The Gift - Sunday

[weesta]

The Gift - Sunday



Sam wasn’t sure what Dean was up to, but it felt like something big. They’d had such a fun day on Saturday hanging out and swimming at the pond; maybe someone else would have been compelled to do something bigger or better to top it. That wasn’t the feeling Sam got from Dean. Dean wasn’t trying to make a big production out of whatever it was he had planned, but he did intend to make the most out of the time they had left to spend with Johnny.

The activities of the day were deceptively commonplace - the three of them began the morning with a jog, and then breakfast; Sam and Johnny spent some time on target practice while Dean cleaned the weapons; then while Sam studied for finals, Dean and Johnny worked on the car. They were all things Sam and Dean would have done that weekend anyway, but doing those same tasks with Johnny tagging along made them different; special; memorable.

Sam was studying in the kitchen; it was around four o’clock when Johnny and Dean came in to wash up and Dean made his announcement. “So what do you guys think?” he asked over his shoulder as he scrubbed the grease out of the creases in his knuckles, “There’s a carnival the next town over…”

“A CARNIVAL?! That would be boss!” Johnny’s continuous use of ancient slang was an endless source of amusement to Sam and Dean. They shared a look over his head as he continued to whoop in glee.

Sam closed his calculus book with a grin and leaned back in his chair stretching his arms far over his head to pop out his shoulders as he did. “Carnival sounds good to me.”

“Yes!” Johnny punctuated his response with a fist in the air.

Dean couldn’t hide the excitement on his face. “We’re rolling out in half an hour. Get yourselves ready.” Sam and Johnny scrambled to obey.

~~~

The Winchesters faced the midway, ready for their first scouting foray. Dean had outlined the game plan in the car on the way to the carnival. First up, a quick tour of the rides and games just to see what was available and what was worth waiting on line for. Then on their second pass, they’d narrow down their ride choices and also scope out food options. Johnny managed to contain his excitement, at least externally; Sam got the feeling he didn’t want to look like a complete dork while hanging out with his “cool” cousins.

Sam could not get over Johnny’s glee about everything. It was like every pathway in his adult brain that ordinarily prevented a show of emotion had been destroyed by the spell that returned his youth. All of his feelings shone clearly on his face and he made absolutely no effort to disguise them. It was fascinating.

Johnny bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet between them waiting for Dean to pick a direction to go. The sounds of the fair competed with one another for their attention - the tinny music of the rides; the yelling of the barkers; the under-rumbling of the crowd. Dean moved off through the throng instinctively walking slightly in front of Johnny when they couldn’t move three abreast; Sam automatically took the rear. Johnny was between them wherever they went.

The carnival was a fair size with plenty of rides; the Winchesters routinely avoided any ride where the three of them couldn’t be seated together. However, sitting together was occasionally an issue because having both Sam and Dean trying to jam their long legs into a cart while attempting to leave Johnny some room to breathe was problematic. Sam knew they looked ridiculous, but they ended up laughing their heads off, so it was worth the effort.

The Winchesters caused quite a scene that night although they barely noticed the attention of anyone outside their bubble. Their dedication to eking out as much fun as possible pushed their behavior to just shy of breaking enough rules to be thrown off whatever ride they were on, but their genuinely joyful attitudes and lack of rudeness kept them from being expelled.

The swings were their first stop. Sam didn’t know how Dean managed it, it was some weird Rainman counting thing or something, but whatever line Dean picked for them to wait on always ended up with the three of them being first when it was time to load the ride. This gave them plenty of time to plan their strategy while waiting for the last group of riders to take their turns and exit the ride. Dean also had this weird compulsion to race around to the back of the ride, as far from the entrance as possible, before getting on the ride; Sam and Johnny just followed in his wake.

The swings were organized in sets of three - each row had three free standing swings radiating out from the center column. Dean grabbed a center swing; Johnny sat next to him on the outside arm and Sam sat behind Johnny. While other passengers were loading, the Winchesters amused themselves by twisting their swings up and spinning, or crashing into one another. Before the ride even began, Johnny laughed himself into breathlessness. The carnie in charge of making sure the passengers were belted gave Dean a bored yet disapproving look, kind of like “I don’t want to deal with you, boy. Don’t make trouble for me.” Dean responded with a genuine smile which seemed to disarm the man.

A slight lift and a thump from overhead indicated that the ride was about to begin. “Now, Sammy!” Dean yelled out.

Sam walked himself forward in his swing. Dean scooted sideways. Johnny reached out to Dean with his left hand and twisted slightly in his seat to reach backward for Sam with his right. Sam took both Johnny and Dean’s right hands so they were all seated in one clump. Sam could only shake his head at Dean and Johnny grinning like fools at each other. He was pretty sure he had a similar expression on his face. The swings lifted again and slowly started pulling forward. Both Dean and Sam’s long legs allowed them to walk forward while the ride started moving, allowing them to easily keep holding Johnny. The carnie frowned disapprovingly again as they swung by, but didn’t yell for them to let go.

