"You certainly took your time."
"My apologies. Do you want me to have a better crack at time travel?"
Stood inside the panic bunker Bobby and I constructed I gaze anxiously around the foreboding interior. Books, desks, and shelves stripped away. All of my ancestor's belongings back under my bedroom floorboards protected by warding. The entire bunker stripped to its bare bones. With too many risen tensions amongst the Angels and Demons I can't risk moving them. A haul like that can draw a lot of attention. Unwanted attention. Kicking the bed we've drilled into the middle of the pentagonal iron floor I follow the hollowed sound that dings around the empty room. Neither of the boys has to know I've asked this. It's a precaution I hope we don't have to use.
My boots thudding I slam the door shut with a bang. Making my way back upstairs into the cluttered home. Dean sent me away to get some space between Sam and I. Between the strain put on our friendship when Sam left and Ruby's consistent interference Dean thinks it's wise I take a step back and get some perspective. Despite fighting it Dean drove me all the way out here to South Dakota to not give me the choice. 'Anger makes you stupid. Stupid gets you killed.'
And that's a direct quote.
So when I bypass my phone and notice it flashing Sam's ID I arch my brows, suspiciously backtracking to answer "Hello?"
"It's me", Sam answers, and I purse my lips to bite back any snapping remarks. Course it's him. I have ID. Do I look like a Baby Boomer? "We're in Minnesota. Whatever business you have with Bobby... you're going to wanna put it on hold."
Letting Dean and I's lie slip past, I wonder "Why? We've got a pretty solid hunt going at the moment and we're close to-"
"We think we found a half-brother of ours."
"Sammy!"
"El's family and this is kinda a family thing-"
"He might not even be the real deal!"
Sam heavily sighing, he mentions completely ignoring Dean's ranting in the background "You hear the other reason I need you?"
"Yeah", I'm already quickening my pace further into the home "Give me five and I'll be on the road."
"I'll text you the address."
{}{}{}
The bell to the diner dinging at my presence it's not hard to spot the pair in the furthest back corner. They quickly spot me and from the anxious glint in their eye, I have half a mind to think they believed I was their expected arrival. Dropping my duffle with a thud, I sink into the seat beside Dean. "You certainly took your time."
"My apologies", I lean on the table with my elbows "Do you want me to have a better crack at time travel again?" Reaching for the glass of water across from me Dean's hand catches my wrist. Both our hands pausing around the glass, I flick my gaze uncertainly back to him beside me "You know the United States of America does have enough freshwater. Contrary to popular belief."
Curtly shaking his head, Dean doesn't let go of the glass "Not this kind."
Gaze floating back to the cup I catch on. Holy water. He's checking if this kids a Demon. As if by reflex I do a sweep of the cutlery and notice fancy indentation in the knife and fork at the same place sitting. "You think he's a Demon or Shifter", I quietly understand, glancing between the pair for confirmation.
Both our hands dropping from the glass, Dean leans squarely back beside me "Can't be too careful." When I only continue to watch him, Dean sharply returns the look. Daring me to argue. When I remain quiet, Dean mutters "Using Dad as baits the last damn mistake this evil son of a bitch is making."
Completely bypassing Dean, Sam asks me over the table "Did you manage to dig anything up on your way here?"
"Best I can tell Adam Milligan is real", I confess, trying my best to ignore Dean's fuming gaze burning a hole into the side of my head. Unphased, I explain "Born September 1990 to Kate Milligan. No father listed on the birth certificate and none ever listed on any of his records. Father never existed." Fidgeting with my fingers, I recall "Boy's as clean as an Eagle scout. He graduated high school with honors and currently attentions the University of Wisconsin- biology major, pre-med. Kid's smart." Smirking to myself, I joke "Which can't mean he's your brother."
"You think this is funny?"
"Not in the slightest", without missing a beat, I meet Dean's glare "But you look absolutely murderous."
Irritably Dean rolls his head back to gaze out the window. Watching and waiting. He's pissed. His father had another son with another woman who wasn't his Mom. Admittedly, I wouldn't even know anything close to the resentment Dean must be turning with. My parents are just.. well they're all dead. Everyone but Bobby and these two brothers. My attention reverting to Sam, I wonder "You find anything in John's journal?" Sam uneasily shifting, I disappointedly press "John had another kid- surely he wrote about it somewhere?"
"You really think our Dad of all people would journal about his illegitimate son when he barely took of photo of the two he had?" Admittedly I deflate into my chair a little more at that comment. Noticing, Sam explains "Two pages torn out right after the journal entry 'Heading to Minnesota' dated nine months before." My brow arches curiously when Sam points out knowingly "Coincidence?" Sam's right. It's strange. John doesn't tear pages out for nothing. He doesn't destroy the information unless he's protecting something. Or maybe in this situation it was someone.
