Chapter Text
Mommies Know Exactly What is Needed
by Lady FoxFire
May 30, 2007
In a small two-bedroom apartment, John Winchester sat hunched over a battered old leather bound book as he flipped through the Latin-English dictionary trying to translate it.
"John Winchester?"
John's head immediately snapped up as his hand grabbed the gun that he always carried. In a heartbeat the gun was trained on the intruder.
Standing in front of him was a young woman dressed in a simple forest green dress with flowing red hair and the most startling green eyes he had ever seen.
"Who are you?" John rose from his chair and positioned himself so he was between the woman and the bedroom where his young sons slept. "How did you get in here?"
"My name is Lily Potter," the woman’s accent clearly defined her as a British citizen, "and I mean you no harm."
"You haven't answered my question, lady," John snarled. "How the hell did you get in here?"
Lily walked slowly over towards the old couch and slowly sat down on it. John's eyes widened as he noticed that she didn't sink into the couch that his sons had nicknamed the monster couch since it seemed to try to swallow anyone who sat on it.
"You have to understand, I'm not really here," she kept her hands in plain slight.
With narrowed eyes, John quickly glance at the salt line and symbols of protection upon the walls, checking to sure they hadn’t been broken as he started to chant in Latin. He kept up the low chant as he moved slowly over to where he stored his some of his equipment.
"That won't work," Lily stated confidently. "I'm not a ghost nor demon. So that won't do anything."
John ignored her claim and as soon as he finished the chant he began it again. Grabbing the bottle of holy water he opened it and splashed Lily with it only to have the water pass right through her.
"Are you finished now," she asked with impatiently, "because we don’t have a lot of time and I really don't want to wake up Sam or Dean."
The muzzle of the gun that had been lowering towards the floor was once again pointed at the intruder. "What do you want with my boys," John snarled.
Lily sighed in disgust. "Mary, I don't know how in hell you put up with this man," she said as she looked up at the ceiling, "he's worse than James or Sirius ever were."
"Mary," John whispered as he lowered himself in his vacant chair, the gun in his hand forgotten. "Are you… are you an angel?"
"No. Or at least I think I am… now," Lily stumbled over her explanation. "I mean I'm pretty sure I will be dead… or I am dead now… your now not my now."
John looked at Lily in confusion and said the only thing anyone could say when they find themselves in a situation such as this one, "Huh?"
Lily grabbed a lock of her hair and started to play with it. "Well it's a bit confusing. You see I'm a witch…"
As soon as Lily had said the word ‘witch’ John had the gun pointed at her.
Lily rolled her eyes at John as she cross her arms over her chest. "Your protection spell didn't work. Holy water didn't work. Do you really expect a bullet to work?"
"Won't know until I try do I," John replied.
"If it weren’t for the fact that my son’s life and your boy’s lives are in danger I would tell you exactly where to shove that gun of yours," Lily snarled.
"What about my boys," John growled.
"Are you going to listen to me?" Lily snapped.
Flicking the safety on his gun John sat down.
Taking that as a 'yes' Lily continued. "As I said I'm a witch but I'm not evil. The evilest thing I ever did was put grape Kool-Aid in the shower heads in 4th yr. boys dorm," An evil smile graced Lily's lips. "One of my daddy's American friends taught me that, even supplied me the Kool-Aid. James and his friends were purple for weeks."
"But I'm straying from the point. I'm part of a hidden community of beings that have the ability to do magic," Lily explained. "The people of this community are just like everyone. We're not evil we just want to graduate from school get a job, find the love of our lives and settle down and have children and then grandchildren and finally die from old age. But for some that's not enough."
"In the early 70's a wizard appeared calling himself Lord Voldemort. He began to gather those who were angry that we had to hide, that we weren't in control of the world, those who hated those who weren't pure; meaning their parents were magical and so were their grandparents. He and his followers started a war against those who those who just wanted to live, to raise their children in peace and let the non-magical people do the same."
"And what does this have to do with my boys?" John growled.
Lily exhaled nervously. "I'm also a Seer. I can see the future. That how I'm talking to you right now. Right now, for me the date is October 20, 1981 and I'm recording this message for you; so I can convince you to help me save not only my son but Dean, Sam and the rest of the world."
"Keep talking," John commanded.
Lily stood and started pacing back and forth. "When I was pregnant with my son, my Harry, I began to have visions of two possible futures. In one Harry is raised by my sister and her husband." Lily took a shaking breath. "They abused him. They tortured a child, an innocent just because he was blessed with the ability to do magic. At the end of this vision my son confronts and defeats Voldemort but he dies in the process. Voldemort's followers will survive and are strong enough to take over the magical community, then they start to wage war against the rest of the world by pitting country against country, brother against brother."
