Fraternal

Karen Roe was heading to her café for another routine morning of serving her regular customers. She loved the small café she’d saved hard for and grew into a successful business. She hoped she would see her son once more before he left town for good. She understood why he couldn’t stay. Tree Hill was a small town. Even if Nathan and Lucas lived together as brothers, eventually they might slip up in front of the wrong people and soon it would be all over town that they were lovers. More than her concern about the relationship, Karen was concerned for both boys well-being. At least in another town, another state, they could be whatever they wanted.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she exited her car and headed for the front door of the café, that she’d hardly noticed the diagonal crack in the glass door. She turned the key and opened the door. She couldn’t believe what she saw. She raised her hand to her mouth and dropped her purse as she stood in the doorway staring at what appeared to be vandalism. The only thing she couldn’t figure out was how? How did vandals get in, trash her café and manage to lock the door behind them without setting off one alarm. Fearful that maybe it was a burglar, she backed out of the store and called the sheriff.

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John Winchester had regrets. His deepest one was alienating his sons. As he sat in his friend Missouri’s home talking about his boys, the full figured black woman suddenly froze. At first he thought she was about to go into one of her patented tongue lashings. Instead she looked at him and said words that made no sense, “Only a father’s love can destroy a father’s anger.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant until she uttered her next words. “Go to Tree Hill, your boys need you.” John had traveled all over the country on less information than that. He secured the information on how to get to Tree Hill, North Carolina. It would be at least a days drive. He hoped whatever impressions Missouri had seen, he wouldn’t get there too late. When he first started hunting, it was to avenge his wife’s death and to protect his children. He’d accomplished neither. The demon was still at large and his sons were on their own. He hoped this would be his chance for redemption. As he packed his gear and got in his truck, he remembered all Missouri had shared with him about his sons destiny. Like it or not, they were meant to be together and his mission was still clear. Protect the family at all costs.

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Nathan and Lucas woke up limbs tangled together with the early morning sun beaming through the window. It took a while for both to realize they were no longer downstairs in the circle Sam had drawn, but in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Both teens were at a loss to explain how they’d gotten there. Nathan pulled Lucas closer, wondering if one of the spirits Sam had spoke about had whisked them away. He felt decidedly hung over even though there was no drinking involved in the ritual. Lucas moaned and the younger brother’s first concern was to find out if his brother was okay.

“What happened?” Lucas asked groggily.

“Healing ritual, sex and after that, your guess is as good as mine.” Nathan looked towards the window, shielding his eyes. The familiar sound of the waves beating against the shore and the décor of the room told him they were still at the beach house.

“How’d we get here?” Lucas asked, turning in his brother’s arms.

Before Nathan could hazard a guess, the door was kicked open and Dean Winchester was standing there balancing a tray and grinning like a maniac. Sam could be heard somewhere behind him fussing at his brother to knock first.

“They’re awake Sammy. Besides, we’ve seen it all before.”

Nathan would have normally joined Dean in his crass behavior but he was still trying to adjust to whatever happened to them last night. Sam poked his head in the door verifying that the brother’s were awake before stepping all the way in. He was carrying a tray also.

“How are you two feeling?”

“Hung over,” both brothers answered at the same time.

“That’s to be expected,” Sam said with a nod.

“When we got back from performing our own little ritual on the beach,” Dean began with a waggle of one eyebrow, “we found you two passed out. We carried you up here to make you more comfortable.”

Lucas didn’t ask which brother carried him. It made him blush to think that either one of them handled his naked body. By the way Nathan was suddenly clutching the covers, he could tell his younger sibling was feeling the same way.

“Don’t worry,” Dean said, setting the tray down across Lucas’s lap, “Sam made sure I remained a gentleman.” He winked at Lucas, causing him to blush more.

“We brought you breakfast,” Sam said, flashing Dean one of his death glares before placing the tray he held across Nathan’s lap. “When your done eating, get cleaned up and dressed. We need to discuss a few things and Lucas needs to make an appointment to see his cardiologist.

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The sheriff was thinking an inside job based on the evidence he saw. The glass door was cracked from the inside. Every plate, every glass and every cup destroyed. Equipment used for brewing and the light cooking done on the premises were crushed. The sheriff questioned Karen about disgruntled employees and anyone else who might have had access to the place. They decided they needed to question her son, since he knew the code to the alarm. When asked if she and her son had had any arguments lately, Karen lied and told them no. As soon as they left, she got out her phone and dialed Lucas’s number just to give him the heads up.

Lucas had finished breakfast and just stepped out of the shower when his cell phone rang. He nearly hesitated when he saw it was his mom. Since Nathan was still in the shower, he decided to take the call.

“Hello Lucas,” she said evenly. “How are you?”

Lucas could tell that something was troubling his mother. She never spoke to him so formally. He wondered if she was still upset about he and Nathan.

“I’m fine. How are you?”

