Hunting Humanity II | By : greenwizard11 Category: Supernatural > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1200 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Supernatural universe. No money is being made from this story. |
A few days before Christmas Martha was giving Liam a bath. “Honey, I know I’ve got you in a vulnerable position, but there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“You think I’m vulnerable because I’m naked?” he smirked. “Nah, that doesn’t bother me, especially since you’ve been looking at my naked behind like every other day for what, two months now? What did you want to talk about?”
“Why did you guys tell me you all were investigators for an insurance company?”
“Because we are?”
She frowned. “Honey, I know you’re not. The way you’ll all be talking, and then when I come in the room you suddenly stop… I’ve also heard bits and pieces of some very weird conversations when you all didn’t know I was listening. It made me wonder, and I did some checking. If you were really an insurance investigator injured on the job worker’s comp would be taking care of you. It isn’t. Me, your hospital bills, it’s all coming out of the pocket of your friend Natalie. I even saw a credit card bill lying around with charges for motel rooms and stuff from all around the country; things the company you say you work for should be paying for. Now, you all are some nice people, but I gotta wonder what you’re into; why you’re lying to me.”
Liam sighed and shook his head. “Alright. You want the truth, I’ll give it to you, but you’re not gonna like it. No, we’re not insurance investigators. We’re hunters.”
Liam explained everything as best he could to her, and she thought he was crazy at first. Then she started to believe him, and it shook her to her foundation. She got him dried and dressed and took him down for breakfast. The sound of talking was coming from the kitchen, but when they entered it suddenly stopped. “See, this is what I was talking about, honey,” she said to Liam.
“You can talk freely,” Liam sighed. “She knows.”
“Liam, you told her?” Dean groaned. “Why?”
“Because a lot of things weren’t adding up,” Martha said. “So I confronted him while he was taking a bath. He told me some really crazy ass things, but the way you all are acting, it makes sense.”
“If he told you we’re hunters, it’s true,” Sam nodded.
“And he really got hurt because a demon caused a wall to cave in on him?”
“Yeah,” Dean confirmed. “We’re lucky he wasn’t killed.
“Oh, lord...” Martha sank into a chair shaking her head.
“I know it’s a lot to take in at once,” Sam said sympathetically. “It’s a little much for me sometimes, and I’ve been dealing with this crap most of my life. We’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”
“Oh, honey, like anyone would believe me.”
Sam chuckled. “Now if only I had a dollar for every time we’ve heard that. Anyway, since I can speak freely, I think I’ve found a job. Up in Ypsilanti, Michigan there have been odd disappearances. They’ve also been having freakishly mild weather for the middle of December. I think it’s worth checking out.”
Dean took Liam’s hand. “I know I promised you Christmas, and don’t worry, you’re still gonna get it. We’ll get this thing wrapped up and get our butts back here by Christmas Eve, okay?”
“Okay,” Liam nodded.
“Like everything else in my life, Christmas kinda sucked for me growing up,” Sam said. “What about you, Liam, did you have Christmas as a kid?”
“Sure,” Liam shrugged. “I told you my dad was a preacher, and every year we went to Christmas Eve service. Then on Christmas Day we’d usually go to a church member’s house for a meal. One year, I think I was seven, I got into the eggnog,” he chuckled. “Paid dearly for that when we got home, but I was wasted, barely felt much.”
“What about presents?” Dean asked with a little smile.
Liam frowned and got a far away look in his eye. “My brother got presents. He used to always let me pick one to have.” A tear welled up in his eye. “Even if what I picked was his favorite, he’d let me have it. That was until our dad found out what was going on. My only present that year was being told I was only being kept alive because it was a sin to murder. I was also left at home when Dad and Evan went for dinner because I didn’t deserve food. They told the family I was sick.”
“Oh, Liam, god, I am so sorry I brought it up,” Dean pulled him into a hug. “His father really was a bastard,” Dean told Martha.