"Also in this future I saw Dean and Sam. I saw Sam lose his girl to the demon you hunt. I watched as she died in a fire while pinned to the ceiling in their bedroom." Lily saw John's face grow pale. "That’s how Mary died isn't it? She died in the fire, pinned to the ceiling just like Jess, Sam's girl did. I never saw how she died just that it was in a fire."
John nodded his head slowly. "I was there but I couldn't reach her. The fire was too hot."
Lily sat back down. "So that why you raised them to be hunters? Because of the demon?"
Taking an unsteady breath, John ran his hand through his hair. "I have to protect them. They're the only thing I have left of Mary," he said with a quick glance to the closed bedroom door. "I can't always be there but I can teach them how to protect themselves."
The room fell into silence as the two parents though about their children and how far they would go to protect them. "What else happened?" John asked.
Lily looked down at her hands as the rested in her lap. "You stopped being a father to the boys. They became soldiers, tools for your war." Lily glanced up at John, tears in her eyes. "Dean would do whatever you wanted, he would fall on his own sword just to get you to smile at him with pride. Sam was just like you. He fought you, he wanted more in life than the hunt but you were too afraid to let him go, too afraid that he would get hurt. One day Sam had the chance to have a life outside of the hunt. The two of you fought and… you kicked him out, telling him to never return."
"I wouldn't," John said in disbelief as he shook his head. "I wouldn't do that. He's my son I would never kick him out"
"You were angry," Lily said. "You were trying to protect him but he won't see it, he won't accept it. He couldn't see how much you loved both of them."
John stood up suddenly and marched into the kitchen, leaving the gun behind on the desk. The sounds of cabinets being opened and closed then the sound of running water could be heard from there.
Lily waited quietly for John's return.
"What else," John commanded in a firmer voice as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a half empty glass of water in hand. "What else does this future hold?"
"Your death," Lily said calmly. "Then later Dean's death and Sammy in a mental institution; one he'll never leave."
"Fuck!" John snarled throwing the glass into the kitchen. The sound of the glass breaking echoed in the small room.
John stormed over to Lily. "You said you saw two futures," he said angrily. "What does the other one hold?"
"I saw you with three boys, raising them to be hunters, raising them to live, not just to survive," Lily met John’s stare with one of her own. "I saw them defeat Voldemort and his followers… together. And I saw you finally defeating the Demon; not sending him back to whatever Hell he crawled out of but defeating him so he could never return."
John leaned back so he was resting against the desk. "How do I know any of this is true?"
"You don't," Lily replied. "But can you really take the chance?"
John glances back to the bedroom door. "No. Not really," he replied as his brow furrowed in thought.
"John," Lily said nervously, "my baby is a year and a half younger than Dean." Lily closed her eyes. "And if I'm right I will die probably a few days from now," Lily opened her eyes again and looked at John, her eyes glistened with unshed tears, "in my time."
John stared at Lily, his brow furrowed in confusion then as if a light switch has been throw the realization of what Lily just said dawned upon him and soon followed the horror.
"How old is he?" John whispered as she sank down until he was on the floor, his back against the desk. "In your time; how old is he?"
"Fifteen months," Lily said a tear slowly making it's way down her check.
"A year and a half younger than Dean" John said after a moment of thought, "and Dean's almost 7 and a half."
"He's been there 4 years," she said.
John closed his eyes, his hands slowly curled into fists. "How bad?"
"He doesn't know his own name," Lily said softly as her fingers plucked at her dress.
John dragged a hand over his face as if to drag this nightmare away; his hand stopped to rest at his mouth. "I don't know," he said quietly as he shook his head.
Lily looked up at John; her eyes widening slightly with fear.
"I don't know if I can," he looked around the small dismal apartment, not really seeing it. "I know I have to but I don't know if I can."
Lost in thought neither Lily nor John noticed the boys' bedroom door open up or saw Dean until he was standing between them.
Dean looked at Lily then he turned his head and look at his father as he sat on the floor then back at Lily once again.
"Hello Dean," Lily said as she wiped her tears away with the palm of her hand.
Dean nodded his head in greeting
"Dean?" John said with concern in this voice as Dean turned to look at him. "Is everything ok? Sammy?"
Dean nodded his head to John's questions before turning and once again looked at Lily, studying her, judging her.
"Dean?"
"Your son is going to live with us? Become a Winchester?" Dean asked.
Lily looked over at John questionably. John nodded his head in answer.
A soft smile graced Lily's face. "Yes. Yes he is."
Dean nodded his head in acceptance, his body tensing slightly. "And he's going to protect Sammy and daddy, right? Keep daddy alive and keep Sammy from the mental in… inst… that place you said Sammy would be after I died."
