Snippets Thirty-Three: Fishing

The boys had been with Bobby for six weeks.  John had called and said he would be stopping by that afternoon.  Bobby frowned.  Dean had started opening up; being a kid a little.  His father would ruin it for the child.

The angel went upstairs and watched the child.  Dean was sitting in the rocking chair, a book in his lap.  Castiel looked over his charge’s shoulder and read the title.  The boy had a book on phonics.  Every word had a picture.

‘Teaching yourself to read, Dean?  You can not wait until next fall and school?’

‘Castiel!”

‘Father?’

‘Do everything you can possibly do to encourage him.  Other then Bobby, no one will.  Sam will be considered the intelligent one.  Dean is smarter then they will realize.  Help him where you can.’

‘Yes, Father.’

The angel watched the young boy as he struggled over words.  He would put the sound in the child’s mind.  It was just a touch.  He wished Dean and not closed himself off  from him.  There was much Castiel could do if the boy still listened to him.

Both the angel and the boy heard the Impala. Dean ran down the stairs and out the door.  Bobby and Cas followed him.

John walked towards the house.  He nodded at Bobby, asking how Sam was.  Bobby frowned. 

“He’s just fine, John.  Dean is doing well.”

“I can see that.  The hunt I’m on will be taking me towards the Texas/Mexico border.  I hope Dean is behaving.”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Dean, I will be gone for a long time.  You obey Bobby like you would me.  He’s your commanding officer while I’m gone.  You take damn good care of your brother.”

Dean stared at his father in confusion.  John ran up the stairs and held his youngest son.  He was followed by Dean, Bobby, and Castiel.  Dean frowned and Bobby felt him start shaking. The boy ran outside and disappeared.

“John?”

“Yeah, Bobby?”

“You’re an ass.  You have two sons, damn you.”  Bobby walked away.

A few minutes later, John drove out of the salvage yard.

Castiel found the boy sitting by a stream on the property.  He was throwing acorns into the water.  Bobby spotted the child and headed off to a storage shed he had nearby.  Dean heard the man’s footsteps a while later.  He did not move.

Bobby sat down with two fishing rods and bait. 

“I figured you would like fishing.  You look like you would find it to be something that would help you relax.  Want to give it a try?”

Dean stared at the fishing tackle.  The sad hazel eyes looked into the older man’s.  Bobby could see the tears the boy was holding back, wondering how a child that age could acquire such strength.

Bobby put bait on a hook and tossed the line out.  He felt the intense stare and the little boy reached for the other rod.  The small hand tried to put the bait on the hook.  The man showed him how and watched the child cast the line out.

Castiel leaned against a tree in contentment, enjoying the peace and the quiet until Dean spoke.

“Daddy loves Sammy."

Bobby turned towards the boy, "Yeah, he does."

“Daddy doesn’t like me.”

Bobby wracked his brain for a  response.  The sad hazel eyes stared at him, expecting no answer.   The older man cursed John Winchester and an angry angel disappeared.

The long silence had been broken and John Winchester was stuck on a deserted road with four flat tires.