“It’s okay,” Liam sniffed. “You didn’t know. Needy little bastards don’t get presents. We umm, also used to visit my sister’s grave.”
“You didn’t tell me you had a sister.”
“Never knew her. She was stillborn about two years before me. My parents, they didn’t have good luck with kids. They named her Sabrina after my maternal grandmother. My mom named me after her grandfather. If I had been a girl my name would’ve been Rayna.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Dean stroked his hair. “See, your mother loved you. She picked out good names for you.”
“And I killed her.” Liam burst into tears.
Dean held him close. “No, all you did was grow inside her and come out like everybody else on the planet. What happened after that was nobody’s fault, especially not yours. To lay blame on an innocent newborn was an asshole move.”
“If she had never gotten pregnant with me she would’ve been alive and around for Evan. He would’ve still had his mother, but I took her away.”
“By that logic it was your father’s fault then for sticking his dick in her. Basic biology, sperm hits egg… You definitely had nothing to do with that. They were married adults who had sex and ended up making you. Personally, I’m glad they did. If your father was too much of an angry dickhead to see what he had right in front of him, well that’s his problem.”
“If Sabrina had lived my mother would have had her second child and they wouldn’t have kept trying and ended up with me. My father told me that one Christmas too, when I was four.”
“I swear, your father is lucky he’s long dead because if he wasn’t I’d personally kick his ass. I mean, what the hell kind of man doesn’t get a four year old any presents on Christmas and then tells them something like that? Liam, don’t you see, your childhood was hell, but you’ve gotta let it go. Your father was a very angry and bitter man.”
Liam wiped his eyes and blew his nose on a napkin. “I told you all he went through to be with my mother. He left the Catholic church and his home.”
“And I understand all that. He must have loved her very much, and her loss must’ve hurt him pretty bad. But my god, you were just a child. Sure, from the stories you told me, you raised a little hell, but what spirited kid doesn’t? He helped bring you into this world and you depended on him completely for the first decade or so to keep you alive. It’s been centuries, and he has got you so fucked up...”
Liam shrugged. “When you’re told you’re a worthless sack of shit enough times it kinda sticks, you know...”
“Have you talked to Dr. Shaffer about any of this?”
“Yeah, I told him everything. He wonders why child services wasn’t called. I can’t exactly tell him child services didn’t exist in the mid 1600’s. Anyway, he pretty much told me everything you just did, that my father was the sack of shit, not me.”
Sam pulled Natalie aside. “Look, I know we said we weren’t gonna do presents because, well, Dean and I don’t exactly have our own money, but fucking hell… I mean, my childhood kinda sucked, but compared to Liam’s it was a Christmas special. At least our dad gave us presents, even if it was something cheap he picked up at a corner gas station. To be told at that young of an age that you’re not worthy of a present on Christmas… holy fucking hell… We need to get him some presents.”
“Agreed,” Natalie nodded. “I honestly don’t think anything can completely fix the damage that was done to him by that awful man, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’ll poke around and see if I can find out what he’d really like without him figuring it out.”
Natalie moved to put a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Did Jason ever get you a present?”
“Not on Christmas, no,” Liam shook his head. “He used to say Christmas presents were a kid thing. I think he wanted to, but he usually ended up taking what money I had and spending it on his kids. I understood, the kids came first. He would bring me a rose on my birthday though. I’ve always loved roses. They’re so pretty and they smell so good. That’s why his grave marker is a rose bush. Of course, I never told him the details of my childhood either, so...”
Dean kissed his cheek. “What I learned growing up is that it’s not the gift itself that matters, but the thought behind it. One year I got a pack of gum and a baseball card. A lot of kids would turn their noses up at that, but to me it meant my dad cared enough to get me something. A rose on your birthday because he knew you liked roses, that’s something. Even if he picked it out of someone’s garden, it meant you mattered to him and he was thinking of you. And your brother giving you any gift you wanted, that was very thoughtful too. If he was a kid too that meant he didn’t have any money to buy you anything himself and that was the best he could do. Evan loved you too. Did he at least buy you presents when your dad was gone?”
