."
"Have we met?" Sam laughed. "I think I can handle myself."
"Isn't that funny? I thought today would be the day I killed you and it's the day I die."
"Oh, sweetheart, this is how it was always going to be. I planned on killing you before I even saw you."
"Why'd you want him to kill Jason?" Dean asked. "Tell us."
"Dean." Jeremy said. "Don't ask that question."
"They don't know!" She laughed. "I can see why you want to protect your brothers and the angel, Sam. They trust you so much."
"This is your last chance." Sam said. "Tell us what we want to know, about Joe and Jason or…well, it's not going to be pretty."
"I'll see you in hell, Sam Winchester."
"Save me a seat, bitch."
"Sam!" Jeremy yelled. "Don’t…"
"And thanks."
Sam had obviously had enough and even Dean could tell the bitch wasn't going to give them any real information. She was bad through and through and needed to be dealt with just in case she ever decided a little payback was in order. If it was Dean with massive mojo he would have popped her head off and called it a day but Sam had always been just a tad bit more dramatic.
When Jeremy yelled for him to not do anything Sam took a step back and then finally leveled his hand. The Crone had to have known what was coming but she still had a smile on her face because if she died there were still hundreds if not thousands of things out in the shadows that were snarling, slithering, and screaming. Sam probably had plans for them as well, but he had to take care of big mama first.
She was on the ground still bleeding and smiling when her rib cage split open and her entire body was ripped in half right down the middle. Aaron promptly turned his head and vomited and Dean was tempted to do the same, but he held it back because he wanted to watch. Sam was looking down and Dean couldn't see his eyes and after that grotesque display he really needed to.
"Okay, so…" Sam said before he looked up. "That was a bust."
"Oh, thank God."
"What?"
"You uh…you didn't get blood on your sweater."
"His eyes aren't going to turn black, you spaz." Jeremy said. "You know better."
"You thought my eyes were going to turn?"
"Sammy, you are incredibly scary right now."
"I thought you were dead, Dean. I'm sorry."
"I'm fine."
"Yeah, which is why you didn't kiss me, and you pulled away when I tried to hug you."
"I don't think this is the time and it's certainly not the place." Aaron coughed. "They saw her die and they'll want blood."
"Fuck 'em." Sam said as he threw back his hand. "What happened to you in there? What did he do to you?"
"Holy shit." Jeremy whispered. "Did you just…"
"Yes."
Aaron turned and threw up once more for good measure, but Jeremy actually smiled a little. Sam had just killed everything but the four of them without breaking a sweat or talking his eyes off Dean. Aaron was sort of a lightweight when it came to blood and gore so him throwing up wasn't that big of a shock. Jeremy smiling wasn't either because they were in a bad place with bad things and a ton of bad memories that Sam had pretty much just paved over.
"You and dad were dead." Dean sighed. "And I thought…I still sort of think I molested you when you were a kid."
"You didn't."
"Dean." Jeremy said. "That's ridiculous, you know you'd never do that to anyone."
"It felt like I did…I still feel like I did. You know how real those dreams feel."
"You never hurt me, Dean." Sam said as he offered his hand. "You never will."
"Can we get the hell out of here?"
"A fantastic idea." Aaron said. "I need a shower."
"Come on." Sam smiled. "Let's get you back to the kids."
Dean smiled back and then took Sam's hand. It still felt a little strange and Dean knew it'd take some time to get over the dream but it could be done. When Sam went on his scary dream ride it took him a few weeks so Dean was looking at a solid month or so before he shook it off. No matter how long it took Dean was determined to get over it because Sam's hand felt so good wrapped in his.
One of Sam's little butterscotch glass turkeys lost it's head in the big shakedown. It was amazing none of the other china had been broken so Sam couldn't feel too bad about one headless turkey. It could still function as a soup tureen but Sam wasn't sure that jagged glass was the look he was going for on his Thanksgiving table. The damn turkeys meant so much to him that Sam wanted to mope and pout but instead he wrapped it up in tissue paper so he could have it fixed once they got back to Westport.
As much as Sam hated having so many people to cook for they certainly came in handy when it came to putting the house back together. The glass was all swept up and Todd had the light fixture back where it was supposed to be in under five minutes. They were down a few light bulbs, but James and Ann had gone looking for a drugstore or something else that would be open on Thanksgiving day. It was almost like they could pretend nothing had happened, but Sam was never going to be able to do that.
