្.˚⠀━━━⠀⠀ONE STEP FORWARD,
THREE STEPS BACK!
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❛ BOHEMIAN ━━ BOOK ONE ❜
𑁍ࠬ¸𓍢 ━━ ❪ SUPERNATURAL ❫ ˖ ୧ 。
𓆸 ┊ ⠀𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 SIX ⠀┊ ❀
◟ ✦ WHAT? YOU MOURNED ME? ❞
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BOWIE SWINGS THE STRAP AROUND AND catches the crossbow in his hands, hovering his finger over the trigger as he kept his eyes firmly in the trees. He felt Hailey hovering behind him, her hands fisting the fabric of his red jacket as she motioned for Ben to stand behind her, too.

There was something wrong with the screams in the woods. It felt too real.

"It's trying to draw us out, just stay cool. Stay put." Dean announced, voice wavering in nerves.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

The sound of the Wendigo's loud growl made the group jump back.

"Okay, that's no Grizzly."

"It's here!" Dean shouts.

"It's okay. You'll be all right I promise," Hailey tries to comfort her brother, "Bowie'll keep us safe."

The young man in question scans the woods with rapid brown eyes before catching a glimpse of gray. With a steady breath he releases the sharp silver arrow through the night, the sound of a loud growl follows.

"Holy shit, you hit it?" Sam asked him.

"Stop doubting my skills," Bowie grumbles out, looking around in slight panic when another yowl follows, "Okay, maybe I pissed it off more━"

Roy shoots the same spot Bowie did, "I hit it!" He announced, instantly running out of the circle.

"Roy no! Roy!" Dean shouts after him, turning back to the others, "You three don't move, Bowie come on!" He orders.

"What, why can't I━" Sam steps forward.

"Stay!" Dean and Bowie yelled.

Following Roy, through the woods, Bowie made sure to follow the foot indents in the dirt. It was hard to see in the dark, but with the combination of Roy's shouting and the Wendigo wailing, the trail was easy to follow.

Then, suddenly it stopped.

The woods grow quiet, too quiet. Roy was no longer screaming and the trail went cold just like the others did at the campsite.

"Roy?" Dean bellowed.

"Shh," Bowie hissed lowly, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away from a tree.

"What is it?" Dean whispered.

Bowie's eyes scanned the trees, swallowing thickly. He was feeling a tension━━a low ringing in his ears that warned him not to move. There was a tingle up his spine, his sensing going haywire and screaming at him.

"It's watching us." He whispered back, keeping his eyes on the trees.

Dean's back straightens, whipping his head back and forth with a panic, "What? Where?"

Bowie motions up to the trees.

"Well is it going to attack us?" Dean seethed.

"I'm not a fucking psychic, Dean." He hissed back. Then, he sighs, grabbing his older brother by the sleeve and tugging him back towards the campsite, "Come on, Roy's long gone, we'll have to wait till morning."

Dean allowed Bowie to drag him along, nodding in agreement.

━━━━━━━━━━

"I don't. . ." Hailey shakes her head, still in shock, "I mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real."

"I wish I could tell you differently," Dean replied.

It was the next morning and Bowie was pacing around the campsite, his crossbow firmly in his hands as he watched the trees for any movement.

Bowie was sleepless, his eyes burned with exhaustion. Honestly, he felt overwhelmed.

Hunting was like the aftermath of a withdrawal. All the pain was on the inside. He hadn't hunted it since he left for College and how here he was picking up another hunt in less than a month.

Katherine was right. It was taking a mental toll on him. He felt more paranoid than ever and although it never really left it felt more amplified.

But, there was a difference this time around.

Dean was on his side.

"You okay?" Dean asked him, scanning his face.

"Do you care?" He asked genuinely.

"Yeah, I do." Dean responds, "We made a deal. We're supposed to be a team, remember? That involves telling me when you aren't one-hundred percent."

Bowie nods, rubbing at his eyes, "I'll make it. We just need a plan." Dean hummed in agreement. The man hesitates, "Are. . .are you okay?"