The swings picked up speed and all three Winchesters were lifted off the ground. “Are you ready, Johnny?” Dean yelled over the rushing wind and blaring music.

“Ready!” Johnny’s arms tensed bringing Sam and Dean in closer.

Dean looked up to gauge the timing of the ride. The canopy of the swings had begun to tilt up and down as well as spinning horizontally. When the roof of their section was nearly at the apex of the top tilt, Dean yelled, “Now!” and released Sam and Johnny with a mighty shove. Both Johnny and Sam swung out much further over the crowd than the other more sedate riders. Dean whooped right along with the younger boys though he didn’t have the same freedom sitting in a center seat. Johnny had thrown his arms wide and head back to extend the feeling of flight.

Sam mimicked Johnny’s posture, closing his eyes and laughing at the rare sensation of weightlessness. And for one moment, suspended above the noisy crowd, Sam let go of the last year’s worth of hostility and growing resentment and enjoyed being a Winchester.

“Sammy!” Sam’s head snapped up at Dean’s call. Dean was twisted around in his swing reaching out to Sam with his right hand. Johnny had already pulled in close to Dean and was clinging to the arm of Dean’s chair waiting for Sam to reconnect with them. Now that the ride was in motion, Sam’s momentum kept him toward the outside and made it difficult for him to get a hold of Dean who was in the middle; but the attempt was half of the fun. Johnny nearly dislocated his shoulder catching the hem of Sam’s jeans and trying to pull him closer that way. Between the two of them, Johnny and Dean managed to reel Sam in for one more big push before the ride was finished. Satisfied with their success, the Winchesters set out in search of another ride.

The roller coasters were out of the question; they were kiddie-sized and very tame. But the Spider, the Tea Cups and the Buccaneer were all in play. Sam let Dean with his weird line-fu take the lead. This got them prime seats at the top of the Buccaneer. Again, the carnie in charge of the ride who was only able to process “group of rowdy boys” as he checked their belts, gave them a look that was supposed to quell their behavior. But Sam watched his face as he took a moment to look at their family; for just a moment the ticket taker saw beyond what he expected, and his attitude changed. The carnie went back to his post, less surly and more indulgent. The vibe the Winchesters were giving off wasn’t one of a disruptive group of boys looking to make trouble, they were sincerely having a fantastic time, and it was starting to rub off on people. Sam wondered if the Gypsy had any idea her spell would extend so far.

The Buccaneer was a glorified half-moon ride dressed up as a pirate ship. Because the bench seats were graduated, the Winchesters were able to watch everyone else as they were seated and buckled in. Sam was not surprised when Dean, looking across the ride to a pair of boys in the top seat opposite them, managed to challenge the older boy’s manhood and dare them both to ride hands-free all without saying a word. Dean shot a glance at Sam over Johnny’s head to make sure he was on board. The older teenager sitting across the way, who wasn’t much younger than Dean, indicated that Johnny was to be included as well. Sam watched Dean’s jaw clench; it was clear to Sam that Dean was insulted that the boy thought Johnny couldn’t handle it. Age wasn’t an issue, he was a Winchester.

“Johnny.” Dean leaned over to talk to the younger boy squished between him and Sam. Dean nodded his head slightly toward their opponents. “That dude over there thinks you can’t handle the ride with no hands.”

Johnny was just as insulted as Dean had been. “What? I’m not a baby! We’ll see if he can keep up that lip flappin’ when the ride is over.” Sam had to bite his lip to prevent him from bursting out laughing; Johnny shot a glance over at the other boys and muttered under his breath. “Candyass.”

Unable to help himself, Sam started to snicker. Luckily, the attendant picked that moment to release the break, and as the ride started to roll Sam got himself under control. Almost before the ride started to move the littlest riders in the center seats started squealing. Dean, Sam and Johnny rode with their hands out in front of them, hovering above the safety bar as the ride picked up speed. Sam noticed, with more than a little satisfaction, that the younger rider in the seat across from them hadn’t released the bar yet. That was one point in their favor.

Sam grinned as he felt the rollers beneath the half-moon grab the surface of the carriage and pull them down. When the gears reversed, Sam prepared himself for the ride to the top. The rhythm picked up quickly and in just two more swings the Winchesters were riding with their hands high, yelling with whoops of glee every time the ride reached the top of its swing. The boys on the other side had their arms raised as well, but Sam thought the younger one was looking a little green and ready to crack. When the seats across from them were on their highest swing, the smaller rider caved in and clutched safety bar.

The Winchesters would’ve won the contest hands down, but Dean hadn’t counted on the speed or height of the ride and he couldn’t stop his natural instincts. Johnny was so excited that the younger boy on the other side of the ride had cracked that he was bouncing on the bench and wasn’t fully seated when their side began the upswing. When their bench hit that spot where the momentum makes it feel like you’re going to fly out of your chair, Dean was the one who cracked.

