The Things You Miss (Chapter 7)

It didn’t take long for the battle to approach. Sam was surprised at the way it had been organized. John and Alistair had agreed on a neutral location and that there would be no weapons. It seemed more gang rumbles that Sam had read about in books than a war. But he knew it wasn’t. 

He knew that people weren’t coming home. That his brother, his father, his uncle, his friends, may not return to their families. That was why it was so hard for him to get out of bed the day the war began, to kiss Jess goodbye and make the drive to John and Mary’s home, where civilians would be waiting. Why it was so hard to watch Dean hug his kids goodbye. 

“Why are you crying, Daddy?” He heard Page ask when Dean kneeled down in front of him.

“Daddy’s gotta go away for a while, bud,” Dean answered. “I gotta go on an adventure.”

“Like Bilbo?” Dean’s laugh sounded like a sob in Sam’s ears.

“Yeah. Like Bilbo.” 

“How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know, buddy. It might be a long time.” Page wrapped his skinny arms around Dean’s neck. 

“It’s okay, Daddy.” Dean hugged him back and Page wriggled uncomfortably. “Too tight, Daddy!”

He went through the same speech with Morrison, who replaced Bilbo with Batman, then hugged him, too.

The water works really started when he scooped Stevie into his arms and held her close. She was too little to really understand, but she knew Daddy wasn’t going to be there to tuck her in tonight.