Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What? It’s the middle of the night, damn it!” he grumbled, half asleep.

“Uncle Bobby?”

Bobby Singer almost groaned at the timid voice of the familiar child. Dean Winchester was calling him in the middle of the night… this could never be good. Using this tone was almost certainly to mean one thing: trouble. The always so confident little boy was just not for this worried little voice.

“Yes, child,” he said in a more reassuring voice than his usual gruff. The boy clearly sounded distressed; he didn’t need to scare him off, did he? He knew the boy wouldn’t call willy-nilly so late at night. “What happened? Are you and your brother all right?”

“Sammy is okay. He is… at the motel sleeping. I am… Sorry, Bobby. I was caught shoplifting.”

Bobby sighed and asked,

“Where are you?”

“Omaha, Nebraska,” Dean whispered.

The old hunter had to groan to suppress a colorful swear he wanted to let out. It was past 10 PM. The boy should be in bed, not shoplifting. And where the hell was their father, for God’s sake! Omaha, fucking Omaha… it was almost a 4-hour drive away!

Okay, get a grip, Singer, he told himself. He couldn’t let the children suffer more than necessary. Their father, however… oh, the man would have some explanation to do as soon as he caught the dumbass.

“I can be there in 3 to 4 hours. I know it’s not the best situation, and I would bet you are afraid, but Jim is even further away, so there’s no better solution. What were you trying to lift? If you tell me some sweets, I will keep you and your brother with me and restrict dessert for a full month!”

Dean sniffled and said,

“Pasta and sauce.”

Now Bobby really let out a groan. Damn, John Winchester! Oh, now he had a serious desire to strangle the damn moron! Children shouldn’t need to shoplift for basic necessities!

“Now, now, it will be okay,” he said in a soft voice. “Please give the phone to the shopkeeper. I would like to speak with him, all right?”

“What about Sammy?” Dean asked in an almost frantic voice, and Bobby knew the boy was barely keeping it together. Hearing his voice, Bobby was barely keeping it together! Oh, how he wished to be there already to pull the little runt into a hug. But all he could do was reassure him via the phone.

“If you left him in the motel room as your father taught you how to prepare, he will be all right until the morning. I hope you told him you went shopping, so he wouldn’t be too concerned if he woke up and couldn’t find you. I wouldn’t call the motel right now to wake him; that would concern him more. Now, please give the phone to the shopkeeper.”

Dean nodded and replied,

“Yes, Sir.” The young boy turned to the shopkeeper, who stood with his arms crossed nearby. “He wants to speak with you.”

“Good,” the man said with narrowed eyes. “I want to talk to him, too.”

He took the phone and grunted.

“Rob Hall talking. You'd better have a darn good explanation why I have a half-starved grunt here.”

Bobby raised his eyebrow. Just how bad was the situation that the man called Dean ‘half-starved’? This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Oh, John, you will wish you had died in your bloody hunt, if I get my hands on you, you damn fool!

“Bobby Singer… the boy’s uncle. And don’t even let me start. I didn’t know about the situation until he called me just now, in the middle of the night. If I had known, the boy would be here with me, safe at my house. He and his little brother are good boys, but their father is a moron. He must be away on a business trip and has left the children unattended again. He is… a moron, but generally a good man. I will be there as soon as possible, and…”

Rob interrupted,

“I should just call the police and CPS. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call the authorities. Children shouldn’t be forced to steal to be able to eat. This is darn stupid! If my own little guy were forced to do this… no. I would sooner be dead than let this happen!”

Bobby agreed. He could hardly fault the shopkeeper, Rob. Honestly? The children would benefit from a stable family around them, but… it would break their hearts to get into the system. It would break John Fucking Winchester as well, not like he didn’t deserve that. But the children were still so innocent and young. They didn’t need that pain.

“You are right. Their father is still mourning the loss of their mother. It is really a sad story,” Bobby started to say, but the shopkeeper was not in the mood to listen to excuses.

“I don’t care about any sob stories. These children deserve better. Be here as soon as possible, and we will have a discussion. 24th Street, Omaha. If you are not here in 4 hours, I am calling the police. I am closing in two hours, and I am not willing to stay much longer. I have a family as well. It wouldn’t be fair for them. My little boy wouldn’t appreciate me being completely useless in the morning for arriving hours later than usual. Be here.”

Bobby made a face. He made his promise to be there, hoping that the man wouldn’t call the police on him. If he did, he would have some explaining to do for John Winchester. Oh, how he despised that bastard of a hunter!

Dean looked up at the shopkeeper with wide, scared eyes. He was close to breaking down and crying, even if he told himself that he was ten, not a baby, and he should pull himself together. This was a damn scary situation, and his daddy was missing, and he was in trouble, and…

“Don’t cry,” the shopkeeper said, and in a kinder tone, he added. “Come, you can have a sandwich and some rest in the back room. I might be a bastard, but I’m not eating children.”

“My brother…” Dean started to protest, but the man shook his head.

“He is safe, right? At least that’s what I understood from your conversation. I will let you go home with your uncle as soon as he arrives.” He pushed a sandwich and some juice into the hungry boy’s hands. “Here, eat, drink, rest. We will deal with everything later. I still have work to do.”

Dean almost whined when the man led him into a room with a small desk and a bed, but he obediently sat down. He was hungry. Sammy had the last bit of bread and milk in the morning, and he hadn’t eaten anything in the last two days. He barely had the energy to argue with his whiny brother, who complained about being hungry and missing Dad.