“No. I was sixteen, and I guess like Jason he figured Christmas presents were a little kid thing. He did do one thing for me though. When he got married and told Camilla I was gay she didn’t want me in their home. But the first Christmas after he was married he invited me and Jack over for dinner. He assured me it was fine so we showed up, and boy was she pissed. They had a huge fight, but he told her in no uncertain terms I was blood and he wasn’t turning his back on me no matter what. If she didn’t like it she could stick it where the sun didn’t shine and leave. She backed down, but she still never liked me. After he died the bitch turned their daughters against me and she kept an ax by the door.”
“It sucks that his wife was such a bitch, but see, there were good moments too. Your dad was one man, but there were others that cared about you.”
“Yeah, Mrs. Olsen, our neighbor, she was nice to me. When I wouldn’t eat, if strawberries were in season all my brother would have to do was go pick a bunch and take them to her. She’d make him one of her famous strawberry pies that he’d waft under my nose. He knew strawberries were my food kryptonite, and now I guess you do too. Trying to resist Mrs. Olsen’s strawberry pie was an exercise in futility. I always ended up wolfing half of it down and giving myself a stomachache. So worth it though.”
“Well, Babe, we really need to go,” Dean stroked his hair. “But what I want you to do is focus on the good things that happened, and let all that bad crap go. Not easy, I know, but try for me. I love you.” Dean kissed him and they packed up to leave.
Sam and Dean got in the car, and Dean looked at his brother as he started up the engine. “Holy fuck...” he sighed.
“I know,” Sam nodded. “Every new thing he tells us is worse than the thing before. Now I know why he’s a few eggs short of a dozen. It was a survival mechanism.”
“Oh, yeah, you’d have to be a little out of your mind to have a father like that and not just roll over and die. And being useful to us is so god damned important to him because his entire childhood he had it drilled into him he was useless. The damage one man can do, it makes me sick.”
“Yeah, well, I know it’ll only be a band aid on a giant bullet wound, but I talked to Natalie. He’s getting Christmas presents this year. And when we left I saw her put the ingredients for strawberry pie on her shopping list.”
“Very good,” Dean nodded. “Yeah, being three hundred and thirty eight years old and never having gotten a single Christmas present from anybody, that is fucking sad.”
Natalie went and did her shopping and came back to put everything away. One of the things she had bought was strawberry ice cream, and she took a little bowl out to Liam on the couch. “Brought you a little comfort food.”
He smiled at her and shook his head. “I tell you I love strawberries and you go and buy me strawberry ice cream? Thanks, but I really don’t take comfort in food.”
“Eat it anyway. Consider it a treat after drudging through really awful memories this morning. I also hear you’re doing good with your therapy.”
Liam nodded. “I can stand in a pool of water up to my waist while holding myself up a little with my arms and walk on the treadmill thing.”
“That’s wonderful! If you don’t mind my asking, if you don’t take comfort in food, what do you take comfort in?”
Liam shrugged. “Physical contact. My brother used to sit and hold me. I also had this quilted pillow my mother made for me while she was pregnant with me. Sitting and hugging that kinda somehow felt like I was hugging her. Stupid I know, but I kept that until it disintegrated on me.”
“Not stupid at all. I still have a pair of socks my mother knitted for me when I was little. When someone makes something for you they pour all their love into it. I can only imagine what it’s like to feel a baby inside you, but I bet it’s pretty amazing. She made that special for you while you were inside her. Did she get to hold you at least.”
“Yeah, my brother said she did for a few minutes. As soon as I came out right into her arms I went. He said she was so happy I was born alive that she was crying. The midwife tried to take me and clean me up, but she didn’t want to let go. She didn’t let go until the bleeding started and she almost dropped me.”