After he killed the Crone and her minions Sam needed to shower and change his clothes. He hadn't gotten dirty or been sprayed with any blood, but he didn't feel clean. Dean said he felt the same way and instead of sharing the shower he went into the hall bathroom to get cleaned up. If he had just gone without an explanation Sam really would have been better but Dean needed to make sure he knew why they weren't showering together.
Dean said he wasn't going to be ready for any kind of sexual intimacy for a while which Sam understood completely and he was fine with waiting. He knew firsthand how real the dreams felt so he wasn't going to push it, but the thing that bothered him was that Dean seemed to be having a hard time separating fantasy from reality. While they were talking there was a moment when he said that he'd never get over what he had done when Sam was a child. He caught himself quickly, but he still thought he had done something even if it was just for a second. The only thing he had done when Sam was a kid was be the best fucking father, brother, and best friend he could. Dean didn't have it in him to hurt anyone and Joe was going to pay for making him think he did.
Carol had kept an eye on things in the kitchen during the short time they were gone, but Sam had to get back in there and he wasn't the least bit surprised that he was alone. The kids all had their morning animal related chores to do so Sam knew that Evan would be joining him soon enough, but he missed his friends who had all been so eager to help out. He was feeling pretty shitty about scaring everyone but then Anthony who had reason to rest up was the first one back in a fresh shirt and a fat baby.
"So listen, if we're going to stay friends and I'm going to keep getting hurt we're gonna need some rules."
"Rules?"
"Every time I get hurt I earn a point." Anthony said. "We'll get a chart and you can get some gold stickers from Alex. I think when I accumulate five someone has to beat me off."
"Sounds fair."
"But! If I let those roll over until I have ten then I get to nail one of you."
"I'm sorry you got hurt." Sam sighed. "I didn't…I thought he was dead."
"I heard." Anthony said before he put Charlie in the playpen. "So, taking that into consideration I guess a little broken glass and a busted wall isn't so bad. You wanna talk about it?"
"You know how I don't poop?"
"I know how you pretend you don't poop and usually wait until you have to shower so no one knows what you're doing in the bathroom."
"Okay, the poop thing isn't going to work. You know how sometimes you have to piss really bad?"
"Yeah."
"And when you finally get to it feels incredible like everything in your whole body relaxes?"
"I'm familiar." Anthony nodded. "Are you trying to say that this morning was you taking a much needed psychic whiz?"
"I think so."
Sam felt like the whole world had ended when he thought Dean was dead but he was in control of his power. He had worked all summer to get it under control and he didn't want to think that he'd just lose it again whenever something bad happened. The last time he had really done anything was the day he got shot and maybe he went too long without letting out a little juice. The worst part of the whole thing was that he knew exactly what he was doing while he was doing it and he didn't want to stop because the world without Dean was too dark a place to live in.
"Do you feel better now?"
"I feel fine. I just…I wish I didn't have this."
"I wish I wasn't so handsome and charismatic. There's nothing I can do about that, it's who I am."
"But this isn't who I am." Sam laughed. "I hurt you and Aaron, I nearly killed dad. I just massacred some giant snake woman and weird shadow monsters."
"And now you're trimming Brussels sprouts. You think this morning defines who you are?"
"No, you're right."
"I usually am." Anthony said before he looked down at Charlie. "He's totally fatter than he was yesterday."
"I think so too." Sam laughed. "Totally."
"Hey, Chunky."
"Wahhhhhh."
"He's yours, isn't he?"
"Ours." Anthony smiled. "Maybe a little more of mine."
The older Charlie got the more he looked like Anthony. They'd probably never know for sure but Sam really thought he was his biological father which was really completely unimportant to everyone. Anthony had just put him down but as soon as Charlie's arms were in the air he picked him back up. He was wearing a little onesie with a turkey on it which looked like it was a size too small since he was dangerously close to busting out of it.
"You're okay?"
"With him being mine? Yeah, I think I'll manage. He's totally got Bruce's ass though."
"I meant your arm."
"Oh, Sam, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I consider any day where I don't get gutted a good one. There's a scar but Jeremy said he can fix it before I go back to work. I can deal with a little scar while he rests up."
"Okay, good."
"But if it happens again, I will sodomize you."
"I'll pencil you in."