Dean jolted awake, heart racing. He blinked against the harsh overhead light, expecting to see the shopkeeper, but instead was met by Bobby's familiar silhouette.

“Uncle Bobby!” he yelled, and immediately jumped up from the desk to hug the old hunter, not realizing that he pushed the blanket he had been covered with to the floor.

Bobby hugged the little man and looked up at the shopkeeper.

“Thank you,” he said to the man. “I know it looks bad. We already discussed it, and I will take care of the little boys.”

“And have a few words with their asshole of a father, as you promised. I will keep my end of the bargain; you paid for everything, but it better be the last time I catch this boy shoplifting.”

“I promise,” Dean whispered.

“Good boy,” the shopkeeper said. “Keep on the clean and narrow, okay? I don’t like calling the police on children, but I must stop theft if I want to keep my business.”

The boy nodded, still hugging Bobby. He didn’t say a word while the two men had some parting words, and they finally sat in Bobby's truck, which rumbled down the dimly lit streets of Omaha. Dean sat in the passenger seat, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his worn sweatshirt.

“I’m sorry,” he said after some long, tension-filled minutes. “I let things get out of my hands.” The little boy couldn’t help feeling like a failure for not being able to handle everything alone. His dad expected him to do it. He should have been more careful with the money… or something.

Bobby looked at the boy before turning back his attention to the road.

“Dean,” Bobby said, his voice low, but firm. “You need to tell me everything. I need to know what’s going on. How long has your dad been gone?”

Dean bit his lip, glancing out the window at the passing streetlights, his heart racing with the weight of the truth.

“A month,” he admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Bobby nodded, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as reality sank in.

“A month, huh?” The poor boys must be worried sick and completely devastated! Oh, how he wanted to brain that bloody idiot! “And you’ve been looking after Sammy this whole time?”

Dean nodded again, his throat tightening.

“I tried… but the money ran out. I thought I could make it work, but we barely ate for days. I didn’t know what else to do.” His voice cracked, and he looked down, ashamed. “I thought maybe… maybe I could get some food. But… I just wasn’t good enough.”

Bobby’s heart twisted at the boy’s confession.

“Dean, you did what you thought you had to do. But your dad should never have left you in this situation.”

“Dad said he was just a few towns away. He wanted us to stay here in the motel, because it was safer,” Dean continued, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “He said he’d be back in a few days, but he wasn’t. He was just gone… days and days. I didn’t think it was an emergency yet.”

Bobby felt anger bubble up within him, furious with the reckless decisions John made. He didn’t want to yell at the child, but he couldn’t stop himself from raising his voice.

“What do you mean you didn’t think it was an emergency? Your father left you two alone for a month! A MONTH!”

Dean rushed to explain.

“The last time I called you after he didn’t come back in time, Dad was mad because he said it wasn’t a real emergency. He told me not to call again unless it was life or death. I didn’t want him to get mad again.”

Bobby gripped the wheel harder, his knuckles turning white.

“Let me get this straight. John told you not to call for help and just left you two kids alone?” He shook his head in disbelief and rage. “This is beyond reckless. It’s criminally negligent, and I swear, when I get my hands on that man…”

Dean's eyes filled with fear as he looked up at the furious hunter.

“Please don’t hurt my dad,” he pleaded in a small voice.

Bobby softened slightly and pushed back his fury at John. He would have time for that when he found the moron. The children didn’t need to know about the ass-kicking he would hand out to the younger hunter. The man would regret this stupidity. Telling his children not to call for help? Really? All the idiotic things he could do… oh, he would suffer for sure.

“I won’t hurt him, Dean,” he said in the end. “But you and Sam deserve better than this. You shouldn’t have to fend for yourselves when your father is supposed to be taking care of you. And he should have never told you not to call for help. That was beyond stupid. I will just… have a discussion with him.”

Dean still looked at him suspiciously, but let it go, as the truck pulled up in front of the motel. Bobby turned off the engine and faced Dean, his expression serious.

“Listen, we’re going to go back to the room and make sure your brother is okay. He’s probably still asleep, and you need to get some rest, too.”

Dean hesitated.

“But what if—”

“No ‘buts’. You’re exhausted, and you need to sleep. I’ll handle your father. You’re just a kid. You did what you could, and now it’s time for the adults to take care of things.” Reluctantly, Dean nodded. As they got out of the truck, Bobby put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You did the right thing calling me. You’re not alone anymore.”

They walked together toward the motel room. Dean immediately checked on Sam, who was curled up in bed, still deep asleep. The sight eased some of the tension in Dean’s chest. At least, Sam was safe, and tomorrow they could both eat enough.

“Get some sleep, Dean,” Bobby urged gently. “I’ll let you know as soon as I get in touch with your dad. You need to rest. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Dean nodded, realizing he could finally let down his guard, at least for a little while. He climbed into bed, next to his brother, pulling the covers up around him, and he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Bobby paced for a while like a caged tiger, annoyed with his capture, before finding a chair to sit in, keeping watch over the two boys. He couldn’t shake off his anger, but he knew that for now, his priority was to ensure Dean and Sam were safe. When he was sure both children were fast asleep, he pulled out his large, bulky mobile phone, still glad that he decided to buy the stupid thing.

He dialed John’s number, hoping against hope that the man would answer. After a few rings, the call went to voicemail, which only fueled Bobby’s frustration.

“John, this is Bobby. Call me back. Now,” he growled into the phone before hanging up.