As if noticing the affirmative moment, Dean scoffs absurdly "Oh don't tell me you're both buying this crap?"
"You can't tell us the evidence doesn't line up", Sam argues back stubbornly "John would disappear for weeks at a time and wasn't exactly a monk." Gesturing between our trio, I listen to Sam grasp "We all know how the story goes. Hunter rolls into town, saves the pretty girl, and sometimes this pretty girl... she's grateful."
"Great" Dean scowls "Now I'm thinking about Dad sex. Stop talking."
"Maybe one slipped past the goalie."
Frowning my way under my teasing grin, Dean growls uncomfortably "Dude!"
The door chiming my smug amused grin vanishes. On strolls the boy I immediately identify from records. And could certainly pick him as a Winchester from those doe eyes and jaw lines- because we can all be honest. It's those sharp bone structures. "Adam?"
Fluffy brown hair flouncing when his head swivels our way, Sam raises his hand from where he's twisted in his chair. Wandering down to us, Adam presumes "Sam?"
"Yeah", Sam voices introduces when his brother remains stubbornly quiet "This is Dean." From the corner of my eye, I notice him glancing over Adams's shoulder when Dean subtle adjusts his slouch. Searching for backup. But he's alone. Just him and his clutches backpack.
"Uh... hi", Adam awkwardly takes his seat beside Sam, warily looking at me perched across from Sam "I didn't realize there would be one more?"
Warmer then Dean, I give Adam a friendly wave across the table "Eleanor."
Nodding uneasily, Adam wonders awkwardly "So... how do you know my Dad?"
"We work together", Sam runs the usual story when we answer a call on John's cells.
Thinking back, Adam recalls for us "He was a mechanic right?"
"A car fell on him" Dean sharply inputs before Sam can get a less distressing excuse. Still, that doesn't stop me from looking at Dean with conspicuous wonder. Not a stroke, heart attack- a car fell on him. The waitress interrupts bringing over a glass of water and amazingly tensions seem to rise. Whilst I remain oblivious Dean all but launches for the glass before she can place it closer to Adam "Oh I'll take that." Noticing our wide eyes on him, Dean subtly excuses "I'm very thirsty."
As I sit wishing I could sink into the floor, the waitress presumes "The usual Adam?"
"Uh-yeah", Adam awkwardly agrees, politely thanking her before she strolls off with 'his usual'. As she does Adam reaches for the water. Although I wish I didn't I find myself watching Adam closely. I'm sure he's not... but nothing impossible. Yet as the water touches his lips the apprehension fades with the unflinching gulp Adam takes.
The first to notice our silent staring, Sam voices "So... when's the last time you saw John?"
"I... I don't even know. It's...a couple of years."
"If you don't mind me asking", I interject curiously, "Why did you decide to call him now?"
Looking lost, Adam shrugs meekly "I didn't know who else to call. He's the only family I got." Noticing the subtle tilt of my head, Adam confesses "My Mom's missing."
"Really?" Sam's attention piques, shifting in his seat "I'm sorry. For how long-"
"That's tragic really", as much as he tries to mask it I still hear the sharp defensive note laid under Dean's tone "But if your John's kid then how come we've never heard of you?"
"Cause John and I didn't really know each other until a few years ago really", Adam doesn't hesitate to answer Dean. From the clueless look about him, I'm not sure he even picked up on the edgy tone. Shifting in his seat, Adam explains "My Mom's a nurse and Dad came into the ER pretty turn up. Hunting accident or something." Rolling my bottom lip I nod and duck my gaze to collect the eye roll I wanted to give. Hunting accident. Sounds like the man. Yet it's as I duck my gaze that I see Dean inch his 9mm from his cargo jacket. The silver glistening when it catches the sun. "And I knew his name. John Winchester. That's about it. We're not exactly a nuclear family."
"Yeah", Sam hums understandingly, a sharp contrast to Dean "Well who is these days?"
The disdain unraveling under his calm façade, Dean questions "When did you exactly meet him?"
"When I was about twelve", Adam confessed to Dean obliviously "My Mom had one of his old numbers, and after I begged her... God twenty-four-seven she finally called him." My stomach turns to sicken when I listen to Adam excitedly ramble with joy "When John heard he had a son he raced into town. I mean he dropped everything. He drove all night."