When Jared came into the kitchen Anthony just had to explain that he was going to have sex with Sam as soon as he narrowly avoided death one more time. That made Jared remember that he had also been hurt in the kitchen and since he was prettier and richer than Anthony he didn't really feel like he had to accrue any points and demanded someone lick his nuts. Sam completely ignored him as did Anthony since he had a fat baby that needed to visit with his other daddy.
"Typical." Jared sighed. "Listen, I'm going to take a picture of us together for my blog."
"You have a blog?"
"Sorta." Jared said as he took out his camera. "I mentioned spending Thanksgiving with you on my website and my many, many, fans asked for pictures."
"You have a website?"
"I'm a highly paid film actor."
"Huh." Sam whispered. "What is it? ConsummateTop.com/notifigetdrunk?"
"P-licky.org."
"I see. Make it quick and don't get any of my kitchen in the shot."
"Why not?"
"Because my private life stays private…unless someone is paying me."
"So typical."
Jared was really mugging for the camera so right before the flash went off Sam gave him a kiss right on the cheek. If that didn't enflame the fangirl's panties nothing would and Sam was even considering getting a copy of it for his office since they were some good looking guys. Jensen came into the kitchen next and he wanted to get in on the picture taking as well though he had no desire to tease people like Jared was planning on doing.
"Now take out your cock and put it on Jen's forehead."
"Yeah! Do that!"
"I don't think so." Sam laughed. "Jensen, I wanted to thank you for helping out this morning. Aaron said you were very quick thinking."
"I remember my first earthquake, it was scary."
"I still don't understand how we had an earthquake in South Carolina."
"That's funny, Jared, re…"
"I told you that it's global warming." Jensen said interrupting Sam. "It's hot so those plates are shifting more. Remember when we met Al Gore?"
"Yes…" Jared whispered. "I do, but I thought…"
"What does thinking do to you?" Jensen asked. "Come on, you know this!"
"Gives me wrinkles."
"That's right, it does! Instead of thinking I want you to go see if Michael will beat you off."
"I was going to help by licking all the spoons clean!"
"No." Sam said. "You were going to stay out of the kitchen and not get bitchslapped into next week."
"Fine!"
It was common fact that Jared wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and that box was one of those weird generic packs, but there was no way he actually bought the earthquake excuse. He'd have to be dumb as shit because Sam was pretty sure Mikey, who was a child, didn't even really buy it. He was pretending for everyone else's sake but he knew that the East coast simply didn't have earthquakes.
"Um…is he serious?" Sam asked after he left. "You were joking, right?"
"No. It's better that he thinks it was a earthquake."
"Why?"
"Because." Jensen said before he shrugged. "We…we found a surrogate we really like and we're going to nail down some dates pretty soon. We need you guys to help us out and I don't want him to be…concerned."
"You mean afraid."
"I prefer my wording. I hope you understand that."
"Yeah, of course. That's good you guys found someone. Does Amy know her?"
"Yeah, she's nice, we're almost totally sure we're going to ask her."
"That's great Jensen. You'll love having kids, they're the best…"
"Whuuuuuh!"
Sam was very close to feeling like shit again because he was someone to be afraid of but Milo made that all better. He ran into the kitchen without a stitch of clothing on and John was chasing after him with a bright blue towel. Milo wanted no part of that and after trying to knock Jensen over he hid between Sam's legs which was coincidentally the same thing Dean did when he was a little scared. He was all cleaned up and ready to get dressed in his special brown sweater and shirt which was what Sam had changed into after he took off the blue.
Mary wandered into the kitchen next and promptly plopped on the floor. She had her own bath, but she actually let John dress her which Milo didn't feel was necessary. Mary was wearing a little brown velvet dress with some very cute tights and John had somehow managed to even get a bow in her hair. It wasn't much, but it was one little thing that would make a world of difference for Dean.
"Dahdah!"
"What did I tell you about cute naked butts in my kitchen?" Sam asked as he picked Milo up. "And penises!"
"Bwahbah!"
"He took off as soon as I took him out of the tub."
"You've got a cute butt!" Jensen smiled. "Very cute!"
"Whuh!"
"I think he knows." Sam said before he took the towel. "Thanks for giving them a bath, dad."
"No problem. I'll go see what the rest of them are up to."
"Wait…Jensen, can you give us a minute?"
"Absolutely. I think maybe I'll take Mary so everyone can see how cute she looks."
"Thank you."