Every passing second fueled his anger. He was furious at John for not just leaving Dean and Sam like this. They were kids. They should be playing, going to school, living normal lives—not dealing with hunger and fear of losing their only parent alone.

He dialed Jim. He knew the man would just love to be called before the sun rises to handle a Jon Winchester fuck-up.

“Jim Murphy,” he heard the sleepy mumble.

“Jim? You wouldn’t believe the stupidity of John Winchester. I hope you are sitting,” Bobby said in his usual gruff tone.

Jim groaned and replied in a more alert voice.

“No, damn it, I am still lying in bed. Out with it. What did that moron do this time?”

Chapter Text

Bobby was expecting it. He really did. It still broke his heart when it finally happened. Being secure with a trusted adult present made it possible for Dean to let it go. He found the little man crying his eyes out, completely devastated in his worry for his less-than-stellar father.

Three days. It took three days of collective research and work for Bobby and Jim to find a lead to John Winchester. Bobby tried to keep the children calm, but it was not easy. Sammy seemed to be calmer as he had an adult there with them, and enough food to fill his tummy, but Dean was different. In the first three days, he was still stoic and collected. Happy to have enough food to not starve and a trusted adult to deal with Sammy's tantrums. But when the little boy went to bed on the fourth day, Dean finally broke down.

Bobby paused at the door, his heart sinking as he heard the soft, muffled sobs coming from the room. He stepped inside cautiously, not wanting to startle this brave little boy, who had been holding everything together for so long. The little man was unraveling.

“Dean?” Bobby approached slowly, crouching down beside him. “Hey, buddy, what’s wrong?”

Dean glanced up, his eyes red and watery. He immediately felt embarrassed that the old hunter found him crying. He was not a baby! He didn’t need consoling! He needed Bobby to find his dad!

“You… you gave up on Dad, didn’t you?” His voice was a mixture of accusation and fear. “You think he’s never coming back!”

Bobby shook his head with a sad sigh. He knew they should have told the boy more about their research. Damn, trying to keep the children in the dark was obviously the wrong action here.

“No, Dean, that’s not true. Jim is out there right now—he’s searching the nearby towns, and I’m investigating too. We have a lead. We didn’t tell you, but we have an idea now where your daddy went missing. We didn’t want to leave you and Sammy alone, but we are still searching.”

Dean shook his head vehemently.

“Then you should go out too! You should be out looking for him! I can take care of Sammy, I’ve been doing it for a month! I don’t need babysitters!”

The fire in the boy’s voice caught Bobby off guard, with the tears still in his eyes. Uh, children’s emotions were like the constantly changing weather. One moment they are crying, then they are angry or happy… couldn’t they pick one emotion and cling to it? It would make the job of an adult so much easier! He understood the weight of responsibility that was pressing down on Dean, but he also knew that the kid shouldn’t have to bear that burden alone.

“Dean, just because your dad thinks a ten-year-old can be left alone for who knows how long to take care of his little brother doesn’t make it right,” Bobby replied gently, yet firmly. He didn’t add that he personally thought that their father was a delusional asshole for leaving his children like he did. He would pick up that discussion with John Winchester as soon as they were alone. “You’re still a kid. Even if you can do everything alone, you shouldn’t have to. That’s why there are trusted adults around you. You should be able to rely on us.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Dean snapped, glaring at Bobby, his small frame tense with anger and worry. “You shouldn’t be sitting here like a damn mother hen! We are not babies! You should be out finding him!”

Bobby took a breath, trying to keep his patience in check. He realized the stress of the situation was finally breaking Dean, but still, it was no excuse to be rude.

“Dean,” he began, his voice steady but softer than before, “I promise, I’m going to be out there searching more. But I’m also going to come back every day in the afternoon because you and Sammy are more important. We will find your dad, but I need to keep you two safe. That’s the first priority.”

Dean crossed his arms defiantly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“I don’t care about your fucking priorities! You should fucking go and search! You think you can just sit around while we wait for Dad? That’s dumb! You are dumb! I don’t need you!”

Bobby blinked, taken aback by Dean’s hostility and the f-bombs.

“Dean," he said slowly, "I get that you're scared. But being rude isn’t going to help. You need to learn that it’s okay to rely on others. Damn, your daddy should learn this lesson as well, but he is too stubborn to do so.

You’re a good kid, but you don’t need to be a hero all the time.”

Dean stared at him, anger mixed with confusion in his eyes.

“You don’t get it,” he muttered. “I’m fine. I can do it.”

“Maybe you can,” Bobby conceded. “But you don’t have to. And right now, I’m telling you what you need to do. You’re going to stand in the corner for being rude.”

Dean’s jaw dropped, indignation flooding his features.

“What? That's not fair!”

Bobby sighed, maintaining a calm demeanor.

“Life isn’t fair, kid. Next time, think about the corner before going all out with your swearing.”

With a huff, Dean reluctantly pushed himself up and shuffled toward the corner, throwing a glare at Bobby over his shoulder.

“This is stupid. Dad wouldn’t send me to the corner,” he muttered, but didn’t add that he would send him running until he was sweating buckets and then order him to do push-ups until he couldn’t do any more. So, yeah… he went to the corner without too much argument.

Bobby was not completely surprised by the quick compliance; he just shook his head, looking at his wristwatch. He didn’t want to make the boy stand there too long.

There was a long silence in the room. Bobby watched sadly as Dean rubbed his eyes in the corner. The boy was still thinking that standing there was ridiculous, but he was not willing to voice it once more.