"Yes. Yes I believe he will," Lily replied.
Dean sighed sadly as he looked down at his bare feet. "Will I have to take his place?" he asked softly.
"What?" Lily asked
Dean raised his head; his eyes filling with unshed tears. "Will… will I have to take his place?"
"What?" John sputtered grabbing Dean by the shoulders and turning him around until he was facing him. "No. No, Dean you're not going anyplace."
"But he's to protect Sammy. That was my job and if he's taking my place shouldn't I take his?" Dean said his head bowed down as he accepted his fate.
John cupped Dean's chin and dragged it up until their eyes meet. "No one is ever going to take you or Sammy away from me," he stated before he pulled Dean into a hug.
Dean snuffled softly against his father's shoulder, his hands clutching at the fabric of John's shirt.
Lily watched silence as the father and son rediscover each other but with a sad smile Lily cleared her throat in an attempt to get their attentions. John looked up, his eyes slightly moist.
"John, my time is almost up and I need to know what your answer is," Lily said. "Will you accept my son and raise him as if he was one of your own children?"
Dean raise his head from where it had been resting on John's should and looked up at his father while John looked down upon him. Dean nodded his head.
With a sigh of relief John turned his attention back to Lily. "Agreed," John said firmly. "I'll raise him right, Lily." John looked down at Dean once again. "I'll raise all of them right."
"I know you will," Lily said as she rose from the couch. "After I leave my son will arrive but remember… my sister… he should never have been given to her."
"We'll take care of him. Don't worry we'll fix what they're done to him," John stated with the same conviction he used when he spoke about destroying the demon that took his wife from him.
Lily's face lit up with hope. "Goody bye John, Dean. I hope it's many years until we meet again." And with that Lily vanished.
As Lily vanished, they heard the sound of something heavy hitting the floor and that was soon followed by a softer thud with an 'ouch' included.
John's eyes narrowed as he grabbed his gun as he carefully made his way around the couch Lily had been sitting on checking for the source of the noise. In the far corner John found an old fashioned steamer trunk and a small boy, curled up in the corner hugging himself, whispering softly.
With a flip of his thumb, John put the gun's safety on and nodded his head for Dean to go to the smaller boy while he investigated the trunk.
Dean plopped down next to the scared boy and leaned against the wall.
"Hi," Dean said in a cheerful sounding voice. "I'm Dean."
The boy raised his head slightly and looked at Dean and then over at John as he read some papers he found in the trunk. "Hi," the boy said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
Dean waited for a moment for the younger boy to continue but when he didn't Dean said, "What’s your name?"
"Freak," the child replied in the same soft voice as he watched both Dean and John while huddling in the corner.
"That not a name," Dean stated. "It's a… well it's not a name."
The boy stared at Dean in confusion. "Boy," he replied.
"No that what I am and Sammy and you," Dean said his young brow furrowed in thought. "We're all boys," Dean waved a hand around to include everyone in the apartment, "except for Daddy he's a man, not a boy."
John looked up from the papers and chuckled softly as he returns to his reading.
"Oh," Harry says softly as he starts to relax in the other boy present.
"So do you have a name?" Dean asks.
After a few minutes the young boy slowly shook his head.
"Everyone needs a name," Dean stated. "And since you're a Winchester now you need a cool one."
"Winchester?" boy said his eyes widening at Dean statement.
Dean made an agreeing noise as he chewed on his bottom lip in thought. "How about Panthro…. Panthro Winchester?"
"No," John called out as he sorted through the trunk. "You can't name him after a cartoon character."
"Not even Prince Adam?" Dean asked.
John looked up at the boys. "Adam Winchester," he repeated to himself as he looked at Lily's son. "Adam doesn’t fit him."
Dean crossed his arms over his chest; his brow furrow in thought. "Mark Winchester… nah. Bill? Billy... Bully. Steve? Duncan… Hey dad what about Duncan Winchester?"
"Duncan Winchester… Duncan Aragorn Winchester?" John repeated to himself a couple times.
"Aragorn?" Dean said in confusion.
"A character from one of my favorite books. You were going to be named Aragorn David Winchester but you're mother won't let me."
Dean just shook his head at his father but he started to rub his eyes.
"Looks like you two need to got some sleep," John suggested.
"I'm not tired," he said around a yawn as he looked over to his newest brother who had fallen asleep in his corner.
"Of course not champ," John said as he walked over and scooped Duncan up while Dean climbed to his feet.
Dean scratched his head sleepily as he followed his father. "What's in the trunk daddy?"
John chucked softly. "It seem as if Duncan's mom was very much like yours Dean. She made sure that we had exactly what we needed. Exactly what we needed."