Sam figured he had two choices. He could let things get worse with John or he could take a few minutes to make things better. Sam really wanted to make things right but he wasn't sure he could actually do that with just one quick conversation while he was holding a naked baby. Milo was probably going to help a lot though because he was suspiciously cute all wrapped up in his big fluffy towel.
"I'm sorry."
"You said that already."
"Not for knocking you through the wall." Sam said before he paused. "Well, for that too."
"What else are you apologizing for?"
"Giving you a hard time about inviting Carol and everyone. I know how important this family is to you and I'm sorry I overreacted."
"Yeah, well, thanks."
"I don't think you understand what just happened, dad. I don't apologize to people unless there's some kind of court order. I said I was sorry and I'd like you to take it in the spirit in which it was intended."
John was just so unmoved by the apology and Sam was being as sincere as he could possibly be. He wanted to say he was sorry because he really was. He had overreacted to the whole extra guests thing when he shouldn't have expected John to be perfect. He knew he wanted them there because he loved his family and Sam should have just put on his big boy panties and complained to Dean before they went to sleep.
"You think I give a shit about that?" John asked. "I try to help you and you knocked me through a hole in the wall. I was unconscious."
"I thought he was dead."
"And it's real comforting for me to know that if that ever happens I'll be completely useless. You didn't want anything to do with me."
"Dad…"
"You wonder why I have such a hard time believing you when you say I wasn't a shitty father."
Sam was so tired of the ride they were on yet again. A few weeks ago when John had yet another worst father in the history of the world pity part Sam had told Dean they really needed to start keeping track since it was such a regular thing. He thought for sure that John boo-hooing was like a woman getting her period and something that happened once a month and was completely unavoidable.
"All I can do is tell you that I'm sorry."
"Why wouldn't you let me help you?" John asked. "You probably would have let James in."
"James has been more open with me over the past year than you've been in the past thirty."
"Wow, you don't even care about making me feel any better. It's like you don't even listen to me when I'm talking."
"Pisses you off, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"So when I say I don't want people here you should probably listen to me. I was angry at you dad. I'd hope you could understand why you might not be the best person to calm me down."
"So…what if you weren't angry at me?" John asked. "I could have walked in there and you would have calmed down?"
"Of course."
Sam wasn't sure if that was true but it was what John needed to hear. Sometimes lies were better than just saying he didn't know for sure. The one thing Sam was certain of was that he wanted John to be able to make a difference. He probably would have been a great help a few hours ago, but Sam was still just a wee bit perturbed about all the extra guests. He sure as hell was over that because he wanted everyone around more than ever especially after going off.
"That's what I wanted to hear, Sammy."
"Good."
"I'm sorry I invited them, I knew you'd be pissed, but I wanted everyone here."
"It's okay. I'm sorta glad they're here."
"You've uh…" John shrugged. "Probably got some potatoes that need to be peeled."
"Ten pounds. Can you handle that?"
"I was a Marine."
"They're in the pantry. I'm going to go get this monkey dressed."
"Okay. We're okay, right?"
"Yeah, dad. We are."
Thanksgiving was a day for food and families and Sam wanted both to be perfect. John realized he had done wrong and he actually accepted Sam's apology so it was time to put it behind them and move on. Just to expedite the process some Sam gave him a kiss when he passed and then spent five minutes convincing Milo to do the same. He smooched John right on the lips and then promptly peed into his fluffy blue towel.
After an hour of intense study Dean decided that all the kids were absolutely real. He had also talked it over with Jeremy and decided that Sam and John had never died. That was pretty good progress but nothing Dean did could convince him that he hadn't hurt Sam when they were kids. It was a very strange feeling because he knew he would never do that but in the back of his mind he had something nagging at him and telling him he had.
That made Dean feel like he was a monster and he really wanted to be alone. The kid's all went inside to watch the parade and everyone else was sort of doing their own thing while Sam cooked. Dean decided to stay outside alone and just walk around for a while trying to clear his head. He knew the best thing he could have done was to go inside and force himself to spend time with Sam, but that seemed way too hard and something he didn't really deserve.
It was actually really nice outside and Dean was enjoying his walk. Everyone was so busy that no one even noticed him walking around by himself so Dean got to have the solitude he was craving. He thought about checking in with everyone to see if they had laundry that needed to be done or maybe glazing some pots but walking won out in the end. Dean really expected to run into Todd, but he had obviously listened to reason and was taking Thanksgiving day off. He had fed the animals, but the birdfeeders were going to have to wait which was just fine with Dean.
