Cassie had been home for almost two weeks before she finally told Dean the whole story he let her cry herself to sleep when she was done. He watched her sleep with tears in his eyes the same ones he had held in while she told him all about her ordeal. He didn’t understand if there was a God why he let these things happen. Cassie had never hurt anyone; she was a loving woman from all that he had seen. He felt God, if he existed, had taken all his short comings out on the person that loved him the most. He just didn’t understand how the cosmic realm worked. He had held her as long as he could but she really needed to relax against the pillows.

He felt like a good long talk with Sammy would help but he noticed it was after one a.m. on the bedside clock but he might just catch him since they were an hour earlier. He got up off the bed slowly to keep it from moving as he made his way to the kitchen to use the phone. Sam answered after three rings.
“Hello?”
“Are you up?”
“Yeah Dean, what’s wrong?”
“I just tonight found out the whole story…. “he began before the tears flowed again.
Sam motioned for Joshua to pick up the other line, he didn’t think Dean would mind a little more support but he would decide if Joshua should say anything as they went along.
After what seemed quite a long time Sam asked him if he were okay.
“I’m sorry; I know I sound like a blubbering idiot. I thought I was done crying. I hate feeling helpless you know that.”
“I know you do but at times like these you really need to let the police take care of it. You don’t want to go off in your anger end up in jail. That won’t help Cassie or Jessica.” Sam said as Joshua nodded.

“I know, it’s just so wrong that this happened to her. I don’t know when I’ll be back there I can’t even think about that now.”
“You shouldn’t think about being here, Cassie is your wife she should be the most important person to you.”
“She is Sammy; I’m sorry she has replaced you,” Dean teased trying to lighten the mood.
“That’s cute, but I’m being serious.”
“So am I, think about it; if someone but a gun my head and said we’re going to kill your wife or your brother but you have to pick what would I do?”

Sam was quiet but Joshua chimed in.
“You would say nothing but turn the gun toward your on head and die in their places.”
“Good answer, but how do I know that they wouldn’t both be shot then?” Dean asked.
“That brings up a good point, we’re going to have to look at the spiritual aspects of this curse,” Sam said.
“Why?” Dean asked.
“Because we are dealing with spirits and in that realm there is darkness but also good.”
Dean was quiet he was having a hard time believing in that good side lately.
“You there?” Sam asked.
“I hear you Cassie has been doing research too we’ll check it out on this end also. I should let you to go, thanks for listening.”
Dean had always had issues with God but he had been through a lot in his few years on earth. Sam knew he was angry before but this thing with Cassie was really messing with his mind.
Dean yawned and turned around to see Cassie as she approached him slowly.
“I should let you go Sammy thanks for listening, you too Joshua,” Dean said.

“Baby, you should be in bed,” Dean said as he guided her back to the bedroom.
Dean was sleeping on the sofa to keep from jarring her in his sleep. They hated being apart but usually he only stayed her bed until she started to doze. He walked her to the door of the room this time.
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.
He smiled she was worried about him instead of herself. “I think we’ll both be fine, get some rest?”

Joshua picked up John from the hospital a few days later to take him home with him. Sam had moved in for the duration since they had decided not to rush off to Kansas City but wait for John to heal up and rest. John didn’t think he needed rest but he was out numbered by his two sons. The more he thought about Dean not being there the angrier he got. Had that woman encouraged him to disobey his father’s orders? He knew Dean would never do that on his own, he was always a good little soldier. Cassie had to be evil to convince him to stay with her instead of doing his work. It was important to do the work until it was completed he always told Dean that.
“Hey,” Joshua said as he knocked on the open door.
John just looked at him as he came in the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Are you okay? You were quiet at dinner tonight.” “I’m just frustrated that Dean won’t come, he needs to be here,” John said.
“No, Dad, he needs to be with his wife who just suffered a traumatic experience and their child.”
John glared at his eldest. Joshua knew something was very wrong; he had met his Dad several times over the years but then he felt that the Elder Winchester was in control of himself. Now he clearly was not. Something had a hold of him, tightly.
“I’ll let you get some rest,” Joshua said as he reached to hug John. John allowed it only briefly then Joshua left.

Joshua was frustrated as he stood in the hall he tried to read John’s thoughts but the distance wouldn’t allow it. He went to Sam’s room to tell him what he suspected.
“Something is wrong with Dad.” “Joshua, Dad is not used to having his orders disobeyed he has always been that way. Until recently Dean would have never considered not following Dad’s orders no matter what; it would be his version of treason.”
Joshua ran his fingers through his hair as he paced the room.
“No, I know something is wrong I could feel it when I was with him it was almost tangible.”
Sam didn’t know what to think.
“I do know Dean is there because he wants to be not because Cassie is forcing him; Dad should understand that. I never thought Dad would try to come between them this way,” Sam said sadly.
“That’s what I mean is illogical; John Winchester thinks things through he makes sense of them, he doesn’t do random. But his reactions to Dean’s so called disobedience is disjointed, argumentative, accusatory and most of all nonsensical. Houston, we have a problem,” Joshua said as he tried to lighten the mood.
Sam smiled.

