A Hunter's separation

[KingCrowley]

Since Sam 'ran away' from home, John had been way, way more strict with Dean, or so the kid thought. John had finally given up the year long search for the kid, and decided to focus his time on his first born. Dean had noticed that John had been drinking more, and he'd been a lot harder on him. Dean wondered if he blamed him for Sam's disappearance. He missed his brother, but something told him wherever he was, he was safe, and he was happy.

Dean crept downstairs at three in the morning and sighed when he saw his Dad passed out on the sofa, an empty whisky bottle in his hand. He was cuddling it like a teddy bear. The twelve year old moved it carefully from his grasp and set it down on the table before finding an old blanket and tossing it over the man. Dean then opened the door to the motel and stepped out. He knew he wasn't allowed out at all without John, but the kid needed some air. The boy walked down those metal steps and onto the motel grounds. It was cold out but Dean didn't care, he had a pair of warm pyjamas on at least.

The boy's stomach rumbled, he hadn't eaten much that day. John had been out on a hunt in the afternoon and he'd forgotten to get food in. Hunting was still John's priority but he didn't leave for days or weeks on end anymore at least. "Wonder if there's a take out place 'round here---" Dean mused to himself.

*****

It was no wonder Sam had run away from life with John and Dean. John had been a terrible parent and Sam had been miserable his whole life. So the seven year old took off running and didn't look back. He was later found in a shack in the woods by a rather Suave looking Demon, who had a way with words. He provided Sam with food and a decent place to live --an apartment just outside of Reading in England.

The Demon's name was Crowley, and he'd known of Sam's prophecy for a while now. Azazel planned on using him to lead an army of Demons and free Lucifer from the cage. Crowley couldn't have that, so he decided to keep the boy for himself and keep him hidden from Azazel.

A year later, Crowley had become rather fond of the little mite, even if he wasn't overly affectionate or cuddly. He did care about the child. The crossroads Demon walked into the apartment and rose a brow when he saw the state of it. Sam's toys were strewn about the room and the Demon wasn't happy about it.

"Sam! Get your arse in here and pick up your bloody toys!" he barked.

[theyoungestangelcastiel]

Sam's disappearance was a real eye opener for John, and in the year of desperate searching, he did his very best to be a better parent to his remaining son. Granted he wasn't perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination, nor was he necessarily a good parent, but he was trying. Sam was gone, and it was his fault; however he couldn't help but feel...almost happy that he was supposedly dead. It would mean he was with his mother who would love and care for him, and he would finally know her past the pictures he'd managed to save from the remains of their burned home. He loved his boys, more than anything in the world, but now that Sam was gone, John had a chance to be a better person. He only really drank heavily when he was sure Dean was sleeping, which is how he ended up passed out on the couch tonight, none the wiser of his other son's disappearance.


Exhausted and hungry, Sammy found an ironic salvation in the English demon. After being alone for three days, he practically melted in his arms, not even caring of his intentions. He felt oddly safe with this stranger, not in a way he had felt with his own father. Of course he missed Dean, but he was sure his brother was better off not having to take care of him. Crowley took care of him, loved him, and the child was finally happy for the first time in his short life. He was truly grateful...except right now he wasn't acting it. When he heard Crowley shout, the small boy rolled his eyes, going back to reading the book on dark magic he was currently engrossed in.

[KingCrowley]

Dean knew their Dad was just doing the best he could with what little he had. He was obsessed with finding what killed Mary, and now obsessed with finding out where Sam went, but the trail had gone cold and John had given up. He decided to hunt to help people rather than personal gain. Dean was raised into the life, at seven years old he'd shot his first rifle and he knew how to defend himself against most creatures. Honestly, he didn't think he needed his Dad. He was never there for emotional support or what he needed, just to drive him around from motel to motel.

The kid was hungry, very hungry. He needed to find something to eat because they had nothing back at the motel, which John probably hadn't realized. Part of him wished he'd run off with Sam, no doubt if he was alive he was happy where he was otherwise he would have come home. Some nice family probably adopted him. Dean liked to think so anyways. Eventually, Dean got to a pizzeria and he walked inside. "Uh--a large cheese pizza please." he said, putting the crumpled up dollars on the counter.

"Aint you John's kid?" the man smiled. "Does he know yer out?"

"Yeah---sent me to get the pizza." Dean lied.

****

Crowley scowled when Sam simply ignored him and he meandered his way over small pieces of leggo and toy cars until he got to Sam's room. Crowley did love this boy, and he would protect him with all he had--raise him as his own boy, but he had a short temper and he would be quick to hand out discipline if the boy pushed him too far. The Demon's irritation only grew when Sam was sat on his bed, reading a book about dark magic lore, and blood binding. While he was happy the lad was taking an interest in his 'Papa's' line of work, he was not too thrilled about being ignored.

