Bless the Broken Road

55. Lazarus Rising

"Who is this?" Bobby asked.

"Bobby, listen to me," Dean told him.

"This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya."

The dial tone sounded again. Dean hung up and turned. He saw an old, beat-up white car parked outside. His eyes lit up.

He got in, hot-wired the car, and pulled away from the gas station.

BOBBY'S HOUSE

There was a pounding on the door. Bobby opened it. On the doorstep was Dean, long-winded and apprehensive. He smiled cautiously. Bobby looked at him suspiciously. Lily walked up to see him and narrowed her eyes.

"Surprise," Dean greeted.

"I, I don't..." Bobby began.

"Yeah, me neither." Dean entered. "But here I am."

Behind their backs, Bobby and Lily took a silver knife. As Dean approached, Bobby and Lily lunged forward and slashed at him. Dean grabbed Bobby and Lily's arms twisted them around. Bobby and Lily broke the grip and backhanded him in the face.

"Bobby! Lily! It's me!" Dean cried.

"My ass!" Bobby and Lily retorted.

Dean shoved a chair between himself and Bobby and Lily. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife, Lily's mom, got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father. Your name is Lillian Karen Singer. You're dating my brother Zach, and one of Sam's and my best friends. Bobby. Lily. It's me."

Bobby and Lily lowered the knives and stepped forward slowly. They placed a hand on Dean's shoulders. Suddenly, they slashed again, but Dean quickly subdued and disarmed them.

"I'm not a shapeshifter!" Dean yelled.

"Then you're a Revenant!" Bobby retorted.

Dean shoved Bobby and Lily away, having taken the knives. He held them out in front of him.

"All right," Dean said. "If I was either, could I do this - with a silver knife?"

Dean rolled up his left sleeve, and, grimacing, sliced his arm above the elbow with one of the knives. A line of blood appeared on his arm.

Bobby and Lily were starting to believe. "Dean?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Dean replied.

Bobby broke and grabbed Dean for a hug and pulled Lily in. Dean returned the hug with enthusiasm, relief on his face. They pulled apart.

"It's... It's good to see you, boy," Bobby said.

"Yeah, you too," Dean answered.

Lily looked at Dean curiously. "But... how did you bust out?"

"I don't know. I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box..." Bobby splashed water on his face and Dean paused and spit. "I'm not a demon either, you know."

"Sorry," Bobby apologized. "Can't be too careful."

The three ventured further into the house. Dean wiped his face with a towel.

Zach walked up, a grocery bag in hand, and narrowed his eyes. He set the bag down and pulled out a knife, rushing his brother.

Lily rushed Zach and stopped him. "Dad and I went through this. It's really him."

The knife clattered to the floor and Zach pulled his brother into his arms.

"But... that don't make a lick of sense," Bobby said.