UNIVERSAL IC CONTACT

[failedparenting]

[There's no personalized message, just a robot lady voice telling you to leave a message for a John Winchester at the tone.]

Comments

[momchester]

John- I just want to let him sleep. Just a few hours?

[parentingfail]

He can sleep after.

[John's already in the hallway of he and Bobby's apartment and booking it towards the stairs.]

[momchester]

[Raaaapidly realizing what a pointless fight this is.]

Okay.

[Her voice finally cracks, the tension breaking into something a little more vulnerable.]

That's probably for the best. He- he knows you.

[parentingfail]

[John's voice is echo-y now. He's practically running down the stairs.]

When's he from?

[momchester]

Late 2009, I think that's- after the Apocalypse started?

[Piecing together the timeline is weeeeird. She leans over the railing and looks up.]

John?

[parentingfail]

What?

[He's a little out of breath now. Dammit, he needs to start running again.]

[momchester]

Nothing.

[He sounds a little winded. Let the man run.

Until he gets down here, that is, and then she runs interference for a second, running up to him with a hand out to catch his shoulder.]

John- John.

[failedparenting]

[He hangs up the phone and continues down until he reaches the second floor. He's a bit more winded, but it isn't bad.

He takes a second to catch his breath, and brushes Mary's hand off.]

I'm seeing him, okay? Don't stop me.

[momchester]

I- [Oh christ, she's being stupid.] -I won't. Okay? Just take a second.

He's from earlier than he was last time, but later than the first time. He won't be as... hurting as badly as he was the first time, but I get the sense that he has a lot on his plate.

[None of which, of course, is even remotely what she wants to say to him, and what comes next is probably last on that list. Ever.]

I told him that we're not living together.

[failedparenting]

What did he say?

[Time doesn't matter to him, at all. All he cares about is if Dean's here and not hurt.]

[momchester]

He wasn't happy.

[And Mary kind of cried on him, and it's been a really horrible night. She draws her arms a little closer around herself.]

[failedparenting]

[He nods. Completely understandable. Dean only remembers them through a four year old's eyes, that age when everything is bright and happy.

Shit, Mary's curling in on herself. That's never good.]

Did something else happen?

[momchester]

[In response, she only crosses her arms a little tighter and presses her lips into a thin, unhappy line.]

He's younger than he was last time. He looks younger.

[He looks more like Tom.]