World So Cold

09. Scarecrow

Sam and Dean were sleeping. Laurey was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal while holding her son. Dean's phone rang, but he didn't wake up.

"Dean," Sam called, but he didn't wake, so he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Sam, is that you?" John asked from a payphone in California.

Sam sat up in bed. "Dad? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay."

"Sammy, I'm all right. What about you, Dean and Laurey?"

Dean was slowly waking up. Jonathan began crying and Laurey rocked him.

"We're fine. Dad, where are you?"

Dean sat up in bed and Laurey grabbed her nursing cloth. She put it on, then began feeding her son.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that."

"What? Why not?"

"Is that Dad?" Dean asked.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You're just gonna have to trust me on this."

"You're after it, aren't you?" Sam questioned. "The thing that killed Mom."

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

"A demon? You know for sure?"

"A demon?" Dean repeated. "What's he saying?"

"I do. Listen, Sammy, I, uh... I also know what happened to your girlfriend and Laurey's husband. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that."

"You know where it is?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help."

"You can't. You can't be any part of it."

"Why not?"

"Give me the phone," Dean demanded.

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling. You, your brother and your friend, you gotta stop looking for me. All right, now, I need you to write down these names."

"Names?" Sam repeated. "What names, Dad -- talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe."

"No. All right? No way."

"Give me the phone," Dean said again.

"I have given you an order. Now, you stop following me and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names."

Dean took the phone from Sam. "Dad, it's me. Where are you?" ... "Yes, sir." ... "Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?"

Laurey gently pulled her son away and he protested. "I know, little one. But we have to go."

"We can wait, Laur."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a hindrance."

"You could never be a hindrance, Laur. Babies have to eat too. We'll leave when he's done."

Laurey looked down at her son who was starting to fall asleep. "I think it'd be best to leave now while he's falling asleep."

"Sure." He took Jonathan while Laurey pulled up her shirt and removed the nursing cloth.