Knowing how twisted that's making my gut I shift over in my seat to lean into Dean. Entwining my fingers with his free hand I'm wrapping the other around his arm. Part of me hoping this calms him and the other predicts if Dean tenses I have a living chance of slamming down the gun before the shot can hit Adam. Although to anyone else this easily would've looked like a display of affection. Between Dean and I... we both know it's more. Still, the silent warning doesn't stop Dean from placidly stating "Well that's heart-warming."
Adam, too naïve to sense anything else underlying it, gives a small smile. The waitress returning we all quieten as his plate of bacon and eggs reaches the table. Politely, Adam asks us "Do... do you mind?"
"Please", Dean thickly coats his sarcasm with a tight smile "Dig in."
Oblivious to Dean quietly uncapping the safety under the table my focus driving into the silverware. Watching Adam tug the serviette out from under the silverware without touch my worry does spike. Dean could be right. Adam ignorantly flicks out the towel and place it down on his lap. Manners aside, my grip lacks and I sink a little harder against Dean when Adam finally picks up the silverware. Not a flinch or a hiss. Human. "He would swing by once a year or so", Adam digs into his eggs, rambling to us "Call when he could but still... he taught me poker... and pool- bought me my first beer when I was fifteen." Dean shifting away from his gun I catch his jaw locking from the side of my eye. Listening to everything Adam got but Dean lucked out on. "Dad he had this beautiful sixty-seven Impala-"
Even my tight grasp around Dean's arm isn't enough to hold him back from slamming his hand on the dinner table with a bang "Oh this is crap." Jabbing his finger across the table as I wave off the concerned waitstaff, Dean growling "You're lying."
Looking generally unphased by the outburst, Adam leans back with furrowed brows "Uh... no I'm not."
"Yeah, you are."
"I'm sorry but who the hell are you to call me a liar?"
Quicker than Dean I try to de-escalate the growing disfunction by blurting out "They're John Winchester's sons." Finally achieving some semblance of silence, I softly nod to the brothers "Sam and Dean Winchester."
Baby blue eyes growing wider, Adam glances between the boys in awe "I have brothers?"
"No you don't have brothers", Dean shuts the notion of the further family down. Yanking his arm out of my hands I let it fall away. Chair shoved aside I let Dean go instead of calling after him like Sam. He's stubborn as all hell. It's going to take more than theory and word of mouth to make Dean believe they're related let alone the idea of John sneaking away to give him a life outside of hunting.
Adam watching Dean striding across the parking lot of the small-town diner, I mention amongst the awkward silence left in his wake "Don't take it personally." Adam's big blue eyes glancing across to me, I add "Learning about you is a learning curve for everyone."
"It's... a lot" Adam struggles to find the words. Quietly he pushes away his food, "Does that mean I have a sister too?"
Sam laughing blatantly, I smirk "No but I'm definitely pretty enough." The joke completely going over his head, I tell Adam "The three of us grew up together."
"They're dating", Sam juts his thumb out the window to Dean who's pacing the length of his car "If she wasn't here that would have been worse."
"That could have gone worse?"
Chuckling, I slide out of my booth "You have no idea Baby Blue." Leaving Adam in Sam's capable hands I ring the diner bell on my way out. Door slamming with a bang behind me. Trudging over to the Impala Dean catches my eye before flickering back to Sam inside the diner. The pair still talking. Seeing the anger fill his gaze I catch his chest and shove him subtly back before he can go barging inside and dragging Sam out by his coat "He's not in danger Dean."
"El-"
"Don't El me", I quickly step into Dean's path, my warning gaze setting him solidly in his place on the gravel road "We covered the bases. Silver and holy water. Not a Shifter or a Demon." Dean stepping backward from the diner he paces a moment back to his car. If this kid isn't lying then John's had a secret son that he's gone through every milestone with. Milestones Dean and Sam missed because he was on hunts. Or at least that is what we'd all be told when he'd disappear for days- weeks on end. Quietly, I watch Dean striding back and forth. The resentment and confusion splattered like paint across his features. He's human and possibly John Winchesters illegitimate child. I say possibly because despite the evidence there is a lot of circumstantial coincidence that I'm also not dismissive of. Maybe... maybe this kid is in on the hunting game and knows our deal. Knows what happened to John Winchester and is searching for kicks.
"Hey!", Glancing over my shoulder, I see Sam wandering over with Adam who looks almost like he wants to run "We're going to Adam's house."
When Dean doesn't seem to find the question I do, "Why exactly?"
"I can prove he's my Dad", looking past me to Dean, Adam tucks his hands into his pockets "I...I have photos." Arching my brow, I twirl on my feet to catch Dean's eye. He watches me long and hard but I only shrug back. Childhood photos... that shit is hard to deny. Grasping the driver's handle Dean yanks it opens hard with an aggressive huff.