“So she was happy. Has there been any other special little thing?”
“There was this teddy bear. I was walking with Jason past a department store window one night and they were sitting there. I commented that I kinda wanted one. I woke up the next night and there it was by the pillow next to me. I know he stole it, but like Dean said, it’s the thought that counts, right?”
“Absolutely. He wanted you to have something you really wanted. That was very sweet of him. Whatever happened to that teddy bear?”
“It eventually fell apart,” Liam frowned.
“Sweetie, I just remembered I have some very important calls to make. Eat your ice cream, then I’m breaking out the Trouble board.”
Natalie had the house decorated for Christmas Eve. It was nothing fancy, just a wreath on the door, a tree with lights and ornaments in the sitting room, and red ribbon wrapped around the banister on the stairs. Liam sat on the couch with a Hershey candy cane in one hand and glass of eggnog in the other. He and Natalie were both watching the clock. “They said they’d be here, so they will,” she said as she sat down with her own glass of eggnog.
“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “Having Christmas with me seems important to Dean.”
Just then the Impala pulled into the driveway. Sam and Dean came in, setting their bags by the door. “Merry Christmas, Liam!” Dean smiled and went to hug his mate. “Oh, eggnog, I’m gonna get me some of that.”
“In the kitchen,” Liam chuckled.
Natalie followed Sam upstairs to their bedroom. Sam set his bag down and turned to kiss Natalie. “That job sucked. How were things here? How did present shopping go?”
“Everything was pretty quiet here. Shopping went well. He’s getting four presents from me.”
“That’s actually really good. Dean and I both got him one, and I hope you don’t get mad...” He pulled out a decent sized box from his bag wrapped in newspaper. “But there was this thing in a catalog he wanted, but with tax it was a little over two hundred and fifty dollars. I didn’t know it was quite that much when we tracked it down. Still, it was the best idea I had, so I kinda used the credit card you gave me to buy it.”
Natalie just shrugged. “That was a lot of money for a Christmas present, but I can’t get too mad because your heart was in the right place. I’m also not innocent on the splurging thing. Two of the things I got him were just small little things. One of them I had to track down. The fourth was custom made at a rush. Those two he’ll either really love, or they’ll really upset him. It’s a gamble.”
She told him what they were and he smiled and shook his head. “That’s genius, and very sneaky by the way. Are you that sneaky when you’re trying to get information out of me?” She smirked and pulled him in for another kiss. “Nice try, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“Let’s get back to the party,” she said as she headed back down stairs.
“You are that sneaky with me, aren’t you?” he sighed as he followed.
Liam and Dean were on the couch enjoying eggnog. “So, how did the case go?” Liam asked.
“It was a couple of Pagan gods that liked to eat people,” Dean answered. “They were disguised as a sweet old couple. What they did was make meadowsweet wreathes and give them to stores to sell. The poor bastards who bought the wreaths got snatched from their beds in the middle of the night and eaten. They tried to eat us.”
“I lost a fingernail,” Sam held up his hand with a band aid on one fingertip. “It still really hurts.”
“Yeah, and I almost lost a tooth, but a well timed visitor saved our bacon. Anyway, they’re dead, and we’re here.” He leaned over to kiss Liam’s cheek. “So, what do we do now?”
“I thought we’d sing some carols before bed,” Natalie said. “The rest we can do tomorrow. Let me set the mood.”
She went around the room lighting a few candles, then turned the lights out. She handed each of the men a paper book with the songs in them. “Liam, why don’t you pick one to start?” she smiled at him.
He picked his favorite and they started singing. “God, we suck,” Dean commented when they finished.
“How well we sing isn’t the point,” Natalie shot him a look. “It’s the spirit of togetherness.”
They sang a few more then went to bed. Dean got Liam settled in. “You’ll see, this Christmas is going to be a good one for you. No more asshole father, and no more sitting on the sidelines while the kids get all the attention. Are you concentrating on the good stuff like I told you to?”