After walking around alone Dean made his way back to the house because he really had to pee. He briefly considered just pissing on a tree but he knew as soon as he took his dick out Jenny, Carol, or Ann would pass by and want to talk to him. There were also all kinds of wild non-demonic animals in the woods and Dean didn't want them sneaking out and munching on the peacocks.
When he got to the house Dean paused to look through the kitchen window. That made him feel like more of an outcast, but what he saw really did a lot to cheer him up. Sam was in the kitchen with only Evan and they were hard at work making sure that dinner was going to be absolutely perfect. Evan, like the rest of the kids really liked the parade so Dean knew he wasn't going to stay for long. He had probably actually been in there a while because it was only a minute or two before he kissed Sam on the cheek and ran off to the living room.
That left Sam completely alone and even after everything that had happened he still had a smile on his face. It wasn't as big or as bright as it could have been, but he had spent some time with Evan and that could cheer anyone up. Dean had attempted to do the same with Ollie but he knew if he really wanted to feel better he'd have to just bite the bullet and talk to Sam. He'd have to be completely honest about everything because that was the only way things were ever going to be okay again.
"Hey, you." Dean said as he walked in the back door. "Smells great in here."
"Hey, baby. Evan was just busting up some bread for me, will you finish it real quick?"
"Yeah, of course."
"You look so nice in your sweater. I love that color on you."
"Thanks."
"Feeling any better?"
"A little, maybe." Dean said. "You could maybe help me feel better."
"Anything, Dean." Sam said as he wiped off his hands. "Just tell me."
"When…when you turned twelve, what…what did we do?"
Dean knew exactly what they had done when Sam turned twelve but needed to hear it out loud. He needed Sam to back up his story because Dean had other thoughts running thought his head, awful thoughts. He saw Sam turning twelve and crying about doing things he didn't want to do. He saw Sam pinned down on a filthy motel mattress sobbing and bleeding.
"You stole money from dad." Sam smiled. "Forty dollars and we spent all of it at the arcade in town. You got sick from way too many cheap hotdogs and I walked to the drugstore to get you Pepto."
"That's it?"
"You never hurt me, Dean. I wouldn't be with you today if you had. You know that."
"Why am I like this then?"
"Like what?"
"Why do I come so much harder when you pretend like you don't want it?" Dean asked. "Why do I want you to do sick things to me that I know are wrong? Why do I want you to hurt me when we fuck?"
"Let's uh…the kids are in the next room." Sam whispered. "Let's not drop the f-bomb."
"Why'd he make me think I hurt you?"
"I…I guess he knew this would affect you the most just like Jeremy knew what would get to me. Come on, come with me."
"Oh, Sammy, I saw the dining room already. It's beautiful."
"Come on."
When Sam took Dean's hand it felt a little more normal and less awkward. Once they were in the dining room which was further away from the kids Sam wanted to know everything and Dean told him. It was incredibly difficult but Dean had to get it out so he could have some kind of proof that it didn't happen. He didn't know how Sam was going to prove it to him, but he always came up with something.
"Okay." Sam said before he sighed. "You think you spent our entire childhood from the time I was twelve until I left for school molesting me?"
"Sort of."
"I've been bigger and stronger than you since I was fourteen."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Don't you think I might have fought back?" Sam asked. "Kicked your ass?"
"Sammy, I'm not crazy, I know this didn't happen, but it feels like it did."
"We can work on that, I just need to be sure that you know it didn't happen. I wouldn't have let it and dad wasn't that absent."
"I know."
"We don't have to…we…"
"What?"
"We don't have to be together for a while." Sam said. "Does that make you feel a little better?"
"I don't want to leave, Sammy. I don't want you to leave."
"Sex, Dean." Sam said as he held Dean's hand tighter. "We don't have to have sex. You tell me when you're ready and it's a non-issue until then. I won't bring it up at all. That's what you want, right?"
"Yeah. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure…but I'll still needed kisses."
"Well, I can do that."
"Show me."
Dean hesitated at first before reminding himself he didn't get where he was by being shy. He still had a lot of fucked up shit running through his head, but he had to push all of that aside since no day could really get started without kisses. Sam looked very expectant so Dean just bit the bullet and kissed him as hard as he could. There was a slight carrot taste in Sam's mouth, but other than that it was just about the best kiss Dean had ever had.