He did the soccer-mom arm thing.

For a split second, Sam almost gave into the temptation to laugh hysterically and never let Dean live down the fact that he felt compelled to prevent Johnny from falling off the Buccaneer even though it would never happen in a million years. Instead, Sam did the soccer-mom arm thing too. Before the ride had begun to fall from the crest, both Sam and Dean had their arms locked in an “X” in front of Johnny. For his part, Johnny looped his arms through both of theirs and they finished the ride seated that way.
When the ride was over and everyone disembarked, Sam was anticipating that the older boy from the opposite side would give Dean a hard time. But as both sets of boys converged at the gate to the ramp, Dean made the first move and spoke directly to the younger boy. “You alright, dude? You looked a little green up there.” His tone wasn’t mocking or teasing, simply concerned. That seemed to win the older boy over.

“He’s okay. We’re just gonna walk around for a little while.” Dean nodded in approval when the older boy slung his arm around the younger one’s shoulders as they headed off toward another ride.

Dean swung around to face Sam, clapped his hands sharply, and then rubbed them together. “Whadda you guys say? Ready to eat?”

“Right on! Let’s pig out!” was Johnny’s enthusiastic reply.

Sam was right on their heels when Johnny and Dean took off for the food concessions.
He was slightly anxious about money - so far Dean had paid for the tickets, but food was expensive and it was no mystery that Winchesters could eat. Sam was pretty sure that Dean was using his own spending money; the small stash of cash on hand in the house for emergencies was not to be touched. How would they explain to John once he was back to normal that they’d used that money to take him to the fair? No, it was better to take the hit on their own meager savings than to risk that.

Sam patted his pocket to reassure himself that his wallet was in place. He had a little savings of his own and he didn’t intend to let Dean pay for everything. As Sam brought his attention back to Dean and Johnny, he could see that Dean had a plan - he should’ve figured. Stepping up to the counter, Dean asked for one of every food on the menu, three orders of fries and three large sodas. Before Dean could take his own wallet out, Sam did the math in his head and took out his own wallet. When he threw enough money down to cover half of the price he caught Dean’s eye. Dean didn’t say anything, he just nodded in silent approval.

Johnny waited impatiently between them for the food to arrive. Sam had to laugh when Dean loaded Johnny down with everything except the drinks to carry. It would not have been so amusing if Johnny had spilled all of the food, but he made it to the weathered picnic tables with no problem. Johnny dropped onto the corner of the bench, while Dean parked himself on Johnny’s left. Sam sat across from them.

Dean had purchased a little bit of everything that was shared between the three of them. Sam managed to claim most of the hamburger and cheeseburger leaving Johnny and Dean to consume the hot dog, corn dog and the rest of the more unusual fried food items. Watching them sitting and eating side by side was a revelation for Sam. Dean was always one to enjoy food, and Johnny, with his lack of inhibitions, was throwing himself into the meal with equal gusto. They were so much the same although never in Sam’s life could he recall seeing his father eat with such enthusiasm. Dean picked it up from somewhere even though he’d probably never witnessed it either. Sam chalked it up to nature over nurture and went back to eating his French fries.

After eating such a heavy meal, a walk around the midway was in order. Barkers cried out challenging fair-goers to try “games of skill” and to “test their luck”. After one circuit of the midway, Dean walked them slightly off the beaten path. “Whadda ya think, Sammy?”

This wasn’t the first carnival they’d gone too; occasionally Dad would take them specifically for drills like this. It occurred to Sam that in this same situation if it was Dad, and not Dean, asking the question he’d be oppositional and raising hell about even being there and not studying for finals. Sam deliberately let that go, and focused on being there with Dean and Johnny.

Sam replied while looking back toward the midway. “The balloon dart game definitely has weighted darts - not too hard to compensate for.” Johnny looked a little startled and stared back at the brightly colored booth as though looking for something he missed. “The ring toss and the quarter toss have raised and slightly slanted platforms. We could work that out, but the prizes aren’t worth wasting our time on.”

Johnny turned to the older boys, incredulous. “Do you mean they’re cheating?” he asked in a shocked whisper.

Dean grasped his shoulder and leaned down to look him in the eye. “Yep. But we’re gonna beat them at their own game.” He paused. “Do you know why?”

“Why?” answered Johnny.

Dean stood up and included Sam in his answer. “Because we’re Winchesters.” Johnny’s grin was brighter than all the lights on the midway.

Sam shifted his stance slightly and nudged Dean indicating a direction. Sam aimed his gaze at a booth set apart from the main midway. Johnny quickly realigned himself so he could see what they were looking at too. Sam nodded his chin in the direction of the booth as he spoke, “That booth looks like it’s an outside vendor, not your typical carnival shooting booth. The rifles are in better condition, and the prizes are a helluva lot better. I haven’t seen anyone walk away a winner.”

Dean nodded confidently, “That’s gonna change.”