Dean pulled a smile, "Oh, I'm peachy."

He rolled his eyes, "Don't be a hypocrite." He says, glancing toward a tree stump where Sam was sitting alone, "Do you think he's going to be okay?"

Dean followed his gaze, watching their little brother, "Course he will," He says, slapping Bowie's shoulder, "He's got us."

Bowie smiled, moving to sit on a log.

The smile on Dean's face dropped, a twist in his chest making his throat tighten. His mind was burning. A mental battle makes him feel sick.

It was as though, the longer he spent away from his father, the more eyes unblurred. The more guilty he felt for the way he treated Bowie.

His little brother. It's like Dean always missed that little detail. Bowie was, at the end of the day, his brother.

The person who had done nothing but help them since Dean showed up at his doorstep that night.

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" Hailey asked.

"Oh, it is," Bowie says bluntly. Ben's eyes widened, "But we're safe for now." He adds quickly, "I think."

"How do you know about this stuff?" Hailey asked curiously.

"Runs in the blood of my ancestors," Bowie says dramatically, deepening his voice as he picked at the firewood.

Hailey didn't laugh, and the man faltered.

"Tough crowd," He muttered.

"Hey," Sam walked over, "We've got half a chance in the daylight. And I, for one, want to kill this evil son of a bitch."

"Well, hell, you know I'm in," Dean smirked.

Sam turned to Bowie, who tilts his head, "Can I give a three-day notice?" He joked.

Sam scoffed a laugh, throwing John's journal to him, "Educate them, considering you knew it was a Wendigo first."

He nods, flipping the pages. The journal felt heavy in his hands, but he ignored it, flipping to the right page to show Hailey and Ben.

"Wendigo is a Cree Indian word," Bowie starts, "It means, evil that devours. I know, sounds cuddly," He lightens the mood, "Their hundreds of years old and believe it or not, they were once human."

Dean nods, "Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman, or a miner or a hunter." He listed off.

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Hailey asked.

"It's always the same," says Dean, "Durning some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

"And no hot sauce either," Bowie adds, "Just straight up raw meat."

"Like the Donner party," Ben replies.

"That's right," Sam nods. "Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality."

"If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less-than-human thing. You're always hungry," Dean finished.

"So, if that's true. How can Tommy still be alive?" Hailey asked lightly.

The brothers turn to Bowie to answer, causing him to deadpan at them for throwing him under the bus.

"Hailey," He gives a discomforting smile, "You might not like what I say."

"Tell me," She demands firmly.

He huffed, "A Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates like a bear for years at a time. This one goes about 23 years to date. So, when it's awake, it might keep its victims alive. Stores them so it can feed whenever it wants."

He hesitates, watching the way Hailey and Ben's faces drop in sadness.

"Hey," He gains their attention, "If your brother is half as strong as you tell me, then he's out there somewhere and I'm going to help you find him."

"It's most likely keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe." Dean agrees, "And we gotta track it back there."

"And then how do we stop it?" Hailey questioned.

"Well, guns are useless," Sam says.

"So are arrows," Bowie huffed.

"Basically," Dean holds up a can of lighter fluid, "We gotta torch this fucker."

Thus began the long trek up, Black Water Ridge. Bowie was in front, following the trail the Wendigo had messily left. Bloody claw marks on the trees and broken twigs on the ground.

Sam and Dean had forgotten how thorough their brother was, how quick-witted he was. Like a walking Sherlock Holmes without the alcoholism.

"Hey," Bowie says suddenly, slowing down to walk beside Sam, "You okay?"

Sam swallowed thickly, "I just want to get this done so we can find Dad."

"We will," He nods, "I promise. That son of a bitch won't be able to hide from me forever." He jokes, but Sam didn't laugh. Bowie sighed, "I wanted to apologize for the other night, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"Do you ever wonder what life would've been like if you stayed?" Sam asked suddenly, no bitterness in his tone just genuine curiosity.

