Please Don't Hunt Me Down, Brother (Sabriel/Destiel)

Chapter 5: The Kids Are Alright.

-- Dean --

The pounding headache from yet another hangover only allowed Dean a few hours of sleep last night. When it finally occurred to him that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, he hauled himself out of bed, trying not to knock over the empty beer bottles on his night stand and disturb his younger brother Sam who slept in the bed next to him. He exited the quiet bedroom, deciding that four hours' sleep was enough, and ventured down to the kitchen to find some coffee. It couldn't have been later than six o'clock in the morning.

He and his brother were staying at the house of their hunter friend Bobby Singer. Well, he was more like a father to them than just a friend- having looked after them many times as children while their real father was out hunting, and once their father died, he carried on taking care of them.

Dean stumbled on the last step downstairs, his body heavy with lack of sleep and exhaustion, and almost fell over, but righted himself just in time. The kitchen was dark and empty, with Bobby also still asleep. Dean fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on, squinting hard against the sudden bright light for a few moments. He walked over to the kitchen cupboards, looking for the coffee powder, and found a jar, with only enough for one cup left.

"Dammit." He muttered, and filled up the kettle, setting it to boil on the stove, while he fished out a mug from another cupboard and tipped in the remaining coffee powder.

With his steaming mug of coffee almost burning his hands through the ceramic, he flopped down onto a chair at the table, and opened his laptop, to check the news for any new cases.

A new headline glared out at him from one of the online news sites:

BIZARRE DEATHS IN SMALL OKLAHOMA SCHOOL LEAVE LOCAL OFFICIALS BEWILDERED.

He clicked on the article, and skimmed through it.

Students at a small elementary school in Oklahoma have been found drowned in the school basement...

...the children had scratch marks on their bodies, seemingly made by animal claws, but no animals have been spotted on the campus...

...there have been three bodies...

...coroners at the local hospital state the official cause of death for each victim was drowning, but they have no idea who- or what- did it...

"What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?" Bobby grumbled, walking into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey, Bobby. I couldn't sleep. And we're out of coffee. I should go out and buy some more. And we're out of pie, too."

"You and your pie, Dean. You idjits come and live in my home, use up my water, and now my coffee." Bobby grumbled good-naturedly at Dean.

"It's okay, Bobby, I'll go and buy some more. And I found us a new case. Kids in Oklahoma elementary school found drowned in the school basement, covered in claw marks."

"Werewolves?"

"Nope. Hearts were still there, as far as I know. They were drowned. I'm sure we've come across something like this before."

"I'll have a look into the lore while you go out and buy us some more damn coffee."

"Yes, sir."

"Shut up, idjit."

---

Out in Bobby's vast front yard, which doubled as Singer's Salvage Yard, Dean retrieved his black '67 Chevy Impala, one of his most prized possessions, nicknamed 'Baby' by him.