John knew what he had to do the next morning he phoned Dean. Cassie picked up but all John heard was singing noises. Dean was at the sink singing some hard rock classic while Jessica joined him vocally with the only sounds she knew.
“Da dada da,” she said over and over as she hit the plastic spoons on her high table tray.
“Hello?” she said over the noise.
“Cassie?”
“John? Sorry for the noise Dean and Jessica are jamming, at least the think they are. Hold on.”
Cassie waited for Dean to dry his hands before she gave him the phone.
“Dad, what’s up?” Dean smiled at Jessica as she moved her mouth but no sound came out; she grinned at him with all her gums showing.
“Why are you saying that? Sam doesn’t need me now he has you and Joshua to watch his back. Cassie is not the one making me stay here, I choose to stay,” Dean said as Cassie turned to him when she heard her name mentioned.
Cassie pried the spoons from her disappointed daughter hands as she looked around for daddy.
“He’ll be back,” she said as she picked up the pouting little girl.

Joshua pretended to clean the kitchen while he tried to listen to John’s end of the conversation before Sam came in with Bethany and sat down at the table.
“Hi Daddy.”
“Hi Sweetie,” Joshua said as he kissed her head. “Morning,” Sam added.
“Good morning, Dad is starting early being on Dean’s case today,” Joshua said as he looked in John’s direction across the room.
“I thought about it when you left last night, the way he is acting about this is almost demonic. He is so obsessed he has rarely even spoken with either of us since he came home from the hospital,” Sam said before he put the juice glass to his lips.
Joshua agreed he could see how John may have been influenced but he needed to get in his head to know for sure.

Cassie was in the kitchen cleaning up Jessica when Dean got off the phone. He hand wondered to the other part of the townhouse using the cordless so she was unaware of how the conversation had progressed. Dean didn’t look happy when he came back to the kitchen though.
“I didn’t want to wake you, you food is still warm in the oven,” he volunteered.
“You didn’t want to wake me so you and your sidekick sang at the top of your lungs?” she asked teasing him.
He apologized as he kissed her.
He took Jessica so she could eat and they went into the living room to watch television.
Cassie was used to him mulling over things instead of just reacting like he used to when they first met. He would tell her everything she just had to be patient. She appreciated that consideration in him; he had changed for the better she just wished his father could see that. He wasn’t the little soldier any longer but a loving caring man who had his own road to travel which sometimes included more than Sam and John.

Cassie watched the two of them: Dean faced the television Indian style while he put his mouth to Jessica’s belly button and blew into it. Jessica giggled as she patted at his hair. They both laughed then he picked her up and did the same thing while he held her in the air. Then he gave her a break and put her on his shoulder again after he kissed her flushed cheeks. Cassie felt sad that John would want to take Dean from something he enjoyed so much. She took her empty plate to the sink with her back to Dean she took a deep breath as she tried to get past her tears. She was going to live in the moment. That’s all that any of them could do.

After the conversation with Dean, John was walking around the house like an angry bear that had been awaken from hibernation too soon. Joshua and Sam approached him hoping to clear the air.
“Dad, we’re concerned about you and your obsession with Dean’s presence,” Sam stated.
“Dean will do the right thing even if that woman does have a spell on him.”
Joshua and Sam looked at one another.
“Spell, you think Cassie is a witch? Why would you say that?” Sam asked with frustration.
“Dad, Sam has spent many hours with Cassie and Dean together he hasn’t once seen a sign that she is any thing other than a woman in love with your son,” Joshua said.
John looked at them.
“I would have never known it about your mother either.”
He had a point but Joshua and Sam didn’t buy it still. Joshua tried the mind reading again and got absolutely zilch it was like he wasn’t thinking. He knew that wasn’t possible because John seemed full of restless energy. If he was talking without thinking than what he was saying possibly came from another source.

They all went out to dinner that night just to do something different. Sharon and the kids were glad for a family night out. Bethany sat between John and Sharon in her high chair. Joshua hated to use his daughter but maybe she could get a reading on her grandpa. Dean seemed to like Bethany; probably because she looked so much like Mary.
“You have an amazing child,” John said to Sharon as he patted Bethany’s curls, since she was so near him. “Thanks,” Sharon said as she put Bethany’s food on the tray.
Joshua was on the other side of Sharon, then Jon Jon nearest to Sam who was seated near his father. Joshua watched John who seemed disoriented he made a mental note to call the doctor to find out if there was something they could have missed when they checked John out.

During the middle of their meal Sam grabbed his head as it began to throb he closed his eyes as he tried not to scream. Joshua saw him and went to guide him to the men’s room. John got up but Joshua motioned to him that he would take care of it. Sam couldn’t hold it in any longer as he let out labored breaths. He leaned over the sink as Joshua put water on his face then gave him a paper towel.
“You okay?”
“I had a vision of dad… he was sleeping while that thing whispered in his ears,” Sam said as he looked at Joshua.
“Oh, that could be why I couldn’t read his mind its just flowing out of him like facts he doesn’t need to contemplate what to say. There is no way to tell how long this has been going on right?”
Sam shook his head.
“But the first time he made remarks about Cassie and Missy was when he came to visit us after Jessica was born right before they kidnapped him.”
“I’m sorry about your pain but I think this helps us out to know what is happening to him.”
Sam agreed. They would let Dean know but convincing Dad would be harder.