"I don't have to wonder, I already know," Bowie says. Sam waited for him to continue and with a grim expression he says, "I'd've put a gun in my mouth before my twentieth birthday."

Sam's eyes instantly watered, turning his head so Bowie wouldn't see. Bowie grimaced. He didn't mean to be so blunt but it was the truth. Bowie would've ended his life then spend the rest of it under John's abuse.

"Sorry. . ." He muttered. Sometimes Bowie forgot that Sam had always genuinely cared for him, "I-I didn't mean to be━"

"It's okay, I understand." Sam nods, looking at him with a reassuring smile, "I'm glad you got out."

"I'm glad you did too," He says instantly, "Even if it was just for a little while."

"Sam, Bow," Dean announced.

Bowie steps forward, "What's up?"

In response, he pointed up at a tree. Claw marks extended just above the tree line, bloody like the rest. Bowie had injured it, but it probably didn't do much damage if it can still climb.

"What do you think it means?" Dean asked Bowie.

Sam answered, "You know, I was thinking that those claw prints were so clear and distinct. . ." He scoffed a laugh, "They were almost too easy to follow."

Bowie frowned, glancing between them, "I thought that was the point?" They both turn to him with wide eyes, "What? I-I thought that was what you wanted?"

"Are you telling me," Dean closes his eyes to gather himself, "You knowingly led us into a trap?"

Bowie threw his hands up, "I thought we were going to kill the son of a bitch head on! Obviously, these marks were put there on purpose━"

"I'm gonna punch you in the dick," Sam huffed. Bowie instantly squeezed his thighs together to protect himself.

Loud growling made everyone stand firmly together, watching the trees breezes out of place. It was there.

Suddenly, Hailey screams, looking up at the trees just as Roy's body thumps to the ground. She falls to the ground and Bowie rushes to pull her up.

Poor, Marty.

He felt uncomfortable with Hailey gripping his arms so hard, pressing her face into his chest as she shook in fear.

He hated touch, which was obvious. Any sudden contact that he didn't initiate made him tense up and distant but, she was obviously scared so he sucked it up and patted her head.

Dean kneels down in front of Roy, "His neck was snapped."

"Yeah, no, that's not fun." Bowie says quickly, tugging Hailey and Ben away, "Everyone, run! Go, go, go!"

At some point they all got separated, Sam had turned back to grab Ben, who had fallen to the ground. With Bowie in the middle of Dean and Hailey, they turned another corner of the woods.

In front of them, stood a monster eight feet tall. Its skin is pale and gray and its face is hard to look at. Its long, boney hand reached for Dean first.

"NO!" Bowie bellowed, slamming his crossbow into the Wendigo's hand, shoving his brother behind him.

"Bowie!" Dean screamed, his eyes widening in horror as the Wendigo moved toward him.

The Wendigo gave a loud growl, picking Bowie up by the collar of his shirt and throwing him across the wooden area. His back slammed into a tree and into a bush, his vision instantly turning black.

By the time Sam and Ben had gotten back, Hailey and Dean were gone.

Sam looked around the woods, his chest rising and falling in a panic, "Dean? Bowie?!" He grabbed at his chest, "Dean! Bowie!"

"Sam!" Ben shouts over him, pointing to the bushes.

Sam rushed forward, pushing the bushes to the side. Bowie laid unconscious on the ground, his head bent at an uncomfortable angle and his crossbow discarded across from him.

"Bowie? Hey!" He reached over and slapped his cheek lightly, "Bow, wake up!" Sam bellowed.

"Is he breathing?" Ben asked from behind him.

Sam nervously leaned down, hovering his ear over Bowie's mouth.

"Can I help you?" Bowie groggily asked, his eyes still closed as he reached up to grab his slip head.

Sam pulls back, a relieved smile on his face, "I thought you were━"

Bowie tilts his head, frowning at Sam.

"What is it?" Sam furrowed his brow, sweeping his eyes over him, "Are you hurt?"

Slowly, Bowie reached up to his left ear. The hearing aid was gone. Quickly, the man scrambled around the bushes, a slight panicking bubbling in his chest as he searched for it.