It was going to be a while until Dean was ready to throw down again, but the kiss was so good that it was enough to tide them both over. When Dean finally let go Sam sighed rather happily and then slumped some like he was sort of drunk. That was the best sign of a job well done that Dean could think of and it actually made him feel pretty good as well. Obviously Joe had set out to completely fuck everything up, but he failed because things were just a little out of order and completely fixable.
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Sammy." Dean smiled. "One of the turkeys is missing."
"It broke, I'm going to have to get it fixed when we get back home."
"You can't fix it, like the wall?"
"No, I don't feel strong like that anymore. Not currently."
"I heard it was pretty wild."
"That's one way of putting it." Sam said as he walked back to the kitchen. "Now my perfect Thanksgiving ain't gonna happen because everyone's scared of me."
"Just Aaron and that's only because you threw him through the wall without making out with him afterwards."
"Did he say anything? Either of them?"
"He just said it was a little intense."
Aaron actually said terrifying, but Dean liked his wording better. Jeremy was absolutely fine and if anything he was impressed with Sam's incredible power. The only reason Aaron was so scared was because he was still on the sidelines of the whole mojo experience. He kept hearing all the stories about how strong Sam was and he never got to experience it first hand. He'd get over it eventually and he wasn't actually scared of Sam, he was just scared of how quickly he went off the deep end.
"I should cope better."
"We all should." Dean said. "And for what it's worth I actually think you showed some restraint."
"You do?"
"Well…they're still sort of working on the city and that was a year ago."
"Hey, you're right." Sam smiled. "That makes me feel a lot better."
"See, it's all good."
"Yeah."
"And you did something really good for Jeremy and Aaron today. That bitch was scary as hell, Sam and she was a big part of their old life. I think you did a good thing…in the grossest way possible."
"Yeah…that was pretty icky."
"I think that's why you'll never go bad, Sammy."
"Why?"
"Because what big bad actually says icky?" Dean smiled. "Baby."
Sam laughed a little and then chucked a tiny piece of carrot at Dean. He awkwardly caught it and then popped it in his mouth. They were going to be just fine in a week or so and Dean sort of liked the idea of not having sex. Whenever they went through dry spells the sex that followed was absolutely incredible and that was something to look forward to.
After a quick trip to the bathroom Dean stood on Evan's helper stool and resumed busting up bread for stuffing. Sam had already had a very full day and Dean was really impressed with how much he had gotten done. To be fair to Carol she had helped out a little bit while they were gone, but Sam's handiwork was all over the kitchen. Everything just smelled so good and Dean couldn't wait until they sat down to eat.
Dean worked with Sam for about a half hour and things kept getting more and more comfortable. Dean no longer felt like he didn't belong around Sam, it was just like it had always been with just a touch of new anxiety. That really wasn't anything to worry about because Sam had said they could wait a while and sex was what was causing Dean the most stress. Knowing he wasn't going to be expected to perform for a while really calmed him down. He was actually feeling pretty good about things until Gabe made a very tardy and unexpected appearance.
His main job, as far as Dean knew, was to make sure their family was kept safe. It seemed very suspicious that when they really needed help he was nowhere to be found. He was always very punctual when nothing serious was happening which sort of pissed Dean off. Gabe seemed like the only person strong enough to even get through to Sam and he was nowhere to be found even after James had yelled for him to get his ass down there.
"Happy Thanksgiving."
"You too." Sam said. "Where were you?"
"I had other matters to attend to."
"Such as?" Dean asked. "We could have used some help earlier, both of us."
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Dean. If it were up to me I would have been here helping you both."
"That doesn't really answer any questions."
Dean waited a few seconds but it was pretty damn obvious that Gabe had said all he had to say about his absence. It certainly seemed like Sam would have demanded an answer but if anything he looked completely fine with Gabe's lack of information. He was just kind of measuring and stirring and staring with the most peculiar look in his eye. The last time Dean had actually seen Sam looked all disoriented and goofy was seconds before he admitted he had a man crush on Jensen.
"Whoa, now." Dean said. "Sam, are you into him?"
"What?"
"You're totally into Gabe." Dean whispered. "Wow, at least I keep it in the family."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Why are you looking at him like that?"
"Because he's my friend." Sam said before he looked down into his bowl. "And I want to know if he really had a vision of me dying."
"Of course he didn't." Dean laughed. "That's something he would have told us as soon as…"
"Yes, I did."