They started out slow near the easier games. Dean would break down the logistics of each booth for Johnny before they approached, explaining what the cheat was and how to get around it. If the barker for the game was showing the crowd a good time and making it fun for the players, they would just play to play; however, if the barker was mean-spirited and making fun of people in the crowd, that’s when the Winchesters played to win. And, if a barker was particularly obnoxious, that’s when Dean would really take his time explaining to Johnny, loudly, the cheat of the game, until a crowd gathered and many more people knew how to play to win. He would even hang around and help complete strangers with their skills until they won and more people than not walked away with a prize.

All of their meandering and playing eventually brought them to the shooting booth that Sam had identified earlier. The barker was no fool; he watched their progress and saw them coming, but didn’t draw attention to it. He seemed more curious than confrontational; it was probably rare that he had players with the skills to actually beat his game, and he was interested in the challenge.

“Evenin’ gentlemen.” he greeted them.

The booth behind the barker was brightly lit. Row after row of moving targets made their way back and forth on mechanized belts. The lowest row of targets was made of stationary ducks bobbing along behind a blue wave of painted water. In the middle row, the ducks were farther apart, smaller in size and moving faster. These ducks were also occasionally obscured by stationary lily pads. In the highest part of the booth were “flying” ducks; they were fast moving, occasionally changed direction and were sporadically obscured by moving clouds.

“Evenin’” Dean replied in response as he sized up the booth at close range.

Sam thought the barker’s strategy was a good one - he didn’t invite them to play; he didn’t cajole or harass them. By keeping his mouth shut he put Dean in the position of asking to play.

“What’s the price?” Dean asked as he casually examined a rifle that was laid out on the counter even though the sign listed the cost clear as day.

The barker didn’t rise to the bait. “Three dollars for three shots - shoot a duck on all three levels and walk away with the prize of your choice.”

Dean nodded, dug three dollar bills out of his jeans pocket and picked up a rifle. He immediately turned and passed the gun on to Johnny who was startled by the move. Sam wasn’t surprised; by letting Johnny shoot first, Dean could see how the gun fired and had more time to observe the movement of the targets. The barker had a rueful smirk on his face; he wasn’t expecting Dean to pass the gun to Johnny either, but as soon as Dean did it, he understood why.

Johnny kept trying to give the rifle back to Dean, even as Dean moved him into a central position behind the counter. “Dean, man…this is your turn. You should be the one to go.”

“Don’t worry about it, Johnny,” Dean reassured him, “just have fun with it. Remember what Sammy showed you yesterday.”

Johnny turned with wide eyes toward Sam. What he couldn’t say to Dean, he could say to Sam. “I can’t do it, Sam.”

Sam was struck again by the similarity between Johnny and Dean. It wasn’t the physical resemblance, but the profound need to succeed and the fear of letting anyone down marked them as clearly as Sam’s inherited dimples. Sam never thought he’d be in a position to reassure his father; when did John Winchester ever need to be told he could succeed at anything? But this wasn’t John Winchester staring at Sam with wide eyes, it was Johnny, and he was desperately afraid of disappointing his family.

“Just relax, Johnny.” Sam smiled encouragingly. “Just like shooting cans off the fence. You got pretty good at that yesterday.”

John nodded, more to himself than in agreement with anything Sam was saying. “You really think I can do it, Sam?”

Sam put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder and leaned over a little so he could look him in the eye. “I really think you can.” And that was it; just a word from Sam was all it took. It was hard for Sam to pinpoint if that was what filled him with pride, or the expert way Johnny took up the rifle.

“Well now, boys,” the barker held up a hand to stop Johnny’s approach to the counter, “whadda’ya say we make this a little more interesting.” Johnny halted in mid-step and looked completely freaked out, worried about whatever other level of pressure the game owner was about to lay on him. Sam stepped up behind Johnny and put a hand on his neck. Dean face was a study in anger; he was ready to explode at the barker for taking the momentum away from Johnny after Sam’s pep talk.

“Now, now…” the man held his hands up in a calming gesture. “I ain’t tryin’ to throw anybody off his game. But you see here, I can tell just by lookin’ at you boys that you’ve got some skills. Just look at how the youngun’ here holds that rifle. I bet your daddy taught y’all that.” The man made a broad wink at Sam, and Sam had to laugh; in a way, John, through Sam, had been the one to teach Johnny about how to shoot.

“I’m pretty darn sure that you boys could set up shop and wipe me outta every last prize I’ve got here, so this is what I propose instead. You play one time, the three of ya, together. If between the three of ya can hit one target on each level, then you each get a pick of the prizes. But if one of y’all miss, you all walk away empty-handed...but we’ll still be friendly about it.”

Sam was impressed with the barker’s wily plan. Even as they were talking a small crowd had gathered; there were far more people standing around the booth than Sam had seen there all night. The man spoke truly; this was a game of skill, and because of that he had fewer players than the flashier games, and even less repeat players. He also didn’t berate passersby into playing by goading or teasing, again drawing less of a crowd.