"My left hearing aid is missing," He announced, his voice unknowingly louder than it needed to be.

"Erm," Ben winched, moving his foot to reveal a crushed blue hearing aid, "Is that it?"

Bowie started at it in defeat, letting out a small sigh, "Damnit!" He rubs his ear.

"Can you still hear, okay?"

"What?"

Sam deadpans, "Yeah, you're staying behind."

"No, I'm not." Bowie says, getting to his feet, "My right one works fine, just━" He grabs Sam's shoulder and spins him around to his other side, "Stay on this side of me so I can hear you clearly."

"Bowie, you can't help us find Dean if you can't even hear the whole left side of you," Sam lectured.

"Watch me," Bowie says simply, grabbing his crossbow off the ground and ignoring the throbbing in his head. "Let's go, trail will get cold."

Sam frowned softly when he noticed Bowie kept reaching up to rub his left ear as they walked deeper into the woods━━unaware that Bowie was hearing uncomfortable ringing.

"If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Ben asked them.

"Honestly? I think it's because Roy shot at it." Sam says, "He pissed it off."

"Bowie shot at it first," Ben recalls, "Why didn't it take him with Hailey and Dean?"

Sam frowned, "I don't know," He admits, "Maybe because it could only carry two at a time. Besides, it messed him up pretty good, the Wendigo probably thought it killed him."

Bowie tilts his head at the ground, noticing the colored M&M's in the dirt. He crouches down, picking one up and rolling it in his hand.

"Hey, Sam━oh." He reeled back when he noticed Sam crouched down right beside him, "I told you to stay on my left," He grumbled, handing him the M&M, "Dean left us a trail."

Sam chuckles in amazement, "It's better than bread crumbs."

"I won't give him shit for eating junk food again." Bowie grinned.

Eventually, after another hour of walking, they had reached the old mines. Bowie had never been so smug when Sam reached into his pocket and handed him a crumpled five-dollar bill.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Sam asked him, standing outside the 'KEEP OUT' sign in front of the mine.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, little brother?" Bowie raised an eyebrow, pushing past him and into the mine, "Stay behind me."

Walking through the old mines, Sam was surprised that Bowie moved so quietly. With his crossbow raised high, he followed the flashlight that Sam dragged across the ground.

Even though Bowie couldn't hear well, he had heard the vibration of feet through the metal of the tracks before Sam and Ben could even hear the loud growl that followed.

Bowie grabbed his brother by the collar and tugged him back against the wall, slowly pressing a finger to his lips in hopes they would stay quiet.

When the Wendigo passed, they all let out a breath of relief.

"Dude, your brother is a badass," Ben says slowly to Sam.

As if the universe wanted to prove otherwise, Bowie falls through a thin patch of wood into a hole. Sam and Ben winched, leaning over it.

"You okay?" Sam asked in a whisper.

"I don't know what you said, but if you just asked if I'm okay after that, I'm gonna punch you in the dick," Bowie called up.

Sam chuckled.

After helping Ben down into the hole, Bowie dusted himself off, picking up the flashlight and shining it across the new pathway.

Ben yelps at the sight of skulls and bones.

"Shit," Sam breathed out, handing Ben the flashlight, "Bowie, it's Dean!"

Tied to a pillar, Dean and Hailey were unconscious. Bowie runs forward and without even a warning he slaps Dean hard across the face, causing his green eyes to snap open in surprise.

"Bowie?" Dean breathed out, "I-I thought it━you weren't moving━"

"What? You mourned me?" Bowie teased, cutting him down and passing him to Sam.

Dean falters. Yes. He wanted to say. He wanted to admit that the second he noticed Bowie didn't move, he fought against the Wendigo with everything he had. That he screamed for Bowie to wake up before being dragged away.

With great shock, some part of him feared the idea of losing Bowie just when he finally started feeling comfortable around him━━just when he started to genuinely consider him a brother.

It seemed it took Dean thinking he lost him to realize how much Bowie affected him.

