𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 || 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 2 ~ Meat-Man? Really?

Episode: Season 15 - Atomic Monsters Pt. 1

"No...no. Mom, no!" I gasped, sitting bolt upright in the tiny twin bed in the guest room.

Breathing hard, my gaze flicked over to that of the sleeping form of my brother in the other bed. Roman lie with his back facing me, completely oblivious to his surroundings as he dreamed. Closing my eyes briefly, I let out a sigh of relief before untangling myself from the entrapment of my sheets and swung my legs over the side of the mattress. It was just a bad dream, I reassured myself, eyes wandering over to the alarm clock on the nightstand.

8:42 AM.

Hm. I'd made it through the night in this strange place. I sighed then, shaking my head at my own stupidity for sleeping in so late. The guys said they wanted to leave earlier than this. Hurriedly pulling on some clothes, I rushed down the long hallway that led to the kitchen. This place was a maze! But as I finally neared my destination, voices drifted out from the doorway that stopped me in my tracks.

'Cause the truth was, even though Roman and I had come here, of our own volition, being around our...fathers...was still nerve-wracking. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I had these vague flashes of memory every time I looked at Sam but whenever I looked at Dean, I...I just went blank. I didn't have any recollection of this man who was my biological father. Hesitating in the threshold, hidden by shadows, I waited...and listened.

"Yeah, been there. Why don't you eat something? You'll feel better," Dean was telling Sam.

Sam hesitated a moment, "Dean, you know I don't eat-"

"It's veggie bacon,"

"What?"

"You've been asking for it," Dean pointed out to him around a mouthful of food.

"Yeah. But every time I ask for it, you say, and I'm quoting, "I don't want any of that hippie, Sarah McLaughlin grass-eater mess in the Meat Man's kitchen", Sam quoted back at his brother, "Which, by the way, for what it's worth, you gotta stop calling yourself "The Meat Man". It-it doesn't mean what you think it means,"

I arched my eyebrows at that, leaning closer to listen.

Dean scoffed, "Yeah, it does! Anyway, it's not that bad, give it a shot,"

"I'm good," Sam brushed him off, sipping some coffee out of an old, chipped mug.

"No, you're not. The past few days, you've barely come out of your room. In fact, the only time you come out was yesterday. And that was only cause..." Dean trailed off then, the brothers briefly lapsing into an uncomfortable silence before moving on to a different subject, "Look, man, I get it, okay? With Jack and Rowena..."

I frowned at the names, not recognizing either from mom's stories. Did she even know them? Both brothers went silent once again a moment before Dean continued.

"Rowena knew what she was getting herself into. She knew what needed to be done,"

"Doesn't make it any easier,"

"No, it doesn't," Dean agreed, clearing his throat then as he pushed a small laptop towards Sam, "Here. In the last month, Beaverdale, Iowa has seen more than a half-dozen cattle mutilations,"

"So what- mountain lion or-" Sam started to ask.

"Three days ago, a girl's body showed up - ripped to pieces. Now, local badges think they've got themselves a psycho on their hands. But, I mean, come on, man, that sounds exactly like our thing. So let's go check it out,"

"Really? With Yasmin and Roman tagging along? Hunting isn't a place for kids," Sam pointed out to him.

But Dean wouldn't hear it, waving him off, "We did it at their age - younger, actually! They'll be fine,"

"But what about Par-" Sam began but this time, Dean was harsher.

"Don't say her name..." he warned his little brother, voice low and cold before he went on, "We'll check it out on the way there. Just like we used to."

His statement left no room for argument and Sam dropped the subject. But I could tell that mom was not a topic that seemed to be ever up for discussion with these two. I bit my lip hard then, not liking the sound of this one bit. Spending more time than was necessary with the Winchesters was not what I'd had in mind. But before I had the chance to move from my spot by the doorway, Dean stepped through.

Green locked on green, his expression unreadable at my appearance in the shadows. He opened his mouth to say something when suddenly, Sam piped up from the kitchen, "That's real bacon! Dean!"

Dean cracked a smile then, pointing a finger at his younger brother, "You're right it is! Meat-Man!"

As he walked off, quite proud of himself I might add, I finally stepped into the dim light of the kitchen. A bewildered expression was plastered to my face while I stared back at Sam.

"Uh...do I really have to claim him?"