However, with the challenge he’d thrown out to them, the barker had already generated a great deal of interest. Win or lose, the Winchesters were good for business. If they lost, there were probably those in the crowd who’d try their hand simply because they were standing there. If they won, people seeing the three of them walking around with the best prizes on the midway would think they had a chance to win too and give the game a try. For the barker it was a win-win situation.

Sam didn’t even need to see the silent look from Dean to know that they were going to accept the challenge. When Dean stepped forward to pick a rifle of his own, a small cheer went up from the crowd. Sam was pretty sure he was the only one to catch the brief, pleased smile on Dean’s face.

While making a show of inspecting their rifles, Dean and Sam crowded close to Johnny. Dean addressed the youngest Winchester as he outlined the plan in a low voice. “Johnny, you go for a low target. Sammy you take the middle, and I’ll take the top. Johnny, you’re gonna go first. Just take your time sighting your target. The ducks you’re going for are much closer than the cans on the fence, easy as pie.”

Johnny nodded listening to Dean. Sam noticed Johnny had his eye on the targets the whole time Dean was talking. He seemed much calmer and more centered knowing this was a challenge they were going to face together. “I’m not used to the moving targets, but I’m sure I can compensate because they’re so much closer.” Sam was pleased that Johnny’s confidence had returned.

“That’s my boy!” Dean replied as he mussed Johnny’s hair.

Sam and Dean moved to stand on either side of Johnny - Sam to his right and Dean on his left. Dean shot Sam a glance over Johnny’s head; Sam nodded in recognition of the unspoken plan. A larger crowd had gathered and Dean wanted to put on a little bit of a show.

Johnny had taken Dean’s advice to heart and was implementing the tips Sam had passed on the day before. Sam was pleased to note his stance was good and his grip on the rifle was relaxed. Then Johnny tensed slightly and Sam could see the barrel of rifle start to track one particular target. Dean had noticed it too. Johnny squeezed the trigger, and before the barker could even take a breath to announce his success, Sam and Dean took their shots in such close succession the reports of the rifles sounded simultaneous.

For a fraction of a second, all action outside of the booth was suspended and the only movement was the swirling of the smoke from the guns, and the lopsided dancing of the three ducks that were semi-suspended after being knocked down. A much louder cheer went up from the crowd and excited reports sped from one person to the next.

“Did you see that?” “They all shot at the same time!” “I never thought the little guy would make that shot. That was amazing!”

Then the crowd surged forward. Sam was a little startled by the enthusiastic back-slapping and high-fiving. Everyone seemed a little high on the Winchester’s success. Dean threw an arm around Johnny’s shoulders both in celebration and to be a buffer against the crowd. Suddenly the barker had a slew of eager customers, but he didn’t forget the bargain he’d made.

“Hold on now, folks!” he called above the crowd. “I gotta take care of some business with these boys.” The barker swept his arm backward in a grand gesture. “Pick of the litter, boys. One for each of you! What’ll you have?”

It amused Sam to no end that Dean picked the largest pair of fuzzy dice he’d ever seen. The white and black-spotted cubes made for an interesting accessory as Dean draped them around his neck. They were so huge they’d never be able to dangle on the Impala’s rearview mirror; hell, they might not even be able to fit in the front seat. Johnny picked a bear (not a teddy bear, he insisted) dressed in military fatigues. The bear was more than half of Johnny’s size but he hefted it with obvious pride.

When he made his choice, Sam knew he was going to hear it from Johnny, and he wasn’t disappointed. “A unicorn?” Johnny shot a stunned look at Dean even as he was overcome with giggles. “Jeeze Louise Sam!…A unicorn with a rainbow tail and pink ribbons?” Johnny’s voice had dropped to a horrified whisper. “That’s a girl prize!”

Sam ignored Johnny as he hoisted the unicorn, tucked it under his left arm and started walking. Dean got Johnny moving, but the youngest Winchester was torn between the nearly incapacitating impulse to mock Sam and the desire to emulate Dean’s unfathomable decision to stay silent. This resulted in a strange mix of muttering, sputtering and whispering to Dean about Sam’s choice of prize. Dean just chuckled and slung his arm around Johnny’s shoulder.

While they were walking, taking a meandering path back toward the main entrance, Sam kept his eyes peeled for a suitable target. You never knew when you were going to find the object of your desire, but tonight Sam hoped it would be sooner rather than later; Johnny would only be able to maintain radio silence for so long. Luck was on Sam’s side, and he spotted a likely candidate almost immediately.

It was a tradition of sorts that had started when they were fairly young. John Winchester could occasionally be indulgent as far as taking the boys for a trip to a carnival, but gathering a collection of cheaply made, dust catching toys that would take up space better used for essentials was too far for him to go. Most prizes the boys won would have to be left behind, either at the carnival, or later at the motel. John found it easier to insist that the toys be left at the fair ground; it made it less likely that the boys would become attached.