After a few moments, Dean finally murmured,

“I just want Dad back.”

“I know, kid,” Bobby continued softly, stepping a little closer. “We’re doing everything we can to find him. Just hang in there a bit longer, alright? We’re a team.”

Dean turned slightly, still in the corner but peeking out over his shoulder. His expression was a mix of annoyance and reluctance.

“Promise?” he asked quietly.

“I promise, kid. We will find him,” Bobby replied. “We have a lead. But you have to promise me something too. You need to let me take care of you and Sammy. You can’t do everything alone. Trust me on this.”

Dean hesitated, but after a moment, he nodded.

“Okay, I… I trust you.”

Bobby smiled and gruffed,

“Then come out of the corner and back under your cover. It’s time to sleep, and I will go back to my research.”

Dean immediately jumped back into the bed, hoping that the old hunter and Jim would find their dad soon.

***

John Winchester was a great hunter. He was dedicated, stubborn, and bull-headed enough to get out of most situations in one piece. The problem, however, was that John Winchester was not a team player, even with years of experience telling him that some things needed a team to deal with. A fairy and a wood nymph working together to capture strong and desirable men was definitely a situation where a hunter needed backup, or better yet, a team. John Winchester, however, was damn stubborn and didn’t think that a simple case of missing men every couple of months was worth a team of hunters. He quickly realized it was a fairy, as the men were not harmed, and were found several months later without memories on the other side of the county. What he had never realized while investigating the case, that the fairy was not working alone.

Enjoying the bliss of the two beautiful creatures' playful ministrations, he completely forgot about everything. Who would care about hunting when two women were making him feel good? He had a nagging feeling in his mind that he should do something, he should be somewhere else, but he just let it go and enjoyed himself. He had a vague recon that the time was rushing by, but he was too far gone in the world of pleasure to care.

It was a complete surprise for him when one day he heard loud voices.

“What do you mean he has children?” one of the eternal beauties yelled to a man. A vaguely familiar man.

He blinked. What was a man doing here? And why is he so familiar?! The women told him they were alone in the magical tent of this forest, and nobody would bother them while they had fun together.

A gruff voice woke him even more from his bliss.

“He is a bloody moron hunting with two children in the next town. The boys are worried sick. This idjit told them that he would be back in a few days. Since then, a month passed.”

John shook his head in confusion. Children? What children? He had children? Suddenly, his mind started to catch up, and he groaned. Dean! Sammy!

The two women looked at each other and walked to John Winchester with clear determination and cold fury. The younger hunter was still not completely back to reality, but he understood that he was in trouble with the beautiful ladies, and his lizard brain awakened.

“Ladies…” he started, but before he could try to talk himself out of trouble, he was rudely interrupted by the fairy who had literal fire in her usually blue eyes.

“You despicable, disgusting, delirious idiot!” she yelled centimeters from his face, instantly waking the young hunter.

John took a step back and tried to reach for any weapons available, but there was nothing close enough. He looked at the annoyed-looking Bobby standing next to the entrance of the tent with crossed arms and clear disdain written all over his face.

Before John could find words to excuse his actions, he was surprised by a sudden sting in his thighs and back. He tried to step away, but found his legs restrained by strong tree roots. Apparently, the wood nymph was not the type to use words to express his displeasure. The suddenly appearing tree, literally switching John wherever its long branches could reach him, was enough for her.

“Oww,” the young hunter complained, but couldn’t really do much. He was not really hurting badly; the tree was not hitting him hard enough, but it was stinging and annoying and just… ouch.

“Ladies, ladies,” Bobby said in a placating tone, not really caring about John’s discomfort, but still wanting to take the idjit home in one piece. Okay… in mostly one piece. “I understand, and believe me, I am ready to deal with his stupidity.”

“Children are precious,” the nymph replied. “This… thing left them!”

The older hunter nodded.

“And I will kick his arse for this. But I would appreciate doing so when he is still in good enough shape to do so.”

The fairy snorted and muttered,

“Idiots like this should be turned into asses. Believe me, they would learn much more…”

The nymph chuckled at her friend’s annoyed tone and whispered,

“We tried that, but it was not working so well, all things considered.”

John started to sweat and wanted to plead with the nymph to just stop the tree. Now the stinging swats started to burn unpleasantly, but the two women were seemingly too absorbed in their memories to notice his increasing struggle against the roots keeping him in place.

The nymph finally got annoyed with the louder hisses and groans from John, and with a wave of her hand and a glare at John, she stopped the tree.

The young hunter tried to rub his smarting skin, but it was of no use. He had a feeling, he would feel it for a few hours. Damn, he hated switches.

Finally, the fairy just shrugged and asked Bobby,

“Anyway, why the hell were you hunting us? We are not hurting anyone, just having some fun.”

The nymph added,

“We are also having fun with men who claim to be unattached and who are completely willing! It’s not our fault that they are mindless idiots thinking with their brains downstairs when they agree to join us in our… little sex tent.”

“Completely not our fault,” the fairy agreed.

Bobby raised his eyebrow.

“I understand that they are willing, but I don’t think they would be willing to lose their memories…”

The nymph snorted.

“They only forget the time spent with us. They will remember everything else in a couple of weeks. We are not monsters. We are not harming anyone.”

The fairy shrugged,

“Well, to be fair… some of the fairies are indeed monsters, if you remember Clo…”

The nymph groaned and shook his head.