“Trying to, but it’s really hard. Dean, I’ve only told you about the stuff I can talk about.”
“You mean there’s more and it gets worse? How the fuck is that even possible?”
“It’s possible. Dean, I can go a long time without eating because I got used it. He kept me alive because it was a sin not to, and you don’t have to eat three meals a day every day to stay alive. After a few years your body doesn’t even bother sending hungry signals anymore. Like I said, I didn’t deserve food until it was absolutely necessary.”
They were both shaking a little, but for different reasons. “What you deserved was to be taken out of that house and put with a family who would appreciate you. Natalie is going to keep feeding you. And if Sam ever screws this up, I will find a way.”
Liam shrugged. “I know my relationship with food is not a healthy one, but my body really does seem to have picked up exactly where it left off. When I was a vampire the need for blood was a primal thing.”
“Now that you’re human again the need for food should be a primal thing too.”
Liam sighed. “It should, but I was deprived for so long that part of my brain broke. I don’t get it, how can you love someone so broken?”
Dean kissed his cheek. “You may be really cracked, but you didn’t break. After everything that man did you are still a sweet and loving person. I really don’t know how, but you survived and stayed exactly who you are. I’m almost afraid to ask, but what did he do for your birthday?”
“Beat and tortured me mercilessly from the time I woke up until the time I eventually passed out.”
“Worse than usual?”
“A lot worse than usual. I don’t like birthdays. Jason had to bug the shit out of me to get me to tell him when it was and he started the rose thing.”
“August twelfth, right?”
“Yes, in 1669 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. Two days before my contract comes due.”
Liam snorted. “Happy fucking birthday to me then.”
“Babe, just get some sleep now, okay? Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”
“It’s just dinner. Is something else going on that I don’t know about?”
“Go to sleep, and when you wake up tomorrow you’ll find out.”
Liam sighed and snuggled close to Dean, closing his eyes and relaxing. Next thing he knew sunlight was shining through the window. “Come on,” Dean shook him the rest of the way awake. “God, I feel like a little kid again.”
“I’m confused, but okay,” Liam sighed.
Dean got him dressed and downstairs into the sitting room, where there was a small pile of presents under the tree, three of them badly wrapped in newspaper. “What the...” Liam blinked. “I thought we agreed we weren’t doing presents,” he shook his head and looked very upset. “Why didn’t someone fucking tell me?”
“We didn’t tell you because they’re all for you,” Dean said, rubbing his shoulder. “We wanted it to be a surprise.”
Liam shook his head. “Good job because I’m shocked right now. Guys, I didn’t tell you about not getting presents because I wanted you to run out and buy me a bunch. Why did you…?”
“We wanted to do this for you,” Sam said. “We know this isn’t what you intended by being open with us, but we all love you and thought you deserved this finally. It’s a very long time coming. Don’t go getting used to it, of course, but...”
“I...” Liam just kept shaking his head, a few tears sliding down his cheeks.
“Open mine first,” Dean said, grabbing a small rectangular box wrapped in newspaper. “The wrapping is a Winchester family tradition,” he gave a little smile.
Liam took a deep breath and started ripping open the paper. It was a bar of rose scented soap. “Oh my god,” Liam said with a shaky voice and opened the box up to smell it. “It even smells real.”
“You said you really liked the scent of roses,” Dean smiled at him. “Smelling like a flower isn’t exactly manly, but hey, you’re really weird, and I like that.”
“Mine next,” Sam said, grabbing a cylindrical item and handing it over. “It has two parts.”
Liam opened the first part. “A pitcher?” he raised an eyebrow at the while plastic pitcher in his hand.
“Yeah, I thought maybe in the summer, since you have all that tea, you might want your very own pitcher to make iced tea.”
Liam smiled and nodded. “That’s very thoughtful, thank you Sam.”
“Here’s the second part,” Sam handed him the box.
