Blue Moon Demon

By: Coffeemaniac

This story is an adventure that spans from pre-series and into Season 7. It's liberally dosed with Bobby Singer, and includes appearances by John Winchester, Crowley and Gabriel (aka the Trickster, aka the Archangel)

Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

1996: Dean is seventeen, Sam is 13

July 31, 1996

Dean darted awake in the upstairs room that he shared with Sam. His single bed with a sheet and warm blanket snuggled around him. The familiar pillow cradled under his head. He didn't want to be awake. He wanted to sleep longer safe and dreaming in Bobby Singer's house.

He probably would have slept until his father woke him for a mid-morning breakfast. But, instead, angry voices and slamming doors startled him into sitting up. He looked towards his brother's bed, startled again to find Sam missing.

He pushed the covers back and settled flat footed on the warm wood floor. He wished that he had worn pajama bottoms to bed instead of just boxers because he had to stop and dress before investigating further. He pulled on the jeans from the day before and padded out of the room and into the hall. Shirtless and barefoot, he scratched his chest as he listened to the distant yelling that still disturbed the morning.

Once he crossed the threshold into the hall, the voices grew loud and distinct. His father's voice mixed with Bobby's as they tangled up words and curses.

Dean didn't know what they were arguing about but he had never heard them fight like that before. He knew they disagreed regularly, and his Dad almost never gave in or admitted when he was wrong. In the past, Dean had seen Bobby change the subject or offer words to placate without actually agreeing, or sometimes he'd just walk away and let the matter drop. The fight he was listening to showed none of those likelihoods. The two men were snarling and shouting at each other like starving wolves battling over meat.

Dean crept down the stairs wondering where Sam was, and hoping his brother wasn't involved in the disagreement.

When he reached the bottom step, Dean sat down to listen. He hadn't wanted to get in the middle of whatever was going on until he understood what he was dealing with.

"John Winchester, you miserable son of a bitch," Bobby said. "Maybe you should've never have started coming here then."

"I saw what you were doing," John said. "With my children in the house. Have you lost your mind?"

"You don't know what you saw."

"The hell I don't. You do what you want, but not when my boys are here."

"The boys are fine."

"Only because I stopped you. If you'd kept going…"

"What? What do you think I would've let happen? You think this is my first demon hunt? You think I can't handle it?"

"Summoning a demon? No, I don't think you can handle it. It'll kill you and then it'll come after us. What were you thinking?"

"That it's my house," Bobby said. Dean thought his voice sounded like thunder and he was getting scared at where the fight might lead.

"You call me reckless and you pull a stunt like that?" John said.

"Hey, you don't trust me then I don't need you here."

John's voice lowered. "He was standing right behind you. He could've been killed."

Dean perked up at that revelation. Who could've been killed? And where was Sam?

"Don't be so dramatic," Bobby said. His voice had gone down too and it was starting to sound like the two men might be calming down. "I was ready. It's not my fault you decided to drop in out of nowhere on the one night that I need to do this. Had to be last night, the second full moon of the month or else I'd have to wait another three years."

"So, you needed a blue moon but you should've just told me about it. I could've taken the boys someplace else. I could've helped."

"I didn't want your help. It was all under control until you…"

"Under control? Under control?" John said. The anger flared back up. "His hand is burned. You nearly wiped out the cellar. If I hadn't been there, you'd both be…"

"Dead? You really think I would let anything happen to that boy?"

"You did let something happen. You brought it here."

"That's it, I'm done. I have cared for those boys when you couldn't or wouldn't. I have sheltered all of you when you needed it. I've done my part. You don't trust my knowledge or my ability. You don't trust me to keep those children safe. You can pack up your stuff and get out."

"Dad, I'm all right." Sam's squeaky voice slipped into the air. Dean jumped up from where he had been eavesdropping and went into the kitchen.

"Go get your things, we're leaving," John said to Sam.

"I'm really okay. If I'd just stayed in bed, none of this…"

"He'd probably have burned down the whole house," John said. Dean noted that his father was looking at Bobby.

Dean also noticed that Sam's right hand was bandaged all the way to his wrist.

"Get off my property," Bobby said. Dean had never seen him so angry. The older man was shaking with rage.

"Get your bags, boys. Don't bother getting changed, just get your things and get down here," John said.

Dean and Sam had murmured "yessirs" automatically and then fled up the stairs to get their duffels. Dean stopped long enough to slip on boots but didn't tie them. He threw the rest of his dirty clothes on top of the clean ones in his bag, zipped it up and ran back downstairs with Sam on his heels.

Fear and worry overrode everything else. He loved Bobby and couldn't imagine not being able to go to his house. He wished his father would calm down and apologize. Dean didn't understand what happened but he knew that Bobby would never hurt them.

"What did you do?" Dean said. Fury laced the question he threw at Sam as they reached the bottom step and Sam just shook his head with his top lip trembling and his eyes glassy.

"Boys!" They heard their father's call and ran into the kitchen. John shuffled them out the front door and told them to get in the car.

Dean turned around in the front seat so he could see Bobby. John stopped outside the car door. Bobby lifted the shotgun from where it leaned against the porch railing. He didn't point it in their direction but the threat was there anyway. John shook his head and climbed into the driver's seat without another word.