SPN FIC - The Silence Between
CHARACTERS: Dean (age 10) and Bobby
GENRE: Gen
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: Riffing off a small scene in 7.10; takes place post-Something Wicked
LENGTH: 500 words
"Kid," Uncle Bobby says, and Dean flinches at the sound. When he turns to look, Uncle Bobby's got a strange expression on his face. "What's the matter with you?" Bobby asks. Not in a mean way.
THE SILENCE BETWEEN
By Carol Davis
He doesn't know.
He couldn't know. No one knows except the three of them: the Winchesters. No one knows what happened in Wisconsin.
Uncle Bobby doesn't know.
Maybe he ought to know. Maybe then, he'd understand why the guns are so important. Why there's supposed to be practice. Every day. With the shotguns, the handguns, the crossbow, the knives…
"Kid," Uncle Bobby says, and Dean flinches at the sound. When he turns to look, Uncle Bobby's got a strange expression on his face. "What's the matter with you?" Bobby asks. Not in a mean way.
"Nothin'," Dean says softly.
Bobby doesn't say anything more for a long time. He looks at Dean, then at the wall. He takes his cap off and runs his hand over the top of his head, like he's trying to make sure it's still there. Then he puts the cap back on. It's the one Dean gave him for Christmas last year. It cost fifty cents at a garage sale Dad stopped at to look at some tires.
If Uncle Bobby knew, he'd understand.
Dean messed up. He messed up bad. And something like that only needs to happen one time.
Bobby mutters something to himself. He's got his back to Dean, so it's hard to make out, but part of it is Sweet Mother Mary, and for a second Dean thinks Bobby means his mom, Dean's and Sam's - but he's spent enough time with Pastor Jim to know that Bobby means a different Mary, the one people pray to.
Sometimes, Dean prays to his mother.
Nobody knows that. Nobody at all.
"Get your jacket," Bobby says quietly. "See if you can corral your brother and get him into a coat, too. We're goin' out for a while. Get some fresh air."
"S'posed to -"
"Yeah. Well. Got plenty of time for that, later."
Bobby smiles at him, and flicks the air with his hand. Tells him without saying anything, Get a move on.
You don't understand, Dean thinks.
For a moment, the words are right there, and it would be easy enough to let them tumble on out. Easy enough to tell the story. Tell Uncle Bobby what happened back in Wisconsin. Why it's so very important that Dean learn how to handle the shotgun like it's part of his body, that he learn how to Shoot first and ask questions later.
It only takes one time, he wants to say.
He got off lucky in Wisconsin.
That won't happen again.
He shifts down off the couch. He's getting taller, he thinks - a little bit at a time. People still call him "kid," but he's ten. Kids in other places are warriors at this age; he heard that one night on 60 Minutes.
I can do the job, he wants to say to this man in the baseball cap. I CAN.
But I need…
"You're burning daylight, kid," Uncle Bobby says.
"Okay," Dean murmurs.
Then he shuffles off to find his coat, and Sam.
* * * * *
GENRE: Gen
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: Riffing off a small scene in 7.10; takes place post-Something Wicked
LENGTH: 500 words
"Kid," Uncle Bobby says, and Dean flinches at the sound. When he turns to look, Uncle Bobby's got a strange expression on his face. "What's the matter with you?" Bobby asks. Not in a mean way.
THE SILENCE BETWEEN
By Carol Davis
He doesn't know.
He couldn't know. No one knows except the three of them: the Winchesters. No one knows what happened in Wisconsin.
Uncle Bobby doesn't know.
Maybe he ought to know. Maybe then, he'd understand why the guns are so important. Why there's supposed to be practice. Every day. With the shotguns, the handguns, the crossbow, the knives…
"Kid," Uncle Bobby says, and Dean flinches at the sound. When he turns to look, Uncle Bobby's got a strange expression on his face. "What's the matter with you?" Bobby asks. Not in a mean way.
"Nothin'," Dean says softly.
Bobby doesn't say anything more for a long time. He looks at Dean, then at the wall. He takes his cap off and runs his hand over the top of his head, like he's trying to make sure it's still there. Then he puts the cap back on. It's the one Dean gave him for Christmas last year. It cost fifty cents at a garage sale Dad stopped at to look at some tires.
If Uncle Bobby knew, he'd understand.
Dean messed up. He messed up bad. And something like that only needs to happen one time.
Bobby mutters something to himself. He's got his back to Dean, so it's hard to make out, but part of it is Sweet Mother Mary, and for a second Dean thinks Bobby means his mom, Dean's and Sam's - but he's spent enough time with Pastor Jim to know that Bobby means a different Mary, the one people pray to.
Sometimes, Dean prays to his mother.
Nobody knows that. Nobody at all.
"Get your jacket," Bobby says quietly. "See if you can corral your brother and get him into a coat, too. We're goin' out for a while. Get some fresh air."
"S'posed to -"
"Yeah. Well. Got plenty of time for that, later."
Bobby smiles at him, and flicks the air with his hand. Tells him without saying anything, Get a move on.
You don't understand, Dean thinks.
For a moment, the words are right there, and it would be easy enough to let them tumble on out. Easy enough to tell the story. Tell Uncle Bobby what happened back in Wisconsin. Why it's so very important that Dean learn how to handle the shotgun like it's part of his body, that he learn how to Shoot first and ask questions later.
It only takes one time, he wants to say.
He got off lucky in Wisconsin.
That won't happen again.
He shifts down off the couch. He's getting taller, he thinks - a little bit at a time. People still call him "kid," but he's ten. Kids in other places are warriors at this age; he heard that one night on 60 Minutes.
I can do the job, he wants to say to this man in the baseball cap. I CAN.
But I need…
"You're burning daylight, kid," Uncle Bobby says.
"Okay," Dean murmurs.
Then he shuffles off to find his coat, and Sam.
* * * * *