Karen was silent for a moment before speaking again. “There’s been some trouble at the café. The police think it’s vandals.”

“Oh my god, Mom…are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It happened overnight. Lucas, they’re going to question you because you had access to the café and the code for the alarm. Apparently who ever did this, got in without picking the lock or tripping the alarm.”

“And you think I did this because of our argument,” Luke spoke slowly.

“No, honey I don’t think that at all, but the police asked if you and I had any problems and I told them no.”

“You didn’t have to lie to protect me. I didn’t vandalize your store and I have an alibi. I was…” Lucas thought better of telling his mother he took part in a healing ritual and had sex with his brother in the middle of the floor inside a circle of salt. “It’s okay mom. Look, I’ll be over to help you clean up, okay.”

“Thanks Lucas.”

He clicked off his phone and nearly jumped out his skin when Sam’s voice spoke from behind him.

“Everything okay?”

Lucas shook his head, securing his towel more firmly around him. “My mom’s café was vandalized last night. The police are going to question me about it.”

“Oh,” Sam said, slightly worried.

“Look, I know you guys aren’t crazy about the cops so I won’t involve you. I’ll just go down to the precinct and give them a brief statement. Nate is my alibi.“

“Why would the cops think you’re involved in the first place? What reason would you have to destroy your mom’s place of business?“

“My mom told me the door was locked and the alarm was in working order but hadn’t gone off. They’ll probably question other employees as well. I’m going over to help her straighten up after I clear my name.“

“Dean and I will help too,“ Sam volunteered.

“Help what?“ Dean said, suddenly appearing in the door.

“Help clean up his mom’s café. It’s been vandalized.“

“Café huh? Maybe we can get some lunch while we’re there?“

“Dean,“ Lucas and Sam growled in unison.

“What?“ Dean shrugged.

“You just had breakfast not more than an hour ago,“ Sam sighed.

“Hey, stop picking on Dean,“ Nathan said, stepping out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

“We’re not picking on him,“ Lucas replied before filling his brother in on what happened.

While the Scotts got dressed, Sam dragged Dean into their bedroom.

“Not now Sammy, I’ve got a headache.“ He stopped laughing when he saw the worried look on his brother’s face.

“Sammy, what’s wrong,“ he said, taking a seat on the bed and pulling his brother down with him.

“I don’t know,“ Sam shook his head. Maybe it’s nothing but something feels off. We perform the healing ritual and the next day Lucas’s mom has her store torn apart.“

“Just a coincidence,“ Dean answered casually.

Sam looked him in the eye and could tell he was just as worried.

“Look,“ Dean continued, stroking Sam’s cheek as he spoke, “we’ll go over there to help clean up, take a look around and make sure we didn’t unleash anything in the process. Okay?

“Okay,“ Sam smiled. Dean had a way of making everything seem like it would be all right, even if it wasn’t.

“What are you thinking?“ Lucas asked, as he and his brother dressed.

Nathan kept his back to his brother, pulling on a tee shirt and then a patterned cotton shirt over it. “I was just wondering,“ he trailed off.

“Wondering what?“ Lucas stepped around his brother so he could see his face.

“Nothing,“ he shook his head.

“Nate?“

“You don’t think what happened to Karen could have anything to do with what we did last night?“

Lucas could tell that Nathan was looking for reassurances and he desperately wanted to give them to him, but after what Sam had said about attracting other entities, the thought had crossed his mind as well. He smiled at his younger and slightly taller brother, kissed him and assured him it didn’t.

Dean and Sam sat in the car while Lucas and Nathan stopped at the precinct to give the detective in charge of the case his alibi. They explained that their father Dan Scott had died and they’d been staying at the beach house. The detective offered his condolences and they left. They arrived at Karen’s café around ten. She had her closed sign up and the door was locked. Lucas tapped on the glass and Karen appeared with broom in hand. She seemed genuinely relieved to see her son at the door. She unlocked it quickly and pulled Lucas into a hug.

“I’ve been so jittery here by myself. I sent everyone home for the day.”

Sam noticed it at the same time Dean did. “What’s that smell,” Lucas asked, rubbing his nose.

“Smells like rotten eggs,” Nathan said, scrunching up his nose.

“I thought whoever did this broke some eggs and hid them somewhere,” Karen said, “but I can’t find any, anywhere.”

Sam and Dean looked at each other and Nathan caught the look.

“Where are your manners Lucas? Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”

“Sorry,” Lucas said, “mom this is Dean and Sam. We met them at school and Nate you already know.”

Nathan was surprised when Karen hugged him and offered her condolences. “I have a pot of coffee on in the back. I’ll get us some,” she said.

As soon as she was gone, Nathan turned to Sam and Dean. “Okay, what gives? Why do you two keep looking at each other like that?”

Sam looked to Dean and Dean nodded.

“Hunting 101,” Sam said, “ rotten eggs equals sulfur. Sulfur means something was in your mom’s café.”