"You wish," Dean responds softly. Bowie simply smiled.

Sam had cut down Hailey, helping her untie the ropes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked his older brother.

He waved him off, "I'm fine. Where is it?"

"Gone, for now," Sam replied.

Dean narrowed his eyes when he noticed Bowie's head shift around, "What's wrong with him?"

"Ben stepped on Bowie's hearing aid," Sam sighed.

Noticing that Dean was standing on the left side, where the hearing aid was missing, he began to talk, "Don't stay anything if you think I'm the best hunter."

Bowie didn't hear that, so he said nothing.

Dean chuckled, "Don't say anything if you wear dresses."

Again, nothing.

"Don't say anything if━"

"Dean, not the time!" Sam snapped. He reached over to tap Bowie's shoulder, "Hey, pay attention!" He waved in his face.

Bowie slapped the hand away, "I'm looking out for the Wendigo!"

Like he had promised Hailey, they had found Tommy strung up deeper into the mines, alive.

"Sam, help them." Bowie orders, pulling Dean up from the ground, "Pull yourself together, De."

"I'll get right on that," He grunts out, using the wall to walk.

While Hailey and Ben were quick to pull Tommy up from the ground, Dean had found a few flares discarded by the mineworkers.

"That'll work," Bowie smirks.

Now, it was about getting out of there.

The sound of growling echoed the tunnel. Sam and Bowie raised their weapons.

"Looks like someone's home for supper," Dean tries to ease the tension.

"Tonight's menu, white," Bowie adds in.

"So it's dry." Sam pipped.

"I'd like to think I'd make a juicy meal," Bowie says seriously.

"Well, we're about to find out because we'll never outrun it," Hailey says seriously.

Dean pauses, glancing between his brothers, "Thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, I think so," Sam says instantly.

"No," Bowie deadpans, "I'm not doing that. I'm always the one forced to do it."

"Do what?" Ben asked.

"We'll do it together," Dean says firmly.

Bowie hesitates, tilting his head in thought, "Okay," He sighed, "I have absolutely nothing to lose."

"That's the spirit," Dean slapped his shoulder, "Stay with Sam. He's gonna get you out of here."

"What are you two gonna do?" She asked.

Dean simply winked at her while Bowie gave her a thumbs up and a tight-lipped smile.

"It's chow time, you fuckin' bastard!" Dean bellowed, running down the other side of the tunnel.

They were the bait.

"Your face is proof God had a sense of humor!" Bowie screamed out.

Dean looks to him, "HA!" He grinned, "Yeah, that's right! Bring it on, baby! We taste good! You want some white meat, bitch?!"

"It's not coming," Bowie furrowed his brows.

"Yeah. . .I think we're also lost," Dean admits, looking around the many tunnels.

"You always have the best plans, Dean." He says sarcastically, rolling up his sleeve.

"What are you doing?" Dean frowned when Bowie handed him his crossbow, watching as he knelt down and gripped the metal tracks with his palms.

"Shh," He says, closing his eyes to concentrate.

"I have to admit, your tracking is kinda awesome." Dean blurts, "Can you see foot patterns in your brain or something?"

"No, Dean."

"Can you see in the dark?" He teased.

"No, Dean. I can't." He deadpans, opening one eye.

"Can you hear heartbeats in your toes━"

"No, Dean! It's a perceptual learning style. I trained my other senses to work better after I lost my hearing, anyone could do it with practice, look it up!" He burst out, saying that all in one breath, "Now, shush!"

"Sorry. ." He grumbled.

With a soft side, Bowie closed his eyes again. In the silence, he tried his hardest to focus. Then, like a spoon dropping in a silent room, he felt it. The Wendigo. It's feet stomped against the ground, brushing against the metal of the track and vibrating straight into Bowie's palm.

His eyes snap open, "It's heading straight for Sam."

Running down the tunnel the brothers exchanged a throw of weapons. Bowie cocked the string back of his crossbow, pulling a silver arrow from his leather quiver and clipped it in place.

