They call me the Anti-Christ

ooc: Based off this picture prompt. From John's POV.

John Winchester was learning rather quickly that his youngest son had a wild imagination. Also, that leaving him alone with Bobby was sometimes not such a good idea after all.

Sam was six now, sitting at the kitchen table when John got back from a hunt. Bobby was out working in the yard, and John would bet that Dean was following behind him, trying to learn and help with the cars. The mechanic blood ran strong in Dean, and he always wanted to know how things worked.

But not Sam. Sam was happy with the books and his gummi bears on the table. He had learned how to read by the time he was four, and some of the words that Sam knew now - but couldn't spell - made John feel like he had no education at all.

So seeing one of Bobby's research books open in front of Sam wasn't that big of a shock. However, it was turned to an especially graphic page with a human decapitating a vampire. "What you reading, Sammy?" John asked, putting his bag down on the counter.

"Uncle Bobby said it was a horror picture book. I can't read it because it's in pig latin, but the pictures are really gross." Sam looked up at his father and smiled, his fingers playing with the gummi bears. There was also a half eaten strawberry Jell-O cup beside his elbow.

"Well, I'll have to talk to Uncle Bobby about letting you read these things. It'll give you nightmares..." John went to pick up the book, then stopped as he saw exactly what Sam was doing with his gummi bears. "... Sam?"

"Yeah Dad?"

"Why don't you go out and play with Bobby's dog for awhile... get some fresh air."

"But orange bear still needs to set the vampire bear's head on fire." He pointed to the picture, then grabbed the box of matches. "I'm almost ready!"

John closed his eyes, then took the matches. "I don't think Bobby would appreciate you setting the kitchen on fire, Sam."

"But Daaaaaad..."

"Outside now, Sammy."

Sam just pouted, pushing his chair back and getting up. "You never let me have any fun," he stated, then grabbed Cheney by the collar and led the dog outside. John watched him go, then sat down at the table and shook his head.

He wasn't sure if he should be amused by this, or sad in knowing that eventually, Sam would be doing the same thing he was having his bears act out. Right now, he just wanted Sam to be a real kid and run around outside with the dog and play.

The monsters would come soon enough.

They would go away for weeks, even months at a time now. There had been fights, but Sam was adamant to stay in one school for his senior year. So the hotel had become a home base where Sam snuck out early in the morning to get to school before people wondered why he didn't ride the bus. He stayed late in the public library so he didn't have to go "home" right away.

His girlfriend, who he started to date right after homecoming, took pity on him and invited him to dinner at her place at least twice a week. Her mother fell in love with the sweet boy her daughter liked, and insisted that he was too skinny and needed to eat. So he was well fed for the first time in his life, learning that there was more to meals than Lucky Charms and McDonald's fries.

Pastor Jim helped him figure out how to file for colleges. They both knew that John Winchester was expecting Sam to give up on the schooling after this year, but Sam liked school. He wanted to do something more than just killing demons. He'd be happier if he never saw a demon again for the rest of his life, in fact. That was going to be an argument he would have to face with his father sooner or later.

But the fact he wanted out of this life didn't stop him from sleeping with a gun under his bed at night. He was a dreamer, but he wasn't stupid either.

( They came back... )

Muse: Sam Winchester
Supernatural
Words: 807