“Clo was insane! You can’t argue that fact. Yes, she went completely mental and harmed a few people…”

“Slaughtered hundreds in her mindless rage and lit the whole town in fire, you mean.”

The other woman looked at her like she was stupid, but continued,

“Anyway, we are not monsters. Those men could have left anytime without harm.”

John let out a groan and shook his head before muttering,

“They wouldn’t be able to. I couldn’t leave. I completely forgot what I was doing and what I should do. It’s…”

The nymph let the tree hit the younger hunter again with great gusto before saying,

“Yes, yes, we know.” He completely ignored John’s loud protest and just nudged the tree to hit harder. The stupid idiot deserved it for making up excuses! She decided to be completely open with the hunters. Why ever not? The country was big enough to leave this place… and honestly, they already filtered out the best men around. They could afford a bit of diversity. “Our presence is intoxicating to men, and you can’t think of anything other than sex in our presence. But that’s only true when we use our seduction! When we pick up men, we don’t use magic other than our bodies. Blaming our magic for your own desires is disgusting! You wanted to come with us. If you had mentioned you have children, we would have sent you back to them!”

“After a quick fun in the motel room,” the fairy added with hunger in her eyes, checking over the naked hunter. John would have appreciated the look more if the tree had stopped hitting him. At his current state, he was not so happy with the clear desire in the fairy’s beautiful blue eyes. “You were yummy in your leather jacket. Just the way I like men.”

The nymph groaned and guided the tree to swat the fairy on her naked backside.

“Okay, okay!” the fairy yelled with hands raised in surrender. “Family is more important than my fun, okay? I was just… yeah, he is sexy! A bastard for leaving his children all alone, a really bad boy… oh, I would so love to turn his backside red for him…”

John groaned and took a step backwards in sheer embarrassment, surprised that the roots finally let him go. He looked at Bobby with clear begging in his eyes. He wanted to leave. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, hopefully with a modicum of his pride still intact. It was not helping that his body was still clearly enjoying the view of the two naked goddesses in front of him, and their fiery anger was not making them any less desirable.

Bobby just rubbed his temples in annoyance and exasperation. These girls were insane. Pretty, sure, but completely bonkers. And John was not any better. He looked around, not seeing any clothes around, and he grabbed a blanket and hurled it at the younger hunter with a glare.

“At least cover yourself, you idjit! Do I want to know, where are your clothes?” he asked in a gruff tone, disregarding the man’s deep blush.

John shook his head. He had no idea where his clothes were. Honestly, in the last couple of weeks, he… didn’t need any of them. He looked at the women pleadingly, and the fairy groaned.

“You dropped them outside, no idea if they are still there. I would guess not. Here,” he added with an annoyed huff, and with a wave of her hand, some clothes appeared on the young hunter.

John looked down at his clothes and groaned. The too-tight bright neon-orange T-shirt had ‘I can only think with my downside brain, do you want to shag?’ written on it in big bold green letters. It was not helping any, that it had two rabbits in an incriminating position on it. The T-shirt was accompanied by a bright red boxer with tiny dicks all over it. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying to fight back his embarrassment. It was not working.

Bobby almost laughed at seeing the attire the fairy selected. Jim would be so jealous that Bobby found the moron, and he missed this spectacle! Searching for clues for a full week was worth it. He immediately disregarded this thought. No. It was not worth it. Dean was frantic. The little boy deserved better. It was time to take his daddy home in mostly one piece.

“Time to go, ladies. I want to take this idjit home to his children. Thank you for your hospitality, but I would say we already took too much of your time.” As a second thought, he added. “Thank you for the entertainment as well, it’s not every day you see John Winchester this embarrassed. I can promise, he will be even more embarrassed before he sees his children.”

The fairy nodded seriously.

“Good,” she stated. “He deserves it. And you, John-John, you really should have told us about your boys. We wouldn’t have kept you. It was a good time, but it was wrong.”

John just nodded, still completely embarrassed, but didn’t have the willpower to complain. Finally, it sank in that he had been gone for more than a month, leaving his children alone, and he felt nauseous. Dean! Sammy! Oh, how much of an idiot he was! They were all alone! And Bobby said that more than a month had passed! Hell, he was the worst father around! The fairy was correct. He was despicable, disgusting, and many other not-too-nice things could be added to this list. Mary would have killed him for this. No… correction. She would castrate him, and he would have wanted to die instead of the endless torture he would have to face for the sheer stupidity of his actions. And it would have been completely deserved. The dance with the nymph’s tree was nothing. He deserved so much more…

He looked at Bobby. Seeing the fire in his eyes, he had a feeling, he was heading to a very long night.

Chapter Text

The walk to Bobby’s car was uncomfortable. The long walk would not have been nice with the switching so fresh on John’s skin. Every step rubbed the too-tight clothes against the painful welts, but the silence was almost as painful. Bobby didn’t say a word since they left the tent, which disappeared the moment they stepped out, and whenever John wanted to start a conversation, he just didn’t know what to say. Because saying he was sorry was stupid. Of course, he was sorry! But he fucked up so bad that a sorry was hardly cutting it, right? Giving a weak explanation would have been even worse.

When John couldn’t take the silence anymore, he cleared his throat and muttered,

“Bobby, I know I fucked up—”

Bobby snorted.

“Nice of you to realize,” the old man grumbled, but didn’t elaborate. He was annoyed with the younger man, so helping him with his feelings and getting him to talk about them was not his priority. Getting to his car and kicking the man’s ass was.

