A Questionable Motel, Colorado, Thursday Morning

[likethegun]

After driving all day and finally catching up with their dad, it hadn't been hard for either Sam or Dean to fall asleep. If John wanted more information, the boys were going to use as much of the waiting period to catch up on their rest as they could.

[NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John let the boys sleep as he listened to the radio, looking for a clue to point them in the right direction. It had been a while since he'd done this but some things you don't forget how to.

[likethegun]

Even with the radio playing quietly, Sam was still sleeping lightly enough that he eventually woke up. He checked to see if Dean was still asleep before sitting up. "Hey Dad. How it going?" he asked.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John looked up from the radio. "You should be getting some rest."

[likethegun]

"I got some rest," Sam said, looking at his watch. "A few hours worth, at least."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Aren't teenagers supposed to sleep almost as much as babies?"

[likethegun]

"They do if they're not worrying about things," Sam replied. "I can sleep when we're home again."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Just don't let lack of sleep slow your reflexes," John warned.

[likethegun]

"My reflexes are fine," Sam said, a little shortly. "Did you get any sleep?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine," John said, turning his attention back to the radio.

[likethegun]

"I can listen to the radio if you want to get some rest," Sam offered. "Just tell me what you're listening for."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I'll know it when I hear it."

[likethegun]

"But you don't know it now, so there's nothing I can do," Sam said.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"You could get more sleep, like your brother," John advised.

[likethegun]

"Or you could let me help you, as foreign of a concept as that might be."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John sighed. "I really don't want to do this right now."

[likethegun]

"Dad, we drove all the way out here to help," Sam said, ignoring, for the moment, the fact that Dean wanted to do no such thing. "Why won't you let me?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"And I'm telling you the best way you can help right now is to get some rest so you'll be fresh when we need to move," John said, biting his words off in an effort to hold onto his temper. "That doesn't change just because it's not what you want to hear."

[likethegun]

"You mean you want me to lay down and shut up, I get it," Sam said sharply. He laid down again, but he didn't look away from John. "Why do you and Dean always assume you know what I want, or what I want to hear?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"You're not exactly subtle, Sammy," John said, trying to turn his attention back to the radio.

[likethegun]

"If I was subtle, I'd never get any answers out of you," Sam muttered.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I tell you what you need to know."

[likethegun]

"Oh yeah. Like 'Hey, I'm leaving town to go get that gun that might kill the demon and save everyone we love.' That was so helpful to know."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I didn't know for sure Elkins had the gun at that point," John said. "I was going to pay my respects to an old friend. That wasn't something you needed to know."

[likethegun]

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just want to know?" Sam said. "That I care about knowing where you are? Not everything has to be a secret, Dad."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"The fact that you ran off to follow me when you found out doesn't actually bolster your 'better to tell me' argument," John pointed out.

[likethegun]

"Why not? If you'd told us where you were, we might have been okay with not following you." Sam wasn't sure if that was entirely true, but he was willing to say it anyway.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John snorted. "Yeah, right."

[likethegun]

"Well, I guess you won't know for sure since you don't plan on ever talking to us," Sam shot back.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Well coming all the way out here isn't exactly making me want to be more forthcoming."

[likethegun]

"Why not?" Sam said, thinking less of Dean's need for sleep as his voice got louder. "Do you really want us to have to do this hunting you down thing every time you want to leave, so you don't have to take two seconds to give us some freaking details?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"You start showing me you can follow orders and I don't have to worry about you haring off on your own because you think you need to track me down, and we'll see then," John told him.

[likethegun]

"You're my father. I think I deserve to know where you are without having to track you down," Sam said. "And maybe I'd be a little more willing to follow your orders if you'd tell me why I'm doing whatever you want me to do. I'm not Dean, I can't just do something without understanding it."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Well then you're going to spend a lot of your life frustrated," John shot back.

[likethegun]

"And you're going to spend a lot of your life finding me tracking you because I am not letting this go. I'm not letting you shut me out like I'm still a kid!"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Dude!" Dean exclaimed from where his face was buried in his pillow. "You want to use your indoor voice when you're proclaiming how grown up you are?"

[likethegun]

"Oh, yeah, because I'm the only one yelling here," Sam said. That had sounded less childish in his head.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean raised his head to give his brother a disgusted look, then laid back down, pulling the pillow over his head in an effort to muffle the sound.

[likethegun]

Sam rolled his eyes at Dean, before looking back at John, lowering his voice a little this time. "Am I ever going to be old enough for you to trust me?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"When you show me you're ready for it," John challenged, also trying to keep his voice down.

[likethegun]

"And how do I do that? Because I notice you don't seem to trust Dean either, so clearly, the good little soldier deal isn't enough."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean lifted the pillow off his head to give Sammy another exasperated look. "If you're not going to let me sleep at least leave me out of this. He trusts me fine. He trusts you fine when you're not acting like a brat. Now are you planning on shutting up any time soon?"

[likethegun]

"He doesn't...never mind. Talking to either of you is pointless," Sam said, laying back down on his bed with a resounding thump, and putting his pillow over his head to try to block both of them out.