Sam couldn’t remember who started the game - it was probably Dean. Instead of just leaving the toys on an empty bench or by the side of a booth where just anyone could pick them up, they started to look for children to give the prizes to. There was a unwritten list of criteria - the toy had to be passed on to an only child or a family of two if Sam and Dean were giving their prizes away simultaneously so they wouldn’t cause a fight; the child in question couldn’t be behaving like a brat demanding one more ride or one more snack.

The little girl who had caught Sam’s eye was maybe six or seven. She was clinging to her mother’s hand as they walked down the game midway toward the carnival exit. Her blonde pony tail bobbed up and down as she moved alongside her mother; it was tied neatly with a pink bow. Everything she wore was just a little too big; big enough for her to “grow into”, but clearly not brand-new store bought clothes. There were no food stains on her shirt or shorts to indicate that she’d had anything to eat at the carnival - either she was an exceptionally neat eater or her mom gave her a choice of rides or food. As the pair walked along past the eye-catching games there was a look of longing on the little girl’s face, but there was resignation too; she never begged for or demanded a chance to play.

Sam knew Dean would hang back a little as he approached the family. He picked up his pace a little bit so he could intercept them before they got too far ahead of him. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

The woman paused, not quite sure who was trying to get her attention. Sam walked closer and the little girl looked adoringly at the gigantic unicorn under Sam’s arm. Then she stepped closer to her mother to bury her face in the woman’s hip.

Sam addressed the mother in one breathless sentence. “I know this might sound a little crazy, but I’m supposed to meet my brother in like two minutes for a ride home and he made a big deal about being on time and there’s no way I can get all the way to the exit and across the parking lot carrying this gigantic unicorn and I saw you and your little girl and I was wondering if maybe you’d take it so I can make a run for it?” Sam held out the unicorn imploringly.

It didn’t really matter if the mother believed Sam’s story or not. Sam shifted on the balls of his feet waiting for the woman to respond.

“What do you think, Maddie?” asked the woman as she brushed the hair off of her daughter’s upturned face. “Can we give this unicorn a good home?” Sam grinned because he knew the deal was done once the lady got her little girl involved.

Sam dropped the pretense of his “waiting brother” long enough to kneel down and offer the unicorn to Maddie. She didn’t even take the doll from Sam; she just threw herself at the unicorn and held it and Sam in a big hug. The smile on her face as she buried her face in the unicorn’s neck made Sam grin in return.

“What do you say, Maddie?” prompted her mother.

Shy once again, Maddie lifted her face from the unicorn’s neck and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Sam smoothed her hair the way her mother had.

“Thank you.” Maddie’s mother repeated, and Sam was glad to have to run away so he didn’t have to look at the expression in her grateful eyes. Sam made a masterful dash through the crowd making it look like he was breaking his neck to get to the parking lot long enough to get out of the woman’s line of sight. Then he ducked behind some food stands and circled back toward the midway to find Dean and Johnny.

Dean and Johnny were standing not far from where Sam had left them. Johnny had an expression of understanding on his face, and Sam could overhear Dean explaining that the first person to pick a prize got his choice, so the second had to pick a “girl” prize to give away since it was unfair to only pass on their winnings to boys.

Johnny saw Sam first. “That was real cool what you did, Sammy. You didn’t see that little girl’s face when you beat feet out of there…” Johnny put his free arm around Sam’s waist and gave a squeeze. “You really made her happy.”

Sam responded automatically to Johnny’s one-armed hug and hugged his shoulders in return. “Yeah, it’s a pretty good way to end the night.”

The Winchesters continued to wind their way through the crowds toward the exit. They were in no hurry, content to enjoy their night. Dean paused as they passed the Buccaneer ride. Sam followed his gaze as he watched the ride. There in the top bench was the pair of boys who had been on the ride with them earlier. But this time, both of the brothers were riding with their hands high, and the younger brother seemed particularly excited with his feat.

Dean waited as the ride wound down and the passengers disembarked. He approached the other boys as they stumbled off the ride; the older brother pounding the younger on the back celebrating his success. “Hey man! I saw you on the ride up there.”

“Hands free!” the older brother crowed. “I knew you could do it!”

Sam thought the younger brother looked kind of embarrassed, but it was clear he was also basking in the praise. Dean unwound the gigantic dice from around his neck. “I think you should be rewarded for your success.”

The younger boy’s eyes went wide as Dean, somewhat ceremoniously, draped the dice around his shoulders. “No way, man. Really?”

“Enjoy.” Dean slapped the boy on his shoulder and walked away. Sam could hear the other boys discussing the dice excitedly as the Winchesters walked away.

“You guys should help me pick out who to give my bear to.” Johnny suggested as they moved forward.

