Well this is it, folks. Thanks for all your support during this story... And as promised the next story is already in the works and should be posting shortly... Enjoy :) Love Phoenix

Forget Me Not

Chapter 32 - The Conclusion

It was early in the morning when Bruin left Father Jim's house on foot. The power Sam had drained from him left him permanently neutered – a shadow of the witch he had once been, so he was forced to consider more conventional manners of transportation than his usual.

An exhausted John Winchester followed him down as far of the road, ensuring the pest actually left and pointedly not offering the witch a ride. Bruin was owed nothing and should be thankful enough that he had gotten away with his life… and he was.

However.

"You realize this'll just turn the demon's eye on Missouri more quickly, don't you?" the witch asked as he stopped at the end of the driveway. "It won't have to come after me anymore." He paused and then added bitterly, "Thanks to Sam."

"You tried to turn my son into a witch," John growled. "You're damn lucky to still be living."

"Oh I am," Bruin backpedaled quickly just in case the hunter's flared overprotectiveness rethought his position on the witch's current mortality. "I'm just saying that this thing has been working down the power line and with me barely sparking, he'll go after your friend first."

John held his gaze. "That's why I've agreed to help find this demon and destroy it."

"I know. To help Missouri," Bruin nodded. "And I appreciate it even if I think my original plan could still work-"

"You are not using Sam for bait," John's tone left no room for argument and the other man held up his hands in surrender. "You get me. Nothing else."

Bruin shrugged. "You can't blame a fella for trying."

"Actually. Yes I can," the hunter was in no mood for levity. "And I can kill him too for even less."

The witch shifted away from the anger he felt building in the other man.

"You can leave now," John ordered when Bruin didn't start walking again.

"Can I ask you something, first?" the witch asked, seriously pressing his luck but genuinely curious.

John actually growled. "Will you leave then?"

The witch nodded his head so the hunter indicated for him to continue.

"How far will you go to avenge the past?"

The question caught John off guard. "What?" he bristled.

"You heard me," Bruin said. "How far are you willing to go?"

"I will go as far as I have to," the man stated testily and then asked. "Why?"

"Because you've been given the weapon to kill the fire demon, I just wonder if – when the time comes – you'll actually use it. That's all," the witch mused, his tone contemplative.

"What are you talking about?" John demanded, moving in on the witch. "What weapon?"

"Sam," Bruin said bluntly, standing his ground. "Why do you think he's been given these 'gifts'? I have no idea what your son actually is, but he's much more powerful than I'd anticipated and the more I think about it, the more I see the irony that in the end, to avenge your wife it might cost you your son. I'm just wondering if you're willing to go that far…" he dared to smirk. "I am pretty sure your other son isn't-" John's fist hit his mouth, knocking the witch flat on his ass before Bruin even saw it coming.

The incensed hunter stood over him. "I have no idea what you are talking about but Sam has nothing to do with this – nothing."

"Then you're in denial," Bruin spat, wiping his bloody mouth and pushing himself back to his feet.

"Sam has visions - possibly telekinesis. When the time comes, that'll amount to not much more than mere parlor tricks-"

"Then hook him up," the witch snarled. "Let the demon into his mind and I can guarantee that your boy will drain the life from him like he almost did to me." John paled and Bruin continued. "Look at me! I was powerful – damn near demon strength and yet I got sucker punched by a child who can't even wield the strength of what he's been given…" He paused and forced himself to calm down. "Sam's subconscious turned on me – it is the most savage leech I have ever experienced, and although it only retaliated to protect him, it couldn't stop…. It continued to pull enough power from me that, unless your older boy hadn't physically broken the connection, Sam would have bleed me dry until I was dead… until we were both dead. A mind can't pull in death without surrendering to it, itself."

John's jaw tightened and he glanced briefly at the house where his sons were still sleeping.

"So again I'll ask," Bruin pushed. "How far will you go?"