He strode over and took the book right out of his hands. When the boy was about to whine in protest, Crowley shot him a dark look. "I will NOT be ignored Samuel!" he growled and tossed the book on the desk beside the door. "Why are your toys all over the bloody room?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you what Papa will do when you make him too angry?"

[theyoungestangelcastiel]

John woke up out of the urgent need to pee and quickly rushed to the bathroom. Soon he emerged and decided to go and check on his son, who he assumed was fast asleep. However when he saw no Dean amongst the crumbled blankets and strewn about pillows, he sobered up almost instantly "Shit!" His blood ran cold and he hight aimed it to the impala, keys in his hand. He was NOT going to lose another son.

--

When his book was suddenly plucked from his hands and unceremoniously tossed across the room, the child began to protest. However Sammy's whine was interrupted by the demon's fierce expression and he shrank down despite maintaining a look of defiance. A sullen pout played on his small lips as he looked up at his new papa with large eyes "but papaaaa, I was gonna pick em up, I wanted to finish reading first..." the statement was only half true as he had no intention of cleaning up but had every intention of finishing his book. The reminder that he could be spanked for disobeying made him whimper and he sacked in his bottom lip in order to gain sympathy "no papa please!" He begged, knowing the sting of Crowley's hand and sometimes slipper quite well.

[KingCrowley]

Dean waited by the counter for his pizza, and he looked over to a group of chattering men, they looked like Hunters, at least as well as the twelve year old could tell. He heard them mention his Dad's name, so he inched a little closer to listen though nobody noticed him.

"Heard that John Winchester finally gave up the search for his youngest kid." The man said, voice hushed. "Searched for that kid a whole year, and paid fifty thousand on people to find him too."

"Well, he WAS John's favourite boy. Now if it were Dean who'd gone missin' the old geezer wouldn't have looked for him so thoroughly."

"Oh definitely! Everyone saw how he doted on Sam and worked Dean like a dog. Hope the kid wises up and runs off like his smart brother."

Dean's heart broke when he heard those words, mainly because he thought they were all true. His Dad had always favoured Sam, and worked him to the bone, hunting, cleaning up the motel, looking after Sam. Though the thought that his Dad wouldn't come looking for him if he ran off made tears sting his eyes. Would his Dad just give up after a day or something?

****

"Too bad. You don't get to move onto something new til you clear up what you were playing with previously." Crowley explained firmly when his son tried to give him some excuse. He wasn't going to buy that one. Crowley believed in spanking for discipline, and he had always spanked Sam when he'd deserved it, which was often. The lad was eight and he was inquisitive to a point where it landed him in plenty of trouble. He recalled just last week when Sam thought it would be a brilliant idea to play with his demon blade.

He'd tanned the lad good for that one. "Go clean up your toys, now." Crowley ordered, pointing out of the bedroom door and to the lounge where the toys lay all around. It would take the child a matter of minutes, and Crowley wouldn't lift a finger to help because the boy had given him some dumb excuse about it.

[theyoungestangelcastiel]

It was true, John wasn't a perfect parent or even a good one for that matter, but he was trying to be. He'd learned his lesson when Sam ran away that he needed to be a better parent for Dean, because he'll swallow him up if he didn't deserve it after the life he'd had. It was true that he'd over worked his eldest, tasking him more than any young boy should have to deal with but...he was doing a dangerous job and needed Dean to be able to keep himself and Sammy safe when he couldn't. But no more; he would give Dean the best childhood a broken single father who fights monsters for a living could. It wasn't much, but at least he was trying. So when he saw his boy, at the counter of the pizza place, his heart soared with glee that he had found him, rather than anger that he had run off. In all honesty he was too relieved to be upset. John stopped the car half assedly in the lot and ran inside, pulling Dean into his arms "Christ boy don't you ever run off like that" he scolded, wrapping his arms around him in tight embrace "why didn't you wake me up if you were hungry?"

----

Sammy huffed at his papa's scolding and crossed his little arms in a stubborn manner. He knew he was playing with fire (quite literally) by giving Crowley so much attitude, but he was very upset that he gad been robbed of his reading material and was going to show his displeasure by acting out. Sam gave him the best glare he could muster and rolled his eyes "I will. AFTER I read my book" he growled up at him in a snotty, arrogant tone as he sat defiantly on his bed.