Sam shot a glance at Dean over Johnny’s head; Johnny was too engaged in scanning the crowd to notice. On the one hand, the part of Sam that had come to love this younger, innocent John wanted him to keep his prize because he’d earned it. On the other hand, when they had their father back tomorrow, what were they going to do with a gigantic bear?

“Nah, man,” Dean began, “You don’t have to give your bear away ‘cause Sam and I gave away our prizes.”

“No, I know.” Johnny replied, and he sounded sincere. “But it is kinda really huge and I don’t have anyplace to put it.” Sam wondered if there was some part of John that was asserting itself on Johnny’s awareness in preparation for a return to “normal” the next day. It made Sam kind of sad.

The Winchesters continued moving toward the exit. A boy sitting by the entrance for the swings got Johnny’s attention and he altered his path to walk over and strike up a conversation.

“Hey, man,” Johnny began, “You can’t go on this ride?”

“Nah,” the boy replied tapping his leg immobilized in an extensive cast. “I can’t do any of the rides, even the tame ones.”

“That’s so lame!” Johnny commiserated.

“I know. My mom keeps telling me I should just be happy to be out of the house.” The boy shrugged. “But it kinda sucks just watching my brothers go on everything while I just sit here and hold the jackets.” The boy hitched his thumb over his shoulder indicating the jackets that were slung on the handles of the wheelchair he was seated in.

Sam saw Johnny get a glint in his eye. It seemed that whatever he had planned involved a little more than simply passing the bear on to a new owner. He trotted over to where Sam was standing with Dean. He shoved the bear toward Dean. “Here Dean, take this and go back toward the midway. Quick, while no one’s looking.”

Sam probably shouldn’t have been surprised as how quickly and automatically Dean followed a direct order from Johnny. In a moment Sam was standing alone as Dean took off in one direction and Johnny jogged back over to the boy.

“Hey, man…what’s your name? I’m Johnny.” Johnny held out his hand for the other boy to shake.

“I’m Mike.” The boy grinned as he shook Johnny’s hand. Sam couldn’t hear what Johnny said as he leaned closer to Mike. Mike’s grin got even wider and he nodded his head. As Johnny straightened up, Mike called out, “Mom! MOM!”

A dark haired woman standing by the railing for the swing ride turned around. “I’m gonna go to that game booth over there.” Mike pointed to a booth behind Sam. The woman looked concerned and started to move toward the boys. “It’s okay…” Mike tried to forestall her. “My friend Johnny and his big brother are going to push me over. I’ll be right there.” Mike emphasized his statement with some vigorous hand gestures.

Sam walked over to the wheelchair and waved. The swing ride was just reloading and a much younger voice started clamoring for the woman’s attention. She looked torn and then waved to Mike. “You just be careful of that leg and stay right there where I can see you.”

“Okay Mom.” Mike was already busy releasing the brakes and trying to back up, but he didn’t have enough leverage and the terrain was not smooth. Sam intervened.

“Hang on. Lemme just…” Sam rocked the chair forward and then pulled it back over a slight rise of grass. Once the wheelchair was moving, it was much easier to maneuver. Johnny and Mike were eager to put Johnny’s plan in motion. Johnny led the way to the booth where Mike was supposed to go, and then he veered around it. Sam followed around the booth, hoping Mike’s mom didn’t notice their disappearance right away. Johnny continued walking until the view of the swings was completely obscured by the back of the booth.

“I’m gonna find Dean, be right back!” Johnny called over his shoulder as he began weaving through the crowd looking for the temporarily oldest Winchester. Luckily Dean hadn’t gone all the way back to the midway; he figured something was afoot and that the boy in the wheelchair couldn’t go too far. Johnny soon came back with Dean and the bear in tow.

In the short time it took for Johnny to return with Dean, Sam had been keeping an eye out on the swing ride. Mike’s mom did look around for them once, but she looked more angry than nervous that she didn’t immediately spot her wayward son and his friends. Johnny took the bear from Dean and dumped it in Mike’s lap. It was a good thing Mike had someone else to steer his wheelchair; his field of view was completely covered by the gigantic bear.

“Here’s the plan.” Johnny explained excitedly as he bounced on the balls of his feet. “We’re gonna wait ‘til the ride starts to unload, and when Mike’s brothers get off the swings we’ll push him up and show they what a boss prize he won when they went on the rides without him!”

Dean nodded in approval. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Sam was still at the helm of the wheelchair, and got Mike and his new companion rolling. Johnny led the way around the carnival booth and headed toward the swings. By that time, Mike’s mom was on high alert looking for him; she’d already corralled his siblings- two older and one younger brother - and looked like she was loaded for bear.

“Hey Mom!” yelled Mike, ready to put the plan into action, “Look what I won!”

“Oh, you should’ve seen it!” Johnny practically danced up to the waiting family. “It was awesome!”

Mike’s mom seemed torn between relief and surprise. Sam spoke up, “It was my fault. I wanted to go a little further than the booth that was right there.”