The man didn't answer and the witch snorted and eyed him coldly. "We really aren't that different are we? Bait or the weapon, it really doesn't matter as long as we kill our demon, does it?" And then he started to walk away…

…

John watched until the witch was out of sight. His gut twisted as Bruin's words hit home. Since Mary's death he had become obsessed with finding and destroying her killer but now -

Now life had cruelly turned on him again.

Sam was a weapon, even he knew that regardless of how hard he tried to deny it. But was he the weapon of choice?

Frowning, the hunter made his way back to the quiet house, his head pounding with the weight of his knowledge.

"John?" Missouri's quiet voice from the dark living room startled him.

"Missy," the hunter put a hand over his rapidly beating heart. "You trying to kill me here?"

The woman chuckled and even in the dark, he saw her shake her head. "Do you see a blender?"

John snorted. "No-" he paused and added. "But it is dark."

"I'd slap you if I thought it'd help," the woman groused and then her tone turned serious. "Is he gone?"

"Who? Your friend?" the man couldn't help but jibe and then he sighed and sank down in the chair across from where Missouri was sitting. "Yeah. He's gone."

"Sam gave him a good scare," the woman noted, purposefully ignoring the barb. There was no way John could ever understand how she was connected with Bruin so she didn't bother to try and explain.

"He did," John agreed and then stood up. "If you'd excuse me, old friend. I think I'm going to check on the boys and then call it a night. I want to get on the road in a couple of hours."

Missouri also stood. "You're going after this thing then?"

The hunter nodded. "I am."

"You know you don't have to," the psychic told him as she started towards the hall. "I can look after myself."

"I know," John moved behind her. "But just humor me for once… let me help."

Missouri paused and reached out to touch his shoulder lightly. "You know you don't owe me anything."

"I know that too," the man put his hand over hers and squeezed. "You're my friend, Missy, and a good friend too… that's why I'm doing this."

In the dark the woman blushed and for a moment the two friends just stood in the dark hallway until finally Missouri sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine. You can help… I'm still not helpless though," she muttered making John chuckle.

"Ms. Mosely you are many things, but helpless is definitely not one of them."

"And don't you forget it either." As they reached the door, she frowned. "What about the boys – are you taking them with you?"

"Nope," John said. "They have another job to do for me."

"Oh and what's that?" the woman asked.

The hunter gave her a peek on the cheek and then pulled away. "They're going to take you home."

A smile tugged at Missouri's mouth even as she griped. "Hundreds of miles trapped in a car with those two boys – why John I thought you said I was your friend!"

"You are," he assured her as he turned to leave. "But they're my boys and if I don't give them something to do, they're bound to find trouble…"

Missouri couldn't help but roll her eyes. Wasn't that the truth?

Still… hours trapped in the car with the young man she had pureed lizards' toes for? The psychic shuddered and hurried into her room, wondering vaguely if she had enough time to slip Dean something to make him forget her…

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

John stood next to the bunk beds and stared at his sleeping sons. Dean had stirred slightly when he had first entered the room but then settled back down, unconsciously sensing his father.

He thought about what Bruin said and searched the sleeping men for his answer but found none. He knew that Dean would vehemently protest using Sam to destroy the demon – his brother's safety always at the forefront of his mind; while Sam would somehow see it as an absolute penance when he had done no wrong, and offer himself up without a protest.

And in the end and without splitting hairs, John would have lost them all.

Closing his eyes, the hunter swallowed hard, not willing to let the salty sting sear his face. The brutal image of his beautiful wife dying over his infant son's crib burned across his mind and for one more moment he held Mary's gaze; even in death, she loved…

How far are you willing to go?

John knew the answer; he had known it all along.

Opening he eyes, he shook his head.

Not that far.

There had to be another way to destroy the fire demon and John was determined to find it. Until then they'd continue to do what they did best and kill every evil sonnavubitch along the way...

In a couple of hours he'd tell the boys he was leaving and they were going back to Lawrence. Until then, he sat down in the small desk chair across from the bed, leaned his head back and closed his eyes – until then, he'd spend some time with his sons any way he could.

The End