Dean really wouldn't have cared if Sam said he was totally in love with Gabe because he was staying put regardless of what hot angels came into their lives. The only thing Dean was worried about was whether or not Gabe ever had plans of telling them about his vision. He got that it was sort of a private thing but Dean was old fashioned and he thought that if you foresaw someone's death you might want to tell them about it.
"Were you going to tell me?"
"Yes."
"When?" Dean asked. "After he died?"
"After Thanksgiving." Gabe sighed. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I planned on telling you both, but I knew how important today was."
"Is." Sam said. "It's still important and it's still going to be perfect."
"She asked us to kill Jason." Dean whispered. "You've got to know something about that."
"I…I can't…"
"Gabe, please. Please tell us because…you need to tell us because if he's what I think he is we have to warn him."
"What do you think he is, Sammy?"
Sam just barely shook his head before he quickly looked back at his bowl again. When he looked up his eyes were just about to spill over. Dean really had no idea what the hell was going on, but whatever it was had affected Gabe or more likely Ian as well. His eyes were full of tears too and with a heavy sigh he sat down at the counter and tried to compose himself. Dean didn't like anyone crying, but he had to comfort Sam first even if Gabe had probably never cried before in his life.
"Say it."
"Why do I have to if you already know?" Gabe asked. "You have to believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with me and if I could change it in anyway I would."
"Say it." Sam said again. "I need you to say it."
"He's a vessel."
"God damnit!"
"Sam…"
"I knew it from the first time he showed up. We even asked and you…"
"I said nothing." Gabe said. "It's none of your business and it was his choice to make."
"You mean it is his choice to make."
"He said yes weeks ago, hopefully we'll never need him."
"I am so completely lost." Dean said. "What's…Sammy?"
Sam was crying so hard he looked like he couldn't even breath. Gabe had the most apologetic expression on his face and Dean just wanted to smack it off. Dean had never heard anyone referred to as a vessel before, but he did recall Sam stopping Aaron from saying that word. If Jason was one that meant there was an angel upstairs waiting for a place to set up show and Sam obviously didn't want that to happen. He was crying so hard that Dean even had to hold him up to keep him from slumping.
Nearly destroying the house and getting his brain kill on hadn't ruined Thanksgiving for Sam, but Gabe just had. There was no way he was going to bounce back and pull a glistening turkey out of the oven. The entire day was ruined and the way Sam was acting Dean sort of thought everything might be ruined.
"We might not need him."
"How do I make it so you don't need him?"
"I don't know. Sam, if you go up against Joe you will die. I've seen it."
"No."
"I've seen the future."
"I make my own future." Sam said as he stood up straight. "And I die if I go in like I am."
"Like you are?" Gabe asked. "You couldn't possibly get stronger, Sam. There's no way you could…"
"That's a theory I'd like to test."
Dean was still beautiful and oblivious so he took a step back. Even if he knew what was going on he thought it was best to get the fuck out of the way because Sam and Gabe looked like they were gearing up for one hell of a showdown. Sam really did trust him and Gabe had come through for them before, but something had just changed. Sam looked like a man with a plan and Gabe looked like he was trying his best to run. Normally that was easy because he could just disappear but Sam was holding him in place and it was as effortless as breathing.
"I'm holding you." Sam said. "You can't leave."
"Apparently not."
"Gabe, we can do this one way or the other. I'm going to kill Joe, I'm not going to die, and you're going to help me."
"You have no idea what you're suggesting."
"Join the crew." Dean muttered. "Sammy, don't hurt him."
"I'm not hurting him." Sam smiled. "If you take Jason…Michael will never get over and I'm not going to sit idly by and let my son get hurt like that. I know you don't want this for him, Gabe. Michael's all he's got. You want my son to be like yours?"
"No…I'll help you."
"Don't try to back out of this."
"I won’t." Gabe said. "We'll find Joe and then…then I'll help you."
"Thanks."
When Sam released whatever hold he had on Gabe he slumped forward and almost looked like he was going to pass out. Sam on the other hand just took a deep breath and went right back to cooking. Dean was promised an explanation about everything as soon as they went to bed and he was really looking forward to it because he was completely lost. He sort of wanted to know right then and there but Sam had been through enough for one day and Dean was almost positive there were no more surprises in store for them and they could all just have a fantastic dinner with family, friends, devils, a vessel, and an angel. |
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