John felt this and made a face. Yeah, conversation was out. He just hoped they would get to the car soon, because he was starting to feel cold in the embarrassing clothes. Uh, he didn’t even want to think about the clothes!

“Bobby—”

“Shut up, Winchester. We will have a discussion soon enough, but you might not appreciate it. Keep your mouth shut until we arrive at the car.”

The younger hunter groaned and looked down, ashamed.

As they finally reached Bobby’s old truck, John felt a sudden dread settle in his stomach. The moment he reached for the passenger door, Bobby’s voice stopped him.

“Not so hasty, Winchester. Now it’s time to discuss your stupidity.”

John groaned, his shoulders slumping. Why couldn’t they have this discussion in the damn car? He literally felt his bits freezing! They could have had this talk while they were walking! Damn, Bobby! John had no idea what he was playing, but he was annoyed with him now. He sighed and started his explanation.

“Bobby, I honestly didn’t realize I was hunting a fairy and a nymph as well. I thought it was just a single fairy! When those two young ladies tried to pick me up, I figured… well, why not have a bit of fun? I honestly didn’t realize how completely fucked up the situation was until you showed up.”

Bobby raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in disappointment.

“The ladies were right, John. You were an absolute idjit. You need a harsh reality check.”

John’s heart dropped as he watched Bobby pull out his belt. His skin still smarted from the swats of the tree, and the last thing he wanted was more pain, especially before the ride to the motel a few towns away.

“Bobby, wait! I didn’t ask for a whipping!” he protested, stepping back, instinctively putting distance between himself and his friend.

Bobby snorted.

“Doesn’t matter if you asked for it or not. You should know by now that you don’t need an invitation if you have a precedent. You made it clear before that you think a little discipline is more than useful when it’s warranted. It is warranted now.”

John’s mouth opened to argue again, but he quickly shut it. Damn, the man was right. He insisted the last time that Bobby should whip him. He couldn’t fault him for using the same method to deal with him, could he? Still… he was already in pain, and he thought it was more than enough for his stupidity. Obviously, Bobby disagreed.

“Bobby, you can’t be serious…” he started, but was cut off by the older man’s stern expression.

“Bend over the hood, John,” Bobby ordered firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“No! This is ridiculous!” John blurted out in frustration. “I was already switched, my skin is burning!”

Even John found this argument weak. Yes, he was switched, but it was his own damn fault.

Bobby stepped forward with a dark scowl.

“I don’t want to hear any more of your protest, John. You need to understand one thing. Your actions put your children at risk, and I am not about to let you get away with them. This isn’t a game; they are your responsibility. If you won’t think about them when you are hunting, then maybe a little pain will remind you that they are more important than your damn ego.”

Staring into Bobby's determined face, John realized there was no escaping this. Grinding his teeth, he finally bent over the hood of the car, hoping that Bobby wouldn’t be too harsh.

“Good choice,” Bobby said, voice steady as he stepped behind John.

As the first crack of the belt struck across John’s barely clad backside, he gasped. Damn! His hopes were dashed. Bobby wasn’t playing around.

“Damn it, Bobby!” he exclaimed, gritting his teeth against the sting, but it was no use. He knew he would suffer greatly on the way home.

John’s reaction did not faze Bobby; he simply stated,

“One.” He planned to deliver a harsh lesson, even if the younger man cried and begged. The man was away from his children for 35 days due to a mistake that could have been avoided by working in a team. It was unacceptable.

The next strike landed, and John squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to breathe through the pain. He tried to focus on anything other than the pain, but his thoughts were even worse than the pain: his abandoned responsibilities because he had fun with the girls, Dean and Sam, the feeling that he was a failure as a father… he almost started sobbing just from these reflections. Soon, even these painful thoughts were not enough to distract him from the pain. He felt a sob escape before he could stop it.

Bobby let the belt do the talking for a while, still counting in his mind. He didn’t slow down until he heard genuine distress. John was openly crying by then.

“Twentyfive. We are not done yet. You don’t let yourself be distracted by beautiful women on a hunt. You most certainly do not do it when you are hunting a fairy or a nymph. It is a recipe for disaster.” Bobby delivered five more harsh licks to emphasise his words to John’s clear dismay.

“I’m sorry! I get it! Just stop, please!” John said, his body shaking, hating the fact that he was begging, but damn, the whipping after the switching he received was worse than any previous punishments he had ever endured!

The older hunter let out a low hum, but continued his lecture.

“You were lucky that the girls were not malicious. Extremely lucky. Honestly, an idjit with your luck is a menace to society. But there is something more important than a fucked up hunt. A lot of hunters have made the same mistake, believing they could charm their way through trouble. But in your case, you brought two kids into it. That’s a whole different level of responsibility. Remember, John. You're not just a hunter; you’re a father.” After five more with a belt, he added. “You’ve got to be better. Understand?”

John had tears streaming down his face.

“I understand… I promise,” he gasped between sobs.

“Good,” Bobby said, and patted the man’s back. “You were away from your children for 35 days due to your mistake. It is now dealt with.” John let out an involuntary sigh while sobbing. He was not expecting the next statement. “However, we have one more thing to discuss.”

“Bobby!” John sobbed dejectedly.

“I bet you are in pain, and want me to finish, but my next point is even more important than not fucking around on a hunt.”

The younger hunter wanted to protest the wording, but couldn’t. Bobby was right, after all. He swallowed hard and nodded, accepting the seemingly inevitable.