Dean never said anything all day about his conversations with John or the one he had later in the day with Joshua until they were in bed that night. He had Jessica on his chest fast asleep when he finally brought up the situation with Cassie. He had made a decision but he needed to discuss it with her.
“How do you feel about going to Kansas?”
“You mean all of us?” she asked unsure as she looked in her husband’s hazel eyes as he watched for her reaction.
“Yes, Dad is in bad shape according to Joshua. He isn’t even aware of what is going on,” Dean answered.
“If you think that its best then we should go,” she said believing he wanted to do the right thing for all of them.

He explained to her about Sam’s latest vision and the disturbing revelation they figured out from it. Cassie wasn’t that surprised since all the things John said regarding her had no relation to her life. She had been raised a Christian with sound values; she had felt strange just having pre marital sex with Dean but she loved him and hoped that some how they would be together in the end, despite the guilt she had experienced later on. Dean’s way of thinking had been different than hers though she knew he loved her too even when she let him walk away the first time. Cassie had been saddened by her parent’s death beyond comprehension but having Dean in her life had helped her see that the moments they shared were to be treasured. She hoped that her influence on him had been positive, inspiring and maybe something he could hold on to so it really hurt when his father had first accused her of being something other than wholesome and caring person that she was.

Dean watched her and knew she was considering what he had said.
“My Dad hasn’t caused me to doubt you at any point, I hope you know that.”
She nodded, glad to hear him say it, again.
“It hurt, you know, I just want to love you to the best of my ability,” she said with her voice breaking.
He held her in his arms silently cursing the darkness that had seemed to engulf his family all these years. The one person who had given up a real life to be with him should not have to suffer for their “dark spots”.
“Loving you has kept me sane, Baby, I really hope that you don’t feel stuck with me. Our family is a hard pill to swallow even for me at times.”
Cassie wiped her eyes and smiled at him.
“I don’t feel stuck; I feel blessed to be with you even though it has been strange, challenging and down right scary at times. I couldn’t give you up if my life depended on it. “
Dean smiled as Jessica started to move around on his stomach.
“You should put her in bed so she can get some real rest,” Cassie suggested.
After Dean put the baby in bed he lay back down to pull Cassie close again.
“The doctor said I’m well enough if you want to stay with me tonight. Just for sleeping, of course,” she teased him.

A shadow came over Dean’s face.
“I hate what those b-s----ds, did that to you I can’t say enough how sorry I am about that.”
Cassie didn’t want to discuss it and she didn’t look forward to the trial they would have to face when they got back from Kansas. The men had been caught then taken to jail but the whole assault situation was still something that had to be taken to a jury. Her lawyer believed that she shouldn’t have a problem getting a conviction because the guys all had criminal histories including another assault charge. She closed her eyes as Dean watched as she cleared her throat again.
“I’m not looking forward to facing them in court,” she said as she snuggled next to him.
“But you did the right thing and they have the evidence; maybe it won’t go to trial."
She nodded, “ I hope not reliving that is ….”
“I’m sorry I brought it up, but protecting you and Jessica is my job something it looks like I’ve failed miserably at,” he said.
“I am the one who let my guard down; I was stupid so I suffered for it.”
Dean disagreed he knew the people who hurt her where wholly to blame but talking about it hurt too much for both of them so they let it go.

Joshua and Sam tried to have a conversation with John that evening after everyone was in bed. They all sat in the living room pretending to watch the late news. Joshua and John were on the sofa while Sam sat opposite them in the recliner.
“Dad, are you having problems sleeping at night,” Joshua asked as he watched his haggard father.
“It’s probably just the new surroundings, I haven’t rested well the last month or so then being left in that damp room didn’t help,” John said trying to perk up a bit.
“That could be it,” Sam said as he looked at Joshua and hoped he would press it a little farther.
“But no bad dreams or anything strange like whispers or noises during the night?”

John stared at him for a moment like he was listening for something.
“Not really sometimes I feel uneasy when its time for bed; other times I am afraid to close my eyes,” he confessed but I just figured I was wound up with everything going on.
“Dad, we think you’re being influenced while you are at rest. Your mind is most relaxed when you’re sleeping,” Sam said trying to be comforting.
“Just say what you’re thinking, boys.”
“Sam had a vision that that thing is whispering to you in your sleep.”
“In that vulnerable state you are receiving information that is a lie,” Sam continued.
“It seems to be working on you like a software download, you are accepting it as fact without interference.”
John thought about what they said. The things he had been spouting mostly were about Cassie and Dean. He liked Cassie why would he say bad things about her?
Things to try to turn Dean against her? Dean had a level head and she had never kept him from hunting.
John looked at them.
“Like brainwashing?”
“Exactly,” Sam said.
“Your anger may have been the opening they it needed to get to you since we think it may have begun around the time you went back to Ohio.”

TBC