[KingCrowley]

The last thing Dean expected was for his Dad to show up and hold him close of all things. John hadn't hugged him like this in so, so many years and Dean held onto the man with everything he had. He'd spent so many nights wishing his Dad would just hold him like he'd done when he was younger. "Dad--" he said softly and felt that spike of guilt in his gut when the man told him not to ever run off like that, and why he hadn't woke him up if he was hungry. "Cause you normally get mad if I wake you up---" Dean knew it wasn't an excuse for running off, but he had been hungry and he knew John would have yelled at him if he woke him up.

Though---he hadn't known that for sure, not really. "I'm sorry sir--" he said softly, his fingers curling into his Dad's leather jacket. "Are you---m-mad?" he asked a little worriedly. The last thing he wanted was to be spanked for this.

****

"Excuse me?" Crowley's brow shot up when the boy had the gall to tell him what he was going to do, rather than following his Papa's orders. Crowley's temper had reached boiling point, and he yanked the child a little roughly off of the bed by his arm, though he was careful not to hurt him in any way. The Demon then propelled Sam toward the living room with one hard swat to the seat of his jeans. "You'll go do it NOW!" he barked, his tone dangerous and it would be unwise for Sam to continue arguing with him.

"And when you're done, get your little arse back here for a smacking!" he snarled. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are talking to me like that?!"

[theyoungestangelcastiel]

John cherished the small form against his chest, feeling just how small and venerable a child his age was. He was all John had left, and this thought scared the hell out of him. His heart sank at his son's answer, knowing he had failed once again as a parent "I'm sorry Dean...i promise next time i won't be upset alright?" A deep sense of dread came over him as he realized he would have to punish his boy for such a dangerous stunt when the child already felt nervous around him. He decided he would be as loving as possible before and after the spanking so Dean felt safer with him and understood the message he was trying to imprint. John shook his head "I'm not mad Dean, i am disappointed though" he winced internally at the line his own dad would use. Well, at the risk of sounding like a parent straight from a comic strip in the fifties, it was an effective line. "Let's go home Ace" Keeping his son in his arms, he took the pizza and carried him to the car.

--

Sammy yelped, very quickly realizing he had made a horrid mistake and rubbed his backside, looking pathetically at his papa to gain sympathy "but...but pappaaaa" he whimpered, lower lip quivering "I'll clean up i promise! Please don't spank me!" Sammy didn't know what he expected would happen as a result of his behavior, but he had the small thought that his papa would be proud of him for standing up to him...or something like that.

[KingCrowley]

The young boy nodded his head when his Dad promised he wouldn't be upset next time. "Okay--and next time I'll ask you." he answered in agreement before then asking if his Dad was mad. He winced when the man said he was disappointed, since he thought that was worse than mad and he just nodded sadly, not letting go of that leather jacket for anything. "Yes sir." He was surprised when John simply carried both him and the pizza out to the Impala, but he appreciated the comfort.

A question played on his mind though, and as John drove the boy decided to ask. "Dad---do you wish it were me who ran off instead of Sammy? I know he was your favourite--"

*****

"I gave you TWO chances to pick up your toys." Crowley answered and shook his head. The King of the crossroads was not easily swayed by tears, as he often saw them in the desperate eyes of those fools willing to make a deal with him and trade their souls away. "You WILL be getting a spanking, and for every extra minute you haven't cleaned up, you'll get an extra five smacks." he warned, narrowing those brown hues of his. "I suggest you hurry up."

A spanking from Crowley was always memorable, the Demon had a hard hand and knew how to thoroughly tan Sam's small backside.

[theyoungestangelcastiel]

John nearly hit another car at the question and quickly pulled over to look at his only son "never, ever think that Dean Winchester, i loved you and Sam equally, and i would never wish either of you ran away. It kills me not havung sammy here just like it would not having you..." he told the boy with a stern gaze, trying to keep his voice from breaking at the thought. "I haven't been a good enough dad for you Dean but i promise you that i will do better. I can't lose you too" despite his efforts his normally gruff and composed tone, hitched and cracked with emotion and he gripped the steering wheel tightly in order to stabilize himself.

--

Sammy teared up and sniffled, giving him one last pleading look before going to pick up his toys. His papa was so strict...all he wanted to do was read! Was that really so bad? Besides it was only a couple toys...not a big deal. Crowley was just making mountains out of molehills in Sam's mind. All the while he picked up his toys, he glanced over at his papa, pouting his heaviest. Even though he was warned he would get extra spanks, Sammy took his time out of sheer spite and dread of getting spanked. He really did hate getting spankings...which was the poiint he supposed, although that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.