Bobby nodded in approval. John Winchester was a tough bastard, but perhaps this was enough to serve as a wake-up call even for him.

“My last point is that you are not leaving your children without support. Ever. Telling them not to call unless it was life or death was not just irresponsible but damn stupid. We are here for you and the children, damn it! We are not just for decoration! I would be happy to help, even if the boys just had a bad day at school, you moron! Life or death, my ass! Damn, ridiculous even from you. For God’s sake, man! You shouldn’t even leave the boys alone in a motel room for days. Doing it for weeks or months, you were out of your damn mind!”

John let out an out-of-character whine, but didn’t protest when Bobby rained down five more harsh licks with the belt. He deserved it. Damn, he really did! He buried his head in his arms and just sobbed.

Bobby sighed, stepping back, and fastened his belt. Honestly, he wanted to deliver ten more hits, but the younger hunter clearly had enough. He shook his head in exasperation. This man needed a clear set of rules.

“You will tell a new rule to your children,” Bobby said in a serious and demanding tone. “If you are not turning up or checking in with new instructions 24 hours after the date you promised, they are to call me or Jim. No exceptions, no arguments, no delay. Even if you turn up unharmed an hour after the call, I don’t care. It is for their safety. And no life or death nonsense. They are to call, period. Got it?”

John nodded into his arms. Bobby’s rule made sense. Dean was a great kid, but he needed support. John was an idjit. No. Idjit was too nice. He was a fucking idiot with big flashing letters. Mary would have killed him, resurrected him, and killed him again.

“We will be your backup, you moron, if you let us,” he muttered.

The younger hunter just nodded. He needed a backup. If anything happened to him, his children needed someone to trust. Damn, he was so dumb! He should have prepared a safety net for them. And what did he do instead? Ordered them to climb without safety! He was stupid. Ugh, Bobby should have just continued beating him more.

Bobby patted his back reassuringly when he saw that the younger man was not moving.

“Get yourself together,” he grumbled more kindly than usual. The younger hunter clearly fell to pieces. ”We’ve got a long drive ahead, and when we get there, you need to face your kids.”

Wiping his eyes, John pulled himself together. He wasn’t sure he could take the drive. Even standing up and breathing hurt. The thought of sitting was… unfathomable. Damn, he really needed to get himself together. He literally shook himself.

“I can handle it,” he muttered, more to reassure himself than Bobby.

Bobby grinned at the young hunter, motioning him to climb into the truck.

John almost whined as he started to move towards the door, but climbed into the passenger seat with a grimace and a low hiss. Fuck, it was painful. He closed his eyes for a few moments to regain his breath.

“Damn,” he muttered.

Bobby snorted and commented,

“You will live. Perhaps learn from this.”

John groaned and nodded. He definitely learned from this. Don’t create precedents by forcing people to whip you. They might decide to repeat the act. Ugh, and don’t be a moron. He also learned that. See? He was not a completely hopeless case. He almost snorted at this thought. His CO back in the army would have begged to differ before going after him with a belt again for his stupidity. He just hoped that Jim would be satisfied with lecturing him. He really didn't want to get one more whipping.

The drive felt long and treacherous, every bump in the road reminding John of the punishment he had just endured. Despite the constant pain, he started to feel an uncomfortable but familiar itching everywhere the clothes touched his skin.

“Ugh,” he groaned in discomfort. “Bobby?”

Bobby looked at him for a moment before focusing on the road again.

“What is it, John?” he asked. Honestly, he was not overly concerned. An uncomfortable ride wouldn’t kill the younger hunter.

“I think we should stop at a pharmacy,” John groaned, and his friend raised an eyebrow in surprise. “The damn nymph must have made these clothes from poison ivy or something.”

He raised the T-shirt from his stomach, and Bobby’s eyes widened, glancing at the red rash already forming on the younger hunter’s skin, faster than usual for poison ivy. He almost started to laugh out loud at this additional punishment from the annoyed lady. He could stop the instant reaction, but barely.

“Sure, John. We will stop to buy something to help you.”

John groaned.

“It is so not funny, Bobby!” he protested, seeing the older man’s mirth.

Bobby couldn’t suppress his chuckle at this point, and after a while, even John joined him with a sour laugh.

“Okay, fine, it might be a little funny. That damn nymph!”

“Well, you sated a different type of itch with them. We could call it poetic justice,” Bobby said, grinning.

John just moaned in distress, trying to avoid scratching the rash, promising himself to avoid fairies and nymphs for a long, long time.

Chapter Text

Dean Winchester needed a strong coffee. Not the shit served by the motel’s buffet, but a real coffee. He was lucky that the motel manager was nice enough to understand his plight and share the location of a good café.

He walked into the Green Forest Coffee Shop like a man dying of thirst. He sat at the very first table, barely conscious of his otherwise friendly and bright environment, and ordered an extra-strong pot of coffee from the pretty lady rushing to him. Luckily, the brew was so popular that it took only a few minutes for the server to arrive back with a pot of coffee and a menu.

Dean needed two cups of coffee to understand the lady’s question.

“Would you care for some breakfast, dear?”

The young hunter’s stomach decided to noisily agree with the idea of food. Dean grinned and replied, looking up at the surprisingly beautiful lady. Her name tag said ‘Belle’.

“Sure, what would you recommend, Belle? What a lovely name for a lovely lady. I’m Dean.”

The lady chuckled and replied,

“For you, pretty boy, I would recommend our pies: apple, cherry, and the all-time favorite pecan.”

