Ellen stood looking down at the boys, a feeling of unease low in her belly. The boys were just so quiet. Quiet and wary and nearly motionless. Like little mice, caught out in the open.
Oh, yeah. That and the way Sam obeys John without John even having to look over at him. That John knows--or maybe this is all parents--his kids that well, he knows what they're gonna do before they do it. It makes for the shivers.
"Hey! Hey, wanna play?" Jo was off her chair and over by the boys in a flash, pigtails bouncing. The youngest boy faded a half-step behind his brother and the older one stood up a little straighter, head going down. Ellen would swear, to this day, that he bared his teeth.
"Dean," John said, clear warning in his tone, and Dean blinked and looked up at John – looked back at Jo, his eyes curiously blank.
"No, we don't wanna play," he said quietly. Tiny sneer in his voice and Ellen felt a little prickle of anger.
Yeesh, they were little bastards. But only because they were raised that way. This John Winchester was--arguably--a good man. Well, a man who fought evil. But not such a great father. He didn't teach them that it's people like Jo and Ellen that they're fighting to protect. Maybe he forgot it, himself. He surely must have.
"There a hotel around here?" he asked, and Ellen felt her heart sink.
"Nah, nothing close," Bill said. "We got some rooms out back, though. Couple little cabins that'll do ya 'til your car's fixed." Bill was a hunter, but he had a soft spot for kids – for people down on their luck. Ellen wouldn't nay-say him in front of the Winchesters but... Later, there would be words. Ellen would always wonder if Bill would still be alive if she'd turned the Winchesters out that day.
The way you tell it, I can see why Ellen had her reservations about adult Dean and Sam--God, but you know how to flesh out a backstory. Makes me wonder, though, why John allowed Bill to hunt with him, knowing full well, the man'd likely wind up dead. Why, of all the hunters who didn't have families to take care of. . . .
Or maybe that was why he chose Bill. Bill had something to lose. A life, a wife and child who'd always know her mother's love.
Okay--I've finished the story--it picked me up and wouldn't put me down, not even to c&p my favorite bits. But it's so damn heavy, I'm gonna have to finish up commenting tomorrow, cuz--whoa.
no subject
Oh, yeah. That and the way Sam obeys John without John even having to look over at him. That John knows--or maybe this is all parents--his kids that well, he knows what they're gonna do before they do it. It makes for the shivers.
"Hey! Hey, wanna play?" Jo was off her chair and over by the boys in a flash, pigtails bouncing. The youngest boy faded a half-step behind his brother and the older one stood up a little straighter, head going down. Ellen would swear, to this day, that he bared his teeth.
"Dean," John said, clear warning in his tone, and Dean blinked and looked up at John – looked back at Jo, his eyes curiously blank.
"No, we don't wanna play," he said quietly. Tiny sneer in his voice and Ellen felt a little prickle of anger.
Yeesh, they were little bastards. But only because they were raised that way. This John Winchester was--arguably--a good man. Well, a man who fought evil. But not such a great father. He didn't teach them that it's people like Jo and Ellen that they're fighting to protect. Maybe he forgot it, himself. He surely must have.
"There a hotel around here?" he asked, and Ellen felt her heart sink.
"Nah, nothing close," Bill said. "We got some rooms out back, though. Couple little cabins that'll do ya 'til your car's fixed." Bill was a hunter, but he had a soft spot for kids – for people down on their luck. Ellen wouldn't nay-say him in front of the Winchesters but... Later, there would be words. Ellen would always wonder if Bill would still be alive if she'd turned the Winchesters out that day.
The way you tell it, I can see why Ellen had her reservations about adult Dean and Sam--God, but you know how to flesh out a backstory. Makes me wonder, though, why John allowed Bill to hunt with him, knowing full well, the man'd likely wind up dead. Why, of all the hunters who didn't have families to take care of. . . .
Or maybe that was why he chose Bill. Bill had something to lose. A life, a wife and child who'd always know her mother's love.
Okay--I've finished the story--it picked me up and wouldn't put me down, not even to c&p my favorite bits. But it's so damn heavy, I'm gonna have to finish up commenting tomorrow, cuz--whoa.
You're my idol.
::worships::