The second they turned the corner they saw the Wendigo. It was standing tall in front of Sam, Hailey, Ben and Tommy. They were cramped in a dead end with Sam in the front, his arms stretched wide in hopes to shield them.

And while Dean felt a sense of pride seeing Sam put himself in front of the others, Bowie felt a wave of horror.

The Wendigo raises a hand and Bowie shoots his arrow straight through it's palm. It didn't do much, but it causes him to turn around just as Dean shot the flare straight through the Wendigo's chest.

Causing it to burn and shrivel up.

"Not bad, huh?" Dean grinned.

Bowie let out a small laugh, "I can cross this off my Boy Scout bucket-list!"

"Oh, yeah, I'll print your Merit Badge," Sam replied sarcastically.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

          LEANING AGAINST THE IMPALA THE WINCHESTER BROTHERS watched as the ambulance took away Roy's dead body. Sam and Ben stood a little away, talking to the police about the Grizzly they encountered on their hike up Black Water. Bowie scratched at the gauze patch on his forehead.

Hailey slowly walks forward, motioning for Bowie to come over to her.

"Oooo," Dean dragged.

"Shut up, man." He chuckled, anxiously thrusting his hands into his jacket pockets and smiling softly at Hailey, who he was now standing in front of, "They patch you up okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, they did." She gave soft laugh, brushing away a hair from her face, "So, I really don't know how to thank you. . ." She pulls out something from her bag, a small black box, "These were my mom's, she had a hearing problem, too. So I asked Ben to run up to the house and grab them before you left."

Opening the box, Bowie's face pulled up into a bright smile at the gold-colored hearing aids, very small and slightly faded flower stickers littered the base, "Flower power." He joked.

Hailey winced, "They're a little girly—"

"I love them, thank you." He says softly.

"Thank you for not thinking I was insane right off the bat."

"As the one talking care of them, you had an instinct and you acted on it." Bowie says kindly, dimples popping through his smile, "I'm just glad you got him back."

Before he the last word could fall from his lips, Hailey was pressing her own against them. They were warm, soft and delicate. It was her way of thanking him, her way of showing him that she was interested.

But Bowie didn't kiss back.

By instinct he let it happen but with soft hands he pulled Hailey slightly away from him, reeling his head back.

Hailey faltered, "Oh. I'm sorry, I just thought—"

"No, no, it's..." He closed his eyes, gathering himself with a sigh through his nose, "I'm not. I can't be in a relationship." He explains.

Hailey nods, "Because of your line of business?"

"Because of me.." He admits softly, his eyes watering slightly, "It's not your fault and I'm sorry if I gave you any mixed signals—"

"Miss?" A medic walked up to Hailey, "Are you riding with your brother?"

She nods instantly, "Yeah. I'll be right there," She turned to Bowie one last time, "I hope you find your dad."

He watched her walk away.

"I hope not." He whispered.

"Ayo!" Dean waved his hands toward Bowie, "Let's get a move on!"

Bowie scoffed, "I'm coming!" He walks up quickly to the car, punching Dean's shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

"Awesome," Dean grabbed his shoulder with a wince, he glanced at Sam before turning firmly to Bowie, "We made a good team." He says.

Bowie raised an eyebrow, "We did?"

He sighed, rubbing his chin. "I. . ."

"Don't strain yourself."

"Don't rush me," Dean waved him off, a small smile forming on his face, "I. .I couldn't have done all that without you, you know, because you're my. . .my brother and all, and. ." He winced.

Bowie was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Okay, listen you little shit—"

"He's trying to say thank you!" Sam says, giving a loud laugh.

He never felt so content look between his brothers, never seeing them so. .close before.

As a child, it was all he ever wanted.

"You're welcome," Bowie grinned.

Dean pats himself down, "Shit, Ben still has my gun—"

"You let him hold the gun—"

Dean rushes toward the ambulance, motioning for them to stop before they pulled out of the parking lot.

Bowie shook his head, pulling the hearing aids from the box and slipping them on with a smile.