Dean jumped in simultaneously, “It was the best shooting I’ve seen all night, especially considering he had to compensate for the angle because he was sitting down.”

Johnny had continued talking all throughout, enthusiastically waving his arms and reenacting Mike’s amazing display of shooting. “He shot ducks on ALL THREE levels. First the easy one, then the middle one, and then the flying duck behind the cloud! It was so gnarly! And you know…there’s NO ONE else walking around with a prize like his. You guys totally missed out!”

Mike’s older brothers were sufficiently jealous. The youngest brother was suitably awed. “Mikey…that’s the biggest bear I’ve ever seen.” he said as he reached out to pet the bear in Mike’s lap.

“Yeah, squirt! It’s almost as big as you!”

Johnny punched Mike on the shoulder. “Hey, man, enjoy it!” They shared a grin and the Winchesters made their exit leaving behind the excited chattering of the family gathered around the wheelchair.

“That was a gas!” Johnny crowed.

“Yeah, a real gas.” Dean agreed, as he chuckled and shook his head.

With all of the prizes handed off to deserving new owners, Dean set their path toward the parking lot. Sam looked around as they were leaving; he wanted to remember everything. A small, gaudy tent off to the side of the main entrance caught Sam’s eye. In front there was a glittery sign declaring “FORTUNES TOLD”. As they passed, the curtain covering the entrance to the tent was pushed aside and a woman stepped out. Though he had never seen the Gypsy who had imparted this “gift” on their family, Sam knew that she was the one.

There was no time for Sam to stop; Dean and Johnny were walking ahead, blithely unaware of the gaze of the woman upon them. Sam wanted to keep up, so he kept moving, but he raised his hand in a silent salute. It was a hello, an acknowledgement, a thank-you. She smiled and nodded in return, satisfied with a job well done.

Sam caught up to the others just as Dean said, “I think we’ve got time for one more ride.”

Johnny looked around, confused. They’d reached the edge of the parking lot, and Dean hadn’t slowed his pace. “All the rides are back in the carnival, Dean.”

Dean just grinned as he took Johnny’s left wrist in his left hand and grabbed Johnny’s left armpit with his right. “This one’s kind of homemade.”

Sam mimicked Dean’s grip on Johnny’s right side. Johnny tensed as Dean counted down, “One…two…THREE!”

Together Sam and Dean swung Johnny skyward between them. Johnny was somewhat unprepared so his legs went flailing way over his head, and on the way down he didn’t get his legs under himself in time so he landed on his butt. He was laughing so hard Sam had a hard time making out what he was trying to say between gasping for air.

“That was so boss…it felt like I was flying…” Johnny climbed unsteadily to his feet. Dean helped him up with a hand under his elbow. “Try it again!” Johnny insisted. “I’m ready this time.”

Dean chuckled, indulgent. “Are you really ready?” Johnny nodded, grinning. “Are you really, really ready?” Dean teased. Sam could feel Johnny practically thrumming with excitement in his grasp. If they didn’t swing him soon chances were good he’d fly away on his own. Sam looked over and shook his head as he laughed at Dean.

“Okay…One…Two…THREE!” Sam and Dean stepped forward simultaneously and used their momentum to swing Johnny even higher than they had the first time. But this time Johnny was ready and at the top of the swing he kicked his legs out and Sam nearly lost his grip.

“Dude, what’re you doing?” Sam yelled, startled and trying to help Johnny to land on his feet.

“Didja see that?!” Johnny seemed completely unconcerned by the fact that Sam had almost dropped him on his head. “I almost did a complete flip!”

“If you want to do a flip, you’ve got to tuck your legs in at the top, not kick them out.” Dean advised. Sam could not believe that Dean was actually giving Johnny tips on how to break his neck. Dean continued, “This is the last swing, so if you’re gonna flip you need to go for it.”

“Right on!” Johnny held out his wrists for Sam and Dean, then backed up slightly to get a running start in order to add his momentum to theirs. Dean counted off one last time, “One…Two…THREE!”

On “THREE” Sam and Dean stepped forward, and Johnny assisted by running and jumping into the air. His unnaturally small body arced into the air. Then he pulled his legs in to carry his weight over the top of the swing. Between the two of them, Sam and Dean brought Johnny down for a ten-point landing.

“That was ROCKIN’!” Johnny pulled himself out of their grips and threw his hands up for some enthusiastic high-fives. “Thanks guys!”

Sam affectionately ruffled Johnny’s hair as they started walking again. “For a minute there I thought you were going to take off.”

Johnny responded in his disconcertingly literal way. “Oh, no way, Sam! I knew you guys had me the whole time.”

“Yeah, little man…”Dean ran his hand down Johnny’s head and rested it on the back of his neck. “We had ya the whole time.”

“This has been the best weekend ever! I can’t thank you guys enough!”

Dean looked over at Sam. “It sure turned out better than we expected.”

Sam met and held Dean’s gaze. “It really did.”

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