Liam ripped the side open and his eyes went wide and his jaw hit the floor. “This is the tea maker that was in the little catalog that came with my order. This is… Oh, god… Much too expensive. I can’t accept this! How did you even…?”
“Technically, Natalie paid for it with plastic. I know it was a lot, I didn’t realize just how much until we found the store and went in. But, it was the only idea I had, and stores were closing, so I said screw it, giving you one memorable Christmas was worth it.”
“No, I’m not worth that… Take it back.”
“So, you’d rather hurt my feelings than say thank you?”
“No, but I… It’s just… Oh, god, thank you so much!”
“Now it’s my turn,” Natalie said, handing him a long rectangular box with something on top of it.
He opened it and smiled. “A hot chocolate gift box and a pound of maple sugar candy. But how did you know?”
“Sweetie, have you forgotten? I’m a mind reader. Every time we passed that little sweets store by where you go for therapy you wondered if they had maple sugar candy. I checked, and they did. And a few times this week I’ve caught you wishing you had a nice cup of hot chocolate.”
“Kinda sneaky getting into my head for information, but thanks.”
“Here’s another one.” The second one was a collector’s set of all eight Harry Potter movies. “You’ve complained that Netflix doesn’t have them, so, merry Christmas. Here...” she handed him a third box.
Liam opened it and looked like he might go into shock. It was a very old fashioned looking tan teddy bear. “I’ve either completely lost my fucking mind, or this is exactly like the teddy bear Jason stole for me.”
“I thought you might like something to cuddle when you can’t have Dean that would bring back fond memories. You pictured it in your mind when you were talking about it, so I just had to track one down.”
“I can’t even...” Liam blinked.
“There’s one more. I saved the best for last I think. At least I hope you like it.” She handed him a square squishy package.
When he opened it he just stared at the patchwork quilted pillow with white lace trim. “This can’t even be happening...”
“Obviously I couldn’t resurrect the exact one your mother made, and I didn’t have enough time to make it myself, but… Please tell me you’re not mad at me at least.”
“No, I...”
He broke down sobbing and fell forward. Dean caught him and held him tight. “I think his circuits are a little overloaded. That’s a pretty pillow, what’s the story behind it?”
“I asked him about things that brought him comfort,” Natalie started to explain. “He talked about the teddy bear Jason stole for him because he wanted one, and a pillow his mother made for him while she was pregnant with him. Both fell apart over time and were lost to him, so I got him replicas using the pictures of them in his mind.”
“Very nice,” Dean nodded. “That was incredibly sweet, but I think you might’ve broken my boyfriend.”
Liam took a calming breath and sat back up. “Thank you all so much. You have no idea what this means to me. I just wish that you had given me a little warning so I could’ve gotten you all a little something.”
“You really want to give us something?” Dean said as he reached to wipe away tears with his thumb. “Keep breathing and be as okay as you can be. I know that’s all I want from you.”
“I think that’s all any of us wants from you,” Sam said. “Even though we didn’t cause it, we did this for you to right a terrible wrong. We think you do deserve it. You can be really trying at times, but deep down you’re a wonderful person that we’re lucky to have in our lives. Enjoy your first ever, and probably only Christmas presents.”
“Oh, I love them all, especially the teddy bear and pillow. I never thought I would see that pillow again, and you nailed it. I know it’s not the one my mother made, but the thought behind it… It really was incredibly sweet of you.”
“Before he breaks again, Natalie, you said there was a family tradition you wanted to do?” Dean said as he stood up.
“Yes,” Natalie nodded. “Everyone in the kitchen. It’s time for breakfast.”
Natalie made them all french toast just like her mother used to do for her every year growing up. “Don’t eat too much, guys. I’ve still got a ham dinner ready to go in the oven for later.”
“This is amazing,” Dean said between bites. “Babe, was I right? Is this the best Christmas ever?”
“I’ll certainly never forget it.”
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