With the ability to hear again, he closed the box and opened the passengers seat, pulling the glove department open and shoving the empty box in there.

He stops.

His eyebrow's furrowed as his knuckles brushed against a stack of letters. Pulling the stack out his heartbeat began to pick up, heat burning in his ears as he read the bold words in front.

To: Bowie James Winchester
From: The Kansas City Art Institute

The letters under that dropped out of his hands and onto the ground, causing Sam to look up from the trunk with a frown.

"Bow? You okay?" He asked.

Bowie felt his breath speed up, ripping the letter open and reading over the words with teary eyes.

After great consideration. . . his heart his hurting him. . . are pleased to have you on our staff this coming September as our new traditional Art Professor and-

He couldn't even finish it.

He couldn't even see straight.

"Jesus, Bowie, what's wrong?" Sam asked him, rounding the car and grabbing his shoulder.

Dean walks back to the car, holding his empty gun with a smile, "Okay let's get back on—"

In a blink of an eye, Bowie rushed forward and slammed his fist into Dean's jaw, causing him to stumble back. Sam shouts out in surprise but in a burning rage Bowie slammed his fist again, putting all his weight on top of Dean and beating him with a loud cry.

"Get off him! Get off him!" Sam screamed, trying to pry his big brother away. "Stop it!"

"You ruined my fucking life all over again!" Bowie cried, "You fucking bastard, you fucking asshole!"

Dean got the upper hand and grabbing a fist full of Bowie's wavy hair, tugging it to the side and off of him. Sam helplessly watched them tumble in the dirt.

Dean drops Bowie on his back, pressing his arm against Bowie's throat, his legs on either side of his little brother's stomach to keep him in place. He used his other hand to pin Bowie's fist down. He was restraining him.

"Calm down!" He says through a mouthful of blood, his eye already swelling, "Calm the fuck down! What is your problem, huh?! What the fuck is your problem? What's wrong with you?!"

Sam slowly bends down to pick up the paper, reading it over, "Dean. ." He announced in shock, "You took the letter?"

Dean falters, his hand snapping to Bowie with wide-eyes, "Bowie, listen to me—"

Bowie starts hyperventilating in panic, "Get off me! Get off me! Get the fuck off me!" He cried, scrambling away from the weight of Dean's body on top of him, his eyes flashing in a memory as he crawled backward.

"I'm sorry!" Dean says quickly, raising his hands up to show him he didn't want to hurt him, "I'm sorry, okay!? I didn't mean to restrain you like that—"

Bowie feels his skin crawl, rocking back and forth on the ground as he rubbed his arms to rid his chills.

"Dean! The letter!" Sam snapped at him.

"I knew he wouldn't have come with us if he say it okay?!" He bellowed, his face red, "We need him to come with us! It was the only way—"

"You used him..." Sam corrects in realization.

"No, no I—" He shakes his head, "Damnit, Sam, you act like he can't just reapply or something!"

"He was supposed to call and confirm weeks ago," He reasons from the letter, "You took his chances away, Dean!"

"We needed him to find, Dad! What was I supposed to do?!" He shouted back.

Suddenly, Bowie stood up. His breathing steady, his tears wiped and his eyes. . .void of any real emotion, "I'll help you find your dad," His voice was low, almost un-like him as he stood in front of Dean, "And the second I do, you are never—ever going to see me again." He vowed slowly, ever word carrying in the air.

"When this is over, I will hide from you and your father until the day I die, because you are. . .the worst person I have ever met in my life. And I hope you rot in Hell. . .just like him." Bowie says, shaking his head, "That's all you are, Dean. You're your daddy's blunt little instrument. Who never cared about me a day in his life."

With a rough bump against his shoulder, Bowie walked to the car and slammed the back door behind him. Sam slowly followed.

Neither of them saw the tears that formed in Dean's eyes as he crumbled the letter in his hands.

[ merry christmas folks <3 ]
also, we're getting a flashback
chapter next

DEC / 25 / 2021