Dean’s eyes widened in delight. Pie! Strong coffee, beautiful server, pie! His day was getting better and better! His worries were pushed to the back of his mind, and he felt genuine joy. He almost replied to bring some from all of the pies, but stopped himself.

“Apple, I would like some apple pie,” he said with a grin.

Belle chuckled merrily and nodded.

“All right, Dean. I will be right back with your pie.”

Dean had one more cup of coffee by the time the server returned with a big piece of pie. It looked heavenly with a flaky, buttery pie crust generously filled with apples alongside a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Dean almost moaned in delight at seeing the plate. He politely thanked the food and immediately tasted it, closing his eyes in obvious pleasure.

Belle had to comment on seeing the expression,

“I will need to let Ivy know that her pie has a new admirer.”

“God, it’s heavenly!” Dean moaned in complete agreement. “Please tell Ivy that Dean Winchester is in love. This is the best pie I have ever tasted.”

The lady’s eyes widened, making her look even younger and perhaps more beautiful.

“Wait, Winchester? Are you related to John Winchester?”

Dean blinked in surprise, but nodded.

“I am his son.”

Belle grinned and rushed back to the kitchen, yelling,

“Ivy, Ivy, you will not believe this!”

She came back, particularly dragging another beautiful girl with her, pointing at Dean.

The other lady took one look at Dean and cooed with delight.

“You are as handsome as your daddy!” she exclaimed.

Dean flashed a sad little grin at the ladies and asked,

“So you knew my father?”

The two women nodded in unison, and Ivy replied,

“We had a brief encounter with him.”

“Well, shorter than we usually loved for sure, but we both enjoyed it while it lasted,” Belle added. “How is he?”

Dean looked down dejectedly. His father’s death was still too fresh and painful. Learning that John Winchester died to save his life made him feel guilty and angry at himself.

“He is… no longer with us,” he replied.

Ivy and Belle exchanged glances before Ivy groaned in annoyance, surprising Dean, who looked up at her immediately.

“Please, tell me, he didn’t do anything stupid to get himself killed.”

“He shouldn’t have died,” Dean whispered guiltily. “He sacrificed himself to save me.”

Belle moaned softly.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Ivy said sincerely in a very reassuring and understanding tone. “Your father was an interesting man. While I’m sad that he is no longer alive, I am glad that he learned that his children are more important than anything.”

The other lady nodded.

“He was charming in his own way. He thought he could handle anything, but he learned our kind isn’t just about fun.”

Dean raised his eyebrow.

“Your kind?”

Belle blushed, and Ivy gave her an annoyed glance. Nice boy or not, Dean Winchester was a hunter like his father.

“I am a nymph, and she is a fairy with a big mouth. Honestly, Belle!”

“I am sorry!” the fairy muttered. "But he wouldn't hurt us, right? We aren't hurting anyone!"

Dean raised his eyebrow and suddenly recalled a very short entry from his father’s journal.

“Do not mess with fairies and nymphs. Seriously. DO NOT!” he muttered. Then his eyes widened, and he said. “Oh. Oh! No, he didn’t!”

Ivy chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“He did, but it was all fun. When we realized he had children, we sent him away with his friend.”

Belle laughed and added.

“Only after you punished him for being irresponsible with the little ones. Honestly, leaving children in a motel to have fun!”

Ivy blushed and mumbled,

“He spent a month with us. I was annoyed, and it was just a little switching for his idiocy. I could have done worse, but John was charming and handsome, and I didn’t want to really harm him. Children are precious.”

“You forgot the poison ivy,” Belle muttered.

Ivy shrugged and replied,

“The ridiculous clothes were your idea, so you are not completely innocent. Anyway, he was not harmed, but perhaps learned a valuable lesson.”

The fairy nodded, and Dean closed his eyes in denial.

“Okay, too much information. Really, ladies, I didn’t need to know this, at all,” he complained. He remembered his father’s heroic fight against the poison ivy rash when Dean was still a little boy. That was the time he decided that he would always be extra cautious with the damn plant if he was out in the wild. His father was in pain for days! Bobby and Jim tried to help him, but they found his father’s situation hilarious. Dean shuddered and shook his head. Now he understood why they found it funny. Dad, seriously? Playing with supernatural like this? Unbelievable!

Ivy chuckled.

“Oh, man are so cute!” she exclaimed. “Honestly, we are no longer doing the fun months with unattached men thing. It was fun while it lasted, but we realized that having a legitimate business offering valuable service got us more diverse men to have fun with.”

Belle nodded and added,

“You have no idea how many of our customers enjoy a quick trip upstairs for a few hours.”

Dean raised his hands in surrender.

“Please, I really don’t want to know more! Honestly, you both look like nice girls. Your Coffee Shop is brilliant, and your pie is heavenly. But I will keep my father’s advice, and not join your fun, okay?”

Ivy patted his shoulder.

“Wise man. I like a wise man. We wouldn’t keep you, but if you ever decide that you want a fun night, you know where to find us.”

Dean groaned and nodded.

“For now, I only want to eat my pie. Is that okay for you?” he asked with an uncomfortable look on his face. He liked the girls; they were beautiful, but he had no desire to take a fairy or a nymph into bed.

The ladies laughed, and Belle rushed away to bring one more piece of pie for him.

“Here,” she said. “Your orders are on us, sweety. In memory of Jonny.”

Dean smiled at her and continued to eat his pie.