"What?" John Winchester frowned even though the party at the other end of the call couldn't possibly see it.
"A woman named Kate Milligan called asking for you. She said she had something important to talk to you about. You asked me to relay all messages, so..."
"No, you're right--thanks Jim. Did she leave a number?"
John stared at the hastily scrawled name and phone number, wracking his brain for any connection to himself. He didn't hand out contact information freely, so there must be some reason...
He dialed the number.
"Hello?" a feminine voice inquired.
"Kate Milligan?" The question was a formality; as soon as he heard her speak, John recalled the strong-willed Minnesota nurse that had refused to believe his injuries were the result of a normal hunting accident. John hated to admit to any weakness, but he had a soft spot for spirited women.
"John?" Apparently she remembered him, too. Of course, most normal people wouldn't be soon to forget someone who'd fed them a crazy sounding story about ghouls and then disappeared before they woke up in the morning, leaving only a number and a note to call if any really strange injuries started showing up at the hospital.
"You have something important to tell me?" Might as well get right down to it--John wasn't much for small talk anymore. He heard Kate take a deep, shuddering breath.
"I hadn't ever planned to tell you, but I suppose you have a right to know..."
"Know what?" That probably came across harsher than he intended, but if this was really important...
"You--we--have a son, Adam. He wants to meet you."
Later, John would be amazed that he hadn't dropped the phone. He sat in stunned silence. He had another son--one that hadn't been tainted by his quest for vengeance. He knew that Dean had only a handful of memories from before his innocence was burned away by the fire, and Sam had just enough of a taste of innocence (or was it simply ignorant bliss?) before the reality of life as a Winchester had crushed it to be bitter.
"John? Are you still there?" He grunted some kind of acknowledgement, mind still whirling. What was he supposed to do? "Look, I know I sprung this on you out of the blue," Kate continued, tone going colder, "and I suppose I understand if you don't want anything to do with us-"
"What's your address?" The words spilled out before he could even really think about them. He copied down the information beneath the name and number from earlier and ended the call with a promise that he was on his way.
He stared at the phone in his hand. He could call the boys...
No. He knew a large part of the reason was selfish, but there was also a part of him that couldn't bear the pain he knew this would cause them. Dean and Sam would learn about Adam over his dead body and no sooner.
no subject
"A woman named Kate Milligan called asking for you. She said she had something important to talk to you about. You asked me to relay all messages, so..."
"No, you're right--thanks Jim. Did she leave a number?"
John stared at the hastily scrawled name and phone number, wracking his brain for any connection to himself. He didn't hand out contact information freely, so there must be some reason...
He dialed the number.
"Hello?" a feminine voice inquired.
"Kate Milligan?" The question was a formality; as soon as he heard her speak, John recalled the strong-willed Minnesota nurse that had refused to believe his injuries were the result of a normal hunting accident. John hated to admit to any weakness, but he had a soft spot for spirited women.
"John?" Apparently she remembered him, too. Of course, most normal people wouldn't be soon to forget someone who'd fed them a crazy sounding story about ghouls and then disappeared before they woke up in the morning, leaving only a number and a note to call if any really strange injuries started showing up at the hospital.
"You have something important to tell me?" Might as well get right down to it--John wasn't much for small talk anymore. He heard Kate take a deep, shuddering breath.
"I hadn't ever planned to tell you, but I suppose you have a right to know..."
"Know what?" That probably came across harsher than he intended, but if this was really important...
"You--we--have a son, Adam. He wants to meet you."
Later, John would be amazed that he hadn't dropped the phone. He sat in stunned silence. He had another son--one that hadn't been tainted by his quest for vengeance. He knew that Dean had only a handful of memories from before his innocence was burned away by the fire, and Sam had just enough of a taste of innocence (or was it simply ignorant bliss?) before the reality of life as a Winchester had crushed it to be bitter.
"John? Are you still there?" He grunted some kind of acknowledgement, mind still whirling. What was he supposed to do? "Look, I know I sprung this on you out of the blue," Kate continued, tone going colder, "and I suppose I understand if you don't want anything to do with us-"
"What's your address?" The words spilled out before he could even really think about them. He copied down the information beneath the name and number from earlier and ended the call with a promise that he was on his way.
He stared at the phone in his hand. He could call the boys...
No. He knew a large part of the reason was selfish, but there was also a part of him that couldn't bear the pain he knew this would cause them. Dean and Sam would learn about Adam over his dead body and no sooner.